But, why "betrayers"? I'm glad you asked! Not only have Foxygen moved to LA (of all places) basically the day after they landed on the cover of our CMJ issue (had that happened one day earlier, they would have been ineligible since our publication is reserved for NYC based artists)... but they even dared to sing these words in a track from their latest album: "There's no need to be an asshole/You're not in Brooklyn anymore" – Well, not sure where you were when you wrote those lyrics, Sam, but it seems like if you really try your best you can be an ass wherever you are...
Admittedly, though, we have to agree about one thing: during CMJ we had more than one report that the guys were, ahem, (see above picture) - but you know... what could be better than being under 25 and getting the feeling you’re about to become famous? We were all there at some point, right? We shall forgive them, since they are about to realize what it truly means to be an indie musician...
But as far as LosAngelinos inspiring better behavior than New Yorkers - I'm sorry dudes, you got that one mixed up. We'll let none other than The Reader's Digest prove you wrong.
What cannot be disputed, though, is this duo's crazy talent. We sang their praises many times already - well before most of the current media freak out. You can find all of our Foxygen coverage here, including this early interview.
P.S. One of the prizes for the winner of the NYC Year End Poll is the cover of the Spring issue of The Deli, but since Foxygen was already featured on a Deli cover in the past, the Spring cover will be assigned to the band placing second.
Our Year End Poll for Emerging NYC Artists was - as usual - a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process.
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 30+ NYC scene expert (our jury, list at the bottom) 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 NYC produced in the year 2012, this list is all you need. Enjoy!
BEST OF 2012 POLL FOR EMERGING NEW ENGLAND ARTISTS
- FINAL RESULTS -
ARTIST
J
W
R
OS
TOT
1
Foxygen
11
2
0.032
13.032
2
Spirit Family Reunion
9
2
0.023
11.023
3
Ambassadors
5
2
0.137
7.137
4
Skaters
3
4
0.046
7.046
5
DIIV
6
0.05
6.05
6
St. Lucia
3
3
0.043
6.043
7
MS MR
5
1
0.035
6.035
8
Apollo Run
1
2
3
6
9
Clementine & The Galaxy
2
0.156
3
5.156
10
Ghost Beach
5
0.045
5.045
11
Hot Sugar
2
0.031
3
5.031
12
Widowspeak
1
0.027
5.027
13
Life Size Maps
3
2
0.024
5.024
Hunters
4
1
0.024
5.024
Lazyeyes
1
1
0.024
3
5.024
16
Anya Skidan
3
2
0.011
5.011
17
Julian Fulton & The Zombie...
1
1
3
5
18
Napoleon
3
0.259
1
4.259
19
Great Elk
1
0.218
3
4.218
20
Black Taxi
2
0.098
2
4.098
21
Mother Feather
3
1
0.058
4.058
22
Flatbush Zombies
3
1
0.047
4.047
23
Conveyor
1
0.046
3
4.046
24
Swear & Shake
1
0.045
3
4.045
25
Nude Beach
4
0.043
4.043
26
Laurel Halo
3
1
0.023
4.023
27
Snowmine
3
1
0.02
4.02
28
Dalton
1
0.019
3
4.019
29
People Get Ready
3
1
0.017
4.017
30
Slothrust
1
3
4
Frances Rose
1
3
4
32
Melissa Czarnik
0.198
3
3.198
33
Modern Rivals
1
0.178
2
3.178
34
Eastern Hollows
1
0.145
2
3.145
35
Cultfever
0.087
3
3.087
36
Los Encantados
3
0.065
3.065
37
Le1f
2
1
0.064
3.064
38
Kiss Slash Crooked Smile
0.037
3
3.037
39
Turkuaz
1
2
0.031
3.031
40
Beast Patrol
2
1
0.027
3.027
41
ARMS
1
0.022
2
3.022
42
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
2
1
0.02
3.02
Parquet Courts
3
0.02
3.02
44
The Stationary Set
1
2
0.019
3.019
45
James Ferraro
3
0.018
3.018
46
Kids These Days
3
0.015
3.015
47
Psychobuildings
2
1
0.014
3.014
48
Lake Street Dive
3
0.01
3.01
49
Celestial Shore
2
1
0.009
3.009
50
The Lone Bellow
2
1
0.007
3.007
51
Blanche Blanche Blanche
3
0.006
3.006
52
Grand Resort
2
1
0.005
3.005
53
The Henry Millers
1
0.5
1
2.5
54
Sorcha Richardson
0.25
2
2.25
55
The Everymen
0.195
2
2.195
56
Azar Swan
2
0.125
2.125
57
sami.the.great
0.114
2
2.114
58
Delphic Oracle
2
0.105
2.105
59
Derrick & The Black Sea
0.082
2
2.082
60
In One Wind
2
0.076
2.076
61
Avan Lava
1
0.064
1
2.064
62
Frankie Rose
2
0.039
2.039
63
Sleepies
2
0.029
2.029
Lisa Jaeggi
0.029
2
2.029
65
Midnight Magic
2
0.026
2.026
66
Ursa Minor
2
0.025
2.025
67
The Courtesy Tier
1
0.023
1
2.023
68
Ratking
2
0.021
2.021
69
Vassals
2
0.014
2.014
70
Xenia Rubinos
1
1
0.012
2.012
Port St. Willow
2
0.012
2.012
The Ludlow Thieves
0.012
2
2.012
73
Scott and Charlene's Wedding
2
0.008
2.008
Tunetown Philharmonic
2
0.008
2.008
75
Teen
2
0.006
2.006
76
Kiddo
2
0.004
2.004
76
Pony of Good Tidings
2
0.004
2.004
78
Chron Turbine
1
0.5
1.5
79
Ludwig Persik
1
0.293
1.293
80
The Prigs
1
0.161
1.161
81
Lora Faye
1
0.145
1.145
82
Natural Child
1
0.11
1.11
83
The Dough Rollers
1
0.035
1.035
84
The Babies
1
0.031
1.031
85
Big Ups
1
0.024
1.024
86
Ex Cops
1
0.013
1.013
KNTRLR
1
0.013
1.013
Makeout Room
1
0.013
1.013
Wilsen
1
0.013
1.013
90
Sora An
1
0.011
1.011
91
St. Claire
1
0.008
1.008
Weekend
1
0.008
1.008
Swearin'
1
0.008
1.008
94
Empress Of
1
0.007
1.007
Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers,
R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions
List of Jurors: Sebastian Freed (Bowery Presents), Jify Shah, Cameo Gallery), Patrick McNamara (OhMyRockness.com), Steven King (Rock Shop), Andy Bodor (Cake Shop), Heath Miller (Webster Hall), Karen Soskin (Other Music), Brian Chidester (The Village Voice), Free Williamsburg's list of Best albums of 2012, Rami Haykal (Glasslands), Heather D (The Bell House), Dian (Bowery Electric), Alex Rossiter (The Studio), Matt McDonald (CMJ), Steve Trimboli (Goodbye Blue Monday), Max Brennan (Lit), Dana & Amanda (The Delancey), Billy Jones (Pianos), Eric Berrebbi (Arlene's Grocery), Jamie Dominguez (SESAC), Chris Diaz (Knitting Factory), Jennifer Gilson (The Living Room), John (Sycamore), Zack Dinerstein (Spike Hill), Samantha Cox (BMI)
Hope you'll find some awesome new artists you weren't aware of!
In our insanely convoluted (but SUPERBLY accurate) system governing our Year End Poll for Emerging NYC Artist, our writers have a rather influential vote. Here are the results of this specific poll (top 3 positions only).
Quite unexpectedly, indie guitar-pop trio Skaters (pictured) took home the gold (the band is currently recording their debut LP, needless to say we are looking forward to it!), with the silver going to electro-pop masters St. Lucia and 10 bands getting a sliver of bronze.
BEST OF 2012 FOR EMERGING NYC ARTISTS - DELI WRITERS' POLL RESULTS -
This year 28 NYC "scene experts" helped us with our Best of NYC Poll 2012 for Emerging Artists by choosing their 3 favorite up and coming NYC acts. These jurors are comprised of local venue agents and other industry people who work with many local bands throughout the year (full list coming soon). Their votes this year produced a list of 68 artists, which means that - as always - most jurors voted for different bands. But some bands appeared more thans once in the "ballots": below we compiled a list of the artists who accumulated more points through the jurors vote only. Kudos to Foxygen (already on the cover of our 2012 CMJ issue) for getting the top spot.
The Best of NYC 2012 Readers and Fans' Poll - including all the nominees - will start in a few days - stay tuned (since we have one of these polls happening in each scene we cover, we need to schedule them carefully to avoid to overload our server - thanks for your patience!).
We've never really been that much into revival music, until we heard Foxygen's "Take the Kids Off Broadway" (which was our Album of the Month in April 2012 - the band graces the cover of our Fall 2012 NYC issue). But is this revival music anyway? To a certain extend, it is, since the NYC/Olympia duo's references to the rock sound of the 60s and 70s are undeniable. But Foxygen's way to unfold songs that constantly evolve from one brilliant melody to another, their imaginative kaleidoscopic DIY production, and Sam France's vocal flair trascend influences to conjure up something that encompasses past and present to become timeless. We were curious to ask these guys some questions about how they record their music - you can find their answers on Delicious Audio.
Frankly, this first day of CMJ went a billion times better than I expected. What did I expect? To get lost, for sure, having not been in the city that long. To miss half of the bands I'd listed on some meticulous schedule/map scribbled in my notebook the night before. To be drinking far too much. Ok, maybe that did happen. It's one thing I had to learn, I guess: do not say yes to every drink that is handed to you, because people will be handing you PLENTY of them - that's what happens when you run a Marathon right? - Read Tracy Mamoun's full CMJreport here - In the picture and streaming, Foxygen.
The 32nd issue of The Deli NYC is out in the streets people, but if you don't like the streets you can still read it online here (flash version) or download it in pdf here.
Also, also! The Deli's Stomp Box Exhibit at Main Drag starts in a week - more info here.
Of all bands you'll praise for putting a new spin on the old, Foxygen stands out as the wildest recent answer to our post-everything inferiority complex. Where many have tried to bridge the gap between past and future, these two guys are just dancing in it, carelessly, cooking up from scratch some wicked psychedelic potions to transport today's twenty-somethings into their romanticised fantasies of a glamorous, hedonistic past. Their album 'Take The Kids Off Broadway', released in August via Jagjaguwar, played it just right; it dove head first into baby boomers' turf, passing Shangri-Las, Stones, Lennon, Velvet, Roxy Music and more, and carved along the way a niche where 'old' and 'new' are anything BUT mutually exclusive - out of which came this deliciously retro-fitted DIY extravaganza, paying playful tribute to the 60/70s rock&roll circus whilst creating something both unique and fun. Foxygen just released the track streaming below from their upcoming album to be released in January 2013, and will be co-headlining our "Mostly Psych" stage at Pianos during the CMJ festivities with previous Deli cover bands Snowmine and Ava Luna, and also other noteworthy non NYC artists like Hundred Waters and Murals at Pianos on Friday, October 19th. - Full details about The Deli's CMJ show schedule can be found here. Tickets for the Pianos shows can be purchased here. - Tracy Mamoun