I guess we'll call this "Electronic, one-man-band-Friday"... Brooklyn's atmospheric electro-pop project St.Lucia made some deserved waves in the blogosphere recently, and also placed at #58 in The Deli's Year End Best of NYC Emerging Artists Poll. The band just premiered the video of their single "We Got It Wrong" and announced March tour dates ending in Austin during the SXSW fest.
On Dead Leaf Echo's most recent single "Kingmaker," (streaming below, now out via Custom Made Music) you can almost feel the spirit of 90's dreamgaze bands like Chapterhouse flowing through this modern updating of that classic sound. This shouldn't surprise, since DLE was hand picked by that legendary band to open their reunion show in Brooklyn last year. Other similarities may be evident due to the hiring of legendary 4AD producer John Fryer, who added his ethereal mixing touch to the track. The song is more complex than much of that era's simpler compositions, and showcases the band's evolution towards a more personal sound. The track will be included on their forthcoming album titled "Thought and Language." The band is also is planning another 7" split single, coming out on the California based Green Fuse Records this spring/summer. Two new videos are also in the works as is a March tour, which will take them down to the SXSW Festival. - Dave Cromwell
The SXSW-bound Craft Spells will be partnering up with Brooklyn-based indie pop band, the Drums, for a spring tour. Shamelessly retro and unabashedly catchy, the Seattle-based band has produced a full-length album and two EPs of buoyant pop tunes as indebted to Morrissey’s melancholia as they are to the synth-happy songsmiths that they so resemble. Craft Spells pair lighthearted and nostalgic instrumentation with frontman Justin Vallesteros’ whispery utterances, and the combination makes for dreamy soundscapes reminiscent of Vallesteros’ native California. Their first full-length album, Idle Labor, captures the dichotomy in 11 tracks. “Party Talk“ walks the line between dreamy and visceral, with airy melodies and hauntingly morose vocals squaring off against toe-tapping synthetic beats and decidedly party-ready guitar lines. Originally a one-man project, the addition of Jack Doyle Smith, Peter Michel and Javier Suarez adds layers of pulsing rhythms and humming guitars. Stoked by effusive online coverage and approval, the band’s success has taken them overseas on international tours, moving from bedroom recording sessions to headlining slots in a matter just a few years.After six appearances at the Austin festival, the latest Deli Band of the Month will kick off a 19-date tour on April 21 that will take them across the U.S. and Canada. Craft Spells will wrap the tour at this year's Sasquatch! Music Festival in George, WA.
This year The Deli is in Austin during the unmentionable festival with a 2 stage party onThursday March 15 (that's tonight!)at the Gypsy Lounge in the East Side!
Awesome dancey bands on the outdoors stage will tempt the audience to some wild booty shakin' action, while indoors fantastic rock and alt folk acts will alternatively punch you and sooth your soul. Check this lineup out and (if you are going to be in Austin) do not miss! -
This is a free event (no badge required) but please RSVP here to get priority access.
Sonically, Brooklyn based duo Tiny Victories could be defined as a shoegazer interpretation of electro-rock, their songs filled with droney parts, but without giving up the textural details of electronica. However, their sober melodies seem to find inspiration in the controlled and almost austere vocal delivery of post punk heroes Husker Du or their DIY followers Parts & Labor. Today the band is releasing their debut EP "Those Of Us Still Alive", and then hop on a van to tour their way down to Texas for some SXSW related shows.
Based out of Gowanus, the NYC neighborhood best known for its polluted canal (which helps keep the area's rents relatively affordable), Lightouts boast an appreciation for punchy tunes filled with power chords. After playing CMJ and local Brooklyn haunts The Knitting Factory, Union Hall and Rock Shop, the band has caught some buzz. They released their fourth single, “The Cure for Shyness” on February 7th, an energetic anthem which displays an evolution in their musical aesthetic towards faster bpms and fuller wall of sounds. Be sure to catch them at SXSW and you can listen to their new single streaming below. - Chelsea Eriksen
Like a young Gillian Welch, songstress Madi Diaz has absorbed the best of Nashville into her alt-country bag of tricks. Along with co-songwriter Kyle Ryan, Diaz has been writing and performing since attending the Paul Green School of Rock Music as a teenager. Now she's re-packaged classics from her catalogue along with some new nuggets for her first release off eclectic label TinyOGRE Entertainment. "Plastic Moon" finds the artist in a romantic mood, with tracks like 'Gimme a Kiss' and 'Love You Now' as perfect excuses to take a summer drive with that person you just met over Valentine's Day. Madi will be playing The Deli's UN-OFF party at Austin's Gypsy Lounge on 03.15, the show will be announced soon. - Mike Levine
Chicago results HERE.
DC Area results HERE.
Nashville results HERE.
New England results HERE.
NYC results HERE.
Philly results HERE.
Portland results HERE.
SF Bay Area results HERE.
Here's summary of the progress of each one of our 11 regional Year End Polls for Emerging Artists. Due to high number of NYC submissions we organized that scene's results by genre.
BEST OF 2011 FOR EMERGING ARTISTS - LATEST NEWS: 01.23.2012 - AUSTIN READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE
01.27.2012 - Austin Submission Results Announced
01.23.2012 - LOS ANGELES READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.24.2012 - NYC FINAL RESULTS ARE IN!!! - HERE 01.23.2012 - PORTLAND READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE
01.23.2012 - SF BAY AREA READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.18.2012 - NASHVILLE READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.17.2012 - PHILLY READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.17.2012 - CHICAGO READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE 01.17.2012 - Portland OR Submission Results Announced
01.16.2012 - NEW ENGLAND READERS' + FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - HERE
01.12.2012 - DC AREA READERS' AND FANS' POLL LAUNCHED - VOTE HERE
*** See below for results full list and schedule ***
A big thank you to our sponsors for supporting our poll and providing prizes to the winners!
