It’s been a couple of months since we visited Boston, but in that time there’s been a few very interesting things happening. Our ten song selection for September celebrates the best sounds from the city’s underground, bringing you not only the usual dose of garage rock, but even tracks by a couple of great singer songwriters and an alternative rock tune teetering on the fringes of melodic punk. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy…
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For a band rooted within the northeastern US, The Northern Line adopt a very British sound on parts of their debut EP. The crashy opening of ‘Lightning Strikes’ makes no secret of a love of The Who, and occasionally the number slips into a riff or two that’s reminiscent of early Dodgy. It isn’t a straight up homage to old mod or mod adjacent Britpop sounds, though: the swirling organs and crashing beats that run through the centre of this energised number carry more than a faint echo of old Northern Soul bangers, and a reverbed vocal leans a little more into a garage rock sound. If you’re going to borrow, it might as well be from good stock, of course, and what The Northern Line manage with their spoils here has a genuine spark throughout. With a slight echo applied, the lead vocal takes on a retro sound that is genuinely great, but is soon outshone by a world of lead guitar courtesy of Pete Kitchener, a man clearly able to redress a couple of Dave Davies inspired runs with the power of 90s Britpop to give the track an extra feeling of gusto. It’s all very familiar to say the least, but what this menagerie of sound represents feels far greater than the actual outcome. This is the sound of a band with a lot of energy and a band who are able to recycle bits of the past in a way that feels genuinely exciting.
There’s a lot of music pouring out of Boston and its suburbs in the summer of 2026. So much, in fact, that we’re making a return visit in record time! Previous Round Ups have thrown a spotlight onto a wealth of underground acts and independent musicians, and this visit is no exception. You’ll recognise a few familiar names, but hopefully discover a few new ones too, as we dip into a selection of tunes that takes in alternative rock, power pop, garage rock, alt country and singer songwriter’s wares. As always, we hope you enjoy what you hear…
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With a lot of great music pouring out of the city over the last couple of months, it’s time to take a return trip to Boston! A couple of very familiar names can be found showcasing new and recent wares, but this is still much a celebration of the newer sounds emerging from that region of the US. We’ve got an unexpected tribute to a Britpop past, a glam infused banger, and a couple of superb indie themed tracks to fill your ears, and more besides. If you find something new to enjoy – and we certainly hope that will be the case – why not drop by and tell us? Happy listening!
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Those keeping a close watch over the Boston music scene in a post-lockdown era will certainly be aware of The Chelsea Curve. Vocalist Linda Pardee and her band have really carved out a niche in feel good sounds, blending the hooks of the early 80s power pop bands with a mod driven feeling of power. Their short and sharp approach has delivered lots of superb sounding chorus oriented numbers that revel in their love of recycling the past, yet never sound stale.