Recent victors of The Deli’s Open Contest in the Alternative Rock/Metal category and this month’s nominees for the Emerging NYC/NJ Artist of the Month, The Shake shook down Crash Mansion at a semi-secret show on January 5. There was "a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on" while the quartet highlighted several top tracks from their month-old release, “The Shake Go Crazy.” Consistently an ear-catching and energetic band, The Shake stood out with their on-stage chemistry, witty inter-song repartee, raucous guitar solos, and rebellious vibe evident in their volatile “Merry Musket,” fiery “Galleries,” and explosive “Timebomb.” An a cappella intro transitioned into a rousing “Your Idols,” that was followed by a galvanizing “Pop Goes the…” The Shake added a bit of disco flare to their penchant for rock ‘n roll, covering only the best, The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” before closing the show with the soulful “Got No Soul.” –Meijin Bruttomesso
It tragic times sometimes the most positive and reassuring things can takes place. Such is the case with the new formed grassroots organization Every Drop Counts Chicago. This group of young artists and activists have come together in response to the devastation in Haiti. Their goal is simple and focused, to raise funds in order to send filtration equipment that will provide sustainable, clean bathing and drinking water. Hence, the name Every Drop Counts. They began by establishing a Hip-Hop and soul benefit concert scheduled to take place in Chicago on Sunday, January 31, 2010. The goal is to raise awareness, funds, and to enjoy all that Chicago hip hop has to offer.
Hosted by, Aja Monet, Every Drop Counts Benefit Concert, will include performances by: Fred Hampton Jr., M1 [of Dead Prez], Jean Grae, Mystic, Rhyme Fest, The Cool Kids, BBU, FM Supreme, Mic Terror, Mikkey Halsted, He Say She Say, Kids These Days, Haki Madhubuti, DJ Sean Mac, DJ Izzo, and appearances by countless surprise guests. The event takes place at Reggie’s Rock Club and I encourage everyone to attend and give generously.
2009 will probably be a year that Kurt Vile will never forget. He had been an underground darling in the Philly indie music scene for quite some time, but he finally received what most musicians have dreamt about over and over again when Matador Records came knockin’ on his door requesting his John Hancock that made him the toast of the town. But besides all the awards, kind words and big shows, he also started down the path to the “American Dream” when he and his wife Suzanne purchased their first home (no doubt taking advantage of Obama’s first-time homeowner tax break), but nothing probably topped when he discovered that he would be bringing in another Vile into the world. When I interviewed him for the release of Childish Prodigy, he was gearing up to hit the first of what will be many long tours for Vile. While the energy seemed electric around him as I listened to the Violator’s drummer Mike Zangi gleefully talk with Vile’s father-in-law about their upcoming adventures, there was a Zen-like calm that surrounded Kurt as I watched him chat with fans after his solo acoustic set at a.k.a. Music. We snuck down an alleyway to chat and for him to grab a cigarette. He showed quite a sense of maturity as we discussed everything from his childhood to the recording process of Childish Prodigy to future plans to even strange false rumors that I had heard about him from random people (no, he isn’t a Dungeons & Dragons freak; in fact, he’s never even played the game). It doesn’t really matter what anyone says. 2009 was Kurt Vile’s year! myspace.com/kurtvileofphilly – Q.D. Tran
To see a Drink Up Buttercup show is to witness an untethered release of energy that, by fault of sheer natural talent, creates deliciously chaotic music. As they pound away on their assorted “instruments” – garbage cans, toy trucks, tool boxes – I am ceaselessly amazed that such theatricality can also produce their carefully constructed sound. Numerous times I’ve found myself thinking “who knew that, hitting that, would sound like that!?” This audio/visual conundrum is just one part of the allure that keeps you coming back for more. It’s their genre surfing collection of songs that really turn you into a total DUB addict.
It is nearly impossible to classify Drink Up Buttercup’s as strictly one kind of band or another. As they’ve evolved from just another rock band to their current state of being I’ve noticed a very intentional weaving of various genre elements. From the psych-rock echo in “Mr. Pie Eyes” to the chamber pop chorus in “Lovers Play Dead” to the alt country jangle of Young Ladies, they have drawn on numerous influences to build a very distinct Drink Up sound. Lyrically they consistently maintain a respectable obtuseness/wit ratio to secure their “indie” cred. It is often the play between the words and the music that really shape the song’s overall draw.
The release of the forthcoming Born And Thrown On A Hook will truly define Drink Up Buttercup’s starting point and lay the tracks for greatness that is sure to follow. Be sure to pick it up when it is released on March 23rd, but be even more sure to catch the full Drink Up experience and see them live as I’m sure 2010 is going to be a big year for this Philly act. – Emma Zumberge, The World in a Paper Cup
Farmers markets start to darn early sometimes. Finally, someone came up with the idea to have one, not just at night but, at night combined with other evening activities like drinking and listening to live music. Behold the SF Underground Farmers Market where for hefty fee of nada you can graze and purchase wild mushroom spreads, pies, acorn fudge and sarasparilla while listening to a live band.
If there ever was such a thing as ambient garage rock, Sunshine Recorder, the latest moniker for Christopher Coello’s sort-of-solo project, probably fits the bill. Coello is also part of The Cobbs, and while there are some similarities in tone, the name Sunshine Recorder should hint at the difference here: a sound that’s a bit brighter, more spacious, but losing none of its edge, like a drug-fueled walk through the desert at high noon. There may occasionally be some subtle electronic flourish, but Sunshine Recorder prove themselves to be a guitar band through and through, with the hard, propulsive drums serving mostly as an anchor to the hazy delay of the guitars. “Love in a Coma” has a hypnotic riff and a great vocal hook, while “Die Pretty” takes a darker turn, sounding borderline industrial with its cyclical drum pattern and fuzzed-out atmospherics. Catch Coello and co. over at Johnny Brenda’s where they’re sharing the bill with The Entrance Band and Lights. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 9 p.m., $10, 21+ myspace.com/sunshinerecorder666 (Photo by Ed Roper) – Joe Poteracki
Sometimes the band’s words just seem to describe them best.
“WhAlEs aNd cOpS=New lifestyle music and hermetic philosophy from erstwhile MAN MAN components Tiberius Lyn and G. Clinton Killingsworth…”
”brick bats, kendo classes, the falls, cargo cults, the vaporization of elugelab, alone in the wilderness, hai karate egg monsters, candy-colored clown!, man-eating trees, prison burpees, freeman dyson, suave homeless assholes, riddling fucks, yukon cornelius, the leather apron club, batshit billy with a boing-boing, cold statues of bitches, pajama’d cong, bobby fever, fist fights on the moon, wind-up sushi, bog man, food from a wooden spoon, weird ear, swiss rib side panels, caesar mohawks…crouton earrings, you’re going to jail…BuBbLeTaPe LoUnGe”
I know. You’re intrigued, and so am I. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7:30pm, $7, 21+myspace.com/wearewhalesandcops – H.M. Kauffman
Rockers, Folkers and Poppers of all ages, sexes and hair colors,
The Deli’s regional Year End Best of Polls for emerging artists are finally over and it’s time to have a quick look at what’s going on outside your local scene. Here’s a recap of the winners of our nine polls with links to overall charts and readers’ polls results:
After weeks of voting and calculating we finally have the winner of our LA Best of 2009 Poll for emerging artists. Local Natives topped our final chart thanks to a very strong consensus amongst our Jurors – mostly composed of local venue promoters, independent radio DJs, record store staff etc. (list coming soon). Because of this the band will be rewarded with the cover of the Spring Issue of The Deli Magazine! Hurrah!
This is their new video of the single Airplanes – coincidentally released today!
Here’s the Final Overall Chart of our Best of LA Poll 2009 for emerging artists:
Artist
Jury
Writers
Readers
Total
1
Local Natives
9
1
0.026
10.026
2
Fitz & The Tantrums
4
1
0.044
5.044
3
Crash Kings
4
1
0.024
5.024
4
Warpaint
3
1.5
0.021
4.521
5
Mississippi Man
2
2
0.102
4.102
6
Emily Wells
3
1
0.011
4.011
7
Nosaj Thing
3
1
0.008
4.008
8
Robert Francis
3
1
0.004
4.004
9
Globes on Remote
3
1
0.002
4.002
10
Light FM
1
3
4
11
Evan Voytas
3
0.047
3.047
12
Audra Mae
3
0.003
3.003
13
Jump Clubb
3
0.001
3.001
14
My Imaginary Friends
0.75
2
2.75
15
Chasing Kings
2
0.347
2.347
16
Professor Calculus
2
0.07
2.07
17
Edward Sharpe & The…
2
0.021
2.021
18
The Growlers
2
0.01
2.01
19
Happy Hollows
2
0.009
2.009
20
Foreign Born
1
1
0.005
2.005
21
Slo-mo Erotic
2
0.002
2.002
22
Gaslamp Killer
2
0.001
2.001
23
Lemon Sun
1
1
2
24
Spindrift
1.5
0.003
1.503
25
KillKillKill
1
0.093
1.093
26
Active Child
1
0.062
1.062
27
Dirt Dress
1
0.047
1.047
28
Dawes
1
0.011
1.011
29
Best Coast
1
0.008
1.008
30
Afternoons
1
0.007
1.007
As we are sure you’ll be wondering how the point system works, each juror was asked to vote for 3 LA based emerging artists (best band gets 3 points, 2nd best gets 2 and 3rd best gets 1 point); Deli writers also had 3 choices, but they only counted 1 point each. Reader’s vote counted 3 points for the winner, 2 for second place, 1 for 3rd place, 0.001 per vote for all the other artists. Open Contest points (here added to the writers’ column) counted 1 point for the winner, 0.75 for 2nd place and 3rd for 3rd place. If you want to get even more confused check out the poll’s rules here. It’s just a little complicated, but extremely transparent!
This chart of course doesn’t represent the "truth" about the emerging LA scene, but we did our best to create a system that has some kind of validity. For us this poll is really just a fun way to give exposure to (and also get to know some new) emerging local artists, keep in touch with what’s going on in the scene and waste a lot of time organizing 9 (nine) of these polls in each city we cover.
The winners of our Best of NYC 2007 Poll Yeasayer (currently #21 in The Deli’s Web Buzz NYC Top 300 Chart) keep building momentum towards the release of their sophomore album, entitled Old Blood and scheduled for release on 02.09.2010 under Secretly Canadian. The band just announce a second free mp3 from the album, which can be downloaded from their homepage. Yeasayer two New York shows this February have been sold out for months, but you can still catch them perform on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on February 10, 2010 (honeslt, we would have preferred to see them with Conan O’Brian but, hey…) Yeasayer will also appear at the Coachella Music Festival on April 16th, and have added another New York show at Webster Hall scheduled for May 4th.
Three Texas bands lined up for the first 2010 Austin 360 concert this Thursday at Stubb’s – Buttercup, from San Antonio, featured above with their vid for I Am A Tiger, and our own hometown bands Whitman and Quiet Company. And there is much rejoicing.
