Tommy Eisner (guitar/lead vocals) and Linda Beecroft (drums/backing vocals) continue to evolve their bluesy psych rock sound as Golden Animals, who is currently running for our Best of NYC 2013 Poll for Emerging Artists after taking second place in the Psych Rock/Dream Pop Open Submissions.

With three previous recordings already under their belt, their latest full-length “Hear Eye Go” was released this past fall on Reverberation Appreciation Society, the label imprint closely associated with Austin’s Psych Fest. “All Your Life” emphasizes a big vocal chorus countered with snake charmer descending guitar line verses. “Most My Time” successfully straddles the line between Iggy & The Stooges’ motor city blues and Jim Morrison’s early Doors output. The accompanying video weaves disquieting images of the duo alongside bizarre amusement park footage shot while on tour in Vienna last year. The band will soon be joining The Black Angels and Roky Erickson for a 20 plus date U.S. tour, pairing early psychedelic innovators with present day practitioners. – By Dave Cromwell

In the intimate setting of Rockwood Music Hall’s First Stage, NYC’s Earthquake Lights put on an precise and energetic performance of their melodic blues-rock last Saturday night. This band is all about balance of a fluid gentle style and hard-hitting blues riffs, and their live show is nothing short of deli-cious – we dug the alternating of mic and megaphone parts on the vocals. We really enjoyed this set, be sure to check them out next time they play. – Paul Jordan Talbot

If you feel that beach time music has been overwhelmed by an invasion of washy guitars and falsetto , then it’s time to look for alternatives to Beach House. While Modern Merchant runs miles with these trademarks, the quartet also allows room for strings, keys, and even a clarinet solo. And they do all this while keeping the tone light and breezy for their new EP ‘For The Fields.’ It’s a surprisingly broad and adventurous record, but it would still do you just as well if you’re more interested in getting some time laying on the hammock instead. Listen below and see them when play at Baby’s All Right, next Thursday, Jan 30th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Is it art pop or artful synth pop? Is it the soundtrack to a Korean noir thriller? Is it what heroine sounds like? Does The Weekend know he might have competition both in the video field as well as the aural? Brooklyn’s “The O,” comprised of virtuoso drummer Avishai Rosen and vocalist/producer Omer Schonberger, embrace their weird in a way that makes you feel better about exploring yours. In their new video for “OMG,” the beat drops at 2:48 causing the vibe to deepen and clenche it’s haunting teeth. As you explore the gnaw, it entrances you like shoes clunking around in a drier and in the end your bruises look like flowers and smell like fabric softener. – Broke MC

Deli Nation,

Our Year End Poll for Emerging Austin Artists was – as usual – a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process, but we pulled it of with remarkable flair! Kudos to Holiday Mountain for winning it!

First, we let the local bands submit their music (for free), and got our Deli editors to pick the nominees. Then we polled a list of 15+ Austin scene expert (our jury, list at the bottom) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each. Then we polled our writers, then we polled our readers. We tried to keep things open for each single genre, from Indie Rock to Roots Music to Hip Hop.

If you are a geek interested in all the subtelties related to how this poll works, you can read its rules here (happy reading!). But if all you care about is the awesome new music Austin produced in the year 2013, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

BEST OF 2013 POLL FOR EMERGING AUSTIN ARTISTS – FINAL RESULTS –

ARTIST J W R OS TOT   1 Holiday Mountain 8   0.023   8.023 2 Emily Wolfe 4   0.023 1.5 5.523 3 Latasha Lee 5   0.038   5.038 4 The Flesh Lights 5   0.001   5.001 5 Criminal Birds     2 3 5 6 Mighty Mountain 2 2 0.57   4.57 7 Leopold & His Fiction 3 1 0.003   4.003 8 Ssleeperhold 4   0.001   4.001 9 White Walls 3   1   4 10 Isaiah the Mosaic 2   1.5   3.5   Tele Novella 3   0.5   3.5 12 Wheeler Brothers 3   0.064   3.064 13 Borzoi 3   0.039   3.039 14  Ben Ballinger 3   0.035   3.035 15  Easy Cameron Folkcore 3   0.011   3.011 16 Simple Circuit 3   0.01   3.01 17 Soul Track Mind 3   0.009   3.009 18 Blue Bear 3   0.005   3.005 19 Not in the Face 3   0.004   3.004 20 A Giant Dog 3   0.003   3.003   SURVIVE 3   0.003   3.003 22 Brennen Leigh & Noel McKay 3   0.002   3.002   Eagle Claw 3   0.002   3.002   EQUALS 3   0.002   3.002   Gorgeous Hands 3   0.002   3.002 26 Cartright 3   0.001   3.001   Ruby Fray 3   0.001   3.001 28 Megafauna 2 1 0   3   Silk Rodeo 3   0   3   Wild Bill & the Lost Knobs 3   0   3   The Sun Machine 2   0.051   2.051 32 Leo Rondeau 2   0.012   2.012 33 Riders Against the Storm 2   0.011   2.011 34 Dana Falconberry 2   0.009   2.009 35 Cool Piss 2   0.005   2.005   Mirror Travel 2   0.005   2.005 37 Migrant Kids 2   0.004   2.004   Shakey Graves 1 1 0.004   2.004 39 Growl 1   0.003 1 2.003   Hundred Visions 2   0.003   2.003 41 Boyfrndz 2   0.002   2.002   League of Extraodinary Gz 2   0.002   2.002   Strahan & the Good Neighbors 2   0.001   2.001   The Zoltars 2   0.001   2.001 NYC Such Hounds win The Deli’s Best of NYC 2013 Poll’s Open Submissions (FOLK ROCK/AMERICANA category) Posted on: January 23, 2014 We are all looking forward to warmer weather on days like today, but rock Americana quartet Such Hounds has a few reservations about the coming Summer season they’d like to share on their latest EP ‘I Hate Summer.’ Compared to their previous self-titled EP, their latest record has a welcome sense of urgency ready to shit-kick any barn-raising party into high-gear (assuming you attend barn-raising parties of course). Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys good old-fashioned heartland rock jams, whether you hate the summer or not. Check out their single "Sold My Soul" below. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets) We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Rootsy songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out! NYC NYC Folk Duo Hannah & Maggie Debut New Single The Final Straw Posted on: January 22, 2014 With just over a month until the release of their upcoming album, ‘In The Company of Strangers,’ NYC Folk duo Hannah & Maggie release their brand new single ‘The Final Straw.’ Intricate guitar lines and spot on harmonies decorate the song which tumbles along perfectly capturing a tension between two lovers on the verge of a break up. The girls’ voices blend beautifully and effortlessly shift from soft and sweet to gravely and fierce to add further punch to powerful, weighty lyrics.  Keep an eye out for the album, out February 25th, and check out their live show on March 1st at Union Hall! – Bianca Mascheretti NYC Deli Best of NYC 2013 for Emerging Artists – Open Submission Results for AVANT INDIE/POST PUNK Posted on: January 21, 2014 "Avant Indie" is a term we coined to avoid the temptation of calling some rock bands "experimental," since we see experimental music as a separate genre from rock. Therefore in this list you’ll find edgy bands that like to try new things – fun! Total submissions in this category: 21 Artists Qualified to the next stage (Readers’ Poll, starting soon): 1. Celestial Shore – 8.66 (out of 10) 2. Julia Easterlin – 8.5 3. No Shoes – 8.33 3. Christine Hoberg – 8.33 Honorable Mentions (scores above 7.16): Tiny Hazard, The Beriberi, Pass Kontrol, Passenger Peru, Tauk, Andrew Rosciszewski, Throw Vision. Jurors: Jason Behrends (Deli Chicago), Ben Toledo (Deli Portland), PDG (Deli NYC). THIS IS THE LAST BATCH OF RESULTS FROM THE OPEN SUBMISSIONS, READERS POLL’S NEXT!!! The Deli’s Staff NYC Deli Best of NYC 2013 for Emerging Artists – Open Submission Results for AMERICANA/FOLK ROCK Posted on: January 21, 2014 Here’s more for the traditionalists out there, Best of NYC 2013 Poll results for the open submissions in the FOLK ROCK /AMERICANA department! Don’t forget that we are talking about emerging bands here, not breakout artists. Total submissions in this category: 20 Artists Qualified to the next stage (Readers’ Poll, starting soon): 1. Such Hounds – 8.83 (out of 10) 2. Gondola – 8 Honorable Mentions (scores above 7): Supersmall, Wild Leaves, Ryan Hobler, Shari Pine, The Candles, Dan Abraham, The Bottom Dollars, Brother Valiant, Bird to Prey, Kris Gruen, The Vansaders. Jurors: Terra James-Jura (Deli Nashville), Jacqueline Caruso (Deli LA), PDG (Deli NYC). Stay tuned for more results, and then for the readers’ poll! The Deli’s Staff NYC Teen Girl Scientist Monthly releases ‘We Run With Gangs’ album at Mercury on 01.27 Posted on: January 21, 2014 When walking through New York City, the one thing you notice is the variety of people, places and things. As you walk down the city streets you’ll pass many different stores, restaurants, parks, personalities, and landmarks with various purposes, influences and flavors. Teen Girl Scientist Monthly is a 6-piece group from Brooklyn that embodies this essence. When popping on their new album ‘We Run With Gangs‘ each track jumps through various vibes, instrumentation, and styles all while keeping the same rock presence. They even shift vocalist from female to male leads on most tracks, which highlights this group’s multifaceted personality. While they’ve been described as "Ra Ra Riot and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah making out in the bathroom" we are closely reminded of the band Enon, who also had very distinct stylistic changes throughout their records. Join the party at their release show on January 27th at Mercury Lounge. – Joe Fish