The Deli

The Deli (the Producer, Not the Magazine)

We in the posting-about-cool-shit-online business have a term for some objects of our posting attention. That term is "super-ridiculous-slamdunk." Well, okay, yes; I might be the only one using that term (for now). But, finding a killer hip-hop producer out of Austin called The Deli (Twitter//Soundcloud) when you are yourself a music website out of Austin called The Deli, is a superdamnridiculousslamdunk, I think you can agree.

The Deli's beats are smooth and creamy; they come at you like a room slowly filling with gold champagne, liquid and bright and soaking you up to your head in good feelings. The sampling and switches are clever, and use their influences with aplomb: I especially love the retro lo-fi vocal samples used to provide mood in tracks like "#shareair," which has a kinda 60s TV theme thing goin' on that gets chopped up nicely into contemporary as fuck hip-hop. The silky jazz instrumentals and what sounds like a sample from a pitched-down, slowed-up Latin track in another new The Deli joint, "1Luv," are the kind-of samples that get me to automatically stop what I'm doing to close my eyes for a sec and start the head-nodding.

Get meta with us today and let us slice you off a couple pounds of The Deli here at The Deli. Here's a track that's about as new as new can get (9 hours old, at this posting). This one's The Deli producing beats for East Coast spitter NA$TY, and we've got this track (which is already blowin' up) all wrapped up and ready for you to take with you out the door. Have a nice one, and come on back in when you're ready for more. The Deli will get you sorted.

January 26, 2015    

Album review: A Light Within - Preface (EP)

 
There are millions upon millions of songs that celebrate happiness: “I’m in love!” “She said yes!” “It’s a great day to be alive!” All valid emotions to be sure, and hooray for those who get to experience life in those circumstances … but what about when the feelings you’re feeling are along the lines of “It’s cloudy outside” or “Why won’t she talk to me” or “I can’t take this anymore”? These are also valid emotions which deserve musical voice, and in their debut three-track EP Preface, A Light Within delivers on the desire to hear the darker side of the psyche being celebrated in bombastic, beautiful anguish—doing so not only with thunderous power, but with a deft touch as well.
 
The titles of the three songs are page numbers that reference the concept of the album: the writings of a man reflecting upon his life, from beginning to end.  The words, in concert with the music, reveal a life lived in doubt and anguish, as the protagonist struggles to reconcile his time on this planet before the last grain of sand falls through the hourglass.  Lyrics such as “These open eyes are closing down / I’m too tired to sleep through life alone / This gallant heart is a fairy tale grown old” (“Page 32”) and “Whoever feels irrelevant has become as one with death to the living / Whoever claims innocent is blinded by a sun that can't be seen” (“Page 18”) offer a window into a soul that is indeed lurking among the shadows rather than relaxing in the warmth of the sun.  These are places where many would rather not tread, but we all find ourselves battling our own army of demons at some point in our lives (whether they originate from external sources or are self-inflicted)—and even in the more sinister realm, there is a beauty to be found that may end up saving one’s sanity if one clings to it tightly enough.  The beauty of these tracks lies in the arrangements that somehow manage to be musically uplifting and inspiring … even though the words and emotions may not be.
 
When dealing with the harder, more somber edges of post-rock, the easy path to follow is to overwhelm the listener with volume, both from an instrumental and a vocal standpoint. “We’re angry, we’re pissed, we’re going to bludgeon you over the head with our seismic swagger”. A Light Within knows well enough to rein in this urge when properly called for, but is unafraid to let the reins loose as needed. Preface shows the raw power and melodic maturity of a band that, even though it may be in its infancy, has a lot to say—and, more importantly, knows how to say it for maximum effect. 
 
Here’s to the next chapter that this preface is leading us into.
 
 
--Michael Byars
 

Michael Byars is desperately trying to reunite the legendary 70s Welsh hip-hop band Honey Black Dolphins for his next birthday party. He's also thinking about reinventing himself as a busker in England. They need to know the time and temperature over there too, right?
 

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May 28, 2013    

The Deli's New DIY Show Listings - courtesy of Rukkus.com!

Musicians and Music Fans,

BIG NEWS! The Deli and Rukkus.com have partnered to create a new version of our DIY show listings (this links to the NYC listings), which allow artists and show organizers to promote their shows directly on the home pages of The Deli's 12 regional blogs - and beyond, since Rukkus covers the entire US territory!

Also! For extra exposure, from now on every Deli page will also have a direct link to the local live listings on the main navigation bar!

"Where are they?" - we hear you ask.

Widget on The Deli's Homepages  - look on the far right column in this page - scroll down a bit.

Live Listing Dedicated Pages - Click on the "Live Listings" link on the orange navigation bar under the Deli's logo.

PROMOTE YOUR NEXT SHOW NOW, HERE!

The Deli's Staff
www.thedelimagazine.com

 

August 13, 2012