Deli Portlanders,

It's been a months long road in the process of nominating and voting on who all of you feel are the city's best musicians for the year. After thinking back on all the shows played and albums released from 2016, we've finally got a solid list of Portland's finest. Take a gander at who you all fell for (and just how much you fell for them), while also showing some love to yourselves and the lovely jurors that participated.

Thanks to our jurors: Linneas Boland-Godbey (Next Northwest), Aaron Sharpsteen (Photographer), Tony Prato (Bunk Bar), Duffy Rongiiland (Gnar Tapes), Rob Cullivan (Portland Tribune), Leigh Belacic (PDX Pop Now), Jeni Wren Stottrup (Gritty Birds Podcast), Annie Ostrowski (Riot Act Media), Blake Hickman (Good Cheer Records), Clifford Prince King (Photographer), Mo Troper (Impose Magazine/Portland Mercury), Chad Davis (Musician), Jordan Stamm (Drunk Dial Records), Hunter Skowron (Dazzleships Records), Todd Walberg (Photographer), Yousef Hatlani (Faces on the Radio), Corbin Corbinn (Crush House/Photographer), and Andrew Olson (dr0ne PR).

Let's get down to the nitty gritty of what you all have been waiting for...

Lithics

Lithics exude mystery. From their experimental punk drone to their intentional lack of an internet presence, they're the band you may not have known existed until you saw them accidentally. They've been coasting in Portland's formerly under-appreciated but always DIY post/art punk scene for almost three years now with just two releases under their belt. Their three track, self-titled tape from 2015 gave us a taste, but it was their 2016 release Borrowed Floors that helped propel them into being Portland's best band of the year.

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2. Cat Hoch

This isn't the first success Cat Hoch and her band have experienced with the Deli. She came out on top entirely in 2015, when she was voted the Best Emerging Artist of that year and was the readers' choice for best in shoegaze and psych rock for this year. From opening up for Ride to commanding even bigger stages, Cat Hoch and her talented group of musicians aren't stopping anytime soon.

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3. Abronia

Ambiently soft yet broodingly heavy, Abronia have expanded their lineup to match their beautifully atmospheric and expansive sound. Our overall pick for best in electronic and experimental and perfect for moments of mental reflection (but easy to enjoy in damn near every other scenario), Abronia's dominanation of the experimental side of the poll makes total sense, and we can't wait to hear new releases from them.

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4. Ice Queens (Alt Rock/Metal, 7pts)

5. Fur Coats (Hip Hop/R&B, 6pts)

6. The Toads (Indie Rock/Post-Punk, 6pts)

7. Mr. Wrong (Punk/Garage, 6pts)

8. Shrine of the Serpent (Alt Rock/Metal, 5.5pts)

9. A Volcano (Alt Rock/Metal, 5pts)

10. dolphin midwives (Electronic/Experimental, 5pts)

11. Gold Casio (Electronic/Experimental, 5pts)

12. Chanti Darling (Hip Hop/R&B, 5pts)

13. Lola Buzzkill (Hip Hop/R&B, 5pts)

14. Laura Palmer's Death Parade (Psych/Shoegaze, 5pts)

15. Wave Action (Punk/Garage, 5pts)

16. Donte Thomas (Hip Hop/R&B, 4pts)

17. Little Star (Indie Pop, 4pts)

18. Candace (Psych/Shoegaze, 4pts)

19. Zozma (Psych/Shoegaze, 4pts)

20. On drugs (Punk/Garage, 4pts)

21. James Curry IV (Electronic/Experimental, 3.5pts)

22. Mini Blinds (Indie Pop, 3.5pts)

Our more trippy genre poll, psych and shoegaze, ran gazed out slow fuzz with the strange visuals psychedelia forces your mind to make. The two winners all of you felt rocked 2016 honestly come as no surprise, since they've been packing venues and mesmerized crowds all throughout the last year. Big congratulations go out to Zozma and Cat Hoch! Both of these names are of course familiar in the Deli Portland world, because our Deli readers have brought them to the top before.

We've thought of Zozma as one of the best psych acts in Portland for awhile now. All of you voted them as our Artist of the Month back in September of last year, so seeing them as the winner of our readers' poll solidifies their stance as the rulers of our spiritual psych world.

This also isn't the first Deli success Cat Hoch and her band have seen with the Deli either. She came out on top entirely in 2015, when she was voted the Best Emerging Artist of that year. From opening up for Ride to commanding even bigger stages, Cat Hoch and her talented group of musicians aren't stopping anytime soon.

The Deli Portland has had an eye on Zozma for a while, and we're glad to see that more listeners have been turned onto them as well. Psych gets used more as an added descriptor to other types of genres, or as an element of an album, but there exists a lack of local, modern acts that define the genre. 

Enter Zozma, a collection of spiritually connected beings that create more than just music; they create a movement. Their music roots itself in traditonal Middle Eastern piety, powerfully united with ethereal vocals and a mastered understanding of instruments otherworldly. You'll find yourself fully consumed by its aural dominance as if to be in a trance-like state, exactly like what is imagined when thinking of the psychedelic tunes dominated the 60's.

Be sure to catch Zozma during one of their occasional performances around town. Their live performances sound exactly like their recordings, elevated by a hypnotizing and engaging stage presence. It's a musical adventure every appreciator needs to experience. 

Congrats on the Artist of the Month win, Zozma!

Back for its second year, the Portland Psych Fest has made good with presenting what's finest in the psych realm along the West Coast. This is exactly what we can expect from this weekened's happenings as well.

Starting tomorrow night and running all day Saturday, Portland Psych Fest features 17 artists and 3 DJs from here all the way down to Mexico, with a couple hailing from Idaho and Chicago. Four artists are slated to represent good ol' PDX, with two performing each night of the fest.

The much adored Jacksoon Boone will be taking the stage Friday along with Zozma, whose witchy psych includes trippy elements pulled from Middle Eastern pop.

Hawkeye's lo-fi indie britpop will surely delight fans of Spiritualized, as their influence can be heard throughout Hawkeye's songs. For a band made up of members of Souvenir Driver and Hollow Sidewalks, the influence makes sense and has only been perfected by the members' all around mastery. 

Portland psych can't really be discussed without mentioning Cambrian Explosion, who even for being in the scene three years have already solidified their place in it. Internal changes within the band haven't hindered them in any sense musically. They'll be on a few slots before headliners Spindrift and will be helping properly close out an intense weekend.

To view the few lineup and purchase tickets, visit the Portland Psych Fest website. Howler opens up the fest at 7:30pm tomorrow, so make sure you come out early.