Deli Readers,

Our Best of Chicago Poll for Emerging Artists has been – as usual – a lengthy and painstaking journey which took us through prairies of numbers, horizons filled with band names, and a dense, (mostly) joyous rain of music. We have finally reached our destination and we can announce the final results!

The Post-Punk trio of Chris Sutter (vocals/guitar), Joe Gac (bass), and Ryan Wizniak (drums) known as Meat Wave formed in 2011. In September of 2015 they released their third album, first on Hollywood’s SideOneDummy Records, Delusion Moon. The band spent most of 2015 touring the UK and North America fine tuning a sound that is both chaotic and pleasingly melodic.

The spirit of this Cumbia Jam band is undeniable, and Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta has a unique sound that our readers and voters both agreed on. 2015 saw the release of their thrilling debut album, Dos Santos.

Campdogzz is the duo of Jess Price (vocals/guitar) and Mike Russell (of Wedding Dress, Suns) (multi-instrumentalist) creating gritty blues-infused rock. The will be expanding the band and touring in 2016. 

Check out our poll’s top 15 below, and don’t forget to get even deeper, exploring all the finalists organized by genre:

ALT ROCK – ELECTRO-HIP HOP – INDIE POP – NOISE ROCK/AVANT – PSYCH ROCK/POP – PUNK/GARAGE/METAL – ROOTS MUSIC

[JASON, PLEASE UPDATE THE HEADPHONE LINKS IN THIS CHART!] BEST OF 2015 POLL FOR EMERGING Chicago ARTISTS ****** FINAL RESULTS – TOP 15 ******

ARTIST J OS R TOT   1 Meat Wave 6.5   0.017 6.517 2 Dos Santos Anti-Beat Orquesta   3 2 5 3 Campdogzz 3   0.072 3.072 4 Soddy Daisy 3   0.065 3.065 5 Luggage 3   0.012 3.012   Al Scorch 3   0.012 3.012 7 Bleach Party 3   0.009 3.009 8 Circuit Des Yeux 3   0.008 3.008 9 Disappears 3   0.005 3.005 10 Whitney 3   0.004 3.004 11 Archie Powell & the Exprts 3   0.002 3.002 12 Saba 3   0.002 3.002 13 The Congregation 3   0.001 3.001 14 Jude Shuma 2   0.5 2.5   Burnside & Hooker   1 1.5 2.5 Legend: J = Jurors, R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

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If you wonder how this chart came into existence, here is how it all went down: first, we let the local bands submit their music (for free), and got our Deli editors to pick the nominees. Then we polled a list of 15+ Chicago scene expert (our jury) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each (3 points for the top choice, then 2 and 1). Then we polled our readers. We tried to keep things open for each single genre, from Indie Rock to Roots Music to Hip Hop.

If you are a geek interested in all the subtelties related to how this poll works, you can read its rules here (happy reading!). But if all you care about is the awesome new music Chicago produced in the year 2015, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

Many Thanks to our Jurors: Michael Gebel (Empty Bottle), Lisa White (Freelance Music Writer), Eric Muhlberger (Sofar Sounds Chicago), Bill Valenta (Theft Liable To Prosecute), Jim Kopeny (Chicagoist), Brendan Losch (Count Me Out), Jason Behrends (The Deli Chicago), Eric Schelkopf (The Total Scene), Adam (Saki Record store), Elle Quintana (Reggie’s Rock Club), Coleman Brice (Cole’s Chicago), Matt Baron (Coach House Sounds), Bill Valenta (TLTP.com)

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

The Deli’s Staff

The Deli LA is proud to premiere this jagged new track from Rex Osterkamp’s dancepunk-for-funsies project REXX. "Motion" cuts about an inch deeper than the bedroom slackers of his previous album I Really Tried to Save the Day, with its visceral lyricism and kick-in-the-teeth dissonance. If Osterkamp’s description of 30 foot dads with Oakley shades doesn’t spin you, the breakneck rhythm will make sure you’re on the ground by song’s end. "Motion" is the first single from REXX’ upcoming yet-to-be-named cassette, slated to release on the fiercely DIY Danger Collective Records in May. – Ryan Mo

For the five minutes that I listened "f a n t a s y l o v e" by LUV, nothing else mattered. The tip-of-the-tongue ’80s intro, diffracting into effervescent, luminous meloromanticism left a taste half-metallic, half-citric in my mouth. It was like witnessing the birth of a musical deity, like the ones we’ve come to know through larger publications: Solange, Blood Orange, Sky Ferreira.

The bedroom project is as youthful as its sound, started by the enigmatic johnny since August 2015, with some material that s/he’d "been working on for years." Listing N’Sync, Prince, Britney Spears, and Ready for the World as major influences, johnny mixed ’90s pop, new wave and R&B inspirations with homespun technique, taking on a markedly different sound from the debut single "leave."

"Empress Of, MNDR, Kimbra, ABRA, this wave of female producers all inspired me to start taking my lil bedroom jams more seriously," johnny says.

LUV is currently planning shows in the Los Angeles area with .paperman in April; check back for more info. Until then, listen to the bedroom producer’s newest EP and hope that this is anything but a fantasy.– Ryan Mo

Sleepwalker, Long Beard’s debut album, is aptly named, for listening to each song feels like maneuvering through the hazy edges of your most melancholic dreams – both here and there, warm, and cool, so close and yet so distant.  Perpetually teetering between sleep and awake, the album opens up with an instrumental track that sounds like it’s being played backwards, slowly leading into “Porches,” a song of desire and longing where Leslie Bear pleads “who do you love?/ Who do you love?/ And is it enough?” The album climaxes at "Dream" – before the vocals start disintegrating, becoming almost indiscernible, with the looping electronic textures folding into themselves – as if the silhouette of those gentle songs disappeared into a shadow and then became nothing more than a film blanketing the early hours of dusk.

“Please don’t forget/ You’re something I listen to/ When I’m not sleeping.”

Don’t miss Long Beard performing at Baby’s All Right with Emily Yacina, Yohuna, and Crosslegged on 2.29. – Adriana S Ballester

An artist moving comfortably from glitchy folk, to orchestral arrangements, to spacey rock freak-outs, Ben Talmi stretches his canvas wide, reaching some far-out places with his music along the way. Thankfully, he also has a gift for making these sonic journeys sound incredibly catchy. New track ‘Pure’, from latest release ‘My Art of Almost,’ continues this path towards pop music transcendence, with a song that’s as much fun and colorfully rendered as the eye-popping video accompanying it. Check out the video for new single ‘Pure’ below. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

If a beautiful were ever to be heard, it’s certainly this new track from DC’s own Wylder, a leading indie folk band in the city. Coming in hot off packed shows at the W Hotel and DC9, this friendly sextet is keeping up with their track record of great music. Swells is uplifting, sweet even, and makes full use of the band’s talents – not many can pull of having a violin, mandolin, and keys on the same track, but Wylder certainly does. Throughout the song, you can hear each note struck and get lost in the melody before you realize it and it’s guaranteed to make the day a better one. Catch them tomorrow night, 2/19, at the IOTA Club & Cafe in Arlington. -Jonathan Goodwin

Trying to find information on Holy Tunics is like trying to catch Alice’s white rabbit: a challenge, to say the least. You see them pop up here and there long enough to catch a trail but, as soon as you come near, they run off and you’re left waiting for them to surface once more. The Brooklyn band has two songs accessible through YouTube and Soundcloud, and their sound is lo-fi but inviting: gritty guitars, scruffy beats, and Nick Roger’s voice languidly and nonchalantly drawing catchy melodies reminiscent of pre-drug-abuse The Lemonheads. If you wish to experience this first hand don’t miss their upcoming show at Rough Trades with Dead Stars and Infinity Girl on March 4th! – Adriana S Ballister

A little under a month ago, Burlington-based, self-described “fox folk” artist Abbie Morin shared a slowly involving live version of “Better Half” (streaming below), the wistful opener on her 2015 debut album ‘Shadowproof.’ Over ambling guitars and soaring violins, Morin vividly depicts a distance-bruised relationship while showing pure appreciation for our lovers, wherever they may have gone. Reminiscent of both Angel Olsen and perhaps Lucinda Williams, Morin quietly yet strongly shines with her moving country-folk. Abbie Morin plays at Nectar’s in Burlington, Vermont on Saturday (2/20). – Zach Weg

Listening to The Teen Age is like running into old high school acquaintances – the ones that walked the line between fun, rebellion and recklessness – and realizing that they have grown up. The Brooklyn band has managed to retain the wonder of adolescent fervor within their matured sound, polished but with an edge. And their new EP Bad Seeds is a testimony to that; its youthful energy coursing through the verve of sprightly guitar riffs – and sagacity attained only through time.
Having cut their teeth performing for bands such as Twin Peaks, Diarrhea Planet, and Palma Violets, you know that this is a band that can pack a punch and blow you away in a live performance. They release their new EP on March 4 and are celebrating with a party on 3.3 at Mercury Lounge. Can’t wait two weeks to see them, then don’t worry. They’re playing Union Pool 2.19 and Pianos 2.23. – Adriana S. Ballester

It’s time to focus our attention on the bands that did well in our recent Best of NYC 2015 Readers/Fans Poll for Emerging Artists (we wish there was a shorter way to say that… what about BoNYCRFPfEA 2015?). Let’s start with the Sould category, since it features that poll’s overall winner and third place artists. 

With her powerful voice and a solid production team behind her, Pam Steebler qualified to our Best of NYC poll through the Open Submissions. Her "Give In" EP, paired with a full band churning out confident, top notch live performances, are a great asset for a young artist whose soul-rock has the potential to appeal to almost every music lover out there. Check out her single "Me and You" below, and see her at Webster Hall’s Studio on March 1st.

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With a slightly poppier approach to soul music, Lawrence boasts classic songwriting forged by sibling duo Clyde and Gracie Lawrence. Gifted with both superior piano skills and incredibly powerful vocals, Clyde leads the band with the confidence of a veteran. The band just wrapped up a east coast tour and will celebrate the end of it with a show at Webster Hall’s Marlin Room tonight (02.18)

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Merging electro, hip hop and soul, Tangina Stone offers a less classic interpretation of soul music Her 2015 EP ‘The Fall‘ surprises with a sound that develops in various directions, highlighting the singer’s range and its production team’s ability to work with dirrent genres and sounds.

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The other three artists in this category are Cory Henry, Connell Cruise and Justin Baron.

Deli Readers,

Our Best of 2015 Poll for Emerging Philly Artists has been – as usual – a lengthy and painstaking journey which took us through prairies of numbers, horizons filled with band names, and a dense, (mostly) joyous rain of music, but we have finally arrived at our desired destination. We can now announce the final results!

And the winner is…

1. Alex G

Alex Giannascoli gives hope to nice, normal, loner dudes everywhere who waste inordinate amounts of time recording solo jams in their bedroom. He unassumingly seeped into the Philly music community’s subconscious with a slew of honest, lo-fi recordings. After winning The Deli Philly’s Readers’/Fans’ 2013 Poll for Best Emerging Artists, Alex G eventually went on to sign to Domino Recording Co., and released Beach Music, which was also our November 2015 Record of the Month. So this victory might not be such a surprise to some of our Deli faithfuls.

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2. Kississippi

We discovered Kississippi after being intrigued by Shari Heck’s cover of "Dogmas," which appeared on the original track list of Cyberbully Mom Club‘s Amy Locust Whatever. We were instantly smittened by Zoë Reynolds’s endearingly candid lyrics and wispy lilt, highlighted by the stripped-down, acoustic version found on I Can Feel You in My Hair Still. On the group’s label debut We Have No Future, We’re All Doomed (Soft Speak Records), the band hooked up with Modern Baseball‘s Jake Ewald, who produced the album. 2015 is definitely only the begining for Kississippi.

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3. Queen of Jeans

The ladies of Queen of Jeans challenged you to "get off your ass" and make them dance with their debut single, but we think that it might’ve been pulling a little reverse psychology. Featuring former members of The Interest Group and Work Drugs, the group enchants like sirens on its self-titled debut EP, which can found via Third Uncle Records and the UK’s Super Fan 99. Queen of Jeans are certainly already drawing crowds.  

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Honorable Mention: The Spirit of the Beehive

The Spirit of the Beehive definitely won the nod from our Deli writers for their work in 2015. With a new full-length album coming out later this year via Jade Tree, it’ll be interesting to see if they’ll win over the rest of our panel of jurors next year. 

Take a gander at the rest of our Best Emerging Philly Artists list below, and we hope that you find some rad new artists that you weren’t aware of!

BEST OF 2015 POLL FOR EMERGING PHILLY ARTISTS ****** FINAL RESULTS ******

ARTIST J OS W R TOT   1 Alex G 11.5   2 0.03 13.53 2 Kissisippi 10.5   3 0.009 13.509 3 Queen of Jeans 9.5     0.006 9.506 4 The Spirit of the Beehive 2   6 0.01 8.01 5 Palmas 6.5   1 0.004 7.504   Lithuania 5.5   2 0.004 7.504 7 Thin Lips 6.5   1 0.003 7.503 8 YJY   3 2 1.5 6.5 9 Girlpool 5.5     0.006 5.506 10 The Writhing Squares 5.5     0.005 5.505 11 The City & I 2   3 0.012 5.012 12  Suburban Living 2   3 0.001 5.001 13 Howlish 3     2 5   Hurrican Hoss 3   1 1 5 15  Abi Reimold 4.5     0.021 4.521 16 Shannen Moser 4.5     0.017 4.517 17 Air is Human 4.5     0.005 4.505 18 Tunji Ige 4.5     0.002 4.502 19  Blood Sound 3   1 0.005 4.005 20 Hello Shark 3   1 0.004 4.004 21 Cheerleader 3   1 0.003 4.003 22 Petal 3   1 0 4 23 The Up Up Ups! 3     0.017 3.017 24 Palm 3     0.012 3.012 25 Nik Greeley 3     0.011 3.011 26 Friendship 3     0.006 3.006 27 Shelf Life 3     0.005 3.005   Year Of Glad 2   1 0.005 3.005 29 Ecstatic Vision 2   1 0.004 3.004 30 The Stammer   2 1 0.002 3.002 31 The Bul Bey 3     0.001 3.001 32 Silverton 2     0.5 2.5   I Think Like Midnight 2     0.5 2.5   Man About A Horse 2     0.5 2.5 35 VoirVoir   1 1 0.015 2.015 36 Weekender 2     0.003 2.003 37 Aunt Dracula 2     0.002 2.002   God Root 2     0.002 2.002 39 Joie Kathos 2     0.001 2.001 40 GrandeMarshall 1   1 0 2 41 Museyroom   1.5   0.001 1.501 42 Josh Miller 1     0.029 1.029 43 Motherwhore 1     0.021 1.021 44 Scantron 1     0.016 1.016 45 Dogs on Acid 1     0.01 1.01 46 R.R. Perkins 1     0.009 1.009 47 Mercury Girls 1     0.007 1.007 48 Madalean Gauze 1   NYC Music Video for VUM’s “New Girls”, streaming on Soundcloud and single release party Posted on: February 18, 2016 When the trio VUM first got together, they had an idea to get music out—in a recent interview with Impose Magazine, Jennifer Pearl thought to "throw everything on the wall to see what sticks." Perhaps to their surprise (definitely to ours), "New Girls" stuck, and stuck around for nearly eight years. While it didn’t make the cut for VUM’s debut album, we’re glad they dusted it off and (after laying new vocals) set it out as the third single to their upcoming LP Cryptocrystalline. "New Girls" carmine pop-noir casts a familiar umbral shadow that long-time listeners can trace back to Strange Attractor, complementing the hypnotic oscillations of "Katrine" and stellar frequencies of "This is the Witch", both released in 2015.  Watch the music video to "New Girls", the latest track from VUM’s upcoming album Cryptocrystalline, out digitally on 3/25 and physically on 5/3 through their own Secret Lodge Recordings, and catch a special (FREE) single release show with them and Intimatchine on the 25th at LA MOTHER. – Ryan Mo