Archive • Freak Scene • Buttondown

Freak Scene #41: JJ Slater Opens Doors on 'The Silver Key'

November 22, 2024

Plus, Montague's Jax Hollow is making it happen in Nashville.

Freak Scene #40: Rocking Puppies, Mesmir and More

November 15, 2024

Blow off steam with Pema Crow Crigler, age 9; dive into Mesmir's latest LP; and hear Heather Maloney's new single.

Freak Scene #39: Brunch Returns to the Iron Horse

November 8, 2024

Plus, Joshua David Thayer releases his first solo album and the next installment of the Back Porch Festival Songwriter Series is a winner.

Freak Scene #38: Matt Hebert Teams With Lonesome Brothers on New LP

November 1, 2024

Plus, Ray Mason has a new solo album, and the Nields keep on keeping on with "Still Alive."

Freak Scene #37: ATW Hits Bullseye with 'Concentric'

October 25, 2024

Plus, rehearsal-space trouble in Easthampton, and LuxDeluxe's catchy new tune.

Freak Scene #36: Lesley Smith Makes Waves With Solo LP

October 18, 2024

Plus, Johnny Memphis wants to know who you're voting for.

Freak Scene #35: Ginger Bug Find the Fizz on 'My Magnolia'

October 11, 2024

Plus, Couchboy helps us hold on to summer with his latest LP, and what's up with the New England Music Awards?

Freak Scene #34: All Feels Explore Boundaries on First LP

October 4, 2024

Plus, Easthampton's Porchfest returns, and Wild Pink just can't quit Western Mass. (not that we'd want them to).

Freak Scene #33: Why Seán McMahon Writes a New Song Every Week

September 27, 2024

Plus, Dinosaur Jr.'s tribute to Jesse Malin, and a slew of new concert bookings.

Freak Scene #32: APIE, All Feels, Wallace Field, Mates of State!

September 20, 2024

Behold! New tunes from Animal Piss, It's Everywhere; All Feels; Wallace Field; and Mates of State!

Freak Scene #31: Urojets, BUNNIES and More Unleash New Music

September 13, 2024

Discover new tunes from Urojets, Roger C. Reale, Outro, and BUNNIES in this week’s Freak Scene!

Freak Scene #30: Jeffrey Foucault Returns With 'The Universal Fire'

September 6, 2024

New albums by Jeffrey Foucault and the Lucky Shots, along with upcoming concert info.

Freak Scene #29: New Albums From Jennifer Hill and Christa Joy

August 30, 2024

This week in Freak Scene, we check out the torch-song vibe of Love Bomb by Farmington, Conn., singer Jennifer Hill, and the rootsy new release from...

Freak Scene #28: Mark Schwaber Ponders the End on 'Glacier'

August 23, 2024

This week in Freak Scene, Greenfield’s Mark Schwaber returns with an intriguing new album, while Northampton’s Dennis Crommett has a new EP. Mark Schwaber...

Freak Scene #27: Ian St. George Brings the Hooks on 'Emergency Index'

August 16, 2024

This week in Freak Scene, Ian St. George knows his way around a melody on his first album, the Greys have a new single and a dormant festival reemerges. Ian...

Freak Scene #26: Tessa Brown Is Just Getting Started

Get the scoop on singer Tessa Brown and upcoming concerts in this edition of Freak Scene.

Freak Scene #25: Summer Singles

This week in Freak Scene, we catch up on some singles that bands in the area have put out recently: The Glad Machine Summon Summer on ‘So High’ For starters,...

Freak Scene #24: The Demographic's New EP Is All Over the Map

This week in Freak Scene, the Demographic give new life to some previously hidden bonus tracks with an official release, and there are a whole bunch of...

Freak Scene #23: Hannah Mohan Starts Fresh on 'Time Is a Walnut'

This week in Freak Scene, Hannah Mohan embarks on a solo career with Time Is a Walnut, and I have some thoughts on the rejuvenated Iron Horse now that I’ve...

Freak Scene #22: Kimaya Diggs Finds Herself on 'Lost'

This week in Freak Scene, Kimaya Diggs is back with a new single, and it’s not too early to start making your festival plans for 2025. Kimaya Diggs returns...

Freak Scene #21: Grayson Ty Traces His Roots on 'Bloodline'

This week in Freak Scene, Grayson Ty tries something different on his new EP, Bloodlines, while Enfield’s Brian Jarvis pays tribute to Grayson Minney, the...

Freak Scene #20: Hedgewitch Get Telepathic on 'Grass Cat'

This week in Freak Scene, Hedgewitch mix improvised musical arrangements with vocal sounds and stories on their first album, and Signature Dish strive to get...

Freak Scene #19: Carrie Ferguson Thrives on 'The Many I Am'

This week in Freak Scene, Carrie Ferguson tells us about their new song “The Many I Am” and the video they shot in Turners Falls in April. Also, the Stone...

Freak Scene #18: Bill MacKay

This week in Freak Scene, we’re trying something a little different: Bill MacKay comes from outside the Freak Scene coverage area (he’s from Chicago), but...

Freak Scene #17: Buffalo Tom Bring New LP Back to Amherst

This week in Freak Scene, Buffalo Tom bassist Chris Colbourn tells us what the Valley music scene was like in the mid-’80s, while Wishbone Zoë leaves us...

Freak Scene #16: Black Pyramid Embark on a Quest

This week in Freak Scene, we go on a journey with Northampton trio Black Pyramid on their formidable new album, and check out the new single from New Haven’s...

Freak Scene #15: Mystics Anonymous Explore Boundaries

This week in Freak Scene, we listen to Mystics Anonymous’ first album in a decade, watch the recent video from New Haven-area duo Midnight Psychic and catch...

Freak Scene #14: Original Cowards Show No Fear on Latest

This week in Freak Scene, Original Cowards are having fun on their latest, Country Club Creeps. Also, Western Mass. duo High Tea have a new song, as do...

Freak Scene #13: bobbie Beams Into Your Subsconcious

This week in Freak Scene, bobbie brings us an immersive album experience with Rhododendron, and there’s a ton of stuff to do in Northampton in May as part of...

Freak Scene #12: In These Trees and Tartie Team Up

This week in Freak Scene, we check out “The Quiver,” a collaboration spanning 14 time zones, along with a super-catchy new single from Les Dérailleurs and...

Freak Scene #11: Sunburned Hand of the Man Seek Radiance on 'Nimbus'

This week in Freak Scene, Sunburned Hand of the Man return with Nimbus, Daniel Hales confounds autocorrect with the latest from his project Selah haleS, and...

Freak Scene #10: Birdfeeder's 'Woodstock' Arrives After 28 Years

This week in Freak Scene, Mark Mulcahy (him again!) and Chris Harford finally (re-)release a project nearly three decades in the making, the group Eavesdrop...

Freak Scene #9: Cloudbelly Transcend Folk on 'i know i know i know'

This week in Freak Scene, Cloudbelly's latest is a serious contender for this year's best-albums lists, Kalliope Jones are only getting better on their new...

Freak Scene #8: Taxidermists Spike Your Heartrate on New EP

This week in Freak Scene, Hadley duo Taxidermists return with a surprise EP, Montague fusion trio Vimana bring wide-ranging influences to their new album,...

Freak Scene #7: Odds Are Arrives with 'Port of Call'

In this week's Freak Scene, Greenfield's Stephen M. Kerr takes us on an unconventional musical journey as Odds Are, West Springfield punks the Difficult...

Freak Scene #6: Red Herrings Bring the Thunder

This week in Freak Scene, Red Herrings offer a glimpse into what's happening in Holyoke. We also wonder about the implications of the ongoing labor strike at...

Freak Scene #5: Lisa Bastoni's Spellbinding 'On the Water'

In this week's Freak Scene, Lisa Bastoni offers aching life lessons, Hannah Mohan is back, Harold Walker sets a melancholy love song in a galaxy far, far...

Freak Scene #4: True Jackie Stay True to Themselves

Here we are for the fourth issue of Freak Scene. This week, we hear the latest from True Jackie, take on Kelly LaMay's new album Out of Tune, check out songs...

Freak Scene #3: Ken Cormier Blows Off 'Steam'

February 23, 2024

Welcome to the third issue of Freak Scene. This week, we consider Ken Cormier's delightful new(ish) album Clouds and Steam, hear the latest from...

Freak Scene #2: Gentle Hen Goes Wandering

February 16, 2024

Welcome to the second installment of Freak Scene. This week we dig into Gentle Hen's new album, ponder news of an improbable Miracle Legion reunion and hear...

Introducing Freak Scene, a Western Mass. Music Newsletter

February 9, 2024

Freak Scene's coverage area. Welcome to the first issue of Freak Scene, a weekly newsletter about music in Western Massachusetts (and sometimes Connecticut)....

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