The Sun Lions’s latest EP, “Adeleine,” has a crisp and, well, sunny sound, thanks in part to being recorded on a Tascam 388 ¼” tape machine. The band sounds like a more melodic Wavves, but with the same crunchy guitars, vocal effects and fixation with drugs – “Adeleine, I think I’m wasted,” they sing on the set’s title track. If you’re itching for more Sun Lions, check out their “Be There” EP, released in June – Jake Reed

Over the past two years, I Kill Giants has become one of the most successful math rock bands in Boston’s DIY music scene. Its self-titled full-length debut was released in April, following several EPs including the unorthodox “We Can Live In The Exact Same Place” – the collection’s eight songs span just six minutes. Now, the band is plotting its final shows before an indefinite hiatus, as guitarist and vocalist Dylan Hanwright heads to Washington to pursue what he called a “dream job” in an October announcement. Check them out at the Middle East in Cambridge on December 21; The Space in Hamden, CT, on January 17; or their final show on January 24 at the Democracy Center in Cambridge – Jake Reed

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)

“Rare Elvis Demos,” released on November 14, finds Brad DeMatteo (aka Cult Fluorescent) singing ruefully over a collection of dreamy, minimal pop songs. At times, his voice is in the forefront, such as on kaleidoscopic standout “Honey Dripping.” At others, like on “Kicked/Killed,” it lies muffled beneath a dinky drum machine and noodling guitar riffs. “Rare Elvis Demos” can be downloaded for a cool $2 on Bandcamp now – Jake Reed

At just 17, Deja Carr has made a name for herself in the Western Massachusetts music scene as the frontwoman of Who’da Funk It. With the band taking somewhat of a breather after a successful 2013, Carr has taken on another ambitious project: her own solo work under the name Mal Devisa. After playing several smaller local shows, Carr will bring her signature stage presence and impressive pipes to the Parlor Room in Northampton on December 3, opening for Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. Look for her own creations plus possible covers of "Honey Honey" by Feist and Beyoncé’s "Deja Vu." – Jake Reed

HS, the most recent offering from Burlington,VT trio Hello Shark, is simply a pleasure to listen to. The guitar work on the album is very Built To Spill-esque, with vocal melodies reminiscent of Noah and the Whale/Casiotone for the Painfully Alone. I suppose the latter comparison is fitting since I saw Hello Shark open for Advance Base (the new project of Casitone’s Owen Ashworth) and Skinny Bones in Cambridge last night. The songs on this record are very cohesive, all woven together with a soothing fabric of what I can only describe as post-breakup depression mixed with just the right amount of wine to make you introspective. Whatever his real influences, frontman Linc Halloran’s vocals are the perfect compliment for the indie rock/slightly overdriven jazz tunes on this record.

Be sure to check out their Facebook page for more details about upcoming shows and other band news/updates.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

On its latest EP, “Tornado,” Huckleberry Binge brings fuzzed-out chords and a blues twang to the folk styling it began with when it was just a duo.

Now a quartet, the Hampshire College band has become a key part of the music scene amongst the five colleges in and around Amherst, MA – and as proof of that, they even got fellow Hampshirite and Young Tricksters bassist Jesse French to drum on all five of the songs on “Tornado.” Fourth track “Sleep Through the Storm” features the set’s most pained vocals and welcomed accordion accompaniment from Megan Miller.

Check Huckleberry Binge out alongside Young Tricksters at Bard College on November 23 

Boston-based surf rockers Tsons of Tsunami certainly know what it takes to craft catchy tunes. Their latest release, titled Fearless Riders of the Holy Curl, is full of great 60s-esque guitar licks and well-timed drum fills. In fact, listening to this album made me want to go to the beach, crack open a beer and chill out for the next two weeks. These guys are definitely worth a listen, so head over to thier bandcamp page and let me know what you think.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Hailing from Westfield, MA, Lexi Weege is one of the Pioneer Valley’s most talented young singers.

The simple arrangements on “Virgin,” released on October 17, allow her pipes to take center stage amongst breezy guitars and piano. She growls like Winehouse on “Lovesick Woman” while “Summer Everyday” finds her gleefully reminiscing “What a summer with you!”.

Recorded live to tape, Weege never misses a note or a beat on the ten-track set, and her self-ascribed sass reveals itself through lyrics like “You taste like cinnamon sugar. Won’t you call me vulgar?”

If she’s got you hooked, check her out at The Luthiers Co-Op in Easthampton on November 22 – Jake Reed

Released last month by Afraid, “Pink Life” sounds like The Weeknd channeled through an Ouija board.

Impressively, the entire EP was recorded live on a single-track cassette using a Panasonic RR-830 cassette transcriber – ancient technology in a world where anybody can become a self-made musician with a microphone and a laptop. The album’s eerie vibe is completed with long, creeping guitar solos, muffled vocals and samples repeated over and over until they become hypnotic.

With its opening and closing tracks running near 9 minutes each, this EP is a long listen, so sit down, put it on and let “Pink Life” soundtrack one of your trippiest nights.

Recently I had the pleasure of running into Boston band You Won’t in NYC. Since getting together in 2011 the indie folk rock duo have toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada, shared the stage with artists including The Joy Formidable, The Antlers, Josh Ritter and The Lumineers and have also been fortunate enough to have been previously reviewed by Deli Mag see here!

The Boston Music Awards recently nominated You Won’t in the category of "Folk Artist of the Year", head over to http://www.bostonmusicawards.com/ to help them out. 

Lead singer Josh Arnoudse kindly answered a few quick questions for me:

Describe yourself in 3 words …

Pale lanky cheesemonger

Which aspect of making music excites you the most right now?

Never-ending quixotic quest for the perfect fake bass sound.

Guilty pleasure?

Fail videos

You can’t live without …

A bandmate who can play 57 varieties of instrument

If you weren’t a musician what would you be?

A sad and bitter clown

What do you have coming up music-wise (current or upcoming recordings/tours/extravaganzas/experiments/collaborations/top secret projects etc) ?

 We are currently recording a new album to be accompanied by an experimental touring extravaganza of epic proportions entailing numerous top secret collaborations.

See them play live December 5th at Sinclair – Brescia Mascheretti

Boston-based Peeple Watchin’ know how to make damn good punk songs. Their latest effort, Something Ta Tell Ya, is simple, fast and to the point. Tracks like "VHS"  showcase their punk roots (Lawrence Arms comes to mind), while the opening riff on the first track, "’95", has a great bluesy/punk hybrid sound.

The guitar work on this record is impressive. A lot of times I hear punk albums consisting of a few fast power chords, nothing that really showcases the abilities of the guitarist. Peeple Watchin’ are quite different–quick flourishes and impressive licks are scattered throughout the record, informing the listener that there is no shortage of talent in this band.

Peeple Watchin’ will be playing Great Scott in Allston on November 24th. Check the Great Scott site for more details.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)