The mathy debut EP With Sadness by the emo Hartford duo Two Headed Girl is leaves no gory detail untouched. The emotional project, fronted by Celeste Padua and Angelica Padua, is hard to compare to anyone else. Right from the opening track “Holy Ghost,” this project swallows you whole with the intense choruses and surreal riffs. The duo’s delivery of lines like “I’ll die alone / we all die alone” (from the catchy “Miss Me”) does not touch melodramatic, instead coming across as completely genuine. “Target Practice” is effortlessly relatable, and “Favorite Song” is searingly honest. As you can imagine, the rest of the tracks follow suit. They will be playing a live show tomorrow, August 8, at MAC 650 Gallery & Artist Co-Op in Middletown, CT. - Lilly Milman, photo by Jillian Maraj

Stream the full With Sadness EP below.

The most recent release by Samuel Sandoval, the singer-songwriter from Meriden, Connecticut, Tupper (streaming below) is meant to be read almost as much as it is meant to be listened to. Take for example the opening line of “Philly, City of Brotherly Love” (“I knew they were rich by the way they left their plates on the table”) which uses simplicity to snap a cultural criticism into place. Sandoval’s sharp wit, colored by his experimental folk-leaning arrangements, interrogates, but it also soothes. The whispers are just as important as the shouts, a balance that is curated earnestly by Sandoval’s hand. - Lilly Milman, photo by Zack Gomez

You may recognize the name Sean Rubin from his old project Ladyhips, a Deli New England Artist of the Month dating back to 2012, but if you haven’t heard of his solo project then it’s time to catch up. Rubin recently released his debut album everybody shares a name, an avant-folk project that finds a surprising comfort in the dissonance, asking difficult questions and accepting the fact that there isn’t always an answer. It’s striking for its lack of conventionality; this project takes risks, but it’s still easy to listen to for those willing to enter Sean Rubin’s weird and intricate world. Take the leap with us, and stream our favorite track “old birds” below. - Lilly Milman

Hey New England bands and artists, 

There aren't many entities out there fostering emerging bands and artists, so we thought you may find this interesting.

WeWork's Creator Awards is looking for innovative musical performers (solo or groups) based in New England.  You can apply to one of three categories including the Performing Arts award, for entertainers and groups with a unique perspective.  

The Performing arts winner will take home $72,000 and take the stage at the Creator Awards Nashville in September.  

Apply HERE before July 20 for a chance to win funding.   

WeWork’s Creator Awards is a celebration of the performers, makers, do-gooders, and mavericks making a difference.  

The Folks at The Deli

If there's a turn of phrase we kind of detest here at The Deli is "taking the scene by storm." It's one of those generic prefab sentences that ring insincere. But then again, sometimes, some bands do that - kind of rare, but it happens, right? And sometimes, on a hot day like today, being lazy is kind of inevitable. So... yes! Brooklyn's Bodega are taking the NYC scene by storm with their blend of post-punk and pop and their super-fun live shows. That, and their somewhat familiar name, are the main reasons why they are on the cover of the new, spring 2018 issue of The Deli! 

The issue, our 54th NYC one, is now up online and you can read it here.

It's an issue linked to the biggest event for musicians we've ever organized, which will host a Stompbox Exhibit, a Synth Expo and a Vintage Guitar Exchange in a Bushwick art gallery called Absurd Conclave - hope to see you there!

The Folks at The Deli NYC