Music

Dinosaur Jr. playing a drive-in concert in Swanzey, New Hampshire on Sept. 12, 2020. (Courtesy Ben Stas)

A Concert From The Car — Dinosaur Jr.'s Drive-In Show Offers Pandemic Reprieve

“It would’ve been a rough concert experience by ordinary standards, but the novelty of the event made a difference,” writes ARTery contributor Karen Muller.

The ARTery

Sep 16, 2020

Never-Before-Seen Photos Shine A Spotlight On Boston's Early Hip-Hop Scene

From 1985 to 1989, John Nordell documented the burgeoning rap scene in Boston. His photos are included in a Sotheby's auction celebrating the cultural impact of hip-hop.

The ARTery

Sep 15, 2020

The Boston Symphony Orchestra performing at Suntory Hall in Tokyo. (Courtesy Suntory Hall)

BSO Ratifies New Labor Agreement, Musicians Agree To Salary Cuts

Musicians will take a salary reduction averaging 37% in the first year of the agreement. The orchestra also announced the creation of a fellowship for early-career musicians of color.

The ARTery

Sep 11, 2020

Amy Halloran's heart-shaped hand pie. (Courtesy)

Baking Pie? Here's A Playlist Of Songs For The Kitchen

From Ella Fitzgerald to Destiny's Child, tune into the generations of musicians that have run with the sweet, savory and serious metaphors they've found hidden beneath their own pies' bubbling...

The ARTery

Sep 9, 2020

The Ghost Of Krill, A Beloved Boston Band, Returns In The Form Of Knot

Fans of the Boston band Krill will recognize the same bombastic musical complexity in Knot. But frontman Jonah Furman says Knot is a more politically-minded project.

The ARTery

Aug 28, 2020

DJ WhySham, Shamara Rhodes, lines up some music for a show on Spark FM Online. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Without Nightclubs, Boston DJs Keep the Pulse Going

"Coronavirus is teaching us what we can and can't do, that we just can't let the show stop - we have to figure it out and adapt,” said DJ WhySham.

The ARTery

Aug 27, 2020

Listen To Jenna Moynihan's Melancholy Folk Cover Of An Immigration Ballad

Moynihan strips folk songs of their frills, stretching them into long, cyclical ruminations.

The ARTery

Aug 26, 2020

Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor Andris Nelsons. (Courtesy Marco Borggreve/BSO)

BSO Announces Layoffs, Citing Financial Losses Due To Pandemic

The orchestra will lay off 50 of its 180 administrative staff effective Sept. 1 as a result of lost revenue, which the organization estimates is around $35 million.

The ARTery

Aug 21, 2020

Claire Dickson and Camila Ortiz of Myrtle. (Courtesy Sasha Pedro for INPUT/OUTPUT)

Listen To Dream-Pop Duo Myrtle Mine Beauty From Dissonance

The duo's first single "Shifted" contains many of their signature tropes: hypnotic talk-singing; shared lead vocals; a taste for dissonance and explosive dynamics.

The ARTery

Aug 21, 2020

Tracy Chapman, performing in 1990, earned national acclaim for her song "Fast Car" after graduating from Tufts University in 1986. (AP)

Stop Blaming The Boston Music Scene's Problems On The Death Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

When we mourn the death of Boston rock 'n' roll, we erase other musical histories -- and lose sight of what's happening right in our backyard.

The ARTery

Aug 20, 2020

Pizzeria Regina in Allston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Not Gone Yet — Great Scott Eyes Allston Regina Pizzeria Location For New Club

The story of one of Boston’s most venerable rock clubs took an upturn Tuesday with the announcement that owner Carl Lavin had struck a tentative deal to open a club...

The ARTery

Aug 20, 2020

The audience gets settled before Yo La Tengo's performance at Mass MoCA. (Andrea Shea/WBUR)

Yo La Tengo Plays, At A Safe Distance, For Fans At Mass MoCA

White, spray-painted squares -- 60 of them -- fill a courtyard that's surrounded by 19th-century mill buildings on the museum's sprawling campus.

The ARTery

06:26Aug 12, 2020

Amateur photographer Peter Warrack shot photos of Janis Joplin performing at Harvard Stadium, August 12, 1970. (Courtesy House of Roulx)

50 Years After Janis Joplin's Final Concert, A Fan Is Still Missing A Piece Of His Heart

"It was August 12, 1970, a painful night, to be sure -- not in the root canal sense, but in the missed opportunity sense. It’s something I should have gotten...

The ARTery

03:45Aug 12, 2020

The artwork for Naomi Westwater's cover of "Strange Fruit." (Courtesy Cara Totman)

Naomi Westwater's Cover Of 'Strange Fruit' Links George Floyd To Lynchings Of The Past

After the police killing of George Floyd, the Massachusetts singer decided to release her version of "Strange Fruit" and donate the proceeds.

The ARTery

Aug 6, 2020

Last year's favorite Tiny Desk contest entry from Massachusetts, Frances Forever, pictured performing at WBUR's CitySpace. (OJ Slaughter/WBUR)

Love NPR's Tiny Desk Contest Winner? Stay Tuned For WBUR's Local Favorite

Over 200 Massachusetts singer/songwriters, rappers, instrumentalists, punk bands and more entered NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest. Now, it's time to pick our favorite from the state.

The ARTery

Aug 4, 2020

Lori McKenna and Matt Smith play for a livestream at Club Passim in July. (Courtesy Club Passim)

Music Venues Are Struggling, But Congressional Help Could Be On The Way — Maybe

There are three bills in front of Congress, all with bipartisan support, which could help the industry survive the catastrophic crisis.

The ARTery

Aug 4, 2020

Ulysses Kay served as composer-in-residence at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy in 1982. (Courtesy Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University)

Why It Took 80 Years For A Piece By Acclaimed Black Composer Ulysses Kay To Have Its World Premiere

A short work by Ulysses Kay for viola and piano has its world premiere Friday night as part of Tanglewood's online music festival.

The ARTery

06:47Jul 31, 2020

Boston Symphony Orchestra Cancels Fall Concert Season

It’s the first time in 139 years that the BSO will suspend months of performances.

The ARTery

Jul 30, 2020

A still from "Rolling Thunder Review: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese." (Courtesy Netflix)

From Camus' 'The Plague' To Dylan's 'Rough And Rowdy Ways,' Sad Is The New Happy

The seemingly all-pervasive melancholy of the day isn't divorced from a sense of affirmation, says critic at large Ed Siegel.

The ARTery

Jul 29, 2020

Opening night at the Yarmouth Drive-In. (Courtesy Bryan Lasky)

Live Music Is Returning To The Stage, Audiences Are Showing Up In Their Cars

With no clubs open for the foreseeable future, drive-in concerts are popping up and restaurant patios are expanding, allowing musicians to play outdoors and giving audiences a chance to enjoy...

The ARTery

Jul 24, 2020

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All Things Considered

A Concert From The Car — Dinosaur Jr.'s Drive-In Show Offers Pandemic Reprieve

Never-Before-Seen Photos Shine A Spotlight On Boston's Early Hip-Hop Scene

BSO Ratifies New Labor Agreement, Musicians Agree To Salary Cuts

Baking Pie? Here's A Playlist Of Songs For The Kitchen

The Ghost Of Krill, A Beloved Boston Band, Returns In The Form Of Knot

Without Nightclubs, Boston DJs Keep the Pulse Going

Listen To Jenna Moynihan's Melancholy Folk Cover Of An Immigration Ballad

BSO Announces Layoffs, Citing Financial Losses Due To Pandemic

Listen To Dream-Pop Duo Myrtle Mine Beauty From Dissonance

Stop Blaming The Boston Music Scene's Problems On The Death Of Rock ‘N’ Roll

Not Gone Yet — Great Scott Eyes Allston Regina Pizzeria Location For New Club

Yo La Tengo Plays, At A Safe Distance, For Fans At Mass MoCA

50 Years After Janis Joplin's Final Concert, A Fan Is Still Missing A Piece Of His Heart

Naomi Westwater's Cover Of 'Strange Fruit' Links George Floyd To Lynchings Of The Past

Love NPR's Tiny Desk Contest Winner? Stay Tuned For WBUR's Local Favorite

Music Venues Are Struggling, But Congressional Help Could Be On The Way — Maybe

Why It Took 80 Years For A Piece By Acclaimed Black Composer Ulysses Kay To Have Its World Premiere

Boston Symphony Orchestra Cancels Fall Concert Season

From Camus' 'The Plague' To Dylan's 'Rough And Rowdy Ways,' Sad Is The New Happy

Live Music Is Returning To The Stage, Audiences Are Showing Up In Their Cars