During my coverage of the CMJ Music Marathon 2014, I had the pleasure of being introduced to this Toot Sweet‘s (extremely fun) groove-tunes in a live setting; the band caught me completely off-guard. Their music oscillates seamlessly between the lighthearted and carefree, pained romanticism and everything in between, all with the nostalgic tone of an age lost to most modern culture, but with a euphoric freshness that instills new relevance and desire for such original songwriting. I had a chance to reach out to the band’s front lady Mary Spencer Knapp, to ask a few questions about her band, her influences, and her accordion. It seems rare that a modern day band beckons the sound and feel of such a distant and specific place and time, that it makes you question age or origin. Or at least when done as well as NYC’s Toot Sweet, who play a mean funk-infused cabaret style of pop, quite the drastic change from the 90’s revival everybody’s been talking about.

LINKS: Read JP Basileo’s interview with Toot Sweet
UPCOMING SHOWS: Live at The Gutter on Friday 01.23 with Ghostpal, the Brooklyn What, Goodman, NoPop & Awkwarium.

Here are more results from the NYC Open Submissions for The Deli’s Best of NYC Year End Poll for emerging artists. We are tackling now the entries in the REVIVAL ROCK/GARAGE ROCK category, genres that have seen a resurgence in NYC in the last few years.

Total submissions in this category: 23

Jurors: QD Tran (The Deli Philly), Jordannah Elizabeth (The Deli SF), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.25):

1. Winstons – 7.33 (7.33 out of 10)

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2. Jeremy & the Harlequins (7)

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Honorable Mentions (score above 6.25):

WYLDLIFE, Whiskey Bitches, The Teen Age, The Bottom Dollars, Jane Lee Hooker, Carbon Mirage.

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More results coming soon, we are getting there!

The Deli’s Staff

Since the turn of the millennium, Surf Rock has been a crucial influence on the sound of the NYC scene, and two Brooklyn residents (via Chicago and Melbourne) decided to celebrate this genre, in a paradoxical way, directly in their band’s name: Surf Rock is Dead only has one track available for streaming, but there’s no need to wait more than a few seconds to realize that they don’t really mean what they… call themselves. With an approach that’s way more pop than rock, the duo follows in the footsteps of sunnily melodic acts like The Drums, although with a more melancholic tinge to their sound – at least in this one song. Surf Rock is Dead landed a January residency at Pianos, the next show will be on Januray 22.

On Martin Luther King Jr.’s day it seems more than appropriate to publish the Open Submissions results of a category dominated by African American and Jamaican musicians, i.e. the HIP HOP + OTHER category (where "other stands mostly for R’n’B, Reggae, and Afrobeat. These are genres that are getting more and more space in The Deli, also because NYC’s Hip Hop, after a few years of "stagnation" seems to be going through some sort of reinassance.

Total submissions in this category: 11

Jurors: Travis Leipzig (The Deli Portland), Michelle Bacon (The Deli KC), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.20):

1. Morning Sun + The Essentials (Reggae) – 8

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2. Mike Wilson (Hip Hop) – 7.75

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Honorable Mentions (score above 7):

George Grant and The Mighty Templars, Ajo, Reggie Mills, Justin Morelli.

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More results on their way.

The Deli’s Staff

In just about one year, Brooklyn based synth pop trio Prinze George has been churning out a series of singles that have been gathering a lot of attention through the internet, before the band had a national touring presence or an official release (soundcloud seems particularly effective in promoting electronic singles, also thanks to the sharing algorhythms concocted by sites like hypem.com). In 2014, single Victor went on to gather half a million plays, while other most recent tracks didn’t do too shabbily either, with around 100k plays each. Our favorite song is mid tempo electronic ballad "Make Me" (streaming below), which beautifully blends space soul-pop with very light ragga influences, in a way reminiscent of a more gentle (and Caucasian) Santigold. Check out also brand new single Upswing, and see the band live at Mercury on February 10.

We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Mellow Pop songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

In 2010, NYC composer Adam Levine’s chamber pop brainchild Mappa Mundi released a charming six track EP (we used to call anything above four tracks "mini-albums" until a few years ago) featuring gentle songs ripe with Americana influences. After five years (spent, we guess, writing new songs and then making sense of the overwhelming number of tracks a sextet can record for each song) the project is finally releasing a sophomore EP/mini-album entitled "At Sea," – another six track effort (lucky number?). Judging from opening track and single "So Obscure" (streaming here) the band has developed the sound in more luscious ways, refining their orchestral sound in a way that perfectly complement Levine’s intense and impassioned lirycs. The release of "At Sea" will be celebrated at Rockwood Music Hall on January 24.

It’s time to reach for the hidden pocket and pull out the doping substance of choice, folks! Here are the results of our Best of NYC Poll’s Open Submissions for the PSYCH ROCK/DREAM POP category, which this year also incorporates the more experimental of rock subgenres, the one we call "Avant Indie".

Total submissions in this category: 20

Jurors: Juan Rodriguez (The Deli LA), Travis Leipzig (The Deli Portland), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.20):

1. Howard (8.16 out of 10)

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2. KDH (8)

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3. ONWE (7.6)

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Honorable Mentions (score above 7):

Invisible Days, Hani Zahra, Gospels, Dead Leaf Echo, Zuli, Throw Vision, Monogold, Ruby My Dear.

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More results on their way, enjoy these high sounds!

The Deli’s Staff

Brooklyn power trio Wild Pink just released their debut EP "2 song" (a not very "E" EP, since the original meaning of the acronym is "Extended Play") featuring two rather angular and bony power pop tracks in part reminiscent of that well of dark songwriting ideas that is Robert Pollard’s Guided By Voices. The band has a series of shows scheduled in the immediate future, the first one at Pianos on January 22 within a three week residency.

In 2012, with debut EP "Pet the Ghost," followed suit by full album "Perfect Trip," Brooklyn quartet Darlings kind of anticipated the 90’s slacker rock revival that hit NYC a few years later. We say kind of because these guys’ slacking feels moderate compared to – say – early Total Slacker, another, obviously self aware, pioneer of that same revival. The name itself betrays Darlings don’t really slack to a fault, and the new album "Feel Better" fully confirms this identity. Their songs proceed lethargically from hook to hook, without ever raising the voice or the tension level, obviously also influenced by Brooklyn’s own chill pop wave, which after all – now that we think about it – could very well be slacker rock’s cleaner, dreamier (and cuter) sister. What’s remarkable though about Darlings, is that these guys never really let you down: all the songs in "Feel Better" are equally enjoyable, which is a rare treat. NYC fans of the genre have an opportunity to get familiar with them when they celebrate the album’s release at Baby’s All Right on January 21.

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli’s Best of SF Bay Area Year End Poll for Emerging Artists. We had a record number of submissions from SF this year – 94! – thanks so much for the overwhelming response!

After tallying our editors’ ratings for the Open Submissions stage, it’s time to release the results. Please note that to avoid conflicts no local editor was allowed to vote for bands in their own scene.

Total submissions from SF Bay Area: 94

Jurors: Jurors: QD Tran (The Deli Philly), Jason Behrends (The Deli Chicago), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll:

1. Summer Peaks – (Indie Pop) – 8 (out of 10)

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2. Miss March – (Alt Folk) – 7.83

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3. Goodnight, Texas – (Americana) – 7.33

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3. Luke Sweeney – (Indie Pop) – 7.33

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5. Builders – 7

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5. Jet Trash – 7

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5. Lemme Adams – 7

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5. Royal Jelly Jive – 7

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5. Meet Me in Orbit – 7

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Honorable Mentions (scores above 6.5)

The Galloping Sea, Rich Girls, Goose Ignite, Tremor Low, Wild Imaginaries, We Became Owls, The Union Trade, New Spell, Mammoth Life, Be Calm Honcho, French Girls, Feather-Bright, Cookie Tongue, The Treacherous French, One Hundred Percent.

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WHAT’S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. We have already unveiled full list of nominees that also includes the artists nominated by our local jurors (see left column here). It’s now time for our readers to influence this Year End Poll for Emerging SF Bay Area Artists with their vote – look out for th readers’ poll on the right column of this same page!

The Deli SF

We continue in our quest to highlight the best emerging NYC artists (i.e. The Deli’s Best of NYC 2014 Poll) with the publication of the winners of the Open Submission results for the FOLK/AMERICANA category – see here for links to the other results organized by city and genre.

Things get really tricky when ranking artists who play roots music, because the average level of musicianship in these genres (as opposed to – say – garage rock) is truly noteworthy. We tried to reward artists with a personal voice and solid fundamentals, even though we’ll admit that many of the bands in this list should have submitted to the "Alt Folk" category – whose results we haven’t published yet.

Total submissions in this category: 20

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.20):

1. Cricket Tell the Weather – 8 (out of 10)

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2. Jason Howell – 7.66

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Honorable Mentions (score above 7)

Lunifred Benjamin, Maynard and the Musties, Lorraine Leckie and her Demons, Bill Scorzari, Ocean Music, Joe Marson, The Hunting Party.

More results on their way, enjoy this rootsiness and check back for more new music from the Big Apple.

The Deli’s Staff

 

With the just recently released singles “Shine” and "Wait" (streaming) under their belt, New Jersey rockers, Wyland, are slowly finding their voice and audience in the NYC and NJ scene (that’s where they live) – and beyond. Their sound – an intense and tasteful melodic rock with rootsy elements – will resonate with the most endearing Lumineer fan. Their upcoming album, “You’re in the World, Get Off Your Feet”, which is due out in February, is a self-produced, intimate glimpse of the hard working band, which includes emotional lyrical content that might make Chris Martin shed a tear. Wyland will be playing Leftfield on the Lower East Side on January 24 and will have a featured spot on Jansport’s Culture Collide Battle of the Bands at this year’s SXSW. – Robert Frezza