Instrumental avant-prog NJ based band Delicate Steve are currently putting the final touches on their sophomore album, due out later this year. After playing Webster Hall with Cult on Thursday, they will be playing a number of shows around SXSW and will be joined by Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang as direct support on most dates.

Oh boy… this friggin’ poll is so much work it becomes almost surreal… know what I mean? But we are getting there folks! We just uploaded the full list of artists nominated for our Best of NYC 2011 Poll for Emerging Artists. It’s in the right column here and also on this beautiful page that sums up what happened in 2011 here at The Deli NYC. Some bands in the list were selected through a submission process (see NYC genre results in the post below) and some others were picked by our jury of local scene-makers (list below), who could freely choose 3 bands each in order of preference. Points were already assigned to each band according to how well they did in the selection process. Now the readers’ and fans’ votes will also influence the final chart. Each vote will count!

THE COVER OF THE DELI IS THE PRIZE
And of course… the winner of the overall poll (i.e. the final chart including the votes from our jury, our writers and the readers and fan’s poll) will be featured on the cover of the spring 2012 issue of The Deli Magazine!

LIST OF JURORS: Alex Rossiter (Webster Hall), Andy Bodor (Cake Shop), Billy Jones (Pianos), Bowery Electric bookers, Brandon Haas (BMI), Carlye Wisel & Donald Rasmussen (Big Yellow Couch), Chris Diaz (Knitting Factory), Christopher R. Weingarten (The Village Voice), Claire McNamara (OhMyRockness), David Teller (Bird Dog Productions), Douglas DeFalco (Southpaw), Heath Miller (Excess db), Heather Dunsmoor (The Bell House) , Jamie Dominguez (SESAC), Jennifer Gilson (The Living Room), Jify Shah (Cameo), John J. Hagan (Sycamore), Karen Soskin (Other Music), Katherine Coates (Delancey), Marc Emert-Hutner (ASCAP), Matt McDonald (CMJ), Max Brennan (Lit Lounge), , Paolo De Gregorio (The Deli), Rami Haykal (Popgun Booking) , Sebastian Freed (Bowery Presents), Steve Trimboli (Goodbye Blue Monday), Zack Dinerstein (Spike Hill).

The Deli’s Staff

We are getting there folks! We just uploaded the full list of artists nominated for our Best of Nashville 2011 Poll for Emerging Artists. It’s in the right column on this same page and also HERE, where you can actually vote. Some bands in the list were selected through a submission process and some others were picked by our jury of local scene-makers, who could freely choose 3 bands each in order of preference. Points were already assigned to each band according to how well they did in the selection process. Now the readers’ and fans’ votes will also influence the final chart. Each vote will count!

The Deli’s Staff

Paradox has always been a main ingredient in rock music – a genre always flirting with both punk rebellion and the "conformity" of pop culture. NY/NJ based band Candy Hearts perfectly embodies this dichotomy through a punkish, gritty power trio sound, sweetened by Mariel Loveland’s adorable girlish voice. The band released its debut full length "Everything’s Amazing & Nobody’s Happy" in 2011 and it’s been touring extensively since then. They just announced a February tour with Man Overboard.

On Matt Cranstoun‘s The Last Drop of Color, you’ll learn a lot about trains. From describing the exits in New Jersey in ‘These Tires,’ to the righteous indignation of ‘Disgrace,’ there’s a lot of comings and goings throughout. But all of these trains find their way back up to Cranstoun’s adopted city of Brooklyn eventually. A homespun poet with a gift for the kind of Americana that Springsteen used to bring, Cranstoun is etching the gospel to New York’s buildings and leaving us with some endearing experiences as naked as his revealing shot on the album’s cover. This is an artist whose power comes from his range, showing on ‘Aint Dead Yet’ that he can handle funk and blues as well as he tears down the rafters in album opener ‘5th Street Lights.’ Get Matt’s latest at his bandcamp and you’ll find yourself traveling too. – Mike Levine

Having resided in New York City for the better part of ten years now, it was a triumphant homecoming for the sister duo known as The Pierces as they played two sold out shows at The Mercury Lounge last week. Allison and Catherine Pierce (and their band) presented a set that was weighted more heavily with songs from their most recent release, "You & I." Sprinkled amongst those, however, were a number of classic tracks from earlier albums as well. Opening Thursday’s show with Catherine’s "Love You More," they hit the ground running, delivering those trademark harmonies on the rising chorus. Working their way through an hour long set, other highlights included Catherine’s "Drag You Down," which weaves a lyrical tale of excessive weekends, poorly matched lovers and "just another role that you do." Allison introduced her heart tugging song about "dating another musician" stating that "we don’t really recommend that" which elicited audience chuckles – before launching into the stark, haunting, acoustic guitar driven "I Put Your Records On." Naturally the co-written single "Kissing You Goodbye" was very well received, as was their Pretty Little Liars TV show theme song "Secret." For the two song encore, the singers took the stage minus any instruments at all and delivered a perfect acapella version of Simon & Garfunkel’s "Cathy’s Song," which they stated they’ve been singing together since their early youth. They followed that will a full band version of the vampish, going-out-on-the-town but nothing satisfies showstopper "Boring." A fitting, if somewhat inaccurate closer, as these artists are anything but that. – Dave Cromwell

We are getting there folks! We just uploaded the full list of artists nominated for our Best of Chicago 2011 Poll for Emerging Artists. It’s on the right column on this same page and also HERE, where you can actually vote. Some bands in the list were selected through a submission process and some others were picked by our jury of local scene-makers, who could freely choose 3 bands each in order of preference. Points were already assigned to each band according to how well they did in the selection process. Now the readers’ and fans’ votes will also influence the final chart. Each vote will count!

The Deli’s Staff

We are getting there folks! We just uploaded the full list of artists nominated for our Best of New England 2011 Poll for Emerging Artists. It’s in the right column on this same page and also HERE, where you can actually vote. Some bands in the list were selected through a submission process and some others were picked by our jury of local scene-makers, who could freely choose 3 bands each in order of preference. Points were already assigned to each band according to how well they did in the selection process. Now the readers’ and fans’ votes will also influence the final chart. Each vote will count!

The Deli’s Staff