The Bollard Bulletin for July 30, 2025

Local Music Monday: Maine Summer of ’25 — The Hottest New Music By Our State’s Brightest Stars!

cover art/Nathan Galvez

When I started The Bollard’s Substack page in the spring of last year, the idea was to tell our readers about cool arts and cultural events in a more timely way — every weekday, rather than in this monthly magazine, as had been our practice for years. But this immediately posed a problem: what to post on Mondays, when live entertainment is rare.

The solution came easily: Local Music Monday, weekly reviews of new releases by Maine bands and solo artists. In recent years past I’d been writing between zero and two reviews per month, so this was a significant addition to my already heavy workload. But in practice, it had a liberating effect.

Disgusted and heartsick, as we all are each day, by infuriating news, I found escape and inspiration to begin the week by focusing on music instead of mayhem. More than mere distraction, the fact obscure artists in our corner of the country are making great records with no promise of renumeration or recognition strikes me as revolutionary. This is the work of people who prioritize beauty over money, fun over funding — rebels devoting countless hours to a craft that’s long been recognized as an unviable career. Plus, you can boogie to it.

So here’s the first of what I expect will be an annual summer-themed playlist of exceptional songs by Maine artists released in the past year or so, most of which appear on albums reviewed on our Substack. As you’ll discover, there’s a deep underground of unheard music in Maine offering vast riches to the interested digger: many varieties of rock and roots, naturally, but also R&B, hip hop, club music and jazz.

The playlist can be found here on Spotify (I know they’re evil, but it’s easy and accessible) or by searching for the “Maine Summer of ’25” playlist. For a sneak preview of tunes featured on next summer’s mix, subscribe to our Substack for free (or buy us a beer once a month as a paid subscriber and get all sorts of extra stuff). Enjoy!

— The Soul Proprietor

Melvin Gradiz
“Every Little Thing”
single

Melvin Gradiz’ opening entreaty to “Feel that breeze a-blowin’, feel that sunlight on your skin” is also a survival tip these days, a reminder that (at least this time of year around here) the world hugs us with warmth to assure us everything’s always alright in this harmonious solar system. The smoky-voiced, Miami-born, Portland R&B man knows you don’t have to rent headspace to “all that noise and doubt,” and “every little thing is paradise when you’ve got your peace.” Amen!

The Fogcutters feat. Griffin William Sherry
“Get It”
single

OK, so I’m cheating already: this single was released in March of 2024, not since last summer. But c’mon, you can’t expect The Soul Proprietor to sleep on this one, a Northern Soul–style floor-stomper by Maine’s mightiest big-band jazz group, joined by one of our strongest singers. Those ice-cream tasty horn licks and piano jabs — hoo, boy! Plus that delicious verbal jab, “You’re seein’ stars and it’s made you cruel,” implying both intoxication and fame-chasing, fits a theme (rejection of fame) running through this playlist.

Dominic Lavoie
“1.21 Charliewatts”
Round Trip

The psych-rock son of Madawaska has been making outstanding music here for over two decades, initially with backing band The Lucid and lately with an ensemble of local all-stars called Full On Voltron. This song’s spare lyrics are a sliver of a spy novel, intriguingly opaque and ominous, and sure enough, its funky groove slays (that’s Justin Wiley on clav). The chorus includes Maine soul queen Kenya Hall, jazz siren Katie Matzell, Cilla Bonnie (featured elsewhere here) and Dave Gutter (ditto).

Chicky Stoltz
“Electric Eye”
Polecat

An earlier version of this catchy tune appeared on the All Roads Trip 2024 playlist I put together for the annual All Roads Music Festival in Belfast (that one’s also on Spotify). Technically, it would not have qualified for this collection, as Mr. Stoltz (renowned for introducing The Munjoy Hill Society, Chicky’s Fine Diner and comedy barroom bingo to his home state of Maine) has been living in Vermont since Obama was in the White House. The “female” vocal on that version was actually Chicky singing through effects, but on this one it’s Tanya Whiton, the Portland writer who sang with Munjoy Hill Socialite Darien Brahms on a song or two back in the day, and the band is The Charlie Nobles, whose regular gig is aboard a schooner docked in Rockland. Local cred secured, sir! You may proceed. (Reviewed Dec. 30, 2024)

Sunburned Sharks
“Wet Paint Blue Eyes”
single

Sunburned Sharks swim by my eyes with some frequency as I scan music listings for shows to highlight on the Sub. They’re typically playing for tips in bars and coffeehouses like The Thirsty Pig in the Old Port and Elements in Biddeford. This sunny and soulful track, composed by singer/guitarist Ryan Allen Meier, entered the streams last winter and has surely brightened someone’s day every day since. Now it’s your turn.

Suns So Far…
“Fly Girl”
Pastels

Suns So Far… is the longtime musical project of Portlander Jason Lambert, a nerdy Gorham Middle School teacher who has absolutely no right to make sexy club music, but does so anyway, and it’s all the more enjoyable as a result. Zero irony, maximum funk, handclaps for days. Put this in your ears and find out what happens! (Reviewed Sept. 23, 2024)

Finger Food
“Evil You”
Finger Food

The Bollard officially declared the debut EP by Finger Food “Maine Album of the Summer,” and this coveted distinction garnered the group dozens of additional plays on free streaming services, according to our back-end data. Singer Dana Guth, who plays bass in Little Oso, and partner Tyler Jackson (Upper Narrows, Golden Rules the Thumb, Foam Castles) are joined by Lana Cooney (of Montreal’s Caveboy) to conjure ethereal electronic music with very real grooves and layers that reward deep listening and casual poolside appreciation alike. Consider the gummy kicked in. (Reviewed April 28, 2025)

Ashley Ninelives
“Edge of Time”
cheshire days

I’m becoming resigned to the realization that I’ll spend the rest of my days imploring people to appreciate the bent pop artistry of Ashley Ninelives, in vain. This cat’s music is just too spazzy and strange for radio straights and Ashley’s allergic to pandering for fans. Case in point: the heavenly hook that hits at the minute mark of this one and never returns. It’s like pulling twenties out of your pocket and just tossing them on the sidewalk. Who does that? A goddamn genius, that’s who. Raised in Maine, where they also cut 2019’s revelatory Eagle Creek, Ninelives lives in Pittsburgh now, but I don’t care if they move to the moon — they’ll always have a home on these playlists. (Reviewed Dec. 9, 2024)

Crunk Witch
“Center Part Bowl Cut”
In the Dark

Having previously announced this year’s Album of the Summer, we now present Maine’s Song of the Summer 2025: “Center Part Bowl Cut,” by Crunk Witch. Matched on MySpace, hatched in 2009 and married somewhere along the line, Crunk Witch singer Brandon Miles and DJ Hannah Colleen used to drive down from their place in Presque Isle to play unevenly attended shows at Slainte, the wine bar and performance space on Preble Street in Portland that closed in 2014. This year they’re on an extensive headlining tour of the United States that wraps up July 10 at Oxbow Brewing’s Portland brewery, opening for MC Chris. The duo’s longevity and success are worth celebrating, and it’s easy to throw that party: just play this goofy and glorious club banger, loudly. You can tell from the title alone that you’re gonna love it. (Reviewed June 16, 2025)

God.Damn.Chan
“krem de la krem”
(beats.)

Local DJ God.Damn.Chan released a treasonously dope LP last fall using samples from Russian music. Titled “beats.” in Cyrillic letters (or is that really what that means?), the whole affair is funky, funny, and fun as hell. Collude with this track and you’ll soon be shouting, “Russia! Russia! Russia!” too.

Oystahgutt
“$3 Dewey’s”
Aphrodisiac

Oystahgutt is the unholy alliance of rapper OystahGuy and Dave Gutter, the now Grammy-winning Rustic Overtones frontman who’s all over this mix, here providing the beats and production. You gotta love all the Portland bar and restaurant name-dropping on this track: J’s, Boda, and the titular Old Port beer bar. That’s another theme of this mix (see “The Whaler” and “Ruski’s”).

Graphic Melee
“codeZ”
Stereo (R)

DJ, producer and rapper Graphic Melee released a double album earlier this year, Stereo, consisting of an instrumental beats record and a rap record with entirely different music behind it. This sleek side appears on the former. Graphic Melee also hosts a monthly “open aux” night at The Apohadion Theater in Bayside called Stereo Dreams, during which fellow underground hip hop producers and beat-makers can plug in and bug out in public.

State Birds
“Lawn Chairs”
State Birds

State Birds is the musical moniker of Little Oso drummer DJ Nelson. That band’s dream-pop sound is absent from this rustic release, but its catchy sensibility remains, resulting in breezy acoustic songs like “Nashua Watershed” and this one, custom-made for Maine summer sloth. Two sub-themes of this playlist — the universal human right to do nothing (echoed in Gum Parker’s song and Emily Irving’s) and lawn chairs (OystahGuy claims to have bought one at a “bong store”) — emerge here. (Reviewed June 2, 2025)

Emily Irving
“Macaroni Eagle”
Secret Music World

More intriguing evidence of the secret music world in Maine: Emily Irving played the release show for her dazzling debut album in her Aunt Karen’s garden last spring. It’s full of quirky and catchy pop-folk and indie rock, and “Macaroni Eagle” is Maine lakeside summer camp in a jar. Open it and breathe deeply. (Reviewed June 9, 2025)

Joe Sweeney
“The Whaler”
Clawing Back

The bio on this artist’s Spotify page is more than good enough to reprint in full: “After surfing on ska’s third wave with the Buffalo group Mexican Cession, Joe Sweeney quit music for a few decades, emerging in 2023 with a ukulele in his hands and some sad, weird songs in his back pocket. He lives by an old amusement park in Maine, where his plans keep getting foiled by a bunch of stoned teens and their dog.” “The Whaler” is an ode to the Old Orchard Beach townie bar where fish swim in tanks blissfully unaware of the harpoons mounted above their heads. That’s the amazing Maine conceptual artist Amy Stacey Curtis on backing vocals, who’s also made hauntingly beautiful music with Lewiston’s letterfounder of late. (Reviewed June 23, 2025)

Joel Thetford
“Ozona”
Guitars, Outlaws and Unforgettable Tales

As noted in my review of this album in last month’s issue, Joel Thetford’s latest release, co-written and co-produced with Gutter, is more of a Western record than a country one. And it’s a triumph. I could’ve pushed the local bar theme by choosing “Three Doors of Hell,” with its shout-out to Portland’s Commercial Street Pub, but “Ozona,” featuring Harlène’s lovely vocals and Ben Cosgrove tickling the saloon-upright’s ivories, is just too darn good to pass up. (Reviewed May 19, 2025)

Dead Gowns
“Wet Dog”
It’s Summer, I Love You, and I’m Surrounded by Snow

“Wet Dog” was an easy choice to include here. Dead Gowns — check; Geneviève Beaudoin’s voice makes its own weather. Seasonally appropriate reference in the album title — check. References to fireworks, a ferris wheel, and walking way too fucking far back to the car— chickity check! (Reviewed Feb. 17, 2025)

Cryin Caleb
“Got a Light?”
Coldheart, Vol. 1

That dusty rascal “Cryin” Caleb Aaron Coulthard done stole the nickname I gave him in my April 21 review of this killer record, “Blues-Punk Prophet of Doom,” and he’s been puttin’ it on his show posters and on the Instagram and whatnot! I couldn’t be prouder. This short instrumental ripper commences the rock portion of the program. Adjust volume upward accordingly. (Reviewed April 21, 2025)

Midwestern Medicine
“Credit Line”
Ripped Headline

This chugging sequence of body blows by country-punk trio Midwestern Medicine takes home worthless imaginary awards for Best Lyric (“Wonderin’ why you lie to God sometimes”) and Best Pre-Bridge Yelp, both by singer/guitarist Brock Ginther, the Jorge Luis Borges of Maine rock songwriters. Congrats, dude! (Reviewed March 3, 2025)

Festiva
“Bird”
Everything in Moderation

Now we’re talkin’! The detuned guitar line that leads into this outburst is downright itchy, and this punk trio, led by singer/guitarist Carver Arena-Bruce, with amiright?’s rhythm section, scratches it till it bleeds. The lyrics are a riddle (I’m gonna guess “a drone”). The music is not. It’s lo-fi, a little loose, more than a little pissed and as real as it gets. (Reviewed May 12, 2025)

Gum Parker
“Bird in the Furnace”
The Brakes

Gum Parker singer/guitarist Galen Richmond is the wizard behind the tattered, Camel-scented curtain of Portland’s indie-rock Oz. His record label, Repeating Cloud, released the Little Oso and Festiva albums featured here and backs other great local bands like Mouth Washington, Crystal Canyon and Crunchcoat, whose guitarist, Jason Unterreiner, joins him in this outfit, along with bassist and co-vocalist Kate Sullivan-Jones (The Outfits, The English Muffins) and drummer Jeff Hamm. This scorcher ends their rock-solid debut full-length and earns Richmond the silver for Best Lyric for “I wanna bite the hand that drew me!” (Reviewed April 14, 2025)

amiright?
“Diaper Full of Shit”
Husk of a Body

I fear I’ll also spend the rest of my days vainly imploring people to listen to amiright?, the band of savant cousins Noah Grenier-Farwell (Festiva’s Moony drummer) and Quinn Farwell, with Simi Kunin on bass. This song smashes its way through a series of left-field hooks and jokes with a combination of nonchalance and intensity attainable only after thousands of hours jamming in the bedroom and/or basement. Then, just when you’ve taped the perfect take on the boombox, the dog starts barking. Naturally, you leave it in. (Reviewed Feb. 10, 2025)

pond 1000
“that mall was mine”
daffodiL

Fronted by singer/guitarist Katie McShane, pond 1000, like the capital-averse amiright?, are on the Sad Cactus indie record label based in NYC. Jesse Heasly’s bass lines on this track would be an illegal substance if a Maine legislator saw a teen listening to ’em. The sound is muggy, with rumbles of thunder and sprinkles of warm rain. (Reviewed March 31, 2025)

Modern Friendship
“Change Shape”
Truth in the Garden

The fact this foursome has been playing a monthly residency at Hi-Fidelity, the lo-fi/low-ABV East Bayside Portland brewery, for free, and the place hasn’t been packed every time, is further proof we live in a fallen world. Singer/guitarist Anthony Branca writes Pushcart Prize–worthy lyrics, and the band (guitarist Jimmy Dority, bassist Nick Thompson-Brown, and drummer Alex Ouellette, also of Future Mailmen) are all impeccable musicians who compose songs drawing freely from rock, country and jazz. Need I also note they can pull off four-part vocal harmonies? This is the last song on their first album, and the only one not drenched in post-breakup bitterness. The new stuff they’ve been playing live lately is less heavy and even more impressive. Look for their follow-up by year’s end. (Reviewed March 10, 2025)

Little Oso
“Ruski’s”
How Lucky To Be Somebody

Little Oso singer/guitarist Jeannette Berman duets with guitarist Ricky Lorenzo on this sweet and hazy song about “breakfast with your chosen fam” at the West End neighborhood tavern, while Modern English plays on the radio and the moon shines on the butt bucket by the bench out front. That’s right, kid — dream-pop stars eat night breakfast. (Reviewed Jan. 20, 2025)

Spencer Albee with Cilla Bonnie
“Everybody’s Gotta Live”
Time Machine: 2024-2000

Spencer Albee’s live cover of Love’s 1972 street anthem kicks off what’s basically a box set (57 songs) of his work as a solo artist and leader of bands like As Fast As. He’s joined by Cilla Bonnie, whose “Rusty” was a highlight of the All Roads Trip 2024 playlist. I normally wouldn’t consider a cover for a collection like this, but Arthur Lee’s lyrics could have been written about present-day Portland.

Future Mailmen
“Ugly Cry”
Sun Run

What an absolute pleasure it was to see Future Mailmen host the weekly jazz jam session at Blue Portland Maine last month! Six young cats with humble smiles and heads full of hundreds of arrangements, welcoming players to the stage and swapping solos in an affable atmosphere. They played this slinky tune to close the night, and but for the now obligatory hashtag, it closes this playlist in beautiful style. (Reviewed Feb. 3, 2025)

Dave Gutter
“#notsthenewhot”
The Music Industry is Trying to Kill Me

Making his fourth appearance on this mix, and first on lead vocals, Dave Gutter demonstrates on this torch song why titans like Aaron Neville want to write with him. “Now there’s no one left to shame, ’cause there ain’t two people in this world that’s the same.” Just let that scratchy pearl of wisdom sink in. It leaves me speechless. (Reviewed May 26, 2025)