Sounds Local: New year, new releases: Local artists release singles ahead of buzzed-about new albums

Brie Green of the Green Sisters has stepped out on her own with BriezyJane and the Hurricane, and is about to release her debut album called “On the Path You Walk.” The first single is “Day so Fine.”

Brie Green of the Green Sisters has stepped out on her own with BriezyJane and the Hurricane, and is about to release her debut album called “On the Path You Walk.” The first single is “Day so Fine.” Photo by Noah Lefebvre

Last week, Cloudbelly, a chamber-pop indie folk band fronted by singer-songwriter Corey Laitman of Montague, released “If You Want,” the second single off the upcoming album, “i know, i know, i know.”

Last week, Cloudbelly, a chamber-pop indie folk band fronted by singer-songwriter Corey Laitman of Montague, released “If You Want,” the second single off the upcoming album, “i know, i know, i know.” CONTRIBUTED

Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis of Amherst released “Right Behind You,” the third single off his upcoming fifth solo album, “What Do We Do Now.”

Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis of Amherst released “Right Behind You,” the third single off his upcoming fifth solo album, “What Do We Do Now.” Photo by Jeffrey Fowler

Seth Glier’s next album, “Everything,” will be released on Friday. In the meantime, he’s released the first single, “My Body Remembers,” co-written with Hayley Reardon.

Seth Glier’s next album, “Everything,” will be released on Friday. In the meantime, he’s released the first single, “My Body Remembers,” co-written with Hayley Reardon. CONTRIBUTED

Post-rock trio Kalliope Jones is one of the handful of local bands scheduled to play the Green River Festival this summer. The full lineup was recently announced.

Post-rock trio Kalliope Jones is one of the handful of local bands scheduled to play the Green River Festival this summer. The full lineup was recently announced. CONTRIBUTED

By SHERYL HUNTER

For the Recorder

Published: 01-24-2024 1:44 PM

With a new year comes new music, and 2024 looks like it will be an excellent year for both recordings and live music. Now that the holidays are over, some local musicians have dropped new singles in recent weeks as they gear up for full-length releases. More live shows also continue to be announced, including the addition of more acts to this year’s Green River Festival.

So, let’s look at some of these coming attractions, starting with some new singles, which you can check out on most streaming platforms. And remember, in this age of streaming, it helps the artists if you pre-save the music. Doing this lets the streaming service know the interest in an upcoming release and can help musicians get their work added to coveted playlists.

“Day So Fine” - Brie Green

Chances are you are familiar with the Green Sisters, the musical siblings from Hubbardston who have won over local audiences with their sweet harmonies, acoustic music and lively concerts. In addition to creating music with her sisters, Brie Green has stepped out on her own with BriezyJane and the Hurricane, a group she leads that delves into folk, blues, Americana, fiddle tunes and more. Green is about to release her debut album called “On the Path You Walk.” She released the single “Day So Fine,” an upbeat, swing-flavored tune about enjoying a good day. It’s a song to put some “pep in your step,” as she describes it.

On this track, she’s joined by Hurricane members Rob Griffin on fiddle, Chris Trevethan on drums, and Dan Grip on upright bass and harmony. “Day so Fine” is one of 14 tracks on the new album that also includes contributions from her sisters on backing vocals, as well as other guest musicians. “On the Path You Walk” will be released on Feb. 2.

BriezyJane and the Hurricane will be at Honest Weight Brewery in Orange on Friday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m.

“If You Want” – Cloudbelly

Last week, Cloudbelly, a chamber-pop indie folk band fronted by singer-songwriter Corey Laitman of Montague, released “If You Want,” the second single off their upcoming album, “i know, i know, i know.”

In addition to Laitman, Cloudbelly features guitarist Sam Perry, drummer and producer Nate Mondschein, and bassist/keyboardist/arranger Reed Sutherland. Gentle percussion and strings provided by Cynthia Tolson provide the foundation here, but it’s Laitman’s gorgeous vocals and poignant lyrics that pull the listener in and convey the complex emotions running through this song.

The band describes “If You Want” as “an impassioned conversation between two voices residing in the same body, reckoning with a tendency to run from the things you want the most.” This song and “November,” the first single from the album, make “i know, i know, i know,” one of the year’s most anticipated releases.

The day Cloudbelly released “If You Want,” they also launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds to cover the costs of releasing and touring the album. If you want to contribute, go to kickstarter.com and search Cloudbelly. “i know, i know, i know,” is slated for a late February release on Strange Library Records.

Cloudbelly will open for the Suitcase Junket at the Stone Church in Brattleboro on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. Tickets available at stonechurchvt.com

“Right Behind You” - J Mascis

Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis of Amherst released “Right Behind You,” the third single off his upcoming fifth solo album, “What Do We Do Now.” The song is a melodic tune that features drums, keyboards, and plenty of Mascis’ trademark shredding.

In his signature whine, Mascis sings, “Talking about you, me/ Where we’d thought we’d be/ Right Behind You/ We can’t believe it’s me.” The drums and extended electric solos aren’t what we expect from a Mascis solo album.

As Mascis points out in the press release for the album, this is the first solo album that features full drums and electric leads, although the rhythm parts are still acoustic. As a result, this song and the other material on “What Do We Do Now” have more in common with Dinosaur Jr. albums than his other solo projects. For this album, Mascis brought in local musician Ken Maiuri (Spouse, Gentle Hen, The Fawns) to play keyboards and Matthew “Doc” Dunn to add pedal guitar. “Right Behind You” has an accompanying lyric video.

“What Do We Do Now” will be released on Feb. 2 on Sub Pop Records. Mascis will perform at the Drake in Amherst on March 9. Tickets are on sale now at thedrakeamherst.org.

“My Body Remembers” – Seth Glier

Last October, we talked to Shelburne Falls native Seth Glier about his upcoming album, “Everything,” in which he delves into the natural world and, more specifically, climate solutions. Since then, he released many singles off the album and played the new material at his fall residency at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center.

The newly released single, “My Body Remembers,” co-written with Hayley Reardon, is about the body’s ability to recall repressed memories and also what we can learn from nature about healing. Glier gently plays the melody on the piano while his and Reardon’s voices blend beautifully, and strings shimmer in the background, making for a quiet, soothing listen.

“Everything” will be released on Friday, Jan. 26.

The year is off to a strong start and there is more to come. Matt Hebert’s new band, the roots folk-rock group Hidden Skyline, will release the third single, off their debut album, “Causeways,” this Friday, Jan. 26.

Longtime local musician Joshua David Thayer, who has worked in many bands but is best known as the bassist for Fancy Trash, just wrote and released his first-ever song, a humorous ditty about waking up to snow and having to deal with it, called “Bird Children.”

Mamma’s Marmalade, Home Body, Heather Maloney, TapRoots, Carolyn Walker, Christa Joy and the Honeybees, and Jeffrey Foucault are just a few of the others currently in the studio or who have confirmed releases for 2024.

Full Green River Festival lineup announced

On Monday, DSP Shows, which has taken over the production of the festival from Signature Sounds, announced the full lineup for the 38th annual Green River Festival, which will be held June 21-23 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds.

Previously announced are the three headliners: CAKE on Friday, Fleet Foxes on Saturday, and Gregory Alan Isakov on Sunday. Some newly announced acts are folk supergroup Bonny Light Horseman, soul-pop band Lawrence, indie rockers Flipturn, female trio Trousdale, and rock band The Nude Party. Joining them are former local artists, indie rock band Speedy Ortiz, The Voice alum NaiaKete, and singer-songwriter Izzy Heltai. Folk singer Willi Carlisle, whose new album ”Critterland” will be released on Signature Sounds Recordings this Friday, is also part of the lineup, as is newgrass band Twisted Pine. Local act Cloudbelly, post-rock trio Kalliope Jones, and indie rockers Prewn are also in the lineup that features many more playing on four stages over the three days of the festival.

Single-day and 2-day festival passes plus camping, parking, and VIP passes go on sale this Friday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. 3-day passes are available now at greenriverfestival.com where you an also view the lineup in its entirety.

A pop-up box office event at the Shea Theater in Turners Falls will be held on Sunday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is your chance to purchase Green River Festival passes and add-ons with no fees on cash sales and reduced fees on credit card sales. Live music will be playing throughout the afternoon.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.