NYS Music 20​13

Category: Capital Region

  • Best of 2013 – Part 2, Best Albums

    2013 has been a great year. We have expanded our staff and coverage to bring more bands and live acts to the attention of fans and readers, and are looking forward to 2014 with great anticipation as we focus on the music coming out of all corners of New York State. Music festivals and incredible tours and albums pepper the best of 2013 Upstate New York music calendar, giving broad musical choices for the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.

    Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2013. We looked at 10 categories – Best Upstate Show, Best Show, Best Upstate Album, Best Album, Best Upstate Festival, Best Festival, Best Upstate Venue, Best Venue, Best Band on the Rise and Jam of the Year –  and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year.

    Here’s part 2 of 5, looking at the Best Albums of 2013

    Best Upstate Album

    Top Picks

    Floodwood This is Life

    best of 2013 albumsSolaris Neon

    Donna the Buffalo Tonight, Tomorrow, Yesterday

    Rest of the Best

    Smackdab II

    Crows Cage Forgiven Sins

    Eastbound Jesus Northern Rock

    Jeff Bujak User Correction

    Blind Owl Band This Train We Ride is Made of Wood and Steel

    Bad Cello Finna EP

    Ocupanther Progressor

    Driftwood Rock-N-Roll Heart

    Formula 5 Formula 5

    Best Album overall

    Top Picks

    Daft Punk Random Access Memories 

    Arcade Fire Reflektor 

    Pearl Jam Lightning Bolt 

    Rest of the Best

    Phish Ventura ’98

    Alan Evans Trio Merkaba

    The Deep Dark Woods Jubilee

    David Bowie The Next Day

    McCartney New

    Imagine Dragons Night Vision

    Toro Y Moi Anything in Return

    Boards of Canada Tomorrow’s Harvest

    Oh Honey  With Love EP

    Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City

    Phish Chicago ’94

    Lorde Pure Heroine

    Did we miss an album this year that you thought was great? Sound off in the comments!

  • Best of 2013 – Part 1, Best Shows around NYS

    2013 has been a great year. We have expanded our staff and coverage to bring more bands and live acts to the attention of fans and readers, and are looking forward to 2014 with great anticipation as we focus on the music coming out of all corners of New York State. Music festivals and incredible tours pepper the Upstate New York music calendar, giving broad musical choices for the 8 million New Yorkers who call Upstate their home.

    Our staff writers and photographers were asked to look back at the full year of music in Upstate New York and beyond, and weigh in with their best of 2013. We looked at 10 categories – Best Upstate Show, Best Show, Best Upstate Album, Best Album, Best Upstate Festival, Best Festival, Best Upstate Venue, Best Venue, Best Band on the Rise and Jam of the Year –  and came up with the best music we have seen and heard this year. We’ll bring you two categories each day this week

    Here’s part 1 of 5, looking at the Best Shows of 2013

    Best Upstate Show

    Top Picks

    Phish at SPAC, 7/5

    best shows of 2013Pearl Jam at First Niagara Center, Buffalo 10/2

    best shows of 2013 pearl jamPhish at Glens Falls Civic Center, 10/23

    best shows of 2013 phishRest of the Best

    Turkuaz, The Westcott Theater, Syracuse 2/28

    BB King, The Massry Center, Albany 4/14

    Ian McLagan Solo, Lovin Cup, Rochester 6/23

    Phish, SPAC 7/7

    John Brown’s Body, Grassroots Festival, Ithaca 7/20

    Railroad Earth & Yonder Mountain String Band, Saranac Brewery 8/3

    Woodstock Sessions with Alan Evans Trio 8/24

    Allman Brother’s Band with Steve Winwood, SPAC 8/28

    Aqueous with Lotus, Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor 8/29

    Jimkata, Marris Amphitheatre, Oriskany Falls 8/31

    Michael Franti, Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park 9/16

    FarmAid, SPAC 9/21

    Start Making Sense, The Hollow, Albany 9/27

    Bad Cello, The Cult of the Crying Moon and The Bird Calls, WERW Launch Party, Syracuse 9/28

    Pretty Lights Live in Albany, 10/31

    Chicago and the Utica Symphony Orchestra, The Stanley Center, Utica 10/5

    Rubblebucket, The Westcott Theater 11/20

    Best Show Overall

    Top Pick

    Phish at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City 11/1

    best shows of 2013 phish

    Rest of the Best

    Tenacious D, House of Blues, Boston 3/4

    Huey Lewis, Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown 5/11

    The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Great Googa Mooga Festival, Brooklyn 5/17

    Yonder Mountain String Band, Cumberland, MD 5/26

    Dirty Projectors, Lincoln Hall, Chicago 6/13

    The Rolling Stones, TD Garden, Boston 6/14

    Warren Haynes & The Boston Pops, Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration, Lenox, MA 6/22

    Tipper, Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, NV, late August

    Sound Tribe Sector 9, Bank of America Pavilion, Boston 8/31

    Elvis Costello and The Roots, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn 9/16

    STS9, Landmark Theater, Syracuse 9/21

    Turkuaz, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn 9/25

    The Disco Biscuits, City Bisco, Philadelphia, PA 9/28

    Steely Dan, Beacon Theater, NYC 10/5

    Nine Inch Nails, Prudential Center, Newark, NJ 10/15

    Phish, DCU Center, Worcester, MA 10/26

    Bernhoft, The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA 11/1

    Phish, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ 11/2

    Dark Star Orchestra, Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT 11/19

    Railroad Earth and Peter Rowan, Sherman Theater, Strousberg, PA 11/30

    Did we miss a show this year that you thought was great? Sound off in the comments!

  • Get Lucky this Friday the 13th with The Kollectiv and Groovestick

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    This Friday at 9pm don’t miss two of Upstate New York’s fresh and funky bands, The Kollectiv and GrooveStick, appearing at The Hollow in Albany. Groovestick has become a growing Capital District sensation with their heavy organ infused, progressive funk. The trio is a collaboration with Dan Gerken on guitar (Timbre Coup/Mirk), Chris Carballeira on organ/keys (Dirty Paris, Funk Evolution) and Frantz Celestin on drum kit (The Kollectiv, Dirty Paris).

    This will be a special reunion show for The Kollectiv, since they have had band members living on the west coast and haven’t played together for months. The original lineup consists of keyboardist Eric Luba, guitarist Jaden Carlson, Frantz Celestin on drums (GrooveStick), Chris Duffy on bass (Dirty Paris), Lars Viola on turntables (M.A.E.), and guitarist Taylor Frederick (Technicolor Tone Factory). Deep into December, they are staying true to the old holiday saying, “There’s no place like home for the holidays” and eager to see long awaited fans and friends in Albany and at the Black Oak Tavern in Oneonta on Saturday.

    Before their big weekend, was lucky to catch some free time with Taylor Frederick about their time apart, practice and the year ahead.

    Susan Rice: It’s been quite some time since the Kollectiv performed in Upstate New York. What have you guys been working on since your time off?

    Taylor Frederick: Well Duffy is finishing up college in Albany as of right now, Lars is down in NYC producing and working with his hip-hop projects at True Statement., Frantz has been hard at work with his new funk trio Groovestick, and Eric and myself moved out to Boulder, CO at the end of May, and dove into the music scene out here pretty quickly. He is now in The Jaden Carlson Band, and I am now playing with Technicolor Tone Factory. As for Eric and myself, I know JCB is planning on a two month national tour starting at the end of February or beginning of March, and TTF will also be on tour at that time heading west toward California, and also heading south into Texas around the same time. Tour dates are going to be released in early 2014.

    SR: Do you find it difficult to keep in touch with band members living across the country? Do you log in practice time with each other?

    TF: It’s a little difficult at times. You tend to get caught up in life, and sometimes that makes time fly by a bit faster than one would like. But we do keep in touch quite a bit. Since Eric and I are out here we have been running the old stuff and some new surprises for the run and the rest of the boys have been doing their own individual runs on the material.

    SR: Do you guys feel like you will need like you need a lot of practice before the show? I would be nervous if I had to play with a band that I haven’t seen in month’s haha.

    TF: Well the funny story is the band was founded on straight improv, even the songs. We just kind of get lucky that we all know them well enough that when we hear a tease of something, we all pick up on it and can go right in. It’s a pretty amazing bond to have with a group of musicians. It doesn’t happen often but when it does its magic. For the run however we have been learning a bunch of new material on our own, and whatever we decide on, the setlists will kind of determine what we can fit in between point A and point B.

    SR: What is the band most excited for on your Holiday/reunion run in Upstate NY?

    TF: We’re just pumped to be playing music together again. It’s always a good time when we get together. Our friends from all over the place always come out as well and we seem to make new ones at ever show. It’s slowly turning into just a giant family reunion.

    SR: Does the Kollectiv have any plans for 2014 that fans can look forward to? New music? More East Coast shows?

    TF: As far as 2014 you never know. There have been some old studio recordings that just may resurface, and maybe a couple festival appearances? We’ll have to wait and see. Right now just keep an eye out for JCB, TTF, Groovestick, M.A.E, Dirty Paris and our other respected projects!

  • Marco Benevento and WOLF! Keep Albany Warm at Red Square

    Marco Benevento last partied at Albany’s Red Square months ago on the first day of June. An exciting Saturday night at Red Square started off with the garage-rockabilly stylings of WOLF! Scott Metzger treated the crowd to his raw guitar work throughout the set, while Taylor Floreth kept the steady beat going underneath him. Dave Dreiwitz played bass with them for the second time ever and fit right in with them. Scott joked between songs with the crowd and it seemed as if the hour was over before it started. Hopefully Scott will bring the band back around to the Capital Region soon for a longer performance.

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    With the cold weather quickly settling into Upstate, Benevento had the Capital District already excited for 2014 as he promised to announce the month of his fall residency at Red Square. Marco Benevento blasted off with “The Real Morning Party” a youthful tune with Nintendo charm that geared the crowd up for play time. The trio went on into a blur of covers throughout the night such as The Bangles “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Jump into the Fire” by Harry Nillson. Benevento donned the big tiger mask for one of his newest songs from the album, Tiger Face, “Limbs of a Pine”, getting a big roar from the audience and bowing to bassist Dave Dreiwtiz. Andy Borger hit hard the petals with Benevento raising his mug in approval with a catchy verse leading the crowd to a repetitive “HEY/WOO” cheer.  The crowd was rowdy all evening, but really took it to an extreme during the song, with a few people walking on stage and dancing.

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    Benevento and Dreiwtiz exchanged smiles during “RISD” as they played with upbeat and innocent lightheartedness. “Escape Horse” brought about a dark, dangerous side to the night as Benevento hit every note on his keybords with tremendous madness and Borger pounded deep beats. The band took a moment to thank the fans and asked for their vote on which month in 2014 their residency at Red Square should be. October got the loudest cheers and  Marco proclaimed, “As long as we have the ladies with red clown noses, we’ll be here next October, celebrating the release of a new album at that time!” The night ended with the group singalong of “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35” by Bob Dylan and the curveball of Britney Spears “Toxic.” It’ll be seem like a long year until Marco Benevento returns to Albany in October, hopefully he’ll return for another season starter. Until then, Benevento will be ending the year at The Capitol Theatre on Dec 27th with Joe Russo’s Almost Dead and a post-Phish Show at the Highline Ballroom on Dec 30th and he will be sitting in with The Midnight Ramble Band for a special New Year’s Eve Ramble at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY.

  • The Final Shows at Valentines Slated for December 20+21

    A monumental shift in the Albany jamband scene is upon us – Valentine’s, located at 17 New Scotland Ave in Albany, a longtime haven for bands like moe. Conehead Buddha, Ominous Seapods and many others passing through the area, will be closing its doors on New Years Eve.

    Albany area promoter Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions will present his final weekend of shows at Valentines on December 20th and 21st. On Friday, two of the venue’s past favorites will reunite, FreeBeerandChicken and Wreckloose, with doors at 8pm and show at 9:30. Cover is $10. On Saturday, Albany favorites Peter Prince and Moonboot Lover, Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets, and Subduing Mara will perform. Doors at 8, show at 9 with a $15 cover. Both shows are 18+

    Come celebrate the historical relationship between Valentine’s and Guthrie Bell Productions with friends and family throughout the Capital District! This night will be one for the books and will be there to bring you all the details of this sure to be infamous night of music and farewells.

    Guthrie Bell has brought so many bands to Valentine’s over the years that the list reads like a Who’s Who of Northeast Jambands –  moe., Disco Biscuits, Soulive, Ominous Seapods, Moonboot Lover, Conehead Buddha, Schleigho, Free Beer and Chicken, Yolk, Eastbound Jesus, Dr. Jah, Formula 5, Timbre Coup and hundreds more. Come join us and bid farewell to an historic venue.

    Please note: Guthrie Bell Productions will continue to produce and promote live music in the Capital District. They currently have scheduled events at The Palace Theatre, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, and Red Square. Check out their facebook event page for more details.

  • Formula 5 and TAUK – On the Rise at The Hollow

    Two of the most up and coming improvisational bands combined forces for a funky Friday night throw down at The Hollow in Albany. Despite the threat of a possible snow storm, dedicated fans made the journey downtown to celebrate the end of the work week with drinks and great music. Tauk, the four piece space funk band from Brooklyn, has been heavily touring across the East Coast this year and was happy to return to the Capital District. Formula 5 is no stranger to the area as they supply fresh local jams to the masses on a steady rotation. Tauk and Formula 5 are two bands to watch for in the New Year ahead.

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    Tauk quickly filled the dance floor as their electronic-infused rock sound moved through the room. Their slow and monstrous buildups leave plenty to the musical imagination. Guitarist Matt Jalbert and Bassist Charlie Dolan hit high altitude chord elevations that keep the audience on the tip of their dancing toes. Isaac Teel is a multi-tasking, beat-making machine as he uses a tambourine with his left hand, drums with his right hand and holds his left drum stick in his mouth. Keyboardist A.C. Carter adds soulful organ notes before dipping into groovy techno melodies. The quartet ended their set with a killer mash-up of Led Zepplin’s “Immigrant Song”, Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” and “Bulls on Parade” by Rage against the Machine which they have named, “Immigrant Boogie Parade.” Tauk will hit the road in January with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe after they throw down at a Phish after-party with Fikus at DROM on Dec 28th. Their newest album, Homunculus is available for free download here.

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    Formula 5 had something for everyone as they have performed diverse covers and unique original songs. The band started with a solid cover of Elton John’s “Grey Seal” before erupting into their party starter anthem “Excalibur.” Greg Bell of Guthrie Bell Productions took a moment to raffle off free tickets for all his shows in 2014 proving that live music is the best gift for anyone. Formula 5 is growing to be a band where as they grow, you listen for the teases, songs within songs, and “songception” moments. Fans were thrilled as they recognized Was (Not Was)’s “Walk the Dinosaur” and Phish’s “The Moma Dance” during the funky “Pedro.” The boys have been working on a new album which hopefully will drop in the spring, the sooner the better for everyone.

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    Formula 5 Setlist: Grey Seal*, Excalibur, Catch Me -> The Ride -> Ticket Giveaway@ -> The Ride, Epiphany -> 3 Ring Circus, Rising Tide, Pedro% -> Jungle Love#, Earthbound, Music Never Stopped, Hot Box
    E: Goin’ Down^
    * Elton John cover
    @ Greg Bell raffled off tickets while the band played a background breakdown of “The Ride”
    % “Walk the Dinosaur” (Was Not Was) teases, “Moma Dance” (Phish) teases
    # Steve Miller Band

  • Los Lobos Throws 40-Year Anniversary Fiesta in Albany

    Celebrating their 40-year anniversary, Los Lobos brought their highly recognizable blend of Tex-Mex Rock-n-Roll to Albany at the  Hart Theater inside The Egg at the Empire State Plaza. Over 500 fans joined the seemingly ageless Los Lobos in what turned out to be one fine fiesta.

    Los Lobos AlbanyThe first set consisted mostly of tunes from the Los Lobos early years. “Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio” from the EP …and a Time to Dance, “Will the Wolf Survive?” from How Will the Wolf Survive? and “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)” off By the Light of the Moon were all hits for the band in between 1983-1987. Other highlights included “Little Things” and “Burn it Down”, which featured David Hidalgo performing a blistering accordion solo. Set one finished up with a more recent dance tune titled “Tin Can Trust”.

    Set two featured songs from the 90’s, including crowd favorite “Kiko & The Lavender Moon”. Other notables were “Don’t Worry Baby” and “Pigfoot Shuffle”. Probably the most memorable tune of the evening was a fantastic version Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” played during the encore. Hidalgo’s crisp and unique voice added a pleasant twist to an already timeless classic.

    For those that didn’t get a chance to see Los Lobos this time around or for those who simply didn’t get enough, Hidalgo and vocalist/guitarists Cesar Rosas will both return to Albany to take part in the Experience Hendrix Tour scheduled at the Palace Theater in Albany on March 28. The pair have performed on the tour since 2010.

    Set 1: Got to Let You Know, How Much Can I Do?, Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio, Will the Wolf Survive?, Set Me Free (Rosa Lee), Little Things, Burn It Down, Chuco’s Cumbia, Tin Can Trust

    Set 2: Dream in Blue, Forty Thousand Headmen>Maricela, Manny’s Bones, That Train Don’t Stop Here, Tears of God, Pigfoot Shuffle, Kiko & The Lavender Moon, Volver, Volver, Don’t Worry Baby, Mas Y Mas

    Encore: I Got Loaded, Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young cover)

  • John Medeski Treats The Massry Center to a Stunning Solo Performance

    There are musicians that people see clearly pour their heart and soul into a performance. John Medeski did just that on December 7th at The Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose. His just over two hour set was mesmerizing and made you forget you were in a recital hall; it seemed far more like a small jazz club instead. Medeski solo could barely be contained in his playing, frequently standing up and tapping both his feet along with what he was playing. Seeing a musician have that much fun playing for an audience is intoxicating.

    john medeski soloThe music itself is not your typical, run of the mill jazz either. Instead, his early training in the classics bleeds through as he moves through classically swung eights and transitions cleanly into a haunting straight melody. Ever the modernist, the sweetness of the melodies never lasted long; it usually fell into discordant breaks while he plucked from within the Steinway to add to his, and its, already stunning sound. The evening opened with ‘Where’s Sly?’ blended with ‘Otis’ and had plenty of improvisation for all. With those two songs alone, Medeski played for nearly 45 minutes straight with only a handful of breaks through the entire two hours.

    It was an amazing, intimate evening with a skilled musician and performer. Those who were there received a real treat.

    Review by Lauren Byrnes

  • Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds: These Birds of a Feather are Flocking Filthy to The Hollow

    Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds, the eight-piece band from Brooklyn flew upstate on Thursday December 5th to The Hollow in Albany. Fans were grateful to hear the show was still on despite the band having over multiple instruments stolen only two weeks prior. With the help of some borrowed equipment and friends, the band was able to perform to a packed room and sent a message out on Facebook saying, “Thanks for all your support over these trying couple of weeks. Ain’t no better medicine than music to drive that darkness away!”

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    The Hollow’s stage was a tight nest for the musicians and their delicate leading lady but don’t let Arleigh Kincheloe’s size fool you; the small sparrow herself can belt out some serious tunes, leaving the crowd stunned. Her older brother, Jackson, is a harmonica machine as he blows it to pieces with an endearing heart. The Birds hit brass hard with Phil Rodriguez on trumpet, Ryan Snow on trombone and Brian Graham on baritone sax blowing the roof off the venue and adding in smooth vocals throughout the night.

    Their rendition of Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” was soulful, funky and charged up the crowd early in the night. After a couple powerhouse songs, the band slowed down with “Sugar”, a sweet acoustic jam change up and Jackson took a moment to dedicate the show to his harmonica teacher who recently had passed a week ago and paid tribute with a beautiful solo rendition of “Amazing Grace.” Guitarist Sasha Brown ripped apart chords as Arleigh screamed, “Albany, Shake it for me!” Bassist Josh Myers laid down funky bass notes as the bird brother, Bram Kincheloe, went to town on the cymbals with edge. The band was appreciated of the Upstate New York, being surrounded by family, friends and fans; it was truly a great show to be a part of.

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    Catch Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds on tour when they stop at The Space in Westbury on December 20th with the Funky Meters, at Club Helsinki for New Year’s Eve and at Brooklyn Bowl in NYC on January 31st. Click here if you wish to donate to Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds in the loss of their music equipment.

  • DJs, Digital Dharma and Cosmic Dust Bunnies! Oh My! An electronic twister at The Hollow

    The Hollow in Albany took a turn to the dark side as the venue was filled with heavy bass bombs and electronic techno jams on Saturday, November 23rd, hosted by Full Circle Music Productions. DJs Mentally Ill and Leila spun while Digital Dharma and Cosmic Dust Bunnies took turns setting up and dismantling but the audience didn’t need much distraction. Mentally Ill got the night started with bizarre beats and eerie mixes, feeding anyone’s craving for light dubstep. DJ Leila was no joke as she is a furious spin master of hip hop and dark beats, great entertainment with attitude.

    Albany’s Digital Dharma killed it on stage to their local fan base of dedicated electronic rock lovers. One of the highlights was Steve Mink playing solid bass lines for a deeper disco feel especially during their new song “Shag.” A great combination of funk and techno, Digital Dharma capture ears with fresh improvisation on their original pieces. The boys will return to The Hollow in two weeks with Brothers Past on Saturday, December 21st.

    The Cosmic Dust Bunnies ended the night with a hair raising set of high peaked techno melodies with more energy than the crowd could handle. Eric Hyland wailed on both acoustic and electric drums, adding stellar percussion beats and rhythm as Matt Dempsey rocked steady guitar riffs. Chris Sellas fused together robotic sounds and keyboard notes for an attention grabbing factor throughout the night. CDB are often a late night staple at major music festivals so it was refreshing to catch them before 3 am, for once. The four piece band plans to ring in the New Year in Worcester, MA at Disc Jam Presents! A-Dopa-New-Years-Eve with Dopapod, Consider the Source, Viral Sound and more, with tickets still available here. Here’s hoping Full Circle will bring back the uncontrollable storm of The Cosmic Dust Bunnies to the Upstate NY area more often.