She Keeps Bees has always delivered a brooding menace underneath layers of blues and folk, but now their kettle's practically boiling over. For new record 'Eight Houses,' tales of war and revenge provide an ominous tone to the band's stripped down texture. After exploring America's hidden past during their 2012 tour, bandmates Jessica Larabee and Andy LePlant came away from the experience with a better idea of how much pain and forced assimiliation American Indians endured. Tracks like 'Greasy Grass' and 'Breezy' are practically brimming over with this rage, while still delivering an intimate warmth and emotional pull that makes you feel like you've known Jessica for years. It's a multi-layered record, whose change-up in production from the band's previous home recordings has only added to its complexities. We discussed these new paths in our recent interview with the band.

See the band live tonight (10.22) at The Deli's CMJ 2014 Roots Stage at Rockwood at 7pm
Read Mike Levine's interview with She Keeps Bees

We can't call it a day over here without a Deli dose of rootsy music, and today we have a treat from you from one of NYC's best kept folk secret, duo She Keeps Bees, who are scheduled to drop their new album 'Eight Houses' in September 16th on Future Gods Records. Featuring the band's close friend Sharon Van Etten on back-up vocals, 'Is What It Is" (streaming) reveals a new direction for the group, with a minimal use of electronic drums in the background and an overall sound stripped down to the very bone. Thing is, this is a band with beautiful bones. See them at Cameo Gallery on August 21.

We added this song to The Deli's playlist of Best mellow songs by emerging NYC artists - check it out!

Saturday night, Baby’s All Right will host the first installment of BrainCave Series, hosted by Paper Garden Records.  In the past few years BrainCave has brought us some truly memorable weekend-long festivals that included NYC artists like Peelander-Z, Shilpa Ray, Hooray for Earth, Caged Animals, The Suzan, Black Cobra and more, alongside live art and DJs. Saturday’s stacked bill promises to be just as exciting, and includes Luke Temple of Here We Go Magic, Friend Roulette, Teletextile, Edan and She Keeps Bees (pictured), among others. Check out under-appreciated Brooklyn/D.C. alt folkers She Keeps Bees' latest single "Counter Charm" - after this show they'll be touring with Sharon Von Etten in May. - Bill Dvorak

We've been following Brooklyn duo She Keeps Bees for a long time now, and it's great to see them gaining more and more buzz (no pun intended, maybe). Their latest single “Counter Charm” (streaming below) was released this week and debuted on NPR’s All Songs Considered, and showcases an interesting development in their sound, in a direction that's at once more atmospheric, punchy, and tense. Singer Jessica Larrabee howls over a dark, pulsating melody, pleading out “please stay” over and over. Larrabee, who is joined by drummer Andy LaPlant, possess a sinister tone throughout, at times reminiscent of Cat Power. The single also includes the track “Blue Moon,” one of the ominous forays of the 1930’s classic. She Keeps Bees is finishing up a tour overseas (for some reason it seems like every time we blog about them they are in Europe), but will return for US this fall for a string of shows in the... west coast - dudes, NYC shows??? - Devon Antonetti