NYS Music 20​13

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  • Equifunk brings a stellar line up to the Pocono Mountains in August

    Equifunk is returning to the beautiful Camp Equinunk in Pennsylvania, August 16-18.  Nestled in the Pocono Mountains, this three day music festival is very different from most musical festivals around today.  People can rent cabins on the campgrounds or can go the more traditional route with tent camping.  There are camp related activities such a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, tennis, and pick up softball games.  A pool is also on the grounds to cool off in throughout the weekend and will also act as a place for a gigantic pool party on Saturday.

    Equifunk-2013-DatesThe music will be going all weekend with artists such as Soulive and the Shady Horns with special guest Maceo Parker, The New Mastersounds (performing two sets), JJ Grey & Mofro, Keller Williams with More than a Little, Boombox, Anders Osborne, The Nigel Hall Band, Marco Benevento, Monophonics, The Main Squeeze, Superhuman Happiness, I’ll Be John Brown, James Casey (Artist at Large), and King Lincoln (Featuring Duane Trucks).  For the first time in the history of the festival they will have music all day on Sunday showcasing Pork Tornado with Jon Fishman, The Revivalists, The London Souls, The Heavy Pets, The Main Squeeze, and M&M (A supergroup comprised of Stanton Moore, Marco Benevento, Robert Mercurio, Papa Mali, and Maceo Parker).  Another supergroup performing Sunday, comprised of Eddie Roberts, Pete Shand, Stanton Moore, Nigel Hall, and James Casey, will be named by the fans on their Facebook page.

    Tickets are on sale now and whether you go for cabins or tent-camping your ticket includes all the beer you can drink and all meals from dinner on Friday night through breakfast Sunday morning.

  • Sacred Sound: The Slide Brothers Bring a Trio of Pedal Steel Guitarists to Putnam Den

    Robert Randolph introduced a generation of live music fans to the sound of Sacred Steel, that of the pedal steel guitar. Dating back to his performances at The Wetlands at the turn of the 21st Century and leading through the first two Bonnaroos and the rest of the past decade, through Randolph the legacy of a classic sound has found its way into the live music lexicon and numerous festivals at an increasing pace. With The Slide Brothers,  presented by Robert Randolph, the sound of the Sacred Steel is brought to light by four impressive and iconic Sacred Steel players: Calvin Cooke, Aubrey Ghent, Chuck Campbell and Darick Campbell. On a balmy Friday night in Saratoga Springs, all but Darick took the stage for a rare treat; multiple pedal steel players rocking out on gospel and blues numbers dating back to the turn of the past century.

    Opening for The Slide Brothers was Danielle Miraglia from Boston, a true Delta blues guitarist. With just an acoustic guitar and a hollow wooden riser nicknamed ‘Stompy’, she kicked her heel for the beat and played mesmerizing guitar on “Meet Me in the Morning”, a requisite off Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks. Later, two songs stood out among an enjoyable set, a soulful “It Hurts me Too” and “No One’s Listening.” The latter of the two had the opposite effect, as a rapt crowd focused on the gorgeous singer and her powerful vocals. She brought to mind an early Sheryl Crow, with potential for pop appeal based on her songwriting and performance. Check out one of her songs below.

    After a spell of tuning, Ghent, Cooke and Chuck Campbell sat left to right in front of Phil Campbell on bass and Carlton Campbell on drums, both nephews of Chuck. The crowd moved closer to the stage as the band jammed out an instrumental “Jewel” with pace and patience. The night’s second version of “It Hurts Me Too” was soulful and layered. “Catch That Train” had deep guttural vocals from Ghent backed by middle Cooke along with Phil, whose bass was thick and Wooten-esque. While Aubrey Ghent’s steel guitar had a traditional sound, Calvin Cooke’s has a slight bit of reverb on it, making it stand out among the three; Chuck Campbell’s sound was so sharp it could slice right through the air with every slide of the left hand.

    Calvin Cooke took the soulful blues route and sang a powerful “The Sky is Crying”, while Ghent and Campbell combined for a tandem duet as the two carried the beat as Cooke sang, hitting the high notes on the steel. The greatest moment of the night came with a base layer of “Green Onions” ilk, leading to a long, slow building instrumental of slide guitar jamming that extended for 20 minutes in the form of “Help me Make it Thru.”

    A finale of “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” and “I’ll Just Wave my Hand” had truly deep bass to accompany the soul driven vocals of Aubrey Ghent. After a short walk off stage, the band returned for an encore initiated by oom-paa drum beats to work a jam into “When the Saints Go Marching in”, complete with a call and response as the crowd sang along with the band. To see a pedal steel player is one thing, to see three and dance to the layered rhythms is another. Great thanks goes out to Robert Randolph for assembling The Slide Brothers.

    Setlist: Jewel, It Hurts me Too, Catch That Train, Don’t Keep Me Wondering, What Happen to Them, The Sky is Crying, Wade in the Water, Help Me Make it Thru, Don’t Let the Devil Ride, I’ll Just Wave My Hand

    Encore: When the Saints go Marching In

  • Album Review: ‘Bound for Abiquiu’ from Dan Johnson and the Expert Sidemen

    Albany native and Vermont resident Dan Johnson, along with his Expert Sidemen, has released his second album, Bound for Abiquiu, on the heels of a successful Kickstarter campaign. With the album release party occurring this Thursday at Valentine’s, along with Driftwood and The Grassroots Rebels, featuring members of Jerkwater Ruckus, Albany is in for a treat, as Dan showcases a classic country/bluegrass sound through superb songwriting and catchy melodies throughout Bound for Abiquiu.

    bound for abiquiu

    Opening with “Adam and the Snake Oil Salesman”, Dan’s country-twinged voice showcases his story telling skills while being complemented nicely by the Sidemen, adding in guitar, banjo and steel pedal guitars. Words of wisdom pour from the chorus, “There’s a road that has no beginning, there’s a great big old place in the sky, there’s an up, there’ a down, there’s a middle ground and you don’t ever have to die.”

    Named for a song and album of the same name by Albany band Knotworking, “The Garden Below” asks questions that lead to a confession, foreshadowing “Utica Blues” later in the album. “My Three Friends” is a truly traditional country tune, in the vein of Johnny Cash and Steve Earle, the way country music should sound, with lyrics on life’s laments and struggles, the sadness of these followed by the hope for better things around the corner. “Come on in my Kitchen” is not the classic blues number of the same name, but instead a pedal-steel accented plea to a lady to come over for dinner; a short, make you smile tune.

    “Another Good Thing is Come and Gone” is a highlight of the album, played and sung in the Del McCoury-style, making it a most traditional bluegrass track. “Dancing Fool”, while not the Frank Zappa song (although Dan’s take on that would be great to hear) is a mellow tune painting a picture of a nervous guy working up the courage to ask a lady to dance, lacking confidence, even calling himself a dancing fool, yet still wanting a dance nonetheless. With a little klesmer intro and accordion adding a nice touch, “Off on the Tide” tells the story of a sailor heading out to sea, sick of the town he’s been at for a spell.

    With a nod to Upstate NY, “Utica Blues” is a gambling song set in Utica, singing the blues about the life of a gambler who comes and goes as he wins and loses.  “Riding into Utica on a dirty old train, when I leave Utica I’ll be riding high again.” For what it’s worth, Utica is the perfect location for this story. Finally, the title track “Bound for Abiquiu” brings a high note to the end of the album, telling the tale of a journey about to be embarked upon. The destination of Abiquiu is a mystery, left to the listener to draw their own conclusion.” Bound for Abiquiu is a perfect album for a sunny summer day or a drive to the Adirondacks or Southern Tier, while picking in the campgrounds at Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival or casual listening to a classic country sound.

    Key Tracks: Another Good Thing is Come and Gone, Come on in my Kitchen, Dancing Fool, Utica Blues

  • Hearing Aide: Van Gordon Martin Band ‘Take The High Road’

    After releasing their first album, No Limit to Love in 2010 and touring with the Skatalites throughout the United States, making stops at major music festivals like South by Southwest and Austin City Limits, the Van Gordon Martin Band has returned with “Take the High Road”, 12 tracks of funk-infused R&B and dub reggae. This eclectic blend of genres is a result of Martin’s role as a guitarist for number of other groups, including The Dub Down Crew & Scotch Bonnet Band, Sparkplug Tribute to Melvin Sparks, and The Nephork! All-Starts.

    Van Martin, second from left in hat
    Van Martin, second from left in hat

    Martin’s experience playing with a wide range of musicians influenced the recording process of Take the High Road, as the album features appearances from members of John Brown’s Body, Club D’elf, The Slip, Dub Appocalype, Otis Grove, and former Spiritual Rez horn alumni. These musicians, who contribute funked-out bass riffs, heavy horn sections, and groovy drum beats are some of the best that the east coast has to offer.

    Together, they have created an album that explores an array of musical styles. Between the breezy “Another World,” featuring clean guitar riffs and a smooth saxophone solo, and the jazzy organ-filled “Hard Decision,” which transitions into a reggae a influenced chorus driven by off-beat guitar licks, Take the High Road provides 43 minutes of crafty musicianship and epic jams.

    Key Tracks: “Dreams,” “Another World,” “Hard Decision”

    Van Gordon Martin on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

  • The Gaia Theory Interview

    Here’s another band who answered my call for a written interview on the 315 Street Team Page. The Gaia Theory a type of metal best called Electronicore hails from Massena NY.

    Nick was the front man for the short lived yet face melting band In Seven Days. Aleskey (Guitarist) also has a electronica side project called “Word Child” which you can find on sound cloud. The Gaia Theory is currently at a stand still since they’re looking for a guitarist, bassist and a keyboard/synth player so if you think this music is up your ally hit them up! They were also featured in my compilation video “Music For You EarHole” which is where you can give their music a listen or it up FB and listen to some tracks they have up on the music player.

    (Steve) First off is it ok if I asked what happened to In Seven Days?

    (Nick) haha yeah its fine… Uhh ya know we hit a standstill and things just weren’t going the way we wanted and we all wanted different things for the band.. After our last show I quit the band and it just died out after I left..

    (Steve) How did you get together with your new band mates after the split?

    (Nick) I actually gave up on music for a few weeks just needed time to myself…. But then I got off my ass and wanted to get back into playing because it’s my life. So I posted adds on Craigslist looking for people to fill the spots and that’s when I found Aleksey (guitarist) the and it went from there haha

    (Aleksey) Yea basically, I had a post on craigslist and so did he, it was like destiny haha. And the rest of the mates we just found over time.

    (Steve) Give a brief description on what The Gaia Theory is and why you decided to name your band this?
    (Aleksey) The Gaia Theory is a scientific theory that basically states, that all living and non-living organisms on earth, work together in a constant utopian method to form a self-regulating environment, that basically contributes to maintaining life on earth. The name Gaia derives from the Goddess Gaia, who was the Goddess of Earth, and as mythology states, the mother to all gods. We chose the name, because it seemed to work with the style of music were playing, this whole concept of everything working together harmoniously, to create a stable sound haha. Plus the name sounds cool as hell.

    (Steve) Does anything from this idea affect your lyrics?

    (Nick) umm not at all ya know each song I write has its own story. Like one will be about death and gore. And then another will be about hope and uprising… Each song has its certain sound and lyrics meant for each other.. I also listen to what the band has come up with and I close my eyes and vision what it makes me think of.. And then write the lyrics

    (Steve) How does the writing process go for you guys? Does each individual person bring their own pizazz to the band or is it directed as a whole?

    (Aleksey) I mean it’s hard to say, sometimes it’s just directed as a whole, and other times we all bring in something different. We all come from different musical backgrounds, for example I come from a pure classical background. Our drummer comes from more of a punk/hardcore background, and so on. For the most part, we try to write everything together, my last band I was in, I basically had to write all the music, and that tends to be a lot of unwanted pressure, because then I have to keep in mind what I like and what every single person in the band likes. So I for the most part am trying to avoid taking that type of responsibility again.

    (Steve) Who does your artwork?

    (Nick) Aleksey and I do the artwork for the band

    (Steve) Nick you told me that your guitarist was from Russia, Does he give you guys a….worldly sound haha just joking. What kind of influence does he bring to the band?

    (Aleksey) To start off I’m Ukrainian haha, and I don’t think I do, except for the occasional slip of my accent, and the random folk strumming, can’t say I bring much of an Slavic ethnic musical background to the mix, but it might be a good idea to try.

    (Steve) Do you guys do your own recording? If so could you give any tips on to do this as a band starting out?

    (Aleksey) Well our current tracks we have up, I did the recording for them, and this was the first time I’ve ever done this type of recording. I’m used to producing electronic style music, but live music was new to me. For the most part were going to be doing self-recordings. It’s cheaper and we have full control over the final sound. The only tips I got, is find the software you want to use, read up on it, or YouTube the shit out of it, and just get started on it, you’re not going to sound good at first, I guarantee it. A big tip I got when recording guitars, for each guitar part record it 4 times, pan one side all the way right, one all the way left, and the other two pan 75% in each direction. It will create a fuller sound, trust me on that, it’s the only reason our recordings sound half decent, and make sure in the mixing process you equalize everything and throw compressors on everything. Otherwise, the beauty of this age is that it is the information age, use the internet to your advantage, there isn’t anything you can’t learn online.

    (Steve) You said you’ll be ready for shows this summer, do you have any lined up already or are you just waiting till you get to that step?

    (Aleksey) We don’t have any lined up, but we have connects, Nick and our drummer have access to the whole upstate New York scene, and being from Brooklyn, I got a bunch of connects down there and other parts of the tri-state area. Plus, recently since the upload of our latest track, we have been offered shows left and right. So were not too worried about landing shows, were mostly concerned about finishing up our set, and being read

  • Too Legit To Quit: Rochester Supergroup, Legit, Debuts at Roam Cafe

    4-DSC_0072When musical forces combine, the people shall align. So they came to Rochester’s Roam Cafe on a chilly Monday night in May to witness the birth of Legit. The band is composed of Charles Lindner of  The Manhattan Project on keys, Wil McKenna of the much missed Roots Collider and local drummer extraordinaire Matt Ramerman of The Teressa Wilcox Band. One could say Matt is from the band ‘Everything’ as he seems to be everywhere weaving his percussive magic. Busting out of the norm, Wil appeared on bass instead of expounding his usual shred-Jedi guitar licks and laid down thick grooves all night.

    The denizens of ROC-city are truly lucky to have such a thriving musical scene with major artists coming through consistently and local musicians collaborating multiple days every week. Many of these shows are free and the Monday shows at Roam are no exception. Roam is an Italian style cafe with a full bar, friendly staff, and good drink selection. New to the Park Ave. neighborhood, it is run by Drew Nye, who also owns the Dubland Underground.

    The first set featured visiting friend and musician, guitarist Paul McArdle from Austin, Texas. The foursome went through about an hour of pure improv with sounds ranging from smooth jazz and chilled out blues to exploratory psychedelia. At times one could hear a multitude of influences from Steely Dan to Pink Floyd and even Ween. Four musicians at the top of their game making up music on the spot just can’t be beat.

    05-DSC_009605-DSC_0096Set two was the true threesome of Legit playing original tunes. While the tunes definitely had a raw flavor, they were interpreted flawlessly, and the possibility of future explorations was evident in every track. Halfway through the set the band offered up a spot on bacon delicious instrumental rendition of The Beatles “Eleanor Rigby”. They finished up and spent the setbreak mingling with the virtual “Who’s who” of Rochester musicians in the house.

    A third set followed featuring Paul again, who showed off his deft knowledge of the fretboard until the end. A great night for all and at a price no-one could poo-poo. encourages all our valued readers to support these free nights at Roam along with all the instant supergroups that “Roam where they want too” around the city. Examples being the RocCity Pro Jam (most Tuesday’s at assorted venues) and the free shows most Wednesday’s and Friday’s at Temple Bar and Grill. No parachute pants required!

    Catch Legit’s 2nd show Friday May 17th at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester NY with Haewa and the Heady Yeti’s. 5$ 18+

  • SKILLET Graces Us with Their Performance at ROTR

    From Memphis, Tennessee, Skillet, a Grammy-nominated Christian rock/metal band with their never disappointing shows is ready to blow the crowd away this weekend at Rock on the Range for the second time since their performance in 2010.

    skillet2013Founded in 1996 by lead singer and bassist, John Cooper and former guitarist Ken Steorts, both musicians met through two different bands, Cooper from Seraph and Steorts from Urgent Cry. The bands toured together briefly before disbanding, then John and Ken were encouraged by their pastor to start their own side-project. Soon enough, Skillet was formed with another member, Trey McClurkin (former drummer) and they signed with the major Christian record label, ForeFront Records. Later that same year, their self-titled debut album was released into the world. In 1997, the band announced they were to drop another record, Hey You, I Love Your Soul, released April 1998.  In their record, a noticeable change was made known as they went from post grunge to a lighter alternative rock style. Through this change, Cooper’s wife, Korey, joined as a touring member on keyboards. Through the years of 2000 till 2002, they released three albums, Invincible, Ardent Worship, and Alien Youth. During this time span, quite a few changes were made to the band; Steorts left in 2000 to be with his family and to launch a college in Memphis (Visible Music College) and Kevin Halaand replaced him as their new guitarist; Korey became a permanent member as keyboardist; and McClurkin left and was replaced by Lori Peters. Before the release in 2001, Halaand left the band and the position was taken over by Ben Kasica.

    The 2003 release of Collide blessed the band with more incredible changes and some in the new future, like Lava Records, a division of Atlantic Records signing them. Then, in 2005, the album was nominated for a Grammy under the Best Rock Gospel Album. October 3, 2006, another incredible record was dropped, Comatose, which was nominated for another Grammy for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album. In early 2008, it was announced that Peters was retiring and had trained Skillet’s new drummer, Jen Ledger, during the Christmas season. Their eighth record, Awake, was successfully released in 2009 with the top singles, “Hero”, “Awake and Alive” and “Monster”. Grammy nominated producer, Howard Benson, produced the album and the band lost another member (Kasica) and gained a new one, Seth Morrison. In March of 2011, Skillet released an EP with remixed versions of their songs from the Awake record: Awake and Remixed EP. Their single, “Awake and Alive”, was featured on the recent Transformers franchise soundtrack. In early 2012, the band announced that they were in the studio ready to work on their next record, Rise, scheduled to be released June 25, 2013, and their current three singles are “Sick of It”, “American Noise”, and “Rise”.

    Be sure to catch the Skillet’s mind-blowing performance this Sunday at Rock on the Range.

  • Photo Review: John Brown’s Body at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester

    John Brown’s Body pretty much packed Water Street Music Hall with reggae fans for The Big Upstate Reggae Fest. They shared the stage with Dub Trio, Nevergreen, Among Criminals and Axis Armada. John Brown’s Body just released their new album Kings and Queens, highly recommend for fans of JBB.

    The rest of the acts put on equally impressive shows, with a crowd that was definitely into the music and generated energy on both sides of Water Street Music Hall, making for a magical evening. The upbeat vibes of reggae kept everyone going all night and JBB capped off the night with an encore of “33 Revolutions”. Overall, Big Upstate Reggae Fest and the entire lineup did not disappoint,; here’s looking forward to the next one!

  • IN THIS MOMENT to Claim Their Throne at ROTR

    inthismomentband2013Upstate New York’s very own Maria Brink and her kick-ass band, In This Moment, returns to Rock on the Range for the second time this Sunday, continuing to support their latest record, Blood.

    Forming in 2005, lead vocalist, Maria Brink, and lead guitarist, Chris Howorth, started out with a small group, adding a third member, Jeff Fabb (former drummer), and named the band Dying Star. They eventually changed their music direction and the name to the one we all know, In This Moment, and added two more membersBlake Bunzel (former guitarist) and Josh Newell (former bassist). Later in 2005, Newell was replaced by Pascual Romero after leaving the band, who was immediately replaced by Jesse Landry. In 2009, Landry was replaced by Kyle Konkiel, who was replaced by their current bassist, Travis Johnson in 2010. By 2011, Fabb and Bunzel left the band and both were replaced by the current drummer, Tom Hane, and guitarist, Randy Weitzel.

    Their first record, Beautiful Tragedy, was released in 2007 and the following year, their sophomore album, The Dream was dropped. In 2010, A Star-Crossed Wasteland was released with their well known singles, “The Gun Show” and “The Promise” featuring Otherwise’s singer, Adrian Patrick. In the summer of 2012, In This Moment successfully released their fourth album, Blood, with leading singles, “Blood” and “Adrenalize”.

    In This Moment has featured in many festivals over the years such as Ozzfest in both 2007 and 2008, Warped Tour in 2009, Download Festival in 2009, Mayhem Festival in 2010, Music as a Weapon V tour in 2011, and Uproar Festival last summer as well as Rock on the Range last year.

    It will be New York’s very own dark angel’s scream that will haunt everyone till the end of the festival. Be sure to catch them this Sunday, it will be one not to miss.

  • POP EVIL Ready to Blow the Crowd Away at ROTR

    pop-evil-001-credit-jamyme-thornton-From Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pop Evil returns to Rock on the Range to make their mark for the third time since their last performance in 2011.

    Pop Evil wasn’t always known as Pop Evil. Before in 2001, the band was called TenFive when Leigh Kakaty started it and they were formed through different Michigan bands. In the years 2004 and 2006, the band released two EPs independently, War of the Roses and Ready or Not. By November 2007, the band signed with G&G Entertainment and that same year, they lost their bassist, Jaime Nummer, and Matt DiRito joined as the band’s current bassist.  Pop Evil’s debut album, Lipstick on the Mirror, was released August 2008, featuring the singles, “Hero”, “Somebody Like You”, “100 in a 55”, and “Stepping Stone”. In 2010, Pop Evil announced their third record was in the works then at a concert in Columbus, Ohio, the band symbolically ripped their contract with Universal Republic to work with eOne, and there, they announced the release date of the new album, War of Angels, which dropped in July 2011. During that year, former drummer, Dylan Allison suffered a neck injury and was forced to quit the band. Josh “Chachi Riot” Marunde filled in as the current drummer. On April 6, 2012, Pop Evil announced the departure of their former guitarist, Tony Greve, who was quickly replaced with Nick Fuelling. As of May 14, 2013, the band released their fourth record, Onyx, with the two leading singles, “Trenches” and “Goodbye My Friend”.

    Check out the band’s latest record and this is one band you will not want to miss this weekend.