The L Mag’s yearly appointment with their "8 [NYC] Bands You Need to Hear" issue is always perceived as some kind of "test" here at The Deli. The question we ask ourselves when we are about to check out this section is – of course: "Did they pick bands we never covered?"

In previous editions, the music editors of the biweekly entertainment magazine did find some local gems we had regretfully ignored or missed. But this year we feel particularly good about the outcome, since it turns out that we covered 7 out of the 8 highlighted artists – and the only missing one (Evi Antonio) was at least mentioned in a recent blurb related to a live show he played.

Here’s a very self-referential list of coverage we did for the top 8!

Field Mouse 
These guys won our Artist of the Month poll ages ago (was that 2010?) – they sounded quite different at the time… they were #36 in our latest year end poll for emerging NYC bands.

Ski Lodge
They placed 6th in our latest Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll. Recent interview here.

Daytona 
Covered in February 2012

Black Marble 
Covered earlier in April

Starlight Girls 
Covered big time in print and online, we also booked them twice. Deli Artist of the Month in 2011. Recent interview here. They placed in 19th position in our latest year end poll for emerging NYC bands.

Plates of Cake 
Covered a couple of times in the last year

Ravens & Chimes 
We’ve been covering these guys for at least 3-4 years: they were The Deli Readers’ Best Band of 2010, and got this feature in print because of it.

"Honorable Mentions"
We hit Robin Bacior, Old Monk and Hunters (current Deli Album of the Month), but missed The Immaculates, Island Twins and Trailblazer, which we will check out soon!

Of the bands we never heard, we were mostly impressed with Island Twins – This is why we gave them the picture on top of this blurb and the streaming song below.

The Deli’s Staff

Brooklyn based The Well-Informed sounds a little like The Beatles did in their late years’ least experimental moments. The band on April 1st released a 3 song EP which could have easily been included in the "White Album" (under Paul McCartney’s name). Of course, even the least experimental songs by The Beatles had some truly imaginative arrangements and beautiful melodies, elements that are not missing from this record. Needless to say that these songs have the potential to be enjoyed by a multitude of people. You can see The Well-Informed live at Rock Shop in Gowanus on May 11.

New Beard released a substantial debut EP ("Moment of Peace") late in 2011, and in June is set to release an album full of the kind of dreamlike touches and dramatic flourishes at home with the Brooklyn-based artist leading this project, Ben Wigler. Not content with repeating itself, the band has stripped bare many of the dense sounds heard on the EP and has gone for a clean and lush atmospheric. The quartet showcases an enormous bag of tricks, and the orchestration has expanded to flutes, strings, tuba and the many manner of ways that express the kind of dreamy sadness Ben Wigler has made his own. To promote the upcoming release, New Beard is premiering this free Mp3 of the song "Doom"(Featuring Gustav Ejstes of Dungen), which you can download below. Don’t miss their show at Bowery Electric on May 5. – Mike Levine

Mp3 – New Beard: "Doom" (Featuring Gustav Ejstes of Dungen)

Cindy Lou Gooden (formerly Very Fresh) is back with a new EP! ‘Kitsch Tapes‘ is a stripped-down, acoustic detour of sorts (CLG sometimes plays and often records with a louder, more abrasive band), commemorative of a prolific summer of songwriting in which several months were spent traveling around the country and crashing with friends in NYC, LA, and various parts of New England. It draws on some perennial influences: Stephen Malkmus and early Dirty Projectors. Everybody says it sounds like Liz Phair even though she says doesn’t really listen to her. Cindy Lou will be playing solo at Big Snow Buffalo Lodge on May 15th for Permanent Wave NYC’s Hollaback! Benefit. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

The Deli was a 1 year old baby when The Cloud Room came out with the super catchy single "Hey Now Now" – but we did take notice at the time, and featured the band in one of our first issues. After a break up, which truned out to be a 7 year hiatus, the band is back with a new album entitled "Zither," which reintroduces us to its catchy, "Let’s Dance" era Bowiesque pop. Check out the first single "Crashing in Love", streaming below.

It’s rare to see a band mature as fast as Lucius did. Started as a mellow and rather ordinary duo of female singer songwriters, this project in the last 2 years or so has expanded and grown in unexpected, abnormal yet wonderful ways. Their impressive performance at our Deli NYC B.E.A.F. 2011 event showcased a band that, with a little imagination in the arrangement and performance departments, can take traditional songwriting to an entirely new level. Music fans (and industry) seem to be noticing, since they have started to sell out shows in NYC and Austin during SXSW. These two ladies can write good songs and sing beautifully, and with the help of the two boys in the band, put on a show at once emotional and powerful. One of the guys, drummer Dan Molad, is also in charge of recording the band, which mostly happens in the Brooklyn apartment he shares with singer Jess Wolfe. We asked him a few question related to that department. – Read the full Delicious Audio interview here.

The project of chanteuse/pianist Lauren Zettler, I Am Lightyear offers imaginative and textured electro-pop, dominated by the singer’s intimate lirycs and delicate delivery. Make no mistake though, these are big, open pop songs for a NYC based artist – the word "pop" has assumed a rather dark meaning in the last few years in Brooklyn – enriched by an open minded and tasteful approach to sonic experimentation. It looks like I Am Light year will be our next artist of the Month, so you may want to go see them at Mercury lounge tonight April 25th – they’ll be opening for Lissy Trullie.

Already raising comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel, and for more than just being an acoustic duo, Bird Courage play stripped down folk with earthy overtones. Based in Bushwick and fronted by Samuel Saffery and Erik Meier, the band has an assuming presence with gentle strength in songs like “Blind in Both Eyes” and “Wind and Oak,” both of which conjure images of a gray, wooded forest in winter’s eve. With four releases behind them, their most recent being “A Promising Fleet,” the band has worked tirelessly in their few short years together. Bird Courage will be performing in Brooklyn at Union Hall on April 28. – Devon Antonetti

For a music blogger with a passion for movies, there’s only thing better than finding out about a new great song: finding out a fantastic song + video combo! We just stumbled upon this wonderful video by The Bones of J.R. Jones (it was posted in The Deli’s Open Blog, where anybody can post blurbs about bands, videos, and Mp3s). Brainchild of J.R.Linaberry, this project combines, in a very personal way, sorrowful folk lullabies with down-south stomp blues. J.R. landed a 4 week April residency at quaint east Williamsburg venue Pete’s Candy Store (709 Lormier Street), the last show is tomorrow April 25 – if you are into this, do not miss, the show is free!

P.S. The video has a long intro before the music start, if you are short of time you may want to skip directly to minute 1.45.

The Boston-native, Washington DC based alt-country, singer-songwriter Tom McBride is touring in support of his release "A Brief Head Spin" (Humpback Records), his full-length debut that displays the artists sweet baritone voice & lyrical dexterity, weaving through a diverse style of Americana song-scape. McBride teamed-up with drummer from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Sean Greenhalgh, to co-produce the record and help lend its stark, dream-like atmosphere. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).