It's difficult to contemplate music absent of pop structure or influences in the age of genre-revivalism and commercialized indie. Difficult, but not impossible. Just ask Media Jeweler.

Formed in 2013 from three members of the now-defunct Moon Pearl, an “8+ piece tidal wave of uncomfortable party music” based in Irvine, the avant garde Media Jeweler has ties to Irvine's DIY arm Acrobatics Everyday, and two of the members simultaneously create musical/sexual tension as part of Santa Ana post-hardcore band Windy. Self-described as free rock, i.e. "not grunge, not punk, not alt, not anything," Media Jeweler have confused listeners (in a good way) playing convention-defying music across California venues with freaky local acts like So Many Wizards, Roman Candles, and most recently Girlpool. In time these musical entrepreneurs hope to establish a travel agency, produce a cooking show, and create a Media Jeweler smartphone app with the end-goal of making millions by playing popular rock music. Fingers crossed.

Media Jeweler’s debut album $99 R/T Hawaii will "come out" sometime this summer. Expect to see their 7” debut single “Looking Back” in June, a song about “the feeling of thinking about the stuff you did before the moment that you are in at that moment. It has no words but that is the sort of feeling you are supposed to feel when you listen to the song.”

They'll be playing a string of shows in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles this week to support touring band Ava Luna and Young Lovers. Watch their album teaser below. - Ryan Mo

LA, your unconditional, undying love for So Many Wizards has been made official. Winners of our Open Submissions and placing Second in the Reader's Poll, it's clear that if there was a prom king of the LA indie scene, So Many Wizards would be accepting the crown. Here's to hoping the rest of the world catches on this year. Maybe they'll be the first band to play on the moon! Until then, they will continue to rock our local socks off. So Many Wizards will be playing the Echoplex for Part Time Punks' My Bloody Valentine Night on Feb. 9 along with Sisu, Tennis System, Heaven and Nightmare Air. An incredible line-up, that I'm sure will be a sweaty, noisy mess well-worth the Monday morning struggle. For now, continue streaming the band's Lollipop Records released 7", which sounds delightfully more like Bradford Cox-style ramblings upon my third listen.

2013 was a year crowded with local talent. We are excited to begin announcing the results of our massive year end poll. Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word and give bands a chance to have their music heard by critics all over the country. After tallying the votes for the Open Submissions stage of our Los Angeles Year End Poll, it's time to release the results.

Please note that no editor was allowed to vote for bands in their own scene. The editors that voted on the LA scene were: Q.D. Tran (Deli Philadelphia), Brescia (Deli NYC Contributor) and Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC, Editor-In-Chief). In the coming weeks we will release the list of nominees chosen by our local "scene expert" jurors and it will be up to you to pick your favorite Emerging LA Artist of 2013.

Acts advancing to our Readers/Fans Poll with a ranking above 6.5:

1. So Many Wizards (Dream Pop) - 7.8
2. The Futures League (Garage Rock) - 7.6
3. May McDonough & Company (Psych/Pop) - 7.3
4. Mina Knock (Hip Hop) - 7.2
5. FMLYBND (Electro Pop) - 7
6. Playthings (Electronic) - 6.6

Honorable Mentions (ranked above 6.25):

Babe Parade (Indie Pop) - 6.5
Micah Brown (Folk) - 6.5
Octopus Mask (Surf Rock) - 6.5
The Blank Tapes (Garage Rock) - 6.5
Mind The Gap (Electronic Rock) - 6.5
steffaloo (Dream Pop) - 6.5
Strangeheart (Electro Pop) - 6.5
Heaps N Heaps (Indie Folk Pop) - 6.3
Heathers (Alt Pop) - 6.3

Total submissions from the LA Scene: 79

WHAT'S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. In the next few days we'll unveil the artists nominated by our local jurors made up of venue promoters and other scene experts, and we'll let our readers and writers influence the poll with their vote.

Thanks to all the acts who submitted to us. Our open submissions pool was truly a celebration of the diversity and richness of LA's talent. Keep creating, keep supporting and stay tuned for your chance to vote!

The Deli Staff

For the second year in a row, our national team of editors agree that So Many Wizards is deserving of your attention and accolades. 2013 was a busy year for the quartet, playing shows all over the region, opening for Fool's Gold, and since we last spoke, they even underwent lineup changes. Proving this is no hindrance to their unquestionable talent and ability to produce inventive pop creations, So Many Wizards released the Night Chills/Daydream 7" in November on lollipop records. The infusion of brit pop energy with their tried and true reverb-drenched guitar-driven dreaminess shows signs of unstoppable maturity. There's a slacker's ennui that drives the usually poetic introspection giving their sound a fresh new vibe. Like a quiet storm, they keep building - year after year, solid release after solid release. So Many Wizards play the Dirty Laundry TV Cassette Release Show on January 10 at The Satellite.

We've tallied the results for the Open Submissions stage of our LA Area Year End Poll. All of the submissions were ranked by Deli Editors from other scenes, and the list of acts that have advanced to our Readers’/Fans’ Poll phase are below. We will also be releasing the list of nominees chosen by our local "scene expert" jurors very soon. 

Thanks to all the rad folks who submitted their heart and soul to us - we never received as many submissions from LA as this year! Our open submissions pool was truly a celebration of the LA Area's talent and diversity.   

Total submissions from the LA Area Scene: 85  

Qualified to the final phase of the Best of LA Area Poll:

1. Little Red Lung - 7.6 (out of 10)
2. Fake Furs - 7.5 
3. The Morning Birds - 7.5 
4. So Many Wizards - 7.3 
5. I Hate You Just Kidding - 7.3 
6. Cotillon - 7.16 
7. Nightmare Air - 7 
8. Dark Furs - 7 
9. IAMEVE - 7 

Honorable Mentions (Score above 6.5): The Smoking Trees (Psych Pop), Maston (Indie Pop), Hi Ho Silver Oh (Folk Rock), megachoir (Electronica), of Verona (Electro-pop), The Cigarette Bums (Garage) 

Jurors: QD Tran (Deli Philly), Brandi Lukas (Deli contributor), Paolo De Gregorio (Deli NYC)

The Deli Staff