What music has been on in the background while you drove, worked, played or chilled out this year?
Maine bands and artists have put out some excellent songs and albums this year. Whether you’re a fan of rock, indie, hip-hop, jazz, country, folk, electronic music or something in between, there’s undoubtedly something new in 2016 that you’ll enjoy from musicians in the Pine Tree State.
I’ve been listening to Maine music for more than a decade now, and every year I’m impressed by the variety and quality of what I hear. For 2016, I’ve singled out 13 bands and artists that put out great stuff this year — you can listen to a playlist from all of them on Spotify, titled BDN Best Maine Music 2016 . If you’re not a Spotify user, all of the below artists are on Bandcamp.com, and many are also on iTunes or Amazon, as well as on Facebook. Happy listening!
Dominic and the Lucid (Portland)
Although “Ferret,” Dominic and the Lucid’s 2016 album, might be its swan song — band members have relocated, have other projects, have families, etc. — it’s a great way to put a capper on a decade of great music. Hazy, groovy, psychedelic-tinged rock has long been charismatic singer-songwriter and St. John Valley native Dominic Lavoie’s forte, and “Ferret” is no exception. This is an album that sounds like summer.
Weakened Friends (Portland)
This trio has had a stellar two years: Two great EPs (“Gloomy Tunes” in 2015 and “Crushed” in 2016) packed with catchy, crunchy, pop-infused indie rock, several tours and acclaim from publications from Bangor to Boston. Sonia Sturino, Annie Hoffman and Cam Jones keep putting out ripping, melodic, riff-tastic songs that sound great blasting from car speakers or from the stage. Weakened Friends is definitely a band to watch in 2017.
Micromasse (Portland)
Let’s hear it for the organ, the unsung hero of classic rock and jazz. Max Cantlin’s Portland-based trio, Micromasse, is centered around his expressive, funky organ-playing, and “Anthropocene,” a full-to-bursting 90-minute album that came out in July, is a tour-de-force of musicianship. If you like anything from classic ’60s organ trios to West African high life to the Grateful Dead and jam bands, you’ll love this.
Lovers of Fiction (Portland)
The expansive, wildly entertaining album “Long Overdue” from Lovers of Fiction, the brainchild of composer Dan Sonenberg, is one of the most unusual albums to come out of Maine in years. Sonenberg and his cast of musicians create a highly orchestrated, glam rock-influenced statement album, channeling Bowie, Queen, Elton John and an arch-1970s feel. Very much worth a listen — especially because it’s likely the first and only album from Lovers of Fiction.
When Particles Collide (Bangor/New Hampshire)
Keeping up with their track record of putting out an album per year, When Particles Collide this year released “Ecotone” — technically a double album, featuring 2015’s “This Town” and five new songs. Those new songs are unique because each was co-written with one of Sasha Alcott and Chris Viner’s favorite bands, from Boston-based Aloud co-writing the anthemic “Fight” to the fist-pumping “Burn,” co-written with Ringo Jones from Cincinnati’s Mad Anthony. Big riffs, even bigger melodies.
Seepeoples (Portland)
It’s hard not to like this band, with their stellar live show and knack for writing off-kilter pop songs. The band, fronted by longtime singer-songwriter and Bangor native Will Bradford, released a number of singles and B-sides throughout 2016, including the irresistible “Shangri La La,” with its tinkling toy piano and groovy rhythm. Though they might sometimes stray into psychedelic jam band territory, Seepeoples are a pop band at heart.
Jaw Gems (Portland)
“Heatweaver” is a more immediately funky successor to Jaw Gems’ 2014 debut full-length, “Blades Plural,” full of the huge synth sounds and hip-hop beats that this Portland ensemble specializes in but with more dance floor-friendly tracks. For an album that’s entirely instrumental, there’s plenty to keep the energy levels up — tempos change from track to track, and as soon as there’s a more ambient track, there’s an upbeat one to follow it.
The Fogcutters (Portland)
Is there a band more generally beloved in Portland than neo-big band The Fogcutters? With 19 members that, between all of them, have played with practically every band in Portland, there’s a lot to love. In 2016 the band put out its first album of all original songs, “Flotsam,” spanning the genre gamut from traditional big band jazz to dark, modern rock-infused jazz, with or without the dynamic vocals of Chas Lester and Megan Jo Wilson. Want to hear some of the best musicians in Maine? Check out “Flotsam.”
Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Soucy (Belfast)
At once intellectually stimulating and spiritually stirring, Mr. and Mrs Garrett Soucy — Garrett and Sirii Soucy, formerly of the band Tree By Leaf — this year put out “Wayword,” an album that is intimate in its instrumentation, but expansive in its lyrical explorations. The couple harmonize beautifully, while exploring the troubling intersection of faith, philosophy and technology in the modern age.
Joe K. Walsh (Portland)
On “Borderlands,” the outrageously talented Portland mandolin player and singer-songwriter Joe K. Walsh assembles some fantastic players from the bluegrass and folk worlds — including the equally excellent guitarist Courtney Hartman — and makes it all sound effortlessly easy. There are many lovely songs on here, but standouts include “Innisfree” and “Never More Will Roam.” It’s as pretty and enjoyable a bluegrass album as Maine has produced in recent years.
Rotating Taps (Bangor)
This Bangor foursome’s 2016 album “Static” is as comfortable as a well-worn hoodie. These four guys have been friends for years, and you can tell they know each other’s musical personalities as well as they know their own. Rotating Taps play breezy, melodic acoustic pop, in the vein of Paul Simon or earlier Coldplay. This album would sound beautiful coming out of speakers on a sunny summer day at camp.
David Mallett (Sebec)
David Mallett, Maine’s elder statesman of singer-songwriters, quietly put out a lovely new album this year: “Celebration,” a collection of new songs after his charming 2015 covers album, “The Horse I Rode In On.” Mallett’s weathered voice sounds as elegant as ever, and the crisp, acoustic production value of the album evokes back porches, dusky woods and memories tinged with regret and love.
Lisa/Liza (Portland)
Liza Victoria, aka Lisa/Liza, got some national attention for “Deserts of Youth,” her second full-length album. The Portland-based songwriter demands your attention, after all, with unhurried, achingly intimate songs, stripped down to their bare bones. All are slow, meditative and half-whispered, as though she were confiding her deepest feelings and secrets to the microphone, which also lends a kind of intensity to the album’s 40-plus minutes.
