We call "Indie Pop" Pop music for the sophisticated minds. This genre achieves it's "pop" status through melodic quality and uptempo bpm, while maintaining an "indie" edge through mild sonic experimentation and careful avoidance of cliches. The bands who submitted in this genre deviate from the mainstream with their unique sound and talent.  

Total submissions in this category: 45

Artists Qualified to the Poll's Next Stage (starting soon):

1. Dalton - 8 (Out of 10)
1. Cultfever - 8
3. The Henry Millers - 7.83

Honerable Mentions (Score Above 7.16)

The Great American Novel, Battle flags, Brooms, RAILBIRD, Miracles Of Modern Science, The Universal Thump, St. Lenox, Hollands, Rebecca Brandt, Deb Oh &, the Cavaliers, Sinem Saniye, Emanuel & The Fear, Ludwig Persik. 

Jurors: Lucy Sherman (Deli Contributer), Hillary Anderson (Deli New England), QD Tran (Deli Philly)

The Deli's Staff

We sent a decent amount of love to Railbird in the last few months - and also booked them for one of our CMJ 2012 shows. This Brooklyn based band is gaining momentum thanks to their brainy but gently melodic composition which will enthuse fans of Dirty Projectors and Deerhoof. They recently played with Deli favorites Rubblebucket and Reptar, which definitely helped them raise their profile, and are now hitting the nail on the head with a new EP release - that's exactly what bands should do when when they have some "buzz," rather than waiting for it to fade. "Mirror" (streaming below) showcases a further step towards awesomely produced quirky arrangements compensated by SKP's melodic talent.

Railbird was definitely one of the highlights of our CMJ Music Marathon. We thoroughly enjoyed the band's show at our CMJ Electronic Stage on Thursday 10.18, when they performed their quirky and delicate songs with precision and warmth, in front of a packed room. We recently interviewed them here.

Railbird is the kind of band that doesn't mind sharing their secrets with you, even if some of these details might make you a little nervous. Singer Sarah Pedinotti seems to whisper these tell-all remarks with a mysterious honesty requiring a certain amount of courage on both sides of the microphone. This isn't an easy-going ride, but is certainly worth the time. Latest video 'Jump Ship' (streaming below, which premiered on Brooklyn Vegan a few days ago) plays with these conflicted feelings, bouncing between intimacy and moodiness amid kaleidoscopic bubbles and cameo appearances from Sean Rowe and Phantogram's Sarah Barthel. Check it out below and catch the band live when they play The Rock Shop on September 7. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)