Last night's birthday bash for Dirty Laundry TV's Michael Grodner was pretty epic, confimed by The Deli's guest photographer David Foley. Read his first-hand account of the performances at Harvard & Stone and find more pictures on @TheDeliLA!

"Deep Fields felt like an electronic river of synth leading to a waterfall of whammy bar. You could tell the band members were enjoying being on stage together, and this translated into an uplifting wall of sound.

Colleen Green was like strawberry bubblegum, but with a bite. She had a very laid-back yet punkish vibe.

The Abigails were like raw molasses: down home rockabillies singing about love and death. Their lead singer was super expressive and entertaining, and I can't remember a song that didn't have a guitar solo."

Boasting two stages and over 20 bands, the First Annual What Cheer? Festival is kicking off the season of outdoor jubilance in style. The Deli LA is proud to be sponsoring the event along with Burger Records, Rollo & Grady, Lo-Pie, Comune, Bandwidth Mondo, underStory, and LA Phun. An inspiring effort to showcase an immense amount of local talent, the line-up is a solid collection of psych, garage, surf, folk, and indie rock. Quite a few of our past poll winners, and even Best of 2012 runners-up, The Vim Dicta, will be gracing the stages, including Cotillon, and Criminal Hygiene. Tickets are on sale now, and won’t be available at the door. For only $10 you better get them while you can. While you’re at it, spend some time perusing the line-up on the flier, and give a listen to one of the headliners, The Abigails - streaming below. - Jacqueline Caruso

Harvard & Stone will be serving up a super-sized menu this January. It’s fitting for a month with five Tuesdays; each one carefully curated to feature some of the best local bands in the lo-fi, garage, surf and punk oeuvres. The headliner for each night will be newbies, Cotillon, who have very recently released their first EP, Votive Flower. A potpourri, if you will, of delicate pop melodies straight from the heart, poured out over gritty guitar riffs, and an almost early Beatles-esque frenzy. The heartbroken longings of frontman, Jordan Corso, are tinged with the kind of teenage angst fit for the soundtrack of a John Hughes movie. They will be joined by acts such as Colleen Green, The Abigails, Dirt Dress, Cosmonauts, and Criminal Hygeine, with DJ sets from the likes of Este Haim. Check out the facebook invite for all the specifics - and if you’re looking for an extra incentive, each night is Free. That’s right, everyone’s favorite price. - Jacqueline Caruso