Shilpa Ray has one of those voices that is simultaneously haunting and beautiful, like Nick Cave (whose label she is signed to) or Tom Waits. Her music does not cower or sneer in the face of darkness, as some of my favorite contemporary musicians do: it is mature, valuing the truth over appearing hip, and jaded. And that complexity is equally striking in her lyrics. The music has some seriously hard-hitting lines of the kind that will make you re-evaluate your life (and what, if I can be so pretentious as to ask, is the point of creating and experiencing art if it is not to change ourselves?). On "I Is What I Is," she sings, "America's got talent to seduce you to reduce yourself/America's got talent to seduce you to reduce everybody else." It's that ability to get to the heart of the matter - on a sonic and thematic level- that makes her music so effective.

LINK: John McGovern's Interview with Shilpa Ray.

It really warms our hearts that a talented and stubborn artist like Shilpa Ray found a fan in none other than Nick Cave, who in our modest opinion is one of the greatest rock authors aof all times. The Australian legend is in fact releasing Shilpa's new EP "It's All Self-Fellatio" under his label Bad Seeds LTD. The two seem to have many things in common, and not only musically (do they even look a little like each other? We are referring to Nick's pictures from 30 years ago of course). They both obviously belong to the rare breed of truly noir, unapologetically maudit artists; which is a corageous premise, since it automatically prevents them from catering to at least 90% of the music fans out there: not many people can apprecieate darkness, in particular in the US - these are poppy times, folks! And they both have a knack for trying to pierce the veil of Maya, in search of deeper, more troubled truths (the title of Shilpa's EP is revealing in this regard). We guess this is why Shilpa appears to be more popular in Europe, the continent renowned for its sweet tooth for decadence, where she has a dense tour booked until the end of November. After the tour, a new album is expected in 2014, entitled "Last Year's Savage." May the best of luck be with her.

We added this song to The Deli's playlist of Best NYC songs by emerging NYC artists - check it out!

I can't even imagine the Lower East Side without The Cake Shop, which has been going through some financial hardships as of late. The loss of this venue would mean that the more noisy, experimental, and DIY side of the NYC scene would have abandoned Manhattan once and for all. And noisy, experimental and DIY music is a huge and seminal component of what this scene has expressed since the 60s. Ya man, it all happened in Manhattan - nobody gave a crap about the Brooklyn scene until the aughts! This is why we should all make an effort to visit The Cake Shop more often, in particular this Saturday July 14th, when 4 great local bands and legendary DJ Dan Selzer (of NY Happenings Yahoo Group fame) will entertain hopefully a packed house in support of the Ludlow Street rowdiest venue. Hilarious drunk punks Wild Yaks willheadline, bringing the usual dose of unruly fun on stage, preceded by Shilpa Ray's charismatic and imaginative freak folk (one of her songs streaming below). The opening bands will be soul-rock quartet The Immaculates and ungooglable garage-blues band DON'T. There will be also a photo exhibit by local photographer Ebru Yildiz.

Next Thursday and Saturday (Aprili 5th and 7th), the Deli-sponsored, second annual Brain Cave Festival will light up Brooklyn’s Bell House by bringing the best and brightest of the borough’s DIY scene to the stage for two nights of sonic and visual euphoria, showcasing 25 bands and live art by Peru Ana Ana Peru.

Thursday night’s lineup will feature mostly female-fronted bands – with indie pop, acoustic intrigue and fast-strummed rock from She Keeps Bees, Firehorse, Natureboy, Eula, Shilpa Ray and others. Saturday night sees Brooklyn’s up-and-coming take the stage with Team Genius, Caged Animals, Conveyor, Snowmine, GunFight!, Lost Boy?, Spanish Prisoners, Monogold, Clouder and others bringing everything from indie-punk, to electro-folk to swooping experimental.

Tickets can be purchased through the Bell House ($12 presale, $15 door, $20 for 2-day pass). The fest is presented by Paper Garden Records, CaraBella and (collabo!).