One of the only downsides to summer in Maine is that the weekends can get so full there’s no time to do everything. That’s why music festivals are so welcome at the times of year where it’s not as warm out. Especially in fall when the weather is… Read More
What’s in a name? That which we call an indie rock band by any other name would sound just as awesome. So Chamberlain, the Bangor-based four piece, has learned after tossing around multiple ideas for names and different songwriting approaches since their very first rehearsals two years ago. Read More
2011 was a pretty good year for Mike Billings. And so far, 2012 has been even better. The longtime Bangor-area musician hasn’t felt this much creative vitality and productivity in years. After all, the wisdom that comes with experience isn’t something you can buy. It just amasses, until… Read More
Rebel Son Rise – “Sunshine on Daemon Land” This album is undoubtedly the most surprising and worthwhile collection of songs I’ve heard from a Maine artist in the past three months. It was not at all what I expected – though honestly, I… Read More
The special kind of atmosphere that Portland singer-songwriter Sara Hallie Richardson creates is best captured on her newest album, “Restless,” a six-song EP released earlier this year. There’s a clear, crystalline beauty in both her voice and in the electronic soundscapes that she and… Read More
Adapt or die, goes the adage. Reinvent yourself, or be ready to accept the consequences. Jose Ayerve did that last year, when he renewed himself creatively by putting his old band, the longtime Portland scene-makers Spouse, on the back burner, and turning himself into the mysterious masked musician… Read More
Unless you are a regular attendee of the various open mike nights in the greater Bangor area, you’re probably unfamiliar with the plethora of songwriters that regularly show up toting a guitar or keyboard, ready to play. But they’re there, and they don’t often get to have the… Read More
I love New Year’s Eve because, like Halloween, it’s an excuse to put on an outfit or costume and go out and have fun. And I only need the faintest of excuses to do just that. There’s of course lots to do on New Year’s Eve this year… Read More
In the ongoing digital revolution here at the Bangor Daily News, the most recent step has been the launch of numerous blogs on our website. I’ve got one myself: Culture Shock, where I’m writing about arts, entertainment, food, pop culture and more, here in our beloved… Read More
There’s a lot of talent amassed at Main Street Music Studios in Bangor. Bill Thibodeau and Jeremy Shirland, the studio’s mandolin and guitar instructors, have taught students of all ages since MSMS opened in the fall of 2009, and together they have 70 years of experience. When they’re… Read More
At the ripe old age of 19, Ryan Higgins is getting back to his roots with his new band; his loud, gleefully noisy roots, along with several of his old band mates from his very first band. The Bangor-based indie-punk four-piece Captain Hollow is made up… Read More
A short list of things I, your humble music columnist, must do before the end of the year: 1. Make extra-special super-secret homemade holiday gifts for family and friends. Not the kind of homemade gift that everyone says, “Gee, thanks!” when receiving, and then shoves in… Read More
There’s an awful lot of music contained on the three albums Jacob Augustine is releasing this week. The albums, “Frontier,” “Goldyhymns” and “The Original Love,” weren’t recorded in one mad creative session, however, nor are they part of one triple-album whole. Instead, it’s three distinct statements… Read More
Sometimes, we here at Rockin’ Out (and by we, I mean the royal we) have enough information to divulge that we’ve got to cram it all into one column while appearing to seamlessly weave one compelling story. Well, I’ve totally blown it on that front — spoiler alert,… Read More
At the first-ever Milkman’s Union band practice back in the fall of 2006 in a dormitory basement at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, the lead singer and guitarist didn’t show up. That was not a bad omen, however. It was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Read More
When Stesha Cano was a little girl growing up in the Ellsworth area, she would imitate Mariah Carey songs that she heard on the radio. When she was a little older, she’d practice her Ella Fitzgerald impression in private, and she grew to love contemporary singers… Read More
Though the Boston band Joy Kills Sorrow appears to be a bluegrass band, their approach and sound come from a place that’s more rooted in indie rock and indie folk. They may play banjo, mandolin, upright bass and acoustic guitar, but the songs come out as something different. Read More
You’d think that a band that started at the New England School of Communications might be a bit on the tech geek side of things, with a massive love for excellent instruments and gear, studio polish and technically superior sound. And you’d be right. But that’s certainly only… Read More
Quite possibly the most difficult part of the early stages of being in a band isn’t figuring out your sound or booking shows; no, it’s picking a band name. You want catchy, you want fun, but you don’t want cliched. And you want a story behind it. That… Read More
Change can be a good thing. I like it when things I previously appreciated are made bigger, better, faster, more efficient. It does take a little getting used to, however. So when my editor suggested we move Rockin’ Out to Tuesday, from its original run date of Friday,… Read More
