On February 26, Brooklyn's pop masters Ski Lodge will release their six track "New Life" EP digitally and as a limited edition tape. The band unveiled two preview singles, "Crush Your Heart" and "Heaven is Now" (both streaming below), featuring heavy references to the new wave sound of the '80s - we hear in particular moments bringing to mind The Cure and The Smiths. This new, darker sound, was a result of songwriter Andrew Marr radically changing his compositional and arranging process: “Recording in my home studio - explains Marr - using synths, drum machines and samples for the first time, I was opened up a world that helped me develop new and darker sonic textures.” 

A few weeks ago we noticed how Pianos had doubled down in inviting local talent to play monthly residencies, and that observation finds a confirmation in the fact that in March the Ludlow Street venue will host a joint residency involving two Brooklyn bands: Jangula and Ski Lodge (pictured). Both groups have been around since the early '10s and have new releases in the works. They also share a sound that's tastefull poppy, with an indie rock edge. Check out their latest singles below and don't miss them live every Wednesday in March. The first show is tonight 03.04.

There 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. See them tonight play The Deli's CMJ Indie Stage at Pianos.

After a long wait, Brooklyn's Ski Lodge announced the release of its debut album, entitled "Big Heart" and scheduled for August 20 on Dovecote. From the preview single 'Boy' (streaming below, video here) it was worth the wait. The melodic ghost of Morrisey pops up in this track, but since summer always comes with that intense craving for beautifully melancholic uptempo pop songs, that's totally a good thing.

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

Ski Lodge is one of those bands whose fanbase is almost entirely composed by music bloggers - which I guess is a contrived way to say that, considering the quality of their music, they should have waaaay more fans. The Brooklyn based quartet - who was highlighted as the 6th best NYC emerging band in our 2011 poll after bands like Caveman, Lucius, Friends and Widowspeak - has been obviously  working hard to correct this, and has just released a new video for the single "Just To Be Like You" (streaming below), a song that flirts with the jangly guitar sound and lush melodies of the pop masters of the 80s - think The Smiths and The Housemartins. After a sold out Bowery show opening for Born Ruffians on April 16, Ski Lodge will spend a couple of weeks on the road touring with UK indie popster Chad Valley.

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