Yet another album to check out this coming new year is singer-songwriter Jamie Bendell’s “Blue Sky Days,” due for release January 29th. Bendell’s pure soprano vocals are accompanied by uplifting melodies and diverse instrumentation including guitars, pianos, organs, violins and even an accordion. This playful music along with Bendell’s voice are what drive her emotionally charged lyrics, and make this a very engaging take on folk pop. Bendell will be playing at Rockwood Music Hall tomorrow, December 20th, , where she will be debuting new songs off “Blue Sky Days.” -Lucy Sherman

Bad Books, an indie rock collaboration between Brooklyn’s Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull, are hitting the road on an east coast tour to promote their sophomore album "II." Devine and Hull alternate in songwriting and lead vocals, giving this album a dynamic edge in pace, voice, and mood. Their lead-off single "Forest Whitaker" (streaming below) starts with a catchy whistling intro that leads to an uplifting pop melody that contrasts uniquely with Hull’s dark lyrics. The band is starting their tour in Thompson House Newport, KY on February 13th and making their way east, swinging by New York City to play the Bowery Ballroom on February 20th before making their way south. – Lucy Sherman

This song was added to our SoundCloud playlist of emerging NYC artists here.

We are really enjoying the record by recent Brooklyn "immigrants" Sunglasses (originally from Savannah). The band just premiered the video for the single "Swim" on Stereogum, check it out below.

No matter how cynical a bastard you may be, every once in awhile a little Gospel charm is good for the soul. And for those moments, you needn’t look further than the country-fried soul of The Lone Bellow. Whether it’s the altar call of ‘You Never Need Nobody’ (check out the video streaming below) or the hollow shouts in ‘Two Sides Of Lonely,’ (or even a free download of their new Christmas jam, ‘A Little Christmas Cheer’) the Brooklyn-based trio plugs into an old tradition of Folk Americana, and brings it to life in a way that should help keep you warm this winter. The debut drops this January 22nd off Descendant Records. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Delicate Brooklynite/South Korea born singer-songwriter Hee Young released a new video for her song ‘Buy Myself A Goodbye’ (watch it here) from her first full length album ‘4 Luv,’ which was released in May 2012. ‘4 Luv’ was produced by Saul Simon MacWilliams (Chris Garneau), Mixed by Saul Simon MacWilliams and Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs). Watch more videos by Hee Young here. Streaming below our favorite track from the album, ‘Knew Your City.’ – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

Not much to write about before the holidays, so we’ll indulge in a band that’s definitely neither "indie" (they are signed to Warner) nor emerging (at least according to our standards), but extremely young and relatively new to the scene. NYC and Canada based The Indecent plays what could be called nu-grunge, but they do it without looking out of date or derivative. And they are so friggin’ young it’s almost scary. Check out below their new video for the single "Control." They’ll be playing Shea Stadium in Brooklyn on January 5 – it will be a packed show. If you are in NJ, they’ll be there at The Stanhope House on December 29.

Channeling classic rock and Americana, New Jersey based trio The Micks released their self-titled debut EP in November. The band began playing in Jersey City in 2010 with McMickle brothers Matt, on guitar, and Sam, on drums, and were later rounded out by bass player Hank Prol. Optimistic and hopeful, The Micks’ youthful energy brings a new spark to a genre that too often lacks in the inspiration department. The album was recorded entirely on analog, which fits the band’s homage to the early days of rock. – Devon Antonetti

Industries of the Blinds impressed us at our recent "post-chestral" CMJ show, where they performed their post-rock/ambient tunes with the intensity and instrumental precision required by the sober and atmospheric material. The band has been working on a multi-media show involving projections which will be unveiled with a show at The Knitting Factory on 12.21. 

The event will unfold in two acts; Act One will feature Industries of the Blind performing their original music (think Explosions in the Sky, SIgur Ros, Godspeed!). During Act Two, four short films will be screened while the band simultaneously performs their scores in real-time as they unfold, creating an intimate, immediate bridge between music and film.

With Lake Street Dive, you’re not left with the impression you’re hearing recordings at all. In fact, most of this group’s songs were indeed recorded in live situation. From hanging a couple of mics up at a party (‘You Go Down Smooth’), to the off-the-cuff feel of ‘Henriette,’ these are tracks that exude a feel like the band’s re-creating their songs at the moment they’re playing them.

And with a voice like singer Rachael Price’s, it’s no wonder they have no need for studio trickery to produce their blend of gospel yelps and old school Muscle Shoals soul. Their sound is built from the inside out, from the chug of the upright bass to the trumpet blasts – this is a band meant to be experienced live. So see them when they play Bowery Ballroom on Dec 27th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

This song was added to our SoundCloud playlist of emerging NYC artists with rootsy influences here.

Fronted by the glitteringly motivated force that is Heather Sparx, Bushwick based band Sparxx in 2012 released 4 Bandcamp singles of exquisitely crafted, uptempo dream-synth-pop. The band will be shooting a video for their new song "Mod" (streaming below), and if you want to be in it you can show up at The Lab at 224 Wyckoff Avenue on 12.20, the show will be taped. The song undulates with synth washes and a straight foward drum pattern before the guitars slowly emerge. Heather’s voice and lyrics create a seductive combination that at times hearkens back to Lene Lovich and "Lucky Number" on the verses. It’s all reverberated guitar chords and cathedral hall voices on the chorus however, placing the sound closer to prime era Siouxsie Sioux – the fact that Heather’s appearances stradles the line somewhere between Siouxsie and Madonna only adds to the appeal. Also performing will be NYC emerging bands Hippy, Slonk Donkerson and Haybaby. – Dave Cromwell

Austin based singer-songwriter Aimee Bobruk’s southern take on folk is soft yet sophisticated. Bobruk’s sweet soprano vocals are accompanied by an array of instruments that gently weave through twangy guitars. The instrumentation is simple, but the sounds are beautifully crafted together to create delicate harmonies that make for easy listening. Bobruk’s video for “Two of a Kind” (streaming below) just premiered on December 6th, and features her playing the roles of both a man and woman in a 1920’s silent movie romance. Her next album “ba•brook” will be released January 29, 2013. -Lucy Sherman

Northampton, MA’s Bella’s Bartok started as a gypsy-punk band (think Gogol Bordello, they even covered a few of their songs), but as the years passed and members changed have since morphed into something different. You can still hear the oom-pa-pa klezmer beat, but their new EP, "We Are Not a Cult," features tribal drumming, sexy electric guitar riffs, wacky, unhinged vocals, a good deal of whispering, electronic elements a la Animal Collective, and just about anything else you can think of. ‘How many people are even in this band?’ you might ask? Eight, give or take a violinist. They tour extensively, and their live shows aren’t to be missed, bringing all the wide-eyed fervor you hear on the album to the stage. See here for upcaoming dates – Geoff Noble