The impulse to defy convention and brand oneself as something new, fresh and different is entirely understandable—admirable, even—although claims to absolute originality are often greatly exaggerated. Still, there’s something to be said for the loud, unrepentant rock ’n’ roll of the 1960s and ’70s, when musicians suffered no such identity crisis, instead proudly saluting under the banner of rock.

It was an evening of brotherly music at The Stone Church when two regional sextets anchored by a pair of siblings took the stage in Newmarket. Portland’s The Mallett Brothers Band, led by Luke and Will Mallett, offered an invigorated alt-country sound that sonically conveys their upbringing in rural Maine. They’re proud of their local heritage, and the Pine Tree State should be equally proud to call them residents. Put simply, this is a damn good band, one of the best to come out of Portland in recent years. And, like most good bands, they ought to be heard live and in the flesh.