Last week, we told you what records you missed out on. This week, we’re telling you what records to look forward to. Someone’s gotta have your back. It’s fine, no worries, we’ll step up to the plate because we love you readers so dang much.
We’re officially in summer. While the weather is already getting finicky, the slate of music releases is dependably kickass. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself cradling new vinyl from Deep Thoughts or Armageddon like a proud parent. Because really, let’s admit it: No one does music quite like Boston.
So take out a pen and paper, start a new note on your smartphone, or tape this page to your fridge. It’s time to pay attention. These are the music releases that will make your party playlist one step above the rest, even long after the final summer sun has set.
NICE GUYS / BLACK BEACH
NICE GUYS // BLACK BEACH (SPLIT 7″)
BURNER RECORDS
Each bubble of Boston’s music scene is led by a few bands. For the last few years, the ever-present reckless garage punk of Allston has been cultishly following Black Beach and Nice Guys, two bands that have arguably managed to maintain prioritizing fun instead of chasing fame, but, despite that, have seriously honed their sound over the years. The two teamed up for a split 7” that they’re releasing through their own one-and-done label, Burner Records. With a limited 250 copies available, and with both bands sounding at the top of their form, it’s a no-brainer purchase, especially if you plan on DJing a sloppy Allston party, crushed Gansett shandys and all.
Out now. Buy the release here.
CRUMB
LOCKET EP
SELF-RELEASED
What do you call someone who’s lived in Boston for five years? A New Yorker. The joke never loses its relevancy, especially when applied to college grads. Four-piece Crumb came out of Tufts with a mesmerizing blend of soulful jazz, indie rock, and mellow psych, all within the members’ final semesters at Tufts. Frontwoman Lila Ramani’s voice skates above it all, like some apparition intent on keeping you half-tuned in to the real world while the rest of the band whisks you off into a Tame Impala-meets-Badbadnotgood daydream. Right now, two members live in New York City while the other two, who still live in Boston, are looking to do the same in a matter of months. Their Locket EP will already be out by the time this paper is spat out of the printers, though, so cherish the Boston ties before they’re cut clean.
Out now. Buy the release here.
GUERILLA TOSS
GT ULTRA
DFA RECORDS
It’s been a while since Guerilla Toss were in the sweaty depths of Elks Lodge, stripping naked and playing ridiculous, seemingly unreal sets. Now, they’re signed to DFA Records, the infamous label of LCD Soundsystem, and released their second full-length on the label earlier this June. The art rock group reels things into a tangible format, where songs sound like a mix of Talking Heads, Factory Floor, and some bizarre ’80s electro funk sale bin finds. Most importantly, their inimitable sound gets the production it’s long needed, making each elastic bass line or wiry synth become a welcoming glitzy spasm, the type you can latch onto with glee instead of feeling intimidated by the intensity of it all.
Out now. Buy the release here.
BENT KNEE
LAND ANIMAL
INSIDEOUTMUSIC/SONY MUSIC
Over the course of 10 tracks, Bent Knee once again dives fearlessly into the world of experimentalism and weds it to art rock, churning out a strange mixture that welcomes you as a surprise. Land Animal is the band’s first record on a major label. Make it a song in and that’s clear. The production feels slick. Each Pink Floyd-like psych touch sounds headier than usual. Even when they enter folk territory on “These Hands,” they flip it into an expansive narrative. It’s an album about survival, struggle, and moving forward. Though the band addresses it with complicated tales and metaphors, the theme is one every listener knows well, and one that Bent Knee sets into motion in a manner only it could pull off.
Out now. Buy the release here.
WHAT CHEER? BRIGADE
YOU CAN’T SEE INSIDE OF ME
DON GIOVANNI RECORDS
Though they technically hail from the land of Narragansett, What Cheer? Brigade are a Boston staple. The brass ensemble frequently take to our city’s streets to perform their brand of marching music, a unique hybrid of political action and performance art. With roots in Providence’s DIY punk and experimental community scene, they change the narrative of what it means to be a loud party band, all horn and tuba instead of drunken frat bros dabbing to dub. On their third LP, the group display arguably their best work yet, drawing on early material as well as Balkan and Eastern European traditions, while utilizing the instrumental voice of each of its 20 members.
Out now. Buy the release here.
VINTAGE LEE
PIMP
SELF-RELEASED
Boston’s best rappers stay under the radar until it’s time for them to cross over into national media. Vintage Lee is right on the cusp of that moment. The 21-year-old Roxbury rapper has been close pals with the likes of Cousin Stizz, Michael Christmas, and OG Swaggerdick for a while now. While hearing their praise for her should get your attention, her debut mixtape, PiMP, will take the reigns immediately. Vintage Lee rocks an unmistakable style: slow draw, lackadaisical lyrics, and a self-proclaimed vocal limp. From the soon-to-be summer hit “Hennythings Possible” to the childlike bounce of “Lean Lean,” Vintage Lee is putting herself out there not just for Boston’s rap scene, but this year’s rising crop of 20-somethings, too.
Out now. Stream the release here.
HORSE GIRL
BEEN BETTER
ANXIETY POP RECORDS
For a band that’s been around for just over two years, Horse Girl has the form of one of Boston’s staple DIY acts. The trio—comprised of singer-guitarist Ellis Hobby, singer-drummer Sam Mackenzie, and bassist Liz Sclafani—hails from Salem and performs shows on the regular, which explains how they got their brand of sad rock pop to sound airtight. From the freeing calls of opening number “Alright” to the catchy rhythm section on “Kelsey,” Been Better lifts itself up with the type of emboldening indifference and off-kilter screams that capture what it’s like to spend a summer in the city when you’re not quite sure if you’re in the right place chasing the right path, but you’re having too much fun to trade it for anything else.
Out July 14. Pre-order the release here.
PEOPLE LIKE YOU
VERSE
TOPSHELF RECORDS
There’s a rare type of calm at the core of People Like You’s music that’s hard to find, not just here in Boston, but in the music world at large. The five-piece wants to deliver “a sense of genuine authenticity through music as their creative, unifying outlet.” Lucky for them, the music they draw their sound from—avant-garde jazz, Japanese math rock, minimalism, and midwestern emo—lends itself towards exactly that. Their upcoming LP ditches the gimmicky tricks bands of a similar genre fall on. Instead, it’s full of warm trumpet, pointed lyrics, and well-thought-out instrumentation, which you can hear on “Variations on an Aria” now and the rest of the album’s tracks soon when it comes out on July 28.
Out July 28. Pre-order the release here.
BADFELLOWS
GOOD GRIEF
MIDNIGHT WEREWOLF RECORDS
Though technically from New Hampshire, Badfellows is one of those storytelling-tied bands that feels like a Massachusettes act. Its upcoming LP tackles traditional narratives told in a college scene like ours, from anxiously waiting to leave a party to helping a pal try to locate their missing cat, over the course of nine songs. Badfellows pulls it off with melodic harmony, with loose ties to shoegaze and punk. If you swear by today’s emo revival, then put Badfellows on your radar immediately. While they’re not technically emo, their honesty turns heavy indie rock and sanded-down shoegaze into the type of record you find yourself returning to again and again in the car, volume turned up full blast, yelling to nobody in particular while your heart feels a little pang. Or maybe not.
Out July 29. Pre-order the release here.
CAMINO 84
NEW MUTANT DISCO
SELF-RELEASED
Camino 84 has been on our radar for a while, and for good reason. Fans of Swim-era Caribou, disco funk, and nonaggressive house will fall for the dance floor genius of Ryan Lucht pretty quickly. We suggest starting with “Blue Rose,” the lead single off his upcoming full-length, New Mutant Disco. It’s an immediate party hit that places ’90s keys perfectly amid skittering hi-hats and sliced diva vocals. If you like that, just wait until the full album comes out. Lucht got guest features from singer-songwriter Sidney Gish, rapper Kool A.D., and MC Latrell James, all of which will be woven between his beats. Boston’s electronic scene is quiet, but when it comes out to play, it plays hard—and we trust Camino 84 to lead us onto the dance floor with enough hits to last until the sun begins to rise.
Out Aug 22. Pre-order the release here.
BABY!
SUNNY, F.L.
YELLOW K RECORDS
Kaley Honeycutt moved to Boston from Orlando not too long ago and brought her musical moniker Baby! with her, too. Once here, she released her debut EP, Pick Me, which is already one of the best local albums of the year. Now, she and the rest of her band are gearing up to drop their first full-length. The breezy indie pop tunes bring to mind more pleasant times. Lead single “Weather Girl” alone could get you in the summer mood in barely three minutes. Considering the band signed to Yellow K Records for the release, it’s best to expect a lot more from Baby! before this year’s end, this LP included.
Out Aug 25. Pre-order the release here.
CONVERGE
TBA
TBA
No one reps Boston quite like Converge. The metalcore pioneers began their career in 1990 and haven’t taken a break since. The band’s last record, All We Love We Leave Behind, came out five years ago, but Converge is looking to change that. When we spoke to the band ahead of its Boston Calling performance, frontman Jacob Bannon told us Converge has already written and record 18 songs for a follow-up. “Right now, I’m just excited because I find what we wrote to be very powerful because—I really believe this, and I don’t know if other artists look at it this way—I just want to do things that are creatively fulfilling,” he said. “As long as it’s a progression of something we did previously, then we’re doing something good.” There’s no album title or release date formally announced, but it seems safe to assume the record will be out on Epitaph Records sooner rather than later. No, we can’t wait for it either.
Out later this year. Follow updates here.