NYS Music 20​14

Author: Michael Hallisey

  • Albany Playhouse at the Park Sounds Phishy This July

    The Park Playhouse recently announced 2013 Tony Award nominee, Hands on a Hardbody will be featured at the Lakehouse in Albany’s Washington Park this July.hardbody-final-272x300

    The news is of particular interest to Phish fans, as the musical score was written by none other than Trey Anastasio. Anastaio’s score received the 2013 Dramatist Guild Frederick Loewe award for Dramatic Composition, as well as a Tony Award nomination that same year.

    Anastasio is a guitarist, composer, and vocalist for the famous Vermont-based jamband, Phish; but he is no stranger to the classical arts, having his orchestral “Evenings with Trey Anastasio” performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Colorado Symphony.

    Hands on a Hardbody, based on the book written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Doug Wright, focuses on the events and drama that ensues after ten people prepare to win an automobile by being the last one to keep his hand on the car.

    Shows run Tuesday through Sunday, From July 1st to July 26th, starting at 8 p.m.  Seating is free in the amphitheater section, and blankets and low-backed chairs are permitted. Reserved Seats and Premium Bleacher Seats can be purchased on the Playhouse website, or by calling the box office phone at 518-434-0776.

  • Hearing Aide: Linkin Park’s ‘The Hunting Party’

    Linkin Park drops their sixth studio album, The Hunting Party, today; to a fan base already frothing at the mouth.  hunting party

    They promised something hard, and, yeah, do they deliver.

    Their focus on electronic music is out the window. Instead, good ‘ol fashioned drums and guitar are brought back to the forefront, perhaps best showcased in the track “A Line in the Sand”.

    It’s difficult to claim that this is a return to Linkin Park’s earlier sound. In fact, it’s not. LP has gone from being a “theory” that initially incorporated traditional rock instruments with DJ record-scratching, to hip hop, to nu metal and to electronic. Each album release has contrasted in style from the last, often leaving some fans scratching their heads. Personally, I’ve found myself buying a CD, giving it a once over, only to have it sit on the shelf for a time before it ultimately grows on me. This rebellious manner by which they circumvent pressures from their record label to follow the status quo (of which Mike Shinoda has seldom shied away from referencing in previous projects – see also, Fort Minor) has served to be one of the reasons why the band has maintained relevancy since Hybrid Theory was released nearly 15 years ago.

    With the release of Collision Course in 2004, LP paired up with hip hop icon, Jay Z. Ten years later, LP is pairing up with another rap legend on the track “Guilty All the Same”.

    Rakim is as legendary as it gets in hip hop, busting out onto the sound systems of white suburbia with his smooth, lyrical flow in the mid ’80s when he was then paired up with DJ Eric B. In their prime, Eric B. and Rakim were considered by some experts to be the most influential duo in the history of the genre.

    With “Guilty All the Same” you have the aforementioned drums and guitar, and you have Chester Bennington screaming in your ears, lending little hint to the gem that resides within. Two-thirds the way in, the tempo of the music slows and dims, a figurative bow to Rakim as he starts to operate.  The R flows just as smoothly, with the same lyrical punch that he had nearly thirty years ago. Having him on the album only accentuates the greatness behind this project. The heavy and aggressive sound, along with collaborations involving Rakim, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Page Hamilton (Helmet) and Daron Malakian (System of a Down), makes this album an absolute must own.

    You can purchase The Hunting Party through the band’s website, iTunes, Amazon, and your local brick and mortar store.

    Key Tracks: “Until It’s Gone”, “A Line in the Sand”, and “Guilty All The Same”

  • Casey Kasem, the Voice of Top 40 Radio, Dead at 82

    Radio and television personality, Casey Kasem, died today at the age of 82 after a long bout with dementia.

    Kerri Kasem released a statement from the family on Twitter this morning.

    As the original host of the radio show American Top 40, Kasem had become the voice of popular music, as listeners tuned into to syndicated broadcast each week to learn which artist had earned No. 1 honors.  He co-founded the American Top 40 franchise in 1970, hosting it from 1970 to 1988 and from 1998 to 2004. Between January 1989 and early 1998, he was the host of Casey’s Top 40, Casey’s Hot 20, and Casey’s Countdown. A truncated version of the popular radio show, called American Top 10, appeared on television for several years. Kasem retired from the broadcasting in 2009.

    Kasem also developed into the voice of Saturday morning cartoons, lending his voice to cartoon mogul Hanna-Barbara to provide the voice for Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo series from 1969 to 1997 and Robin in Super Friends.

    By crossing both mediums, his voice – often cheerful and sincere -seemed ever-present in the lives of children and young teenagers, the target audience for the cartoons and radio broadcasts.  His wholesome persona took a hit several years ago when a curse-laden recording from his radio show went public.  Most recently, Kasem was in the middle of a family fued between his wife Jean and his children.

    Born Kemal Anin Kasem to Lebanese immigrants in Detroit, MI in 1932. Kasem attended Wayne State University before he was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War in 1952. It was during the war that Kasem started his broadcasting career, serving as a DJ and announcer on the Armed Forces Radio Korea Network.

    Kasem is survived by his wife Jean Kasem, to whom he married in 1980, his four children (Kerri, Mike, Liberty and Julie) and his ex-wife Linda.

    Editor note: Featured picture taken by Alan Light.

  • Cry to the Blind Has Date With Bonzai in August

    cttb1At Rochester’s East End Music Festival this evening, Cry to the Blind announced they will perform at Bonzai, WZNE The Zone’s summer music festival, this year.

    They will share the stage with Chevelle, A Day To Remember, Middle Class Rut, J Roddy Walston and the Business, Big Data, Tove Lo, and Joywave.

    Sahlen’s Stadium will host the event August 9th.

    For Cry to the Blind, it’s another rung on the ladder.

    The band has released three CDs independently since 2009.  They are a heavy, modern rock band, who market themselves as a “therapeutic release” for their fans.  They like to promote a “positive spin on the negative energy that surrounds us every day,” as stated on their Facebook page.

    Last December, the band released a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” taking the No. 1 pop single and making into a hard rock track of their own.  The accompanying YouTube video went viral, earning them enough attention to gain play time on Sirius Octane.

    Earlier in the year they shared the stage with Imagen Record’s Framing Hanley in Watertown.  The band had also filmed a video for a new release “Unbroken” in partnership with Imagen Records back in March.

    Cry to the Blind is not signed with any record labels as of yet, but the pairing up with Imagen appears to be something worth keeping an eye on for the near future.

    Editor’s note: We previously reported that Bonzai would take place in July.

  • Tune In, Turn On, Bonnaroo Online

    So, you say you can’t make it to Manchester, TN to attend Bonnaroo this year.  Just as well, it starts this afternoon anyway.  And, have you seen the crowds?

    That’s okay, because the festival has got you covered.  You can stay home and turn on your computer, or Xbox, and watch every performance  from Bonnaroo 2014 online, from the comfort of your living room.

    Each performance will appear on a live webcast, on the festival’s site.  The list below, shows the time (and corresponding channel in parentheses).

    Friday, June 13th:
    3:30pm – Umphrey’s McGee (1)
    3:30 – Break Science (2)
    4:00 – Jake Bugg (2)
    4:45 – Jon Batiste (1)
    5:15 – Cass McCombs (2)
    5:30 – Janele Monae (1)
    6:00 – Andrew Bird (2)
    6:30 – The Head and the Heart (1)
    7:15 – Jonathan Wilson (2)
    7:45 – CHVRCHES (1)
    8:15 – Cloud Nothings (2)
    9:00 – Pusha T (1)
    9:15 – Robert DeLong (2)
    10:00 – Vampire Weekend (1)
    10:15 – The Naked & Famous (2)

    Saturday, June, 14th:
    3:30pm – Tedeschi Trucks Band (1)
    3:30 – Valerie June (2)
    4:00 – Cake (2)
    4:45 – Dr. Dog (1)
    5:00 – Sam Smith (2)
    5:45 – Damon Albarn (1)
    6:00 – Cage the Elephant (2)
    7:00 – Phosphorescent (1)
    7:00 – Polica (2)
    8:00 – Lionel Richie (1)
    8:00 – Die Antwoord (2)
    8:45 – James Blake (2)
    9:45 – Chromeo (1)
    10:00 – Cut Copy (2)
    10:45 – Jack White (1)
    12:15am – Derek Trucks Superjam (1)

    Sunday, June 15th:
    3:30pm – St. Paul the Broken Bones (1)
    3:30 – Okkervil River (2)
    4:15 – Warpaint (1)
    4:15 – Fitz & the Tantrums (2)
    5:15 – Disclosure (1)
    5:30 – J. Roddy Waltson & The Business (2)
    6:15 – Broken Bells (2)
    6:30 – Danny Brown (1)
    7:00 – The Avett Brothers (1)
    7:30 – Warpaint (2)
    8:15 – Wiz Khalifa (2)
    8:30 – City & Colour (1)
    9:30 – Elton John (1)
    9:30 – Little Dragon (2)
    10:45 – Washed Out (2)
    11:30 – Zedd (1)
    11:45 – Amos Lee (2)

  • Frost Ridge Legal Battles

    Frost Ridge Campgrounds boasts a long history – 50 years, to be exact – for being a site to see live music. Nestled deep within the farmlands and orchards of Western New York, it lends to an intimate, outdoor venue for live music, while also being accessible to the cities of Buffalo and Rochester, both about 40 miles away.

    But, to those who reside near the campground, the amplified music and crowds that draw nearly 800 people, is far from ideal. Coupled with the fact the Town of Le Roy ultimately said the concert venue, a proposed bar and grill, and even the campgrounds themselves violate the town’s zoning.

    Recently, New York Supreme Court Judge Robert C. Noonan granted a temporary injunction against amplified music at the campgrounds, as the town pursues a lawsuit that could potential shut everything down.

    David and Greg Luetticke-Archbell, co-owners of the Frost Ridge Campgrounds, responded with the following statement:

    The Town of Le Roy, NY (Town) has filed suit against Frost Ridge Campground LLC (Frost Ridge) alleging they are in violation of local zoning code. After initial arguments, Judge Robert C. Noonan has ordered Frost Ridge to temporarily suspend “amplified outdoor concerts and alcohol service” until the merits of the lawsuits can be fully addressed.
    Of course, Frost Ridge has complied and will continue to comply with Judge Noonan’s Order. In the meantime, Frost Ridge remains open to all its camping guests, and will continue to seek alternative options and potential venues for its live music.
    Again, we thank our guests for being patient, as we have had to be patient. We need to allow this process to be worked through. There may be a few bumps along the way, but everyone who knows us will realize that we work through issues to resolve them.

    To comply, Frost Ridge has made arrangements to host their scheduled concerts at an indoor venue off the campgrounds.  Attempts to contact Frost Ridge for comment went unanswered.

    The events have been earnestly reported by The Batavian, an online news source for the local community. Through their investigating of the events, the crux of the matter seems to lie on how the land was being used in 1967.

    Ownership of the grounds has changed hands a few times over the years. Luetticke-Archbell bought the grounds in 2008. In doing so, there was no apparent confusion over how the land could be used, due in part to a 1998 decision by the town’s zoning board of appeals. As the land was being sold nearly 20 years ago, its owner asked the ZBA to clarify how it was zoned. The board supposedly responded viewing the activities on the grounds as “preexisting nonconforming”, as they were established before the town devised their master plan in 1967.

    Since 2012, Luetticke-Archbell have started to establish a healthy summer music festival, luring music talents from across the country. According to the campground’s website, music has been played there since it was known primarily as a ski lodge. The campgrounds, according to the two brothers, were established in 1963.

    The town, citing from their records, see only the ski lodge as being grandfathered into their zoning plans. Everything else, after 1967, would require a use variance, which would go through the ZBA, whose present members have since disagreed with the board’s decision in 1998.

    20140528-212719-77239713.jpg

  • Plattsburgh ROTA Gallery to Showcase Poetry and Hip Hop

    The ROTA Gallery and Studios will host an evening of wordplay and music on Tuesday, June 17th, as Amherst, MA based artists Dann Lawrence and Brainwave Bionics perform in Plattsburgh as part of a summer tour.

    Sharing the bill will be North Country rappers Antwon Levee and Sarah Impalin, fresh off the release of their regional hit single “Solomun Grundy”. Audiences will be treated to an eclectic mix of poetry, hip hop, and other music stylings throughout the night.

    plattsburgh ROTA galleryLawrence promises to be “armed with a voice, a nylon strung guitar and a fist sized chip on his shoulder”.  He is known as an intellectual, and his often hilarious crooning style is sure to be a complement to Brainwave Bionics, who combines introspective hip hop lyricism with garage and indie rock elements.

    Levee and Impalin made waves over the winter with two music video singles, and are sure to bring a challenging and rowdy stage show to accompany their tongue-in-cheek rap songs.

    The event is open to all ages. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show will begin at 8:00 pm.  A sliding scale admission is to be expected, within a range of $3 to $10. The ROTA Gallery is located at 50 Margaret Street. More info is available on their Facebook page.

  • Hearing Aide: Tesla ‘Simplicity’

    teslaAs Generation X approaches their 40s, many catch themselves reciting the Old Man’s diatribe, “Back in my time”. But, when the conversation gravitates towards music, it’s difficult to argue against those who wish to harken back to what was popular in the late ’80s and early ’90s.  In that time, more so than now, a wide breadth of musical genres were represented on Top-40 radio stations – rap, r&b, blues, country (who the hell is Garth Brooks?), pop, new jack swing, grunge, and even Meatloaf came back from the dead. Before they tore down the Berlin Wall, every teenager in the United States would keep a blank tape cassette in his or her stereo and curse the DJ for sneaking a Guns ‘n’ Roses track past them, after having played Whitney Houston.  I mean, who does that? Ah, but lest we forget hair metal and a band like Tesla.

    Tesla is one of those bands that helped define the metal sub-genre often associated with power ballads, catchy guitar riffs and Aqua Net. The boys out of Sacramento peaked with the 1989 release of The Great Radio Controversy, from which “Love Song” was produced.  An acoustic follow-up was released a year later, sending them back onto the charts with their rendition of the ’60s folk song, “Signs”.  However, they peaked just prior to hair metal’s collapse around 1992 when Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains changed the focus on mainstream music. It’s only with the recent popularity of Steel Panther, and radio programs such as Hair Nation on SiriusXM, has hair metal regained popularity.

    tesla group shot
    Tesla, pictured above, is Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitar), Brian Wheat (bass), Troy Luccketta (drums) and Dave Rude (guitar).

    Tesla fans have eagerly awaited a new album ever since the band released “Taste My Pain” as a stand alone single last June. However, what seems to have fans most excited about Simplicity‘s release today is the promise of hearing the return of the band’s vintage sound.

    And, that promise has been fulfilled.

    Simplicity is an intimate conversation between Tesla and the fans who grew up listening to them. From the nostalgic sound of a needle making contact with a vinyl record to introduce the opening track “MP3”, to the following message sung through Jeff Keith’s trademark raspy voice in the following track, “Ricochet”, the listener is invited to a special reunion:

    “So here we are, we’re back again/with a brand new record and ready to spin. We love our fans, want to make ’em proud/Slap it in! Turn it up loud!”

    Naturally, the ballads covering unrequited love like “Other Than Me” and “Burnout to Fade” are two of the stronger tracks on this release. It’s where they seem to shine the most, with less predictable rhyme schemes, the effort seems less forced.  Perhaps the best example of musicianship from the group is saved for the last track “Till That Day”, with a Frank Hannon’s crying guitar lingering in the memory long after the song draws to an end. Of course, it, too, is a ballad.

    If you’re interested in purchasing the album, simply click the respective links to buy via iTunes or Amazon.

    Key Tracks: Other Than Me, Burnout to Fade, Till That Day

  • Hearing Aide: Let Go Daylight ‘Traditions Carved by Wounded Hands’

    let go daylight
    Traditions Carved by Wounded Hands, let go daylight’s first LP, drops on Saturday, June 14th.

    Heavily steeped in the sounds of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, let go daylight – they seem to market themselves in lower case – is an amalgamation of Troy musicians that have crossed over from several different bands to collaborate on this latest venture.

    Let Go Daylight’s first LP since forming in 2012, Traditions Carved by Wounded Hands successfully captures a reminiscent flare to the aforementioned Sabbath, such as with the opening track of “Honey Wagon” or “Leave Me Be”.  However, poised so close together at the beginning, it lends to some trepidation that the listener will be subjected to another Sabbath clone.  But then, a funky bass guitar played by Mike Shudt leads us into the fourth track, “The Guts and the Glory”.  As one continues to listen, you become more conscious of a transition into contemporary hard rock with “Let It Burn” to even toeing the line of punk. Ralph Renna’s bass to baritone vocals throughout the LP goes into Glenn Danzig territory with “A New Revolution”. However, a manic display of trippy guitar play by Dave White, accompanied with a strong performance by drummer Rocky Morey, at the introduction of “August Fire” showcases the band’s breadth of talent, but as it clocks in at under three and a half minutes, with a decrescendo to close out the album, I can’t help wanting more.

    This four-piece band, though together for a relative short time, each is a veteran of his trade, having cut teeth with other bands (Last Call, Flate Broke, and Thrust). Nonetheless, they compliment each other well.  After listening to this LP several times, you will start to hear a distinct sound germinated from the icons of the past and blossoming out with flashes of brilliance. Traditions is a good LP on its own, but it makes this listener perhaps more excited to hear how they progress further with their sound. If indeed the progressions realized throughout the chronology of this LP continue out to the next, that could be the makings of a standout performance.

    The band drops the LP on June 14th, coinciding the release with a live performance at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Troy.  If you’d like to listen to the album in full or purchase the album, click on the respective links.

    Key Tracks: The Guts and the Glory, Let It Burn, August Fire.

  • Saving Abel Turn Bus Around: Albany show canceled

    Less than 24 hours before their scheduled concert at Monirae’s in Pennellville, NY  – while en route to Upstate New York – Saving Abel announced that they won’t be there.

    saving abelMembers of the band reportedly broke away from their recording sessions and were in the midst of traveling to Upstate New York once plans unraveled.

    Saturday’s show in Albany, The Take Back Tour, is advertised as an educational movement to inform concert goers on building a sustainable community. It also included information on recent federal legislation that tour promoters say allows the military to detain citizens without due process.

    A Washington Armory representative said the show is scheduled to proceed without Saving Abel.

    Saving Abel was reportedly dropped by the show promoter, Robert Rodrigo.  Attempts to contact the promoters for comment were unanswered.

    The band posted an announcement late last night on Facebook, but when approached The Washington Armory about the news this afternoon, the staff was initially unaware of the details.

    The venue representative explained they are not responsible for planning the event. As managers of the facility, they only rent out the building to show organizers.  Shows like Tuesday’s Skrillex show that was a huge success.

    Saving Abel still plans to play the Monirae’s show, but in September.

    Dedicated Central New York fans, like Tim S. were upset. The father responded to the band’s Facebook post to say he bought VIP tickets specifically for his daughter’s birthday.

    The band responded to clarify they would honor tickets from the show that was supposed to happen tonight.

    The band is dedicated to all their fans but they said a trip to New York didn’t make fiscal sense if they were only playing one show.