Surf pop sinew meets Dinosaur Jr. soul in San Fernando Valley's newest alt-rock incarnation Grave School. Despite making a quiet entrance into the scene, this band has been in the works for a long time: singer/guitarist Gina Almaguer (Sheer) met drummer Aldo Felix (ACxDC, Human Garbage) online through mutual friends about two years ago.

"Grave School has technically been in the making since late 2013, when me and Aldo first started jamming — just the two of us."

Their busy schedules gave the project slow momentum, but patience has its virtues — Aldo and Gina also found able bodies from their circles: Daniel Castro (guitar/vox), Marisa Shirar (bass/vox), and Gilbert "Guzie" Guzman (Nomads, Sleepwalkers). Self-described as a pop-oriented, even cheesy, fun band, the vocals of Marisa, Daniel, and Gina (yes, they all sing) lifts listeners with '60s guitar jangle before burying them in six feet of dirtbox distortion. 

Grave School released their debut EP via Bandcamp earlier this month, and will play their first show at the Ventura Music Factory on September 17th, supporting Choir Vandals (St. Louis) with Papertowns. (Phoenix) and Living Ghosts (Oxnard). Take note, and check out the first song "Clutch" to their EP below. - Ryan Mo

The fantabulous Sleepwalkers are playing Jammin' Java on on March 1st! YES! They're opening up for Ithaca's Jimkata, so it's gonna be a huge trippy party, which is a great scene in which to enjoy Sleepwalkers' dirty pop/psych-rock amazingness.

For those of us living close to DC, we've had to enjoy Sleepwalkers' rise through the Richmond scene from afar, listening to their brilliant album, Greenwood Shade, or watching videos of their live shows. Now they're here! And Jammin' Java will be just the first stop on a two month tour that will take them througout the Midwest and South. Exciting times! Don't miss the beggining of a great career, at Jammin' Java, March 1st, doors at 8:30, $10.

It's hard to pick which song I want to stream here. There's at least 5 singles on the album, and they're all different. I'm gonna pick the second track, "Breaking My Heart," cause I'm feelin' it right now. Sounds a lot like Moby Grape's "Going Nowhere" mixed with some psychedelic power-pop like the Lemon Pipers. Or something. Seriously, listen to the whole thing.  --Natan Press

Deli Nation,

Our Year End Poll for Emerging DC Area Artists was - as usual - a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process, but we pulled it off with remarkable flair!

Congratulations to garage-pop wizards Typefighter for winning the poll! Typefighter released The End of Everything in early 2014 to much critical acclaim. Their tight and energetic live shows make them a must see, and obviously one of DC's most exciting bands. We wait with baited breath for their next move. 

Richmond's Sleepwalkers came in a close second with our jurors, thanks to their phenominal debut album, Greenwood Shade. Less than two years after they formed, Sleepwalkers released an impressively ambitious and succesful collection of well crafted psychedelic pop-rock that defies categorization and leaves jaws dropped.     

Teen Mom keep our excitement bubbling on a constant simmer, dropping lo-fi fuzz-pop gems every few months. A staple of DC's rich house-show scene, they do everything you love about electric guitars. We want more. Now please. Thank you.  

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+ DC Area scene expert (our jury) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each. Then we polled our writers, 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 DC Area produced in the year 2014, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

BEST OF 2014 POLL FOR EMERGING DC AREA ARTISTS ****** FINAL RESULTS ******

ARTIST   J OS R TOT   1 Typefighter   7   0.001 7.001 2 Sleepwalkers   6   0.051 6.051 3 Teen Mom   5   0.003 5.003 4 Dead Professional   5     5 5 GEMS   4   0.001 4.001 6 Footwerk   2   2 4 7 People's Blues of Richmond     2 1.5 3.5   The Walking Sticks   3   0.5 3.5 9 Party Like It's   3   0.072 3.072 10 Dr. Robinson's Fiasco   3   0.026 3.026 11 Avers     3 0.019 3.019 12 Louis Weeks   3   0.018 3.018 13 ELM   3   0.007 3.007 14 Spirit Plots   3   0.006 3.006 15 Owen Danoff   3   0.004 3.004 16 Hot Dolphin   3   0.003 3.003 17 The Deadmen   3   0.002 3.002   The NRIs   3   0.002 3.002 19 Barbelith   3   0.001 3.001   Disciples of Christ   3   0.001 3.001   Lowercase Letters   3   0.001 3.001   Navi   3   0.001 3.001   PLOY   3   0.001 3.001   Putrisect   3   0.001 3.001 25 Art Sorority For Girls   3     3   Black Clouds   3     3   Curse   3     3   Loud Boyz   3     3   Old Lines   3     3 30 Sean Barna   2   0.037 2.037 31 The Cowards Choir   2   0.028 2.028 32 Feed God Cabbage   2   0.023 2.023 33 The Trillions   2   0.015 2.015 34 Pigeons Playing Ping Pong   2   0.012 2.012 35 MH & His Orchestra   2   0.006 2.006 36 Cigarette   2   0.003 2.003   Two Inch Astronaut   2   0.003 2.003 38 7 Door Sedan   2   0.002 2.002   Furniteur   2   0.002 2.002   Priests   2   0.002 2.002   The Milkstains   2   0.002 2.002 42 Chaz French   2   0.001 2.001   Pure Disgust   2   0.001 2.001   Terracide   2   0.001 2.001 45 Cemetery Piss   2     2   Lightwaves   2     2   Lobo Marino   2     2   Unsacred   2     2   Vexine   1   1 2 50 The Northerners     1.5 0.008 1.508 51 Andrew Aylward     1.5   1.5 52 Walk the Plank   1   0.032 1.032 53 Fortress   1   0.031 1.031 54 Sun Cycle   1   0.025 1.025   The Duskwhales   1   0.025 1.025 56 Sol Root   1   0.019 1.019 57 Moogatu   1   0.012 1.012 58 YUM   1   0.009 1.009 59 Baby Bry Bry   1   0.007 1.007 60 Black Water Gold   1   0.006 1.006 61 Wanted Man   1   0.004 1.004 62 Shark Week   1   0.003 1.003 63 Mirror Kisses   1   0.002 1.002   Pleasure Curses   1   0.002 1.002 65 Diamond District   1   0.001 1.001   Friendbeast   1   0.001 1.001   Margot MacDonald   1   0.001 1.001   Marian McLaughlin   1   0.001 1.001   Pree   1   0.001 1.001 70 Blockhead   1     1   GHz   1     1   Harmonic Blue   1     1   Joy Buttons   1     1 Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers, R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

Jurors List: Lynda Lu (DC Rocks), Mike Rutz (WRIR), Nestor (Velvet Lounge), Matty Pants (The Sidebar), This Is Our Jam staff (This Is Our Jam), Jon Meyers (The Vinyl District), Mark (Strange Matter), Andrew Cothern (RVA Playlist), Josh Sisk (photography), Alley Gibson (DC Music Download), Craig Boarman (Ottobar), Chris Naoum (Listen Local First), Daniel Brindley (Jammin Java), Bobby Egger (Vinyl Conflict), Vincent Brown (Freedom Village), Tori Kerr (DCist), Andy Hess (DCist), John Church (Heady Entertainment), Jennifer Vinson (DC Setlist), David Hintz (DC Rock Live), Katie Bowles (DC Music Download), Metal Chris (DC Heavy Metal), Kevin Hill (Chunky Glasses), Brandon Wetherbee (Brightest Young Things), Erin Coulehan (DC Music Live/Rolling Stone), Kisha Shorter (9:30 Club).   

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

The Deli's Staff

 Richmond favorites, and DC Area Deli Band of the Month, Sleepwalkers released a new single in honor of our nation's birth and the season. "Summertime" is a synth-pop gem, breezy and filled with enough misty harmonies to keep you cool on the hottest days. Happy America!  --Natan Press

Richmond’s beloved Black Girls started the year by announcing the impending release of their new album, Claire Sinclaire, with a video teaser.  Finally, you can pick up your first copy (and/or a limited edition cassette with bonus tracks) at the record release show at Balliceaux, in Richmond this Saturday, 3/8, where they will be joined by Sleepwalkers and DJ Rattan. Check out a new surfy instrumental B-side (not on the album) below. –Natan Press