In 2010, NYC composer Adam Levine’s chamber pop brainchild Mappa Mundi released a charming six track EP (we used to call anything above four tracks "mini-albums" until a few years ago) featuring gentle songs ripe with Americana influences. After five years (spent, we guess, writing new songs and then making sense of the overwhelming number of tracks a sextet can record for each song) the project is finally releasing a sophomore EP/mini-album entitled "At Sea," – another six track effort (lucky number?). Judging from opening track and single "So Obscure" (streaming here) the band has developed the sound in more luscious ways, refining their orchestral sound in a way that perfectly complement Levine’s intense and impassioned lirycs. The release of "At Sea" will be celebrated at Rockwood Music Hall on January 24.

It’s time to reach for the hidden pocket and pull out the doping substance of choice, folks! Here are the results of our Best of NYC Poll’s Open Submissions for the PSYCH ROCK/DREAM POP category, which this year also incorporates the more experimental of rock subgenres, the one we call "Avant Indie".

Total submissions in this category: 20

Jurors: Juan Rodriguez (The Deli LA), Travis Leipzig (The Deli Portland), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.20):

1. Howard (8.16 out of 10)

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2. KDH (8)

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3. ONWE (7.6)

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Honorable Mentions (score above 7):

Invisible Days, Hani Zahra, Gospels, Dead Leaf Echo, Zuli, Throw Vision, Monogold, Ruby My Dear.

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More results on their way, enjoy these high sounds!

The Deli’s Staff

Brooklyn power trio Wild Pink just released their debut EP "2 song" (a not very "E" EP, since the original meaning of the acronym is "Extended Play") featuring two rather angular and bony power pop tracks in part reminiscent of that well of dark songwriting ideas that is Robert Pollard’s Guided By Voices. The band has a series of shows scheduled in the immediate future, the first one at Pianos on January 22 within a three week residency.

In 2012, with debut EP "Pet the Ghost," followed suit by full album "Perfect Trip," Brooklyn quartet Darlings kind of anticipated the 90’s slacker rock revival that hit NYC a few years later. We say kind of because these guys’ slacking feels moderate compared to – say – early Total Slacker, another, obviously self aware, pioneer of that same revival. The name itself betrays Darlings don’t really slack to a fault, and the new album "Feel Better" fully confirms this identity. Their songs proceed lethargically from hook to hook, without ever raising the voice or the tension level, obviously also influenced by Brooklyn’s own chill pop wave, which after all – now that we think about it – could very well be slacker rock’s cleaner, dreamier (and cuter) sister. What’s remarkable though about Darlings, is that these guys never really let you down: all the songs in "Feel Better" are equally enjoyable, which is a rare treat. NYC fans of the genre have an opportunity to get familiar with them when they celebrate the album’s release at Baby’s All Right on January 21.

Rêve, the Baltimore band once known as Playground Etiquette, have released a new video in advance of the remixing/mastering and partial re-recording of their album La Marionnette. On the heals of their The Joanne Sessions EP, recorded at the Joanne Trattoria in NYC, Rêve improves upon Playground Etiquette with more (somehow) shine and professionalism. "Agency and Accountability" demonstrates a great level of polish and improvement to the sound of a song that already had a solid sound. It’s exciting to see a band, which already put so much effort and talent into everything they do, take it to the next level. Also, the video is kinda creepy, which is always good. –Natan Press

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli’s Best of SF Bay Area Year End Poll for Emerging Artists. We had a record number of submissions from SF this year – 94! – thanks so much for the overwhelming response!

After tallying our editors’ ratings for the Open Submissions stage, it’s time to release the results. Please note that to avoid conflicts no local editor was allowed to vote for bands in their own scene.

Total submissions from SF Bay Area: 94

Jurors: Jurors: QD Tran (The Deli Philly), Jason Behrends (The Deli Chicago), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll:

1. Summer Peaks – (Indie Pop) – 8 (out of 10)

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2. Miss March – (Alt Folk) – 7.83

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3. Goodnight, Texas – (Americana) – 7.33

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3. Luke Sweeney – (Indie Pop) – 7.33

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5. Builders – 7

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5. Jet Trash – 7

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5. Lemme Adams – 7

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5. Royal Jelly Jive – 7

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5. Meet Me in Orbit – 7

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Honorable Mentions (scores above 6.5)

The Galloping Sea, Rich Girls, Goose Ignite, Tremor Low, Wild Imaginaries, We Became Owls, The Union Trade, New Spell, Mammoth Life, Be Calm Honcho, French Girls, Feather-Bright, Cookie Tongue, The Treacherous French, One Hundred Percent.

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WHAT’S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. We have already unveiled full list of nominees that also includes the artists nominated by our local jurors (see left column here). It’s now time for our readers to influence this Year End Poll for Emerging SF Bay Area Artists with their vote – look out for th readers’ poll on the right column of this same page!

The Deli SF

We continue in our quest to highlight the best emerging NYC artists (i.e. The Deli’s Best of NYC 2014 Poll) with the publication of the winners of the Open Submission results for the FOLK/AMERICANA category – see here for links to the other results organized by city and genre.

Things get really tricky when ranking artists who play roots music, because the average level of musicianship in these genres (as opposed to – say – garage rock) is truly noteworthy. We tried to reward artists with a personal voice and solid fundamentals, even though we’ll admit that many of the bands in this list should have submitted to the "Alt Folk" category – whose results we haven’t published yet.

Total submissions in this category: 20

Artists qualified to the next stage (i.e. the Readers’ Poll, starting around 01.20):

1. Cricket Tell the Weather – 8 (out of 10)

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2. Jason Howell – 7.66

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Honorable Mentions (score above 7)

Lunifred Benjamin, Maynard and the Musties, Lorraine Leckie and her Demons, Bill Scorzari, Ocean Music, Joe Marson, The Hunting Party.

More results on their way, enjoy this rootsiness and check back for more new music from the Big Apple.

The Deli’s Staff

 

With the just recently released singles “Shine” and "Wait" (streaming) under their belt, New Jersey rockers, Wyland, are slowly finding their voice and audience in the NYC and NJ scene (that’s where they live) – and beyond. Their sound – an intense and tasteful melodic rock with rootsy elements – will resonate with the most endearing Lumineer fan. Their upcoming album, “You’re in the World, Get Off Your Feet”, which is due out in February, is a self-produced, intimate glimpse of the hard working band, which includes emotional lyrical content that might make Chris Martin shed a tear. Wyland will be playing Leftfield on the Lower East Side on January 24 and will have a featured spot on Jansport’s Culture Collide Battle of the Bands at this year’s SXSW. – Robert Frezza

Sadly, these days, busking in the subways (or outdoors in the warmer months) is one of the few reliable ways left for musicians to make some money through their music. While busking with a group of fellow musicians can be fun, doing it by alone isn’t easy, and requires a lot of self discipline and self confidence; but it can be an excellent training ground: busking is like being on stage for a whole day, with a constantly changing (and therefore unbiased) audience; it’s an opportunity for a prolonged trial and error session that, over time, can potentially reveal many important secrets related to entertaining a crowd: "how does the average person react to each of my songs?" "What is the mood, or lyric, or body language that triggers a response?" "What gets the travelers to drop their cash in the hat?"
Today we saw Gabriel Mayers busking at our local subway station, and – even just for a minute or so – we enjoyed his understated folk songs. It turns out the guy embraces the NYC subway experience entirely, by recording in it, and allowing train and announcement noises to randomly enter his tracks. Check out his latest single "Sixty Charisma Scented Blackbirds" – and the NYC subway noises that come with it.

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli’s Best of Austin Year End Poll for Emerging Artists.

After tallying our editors’ ratings for the Open Submissions stage, it’s time to release the results – which this year are interestingly heavy on the… folky ladies! Please note that to avoid conflicts no local editor was allowed to vote for bands in their own scene.

Total submissions from Austin: 32

Jurors: Jurors: QD Tran (The Deli Philly), Jordannah Elizabeth (The Deli SF), Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli NYC).

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll:

1. Grace London – 7.6 (out of 10)

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2. Taylor & the Wild Now – 7.16

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3. Leah Nobel – 7.16

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4. Molybden – 7

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5. Emily Wolfe – 7

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Honorable Mentions (scores above 6.5)

Holiday Mountain, Gossamer Frontier, Delaney Gibson, Wildcat Apollo, Jackie Venson, The Manifest Electric, Texas Microphone Massacre, KP and the Boom Boom, Dead Tree Duo, Calliope Musicals.

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WHAT’S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. We have already unveiled full list of nominees that also includes the artists nominated by our local jurors (see left column here). It’s now time for our readers to influence this Year End Poll for Emerging Austin Artists with their vote – look out for th readers’ poll on the right column of this same page!

The Deli Austin

Heems (the stage name Himanshu Kumar Suri of Das Rascist) is about to expose himself in a whole different manner. Whereas Das Racist leaned heavily on the esoteric and a celebrated apathy in the face of a shady industry, Heems uses his solo effort as a party-infused soap box. The beats will sound familiar, but the content tackles everything from racism to substance-abuse to the ups and downs of modern living in a surprisingly coherent way. In “Sometimes,” Heems addresses police brutality flowing in his Slick Rick treacle, “brown boy, brown boy, wassup with that sound, boy? Why boom bye bye? They just gettin down, boy!” Recorded in both Brooklyn and Mumbai, "Eat, Pray, Thug" (out in March) portends to be a breakout album from one of New York’s weirdest voices. Check out the first single  "Sometimes" from the forthcoming LP.