NYC

Weekly Feature 187a: She Keeps Bees

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Jessica Larrabee (guitars/vocals) and Andy LaPlant (drums) come from the no-frills school of rock basics. It’s where a nasty blues riff and a backbeat come together to turn up the hairs on the back of your neck. They’ve been at the local circuit for a few years now playing showcases, and they have a release out on UK label Names Records. She Keeps Bees (currently has received press already from The Guardian and NME. The Deli spoke to Jessica while her band was overseas in Ireland. – read the interview by Simon Heggie here.

NYC

Weekly Feature 187b: City Center

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City Center (currently #6 in our Avant Indie NYC Web Buzz chart) formed in 2007 as the side project of Fred Thomas and Ryan Howard of Saturday Looks Good to Me. After just dabbling and recording over the past couple years, the duo recently released their self-titled full-length City Center. The album is beautifully diverse and swims with sound and experimental electronic loveliness. With brief guest appearances by Mary Pearson from High Places, other friends, as well as tons of sampling, City Center takes sounds that would typically be dubbed as noise or strange and makes something so much more fluid and meaningful. Their raw textures and busy electronic orchestration creates a watery, floating feeling and the vocals are clear, yet soft and blisteringly sweet with harmonies. The duo also has a really entertaining blog, which is apparently how the whole band began in the first place. – read the full interview here.

NYC

Hesta Prynn readies new album, plays Pianos on 01.27

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Hesta Prynn should know by now that you DON’T lick the snare on a freezing day!!! The singer – formerly of the hip-hop group Northern State – is putting the final touches on her first solo album due out later this year. Hesta’s new sound pits euphoric beats and distorted basslines with punkish guitar overlays to create and energetic, edgy sound. New Yorkers will have another chance to catch her live this Wednesday, January 27th at Pianos.

Philadelphia

Reading Rainbow Definitely More Than Just a TV Show!

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Yay – we have many words from our highly literate Best of Philly Winners Reading Rainbow! It was no contest this year by the time our jury cast their votes. The bedazzling duo Rob Garcia and Sarah Everton made winning look easy like the friendship that they’ve developed. You’ve read plenty about Reading Rainbow from us, and recently XPN’s Bruce Warren so let’s see what the champs have to say.
 
The Deli: When did Reading Rainbow form as a band?
 
Reading Rainbow: March 2008
 
TD: What is the origin of your band name?
 
RR: It’s obviously taken from the T.V. show, but we thought it would be funny/interesting to take it out of context. So it’s not only nostalgic for 80’s childhood, it has a redefined meaning that sounds pretty mystical. But we’d understand if people think it’s dumb, band names aren’t that big of a deal in the end anyway!
 
TD: What are your biggest musical influences and what bands (local/national/international) are you currently listening to?
 
RR: We’re directly influenced by early punk and 60’s psychedelic. We are obviously really into VU and just straight forward pop with lots of vocal harmonies. Currently we have been going through a huge Beatles kick. Aside from that, we’re currently listening to the 100 Flowers album, Loaded (VU), and Bo Diddley. Current band-wise we are huge into Grass Widow (San Francisco), King Khan and BBQ, and Eternal Summers.
TD: What’s the first concert you ever attended and/or first album you ever bought?
 
RR: Rob – 1st concert: B.B. King with my parents when I was 12. 1st album: Led Zeppelin – Houses of The Holy (?)
Sarah – 1st concert: one of those shitty alternative radio station “birthday bashes” (104.7 THE BUZZ!) I think Our Lady Peace and Semisonic played. I was 12. 1st album: Nirvana – In Utero
TD: What’s your take on the Philly music scene?
 
RR: There’s tons of bands and it’s hard to keep track of what’s going on! We are recluses, and when we aren’t playing shows, we are recording/practicing/chilling with our cats watching music documentaries or Strangers with Candy.
 
TD: What are your plans for your March tour and trip to SXSW?
 
RR: We are carpooling there with our good friends Eternal Summers from Virginia. We are hauling ass to get to Texas by the 16th, so we are only playing 2 shows on the way down. Our plan is to just play as many shows as possible when we are there and haul ass back to get to school and work by the 23rd.
 
TD: What are your other performances and recording plans for 2010?
 
RR: We want to keep playing Philly and NYC pretty regularly (and B-more more this year), and we are hoping to do a tiny tour with Woven Bones from Austin in May. We are going to VA to record 10 songs in February. We want to record and tour as much as possible with what Rob’s work schedule allows, and be as prolific as possible for the rest of the year!
TD: What was your most memorable Reading Rainbow show?
 
RR: One really memorable show here in Philly was the first time we played The Ox in November with Beach Fossils, Eternal Summers, and The Spooks. There weren’t that many people there but we had a drunken, self-indulgent, love-fest between the bands. SUPER FRIENDS.
 
TD: What’s your favorite order at the Deli?
 
RR: Every time we play in Brooklyn we go the Brooklyn Deli on 2nd and Bedford before we drive home at 3am. We usually get roast turkey with Swiss on wheat, and they give you a free banana with each sandwich. And they sell Kombucha. It rules pretty intensely.
 
 
– The Deli Staff
 
Chicago

Interview: Scotia Widows

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Back in the day, which I guess wasn’t that long ago, I was obsessed with punk music. Something about the power chords and snarling into a microphone really caught my attention in high school and although my taste have changed, the love is still there. NoVo Arts is supporting music of all sorts with their Girls in the Garage showcase at Lincoln Hall and hasn’t forgotten the ladies of punk. Scotia Widows has the beautiful but deadly Gina Knapik rocking the mike at the show, representing all that is feminine about the genre. We recently chatted with Knapik about the upcoming show and her thoughts on music.

The Deli: There’s a pretty diverse group of girl bands playing this show, from pop to punk. How do you feel Scotia Widows fits into the show?
Gina Knapik: Well, I feel that is pretty obvious. It’s a showcase featuring women musicians and I have boobs. Also, I’m friends with a bunch of the gals playing so playing the show together is an excuse to hang out. Although all of our music is different, I appreciate what everyone is doing.

Deli: How did you hear about the Girls out of the Garage show and get involved?
GK: I’ve known August for many years through the different bands I’ve played in. He contacted me to ask if my other band, Venom Lords, could play. We are on a long break and I suggested Scotia Widows because that is the band I have been playing with the most these days. And as I said before, I’m friends with a bunch of the ladies on the bill and I’m excited to play with them!

Deli: As a huge punk fan (especially of the the Adverts) I have to ask, how does it feel being a woman in a genre that is considered very masculine?
GK: Hmm, I don’t really think of punk as masculine. I am no authority on the genre. I mean, it’s not a boys club. I joke about holding the guys coats, but sometimes I make Kirk hold my purse too. I have a picture to prove it. Ok, I tricked him and it only happened once.

Deli: You recently released your demo and it’s been getting a lot of good feedback from locals. What was the inspiration behind your style, form, and content on the demo as well as the decision behind making it free to download?
GK: Boredom, reality television, mangled birds, rumspringa, the History Channel and beers inspired us. As for our demo, our drummer David recorded us in his basement. I think it cost us however much the pizza cost that night. I hope we didn’t make him chip in. Anyway, it hardly cost us anything to record and we would like as many people as possible to hear it. We’re not in this to make money. So spread it around!!! We’d love to record again and take our time and have some small label put it out for us. We did that demo quick.

Deli: Sometimes I hear from girls who are in bands that it’s hard to get along with a bunch of guys, especially if you’re fronting the band. Have you ever had problems with that in Scotia Widows or any of your other bands?
GK: No way. All the guys I have been in bands with have been my friends…and…not jerks. If I was in a band with a bunch of guys that I didn’t get along with…I would not be in that band. That goes for girls too. And actually…I used to think it was harder to be in bands with girls because of boyfriends and all that drama, but then I realized all that jazz is not gender specific.

Scotia Widows’ latest demo is available to download here. The Girls in the Garage show is Thursday, January 28th at Lincoln Hall and also features the Wanton Looks, Leslie Hunt, and the Maybenauts rocking the mike in support of femininity. The show stars at 8 pm and tickets costs $10. – Amy Dittmeier

Portland

Liz Harris Helps Out with Indie Film Sputnik

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Liz Harris of the solo project Grouper has done a fabulous job of writing and arranging a little score for Weston Currie’s weird and eerily shot film, Sputnik. Grouper’s last album, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, was met with great critical reviews, and was recognized on Pitchfork’s Best 50 albums of 2008.

Harris’ craft of spinning ethereal sounds continues to grow, as does her commercial success.

– Joel Sommer

Portland

Wampire: Over the River and Into the Woods, a Free Holocene Gig

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How can this town possibly afford to give away anymore free music?

On Wednesday, January 27th, Holocene introduces their first edition of Carpet Culture where you can "get warm n fuzzy in the front lounge room with some of Portland’s greatest up-and-coming musical talents."

This week features electro-rock with Wampire, dark soundscapes from Tunnels, and some cozy and curly ambient like the fur of Golden Retriever Moody. Plus Wampire shows up again on the big screen in the premiere episode of Into the Woods, a new web series where Portland bands march out to a cabin in the wilderness of Mt. Hood to perform an intimate concert with their besties.

Check the trailer out here but show your face at Holocene at 8:30 p.m. for the real deal, for free!!! 21+

 

– Chris Young

New England

Brendan Hoagan CD Release for Long Night Coming at Lizard Lounge on the 29th

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Cambridge Singer-songwriter, Brendan Hogan will be playing at the Lizard Lounge on the 29th to celebrate the release of his first full-length album Long Night Coming.The Lizard Lounge is a very appropriate place to have the release party for Hogan, since it is the same venue he started up in, playing open-mics and sitting in with other bands.

If you like Bob Dylan you’ll love Long Night Coming The album is mostly soft and very pretty with light country and Celtic accents. Some songs like "Rock Cast in the Sea" and "Big Black Car" are larger and more swingin’. "Rock Cast into the Sea" is a fast, accordion-involved piece and really stands out on the album which shows Hogan’s versatility. All the lyrics are balladic or poetic and finely composed. The title track "Long Time Coming" is a beautiful and metaphoric piece, with soft but soulful vocals. The first line of the song explains the album cover, Hogan causally posed in front of the Somerville Theater.

The thing I  like about this album is the dynamic of the lyrics and music. The lyrics are incredibly dire at times, but it doesn’t mater because the music that floats around the words is hopeful. (Think Dylan’s "It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue" or "Most of the Time")

Should be a great show and I bet you a million bucks there will be lots of special guests, local folks and lots of beer. A perfect show to see to top of the awesome month of January (honestly though, there have been some great shows this month.) Also a great album to get you through the epic awesomeness of February in New England.

–Meghan Chiampa

 

NYC

Third Border brings its legendary band members to Pianos on 01.30

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Third Border is the name of the band formed in 2003 by Ben Miller, a veteran of the alternative scene who pioneered psych-rock in the fecund late ’60s Ann Arbor scene, and later teamed up with Stooge Ron Asheton and Michael Davis of the MC5 in the seminal art punk outfit Destroy All Monsters. The band’s new album, Return Return, was recorded in 2008 at The Kennel Studio in East Williamsburg Brooklyn by NYC underground producer Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Helmet). Those who love noisy rock music shouldn’t miss their CD release party at Pianos on Saturday 01.30.

Austin

From Open Blog: Zlam Dunk Brings You Teen Wolf

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Did you ever watch Teen Wolf? You did? Remember that part when no one liked Scott, and then he turned into a wolf, and he was the bomb all of a sudden? And then he rode on top of that truck? Yeah, that was awesome. We’re like that in some ways. We like the 80’s, boogie boards, having a good times, smooth synth jams, and crowd surfing. We put out an EP last year, and we’re recording new stuff in February. We’ll be at SXSW and we play around Texas, although we just did our first east coast tour in January. If you ever get the itch to watch Teen Wolf 2, don’t, and come see us play instead. We’ll do our best to make sure you’re having a good time. And maybe afterwards we can go watch Teen Wolf.

(this post taken from Zlam Dunk’s post on our DIY Open Blog, check out other Open Blog posts in the Deli Kitchen)

L.A.

Imaad Wasif gears up for SXSW with Spaceland residency

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Imaad Wasif | "Redeemer"

Acoustic psych-rock songwriter Imaad Wasif isn’t a stranger to success. After pairing up with Karen O, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, and Little Jack Lawrence on the score for the Spike Jonze adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are, momentum for the Wasif clan picked up fast enough for a spot a showcased artist spot at SXSW. Before Wasif makes a bigger name for himself at the infamous Texas music bender, he’ll be playing Thursdays at Spaceland in February, followed by a tour with Dead Meadow.

Imaad Wasif plays Spaceland February 4, 11 and 18.