On Tuesday, September 23, Bishop & Rook and Mutiny on the Microphone’s “Getting Personal with Promotions: A Boston Music Media Event” is back for a second installment. The first “Getting Personal with Promotions” event was held back in July, but it was so well-received that the organizers decided to book a second date. The gathering is designed to bring together bookers, promoters, bands, bloggers, journalists–anyone and everyone who has an interest in or passion for the music scene in Boston and the surrounding areas. This is a great opportunity to take a couple of hours, step away from your computer and do some real social networking—I’m talking about the kind that doesn’t involve blue bird icons or a giant “Thumbs up!”

This event is free, but space is limited–in fact, July’s event sold out–so click here to reserve your space early. More info about the event can be found here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

This Saturday, As Built PResents & O’Brien’s in Allston, MA will play host to an evening of indie-pop bliss. Boston locals Elephants will be taking the stage in support of their upcoming album release, Strange Waves. The record, which will be the group’s second, definitely reflects all of the hard work the group has put into crafting it over the past few months. Lead singer Lauren Garant appears to have mastered the art of the pop hook with the melody on the track “The Turtles Were Right”, which I was fortunate enough to get my hands on and be able to share with the fine readers of The Deli New England. So, without any further adieu, check out the link below and get ready for Saturday night!

Elephants will be joined by bellwire, Everything and Everyone and The Original Cowards. Doors are at 8PM, $8 cover for the bands and it’s 21+ (with proper ID, of course). For more info on Elephants (and to follow updates about the release of Strange Waves), check out their Facebook page.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Despite heavy rain pausing Saturday’s festivities, this year’s second Boston Calling Music Festival – and the fourth overall – was once again a success. What sets the live showcase apart from other festivals, aside from its unique array of talents, is its location: instead of an open field, Boston Calling takes place on City Hall Plaza, in the heart of downtown and dwarfed by the taller buildings surrounding it.

While Saturday’s storm led to the cancellation of sets by Volcano Choir (the latest project of Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon) and mash-up artist Girl Talk, Lorde and Childish Gambino ended the night on a triumphant note. Each given a 50-minute set, the two boasted the most energetic performances and youngest crowds of the weekend. “What you’ve done here tonight … is pretty special,” the 17-year-old songstress told the audience after they stuck it out to see her perform.

Luckily, the inclement weather steered clear of the festival on Friday and Sunday, with Neutral Milk Hotel and The National closing Friday night each with its own brass section, while Nas and The Roots finished off the festival on Sunday. Sunday’s lineup also included punk legends The Replacements and psychedelic newcomers White Denim.

Check out The Deli New England’s photo album from the weekend over on Flickr and make sure to keep posted at the Boston Calling website so you can be amongst the first to swipe tickets for the festival’s May edition.

-Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

Photos by Monica Kwan

You don’t have to be a seasoned electronic music aficionado to recognize that Miss Geo has a talent for writing incredibly catchy songs. Covered in 80s-style synths and sweet vocal melodies, the most recent offering from the Boston-based electro-pop duo appeals to a wide audience. My favorite track off of their self-titled EP would have to be “After School”, with it’s mesmerizing, almost hypnotic bridge/chorus of “You built this scene, You made this dream, it’s velveteen, it’s rock n’ roll.” Blended together with spacey synth lines, it practically lulled me to sleep with images of some kind of fantastic hipster dance party.

You won’t find this track online though–you’ll have to pick up a copy at one of their shows. And wouldn’t you know, they have one coming up soon! Their next show is September 10, at Great Scott in Allston, MA. Tickets are available online here. Be sure to stop in and pick up a copy of the EP and check out the songs for yourself!

For more information about the band, check out their website.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Our latest Artist of the Month is an astronaut with a loop pedal. Are you intrigued yet? Filmed in Boston, Sundog’s latest live video for “The Prairie” finds him sitting comfy in a city basement with a ukulele, microphone, drum machine and his signature looper (and, lest I forget, a bottle of Jameson nearby). On the track, a mesmerizing beat and Sundog’s soulful pipes are joined by a toy piano around the 3:30 mark, a slightly off-key surprise that even more surprisingly … fits. If you like what you hear, download Sundog’s latest album on Bandcamp now, and make sure to check out the recently released video for “The Wasted” featuring Jonathan Brown. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

After announcing an indefinite hiatus and playing their last show for the foreseeable future, I would like to say congratulations to the Sharpest on a successful run – and good luck to drummer Matt Huszar as he tries out something new in Calgary! In Amherst, Massachusetts, the band became a staple of basement shows and had fans throughout the Pioneer Valley, especially at UMass Amherst. I had the honor of playing alongside the psychedelic indie trio at both my former band Red Panda’s album release show in 2013, during which they broke a television onstage, and at my high school graduation party, where their set was promptly ended by the police. I’ve been a fan ever since a friend showed me “She’s Painting” four years ago, and the guys’ take on math rock certainly inspired a lot of our band’s writing. Although the band is calling it quits for now, you can still check out their catalog over at Bandcamp and hope that we haven’t officially heard the last from them.

Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

Boston’s Jenna Paone is gearing up to release her debut album, Hammers and Strings, on September 30, with a release party at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall on the first of October. Having spent time studying at Boston’s Berklee College, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Academy, Paone has crafted her own sound somewhere between jazz club headliner and adult alternative radio staple. Highlights include the catchy, horn-driven “Prove It” and the wary tango “Got Myself a Gun.” Be sure to give the whole disc a listen on September 30 – you won’t regret it. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

Singer/songwriter Troy Ramey has recently announced that pre-order for his debut EP is available through Pledge Music. Currently living in NYC, Ramey is originally from Vermont and spent a significant amount of time in the Boston area (it’s where he started his first band, and also where I initially found out about him).

Earlier this week, I was able to listen to a few tracks from the forthcoming EP. Ramey’s vocals on the single “Rosary” are nothing short of impressive. He has an incredible range and such a commanding presence in his voice that I practically never hear from “unknown” artists. This guy could sing the ABCs through a tape recorder and I’d buy his songs.

Music is the most subjective of experiences, so don’t just blindly believe what I have to say–take a listen (and watch) for yourselves. I am proud to announce that The Deli New England has the distinct privilege of premiering the music video for “Rosary” (directed by Andrew Ralph, Rubblebucket, Owl City video credits).

Click the video below and try not to be moved by the images and melodies you see and hear. Troy may still be far off the radar to many, but with songs and a video like these, that will be changing quickly.

For more information about Troy, check out his Facebook page. If you’re curious about his Pledge Music campaign and EP funding, you can find out more here. – Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn) – Photo credit: Jackson Himonidis

In the midst of its country-spanning tour, Boston darlings Air Traffic Controller have released their latest single, “The House.” The bubbly summer track details the perfect house – pretty girls playing Nintendo, a band performing in the basement – over a stuttering indie pop beat. With a hook big enough to get a stadium singing along, this song is guaranteed to be fun live, but don’t take our word for it: celebrate with the band at its tour-wrapping concert at Allston’s Great Scott tomorrow night, August 26. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

Ahead of its debut LP, Spirit Lines, Somerville duo Pale Hands has released three groovy bits of dance-pop that will appear on the album. The dreamy “Fanatic” mixes sweeping synth chords and pulses with stuttering drums, while “No Stars” channels the synth-obsessed dance-pop of the 80s through the lens of modern alternative-R&B production. The latest, “Juventud,” combines the best parts of each track before it. While Spirit Lines won’t get dropped until October 28, you can check out Pale Hands at Boston En Masse on September 20. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

By now I’ve heard about Free Pizza quite a bit (probably because they’ve played in my friend’s basement a few times this summer) and now I know what the hype’s all about. Premiered over at Impose Magazine, the band’s video for “Net Babes” is the perfect representation of broke 20-something romance in Boston: backyard bonfires, 40s in the park and outdoor jam sessions. The sparse, catchy bop is a great, albeit short, summer love anthem. Download it now on Bandcamp for $1 – or score a deal on the band’s Boston, MA album for just $5 – and check out the video below. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)

Free Pizza // "Net Babes" from BUFU Records on Vimeo.

Riding on the release of May’s Forgettable LP, Hartford’s Sorority Noise is heading to Amherst, MA, next Monday, August 18. Fitting to its name, the band’s lyrics span the insecurities of college life – take, for example, “When we broke up you told me to try and find myself … so I found myself in someone else’s bed,” from “Dirty Ickes” – but the band’s groovy punk inspires one to dance through the darkness rather than sulk alone. Check out Sorority Noise in Massachusetts’ most famous college town alongside Three Man Cannon, Sexy Girls, The Hundred Acre Woods and Amherst folk-punks Dérive at Amherst’s Unitarian Meeting House at 7 p.m. on August 18. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)