New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Psychtrance electronic duo Infected Mushroom are playing a milestone set in Tel Aviv this Thursday. Special guest Matisyahu is scheduled to appear at the event, which will be webcast here at 2:30 Pacific time on Thursday, but if you can’t make it, then put yourself in the running for two free tickets to their Palladium set on February 20. Tweet us why you think the rain sucks and the tickets are yours.
Perhaps one of the greatest things to happen in the Boston music scene in a while is Brendan Boogie’s Cover-up shows. This weekend at the Lizard Lounge The Blizzard of ’78, Casavettes, Mike Verge, Guilded Splinters, Sodafrog and lots of other special, spontaneous guests will rally and pay homage to one of rock’s greats and a critical influence to many, Neil Young. Keep on rockin’ in the free world, Deli Readers.
Lizard Lounge 1667 Mass Ave Cambridge
21+ $10 adv/$12 door 8:30 doors
You can get tickets here: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/98649.
–The Deli Staff
In a world where most ideas have been stolen, borrowed or re-fabricated in one form or another, I have grown to appreciate the Brooklyn-based band Sisters. The two piece—neither of which are girls—consists of Aaron Pfannebecker, who sings and plays guitar, and drummer/keyboardist Matt Conboy. Instead of merely copying things from prior generations, Sisters embrace a wide variety of musical installations while exploring new avenues for creating and distorting sound. While Sisters understand the structural greatness and pop aesthetic of Nirvana, the bursting unpredictability of Wire and the hollowed-out frequencies of a My Bloody Valentine record, they haven’t let that stop them from pushing boundaries on the musical daisy-chain. Dubbed one of the Death By Audio “house bands”, Sisters’ music embraces a collage of noise and garage rock with distorted, reverberated guitars and heavily amplified drums. Aaron switches back and forth between high pitched screeches and boyish screams with the uncertainty of Steven Malkamus as Matt jumps off the drums to orchestrate a childlike melody on the keys and making things danceable. Though there are only two members in this band, their live sound packs a major punch and can be a bit overwhelming. Some of you may wanna bring the plugs! Sisters have just wrapped up recording their first full length record, which is scheduled for release in the spring. The duo played some super awesome gigs at CMJ and I was lucky to seize a moment of singer Aaron Phannebecker’s time… Read Lindsey Lawless interview with the band here.
While penciling still lifes in high school art class back in 1997, New Orleans natives Collin Ruffino and David Gross began a friendship that was sparked by a mutual love of music. Twelve years later, the duo calls Brooklyn home as they continue their musical journey with Home Video – an electro/indie rock creation that features a minimalist instrumental approach to music. The band’s debut full length album, No Certain Night or Morning, was released on Defend Music in 2006. The release showcased gloomy symphonic undertones and moody lyrics, which laid the foundation for Home Video’s budding signature sound. It Will Be OK, the twosome’s latest offering, features a new angle in sound and approach for Ruffino and Gross as they ditch their dark, minimalist direction in favor of a lighter sound full of instrumental complexity. Home Video recently spoke to The Deli about being human, winding down with The Wire, and jammin’ on the moon. – Read Cecilia Martinez interview with the band here.
After having gone into a brief period of dormancy, the Deli SF will be resurrecting it’s weekly recommendations of happenings around the Bay Area so you can plan your time accordingly. With that in mind we encourage bands to post their shows on our DIY Live Show Listings as you never know if yours could be the one featured.
Though surely many people’s plans this weekend involve evenings by candlelight and something lacy from Good Vibrations, for those who dare to break the mold and treat their date to a different hot and sweaty environment, or just don’t give a rat’s arse about Hallmark holidays, here are a few show highlights for this weekend.
For a down-tempo night out Il Gato are giving a folky kick off to the weekend at The Blue Macaw in the Mission this Thursday the 11th at 8:30.
On Friday night Grand Lake (who took second place in the reader’s poll this year for the Deli’s best emerging artist) are opening for Alec Ounsworth (of Clap Your Hands a Say Yeah) at Cafe Du Nord.
If an excuse to have a goofy dance party is the impetus you need to get out Saturday night Super Adventure Club will be performing the second show of their four week residency at the Hotel Utah. One the other hand if your looking for something a bit rockier, Paranoids and Tokyo Raid will be playing on the other side of town at Kimo’s somewhere around 10pm.
That’s all for this week. Remember to keep us updated on the calender and we’ll do our best to disseminate the word.
-Ada Lann
Head on out to the Tonic Room on 2/10 to hear some ambient folk rock tunes from Brendan Losch, Nathan Xander and Buffalo Heart. This 21+ show gets started at 9pm and is $5. He will be performing tunes from his forthcoming release, Low.
Last week Indiana’s Joyful Noise label announced that they had officially signed the noise-punk basement rockers Prizzy Prizzy Please. I say officially because the label did release a split ep with PPP and Push-Pull last year, but now the band is legitimately with the label. Joyful Noise plans to release the bands sophomore and label debut, Chroma Cannon, this April. PPP got there start in Bloomington, Indiana, but now resides here in Chicago. The label is calling their sound melodic noise punk (reminiscent of Parts and Labor, Lightning Bolt), but when you listen to the first track from their new album, “Large Hadron Collider”, you find that this is more closely related to sign-along anthems of say Van Halen or AC/DC. It is a sound that is a combination of influences and hard to pin down, but once you find yourself singing along and thrashing about you won’t care what it sounds like anymore.
Prizzy Prizzy Please will be performing at Empty Bottle with Dr. Manhattan on March 4th.
Born in San Francisco but destined for Austin, The Rumble, a monthly indie-rock party-happening taking place in many cities nationwide, is finally here. TV Torso will headline the show this coming Thursday at Beerland. But TV Torso gets plenty of attention here so right now let’s turn our minds to Dirty Dancing.
A challenge to google but a pleasure to hear, Dirty Dancing are a magical duo (Eric Schoen & Lauren Mikus) with the splendidly titled recent album Mediocrity is the Strongest Inevitability. They also lay claim to birthing the phrase "blood is the new black"; so they have that going for them. Which is nice.
With Shapers it seems to be the merging of sonic experimentation and music freedom that fascinates them. Their debut 12” Little, Big will be released on March 9th, and it finds the bands using texture and atmosphere to create a complex web of sound that is unpredictable and extremely enjoyable. A fairly new band, compromised of Zaid Maxwell, Steve Reidell, Amelia Styer, and Todd Waters, Shapers began performing live together just this past fall. However, they have spent the last twelve months locked away in a basement creating this richly creative sound. The result of all the time and effort is a sound that is primarily instrument and combines elements of ambient, psychedelic, dark electronica, and free jazz. With vocals are applied from time to time as in the track “Jar” they are quiet and almost blend into the instruments without putting up too much of a fight. Little, Big is challenging, beauty, intelligent, and filled with sonic surprises.
The first 250 available copies of Little, Big will be screen-printed by the band. You can preoder a copy at the band’s website today. They will be playing a release show at The Hideout with Old Fake and Driftless Pony Club on March 11th at 9:00pm.
Crash Kings | "Evolution of Guitar Rock"
Let’s put this lightly: Jet made a huge mistake. Clav-rock trio Crash Kings may lack the overall arena gusto and six-string mayhem associated with revival rock acts, but that doesn’t mean they don’t belong in the upper echelon of groups who can destroy a room. Their blues-fueled and power pop rock blew us away a few months ago, and if their tale has continued, Crash Kings have likely gotten louder, tighter and stronger. This will either make Jet make a run for their money or simply turn this tour into a competition in which group will leave the biggest and loudest impression. Our bet is on, well, …yeah. Click here for tour dates.
L.A. Record had such a great turnout for their holiday mixtape last December that they’re asking locals to submit an original song once more for their Valentine’s Mixtape. Whether it’s sweet, sad, depressing and/or in the styles of polka, hip-hop or nu-wave Hawaiian instrumental, L.A. Record wants to hear it and will keep all submissions into consideration for the running. The deadline is February 11 (that’s three days from now!) so e-mail fortherecord@larecord.com with your tune. Good luck!