NYS Music 20​14

Category: Genres

  • Fundraiser Show for Slain RPD Officer Daryl Pierson Coming to Rochester Armory

    ARMORYIn the face of happenings in Ferguson, MO and a national media seemingly hellbent on sensationalizing every unfortunate interaction between a civilian and officer it’s easy to forget that most of these guys (and gals) selflessly put their lives on the lines every day to protect our liberties. That’s their job. And on the night of September 23, Rochester Police Department officer Daryl Pierson was doing nothing more than his job when he was murdered in the line of duty trying to apprehend a subject.

    Since then the community of Rochester has come out in droves for the Pierson family and RPD with multiple benefits, donations,  and a simply breath-taking display of support at a massive service at the Blue Cross Arena attended by seemingly every officer and dignitary in a 100 mile radius. The love will continue this Dec. 6 at the Main Street Armory with a benefit night filled with some well-known and up and coming hard rocking entertainment.

    Headlining the event is life long Rochester native and songwriter Hall of Fame member Lou Gramm. Well known as the long time “Juke Box Hero” for classic rock heavy weight Foreigner, Lou has been fronting his own band since leaving Foreigner for good in 2003. With a set list heavily weighted with Foreigner classics and a mix of his own solo material Lou commanded a huge audience at this past years Xerox International Jazz Festival (Check out our gallery of XRIJF Lou Gramm unreleased photos below) and no doubt will bring a lot of fans to this charity event.

    Steve Augeri is best known for being the first “official” replacement singer for Steve Perry in everyone’s favorite sing-a-long group Journey. Now off with his own group, fans should expect to hear a ton of that former  bands repertoire which is back loaded with some of the most heartwarming songs of all time. I can’t imagine their will be a dry eye in the house during “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “Faithfully”.

    Two band’s demise became one bands journey – up and coming bands Abandoned Buildings Club and Velvet Elvis both bit the dust in 2013 and those that continued joined forces as King Buffalo. Featuring deep grooves with a heavy background overlaid with psychedelic vocals and a fantastic rhythm section, this band has gathered a ton of buzz and will make a lot of new fans for a great cause this night.

    Also joining the fun will be Download – Rochester’s favorite hard rock cover band – and Rainline, who gathered some new fans of their own playing their heavy hitting originals at the 2012 Lilac Festival. Tickets are 20$ and are available on Ticketfly, at the House of Guitars, or Aaron’s Alley. All proceeds will benefit the Pierson family. Come on out and pay tribute to one of Rochester’s hero’s, why wouldn’t you?

    Lou Gramm band LIVE at Xerox International Jazz festival

  • Married with Music: Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall October 24

    Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn arent just virtuoso banjo players – they’re also husband and wife. Together, Fleck and Washburn employ the relatively rare 3-finger and clawhammer banjo duet to create an explosion of musical white heat. Add in Washburn’s voice and you have a night of musical magic waiting for you at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Friday, October 24.

    bela fleck and abigail washburnThese two banjoists have mastered the deceptively intricate art of the duet. Their performances embrace a diversity almost unthinkable – coming from just two banjos and one voice. Washburn’s beguiling composing, playing and singing blend with Fleck’s riveting and virtuosic musicianship to create music both unique yet familiar in texture.

    Fleck is a 15-time Grammy winner who has collaborated with Chick Corea, Oumou Sangare, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Dave Mathews, Earl Scruggs, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for his Banjo Concert ‘The Impostor’. Washburn’s banjo has taken her far beyond the usual old-timey comfort zone, musically and geographically. An alumnus of Uncle Earl, the powerhouse all-female stringband, Abby’s adopted second homeland is China, and her music resounds with echoes of Appalachia and the tidal wave of emerging Chinese cultural influence.

    Tickets for Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall are $25-42 and can be purchased at the box office or online.

    Listen to Fleck and Washburn on NPR discuss finally teaming up together, and watch Washburn’s TED Talk below.

  • Hearing Aide: Slipknot Return with ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’

    Six years after their last album, 2008’s All Hope Is Gone and down two members, Slipknot is aiming for the jugular with .5: The Gray Chapter. Following the tragic death of bass player Paul Gray who was said to be a chief songwriter in the band and the unceremonious firing of drummer Joey Jordison, Slipknot find themselves in an uncomfortable spot. Surrounded by controversy and dealing with fan backlash after the band made a major style shift following their second record Iowa, can Slipknot once again reclaim their place at the throne of the metal kingdom?

    Slipknot The Gray ChapterThe first single released from The Gray Chapter, “The Negative One”, had fans rejoicing that the band was back to their roots. Slipknot started off as a noisy, percussion driven, chaotic band that took the metal rule book and didn’t just throw it out the window but lit it on fire and blew it to pieces with a shotgun. However, starting with their third album Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses), the band started to introduce a more melodic texture with ballads and songs fit for mainstream radio. This caused many fans to blame lead singer Corey Taylor’s radio hard rock friendly side project Stone Sour for the style shift. Slipknot always had the brutal speed-freak hyper aggression on every album but more and more of their sound was changing and the ratio was starting to become more 50/50.

    Now, getting back to how this ties into the new record. If that first taste of The Gray Chapter had you hoping for Iowa 2.0, I’m sorry to tell you it isn’t the case. This record feels like a direct link to Vol. 3, completely bypassing All Hope Is Gone, which was the bands more experimental effort. But does that mean it’s a bad record or it isn’t a “real” Slipknot album? Far from it. But at this point what is a “real” Slipknot album? Going by their overall catalog they now have more albums that sound like the hybrid heavy/melodic sound we’ve been used to for the past decade than the first two off the wall records that launched them to superstardom. If that’s the case, The Gray Chapter is the most “real” Slipknot record to date.

    If you’re still holding a candle for the first two albums, hoping they’ll ditch the “Stone Sour crap”, I hate to break it to you but you’re missing out. The Gray Chapter knows when to dial up the hatred and spew out a diseased metallic headbanger but also when to slow things down a bit and let emotion shine through. Corey Taylor knows how to sing beautiful melodies with agony and disgust in his voice and he showcases that multiple times on The Gray Chapter.

    However, even though the band has struck a balance, that doesn’t mean the album doesn’t come off as disjointed. It’s almost as if no thought was given to which order the songs will appear. But when you think about it, there isn’t an album Slipknot has done where the songs flow from one to the next. But what the band has done, which more need to do, is not front load the record. Far too often these days all the best songs are found at the beginning of the album. The Gray Chapter does have some issues with “filler” but great songs are found at the beginning, middle, and end sections of the album.

    And speaking of great songs, Slipknot has brought some absolute monsters on this one. “The Devil In I” is hands down one of the best songs the band has ever written. It will be a live staple until the band dissolves and is a strong contender for not just best metal song of the year, but the overall best song released this year. Other stand out tracks include the sonic haymaker that is “Custer”, the fantastic opening ballad “XIX”, and the Paul Gray tribute “Skeptic”.

    The only serious downside to the record aside from some forgettable filler songs is the production. The songs seem to lack a fullness that older records had. Even when you crank the volume it just feels like something is missing. Whether it’s a lack of punch in the drums, or missing bottom end, the songs feel like they needed a bit more time in the mastering portion of production. It’s a shame because every other record before had a tremendous sound to it. But The Gray Chapter has almost a demo like feel to it. As if we aren’t hearing the final product.

    Slipknot have changed as a band. No doubt about it. But that doesn’t mean they’re a lesser band than they used to be. They’ve never stopped experimenting even when they find a formula that works. This should be lauded by the fan base, not condemned for not sounding like records that are over ten years old. Slipknot never forgot their roots, they still know how to bring the pain. But they also know how to bring the emotion, depth, and maturity that defines a legacy. With the addition of The Gray Chapter to their discography, Slipknot has made the case to be a Rock And Roll Hall of Fame contender when they become eligible for induction.

    You can purchase the album on iTunes.

  • Southern Fried Rock at The Egg with Drive by Truckers

    It’s been eight years or so since I last saw Drive by Truckers, the Athens, Georgia rockers led by Patterson Hood, and while they stood out at my last experience seeing them, Sunday Oct. 19 at The Egg Performing Arts Center was a different case. While the band was louder than expected, the vocals kept the focus on the instruments.

    Drive by Truckers play both kinds of southern rock – ballads and straight fire rockers. They flip-flopped between the two throughout the night, notably played a Franz Ferdinand-esque “Where the Devil Don’t Stay” followed by “The Opening Act” a slow number that found Hood channeling Van Morrison’s vocals. The at times feisty crowd cheered for “The Opening Act” which Hood previewed as a ‘different kind of song for a different kind of room,’ this being their first time at The Egg.

    Keyboardist Jay Gonzalez shone throughout the night, a steady highlight in every way, especially on a song that could have been pulled from Tom Waits’ catalog. A honky-tonk song became story time/spoken word with Hood carrying on a ramble like Jerry Joseph or Arlo Guthrie on an extended “Alice’s Restaurant”.

    The encore break resulted in four additional songs – Hood channeling Janis Joplin followed by “Bulldozers and Dirt” the song that garnered the most approval from fans and the most recognizable song of the evening. A ballad/rocker followed, then a fair amount of extended jamming ensued on the finale; each band member looping their instrument as they walked off stage, one at a time. By the time the house lights came up, a lackluster performance was the main takeaway this evening

  • The Faceless Part Ways with Bassist and Drummer

    The Faceless, a California death metal band, have split with their bassist and drummer, Evan Brewer and Alex Rudinger, respectively, as of Oct. 20 via Facebook announcement.

    Brewer, who has played with the band for the last four years, appeared on their latest album, Autotheism. Brewer noted that the reason for his departure had to do with scheduling conflicts. He elaborated by saying that he would like to do more “teaching, make more music…and to also have availability for any…opportunities.” Similarly, Rudinger noted that he would like to pursue other projects and is interested in “looking for work.”

    faceless

    Both departed one week before Knotfest, set to hit the stage in a week in San Bernardino, California, from Oct. 24 – 26. Rudinger apologized to fans who were “looking forward to seeing [The Faceless perform].” He also noted that he would not be leaving his other band, Conquering Dystopia.

    The Faceless have not issued a statement regarding Rudinger and Brewer, or their upcoming performance at Knotfest.

  • Aqueous and Formula 5 join forces for Saturday Night fun in Saratoga

    Two of Upstate’s own, Aqueous and Formula 5, took the stage October 11 for a night of tight improvisational jams with covers and original music at The Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs. Both bands brought their dance groove to festivals all over Upstate this year such as Catskill Chill and Peach Music Fest with both appearing at Backwoods Pondfest.

    Formula 5 kicked off the night with their classic energetic “Excalibur” before gearing straight into a funky rocking  “Earthbound Tim” from their new latet album Edging on Catastrophe. Bringing up Aqueous guitarist Dave Loss for the Talking Heads cover “Uh Oh Love Comes to Town” brought out the best in the band as they helped stretch the melody.  “Nu-Gen” showcased psychedelic spacey keys from Mike McDonald, astounding guitar work from Joe Davis on “Coming Home” before going straight back into “Nu-Gen”. Formula 5 will be headed up to the North Country of Plattsburgh on Nov 15th and The Hollow in Albany on Nov 28th with The Heavy Pets.

    Setlist: Excalibur -> Earthbound Tim, Uh Oh Love Comes to Town*, Nu-Gen -> Coming Home -> Nu-Gen, Catch Me, Music Never Stopped

    * w/ Dave Loss of Aqueous on guitar, Talking Heads cover, “Strange Times” (Aqueous) teases

    The four piece groove rock band Aqueous has been getting fans excited for their new album Cycles, coming out October 25, making the crowd eager to hear some fresh and original tunes. The soft keys from Dave Loss of “Staring into the Sun” started the set before the song took a dark turn with strong rifts  from Mike Gantzer and wailing in sync vocals before diving into a psychedelic “Origami”. As the night progressed, so did the music with nonstop segues of climactic buildups and genre fusion. Drummer and newest member to the group Ryan Nogle proved to be a great fit as he put a unique touch to the familiar rhythm of Aqueous. Evan McPhaden dropped steady deep bass notes during The Police’s “Synchronicity II” and the night ended with guitarist Joe Davis of Formula 5 joining in for extra rock voltage on “The Median”. Catch Aqueous all over Upstate this week with The Mantras in Ithaca, Rochester and Buffalo for their official album release party on the 25th at Iron Works.

    Setlist:  Staring into the Sun > Origami, 20/20, Random Company > Synchronicity II > The Median*

    Encore: Uncle Phil’s Parachute

    *with Joe Davis from Formula 5

  • Smashing Pumpkins Announce New Album, Release Lead Single “Being Beige”

    SMASHPUMPNineties alt-rock stalwarts Smashing Pumpkins have announced a December 9 release date for their 8th studio effort Monuments to an Elegy. Produced by Howard Willing (from the Adore sessions), Elegy features the lineup of founding member Billy Corgan along with guitarist Jeff Schroeder – who joined in 2007 – and new drummer Tommy Lee. Yes, THE Tommy Lee of Motley Crue fame.

    The announcement also includes a first chance for fans to check out the single “Being Beige”, a melancholy song that will remind fans of sessions from the record bearing that name.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/172631528″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

    Regarding Mr Lee’s ubiquitous presence on the album, Billy had the following to say – “The songs, in demo form, had a strut, and so the suggestion was made that we ought to get someone who ‘plays like’ Tommy. Jeff Schroeder said, ‘why not get the real deal?’  Tommy brings the power and grace he’s known for, which gives the music a vibrancy that is both immediate and unmistakable.”

    Fan’s may pre-order the album now on iTunes. A second album – Day for Night – is already in the works. No touring plans were announced as of yet. Stay tuned!

    Monuments to an Elegy track listing:

    1. Tiberius
    2. Being Beige
    3. Anaise!
    4. One and All
    5. Run2me
    6. Drum + Fife
    7. Monuments
    8. Dorian
    9. Anti-Hero

  • Papadosio and Twiddle Transcend The Westcott Theater

    In typical jam band fashion, hundreds of deadheads and hula hoopers gathered outside the Westcott Theater doors Wednesday night with great excitement to witness Twiddle and Papadosio (or Papadiddle, as I like to call it).

    With a strong opening, Twiddle brought a variety of tunes from their album Somewhere On the Mountain , as well as a cover of “Big Country” by Bela Fleck and The Flecktones. In order, their setlist consisted of continuous jams with songs like “Polluted Beauty,” “Gatsby the Great,” “When It Rains It Pours” and “Frankenfoote”. I’m also pretty sure they threw in a Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” somewhere in there, too.IMG_0190

    With a well blended sound system and impressive light show, nobody could stand still, let alone sit on the Westcott’s new keg benches and tables. Along with their signature quirky hats and long flowing hair, band members Brook Jordan, Zdenek Gubb, Ryan Dempsey, and Mihali Savoulidis celebrated their Upstate stop on their Chilled Monkey Brains Fall Tour, dating from October 10 when they commenced in Charlottesville and plan to conclude the tour on November 26th in Fairfield, CT. If you’re in the Buffalo, Albany, or Connecticut area in the upcoming months, make sure you check out their fall tour dates and make sure you experience the greatness that is Twiddle.

    The blackout right before Papadosio’s entrance was one of the most chilling feelings I’ve gotten in Syracuse, not including the arctic tundra we get every winter. As the crowd cheered, a LCD screen abruptly lit up with a collection of nature, art, and historical images in a sequence to accompany the band’s startup jam. Along with their collection of songs from Day & Night (Live) commencing a dance party throughout the audience, the vibrant visual effects took us on an uplifting adventure. My highlight had to be when they performed “Cloud Found”, with their silhouettes faded to black while images of mountains and clouds filled the background of their set.

    IMG_0263

    With the release of their 2009 album Observations, their 2012 album T.E.T.I.O.S., and their 2014 release of Day & Night (Live), Papadosio certainly had some repertoire to choose from. With only a few years under their belt, this dynamic group has sailed through multiple prestigious festivals and venues, and have undergone their Imaginal Cells Tour, which only hits Upstate New York one final time on October 22 if you’re in the Buffalo area. If you’re prepared to experience the transcendental music of Ohio’s premier experimental band, make sure you see them live. Otherwise, keep up with their upcoming events at news at their Facebook and Twitter page.

  • RAGEchester: Lettuce Brings the Funk to Water Street Thursday

    Fall Tour 2014
    Fall Tour 2014

    If you have yet to hear the collective talent from the funkiest group in the world, you’re sadly missing out. Although they’ve been around now for damn near twenty years, Lettuce is that elusive band that once you hear, you don’t know how you’ve lived without.  Everything from their extremely tight and infectious rhythms thrown down by drummer Adam Deitch and bassist Jesus Coomes, to the offset melodies that just reek of funky hooks is what makes this band so dope. No matter where you look, there’s a diverse mix of talent who all bring their own flavor to their otherwise flavorless name. Maybe that’s part of the thing that gets people.  With a somewhat unsuspecting name, you’re instantly gripped by the music that just feels so right.

    This Thursday, Lettuce is making their way to the area as they make a stop at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester.  The band played Buffalo earlier this year in February, and for the sold out crowd that was present, there wasn’t a still body in the place. From wall to wall, the band seduced the audience through nothing but sound and their feel-good energy.

    The band began their fall tour at the beginning of October and over the course of the last couple of weeks has excited their devoted fans as they’re feeding off of the energy and excitement of playing some new music. Their last record, Fly, was released back in 2012, and to say people are eager to hear something new from this group would be an understatement.  Already, the band has played at least three new songs on this tour, so fans should expect something they’ve yet to hear. The band is locking in and the new material has provided fuel to this funky fire. If you’ve been following their live journal, you know the guys are feeling it with segments like the following:

    Schmeeans (guitar): We came, we saw, we raged. And we had a great show, we played a brand new song for the very first time tonight, never ever done before, can’t ever be the first time again. Only one first time baby.

    Neal (keyboard/organ): The coolest thing about tonight is if you’re in Baton Rouge tonight and you witness this show with Lettuce and Gramatik at The Varsity, we are dropping brand new music that’s never been heard, and I think people are gonna bug out cause we’re bugging out. We’re having such a great time and this is only day three. This is gonna be an incredible tour.

    Deitch (drums): Tonight in Tuscaloosa was off the chain. We added a new song that we’re calling for now “The Big Anthem,” and it felt really big and powerful for the first time, we’re really excited to have added that. And then we played another song that Shmeeans and I wrote in Harlem entitled “Chief,” played that again and it was even better tonight. The new songs are infusing a lot of energy into our sets, and when we’re excited you know the crowd’s gonna be excited, so we feel like they got it tonight.

    Want to know how fresh this material is? Check out Krasno’s log in the diary about a new song he heard a day prior to playing:

    Krasno (guitar): It’s always fun to play new stuff super fresh, its way fresh for me because I didn’t play it till today pretty much.

    Casual fan or dedicated one, there’s no reason why this tour specifically isn’t one of the most exciting the band has ever been on and luckily Rochester’s in their sights. Their Emo’s show in Austin, TX last week was streamed, and while it was choppy, the new music was somehow crisp and full of that typical Lettuce RAGE. If you don’t have your ticket yet, you’re going to want to grab one quickly here.

  • Bassnectar Turns Rochester To Rubble: A Reflection

    What are the kids listening to? Apparently dub step — lots and lots of dub step. Or, on a broader level, “EDM”, a term hijacked by festival sponsors and marketing execs who barely explain what the three letters stand for. But I digress. The point is: electronic music is big and getting bigger—a truth made apparent at Friday’s show in Rochester at Main Street Armory, featuring Kill Paris and Son of Kick before headliner Bassnectar. This all ages show began around 7:30PM and was over by 11, at which point partygoers spilled out onto the streets and back to reality. I looked forward to reviewing this show for a number of reasons but was left feeling underwhelmed—at no fault of the music. As a matter of fact the music was on-point throughout the show, but the night itself was a weird one. Here is my experience.

    Having seen Bassnectar about seven years ago at BB King’s Underground in NYC (a small club in Times Square), I was excited to see him on a much larger scale. In addition to growing his fan base through numerous festivals and shows, the passage of time also included the release of four successful albums—two of which made Billboard charts. All of this is evidence that Bassnectar is doing something right, and being a veteran of the genre, deserves all the respect and success he has garnered. In fact, this is one of the main reasons I love Lorin Ashton, AKA Bassnectar: he is a self-proclaimed bass head, a huge music nerd and an extremely articulate individual. The blending of influences that make up Bassnectar are so far-reaching – from hip hop to break beat and two-step – that there is no question of Ashton’s musical awareness or ability. His latest album, Noise VS Beauty (for which his current tour is supporting), is a perfect example of this, with perhaps some of Ashton’s most complex orchestrations yet. There is no shortage of thick, wet bass – laid on heavy and in your face – but this is subtly balanced with moments of almost serene beauty. This equilibrium is masterful; an abrasive rock-and-roll “fuck you” as it moves into tranquil ambiance. This is not the case with every track, of course, but the point is, Ashton is not a one trick pony. There is a lot going on if you take the time to listen to the music. But after Friday’s show, I wondered how many people were there for this reason as opposed to the spectacle and party.

    Because a spectacle and party it was. The light show was absolutely jaw dropping, the bass drops were enough to rumble your stomach out of your mouth, and the energy was bouncing into the red. As far as an experience goes, this was one for the books. There was little doubt left in my mind as to how (or why) the show sold out – and I was genuinely happy to see the way Bassnectar had grown as an artist and was now translating his music to a much larger audience. Back at BB Kings he performed to maybe 200 people at 3AM, and my friends and I walked in for free (sorry, Lorin) while the bouncer chatted up a girl. Now, he was performing to 5,000+ fans (hardly his largest crowd) for a 40-dollar ticket. What joy he must have, I thought, to be able to provide such an audio and visual marvel to thousands of adoring fans. What joy to be at the forefront of a musical revolution and grow into a wild success. What a success story for such a smart, talented and hard-working entertainer.

    Then I began to look around at the cost, and that’s when things got weird. I hardly consider myself a prude to the parties, people and drugs that can be found along with a live music experience. I have been in my fair share of shows, and parking lots and have seen… stuff. But this was different. Perhaps the biggest difference was the level of decadence, or maybe the lack of substance to the scene, or maybe the blatant shadiness. Or maybe I’m just getting old. Regardless the reason, I was hit head-on with a new generation of concertgoers and the result was concerning. For blocks surrounding the venue, kids stumbled with dinner-plate pupils, grinding their jaws, or sitting moaning with their heads between their knees. A stretcher hauled a kid out to the ambulance out front. One of the more sober ones, smoking a cigarette, said to me “that must be the sixth one I’ve seen tonight.” On each corner within a five-block radius, portable streetlights shone down onto cop cars below. Neon-adorned fans crowded the streets and moved in herds with eerie uniformity. It was hard to think about the music at all.

    My point here is not to discredit any electronic musician, any electronic music fan (I am one myself) or even the safe use of recreational drugs. My point is to draw attention to a scene that may have gotten ahead of itself and be spiraling towards a dangerous place. As “EDM” and music festivals continue to grow, there is a great amount of responsibility necessarily burdened to performers and promoters, but more importantly to the fans themselves. To avoid complete self-destruction, and consequently the loss of so many great new musical outlets, and more importantly the loss of human lives, we must return to two very simple adages. One, a message an old Deadhead and 100+ show Phish fan once told me: “You’re never doing it wrong if you’re listening to the music.” The music is, after all, why we are all here and what brings us together at shows. Let’s remember that and support the artists we love in a way that allows them to keep creating, while keeping the show experience pleasant for fellow concertgoers. And two, which is perhaps the most important in all aspects of life: take care of each other. You have to be alive to enjoy music, and it’s better to enjoy it with friends who are alive, too. By promoting the good things about the music, scenes and people we love (and protecting from the bad) we can necessarily guarantee longevity and growth that will continue to provide the music and moments we so desire. And that’s what it’s really all about, isn’t it?