2013 was a year crowded with local talent. We are excited to begin announcing the results of our massive year end poll. Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word and give bands a chance to have their music heard by critics all over the country. After tallying the votes for the Open Submissions stage of our Los Angeles Year End Poll, it’s time to release the results.

Please note that no editor was allowed to vote for bands in their own scene. The editors that voted on the LA scene were: Q.D. Tran (Deli Philadelphia), Brescia (Deli NYC Contributor) and Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC, Editor-In-Chief). In the coming weeks we will release the list of nominees chosen by our local "scene expert" jurors and it will be up to you to pick your favorite Emerging LA Artist of 2013.

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll with a ranking above 6.5:

1. So Many Wizards (Dream Pop) – 7.8

2. The Futures League (Garage Rock) – 7.6

3. May McDonough & Company (Psych/Pop) – 7.3

4. Mina Knock (Hip Hop) – 7.2

5. FMLYBND (Electro Pop) – 7

6. Playthings (Electronic) – 6.6

Honorable Mentions (ranked above 6.25):

Babe Parade (Indie Pop) – 6.5

Micah Brown (Folk) – 6.5

Octopus Mask (Surf Rock) – 6.5

The Blank Tapes (Garage Rock) – 6.5
Mind The Gap (Electronic Rock) – 6.5
steffaloo (Dream Pop) – 6.5
Strangeheart (Electro Pop) – 6.5
Heaps N Heaps (Indie Folk Pop) – 6.3
Heathers (Alt Pop) – 6.3

Total submissions from the LA Scene: 79

WHAT’S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. In the next few days we’ll unveil the artists nominated by our local jurors made up of venue promoters and other scene experts, and we’ll let our readers and writers influence the poll with their vote.

Thanks to all the acts who submitted to us. Our open submissions pool was truly a celebration of the diversity and richness of LA’s talent. Keep creating, keep supporting and stay tuned for your chance to vote!

The Deli Staff

For the second year in a row, our national team of editors agree that So Many Wizards is deserving of your attention and accolades. 2013 was a busy year for the quartet, playing shows all over the region, opening for Fool’s Gold, and since we last spoke, they even underwent lineup changes. Proving this is no hindrance to their unquestionable talent and ability to produce inventive pop creations, So Many Wizards released the Night Chills/Daydream 7" in November on lollipop records. The infusion of brit pop energy with their tried and true reverb-drenched guitar-driven dreaminess shows signs of unstoppable maturity. There’s a slacker’s ennui that drives the usually poetic introspection giving their sound a fresh new vibe. Like a quiet storm, they keep building – year after year, solid release after solid release. So Many Wizards play the Dirty Laundry TV Cassette Release Show on January 10 at The Satellite.

2013 was a banner year for the garage rock outfit The Futures League, seeing them headline KCRW’s School Night, touring Europe, and rounding out the year with a Residency at The Constellation Room. Promises of an album loom into the new year, but in the meantime, they’ve shared three singles on ‘The 10 Inch’ released in October. An old school blues rock quality punches you in the face leading into purely psych rock jam moments on "Give My Loving A Try," the true standout in this trio. These tunes are reminiscent of early Black Keys, with that fat analog warmth, lush with down and dirty guitar riffs, subtle harmonies, and an impossible catchiness. Oh, and don’t miss out on the guitar call and response breakdown in "Too Many Lies," while you’re streaming from their bandcamp.

Three may be a crowd, or it may be good company, but it’s also the number of singles released by May McDonough & Company throughout 2013 in anticipation of their upcoming full length ‘bullyboywithaglasseye.’ Theirs is an enticing mix of pure psychedelia and 60s girl group pop. The group has an intensely experimental side, but manage to keep things tight and succinct whilst exploring all their groovy ideas. "Mannequin" displays the ever-present contrast between dark and light that broods underneath the sparkling pop elements in their songs, creating dense textures. There’s a playfulness that hints at rebellious danger, that keeps what could become repetitiously dour, light and fun. With each new single, there are new soundscapes and something new for the ears in every change-up.