So this is a slight deviation from our usual Nashville beat, but Bowling Green is so enough and home to so much talent that we don’t have any qualms featuring some KY talent every now and then. Case in point: Buffalo Rodeo and the technicolored garage rock they’ve been doling out for the past few years. The band rang in the New Year with the release of their single "No End in Sound," as well as a NYE show at Tidball’s with MONA. Even better, they split the song’s personality by releasing it at dreamy full speed and downright ghostly half speed. And now the band has kicked off 2015 by releasing at video for the full speed version. Created by Nathaniel Davis, it echoes their hypnotic sound with a montage of found footage-style visuals. This year looks to be packed with tons of action for the crew, so keep up with our neighbors to the North at www.buffalorodeomusic.com. -Terra James-Jura

If MELK’s New Year Resolution was to take their new home base of Nashville by storm through virtue of their stoned, sludgy psych rock, they’re well on their way. The trio moved to Tennessee from Rhode Island and promptly put out a self-titled 9-track EP. It’s a seamless listen; MELK’s wall of guitar fuzz is lightened up by their sense of humor and fondness for 60’s pop ditties. We’re also kind of in love with their disgusting album art. Check out their first local show of 2015 at Daisy Duke’s on January 17th with The Acorn People, Safe Secrets and Caligulove. We think they’re going to be just fine in Nashville. –Terra James-Jura

Congratulations to Oliver Ocean, our last winner of The Deli Nashville’s Artist of the Month poll for 2014! These boys put up quite a fight, maintaining a neck-and-neck pace with Waterfall Wash for most of the poll, and finally securing a win in the final hours by a narrow margin. It was a fitting end to 2014, considering that the band is closing in on their one-year anniversary. The quartet hit upon their sound last January, after cultivating enough trust in the band’s chemistry to let it roam where it wanted. This lead them to release their "Through the Loop" EP over the summer, which showcased their slightly ambient indie rock guided by jazz and Motown sensibilities. It is an unusual, but wholly organic composite, and we’re excited to see where it takes them in 2015. Oliver Ocean’s next Nashville show is January 23rd at fooBar; check them out! -Terra James-Jura

Gotta hand it to Nashville surf punks Sexx for putting one of the coolest spins on one of the most insufferable genres of music. The fivesome released "Sexxmas" on December 16th. The two tracks are as infectiously pop-y as The Ramones "Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight.) The two-track release is conveniently available at a name-your-own-price rate, making it the perfect thing to slip between the Mathis and Crosby on Thursday morning. Is it weird to say we hope to listen to more Sexx in 2015? -Terra James-Jura

Whether you’re leaving town in a few days or about to have an unwanted houseful of relatives, take advantage of your f*cked-up holiday schedule by treating Monday like a Friday and taking yourself out to see some music. The East Room has a great lineup for such an off night, consiting of some local faves, up-and-comers, and out-of-towners. Its also budget-friendly at $5. The show starts at 8pm, and is 18+.

Them Vibes:

It’s no secret that the Deli Nashville loves Them Vibes, who have always proven capable of bringing some down and dirty rock and roll to any situation, and countering it with some down-home rootsiness. We’ve been digging the level of quality in their recent video for "Lorelei."

Super Shaker:

We posted about their single "Kong" a few months ago, and then chanced upon them last Wednesday at the Tin Roof, and were blown away. While "Kong" might conjure visoins of some rigid nerd rockers poking at keyboards, Super Shaker kicked our expectations in the face with their high-energy onslaught of gritty, post-punk electronica. These boys can put on a SHOW.

 Slowwriter:

Hailing from Atlanta, GA, Bryan Taylor and a rotating cast of friends operates under the title of Slowriter. He coaxes out interesting loops with a hip-hop sense of direction, and branding them with his particular quirk and earnesty. "King of the Void" is the title track of his recent 2014 release.

Shortly after playing their last show of the year back in Nashville at Mercy Lounge this past Saturday, The Kopecky Family Band announced a name change to a more succinct "Kopecky." We read that as a step of preparation for 2015, a year that is going to see some heavy action for the band, with a sophomore album scheduled for a spring release and no doubt the same level of breakneck touring that the Kopeckys are known for. We got to hear some of the new material at their show, along with their classics and some fantastic openers (Apollo Wild and Austin Manuel.) The night also drove home the sense of community that pervades big-small town of Nashville as the crowd came together for their neighbors. Read on about the show HERE. -Terra James-Jura

As mentioned before, here’s a rundown of the acts playing this Thursday night at Exit/In for Sad Spaceman Promotions second showcase, Quioxtic II. We’re mildly involved sponsoring the event along with Kustom Thrills Tattooes and Bluegrass Hollywood Records, and we’re enthused about the lineup. Some Nashville standby’s are playing, along with some veterans of the industry, with a few giveaways and surprises thrown into the mix. Sad Spaceman is accepting donations for local animal rescues, to hop over to www.proverbs1210rescue.org/ after reading about the lineup to check out what to bring. Thursday’s show starts at 8pm; tickets are $10 in advance (get ’em here) and $12 at the door, and the show is 21+

Hot Action Cop:

Hot Action Cop have been around for the last decade, with their irreverent pop finding its way into movie franchises and video game soundtracks. Their album “Listen Up!” was released this year, bridging the gap from their 2009 EP. The band is making an appearance in their homebase this Thursday.

The Switchmen:

The Switchmen are the embodiment of Southern rock; greasy, gritty, no questions, no apologies. November 18th saw the release of “Congress Hotel,” a 5-track powerhouse of an EP that shows off the breadth and depth of their songwriting abilities. They’re also recorded a series of live videos from the first Quioxtic showcase at Exit/In back in July, and unveiled the first last week. This video for “I Don’t Know” is a close approximation of what to expect on Thursday, minus the beer in your hand and fist pumping bodies on all sides of ya.

Regulation Nine:

Regulaton Nine represents the heavier side of rock and roll in Nashville. With a little bit of metal and a little bit of thrash, they’ve returned to the live show circuit after a brief hiatus, bringing it the only way they know how: hard.

Asheira:

Alabama-born, Army-raised Nashville transplant Asheira has all the makings of a rock goddess: she’s equal parts swagger and breathy vocals, and already knows that the best backup singer is a mean guitar lick. Check out the video for her brand new single “Sugar” to understand that she is fully capable of cashing every check she writes.

It’s been more than a hot minute since Kopecky Family Band has played a local show. They might have touched base with Nashville all of two times this year. However, we entertain the vision of the crew touring hard across the country and having Wes Anderson-esque misadventures along the way, and, well, we can’t hold anything against them. We just miss ’em is all. Which is why were excite that KFB is playing their last show of the year back in their hood, and debuting some new material off their upcoming 2015 release. There are also some solid guests joining the night: co-parent of Diarrhea Planet Evan P. Donahue will be opening up the show with his chamber-pop psychedelic mash, as well as Austin Manuel’s high lonesome folk. Considering that we’re still finding little gems off 2013’s "Kids Raising Kids," we’re hoping to be overwhelmed at least a few times on Saturday night.  Stay tuned next week for a live review!  -Terra James-Jura

It’s no secret that we love Stone Jack Jone’s over here at The Deli Nashville headquarters (love, as in "harbor a morbid fascination with the gothic folk microcosm he has painstakingly cultivated.") We’re thrilled to hear him announce the March 17th release date of his fourth full-length album "Love and Torture" on Western Vinyl. It’s a swift follow-up to this year’s "Ancestors," and while we know not to predict any of Mr. Jones’ actions, judging by the heft and sharpness of his recent single "Circumstance" and the evolution of his sound from total near chaos to the calculated un-ease of his last album, we’re expecting something even more deliberate and terrifying as his music moves closer to the surface of whatever forgotten lake it’s been dropped into.  This announcement is not met without a slight hint of trepidation on our part; this music has a way of seeping into our dreams. Check out this video he released in November to promote his fall tour with O’Death and Death Vessel, then watch this mini-doc on the making of "Red Red Rose" to get some more insight on the man. -Terra James-Jura

Friendship is a Nashville supergroup comprised of members from The Subnovas, Girls and Money, Creature Comfort, Mesmer Tea and Indiana’s Party Lines. We covered their debut spectacle at The East Room back in November, and we have to give mad props to frontman and head instigator Taylor Cole for not only throwing a wild show, but also being one of the most high-energy and hardest working musicians in the Nashville underground. He has a knack for fostering a community spirit in a scene; for example, the first single for Friendship (or, as it’s phrased online, the "Friendship Super Magic Art Project") is a cover from a previous collaboration (Children of Spy). The accompanying video to this song is a montage of live and candid footage from several of the bands brought together under the Friendship umbrella. The group will be joining the chaos of the High Watt/Mercy Lounge’s New Year’s Eve time-traveling costume blowout 15 other bands. More details on the night can be found here. -Terra James-Jura

Caitlin Canty straddles a few lines: folk and bluegrass, country and rock. She put out "Get Up," a tense, ghostly cross-section of her influences in anticipation of the January 20th release date of her third full-length album "Reckless Skyline." Canty’s history of collaboration has lead her to cull a band comprised of members from Morphine, Booker T, Satellite and Ray Lamontagne’s Pariah Dogs. This team was so white-hot in their chemistry that it took only four days to record. Canty is bottling lightning by taking the same band on the road with her as she tours to support "Reckless Sky." She’s in Europe right now, but returns for a Northeast tour in January, with more dates to be added, hopefully a show in her part-time homebase of Music City is in the works. -Terra James-Jura

Nothing assuages the stress of impending travel and social obligations of the holidays like some premium rock’n’roll. Which is why The Deli Nashville is happy to be joining Kustom Thrills Tattoo and Bluegrass Hollywood Records as a sponsor for Sad Spaceman Promotions second showcase at Exit/In on December 18th. Quioxtic II’s lineup is a wallop of Nashville talent, with headliners Hot Action Cop supported by Switchmen, Asheira, and Regulation Nine. We’re especially excited for Hot Action Cop, and band that’s built a 10+ year career on their cheeky, hook-y brand of rock. We appreciate a band with longevity, and we’re also glad that, from the looks of their recent video for "House of Pain," Billy Blanks is finding work as a backup dancer. Stay tuned for more information on this night! -Terra James-Jura