Jazz Universe returns with our own survey of the top jazz recordings from this year—perhaps in the nick of time for some last-minute holiday gifts for others, or down-time exploration for oneself.

With its sophomore album, local psych band Mmoss has found its calling.

Under the spell of their droning rhythms, raw improvisations, and pulsing energy, the vision of green moss clinging to a riverside stone feels appropriate for this band. There’s a mysterious sentience to their music, murky but thrumming with life. “Only Children,” released last month on Chicago’s Trouble in Mind, sees Mmoss maintaining the vintage, psychedelic, folk-rock style showcased on their debut album, “i,” but also establishing a sound that is distinctly of their own making.

Any film director will tell you that the score of a film—the music composed to contribute to the collaborative whole of this very collaborative medium—is irrevocably an essential part of the film’s success. Long before lines of dialogue appeared in movies, everything from full-blown orchestras to tinny pianos provided the underscoring for the Silent Era. Timothy Fife and Tim Lang-Grannan are two Seacoast musicians now part of the tradition—more specifically, they’re creating scores for horror films. Their effort on the release of “Murder University” recently earned the Best Soundtrack award at the ShudderFest in Somerville, Mass.

The Seacoast’s favorite psychedelic rock band, Mmoss, has officially released its second full-length album, “Only Children.” They’ll celebrate with a show at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Friday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m.

Beserkley Records, 1976: On nearly every track, Richman sings with humor and sincerity about difficulties with the opposite sex and other indignities of entering manhood as a social outcast. “Well, some people try to pick up girls and get called assholes / This never happened to Pablo Picasso / He could walk down your street and girls could not resist his stare / And so Pablo Picasso was never called an asshole,” he sings conversationally in what is perhaps the band’s most celebrated song, “Pablo Picasso.”

Dover-based rock band One Hand Free has been satisfying fans with a steady stream of new material all year long. The trend continues with the release of their latest downloadable recording, “Hard X.”

Set to introduce his new album with a show in Kittery, Seacoast folk icon Bill Staines reflects on a life-long career in music.

With the release of his latest CD, “Beneath Some Lucky Star,” Seacoast musician Bill Staines has now recorded 26 solo albums. An original fixture of the Boston-area folk scene in the early 1960s, Staines’ songs have been performed by the likes of Peter, Paul and Mary; Nanci Griffith; Makem & Clancy, and others. During nearly five decades of incessant touring across the country, he has performed in all 50 states. Staines still plays upwards of 200 dates per year, driving more than 65,000 miles annually. And, although he admits it is getting more difficult to pull all-nighters behind the wheel, he still enjoys traveling the country with his guitar. “I enjoy it. I love playing for people,” Staines said. “To me, every day is an adventure.”

A new exhibit at the UNH Library’s Multimedia Center presents LP cover art from classic pop-rock records.

The prevalence of album art faded with the demise of vinyl records and the rise of CDs. But from the late ’60s to the early ’80s, the art on a record sleeve said nearly as much about a band as the music contained within the vinyl grooves.

The RMS Five, a quintet version of local gospel group Rock My Soul, is releasing a new holiday CD with a pair of upcoming shows. The band will unveil “Christmas Every Day” with a holiday concert alongside the full Rock My Soul choir on Saturday, Dec. 8, followed by a CD release show on Sunday, Dec. 16.

Dover-based rock band Gnarlemagne sits atop the regional Bull Moose bestseller list this week with their newly released sophomore album, “A Warm and Cozy Volcano.” The group released their latest disc with a show in Dover on Nov. 3.

Soule Monde, a funky jazz fusion duo consisting of organist Ray Paczkowski and drummer Russ Lawton, will celebrate the release of their new self-titled album with a show at The Red Door in Portsmouth on Thursday, Nov. 15.

The Seacoast Repertory Theatre has been expanding its programming for the last year, and the trend continues this fall with the launch of a new live music series. Rock the Rep kicks off with two shows on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9 and 10. The first show will present local gypsy rock band Ryan Flaherty and the Burners, along with Boston-based jazz violin virtuoso Kenny Butler. The Saturday night show will include longtime local rockers Tim McCoy and the Papercuts and up-and-coming local rock band Red Sky Mary. A portion of proceeds from the show will benefit The Red Cross for its hurricane relief efforts in New York and New Jersey.

Once in a while, an event so unique and unusual comes along that it must be recorded for prosperity and offered up to the masses. That’s why Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys are offering a digital recording of their original score to “Metropolis,” performed live at The Music Hall in Portsmouth last month.

Local singer-songwriter Eli Elkus is a relative newcomer to the Seacoast music scene. Then again, as a teenager born in 1994, you might say Elkus is a relative newcomer to the world. Nevertheless, his new CD, “Meet Me in the Middle of Nowhere,” belies his age, featuring skillfully crafted songs and striking vocals.

With the release of their sophomore album approaching, members of Seacoast band Gnarlemagne ponder their musical evolution.

Listening to “A Warm and Cozy Volcano,” the sophomore album from Gnarlemagne, the band’s growth over the last few years is immediately apparent—literally and figuratively. It features the same horn-happy core members that appeared on their 2009 debut, “Run for Shelter,” but there are also three new instrumentalists. The music retains the same boisterous energy that has made them one of the Seacoast’s favorite live acts, but the arrangements are more complex, and the lyrics more mature. Gnarlemagne is shedding its party band reputation, but retaining its sense of fun.

‘Poor Howard’ Stith and Mike ‘Bullfrog’ Rogers bring their musical roots to the Seacoast.

Seacoast musicians “Poor Howard” Stith and Mike “Bullfrog” Rogers both have Midwestern roots on the Mississippi River. But they do not hail from the southern Delta region that spawned blues legends like Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson and Leadbelly. Stith was raised in Iowa and later moved to Minneapolis. Rogers was born in Rock Island, Ill. “We joke about that, that we’re from the wrong end of the Mississippi,” Stith said.

Thanks to Gravity to release new disc: There is now one more reason for fans of local legends Thanks to Gravity to check out the band’s upcoming performance at The Music Hall with the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra—they’ll be releasing a new live EP. The band will be performing with the Portsmouth Symphony during its season opening concert on Sunday, Nov. 4. The CD will be available at the show, and band members will stick around afterward to sign copies and chat with guests.

Portsmouth’s Geoff Palmer and Portland’s Kurt Baker launch their own label with new CDs

For much of the 2000s, The Guts were the most prevalent pop-punk band on the Seacoast, while The Leftovers held the same distinction in the Portland area. The two bands often found themselves sharing bills and working with the same record labels, and their members developed a strong rapport on and off the stage.

Doctor Gasp returns to haunt New England with his Misshapen Jack-O-Lantern Tour.

Although the tour includes a handful of bar gigs, Doctor Gasp will also rear his beastly head at a number of art galleries, festivals and houses. Since he just moved out of his apartment and put all his belongings into storage, he’ll spend the month as a musical hobo. “My lease had run out and I didn’t find a place, so I was like, ‘Who cares? I’m going on tour,’” he said.

While many locals complain about the dwindling number of live music venues in Portsmouth, only a handful actively try to do something about it. John Lessard is one of them, having expanded the live music and comedy offerings at The Red Door over the last two years.

The Elysium Arts Folk Club, host of regular concerts at its intimate space in Rollinsford, has closed its doors. Owner Joseph Simes said the club, located at the Lower Mills at Salmon Falls, shut down due to low attendance and climbing rent.

Downtown Portsmouth now has two new venues for live music. The Thirsty Moose Taphouse on Congress Street has opened its downstairs lounge, and the Martingale Wharf on Bow Street has launched a live music series.

Melvins front man Buzz Osborne talks about their record-setting tour and new album, along with the influences of Judy Garland.

Buzz Osborne founded sludge-metal band the Melvins in Washington nearly 30 years ago. Since then, the band has released nearly 20 studio albums, influencing everyone from grunge acts like Nirvana and Soundgarden to metal bands like Tool and Mastodon. But, until now, the Melvins’ have never performed in New Hampshire.

In a rare collision between the reggae worlds of England and New Hampshire, Portsmouth will host an upcoming release party for a new project from London’s Micah “Mr. Williamz” Williams. The launch party for locally produced single “We Run England” takes place at The Red Door on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Visitors to next year’s Prescott Park Arts Festival will be treated to a more pleasant summer experience, thanks to pending upgrades and improvements to the park’s pavilion building, which houses its restrooms and concession kitchen.

Those familiar with the heavy, exploratory rock of Comma may be surprised to hear a couple of its members lending their instrumental talents to a peppier, poppier, jammier new group. Brentwood’s People Skills play a style they describe on Facebook as “pop on steroids” and “psychedelic lullaby rock.”

The J. Geils Band current tour includes long-time front man Peter Wolf and other founding members, but does not include original guitarist John Geils, who has been feuding with his old band mates over rights to the name.

Just because the summer is winding down doesn’t mean it’s time to turn the volume down. A number of fall music festivals and concert series with local and national names are heating up the next few months on the Seacoast.

Dover-based singer-songwriter Andrea Szirbik, an acoustic guitarist and author of emotionally sweet folk and pop songs, is set to release her new CD with a show aboard the M/V Thomas Laighton this month.

Seacoast rock band Red Sky Mary plans to release a new album, re-release an old EP and embark on a tour this fall, and they’re looking for help from fans to get it all done. The band has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the projects.

Vocalocity, a non-auditioned community chorus, is looking for singers to join the group as it enters its fourth year. Singers from high school ages through retirement are invited to come sing choral literature in fun, relaxed atmosphere.

The latest round of concert announcements from The Music Hall in Portsmouth includes country legend Lyle Lovett, blues virtuoso Rory Block, and singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick, all on their way in November.

The Press Room celebrates Jay Smith

It’s been 10 years since Jay Smith, original owner of The Press Room, secret benefactor of The Music Hall, and the connective tissue of the Portsmouth arts community, passed away. Smith’s legacy is still keenly felt in Portsmouth, and on Wednesday, Sept. 5, The Press Room is hosting an evening of music and stories to celebrate his legacy.

Dover’s Henry Law Park will once again be the site of traditional Irish music, dance and storytelling during the ninth annual Seacoast Irish Festival. The event takes place at the Rotary Arts Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Keyboardist extraordinaire Marco Benevento has become a veritable regular on the Seacoast. He’s performed at The Stone Church in Newmarket in various formats, and last year played several shows at The Red Door in Portsmouth.

Like an over-psyched Paul Weller, but with the ability to command a tune like Rod Stewart, lead singer Shogun shouts a version of Stax-inspired soul that is surprising but right at home alongside the band’s distorted garage punk burners. Though they share the lo-fidelity and simplicity of ’60s-inspired revivalists, the band’s speed and focus on melody sounds more like Husker Du than The Troggs.

For at least one week, Portsmouth’s own vintage rock band The Connection laid claim to the world’s coolest song. “Underground Garage,” the nationally syndicated rock radio show hosted and produced by Steven Van Zandt, named the band’s “Seven Nights to Rock” the “Coolest Song in the World” last week.

Cross’ journey has been bumpy at times, involving frequent stops for gigs at near-empty bars and open mikes. But her recent shows at Austin's Continental Club and other prominent venues like the Saxon Pub have reaffirmed her belief that she can make it as a working musician, even in one of America’s busiest music scenes.

Indie rock band Nightmare Air, featuring Seacoast native Dave Dupuis, will soon embark on a tour of Europe in support of its forthcoming album.

One-man punk show Ed Hamell, a.k.a. Hamell on Trial, is on his way to the Seacoast for a pair of upcoming gigs. Hamell’s tour will bring him to The Stone Church in Newmarket on Friday, Aug. 17, and to Spun Records in Dover on Sunday, Aug. 19.

The 2012-2013 season of the University of New Hampshire Celebrity Series will bring a range of world-class musicians and theatrical acts to the Johnson Theatre stage. The series begins in September and continues through next April.

The Dover Brick House will celebrate the Seacoast punk scene of yore with an upcoming show to benefit local producer Jim Tierney. Area bands The Queers and The Lanterns will join North Carolina’s Flat Tires on Thursday, Aug. 16.

Legendary Seacoast rock band Groovechild is reuniting again to play a benefit show for late boxer Jeff Fraza, who died in February. The concert takes place at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury, Mass., on Saturday, Sept. 8.

The Music Hall has announced the latest additons to its lineup. Headed to Portsmouth over the next few months are Art Garfunkel, Gladys Knight, Rufus Wainwright, Ingrid Michaelson, and Mike and Ruthy. Tickets to all shows go on sale to the general public on Saturday, Aug. 18.

Rhiannon Giddens, front woman of the Portsmouth-bound Carolina Chocolate Drops, talks about bringing roots music into the present

The title track to the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ latest album, “Leaving Eden,” is about a family that’s fallen on hard luck in an empty mill town. It was written by Laurelynn Dossett, a friend and former neighbor of Chocolate Drops vocalist, fiddler and banjoist Rhiannon Giddens, who sings the sad lyrics with aching beauty. 

Local Parrotheads might not get to see Jimmy Buffett on the Seacoast, but they will have a chance to see a few of his associates next month. Peter Mayer, Jim Mayer and Scott Kirby will play at Rivermill at Dover Landing on Friday, Sept. 21.

“American Idol” semi-finalist and Boston native Ayla Brown has been added to the lineup of the eighth annual WOKQ Country Festival, taking place at Prescott Park in Portsmouth on Saturday, Aug. 4.

The Eighth annual Seacoast Concert for a Cure will once again raise funds and awareness for local cancer support groups. Local bands Truffle and Bliss will headline this year’s festival on Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye.

Kittery resident Nat Baldwin has toured five continents as bassist for the Dirty Projectors. He’s played in the shadow of breathtaking mountains in Japan. He’s performed on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” He’s recorded with Björk and shared the stage with The Roots and David Byrne. But perhaps Baldwin’s most cherished memory to date with the Projectors is of recording the band’s latest album in the attic of a house near the Catskill Mountains last August. Front man David Longstreth had written about 70 new songs and beats during a prolific 12 months in the house, located in Delaware County, New York. The band learned and recorded close to 50 of those songs in a single month.

Portsmouth-based fusion-reggae band Roots, Rhythm, & Dub will offer a spree of upcoming shows in support of its brand new EP, “The Getaway.” It’s the band’s first batch of new songs since its 2010 debut, “B Side.”

Boston’s long-time alternative rock radio station, 101.7 FM WFNX, aired its final broadcast on Friday, July 20. The station, owned by the Phoenix Media/Communications Group, recently sold its signal to ClearChannel Communications.

The Teatotaller Tea House in Somersworth has been hosting its weekly live music series for more than two months now, and the word appears to be spreading. The After Hours series takes place every Thursday night at 7 p.m.

Seacoast rock band One Hand Free will soon make its second appearance in as many years at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. The quartet will open for blues guitarist and singer Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Saturday, Aug. 18.

Guitarist and singer Cal Powers has spent months putting together an album with a rotating cast of more than 40 local musicians. They’ll all celebrate the CD release with a concert and party at the Dover Brick House on Saturday, July 28.

TVP Records and the Dover Brick House release compilation CDs filled with great local music

On the surface, the new compilation CDs from TVP Records and the Dover Brick House would appear to have little in common. TVP’s “Groove Lounge” primarily features soul, jazz and hip-hop songs, while the Brick House’s live disc consists mainly of hard rock, punk and rockabilly tunes.

British guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson wowed local crowds at Prescott Park in 2010 and The Music Hall in 2011, but it’s been three years since his last appearance in Newburyport, Mass. He’ll return with a concert at The Theatre at Newburyport High School on Friday, July 20.

Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, the self-proclaimed creator of reggae, discusses the legacy he’ll soon bring to Hampton Beach with the Wailers

Aston “Family Man” Barrett was already an accomplished bassist who had toured internationally when he started working with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in the early 1970s. The trio had recruited Barrett and his brother, late drummer Carlton “Carlie” Barrett, to serve as their backing band. Barrett remembers sitting down with the group to record a few demos on a cassette tape recorder.

In what is expected to become an annual event, The Governors’ Inn will host the first ever Rochester Reggae & Rhythm Craft Brew Fest on Saturday, July 14. The festival will bring five regional bands to the Inn’s back gardens.

Upcoming music events.

Musical acts of all genres will be performing at different venues around the Seacoast all summer long.

Ryan Flaherty has put in the hours to hone himself into a razor-sharp guitarist and polish his songwriting craft. Now, with two albums on the books and a busy gigging schedule across the Seacoast, those hours are paying off.

Rochester Main Street is inviting guests to enjoy lunch to the sounds of local music during the 2012 Factory Court Brown Baggers Concert Series. Outdoor performances take place every Friday through August in the downtown walkway.

Greenland will kick off its fifth annual Summer Concert Series with a performance by local doo-wop vocal group The Bel Airs on Thursday, June 21. The series continues every other Thursday night at the Bandstand on Post Road.

The minds behind 3S Artspace have been staging concerts at various locations throughout the Seacoast over the past couple of years. Now, for the first time, they’re launching a music series in their own front yard.

Larry Simon reflects on 15 years of Beat Night in Portsmouth

Guitarist and composer Larry Simon’s interest in the Beat Generation stretches back to his teen years. The nonconformist, celebratory nature of beat poetry struck an immediate chord with the young musician.

Cochecho Arts Festival announces summer concerts: The 27th annual Cochecho Arts Festival fires its first shot on the Fourth of July with a day-long celebration capped by a performance from local ’80s-style rockers Gazpacho on the River Stage at Dover’s Henry Law Park. After that, it's a summer filled with the Friday night headliner series, Thursday lunchtime concert series, Tuesday morning kids show, and even Wednesday farmers' market concerts.

Voices from the Heart, Portsmouth’s 200-voice women’s chorus, will tour Cuba this summer, bringing its world sound to the Caribbean. About 110 of the group’s members will depart for Cuba on July 1 for a spate of concerts.

Grammy Award-winning group the Carolina Chocolate Drops will headline Prescott Park’s 15th annual Folk Festival on Monday, Aug. 13, and a number of other acts will play supporting roles, including the David Wax Museum.

Local songwriter Cal Powers returns to his rock roots with a cast of 50 Seacoast musicians on an upcoming recording.

Cal Powers had not played a note of music in more than a decade when he popped open his dusty old guitar case a few years ago. “The strings were completely covered in rust,” he recalled. “I literally hadn’t played a guitar, even strummed it, in years.” The Portsmouth native, now a resident of Kittery, was a prominent figure in the Seacoast music scene in the late 1980s and early ’90s. But a family tragedy led him to lay down his instrument for 14 years. Only when a group of old friends dragged him out of reclusion and into a new band did Powers rekindle his passion for music. That small spark ultimately led to a huge recording project that not only puts him back in the local spotlight, but celebrates the entire Seacoast music community.

Lots of local bands at Granite State Music Fest: The first-ever Granite State Music Festival will be held in Concord this summer on Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, in Concord’s Kiwanis Park. The event will feature music from local bands of the Seacoast along with other statewide and national acts. All proceeds will go to the Concord Community Music School, which organizers describe as the largest employer of musicians in Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine.

Papercuts cut new album: When it comes to locally minted rock, Tim McCoy and the Papercuts never fail to deliver. The Dover-based band has just released its latest studio album, “Every Night Is Prom Night,” following 2010’s “Welcome to the Breakdown.”

For reasons never entirely understood by his fans, Jim O’Rourke has always been a black sheep to the music media—and not in that loveable in-and-out-of-rehab sort of way. Many music writers simply despise the man (a 2002 article about him in Stylus Magazine was headlined, “Jim O’Rourke: Fat Soulless Fuck”).

The General Assembly Chamber Orchestra will hold its debut performance at Second Congregational Church in Kittery on Friday, May 25. Readers will share poems of spring newly set to music by the ensemble members. They’ll perform traditional and lesser-known poems in a range of musical and reading styles.

The Press Room is hosting a musical benefit for recent stroke victim Todd Cary, a well-known local food and wine connoisseur. The evening will feature Silver Lining, Chris Vaughan, Thomas D’Amour and, possibly, Ellen Page.

Prospect Hill’s third studio album, “Impact,” has been infiltrating the airwaves since its release late last year. The New England hard rockers will celebrate their success with a concert and signing party at Wally’s Pub in Hampton on Friday, May 25.

Summertime is around the corner, and that means it’s time to take a look at some of the hot concerts coming to a venue near you.

A commonality of many of the larger concert venues located within an hour radius of the Seacoast is that they appear to specialize in bands we primarily remember from bygone eras—let’s call them “nostalgia acts.” As long as there’s an audience for such concerts—and there clearly is—there’s no reason to knock the practice. And, thankfully, there are also at least a few regional venues bringing in some fresher modern acts, too.

How do you follow up a 2011 concert season that began with Tom Rush in June, featured Taj Mahal in July and concluded with Arlo Guthrie in August? A good way to start is by booking Ani Difranco to kick off the 2012 season.

The Hutchinson Family Singers were one of America's first modern bands—they helped invent the American music scene, took up the cause of civil rights, and made bank doing it.

Nearly a century before the Trapp Family Singers came to America, the Hutchinson Family Singers were touring the nation. About 120 years before Bob Dylan sang civil rights songs at Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the Hutchinson clan was singing antislavery songs alongside Frederick Douglass. And almost 150 years before Bruce Springsteen publicly endorsed Barack Obama, the Hutchinsons were rallying support for Abraham Lincoln.

Soul Coughing was a band on the rise in the late ’90s. The group’s unique melding of experimental jazz, rock and hip-hop earned it glowing reviews and a loyal cult following rooted in the New York underground. But that success was mostly lost on front man Mike Doughty, who feuded constantly with his band mates. To make matters worse, Doughty developed a crippling drug and alcohol addiction, to the point that puking and bedwetting became parts of his daily routine. Doughty has long since left his dysfunctional band, sobered up and embarked on a prolific solo career as an acoustic singer-songwriter. He describes the dark but often hilarious journey in his new memoir, “The Book of Drugs.”

The All Good :: Feel Good Collective is taking over the collective consciousness of the Seacoast scene

Three-part harmonies, an extensive horn section, and a determination to create authentic reggae music with other influences thrown in are all hallmarks of the All Good :: Feel Good Collective. The band, officially formed in the fall of 2011, has played more than 45 shows since September, gaining recognition all over New England for its sound and dance-inspiring live performances.

Multi-instrumentalist and singer Levon Helm, the legendary founder of The Band, died of cancer in New York on April 19. He was 71. A beloved musician whose career spanned 55 years, Helm was well known to Seacoast audiences, having last performed at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in June 2010. He had to postpone the venue’s season opener, but was scheduled to play the Ballroom again in July.

Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys, veterans of the RPM Challenge, pair up with an experimental Boston theater company to bring a non-traditional, multi-media production to the stage. “I’ve always been a fan of ’30s radio dramas and ‘War of the Worlds’ and stuff like that, so I said, ‘let’s make a radio show. A science fiction masterpiece,’” said band leader Walter Sickert.

Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers, who are on their way to UNH, talks about the band’s forthcoming album and humble climb to success

The Avett Brothers have come a long way since they started performing on the streets of Charlotte, N.C., more than a decade ago. Named Group of the Year by the American Music Association in 2007, they signed with famed producer Rick Rubin’s label the following year, then performed at the 2011 Grammy Awards with Mumford and Sons and Bob Dylan. Today, the Avett Brothers are commonly cited as one of the foremost pioneers of the indie folk movement. But bassist Bob Crawford doesn’t see it that way.

Mmoss, the Seacoast’s own vintage psychedelic folk-rock band, is offering fans a taste of its forthcoming sophomore album. The Dover-based group recently released a new track called “Spoiled Sun” on its Bandcamp page.

For those willing to indulge the rather ostentatious concept, the new Telergy CD is loads of fun, and its cast of musicians is extraordinary, including both locals like cellist Kristen Miller and international guests like Chinese violinist Hoi Yan Joyce Pang.

Mike Doughty last performed in the area in August 2011 for 3S Fest in Portsmouth, put on by 3S Artspace. The show was originally scheduled to take place outside in Prescott Park but was moved indoors at The Press Room due to rain. Not all the audience that wished to attend could fit; this show should help remedy that.

This is the second installment of local drummer José Duque’s ReLoad project, following up on last year’s eponymous debut. The project serves as a refreshing creative outlet for Duque, primarily known as the leader of Zumbatres, allowing him to break out of the Latin jazz genre and explore other musical territories.

The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom’s 2012 season got off on the wrong foot when legendary drummer Levon Helm postponed his March 30 performance due to a health issue. The show has been rescheduled for Tuesday, July 17. The Ballroom’s season will now launch with a sold-out performance by Marilyn Manson with The Pretty Reckless on Saturday, April 28. For more information, call 603-929-4200 or visit www.casinoballroom.com.

The University of New Hampshire’s Department of Music will present a spate of student concerts in late April and early May, from chamber singers to symphony orchestras to student composers and more.

Daniel Johnston may be the most famous musician you’ve never heard of—unless, of course, you have heard of him. He’ll headline a CD release show to benefit local musician Brett Hartenbach at the Rochester Opera House on Saturday, May 12.

The Future of Music Coalition has been working on a long-term project that goes beyond personal anecdote and uses tax returns and other information to better understand where money in the music business goes, including how much goes to musicians.

After more than five years, three full-length albums and countless gigs around New England, The Molenes are taking a breather—at least temporarily. The band is playing a final show in Portsmouth before an “extended break.”

Originally conceived by Bull Moose employee Chris Brown, Record Store Day has become one of the biggest annual events in the music world, with participation from local indie musicians and major recording artists, alike. On Saturday, April 21, Bull Moose is celebrating with local bands from New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts offering free performances at each location, and many of the featured acts will be releasing new albums.

Archers of Loaf: Re-listening to “Icky Mettle” and “Vee Vee” now, I’m struck by how heavy both are. It’s a reminder that there was a time when those in the indie scene leaned far more heavily on punk rock than they do today. Pictures in the liner notes of the recent Merge reissues depict a too-punk-to-live band of road heroes, harnessed in cut-off shorts, body odor almost visible in the photographs. Perhaps it was the proximity in time to the U.S. hardcore scene, but it’s a bummer this is no longer the norm. Turn it up, please.

It came as a disappointment to local fans when, in March 2011, English musician Billy Bragg cancelled his scheduled appearance with Mavis Staples at The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Although Staples still performed, Bragg was forced to drop out of the “Hope, Love & Justice Tour” due to a family illness. A year later, Bragg is making up for it.

The only party like it on Planet Earth!
Meet us at The Music Hall  on Saturday, March 24.  Doors open at 6 p.m.,  RPM Opening Ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Bands, make sure you check in at the Music Hall to get your nametags. Full playlists available after the jump.

The latest addition to the 2012 Jazzmouth schedule is a screening of a new documentary called “David Amram: The First 80 Years.” Amram and director Lawrence Kraman will host the event at The Music Hall Loft on Saturday, April 28 at 3 p.m.