This post was originally published in our end-of-year magazine.
For those of you who missed the release of our special digital magazine, we’re recapping our list of local acts you’ll want to keep an eye on in 2016.
Kyle Thornton & the Company
In 2015, soul-hop band Kyle Thornton & the Company played Lollapalooza, a House of Blues After Party for the Chance the Rapper, and released their first album, Space To Move: Part I. Back in the studio, they’re charging up for what we hope will be an electric 2016.
The Colonnade
At times The Colonnade can feel like a throwback to the alt-rock acts of the 2000s. With vocals reminiscent of Kings of Leon and the explosive, brash sound of Arctic Monkeys, one might be quick to dismiss this Boston act as stale material.
The truth is, The Colonnade is less shrink-wrapped recycled cardboard and more a fistful of fresh indie rock. Besides, can you really imagine Alex Turner putting out a track twinkling with cocktail piano?
Blank Brothers
Releasing their first album in 2014, Fade Soul, Blank Brothers doubled-down on their debut with a collage of samples and synths summer of last year—Peak Hour Color. At once subdued and urgent, the trio hooks the needle up to a national vein thirsty for danceable, moody pyroelectronics. Keep it flowing, guys.
Oh Malô
2015 Boston Music Awards nominee for New Artist, if you don’t know Oh Malô, well, now you know. Stop watching Making a Murderer this instant and listen to the track below. A clean, kinda delightfully-bumpy ride, Oh Malô is Boston’s pop/rock log flume.
The Ladles
The Ladles have the three part female harmony perfected– but their sound is more than that. They transcend the angelic tendencies of blended female voices by landing on unexpected chords. Skilled acoustic riffs on guitar, fiddle and banjo complement their voices. With no recorded works out yet we’ll be looking forward to an official release this year.
Cordelia & The Buffalo
A “tribal-electronic rock band,” as the group describes themselves, Cordelia & The Buffalo’s self-titled debut EP last year put the band on an international radar—they played Osheaga Festival in Montreal. With their most recent music video quickly garnering over 50,000 views, people have started to #JoinTheHerd. With band members hailing from Norway, Japan, Alaska, and Venezuela, where will frontwoman Cordelia Vizcaino Leal lead the herd in 2016?
Amy and the Engine
Amy Allen and crew have proved that Boston can push out some pretty, powerful pop. This year a number of national publications picked up on their music, from Consequence of Sound’s stream of their album to a Huffington Post premiere of their music video. It’s safe to say we can expect bigger things from Amy and the Engine.
Gold Blood and Associates
Soul has been creeping back into popular music lately—think St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Gary Clark Jr., and Leon Bridges. Gold Blood and Associates have been playing around town for years; but the increased interest of the genre may mean their soul rock can finally reach a larger audience.
Kristina Stapelfeld
A lot of Stapelfeld’s songs are like molasses: the plodding march of drums, a lazy guitar entrance, the languid vocals. But the slow pace feels deliberate, Stapelfeld taking her time and inviting listeners to reflect with her. This gloomier, sadder Feist can serve as a welcome remedy.