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2025 Fall Arts Guides
14 albums by New England musicians to listen to this fall
For many New England musicians, there is a constant nagging question: Would it be better to move to a music capital like Los Angeles, New York, Nashville or Atlanta?
As the fall album guide shows, the answer is often a definitive “no.” The most glaring proof is Couch, whose Boston home address hasn’t stopped the band from becoming an international touring attraction. There are plenty of other examples, too. Gregory Groover Jr. and Zahili Gonzalez Zamora are making jazz of the highest caliber right here in the city. Northern New Englanders Ali McGuirk and Jon Nolan have become roots music stalwarts. And Billy Dean Thomas’ queer hip-hop and Michael Prentky’s radical Jewish music show that artists working proudly outside of the mainstream can always find a home here. Then there are the Gypsy Moths, who grew up loving Boston garage greats The Dogmatics — and now share a label (Rum Bar Records) and stages with them. It all gives open-minded listeners reason to be excited about both this batch of releases and the future generations of musicians these artists will inspire.
NRBQ, 'Honest Dollar'
Sept. 5
Omnivore Recordings has been doing a great service to fans of eclectic and eccentric rock ‘n’ roll with its ongoing reissues of the works of NRBQ. The latest batch is “Honest Dollar,” a collection of live performances from the band’s classic period of the 1980s and early ‘90s when it featured Brattleboro pianist Terry Adams, Connecticut guitarist Big Al Anderson, the late Springfield drummer Tom Ardolino and Cape Cod bassist Joey Spampinato. Most members of the Q’s cult following agree that the stage was where the band really shined, a point proved by these raucous tracks recorded live in locales like Hartford, North Adams, New Haven and Northampton by saxophonist Klem Klimek (who still frequently plays with the current version of the band led by Adams).
Ali McGuirk, 'Watertop'
Sept. 12
For her third LP, longtime Boston singer-songwriter (and now Vermont resident) Ali McGuirk continues her association with Northampton’s Signature Sounds label. The record features such renowned session players as Little Feat guitarist/mandolinist Fred Tackett and jazz organist Larry Goldings. McGuirk remains uniquely able to channel the vibe of vintage soul while keeping her writing very much in the present, like on the modern-day protest song “Where Does All The $ Come From?” and “Exorcist,” which she describes as being inspired by “feminine rage.”
Jon Nolan & Good Co., 'Slow Cooker'
Sept. 19
Years before the term “Americana” had any marketing power, the New Hampshire band Say ZuZu received international acclaim for its country-tinged heartland rock. While the group has been more active in recent years, founding member Jon Nolan has also found time to write this batch of excellent story songs. With the help of some of his musical friends, he recorded them in an upstairs room at the famed Stone Church Music Club in Newmarket, N.H., giving these sessions an intimate, relaxed feel. The album’s depictions of everyday working-class New Hampshire life show that Nolan is a worthy heir to the Granite State songwriting tradition of Bill Morrissey and Cormac McCarthy.
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, 'Serpentine'
Sept. 26
One of Boston’s favorite brass bands, Revolutionary Snake Ensemble has often been found at protests, jazz funerals and the annual Honk! Fest (which returns Oct. 9-12). When they’re not in the streets, the group is the rare brass band that can make the jump to concert and listening room performances, thanks to leader and saxophonist Ken Field’s penchant for dazzling compositions and creative arrangements. “Serpentine” was recorded live at Regattabar as part of the RSE’s 35th anniversary in 2024. As always, there are plenty of burning New Orleans-inspired grooves, but also Balkan reflections on the track “Buck,” the contemplative traditional folk song “The Water is Wide” and, appropriately for a band that can play both wild and complex material, a brass band version of Frank Zappa’s “Son of Mr. Green Genes.” And in keeping with the RSE’s activist roots, there’s a tribute to those seeking freedom and peace in “Nezalezhnist,” the Ukrainian word for independence.
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble celebrates the release of “Serpentine” on Oct. 4 at Regattabar in Cambridge.
Ariel Strasser, 'Little Moments'
Oct. 1
“Why do we work so hard to be the richest one in the graveyard?” sings the gifted Boston singer-songwriter and educator Ariel Strasser on the title track of her third record. Strasser heard the saying from her great-grandfather, and it’s typical of the homespun wisdom and soul-searching heard in Strasser’s music, delivered with memorable melodies and clear vocals that make a listener feel immediately connected with some tasty guitar licks from her husband, Ken Budka.
Ariel Strasser celebrates the release of “Little Moments” on Oct. 18 at The Burren in Somerville.
Michael Prentky, 'sad boy:ADD:apocalypse'
Oct. 18
Boston trombonist/composer Michael Prentky has played everything from klezmer to Mozambican funk, but his first record under his own name is in an entirely different dimension. The 12-part suite is performed by a string quartet, four trombones, tuba and a rock trio with Prentky adding vocals and Beat-style spoken word. As the title implies, the subject matter is intense, but Prentky’s music is as satisfying as it is daring.
Michael Prentky celebrates the album release on Oct. 18 at The Foundry in Cambridge.
Billy Dean Thomas, 'MX'
Oct. 24
On their track “Give Me My Applause,” the astonishingly skillful Boston rapper Billy Dean Thomas runs through the history of Black female artists whose recognition never matched their influence, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Nina Simone. “Since they never got their shot I’m gonna take one,” they rap, adding, “All of this wasn’t done just overnight/ I just want my flowers.” While Thomas has gotten some nice bouquets — an appearance on “The View” and a Grammy nomination for their work with the children’s music group Alphabet Rockers — “MX” should further elevate their status as a ruler of queer hip-hop. Named after the honorific for a nonbinary individual, the record is overflowing with joy, passion and rhymes, whether Thomas is celebrating pride with the gospel-tinged “Praise Latifah” or vowing to “Shake Up the Charts” in a collaboration with fellow nonbinary hip-hop artist Alice Dee.
Zahili Gonzalez Zamora, 'Overcoming'
Oct. 24
Cuban-born, Boston-based pianist/vocalist Zahili Gonzalez Zamora says that “Rumination,” one of the compositions on her forthcoming album, is a reflection on the self-doubt that musicians can feel before or after they take the stage. Considering the power of her playing and the immense depth of her compositions, it’s hard to imagine Zamora has anything to worry about. The five pieces on “Overcoming” show that she’s more than come into her own as a major talent. She draws on everything from classical music to Afro-Cuban traditions and attracts such major jazz figures as Sean Jones and Pedrito Martinez to her recording band. Zamora’s journey has involved both the inner apprehensions that inspired the pieces in “Overcoming” as well as many years spent playing in Canada and Asia. Now Boston is fortunate to call the recently minted U.S. citizen a member of our musical community.
Zahili Gonzalez Zamora celebrates the album release at Scullers Jazz Club on Oct. 24.
The Lemonheads, 'Love Chant'
Oct. 24
It’s a good time to be a fan of Boston-raised Evan Dando and his band The Lemonheads. Dando’s memoir “Rumors of My Demise” is out Oct. 7, providing a chronicle of his tumultuous life that included a pre-rock star stint as a drug-imbibing waiter at Harvest in Harvard Square. Later in the month comes the first new album of original Lemonheads material in nearly 20 years, recorded in Dando’s current home of Brazil with help from fellow locally-bred rockers J. Mascis and Juliana Hatfield. The trio of singles that have been released shows that while Dando’s life may have had its share of tumult, both his pop craftsmanship and his sharp musical edge remain intact.
The Lemonheads return to New England for shows Nov. 23 at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Nov. 25 at The Drake in Amherst and Nov. 26 at The Wilbur in Boston.
Couch, 'Big Talk'
Oct. 24
By any measure, Couch is one of the most successful bands to emerge out of Boston in recent years. The seven members have logged countless tour miles in both the U.S. and Europe as both a headliner and with Lake Street Dive and Cory Wong, their songs have been streamed tens of millions of times, and they’re the rare local band that can get booked into a venue the size of Roadrunner. So it’s a bit surprising to realize that while they’ve put out a number of singles and EPs since 2019, they’ve yet to release a full-length album until now. The first single, “What Were You Thinking,” shows that the cheerful septet can turn hurt into a catchy soul-pop song.
Couch plays Roadrunner on Nov. 22.
Ivy Boy, 'Ivy Boy'
Oct. 24
Perry Eaton is part of the critically lauded Boston indie band Beeef. This spring, he started releasing solo music as Ivy Boy and got a big response right out of the box, landing on a Pitchfork Selects playlist. The debut Ivy Boy LP is chock full of gently twangy and gorgeously arranged indie folk-pop gems. It’s full of memorable hooks and has moods to match every New England season.
Boston Modern Orchestra Project & Odyssey Opera, 'Dominick Argento: The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe'
Oct. 24
Last year, Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Odyssey Opera combined their creative forces to mount “The Voyage of Edgar Allen Poe,” a haunting and rarely performed opera about the final days of the Boston-born horror author. Composer Dominick Argento had written the piece for the United States bicentennial in 1976, and it hadn’t been brought to a concert hall in decades. The semi-staged performance at the Huntington Theater was a one-night-only affair, so it was a perfect match for BMOP/sound, the orchestra’s record label that focuses on recording and releasing compositions that can’t otherwise be heard. The album was released digitally in late August with physical copies available in October.
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The Gypsy Moths, 'Here We Are'
Oct. 31
If there was ever proof that there’s no age limit when it comes to musical creativity, it would be the Gypsy Moths. The five members were actually friends when they attended North Quincy High School in the mid-1980s. Decades later, they decided to form a band that sounded like their record collections, which are full of soul, psychedelic, power-pop and Boston garage rock. They’ve been making up for lost time with a string of truly impressive records leading up to“Here We Are,” a 25-track double LP (and you better believe there will be a vinyl release). Singer Steve O’Brien possesses one of the more powerful and expressive voices on the local rock scene, and the songs he writes with guitarist Chris Conway are as meaningful as they are catchy, as shown by the preview EP “Five by Five From Four.”
Gregory Groover Jr., 'Old Knew'
Nov. 7
For the follow-up to his 2024 record “Lovabye,” saxophonist Gregory Groover Jr. is yet again recording for the storied Criss Cross Jazz label, and he has yet again assembled a spectacular band to present his urgent and driving compositions. Vibraphonist Joel Ross has returned, along with a new rhythm section: pianist Paul Cornish, drummer Kendrick Scott and bassist Harish Raghavan. Groover’s boundless musical creativity continues to draw inspiration from his upbringing at Boston’s Charles Street AME Church, where his father is the pastor. “551” is the church’s address on Charles Street, while “Go for Broke” is a reflection on a sermon by the church’s youth minister about the need to be relentless when following one’s passions. Happily for Boston jazz fans, Groover took the sermon to heart.
Gregory Groover Jr. celebrates the release of “Old Knew” on Oct. 10 at Groton Hill Music Center.
