The Lowell Spin

02/23/2021

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's topic: What interface/DAW have you been using to record?

02/17/2021

Winter 2021 Playlist - Lowell Spin

Our new winter playlist is now on our Spotify page!

This season includes music from Corner Soul, Sawtooth, Kofi The Spiderman, J Faith, Cosmic Empowerment by Ethyric, Millside Worldwide, Chi Tashi, SoloArtist, Marcela Cruz, Jona Ferreira, Hunter, Patrick S. Barry, Fomosurfer, Piccarda, This Bliss, Inspector 34, Bullpup Band, and KCUF

https://lowellspin.com/2021/02/17/winter-2021-playlist/

Today we present to you a collection of great music from some of our favorite local artists! This season features: Corner Soul, Sawtooth & Kofi the Spiderman, J. Faith w/ LYFE, Ethyric, & Just For Kicks, Chi Tashi & Soloartist, Marcela Cruz & Jona Ferreira, Hunter, Patrick S. Barry, Fomosurfer, Picc...

02/16/2021

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's topic: What local take-out have you been surviving off of?

02/12/2021

Review: J. Faith - Moving Out - Lowell Spin

"It’s clear that J Faith is an artist who lives through his music, wanting only to use his talent to motivate others."

Morgan Gunning's review of J Faith's 'Moving Out' is well worth a read.

https://lowellspin.com/2021/02/12/review-j-faith-moving-out/

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a release as honest and touching as J Faith’s Moving Out. Upon the very first track, one would be struck straight away by how unique and ambitious he is as a hip hop artist. The album begins with a conversation taking place over piano chords between an ar...

02/10/2021

Review: Corner Soul - Emergency Faith - Lowell Spin

Check out our new review of Corner Soul’s latest album “Emergency Faith” by Lillian Edith Martin!

As music has become more readily accessible to the masses via streaming, and the wider availability of recording software, a welcome side-effect has come about in the gradual whittling away of genre-barriers. This is not to say that straight-ahead rock, hip-hop, electronica, country, et al no longer...

02/10/2021

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's Topic: If you could pick 3 local acts to perform in your living room, who would they be? (Tag them in the comments)

02/09/2021

5 QUESTIONS FOR: Dani Westlund of StrangeColorSky - Lowell Spin

Check out this months 5 Questions featuring Dani Westlund of StrangeColorSky!

On the social media pages for Lowell act StrangeColorSky, their “about” description reads: “four people, one word song titles”. Succinctly put, but obviously such an abrupt tagline can’t tell the whole story; for StrangeColorSky is four people performing a high-energy mixture of 90s lo-fi ...

02/02/2021

It’s TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today’s topic: What is your favorite album to spin on a snow day?

02/01/2021

Photo of the Month: January 2021 - Lowell Spin

This month’s photo, taken by Victor Levy-Lasne, captures Dereck Blackburn of Quiethouse Recording doing what he does best!

This month’s photo, taken by Victor Levy-Lasne, captures Derek Blackburn of Quiethouse Recording at Studios La Fabrique, a recording studio in Southern France.

01/28/2021

An Anniversary We Didn't Want: Songs in Isolation Part II - Lowell Spin

Submissions are now open!

Unfortunately, the current state of things…is the current state of things. We’d much rather be organizing shows, but since we can’t, we are revisiting a segment from last year. With that being said, we are launching Songs In Isolation Part II and are now seeking and accepting submissions from ...

01/26/2021

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's topic: Music makes people dance. Who are the best local dancers?

01/25/2021

Review: Disco Volante - The Flowers Have Changed You​/​Master Remote - Lowell Spin

Disco Volante - MA is out with a new single but don't blink, there's a fast, hard hitting bonus B-side too!

I’m not saying they are profits or time travelers, I’m just pointing out that in December of 2019 Disco Volante released an album called Reasons To Stay Home. Yes this was suspiciously prolific, but rather than jump into some conspiracy theory conjecture I think it best we chalk that up to coinc...

01/21/2021

Review: Hunter - 1960 - Lowell Spin

It may be 2021, but we're here to talk about Hunter's 2020 release, 1960.

1960, released in October 2020, is the first EP by Hunter, a group consisting of singer Hunter Stamas and guitarist and vocalist Cameron Gilhooly. They had previously released two albums, their first being Hunter, released in 2015 and their second, Listen to Hunter, in 2018. 1960 is a slight departu...

01/19/2021

It’s TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today’s topic: Who is your favorite live music photographer?

01/18/2021

Review: Lockette - Into Lungs - Lowell Spin

"In short, Lockette’s brand of no-nonsense indie pop rock exudes a sense of cool confidence that one should expect from a group of veteran musicians respectfully working together."

Although Lockette formed sometime in the late 2010’s, the members involved are no strangers to the New England music scene. Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Bridget Duggan has worked for years promoting other bands and booking for various rock clubs around the city, and bassist Tracy Putnam’s pedigr...

01/15/2021

Review: Kofi the Spiderman - Homesick - Lowell Spin

Kofi The Spiderman was one of the most prolific artists in 2020 not just in the Greater Lowell area, but maybe in the entire region itself. Here's the rundown on his most recent drop at the end of the year, Homesick.

There’s something interesting that happens whenever I listen to anything Kofi the Spiderman puts out. It’s as if though I see in my mind a pocket-watch, but blown up as a blueprint; it’s like the watch becomes a schematic and each component can be seen operating both independently and in uniso...

01/12/2021

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's topic: What the future of virtual shows after the pandemic is over and live shows are happening? Should they continue somehow?

01/11/2021

5 QUESTIONS FOR: Brit Tsewole of Senseless Optimism - Lowell Spin

Brit of Senseless Optimism kicks off our first round of 5 Questions for 2021.

Senseless Optimism‘s (Or SO for short) Bandcamp profile cites a plethora of wide-ranging influences, as varied as Fela Kuti, Black Sabbath, and an “undisclosed and mysterious near-death experience on her 15th Birthday.” Dark to be sure, but this undoubtedly is what fuels the singer/songwriter ...

01/06/2021

Review: K.C.U.F. - Every Day is Winter Here - Lowell Spin

KCUF is here with your winter soundtrack.

From the moment the drums kick in on the first song “Red Red Red” you know that this is going to be a fun ride. The lyrics to this song as well as all the others are written with a poetic and often painful truth, while the melodies are fun and catchy. K.C.U.F. is Pop Punk for sure, but that does...

01/05/2021

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's topic: What are your favorite music podcasts?

01/04/2021

Best of 2020 Playlist - Lowell Spin

Need a 2020 recap or just a really good playlist? Check out our Best of 2020 featuring: SoloArtist, Chi Tashi, l.ucas, StellaStarfox , RoseR, oldsoul, The Shirts And Shoes, Zachary Boudrot, Wildcat Slim, Green Piece, Phil Cambra & the Space Cadets, Senseless Optimism, cropze., Timi O, Meltycanon , Alaina Ray Music, Andrew Marshall Music , Layzi , Wax On, Whiskey Duo, The Old Rochelle, Circus Trees, SkyTigers, Needle Play, Fatigue, and HeJune

2020 was a difficult year made even more challenging with the lack of live local music that many of us thrive off of. However, this did not stop local artists from pressing the record button and releasing some amazing music. Truthfully, there were more great releases than we could have ever possibly...

01/01/2021

Lowell Spin's The Best of 2020 - Lowell Spin

Happy New Year! Here’s our top picks from 2020.

Ft. oldsoul, SkyTigers, Whiskey Duo, Zachary Boudrot, Layzi, Wax On, Chi Tashi, Fatigue, Needle Play, and The Old Rochelle.

And so we now find ourselves approaching 2021, a new and promising year, one that can only go upward from the mundane arrest of 2020. Though the preceding year was understandably light on live fare, that didn’t stop the Mill City from putting out some remarkable music, and where a new recording wa...

12/30/2020

7 Standout Singles of 2020 - Lowell Spin

There were a lot of amazing singles released this year and these 7 were some of our favorite ones. Featuring songs from D-Tension, Bullpup Band, l.ucas, SoloArtist, cropze., Pillbook PLBK, and Green Piece.

While 2020 brought it’s far share of standout albums, it was also a year full of standout singles and we’d like to share some of our top picks from this past year. Whether the song was a prelude to an album, released along with a music video, or just a standalone, these singles stood as a testam...

12/29/2020

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today topic: Predict the future. What hot new local band will form in 2021? (What will their name be?)

12/28/2020

Photo of the Month: December 2020 - Lowell Spin

Sons Lunaris with the perfect photo to end 2020 and bring on the new year.

Our December Photo of the Month, captured by Justin Martin, features the shadow of fellow Sons Lunaris bandmate Alex Simpson and is the perfect shot to end 2020. Not only is it a beautiful picture but what does the empty stage represent? Could it be for all the shows that never were in 2020? Or mayb...

12/25/2020

Los Wunder Twins Del Rap - The Feast of Steven

Merry Xmas everyone! Enjoy this winter holiday Lowell classic from Los Wunder Twins del Rap (D-Tension & Effect).

This is the latest video from The Los Wunder Twins Del Rap!

12/23/2020

Mass Mix: Janelle Monáe, Alaina Ray And Other Songs Boston Had On Heavy Rotation In 2020

Check out our coverage of Alaina Ray Music's latest single in our contribution to this months Mass Mix via GBH.

It's time to say goodbye to an unprecedented year. This month, we asked our Mass Mix contributors to choose their favorite songs released in 2020. Many gravitated toward tunes filled with energy, ethereal sounds, melancholy, comfort, and anger. Here's what they said.

12/22/2020

It's TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today's topic: What's your favorite song released by a local artist this year?

12/21/2020

Into the Visual Vortex: An Exploration of Coleman Rogers' Photography Website - Lowell Spin

Jim went down the rabbit hole when visiting the new Coleman Rogers Photography website and reported back his findings. Spoiler alert: He said it was awesome.

We all miss going to live shows. We miss the power of live music. We miss the pure energy and emotion being delivered straight from the artist into our souls. Few people can capture that feeling in a picture as well as Coleman Rogers can. Whenever you went to an amazing show downtown and saw Coleman...

12/18/2020

Review: Inspector 34 - Love My Life - Lowell Spin

There's a lot of experimental music out of Lowell and Inspector 34 is out there leading the charge again, with their latest album, Love My Life.

If Captain Beefheart and Modest Mouse had a baby that was taught by Pile and Thinking Fellers Union local 282 to make music, it would sound nothing like Inspector 34. This is because nothing sounds like Inspector 34, except Inspector 34. These apocalyptic indie masterminds are one of the more intere...

12/16/2020

Review: Wax On - Sprezzatura - Lowell Spin

"Wax On brings the raw feelings we've all felt and touches the listeners, as though they are having a conversation with us."

Experimental indie jazz rock legends Wax On are stronger than ever with their new album Sprezzatura. This entire album is very expressive and deep, yet fantastically orchestrated with an impressive wide range from the vocals. The calming atmospheric noises paints a charming story, yet still deeply s...

12/15/2020

It’s TOPIC TUESDAY!

Today’s topic: Gifts! What gear, albums, or merch would you like to receive as a gift this year?

12/14/2020

Review: Layzi - S/T - Lowell Spin

With the amount of drops from Layzi this year, she is anything but. No singles this time around, we've got a full EP.

Carissa Myre has had quite the productive year with her Layzi output—so it was foretold by this very publication. The effort has clearly paid (and will continue to pay) dividends; Layzi’s self-titled EP is the perfect example of an artist finding her sound and presenting a neat and cohesive pack...

12/11/2020

Review: Needle Play - Death by Dying - Lowell Spin

Big CONGRATS to Needle Play for winning the Boston Music Awards Metal Artist of the Year!

No band has made a more striking impression in the music scene than six piece jazz-fusion mathcore band Needle Play. From their debut 19 track album Cruel Spring to their latest release, Death by Dying, Needle Play continues to dazzle everyone who has the pleasure of hearing them. It’s nearly impo...

12/11/2020

Review: The Old Rochelle - Pony Steps - Lowell Spin

The Old Rochelle gives us that country sound but with a twist of Lowell in it.

It’s a very easy and tiresome cliche to make that country music is the one genre of music that it’s okay to hate. This is an enormous shame that can almost certainly be tied back to tonal shifts not just in pop music but in the famed Nashville epicenter of American country music itself. The deep...