Deli Nation,

Our most faithful readers know that January, here at The Deli, is the month of our Year End Polls for Emerging Artists, a painstaking survey we run in each of our local branches to identify all the most promising musical acts across all genres (last year’s result can be found here).

To give this poll more credibility, a good portion of the nominees are picked by a jury of local scene-makers (mostly comprised of venue booking agents) who get to nominate their three favorite local artists of the past year. But to involve all possible artists – even the most unknown, in December we had an open submission form that allowed any act to submit to the poll. These entries were ranked by The Deli’s own branch editors, and this is what this post is about.

Since we always get hundreds of submissions for the NYC year end poll, we organize the open submission results by genre, and this year we’ll start with the ALT ROCK/POWER POP category, two genres that share a rather muscular guitar based sound.

As always, we wish we could let more artists through to the next stage, but unfortunately we have to put a limit to the bands that qualify (we already have too many!). Here we go then: 

ALT ROCK/POWER POP 
Total submissions in this category: 37

Jurors: Michelle Bacon (Deli KC), Roxy Morrison (Deli Toronto) Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC).

Artists Qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.15):

1. STRNGRS – 8.33

2. Sons of an Illustrious Father – 8

3. Late Cambrian – 7.83

Honorable Mentions (scores above 6.5) in order of high score:
j and the 9s, Millsted, Courtesy Tier, Kung Fu Crimewave, Sunny Gang, Sepoy, The Freaky Baby Daddies, Kevin McWha Steele, Mind Over Time, Eli Whitney & The Sound Machine, The Como Brothers Band, Mals Totem, Saturday Drive.

Stay tuned for more results, and then for the final poll – this is just the beginning of a month long process!

The Deli’s Saff

New Jersey’s math-pop outfit Owel will be playing Highline Ballroom this coming Wednesday (01/07) and even though their lyrics may remind you of an emo revival, their music makes us think of Sigur Ros meeting Snow Patrol at a NYC party and having a 3-way with Radiohead – which also happened to be there by lucky coincidence (what a party!). Their distinct, lush melodies can be found on the band’s self-titled LP released back in 2013. Their smorgasbord of instruments includes cello, violin, and guitars. The band’s soft classical sound recreates an ambiance and glow that follows the blueprint of ambient influenced music in the current post emo-rock soundscape. – Robert Frezza

If it’s true that finding your own voice is crucial whatever music you play, however it’s particularly important for singer songwriters, since they can’t rely on band mates to help them forge an interesting sound. NYC Jonah Delso‘s "own voice" has something to do with his simple but never banal melodies, but also with his actual voice: his semi-whispered alto carves gentle lines within a clean, mid tempo pop format that ranges from moments slightly reminiscent of a less psychedelic and more melancholic Mac DeMarco (like the streaming "Way Out"), to folkier numbers like single "Here We Go." You can catch him live at Rockwood Music Hall on February 25.

This artist submitted his music for coverage here.

Our regular readers may have noticed that we like to highlight residencies played by local artists in local venues, but admittedly we entirely missed Bonsai‘s November one at Pete Candy’s Store – admittedly, we weren’t aware that the lovely east Williamsburg venue actually had residencies! Well, not only they have them, but they also pick good artists for them, since Bonsai’s music is an absolute delight. Their self titled debut EP is a delicate and dreamy alt folk gem. Opener "Bonsai Trees" – the most accomplished track on the record, streaming below – shows the trio’s interest in revisiting traditional American music in new ways, employing intriguing percussive textures, inventive and appropriate guitar parts, and a production that’s edgy without being over the top. Of course, all this wouldn’t do much if Simone Stevens’ vocals and melodies weren’t spot on, confident and compelling. The magic continues with "When it Rains," a more subdued track floating in oozes of reverb and supported by what sounds like an acoustic guitar two-note sample loop. Atmospheric ballad "I fashion you are a dreamer" turns up the melancholy big time with a verse as intense as it gets, only to deliver one of those powerfully uplifting choruses that – unless you are fully corrupted by life – can touch you in deep ways. Upbeat pop number "I Like You Man" and final folky song "Messed Up" fill up the record competently, but without reaching the heights of the first three tracks. This is a small, beautiful record with the power to awaken emotions and make people closer, i.e. exactly what the doctor orders every time a new year begins.

This band submitted their music for coverage here.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best mellow songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!

Will we ever grow tired of artists inspired by British dream pop legends The Cocteau Twins? We doubt it. Here’s a brand new NYC band that quite unapologetically brushes up the ethereal sound and vocal stylings of Elizabeth Fraser and company: they are called Arc Waves, and their debut self titled EP came out in September 2014. They’ve been playing shows at Pianos and Bowery Electric.

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

If the golden rule of pop is based on a balance of tension and release, then this genre is entirely absent from the repertoire of Brooklyn based power trio Young Runner, which is built upon a foundation of "tension and EVEN MORE tension." You can gather that from single "Wet Cement" (streaming), an unrelenting aural assault vaguely inspired to early grunge and industrial rock, but enriched with anthemic guitar riffs, that from an initial simple bass line alarmingly builds up towards the sonic peak of the chorus, featuring filtered vocals, frantic drums and rivers of distoreted guitars. The band released their self titled debut EP this summer and lately has been regularly playing at noise loving venues like Cake Shop and Don Pedro.

This band submitted their music for coverage here.

Besides having a truly beautiful voice, young NYC songwriter Lynette Williams also possesses the ability to blend beautifully soul, pop and jazz influences. Her debut EP "Songs For Sarah" is a surprising first effort, very mature musically and filled with quality tracks. We are enjoying in particular "What Am I Loving You For" (streaming here). Lovers of Soul Pop should go see her show at Bowery Electric on January 16.

This artist submitted their music for coverage here.

Klaus – a synth duo that will be able to tell their children (if any) that they played legendary Glasslands twice on the last month of its existence – brings back the sound of the darkest new wave of the ’80s, quoting the lugubrious atmospheres of Joy Division, but adorning them wth fluid analog synth orchestrations and sudden chorus openings. The band has actually been active for about three years, but they have been getting some buzz recently thanks to a series of electronic shows organized by Popgun, where they shared the stage with TR/ST, Beacon, and Eleven Pond among others. Check out this video for single "Chump," unveiled in 2013.

In LI/Manhattan folkster Johnnie Lee Jordan’s catchy new single, “Candy Mountain,” a simply-stated rhythm guitar overlaps and interweaves a driving drum part and spacy leads  The tune is a continuation of a rockabilly sound, rooted in a plethora of influences from the past, and uniquely foreign to his hometown. Reverb and slide-guitar sounds are introduced and overlapped throughout, culminating in a full band chorus, which acts as a climax of catchiness with an old-timey sweetness saying, “Kiss me and say that it’s for free.” I had the pleasure of catching his set (playing as Johnnie Lee Jordan and The Boys) during CMJ, and it was absolutely a highlight of the whole festival. Between their live show and this new single, Johnnie Lee Jordan is not to be missed! – JP Basileo

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

WNYC/NY Public Radio is The Deli NYC’s official radio station on distribution day – i.e. a quarterly event during which your truly and a helper spend the entire day in a van distributing our NYC magazine in all corners of the big apple. To thank them for providing awesome content during this tedious occurrence, we are going to help them promote their Battle of the Boroughs 2015, an event we feel particularly close to since it shares our publication’s mission: support emerging NYC bands and artists.  The organizers are now looking for emerging, NYC based musical performers, deadline is the end of the year, you can find more info about how to submit here.

The Julie Ruin, the new brain baby of now NYC based Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill notoriety), has a track featured on the IFC biopic about Hanna, entitled "THE PUNK SINGER." The song, “Blueberry Island” (streaming) a soft and soothing, tremolo heavy hymn, is quite a far cry from what Kathleen got us used to; she displays here a certain shift (maybe due to the passing of time?), exchanging agitated guitars and outraged shrieks, singing about feminist issues and social change, for much more understated keys and melancholy, yet confident singing and personal, introspective lyricism. THE PUNK SINGER debuted at the SXSW Film Festival last year, but its soundtrack, and an accompanying 7” of “Blueberry Island” has being released recently. – JP Basileo – Photo by Shervin Lainez

Queens-born MC Lex Rush gives new weight to the notion of “Femme Fatale.”  Having quickly risen through the ranks of the NYC battle-circuit, she is known for her strong stage presence, deft wordplay, and ability to quickly cut down her competition.  This Sunday Dec 28th, she celebrates the release of her new EP "Unbridled Enthusiasm," headlining an indie-rap tour-de-force featuring the polymath Mike Larry Draw, B.S., and DJ Rickman. Trash Bar in Williamsburg doesn’t usually cater to the rap crowd, so this Sunday night, show up and support the movement. 7pm, $7, open bar 8pm-9pm. – BrokeMc