Despite my aversion to driving, pollution, and traffic inherent to owning a car, New York rhythm-and-blues quartet the Jay Vons create music that makes me wish I had a set of wheels of my own. Their recently release LP The Word is immediately evocative of yesteryear’s Mo-Town sound, a grooving collection of songs that would perfectly soundtrack a Sunday drive on the BQE. From the record’s opening organ, to the horn-hits on misty-eyed love song “Changing Seasons,” to the spring box percussive churn of “Keep On Moving,” the Jay Vons bring the heat, laying down soulful call-and-response vocals and solid gold brass lines amidst warmly vintage guitar tones. And despite the band being beholden to the tropes of classic RnB, The Word never feels kitschy or forced, resonating instead as a contemporary take on an old-yet-still-kicking musical tradition, a record that excels with many of the instruments and sonic textures listeners are are already well acquainted with. Listen below, and catch the band at Union Pool on December 1st, alongside Holy Hive and Masino. —Connor Beckett McInerney

Rock revival rascals Mail the Horse have no problem acknowledging their classic roots while simultaneously thumbing their noses at the past. The band’s forthcoming self-titled record is explicitly influenced by Sticky Fingers-era Rolling Stones, but rather than embrace the youthful hedonism seemingly inherent to rock and roll, the New York quintet flip the script, both lyrically and instrumentally. Many of the songs off their upcoming self-titled effort explore maturity and self-reflection (as the band nears its decade in existence), with single “Gimme Gimme” starting off on a “Gloria” by Van Morrison romp before turning relaxed and introspective; driving riffs take a backseat to psychedelic, meandering strums midway through the track, imploring a moment of peace before diving headfirst back into the cacophony. Get amped (responsibly) when the album drops tomorrow, and during the 24 hour lead-up, stream "Gimme Gimme" below; plus, be sure to Mail the Horse later this year at The Saint in Asbury Park on December 15th. Photo by Shervin Lainez

Dear Deli Philly Readers,

I’m a procrastinator by nature, and this is certainly a post that I’ve been procrastinating to write. When I first became involved with the Philly music community, I started with booking shows at various spaces and for local area acts. I remember coming out to a show in Brooklyn to support one of the local bands that I was helping out, and I was really interested in figuring out how I could connect similar-minded, up-and-coming NYC acts with the lesser known yet talented Philly artists that I was assisting. During that time, if you had heard of a touring act coming to your town, they were usually already a little too popular to really want to trade shows with any acts that they didn’t know personally and/or probably had never heard of. That was when I just happened to come across a print issue of the NYC Deli Magazine in a coffee shop. (I still probably have that copy somewhere because I’m a borderline hoarder.) It was exactly what I was looking for – a publication that was dedicated to giving exposure to interesting-sounding, indie/DIY acts that were still flying under the radar of the larger music blogs and news organizations.

I was instantly a fan of what The Deli was doing, so when I read that they were opening a Philadelphia branch, I was psyched to get involved. I have always been a bit of a music geek who spent way too much of his time listening to and discovering new music to make mixtapes, burn CD mixes, and create playlists for my friends. The Deli Philly just felt like a natural extension of what I had been doing most of my life. However, when I submitted my first post, I never imagined that I would be writing my final one over a decade later, which will unfortunately also be The Deli Philly’s last as well.

Running the Philadelphia site and helping to edit the NYC print magazine have truly been a joy to me and a labor of love, but as some of you may or may not know, I recently became a father, and I’ve been simply finding myself lately more interested in jamming on a toy cat synthesizer with my daughter and deejaying private dance parties for her than practically anything else in the world. So deciding to move on from what has been such an essential part of my life for over the last ten years or so was definitely a difficult decision, but it also became a much easier one. It just felt right.

I’d like to take this time to thank all those who have supported us over the years and those who have inspired us with your music, words, photos/graphics, and always much-appreciated kindness. Of course, extra special thanks go out to Deli Editor-in-Chief Paolo De Gregorio for his passion and genuine good nature, Michael Colavita, whom The Deli Philly could have never survived without for the last few years, Tedd Hazard for his creativity and humor, and all the wonderful writers and photographers who have contributed to The Deli Philly site. It’s been an honor to share your words and art. And finally, for those who might still be interested in what I’ve been listening to of late, you will soon be able to find interviews with some of my favorite musicians over at Delicious Audio. (That is after I take a much-needed vacation.)

Much Love to All,

Q.D. Tran

Party Muscles recently released their debut full-length album, Does It Even Matter. Crisp, melodic tunes stretch out exemplifying white-hot, guitar work, without losing touch with the groove. Uptempo with an energetic yet composed manner, the quartet flexes its charming, retro, songwriting skills. You can join the party this Thursday, August 15, at Ortlieb’s, where they'll be throwing down with BYRH and Night Windows.

Brooklyn native group Floam laces its sober basslines and guitar solos with a heavy dose of flair to create, as the group call it, “bouncy rock music” which betrays influences from bands like Talking Heads and Devo, with a touch of Roxy Music’s glam. The group’s 2017 EP Cocoon lays bare the quartet’s tensile style as it effortlessly transitions from upbeat songs like “Just A Cool Breeze” to more ambient tracks like “In A Field.” The band controls its sound efforlessly, honing vintage art rock influences with ease while remaining true to their own style. Check out the music video for the band's latest single "Hopes and Dreams" here below. - Rene Cobar