We would like to say a big "Thank You" to all the jurors who helped us, with their vote, compile the list of The Deli’s Year End Best of NYC Emerging Artists.

List of Jurors (in random order): John Donohue (The New Yorker) – Daniel Givens (Other Music) – Claire McNamara (Oh My Rockness) – Frank Garcia (Union Pool) – DJ MOJO – Andy Bodor (Cake Shop) – Doug DeFalco (Southpaw) – Pianos Talent Buyers – Darrell McNeill (BAM) – Jack McFadden (The Bell House/Union Hall) – Max Brennan (Lit Lounge) – Tammy Sprinkle (Soundfix) – Karen Soskin (East Village Radio) – Jessica Dessner (Sycamore) – Matt Tyson (Earfarm.com) – Nora Walker (I Rock I Roll Blog) – Christopher R. Weingarten (1,000 times yes) – Marc Hutner (Ascap) – Brandon Haas (BMI) – Jamie Dominguez (SESAC) – Trevor Silmser (The Studio at Webster Hall).

The following Deli writers cast their vote as well: Andrew Spaulding, Erin O’Keefe, Nancy Chow, Paul Dunn, Ryan Henriquez, Liz Schroeter, Simon Heggie, Nicholas Palumbo, Joe Coscarelli, Lauren Piper, Charles Davis, Lindsey Goetz, Chloe Schildhouse.

Thank you to all the bands who participated to our poll either by submitting to the open contest or be simply being selected, and thanks to all the fans and Deli readers that animated our fans’ poll.

NYC Deli Editor in Chief Paolo De Gregorio also voted as part of the jury (we don’t really need to thank him, as he’s writing this!). Many other scene makers and Deli writers were asked to vote and – for a reason or another – they didn’t; we point this out because we want you all to realise that also this element (the missing votes) had a crucial influence on the results.

The Deli’s Staff

They might be called Sad Red but they definitely have a thing for blue – and math. This Brooklyn based quintet plays some kind of "avant-math-emo" rock, whose blue, melancholic atmoshperes match the dominant color of their debut album’s cover. The drums, guitars and keyboards rhythmic interplay recalls at times King Krimsons’ madly intricate interwoven patterns, while the overall atmosphere of their sound is alternatively not too distant from Radiohead’s moody exhistentialism and Soundgarden’s indie blues (there’s that color again). Other more relaxed tunes showcase an impeccable gusto for consuming songs that build in intensity and are not afraid to indulge in controlled guitar solos – like peeps used to do in the good old days, remember? Sad Red will celebrate the release of their CD "elder" with a show at Union Hall on 01.22, definitely worth checking out.

It was a long and complicated process, but our Best of NYC Poll has finally come to an end. We have gathered all the data from jurors, writers, and readers, and we have indeed the first verdict: Alt Rockers Midnight Spin are The Deli Readers’ Best Emerging Artist of 2009 – they took our Fans’ poll by storm with more than 1k votes. Congrats to them! The results of our Composite Chart (the one including the votes from the jury and the writers which will elect the artist that will grace the cover of our spring printed issue) will be announced on Wednesday, as we need a few days to organize it and add up the votes (yeah, we suck at math).

Congrats also to Cavalier Rose and The Shake – who placed 2nd and 3rd in the Fans’ Poll. These 3 bands will win some prizes offered by our sponsors, and Midnight Spin also a full feature in a future issue of The Deli.
 

Dudes and She Dudes,

The 21st issue of The Deli is out!!! Hurrah!

Glass Ghost on the Cover + features on Lissie Trully, The Antlers, Langhorne Slim, Jones Street Station, plus lots of interviews including Small Black,  Motel Motel, Girls at Dawn, Phenomelal Hanclap Band, Savoir Adore, She Keeps Bees etc. etc…

PHLUS!!!! Super slick new Kitchen section about guitar pedals and plug ins!!!

You can find it in many musical places in The LES, East Village, Chelsea, West Village, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Flatbush and Park Slope.

Enjoy!

The Deli’s Staff

Ready for a little taste of good old Americana pie? Patrons at the Housing Works Bookstore and Café in New York City were on Dec. 9, when Brooklyn collective Jones Street Station invaded the used book retailer for a festive performance of folk/country/indie music. The show was packed to the venue’s wooden corners with hipsters who couldn’t help but sway to the beat of the group’s rustic instruments and harmonious synchronized vocals. Fans, shows, unyielding instrumentals and charming songwriting. What more could a band ask for? – Read Cecilia Martinez interview with the band here.

There’s definitely an excess of lo-fi “bedroom pop” acts floating around the Brooklyn music scene lately, but Small Black stands out from the rest for their impeccable songwriting skills and attention to sonic detail. The band’s songs drip hazy, summertime warmth, wrapped up in delicate layers of tape-hiss, samples, drum machine plunks and sanguine synth, all accompanied by laid-back and infectious vocals. The band is Josh Kolenik and Ryan Heyner, and live it consists of Pitchfork.tv contributors Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin, who have since joined the band. They released a self-titled EP in October–which was fittingly recorded in an uncle’s Long Island attic–and have since garnered a lot of critical praise. From the Jesus & Mary Chain-channeling “Despicable Dogs” to the watery depths of the washed-out “Bad Lover,” Small Black delivers perfect noise-pop to brighten the winter months or keep pace with the summer. – Read Bill Dvorak’s interview with the band here. (video by Yoonha Park)

Brahms (who are fortuately NOT an orchestral alt-rock band inspired by the classic German composer) might be new to the scene, but they seem to have their act together, with a series of great shows planned opening for great bands (including Telepathe, Boy Crisis, Body Language, Javelin and Lemonade!) in very cool venues (Glasslands twice, Santos and Mercury within about two months…) At a closer look we do see that Cale Parks is one of the band members – actually… at an even closer look this is exactly the same live band that plays with Cale Parks! Probably Eric Lyle Lodwick project? Anyway, it looks like these guys are getting quite a lot of buzz. Electro-pop music lovers might want to head to Glasslands on January 22 to check them out.

Hailing from varied locales, including Seoul and Reykjavik, Sunny Kim (vocals), Trevor Dunn (bass, vocals), Ches Smith (drums), Hilmar Jensson (guitar), and Erik Deutsch (keyboards) have relocated to Brooklyn to form Mad Love. The quintet bestows mad love to unconventional piano melodies, crunching guitars, and floating vocals on the dozen tracks of their recently released “White With Foam.” Striking and strong, “Absence and Noise” melts into catching bass lines which underscore the evocative interplay between Kim and Dunn’s airy voices. Howling vocals take over the metal riffs and quick tempo of “Dirty,” while “Art of Denial" settles into a grungy groove overlain by ghostly keyboards. “White With Foam” is not as light and frothy as the title would suggest, instead the cut is heavy with dark distortion and uncanny unpredictability. – Meijin Bruttomesso

The Volunteers are a Williamsburg based rock’n’roll party band that’s been around for quite some time and has entertained many NYC party people. They recently changed their name to Bones Howell + the Volunteers (which may become just Bones Howell in the future) and released a new EP with a party at Don Pedros on January 8. Their music is recommended for those who like tho rock in a light hearted kind of way. Enjoy this fun video from some time ago. 

It doesn’t happen very often that a NON all star band plays its first show in a sold out Bowery Ballroom. This is the case of Cavemen, a brand new musical project born from two members of Brooklyn band The Subjects. However, we can’t really say that they sold out the Bowery, as on January 24 they are opening for Glass Ghost and White Rabbits… but still, this could be well interpreted as a sign from God! The band’s sound, reminiscent of a more psychedelic version of Bell and Sebastian or The Shins, definitely has appeal and potential. Simple song with beautiful melodies – that’s really all you need sometimes. Check out these guys’ demo here.

P.S. By the way, we have our own name for this kind of music here at The Deli: we call it "Mellow Core". Here’s a list of the Best Mellow Core Artists in NYC.