The new releases from Vermont artists keep coming! To help cover the wide swath of emerging Green Mountain music, editor Chris Farnsworth takes on six albums at once. (Well, not, like, simultaneously, because that would sound awful. But you know what he means.)
Ryan Sweezey, Maybe Magic
(Self-released, digital)
Burlington singer-songwriter Ryan Sweezey’s music is a callback to the mid-’90s folk-tinged pop and alternative rock of bands such as Deep Blue Something, Matchbox Twenty and Counting Crows. On his sixth LP, Maybe Magic, Sweezey has refined his songwriting and upped the production game so significantly that his songs sound like they belong in the conversation with his obvious inspirations. Part of that is a credit to the talents of producer Christopher Hawthorn and Grammy winner Alan Douches, who mastered the record.
It’s also Sweezey’s strongest batch of songs to date. Every hook, melodic guitar and stab of synth is so meticulously placed that it’s apparent he has his art down to a science. He’s one of the Green Mountains’ most ambitious pop writers and has a clear vision of what he wants his music to do. Maybe Magic is the sound of Sweezey achieving that vision.
Key Track: “Sleepless Nights” Why: A driving, anthemic rocker with a soaring chorus, the song is Sweezey swinging for the fences. Where: ryansweezey.bandcamp.com and major streaming services
Boomslang, Boomslang Forever
(Self-released, digital, vinyl)
A musical last will and testament of sorts, Boomslang Forever is the final offering from Montpelier hip-hop duo Boomslang. Producer Johnny Morris, aka JL, and Dustin Byerly, aka MC Sed One, launched Boomslang in 2014 with their self-titled debut, followed by the hard-hitting Attack the Vampire in 2017. They went on hiatus not long after, as Morris was diagnosed with brain cancer. Before his death in 2021, he and Byerly completed work on Boomslang III and laid the groundwork for their final collaboration, Boomslang Forever.
It’s a fitting coda for one of the 802’s most dynamic hip-hop projects of the past decade. Morris’ beats, built from an extensive vinyl collection, are as propulsive and funky as ever, a keen reminder of an idiosyncratic producer the scene has sadly lost. And Byerly’s vocals are locked in, the rapper effortlessly settling into his late friend’s grooves and rhythmic pockets. Adding to the send-off vibes is a host of special guests from the Vermont music scene, including High Summer vocalist Miriam Bernardo, Hadestown bassist extraordinaire Robinson Morse and rapper Konflik. Boomslang is dead — long live Boomslang.
Key Track: “Together” Why: An anthem to teamwork, Byerly’s verses brim with heart and nostalgia over Morris’ high-octane, nod-inducing beat. Where: boomslangvt.bandcamp.com
Tinkerbullet, Tinkerbullet
(Self-released, digital)
The new LP from hard-rock trio Tinkerbullet starts with one of the most ferocious opening salvos to come out of the Green Mountain scene in years. Guitarist and vocalist Corey Selover lays down a perfect storm of stoner-rock riffage on “Dying” as drummer Jane Boxall and bassist Kiel Alarcón propel the song into a mosh-ready froth. The track sets the stage for a 10-song album of explosive, punk-edged hard rock played by three very talented musicians all pushing their respective pedals to the metal.
Tinkerbullet rages from the first smash of Boxall’s cymbals to the near-metal closeout of final track “Goldilocks.” There’s so much more to the album than pure aggression, though, with Selover’s lyrics asking questions about sexuality and identity. It’s a high-octane, full-length debut record, most of which the band recorded with producer Jer Coons in his Jericho studio.
Key Track: “Come Out” Why: Goth-metal-prog-punk? It’s hard to figure out exactly where the song is going, but Alarcón and Selover’s winding, mazelike riffs call to mind a cross between Queens of the Stone Age and Iron Maiden. Where: tinkerbullet.bandcamp.com
Emily Margaret Band, Emily Margaret Band
(Self-released, digital)
So much young talent comes out of the Brattleboro music scene, one has to seriously consider as a credible explanation the urban legend that the city sits atop a giant crystal. How else to explain that a town of just over 12,000 people has produced the likes of King Tuff, Sam Amidon, Chris Weisman, THUS LOVE and Robber Robber? Magic crystals aside, it might have something to do with the town’s support for young musicians, backing that includes the annual BrattRock festival, a talent show for the area’s aspiring future stars.
Singer-songwriter Emily Margaret hails from nearby Guilford and first participated in BrattRock when she was just 11 years old. Now 18, Margaret has dropped her debut EP, a four-song collection of R&B-flavored pop and jazz-rock that revolves around her dynamic, velvet-soft voice. There’s no asterisk beside Margaret’s songs; these aren’t “good for a kid” or “full of promise.” Her music shows nuance and sophistication — and prodigious talent. The recording is a small sample but a strong first showing from one of the scene’s youngest voices.
Key Track: “Dirty Work” Why: Margaret unspools a gorgeous, silky melody over a smooth R&B arrangement as she sings, “Something’s feeling off because nothing’s going wrong.”
Where: emilymargaret.bandcamp.com and major streaming services
The Space Cadet, Under the Green Mountains
(Self-released, digital)
Multi-instrumentalist, producer and graphic artist Julien Foster lives a dichotomous musical existence. Formerly based in Nashville, Tenn., Foster now calls Winooski home but still records Americana-leaning, heavily analog, full-band music with Music City jam-rock outfit the Good Times Family Band. He’s also released more than 30 albums of electronica and ambient music, including his latest as the Space Cadet. Under the Green Mountains is an ode to his new home.
It’s an engaging and cinematic collection of songs, from the neon-metropolis-at-night vibes of “Deckard Pass” to the downtempo, psychedelic waves emanating from the title track. Foster is as adept at using soundscapes and shadowy hints of melody to build his compositions as he is at layering beats and synths into tracks that sometimes edge into EDM. Under the Green Mountains can be deconstructed and analyzed, given top billing and explored, or it can sink into the listener’s subconscious, becoming the perfect soundtrack beneath mindful thought.
Key Track: “Zelda’s Endless Wardrobe of Possibility” Why: A bubbling cauldron of psychedelic stew, the song features record scratches, honky-tonk guitar and a washed-out, ethereal beat, creating a uniquely chilled-out groove. Where: thespacecadetmusic.bandcamp.com
The Eyetraps, The Eyetraps
(Self-released, digital)
Some young rock bands take a few records to figure out who they are, dial in a sound and start creating interesting music. Every now and then, one shows up seemingly fully formed, running while its peers are still crashing around like toddlers. Burlington four-piece the Eyetraps are one of those advanced examples. The indie rockers dropped a near-perfect, self-titled debut EP over the summer. Though the scant four tracks certainly leave the listener wanting more, the songs are so suffused with energy, intention and clever writing that the record’s brevity must be forgiven.
Singer and guitarist Alex Frantz’s melodic vocals and visceral lyrics are a centerpiece of the Eyetraps’ sound. The balance between her voice and the band’s grunge-leaning brand of indie rock is managed expertly by singer-songwriter and producer Ian Steinberg, who tracked the EP at Burlington’s Big Lake Recording. The Eyetraps is as strong an opening statement from a new Vermont band that’s come across the Seven Days desk in a while.
Key Track: “Nashville” Why: The chorus sounds like Exile in Guyville-era Liz Phair, which even Phair can’t do anymore. Where: theeyetraps.bandcamp.com and major streaming services
This article appears in Oct 15-21 2025.
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