Electronic duo PLOY has consistently been releasing great tracks for the past year. When I first moved to the D.C. area and began writing, PLOY was one of the first local groups I was introduced to—they were good then, but their music is now on repeat on my iPod. PLOY’s sound is incredibly calm, understated and easy to listen to, but the themes of their tracks are mature beyond the pair’s two short years of making music together. From “XIX” to “From Home,” this group’s music keeps me coming back for more. Last month they released new track "Liker." Check it out below. –Katie Bowles

DC group Drop Electric has only been together for a few years, but that hasn’t stopped them from gaining major notice in the area. The band’s electronic, female-led music is somehow both melancholy and hopeful at the same time, and gives listeners the feeling of being alone in a large crowd. Drop Electric just released its label debut album, Waking Up to the Fire, in October 2013 and will be featured in DC Music Download’s 2-Year Anniversary Show at 9:30 Club on 1/25. –Katie Bowles

 If you ever wondered if Wale is the only rapper in DC, look no further than Javier’s song “Ctrl-Alt-Delete.” His music ranges from top 40 worthy to insightful. “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” is the latter. He blames the city for being “excellent at overlooking excellence.” He also attacks those who rap solely about the money they have a acquired. That theme has become a cliché, if not dishonest for those just starting out in the rap game. He is not trying to dethrone Wale as the DC rap king either. He’s just clearly frustrated by the abundant comparisons. “Don’t compare me with Wale,” he angrily raps. No one will, after they hear his fervor. Hopefully Javier will be one of the acts to raise DC rap community to the ranks of the city’s jazz and punk legacies.  

D.C. natives, The Silver Liners, took their band name from the old adage, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” The name seems very apt these days—after losing a few original members, the band revamped their former pop rock sound and released a new EP, Bliss. The EP features electronic tracks, with synthesizer backings and distorted vocals—a much more mature sound than before. Since the release, The Silver Liners have had enormous success, receiving airtime on MTV and local radio station DC101. The Silver Liners have a show this coming Saturday, 1/11 at the Rock & Roll Hotel. — Katie Bowles

We had an incredible pool of talent submit this 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 DC 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 DC scene were: Charise (Deli Austin) and Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC, Editor-In-Chief). In the coming weeks we will release the list of nominees chosen by our local "scene expert" jurors and it will be up to you to pick your favorite Emerging DC Area Artist of 2013.

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll with a ranking above 8:

1. Kindlewood – 9
2. Margot MacDonald – 8.75
3. The Sea Life – 8.5
4. Pleasure Curses – 8.25
5. The Raised By Wolves – 8.25
6. Me and Karen – 8
7. The Mellish – 8

Total submissions from the DC Area: 36

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 DC/MD/VA scene inside 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 the DMVs talent. Keep creating, keep supporting and stay tuned for your chance to vote!

-Dawn

Coming in as our most voted upon in the Open Submissions round and now moving on to our Best of 2013 Emerging Artists poll is Maryland’s dream folk rock trio Kindlewood! You can hear the love in every note this group produces together, especially on the featured track “Give & Take” below. Expect to hear even more from them this year.

Coming in at #2 on our recent round of Open Submissions is DC based pop vocalist Margot MacDonald who’s recent release Canvas showcases her a cappella skills. She’s no stranger to topping lists either as she’s been recognized as NPR Music’s Favorite Discoveries after the 2013 CMJ Music Festival. Check out her skills below then see her live at The Dunes on Jan 10.

We are really not shocked that DC’s dream pop group The Sea Life were highly voted in our recent round of Open Submissions. Merely a 3 second listen to their EP Transitions and you know you’ve got a stellar band that needs to be heard. Check out the EP below and then see them live at the 9:30 Club on Jan 25.

2013 ends with the Virginia based funk punk band The Mellish as our Band of the Month! Their unique blend of a plethora of genres captures the creative complexity that can only be found in our region, right up there with go-go and Dischord hardcore. We wanted to find out more about these guys that are sure to be heard more in the new year, so we got a hold of Rev. Eugene Sickles (keys/vocals,) General Longstreet (guitar/vocals,) Justin Price (bass,) and Markus Gerhard (drums.) Here they tell us about memories at Memories, influences, and keeping the story behind their name a mystery. Now onto the interview…

Catch the Mellish live this Saturday 1/4/14 at Memories Bar in Walfdorf, MD.

Richmond’s Inter Arma has recently received international acclaim as their new album, Sky Burial (Relapse Records), has appeared on pretty much every list of top metal albums of 2013. Their legend has grown steadily over the past 8 years, tales of their ferocity and glory passed by word of mouth between worshipers and those interested. Richmond has the sort of deep metal scene in which the word “Metal” is usually perceived as the wrong word to describe any given band. Doom and Thrash and Death and Speed, and various Cores and Grinds, are often jumbled together on show posters with hyphens so you know what you’re getting into and don’t accidently go see a band that’s not quite exactly what you were expecting. Inter Arma is above all that. Even the most wizened metallurgists cannot classify the alloy Inter Arma (some say there might even be various kinds of Rock in there), and everyone loves them. –Natan Press

Baltimore’s Bosley is more than pop rock and r&b rolled into one. The description on his soundcloud page says it all "imagine the Rolling Stones piled into a candy-apple red 1969 Eldorado Convertible, and every girl group from the ’60s Motown Stable in a Greyhound Bus –plus Louis Armstrong riding the side car of a WWII motorcycle helmed by Tom Waits all screeching tires in a torrid, fiendish, madcap car-chase tearing through downtown traffic at night." And because there are no fans like Bos fans, he skyrocketed to the top of our recent poll to be named Band of the Month, so we got a hold of him to find out more. Here he tells us about his upcoming album The Dirty Dogs Radio Show, Elvis, and how he formed his cleverly nicknamed crew. Now onto the interview…

Be sure to catch Bosley and the Beautiful Band live at the 8×10 in Baltimore on Friday Dec. 13. And get caught up with their sound from the latest LP Honey Pig below.