Judson Claiborne’s Time and Temperature was released late last month and now we a video directed by Japeth Mennes for the track “Moonraker”.

We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record sotre personnel and DJs). Many of the bands in this list will play The Deli's Best of NYC Fest in Williamsburg in May (6 shows in 3 different venues between the 13 and the 15).

“We're both rock guys at heart,” say StreetLab. Perhaps this is why they will perform with a new "rock" line-up at The Deli's Best of NYC Fest on 05.15 at Glasslands (the band will be opening our electronic late party with Glass Ghost and Gordon Voidwell at 11.30 and then DJ later). The DJ-ing duo of Mark 'Coz' Lamorg and Ryan Leary have become dab hands at taking rock songs and giving them dance-ability. But with their debut full length CD they are pushing the envelope by stepping outside the creative limits of the remixing format: 'Auto SPKR' features 14 original songs of their aggressive electronic signature, including the single NYSound, that's been available for streaming for awhile. Similarly to other projects with a background in the remixing field, Streetlab employs guest singers in most of their songs - you can preview a bunch of them on their myspace page here.

Dressed in a crumpled white button-down shirt, trousers, and a belt, singer/songwriter Dietrich Strause looked a little like a weary nine-to-fiver when he took the stage at the Lizard Lounge last night, but this unassuming demeanor is exactly what gives the Oberlin graduate his signature modest stage presence. A twinkle in his eye suggests that he sees a kind of humor in the situation, but his shoulders hang heavy with the weight of the observational wisdom that unfurls in his masterfully crafted songs. "As if being an acoustic guitarist/singer/songwriter weren't obvious enough," Dietrich hesitantly thought out loud into the microphone, "I guess you could say that I'm a pretty sensitive guy. I love puppies, and this is a song about dog-walking." Unsurprisingly, the song was not just about dog-walking.

In a completely non-pejorative way, Dietrich Strause is a geek. "Jean-Louise," a song he wrote about Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, is evidence enough that this is a guy who reads. "Run along, Jean Louise, while you're still a child," Dietrich urges, echoing the sort of perspective and insight that would sound right at home coming from Atticus Finch himself. Dietrich's intricate, feathery-light guitar playing and smooth, clear vocals bring him aesthetically closer to folk than lit-rock, strictly speaking, but lyrically, his bibliophilic style is reminiscent of poetry-prose artists like The Weakerthans or The Decemberists. "Smart" music can sometimes run the risk of coming off erudite and snobbish, but Dietrich seems like the boy next door who breathes clean, country air. Comparisons to Paul Simon come to mind, but Dietrich probably already knows that, given his spot-on cover of "American Tune." The highlight of the evening, though, was probably "Nuns with Guns," Dietrich's answer to Bob Dylan's "It's Alright, Ma" with the added bonus of a memorable sing-along chanty-style chorus. Word on the street is that Dietrich is an expert trumpeter, too; the only disappointment of last night's show, then, is that he didn't somehow figure out a way to play trumpet and sing at the same time. Maybe someday.

Dietrich Strause will be at No Place Special in Mashpee on May 22nd

--Stephie Coplan

The latest session over at Giant System has been posted and it features the band Tirra Lirra.

Tirra Lirra will be performing at Cole’s on June 5th with Black Math and Casual Encounter.

The indie hip hop scene, much like the indie-rock scene, is characterized by a remarkable diversity. Brooklyn rap group Junk Science has put a lot of time and work into distinguishing themselves from the pack. Each record they release is a collection of sonic experiments yielding consistently positive results. The music on their third release, A Miraculous Kind of Machine (ModernShark), truly sounds as if it has been spliced and stitched together in some dusty lab. DJ Snafu’s beats are an immediate draw; his creative sample usage and amazing knack for head-nod rhythm are reminiscent of an East-coast Madlib. Partner-in-Rhyme, Baje One, adds to the chemistry with diverse and playful lyricism, and I swear you can hear him smiling as he raps. With a name like Junk Science, you can tell these guys don’t take themselves too seriously. “Machine” shines in its levity and unassuming funkiness. They’ll be celebrating its release at The Knitting Factory on May 28th. - BrokeMC