We blogged a few months ago about emerging NYC band Drowners, a quartet that can count on a fair amount of flair both in the songwriting and looks department - we love pictures that remind us of those black wearing bands from the late 70s - early 80s, you can't go wrong with that!
From a quick glance at their Facebook "about us" page, it seems like a bunch of industry people have already taken notice - and action: Frenchkiss Records is mentioned as one of their labels, together with The Agency Group booking, while Tell All Your Friends' top dog Kip Kouri is their publicist. That's a team that can take this Morrisey influenced quartet places, so keep an ear on them. Check out their recent video for "Long Hair" here - mp3 streaming below. If The Smiths have a special place in your heart, you should check them out live when they headline Pianos on May 8th.
We first blogged about Brooklyn psych rockers Cardboard a few weeks ago, here's their latest video for the single "Card", which will surely arouse the interest of those who are in love with the LSD infused scene launched by London's UFO Club in the late 60s.
“Dying to Start Again” (streaming below) is the latest single by Brooklyn newcomers Lovelife and it’s all about second chances. As those types of songs go, it’s lyrically a tad mopey. You want her back... you wish you could start again. We get it. The reason why this song actually works so well is because it’s musically quite evocative. From the pong-like synth loops to the slow-creeping beat to the heavenly falsetto vocals, you get the sense that, despite the singer’s sadness, the whole experience was worth every effort. That’s wisdom, yo.- See the band at Irving Plaza on 05.09 with Gold Fields and Capital Cities. - Brian Chidester
If you remember The Scarlett Ending at all, they were a highly enthusiastic sextet from Syracuse. Around for more than a decade, founding member Kayleigh Goldsworthy has now taken her tell-all personality to her own particular brand of folk/country crooning. Now based in Brooklyn, she's been working on her solo record the past three years, so it'll be exciting to see what happens next (she's already released a couple tracks off 'Burrower,' but still mixing the rest). The first single from the upcoming release 'Where the Summer Goes' puts everything out there, revealing much of Kayleigh's troubles over a gentle country acoustic steel string strum. Check it out below and stay tuned for more. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
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 AntonettiWe added this song to The Deli's playlist of Best mellow songs by emerging NYC artists - check it out!
Emerging as the latest entry into New York’s ever growing Psych Rock scene comes the Brooklyn based trio BAMBARA. Recognition of their shared sonic kinship with legendary New York bands like A Place To Bury Strangers and Swans most likely served as motivation to leave Athens, Georgia for the grittier Bushwick lifestyle. The band will now release their much anticipated debut full length album “DREAMVIOLENCE” via Arrowhawk Records as well as their own Emerald Weapon imprint. As you may evince from their predilection for all caps, this is not a band interested in whispering. Current single “Nail Polish” throttles along at a frantic pace, with warped guitar textures conjuring twisted carnival merry-go-rounds of an unsettling dream. “All The Same” creeps up from misty swamps until an overloaded bassline and clattering drum pattern cuts through it all with caustic force. Catch them live at Shea Stadium on May 4th. - Dave Cromwell
The newly formed duo that is Small Multiples brings a pleasant Avant-Rock concoction (and not so pleasant out of focus press pictures) to NYC’s Indie scene. Formed at NY’s New School, Craig Hartley and Eli Friedmann combine their talent and experience to bring you a style of music that merges multiple genres to visually stimulate the mind while preserving the integrity of each, as the term “small multiples” suggests. The group is set to release their debut self-titled EP on May 21st and you can stream/download the song “Know My Name” from it below. See them live at The Mercury Lounge on May 06. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)
The First Great American Roots Stomp - two nights of hootin', hollerin', jazzin', swingin', foot-stompin', barn-burnin' revelry with ten bands from Brooklyn and the Northeast bringing Americana roots back into the spotlight - is coming up on Friday 5/3, and Saturday 5/4 at Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY. The acts of night one include King Stork, Union Street Preservation Society, Whistling Wolves, Alex Mallett Band, and Charlotte Cornfield. On the first night, Alex Mallett Band and USPS stickout with high energy and erratically rhythmic tunes, while Charlotte Cornfield writes exquisitely crafted songs with lyrics full of playful imagery and rhyme schemes. The next night, 5/4, will have even more bands, like Portland, ME's North of Nashville, Reed Hook Ramblers and more. Head to Park Slope this weekend, and get your folk music fix, all in one weekend. 7:30 doors, 8:00 Show on both nights. - Paul Jordan Talbot
Brooklyn’s Life Size Maps have a pretty huge slot to fill with their warbled noise pop— they’re on before Oberhofer and Celestial Shore at Glasslands this Thursday (5/2), so their airtight grooves had better stay that way. Mike McKeever’s deliberate vocal style and heavily effected, meandering guitar serve as fitting centerpieces for their proprietary brand of post-postmodern rock, and with a locked-in rhythm section there’s little to fault them on. With a name that came from a stoned friend’s musings and a sound that’s difficult to pin down to any one corner, this trio is destined for success—or at least to rock your face off at Glasslands. The band is currently in the studio finalizing their debut full length, in the meantime check out their recent video for single "Abstract Speed" below - Zack Kraimer
