Pittsburgh may not be as well-known for its music scene as some other cities, but that gets closer to changing with each passing day. Our concert calendar is full, and local artists are releasing new music on streaming platforms, vinyl and CD.

A few times a year, we’ll let you know of some new releases from local musicians.

Artist: M.E.L.T.

Album: “Innervate/Obliterate”

Band members: James May, Joey Troupe, J.J. Young, featuring Kat Polaski

Produced by Nate Campisi

Stream on Spotify, Apple Music and more. Vinyl available at Bandcamp.

“This album is about duality in the world around us and how you react to it,” according to the press release. The songs on side one, Innervate, focus on reflecting and internalizing. The songs on side two, Obliterate, are about — not surprisingly — destruction and chaos.

Check out: “Tranquilized,” definitely “Sabbath-indebted,” as noted in promotional material, and “Mass Grave,” the album’s first single, up-tempo and possibly danceable track.

See them live: Brillobox, Bloomfield on Nov. 22.

Bealtaine offers a new mix of Celtic traditional music, labor songs and original tunes on this album. Album cover image courtesy of Bealtaine.

Artist: Bealtaine

Album: “Factories & Mills, Shipyards & Mines”

Band members: George White, Conor Freeland, Andy Morrison, Dylan Rooke and Bill Buchko

Produced by Jake Hanner and Bealtaine

Streaming on all sites, including Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. CDs and download cards available at shows or on the Bealtaine website.

With this latest release, Bealtaine (pronounced Byal-ten-uh) offers a new mix of Celtic traditional music, labor songs and original tunes. The album title comes from a line in “The Workers Song” by Ed Pickford, one of 10 songs on the release. 

Check out: “Grafton Street,” a mid-tempo paean to Dublin’s street of shops and pubs, featuring composer Rooke’s Springsteen-esque vocal and some lovely Uilleann pipes from Freeland; and “The Ducks of Dublin Town,” written by White, about combatants in the Easter Rising who would stop fighting each day on St. Stephen’s Green and allow the park keeper to feed the ducks. 

See them live: Cork Harbour Pub, Lawrenceville, second Friday of the month; J. Gough’s Tavern, Greenfield, monthly session (next one, Nov. 20)

See Bill Toms and Hard Rain perform the new album “It’s All We’re Fighting For” in November and December at a few different venues. Image courtesy of Bill Toms & Hard Rain.

Band members: Bill Toms, Tom Breiding, Steve Binsberger, Stephen Graham, Tom Valentine, Bernie Herr, Eric Kurtzrock and the Soulville Horns (Phil Brontz, George Arner and Stephen Graham)

Produced by Rick Witkowski

Streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, etc. and the band website.

“The band is ready, a little worn and tired,” sings Toms on “Come Saturday Night,” one of 10 songs from the new album. It doesn’t sound like it: Toms, who wrote all of the songs, is in fine form, Hard Rain (and especially the Soulville Horns) are in the pocket. To quote the press release, “Through the eyes of an aging rocker,” the album “tries to make sense of uncertainty, without letting go of hope.”

Check out: Title track “It’s All We’re Fighting For” is hard-driving and romantic, and “Freedom Rider” mixes social commentary with funky blues.

See them live: All over town, including the Kollar Club, South Side, on Nov. 8 and Moondogs on Dec. 13. The 18th annual Bill and Joyce Toms Benefit Concert for Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) happens Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 26, at City Winery, Strip District.

Members: Masai Turner and Akil Esoon, featuring DJ Qbert, Daru Jones and Cam Chambers

Written and produced by Masai Turner and Akil Esoon

Streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube

The album is described as “the essence of what it means to see with your soul when the world goes blind to truth. … It’s a soundtrack for grown thinkers.” Turner handles most of the lyrics while Esoon’s the producer. It’s straightforward boom bap hip-hop done well.

Check out: “Mirror rorriM:” Chambers’ soulful singing and Turner’s rhymes are a nice combination; “Promise” is both dreamy and right to the point.

See them live: Grxwn Fxlks joined Nash.V.ILL for a double album release party and live recording on Oct. 25 at the Sanctuary at Mr. Smalls. They don’t have any future shows ready to announce yet.

The Pump Fakes latest album cover. Image courtesy of the band.

Band members: Patrick Maloney, Wil Kondrich, Darren Hammel, Jack Breiding, featuring Rob James, Vinnie Q, Rocky Lamonde, Joe Munroe, Kevin McDonald, Jeff Schmutz and Willie Franklin.

Produced by Sean McDonald

Stream on Spotify, Apple Music and more.

Maloney writes and sings lead on all eight songs. “Overall, they are songs about loss, regret, bad decisions and acceptance,” he said. Americana fans might hear influences including The Drive-By Truckers, American Aquarium, maybe Dave Alvin. There’s lots of rock ‘n’ roll too.

Check out: “You Beat Me To It,” a hard-driving rocker with a great bridge; “Out of State Plates,” with its Skynyrd opening and great Maloney vocals. 

See them live: With the Clarks at 123 Pleasant St., Morgantown W. Va., Dec. 13.