If you haven’t had the chance to check out the Showpaper 42nd Street Gallery (in the picture, which believe it or not, is in Manhattan), you should – it’s a pop-up video arcade complete with homemade DIY video games, art installations, live music and more. Tonight the Showpaper/BabyCastles Team and BirdDog present a show of infectious indie rock, country-punk, and electronic pop with Diehard, GunFight!, Life Size Maps (bottom picture), and Magic Man (Boston), all organized by Showpaper, BirdDog Promo and the Babyscasltes collective. Read a Time Out article about the place here.

HOOL has played in office parking garages, shipping containers, hospital rooms, industrial lofts, haylofts, storm drains, in the quiet canyons of California, under the autumn leaves of western New York, and on sheep farms in the green heart of Holland. This Sunday December 19, they play in the abandoned convent of St. Cecilia in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Doors at 7p, Walker Lukens opens at 8p, and HOOL starts at 9p. 21 Monitor Street, Brooklyn. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Grails, the long running out-rock quartet from Portland, OR, will release their long anticipated 5th album, Deep Politics, on Temporary Residence Limited March 8th, 2011. The eight song set was conceived during the band’s longest-ever gestation period between albums, a fact immediately reflected in the increased compositional depth, intensified use of fetishistic cut-and-paste production techniques (akin to those employed by RZA and MF Doom), and the striking inclusion of lush string arrangements (courtesy of acclaimed composer Timba Harris). Broadening their already staggering aesthetic palette, the new album bares the indelible stamp of 70’s Italian film scores and obscure occult/fringe library music, cultivating an immersive environment that inspires both an eternal sense of longing and an impending sense of dread.

On Sunday, December 19, NYC’s Pianos will be filled with holiday cheer and the rock ‘n roll spirit of four of New York’s top alt rock bands, during a show organized by The Deli’s pwn rocking grrrl/writer Meijin. Heating up the LES venue with their small-band, big-sound, sultry rock is the mighty duo, The Courtesy Tier. Blackbells take the stage and continue to ring in the rock with their psychedelic, retro-vibes, and Apollo Run will stun with heartwarming harmonies and dramatic dynamics. Social Hero (pictured) tops off the evening with heavier riffs and wild stage antics. The show is sure to be a highlight of the winter and a perfect way to close 2010. Doors are at 8pm; show is 21+ and $10.

Our readers interested in folky, loving music might be already familiar with Family of the Year, a Silver Lake, LA based band that’s been getting quite a lot of buzz recently. With the help of social event planners The Society the band just shot this 100% live acoustic video at a party in LA, and will be playing in town again on January 31 at The Bootleg Theater.

Elizabeth and the Catapult are back with their charmin rootsy pop and a video on the lines of the Beauty and the (sad grey little) Beast. You can see them live at Music Hall of Williamsburg on 01.15.

Doveman is one of the artists who best incarnates the Deli-invented genre of "Mellow Core" – see our Top 300 mellow Core chart here. His songs are too slow and moody to be affiliated with the simple "Pop" genre, but too sophisticatedly poppy to be categorized under the "Singer Songrwriter" label. One thing is out of doubt though, they are mellow – very mellow for that matter, but with an edge. Now, isn’t "core" a word that has come to express some kind of edge? There you go then, Mellow Core! (Way better than Soft-Core that kinda porny…). The bird man is actually in very good company in the Mellow Core NYC "niche" – featuring other incredibly talented artists we love like Lia Ices, Chris Garneau, Dark Dark Dark, and Twin Sister.
Doveman just announced that he will be taking part to "The Burgundy Stain Sessions" at Le Poisson Rouge, a monthly series of collaborative concerts featuring Doveman and friends. These shows will be a forum for the artist and his friends to try out new material, showcase new bands, explore new collaborations, and drink. Each month there will be a different set of guests (although there will be plenty of repeat performers) a completely new show, and as the series goes on, expect to see not just other musicians, but writers, filmmakers, visual artists and more.

P.S. By the way, while I was writing this blurb for some reason I ended up Googling "Mellow Core" to discover that… Reverb Nation now has it among their genres!!! Not only, there is a website called "mellowcore.com"; a band on PureVolume.com says that "they helped pioneer the latest musical genre, Mellow Core" – say what? There’s even a band called "Mellow Core" – although they say they are a mellow punk band – that’s no "mellow core" according to the inventors of the genre, punks!

We stumbled upon this NYC trio Invisible Days this morning and… welikey! The group (formerly known as Beloved Rogue) just released this new single titled "Solitary Time" on Toilet Records. Recorded in Brooklyn at 282 North Henry Studios and co-produced by David Dill, Solitary Time marks the first release by the Brooklyn band since their debut EP Paularora. Solitary Time is a moody, psych rock mid tempo gem featuring interesting guitar sonic texture involving a heavy use of delay, and a beautiful haunting vocal melody. Think something between Rain Parade or any of the mellower Paisley Underground bands of the psych rock renaissaince of the 80s. The 3 songs on their previously released EP showcase a heavier shoegazer influence. Check them out at Glasslands on 01.12.

The Silver Liners of D.C. have just released a great new self-titled EP.  They currently have one song, "Runnin’ Through My Head" avaiable as a free download here!  Expect tracks full of well-produced pop-rock hooks that might be the only thing that can possibly get the most annoying of the Christmas songs out of your head this holiday.  If you’re in New York City celebrating the New Year, stick around and check the band out at Union Hall in Brooklyn on January 9.  If not, then stay tuned to The Deli for more show updates in 2011!  (There’s a rumor about a Black Cat show in January…) – Jarrett

The Silver Liners – Just Like The Rest from The Silver Liners on Vimeo.

Deli-rious readership,

We gave bands a week to apply for free to our Year End Best of NYC 2010 Poll, but submissions aren’t closed – we are now still accepting them until 12.31 HERE, through SonicBids, with a $5 submission fee. It’s the first time we charge musicians for anything, but these polls take so much of our time that we needed to find a way to offset some of the personal effort we put in them, we hope you understand.

The Deli’s Polls’ mission is to highlight the best local bands that emerged in 2010 in the 10 scenes we cover – the full list of cities we cover can be found here.

Our polling system (based on the votes of a local jury of scene makers and partially on our readers vote) has rewarded in the past artists like Local Natives, Yeasayer, Girls, Chairlift, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Freelance Whales, Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian (among others) before they hit it big.

The summary of last year’s polls (each city’s top 3 + readers poll winner) can be found here. A full explanation of the polling system can be found here.

We hope you’ll submit your music, because the more bands submit, the more accurate our poll is – we will consider any band!

Good luck, and… we swear that we will listen to your music!

The Deli’s Staff

David Byrne’s label Luaka Bop had a very good 2010, with the raise to semi-stardom of their signees Javelin, and the end of year "buzzification" of Delicate Steve. The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! is the third NYC based band recently signed by the ex Talking Head, which promises to have an interesting 2011, when they are scheduled to release their sophomore album. This collective of musicians shares with Javelin and Steve a similar DIY attitude, but has a scruffier, "post-punk-ier" approach to music, alternatively reminiscent of a drunk, chanting version of Animal Collective and The Pogues stripped of their Irish music influences. Their shows are like a big party, so if you are looking for a fun night, head to Silent Barn on December 18.