Bennio Qwerty is a new project with its foundation in the foundation of one of my favorite bars on the South Side of Williamsburg, Bar Donna. And “its foundation in the foundation” is not a typo: guitarist/singer Mike Barron and bassist Nathan Delffs met onsite-constructing the bar’s elegant woodwork, discovering a shared love for the likes of Lungfish, Scott Walker, and Drive Like Jehu while laying the beams. Barron’s been on these pages already, as guitarist for North Highlands; before Bennio, Delffs played in Forest Fire, and drummer Louie Glaser comes from Wise Blood. Bennio’s sound isn’t really a triangulation of those aforementioned influences, nor the band members’ previous projects for that matter. Barron voices intelligent intonations over a rhythmic, lydian track that’s given a soothing studio treatment, registering as something like a less mathematically minded Travis Morrison. Hear it:

“Picture Of” is the title track to a new EP Bennio Qwerty will release this summer. It follows up their debut EP, titled EP, which released in February. Keep up at Soundcloud.

[Photo by Harry McNally]