Summer music in the midst of a New England winter

Best get ready for a whole month of good music.  Don’t miss out on the shows within walking distance at Club Passim, Sanders Theatre, The Middle East, and T.T. the Bear’s.  If you’re a festival fan, you’re going to enjoy this month with lots of summer fesitval jam band regulars making stops in Boston.  Whatever you listen to, check out some music this month to warm yourself up.

2/3: Galactic, Paradise Rock Club

Galactic embodies the melting pot culture of their hometown New Orleans.  The band can’t easily be categorized as funk, jazz, jam rock, or hip hop.  Rather, the band incorporates influences from those genres and others and creates a musical style so full of energy, you won’t be able to stop dancing.

2/5: AA Bondy, T.T. the Bear’s Place

One of this blogger’s very favorites, Bondy was formerly the frontman of grunge band, Verbena.  Since their breakup, Bondy has shown his remarkable skill as an incredible folk singer-songwriter.  If you’re into dark, beautiful folk, look no further.

2/6: Bearquarium, The Middle East Upstairs

This up-and-coming band was recently formed in Vermont at UVM, but Bearquarium is farr from your typical indie-hippie-Vermont band.  With their Afro-rock rhythms, full horns, and soulful vocals, Bearquarium has a funk  rarely found in college bands.

2/6: Tea Leaf Green, Paradise Rock Club

The most obvious comparison of Tea Leaf Green would probably be the Grateful Dead.  Both are from the San Francisco area, both are great jam bands, and both are celebrated for their psychedelic live shows.  While Tea Leaf Green may not be quite the Grateful Dead, they are sure to bring in a fun crowd to the ‘Dise.

2/6: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sanders Theatre

Perhaps best known as Paul Simon’s backing band on his great album, Graceland, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is an all-male vocal group from South Africa.  They’ll be performing in the same space you watch Mankiw’s lecture.

2/8: Delta Spirit, The Middle East Upstairs

Delta Spirit is the type of band you just want to sing along with, even if you don’t know them very well.  Their music is fun, jumpy, and catchy, but still manages to maintain its musical soul.

2/11: Golden Girls, The Middle East Upstairs

This band from Worcester, MA is making noise in the music scene.  Pitchfork called them “super-fun downtown punk.”  Their show  is part of the Middle East’s weekly THROWED techno parties with DJ’s and live bands.  Come rave.

2/13: Hey Mama, TOAD

A Cambridge band playing in Cambridge.  Something we don’t see frequently enough.  Hey Mama started as the duet, Avi and Celia.  Now a four-piece, Hey Mama are a fun roots rock band with heavy blues influences.  Support local music by checking out the show.

2/13: Tegan and Sara, Orpheum Theatre

How can Tegan and Sara perform so well together?  Well, it may help that the two are identical twins.  The Canadian duo has been releasing indie pop music for over a dozen years now and is still going strong.

2/16: Annie and the Beekeepers, Club Passim

Annie Lynch and her band, the Beekeepers, are an little-known jewel in today’s modern folk scene.  Lynch’s voice is easy on the ears, but the songs are in no way shallow.  If you like banjo, accordion, and beautiful voices, don’t let this show across the street slip through your fingers.

2/17: The David Wax Museum, Club Passim

The David Wax Museum follows Annie and the Beekeepers at Club Passim the next night.  The quartet’s sound is a unique blend that draws upon both  American and Mexican folk influences.  Growing ever more popular on the local scene, the band sounds like they put on a fun show.

2/19: George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, House of Blues

The P-Funk comes to Boston.  Party like it’s 1971.

2/25, 2/26, & 2/27: Citizen Cope, Paradise Rock Club

Citizen Cope, a pseudonym for the one-man-show, Clarence Greenwood, has been putting out music for over a decade now.  His songs have been featured on many television shows, most notably “Let the Drummer Kick” which has been on CSI: Miami, Cold Case, So You Think You Can Dance, and Entourage.

2/26: Umphrey’s McGee, House of Blues

One of the greatest jam bands on the modern scene, Umphrey’s cites a strong prog rock influence in their music.  Their 2007 album, Live at the Murat exhibits their ability to improvise on acoustic songs as well as electric ones, get the crowd involved, and bring new life to every show.  House of Blues is the best venue in Boston for this type of festival jam band.

2/27: Flogging Molly, House of Blues

Along with Boston’s Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly has defined Celtic punk in the past decade.  The American-based Irish seven-piece band has a more traditional Irish sound than the Murphys, but still is as much a punk band as an Celtic band.

2/27: U-Melt, Harpers Ferry

U-Melt is touring in support of their newest album, Perfect World, U-Melt is rising in the jam band world.  They’ve performed as an opener for others in this concert review, Tea Leaf Green and Umphreys McGee, but have their own unique sound.  With definite jamtronica aspects to their music, you best be ready to dance, dance to the untz, untz.