Deli Readers,

Our Best of New England Poll for Emerging Artists has been - as usual - a lengthy and painstaking journey which took us through prairies of numbers, horizons filled with band names, and a dense, (mostly) joyous rain of music, but we have finally arrived at destination: we can announce the final results. This year we heave a very eclectic chart - at least for the top positions.

We are happy to announce that Boston's pop punk band Rebuilder, thanks to an accumulation of jurors votes, is The Deli New England's Best Emerging Artist of the Year, and will therefore be featured in our upcoming SXSW print issue (check out last year's one digitally, here). We have been following this unstoppable power-quartet since their beginnings in 2014, and it's been great to see them grow and mature with each release.Their 2015 album 'Rock'n'Roll in America' blends the melodic punk tradition of pioneers Husker Do with a more modern and epic sound, without ever letting the BPM slow down. Don't miss them live!

Thumbs up also for weirdly named, slow core trio Horse Jumper of Love, also hailing from Beantown, who placed second. Their sound - from what we can hear from the two songs available online - channels the slacker rock of the 90's in rather seductive and chilled ways. They have a full release coming up on March 11th, from which first single 'Ugly Brunette' (streaming below) was premiered by Stereogum just about two weeks ago. We found another of their tracks on Soundcloud, here. Promising band indeed!

In third place we have a truly unique artist - and yes, she is a Bostonian too. Her name is Ruby Rose Fox, and we are really, really tempted to label her as THE (or some kind of) new Nick Cave, an artist we regard as one the best of all times. As you may have gathered though, Rosy is a lady. Gifted with an incredibly deep and expressive voice, and confidence aplenty, Ruby plays slow to mid tempo noir pop that flirts with Americana - and trouble. You definitely want to keep an ear and an eye out for this one - check out her stunning latest video for single "Dance of Frankestein."

Check out our poll's top ten below, and don't forget to get even deeper, exploring all the finalists organized by genre:

ALT ROCK - ELECTRO/OTHER GARAGE/DIY - INDIE POP - 
INDIE ROCK - PUNK ROCK -ROOTS/SONGWRITERS

BEST OF 2015 POLL FOR EMERGING NEW ENGLAND ARTISTS ****** FINAL RESULTS - TOP TEN ******

ARTIST J OS W R TOT   1 Rebuilder 6.5     0.033 6.533 2 Horse Jumper of Love 5.5     0.007 5.507 3 Ruby Rose Fox 4.5     0.006 4.506 4 Cactus Attack 3     1.5 4.5 5 Danny Henry 2     2 4 6 Feral Jenny 3.5     0.003 3.503 7 Something Sneaky 3     0.061 3.061 8 Tigerman WOAH! 3     0.048 3.048 9 The Copacetics 3     0.045 3.045 10 Violent Mae 3         0.024 3.024 Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers, R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

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If you wonder how this chart came into existence, 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 15+ New England scene expert (our jury) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each (3 points for the top choice, then 2 and 1). Then we polled our readers. We tried to keep things open for each single genre, from Indie Rock to Roots Music to Hip Hop.

If you are a geek interested in all the subtelties 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 New England produced in the year 2015, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

Many Thanks to our Jurors: Aaron Gray (Gray Skull Booking), Adam Blye (Mutiny on the Microphone), Adam Morgan (Surviving the Golden Age), Adam Parshall (Do617), Alyssa Spector (Lysten Boston), Dan McMahon (Deli NE Editor), Dave Crespo (WEMF Radio), Deep Thoughts (Deep Thoughts), Ellie Molitor (Allston Pudding), Erich Hagan (John Fleming Entertainment), Jacob Nathan (AS220), Jake (Boston Ska), Joseph Graham (NE Music Awards), Knar Bedian (Sound of Boston), Kristin Nicholls (Bishop & Rook), Lance Tobin (Brighton Music Hall), Lionel Train (The Middle East), llya Sitnikov (I Heart Noise), Malcolm Tent (Trash American Style), Paul Mayer (Cafe Nine), Perry Eaton (BDCWire), Radio Bean (Radio Bean), Ryan Agate (O'Brien's Pub), Salty Speakers (Salty Speakers), Samuel Potrykus (Boston Hassle), The Space (The Space), TJ Edson (Out of the Blue Too).

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

The Deli's Staff

This past Friday, Ruby Rose Fox made a rare solo appearance as part of the First Fridays programming at the ICA in Boston. Despite being without her band and back-up singers, Ruby did what Ruby does best: put on a beautifully-captivating vocal performance. While most of the sold-out crowd was there to mingle and catch-up with friends, as soon as Ruby started singing, many in the crowd immediately focused their attention on the singer. Bookended by two emotionally-charged renditions of "Golden Boy", her set revealed that many of her songs are much more melancholoy than her full-band sets make them sound--a fact of which she was also aware. "These songs are kind of depressing for party music", she quipped, shortly after the start of the show. Nevertheless, every time I see Ruby Rose live I'm always left wondering how it's even possible that someone's voice can sound as good as hers. This might all sound like fan-boy gushing, but go see one of her shows and try to dispute me. 

For more information about Ruby Rose Fox and her band, check out their PledgeMusic campaign to raise funds for their first full-length album. 

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo credit: @lystenboston

This past Saturday (Pi Day, for any math fans who might be reading this), Ruby Rose Fox played a brilliant, sold-out performance in her return to Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge, MA. Clad in a gold-sequined jacket and wielding a matching gold telecaster, Ruby commanded the audience's attention on stage. Her shiny appearance wasn't what made her stand out that night though--it was her mesmerizing voice. Ruby's vocal performances have have generated substantial buzz around Boston recently, and for good reason. She possesses so much power and soul that when she sings, it's hard to do anything except stop whatever other unimportant thing you're doing and listen.
My favorite song from her set was her encore, a solo rendition of "Golden Boy," one of her more popular tunes. The choruses of that song were particularly impressive, with her voice reaching intense crescendos that drew loud whistles and applause from the crowd.

After generating so much hype in the city, she is finally preparing to hit the road in April, supporting Martha Davis and the Motels. As most people would probably assume, touring costs a boatload of cash, so she and her band have established a Patreon campaign to help raise funds for the trip. For every $2 donation, donors will receive exclusive "tour videos" shot by Ruby and her band as they travel around the States. Pretty cool perk for less than the cost of a pack of guitar strings.

For more info about Ruby and her upcoming tour, click here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)
Photo credit: @lystenboston

Boston Does Boston, a music series designed to benefit the Animal Rescue League, is set to release its third and fourth volumes over the next two weeks. The series, which began in 2013, has a unique approach for raising money--gathering some of the Boston area’s best musical acts and having them cover each other’s work. Some of my favorites on this year’s compilations include Ruby Rose Fox covering Lovewhip and The Rationales covering Mary Lou Lord. I’ve seen a lot of different benefit shows, but I find myself especially drawn to this one because it not only raises money for a worthy cause, but strengthens the Boston music scene in the process. Having artists take a step back from their own music and let others create their own interpretations of what they hear demonstrates a lot of trust between artists, and highlights the collaborative nature Boston area musicians.

The songs will be released during two shows: October 17th and 24th, respectively. Both concerts will be held at TT the Bear’s Place in Central Square, Cambridge, MA.  Doors at 8PM, 18+, $10 cover. All proceeds will be donated to the Animal Rescue League.

 -Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

The Boston Music Awards Nomination Party was held on Wednesday night at Redstar Union in Cambridge, MA and there was certainly no shortage of talent among the lineup. Ruby Rose Fox, Tigerman, WOAH!, Young Adults and New Highway Hymnal each played with an intensity that's rarely heard (at least from my perspective) in the Boston area. 

Ruby Rose Fox led off the night with her jazzy, 50s-influenced rock that was magnified by her seductive vocal melodies. The band was tight and no one tried to do too much with the songs--everything blended together seamlessly. 

My favorite band of the night, Tigerman, WOAH!, brought the roughest, most country, blues-rockin' set that I've seen in quite awhile. Their sound kind of reminded me of Left Lane Cruiser getting together with early Kings of Leon, drinking heavily, and having a backwoods jam. 

Young Adults came up third, bringing their mix of poppy post-punk steeped in distorted vocals and insanely loud choruses. I was really impressed by the sound coming from these guys, given that they're only a three-piece.

New Highway Hymnal closed out the night with perhaps the most badass 2-song performance I've ever seen. It started when lead singer/guitarist Hadden Stemp had issues with a stompbox, which he promptly kicked into the crowd in frustration. Shortly thereafter, bassist Amelia Gormley had some issues with her bass amp, prompting Stemp to ask the audience if everyone was there to watch them destroy their equipment. After the bass amp malfunctioned a second time, Stemp quickly grabbed his guitar and hurled it through his amp, dragging the entirety of the tangled wreckage offstage with him. If that isn't a flashback to an old Who performance, I don't know what is.

All of these performers put on such amazing sets, I'm excited to see who will emerge victorious from the main awards show this Sunday, December 8. Tickets are still available for the event, which is being held at The Liberty Hotel on December 8. You can purchase them here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/500664.

For more information and updates about the show, check out the Boston Music Awards Facebook page. 

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)