Austin electro-pop group, Borrisokane, is in the process of curating a project that hopes to bring together our local music scene in an ambitious and, frankly, really darn cool way. They’re calling it the Versus Project: six Texas bands will cover a Borrisokane song and in addition contribute something new of their own. Borrisokane will return in kind, rounding out the total to 24 songs, with 12 covers and 6 new tracks from the host band. Look forward to tracks from MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR, Knifight, Yum, Pageantry, Young Tongue (formerly The Baker Family) and Home by Hovercraft.

The whole package will be split onto six disks and put into a lovely box-set with artwork from Shawn Magill. There’s a Kickstarter set up, and you have until early March to help it happen. If the campaign is successful, the full project will be released on Earth Day, April 22nd, through the homegrown Oscillation Records. Too much good music is being promised for us to let this go by the way-side! And now, for a taste of what’s (hopefully) to come; check out Borrisokane’s “Sinking Catalina” covered by Young Tongue (The Baker Family) below!  –Written by Marie Meyers

Kay Leotard’s Kristina Boswell and Kelsey Wickliffe double the drama with their sensual, psychedelic rock anthems. Warbling vocals paired with powerhouse guitar riffs create a stunning contrast that will put you in touch with your flower child. Put your “palms to the sky” for this badass band. -Written by Gillian Driscoll

It would be wise to proceed with caution when listening to Cautiontape’s heady dose of electronic rock. Singer Brit Kagan’s captivating vocals add a touch of mischief to the band’s sound that’s a little My Gold Mask meets Metric. Songs like “Delights of Someone Dreamed” and “Be Sweet” will “drag you back” for repeat plays. Catch Cautiontape this Wednesday, February 5th. -Written by Gillian Driscoll

Psych outfit The Boxing Lesson is starting the New Year with plenty of reason to celebrate, with honors and excitement carrying over from 2013. They’ve just released their last big work-in-progress, the space-age video for their single “Health is the New Drug”. Its parent album, Big Hits!, is the band’s first full length release in five years. Both album and single received honors on year-end lists from the Austin Chronicle, no doubt thanks to plenty of agile shredding from all members. The band is riding the wave well; Big Hits! has just received its vinyl release through Cliff House Records out of Corpus Christi. –Written by Marie Meyers

Danny Malone‘s newest video for “Sugarwater” is an adorably sweet addition to his already impressive repertoire. The playful doctor-shopping theme combined with skillful cinematography, dancing, and a bit of dark rebelliousness create a wonderful reflection of the music itself. With tasteful instrumentation and polished songs like "Sugarwater" and "Spiderlegs" under his belt, Danny proves to be a mature and poetic songwriter, regardless of how young he appears to be. Danny is currently touring through NYC, bringing his Iron and Wine-like lullabies to the famed Rockwood Music Hall. We look forward to having him back in Austin soon! – Written by Jodi Lang

She Sir make bright, synth-saturated songs perfect for sunny drives or even providing a little comfort during a cold snap. The four-piece have two EP’s under their belt, so you may already be familiar with their sound, but be warned, She Sir has taken their dreampop to another level. The band’s been fine-tuning their sound in preparation for the release of their debut full-length album, Go Guitars, out February 25th on Shelflife Records. Inspired by My Blood Valentine, Fleetwood Mac and Phil Spector, She Sir brought on Erik Wofford at Cacophony to record, mix and master the release. A few songs off Go Guitars can be previewed on SoundCloud (including the one listed here). Listen and enjoy the gloss. –Written by Gillian Driscoll

My Russian Princess create charming, upbeat pop songs filled with soaring harmonies, mellifluous whistles and discerning violin. Fronted by Meggan Carney, the singer/songwriter has a knack for stringing words together in an evocative way. From the sweet ballad “Green Winter Love” to the howling “Nautica”, My Russian Princess is royally talented. Check them out at one of the many shows they regularly play around Austin. –Written by Gillian Driscoll

Dedicated to making the people dance, four-piece disco outfit, Whiite Walls, finished in the top three of our Best of 2013 Readers’ Poll. They played in some great company last year and I can only see them gaining momentum going into 2014; they’ve got an EP coming any day now. If its tracks are anything like the jangly, slick-beat demos they’ve put out so far, the release is sure to keep you boogying wherever you choose to spin it. You can get the full experience on the 24th, when they’ll play The Parish in support of The Black & White Years’ CD release. –Written by Marie Meyers

Psychedelic space rockers Isaiah The Mosaic blew Austin’s mind this past year. The proof? They landed second place on the Deli’s 2013 Best of Austin Year End Readers’ Poll. The five-piece build atmospheric soundscapes paired with pensive vocals to create a sound that’s as dreamy as it is trippy. Isaiah The Mosaic plan to record a full-length album with Danny Reisch (White Denim, Okkerville River, What Made Milwaukee Famous) this year, so stay tuned for more space anthems from these rockers. Before that, catch them building on the buzz at SXSW. –Written by Gillian Driscoll

Wow! We got almost twice as many submissions this year as we did last year. 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 Austin 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 Austin scene were: Q.D. Tran (Deli Philadelphia), Jordannah Elizabeth (Deli San Francisco), and Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC, Editor-In-Chief).

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

1. Criminal Birds (Indie Rock) – 7.3
2. Emily Wolfe (Songwriters) – 7.2
3. The Vliets (Psych Rock) – 7.2
4. Growl (Indie Pop/Rock) – 7
5. Hikes (Folk Pop) – 6.8
6. Danny Malone (Songwriters) – 6.8
7. Language Room (Alt Rock) – 6.6
8. Foe Destroyer (Garage Pop/Rock) – 6.6
9. Milezo (Psych Pop/Rock) – 6.6

Honorable Mentions (ranked above 6.0):

Calliope Musicals (Psych Pop/Rock) – 6.3
Lake Lady and the Mountain Man (Soul/Indie Pop) – 6.3
Paula Maya (World Music) – 6.3
Anya (Hip Hop) – 6.2

Total submissions from the Austin Scene: 43

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 (mostly venue promoters and other industry people who know the Austin scene insode out), 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 Austin’s talent. Keep creating, keep supporting and stay tuned for your chance to vote!

The Deli Staff

The Austin music scene just wouldn’t be the same without the quirky, whimsical, experimental, melt your face off rock and roll trio, Megafauna. Nobody can forget the first time they’ve seen them. Nobody can forget the last. The band is tight, the songs are awesomely weird, but it’s Dani Neff, the Sultana of Shred, that leaves audiences happily bewildered and wide-eyed, mouths agape and thirsting for more.

Constantly touring, pumping out records, and playing local shows, it’s difficult to understand why we aren’t seeing Megafauna on the covers of Rolling Stone and Spin magazines. But fans are confident that they are heading straight in that direction. See some sick female shredding tomorrow at Spiderhouse Ballroom for the Well-Being for Women Showcase, so that you can say you saw Dani before she’s nationally referred to as the next Lita Ford or Joan Jett. – Written by Jodi Lang

Some may think it’s tough to compete as a vocalist in a town full of songwriters, but Tameca Jones has the rare ability to turn a cover that you’re sick of hearing into a brand new, soul squeezing work of art and people everywhere love her for it. Born and raised in Austin, this powerhouse of a vocalist often teams up with other local artists like the charming rapper, Phranchyze, and singer/soulwriter, Ray Prim. Jones shines brightest, however, when backed by her own band, running up, down, and all around familiar melodies and making them her own. See her this weekend, along with a bunch of other kick ass female fronted bands at Spiderhouse Ballroom, Saturday, January 18th. –Written by Jodi Lang