the deli
the magazine about emerging nyc bands
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Issue #36 Volume #2 Fall 2013
www.thedelimagazine.com
Rathborne White Prism Brothertiger Oh honey Emmy Wildwood Ski Lodge Total slacker EMEFE Howth Erin barra Dead Stars Slonk Donkerson Rocket & the ghost Party Supplies Loveskills Writer Julia Easterlin Joy Kills Sorrow Denitia and sene.
wilsen Live at Pianos on 10/18/13
Stompbox Exhibit 2013 in
Williamsburg
October 19
&
20
Inside:
Drowners
Guide to The Deli’s CMJ Shows
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the deli
the magazine aboutthe emerging nyc scene bands everything about nyc music Issue #36 Volume #2 Fall 2013
Note from the Editor Deli Readers and CMJers, In this issue of The Deli, once again we highlight two artists that had absolutely NO coverage on the two most popular “new music” sites, Pitchfork and Stereogum. The lack of coverage for Wilsen is particularly striking (Drowners are very new), but not so surprising if you consider that fabulous and quite established more or less rootsy bands like Pearl & The Beard and Lucius have had basically no coverage on those two sites yet. It’s true. We also miss our fair share of noteworthy new local artists, but I find it troublesome that in many music blogs, there seems to be a tendency to overlook artists that flirt with folk and country, while indie-pop bands get more easily celebrated - even when they don’t have a lot of interesting things to say musically. This is a shame because I personally find that a lot of the more interesting records of this new decade are coming from artists who find inspiration in the roots of American music and try to take it in new uncharted territories. These are not revival bands, and sound as relevant to my ears as Animal Collective did five or ten years ago. We have one of them on the cover of this issue, and a bunch of them playing our Rockwood CMJ show on 10/16 - hope to see you there! -Paolo De Gregorio Editor In Chief: Paolo De Gregorio Founder: Charles Newman Executive Editor: Quang D. Tran Art Director/Designer: Kaz Yabe (www.kazyabe.com) Cover Photo: Shervin Lainez (www.www.shervinfoto.com) Web Developers: Mark Lewis, Alex Borsody Staff Writers: Bill Dvorak, Nancy Chow, Mike SOS, Dean Van Nguyen, Meijin Bruttomesso, Dave Cromwell, Mike Levine, Brian Chidester In-House Contributing Writers: BrokeMC, Ed Guardaro, Corinne Bagish, Devon Antonetti, Michael Zadick, Bianca Seidman, Jack McGovern, Paul Jordan Talbot, Michael Haskoor, Liz Shroeter Courtney, Sam Kogon The Kitchen: Janice Brown, Howard J. Stock, Ben Wigler, Shane O’Connor, Matt Rocker, David Weiss, Gus Green Publishers: The Deli Magazine LLC / Mother West, NYC The Deli Magazine is a trademark of The Deli Magazine, LLC, Brooklyn & Mother West, NYC. All contents ©2013 The Deli Magazine. All rights reserved.
stomp box news and reviews
During CMJ week, as usual, The Deli will unleash two “Music Marathon Runners” on the streets of NYC, armed with the mission to report about all the most exciting local emerging artists and bands playing during the CMJ fest. This year our writers, Jack and Kayla, have offered to take this Herculean task on their shoulders. Their sole purpose in life - for those 5 days - will be to attend 26 shows each (the number of miles in a marathon) and report about them on this blog. You can read the reports of their music marathonrelated adventures on our CMJ blog here: cmj.thedelimagazine.com. There will be plenty of links to talented bands that you weren’t aware of!
The Deli’s Music Marathon Runners
Illustration by J.P. Peer
49-52
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the deli news
The Deli’s New Website!
Happening now on thedelimagazine.com
launched in all its glory (with a new log in function that will let you rate bands through a 5 star score system and organize your favorite artists by genre, popularity and region!).
Exciting e-times folks!
H
ere at The Deli’s headquarters, we spent the summer working on a new look for our website. We are happy and proud to finally share with you our new creation - the result of many sleepless nights...
Bigger pictures, bigger text (we are getting old I guess...), a less cluttered format, and an entirely redesigned chart section, which is still a work-in-progress, but will soon be
SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC TO THE DELI!
We also have a new and wonderful live listing section implemented through doNYC that allows you to post your own shows on our site through their platform. Hopefully these changes will make the experience of discovering deserving emerging local acts through our site easier and more efficient. Paolo De Gregorio
PROMOTE SHOWS
FOR
ON THE DELI’S HOMEPAGE!
To be considered for review, just go here: thedelimag.com/submit - we listen to all submissions and review many of them!
FIND OUT ABOUT OTHER LIKE-MINDED ARTISTS!
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To promote your live shows in NYC, go to nyc.thedelimagazine.com and check the far right column (scroll down a bit). The Deli’s Charts - thedelimag.com/charts - are a huge database of established and emerging artists, organized by genre and region and optimized for indie bands.
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electro stages
The Delancey 10/15 (tue)
new myths 7:00pm
(Downstairs)
Candide
Literally, nothing will stop Candide from wrecking it on the dance floor. Heartbreak be damned. Whether her mood is to have you stick around (the bouncy ‘Don’t You Go’) or to definitively get rid of you (the bouncier ‘Weary of You’), the dark alt-dance artist does it all, and gets you moving to her turbo-charged BPM faster than you’ll realize that you’re listening to some dark and stormy music. The Brooklynvia-Berlin artist characterizes an emotional substance that you’ll find in the recent batch of heart-on-sleeve, four-on-thefloor songwriters like James Blake and The Weeknd. But Candide does it all at her own tempo, and that’s what
H
candide will really pull you in to the mix. (Mike Levine)
7:15pm
(upstairs)
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the deli Fall 2013
7:50pm
goste
Goste could be that missing link between humans and machines we’ve all been waiting for. A one man band mixing dizzying electronic loops with soothing, plaintive alt-folk, Goste places a foot in several worlds at once. An unlikely destination a little reminiscent of The Books and a little of Beth Orton, new EP “unlearn/ relearn” highlights these disparate worlds with a remixer’s sensibility for knob twirling, especially their last track ‘To Pretend,’ where singer Tamsin Wilson (pictured on the cover of this issue with her band Wilsen)
aving arrived in New York as an aspiring audio engineer, Johanna Cranitch instead made a name for herself in the city’s broad indie-pop scene under the guise Johanna and the Dusty Floor. Since recently repackaging herself as White Prism, the Australian is now investigating a long-standing interest in more electronic-based instrumentation, and has already cut one of the most accomplished releases within the genre to come out of NYC in recent memory with the project’s smooth, soulful selftitled debut EP. (Dean Van Nguyen)
adds a mystical ebullience over otherwise schitzoid electronics. (Mike Levine)
(Downstairs)
Night Panther (Philly) 8:00pm
(upstairs)
new myths
When you’re inspired by “Spinal Tap” to put together a band, you know great things are bound to happen. Taking a tour of old school new wave but coupled with a larger sense of destiny, the trio’s latest self-titled EP brings the band’s wide-open textures to a crashing set of epic scale. Fronted by Brit’s gently com-
8:40pm
(downstairs)
white prism
manding soprano, the group can be a kick in the face, but surprisingly comforting all the same. New Myths may be exactly that soundtrack your dreams have been looking for. (Mike Levine)
8:45pm
(upstairs)
Erin Barra
The versatility to jump from jazz and soul to electro-pop and hip-hop isn’t most artists’ strength. However, Erin Barra is as much electronic producer as she is confident blue-eyed soul singer with notes of Adele and Florence Welch. She sees her career as a patchwork of opportunities - not limited to seeking notoriety as a performer. In her own work, Barra switches between recording pop soul with a full acoustic band and
9:30pm
(upstairs)
party supplies
Production Corner Know Your Filters
By Paolo De Gregorio
Electronic music wouldn’t sound much different from its electric sister if filters hadn’t been invented. A filter is a frequency amplifier (or “tamer”) device, i.e. an effect that operates on the frequencies of a sound - it can boost them, cut them or mute them, but it can’t create ones that don’t exist in the original sound. So it’s basically just an EQ, although one that gets used for sci-fi sounding effects rather than for improving the quality of recordings (like during the mixing process). There are 3 main types of filters: the Low-Pass (the most popular in electronic music) progressively cuts frequencies starting from the most trebly ones, while the High-Pass works the other way around. Both these filters have “cutting slopes” (called Q) that can be adjusted, so that the high or low frequencies are cut in a more or less radical (or steep) way. A Band-Pass filter instead incorporates both filters by only allowing a central frequency range to be played - therefore cutting both some high and some low frequencies.
H
aving made his name collaborating with husky Queens rapper Action Bronson on last year’s aural idea factory Blue Chips, Justin Nealis has fleshed out his Party Supplies guise for the release of his debut album “Tough Love.” Adding multiinstrumentalist Sean Mahon to the mix, Nealis opts to move away from the sampled-layered beats of his hip-hop collaborations towards a dinky electropop sound loaded with plenty of taut drum machines, sharp hooks and throwback New Wave vocal lines. (Dean Van Nguyen)
more computer-driven electropop. But she can also be found writing and producing for pop artists and producers like John Oates, who heard her when she was a student at Berklee College of Music. Her style is less experimental than stylistically diverse, with distinct threads of R&B. And her long-term goal is to maintain a career in music where she can keep inventing her own role. (Bianca Seidman)
ern day romance flick, while ‘Casanova’ is almost danceable. Going back to the slow and sensual R&B sounds of the 1990s, d&s play with nostalgia both through their sound and their lyrics, which makes them dangerously charming. (Sam Kogon)
9:30pm
It was just a matter of time before one of these indieelectro bands out of Brooklyn tackled old school Italo-Disco. What never ceases to amaze, however, is the way these throwaway ‘80s genres, with their mildly sexy undertones, get recycled into explicitly tripped-out underground anthems in the hands of bands like Loveskills. Their latest single, “Cover Me,” manages to be both melodically loose and dreamy, whilst highly danceable and tighter than a gnat’s ass, productionwise. All of which makes for an exhilarating track invisible to its source material. Never mind its epicurean video, which feels almost like
(Downstairs)
Denitia and Sene.
There’s something to be said about a newborn band that already has their own, unique sound. Smooth, soulful and dreamy at once, denitia and sene. merge genres to create their own penthouse lounge style music. Self-described as “film noir for audiophiles,” they are both mellow and dramatic, creating that perfect “rainy day” feel. Tracks like ‘Again (New Ride)’ could easily be featured in a mod-
10:15pm
Another concept you should be familiar with is Resonance, which is actually just another filter - a Peak Filter in this case - that boosts frequencies right where the high or low pass filter are starting to cut them, creating some kind of wah-like effect that doesn’t seem to ever get old when applied to analog synths. A lot of the fun of playing with filters is in playing them live, or - when recording - creating automation that modify the sounds in unexpected ways. The sonic possibilities opened by filters are endless - try them on anything, mastering the filters is crucial for any electronic musician.
Find other recording tips at Delicious-Audio.com/diy
(upstairs) Photo: Mats Bakken
loveskills
Denitia and Sene. the deli Fall 2013
13
electro stages
More bands at nyc.thedelimag azine.com!
The Delancey 10/15 (tue)
D
rawing from a more ambient corner of throwback synthpop than many of his contemporaries, John Jagos may wrap his melodies in layer upon layer of ethereal textures, but they’re unmistakably present. The Ohio University alumni member possesses an ear for a hook combined with a knack for interlacing his electronic instrumentation in a lush but never overpowering manner. Having forged his style over a number of EPs and last year’s debut full-length “Golden Years,” the prolific Jagos has investigated new territories on recently released “Future Splendors,” describing the album as emphasizing “more futuristic themes.” (Dean Van Nguyen)
10:20pm
(Downstairs)
brothertiger Daft Punk decided to take off their helmets and start hanging around at beer gardens and local house parties. Viva! (Brian Chidester)
11:00pm
(upstairs)
futurebrite
Industrial has had a rather negligible role in pop music’s history so far, and it’s interesting to see a decidedly pop band like Futurebrite introducing mechanical elements reminiscent of NIN and Ministry, while filtering out those bands’ rougher edges. This is the project of singer Karen Corrêa (already involved in now dissolved rock trio Demander) and Brooklyn producer Josh Grant. (Paolo De Gregorio)
11:10pm
the proper lenses, which, for those of us who like to go on magical mystery tours, is once more a reminder of the infinitude of the universe. With that in mind, consider Infinity Shred’s feature-length LP “Sanctuary,” a synthprog pastiche that proves the ephemeral’s refusal to ephemerate. And also that white pixie dust is not bound to leave the atmosphere anytime soon. (Brian Chidester)
12:00am
(Downstairs)
cold blood club
Dance music is making a big comeback in Brooklyn, prompting some of us to wonder whether we listen
(Downstairs)
In The Valley Below (Los ANgeles) 11:30pm
(upstairs)
infinity shred The Miami Sound has come to NYC. “Miami Vice,” that is. First Yacht Rock and now this - turns out EVERYTHING is psychedelic if you wear
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the deli Fall 2013
futurebrite
loveskills to too much white boy indie rock and not enough music that is more a) optimistic and b) representative of
check out also The NYC electronic scene right now is on fire - it seems like every week we have a new great band popping up out of nowhere - currently Small Black are probably the hottest NYC electro band. Two interesting really new bands you should check out are Pluto Moon and Oh My Goodness. Other local acts we tried to book for this CMJ show include gritty melodic/experimental duo ASTR, electro pop band Lovelife, and duo Cardiknox, which - like Azar Swan - has a more rock edge. We’ve been singing the praises of Ghost Beach and Chrome Canyon for quite some time now, and also tried to book for this show more established electronic NYC artists Xylos, Black Marbles and Black Light Dinner Party - by the way, is “black” in a electro band’s name the new... black? For some seriously poppy electro-pop also give a listen to Noosa, which is an internet semi-sensation but rarely plays live.
nyc electro Top 20 1. Julianna Barwick 2. A-Trak 3. Sleigh Bells 4. Twin Shadow 5. Oneohtrix Point Never 6. The Juan MacLean 7. French Horn Rebellion 8. Gramatik 9. Brick+Mortar 10. Nicholas Jaar 11. El-P 12. Scissor Sisters 13. Ratatat 14. Holy Ghost! 15. LCD Soundsystem 16. Neon Indian 17. D.V.S* 18. Com Truise 19. Small Black 20. Anamanaguchi
Full Deli Web Buzz charts here: thedelimagazine.com/charts
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electro stages
The Delancey 10/15 (tue) women and minorities. Indeed, in ‘White Boyz,’ lead singer Kendra Jones shouts “I need a nice white boy,” over borderline schizophrenic beats. It’s an ecstatic track that highlights how much fun a warehouse show can be instead of another white boy singing about his suburban upbringing. (Jack McGovern)
12:30am
(upstairs)
twin wave
Anyone worried that all the great psych bands have come and gone, need not fear. Twin Wave has come from above to make sure we’re all still having cozy, weird dreams filled with washy guitars, spacey synths, and immersive vocals. Their popular track ‘Relapse’ beats out a hasty trip-hop groove, and still manages to stay meditative and silky smooth at its center. (Mike Levine)
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the deli Fall 2013
Photos: David Burlacu
cold blood club 12:50am
(Downstairs)
bright future
Producer/beatmaker Frank Midnite’s latest project Bright Future gives us an electronic odyssey that includes a strict accounting of his sound and space-bending time machines. At times borrowing from Prefuse 73’s sense of awkward meters, there’s also a Flying Lotuslike funk maximalism sneaking in and pulling at the edges of these liquid beats. Like the track ‘Laboratory Funk,’ where your sense of
bright future time is shifted backwards, lands you on your head, and comes at you from every
direction. Yes... it’s as much fun as it sounds. (Mike Levine)
TRUE GRIT dod.com
alt rock stage
rockwood music hall 10/16 (wed)
canon logic 6:45pm
(stage 2)
walking shapes Walking Shapes’ lineup looks like your regular rock band - two guitars, bass, drums but the music is so layered that it’s hard to remember that. Never straying too far into experimentation or playing it too safe with conventionality, Walking Shapes does a very good job of caring for the audience. Whether this is intentional or not, it doesn’t really matter. The band accomplishes the ever difficult task of creating their own musical world, a complex world that’s far from predictable. Vocalist Nathaniel Hoho is
the stationary set incredibly competent, and although my personal taste draws me towards singers who can’t really sing, his strong vocals add a lot of depth to these songs. This band has unpredictability on their side, always a good ally in pop music. (Jack McGovern)
9:15pm
(stage 2)
canon logic Folk-tinged indie-pop quintet Canon Logic made big waves in 2010 with their first fulllength “FM Arcade.” They’ve since supported acts like Oh Land, headlined major NYC venues, and have had their music featured on TV and in chain retailers (alongside the shirtless dudes at Hollister, to be precise). Canon Logic
doesn’t strive to make songs that fit a “sound”; the focus is on developing songs as individual works. What does that mean for the listener? Each song is thoughtfully crafted - sax livens one track, thunderous piano chords are the backbone for another. That’s not to say the songs are dissimilar or that the albums aren’t cohesive. Elements hold it together: punchy choruses, prettily constructed melodies, rich vocals. Underlying themes - endurance, longing, love - are the strongest sinews. Yet-to-drop “WYLD” will be Canon Logic’s first release since 2011’s “Rapid Empire” EP. ‘Mountain,’ the first single off “WYLD,” is appropriately named; it’s hugely resonant and powerful, like shouting off an edge into the unknown - Garden State
style. It’s passionate and anthemic, and the music video (released this past July) is similarly epic as mud-covered, axe wielding band members accost frontman Tim Kiely. (Corinne Bagish)
10:10pm
(stage 2)
the stationary set When it comes to melody, Brooklyn’s The Stationary Set is anything but shy. Their brand of electro pop is dramatic and soulful – these 5 dudes are not afraid to get feely and they’re mindful of said feeliness. On their Facebok page, it’s mentioned that they strive
W
ith all the energy of highpowered arena rock brought down to a local level, Brooklyn’s Rocket & The Ghost is a band with serious ambitions - and growing local hype. First single ‘Goodbye,’ off their upcoming selftitled EP, chugs along with an anthem’s urgency, while their latest track, ‘Shame,’ announces itself with all the punchiness that singer/songwriter Kiyoshi Matsuyama can deliver. On top of that, the track features the backing vocals of Lily Claire from Lily & The Parlour Tricks for added awesomeness. (Mike Levine)
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the deli Fall 2013
11:05pm
(stage 2)
rocket & the ghost
“to make the ‘pop’ in pop music less of a dirty word.” The Stationary Set’s cover of Pat Benetar’s “We Belong” is an embodiment of this; pulsating, hazy electro lends the ‘80s classic new depth. The electronic touches that pepper their sound are never isolating, they just expand it. In fact, The Stationary Set finds their sound at its best when let loose within a large space. And, since forming in 2009, they’ve played had their fair share of big venue performances. They’ve shared the stage with Phoenix and Mumford & Sons and most recently played a sold out show at Highline Ballroom along with January Jane. The band is recording an EP over the course of the winter, so stay tuned for more warm and fuzzy goodness. (Corinne Bagish)
12:45am
(stage 2)
sleep kitty (chicago)
12:00am
(stage 2)
emmy wildwood
E
mmy Wildwood wears many hats. We mean this both figuratively and somewhat literally; the indie musician is multitalented, and keeping well accessorized happens to be one of them. Wildwood made Time Out New York’s 2013 “Best Dressed” list, and is the owner of Tiger Blanket Records, a Brooklyn-based vintage store AND record label. Through these projects, she’s become a Williamsburg community pillar of sorts. Tiger Blanket is more than a label; it’s a place for local artists to collaborate and create. On top of all that, the frontwoman of rock trio VELTA’s solo career is taking off. Emmy Wildwood’s debut album is slated to drop this fall, and from the single ‘Chick Chick Boom,’ it looks like we can expect wistful retro-pop - Cyndi Lauper through a dark lens if you will. That’s not all folks - ready for this? She plays in an all female Guns N’ Roses cover band… Guns N’ Hoses. (Corinne Bagish)
the deli Fall 2013
19
roots/songwriters stages rockwood music hall 10/16 (wed)
lora faye 5:45pm
(stage 1)
Lora Faye
Once Lora Faye’s gravelly voice gets in your head, it will be haunting you for days. Its powerful and honest emotionality, paired with her signature dark songwriting, makes her a rather unique artist in the NYC scene. Showing uncommon versatility, her new EP “Waltzes” comes loaded with dream-like songs of pleading and longing. The vocal glissandos in the track ‘Please’ pull right at your heart, while her vocal performance on “Waltzes” shows a more controlled and elegant Lora than in last year’s single ‘Old Gas Station’ - which is still our favorite. (Paul Jordan Talbot)
6:00pm
(stage 2)
steffaloo (L.A.)
zach hurd 20
the deli Fall 2013
christopher paul stelling
dark north 6:30pm
(stage 1)
dark North
Sibling bands can go in two directions: towards the path of a harmonious collaboration like The Kinks or Kings of Leon, or on a oneway train to hell like The Cowsills. For indie folksters, Dark North, we’re happy to say it’s the former of the two. Brother and Sister, Emily and Glenn Forsythe, left Ohio for Brooklyn to form a band; they did just that and so much more. Emily’s new-aged Patsy Cline style of singing sets the mood for heartbreak. Ranging from a full band sound to just voice and piano, the band’s music is versatile, and maintains power even at their most delicate of musical moments. ‘I Would Invite You’ - one of the sparer tracks - allows you to listen to the lyrics and get inside of Forsythe’s dreams.
elizabeth and the catapult
‘He Is A Ghost’ shows off the groups edgier side, sounding at times like a folkier version of Modern English’s ‘I Melt With You.’ (Sam Kogon)
es to the fullest his soulful voice and thoughtful lyrics. (Brescia Mascheretti)
7:00pm
young summer (D.C.)
(stage 3)
zach hurd
Zach Hurd is a solo artist living in Brooklyn. Originally from Bath, Maine, Hurd relocated to the city a little over seven years ago to pursue a career in music. Since moving to New York he has released two EP’s and a nine-song solo album, “Changing Landscapes.” His most recent EP, “She Never Sleeps” (released in 2012) is a beautiful muddle of sullen, smokey vocals, gentle percussion and softly strummed acoustic guitar. His song ‘The Arctic’ is perhaps the dark horse of the EP. It’s a weave of poignant imagery and personal experience. A quietly stunning song that showcas-
7:15pm
7:30pm
(stage 1)
(stage 2)
Elizabeth & The catapult Growing up in Greenwich Village, Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth & The Catapult, was trained from a young age as a pianist and studied classical composition at the Berklee College of Music. It was here that Ziman met her future bandmates, drummer Dan Molad and guitarist Pete Lalish and in 2004 Elizabeth & The Catapult
Belle Mare
H
8:45pm
(stage 1)
julia easterlin was born. Ziman’s schooling is evident in the music she writes; intelligent, memorable melodies are carefully placed alongside sunny riffs and beautifully constructed lyrics. Shaped by Ziman’s clear powerful voice and their unique use of instruments, the bands eclectic pop sound is one of a kind. (Brescia Mascheretti)
8:00pm
(stage 1)
belle mare
Brooklynites Amelia Bushell and Thomas Servidone offer a seductive siren call with their band Belle Mare. Imploring you to travel back in time with them, their debut EP “The Boat Of The Fragile Mind” shares a sonic kinship with the hushed and otherworldly soundscapes of artists like Lia Ices and Cowboy Junkies, a band they manage to beat in the sparseness department. While Amelia’s deep, crooning vocals range between Widowspeak’s sleepy dream-pop melodies and Beth Gibbon’s intense retro stylings, her lyrics toy with mysterious themes, like in the refrain of “we hope we might make it out alive,” delivered in the title track over deep, distant percussive booms and ominous, icy synth textures. (Dave Cromwell)
8:00pm
(stage 3)
christopher paul stelling Christopher Paul Stelling is a songwriter originally from Florida, based in New York. The talented young artist has previously been described as a protestor, a fanatical street poet, a modern-day troubadour and a true American folk singer. Stelling himself tags his music “folk gospel hellfire.” Accompanied only by his acoustic guitar and a fingerpicking skill that could rival the greats, Stelling has spent the last three years touring and honing his craft. His most recent offering ‘False Cities’ is rife with fiery, fast-paced, fervid choruses combined with poetic lyrics, stirring verses and a gravely unique voice. (Brescia Mascheretti)
8:20pm
(stage 2)
Wilsen
(See page 32 for the feature!)
9:00pm
er precise pair of vocal chords and one looping machine is all Julia Easterlin needs to surround a stage. During her live shows, she deconstructs the process, and builds layers slowly; the performance is part learning experience. She’s brought her brand of vocal-led experimentation to the TEDxWomen conference, audiences in Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and a few major festivals. But tech sorcery is not what sets her apart. Jazz movement, a capella arrangements and world music flavor give Easterlin’s eclectic covers and originals flight, whether solo or with a band. Her voice is a consistent, trained instrument sometimes channeling Sarah McLachlan or Björk, sometimes beatboxers and birds. (Bianca Seidman)
(stage 3)
coby brown (L.A.)
Production Corner By Paolo De Gregorio
The Old Timey Single Mic Technique
If you are into folk music, you may have noticed that more and more revival country bands share just one microphone on stage - we witnessed that ourselves when Spirit Family Reunion played our NYC B.E.A.F. at Brooklyn Bowl last June. This is an old-fashioned technique that still works wonderfully (also visually) for a genre as communal as folk music, with the added bonus of allowing musicians to control their voices (and the lead instruments’) volumes by moving closer or farther from the mic.
Pictured: Spirit Family Reunion
To pull this off you’ll need a quality, large diaphragm cardioid condenser with good feedback rejection, placed at chin height in the middle of the musicians, facing them. Careful mic positioning is necessary to avoid feedback, while a slight boost of the lower frequency will compensate for the proximity effect typical of cardioid mics where the farther the source, the thinner it sounds through the mic. Singing/playing at an angle will also allow for some natural EQ, since these mics filter out some high frequencies if you don’t sing right in front of them. The one mic technique requires some learning though: Musicians should record their rehearsals through the mic to get an idea of what placement and distance they should have from the mic - not only in each song, but also in each song section.
Find other recording tips at Delicious-Audio.com/diy
More bands at nyc.thedelimag azine.com!
roots/songwriters stages rockwood music hall 10/16 (wed)
O
h Honey is the musical collaboration between singer-songwriters Danielle Bouchard and Mitch Collins. Introduced by mutual friends at a Brooklyn bar, the pair quickly realized a shared passion for music, and soon decided to join forces. Bouchard leads their first single ‘Be Okay’ with bubblegum vocals, and is backed by jangly acoustic riffs, poppy drumbeats, syrupy harmonies and punchy choruses. If you were a fan of Owl City or Hello Goodbye, then this feel-good duo is definitely for you. (Brescia Mascheretti)
9:30pm
10:15pm
(stage 1)
Other Hot NYC Rootsy Acts
oh honey
Other local that could have played our CMJ shows at Rockwood include orchestral pop rising stars San Fermin but they are busy touring Europe. Mellow folksters Luluc were even luckier: they were invited to tour Australia with The National! Recently featured on the cover of our SXSW and Best of NYC issues, country revivalists The Lone Bellow and Spirit Family Reunion will also be far from home, although on this side of the Atlantic. The Dough Rollers on the other hand won’t go anywhere in October, but don’t seem to have CMJ shows scheduled - good blues rock band though, on Jack Black’s label! We booked Swear & Shake last year for CMJ and they are a band with a lot of potential, also on tour as we run this Marathon.
(stage 1)
joy kills sorrow We all love our rugged, rough and rowdy folk, but some occasions require more elegant rootsy music. That’s when Joy Kills Sorrow - led by Emma Beaton’s beautiful vocals - comes handy. Steeped in the Boston bluegrass scene - and now spread between Boston and Brooklyn - this is a group of musicians that not only is talented but also tight. It’s refreshing to see such a young band playing such challenging music, and sticking true to its bluegrass roots with original songs. (Paul Jordan Talbot)
10:00pm
(stage 1)
streets of laredo Kiwi transplants, alt folk
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NYC roots
/songwriters
Top 20
streets of laredo
(stage 3)
jesca hoop (L.A./Uk) 11:00pm
Also, we are happy to report that Lucius (on the cover of last year’s Best of NYC issue) is doing really well and will be soon releasing their debut album (finally!)
the deli Fall 2013
trio Streets of Laredo were one of the highlight of our B.E.A.F. 2013 Alt Folk Stage in early June - they packed Spike Hill and put up a truly entertaining show. The band flew back to their home country earlier this year to finalize the EP released on October 7. Now a seven piece band, they are on a mission to charm New Yorkers one by
one, and CMJ will be a good opportunity to conquer some out of towners as well. (Paolo De Gregorio)
12:30am
(stage 1)
howth
What began as an experimental project between guitarist Blake Luley and
1. Cat Power 2. Norah Jones 3. Phosphorescent 4. Regina Spektor 5. Deer Tick 6. Ingrid Michaelson 7. The Pierces 8. Ron Pope 9. Antony and the Johnsons 10. Theophilus London 11. Citizen Cope 12. A.A. Bondy 13. CocoRosie 14. Punch Brothers 15. Lucius 16. The Lone Bellow 17. Jamie Lidell 18. Not Waving But Drowning 19. Kevin Devine 20. Rachael Yamagata
Full Deli Web Buzz charts here: thedelimagazine.com/charts
roots/songwriters stages rockwood music hall 10/16 (wed) singer/songwriter Carl Creighton is now Howth - an indie-folk quintet based in Brooklyn. Howth’s sound is a melting pot of gentle acoustic guitar, rolling drum beats and carefully layered colorful atmospheric instruments. Sometimes a whisper, other times a howl, Creighton’s versatile, dynamic voice
winds it’s way creatively around his lyrics to fill the songs with strong imagery and mood. With hints of Fleet Foxes, Broken Social Scene, Postal Service and late ’90s indie rock, Howth’s sound is nostalgic and futuristic all at once. (Brescia Mascheretti)
howth Photo: Ahron Foster
11:45pm
(stage 1)
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miko and the musket
the deli Fall 2013
A
remarkably young seven piece from New York, Miko & The Musket have the sound of a big band with something to prove. From Jazzinfused high octane harmonies to Paul Simon-inspired tales of life across America, the band packs plenty of ammunition, and is set to convince everyone in their path of the virtues of how well folk can go with R&B when you have the right musicians behind it. (Mike Levine)
fuzz rock stage spike hill 10/17 (thu) 8:00pm
heeney
Just like you and me, punk singer-songwriter Heeney is (in his own words/lyrics) “so pretty” because he is “from New York City.” A staple at Shea Stadium for some time now, their latest demoes combine the warm embrace of a heavy hammer to the head, with all the fun of a group that has admirably performed naked on stage more than once. Heeney are NYC’s anarchic answer for anyone scared that there’s not enough freaks left in our town playing good music. (Mike Levine)
8:30pm
dead stars
Brooklyn fuzz-pop trio Dead Stars takes your lost early 90’s passion and makes it relevant again. Their catchy choruses and deceivingly lackadaisical vocals will have you humming their songs for days, grabbing your ears and keeping them intrigued with raucous power chords and sudden changes in dynamics. They recently opened for Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado at Glasslands Gallery. (Michael Haskoor)
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heeney 9:00pm
slonk donkerson
Can you imagine an updated, more jolly version of grunge, which is actually really good? That’s what the Brooklyn power trio Slonk Donkerson sounds like to us. They list themselves as a generic hardrock and post-punk fusion, and look back to golden indie acts like The Replacements and early R.E.M., but we feel like “The Donks” give us more than that. Their songs are hardcore enough without getting to the point of being unbearable, leaving plenty of room for fetching, grungy vocals. Their EP “Watching Every Channel at Once” has an incredibly high production value for its lo-fi-ish quality. (Michael Haskoor)
dead stars
slonk donkerson
afrobeat stage spike hill 10/17 (thu)
11:30pm
emefe
people’s champs 9:30pm
people’s Champs It’s time to get your funk on. With a resume solid enough to take over this borough’s Afrobeat scene, Brooklyn’s People’s Champs have exactly the right ingredients to pour into your summer evenings. From the band’s blazing horn section The Superpower Horns, which includes players known for tracking albums with Beyonce to their powerhouse singer Cole Williams, the band is well on its way to becoming NY’s de facto funk and Afrobeat experience. The supergroup has played gigs from sweaty warehouse parties to the Guggenheim Museum, but no matter what the venue, they find a way to bring a sound together that bridges the distance between Africa and America. (Mike Levine)
the next level of partying in particular here in NYC, i.e. NOT grinding up in a dark club, but the kind of dancing that becomes some kind of religious experience, cathartic and freeing, full of warmth. They collaborate with musicians from all over Mali, most notably Khaira Arby. Her Vocals on ‘Gawad Teriamou’ are energetic, virtuosic and impassioned. It’s these kind of collaborations that bring legendary artists to western ears for the first time. (Paul Jordan Talbot)
12:30am
Mammal Dap (boston)
10:30pm
Sway machinery African influences are once again seeping into a lot of American music, and NYC’s Sway Machinery lets those traits be heard full on - with the addition of a loud horn section. The result is music for what could be seen as
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sway machinery
A
frobeat gets lost on a lot of folks. Pigeonholed in with jam bands and the like, groups like EMEFE get relegated off into the patchouli-drenched, tapestry adorned, nag-champa hippie fest where body hair is free to blow in the wind and dance moves are largely of the “interpretive noodle” category. It’s a shame. Is it something about the furious horn stabs and jangling guitars or maybe the downtempo chanting and the rampant soloing that turns people off? The richness in the aural spectrum of Afrobeat may seem untenable at first, but, like any unfamiliar flavor, given time to open up and allow its complexity to be properly appreciated, can quickly be recognized for the delicacy it is. Think of jazz you can dance to - James Brown and Miles Davis in a jam session with Charlie Parker and Michael Jackson. Would you just let go and dance, or would you sit down and intently listen with every fiber of your being? Perhaps EMEFE can help you find the proper balance.
a composer’s brilliance is reflected in his ability to anticipate the other players in the game, to read them, and sometimes even trick them into doing things they would otherwise be reluctant. In a musical setting, sometimes this goes as much for the audience as for the members of the band. Arntzen is particularly adept at this subtle manipulation.
EMEFE, pronounced “M-FA,” begins with a strong foundation in traditional Afrobeat, but their musical director, Miles Arntzen, strives to create greater depth and breadth in his compositions. Whether a band utilizes minimal instrumentation - like The Black Keys or the frantic button-mashing orchestration of Daedalus - or commands the overwhelming emotionalism of a symphony orchestra, it is a composer’s instinctual responsiveness and sensitivity, which wins over an audience. Like a poker player maneuvering his way toward a royal flush,
When EMEFE starts playing, people start dancing. Some credit this to the full live horn section, and it probably can’t hurt. Compounded by the shakes and bangs of an evolving and dynamic percussion section, few further tricks are necessary to engage even the most complacent crowd. It comes down to a matter of swagger, and EMFE serves it up in true Brooklyn fashion. Their Afrobeat aesthetic is characterized by nods to the funk of Prince as well as some aspects of psychedelia and art rock. The ten-members of EMEFE vacillate seamlessly between riveting instrumental maelstroms and soulful vocal breakdowns. Initially, they don’t seem to break much new ground to distinguish them from their predecessors in Antibalas or the myriad of other Afrobeat acts that have assembled and dispersed over the years, but there is a lingering spark, an electricity generated by their live shows that speaks to their ability to connect over Arntzen’s ideas and expand
upon them with relish and fervor. Like many players in the technological zeitgeist, Arntzen makes use of the most functional and inexpensive tools at his fingertips. Utilizing GarageBand and a steady diet of chocolate treats, he sketches out grooves and melodies, which he later brings to the band to expand upon. It is in this demoing period that “the raw energy of the idea and the feeling of the song (emotional and physical) comes out in its purest form.” In a band of ten players, arriving at and remaining on the same page can be an arduous undertaking. However, EMEFE seems to benefit from a synergy that complements and enhances Arntzen’s ideas, propelling them into a realm of pure funk exhilaration. The remaining nine members of EMFE - Doug Berns, Jas Walton, Jake Pinto, Michael Harlen, Deen Anbar, Javier Ramos, Michael Fatum, Ray Mason and Zach Mayer - incubate and agitate Arntzen’s ideas into the frothy concoctions that finally are unleashed upon their jubilant audiences. The success of their first album, “Good Future,” has them returning to their New Jersey home studio to generate some fresh magic. Dan Knobler from Brooklyn’s Mason Jar Music (whose credits include Lucius, Feist
and Bela Fleck) will be taking the producer helm once again to help capture and craft the sound of this explosive ensemble. Mason Jar Music specializes in “preserving analog principles in a digital age,” and Knobler’s skill at creating big sound from unconventional recording environments will undoubtedly come into play. Arntzen is particularly excited to dig into the experience and explore some new musical directions, “taking more influence from the vocal work of The Talking Heads and The Beach Boys.” This new album is slated for release in 2014, and there are plans to tour heavily. EMEFE already has an impressive resume: Arntzen still plays with Antibalas (he actually conducts the band!), he’s mentored with Billy Martin, they’re playing festivals across the country and block parties in Manhattan, and there’s currently no end in sight to their invasion of the pop culture firmament. With chocolate as his fuel, and his exceptional cadre of collaborators, Arntzen and EMEFE are going to make you rethink Afrobeat. You can leave the incense at home, just as long as your inhibitions are left behind as well. Come to see them live, and you’ll join the masses of fans pioneering new and unprecedented dance moves, and soon enough you’ll find yourself singing along. (BrokeMC)
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indie stage
check nyc.thedelimagazine.com for last minute changes to this lineup.
Pianos 10/18 (Fri)
T
here are a number of overused adjectives that music critics abuse, but sometimes a word to describe a band’s work just comes to your head and won’t leave. For Ski Lodge, that term is “jangly.” Their brand of jangly pop is too refined to be called surf, and its main attraction is exactly this refinement. They do not overstay their welcome, making for a concise sound that will (somehow) make you pine for the laziness of an August heat wave. (Jack McGovern)
7:00pm
(downstairs)
Tiny Ruins (new zealand) 7:00pm
(upstairs)
misun (D.C.) 7:45pm
(upstairs)
j(Chicago) Fernandez 8:30pm
(upstairs)
andrew cedermark Face it: you’re getting older. And Andrew Cedermark knows exactly how you feel. The former Titus Andronicus guitarist is settling into
writer 30
the deli Fall 2013
7:45pm
(downstairs)
ski lodge
home life, and with all its compromises and existential questions, it turns out to be as rich a place to create a statement of lasting rock pageantry as anything else. New record ‘Home Life’ explores these issues, all while keeping the mood light and unhurried, and the guitars bouncy and even occasionally trippy. Proof that domesticity is just as weird and crazy a ride as anything else in life. (Mike Levine)
album “Brotherface,” a record that marries an edgy, “ubersaturated” production with impressively consistent songwriting. Booming, live sounding drums, fuzzy guitars and often filtered vocals are employed to serve melodies that are as tense as they are catchy, in a way somewhat reminiscent of a fuzzier version of early Enon. Don’t miss them live. (Dave Cromwell)
8:30pm
The belle game (canada)
(downstairs)
Wilsen
9:15pm
(downstairs)
(See page 32 for the feature!)
10:00pm
9:15pm
rathborne
(upstairs)
writer
Brothers Andy and James Ralph and their wonderfully named band WRITER take their creative partnership to the fullest with their debut
Photo: Brea Souders
10:45pm
(downstairs)
teen
(upstairs)
Devil-may-care locks and late ‘70s-style rock are smoothed out by a cellophane filter and the lone ballad on Rathborne’s justreleased album “SOFT.” Luke Rathborne, lead singer and
rathborne
writer, has complicated feelings about New York, landing here at 18 from the wilds of Maine with his ambition and a few couches to surf. There’s a strong influence from the golden eras of guitar rock on most of his songs, with a constant wall of sound and driving pace a la The Ramones or early Tom Petty. But his pared-down lyrics, which sometimes reach toward his interests in Elliott Smith and Bob Dylan, are at turns sensual, wistful or sweet enough to support the album title. (Bianca Seidman)
After releasing their debut full-length in 2012, TEEN also unveiled a new EP that showcases an impressive artistic growth, striking a very personal balance between eastern sounding melodies, detuned synth lines and guitar parts that flirt with
celestial shore
Photo: Josh Goleman
I
10:00pm
(downstairs)
total slacker the golden days of prog rock (think early King Krimson). Read more about them in this issue’s feature about Psych Rock in NYC on pages 34-38. (Dave Cromwell)
11:30pm
f you’re old enough to remember the ‘90s, you probably remember it as mostly being about VHS tapes, crystal pepsi and long-lasting flannel. And that’s exactly how Total Slacker remembers it too, commemorating the twilight hours of the 20th century with a set filled with odes to “Full House” and “Jurassic Park.” It all might be a joke, if it weren’t for how well they make it all sound. The Brooklyn trio may nod to early Weezer with their loose and dirty grunge, but singer/songwriter Tucker Rountree bakes his own kind of fuzzy bud into his Fender, keeping the party moving way past Y2K. The band’s just finished putting the final touches on the followup to their 2011 debut “Thrashin,” and are set to premiere it at CMJ. (Mike Levine)
sive results. Much like the Gallagher brothers looked to The Beatles for a framework to expand on, Spires takes The Stone Roses’ lead, and builds their own playground out of it. ‘Comic Book’ keeps the Manc-style vibe intact, pushing things forward with bigger production values like handclaps, big chorus ambiance and a solid percussive base. Sweet pop background vocals make this track perfect for the next coming-ofage film or TV soundtrack. (Dave Cromwell)
(downstairs)
spires
Though relatively new to the local psych-rock scene, Brooklyn’s Spires have already begun to garner some well-deserved attention. Their song ‘Candy Flip’ takes direct aim at the late 1980’s “Madchester” era, capturing that vibe and sound with impres-
12:20am
(downstairs)
special guest
1:10am
(Downstairs)
celestial shore
With heavenly vocals piled against entirely spastic drumming, freak-rock group Celestial Shore (on the cover of the Summer 2013 issue of The Deli) relays that always welcome dichotomy between beautiful harmony and chaotic madness. But don’t let that scare you. At times, an almost cosmic energy radiates through the noise, and if you listen closely... you’ll hear all the frequencies that you never knew were there. (Mike Levine)
By Paolo De Gregorio
Editing Live Drums
Ideally drums should be recorded to a click together with the bass, and both instrument tightened with editing before the other instruments are recorded. The click will allow you to have a visual reference of where the “perfect” tempo is compared to the drummer’s hits. If the click isn’t used, you’ll have to adjust things relying exclusively on your sense of rhythm.
The most important thing when editing multi-track drum recordings is to make sure you ALWAYS cut, paste and move around ALL the drum tracks - DAWs have ways to group them to facilitate this. After you do that, you can start cutting and moving hits that are late or early, and replacing ones that are weak or bad. Click with the scissor icon on the single drum tracks (kick, snare, tom) rather than the overheads,
Other Hot NYC Indie bands Here’s a list of other NYC aritsts we could have booked for this show, but for various reasons didn’t. Empress Of, Haerts, MINKS, Friend Roulette, Aye Nako, Heliotropes, Brick & Mortar,
Butter the Children, Hunters, Free Time, Brazos, Frances Rose, Yellowbirds, Wet, Lazyeyes, Lips, Eraas, Bambara, People Get Ready (who graced the cover of our Winter 2013 issue) and other we forget. Oh and Drowners as well! We wanted them so bad that we decided to give them a feature even if they are not playing our CMJ shows (pages 40-41).
nyc indie pop & rock Top 20
Production Corner Originating from the DIY aesthetics of garage, punk and new wave, indie music places more importance on originality than instrumental technique. This is why the average indie musician is way sloppier than - say - folk or metal ones. This being said, it’s not a good idea to have drums too out of time even on the most lo-fi of records, and - unless you have a few extra hundred dollars to hand to your sound engineer to tighten the drum track - you should probably learn how to edit them.
More bands at nyc.thedelimag azine.com!
since those get each sound a little later because they are farther from the source. Always make sure you do the cutting a few ms before the hits and then - to “cut out” a hit - just before the next one. If the drum you are cutting has a long and bass-y decay like a tom, you may want to experiment with crossfades to make it sound as natural as possible. Editing one track separately from the group sound may be only a last resort measure.
Find other recording tips at Delicious-Audio.com/diy
1. Vampire Weekend 2. The National 3. Cults 4. Parquet Courts 5. The Strokes 6. Grizzly Bear 7. High Highs 8. Sharon Van Etten 9. Widowspeak 10. Friends 11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 12. Savoir Adore 13. Lenka 14. DIIV 15. The Front Bottoms 16. Eleanor Friedberger 17. The Drums 18. MGMT 19. Oh Land 20. Interpol
Full Deli Web Buzz charts here: thedelimagazine.com/charts
specials the deli’s features
wilsen
Live at Rockwood Music Hall on 10/16 & at Pianos on 10/18
RIYL: Leonard Cohen, Cowboy Junkies, Laura Marling
Cloud Layers
By Bianca Seidman / Photo by Shervin Lainez
C
risp weather on a summer evening seemed apropos for a meeting with London-CalgaryBoston transplant Tamsin Wilson, lead songwriter and siren voice of the atmospheric folk band Wilsen. She chooses a London-style pub not far from her Williamsburg apartment - a place with an English flavor and name, like herself, but with a Brooklyn aesthetic. She makes a soft apology for arriving a few minutes late, and offers to buy the drinks. The only place to hear above Morrissey and a rotation of ‘80s British alt-rock is the back garden. It’s chilly for August, prompting Wilson to wrap her dark grey cardigan tight over her chest and pull its sleeves over her hands. She has a light presence and a wistful response, like the spare, quiet moments of her music, sometimes coined “dream folk.” “I know it’s probably not for everyone,” she says of the melancholy, surrealist style. “Which is just...absolutely fine. It’s amazing that it’s actually for anyone - that anyone would be interested in listening to it, honestly. ‘Cause it comes from such a personal spot.” Wilsen, with an “e,” (a combination of Wilson’s family names, but a band moniker she regrets) specializes in building emotion, using Wilson’s wandering, hypnotic soprano and restrained but intricate layers of guitar, bass and drums. Their hybrid folk melds the dynamic shifts of classical music with modern reverb and vivid lyrics that
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appeal to the senses as much as they tell stories. It’s a dark-wave-like, deep melancholy, built mostly from acoustic instruments, with a ghost-like effect matching the name of their album, “Sirens.” In conversation, Wilson has a demure, Audrey Hepburn quality. She wears no makeup or jewelry except for a thin nose ring - the one hint at a more complex nature beneath an eager, dimpled smile. The story of her route into music - from learning chords on her dad’s cast-off guitar to switching colleges in London, from graphic design to music, and eventually finding her way to Berklee College of Music in Boston - belies the fierceness in Wilsen’s big crescendos. Comparisons between her band and rising critical darlings, Daughter, are a compliment to Wilson. Though she never knew Elena Tonra and Igor Haefeli from Daughter before opening for them on ten sold-out East Coast dates this spring (Wilsen’s first tour ever), it turns out that they
attended the same London music college - one year apart. But the similarities in her sound, she says, had more to do with atmosphere. “The experience of being in London, living in London and the creative world there probably inspires some of the sounds. That’s where I’ve seen most of the interest as well.” But Wilsen’s sparse, psychedelic folk also comes from her own childhood influences listening to “the ultimate writer” Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel and other “minimalist artists with dynamic swells.” Plus there is each of her band member’s individual styles. Her bassist Drew Arndt, who is also a producer, likes to play chords and arpeggios instead of bass lines, adding an unusual underlying intricacy. The drummer, Dan Drohan, is often wielding tom-toms instead of sticks, and prefers melody over straight beats. Her guitarist Johnny Simon Jr. has enough background to improvise and diverge from basic riffs. She says nothing about her own vocal abilities, which are the anchor of all Wilsen’s songs. “As musicians, we want to have these swells and dips in the music and want to have these kind of dramatic arrangements because it feels great to play.” The buildup from quiet to loud and back again can be found in many of their songs. But Wilson says she wants to move away from that. “I’m actually trying now to create more even-keeled material and not let the dynamics kind of get away from us. I think it takes an incredible amount of control.” She cites The National as an example. “A few of their songs just start out and in the first fifteen seconds they’ve developed the mood that will remain throughout the song. I just find it really, really admirable.” But in terms of sound and arrangement, the new album that Wilsen is writing is similar to the work they’ve already recorded. The focal point remains the same. “Lyrics are probably the priority for me in writing,” she says. “That’s definitely the first thing I hear when I listen to any song.” This summer, she declined the first request for an interview because she was, “in the throes of writing.” That’s her usual songwriting process - a chunk of time when she shuts off the rest of the world. Though she envies artists who “bleed music” and write wherever they go, Wilson says she has a different approach. “I need a lot of time to unwind before I can really get into a creative headspace,” she admits. “That’s why I love just switching off for an entire weekend and delving into an alternate universe.” It’s a certain self-awareness. “I think it’s nerves or shyness, but I’m not very good at just blurting things out, whereas in the security of your little space, I tend to do that a bit easier.” At Berklee, she studied voice, and took a couple songwriting courses, but majored in the business side of music, which is her day job. Before she finished her degree, Wilson migrated to Brooklyn to make the most of the post-grad year she had on her student visa. The band followed. Brooklyn is a subject she doesn’t quite know how to capture. “It’s just the creative air of the whole place,” she smiles. “It’s been unlike any other neighborhood that I’ve lived in before.” Working both sides of the business - as a Williamsburg-based artist with Wilsen and parttime with a music publisher in Manhattan - gives her the opportunity to stay in New York so she can create new material and figure out how to market and tour at a more relaxed pace. In slow turns, she’s added a manager, the prestigious booking firm The Windish Agency (Wilsen will play their widely attended CMJ showcase), secured a three-year artist’s visa, and found wider audiences through live shows and a cover of Grimes’ “Oblivion” with almost 100,000 Soundcloud plays. On the agenda are three showcases for CMJ, the yearly discovery ground for the indie music fans and press, as well as writing, recording and trying out co-production on Wilsen’s follow-up album. Being considered a forerunner of the “dream-folk” genre distinction also lends the band caché. But Wilson isn’t getting ahead of herself. “I’m not really trying to set any expectations at this point. I’m still in a slight state of shock from what has happened thus far,” she says. “But I do hope to create music that will stand a bit longer than a trend. Or that could be listened to twenty years from now and not completely misunderstood.”
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Ati Maier - Keep Turning (2009)
a Psychedelic apple By Dean Van Nguyen
M
usic and drugs have always gone hand-in-hand. Take marijuana, a substance that helped inspire everything from the reefer songs of 1930s and 1940s jazz, to the blunts ‘n’ beats of modern day hip hop. Cocaine birthed David Bowie’s mid-seventies Thin White Duke alter ego, and was a cornerstone of disco culture, while heroin gripped the lives, careers and creative output of artists right across the board, from Miles Davis and Jim Morrison to Kurt Cobain and Julian Casablancas.
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But few musical genres have been so interlinked with drug use than the vivid explosion of psychedelic rock that occurred in the late sixties and early seventies. As the use of peyote, mescaline and LSD became increasingly widespread across the UK and US, countercultures, inspired by the freaky hallucinogenics, drew in thousands of kids. Many of the era’s most talented musicians became spellbound by both the substances and youth movements. Exploring alternate states of consciousness and hungry to test the limits of pop music songwriting, they smashed through their creative ceilings, taking rock ‘n’ roll to outlandish new places. When the subcultures that spawned the music flickered out, an era of inventiveness evaporated with it. Still, trailblazing bands like The Beatles, Cream, Pink Floyd,
Jefferson Airplane, Love, The Doors and dozens of others cut a massive body of work in just a few short years, pioneering new sounds and an experimental spirit that forever moved the borders of what a guitarbased composition could achieve. Today, groups like The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, Foxygen and Animal Collective have achieved huge success by incorporating big chunks of the genre’s sound into their own style. Meanwhile, dozens of bands loiter the dives of New York City, dedicated to keeping the spirit of ‘67 alive.
Defining Psych Psych, like many genres, is slippery to define, and a starting point isn’t easy to pinpoint. As early as the deli Fall 2013
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yellowbirds 1964, The Beatles were experimenting with guitar feedback on ‘I Feel Fine,’ incorporating a sitar on ‘Norwegian Wood’ just a year later. Atypical instrumentation became a cornerstone of psych, while artists experimented with more complex song structures and allowed more time and space for guitar solos. Production techniques focused on distortion and feedback, while lyrically, songwriters began embracing surrealism. But psych rock was more than just its nuts and bolts. According to Sam Cohen, frontman of the Brooklynbased band Yellowbirds, replicating an established formula is not enough to offer a true psychedelic experience. “There’s a lot of generic, boring, lo-fi, reverb-soaked garage rock with horrible lyrics that are meant to be mind-expanding and that would all be best described as ‘psychedelic rock,’ so I try to reserve the term ‘psychedelic’ for when something is truly weird and interesting,” says Cohen. “It has to actually set itself apart to deserve the term, in my view.” Yellowbirds describe their sound as “psychedelic fun times,” having explored the style over two albums and the soundtrack to silent super 8 film “Across The Whipplewash.” Cohen previously enjoyed a successful stint as part of Boston-based trio Apollo Sunshine, who at their best created rich kaleidoscopes of spaced-out sixties nostalgia. Like many a gifted guitarist before him, he cites Jimi Hendrix as inspiring his sound from a young age. “I was learning to play guitar, and his playing was obviously the thing that drew me in. The production ideas seeped in from listening so much. I started to prefer a kind of warped sound.” While psychedelica does indeed tend to be warped, with layers of complex instrumentation stacked on top of more complex instrumentation, according to Kristina “Teeny” Lieberson of the band Teen, a consistent bedrock is important to build upon. “There has to be a single thread that kind of carries you throughout, but within the single thread, it twists and turns a lot,” says Lieberson. “[It’s] typically a drone or a rhythm that keeps you hooked and keeps you in this kind of circular motion. Then there are all these twists
Teen and turns happening, but that thread is keeping you hanging on. And then you’re attracted to all the colors that are happening around that one thread.”
A Boys’ Club A former member of ambient indie-pop group Here We Go Magic, Lieberson formed Teen in 2011. Her sisters Katherine and Lizzie and friend Jane Herships complete the line-up, and the group explores Teeny’s musical interests, which has veered from the quirky indie pop of her previous band to riff-heavy rock ‘n’ roll with multihued flourishes. “I’ve always been into pretty spacey, out [there] music, so initially it was really just me making these little recordings. So I think just because of the music I like, it naturally kind of was that - it wasn’t intentionally psychedelic at all,” explains Lieberson. “They, we, started working with [Yo La Tengo producer] Pete Kember. He had some hand in helping us move in that direction for sure because he kind of was a psychedelic guy in general. Then we just gravitated more towards that. I like colorful music, and psychedelic music tends to be incredibly colorful.” Teen are a rarity. Janis Joplin may have been one of the true greats, but throughout its history, psych rock has tended to be a boys’ club, with limited input from female artists. Considering her own strong affinity for the style, the lack of women throughout its history puzzles Lieberson. “I’ve been trying to figure that out myself,” she says when asked why psych has been historically light in female representation. “I don’t really know. I even noticed it with our audience. It feels like a lot of people who come to our shows and a lot of people who are into us are boys and men. I don’t have an answer. I’m not sure why women don’t gravitate towards it as much. All my friends listen to it; all my friends enjoy it. I just wonder if maybe at the moment, it’s something women aren’t naturally gravitating towards.”
Purple Haze all in My Brain While psych rock has maintained a relevancy way past its most prominent era, the drugs that helped birth it have become less entangled within. Tougher government sanctions on LSD made it harder to come by in the late 1970s, and it would go on to be less associated with rock ‘n’ roll as it would gothic subcultures and the nineties rave scene. But does that mean mind-bending drugs are no longer necessary to create mind-bending music? Do psychedelic songwriters actually still need to get high? “Yes, but that can be through drugs or in other ways,” asserts Cohen. “Psychedelic music creates a high feeling, and that all comes from within. Drugs play with chemicals that already exist inside of you, and of course, drugs are a quick way to tap in for sure, but music itself is a way to get there. So I don’t think drugs and trippy music are mutually exclusive. They are a good pairing, obviously.” As an example of a musician that does not need to pop pills to write a trippy jam, Lieberson concurs: “It’s funny, somebody asked me that the other day. ‘Do you do a lot of drugs,’ basically is what they were asking me. For me, that’s never really been a part of it. I understand why it’s a part of it, and I think that the two make a lot of sense with each other and the whole visual aspect, drawing that in. But I feel like, if your music is really psychedelic, you’ll be able to get there anyway - without drugs. That’s the whole point - that its colorful and that it’s taking you somewhere else. If it’s really good and you’re really good and doing it, you don’t have to take acid in order to feel that.” “It’s funny to me mainly because I don’t do a lot of psychedelic drugs so I guess the music just speaks of that. It’s cool if people feel that’s how you feel when you listen to the music, then that’s great - that’s awesome. I don’t know how much it reflects upon me, but if they have that experience, that’s amazing.” However, less convinced that psychedelic music can truly exist without drugs is Brian McNamara of Himalaya, a band whose Facebook page cites “drugs and alcohol” as influences. Their 2011 album “The Reason We Start Fires” was a rough gem, boasting hard as nails guitar riffs, accessible melodies and spaced-out jam sessions that sometimes stretched over the 8-minute mark. “Creative people need to do what they need to do,” says McNamara. “You don’t need drugs to sit in a chair and be an accountant all day. But to play a song
himalaya for 10 minutes that comes from your soul to a crowd of four, well, everyone needs their device.”
A Psychedelic Sky Himalaya, Teen and Yellowbirds represent just a sample of psychedelic ingenuity currently taking place in New York - the five boroughs offering a creative hub for bands inspired by the style. While the UK and San Francisco will forever be psych’s spiritual home, New York also birthed a slew of prominent bands who cut their own path within the field. The Fugs, The Godz, The Blues Magoos, The Blues Project and Vanilla Fudge, among others, lit up the city’s psych scene during its heyday, while some of the city’s most celebrated artists gave the genre its own unique NYC spin. “I rate The Velvet Underground as one of the best and most psychedelic bands ever. They’re in their own category,” says Cohen. “Their way of being psychedelic is distinctly New York. Same with The Fugs. They’re psychedelic in their own unique way.” While they may not be traditionally associated with the genre, McNamara considers no wavers Sonic Youth to be the quintessential New York psychedelic group: “I remember buying Sonic Youth’s ‘Daydream Nation’ in ‘89 and that was NY to me. That was psychedelic to me. I just thought, ‘NY is where you can make a record as noisy as you want and have 7-minute songs, and people will put it in their walkman and smoke a joint of shitty weed and just get lost. Just forget about life.’” McNamara’s affirmations echo Cohen’s view that psychedelica is more of a spirit and attitude than rigid formulation of sounds. Indeed, the music has never been about adherence but more revolution - the sound of social experimenting, alternative lifestyles and free love. But while the hippie dream quickly faded, its soundtrack has never ceased to inspire, and in modern day NYC, bands continue to add color to psych’s ever-expanding pallet.
TECLA
New Album
“We Are The Lucky Ones” Out everywhere CMJ Showcase at Tammany Hall: 10.19 9PM
iamtecla.com
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specials the deli’s features
drowners Brit-Popping in NYC
RIYL: The Smiths, early The Cure, early R.E.M.
By Dave Cromwell
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aking their name from seminal Britpop band Suede’s 1992 debut single, New York City’s Drowners prepare to unleash their modern-day revival of that classic indie-pop sound. The band is fronted by Matthew Hitt, a Welsh-born former full-time professional male model, who has called New York his home now for the past two years. In April, the four-piece group signed to Frenchkiss Records, and is currently writing their debut album with the intention of an early 2014 release date. While Matt provided the initial creative spark and songwriting, the group took further shape through the commitment of guitarist Jack Ridley and bassist Erik Snyder. Drummer Lakis Pavlou now completes the unit, providing a cohesiveness every band needs to be successful. Having already toured in support of big names like The Vaccines and Arctic Monkeys, the band appears to be on a rapid upward path that could quicken further with the release of their debut album. Despite the Suede connection via their name, the band’s sound is positioned closer to British post-punk standard bearers The Buzzcocks and even earlier icons such as The Kinks. Then, there are The Smiths, whom Matthew declares as his
DOORS 8:00
POOL COSBY WAKE ISLAND FIREHORSE MIA DYSON THESE ANIMALS AMY LYNN & THE GUNSHOW
ARTISTS TO BE ANOUNCED....
BOTH FLOORS! DOORS AT 6:00
DOORS 4:00
DOORS 4:00
SLIM WRAY, VON SHAKES MOTIVE, BUSHWICK HOTEL DOUGH ROLLERS GRAVEYARD LOVERS ANIMAL YEARS MARCO ARGIRO COLD BLOOD CLUB TAM LIN, POOR REMY WHALE BELLY, ULA RUTH
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DOORS 6:00
THE BROKEN CROWNS CHRISTINA LAROCCA ZAK SMITH BAND TANNER WALLE CHRIS AYER STEVIE & THE LION LISA BIANCO LI
the deli Fall 2013
ANNA ROSE KEVIN SALEM AND THE KIDS THE ROYAL OUI LYNETTE WILLIAMS, MELANY WATSON DANIEL ELLSWORTH & THE GREAT LAKES
MARK ROGERS & MARY BYRNE NORTH OF NASHVILLE, & MORE TBA!
DOORS 7:00
ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED...
DOORS 2:00
KIRIN J. CALLINAN LONEWOLF INVISIBLE THINGS & MORE TBA!
DOORS NOON
BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT WHITE PRISM, MAYA VIK MY MIDNIGHT HEART DYNASTY ELECTRIC THE ADVERSARY, MAINLAND
BOTH FLOORS! DOORS 12:00
ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED...
favorite band ever. Still one might attempt to make the case that Drowners falls in a camp somewhere between The Strokes and The Virgins. That is to say, classic indie guitar-pop with a stylish rock edge to it all. A Cardiff University English Literature graduate, Matt is now focusing on writing and performing music full-time. One can certainly make a case that the glamorous world of high profile modeling has afforded him unique opportunities. For instance, the ability to become good friends with Brit babes like Alexa Chung and Tennessee Thomas can only be viewed as a positive. However, an unshakable love of music and desire for a more creative outlet leads to this ultimately more satisfying pursuit. After all the synthpop and mechanized music we’ve seemingly been inundated with, do you feel the time is right once again for a garage rock revival? Matt: I haven’t really noticed a shift from garage rock to synthpop or whatever - I think they’ve both co-existed for the last however many years. It’s just the press that group a bunch of bands together and present it as a “revival” or trend or whatever. I guess if a bunch of guitar bands release records at the same time, then you could go and call it a revival, but garage rock or guitar music hasn’t really gone away in order for it to be revived... Can playful rock songs reach listeners on a deeper level? Matt: I guess that’s for the listener to decide. I don’t really know what a playful rock song is… one with amusing lyrics? Or like a comedy song? The lyrics for Bob Lind’s ‘Go Ask Your Man’ crack me up but the sentiment of the song is quite sad…I guess playfulness mixed with sadness is good - like a Wes Anderson film or something. Describe what the songwriting process is typically like for you. Do you find lyrics come easy, or is there a certain amount of angst and difficulty with them? Matt: It’s different every time… I write down couplets when they come to me, and they usually pop into my head with a melody attached. Then I go bugger around on my guitar for a bit, and stuff begins forming. Our record was written over the last year - half in Wales and half in New York. When I’ve worked out the structure and lyrics, I demo it in my bedroom, and send it out to the other boys
to see what they think. Then we practice it for a while, and it starts to take shape in a different way. The lyrics are very important to me, and I’m constantly thinking about it or writing down bits of conversations I overhear so there’s usually a backlog of stuff to draw upon. The difficult bit is consolidating them trimming the fat - but that’s the part I enjoy the most so it’s not really an angsty process… How has signing to the Frenchkiss music label been so far? What kind of guidance have they provided you, if any? Matt: It’s been great. Syd was/is in a band that’s toured and put out a bunch of records so he kind of has these examples and personal stories to enlighten us about certain things. They seemed to be into the vision of what we wanted to do and the type of record we wanted to make so they were pretty helpful and encouraging from the start. What is the strangest or at the very least, most unique form of employment you’ve ever had? Matt: I painted fences at the Royal Welsh Showground one year with my brother. We slept in a tent in a field, and they paid us cash at the end of everyday. But we ended up just spending the money in the pub that night so we didn’t really come away with anything... Outside of making music, what else might interest or excite you? Do you have any favorite authors or a book you would like to recommend? Matt: I really like this British author called Keith Waterhouse. I re-read his short stories quite a lot.
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n 2013, The Music Building - Manhattan’s premier rehearsal space - conducted over 25 video interviews with members of the local music scene to get first hand and diverse accounts on what’s changing for musicians in NYC today. Here’s a glance at some of their takeaways. To watch the entire series, check out their YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/musicbuildingnyc.
Topic: How Do You Learn Music in NYC? Music Unites Music-versity
“The amazing thing about New York is that you have the best players of every style of music, so you can get together in this communal way and that’s a great way to learn.”
Michael Zakarin Guitarist, The Bravery
Topic: NYC Music Festivals Behind The Scenes of SummerStage
“Being the largest free performing arts festival in New York City gives us access to hundreds of thousands of people; it’s something that exists in Europe often, but in the United States, it’s a really special thing to have a festival of this scope and scale and have everything be for free. The festival represents New York City and its diverse communities in various neighborhoods, which is different than venues, which are destination points for particular genres of music.”
Erika Elliot Artistic Director of Summerstage
Topic: Gender Dynamics in NYC Music Artists vs. Businesswomen
Camille Barbone Creative Career Coach
“The music industry is becoming blind to the male/female scenario, though there is a difference between the artist and the business entity dealing with artists. I think women as artists are behind the curve compared to women in the business. As an artist, you have to be blind to any limitations you might face, but you can’t be blind to the mechanisms of the music business. There needs to be a natural curiosity and drive. Things are changing, but not fast enough.”
Topic: Inside NYC’s Music Venues “The Secrets of Curating a Venue”
“We have created something by letting people be creative here; wide variety is a key here, and the only criteria is excellence. Everybody wants to create something and contribute to the cultural life of the city, and this is a place to do it. The secret is giving the artist the freedom to raise the bar and outdo themselves.”
Neke Carson Curator of the Gershwin Hotel
Topic: Inside NYC’s Music Venues “The Challenges of Opening a Night Club in NYC”
Steve Walter Owner of Cutting Room
“One of the big changes is that the rents have gotten so high that my staff and the bands, who play here, can’t afford to live in Manhattan, and people have to take expensive cab fares or long subway rides to get here from Brooklyn or Queens. The audiences have to realize that the cover charges go towards paying the bands, so we have our front room where people come to eat and drink, and the front room business makes it so we can do the artistic stuff in the backroom.”
Topic: How Has Technology Transformed Music? “How has technology changed the art of recording in NYC?”
“Technology has made it so that you no longer need 10 people to mix a record; you just need a laptop. So our studio is about having the best equipment, best vibe, best knowledge and best accommodations for live recordings. Technology has given people the ability to mix music in smaller production spaces. Things are different; now, a studio can be set up anywhere.”
“Commissioner” Gordon Williams Producer at Login Cabin Studios
The Music Building opened Studio 505 as a physical hub for education, community support and creative projects for Music Building tenants, subtenants and NYC music lovers.
email to reserve a room! ruhi@musicbuilding .co
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They are reaching out to teachers, coaches, and artists to collaborate and curate the space for workshops and classes on navigating the music industry, promoting wellbeing amidst creative lifestyles, learning about technology tools, and developing new artistic skills.
Studio 505 offers free food, free education, and free fun for musicians in NYC. Throughout the month of November The Music Building invites artists and creative entrepreneurs to host workshops in Studio 505 for free in exchange for authentic and instant social media promotion. Topic: Digital Culture for Entrepreneurial Musicians “Fans Want More”
There’s a new movement of crowdfunding, which is a great incentive for independent bands to not just build a fanbase, but build a community that can support the band’s artistic goals. So the bands create an experience for their community instead of having to depend on labels to build their careers.”
NC Shuva of PUi
Topic: Digital Culture for Entrepreneurial Musicians “Why Engage?” Leon and Uliana of Cilver
“The Music Building is one of the few or only studios that we’ve seen in New York where there’s an initiative to build community. Communities bring out all the resources that people have that can be combined into what you need as an artist.”
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kitchen recording studio news
Spirit Family Reunion Alive at Avatar Studios By Alexandra Lucia
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his year, the top three Emerging Artists from our “Best of NYC Poll” were awarded ten hours of recording time at Avatar Studios. Formerly the Power Station, it is renowned for its professional recording capabilities, and has been a go-to production studio for jazz, rock, country, blues, film, television and Broadway projects. On August 1, Spirit Family Reunion stepped into Avatar’s Studio B to record several songs bringing their unique mix of Appalachian and bluegrass folk to the space. They proved that there is no limit to the power of a tight composition and that a washboard, banjo and whistling vocals can be a dangerous weapon that will have listeners on their feet. Led by fiddler and vocalist Mat Davidson, Spirit Family Reunion is backed by the score of Stephen Weinheimer on washboard, Maggie Carson on the banjo, drummer Peter Pezzimenti, bassist Ken Woodward and guitarist Nick Panken. Washboard extraordinaire Stephen Weinheimer expressed his reaction over The Deli Magazine nomination, “We were surprised that we won.” Weinheimer elaborated, “I knew Avatar was the old Power Station so when we found out that we were coming in, I thought…wow! It’s pretty incredible that we’re playing here.” Throughout the day Spirit Family Reunion was hard at work, powering through an unexpected nine songs during the ten hours that they had made Avatar their home. The band smoothly pushed through the difficulties of being back in a studio. Weinheimer explained, “Normally, we don’t rehearse, and we just play live together so it can be a challenge to stay connected, but this is such an awesome studio space to record in, and the staff has been really amazing, we are getting through a lot.” During a lunch break, the group went on a tour of the rest of the studio. “We got to walk over to Studio A and to see all of the history of people who have recorded here so it has been really incredible. There’s just a tremendous energy that you feel.” The spark that has brought many famed artists into the studio was carried on as Spirit Family Reunion tightly recreated their sounds of revival and blues. Thank you Spirit Family Reunion for being a part of the magic.
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Stompbox Exhibit
kitchen effects pedal news
October 19&20 at Main Drag Music Try these and 250 other pedals through amps or headphones!
T-Rex Alberta II Dual Overdrive
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he first version of the T-Rex Alberta Overdrive was one of the post popular distortions released by the Danish manufacturer, probably because of its versatility, which allowed guitarists to easily forge tones that worked both for creamy rhythm sounds and cutting ones for solos. This double use of the pedal inspired T-Rex to come up with a new version (called Alberta II) that allows these two identities to coexist in one package. While channel 1 is entirely faithful to the original pedal’s tone, channel 2 has a slightly more open and punchy sound, for a little more pick attack and push, but with the same voice of channel 1.
The stompbox’s sonic footprint and physical size is the same, giving the user a three-step rocket of creamy, responsive overdrive without sacrificing pedalboard real estate. With two channels of overdrive, you can now get the clean sound from your amp - a nice “on-the-edge” overdrive from one channel and a punchy rock sound from the other channel, or go from a medium boost to a fat, clean-ish boost to push the front end of your amp. But that’s not it. For those who need a low-end boost for those “stratty” moments, the Alberta II lets you flip a switch for an even thicker tone on either channel, expanding the range and usage even further, making this pedal a flexible tool that works for many musical styles.
DOD Phasor 201 & Overdrive Preamp 250 DigiTech is reintroducing two of the most revered pedals of their line - the Overdrive Preamp 250 and the Phasor 201.
of all kinds, but became well-known mostly for its heavy distortion stompboxes - some original ones currently sell on Ebay for hundreds of dollars. DOD was eventually bought by Harman/DigiTech, and in the 90s, when digital multi-effects became DigiTech’s main focus, the line of DOD pedals slowly faded into oblivion. But analog stompboxes, in the most unexpected of twists, are back in fashion again, and DOD is returning with a vengeance. DigiTech is reintroducing two of the most revered pedals of their line - the Overdrive Preamp 250 and the Phasor 201. Both models retain all the sonic character of the originals while incorporating improvements like true bypass, 9V power adapter jack and other refinements. The Overdrive Preamp 250 keeps the original’s ripping, crunching tone, tons of boost and ability to push an amp to the edge of breakup, but with cleaner output than the original, while the familiar yellow finish has been upgraded to a two-tone metallic flake and matte black paint job.
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OD pedals have a place in the heart of many guitarists into extreme distortions. Founded by Mr. David Oreste Di Francesco in the 70s, the company in the span of a few decades created a multitude of effects 46
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The Gain knob controls the amount of distortion from just a touch of grit to all-out grind, while Level dials in anything from a subtle enhancement of body and girth to huge amounts of boost for standout soloing. While the original would color the sound even when off, the new pedal’s true bypass makes the Overdrive Preamp 250 far more performance and pedalboard-friendly.
Planning is better than hoping THE
WHOLE
MUSIC
full-day training workshops
led by attorney Alan Johnson for bands, singers, engineers and producers
www.alanjohnsonlaw.com/wmb wholemusicbusiness@gmail.com
www.alanjohnsonlaw.com/ WMB
BUSINESS
Jeffrey Mosier Photography
Start planning today Copyright & Trademark Music Publishing Touring and promotion Recording & Licensing Contracts
New York City Nov. 2, 2013 January 11, 2014
Satisfaction Guaranteed. Register NOW - seating limited to 55 attendees Attorney Advertising TM, Š 2013, A. Johnson, All rights reserved Law Office of Alan Johnson. 1510 De Kalb Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11237
Stompbox Exhibit
kitchen effects pedal news
October 19&20 at Main Drag Music Try these and 250 other pedals through amps or headphones!
Strymon Mobius
S
trymon is a company that focuses heavily on… getting it right. They use powerful DSP processing to create pedals that echo and sometimes surpass the most fabulous designs of the past, but with an added modern spin. The Mobius is a pedal that focuses entirely on modulation through 12 fully tweakable, studio-class Mod Machines (i.e. the kind of modulation effect) - each with several iterations per category. The 12 “Mod Machines” are Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Vibe, Phaser, Filter, Formant, Vintage Trem, Pattern Trem, Autoswell, Destroyer (bit crusher) and Quadrature (FM modulation). All modes offer a jawdropping amount of sonic options and a richness of sound that’s hard to believe for a digital pedal.
The 12 “Mod Machines” are Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Vibe, Phaser, Filter, Formant, Vintage Trem, Pattern Trem, Autoswell, Destroyer (bit crusher) and Quadrature (FM modulation).
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Of course, we would need a couple of pages here to properly describe all 12 effects, so if you are interested in knowing more about this pedal, we recommend you come to try it for yourself at Main Drag Music during our Stompbox Exhibit (FREE, October 19-20), or read the pedal’s full review here: audio.thedelimagazine.com/tag/mobius.
the deli's Pedal Board More pedal reviews at delicious-audio.com!
overdrive
Selah Scarlett Love • A refined version of the original pedal with slightly less gain, extra headroom but same tone. • The gain knob blends the overdrive into the clean signal, so when the gain is set to zero, the pedal acts as a clean boost. • 3 way clipping switch that features the Plexi, TS and Diode Lift options.
VL Effects Od-oNe GreenTone • Very natural and clear tone with dynamic overdrive adjustable from no distorsion to hard overdrive. • 3 tones mode selectable with microswitch. • Features Atk-Tone setup like other VL-Effects overdrive pedals.
DIY Mod Persuader Deluxe
BearFoot Honey Bee OD
• You’ve got to build this one yourself! • Darlington preamp pushes cascaded triode vacuum tubes into distortion. • Four dual triode vacuum tubes are included with each kit (JJ 5751, 12AX7B China, JJ 12AU7 and a NOS USA made 12AT7). • A boost switch provides an additional layer of flexibility.
• Sounds and reacts like small vintage combos with nicely worn tubes and speakers. • Volume knob controls the overall volume without changing the distortion. • Drive control varies the distortion complexity and saturation. • Middle knob adjusts the ‘nature’ of the EQ.
solidgoldfx Zeta • A dynamic drive with a distinct character, with tailored mid-range presence and a focused tone sweep. • It offers everything from light overdrive to warm, medium bodied saturation. • Jfet based preamp offers a hint of sag and subtle compression for the right amount of push-pull feel.
TSVG Slow Ride • Designed for endless sustain and gritty yet articulate over driven tones. • Attack knob letd your amp naturally overdrive or scream. The toggle switch acts as a high end filter. • True bypass effect with AC 128 germanium transistors and Mullard “Tropical Fish” caps throughout.
Electro-Harmonix East River Drive • Symmetrical overdrive adds edge and gain without compromising tone. • Volume and Drive take it from sweet to searing while Tone lets you dial in just the right amount of bite to cut through the mix. • No matter how hard you drive it, you’re always in control.
Keeley Red Dirt • Keeley’s take on a classic tone. • The result of the combination of Keeleyk’s “Mod Plus” and “Baked” modified pedals plus added refinements. • Unique FET input stage makes it breakup in “tube like” style.
fuzz
Main Ace FX FuckFace • Silicon fuzz on one side with a variable tone boost on the other. • Both effect channels recreate vintage tones of the 1960s, from a soft drive, to a hairy, wild beast. • The tone switch starts in the middle position for the original, stock treble boost, flips up for mids, and all way down for deep lows. • Use each effect by itself, or mix and match settings from both channels.
Wampler Pedals Velvet
DMB Pedals Whiskey Bender
• Created bringing together the base tones from a very famous pedal and the characteristics of a famous stacked, EL34 driven, amp. • The “big’ position sounds/ reacts like a classic fuzz with loads of internal compression. • The “tight” position gives mammoth tones but without the compression.
• Overdrive and Fuzz complete with a bite control (presence or cut). • Chewy, un-focused, non-transparent texture. • Clean knob lets you dial attack and chime back in the dirty signal.
Dutch Kazoo • Two-stage overdrive interacts with a blendable kazoo filter and tone control. • Palette of tones from slight overdrive to heavily saturated psychedelic fuzz to metallic noise. • Made of wood and aluminum and available five graphic designs.
distortion
Fuzzrocious Pedals Demon
MI Audio Super Crunch Box
• Low to medium-high gain with some extra tweaks. • Gate/boost mod via a second footswitch lets you hit hard and sputter out hard. • Feedback mod allows semitunable feedback notes.
• A development of the previous “wall of Marshall” sounding Crunch Box, it can deliver any Marshall sound. • “Lo Mode” with Comp 0 or 1 and Gain at half position delivers the new lower gain sounds. • Increased operating voltage at 18v (with a 9v only input) provides amp-like response and feel. • Hi mode with Comp on 1 or 2 delivers the classic, ’80s hotrodded Marshall tone.
Adventure Audio Siamese Growler
Walrus Audio Iron Horse
• Mid range overdrive pedal with an additional booster for loud and gritty growls. • Inspired by classic Tube Screamers-like the TS808 and TS9. • Additional ‘Third Eye’ switch creates lower bass frequencies for amp rattling tone.
• Classic distortion: thick, punchy, riffy and rowdy. • Three distortion modes operated by a toggle switch that changes between different clipping diodes. • Full of high gain for thick rhythm or cutting solos or, at lower gain, for warm overdrive.
Try all these pedals at The Deli’s StompBox Exhibit at Main Drag Music on Oct 19 & 20!
SmallsoundBigsound Team Awesome! Fuzzmachine
El Rey Lucha
• Super heavy bass fuzz with a clean blend. • Equally useable by guitarists looking to keep their pick attack while using oversaturated fuzztones. • Gives you rough overdrive, howling feedback, clean boost with fuzzy sparkles and everything in between. • An endlessly variable pedal which can easily be tuned to fit any room, any amp or any mix.
• Simple 3 knob fuzz that does everything from thin nasal to full on meaty fuzz! • Grapple knob sets how much you headlock your sound. • Headlock knob controls the tone, Pile Driver knob the volume.
Rainger FX Dr. Freakenstein Fuzz • An extreme tone-mangling distortion, with LFO function for automatic tone sweep. • Hi/lo intensity button on the back panel, switches overtone from a lower ‘inside the sound’ to a higher-pitched in-yourface zip. • Small pressure pad “Igor” either tweaks the OSC (tone knob) according to how hard you press, or adjusts the bias of the modulation range.
modulation & tremolo
Black Cat Pedals Black Cat Vibe
Analog Man Chorus
• A Univibe recreation with a history: the flagship of the original Black Cat line from the ’90s. • Different look, but the circuit is the same as the original Black Cat Vibe. • Improvements allow each unit to be more durable, reliable and consistently produced than the original.
• All analog full chorus, original Panasonic 1024 stage bucket brigade chip. • Rich and organic sounding, solid build. • 12V power can be used for increased headroom. • Depth switch (optional) adds deep mode for bass or extreme sounds, and thin mode for lighter, more airy chorusing.
EarthQuaker Devices The Depths • Optimized to work well with all types of instrument, pickup types and to play well with dirt. • “Voice” and “Throb” controls allow sounds from thin and subtle to warm and deep and everything in between. • “Intensity” and “Rate” will go from a smooth, ultra-slow warble all the way to speedy, sharp bursts allowing you to get more than just the classic vibe sounds. • It can be powered up to 18v for a stiffer tone with more headroom and sparkle.
Jam Pedals The Big Chill • Vintage-tremolo pedal with interesting features and Square, Sine and Triangle waveforms. • 2nd footswitch toggles between two different speeds. • 3rd one engages CHOP effect, which creates super choppy and intense variation on the selected waveform.
De lay
Strymon El Capistan • Tape echo machine emulator based on powerful SHARC DSP. • Three different tape machine types, each with three unique modes. • Extensive control over tape quality, machine health and tone shaping through 10 tweakable parameters.
Maxon AD10 • Compact pedal with up to 600 ms delay featuring a bucket brigade circuit. • Turning the repeat knob fully counterclockwise yields a single-note slapback. • Full clockwise settings produce infinite self-oscillation.
other
Moog Minifooger Analog Effect • Bucket brigade based 100% analog delay. • Over 650ms of rich repeats. • Adding an expression pedal allows to control feedback swells dynamically or adjust the delay time completely hands free.
T-Rex Replica • Delay with toggle-switch tap control. • Warm, analogue tone reminiscent of tube amps. • Simple, intuitive design.
TC Electronic Ditto Looper
WMD Super Fatman Envelope Filter • Analog evolution of the FatMan envelope filter with the features that filter geeks want most. • 12 Filter Frequency Ranges, tweakable Filter Feedback, LP/ BP/HP Filter Modes. • Reverse Sweep, Tweakable Attack Speed. • Wet/Dry blend in or out of phase + a ton of other options.
Eventide H9 Harmonizer • Run all of Eventide’s stompbox effects. • Fully controllabel through oneknob user interface. • Connects wirelessly to iPods, iPhones and iPads for creating and managing presets, live control and in-app algorithm purchases.
DigiTech JamMan Express XT • Full-featured, simple to use compact looper with 10 minutes of looping time • Optional JamSync allows syncing with another Express XT or JamMan Solo XT. • Dedicated LED per status makes it easy to interact with.
• Tiny, no frills, affordable loop pedal covering all the basics. • Record, undo/redo, stop and erase are all accessed via different foot-commands. • Optimized for live performers.
The Option Knob
The Option Knob allows you to control one or more pedal knobs with your foot.