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06/26/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/27/2024 01:08

What’s Hot In Music This Month: New Albums, Local Concerts

What's Hot In Music This Month: New Albums, Local Concerts

Much anticipated albums from Megan Moroney and Clairo, plus Outlaw Fest, Alanis Morrissette come to Xfinity Center

Alanis Morrissette, AP Photo/Ben Hider/Invision (from left); Clairo, AP Photo/Sipa USA; Cigarettes After Sex, AP Photo/Sipa USA/Mairo Cinquetti

Music

What's Hot In Music This Month: New Albums, Local Concerts

Much anticipated albums from Megan Moroney and Clairo, plus Outlaw Fest, Alanis Morrissette come to Xfinity Center

June 26, 2024
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Happy July, Terriers! If the summer heat is getting to you, you're in luck, because this month is bringing a whole lot of chill new grooves to help you cool off, starting with some jazz from indie mainstay Clairo. Then, if you're looking to embrace the heat like a true cowboy, look no further than breakout country star Megan Moroney's second studio album, Am I Okay? And just because it's hot outside doesn't mean you can't dance your heart away with Alanis Morissette at the Xfinity Center later this month or get rowdy in a Chief Keef moshpit.

With the season well underway, it's about time we decide what the song of summer 2024 is going to be…these new releases are likely to make the decision a whole lot harder.

New releases

Album cover courtesy of Sony Music

Am I Okay?,Megan Moroney

It's no secret that country music is hot right now, and much of that is thanks to Georgia native Megan Moroney, who first gained traction with her 2022 single "Tennessee Orange," which went viral. The certified platinum song is a college football-inspired love story, with Moroney describing betraying her home state for the University of Tennessee: "He's got me doin' things I've never done/In Georgia, they'd call it a sin/And I still want the Dawgs to win/But I'm wearin' Tennessee orange for him." Since then, Moroney has risen steadily in the ranks of country stardom. Now, with her second studio album since signing with Columbia Records/Sony Music Nashville, this self-proclaimed "emo cowgirl" has the opportunity to prove that her songwriting chops can make her a true country staple. Am I Okay? arrives July 12.

Album cover courtesy of JEMP

Evolve,Phish

Phish, the jam band created in a University of Vermont dorm room in 1983, is one of those bands that will always be classic, but never quite mainstream. And arguably, that's what makes them so good. Evolve, being released through the band's own record label, JEMP, is their 16th album, a milestone few bands can claim. Known for their improvisational stage presence, Phish leaves nothing off the table. Evolve's title track sees them exploring groovier funk sounds, temporarily bidding farewell to the rock influences that have defined their long career. Whether that's true for the rest of the album is up in the air until it drops on July 12.

Album cover courtesy of Clairo

Charm, Clairo

Charm, the third studio album by local indie-pop singer Clairo (who grew up in nearby Carlisle, Mass.), comes three years after the commercial success of her 2021 album Sling. The songwriter first made a name for herself when "Pretty Girl" went viral on YouTube, quickly becoming a lo-fi staple for internet teenagers. Though Clairo's last album was produced by Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, known for producing albums for Taylor Swift and Lana Del Ray, for Charm, she's partnered with Leon Michels, whose work has been producing jazz artists. And you can see Michels' influence in the first single, "Sexy to Someone," with its 1970s jazz beat.Clairo has retained the honest self-reflection that makes her lyrics so relatable. Expect synth, sweet rhythms, and an indie groove when Charm arrives July 12.

Album cover courtesy of Partisan Records

X's,Cigarettes After Sex

For a band with only two studio albums, Cigarettes After Sex has made a disproportionately large impact in the indie rock scene. Headed by Texas native Greg Gonzalez, whose vocals are often described as androgynous, the band has an easily recognizable shoegaze sound, defined by soft, dream-like vocals, often overshadowed by stronger instrumentals. Though much of Cigarettes After Sex's sound has an almost playful lean into a depressed emo persona, they embrace the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Their songs are often described as blending into one, giving them a unique atmospheric sound that has allowed them to build a massive fanbase on a relatively small discography. On X's, their newest studio album,Gonzalez mourns the end of a four-year relationship the only way he knows: somber lyrics and classic indie rock instrumentals. But "Tejano Blue" does something unique, taking listeners to the singer's hometown of El Paso, Tex., where he bares his soul through poignant nostalgia, a narrative unlike anything we've seen from this singer/songwriter. But as the band's name suggests, and its past records prove, Gonzalez isn't afraid to get erotic, and if the album promises more of the same…it's a win in my book. X's comes out on July 12.

Album cover courtesy of Polydor Records

I Love You So F***ing Much,Glass Animals

"Sometimes, all I think about is you/Late nights in the middle of June/Heat waves been faking me out/Can't make you happier now." These lyrics to Glass Animal's number one single "Heat Waves" were blasted all over in summer 2020. The electronic pop song, with its infectious ability to make you smile, served as many people's introduction to the British band Glass Animals, which has been around since 2010. That's when singer, writer, and producer Dave Bayley recruited his high school buddies Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward to perform under the name Glass Animals. Bayley admits the band's name is a combination of random words in the dictionary-but it works. Their debut album, 2014's Zaba, featured the single "Gooey," which quickly went platinum in the United States. The lyrics are a bit eerie: "Fresh out of an icky, gooey womb/A woozy youth/Dopes upon her silky, smooth perfume." Their fourth studio album, "I Love You So F***ing Much," out July 19, signals an intentional shift away from the indie pop sound they're known for towards something bigger, possibly more anthemic. As Bayley said in an interview with Apple Music: "We didn't want to shock anyone too much, so this is an easy way into the new world." What that new world sounds like, we'll have to wait until mid-July to find out.

Upcoming concerts

Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Outlaw Fest

Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant and Alison Krause will perform at Outlaw Fest at the Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, Mass., Tuesday, July 2, at 5 pm. Purchase tickets, starting at $54.12, here.

Nothing says summer like a music festival. So if you missed this spring's Boston Calling, or couldn't make it to New York City for Governor's Ball, mark your calendars, because Outlaw Fest is coming to Mansfield's Xfinity Center, and the lineup couldn't be more epic. Don't miss the opportunity to hear these legendary musicians on one stage, led by Nobel laureate, 11-time Grammy Award winner, and Academy Award winner Bob Dylan, who released his first album 62 years ago. Also iconic: Alison Krauss, winner of an astonishing 27 Grammys, and her frequent musical partner Robert Platt (8 Grammys), who first collaborated on 2007's acclaimed Raising Sand. Their most recent release together was 2021's Raise the Roof. The festival will end with an hour-long set from country music icon Willie Nelson, who, with only a guitar, a gorgeous voice, and his signature shoulder length locks, is bound to bring the Xfinity Center crowd to tears.

Cavetown and Mother Mother

Cavetown and Mother Mother will perform at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, 2 Lansdowne St., Sunday, July 7, at 6:30 pm. Purchase tickets, starting at $55, here.

Having seen Cavetown perform the last time they were in Boston, at the House of Blues, I can guarantee this isn't a show indie-heads will want to miss. This time, the British singer/songwriter (real name: Robert Skinner) will perform in a bigger venue-MGM Music Hall-alongside Canadian rock band Mother Mother, who you may know from their hit single "Burning Pile." The show is bound to bring a newfound energy to Cavetown's bedroom-pop sound. Though you might expect a mellow concert from Cavetown, it will be anything but. A word of advice: if you're planning to attend the concert, make sure you've memorized some Cavetown lyrics, otherwise the devoted fan base may never forgive you. Trust us-this is one concert where you're going to want to sing your heart out.

The Triple Moon Tour, Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette will perform at the Xfinity Center, 885 S. Main St., Mansfield, Mass., Tuesday, July 9, at 7 pm. Purchase tickets, starting at $54.35, here.

Alanis Morissette released her first album, the self-titled Alanis, in 1991, but it wasn't until four years later that she catapulted to fame with her alt-rock album Jagged Little Pill, her first to be released in the United States. The record won her four Grammys, including Album of the Year. It was ranked number 31 on this year's Apple Music's 100 Best Albums List, which said its vulnerability "cut a path for generations of future singer-songwriters, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo among them." Even with seven additional studio albums under her belt, she's most closely identified with Jagged Little Pill. The album was adapted into a musical, winning two 2020 Tony Awards, and a year later, the singer/songwriter embarked on a tour for the album's 25th anniversary. Now, the 50-year-old is hitting the road with "The Triple Moon Tour," featuring special guests Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Morgan Wade. Happily, the tour includes a stop at the Xfinity Center on July 9.

A Lil Tour, Chief Keef

Chief Keef will perform at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, 2 Lansdowne St., Tuesday, July 16, at 8 pm. Purchase tickets, starting at $78.25, here.

Say what you will about Chief Keef, the hip-hop artist has cemented his place in rap history. When he released his debut album, Finally Rich, in 2012,everyone thought he was a shoo-in for hip-hop fame. But subsequent mixtapes met with minimal success. But with the release of Almighty So 2, a sort of follow-up to his 2013 mixtapes 11 years in the making, Chief Keef demands respect. And he earns it. The rapper is starting "A Lil Tour" right here in Beantown on July 16, and will be joined by Lil Gnar and The Glo Boyz, two signees of his own label. If you're heading to MGM Music Hall for Chief Keef, prepare for crowds of Sosa groupies and an unforgettable night of moshing.

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