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2011 Best Music Poll Winners

BEST MUSIC POLL > BOSTON

Best New Act in Boston

Gem Club

BMP 2011 Best New Act - Gem Club

In comparison to the high-energy dance bands that have swooped up "Best New Act" over the past two years (electro quartet Yes Giantess in 2009 and dance-funk group Gentlemen Hall in 2010 — who, by the way, recently performed at the Billboard Music Awards in Vegas), Gem Club are a refreshing move toward pristine pop. The Somerville duo of Christopher Barnes and Kristen Drymala gained national popularity last summer with their dreamy debut EP, Acid and Everything — six tracks of mostly minimal, bare-bones cello and piano. The release took the concept of "bedroom pop" to a new level — they actually included white pillowcases handstitched with their band name with each copy. A highlight is "Sevens," a soft, atmospheric four-minute piano ballad. Catch 'em yourself on June 22 when they play T.T. the Bear's Place in Cambridge with Nat Baldwin of Dirty Projectors and Chad VanGaalen.

Runners-up
2. Dirty Dishes
3. Ribs
4. Mount Peru

by LIZ PELLY

Gem Club

Somerville, Mass., soft-focus pop duo Gem Club are Christopher Barnes and Kristen Drymala. Together, they create cavernous-sounding piano-based ballads that, despite their earthly trapp

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