Best of New England 2014 for Emerging Artists: FINAL RESULTS: 1. Dark Rodeo, 2.Gymshorts, 3.Nathan Ventura,

Deli Nation,

Our Year End Poll for Emerging New England Artists was – as usual – a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process, but we pulled it off with remarkable flair!

Heavy and earthy, Dark Rodeo applies a punk attitude and and song format to country lyrical themes and guitar tones. Congrats, guys!

Gym Shorts are threw some high-energy surf punk in our laps with last years record No Backsies. Check out their tune "Viberator" and take it to the slopes while we’re waiting for the snow to melt. 

Nathan Ventura‘s back with a band, and released Pucker Up in February 2014. It’s definitely a weird one. Check out Nathan’s wild vocals and the band’s experimental garage feel. Definitely some novel sounds on every track of Pucker Up. 

Honorable mention to Kid Mountain, for their killer free New Years Eve show in Brighton!

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 experts (our jury) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each. Then we polled our writers, 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 2013, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

BEST OF 2014 POLL FOR EMERGING
NEW ENGLAND ARTISTS
****** FINAL RESULTS ******
 
ARTIST
J
OS
W
R
TOT
 
1
Dark Rodeo 5.5     0.005 5.505
2
Gymshorts 4.5   1 0.003 5.503 icon
3
Nathan Ventura & The Buttercups 5.5     0.001 5.501 icon
4
Kid Mountain 3   2 0.003 5.003 icon
5
Suitcase Junket 2     1.5 3.5 icon
 
Smooth Antics 3     0.5 3.5 icon
7
Derive 3     0.096 3.096 icon
8
Particulars 3     0.041 3.041 icon
9
Jake McKelvie & the Countertops   3   0.034 3.034 icon
10
Hayley Sabella 3     0.025 3.025 icon
11

Guerilla Toss 2   1 0.017 3.017
12
Elison Jackson 3     0.011 3.011 icon
13
Alpenglow 3     0.008 3.008 icon
  As the Sparrow   3   0.008 3.008 icon
  Violent Mae 3     0.008 3.008 icon
16
Butcher Boy 3     0.006 3.006 icon
17
Mal Devisa 3     0.005 3.005
18
Biscuits & Gravy 3     0.004 3.004 icon
19
Anchors Away 3     0.003 3.003 icon
20
Paper Castles 3     0.001 3.001 icon
  Rye Pines 3     0.001 3.001 icon
  samuel james 3     0.001 3.001
23
Grundlefunk 1     2 3 icon
  Miss Geo   1 1 1 3 icon
  Ben Knight 3     0 3 icon
  Michelle Chamuel 3     0 3 icon
  Sirens 3     0 3 icon
28
Clara Berry 2     0.085 2.085 icon
29
And The Kids 1   1 0.064 2.064 icon
30
BLKBX 2     0.061 2.061 icon
31
Abbie Barrett and The Last Date 2     0.044 2.044 icon
32
Daphne Lee Martin 2     0.031 2.031 icon
33
Mosey Greams 2     0.017 2.017 icon
34
Ports of Spain 2     0.009 2.009 icon
35
Elephant 2     0.006 2.006 icon
 
Neon Fauna 2     0.006 2.006 icon
37
Pile 2     0.005 2.005 icon
38
Moron 2     0.004 2.004 icon
 
Notches 2     0.004 2.004 icon
40
Dinnersss 2     0.003 2.003 icon
  Fire in the Field 2     0.003 2.003 icon
  Mini Dresses 2     0.003 2.003 icon
  The Hotelier 2     0.003 2.003 icon
  Tredici Bacci 2     0.003 2.003 icon
45
Downtown Boys 2     0.002 2.002 icon
46
Andy California 2     0.001 2.001 icon
  Bell and the Bees 2     0.001 2.001 icon
  Eric George 2     0.001 2.001 icon
  Humanbeast 2     0.001 2.001 icon
  Mendition Of The Quay 2     0.001 2.001 icon
  My Fictions 2     0.001 2.001 icon
  Somos 2     0.001 2.001 icon
53
Annie Brobst 2     0 2 icon
  Eljebel 2     0 2 icon
  Life on The Sideline 2     0 2 icon
  Pours 2     0 2 icon
  Rabbit Rabbit 2     0 2 icon
  Rosie and the Rosies 2     0 2 icon
  Tom Kovacevic 2     0 2 icon
60
Andre Obin   1.5   0 1.5 icon
61
Pat and the Hats 1     0.091 1.091 icon
62
Miss Fairchild 1     0.063 1.063
63
Jet Black Sunrise   1   0.053 1.053 icon
64
Sarah Blacker   1   0.04 1.04 icon
65
Doug Tuttle   1   0.023 1.023 icon
66
Marina Evans   1   0.017 1.017 icon
67
Radclyffe Hall   1   0.014 1.014 icon
68
Plums 1     0.013 1.013 icon
69
Joe Young 1     0.012 1.012 icon
70
Tell Stories 1     0.007 1.007 icon
71
Gracie 1     0.005 1.005 icon
72
Zayde Buti 1     0.004 1.004 icon
73
Blessed State 1     0.002 1.002 icon
  Couples Counseling 1     0.002 1.002 icon
  Madaila 1     0.002 1.002 icon
  Mister Happy Cloud 1     0.002 1.002 icon
77
No Evil Star   1   0 1 icon
  Plains 1     0 1 icon
  Salitter 1     0 1 icon
  The Backyard Committee 1     0 1 icon
  The Coincidental Hour 1     0 1 icon
  We Were Astronauts 1     0 1 icon
Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers,
R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

Jurors List: Sam Potrykus (Boston Hassle), Erich Hagan (Harlem Globetrotters), Ellie Molitor (Great Scott), Greg (The Oak and the Ax), Ryan (Salty Speakers), Lionel Train (Mid East Club), Conrad Benjamin, Jacob Nathan (AS220), Paul Mayer (Cafe Nine), Nicholas Firine (The Space, CT), Alex Lalli and Quillan George (Signal Kitchen), Joe Adler (Radio Bean, VT), Cresta (The Red Door, NH), Mariam Saleh (Fat Creeps), Noah Britton (The Deli), Erich Hagan, John Fleming (John Fleming Enterteinment), Nick (Deep Thoughts JP), Luke O’Neil (Alternative Press), Joseph Graham (NE Music Awards), Adam Tercyak-Morgan (Surviving the Golden Age), Daniel G. Kuhn, Perry Eaton, Malcolm Tent (Trash American Style).

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

The Deli’s Staff