Musical peoples from Austin and beyond.

A few weeks are left before the end of 2009, and the time has come for our end of year musical "summary". Yes, you got that right: The Deli’s "Best of (emerging) Austin 2009" Poll is upon us!

This year we are going to try to involve everybody on different levels: the readers, our jury of selected scene makers, our writers and – of course – the emerging local artists. The process we have implemented to choose the Best emerging Austin Artist of 2009 is a little complicated – if you are interested in knowing how it works please go here.

We’ll just tell you that there will be prizes for the winners, such as: Deli promotion, free studio time, audio software + more!

But as we know most readers’ attention span is limited, so we prefer to keep things simple on the homepage: in the next two entries under here you’ll find what you can do if you want to be involved.

Have fun, and may the best music triumph!
[May also some people NOT get mad at us for some reason… it happens every year during the year end poll!!!]

The Deli Staff
www.thedelimagazine.com

P.S. Oh and if new posts here at The Deli Austin will be a little slow in the next few weeks, it’s because our Austin Editor Tom just had twin girls!!! Double congrats Tom from all the Deli staff!

Three nominees for our Year End Best of Austin Poll will be chosen through an Open Contest (the other from a jury of local "scene makers"). Submit your music for The Deli’s Best of Austin Year End Poll HERE by 12.17.2009. By submitting, you will also add your band to our chart system – which will get you some exposure in the future. To be eligible your band needs to have music available online and have played live at least once in 2009 (and not to be signed to a major).

The Deli’s Staff

Let us know what you think is the best emerging artist of 2009 with a comment (click on "Add New Comment" under this blog entry), we want to hear the voice of the people!!! Besides, your comments may impress our writers who will have to choose the 3 nominees coming from the open contest above…

The Deli Staff

After a slight delay, EAR FARM and Let ‘Em In Studios announced the release of Do you EAR what I EAR?, a holiday album for the Association to Benefit Children, available as a digital download exclusively on EAR FARM’s Store Page for a suggested minimum donation of $5.00. Do you EAR what I EAR? features original and classic holiday songs from many local artists, including Sean Bones (in the picture), Asobi Seksu, Sharon Van Etten, and many more. The proceeds of the record go directly to the Association to Benefit Children, a New York-based service dedicated to permanently break the cycles of abuse, neglect, sickness and homelessness among disadvantaged children and their families.

For the last few years, Brooklyn resident Kevin Barker has been recording, touring and collaborating with Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Vashti Bunyan, Antony and the Johnsons, and Espers, to name just a few, playing on the last few Vetiver records and touring with them. His debut album, You And Me, was produced by Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Gary Louris) and features Pat Sansone (Wilco), Joanna Newsom, Jonathan Wilson (Elvis Costello, Jenny Lewis), Eric Johnson (Shins, Fruit Bats), and Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Espers). Don’t miss Kevin’s live performance at The Stone on December 20.

CMJ Music Marathon is a time to discover the brightest young stars in the music industry. We at The Deli had our hands full with 2009’s festivities and had a hard time picking our favorite bands. Savoir Adore not only was one of my personal favorite artists of this year’s festival, but they also played The Deli’s 20th issue launch party, opening for showegaze Zaza, who graced that issue’s cover. They put on a great live show. I recently sat down with Paul Hammer – we discussed CMJ Music Marathon and future touring plans. – Read Nicholas Palumbo interview with the band here.

Someday, Rachael Sage will make her punk album, a stripped-down collection honoring Joan Jett, one of her heroes. At the moment, though, she’s compelled to make what she calls “cinematic” and “textured” music—expertly crafted piano pop that, however intricate, seems destined for the Top 40. If Sage’s admiration for Jett comes as something of a surprise—her latest album, “Chandelier,” is more along the lines of Vanessa Carlton or Tori Amos—it’s characteristic of her wide-ranging talent and ambition. Another of her idols is Meryl Streep, and in 7th grade, Sage adapted “Sophie’s Choice” for a school theater project. Later, she earned a degree in drama from Stanford University. – read Ken Partridge interview with Rachel here.

Javelin (in the picture, snacking) and The Phenomenal Handclap Band are two of the sweetest artists to emerge from the NYC scene in 2009. They share an electronic, creative approach to music, but their final sound couldn’t be more different. While Javelin sparse lineup of two favors experimental, quirky sounds and their shows and overall approach to life flirt with performance art, the PH Band crowded crew prefers to stick to basics of partying. Javelin just signed to David Byrne’s Luaka Pop and is schedule to release their first full lenght in early 2010. The PH Band is enjoying massive buzz accompanying their European Tour and new Deen Haan Remix of "15 to 20". Don’t miss the two bands live at the Bowery on December 11!

Guitarist and singer Travis DeVries’ name might ring a bell among those of you who obsess about cult shoegaze bands (for some reason shoegaze is the inde cult genre par excellence): he was the main force behind the band The Turn-ons, also nicknamed "the godfathers of the shoegaze Seattle scene". Now based in NYC, Travis has formed a new project and conveniently called it "deVries". The man has worked almost two years to deliver "Death to God" (released last week with a show at Cameo), a fine shoegaze-pop record that kept us involved from the first to the last fuzzy guitar chord. The songs on the album share an atmospheric and contemplative weft, given by the textured and hypnotic guitar sound and by Travis’ droney, reverbery melodies. DeVries’s songs create an original musical universe while giving a lingering impression that they have always existed. The ethereal "Girl in the fur skin" and the captivating "Slowing Down" could have been classic shoegaze gems from the early ’90 next to Kevin Shields’ unforgettable "Girl in the City" or The Jesus and Mary Chain’s "Just like Honey". "Darkest Summer" is a beguiling melody that flooats on a saturated orchestration and definitely has the power to linger in your mind for awhile. Don’t miss deVries’s show at Union Hall on December 10. – by Claire-Marie Le Bihan

Your 33 Black Angels: "Lovers Limbo" from Benji Kast.

Your 33 Black Angels just released their third album, PAGAN PRINCESS with a show at Mercury Lounge on 12.03. The album will be available on both CD and vinyl. The release comes one year after the band’s double-album melancholic opus, Tales of My Pop-Rock Love Life and 2007’s Lonely Street, an album deemed "…one of the year’s treasures…" by Rolling Stone magazine Senior Editor David Fricke. This is the video from the single "Lovers Limbo" (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

The Delfields self-released their third album on December 1st; a seven song EP titled "Sooner Than You Think". This release comes on the heels of their free digital EP "Twilight Town". Recorded on and off over the past year, the album is a pastiche of an eclectic number of influences ranging from C86 artists to mid 60’s art pop and psychedelia. The video for Madeline was filmed in The Delfields’ hometown of New Brunswick, NJ and was directed by William Kaufman who also directed a video for their first LP "Ogres". The EP is available for sale on The Delfields’ website under the buy section. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

NYC-Montreal Disco revivalists Chromeo have just released this video entitled "Night by Night" – some kind of chauvinistic phantasy about a guy who goes to a party where he’s the only boy and all the girls (which are curiosly all very hot) are waiting in line to dance with him. He actually gets to choose them! Keep on dreaming…