NYC

NYC Artists on the Rise: Mad Love

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Hailing from varied locales, including Seoul and Reykjavik, Sunny Kim (vocals), Trevor Dunn (bass, vocals), Ches Smith (drums), Hilmar Jensson (guitar), and Erik Deutsch (keyboards) have relocated to Brooklyn to form Mad Love. The quintet bestows mad love to unconventional piano melodies, crunching guitars, and floating vocals on the dozen tracks of their recently released “White With Foam.” Striking and strong, “Absence and Noise” melts into catching bass lines which underscore the evocative interplay between Kim and Dunn’s airy voices. Howling vocals take over the metal riffs and quick tempo of “Dirty,” while “Art of Denial" settles into a grungy groove overlain by ghostly keyboards. “White With Foam” is not as light and frothy as the title would suggest, instead the cut is heavy with dark distortion and uncanny unpredictability. – Meijin Bruttomesso

Austin

Check out Cheeto FOol, Fool!

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Under the moniker Cheeto FOol, Jonathan Aseron writes pop songs about girls, dreams, loneliness, and longing. Using an 8-track, guitar, and synthesizer, Jonathan records at home in South Austin. Most of his songs are guitar-based; a combination of acoustic sounds with layered synth and electronic percussion. The musical arrangements are made up of simple melodic riffs that feed off of laid back but emotionally charged vocals. With a distinct pop sensibility and an ear towards song craft, Cheeto FOol’s music feels immediate and warm. His influences include Grandaddy, Magnetic Fields, and the Flaming Lips to name a few.

(this post taken from our DIY Open Blog, check out other Open Blog posts in the Deli Kitchen)

Chicago

CHIRP’s Radio Station

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CHIRP (Chicago Independent Radio Project) has been supporting independent music since 2007 through benefit shows, web articles, and tent sale, but finally they will launching their own radio station on January 17th. The station will broadcast live 21 hours a day, seven days a week from the CHIRP studios in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood. Each three-hour on-air shift will be curated by a volunteer host, and will feature an array of independent and under-appreciated music from a variety of genres and eras, as well as conversations and information about happenings in the city’s diverse arts and cultural scenes. Chrip and it’s volunteers have been working on building this studio since last Spring, and their hard work will result in one of the best stations in town with a doubt. The 100% volunteer group also has been working to convince Congress and the FCC to remove existing barriers to the granting of low power FM radio licenses in urban areas in hopes that eventually it will be able to secure a broadcast license as well. The bill supported by CHIRP, the Local Community Radio Act, passed the House of Representatives in December 2009, and is awaiting a vote in the full Senate. Listeners can tune in to CHIRPradio.org beginning at noon on Sunday January 17 to hear the new station launch live.

The CHIRP launch party takes places on January 16th at Empty Bottle with The Yolks, Hollows, and Rabble Rabble.

NYC

The Volunteers are becoming Bones Howell

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The Volunteers are a Williamsburg based rock’n’roll party band that’s been around for quite some time and has entertained many NYC party people. They recently changed their name to Bones Howell + the Volunteers (which may become just Bones Howell in the future) and released a new EP with a party at Don Pedros on January 8. Their music is recommended for those who like tho rock in a light hearted kind of way. Enjoy this fun video from some time ago. 

Philadelphia

Artist(s) Who Deserve Your Friendship: Vilebred

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This week’s featured artist(s) is Vilebred who is led by Sam Vile on guitar, keyboards and vocals. Yes, there is another Vile on the Philly indie music scene. Sam is Kurt Vile’s little brother, and the apple doesn’t seem like it falls far from the tree. He’s young with plenty of raw talent. His songwriting shows a lot of maturity for such a baby-faced kid, and his passionate vocals and catchy, interesting lyrics make me believe that we’ll be hearing plenty more from him in the future. (It also looks like he’s inherited the long, wavy Vile rock n’ roll locks.) myspace.com/vilebred – Q.D. Tran

 

Philadelphia

Satanized Releases a Limited Edition Split 7” with Aids Wolf

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From the depths of Hell (well, actually the headquarters of Badmaster Records in W. Philly), Satanized brings us a limited edition split 7” with the Canucks from Montreal Aids Wolf. Side B features one long track by Satanized called “Hope Is Lack of Information” that Badmaster says sounds like “a 24 hour shift at a steel mill turned mental institution that only employs the criminally insane. Lots of blood everywhere on this one. Brutal sonic violence. Satanized produce a truly great recording that captures everything that makes this band so awe-inspiring in a live setting. This 7” will leave you holding your lover a little bit closer at night and questioning the morality of bringing a child into this uncaring world.” Hmm…maybe this did come from the depths of Hell. Well, you can also purchase it at http:///www.badmasterrecords.com/. myspace.com/stnzd666 – H.M. Kauffman

 

Philadelphia

Cold Cave and A Sunny Day in Glasgow on Pitchfork.tv!

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Just wanted to send out some love to a couple of local bands blowing up on the national scene and doing Philly proud. Below are live performances from Cold Cave and A Sunny Day in Glasgow courtesy of Tunnelvision on Pitchfork.tv. The first video is Cold Cave from November 11, 2009 at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco performing “Life Magazine” from their debut full length Love Comes Close, and it is followed by A Sunny Day in Glasgow from December 13, 2009 at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC performing “The White Witch” and “Failure” from their latest release Ashes Grammar. We hope that you enjoy them!

– The Deli Staff

Portland

Album Review: Blind Pilot iTunes Exclusive EP

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An empty-echoed harmony breaks through the silence in a cry reminscent of classic American folk. Blind Pilot, in their new iTunes-exclusive release, has truly mastered a style sure to resonate with listeners. Opening with a two-stepped cover of Gillian Welch’s “Look at Miss Ohio,” (which you can see a live clip of above) the band continues on with three re-recorded tracks of their own, each in a spirit deeper and more longing than the last, finishing up with a new song titled “Get it Out.”

Although this exclusive EP features only two previously unreleased songs, each recording was tracked live and has been modified in such a way to make them truly unique from their original, as heard in the ukulele-led rendition of “3 Rounds & a Sound.” This EP is a great start for those unfamiliar with Blind Pilot, and a necessary addition to any current listener’s collection.

– Michael Miller

 

Nashville

Year End Best of Nashville Readers’ Poll now on!

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Deli Readers,

The Deli’s Year End Best of Nashville Poll has finally entered its final stage with the Readers’ Poll – sorry for the delay! This poll will contribute to our composite chart that will elect the Nashville Best Emerging Artist of 2009 and also forge the Deli’s Readers’ Best of Nashville 2009 chart. Winners of both charts will be rewarded with prizes and Deli love – a poll like this one is currently happening in all our 9 city branches, for more information about how our polls work go here, for info about the pool of prizes here.

The Deli Polls’ goal is to give exposure to new and exciting local bands in a playful but meaningful way. The polls are open to all emerging artists from the specific area covered by our site, and the votes are cast by

1. a selected jury of local scene makers,
2. our writers,
3. the Deli readers including – of course – the bands’ fans.

Unlike many other contests from many other music websites, our polls seem particularly effective in rewarding quality artists that end up having a long and successful career. This is a shortlist of bands that – in past editions – placed in the top 3 positions in our local polls: Yeasayer (NYC 2007), The Dodos (SF 2008), Vampire Weekend (NYC2006), Kid Sister (Chicago 2008), Drink Up Buttercup (Philly 2008), Chairlift (NYC 2008), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (NYC 2005), Vivian Girls (NYC 2008).

We hope you’ll enjoy the selection of bands we are bringing to you – if you are here to vote for one particular band, please take some time to click on some of those headphones icons in the list on the right – we are sure you’ll find some great local music you were not aware of.

The Deli’s Staff

Philadelphia

The Extraordinaires Bring Their Madcap Hijinx to JB’s Jan. 9

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Words fail a writer somewhat when trying to classify a group like The Extraordinaires. Are they folkies? Are they old-timey, boogie woogie saloon music? Are they Beatles-esque, 60’s pop? All of these things are accurate to some extent, but you can’t help but feel a little guilty after saying each of them because it’s quite clear that The Extraordinaires occupy their own oddly familiar universe. However, one thing that’s constant is their theatrics and off-kilter sense of humor. They have a song called "Hi Five the Cactus" (about a cactus fellow named Hi Five who enjoys giving hi-fives…seriously). Their albums are released as conceptual, hand-made storybooks. But there’s a distinct difference between nonsense and gimmickry, and The Extraordinaires certainly aren’t gimmickry, as their fun melodies and memorable lyrics attest to. And fresh off a stint of shows with gypsy-punk pioneers Gogol Bordello, they show no signs of stopping. Enjoy them tonight at Johnny Brenda’s when members of The Armchairs join Jay Purdy and Matt Gibson on stage as part of their madcap band with opener New Jersey’s Real Estate! Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave, 9 p.m., $10, 21+ myspace.com/theextraordinaires – Joe Poteracki

 

Philadelphia

Levee Drivers Ready to Kick Some Ass at North Star Bar Jan. 9

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After such a strong showing in our annual Best of Philly Emerging Artists Open Contest, it’s nice to see that we’ll already have a chance to hear Levee Drivers perform live in 2010. It seems like this band “born in the wrong era” is beginning to make their mark on the present landscape of the local indie music scene. Count on their sound to emulate artists like The Man In Black and Wilco when they rock out tonight at North Star Bar. They’ll be joined by Yardley’s powerpopsters Run To Sandy. North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 9pm, $8, 21+ myspace.com/hentaimusic – Bill McThrill