May Erlewine’s songs speak of love, loss, and life’s dilemmas. Some have supported social causes, expressed the pain of women’s history, and voiced political worries about “being lost in the […]
Music
Once Again, Taylor Swift Exposes Herself
Fans often call Taylor Swift’s music “diaristic”: at their best, her lyrics feel like the delicate and sometimes ugly truths most of us don’t dare utter aloud. “And I hate […]
MUSIC
Indie Playlist: New Sounds
Music for a season of growth and wonder
For this latest installment of the Indie Playlist, we asked Independent staff and contributors to reflect on the idea of newness, especially as it relates to the season marked by […]
SOUND AND VISION
Indie Playlist: The Art of the Music Video
The Art of the Music Video
Previously in these lists, we’ve featured some of our favorite songs and the streaming selections that have kept us parked in front of our televisions (and laptops) for hours on […]
WHISPERS
‘Our Queer Elders’ in History and Song
Katie Castagno makes music by speculating about the past
Katie Castagno is a geologist at Provincetown’s Center for Coastal Studies by day who goes home and writes songs at night. She remembers the moment she learned that the marine […]
MUSIC
Indie Playlist: Songs for a Fresh Start
New Year’s picks from Independent staff and contributors
For this playlist, we asked Independent writers to pick a song for ringing in the new year. The result was songs across genres — NOLA jazz, Ukrainian folk, early aughts […]
TAKING BOWS
The Evolution of Beethoven’s Violin Sonatas
Violinist Elizabeth Chang and pianist Jiayan Sun will play the full 10-sonata cycle in Wellfleet
Between the years 1797 and 1812, Ludwig van Beethoven wrote 10 violin sonatas: pieces in three or four movements, composed for violin and pianoforte — each an endeavor of the […]
MASH-UP
Pop Songs, With a Classical Twist
Well-Strung, the quartet born in Provincetown, returns for a holiday show
The idea for Well-Strung, a singing and string quartet, was born in Provincetown. While visiting the Cape for a different show in 2010, violinist Chris Marchant was playing on the […]
LONG PLAY
Dolly Parton Does Rock and Roll
Rockstar is like a party with all the most famous rockers
Dolly Parton is already a rockstar? Or is she a pop star? Or a country icon? The 77-year-old, who has been performing since she was 10, has proved she can […]
ENSEMBLE
Allison Beavan Keeps the Outer Cape ‘Together in This Music’
A chorale that strives for fun and excellence prepares for its holiday concert
Allison Beavan stands on stage adjusting her microphone: “Check one, check two.” After a deep breath and a “haaa!” she flips the page and, facing the 118 members of the […]
ALL AROUND
Eleanor and Dario’s Multilingual Repertoire
The husband-and-wife duo will perform songs from around the world
Eleanor Dubinsky met Dario Acosta Teich in 2019 while scoping out a Candombe jam at a Uruguayan restaurant on the Lower East Side. “Candombe is Afro-Uruguayan,” Dubinsky says. “It comes […]
ENSEMBLE
The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Sings Its Truth
For Holly Folly, a holiday concert both silly and profound
For three hours every Wednesday evening, Reuben Reynolds, the music director of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC), leads more than 300 members in song. A self-described “mean queen” at […]
EXPERIMENTS IN MUSIC
Twisted Pine’s Progressive Spin on Bluegrass
The band combines tradition and innovation — with a Whammy pedal
Chris Sartori, the bassist of the bluegrass band Twisted Pine, says the band’s success is due to the friendship they have cultivated on the road, traveling across the country in […]
GUITAR HERO
Peter Donnelly’s Gentle Diatribes Are Back
The singer-songwriter heralds the 32nd season of the Coffeehouse at the Mews
It was Christmas night in Provincetown, 1990. The crowd was “gay and cheery” and Peter Donnelly, a 30-year-old musician from Watertown, had been invited to sing. All he had on […]
MUSIC
Indie Playlist: Songs for Fall
Staff picks to listen to while you’re watching the leaves change color
For this latest installment of our Indie Playlist, we asked Independent staffers to tell about a song that puts them in an autumnal state of mind: a tune to soundtrack […]
