We are so proud to share with you The Deli’s latest collaboration with the uber-talented crew at HotBox Studios called Choice/Cuts! It’s our new live in-studio video series that will feature rising artists in a two-part episode performing some of their latest material (and possibly old favorites) as well as talking about their gear and music experiences. We were partly inspired to do Choice/Cuts because of the fact that practically anyone in this day and age can record a performer with their iPhone, smartphone or whatever, and while it is great to have something to remember the moment and share with others, many of the recordings that have flooded the Internet are not really doing the artists and their music justice. We simply just wanted to do something that would showcase their talents in a proper light. We hope that we’ve accomplished that.
The Deli and HotBox Studios are honored that Lushlife, who is such an obviously gifted musician and performer, was nice enough to be part of this little recording experiment of ours. We’ve been big fans of his work for quite some time now, and we hope that if you aren’t already one too, then you will be after viewing the first half of this session where he (in our humble opinion) straight-up destroyed it on “Still I Hear The Word Progress” from his latest way rad album Plateau Vision (Western Vinyl). If you like what you hear and see, then he’ll be performing next in town on July 26 at MilkBoy Philly with THEESatisfaction. They also have a show just before that one on July 23 at Middle East in Boston with the phenomenal Shabazz Palaces. Extra special thanks to HotBox Studios for being awesome dudes and helping to make Choice/Cuts happen the way that we envisioned it! Please contact them if you want to work with a passionate crew of good peeps who know what they are doing. We look forward to sharing more great music, videos, performances, stories and info with you. Much love and respect to all! Cheers!
Friendly People’s debut, self-titled 3-song EP gives a concise taste of a promising young Cambridge, MA-based band. Their jangly indie pop is peppered with hints of Americana, roots rock and folk with vocals that owe a debt to Neil Young. The EP’s clear highlight is its opening track—their namesake song—“Friendly People”. It’s a tremendous, positive track buoyed by a horn section in the bridge which lends a mariachi feel. “A Lot of Work To Do” brings out Harvest-era Neil Young, starting as a plaintive acoustic ditty which builds slowly into a passionate electric number. Closing track, “Branches”, follows the same acoustic-to-electric path. As the song builds, it introduces tribal rhythms that are reminiscent of 80s indie-punk legends, the Volcano Suns. Friendly People are scheduled to record their debut full-length in March. If the Friendly People EP is indicative of what we can expect from this young group’s next batch of tunes it will be a record to keep an eye on later in 2012.--George Dow
