If there’s one place where people keep their secrets locked away, it has to be our beds. Sorcha Richardson spends a lot of time here, whether ruminating on love, or attempting unsuccessfully to get out of bed to start her day. But mostly, she’s sleeping… where a certain poetry finds its way through her gentle steel-string guitar shapes and soothing alto that seems to reach out and beg you to confide in her. In ‘I Heart NYC’ Sorcha ponders how much the city loves her…. show her just how much when she plays Glasslands on Feb 24.

It can be hard to do the right thing. We all know you want to of course, but for Derrick & The Black Sea, they understand how some things are easier said than done. In ‘Mama,’ Brooklyn singer Derrick Karg wails: "trying to be a man, but I don’t know right from wrong." Poor guy… but, I can relate. The Brooklyn band struggles their way through these issues of growing up and letting go throughout the few scattered tracks they’ve so far released. The honesty is telling, and the lonesome guitars and sparse drums bring it all home. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

We’ve tallied the results for the Open Submissions stage of our Austin Year End Poll. Deli Editors from other scenes ranked all of the submissions, and the list of acts that have advanced to our Readers/Fans Poll phase are below. We will also be releasing the list of nominees chosen by our local "scene expert" jurors very soon.

Thanks to all the acts who submitted their artistry to us. Our open submissions pool was truly a celebration of Austin&rsquos musical talent and diversity.

Total submissions from the Austin Scene: 27

Jurors: Q.D. Tran (Deli Philadelphia), Brandi Lukas (Deli Philadelphia), Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC).

The Deli Staff

david thomas jones has previously received lovin’ from The Deli Austin, and is about it get it again. Until Mr. Jones conquers his dream of making a Bauhaus tribute band, he’s doing pretty well making dancey indie pop tunes that house variety by way of tropical beats, alternative edginess and a folk approach. – Brandi Lukas

The Vliets pump out psychedelic rock with a hint of electronic vibrations. This dazed rock trio began in Dallas, with bimonthly commutes to Austin, and has been playing live shows since 2010. Even though bass/keyboard/drum-master Daniel Gonzalez recently moved to Chicago in 2012, the band collaborates and works through e-mail, long calls and the occasional meet-up. Impressive, huh? – Brandi Lukas

I wish lullabies sounded like this when I was little. hhhhhh supplies the most soothing sound while still conveying heavy emotion in its tracks. Inner-demons are being approached, which one can feel through the anguish in the vox, yet is lightened by the acoustic backdrop – provoking thought, not sadness. – Brandi Lukas

Folk quintet Hello Caller has a myriad of layers going down in its music. Brian Ferguson’s vocal dynamics with underlying melodic percussion, strings and xylophone give it both a dark and light-hearted sound, concurrently – giving you a perfect reason to listen to Hello Caller during any range of emotions. – Brandi Lukas

When listening to MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR, an image crosses the mind of driving down a breezy back-road highway, lined with antique stores and mom/pop-shop mechanics, on the way to the beach with friends. With Galveston 200 miles away, quality time with MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR’s ambient indie rock sounds like a solid plan for the next warmest day. – Brandi Lukas

Five piece folk-pop band The Horde and the Harem’s latest album “A Long Midwinter” lives up to the exact opposite of its name. A compilation of heartfelt melodies and whimsical harmonies, the album is cheerful and lighthearted enough to cure seasonal defective disorder. No upcoming shows to speak of this month, so your winter blues will have to be satisfied with streaming their music online, which might be even better because you don’t have to leave the warmth of your home. -Lucy Sherman

Folk music has evolved over the past few years, particularly with the emergence of the indie scene, but it’s refreshing to find a band keeps to it’s roots. Seattle’s King Friday occasionally features a piano in their songs, but that’s as far as they stray in terms of instrumentation from their straightforward acoustic guitar fueled folk pop. Joe Bolton, Matthew Sweeney, and Alex Folkerth use this simplicity of sound to showcase their engaging lyrics, vocal dynamics, and harmonization. Their three albums, including their latest “Let Him at Cake (Songs for Birds)” are available for download here.-Lucy Sherman

Playfully incorporating elements of jazz, folk, classical, rock, and pop, Seattle’s Song Sparrow Research achieves harmonic unity through subtlety. Their use of guitars, cello, upright bass, electric bass, synth, glockenspiel, various percussion instruments, and vocals mixes electric with acoustic for a dreamy indie-pop quality. Though this band tackles many different elements and noises, their music is anything but cluttered, each instrument calculated into the song to harmonize with the rest. Song Sparrow Research has their newest, self titled album available online for purchase both digitally and on 12" vinyl. You can catch their next show in Seattle at Cafe Racer on December 29th. -Lucy Sherman

Photo Source: Tokyoidaho

Tokyoidaho are gearing up for a weekend gig at The Comet Tavern on Saturday the 17th. Soft Hills and Kingdom of the Holy Sun are on the lineup too, with Boat headlining.

This trio’s (plus live member Projectorhead bringing the visual oomph) last release was the September full-length Tokyoidaho. Take vocals a little reminiscent of Trent Reznor, throw them in a capsule with haunting guitarwork, rolling drums, and pulsing synths, and one may begin to grip the band’s sonic protocol. But only barely.

Opener "Other Places, Other Places" navigates some seriously celestial terrain with its stargazing shoegaze. Warped sounds ebb and flow like a form of echo location as the beat stays steady with ghost-hits to spare.

"Oberheim Sunshine," contrary to its title, presents a darker vista than some of the tracks. The synth-work features more prominently. The singing is earnest and dramatic, revealing uncertainty about the days and nights to come. The song is neither sugar-sweet light or disturbingly morose, occupying a middleground content with curious exploration.

Their experimentation with shoegaze/pop/alternative rock spins routine categorizations through the blender. What plops out on the other end is not found in nature, certaintly. But neither does the music hail exclusively from the deep regions of space. Tokyoidaho’s ability to bridge melody and weird aural delights deserves notice.

Check them out live on the 17th of November at The Comet. Tickets cost $8 apiece and the doors are at 8:30pm. Listen to "Oberheim Sunshine" and visit their bandcamp to stream their self-titled record and pick up a physical copy.

– Cameron LaFlam