Psych meets pop on “Bloodshot Eyes” (streaming below), the newest single from former Deli New England artist of the month Helenor. Irony runs through the core of this track, with the opening lines painting a rather dark image (“Lots of hate will form a crowd / you could get stuck below”) against an arguably more pop arrangement. At its midway point, with the introduction of the first chorus (“Bloodshot eyes / are my friends / they’ll stay with me / ‘till the end,”) the track dives into distortions that eventually give way to a reverb-laden realization (“Is this life / all about / the finish line? / I don’t think it is.”) - Lilly Milman

Listen to Helenor and other local artists on The Deli New England's brand new Spotify playlist, Cold Cuts: Sounds of New England. 

Recreational Landscaping, a collaborative effort between Brother Toaster and Tyler Arnott (who contributed guitars and auxiliary sounds to Brother Toaster’s previous LP Chucky,) is a wonderful musing on what it means to make music out of the noise. Recorded on a mono microphone while a lawn was being mowed in the background, this project thrives off of the organic. Not only does the stripped back, minimalistic sound create room for both guitarists to riff of one another, but it also draws attention to the intimate details, like the sudden declaration of “I need to tune this” on the end of “Sunrise on the Flowers.” On this album, Brother Toaster and Arnott have tested their luck at trimming the fat and, as a result, created a surprising and wildly fun album that can be left on repeat for hours at a time. With each listen, there’s something new to be found and appreciated; discover it for yourself below. - Lilly Milman

Listen to more tracks from Brother Toaster and more local artists on The Deli New England's brand new Spotify playlist, Cold Cuts: Sounds of New England. 

Boston’s The Woolly Mammoths — made up of New Hampshire natives Connor Bailey, Nathan Arsenault, Connor Kennedy, Jake Lennon, and Sam Routhier — create tongue-in-cheek indie dance-rock tracks for music nerds. Their forthcoming LP C I T Y Z E N may be a response to the everyday coming of age story, but the music is anything but average. The Deli Magazine is happy to be premiering lead single “No Confidence Man” (streaming below), an exuberant art-rock track that’s one of C I T Y Z E N’s many intricate highlights.

Of the track, Kennedy said, ”The 'no confidence man' is a male archetype that crops up in the independent music industry too frequently. He comes off as sincere and self aware in his music, but is really abusing these emotional connections to serve himself. I wrote the song through a real first person/dirt-bag-romantic lens, trying to be a bit boisterous instead of deep and melancholy.”

Stream “No Confidence Man” below, and celebrate the release of the track with The Woolly Mammoths at O’Brien’s Pub tonight at 8 pm. - Lilly Milman 

Everyone knows that a demo tape is going to be a hit or miss. In the case of Boston duo Berta Bigtoe (made up of Ben Astrachan and Austin Koenigstein,) their debut the gap [demos] @ rat city exists within the sweet spot of lo-fi where the gentle hums of lo-fi and the excitable shouts of talent meet. Sincere in its delivery, exhilarating in its musicality and indicative of much greater heights, this tape has earned its place in the limelight. - Lilly Milman

Stream our favorite track “doggie den” below. 

The New Review, the Boston-based funk-soul eight-piece, are known for bringing an uncontainable energy wherever they go — and their newest single “Portrait of a Man” (streaming below) is no different. With every piece of soul they create turning to gold, it’s no surprise that a video of the band performing the song landed them a spot headlining the Tiny Desk Submissions Showcase hosted by NPR in New York City. The melody of the heavy-hitting track takes it easy in all the right places, ebbing and flowing with an intuitive sense of rhythm only accessible to the very best. The New Review will be performing in New York City at DROM on August 10, and then heading back to New England for a show at Foam Brewers in Burlington, VT on August 11.  - Lilly Milman, photo by Madison McConkey