New band retraction! (Sorry, I always wanted to type that.)
Burlington punk-rock crew Rough Francis announced last year that they would be rechristening the band to reflect an increasing push into hardcore music. It was also a way for founding members Julian, Urian and Bobby Hackney Jr. to distance themselves a little from Death, the protopunk band their father and uncles formed in Detroit in the late ’60s. Rough Francis originally formed as a tribute to Death before branching out with their own original material and becoming stars in the punk world in their own right.
As much as I love Rough Francis and support them doing whatever feels authentic to their art, I have to admit that I didn’t really get the idea. It takes a lot of work to make people remember your name. Unless you’re literally Prince, don’t mess with that.
Fortunately, the band seems to have arrived at a similar conclusion. It announced on social media over the weekend that it will remain Rough Francis. A recent trip to Lamu, Kenya, gave the Hackneys new perspective and helped them decide to stick with their original name. To celebrate the New Year with the (not) new name, Rough Francis throw down at Radio Bean in Burlington on Sunday, January 11, with DJ Collin Hagood and surprise guests.
Freeway Clyde, led by Tony Award-winning composer, saxophonist, guitarist and producer Michael Chorney (viperHouse, Hadestown), is an explosion of psychedelic, acid-jazz and rock fusion that debuted in 2023 with the excellent record Sunflower. One of the band’s members, and a frequent Chorney collaborator, Matt LaRocca, has taken to reimagining Freeway Clyde’s music. After leading an acoustic version of the band called Driveway Wilson, LaRocca, artistic adviser and project conductor with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, has now launched Carport Annie.
“In Carport Annie, I reimagine and recompose the brilliant melodies and harmonies that Michael writes for Freeway Clyde,” LaRocca wrote by email. “The wild psychedelic and rocking soundscapes of Clyde are turned into beautiful waltzes and more.”
Featuring LaRocca on piano and viola, Sadie Brightman on piano, Brooke Quiggins and Stefanie Taylor on violin, and John Dunlop on cello, Carport Annie’s debut, Carport Annie Plays Freeway Clyde, is available now on major streaming services.
Stowe singer-songwriter David Karl Roberts is one of the scene’s hardest-working troubadours. When not hosting open mics or emceeing songwriter showcases, he plays coffeehouses, breweries and dives all across the Green Mountains. He’s also a prolific recording artist. Roberts released a trio of singles back in October, including the song “The Devil and Daniel Webster.”
He’s not showing any signs of slowing in 2026. Later this month, Roberts drops “Plastic Love,” followed by a single release every month of the year. Check out loveshackrecords.com for more information.
Vermont singer-songwriter and folk artist Jason Baker is back with a new single. A throwback to the days of folk singers such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, Baker’s songs are often political in nature. His latest single is no exception. “Revolution Right Now” is a protest song that finds Baker seething at the wealth inequality in America and the uncertain state of the Union.
“Criminals and wealthy men with racists and fake Christians have taken over these United States,” Baker sings on the track. “Now terrorists are on the loose / In business suits and shiny shoes / Helped by those who don’t know right from wrong.”
“Revolution Right Now” is available on major streaming services and at jbakervt.com.
Listening In
Playlist of Vermont jams
This article appears in January 7 • 2026.
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