Lower East Side's Mercury Lounge is an important venue for emerging NYC bands, because it represents a trampoline towards other more prestigious Bowery Presents live show "opportunities." Sell it out, and it may unlock Rough Trade's stage a couple of months later (ask Lewis Del Mar about it, he ALSO sold out the W'burg venue this past Tuesday, by the way). On the flip side, if your band's draw is poor or unsatisfying, you may have a hard time getting booked there again. So... those are the rules of the game, and four super talented emerging NYC artists will face those odds on December 10, in a 100% local bill, something of a rarity at Mercury. We covered in this blog several times alt folksters Big Thief, soulful songwriter Nick Hakim, and orchestral pop quintet Pavo Pavo. We never covered Sam Evian (pictured), the new solo project of Sam Owen of Celesital Shore, but that very band graced the cover of our mag a couple of issues ago. The material we have access to for his solo project (limited to the song "Cherry Tree," streaming below) explores a ballad sound that, flirting with pop, blues and psychedelia at once, is reminiscent of that intense masterpiece that is The Beatles' "Abbey Road." Don't miss this show, great opportunity to catch four great emerging locals in one night.

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

Singer-songwriter Nick Hakim's sophomore EP "Where Will We Go Pt.2" (released on his own label Earseed Records) is a carefully crafted nod to the soul kings – Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix and Al Green. The 23-year-old says he formed his sound while studying at Berklee College of Music. "Lift Me Up" is a perfect example, with a melodic core expressed by Hakim's hauntingly beautiful vocals, sparse keys and honest lyrics.

LINKS: Read Brescia Mascheretti's interview with Nick Hakim.

Brooklynite (via DC) Nick Hakim just ended an August residency at Baby’s All Right in support of his debut EP “Where Will We Go, Pt. 1.” The stunning collection hit New Yorkers hard, impressing local music fans with its heartbreaking sultriness and genuine soul. While the tracks are indisputably melancholic, they don’t drag - and this is a balance that is often hard to perfect. The fact that single'I Don't Know' (streaming) was included in a NPR playlist called '10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing' is certainly helping build the hype. Though the release was unveiled last month at the peak of summer, we have no doubt it will be the soundtrack for many this upcoming fall. As this particular release is deemed “Pt. 1,” we’re excited (and a bit impatient!) to see what Hakim has in store for Pt. 2. - Jillian Dooley

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