It was a year of anticipation, frustration and, ultimately, triumphs, but somehow 2015 seems unfinished. Amidst a litany of pressing issues in a passionately polarized...
Music
Slow transition
North Hampton’s Parma Recordings travels to Cuba When Bob Lord traveled to Cuba in November, he saw constant reminders of how much life has changed...
Bubble to Branch
Local radio listeners who tuned in to The Bubble 101.5 FM radio station in late November expecting to hear classic funk and soul songs got...
Now hear this
Reviews of new Seacoast albums by Andrew Wallace “In Lieu of Flowers” by Eric Ott 75 or Less Records File Under: indie, Americana, rock Sounds...
‘Collage’ of emotions
Local trumpet player Chris Klaxton finished recording his new album, “Collage,” more than a year ago. In the intervening months, the music has taken on...
Turning point
Music has always been a presence in Elissa Margolin’s life, and many times, it’s influenced the direction she’s taken — or, sometimes, the direction she...
Sounds of the season
The Thanksgiving holiday that unites us for a feast of friendship and gratitude also ushers in the beginning of an increasingly drawn-out shopping season. Let...
A sound connection
Reggae singer-songwriter Rocky Dawuni divides his time between a successful music career and global humanitarian efforts. The second oldest of eight siblings, Dawuni grew up...
Now hear this
“Horn Hill” by Tiger Saw Burst and Bloom Records File Under: indie, slow-core, basement soul Sounds like: Low, Songs: Ohia, The Microphones While Maine’s Monhegan Island...
Good advice
Bright As You Can,” the new album from Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar, better known as Mike + Ruthy, is a family affair. In any...
Photo/Album
Guy Capecelatro III and Michael Winters sit at a conference table in The Sound’s office. Capecelatro, a wordsmith who rarely (if ever) declines a project,...
Influences and intersections
In modern punk and hardcore, Defeater is one of only a few bands able to bridge the gap between the worlds of headstrong aggression and insightful...
Reinventing radio
When Rick Dirck became Portsmouth Community Radio’s program director two years ago, the first thing he did was conduct an “ad hoc” survey in the...
Love letter
The imperfect symmetry of twin dancers Billy and Bobby McClain has been captivating audiences around the world for the past 35 years. With a love...
Transcendent songs
As the brightly hued foliage begins to fall in layers on the landscape, we’ve started shuffling our sweaters to the front of the closet and...
More life
Chad Clark’s heart nearly killed him. In 2007, the frontman for the Washington, D.C.-based band Beauty Pill thought he had a bad case of the...
Music notes
Gypsy jazz in Kittery It was nearly 80 years ago that Django Reinhardt developed his unique jazz guitar technique, spawning the fiery style of music...
Now hear this
“No Worse For Wear” by Soggy Po’ Boys Self-released File Under: New Orleans jazz, blues, funk Sounds like: Sidney Bechet, Tom Waits, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins...
All together
Music has always been a family affair for Ruthie Foster. She grew up in rural Texas in a family of gospel singers. In church, she...
Original alternative
Al Barr’s 17-years-and-counting with the Dropkick Murphys are a little more than half of his lifelong performance career. It’s fair to say that what Barr...
Art and vision
Nothing Brooklyn-based indie-pop band Lucius does is accidental. The band’s aesthetic is inspired by 1960s girl groups, but the quintet’s sound is pure 21st-century sonic...
Sliding scale
Trombonist Kendall Moore moved from Miami to the Seacoast in March, and the day after he arrived, he already had a gig with trumpet player...
Ladys’ night
There’s no pretention behind The Landladys’ infectious brand of indie rock and the camaraderie that facilitates its creation. Filed somewhere between The Microphones and Brian...
Talking up the Takedown
Spend the day at the annual Pawtuckaway Takedown music festival in Nottingham and, along with a great line-up of local bands, you’ll also see tree...
Family band
Claire Roeth In the beginning, Mexo-Americana was a self-applied tagline for the David Wax Museum. As fans of the band have long known, front man...