Happy New Year! Whether you are one to make resolutions or not, we can all agree to bring more live music into our lives this 2019. To help with that most important goal (forget exercise and eating raw vegan), our team has cultivated five must-see shows for the month of January. Plus, some honorable local mentions: Anjimile’s Mixtape Release Show; Jakals, Miele, and more; and Ed Balloon’s Hi Series.
Tuesday, January 8th
47 Soul at the Sinclair – Selected by Knar
Some call it “tripped-out acid house music.” Others have dubbed it “futuristic Levant wedding music.” 47 Soul describes it as “shamstep.” Regardless of what label you slap on their music, this Palestinian band’s blend of synths, traditional dabke and hip hop will drive you to dance. (Fans of Pitchfork-festival-playing Syrian wedding singer Omar Souleyman in particular should not miss this show.) Yalla!
Thursday & Friday, January 10-11
Noname at Royale Boston – Selected by Jessica
From being featured on a Chance the Rapper track to appearing on NPR‘s Tiny Desks, Noname seems to be taking the musical world by storm. The Chicago-based rapper’s latest album, Room 25, scored a top spot on the Rolling Stone‘s “30 Best of 2018” hip-hop albums list, being dubbed a “denser, darker and more personal” album than her already beloved Telefone that came out in 2015. The independent artist has covered topics like community gentrification in the past, and began 2019 by releasing “Song 31,” where she discusses profit and social cost. Last year I was able to bask in her glory when she performed at my college. Take my advice: do not miss this show.
Tuesday, January 15
Future Teens, Barely Civil, and more at ONCE Somerville – Selected by Arielle
Local and Midwestern bands come together for a night of hard-hitting lyrics, catchy hooks, and lush guitar sounds. Local bummer pop band, Future Teens, have joined forces on “The Peanut Butter and Hell Yeah” tour with uke punk band The Sonder Bombs (OH) and Midwestern emo band Barely Civil (WI). Indie rock locals Raavi and the Houseplants are set to open the show.
Tuesday, January 22
Still Woozy at The Sinclair – Selected by Jon
Still Woozy? Aren’t we all (thanks, New Year’s!). Moved from Great Scott, Still Woozy performs at The Sinclair in what is sure to be a funky, soulful evening with electronic and acoustic elements intermingling. Expect shimmering, wobbly guitar sounds and falsetto vocals, with beats that are sure to make you move.
Thursday, January 24
Neko Case at Royale – Selected by Alexis
Tacoma native, Grammy nominee and indie folk rock singer-songwriter Neko Case is coming to Boston to promote her seventh solo LP, Hell-On. Case, whose music has been featured in critically acclaimed shows like True Blood, The Killing, and Boardwalk Empire, is also the lead vocalist for the Canadian rock band, New Pornographers. Case is an ambitious artist with a tangible sense of desperation and longing in her powerful vocals. Performing with melancholic, impassioned lyrics and nostalgic harmonies, she knows how to mesmerize a crowd — her eclectic tracks sure to sound incredible live.
Friday, January 25
Mick Jenkins at The Middle East – Selected by Jared
Mick Jenkins, the lyrical soul-rap powerhouse from Chicago’s South Side, is coming to the Middle East to promote his new, critically acclaimed album, Pieces of a Man. Jenkins brings us a raw trap feel with blended jazz-funk beats that leave each listener feeling uplifted. His lyrics are complex and real, telling honest stories with layered metaphors. With a palpable respect for the audience, Jenkins prefers to plant intellectual seeds and pose thought-provoking societal questions in his songs. To pull a quote from “Heron Flow” off his new album: “I’m excited that so many of you can come out and share these vibrations with us… we’ve been breaking bread over thoughts concerning The Man.”