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

Back in 2012, Brooklyn folk-rock band Mail the Horse released the album “Great Kills,” which featured the slow-burning, piano-laden single “Dirty Blood.” Tonight at The Knitting Factory, the five-piece will release a new full-length, “Planet Gates.” Comprising such tracks as “Wasted Sex” and “Holy Motel Magic” (streaming below), the former a bluesy rollick reminiscent of The Rolling Stones’ “Moonlight Mile” and the latter a keys-spiked rocker, the new release appears lovingly referential and purely thrilling. Mail the Horse will play at The Knitting Factory tonight (6.24). Deli favorite Brooklyn dwellers Rivergazer and Yellowbirds’ Sam Cohen will perform, too. – Zach Weg

We added this song to The Deli's playlist of Best rootsy songs by emerging NYC artists - check it out!

From June 5 to June 8, The Thing in the Spring will return to Peterborough, NH, bringing with it names like Fat History Month, Mail the Horse and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. Tickets for the first three shows of the weekend can be purchased for $10 each, with the final two shows fetching $15 per ticket – but you can save a few bucks by scoring a weekend pass for $50. In addition to putting on these shows, the Glass Museum (a non-profit based in Peterborough) will also present Broke: The Affordable Arts Fair on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you’ve never been to Peterborough, this is the weekend to visit. For more information, visit The Thing in the Spring's website. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

This is the category gathering NYC based bands who play roots music in all its traditional glory. Or at least that's what we intended it to be - a couple of bands in the list (namely, Sewing Machines and The Balboans) obviously mis-categorized themselves when submitting for this poll...

Total Submissions in this category: 23

Artists Qualified to the Poll's Next Stage (starting soon):

1. Swear and Shake - 8.16 (out of 10)
2. The Ludlow Thieves - 7.66
3. The Courtesy Tier - 7.5

Honorable Mentions (score above 7):

Sewing Machines, The Balboans, Ten Ton Man, Runaway Dorothy, Zak Smith, Mail the Horse, Alana Amram & the Rough Gems, Kayleigh Goldsworthy, David King + The Confirmed Bachelors, Elijah Ocean, This Old Ghost, Thomas Bryan Eaton.

Jurors: Ben Toledo (Deli Portland), Jacqueline Caruso (Deli LA), QD Tran (Deli Philly)

The Deli' Staff

Part folk, part indie, and part just about everything else, Brooklyn-based band Mail the Horse achieves a melodic blend of throwback rock and charged-up, soulful fervor. The band was formed by college friends in New Hampshire in 2012, later moving to New York to piece together material and work on recordings. Mail the Horse has had several multi-track releases in their relatively short time as a band, with September’s full-length album “Great Kills” being their most recent effort. The album plays like an awakening into adulthood, and has the sonic range of a band like Wilco as sung by Beck. Mail the Horse will perform a New Year’s Eve show at Mercury Lounge alongside Felice Brothers and Yellowbirds. - Devon Antonetti