Alex Vans and the Hideaway are playing an extra special show this Friday at Iota as a Mega Band! The band now features 9 pieces, including a full horn section and backup singers (and will include such talent as Will Rast and Margot Macdonald). Alex says the new setup “really brings the songs to life the way they are on record, plus a few surprises.” For my part, I can’t wait to see 9 pieces on Iota’s stage. Joining Alex and The (now much harder to) Hide Away will be These Animals (a NYC band releasing a new cd), and (playing their farewell show) D.C.’s Kid Architect . Doors at 9. --Natan Press

Ethereal pop quartet These Animals is the perfect band to boost the dbittersweet emotions brought by the approaching end of the summer. The band's debut LP 'Pages' drops today, and teaser track 'Hunting Horn' (streaming), a syncopated and lush journey through the seasons, promises a hard-hitting torrent of energy and guitar rock goodness for their upcoming release. Recorded during the group's winter cabin recording sessions, the track is somewhat reminiscent of Grandaddy's melancholic pop, and has the feeling of the cold season in its lyrics and pounding drums, with the warmth and optimism of summer built into bright guitars and falsetto vocals.

The Brooklyn band releases their CD on August 1st at Bowery Electric. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Indie, indie... what an exquisite word! These days so many bands call themselves "indie rock" even if they sound nothing like indie rock (before we ranked this category we had to filter out all the songwriters and straight rock bands who tried to re-brand themselves as "indie" - WE CAUGHT YOU!). Of course, the word originates from "independent" - not "Indian" like your clueless friends often assume - but it's been used since the 80's to describe "non-mainstream" rock music (and record labels). Think tense and/or dark and/or experimental-ish mostly guitar based rock. Needless to say, in the late aughts Indie became huge, and many NYC bands (paradoxically signed to majors) like Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol had a crucial role in bringing this genre to the masses.

Total submissions in this category: 45

Artists Qualified to the Poll's Next Stage (starting around 01.10):

1. Conveyor - 7.83 (out of 10)
2. ARMS - 7.66 
2. Modern Rivals - 7.66 

Honorable Mentions (above 7 out of 10):

Stone Cold Fox, These Animals, Wild International, Ballroom Jacks, No Shoes, Dear Comrade, ILLUMNTR, Their Planes Will Block Out The Sun

Jurors: Gracie Gutman (Deli SF), Jason Behrends (Deli Chicago), Lucy Sherman (Deli Seattle)

The Deli's Staff