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Mark Sandman (left) with bandmates Mike Rivard and Tom Halter (partially shown) at a Hypnosonics show at the Middle East in 1987 or 1988.

On two new releases, fans can hear Mark Sandman’s ‘secret band’ in full

Previously unreleased music by Hypnosonics, the Morphine frontman's side project, includes songs from the band's only studio recording as well as a WFNX live radio broadcast.

Amplifying the Black composers who brought spirituals to classical music

A video series from Castle of Our Skins and the Gardner Museum explores the impact of this American sacred music.

Gil Shaham kicks off GBH concerts for German classical streaming service

The series will be recorded for a global audience at GBH’s Fraser Performance Studio.

The sound of our town in nine new singles

Taken together, these new tracks show a diverse local music scene itching to explode with energy.

MUSIC
Boston-based artist Niu Raza released her debut album, "Mm-hmm," in late January. The native of Madagascar is a Berklee School of Music graduate.
Nine albums by local artists that have gotten this year off to an exciting start
The batch of noteworthy new releases span genres, from hip-hop to pop, punk to Americana.

COMFORT ZONE
For season three, Chelsea Ursin is handing the microphone to some of her peers from the indie music scene.
‘Dear Young Rocker’ invites guests to revisit their own adolescent angst
In the new season that just launched, Chelsea Ursin is working with fellow female rockers, as well as trans and nonbinary performers, to address their own younger selves.

Latest Headlines in Music

A.Z. MADONNA
BSO violinist Lucia Lin, photographed at home in Brookline, initially set out to create a pandemic project. Her "In Tandem" series evolved into something much more.

With a new series, BSO’s Lucia Lin insists: ‘Classical music is not Eurocentric’

The violinist's "In Tandem" videos evolved from a pandemic project into something much more.

Taylor Swift attends the premiere of "Miss Americana" at the Eccles Theater during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 23, 2020, in Park City, Utah.

Taylor Swift rereleases ‘Fearless’ with six tracks from the vault and plenty of contributors

In August 2014, Taylor Swift could not have been more direct: she was moving on from country music, the genre that made her famous. But her "Fearless" rerelease pays homage to her Nashville roots.

A.Z. MADONNA
The six-week lineup announced Thursday features all the usual suspects. Clockwise from bottom left: Andris Nelsons, John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Keith Lockhart, and Emanuel Ax.

Tanglewood’s 2021 season looks almost normal

The six-week lineup announced Thursday features all the usual suspects: Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, John Williams, Keith Lockhart, and Andris Nelsons.

MUSIC
Vijay Iyer (center), with Tyshawn Sorey and Linda May Han Oh. The trio carried the momentum of a late 2019 performance in Cambridge into the recording studio for "Uneasy."

Art, activism, optimism: Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer navigates uneasy times

Bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Tyshawn Sorey round out the trio on Iyer's new album, "Uneasy."

COMFORT ZONE
Louie Phipps, 9, has the stage to himself during a taping of a live performance at the Wang Theatre.

The Wang stage isn’t too big for 9-year-old Louie Phipps

The Northampton third-grader had plenty of jitters beforehand, but when he got onstage to perform three of his songs, “it was just wicked.”

MUSIC
Maxwell continues to reign as an R&B auteur.

Maxwell’s slow-burning debut still simmers after 25 years

His "Urban Hang Suite" brims with the optimism that comes part and parcel with romance, with lyrics full of awe and music that feels boundless.

BOOKS
Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee Jones, memoirist: candid, cosmic, and so cool

The singer-songwriter's "Last Chance Texaco" is a vivid trip through a life of trauma, redemption, and triumph.

A.Z. MADONNA
“We’re really targeting musicians who aren’t necessarily taken care of by larger institutions," said violinist and Groupmuse artist Kiyoshi Hayashi.

Groupmuse aims for ‘structural change’ with switch to musician-owned business model

Artists will be able to allocate funds, share resources, and weigh in on organization-wide policies.