As their name implies, Coast Jumper jumped to San Francisco last year after meeting and spending a few years together in upstate New York. Since arriving to the Bay, they’ve released a 10-song record, Grand Opening, a collection of tracks that perfectly melds together. When you press play on song one, the next time you check in with what you’re hearing it’s track four and you had no idea that much time passed. It’s not to say the record is easy to ignore, rather it’s genuinely listenable and it speeds by. You can test this theory yourself over at their bandcamp page.

Coast Jumper’s sound is the kind that tingles each nerve ending to shift in tempoImagine, think Real Estate swelled with more rock. The compositions are never too fast or overly energetic, but are intrigued-head-bob worthy. To see and hear Coast Jumper live would not be a mistake; the movements they arouse will have you looking cool. Follow Coast Jumpers as they Bay hop to Oakland next Wednesday, March 7th at Vitus along with Fierce Creatures and Royal Canoe.

-Justine Fields

Winner of our Bay Area Year End Poll, San Francisco’s Geographer brings a smart, sensitive edge to indie electro.

On new album Myth, out Feb. 28, the trio displays a more dramatic, fully realized sound that compresses its big, orchestral movements into neat pop songs. Stream the full album courtesy of Paste Magazine and download single Kaleidoscope on the band’s website.

If you didn’t score tickets to Geographer’s sold out Independent show on March 3, catch the band on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at a free show at Amoeba in SF. Geographer will be touring nationwide on The Modern Art Tour joined by its Modern Art Records label mates Miniature Tigers, The Chain Gang of 1974 and Pretty & Nice.

–Whitney Phaneuf

Anyone who’s ever lived in San Francisco knows or has heard of the trauma of finding housing on Craigslist. I once read that someone would rather have had an ambiguous liquid drip out of their bellybutton every time they got an email than look for housing on Craigslist.

While I’m not sure the San Francisco band Odd Owl, who met via Craigslist, would opt for the leaky liquids, they do have the classified site to thank for getting them together. That was back in 2010 in the Sunset district, when the group was a duo. Now they’re a quartet, they’ve toured the west coast twice and have two EPs to their name.

Odd Owl’s brand of indie pop is centered around Carmen Caruso’s pristine female-fronting and cushioned by keyboard coos, funk hooks and buoyant drumming. You can stream their newest EP It’s The World I Love below or download their track "Radioheart."

Odd Owl are playing at the Make-Out Room this Saturday, February 25th, so be there.

-Justine Fields

Punk trio Terry Malts will celebrate its debut album, Killing Time, out Feb. 21 with a record release show tonight at Hemlock Tavern joined by fellow SF punk trio Airfix Kits. 

If the first single “Nauseous” is any indication, Killing Time will be filled with the Malts’ catchy punk ditties, which have quickly established them as NoCal’s version of The Descendents.

While this may be your last chance to see Airfix Kits before drummer Philip Lantz leaves the band, Terry Malts will be playing throughout California this month:

02/17 San Francisco, CA Hemlock Tavern
02/23 Chico, CA Duffy’s Tavern
02/24 San Diego, CA Tower Bar 
02/25 Fullerton, CA Burger Records
02/26 Los Angeles, CA The Echo (PART TIME PUNKS)
03/09 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop

–Whitney Phaneuf

SF’s Adios Amigo has just released a shimmering EP of songs for free on Bandcamp. The self-titled EP is pure California dreaming: nostalgic, jangly music that makes you feel sun-soaked and happy. The solo project of the drummer for Il Gato, Johnny Major, Adios Amigo has a similar indie-folk vibe.

Catch Adios Amigo headline Rickshaw Shop on February 29, Hotel Utah Saloon on March 28, or Thee Parkside on April 20 with LA-based Goldenboy.

–Amanda Dissinger

Happy Tuesday! Why so happy? Recently named San Francisco Bay Guardian 2012 band on the rise, Silver Swans release their latest LP, Forever, today.

Listen below to the first single, "Let It Happen," aptly titled with its mellow-on-the-surface, synthy touches and harp glimmers contrasted by huge booms. If you’re looking to tune into and drop out of your responsibilities at work today or in bed tonight, Forever will be your pick.

-Justine Fields

Let It Happen by Silver Swans

The Deli readers have spoken!

After two weeks of voting and with 1,480 votes, new wave rockers Excuses For Skipping (pictured) emerged as the winner of our Bay Area Best of 2011 Fans’ + Readers’ Poll. Don’t miss SF’s favorite quartet when they play Hemlock Tavern tonight, Feb. 3, and Brick and Mortar on March 1.

Kudos also to the seven-piece, indie orchestra The Family Crest and pop punk, hardcore kids Local Hero, who placed respectively second and third.

Stay tuned: The overall results of the Bay Area Year End Poll for Emerging Artists – including votes from our esteemed jury and open submissions – will be released Monday.

–Whitney Phaneuf

Yesterday, Hunx debuted the video for "Always Forever," the first single off his solo album, Hairdresser Blues, due out at the end of the month.

While Pitchfork got first dibs on the song, Hunx premiered the video via a more girly outlet: The Rookie Mag. Tavi Gevinson, founder and top editor of Rookie, is arguably the coolest tween on the face of the planet. A perfect duo if you ask us!

Directed by Hannah Lew of Bay Area punk trio Grass Widow, also responsible for the awesome video for "Lover’s Lane," check out "Always Forever" below.

–Justine Fields

Bay Area/LA rapper Young L lives up to his name: his raps are young, stupid, wild and reckless, but also a lot of fun.

After producing Berkeley, California rappers The Pack’s hit "Vans," Young L started releasing his own mixtapes, leading up to his latest Praktika. Using video game beats and silly, catchy rhymes, Praktika establishes Young L as a rapper to watch in the West Coast hip hop scene. Download here.

–Amanda Dissinger 

Have we mentioned how excited we are that Ezra Furman (the Ezra Furman of Ezra Furman and the Harpoons) recently relocated to San Francisco? Well, we are soooooooooo excited! We’re also excited about his solo record, The Year of No Returning, which comes out next Tuesday and promises a more raw sound. It was recorded in the attic of his Chicago home.

Next Saturday, February 11th our new San Franciscan friend will grace us with an awesome release party at Hotel Utah Saloon. And hot damn! We are so super, freaking excited because the show includes another San Francisco transplant, pianist Debbie Neigher, who used to perform with Furman back on the right coast when they were undergrads at Tufts.

Okay. Enough excitement for one day. We’ll return to our breathing exercises to contain our composure until next weekend.

–Justine Fields
 

Perhaps inspired by the Bay’s gray June and July, Cruel Summer‘s dreamy, noisy sound hit the scene in late 2011. Singer/guitarist Thea Chacamaty and guitarist Josh Yule talked to the Deli about their first few months as a band. Read more here.

Next up for these Mission dwelling musicians (which include drummer Sean Mosley and bassist Chani Hawthorne)? Studio time with Jason Kick of Maus Haus. We can’t wait to hear the result. Don’t miss Cruel Summer with Micro Mtns February 17 at Makeout room.