Best New Music From Boston and New England of 2018 – Songs 41-70

Third part of a roundup of our favorite songs from Boston/New England of 2018! See part 1 here and part 2 here.
 
Guiding Wave – Instrument
Whatever that instrument is, its the right kind of instrument – the one that pumps out ton of energy and killer angular rhythms.
Further Reading: Sophie’s Floorboard

Orr – Hymnal
More walls that could make this world better, not worse
See our review of Sleep Tranmission by Empathy Family, RI duo that includes Jack Williams (aka Orr)

Virusse – Bitterchild
This year’s output from Virusse can be divided into two camps – drone ambient and friendly electronic music. This falls squarely into the second camp and brings to mind Bjork circa Human Behavior.
See guest mix by Thou that includes Singular Form by Virusse (aka Mindy Stock / Vitka).
Further Reading: Heathen Harvest | Sea Song + Root

Ourselves Alone – Stiff Jazz
Bursting at the seams with all that prog rock juiciness.
Further Reading: Fecking Bahamas | CT Scramble

Lys Guillorn – Tinctoria
Sweet little tribute to dyeing (not morbid about it at all – its a promise).
Further Reading: The Partially Examined Life | New Haven Independent

Kiss Concert – Party Tonight
This is a strange (but fascinating) kind of party (not thee strangest, but close) – the one where shadows of Slint and Ativin can be clearly seen in the background.
Further Reading: Performer Mag | Post-Trash

The Hello Stranger – The Romancer
Down into the deepest/darkest depths of infernal romance.
Further Reading: Boston Hassle

The New Pollution – Kiss the System
Yes, they are named after Beck song and they do resemble Beck as demonstrated here (not that its a bad thing, mind you).

Mountain Movers – This City
Lumbering and slightly sinister Bardo Pond-channeling psychedelia with swirling vocals (could it be that they’re coming from the mountain?).
Further Reading: Safety Meeting | Raven Sings the Blues

Hands and Knees – Children Levitate
Could this be a missing b-side from Mollusk? Even if not its very brown still.
Further Reading: The Boston Calendar

Birthday Ass – Fruit Toot
An acid dream full of trumpets talking some incredibly strange things into your ear.
Further Reading: Sound of Boston

Elizabeth Colour Wheel – Mika Says
Intense, borderline psychotic and quite impressive – there’s feeling somewhere beneath that boiling anger.
Further Reading: Bearded Gentlemen Music | The 405

Tuft – Louise
I’ll try not to look the mirror in the eyes
Further Reading: The Artery / WBUR

Dogtooth – Secrets
One of those rare secrets that is worth keeping

Nick Minieri – Uneven Surfaces
Transporting you to that magic place where Orb and Orbital still very much rule the universe.
Further Reading: DigBoston | Earmilk

Sidney Gish – Sophisticated Space
Charming crude lo-fi pop – probably the only song written in 2018 that references MFA (or ever?).
Further Reading: The Alternative | Hand Me the Aux

Fiddlehead – Spousal Loss
Bringing back a bit of that 90s post-hardcore fire to lit the gloomy landscape of modern rock.

Baerd – Out of the
A creature straight out of Tom Waits universe (minus the famous bourbon-soaked voice and plus more atmospherics).

Michael Christmas – These Days
Days went from being just plain strange to utterly crazy, but thankfully there’s tonic like this to make them seem less so

Prior Panic – Finicky Things
Its probably completely accidental, but first minute of this brought back memories of Long Fin Killie – any band that can achieve this feat nowadays is God in IHN’s book (or close to it, at least)

Vein – Virus://Vibrance
Massive brawl between Atari Teenage Riot, Static-X and Dillinger Escape Plan with no clear winner in sight

Aisha Burns – I Thought I Knew You Well
Gorgeous seeds growing out of a crushing loss/grief

Pet Fox – Staying In
A sweet indie pop/rock treat with a propulsive, complex rhythm that seems like it will keep going even after the song will stop

Mal Devisa – If You Are Waiting
Still proudly carrying a banner of formula-free/genre-defying songwriting

Anjimile – Green
Green is good / so is accepting yourself for who you are

Solarein – Neon Demons
Fighting those demons in the city of the future with the most advanced sonic weapons available

Bat House – Endless Stair
Alice surely would’ve appreciated that stair – it keeps twisting and turning and morphing into something…else and its quite enchanting to watch/her

Aubrey Haddard – Seaweed & Sand
The ocean brought in this refreshing Hendrixian breeze

Human Flourishing – Sunways
Some very interesting sounds coming out of Butt, India (that’s somewhere in Connecticut – hold on, I’m going to get my map)

Darryl Blood – Red Room
Darryl from Turkish Delight walking us through labyrinths of darkness