close
close

Mondor Festival

News with a Local Lens

    • Buy and listen to albums from Worcester artists locally
    minsta

    Buy and listen to albums from Worcester artists locally

    Pabio Posted on

    If you’re reading this, you probably already know how important local music is: while the festivals, bars and gathering spaces where friends meet are at the heart of Worcester, the artists who live, create and love here are the soul of the city.

    In 2024, Worcester musicians have released an abundance of sweet-sounding, thought-provoking artwork inspired by their central Massachusetts surroundings, the ups and downs of life, and what it means to be alive at this time and place.

    So here’s a short list of local artists with 2024 albums that at least one person on your Christmas gift list will definitely enjoy.

    Some of the six artists on this list have physical copies of their records for sale, while others have T-shirts and stickers.

    All have Bandcamp pages where you can purchase digital gift downloads of their latest albums, so your friends and family can listen to some of the best 2024 releases from the Worcester area without worrying about the problems that sometimes come with streaming.

    Ghost of the Machine, “Aliens exist, no one cares”

    Multi-faceted Worcester hip-hop artist Ghost of the Machine released long-awaited double album “Aliens Exist No One Cares” in Novemberaddressing the truths and strengths that survive us as individuals – from the undervaluation of art to the history of American racism to the bonds between parents, children and grandchildren.

    If someone on your list is a fan of meaningful rap lyricism and enjoys owning their own copies of the music they love, you can give them “Aliens Exist No One Cares” as a digital gift to download at Ghost of the Machine Bandcamp page for $20.

    More: Third Annual Cara Brindisi Winter Concert Takes Place at Mechanics Hall

    More: First person: a song is a “key” to memory

    Melo Green, ‘Laminar Flow’

    For those who enjoy off-the-beaten-path sounds, two Worcester-raised solo artists released albums this fall that take unexpected and beautiful musical directions.

    Melo Green’s “laminar flow” is full of jazzy vocal harmonies, especially on the romantic and curious “Colors”, and he shows off not only his singing but also his guitar skills throughout, moving from rock to soul to jazz as if from nothing was.

    A digital download of “Laminar Flow” costs $20 at Green’s Music Camp Pageand you can also buy stickers, patches, hats and T-shirts featuring an abstract design of Green via its website.

    Orion Kit, “Bottle Smile”

    Boston-based Kit Orion grew up in Worcester singing in the choir at All Saints Episcopal Church, and that experience was one of many that led her to this year’s event. “Bottle Grin”, his first studio albumwhere his experimental vocal production turns lyrics about heartbreak into punches of emotion.

    “The people who helped raise me have passed away in the last couple of years, and since so much of my roots and foundation are in Worcester, a lot of my memories turned into songs were concocted in Worcester “, Orion told Worcester Magazine in October.

    “Bottle Grin” is available as a digital gift download on Orion’s Bandcamp page for $12.

    Berm, “a passable ghost”

    A few regular performers at Worcester’s acoustic and DIY shows are offering deals that just might make the perfect gift for the folk music fan on your list.

    Berm, the folk quartet you may have seen anywhere from Ralph’s Rock Diner to Southbridge’s Starlite Gallery and everywhere in between, released his first studio project this year, the six-track “some passable ghost”, which is available as a digital download for $6 at the band’s Bandcamp page.

    “some passable ghost” takes listeners through the wintry landscapes of Worcester and the sunny images of singer Dan Lambert’s childhood, with Lambert’s unique vocals and Andy Thomas’ cello blending to give the record a woodsy sound .

    For those who like to wear their support for local artists on their sleeve, Berm also has T-shirts available for $20 on their Bandcamp page, featuring the band’s simple logo.

    Jake McKelvie, “A New Kind of Hat”

    In July, singer-songwriter Jake McKelvie releases “A New Kind of Hat” an album that explores how we react and react to change in a way that McKelvie describes as “a questioning of the current situation, a new beginning”.

    The record moves from folk to country to warm, sunny ’70s rock, with a particularly Worcester highlight on the brooding “Open Mic,” which sounds like it could have been recorded in the Ship Room at the Vernon Hotel in front of a crowd drinking $2 Narragansett. with old-fashioned beer mugs.

    On McKelvie’s Bandcamp pageyou can buy the record on vinyl for $23, on limited edition CD or cassette for $10, or as a digital download for $5.

    McKelvie also offers “A New Kind of Hat” T-shirts and baseball caps, adorned with tiny drawings of every kind of hat you can imagine, from a king’s crown to a backwards cap.

    Circus Trees, “It Makes Me Sad and I Miss You”

    Finally, for the indie fans in your life, Marlborough-based sister band Circus Trees. released the 11-track “This makes me sad, and I miss you” in Septemberwith resident songwriter Finola McCarthy tackling adolescence and new adulthood in a rapidly changing post-COVID world.

    Not only can you purchase a digital download of “This Makes Me Sad and I Miss You” at the band’s Bandcamp page for $10, but you can also purchase the album on 12-inch vinyl, which includes a free download, for $35.

    If you’re looking for someone who loves representing local music through fashion, Circus Trees also has a T-shirt design for sale on Bandcamp that features an intricate flower vase front and center.

    Pabio
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like