Tonight, the combination of Al Creedon (Bleeding Rainbow) and Sean Hamilton (Spacin’, Acid Kicks), a.k.a. I IM EYE MY, opens what should be an entertaining sonic exploration at The Boot & Saddle. The duo, intricately layers textures of sound, creating perpetually on the move batches of animated music, warping you into a hypnotic groove that’s part Casio, fuzz, and tribal percussion. Stacking up together on stages, that could alter your mind’s eye. Speaking of shape shifting, Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel may be just what the doctor ordered as the launch into guitar-driven orbits on spiritual quests that peacefully place you further out there, setting the stage for the consistently evolving experimental psych noise rock of Brooklyn’s Oneida. The Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., 8pm, $10, 21+ - Michael Colavita

This evening, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation will erect a stage at Spruce Street Harbor Park for a free pop-up concert that will be benefit Vox Populi Gallery and will include video projections and sculptures from some of its artist-members. The show features a duel-headed juggernaut of local psych-rock in Purling Hiss as well as Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel. The trio of Purling Hiss explores and bends the boundaries, placing themselves somewhere that pulls elements from the noise, shoegaze, psych scenarios, while also incorporating delicate melodies with a take it or leave it garage aesthetic and raunchy instrumentation that include monsterous extended guitar jams. It’s a complex sound that when boiled down tastes like what rock 'n' roll is all about. Speaking of going out there, Chris Forsyth and company dare (guitar in hand) to push those concepts. Tearing down artificial walls as part of what becomes a sonic journey organically stretching the fabric of convention with elongated instrumental charges, revealing what lies just beyond the edge. This will be nice warm-up for their set tomorrow night at The Boot & Saddle opening for Oneida. (If necessary, the rain date is scheduled for this Sunday, July 27th at 7:30pm.) Spruce Street Harbor Park, (Spruce St. & Columbus Ave.) 7:30pm, Free, All Ages - Michael Colavita

We were very excited to learn that Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band will be releasing a new full-length album this October entitled Intensity Ghost, via No Quarter Records. The quartet is easily one of our favorite live acts lately, and you can catch them for free performing under the beautiful LED lights at Spruce Street Harbor Park on Thursday, July 24 opening for Purling Hiss. And if you're still hungry for more of their hypnotic, exploratory jams, they'll also be throwing down the night after (Friday, July 25) at The Boot & Saddle with Oneida and I IM EYE MY. Check out the video below of the group covering "Little Johnny Jewel" by Television, one of Forsyth's major musical influences, at Little Berlin!

Deli Nation,

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

Kudos to Americana-rock youngsters The Districts (photo by Harrison Knowles and video by HotBox Studios) for winning the poll! It was pretty obvious that few if any local artists had a better 2013, and things don't seem to be slowing down for the Central PA transplants.

Huge thumbs up to "sex pop" outfit Night Panther and heavy psych rocker Chris Forsyth for placing second and third.

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 35+ Philly music community experts (our jury) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each. Then, we polled our writers and readers. All were invited to participate.

If you'd like to geek-out to all the subtleties 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 Philly produced in the year 2013, then check out all the fine homegrown acts below. The talent and diversity in our city is astounding! Also, we'd like to give special thanks to our jurors for sharing their personal favorites with us. Enjoy!

List of Jurors: Dan Bisogno (Y-Not Radio, VICE, AEG Live), Jeff Blinder (Spazz Presents), Gabrielle Bonghi (Philly.com), Kate Bracaglia (Philly.com, The Key), Eric Bresler (PhilaMOCA), Zac Camagna (The Styrofoam Drone), Jessica Craft (Rock to the Future), Ryan Crump (Philly Drum Project), Mikele Edwards (Silk City), Nick Fanelli (The Fire, Guild Shows), Stacie George (Live Nation), Kevin Horn (Underground Arts, Bonfire), Ellei Johndro (Shadowscene), Marshall Kavanaugh (Dream Oven, Little Berlin), Kevin Kennedy (The Swollen Fox), Colin Kerrigan (Out of Town Films, Philly.com), Fred Knittel (Folkadelphia, The Key, WXPN), Josh T. Landow (Y-Not Radio), Carolyn Lederach (Sofar, Communion), Barrett Lindgren (Independent Promoter, Johnny Brenda’s), Jesse Lundy (Point Entertainment), Gordon Mays (MilkBoy Philly, Bonfire), Brian McTear (Weathervane Music), Jeff Meyers (The Boot & Saddle, Guild Shows), George Miller (JUMP Philly), Andy Molholt (Independent Promoter), Mark Schoneveld (YVYNYL), Stephanie Seiple (Tri State Indie), Matt Smith (HotBox Sessions), Jon Solomon (WPRB), Q.D. Tran (The Deli Magazine), Pat Troxell (Kung Fu Necktie, Bonfire), John Vettese (The Key, WXPN, City Paper), Nikki Volpicelli (The Key), Chris Ward (Johnny Brenda’s), Bruce Warren (WXPN, Some Velvet Blog, The Key)

BEST OF 2013 POLL FOR EMERGING PHILLY ARTISTS ****** FINAL RESULTS ******

ARTIST J OS W R TOT   1 The Districts 26   2 0.012 28.012 2 Night Panther 8   3 0.004 11.004 3 Chris Forsyth 8   2 0.006 10.006 4 Cruiser 8   1 0.01 9.01 5 Commonwealth Choir 9     0.007 9.007 6 Needle Points 7   1 0.019 8.019 7 Waxahatchee 6   2 0.01 8.01 8 Hop Along 6   1 0.019 7.019 9 Drone Ranger 6   1 0.005 7.005 10 Lantern 4   2 0.037 6.037 11 Worshyper 4   2 0.008 6.008 12 The Bad Doctors 5   1 0.005 6.005   The Lawsuits 5   1 0.005 6.005 14 Cayetana 5   1 0.004 6.004 15 Alex G 3   1 2 6 16 Our Griffins 3 2   0.036 5.036 17 Swearin’ 5     0.008 5.008 18 Little Big League 4   1 0.003 5.003 19 Maitland 4   1 0.001 5.001 20 Red Martina   3 1 0.5 4.5 21 Proexibitors 3   1 0.011 4.011 22 Radiator Hospital 1   3 0.008 4.008 23 Nothing 2   2 0.006 4.006 24 Amanda X 4     0.005 4.005 25 Modern Baseball 2   2 0.005 4.005 26 DRGN King 2   2 0.004 4.004 27 Thin Lips 3   1 0.003 4.003 28 Brian Fitzy 2     1.5 3.5 29 Pine Barrons 3     0.5 3.5 30 Banned Books 3     0.04 3.04 31 Pill Friends 1   2 0.034 3.034 32 Chelsea Sue Allen 3     0.016 3.016 33 Buried Beds 1   2 0.012 3.012 34 Charmaine’s Name 3     0.008 3.008 35 Gunk 1   2 0.006 3.006 36 Break It Up 3     0.003 3.003 37 Spacin’ 1   2 0.002 3.002 38 Lushlife 3     0 3   The Wallace Brothers 3     0 3   True Gold 1   2 0 3 41 Cheers Elephant   1.5 1 0.005 2.505 42 Jackie Paper 2     0.036 2.036 43 Angela Sheik/Dante Bucci 2     0.03 2.03 44 Katie Frank 2     0.03 2.03 45 The Love Club 1   1 0.026 2.026 46 Satellite Hearts 1   1 0.025 2.025 47 Daddy Long Legs   1 1 0.024 2.024 48 Liz and the Lost Boys 2     0.017 2.017 49 Heathen Reign 2     0.012 2.012 50 Ali Wadsworth 2     0.008 2.008 51 Grandchildren 1   1 0.006 2.006 52 Harsh Vibes 1   1 0.006 2.006 53 Big Tusk 2     0.005 2.005   Work Drugs 2     0.005 2.005 55 Son Step 2     0.004 2.004   The Interest Group 2     0.004 2.004 57 Batty 2     0.003 2.003   Gretchen Lohse 2     0.003 2.003   Marian Hill 2     0.003 2.003 60 Nightlands 2     0.002 2.002 61 Chill Moody 2     0.001 2.001 62 Rosu Lup   1   1 2 63 Weekender   1   0.032 1.032 64 Chase Allen 1     0.03 1.03 65 No Other 1     0.015 1.015 66 Levee Drivers   1   0.014 1.014 67 Fantasy Panther 1     0.01 1.01 68 Acres of Diamonds 1     0.006 1.006 69 Mohican 1     0.005 1.005   Residuels 1     0.005 1.005 71 JJL 1     0.003 1.003 72 Divers 1     0.002 1.002 73 Dreambook 1     0.001 1.001   Market East 1     0.001 1.001 75 Profligate 1     0 1 Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers, R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

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

The Deli's Staff