[new music thursday]

First off, we would like to mention our favorite new magazine, The Deli, which describes itself as “a bimonthly music magazine dedicated exclusively to the music from NYC and distributed for free in Manhattan and Brooklyn.” The magazine also has a website, which picks up where the publication leaves off, has a radio/podcast, and allows you to download new music from local bands. This leads us to another one of our recent favorites, Soft.

Soft is a Brooklyn-based band that revisits the sound of the Madchester baggy scene. Soft plays melodic dream pop, most comparable to bands from Manchester in the late 80s/early 90s, like The Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses . An interesting fact about Soft is that they spent a full year writing, rehearsing, and recording in their studio before playing live in public. We were expecting an album back in January following the release of the single, “Lucky Jam”, but were excited to hear they had a new single called “Droppin’”. There is no word of a release date for their album, but we suppose that they are still working in the studio. Recently, “Droppin’” has been seeing regular airplay on British Accents Radio. You can download Droppin’ and Lucky Jam below. Soft will be opening for Juliette and the Licks on May 28 at the Bowery Ballroom. Stay up to date with Soft’s live shows by visiting their website.

The blogs have been buzzing the past few weeks about the 23 year-old multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek. The Londoner, akin to the talented Michael Ferrick of Amusement Parks on Fire, also wrote and recorded the entire album on his own. Central Village thinks his album, We Have Sound, is phenomenal and also noted that “this guy has a set at the Tribeca Grand written all over him.” We would also like to thank Central Village for posting mp3’s for our listening pleasure, which can be downloaded below. No tour dates are currently scheduled for the U.S.

[thursdays favorite downloads]
Soft – Droppin’
Soft – Lucky Jam
Soft – All That You’re Shown
Tom Vek – I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes
Tom Vek – A Little Word In Your Ear