Fuzz pop trio Adult Books are set to release their debut full-length, Running from the Blows, on March 4th through Lollipop/Burger Records. they’ve just released a video for the insatiably catchy "Suburban Girlfriend", which features the band playing around in the suburbs as if they’ve regressed to their younger selves.  

Watch the video below, and make sure to catch their residency at The Echo throughout the month of February. 

Things hadn’t been going well for Alina Bea. Following the end of a five-year relationship and the conclusion of her main project Body Parts, Bea did as many of us do when we go through troubling times: apply it into her art. The result of this is her debut EP Live Undone, a collection of confessional songs that are driven by change. Her first single off of the EP, "Everything is Alright", means to be a direct response to how she feels at the moment; renewed but cautious, the track has a lush, ornate sound wth some artful accents, though never to the point where it obscures its focus on simple, engaging songcraft.

Bea has a show coming up at the Bootleg on January 31st, followed by an album release show at Resident on February 26th. 

Early last year, we were enchanted with singer-songwriter vōx and her noteworthy single "Money". As we await for more new music this year, the art pop project of Sarah Winters is making the sporadic appearance to remind us of her mesmeric live performances. Winters will be sharing a bill at the Bootleg this next Monday, February 1st alongside AKW and Lena Fayre. 

Listen to "Get Down", which she just released this past month via her official soundcloud page. 

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli’s Best of Los Angeles Year End Poll for Emerging Artists.

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 Los Angeles: 86

Jurors: Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC), Jordannah Elizabeth (The Deli SF), Q.D. Tran (The Deli Portland).

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll:

1. Smoke Season (Electro-Pop/Synthpop) – 7.83

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2. L.A. Drones! (Post Punk/Industrial) – 7.66

2. Soren Bryce (Singer-Songwriter) – 7.66

2. Breatherrr (Avant-Indie/Drone) – 7.66 

5. The Show Ponies (Indie-Folk) – 7.5 

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6. DreamVacation (Indie Rock) – 7.33

6. Truce Cannon (Singer-Songwriter) -7.33

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8. The Futures League (Garage Rock) – 7.16

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Honorable Mentions (ranked above 6.8):

Seagoat, The Kendricks, Elijah Ocean, Evangenitals, Fairground Saints, Autumn in June, Big Language, Harriet Brown, The Sharp Medicine

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WHAT’S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. We will soon unveil the artists nominated by our local jurors, and then let our readers and our writers influence the poll with their vote.

Keep creating, keep supporting, and stay tuned for your chance to vote!

—The Deli Los Angeles Staff

While band names with upper case letters has become the latest hot commodity, leave it to S.N.R. to bring back the good ol’ acronym. If you were wondering, S.N.R. stands for Soul Natural Remedy, an apropos designation for a duo that writes soulful folk songs that linger in a state of dreamy, pleasant languor. Made up of duo Grant McCloud and Corbin James, the songwriting partners found an equal compatibility for music while working together at Yellowstone National Park in 2014 before they made their move to North Hollywood. It may not be the most exciting of stories, but it is theirs and truly theirs alone, after all. The oddly frazzled songs on their self-released debut EP are surreptitiously psychedelic, moving in a blissed-out state that is sure to meet you with a warm, pleasant glow; much like its leisured pace, they’re poised to carve a songwriting identity that is sure to bloom with bright splendor. 

It’s been a over a year since modern soft-rockers Banta released their promising debut EP, an assured first statement that featured a strong reliance on tuneful arrangements. One of those tracks, "Someday", is getting a bit of a rework for the release of their debut full-length Dark Charms, which is due out on February 12th via eOne Music. The Echo Park residents have also provided us with some background into the titular track, which implies the acknowledgement of one’s independence when making life’s crucial decisions, whatever that may be. In Banta’s current standing as a flourishing act, however, it sounds like their moment to break through is about to change from someday to now. 

 

Those who decry modern technology as something that keeps humans isolated and music overproduced will be swiftly hushed by "Hello Dog Friendly", a split EP by two bands who became friends over Soundcloud, despite being separated by a continent AND an ocean. West America, an LA duo that draws rowdy crowds in spite of singer/guitarist Hannah Shoenfield’s tender lyrics, delivered with more fraught emotion than one would expect from a punk band. It’s no wonder they hit it off with Porridge Radio – the band feels uncannily similar in spirit to West America. They’re both noisy, with little care for polished takes; but their rawness counterpoints the poetics that lie beneath.

Both bands also have a penchant for eerie moments of experimentation – on West America’s track "Gentrify the Moon", I mistook presidential candidate Ben Carson’s voice, on a bizarre sample talking about stabbing someone, for David Liebe Hart’s (the man who puts on creepy puppet shows outside the Hollywood Bowl after concerts). On Porridge Radio’s end, standout song "Get Out of My House" feels gentle and ghostly, with distant moans floating over a sighing accordion.

The split is to be released digitally and on cassette January 13th, by Memorials of Distinction in the UK and Have To Do This in the US. Preorders are available now at the Memorials of Distinction Bandcamp. – Brittany Scheffler

 

This Sunday, January 10th, The Smell is hosting a benefit show to raise money for Elizabeth Alvarado, the wife of Sean Pineda, a beloved Los Angeles musician who passed away in a car accident on December 5th. Sean performed solo as S. Pineda and with his wife in a band called ALONE. More than twelve acts are performing to show their support, including Inner Ecstasy, Voice on Tape, and Nima Kazerouni of So Many Wizards. 100% of the proceeds are going to cover the medical bills of Elizabeth, who was also in the accident. The supportive spirit of LA’s close-knit musical community is something very special, and it’s telling that it weathers through the tragedies, just as much as the good times. Come out to celebrate the life of one of our own who will be dearly missed – it starts at 8 PM sharp, and may sell out. – Brittany Scheffler

Although an out-of-towner was the catalyst for the show, local acts shined on January 3rd at Pehrspace. The event was curated by the prolific LA label Folktale Records, famous for its handmade releases and roster of intimate, visceral musicians. The night started off with a set from Moomaw, a one man electronic symphony. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he performed, setting a groovy mood for the evening. Litronix followed, a duo fronted by the theatrical Kevin Litrow, backed up by the guitar-scapes of Avi Zahner, known to many as Avi Buffalo. Litrow barraged the audience with eye contact, managing to be both intimidating and inviting, like a space-age preacher using fancy footwork to tempt you into joining his cult.

Nashville’s Night Auditor took the stage next, and gave what should go down as one of the most passionate performances of 2016 (yes, even though it’s only 3 days in). Frontman Hilal Omar Al Jamal’s booming voice startled everyone during the soundcheck, and he continued to push boundaries during the set, aggressively hitting himself with a tambourine as he sang. His bandmate switched between playing guitar and adding electronic flourishes atop funky beats. Closing out the show was West Covina-based band Math. Once a bedroomy solo project, Math has expanded to a four piece, with Josh Lopez’s straining, emotive vocals now backed by familiar San Gabriel Valley musicians, such as Gio Chumpitazi of Stupid Bummed. The amount of gloom one comes to expect from one of Lopez’s sets was a bit toned down with the new instrumentation, except for the final song which he did by himself, utilizing loops and vocal effects to create a haunting cautionary tale. – Brittany Scheffler 

There’s kind of a muted fidelity filtered within Cellars’ otherwise iredescent "Nighttime Girl", a retro jam with a soft rock vibe deepened in its fine shading of sophistication. The song’s swank production is partly attributed to Ariel Pink’s contributions behind the console, but songwriter Allie Norton uses Pink’s cunning recording savvy to further achieve her dazzling pop vision. "Nighttime" is Norton’s attempt at trying to retrieve some shred of identity, a fine leap forward that should finally come into full view once she releases her upcoming full-length album Phases on Aptril 15th.

Until then, make sure to preview some of Norton’s new material at hm157 this coming Friday, January 8th. 

Dia is the project of Danielle Birrittella, a performer-composer whose ehtereal compositions teeter between bright-eyed new age and sparse, haunting folk. Her upcoming EP, Tiny Ocean, opts to feature a baroque pop sound informed by her classical training, incorporating vocals pedals to modulate her voice alongside an opulent array of serpentine layers. 

Dia recently premiered a video for the track "Covered in Light", which you can watch below. Tiny Ocean comes out on January 8th via Manimal/Heliophilia. 

Indie psych pop three piece Hipnotics have just released their latest single “Not Enough Time”, a tastefully melodramatic number that soars with a breadth of expression for an anthemic six and a half minutes. Matt Ernst’s dry rasp fits the song’s colossal ambition, elevating his vocals with an unhinged spontaneity that matches the song’s funkified, almost improvisational, last third. Their penchant for hooky, bombastic resonance falls somewhere between Southerners Kings of Leon and art rock Cumbrians British Sea Power.

Hipnotics’ first full-length effort is due out sometime in early 2016.