• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

LIVE AND LOCAL: FIVE BOSTON ACTS THAT NEED TO BE ON YOUR RADAR

Written by NINA CORCORAN Posted June 27, 2016 Filed Under: MUSIC, Notes from the Scene, Reviews

1825 LARGE edit
Photo credit: Mr. Airplane Man’s Facebook Page

 

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Living in Boston is a blessing when it comes to local music. Here, “local music” isn’t a tag for kids playing in garages trying to write their first set of songs. It’s a label to describe musicians who reside here, plain and simple. That means Dinosaur Jr., Speedy Ortiz, and other Massachusetts-based bands write, yes, local music.

 

So instead of finding out about talented acts after they release songs, you can remain in the know with these five acts, all of whom we’re eagerly awaiting new records from. Go ahead. Brag about it. Just keep your eyes peeled for their new music.

 


 

SHARPEST

 

RIYL: Tera Melos, TTNG, Bat House

 

There’s something about finger-tapping and spastic melodies that’s extra comforting. Boston-via-Amherst transplants Sharpest last released its brand of shimmering, gorgeous math rock in 2013. The trio can still be caught playing live shows—which, if all goes according to plan, means new material will surface soon.

 

 


 

GAUNTLY

 

RIYL: Mount Eerie, Elliott Smith, Soft Fangs

 

Apart from a stand-alone single and three tracks recorded in the winter of 2013, Gauntly doesn’t have much to his name, but the lo-fi bedroom guitarist will imprint on your brain with those four songs alone. If the Allston singer-songwriter majored in bummerism, then can we say we did by extension once he drops a full-length?

 

 


 

MR. AIRPLANE MAN

 

RIYL: The White Stripes, The Black Keys, The Black Lips

 

Boston doesn’t boast its blues rock, but we’re sure happy to. Mr. Airplane Man doesn’t hide its penchant for Mississippi hill country blues, nor does it hide its love for the Stooges. The group’s last album dropped in 2004—with the exception of an unreleased 1999 album uploaded two years ago—which means the duo is ready to unleash a round of bastardly work soon.

 

 


 

KAYO

 

RIYL: Lauryn Hill, Jurassic 5, Kaytranada

 

Boston keeps its rap scene under wraps until artists are ready to open up for touring acts. If you take the time to explore what it has to offer, you’ll realize our city is overflowing with talent too modest to hang fliers on every street corner. That’s where Kay Orcel, the mastermind behind the KayO moniker, steps in. She churns out work that fits perfectly at any party. Last year’s De Facto release saw KayO joined by plenty of talent, and several months ago she dropped her newest mixtape, Everything You Needa Hear, which sees production from Kaytranada on “Key Troubles.” Cross your fingers a proper album will be on the way in the next year.

 

 


 

GAY SIN

 

RIYL: The Breeders, All Dogs, Potty Mouth

 

Pop punk’s not dead, if only because Gay Sin made it its mission to keep it alive. Though relatively new in formation, the five-piece is, in some ways, a local emo supergroup, sporting members of Daephne, Puppy Problems, and more. All five of them have talent to boot at live shows. All they need now are records people can spin after the set.

 

 


Author profile
NINA CORCORAN
Related posts
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: JULIA HOLTER
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: PANDA BEAR
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    WHEEL OF TUNES: HOP ALONG
  • NINA CORCORAN
    https://digboston.com/author/nina-corcoran/
    THE BEST LOCAL EPS OF 2018

Filed Under: MUSIC, Notes from the Scene, Reviews Tagged With: 2016, Acoustic, Allston, amherst, blues, Boston, Dig, DigBoston, Emo, Gauntly, Gay Sin, Indie Rock, local music, Math Rock, Mr. Airplain Man, new music, Pop Rock, R&B, rap, Sharpest

WHAT’S NEW

Governor’s Council Weighs Controversial Parole Board Renomination

Governor’s Council Weighs Controversial Parole Board Renomination

Bay State Gas Providers Pay Up

Bay State Gas Providers Pay Up

State Wire: Mass Needs to Reform Youth Restitution Policies

State Wire: Mass Needs to Reform Youth Restitution Policies

“Pie” by Eric Ferdinand is licensed under CC-BY 2.0

Share and Share Alike: Major Funders Need to Give Equally to All Nonprofit News Outlets

The T Will Stay Broken Because Poor and Working People Are Seen As Expendable 

The T Will Stay Broken Because Poor and Working People Are Seen As Expendable 

Davis Square Developer Plans Lab Space As Small Businesses Await Unknown Fate

Davis Square Developer Plans Lab Space As Small Businesses Await Unknown Fate

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement

FEATURED EVENT

Advertisement

Most Popular

  • Meet the Phantom Behind Greater Boston’s Awesome Food Feed Everybody Gotta Eat
  • The T Will Stay Broken Because Poor and Working People Are Seen As Expendable 
  • Inside the Bay State’s Legendary (and Only) One-Man Brewery
  • Boston Gets Police Commissioner Who Bad Cops Likely Loathe. Let’s See How This Goes
  • Worcester’s Wasteful, Never-Ending War on Police Transparency

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Customer Service

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial (and for inquiries about internship opportunities): [email protected]