I founded Hump Day News in 2022. The website quickly established itself as a nimble and authoritative source for news in the Boston area, specializing in local music coverage.
In 2023 and 2024 the news site was nominated for Best Music Publication by the Boston Music Awards.
Hump Day News offers the following types of coverage:
While I’m responsible for the lion’s share of editing, writing, layout, site design, marketing/promotion, I’m also helped by a small team of kickass writers, photographers, and podders, who contribute to the original reporting that produces a fresh stream of news at the bleeding edge of the music scene.
The pieces are published at the site, distributed via our growing social media network, and seen, read, and heard by audiences around the block and around the world.
Track & Album Reviews
Music reviews are a staple of music coverage. We provides a mix of track reviews and album reviews that blend local, national, and international flavors into one big stew that’s pop-forward, genre-agnostic, and loves the experimental.
Track Reviews
We publish a new Tracks post every day.
Years ago, even before the streaming platforms took a bite out of the music industry, I realized that music coverage was becoming less album-focused, more singles-focused.
In response, I created the Mmmp3s feature while a music writer at QRO Magazine in the late Aughts, which provided a forum where standalone singles could receive the quality of critical attention that was traditionally reserved for albums.
I bring the same thoughtful philosophy to Tracks posts Hump Day News while keeping the word count short and tone playful.
Album Reviews
Album Reviews are bigger and more complex beasts than Tracks.
They arrive less frequently, but they’re essential articles when we want to make a statement about the aesthetic sensibility at Hump Day News, or take a deep dive on a worthwhile release that the rest of the scene isn’t giving its proper due.
Event Calendars
The humble event calendar holds a place of unassuming importance. It’s a critical part of the service journalism that Hump Day News provides, curating a selection of arts & culture events that lends shape and context to a sometimes bewildering array to “To Do” options.
Our events calendars a come in three varieties: Listings, Festivals, and Hump Nights.
Listings
Listings provides a month-to-month overview of music and film events. We skew toward affordable options in underground music at smaller venues.
Festivals
Fests offers a vertical list view of upcoming festivals. The focus is mostly local. Previews or Recaps are linked, if available.
Hump Nights
Hump Nights is a ticket giveaway promotion. Each month we partner with a bevvy of local bookers and venues to build a calendar of free events for the lucky winner.
Interviews & Podcast
At Hump Day News most of our Interviews get published via our podcast, Humpcast.
Interviews are a great way to dig deeper into the personalities animating the arts & culture scene in Boston and beyond.
In episode 10 I interviewed Maurin Auxéméry (Program Director, Montreal Jazz Fest) to learn more about the ins & outs of programming the world’s largest jazz festival.
Live Reviews & Videography
Live Reviews are the lifeblood of our music coverage. Many of the artists that get written up in other corners of the site were first covered live in concert. Along with the writeup and photo gallery, each live review includes a Video Recap, which aims to capture the quintessence of the show in short form.
A recent example of a Live Review, the 22nd Annual Boston Celtic Music Festival, which includes the Video Recap below.
Features
Features offer the opportunity to step back from the surface-level hustle & bustle of music reviews to look ahead and look deeper into the people, places, and events that drive music coverage. Although I place most my writing in this category in my Cambridge Day column (see Publications), there are at least two varieties of Features that regularly appear in Hump Day News: Festival Previews and Year In Review.
Festival Previews
Festival Previews, like our piece on Fuzzstival 2024, combine thoughtful context, background, and artist profiles, encapsulating what matters most about the most compelling dates on the festival calendar.
Year In Review
The Year In Review highlights the top Tracks, Albums, Live Shows, and Fests from the previous year. More than mere summary, the feature functions as a pivot signaling editorial focus for the coming year.
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