Philadelphia

Get Blindsided by Bad Side at Wolf Cycles Aug. 28

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Get to Wolf Cycles early tonight because the show will be on a tight schedule with a hard 10pm curfew, and you don’t want to miss it. If you’re not ready, local hardcore punks Bad Side will have a blindsiding effect, packing a concentrated high-octane punch that unrelentingly attacks from all angles. Releasing a fresh quick-hitting single yesterday simply and directly titled “Cassingle” for their upcoming September tour, Bad Side rushes the gates with ill intentions. Tonight, they’ll be joined by primal New Brunswick punks Razordheads and the blistering onslaught of Ontario, Canada’s Born Wrong. Wolf Cycles, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 7pm, $7, All Ages – Michael Colavita

NYC

Wolvves share new video for ‘White on White’

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Electro-horror NYC twin trio Wolvves – who blew our minds at our recent B.E.A.F. fest in June with a show at once sexy, edgy, grotesque and punchy – just unveiled this video for single ‘White on White’ (streaming below) that’s further proof of their uncommon talent for conjuring up musical and visual nightmares. Blending jungle with industrial, religious chants, and Hip Hop, the song takes goth atmospheres to a new level, enhanced by a video full of S&M and horror imagery that’s nothing short of stunning.

 

Philadelphia

The Deli Philly’s Featured Artist(s) Poll Winner: Foxtrot & The Get Down

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There has been a lot of news coming out of the Foxtrot & The Get Down camp. The band just made their new seven-song EP, Sold the Soul, available for streaming, which you can do so below. The trio of Ryan Fox, Colin Budny, and Ken Bianca recently added a fourth full-time member, Erica Ruiz, to the group. And they just won our most recent Featured Artist(s) Poll. You can check out our “get to know ya” interview with the BaseGod-lovin’ rockers HERE.

Nashville

Congratulations to Wings of Apollo for Winning NIMA’s Best Rock Band Award

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NIMA had its eighth-annual awards ceremony on August 24th at The Listening Room Cafe.  Wings of Apollo took home an award not only for "Best Rock Band," but also "Best Live Rock Performers." We wrote about the epic scope of their EP "By Force" earlier this summer, and we’re thrilled that the trio has received some of the recognition they deserve, though we understand that WOA recieved this award only because there was no "RAWK" category. Wings of Apollo understand that making it as a band is a many-fronted campaign, involving not only patience and persistence, but also many, many more backflips than one would ever anticipate.  Catch them in all their headdressed, moustached and shirtless glory at The Rutledge on Friday, September 12th.  -Terra James-Jura

 

Philadelphia

Record Review: Lean In To It – Allison Crutchfield

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One half of twin pop-punk wunderkind, Allison Crutchfield (ex-the Ackleys, ex-P.S. Eliot, Swearin’), steps out on her own with her solo EP Lean In To It. Mostly written in New York City and recorded between Philly and Birmingham, Crutchfield’s latest is a lo-fi daydream wrought with the weight of disillusionment and longing.
 
Buzzing to a start, Lean In To It’s first track, “SUPERMOON,” taps into the cosmic zeitgeist, while making the most of heartfelt lines and humming synth. Crutchfield’s vocals are as unabashed as her instrumentation – both lingering in the mind of listeners well after “SUPERMOON” has waned. “No One Talks” brings to mind The Blow and early post-punk ballads informed by a penchant for minimalism and fatigued emotions. Frenetic yet deliberate in diction, the song is a conversation conveyed via duet, a harmonized dialogue between probable lovers embodied by Crutchfield and Radiator Hospital’s Sam Cook-Parrott. “No One Talks” ignites with a backbeat reminiscent of Colleen Green’s “Worship You.” The murmured pulse of the track ceases suddenly signaling the probable passing of a romance.
 
“Rose Knows” is charming without being coy. Crutchfield and Cook’s delivery shares the same pop-glazed frankness found in early tracks by The Brunettes (circa “You Beautiful Militant”). Short and sweet, “Rose Knows” is almost an interlude of its own fruition, followed by the equally brief, yet more somber, “CC.” Crutchfiled leaves listeners with the matter of fact repetition of “I know I’m not the one who’s on your mind/I know I’m not the one who’s on your mind” set to its bittersweet synth.
 
“Lupe” is a love song of lethargy and yearning, showcasing an often times overlooked aspect of relationships. The disenchanted Crutchfield sings, “I never needed it.”  If anything, the track is a portrait of dissonant romance, while “You” possesses a caliber of critique and awareness evocative of early tracks by Jenny Lewis (think The Execution of All Things). “You” is unafraid and blatantly specific, possibly inspired by biography. Deeply personal yet still aware of the social parameters of its context, as Crutchfield states, “My generation is not stoic or serene” to a deliberately percussive and persistent backbeat. The song is self-aware, reflective, and self-assured. “I cannot be a part of your delusional pursuits,” it proclaims while the latter lines of the track recount the dilapidation of shared space, of crumbling architecture and experience, a possibly metaphorical mirror reflecting the decay of failing romance central to its melodic narrative. The record’s closing track, “Berlin,” furthers the lackluster relational landscape of “You,” like Best Coast’s lesser-known B-sides. The track is moody and audibly lush, a hauntingly accurate depiction of intimacy. 
 
Lean In To It is direct yet layered with subtleties; its unapologetic yet forthright. Emotion is awash in sincerity, juxtaposed to memorably well-crafted hooks. Like watching Miranda July’s The Future after heavy drinking or listening to Power, Corruption & Lies on repeat, Lean In To It resonates with its audience in an undeniable and unshakable way without employing idealistic antics or cynicism. Crutchfield’s aesthetic and anthems are painfully earnest in the best of ways. – Dianca Potts

San Francisco

Spider Heart Plays Full Acoustic Set – 8/29

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​The heavy, in-your-face, punk positive – riff blaring San Francisco based band, Spider Heart will be performing an acoustic set this Friday, August 29th. Yes, you read right: Spider Heart will be playing their very first acoustic show at a small venue in the heart of the city called, The Vortex Room. If you’ve seen ​this band perform live, you know that their unplugged set is going to be a really amazing experience.

The softer, quieter Spider Heart will be sharing a bill with Paula Frazer, Zoe Blank and San Pond. The Vortex Room is a cozy little venue, but if you’re looking to find a place where you can express yourself loudly and stretch your legs across the aisles of the room, you may want to skip this event. It takes a level of diplomacy and grace to experience a show at The Vortex Room.

You’ll be sitting in close quarters with music connoisseurs and friends and family. Do your best not to miss this show! It will be one of those unique nights that you’ll remember for a long time. –je

Chicago

Bruised

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Bruised has released a new single from their upcoming EP, "Nausea, IL". This new EP will be the follow-up to their April 2014 release "Pietà". The track is called "I Wanted Nothing", and it is pure fast-paced garage rock.

You can catch Bruised at Subterranean on September 24th and at The Wire on September 25th.

NYC

Weekly Feature: Maggie Rogers

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Maggie Rogers is a quirky 20-something who considers her songs to be creatures and her banjo to be a trusty sidekick. Fueled by movement and loss, Maggie’s music seems to have grown up alongside her, each album more intricate and more sophisticated than the last. Perhaps the Maggie who self-released her debut “The Echo” back in 2012 was less acquainted with heartbreak, the art of profanity, and the “blood ballet” that relationships can often be. However, we’re happy for the life and for the learning between her first record and her latest— ‘Blood Ballet’ is a near-perfect articulation of full-bodied pain, and that pain makes for some lovely sounds. Read on to hear what the folk singer has to say about her inspirations, her experiences, and her latest release.

LINK: Jillian Dooley’s interview with Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers music is included in The Deli’s playlist of Best Rootsy songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

NYC

Buke & Gase release new single ‘Seam Esteem’ + announce tour

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We’ve been obsessed with avant-indie duo Buke and Gase since we first saw them live at tiny Ditmas Park venue Sycamore back in 2008.  We instantly decided to put them on the cover of the then upcoming issue of The Deli NYC – and recommended the band to take that opportunity to change their name, which at the time was "Buke and Gass" (yeah…). They didn’t listen to us, but eventually (2012 circa) proved us right by switching to "Buke and Gase." They are not exactly an emerging band anymore, but they should be considered a model by any up and coming artist for their consistent development of a personal style and powerful live shows.
They just released this new single ‘Seam Esteem’ (streaming below) and announced a West Coast tour that will bring them to Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 10.

Philadelphia

S.T.S. Leading the Pack at MilkBoy Philly Aug. 27

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Best known lately for his flips of indie and mainstream favorites, S.T.S., a.k.a. Sugar Tongue Slim, continues to be one of the beacons of hope for a struggling local hip-hop community. With a propensity to rap about women, weed, and fashion style, his latest EP delves into more serious topics like "politics, world affairs, social issues, and even presidential misconducts." He also just posted a new track today – "How Philly Use To Sound" featuring Dayna Jordan and DJ Jazzy Jeff. S.T.S. will be leading the pack this evening at MilkBoy Philly where he’ll be joined by Hezekiah, Matt Ford, Fat Nice, The Bul Bey, DJ PHSH, Mr Sonny James. MilkBoy Philly, 1100 Chestnut St., 8pm, $7, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman