The greatest strength of old time music is that (unlike all the experimental-ish indie genres we tend to fetishize here) it can really convey a feeling of community, of people coming together not just to listen, but to be part of something – and to share feelings and lift their mood while doing so. Which makes us think that maybe the current resurgence of rootsy music is somehow linked to the country’s economic troubles… Contagiously upbeat NYC collective Spirit Family Reunion – what an appropriate name! – will be at The Living Room every Wednesday in January to spread this kind of "rustic" good vibes, which are very likely to make us forget for one night about the fact that we can’t really afford to live in NYC. Great way to start the new year! The guys are really good at it, don’t miss!

This video perfectly visualizes how we hope our Christmas dinner will go, people! Happy Holidaze!!!
P.S. Jangula‘s website is here by the way…

Emil and Friends, Emil Hewitt’s musical lovechild, is an eccentric blend of “danceable wierdpop.” His songs range from demure and shimmery guitar clad tunes, to upbeat pop anthems that feel peachy and squeaky clean. Emil has been making music since he was a child, starting out making attic pop in solitude. As of late he has emerged to much critical acclaim with the release of his EP, “Downed Economy” and LP, “Lo and Behold”. He has been featured on Rollingstone.com and is gaining a large following for his remixing and DJ work whilst gigging throughout NYC. – Read Ed Guardaro’s Q&A with Emil here.

As you may have heard, NYC DIY promoter Jonathan Toubin had a crazy accident in Portland a couple of weeks ago. He is now stable, but needs a lot of hospital care and various surgeries. The local community of friends and musicians he booked are organizing several benefit shows to help him out financially. Tonight’s show at Glasslands is a particularly interesting show, involving awesome NYC mainstays psych rock Hopewell (pictured, who graced the Deli’s cover of The Deli Mag’s second issue back in 2005), crazy punk-folkers Wild Yaks, and promising up and comers The Can’t Tells (recent Deli Artist of the Month), This Frontier Needs Heroes and Broke and Rollin’. Apparently there will be two ladies giving professional haircuts for $30 (which is a deal for North Brooklyn) and that money will also be sent to Jonathan Toubin and his family.

What’s going on today people? Almost every song we play sounds like… Christmas. It’s happening also  with this very very pretty track by Plates of Cake, a Brooklyn based quartet playing an interesting melange of alt folk and lo-fi: that calming melody, those beautiful female harmonies… Is that Santa singing? The track, entitled "As if the choice were mine," is the opener of their debut 7 inch, which also features "Transit," a song starting with some kind of "celtic/spaghetti western" verse followed by a chorus of pure pop crooning. Only a NYC based band could have given birth to such tune. See Plates of Cake Live at Cakeshop on 01.19 or at Pianos on 02.03.

On Friday 12/30, Drive-By Truckers will be on there 2nd night of a 3 night residency at the 9:30 Club. And on this night they will be joined by the ever-rising Baltimore based americana-rockers J Roddy Walston and The Business! And the 9:30 Club wants to make sure that happens, so we’ve got a couple passes to give away! Just email us here by 5 PM on Thursday 12/29 and let us know your fav song by J Roddy Walston and the Business. (Please include your first and last name.) The winner will be chosen at random and emailed back.

Tickets are going fast (one night sold out already at time of publishing,) but you can still get them here. For now, check out their video for "Used to Did" from their album Hail Mega Boys, below.

The Ludlow Thieves is a rather new and rather impressive NYC based folk rock trio whose songs, ranging from the uplifting and energetic to the intimate and pensive, work very well as a soundtrack to our impending winter holidays. These guys have already gotten some impressive song placement on a couple of TV shows, and will be releasing their debut record at Mercury Lounge on January 6. Check out a preview of it here.

There’s an interesting all-NYC-based-bands rock show this Thursday 12/22 at Pianos featuring Deli NYC favorites Ambassadors and Clouder, Brooklyn’s Desert Sharks, and singer/songwriter Eli Orling from Brooklyn based Car on the Moon.  

Ambassadors is a band with serious potential. They craft short catchy yet rockin’ tracks with strong melodies and hooks. Made up of brothers Casey and Sam Harris, their childhood friend Noah Feldshuh and drummer Adam Levin, the band has been making headlines since their conception in 2008, playing exciting R&B-infused indie rock shows around the city. Their most recent release is the “Unconsolable” single and their full length is due out early next year.

Brooklyn’s Clouder has been sweeping the scene with their psychedelic influenced indie rock music. The five piece was recently nominated for the NYC Deli band of the month and with the lead of singer Eric Gilstrap, have been building their fan base, wowing audiences and press outlets like CMJ and Hype Machine . They have just finished recording a full length album. 

Desert Sharks (in the picture) is a 4 piece all girl rock band that forges instantly hummable songs drenched in surf rock and punk influences. Their latest release is a 4 song EP available for download on their bandcamp.

Brooklyn’s Eli Orling is the lead singer of multi-instrumental indie folk quartet Car on the Moon. He releases solo music that is both intimate and honest, touching upon issues of love, loss and everyday relationships with a bluesy rock’n’roll tinge.

Streaming below is the song ‘The Pines’ from Aaron Thompson‘s latest release, "Vessel EP". More raw and ambitious than his eponymous debut album, "Vessel EP" was recorded in five days this past summer at the Empress of Sound Studio in Washington, DC (where he was based). Thompson has recently moved to Brooklyn and will be performing in at Pianos on February 10, 2012. – (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 and APS Mastering.