Best of Portland 2014 for Emerging Artists – FINAL RESULTS: 1. The Domestics 2. Sama Dams 3. Talkative

Deli Nation,

Our Year End Poll for Emerging Portland Artists was – as usual – a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process, but we pulled it off with remarkable flair!


 

A huge congratulations to The Domestics for becoming The Deli Portland’s Artist of 2014. For a group who seemed to materialize out of nowhere in early 2014, they recorded easily one of the best albums in recent Portland history. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Through and through, these guys are pure musicians and true song writers. Here’s looking forward to more soul-crushingly beautiful folk-friendly indy rock from them to come in the near future.

Sama Dams were not far behind, securing the Number 2 seat. Their 2014 sophomore release, Comfort in Doubt, underscores Adams ability to craft unique and heartfelt avant indie rock that both gently draws the listener in and challenges them with intelligent rhythms and out-there guitar solos.

It’s also no surprise to see Talkative at the top of this list. Their 2014 debut studio lp, Hot Fruit Barbeque, was the culmination of four years of relentless high-energy gigging and self-recorded demos, and is one of the strongest recent contributions to the realm of Pacific NW psych rock. 

Here is how it all went down: first we let the local bands submit their music, and had various Deli editors to pick their favorites as nominees. Then we polled a list of 15+ Portland music scene experts (our jury) asking them each to nominate 3 more bands of their choice. Then we polled our writers. And finally we polled our readers. We tried our damdest to keep things open and inclusive across all genres, from Indie to folk to Hip Hop.

If you care to geek out on all the subtelties of how this poll works, you can check out the rules in depth here (happy reading!). But if all you care about is the awesome new music that Portland produced in 2014, then the following list is all you need. Enjoy!

BEST OF 2014 POLL FOR EMERGING PORTLAND ARTISTS
****** FINAL RESULTS ******
 
ARTIST
J
OS
W
R
TOT
 
1
The Domestics
11
 
1
0.036
12.036
2
Sama Dams
9
 
1
0.017
10.017
icon
3
Talkative
7
 
1
0.027
8.027
icon
4
The Tamed West
6
 
 
0.013
6.013
icon
5
Psychomagic
3
 
3
0.008
6.008
icon
6
Summer Cannibals
6
 
 
0.006
6.006
icon
7
The Ghost Ease
4
 
1
0.033
5.033
icon
8
Grandparents
2
 
3
0.021
5.021
icon
9
Like A Villain
4
 
1
0.014
5.014
icon
10
Aan
3
 
2
0.011
5.011
icon
11

The Lower 48
 
3
1
0.004
4.004
12
Big Haunt
4
 
 
0.002
4.002
icon
 
Thanks
3
 
1
0.002
4.002
icon
14
Mermaid in China
 
1
1
2
4
icon
15
Bubble Cats
3
 
 
0.023
3.023
icon
16
Lunch
2
 
1
0.013
3.013
icon
17
Fanno Creek
2
 
1
0.006
3.006
icon
18
Swansea
3
 
 
0.003
3.003
19
The Shivas
3
 
 
0.002
3.002
icon
20
Blesst Chest
3
 
 
0.001
3.001
icon
 
Chanterelles
3
 
 
0.001
3.001
icon
 
Musee Mechanique
3
 
 
0.001
3.001
icon
23
And And And
3
 
 
0
3
 
The Woolen Men
3
 
 
0
3
icon
25
Kool Stuff Katie
 
1
 

1.5

2.5
icon
 
Jackson Boone
 
2
 
0.5
2.5
icon
 
Just Lions
 
2
 
0.5
2.5
icon
28
Fringe Class
2
 
 
0.018
2.018
icon
29
Minden
2
 
 
0.016
2.016
icon
30
Eidolons
1
 
1
0.013
2.013
icon
31
Golden Hour
2
 
 
0.009
2.009
icon
32
Comm
2
 
 
0.007
2.007
icon
33
Bed.
2
 
 
0.004
2.004
icon
34
Lost Lander
2
 
 
0.001
2.001
icon
 
Mothertapes
 
1
1
0.001
2.001
icon
  Sons of Huns
2
 
 
0.001
2.001
icon
37
Dirty Revival
 
1
 
1
2
icon
38
The Fourth Wall
1
 
 
0.027
1.027
icon
39
Arlo Indigo
1
 
 
0.019
1.019
icon
40
Jeffrey Martin
 
1
 
0.004
1.004
icon
 
Landlines
1
 
 
0.004
1.004
icon
42
Anna Tivel
 
1
 
0.001
1.001
icon
 
Renaissance Coalition
1
 
 
0.001
1.001
icon
 
Vinnie Dewayne
1
 
 
0.001
1.001
icon
45
Modern Kin
1
 
 
0
1
icon
 
The Binary Marketing Show
 
1
 
0
1
icon
Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers,
R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

Jurors List: Jared Mees (Tender Loving Empire), James Dineen (Portland Media Works, Xray.fm), Papi Fimbres (Revival Drum Shop, drummer in 20+ PDX bands), Rochelle Hunter (booker extraordinaire), Louie Herr (Banana Stand Media), Colette Pomerleau (SSG Music), Matt Singer (Willamette Week), Annie Miranda (PDX Pop Now!), Elizabeth Elder (talent buyer at Union/PineParty Boyz), Boone Howard (sound engineer at Mississippi Studios, Rontoms and Bunk Bar), Ryan Dornfeld (Eleven PDX Magazine), Theo Craig (Smoke Signals Music, Xray.fm), Ingrid Renan (Exploding Green), Alexei Shiskin (Noise & Color PDX, Gelatenous Blog), Aaron Colter (Banana Stand Media), Cody Burger (talent buyer at Firkin), Dustin Mills (Eleven PDX Magazine), Chris Young (Vortex Music Magazine), Nalin Silva (Revolver Studios, talent buyer at Kelly’s Olympian), and Rachael Milbauer (Tender Loving Empire, She Shreds, Party Boyz).

Hope you’ll find some awesome new artists you weren’t aware of!

The Deli’s Staff