More results from our NYC Best of 2011 for emerging artists poll, people! It's time for the Singer Songwriter category...
NYC YEAR END POLL 2011 OPEN SUBMISSIONS RESULTS FOR SINGER SONGWRITER
Jurors: Mike Harper (Deli Portland), Juan Rodriguez (Deli LA), QD Tran (Deli Philly
- QUALIFIED TO THE POLL'S NEXT ROUND
The artists in this list qualify for the final phase of the poll, and will be added to the bands nominated by our jury of local scenemakers.
Robin Bacior's intimate, honest lyrics and complex, ever evolving orchestral arrangements, show us a musician who is well beyond her twenty four years. Her comforting folk music is perfect for the winter season: a time of nostalgia and self-awareness yet utmost beauty.
Bird Call is that breath of fresh air the morning after your crazy night out. Equal parts regret and resolve, singer Chiara Angelicola lays it all out plainly with her mellifluous voice and softly pedaled piano. In tracks like 'Waltz in the Snow' and her revealing cover of Beck's 'Lost Cause,' Angelicola's torch song beauty reminds us of why the caged bird sings.
Mal is that hyper-kinetic, fun-loving girl who everyone wants to be friends with. Full of humour and sweetness in songs like "Baltimore, San Cristobal," and her heartfelt contribution to the "It Gets Better" campaign, she is here to brighten your day and make you appreciate the little things a little bit more. As much as she loves her ukulele, you'll love Mal too.
- ALMOST QUALIFIED TO THE POLL'S NEXT ROUND
These artists had good ratings from our jurors but won't qualify to the next round of our year end poll.
4. Spottiswoode & His Enemies
Maybe you haven't heard yet, but Spottiswoode & His Enemies have been quietly channeling New York's late night spirit for well over a decade now. The band knows how to tell a story, because they've probably lived it before you had your first drink. With a voice carving a space between Warren Zevon and Ian dury, singer/songwriter Young Spott's work takes you on a journey to a place inhabitated by hedonism and romance, but few regrets.
5a. Sydney Wayser
Expect big things from Sydney in 2012. At our Deli CMJ show in October we heard a few songs from her upcoming album - out in a few weeks - and were very impressed with them, without mentioning her beautiful voice, confident stage presence and... adorable red cheeks! This is a very talented young singer songwriter who is just about to reach her creative peak, keep an ear on her!
5b. Pat Hull
Soft and confessional, Pat Hull has something few singer/songwriters bother with these days: unfiltered vulnerability. Like Elliott Smith or Jeff Buckley, he somehow sounds his most explosive when at his most intimate. This is a rare gift, and considering how young this folk singer is, will only take him far.
if it weren't for Beyonce I would have never known who Les Twins were Maybe later down on the road I would have deesovircd them, but I'm glad I found out about them this year :]
We've always been big fans of Luke Temple, and it's good to see that, together with the Here We Go Magic crew, the man is keeping at it with increasingly beautiful records and videos. The band's new album "A Different Ship" (stream it here) will be out on May 8, and betrays at least a partial return to Luke Temple's more intimate and melodic sound from his solo repertoire - in this regard, lend a ear to "Hard to Be Close," "Alone but Moving" and "Over the Ocean". This is welcome news for fans like us who always thought that in most HWGM material Luke's noteworthy songwriting skills seemed a little sacrificed on the altar of textural experimentation. This doesn't mean that the band's signature hypnotic, impressionistic sound is lost - it's just that these two elements work together better than they did in past records, and this is what makes this album one of the NYC highlights of the year so far. Indeed, this collection also features songs more in line with the band's past releases ("Make Up your Mind", "I Believe in Action"), which follow on the steps of brainy-pop icons like Brian Eno and The Feelies, but there's definitely a balance here, also betrayed by the almost perfect alternation of melodic songs and less traditional ones.The just released video of "How Do I Know," telling the story of a rejected dancing robot that ends up revitalizing an older man's appreciation for life, seems to reflect on this brain/heart, mechanic/organic dichotomies and somehow bring them to unity. - PDG
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