Thursday, February 10th, The Union Street Preservation Society are playing at Sullivan Hall. They are an emerging Americana string band from Brooklyn, mixing folk with bluegrass and blues with early jazz. Their music is full of spirited harmonies, fresh new melodies and an authentic energy. The members of the Union Street Preservation Society have distinctive histories–bassist Jason Bertrone studied jazz at Hampshire College, pianist/multi-instrumentalist Sara Bouchard is classically trained with two of her own albums, guitarist David Lieberman studied cognitive science at Yale, violinist Harrison Hollingsworth is the youngest musician at the New York City Ballet, and legendary guitarist/banjoist Alex Borsody runs two companies and helps The Deli in various way (writing, programming, even mag distribution – hurray for him!).
Joining the Union Street Preservation Society on February 10th will be headliners Greensky Bluegrass and Cornmeal. The show is 18+ and the doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $10 advance (and can be purchased here) and $12 the day of. – Leah Tribbett
Brooklyn artist Abby (born Abby Payne) is a whirlwind of talent. Her melodic, textured arrangements perfectly suit her voice (soft and yet full of raw emotion), rendering her songs interesting and emotional at once. "All These Years" is a strikingly beautiful dreamy folk pop track reminiscent of early Suzanne Vega, while "The Prophet" ventures into foot stomping territories. "Try Try Try" is likely to induce smiles and head bobs, the catchy beats and inspired lyrics making this one of Abby’s best. Both her EPs, the 4-song "In A Pretty Box" and the 5- song "Sasquatch" are available on iTunes. And on Friday, February 11th Abby is playing at Williamsburg venue Spike Hill. The show is 21+, the cover is only $6 and she has the stage from 9:00-10:00. – Leah Tribbett
NJ based Com Truise (aka producer and designer Seth Haley) suffers of "synth obsession". He is also the creator of an experimental and bottom heavy style he calls "mid-fi synth-wave, slow-motion funk" reminiscent of Boards of Canada and early Kraftwerk. Haley’s been making music on the side for roughly a decade – going through pseudonyms like toothbrushes (Sarin Sunday, SYSTM, Airliner)-first as a DJ, and currently, as an excavator of softer, window-fogging synth-wave. The Cyanide Sisters EP, Com Truise’s first official release, was first available as a free download through AMdiscs in June of 2010; Ghostly’s remastered and extended reissue nearly doubles its tracklist. There’s also a full-length on the horizon, and a string of remixes for Neon Indian and Twin Shadow already in the can.
At the bottom of this blog entry you can find the final chart of our Best of NYC Emerging Artists 2010 poll. Congrats to Twin Shadow, who won the poll and will therefore grace the cover of the Spring issue of The Deli!
All the artists in this list will get some kind of print coverage in that same issue (if we can fit them!), and we’ll book as many as we can for our Best of NYC 2011 Fest (here’s the poster from last year’s edition).
When you think eighties, you think big hair. You think dance tracks, sequins and hot pants. Eighties music doesn’t ooze with emotionality, and when it does, it usually comes off as borderline cheesy. Yet for Twin Shadow’s full length debut, Forget, George Lewis Jr. takes the eighties sound and makes it emotional, sans cheesiness. This is quite a feat: it requires careful production, sincerely-felt lyrics, and beautifully, yet subtly, fueled instrumentals. Twin Shadow succeeds quite nicely on all three counts. With savvy production work by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor, dark and complex lyrical language (“you hold the line, a bullet soul/it’s just that sometimes, time’s so slow”), and casual-smooth interludes of a piano, some strings, and other delicate synth work, Lewis captures what nostalgic music is all about. The track list is tight, infused with fluidity and synchronicity, and produces a sound we have likely heard before. Yet at the same time, while Lewis’ music comes off as familiar, the moments of innocence, shimmer and feeling layered within bring about something new, fresh and all around awesome. – Read Alexandra Vann’s Q&A with George Lewis Jr.from last year here.
Our Deli Summer 2009 cover band won’t please those who love music that conveys delicate emotions and a sparse sound, nor the traditional alt rockers and their epic needs. Buke and Gass is a band that lives in a parallel musical world, where originality, for once, is not a wasted word. The duo builds their own instrument and pedals and master them to perfection, creating a huge wall of wonderful distorted sound that can’t be compared to any band we are aware of. Arone Dyer’s vocals are amongst the most powerful and versatile in the NYC scene, ranging from PJ Harveyish full aggression to the Bjorky "I’m-a-helpless-baby" kinda thing (she is also cute by the way). The songs are complex but not inaccessible, full of memorable melodies and intricate rhythms that have the power to get even lazy NYC legs to jump manically. Their debut album Riposte (Brassland) came out in 2009 and will be remembered for generations – notwithstanding what Pitchfork says. – Read a Delicious Audio interview with Buke and Gass here.
f I ever meet the two guys in Brooklyn’s Games I’ll tell them one thing, and one thing only: quit playin’ games with my heart. And then I’d pause and say, "with my heart… my heart." Maybe this gets my heart all mixed up because these beats are so instantly likeable and, dare I say, danceable. That always throws my heart for loops and bleeps and clicks.
This fantastically catchy electro duo is longtime pals, Joel Ford (also in Tigercity) and Daniel Lopatin (who does Oneohtrix Point Never). Here’s one thing you need to know about Games: samples. Here’s another you need to know: synths. Here’s one final thing you need to know: these two like to get DOWN… they like to get DOWNTOWN like Julie BROWN.
If you want some funk in your stuff, I suggest going out and seeing Games do their button pushing, lever pulling, mixtape making thing. I want to see Games play on a stage with Javelin and Gold Panda. Just so I can walk up to them afterwards and tell them my heart can’t take all the games, Games. My head says no, but my hips say DANCE. – Oh My Rockness
Shoegazer/Ambient Queens, NY duo For Every Story Untold demonstrate the wherewithal to compose hauntingly beautiful music as indicated on the tandem’s four-song EP HIDEOUT. With discernible influence coming from the likes of Portishead and Cocteau Twins, this group provides a lush background of cymbal crashes and whispering synths while an ethereal female vocal delicately weaves in and out of the multi-layered instrumental presentation (“From Under Paris”). Commandeering a balance between serenity and majesty, For Every Story Untold successfully fuses heart-wrenching shoegaze properties with ambient alternative rock to create a captivating strand of music with a cosmically enhanced cinematic scope perfect for escaping the world by (“Hideout”). -Mike SOS
Strange Shapes, formed in 2009, is a new Brooklyn based project delivering – as its name suggests – music that isn’t excatly "ordinary". Strong psychedelic influences referring directly to the early UK genre pioneers blend with a fully electric avant-pop approach reminiscent of Animal Collective, but with some added unpredictability that bears jazzy elements. The band will be opening for Delicate Steve at his CD release party on February 5th at Public Assembly. Check out the opening track of the band’s new EP "Star Charts" streaming here.
Led by Cat Power bassist Erik Paparazzi, The Paparazzi is a delightfully psychedelic pop rock project chock full of freewheeling melodies and lighthearted wordplay. This collective’s nine-track affair ROCOCO showcases a love for the soulful rock sounds of the 1960’s (“Hi”) with a discernible Beatles fetish and a drowsy indie rock sensibility (“My O My”). Instrumentally lush and boldly experimental, The Paparazzi makes quirky daydream pop that is fresh from the dryer soft and warm. www.seriousbusinessrecords.com -Mike SOS
DC’s own “rock-art with a singer-songwriter’s soul” 5-some, Left On Vermont, have released their debut EP Left On Vermont , and to celebrate, they’re bringing the party to the Rock & Roll Hotel this Friday 2/4. Right now, you can pick the EP up for free here. District Noise’s recent review says “Guitarist Eugene Lee’s boyish voice is reminiscent of folksinger Nicholas Altobelli; and the band’s violinist, Erin Weston, delivers baroque, haunting vocals that make Left On Vermont stand out from the crowd.” Also on the bill: DC’s indie-powerpop The Public Good, and Virginian alt-rock The Crash Takeoff. Doors @ 8:30 $10.
Congrats to the exuberant Portland champions of the Eastern European sound Chervona (in the picture) for winning our Portland Best of 2010 Fans’ Poll. The beloved revolutionaly orchestral combo preceded lo-fi psych rockers Archers and – to complete our podium in the name of variety – eclectic roots music deconstructors The Ascetic Junkies. Here’s the Fans’ Poll Top 10 – thanks to all the bands for spreading the word about it! The composite chart results (including the vote of our jury of scene makers) will be out later this week, so be sure to check back for the overall winners!
Congrats to The Apache Relay for winning our Best of 2010 fans’ poll. They are one of Nashville’s youngest and freshest indie folk acts, gathering nearly 1200 fan votes. They made huge strides in 2010 with their gorgeously rootsy release of 1988, as well as a rigorous regional touring schedule. They wowed the masses with numerous local shows as well, including opening for Dr. Dog at Live on the Green this past summer. They preceded melodic indie rockers The Great Collide and playful singer songwriter Madi Diaz. Below is the Fans’ Poll Top Ten, and thanks to all the bands for spreading the word about it! The composite chart results (including the vote of our jury of scene makers) will be out later this week, so be sure to check back for the overall winners!
Congrats to alt rockers The Filthy Violets (in the picture) for winning our LA Best of 2010 fans’ poll. After a seriously tight race the band preceded atmoshperic pop songwriter Patrick Joseph and apocaliptic rockers Queen Caveat. Here’s the Fans’ Poll Top 15 – thanks to all the bands for spreading the word about it! The composite chart results (including the vote of our jury of scene makers listed here) will be out later this week,so be sure to check back for the overall winners!
There’s something special about Rioux – pronounced ‘ree-you’, the moniker of artist Erin Rioux – an audiovisual artist whose creative energy is almost too genius to have come from someone so young. It’s equally intriguing to pick up on the eclectic sounds in Rioux’s songs as it is to try and fathom the inspirations behind them. His debut full-length "Everything You Need Is Right Here" dropped on January 17th and each track has been such a special treat to the ears – some psychedelically trippy, some painfully romantic, and even some that sound like the Dirty Projectors playing around with an NES cartridge. But the most interesting aspect of Rioux is that he marries the music-listening experience with a visual one, making his shows especially captivating (read: trippy). We’re really excited for what this local Brooklyn artist has to offer in the future.
You can download a free track over at The Morning After Pills blog but really you should stream and purchase the entire album over at his website. We got ours on vinyl! – – Kristen Yoonsoo Kim
