Something groovy comes this weekend: It's CHAPPO's third album DO IT, which drops on Friday. After a long stretch of tragedies for the band -- a member leaving, a lost son, a friend's suicide -- this album stands as a product of catharsis. That comes through in electric anthems like "Cry On Me" and the sizzling single "White Noise". The production expertise of John Vanderslice (The Mountain Goats, St. Vincent, Spoon) brings out the celebratory energy of each transforming track on the record. DO IT's release leads into a small stint touring in early March; they'll head from Georgia to Pennsylvania in support of the Flaming Lips. Catch the latest single, "White Noise", below. - Will Sisskind

A big chunk of the world became familiar with Chappo in 2010 when the Brooklyn band licensed their song "Come" (featured in their debut EP) to Apple for an iPod Touch commercial. In the following years the group released another EP and a full length in 2012, while Chappo's drummer/producer Zac, together with NYC based Jupiter One drummer Dave Heilman, also started working on material for psychedelic side project Fancy Colors. Jupiter's singer K in the meantime had also started a new solo project called Kishi Bashi, who - together with Chappo - toured with Of Montreal among others. 

After 2 years the Fancy Colors "Near Equator" album is finally done and available for streaming. Sounding like a mellow, psychedelic journey for fans of (a less baroque version of) Pink Floyd, it is said to evoke an experience Zac had one night, when he believes his "psyche had melted with the critters" who were sleeping under his room's floor, which led to hin sharing some of their dreams, which - listening to the record - must have been rather beautiful. 

Chappo is now back together working on a new release and recently put out an EP of cover songs called "Nothin' to Sell You". See Chappo at The Knit on March 30.

This song was added to our SoundCloud playlist of emerging NYC artists here.

Thrill seeking and cutting loose is the central theme of Chappo’s latest video and song “5-0.” Behind steady snare drum flams and properly reverbed crunch guitars, three rocked-out young adults snag some cash, jump behind the wheel of a sweet Mustang Ford and head out for some weed-fueled adventures. While the vocals tend to segue somewhere between Jack White and Joe Walsh (with verses delivered in the cadence of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”), the overall rhythm comes closer to Duff McKagan’s "Loaded." This momentary carefree youthful abandon on display masks the songs deeper lyrical content of wishing to be “older.” But for now it’s “all for the run” - the quick, cheap thrills – as they “build it up just to tear it down.” Included is a surprisingly lovely trippy instrumental break which takes things to almost prog-rock territory – before the rock stomp crunch returns. See Chappo at CMJ on 10.16 at the Bell House and 10.18 at XPO 929. - Dave Cromwell

You may have thought you'd figured out Chappo during their previous incarnation as alien-fighting, acid-eating, hard-rocking cowboys (the 'Plastique Universe' EP)... but as it turns out, this was only the first stop on their intergalactic tour. For those of you confused by this last statement, you've got some catching up to do, and now is a good time to do it.

The band's debut LP 'Moonwater' makes their mission abundantly clear: these guys are here to deliver a serious rock record, for people who desperately need one. And it's not just that they can handle the psych freakout forms usually associated with this town in album openers 'What are You Kids On?' and 'Explode" (or of course, the Apple commercial-worthy 'Come Home').' Fun as those songs are... they can also pull off a fairly convincing stompin' ritual track on 'Native Savage,' which boldly pairs foot stomps with cold-blooded whistlin...' not an easy thing to do.

It's all a testament to how bold singer Alex Chappo's voice is... this guy can hold on to you like Morrison, then break into screaming Omar Rodrigeuz-Lopez chants at breakneck pace. Chappo may have returned to our galaxy... but it doesn't look like it'll be the same again.

See the band when they celebrate the record release at Dominion on May 15. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

CHAPPO is coming off a busy summer/fall, playing an array of sweaty, confetti covered clubs, releasing their inner moon shamans on the regular, recording and self-releasing their second concept EP as well tracking their debut full length album, which is due out in the spring 2012. Their first EP Plastique Universe was touted for it's "excellently overstuffed garage psyche sound" by Pitchfork and the lead off track "Come Home" was featured on an Ipod touch commercial last fall. CHAPPO has also received much praise for their lives shows - they played for The Deli at CMJ 2010. Intense and engaging their music combines psychedelic flourishes with funky lighting, fog, feathers and... confetti! They are headlining their first show at Mercury Lounge on Saturday, December 17th. Also on the bill are good Jeff Taylor, Monogold and Lucius. Hear the new track "Island Opiate" from their latest EP "Plastique Universe II: Pisces Princess," streaming below. - (as posted in The Deli's Open Blog - post your band's entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli's NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building and APS Mastering.