We're not floating in space, ladies and gentlemen, but the feeling of I'm an Island's Bored Days, Old Years is somewhat similar. It's a tender affair, with elegant psych-tinged guitar flourishes taking center stage and a lush production lifting the whole thing into orbit. Each song is an exploration that takes a few moments to get where it's going but leaves no doubt that the journey here is just as enjoyable as the destination.  

Bored Days, Old Years is set for a vinyl release on June 27, but until then you can stream the whole album via Bandcamp.

Thanks to all the artists who submitted their music to be considered for The Deli's Best of Nashville Year End Poll for Emerging Artists. We had a record number of submissions from Nashville this year - 49! - thanks so much for the overwhelming response!

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4. I'm an Island - 7.66

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5. Chrome Pony - 7.5

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6. Jack Berry - 7.33

6. Smooth Hound Smith - 7.33

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8. The Cunning - 7.11

Honorable Mentions (scores above 6.5)

Koa, Yumi And The System, Stewart Eastham, Everyone Moves Away, Creature Comfort, DEDSA, Aaron Moses, The Double Intenders, Sugar Lime Blue, David Newbould.

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WHAT’S NEXT: These results end the first phase of the poll. We have already unveiled full list of nominees that also includes the artists nominated by our local jurors (see left column here). It's now time for our readers to influence this Year End Poll for Emerging Nashville Artists with their vote - look out for th readers' poll on the right column of this same page!

The Deli Nashville

With all of the holidays finally behind us, we're happy to be back to some semblance of sanity. We're also stoked to see more unexpectedly awesome lineups on random Monday nights, like this one: Trunkweed, King Bitch, Daddy Issues and I'm an Island at The End this Monday night. We've had passing obsessions in 2014 with Daddy Issue's pizza-and-Nirvana-driven garage rock and I'm and Island's floaty, lost-summer vibe. King Bitch managed to release a debut full-length/greatest hits collection via Infinity Cat last fall; below is their video for their lo-fi/glam punk and all-too-brief track "Video Blackhole." These three acts provide a good local anchor for touring, Baltimore-based act Trunkweed, who's bedroom pop bridges the gap between these sonic spectrums. In other words, it is a show worthy of your Monday night. The night starts at 8pm, and cover is $5. -Terra James-Jura

I'm an Island just released their debut EP "Crown Jewel" July 1st. The collected works of mastermind J. Gardner are absolutely season-appropriate; much of the lazy guitar across these 4 songs is a pretty good approximation of how wobbly and distorted the boom box on the dock sounds as you're surfacing from a running dive off of it.  Especially endearing is "Crown Jewel Pt. 2." The pendulum swings a little more towards Vampire Weekend than Will Oldham on this track, but both elements remain present, as they do for the duration of the EP.  Gardner has hit upon a distinct vibe, and it is going to be a pleasure to hear more from I'm an Island (especially in the dead of winter.) Check out the whole EP here. -Terra James-Jura