Jessica Larrabee (guitars/vocals) and Andy LaPlant (drums) come from the no-frills school of rock basics. It's where a nasty blues riff and a backbeat come together to turn up the hairs on the back of your neck. They've been at the local circuit for a few years now playing showcases, and they have a release out on UK label Names Records. She Keeps Bees (currently has received press already from The Guardian and NME. The Deli spoke to Jessica while her band was overseas in Ireland. - read the interview by Simon Heggie here.

City Center (currently #6 in our Avant Indie NYC Web Buzz chart) formed in 2007 as the side project of Fred Thomas and Ryan Howard of Saturday Looks Good to Me. After just dabbling and recording over the past couple years, the duo recently released their self-titled full-length City Center. The album is beautifully diverse and swims with sound and experimental electronic loveliness. With brief guest appearances by Mary Pearson from High Places, other friends, as well as tons of sampling, City Center takes sounds that would typically be dubbed as noise or strange and makes something so much more fluid and meaningful. Their raw textures and busy electronic orchestration creates a watery, floating feeling and the vocals are clear, yet soft and blisteringly sweet with harmonies. The duo also has a really entertaining blog, which is apparently how the whole band began in the first place. - read the full interview here.

Hesta Prynn should know by now that you DON'T lick the snare on a freezing day!!! The singer - formerly of the hip-hop group Northern State - is putting the final touches on her first solo album due out later this year. Hesta’s new sound pits euphoric beats and distorted basslines with punkish guitar overlays to create and energetic, edgy sound. New Yorkers will have another chance to catch her live this Wednesday, January 27th at Pianos.

Third Border is the name of the band formed in 2003 by Ben Miller, a veteran of the alternative scene who pioneered psych-rock in the fecund late '60s Ann Arbor scene, and later teamed up with Stooge Ron Asheton and Michael Davis of the MC5 in the seminal art punk outfit Destroy All Monsters. The band's new album, Return Return, was recorded in 2008 at The Kennel Studio in East Williamsburg Brooklyn by NYC underground producer Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Helmet). Those who love noisy rock music shouldn't miss their CD release party at Pianos on Saturday 01.30.

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