We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list here (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in Williamsbur on May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

Julianna Barwick is a one-woman choir, a skyscraper of bliss, a monumental swirl of ghostly energy. Moving mountains by using little more than a loop pedal and her crystal-clear voice, Barwick is the epitome of DIY energy. Put her in front of a microphone and it’s a punk rock take on new age, the scrappy basement show rocker making something drone-heavy, churchlike, meditative. Her triumphant phonemes are never mumbled or moaned, but confidently belted from the rafters. Think Kate Bush’s most heartwarming dreampop untethered from the shackles or rhythm or instruments or form or pop; just one heavenly, angelic coo multi-tracked into a prismatic haze. – Christopher R. Weingarten

Quirky experimental Brooklyn group Javelin are about to spread their good vibrations beyond New York’s borders as they kicked off a nationwide tour last week at the Alfred University. The duo of George Langford Tom Van Buskirk cites acts as wide-ranging as Kraftwork to Smokey Robinson as influences and this eclectic nature is easy to spot, using everything from 8 bit blips, muted drums and spray painted boom boxes to create a collage of sounds. Teamed up with indie it-boys Yeasayer for their April tour, the group seem set to spread their unique brand of tropical pop as well as their unique fashion sense, since the band are known to perform wearing nothing but leopard skin tights. – Dean Van Nguyen

The Press celebrate the launch of their new album “INTEOTWIJTEOAE” by playing a set at Matchless this Saturday 04.03. The show comes just days before the band set off on a national tour to promote the record. After five years releasing a stack of well received EP’s and 7” singles, “INTEOTWIJTEOAE” feels like a real artist statement from the Brooklyn group. Combining flamboyant pop exuberance, punk melodies and the occasional moment of delicate beauty, they step out from the crowd of recent baroque pop bands who have emerged in this city and others, giving every track a distinctly Press-like feel. Take the album’s single ‘Master’. Built around a scuzzy guitar riff, heavy cymbal crashes and howling vocals, it’s outrageously busy for a pop song, but still incites manic arm-waving and fist-clenching joy on every listen. It even proved to be ripe for a dubstep remix, provided by Nate Mars. – Dean Van Nguyen

Deli readers,

For the second year The Deli Magazine and Rooftop Films will partner to give New Yorkers some quality independent music AND movies.
The Rooftop Films 2010 Summer Series, the 14th year of "Underground Movies Outdoors," will run every weekend from May 14-August 15, hosted by different suggestive NYC roofs.. Each night a local emerging artist will perform before the projection – considering how tall NYC buildings are, this is truly a match made in heaven!
The Rooftop Films 2010 calendar will be announced in a few weeks, in the meantime…

NYC BANDS CAN SUBMIT TO PLAY
ROOFTOP FILMS SERIES 2010 HERE.

The artist selection will be made by the Rooftop Films music staff – no need to schmooze The Deli’s staff to be picked – we know you!!!

The Deli’s Staff
www.thedelimagazine.com

92YTribeca has been contributing in recent time to bring the West Village scene back to relevance with a series of interesting shows mixing local music and art. Roberto Lange aka Helado Negro (in the picture) and Julianna Barwick, along with visual artists Jonathan Dueck and Kristi Sword take over the downtown venue with a night of music and month of art exhibitions. These artists will be engaging in a collaboration that blurs the divisions between studio, stage, touring and recording. While Roberto and Julianna collaborate to produce new music live on stage, Dueck will be documenting with drawings, video and photography which will later be incorporated into the packaging materials for the final product of this experience. Buy tickets here.

From Sid Vicious to Iggy Pop, real names have been forsaken for pseudonyms with a rock ‘n’ roll feel. Lizzy McChesney didn’t have quite the right ring to it, so the singer-songwriter christened the stage name Lissy Trullie to host the rotating musicians that write and perform in her band. Although she currently slays crowds with her guitar skills, she began her musical education with the least punk rock instrument, the xylophone.  This minor setback to dominating the world with her rock ‘n’ roll only fueled her desire to obtain a guitar. After a great deal of pleading, her parents finally bought her the much-coveted guitar. She began writing songs at 14 based on the basic song structures found in Tom Petty songs her instructor taught her. Over time, her songwriting shifted with her exposure to different frameworks and sounds. – read Nancy Chow’s interview with Lissy here.

Peter Silberman grew up in a family of writers and editors. When you hear his band The Antlers — and more importantly, when you read his lyrics — it’s obvious. The story told in the band’s 2009 album Hospice reads like a young writer’s first tragedy. And it hurts to hear.
Just shy of 24-years-old, and fresh off of nearly four months of touring, Silberman was sipping coffee in Brooklyn on a December morning. He said he was "very happy," but he mostly spoke about illness, abuse and mortality, the themes of his latest record.
"I hate to say that my favorite writer is very depressing, but it’s true," he said. He was speaking, of course, of 1980s short story writer and poet, the seminal minimalist Raymond Carver, whose work Silberman called both "hopeful" and "doomed."– read Joe Coscarelli interview with the band here.

Current Deli Artist of the Month Miniboone has just released this fun video of their single Cool Kids Cut Out of the Heart Itself – which perfectly channels the post punk energy of the Brooklyn band. Miniboone is one of the many awesome local bands that will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in mid May (see blog entry underneath in thsi same page). Don’t miss their live show at Cake Shop on April 6.

Ah, the reverie of spring. In lieu of fields to loll about in go get cozy for free with Alexa Wilkinson (in the picture), Julie Peel, and Mercy Bell (in the picture) at The Living Room, Thursday, April 1, from 8pm-11pm. Julie Peel unleashed her debut full-length album on American Laundromat Records (ALR) September 22nd 2008, and has been enjoying rave reviews and charting at college & specialty radio ever since. Previously featured on ALR compilations, this is Julie’s first solo full-length release. She counts Aimee Mann, Kim Deal, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell among her influences, and their impact is not hard to discern on Near the Sun. Julie’s lo-fi, guitar-driven pop recalls the likes of Ida, Anna Ternheim, Caithlin de Marrais, and Mirah, but bears her own distinctive indie sensibility and style. Alexa Wilkinson plays a unique blend of music a unique of blend of music with jazz, rock and folk influences. She has toured and shared the stage with Ingrid Michaelson, Josh Kelley, Natasha Beddingfield, Mieka Pauly, Bess Rogers, Joshua Radin, Vanessa Carlton, Dar Williams, Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, and many more. She has had various songs from her both albums featured on MTV’s "The Hills", CBS’s "NCIS: NY" & "Make It or Break It", and many others. Mercy Bell has been playing her crunchy folk-pop around New York for almost two years and is working on her first album. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Today we start some sort of "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list here (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli’s Best of NYC Fest in Williamsbur on May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

Callers earned the accolade of The Deli’s CD of the month back in December of 2008 with its spellbinding “Fortune.” In a brief yet memorable 30-some minutes, vocalist Sara Lucas and guitarist Ryan Seaton guide listeners through an intimate, contemplative journey conveyed by blues, jazz and folk tones. The arrangements are sparse but they only make the songs more evocative and highlight the strength of Lucas and Seaton’s potent, volatile voices with their respective instruments. It’s difficult to pull away from the songs without being affected; Callers crafts moods that reach beyond its songs and proactively engrosses its listeners.

Brooklyn’s Quiet Lights is A new project from ex-members of Gods&Queens/Argentine/Desert Fathers. Inspired by small batch bourbon, conspiracy theories, dream-pop, haruki murakami, zombie massacre preparedness, pulled-pork bbq, raw milk, the smell of dew on fresh mowed grass, boutique guitar pedals, over-analyzing, cupcakes, rush-hour subway rage, reverb. Check out Quiet Truth, Weapons Thrown one of 3 tracks on our pre-release with a proper album being recorded soon. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Geezer on Diesel is a band featuring two NYC scenemakers who work in the shadow – i.e. Producer Paul Mahajan (here on guitar) known for recording TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Sam Tayolr (here on baritone guitar) who’s been providing guitar gear to the Williamsburg’s community of musicians through his store Southside Guitars. The band plays a grainy brand of snare-less dark and droney (but not necessarily psych) indie rock reminiscent of a less dreamy Jesus and Mary Chain and a more controlled Dead Meadow. Stay tuned for upcoming live shows in the Billyburg neighborhood.