Tunde Adebimpe (pictured) of TV on the Radio brought his experimental rock side project to Crossing Brooklyn Ferry a couple days before playing the main stage with TVOTR. The descriptively (and neverendingly!) named project, Higgins Waterproof Black Magic Band, plays a collection of gritty, hypnotic jams without much structure. Loops of spoken chatter and Adebimpe’s signature yelping vocals cover psych and garage jams, grounded by persistent bass lines and drum marches. The project, begun last fall, has played a few selected shows around the city. Their Thursday set ran with a lineup of other artists playing side projects from their main bands like Olga Bell from The Dirty Projectors and Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire. - Bianca Seidman
For the second year of the Crossing Brooklyn Ferry festival, curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, the focus was a wider sample of indie music and short film. The small three-day fest at BAM included artists selected by and connected to the brothers, like their own house show, in a beaux-arts palace.
The bands, mostly from Brooklyn, were an eclectic mix--electro, folk, noise rock and funk met classical and jazz. The Roots, Solange and TV on the Radio headlined. Several up-and- coming artists played the BAM café, serving as the second stage. Acts often covered by The Deli filled the bill, including Clare & The Reasons (on our cover a few years ago, check out a recent video here), People Get Ready (on the cover of our latest NYC issue), Here We Go Magic, Doe Paoro, Eddi Front, Exitmusic, Porcelain Raft, Olga Bell and many others. - Bianca Seidman
Bellwether is a new Pop-Punk band coming at you straight from the infamous Long Island scene. The name Bellwether literally means the lead sheep in a flock, chosen by the band to indicate their commitment to change and disinterest in the mundane sound and egotistical vibe that they feel a lot of today’s Pop-Punkers display. Their newest EP titled “…but I have to” dropped on April 9th and is currently available for streaming via Spotify. Their vibrant guitar riffs paired with frontman Desmond Zantua’s catchy and well-suited vocals make Bellwether a band to keep an ear on. Stream the band’s last single titled “...But I Have to” here. - Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)
Coming out of the nascent VVYNL stable of acts that inhabit the Knitting Factory on Monday nights, Zachary Allen Starkey bucks the trend of erstwhile Lady Gaga acolytes that dominate VVYNL and offers a more socially- distressed alternative. He’s less, well, pretty. But by combining basic darkwave synths with Gary Numan-esque vocals, Starky’s newest single, “Into the Sun,” paints personal loss in simple poetic strokes that feel prescient despite its retro proclivities. 5 minutes, however, was quite enough and he’ll need to switch the formula up greatly to make this vocal style work over an album’s length. - Brian Chidester
Once again The Deli gives you the opportunity to be selected to play NYC's Rooftop Films' Summer Series 2013, which will run every weekend from May 10 until August, with special events in September.
The event couples films with live music on top of spectacular NYC roofs, and connects artists with audiences so that each event is unique and memorable. The Rooftop Film music programming staff will select some artists from those who applied through The Deli.
Former west coast and now Brooklyn based psych rockers Weekend are preparing to release their sophomore album “Jinx,” this summer. In advance of that comes the recently released lead single "Mirror," which hints at sonic explorations different from what was presented on their debut album "Sports." Standout tracks from that initial record like "Coma Summer" emphasized a deep reverberation and warped aesthetic (in both attitude and sound). Their latest track, however presents a cleaner approach with fewer layers, an ethereal synthesizer wash (especially as the track opens) placing emphasis on more clearly audible vocals with echoy guitar lines over a driving bass guitar and drum pattern - although a static-like sound cutting through it reminds us that the band is into atonal noises. The overall pacing, guitar and bass tones and effects - and even the beat of the song actually - are reminiscent of the spartan early 80's recordings by bands like The Cure (think "A Forrest") and The Smiths (especially in the tonal quality of the lead vocals). With the tease of album track titles "July," "Oubliette," "Celebration, "FL," "Sirens," "Adelaide," "It’s Alright," "Rosaries," "Scream Queen," and "Just Drive" to ponder over, there is much to look forward to as we approach the full release. You can catch them live tonight at Shea Stadium with Slander, Napoleon and Lodro. - Dave Cromwell
Waxahatchee is the now Brooklyn based solo project of songwriter Katie Crutchfield, formed after the breakup of punky, Alabama based band P.S. Eliot (another ex-member of that band is now involved in Philly based Swearin'). The project's sound trades that trio's aggressiveness for a more thoughtful and folky approach, without giving up entirely the occasional distorted guitar burst. The single from the album ("Coast to Coast," streaming below) is a more uptempo number that takes us back to the glorious days of the (poppier) riot grrl period - think a fuzzier Juliana Hatfield or Liz Phair. Pitchfork gave the album its Best New Music blessing, which is still pretty much a career building event, and probably the main reason why you want to go see Waxahatchee live this Saturday 04.27 at Glasslands when she will be opening for The Babies.
We fell in love with Ludwig Persik's psychedelic gems the very first day we heard his music - that's why his debut EP was our Record of the Month back in October 2012. The young man is currently working on a full length, while releasing the single "No Go" - streaming below - on White Iris Records (home to Best Coast and Fool's Gold amongst others).
The fine ladies in Brooklyn's Heliotropes continue to carve out a niche in the psych rock genre with their penchant for doom heavy grooves. The band has just released the first single “Psalms,” which will be included on their debut album “A Constant Sea” set for release on June 18 via Manimal Vinyl records. “Psalms” thunders along a buzzing, rough-hewn guitar riff that dominated so much of the psychedelic hard rock in the early 1970’s. With a slithering groove paired alongside smooth seductive vocals, the band hits us with a quickened tempo change for good measure. The lyrics trend towards philosophical questions like “Do you feel that love is real?” and “am I really born to die?” A wickedly nasty guitar solo gives you the answer. Upcoming shows include their Album Release Party at Glasslands on June 18th and The 4Knots Fest on June 29th. - Dave Cromwell
Weeknight is the next in a long line of male/female duo acts that sound a little like an electro version of the Raveonettes or Beach House. Hell, this stuff is practically in the wallpaper of the Glasslands Gallery in Williamsburg these days. Moody and lust-filled, Weeknight’s debut EP is so deeply rooted in good taste that you really don’t mind Warhol’s glowing banana becoming a sound of ubiquity. Catch Weeknight at the Bowery Ballroom on May 3rd opening for The Besnard Lakes. - Brian Chidester
