Released last year, Napoleon's accomplished debut album 'Success' was an emotive collection of spacious mid-tempo rockers and pretty indie folk ballads, expertly crafted at producer Kevin McMahon's upstate studio, Marcata Recording. But not to be pigeonholed, their more recent releases- such as latest single "Moonlight"- have been tighter, more uptempo numbers. As frontman, Detroit native and former Harlem resident Julian Anderson explains to me, the group shares an ethos that each record should be a grand departure from the last. - The band will headline the indie stage at The Deli's NYC B.E.A.F. 2013 (Best of Emerging Artist Fest) on June 8 at Spike Hill. Read Dean Van Nguyen's interview with the band here.
A southern belle has brought her charming voice and not so southern sounding tunes up north. Named after a town in her home state of Alabama, Dear Georgiana is Lauren Balthrop, former member of the retro rootsy-pop trio The Bandana Splits. She has recently released her debut self titled album, which features her signature soprano and open melodies that harken back to 1950’s pop. Preview single "Wanna Be In Love" (streaming below) bears an intriguing mix of influences, from rockabilly to what we call "avant-indie." See Dear Georgiana live at Rockwood Music Hall's Stage 2 on June 02. - PJT
Sometimes you have to go through a lot of changes before bringing it all together. For the soaring pop of Glod Lake, the band's history has brought the duo through several bands ('We are Balboa'), countries (Madrid) and hairstyles (I'm just assuming here, based on their stylish locks) before finally landing them at new single 'We Already Exist.' An anthemic journey showcasing singer Lua Rios's insanely huge range, the new track nicely takes the group from rock's roots to a kaleidoscopic maze of melodic movement. All that... and they've got a new remix by Helio Sequence to really get things started.
Stay tuned for their debut 'Years' dropping later this year, and see the group when they play at Glasslands on June 3rd with Little Children. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
The eccentric Toby Driver-led KAYO DOT brings hardcore avant-metal to the big apple in a way that you don’t see too often. With mellow instrumental turns, melodic vocals, and screams that aren’t too in-your-face, their music is a progressive fusion that soothes yet energizes. The band is set to drop a new double-album titled 'HUBARDO' this fall, just in time to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the release of their debut album, 'Choirs of The Eye.' KD has released a 13-minute audio teaser trailer for the new album via SoundCloud. They’re currently taking pre-orders for the album here to help make it all happen. - Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)
We didn't highlight Gondola's gentle folk pop more than two weeks ago, but the Brooklyn band is already giving us another excuse to write about them by debuting this cute video of the single "We Are The Map," which successfully blends two vintage visual concepts like Super-8 and stop motion. Here's an example of music and visuals that work perfectly together, enhancing each other. See if the charm translates live at Spike Hill on May 29.
Kill the Monotone is a New York based Electro/Dance band created by brothers Artem Chernogod from Someday Static and Denis Chernogod from Zero Gravity. The duo recently recorded their debut EP which inaugurated a prominent collaboration with singer Malin Bray, with whom they played Webster's Studio last week - putting together a rather impactful show (video here). - (as posted in The Deli's Open Blog - post your band's entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli's NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.
Alien Trilogy is a noisy synth-punk trio from Brooklyn New York whose music takes inspiration from 80's and 90's sci-fi films and the sound of bands such as Devo, Suicide and Nervous Gender. The trio combines catchy synth lines, effects laden vocals and the squeals and pops of circuit bending into a tightly focused cyper punk assaults. Alien Trilogy will be shredding audiences at Bar Matchless in Greenpoint on May 30th at 9 PM. - (as posted in The Deli's Open Blog - post your band's entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli's NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.
Boston/Portland (ME)/Brooklyn based quintet Joy Kills Sorrow is that go to band every blogger speaks highly of, but they have yet to make the kind of splash they deserve. That may change with the pending release of new EP 'Wide Awake,' to be followed by a lengthy coast to coast tour. The five piece bluegrass/folk group has always found ways to extend themselves. Be it virtuoso string playing, huge lead vocals (Emma Beaton) or their penchant for re-configuring their classical backgrounds to carve out new worlds for pop jams (check out their fantastic cover of 'Such Great Heights,' streaming below), the band always comes across sounding new while staying firmly rooted in a classic American roots tradition. They're setting off across the country this summer, but be sure to catch them live when they come around later this year.
Last week we fired off an email blast to all the NYC bands in our email database in search for a man/woman with a van who could help us distribute the Spring 2013 issue of The Deli. After a careful analysis of each band's music and van, we decided to go for Brooklyn lo-fi poppers Yankee Bang Bang and their 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan! Not too old + perfect size to fit 8k copies of The Deli + chilled dudes (we imagine).
The band will be releasing a new EP on June 12 with a show at Grand Vicotry. In the meantime, enjoy this track from an older rlease.
Ambient and slightly androgynous, the duo Belle Mare released their dreamy debut EP “The Boat of the Fragile Mind” earlier this spring. The EP resonates with somber tones and almost whale-like howls, unraveling soft acoustic guitar, simple piano melodies, and occasional subtle drones. The title track features the quivering vocals of Amelia Bushell, one half of the Belle Mare duo with guitarist Thomas Servidone, painting a dreamscape portrait of longing. Charade (streaming below) gently develops an unexpected blue melody that can lull you into the deepest of sleeps - I've heard of people dreaming of sleeping, in NYC. The duo met at an open mic night in Brooklyn and recorded the album in Servidone’s apartment, but notwithstanding the DIY approach, the record is full of character and the sound mature. With their mix of rich surrealism and an almost gothic aura, these song sounds as if played through an antique phonograph inside a parlor room... located in the deepest of our subconscious. While “The Boat” could easily draw comparisons to other dream-poppers Beach House, Belle Mare’s subtleties and extreme sparsness create a stronger emotional drive and more nostalgic appeal. - Devon Antonetti
