In a city full of avid garage heads, there are many who seek a lo-fi atmosphere, but few who maintain it on a stage. When a sonic aesthetic is more than a hashtag, it can be a special connection to an audience that connects us as musicians, more as a dig at nostalgia than a tribute to the past. Ever since the untimely departures of Eat Skull and Meth Teeth, there has been a glaring void for local psych rockers who pull off a grunge-indebted presence while creating a mountain of sound, but out this year’s winter gloom comes Still Caves.

Lo-fi is seen by some listeners as sloppy, but the irony is that it to do it well requires a refined sense of when less is more. The simplicity of a few chords becomes a powerful statement when run through a maze of pedals. Still Caves accomplish this and more with four musicians and a wall of decibels. While shoegaze would be an obvious descriptor, the band’s rare attribute of having a drummer as a lead singer throws unique color into the haze of their drone. The drums are front and center as a driving force, acting as a glue for an atmosphere of dense reverb and heavy overdrive conjured by the two guitars and bass. With only two self-released songs available via Bandcamp as of this post, it’s evident that Still Caves has the aforemention "refined sense" and intends to deliver something different to an oversaturated genre. With a proper release soon to come though, consider our psych scene primed to emerge from its recent hybernation.

— Wyatt Schaffner

It’s been a wild ride to the finish line, but the dust has finally settled and we are excited to announce the overall final results of our "Best Emerging Act of 2011"!  We would like to thank all the bands who were in the running. Together, along with many other talented acts not listed, your efforts make up the vibrant music culture that is increasingly drawing the attention of the national spotlight. Keep fighting the good fight in 2012 and we look forward to hearing all the latest jams! Congratulations to this year’s top three acts!

1. Lost Lander

Lost Lander has a penchant for building stripped down acoustic arrangements into full-blown dramatic moments of epic pop. Sometimes fast and loud, sometimes slow and soft, it won’t surprise fans of Menomena to find out that former member Brent Knopf (Ramona Falls) produced their debut Drrt. Striking out on two brief tours already, with connections and a polished record that is already gaining national attention, it would seem quite accurate to find this project in our top three of Portland’s "Best Emerging Artist of 2011". 

2. Radiation City

Narrowly trailing Lost Lander by less than 1/20th of a point, it makes sense that these two bands are in very similar positions and have shared the stage a number of times. Upon offering the world The Hands That Take You (Tender Loving Empire), a retro-infused pop gem, 2011 found Radiation City in a debut breakout year that couldn’t be stopped. While the full account of accolades is too long to list here, special highlights include packed showcases at CMJ in the middle of a national tour, a Daytrotter session, a video premiere on IFC and a slew of adoring press from across the country including several nods on notable "Year End" lists including this one.

3. Aan

"Dynamic" is a word that can be thrown around a little too easily in the blog world, a lot like "love" and "hate" in the real world, but when it comes to the case of Aan it can be said without question that this a band with a truly dynamic sound that is also easy to love. At times reminiscent of the aforementioned Menomena, Aan blends some of the most pleasing guitar tones and technical percussion in recent memory with the fitting, but abrasive cry of frontman Bud Wilson’s vocals, for a combination that can explode and collapse at a moment’s notice. Still trying to find a permanent lineup while recording a new LP, 2012 finds Aan prepping for a tour to SXSW and back again, where it will also play 35 Denton and Treefort Music Fest alongside the varied likes the Jesus and the Mary Chain and of Montreal.

BAND J F OS TOTAL   1 Lost Lander 8 0.037 0 8.037 2 Radiation City 8 0.011 0 8.011 3 Aan 7 0.03 0 7.03 4 Unknown Mortal Orchestra 7 0.016 0 7.016 5 The Druthers 3 3 0 6 6 AgesandAges 5 0.006 0 5.006 7 Swahili 5 0.004 0 5.004 8 Youth 3 1 0 4 9 Yeah Great Fine 0 0.024 3 3.024 10 Adventures! With Might 3 0.017 0 3.017 11 Sallie Ford & The Sound… 3 0.013 0 3.013 12 Psychic Feline 3 0.008 0 3.008 13 Blouse 3 0.005 0 3.005 14 The Hugs 3 0.005   3.005 15 Purple n Green 3 0.003 0 3.003 16 Jobo Shakins 3 0 0 3 17 Tope 1 2 0 3 18 Sons of Huns 0 1.5 1 2.5 19 AU 2 0.033 0 2.033 20 Hausu 2 0.014 0 2.014 21 Hosannas 0 0.011 2 2.011 22 The Ascetic Junkies 2 0.007 0 2.007 23 Sarah Billings 2 0.002 0 2.002 24 Glassbones 1 0.5 0 1.5 25 Eidolons 0 0.092 1 1.092 26 Morning Teleportation 0 0.049 1 1.049 27 Natasha Kmeto 1 0.037 0 1.037 28 Wild Ones 1 0.035 0 1.035 29 Forest Park 1 0.033 0 1.033 30 Father Figure 1 0.021 0 1.021 31 The Greater Midwest 1 0.01 0 1.01 32 The Sexbots 0 0.004 1 1.004 33 Lincoln Crockett 1 0.003 0 1.003 34 BOOM! 1 0.002 0 1.002 35 Sex Life 1 0.001 0 1.001 36 Aitch 1 0 0 1 37 Sam Adams 0 0.039 0.5 0.539 Legend: J = Jury – OS = Open Submissions – – F = Fans + Readers

All rules and regulations can be found here.

We are happy to announce that the final round of our "Best Emerging Act of 2011"–the Fans’ Poll–has finally concluded! While this portion of voting is only one part of the entire process, it is a crucial poll–one that not only wins the top act the "Artist of the Month" banner at the top of the page, but also has commonly broken close ties for "Best Emerging Act" in years past. All that being said, we would like to congratulate the following "Top Three" acts and their fans for their dedication in getting out the vote:

1. The Druthers

Feel good, country-tinged soft rock nestled comfortably between Van Morrison’s "Brown Eyed Girl" and a Taylor Swift/John Mayer duet.

2. Tope

A Portland rhymesayer and prolific beatmaker that’s as concerned with the size of his chain as he is with genrefication  – not very. 

3. Sons of Huns

Top 5 contenders in the Open Submission portion of this year’s "Best of" poll. This is a group that knows where rock came from and aims to never let it die.

Thanks to the bands, but most importantly though, to all the fans who participated in the voting process. Without you, the Deli and all of the bands involved would likely not exist.

There wasn’t much to do for the boys of Animal Eyes in their native Alaska besides wait around for oil checks and 4:20 in the afternoon. More importantly though, they were looking for the simple chance to make some jams with friends. So with restless hearts and heads full of smoke, and the promise of great tunes and cheap rent, it makes sense that the crew would set its course on the warmer southern climate of Portland. Which is to say that while these guys certainly have a propensity for the psychadelic, these aren’t your average roaming hippies. Their latest release, Found in the Forest, is sharp, at times even mathy, and dynamic, with songs that can unexpectedly change direction into atypical rhythms and keys, but the group’s keen pop awareness always finds a way to curb each track back into something warm and mildly danceable. Reminiscent of Portland’s own Brainstorm or LA’s Local Natives, and in their more aggressive moment’s even Man Man, the band’s honest and unaided group vocals layer and circle into multi-part harmonies built over triumphant horns and a bouncing accordion for several moments of what can only be described as polka-rock. You read that right, and laugh if you wan’t, but I’d challenge almost any other band in town to step to this level with an accordion in their hands. Self-released, the disc is available for a mere 3 bones over on Bandcamp, but it’s the group’s live energy that is really where the magic lies. Be sure to catch them February 16th at SoHiTek Gallery with fellow locals, and one of our Best of ‘11 Open Submission winners, Eidolons.

Akin to a Rube Goldberg device, coupled with a staggering amount of submissions in a city full of so much good music, our year end poll has been quite a process. But fear not music fans – the results are finally in for the Open Submission portion of the contest. The subsequent five bands listed below are the top five results of a complicated process involving a kitchen sink, laser beams and a bowling ball, BUT mostly the careful deliberation of The Deli’s other editors around the country. These talented five groups will now be up for the people’s deliberation in the coming days, so keep an eye out and tell your friends.

If you’re curious about the rules and procedures of the contest follow this link.

Best of luck to these five and all of the other bands involved in 2011’s poll.

1. Yeah Great Fine

Self-described as party math, a heretofore unheard of genre, Yeah Great Fine has never been about doing things the typical way. "Perhaps a comment on the general malaise of our generation (ourselves included)” the band says of its own name, YGF started roughly 3 years ago out of too much free time and a mutual desire to do something different. While the group crafts the dynamic layers of syncopated melody and rhythm that typify the math sound, YGF deviates from the norm with a bubbling pop delivery of global grooves and a very palatable lyrical lightness that escapes most other acts in the broader genre. The latest project–Circadian EP–has garnered a lot of buzz in the local scene and surrounding area with a supporting month-long tour of the western US. With the proverbial ball in a full roll, Yeah Great Fine’s 2012 plans remain undetermined, but that’s exactly how the band likes it.

2. Hosannas

Despite developing a considerable niche over the last couple years, Hosannas is still something of an enigma to many Portlandians. With a name change (once known as Church), a slew of releases on various labels including their own (Tree Farm), an ever-nebulous roster, and a constantly changing sound – it’s hard to get a hold of exactly what Hossannas is or wants to be, but it’s that kind of evolution that also denotes a band of true artistry. 2011 saw Hosannas take off for three mini tours, one of which included some exciting dates with the Shins, and harbored the release of Thug Life Nicole, an explosive little EP that completely reworks 4 tracks from the band’s first two full length releases. The band’s only core members, brothers Richard and Brandon Laws, are currently back in the studio with god-only-knows-who and signs are pointing towards a shiny new full-length in 2012.

3. Eidolons

Formed out of the misty forest campus of Lewis & Clark College, a mutual love for the Silver Jews, a baffling band-wide fluency in Chinese, and a shared experience studying Gray Wolves for four months in a remote Alaskan town, Eidolons exudes the kind of sophisticated, however slightly bent, lyrically-driven sensibility that is often prevalent in the musical offerings of the greater Northwest. More than just another singer-songwriter act though, this freak folk four-piece can kick things into gear with plenty of volume and tempo throughout their latest, lengthy 7-track Wolf Den EP. In that sense, the disc contains a certain kind of urgency and playful efficacy, one that belies the more subdued melancholy of frontman Dan Byers cooing (as evidenced by lead-off “Hopeful Antiquarian” and standout “Colorado”.) It’s this eccentric blend of loud and soft, along with adept songwriting, at times akin to fellow Portlandians Quasi, that makes this a group to watch in 2012; a year in which they look to get their hands dirty with another self-released EP, plenty of house shows, and a national tour in the summer.

4. Morning Teleportation

It certainly can’t hurt to have Isaac Brock (the iconic frontman of Modest Mouse) squarely in your corner, as he brought the band out of the basement and on to his own Glacial Pace label earlier this year, but many naysayers could also easily pigeonhole this kind of support as a crutch. The trouble with that kind of defamation is that anyone who has seen Morning Teleportation play or listened to their latest record knows that they would arguably be the biggest band out of Portland this year regardless. Why? Because they are extremely fucking talented. Energetic, dynamic and with the deft skill of hardcore classic rock disciples, the four members of MT pour out an eclectic bunch of roots-oriented, jam-infused psych rock on this year’s full length, Expanding Anyway. 2011 also found MT playing out across the country, including dates at Red Rocks with Primus and the Flaming Lips and opening for Band of Horses in Portland’s “Living Room” Pioneer Square for MusicFest NW. Not to mention a healthy dose of national exposure from a little show called the Late Show with David Letterman.

5. Sons of Huns

With all of the well-crafted, understated indie pop in Portland, sometimes its citizens are left searching for a band that can just rock out the old-fashioned way. This is quite simply everything that Sons of Huns wants to be: a truly balls-to-the-wall bonafied rock band. Dropping references to everyone from the Sonics to Sabbath, Huns run the board with elements of metal, protopunk, southern hardcore, garage and more on 2011’s fierce S/T EP via High Scores and Records.  Looking to dish out the rock with a second EP in 2012,  it’s the band’s energetic and loud live show that it hopes will really keep heads banging in the coming year, so be on the lookout for this 3-piece in the bars and basements of Stumptown if you’re like many trying to get your rock fix.