This year’s Best of NYC Open Submissions for the Psych Rock/Dream Pop category were so good that 20 out of 21 bands got ranked with 6 or more (out of 10) and 12 received marks above 7! So, it is with a broken heart that we announce the three winners – we wish we could select more! You can see the other NYC Open Submission results here.
CATEGORY: PSYCH ROCK/DREAM POP
Total submissions: 21
Jurors: Juan Rodriguez (The Deli LA) Ryan Mo (The Deli LA) PDG (The Deli NYC)
1. Belle Mare – 8.33 (out of 10)
Here at The Deli NYC we’ve been fans of Brooklyn uber mellow dream pop duo Belle Mare for quite some time – they were our record of the month back in March 2013. It feels good to see that our non NYC Deli colleagues, whose opinion was central to this poll’s results, agree with us. But after all, who can resist the charm of a song like "Dark of My Evening" (streaming), and Amelia Bushell’s casual vocals, suddenly erupting in the most celestial of melodies? Evidently, The Deli’s staff can’t.
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2. Surf Rock Is Dead – 7.833
NYC is fertile ground for dream pop with surf influences, and Brooklyn based duo Surf Rock Is Dead, hailing from Chicago and Melbourne, has been making the most of it in 2015. The four tracks in their debut EP "SRiD" helped them build a loyal fan base, also gathering uniform interest on the internet, with Soundcloud listeners obsessing about single "Never Be The Same" and Spotify ones preferring "Late Risers" (streaming). The band has two upcoming shows scheduled in NYC: at Aviv on 01.22 and Pianos on 02.09.
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2. Twiga – 7.833
Well, it really looks like Dream Pop had the best of Psych Rock this year… although Twiga, out of the three band we are highlighting here, nicely marries these two closely related genres in ways that don’t feel incestuous at all! Opening single and latest EP title-track "Kites" (streaming below) features luscious guitars reminiscent of Real Estate, but the droney vocals take us for a trip back to the days of Paysley Underground bands like Rain Parade, or British neo-psychedelic acts like Doves.
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HONORABLE MENTIONS (above 7):
Zuli, Joseph Sant, HEAVY BIRDS, Goodman, No Honeymoon, The Makeout Club, Auramics, IYEZ.
The Deli’s Folks