After winning our Artist of the Month Poll in October, Mon Khmer landed a residency at the LES indie-rock hotspot Piano and therefore headed into the studio to record their debut LP, set to drop in a few weeks. Led by the enigmatically-named Hammarsing, the band’s ambient-leaning sound is grounded in steady rhythms and solid song structuring influenced by the more electronically-oriented descendants of Bowie. The Deli caught up with Hammarsing to discuss the band’s creative’s process, where to catch the best live music in the city, and future of Mon Khmer’s rule. – Read Toney Palumbo’s interview with the band here.

The Madison Square Gardeners, a rock ‘n roll band with members from Canada, Ohio, and New York, released their EP this December,  and are planning to release four EPs a few months apart—each with its own hand drawn cover art, t-shirt package and video content. With a tinge of country soul, they describe their songwriting as both a collective and individual process.  As one MSGer may enter rehearsal with a song individually composed, it will be revised and arranged by the entire band as a group effort. “Usually the person who writes the song trusts the other members of the band to come up with parts, blah blah blah… – Read Gina Alioto’s interview with the band here.

The revolution brought by affordable computers powerful enough to allow home recording is generating a slew of indie electronic one or two man bands/remixers. Half of this slew is apparently based in the land comprised between the beaches of Montaulk and South Jersey – with a higher concentration in Brooklyn of course. Tanline is a two man project that rises from the pack for their tastefully textured tribal use of electronics and for their clinical melodies. The duo is scheduled to release a new EP called "Settings" in March and play Brooklyn Bowl with Acrylics on February 5.

Orange, linguists like to point out, is the most famous word in the English language that has no rhyme. It stands alone, in a class by itself, boldly declaring its independence and spirit of defiance. It’s entirely appropriate, then, that guitarist Jim Campilongo‘s ninth album bears that lone word–Orange–as its title. Considering his obvious Italian descent, Jim could have called this album "Fegato" – Italian for liver – which is the corresponding un-rhymeable word in the mediterranean language. "Orange" definitely sounds better, no doubt about that… but interestingly enough Italians say that you need to have a big "fegato" (liver) to do something bold, and being an original musician that plays instrumental music is definitely something bold – at least in our eyes. Don’t miss the show at The Living Room on February 15 (photo by Arthi Krishnaswami).

P.S. I have no idea why the italian word for liver is used this way, but apparently this digestive organ has been a symbol of courage and physical strenght since the ancient Greeks.

Acrylics has announced tour dates in the US and UK leading up to SXSW in support of their two recent releases. Their debut, All of the Fire, was produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and released on the label he owns with Ethan Silverman: Terrible Records. The single "Molly’s Vertigo," which is not a part of the EP, is being released on Something In Construction in the UK. The band also released this new video for this song, that clearly displays their heavy 80s influences. The band will play Brooklyn Bowl on 02.05 and Glasslands (a few blocks away) the next day, with label mate Class Actress in occasion of Terrible Records party.

The Deli’s Year End Polls for emerging artists are a great opportunity to catch up with all the most exciting up and coming bands that left a mark in the previous 12 months. Don’t forget to check out these bands as they might hit it big in 2010 (if they haven’t already!).

AUSTIN BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: STEREO IS A LIE

Also check out
Missions (2nd place overall)
Neon Indian (3rd place overall)
Black Joe Lewis (3rd place overall)
Austin Overall Chart – Austin Fans’ Chart

CHICAGO BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: I FIGHT DRAGONS

Also check out
Hey Champ (2nd place overall)
Netherfriends (3rd place overall)
Chicago Overall Chart – Chicago Fans’ Chart

LOS ANGELES BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: LOCAL NATIVES

Also check out:
Fitz & The Tantrums (2nd place overall)
Crash Kings (3rd place overall)
Light FM – (Fans’ Poll Winners)
LA Overall Chart – LA Fans’ Chart

NEW ENGLAND BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: MEAN CREEK

Also check out:
Michael Bernier and the Uprising (2nd place overall)
Jesse Dee (3rd place overall)
McAlister Drive – (Fans’ Poll Winners)
New England Overall Chart – New England Fans’ Chart

NASHVILLE BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: THOSE DARLINS

Also check out:
Non Commissioned Officers (2nd place overall)
Protomen (3rd place overall and Fans’ Poll winners)
Nashville Overall Chart – Nashville Fans’ Chart

NYC BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: TALK NORMAL

Also check out:
Freelance Whales (2nd place overall)
Bear in Heaven (3rd place overall)
Midnight Spin (Fans’ Poll winners)
NYC Overall Chart – NYC Fans’ Chart

PHILLY BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: READING RAINBOW

Also check out:
Grandchildren (2nd place overall)
Free Energy (3rd place overall)
Levee Drivers (Fans’ Poll winners)
Philly Overall Chart – Philly Fans’ Chart

PORTLAND BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: EXPLODE INTO COLORS

Also check out:
Nurses (2nd place overall)
Bodhi (3rd place overall and Fans’ Poll winners)
Portland Overall Chart – Portland Fans’ Chart

SAN FRANCISCO BEST EMERGING ARTIST OF 2009: GIRLS

Also check out:
Man/Miracle (2nd place overall)
Or, The Whale (3rd place overall and Fans’ Poll winners)
Orchestra of Antlers (Fans’ Poll winners)
SF Overall Chart – SF Fans’ Chart

Remember Will Smith’s thrilling musical career? Brooklyn’s Pearl and the Beard sure do. Not long ago, the trio composed a charming Will Smith melody, seamlessly threading together some of his top hits, including the notorious theme to “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” You can watch them getting jiggy with it in various parts of the city in this music video. In all seriousness, Pearl and the Beard create the kind of heartwarming music that makes the bitter winter months bearable. The soulful folk trio’s energetic output envelopes the listener with whimsical, uplifting joy. Without a wave of distortion, pristine voices are free to entwine with a hearty collage of organic instrumentation. The spirited vocal harmonies tantalize the senses with the playful interaction between male and female voices. If you can’t get enough of their infectious folk, cellist Emily Hope Price is in the midst of a personal project, in which she writes and records a new song every day for the next year. Witness the impossible on her blog. Catch Pearl and the Beard with the equally lovely Dinosaur Feathers on Saturday at Sycamore or on March 5 at The Studio at Webster Hall. – Nancy Chow

Scientific studies show that a small weekly dose of power pop is good for you – in particular if you suffer from SAD syndrome. Your third week of February should be covered by Paperdoll, who are playing Mercury on 02.19. – Paperdoll’s efficacy is not verified by the Food and Drug Administration, side effects include jumping uncontrollably, heavy drinking, loss of sexual inhibitions.

In an effort to brainwash babies into liking my music, based on a study that shows infants to have a stylistic preference for music they were exposed to prenatally, Piano-popper Joe Raciti is offering his latest album "Romantic Shark Attack" for free to any pregnant woman or expecting father. "I know this sounds crazy but I feel really good about it," said Raciti. "Babies are wonderful and outright fascinating and I want my music to have something to do with the development of their brains. Must be the mad scientist in me." If you would like to take advantage of this offer, you need to go here, fill out the form below and mark “pregnant” or “yeah I’m preggers” or something like that after your name in the name field. (Joe guarantees that this album will ensure that your child grows up smarter and happier than he or she would have otherwise or he’ll give you a %100 refund, no questions asked.) This offer only last’s about 9 months… unless you get pregnant again: *Warning: Side effects of this promotion may include an explosion of the world’s population and occurrences of the first name Joe. (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

 

Semi Precious Weapons might not be a band for NYC hipsters, but it’s definitely one of the few local acts that seems to "incarnate" the good old rock’n’roll lifestyle – with a good dose of irony thrown in the mix. Plus, front man Justin Tranter’s entertaining ability is precisely what most self-conscious NYC hipsters bands lack. The sexy and campy quartet (featured on the cover of our 16th issue in 2008) has been working around the clock: wrapping up a nationwide tour with Lady Gaga, sold out at many major venues, including four nights at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, the quartet found time to record and release a self-titled EP as a follow-up to their full-length 2008 “We Love You.” The three-song teaser features polished revisions of two favorites, “Semi Precious Weapons” and “Magnetic Baby.” Smoother around the production edges, the tracks maintain the gorgeous filth of the originals, while they showcase augmented guitar solos and diamond-cut precision. Until now, the stomping “Put a Diamond in It” was available only for live enjoyment, but now listeners can indulge in Justin Tranter’s shouting, “WHO!? WHO!? WHO WANTS MY BABY?” in the privacy of their own homes. Semi Precious Weapons are not slowing down any time soon, as they deploy to Europe for more Monster Ball stops. – Meijin Bruttomesso

We love it when bands just give us the genre definition of their music themselves – and we love it even more when such definition is not super cheesy and works perfectly in describing their sound. CAVES is a Brooklyn based band (via North Carolina and San Francisco) that plays, as they say, "trash can psychadelia in an industrial wasteland"… therefore you should get: droney atmospheres – check; dreamy vocals and effects – check; distorted drums – check. Also, somehow the words "industrial wasteland" make us think of some parts of Bushwick – we wouldn’t be surprised if they lived just there. But you may ask, are they good? We didn’t see them live yet but we are definitely enjoying their songs, which sound like a "DIY-er" version of The Secret Machines flirting at times with a more "avant" approach reminiscent of Animal Collective. The industrial element is limited to the recurrent but always sparse distorted percussive elements (this "noise factory" is a rather slow one, unlike most "proper" industrial acts, who enjoy to turn the BPM knob up). The band has a brand new debut EP and a series of shows scheduled in the near future: Public Assembly on March 3 and Pianos on March 14 – do not miss.

With so many fine musicians in Slow Six, members often dedicate their talents to other ambitious musical endeavours. Redhooker‘s Stephen Griesgraber, one component of the aforementioned collective, does not stray away from the electroacoustic music that Slow Six fashions. Two years in the making, Redhooker’s “Vespers” is a contemplative and complex follow-up to “The Future According to Yesterday” that leans on the more experimental side of contemporary classical music.
“Trip and Fall,” a cascading piece with prominent strings, made its debut in late 2007 on the group’s MySpace page, granting an early preview of the material. Griesgraber’s strength lies in his ability to breach the excess of instruments and create profound songs with precise tones and mood. On the transformative “Presence and Reflection,” the piece begins with a sparse, tense cacophony only to develop into a beautiful, comforting serenade. Experience Redhooker’s new set of atmospheric tunes on Sunday at (Le) Poisson Rouge. Tickets are $10. – Nancy Chow