The lyricially insightful, thinking-persons rock of Brooklyn's Modern Diet returns with their latest single “Post Grad” premiering here on the Deli in time for Valentine's Day. However, the sentiment expressed here focuses on an existential crisis of being, rather than traditional romantic notions. Chiming open note guitar chords, soulful keyboards, bright tambourine percussion and a progression defining bassline immediately establish wistful sentimentality for the lyrics that follow. “Sticking to the script I used to know. Making plans and standing up to go. All my old tricks slip into places as we carry on. It's a three piece suit made of stone and it weighs a ton. Take it off for me won't you?” These vocals are delivered with clarity touched by just the right amount of contemporary studio enhancements. Open spaces are provided in the mix for click-clack percussion and celestial rising ambiance. While the title implies what is learned after basic formal schooling, the emphasis focuses on it's struggle. “Meanwhile I keep getting older. Go uphill, pushing my boulder – to fall down, back to the bottom and up once more,” is how the defining chorus goes. The track is available now and can be had (along with their other work) via the band's linktree here. - Dave Cromwell

NYC pop masters Modern Diet are back with a new EP that serenely lays out a sonic tapestry of colorful compositions that are brushed with indie rock, R&B, and psych-pop influences. Sit Down and Dance is an appropriate title for a record that grooves and entrances at once with waves of flanged guitar chords and synth embellishments that linger regally. There is a poise to the record that shows the band’s ability to mold its music: while the group's 2015 self-titled debut album had a more aggressive approach of alternative rock with a tinge of mellow jazz, this second release expands on the latter and adds some rich harmonies to boot. The band is preparing for a string of shows, and one of the stops will be at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on May 1st. We have a track from the new EP here for you. - Rene Cobar    

Brooklyn indie rock quartet Pecas will be playing Mercury Lounge on June 30th in support of Modern Diet. On their 2014 release, Dwelling, songwriter Sandy Davis paints pictures of the quiet despair and contemplation that occurs in the midst of a relationship's slow decline. Reverb-drenched vocals, warbling keys and tremolo-laced electric guitars lend a fittingly melancholy ambiance. Listen to "Keeper" below! - Ethan Ames

Literary rockers Modern Diet, our fresh artist of the month, have released an imaginative animated video for their latest track “Red Eye” (streaming below).  Visual artist Jaron Lionel depicts dreamlike scenarios based on lyrics which juxtapose relationship struggles against a doomed airline flight.  Initially sparse and moody, the track develops on top of a dynamic bass guitar phrase, while sustained guitar atmospherics hold steady over softer shuffling percussion.  Reaching the central hook, lyrics detail being “on a nonstop with nowhere to go” as they’re “asleep in the eye of the storm,” leaving little doubt this is a troubled ride. The slow burn builds to a majestic coda of reverberated “ooooh wah” vocals, forceful guitar chord accents and jazz-styled drum fills. “Wake up in a cold sweat, Not coming back to bed, Plane crash and a wet dream, 747 under fitted sheets, Where she’s waiting for me, I will not go to sleep.”  It’s a powerful track and video that incorporates the grand storytelling of Arcade Fire with the jazzy touches of Steely Dan. - Dave Cromwell

Few things in the life of this little blog are more satisfying than putting the spotlight on musicians that actually deserve it. Jake Cheriff, Dan Hemerlein, Harry Terrell and Bernardo Ochoa, also known as NYC's Modern Diet, have put together a cleverly crafted double single—"Karenina // Basement"—off their forthcoming album, 'Sit Down and Dance.' Two seconds into "Karenina", a honeyed, wistful vocal sings "leave me alone"—but it's not that easy to comply, for we've already been given good reasons to stay. Shortly afterwards, an energy-driven montage of drums, guitars, and bass surges in and takes the lead. Throughout the song, the energy is strategically interrupted by a downtempo breakdown, which emphasizes the reprise. "Basement" plays this in reverse, interlacing a prominent laidback groove with heaps of energy. If you get tired of clicking the play buttons down below, word on the street is Modern Diet will be performing a secret gig December 3rd in NYC. Join SoFar Sounds to find out where. - Ashley Muniz