One last post to celebrate the top three bands from our year end Best of SF Poll for Emerging Artists. 

Down Dirty Shake

San Francisco based, psychedelic soul rock group, Down Dirty Shake has been honored with the title of The Deli Magazine San Francisco’s Emerging Artist of 2013. Even without that accomplishment, they are one of the hardest working bands in the Bay Area. This sometimes sultry, sometimes completely rowdy soul band that features the smooth Jim Morrison-esque vocals of lead singer, A.J. Lopez, plays a plethora of shows in San Fran and Oakland.

They played a four-week residency at The Milk Bar in the summer of 2013, and continue to record and release impressively psychedelic recordings. Their January release, The Beauville Boogie features two new songs: Sun Cheyenne and Stoned Love, which are previews of their upcoming full length album.

Down Dirty Shake’s sexy ‘60s throwback ballads are completely romantic and lyrically impressive. You can always groove to their love and sex-centric music, as their songs are powerfully soulful, well composed and well written. If you haven’t seen Down Dirty Shake live, you will be doing yourself a favor by experiencing their energetic and wildly entertaining performances. (Note: you can read about DDS in the upcoming SXSW print edition of The Deli Magazine, coming soon!)

Disappearing People

The noisy heavy, dank experimental and unpredictable Oakland based duo, Disappearing People is the runner-up for The Deli Magazine San Francisco Emerging artist band of 2013. Our hand selected jury and writers really thought DP was one of the cream of the crop in the SF Bay scene. We completely agree. This band’s otherworldly dissonance and musical experimentation will take you on a wild ride, and show that music doesn’t have to be structured and pop oriented to move a crowd!

French Cassettes

French Cassettes is a veteran emerging band, finally getting their recognition as they were the second runner-up on the poll. They’ve proven time and time again that they can record great records, fill a room of anticipating and supportive fans and make their mark on the local music scene. We’re always happy to cover this well rounded indie pop band. They’re playing Noisepop 2014 this month in San Francisco, so keep an eye out here at The Deli SF for more details about their appearance!

Now that the poll is officially over, the Deli staff would like to thank all of the local jurors, artists, readers and writers for participating and making this year’s Emerging Artist poll a great success. We look forward to introducing a new list of emerging bands next year as we continue to cover and support the SF Bay’s underground and indie music scene.

Also look out for interviews with the winners of our Reader’s poll, Major Powers & The Lo-Fi Symphony and 2013’s Emerging Artist of the Year, Down Dirty Shake – SF Editor, je

San Francisco based alternative punk band, Peace Creep will be celebrating the release of their upcoming self-titled EP (Alternative Tentacles Records) with Buffalo Tooth, Future Twin, comedian George Chen and DJ Jello Biafra at the Elbo Room tonight.

Buffalo Tooth is expected to kick out the jams with their heavy, riff-driven style of music that combines psych, blues, metal and good times. Future Twin, a female-fronted San Francisco based quartet whose sound is based on their stellar surf style riffs and ’60s psych rock vibe will be sure to play a great set. Keep an eye out for their debut full length album Wavelength Sovereignty that is expected to be released later this year.

Peace Creep has described their sound as "Neil Young on SST Records wearing a dress playing Dinosaur Jr, Meat Puppets, Breeders, and Husker Du covers," and after giving Peace Creep a further listen, it was found that this description is pretty accurate. With vocals and songwriting that is reminiscent of Husker Du with their subdued hardcore riffs, it’s clear that Peace Creep is quite familiar with the ’80s SST Records catalog…which is awesome. Make your way out to the show to see to hear all these bands rock.  –Erin Dage.

Tonight, the Oakland based pop-centric band, The Younger Lovers will be joining Half Blast and No Bone for a night of gritty punk bliss at The Knockout in San Francisco.

No Bone, a riot grrrl band from San Francisco will open the show. This band draws influence from the great riot grrrl bands of yore such as Bratmobile, Bikini Kill and Babes In Toyland. Be sure to catch them at next month’s Deli Magazine SF Sponsored event with Midnite Snaxxx, The Shanghais, Quaaludes and Bestfriend Grrlfriend on March 8th!

The new San Francisco punk band, Half Blast will also be performing as they value power chords, but posess a pop edge. The band’s calling card is that the members are all grizzled veterans of the Bay Area music scene, having played in bands such as Ex-Boyfriends, Muñecas, Lucy Stoners, Zbörnak, Beard Summit, Cypher in the Snow, The Near Dark, Crowns on 45, Pinky Swear and Frozen Chicken Patties.

And headlining is The Younger Lovers. This awesome band recently made waves with their latest album, Sugar In My Pocket, which is out now on Southpaw Records. Younger Lovers seeks to combine poetic, Television Personalities-style banter with ’60s pop flair. Both styles merge to form a lo-fi style that is unique and totally recognizable. – Erin Dage

Oakland based Frozen Folk and Magic Fight, (a band who recently relocated to Portland via the Bay Area), effortlessly blends their different backgrounds within their split EP, Cat Converters / Teenage Warpaint, through soul-penetrating harmonies with tumbling reverb that creates a final product that is out of this world!

Teenage Warpaint is sweetly grungy, as a simple harp-esque line leads into laidback soulful vocals with rising cadences that may induce inadvertant head bobbing. Vibes reminiscent of Bastille and Passion Pit stir up charmingly warbled feelings stocked with smiles from the song Barcelona, which is complete with piano overtones and rolling drumbeats.

Things get a bit more experimental in Cat Converters as the vocals get taken up a notch, while the guitars go for a long breezy drive on the coast. The 4-song EP concludes with a slightly silly track called Eggs and Marrowbone that sounds as wild as the title promises. Both bands are coolly confident and clearly talented. We can only hope for more future collabs from these two indie powerhouses. – Kat Collins

Two solo albums deep, Wymond Miles has risen as an ardent songwriter and performer who stands confidently as a separate entity from his long-time band, The Fresh & Onlys. Though threads of his band’s garage rock sound can be heard throughout his own work, he uses his solo project to weave a decidedly prettier, poppier and more outwardly emotional sonic tapestry. Despite its pristine packaging, his sound is also darker than Fresh & Onlys’ music and still driven by his characteristic guitar textures. Miles is playing a rare solo set tonight at Bottom of the Hill, and he has promised, via his Facebook page, that there will be roses, so get ready for some romantic, post punk vibes.

Joining Miles is San Francisco’s own burgeoning rock and roll band, The Spyrals, who have been spreading their jangly, psych-tinged and blues-rooted music around The Bay Area since the late 2000s. Though the band initially established a wandering, sinister sound with its eponymous debut LP, the three-piece outfit injected its music with a fresh sense of urgency to create the tighter, faster compositions of its sophomore record, Out of Sight, which was released last year with Mock Records.

Rounding out the night will be Boston-based outfit Quilt. Currently on a North American Tour that will eventually become a European excursion, this dreamy pop band has captured the hearts of indie and psychedelic audiences alike with its surfy riffs, psychedelic fuzz and three-part harmonies. – Lauren Espina

Cellar Doors, Denney Joints and The Shivas will be supporting the influential neo psych band, The Warlocks this weekend at DNA Lounge in San Francisco on Friday, February 14th and at Eli’s Mile High Club in Oakland on Saurday, February 15th.

Cellar Doors are a San Francisco based band that musically blurs the lines between post-punk and psych rock. They seamlessly mix both genres, which makes for a dark, haunting and ultimately enveloping sound. Denney Joints is an Oakland solo act with a taste for ‘80s goth vocals, dream-like choruses and a drum machine. Last year, he released an album called On Repeat on Exitos Gnosis Records. The Shivas are a Portland based band that takes joy in creating surf rock riffs, reverb-heavy vocals and psych rock breakdowns. Known for energetic performances, they put on a raucous and rowdy show.

And with those bands in tow, The Warlocks play chaotically dreamy psych rock songs that embody a drone rock style within their elusively genre bending sound. What makes The Warlocks’ string of Bay Area shows so special is that they’re throwing a San Francisco release party for their most recent album, Skull Worship. Skull Worship is their first release in five years. Currently a quintet, the Los Angeles based band has been compared to the Velvet Underground, Spacemen 3 and Jesus and Mary Chain. With ties to Brian Jonestown Massacre (vocalist Bobby Hecksher was a former guitarist for BJM), the band has gained cult status and has established themselves as one of the most impressive psych rock bands to date. – Erin Dage

The bay’s preeminent indie hip-hop duo, Blackalicious will be performing this Valentine’s Day at Slim’s in San Francisco. Pioneers of The West Coast Underground Hip Hop, Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel have been making eccentric, soulful hip-hop for more than two decades. Like fellow west coast “alternative” rap groups, the Pharcyde and Jurassic 5, Blackalicious favors classic R&B and jazz samples and lofi sounds to the overproduced beats of mainstream hip-hop. Xcel’s funky beats combined with Gab’s complex rhymes and uplifting messages, make the group one of the most charismatic and compelling hip-hop groups touring today.

The duo will be performing classic cuts from their deep and extensive catalogue, as well as new tracks off their upcoming album Imani, which is set for release in June 2014. Joining the group at Slim’s will be special guests Lifesavas, Kween, Myron and Mission-based musical collective Jazz Mafia.

Bring your Valentine to Slim’s for a night of some of the Bay Area’s best hip-hop. – Ethan Varian

Annie Girl and the Flight, Everyone is Dirty and Balms are set to bring their haunting styles of indie pop to The Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, tonight. Balms describe their layered, shoegaze-influenced music as dark-pop, a moniker that is certainly fitting of the band’s sound. The trio envelops their delicate vocal melodies with a wash of guitar and reverb that is both foreboding and strangely mesmerizing.

Combining the grit of 90’s era Sonic Youth with the pop sensibilities of Jenny Lewis and Rilo Kiley, the Oakland’s Everyone is Dirty have established themselves as one of the East Bay’s most exciting emerging acts. Lead singer Sivan Gur-Arieh’s darkly seductive vocals and electric violin are the highlight of the group’s transfixing live performances.

Annie Girl and The Flight close out the night with their hypnotic, trance-inducing art-rock. Annie has performed solo and with numerous groups around SF, but with her new band The Flight, her introspective songs take on an edgier and more psychedelic sound. – Ethan Varian

Every Wednesday, San Francisco based bar and venue, The Milk Bar hosts an event showcasing local talent called, Milk Was a Bad Choice. This week, Bay Area artists Religious Girls, GuMMyBeAR, The Classical and Eitch will all be playing this ongoing event.

Oakland mainstays, Religious Girls have been perfecting their performances down to an art since 2008. Making the bold choice to play on the floor rather than a stage, they strive to have both the audience and performer on the same level. Playing their own brand of experimental pop which is heavily dependent on harmonies and percussion with intricate time signatures, we’re sure that Religious Girls will wow audiences tonight!

Another Oakland based artist, GuMMyBeAR is well known for playing experimental "glitch" hip-hop. Their instrumentals for the most part, creates light and airy beats. The Classical, a San Francisco based group, brings their style of subdued avant-garde indie pop to the table. And finally, San Francisco and New York based artist Eitch, pronounced, "H" has made a sound all her own. Striving to make music with equal parts alternative, electronica and pop, she has coined the term "altronipop" to describe her music.

Be sure to see all of these artists tonight at the Milk Bar! – Erin Dage

Bay Area grunge-pop band, Happy Diving has recently come out with a video for their song Never Been. Similar to Pinkerton-era Weezer and Dinosaur Jr., the song is melody-laden and filled to the brim with angst in the best ways possible. In the video, Happy Diving plays the duration of the song while photos from a projector flash rapidly on the wall behind them. Much like the song, the video’s shots are layered and create a hazy atmosphere. We at the Deli SF encourage you to listen to this band’s wonderfully sludgy style of power pop. With dead pan vocal delivery and a healthy helping of feedback in tow, Happy Diving will be releasing a self-titled EP on cassette on local label Father/Daughter Records on February 18th. –Erin Dage

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the intensely dark, screamcore metal band (and SF based band Happy Diving‘s side project), Harsh Vibes has graced us with three songs from their upcoming album. This collection of songs which is appropriately titled, III showcases the tracks, LOVESICK, ENDLESS and UNTITLED. It’s hard to say if or what the full length upcoming album is going to be titled, but the three songs that the band has released are disturbing, loud and awesome. III is aggressive and the instrumental basis of the songs are tighly composed and almost traditional with their metal stylings.

Keep an eye out for Harsh Vibe’s complete album. In the meantime, they’ve shared an insanely strong example of what to expect, and the level of the new material they have to offer. –je

Sultry, raspy voiced singer/songwriter Rykarda Parasol has returned to her native city of San Francisco from a long sabbatical of sorts, in Europe. Her grizzly vocal range is oddly beautiful and appropriate as she sings bravely honest lyrics, and carries a tune perfectly over acoustic folk pop music. Parasol sounds like a Bob Dylan and Lou Reed’s lovechild. Her style is a bit perplexing and will be cool to experience live.

She’s opening for uber famous Tele Aviv based Asaf Avidan who is a massive and breath taking talent. If you want to hear something different next month, and don’t mind being moved to the core, arrive at Bimbos at 9 o’clock to see and hear a great show. –je