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Ziggy Marley’s Rastaman Vibration Felt at Artpark

Holding court above the Niagara River Gorge, Artpark in Lewiston, NY on June 25th was an idyllic setting for an evening of roots reggae featuring Ziggy Marley and his band, with Steel Pulse in support. A way laid back crowd was chilled out by the lush surroundings and a noticeably heavy ganja haze. After a smoky and celebratory set by Steel Pulse, the humid and heavy Summer evening brought an ambient island vibe created by the performed reggae ‘riddims’ and perfect weather.

Ziggy and his bridge bolt tight backing group set the thematic tone for the evening with the opening song “Love Is My Religion”. Prior to its beginning, Marley, head tilted back in a meditative stance, encouraged the assembled crowd to “Rebel with Love”. Marley often preceded his songs with a quote from their lyrics and a short rumination on their content. The collected crowd of Rastamen, college kids, Deadheads and happy families all slipped into a similar groove as Marley’s band played the crowd into a mellow mood.

“Wild and Free” followed, Marley’s paean to marijuana, which Marley sang with great conviction, eyes shut, hand rising toward the collapsing sky. Marley stood at center stage in a flowing white top acting as a didactic freedom fighting Rasta, spreading his musical gospel message to the gathered masses. The group assembled around him, organically throbbing their way through dancehall, ska, rock, club beats and one drop, deftly and with attitude throughout the evening. Marley’s keyboardist also added some ‘toasting’ to the tracks, the Jamaican act of a DeeJay talking or rapping over undulating rhythms.

Marley likens his live concerts to fully formed stories told through the narrative of the individual songs. This evening was comprised of many essential chapters, each musical piece a solitary element constructing the fully fleshed out picture of the performance. The band premiered a nice chunk of the recent Fly Rasta release to great effect, the newer songs taking on additional unrealized details in their live renditions while nestled comfortably next to Marley’s previous work. The set also contained past Ziggy Marley glories played in addition to ‘Melody Makers’ favorites which had the crowd joining in with their own lyrical voices.

The show started to hover above the ground when Marley decided to reach into his late father’s catalog of music for an ‘irie’ performance of “Lively Up Yourself”, one of a few of the elder Marley’s songs performed over the course of the evening, in addition to “One Love” and a penetrating, “So Much Trouble In the World”. During “Lively Up Yourself”, Marley gave a musical shout out to his famed Father with a, ‘Big Papa told ya so’ lyrical quote followed by great applause. These musical appreciations to his Father were so tasteful and natural, they fit perfectly into the natural flow of the show, unlike other ‘tributes’ to Bob Marley which often come off as contrived.

As the concert continued and a veil of darkness dropped over the venue, the jamming got deeper and the dancing heated up; the reggae became more fluid and the rhythms more playful. Artpark was transformed into a sweaty dancehall maelstrom of love, dance, and Rasta vibes. All that was missing from the night were multiple bottles of Red Stripe being imbibed and some steamy sand.

“Black Cat” became a show highlight with Marley allowing his band to stretch out on the track, with his guitarists illustrating their improvisational authority. Similarly to his studio releases, Marley’s music takes on a plethora of insular, as well as pastoral and rural, themes, hence its huge web of influence and attraction to fans from all walks of life. Marley has accepted and taken on the role of disseminating his father’s developed message of love, peace, and freedom for the world as well as creating his own uniquely ‘Ziggy’ message.

The stand out and title track of the new LP Fly Rasta signaled the beginning of the end as it was fittingly slotted to start the encore. Its message and imagery of flight not only applies to Rasta, but to all of those who respect the strength and love created and spread by reggae music. Its fundamental theme of finding yourself, respecting others, and of ‘One Love’ illustrates neither prejudice nor favorites. Marley’s ideal is that anyone and everyone can find the Rasta magic through the acceptance and enjoyment of reggae.

Ziggy Marley at Artpark was the type of concert one longs to be able to witness. Low on pushy crowds, obnoxious drunks and poor sound, this particular performance contained everything a fan could hope for when taking an excursion for live music, quality musicians, positive messages and a collaborative experience between band and crowd alike.

July 2, 2014
Second Annual Taste of Country Music Festival: Day One

Well if there was ever any question as to how northerners feel about country music, all doubts were laid to rest June 13, 14, and 15 – as more than 40,000 ready to party, country music fans flooded the Catskill Mountains with their tents, coolers, cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and American flags in tow for the Second Annual Taste of Country Music Festival.

Sponsored by Taste of Country Music, organized by Townsquare Productions, LLC, a collaboration between Townsquare Media Group and Chet-5 Festivals. The Festival was held at the beautiful Hunter Mountain Ski Lodge, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York. The setting and choice of seasons couldn’t have been better to celebrate the festival. With a lineup that looked like the guest list from the country music awards show, I was caught up in the flood of anticipation for what was to come over the next three days.

Friday – Day One

Although the festival opened Thursday with a few special performances for the early arrivers. Friday was officially the start of the festival and the lineup was stacked, starting with Gwen Sebastian opening the main Ram Guts & Glory Stage, followed by Blackjack Billy, Eric Paslay, Brantley Gilbert, and closing out the night with one of my favorite country musicians, Dierks Bentley. Inside at the Bud Light Stage, Ms. Ashley Winters, Gwen Sebastian, and the Timothy Chance Band entertained those taking cover from the weather conditions. Which did its best to put a damper on the show by the end of the night with a downpour. However, tried and true die-hard country fans didn’t budge. What’s a little mud on the boots after all? Wasn’t anything new to them. Bring it on, and bring on the weekend. They were ready.

Friday Fans at Taste of Country Music Festival

As I meandered my way through the mountainside towards the festival, cell coverage was sketchy for this gal and as the GPS gave out, I found myself at the end of a dead-end dirt road. Realizing this truly wasn’t the way to Hunter Mountain and thinking to myself what a great country song this would be, I turned myself around and found my way to the mountain just in time to make my way up to my parking place and inside to the main stage just as Blackjack Billy was going on. A little disappointed to have missed Gwen Sebastian’s set, I heard from those around what a great performance she had and vowed to catch her next time she came up this way.

Blackjack Billy at Taste of Country Music Festival

For new fans of Blackjack Billy, this amazing group is the partnership of Rob Blackledge and Noll Billings who moved to the Nashville area to pursue solo careers, however it was after meeting each other and partnering with Jeff Coplan that they had realized that they found the right mix to showcase their talents. Individually they have their own unique sound, however it’s the combination of what these individuals bring to the table that put them over the top. Throw in drummer, Brad Cummings, and the energy they brought to the festival was off the charts. With songs, “Get Some”, “Got A Feeling”, and “Drink Along” these guys turned up the heat for the crowd and got them rocking. But it was their mashup of – Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”, Nelly’s “Must Be For the Money”, throw in some classic Journey, and finish it out with Lil Jon’s “Get Low” and the crowd was on the verge of pandemonium. What’s unique about this group is their unique sound, their showmanship on stage, and their genuine desire to take time out for their fans. In between sets as the stage was being set up for another act you could find Noll Billings out in the crowd signing caps, shirts, and whatever was thrown his way while also taking selfies. A relatively new band, but definitely one to watch for in the future.

Brantley Gilbert at Taste of Country Music Festival

As Ashley Winters went on the inside stage, it wasn’t long before Eric Paslay was set up and out entertaining the hyped up crowd. Wishing I could be at two places at once, I stayed put as Eric began his set. The one thing that stood out immediately with Eric was his songwriting talents. You hear all the time of artists who travel to Nashville, LA, and New York to become stars. However part of the internship into this select group includes playing numerous gigs every time asked no matter where, and writing song after song, many that end up being someone else’s hit. With songs like “Angel Eyes” Paslay showcased his impressive resume of melodies for the audience demonstrating to them his talent with words.

Dierks Bentley

But after hearing a few other melodies such as “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “Rewind” it was apparent that this multi talented young man was destined for a long and successful career both writing and recording. Ending an absolutely outstanding setlist was his current hit “Song About A Girl”. As Eric so bluntly puts it, country music isn’t always “about tailgates…about bonfires…about souped up cars, water towers, or drowning in a bottle of Jack – it’s a Song About A Girl”. With the debate of how country music has changed over the years, this song brings to light how country music has evolved and covers all topics. Just because it’s not the same as what it was generations before, doesn’t mean country isn’t country any more. For decades subject matter for country songs tends to follow these guidelines – Some songs are let’s have good time Friday night songs, some are love songs, some are break-up songs, and some are family songs about home and the farm. No matter what the subject matter is though, Eric Paslay I guarantee will put it to words and music, and make it a country hit.

Eric Paslay

As the night grew darker, the weather began to look ominous, a storm was brewing. As if on que, out came Brantley Gilbert, a 29-year-old from Jefferson, Georgia wearing biker boots, blue jeans with a chain hanging out his pocket, a white tank top, ball cap, piercings, and rings that could definitely break your nose with one hit. With a microphone handle that looked like brass knuckles, this bad boy had our attention. It was apparent that this outlaw definitely makes his own rules, and I looked forward to seeing if his music reflected this attitude as well.

As Brantley performed, the audience began to see another side to this tough guy. He was charming, he was patriotic, he was chivalrous. All in all he was one outstanding young man who stood for what he believed in and made no excuses. His music was the same. I could see all the influences of life and music he had inside, come out in the music he wrote and performed. He sang of family, friends, love, and country. His music was the perfect marriage of country and southern rock n’ roll, the kind you have to crank up in your car, and this music was delivered with a sultry raspy country twang that came across super sexy and powerful.

Brantley Gilbert at Taste of Country Music Festival

As he performed the hit “Dirt Road Anthem” which he co-wrote and was recorded by Jason Aldean, “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do”, and “Small Town Throwdown” you were wrapped up in the wave of energy both on stage and off as the audience began to respond. As he shared stories behind his music, fans got a sense that this young man was destined for greatness. His stage presence, his energy level, his sheer talent, all are indicators that this man is a name to remember.

Take amazing songs, add in a bit of southern country bad boy, a splash of patriotic charm, and a whole bunch of energy and talent and it’s understandable how he has more than 823K followers on Twitter and more than 3,000,000 on Facebook. As he closed out his set with his number one hit “Bottoms Up”, the 2013 ACM’s Best New Male Artist Award recipient gave festival goers a peek of what is to come for this young man. Brantley Gilbert is definitely a name that will go down in country music history.

Brantley Gilbert at Taste of Country Music Festival

As Brantley left the stage, the act everyone had been waiting for all day was up next. Headlining the first night of the Taste of Country Festival was multiple Grammy, CMA, and ACM award-winning artist, and Grand Ole Opry member, the one and only Dierks Bentley. Bentley, currently touring in support of his latest album, Riser, had a magnificent stage set up. With so many number one hits to choose from for a setlist, it was bound to be a complete hour of amazing music.

This family man outdid himself this time as each number demonstrated the depths he went in finding the words to express his feelings. These raw emotions found an outlet through his songs, each representing loss, love, and life he had recently been going through. His talent is more than just a pretty face and honey twanged voice. He grows with his music. He’s not afraid to put himself out there or stand up for what he wants in life. As he began to play, you could see a part of him in numbers such as “Drunk On A Plane” in which he shows his sense of humor and his other passion in life, being a pilot.

The truly personal song “I’ll Hold On,” which gives an insight into his character and what means the most in his life – family, love, and music. Sharing moments on the road, displaying family and friends in a video projecting behind him and the band, he sang “Every Mile A Memory”. I’m always impressed by the production of these tours and his light show was actually another piece of the band accompanying him on each number.

As he played “Got A Lot of Leaving Left To Do” the ambient lighting left you feeling a bit melancholy, as the low twinkling lights helped set the mood. As he began singing “Counting Stars,” one of the songs recently performed with One Republic at the festival, I thought to myself what a perfect pairing these artists were bringing out the best in them and their songs. Covers continued with two more crowd favorites with a rendition of both Bon Jovi’s “Living On a Prayer”, always a crowd pleaser, and one of my personal favorites, “Hey Brother” by Avicii.

As anticipated, his set list was amazing, full of hit after hit, his production with lighting, sound, and videography paired perfectly, and to end the evening was another favorite, “Settle For A Slow Down”. He nailed it. His live performance lived up to any expectations festival goers had.

Dierks Bentley at Taste of Country Music Festival

As the night came to an end with pouring rain coming down on each and every attendee, it didn’t seem to matter as I passed smile after smile. I couldn’t imagine this event getting any better than tonight’s performances and wondered if this was the climatic highlight to the weekends event. Could Day 2 live up to the first day? Stay tuned for Day 2’s coverage and highlights with NYS Music.com’s part two of the Taste of Country Music Festival at Hunter Mountain.

Eric Paslay at Taste of Country Music Festival

July 2, 2014
Hearing Aide: Mirk “Run”

Mirk, an Albany-based R&B band released their third endeavor, Run, and the melodies are already too catchy. The most accurate description of the seven piece band is evolutionary. Between the band’s first two albums, Love and Grind, and now Run, no element is subtle. Maybe Mirk says they’re “running out of time,” but this album is proof of the exact opposite.

The band implemented many changes which are apparent from the first audible second of the album. Run opens with a ballad starting with new keyboard player James Rock and the band’s female backing vocalist Tara Merritt, whose voice is much more prominent – and rightfully so – than it ever has been before. Both Rock and Merritt are in high spirit and are set up to bring to the album the same energy of a dark, smokey bar room. This opening track, “Let it Go,” sets the intense, yet dynamic mood for the rest of the album.

As such, the addition of James Rock on keys is critical to the round sound of this album. Rock may be young, but he lives up to his name. He gives Run a rock ‘n’ roll angle. He’s not afraid to overplay, to voice full, nearly obnoxious, uninterrupted chords. And that’s a good thing because this allows the rest of the band, especially guitarist Mike Thornton, and bassist Kate Sgroi to weave around this soundscape, and experiment with far more notes than Grind saw. Grind is no failure. It’s a great artifact, and a clear stepping stone, but it can be surpassed, as Run proves.

Just seconds into this first track, “Let it Go,” lead vocalist Josh Mirsky comes in with the opposite of his usual trade: a backing vocal part to Merritt. He sings, “I ain’t got no money,” as a response to her aching voice, which might give a listener chills. Again, that barroom feel is heavy, but here the light fades up onto the rest of the band. They’re definitely not a mechanized backing track, either. They’re personable. They’re human. Instead of being “the band,” for a solo artist, the whole group works as a cohesive unit to bring an emotional element to the music, especially during “My City,” and “Marathon,” two previously released singles which made heavy use of Chris Russell’s sax.

This is reminiscent of Mirk’s previous endeavors. The soulful element of this album appears especially in tracks like “Turn Me On,” which listeners heard on Grind, such as “Butterscotch.” On the other hand, the album also contains some of Grind’s driving rock beats – provided by Stephen Struss — on songs like “Torture.” However, old Mirk fans – including those who first heard Love – aren’t the only ones that will be pleased with Run. The album furthers the band’s ability to try new things. Lovers of experimental bands like Muse might enjoy the title track, “Run,” whereas Billy Joel fans will relate well to “Love Above” – and even this, and the next track, “Crowd Surf,” turn into hip-hop in the style of someone like Weerd Science. But no matter what you’re listening to, the prime mover of Run is the fact that Mirk is not sticking to a specific theme – they’re writing what they want to write.

Run perfectly utilizes Mirk’s tried and true methods of mixed genre fun, with the evolutionary sounds of each instrument and vocal track. They are only getting better and we recommend seeing them in Albany before they’re out of town for good, because this band is only going to get bigger.

Key tracks: Let it Go, Love Above, Marathon

Run can be downloaded on iTunes, and physical copies are available on Mirk’s online store.

July 2, 2014
Hearing Aide: Fikus ‘Living Life Through Multicolored Scenery’

Fikus, the five piece electro-funk band from New Jersey, is set to release their first full length album Living Life Through Multicolored Scenery on July 1st. The band consists of guitarist Steve Malone, Travis Paparoski on bass, Jon Schumarak on keyboards, Pete Kozak on percussion and Kito Bovenschulte on drums with all of them contributing to youthful and harmonious vocals. Fikus is no stranger to Upstate Festivals such as The Catskill Chill, and The Big Up, gathering fans all over the East Coast with their genre fusing, energetic live performances.

The album title is on point, given that each song takes you through diverse musical landscapes with such mixed emotions; it is a 13 track surprisingly mature psychedelic trip. The album will be available as a digital download, physical CD for $10, vinyl for $25 plus shirts, pins and even a teapot. Living Life Through Multicolored Scenery is a great listen for unwinding after a long day of work, road trips or studying with your headphones on. Click here to purchase your Fikus package today.

The first two songs, “Living Life Through Multicolored Scenery Part 1 &2” are eerie with wailing echoes and dark lyrics. Part 2 turns into a haunted amusement park with a familiar friendly tone before the creepy whispers, laughs and climbing guitar riffs take over. “Something Stanky” is where the mood shifts for a more recognizable and welcoming tone. A structured song of steady rhythm with jazzy keys sets an easy groove. “Tempest In A Teapot” has a vintage piano sound with that old rag time tempo with punk rock attitude. The all instrumental “Dingo” and “Nightwalker” both have fast paced electronic melody with powerful guitar riffs and climbing peaks that sends the body in motion. “Cloudburst (From Jim)” is just that with bursts of crashing cymbals and airy, graceful piano notes. “Space Cowboy Part 1” resembles a softer side of Pink Floyd, with ambient compositions that soar through light and dark space out of the speakers whereas “Part Two” has more edge. The funky bass line on “Wafflestomp” is solid for the overlapping chaos. The album ends with a speedy “Big Booty Bounce” and a bitter “DayCrawler” with spiteful lyrics and mocking melody.

Don’t miss Fikus this year as they will be supporting their new album at major festivals such as Hudson Music Project, Luna Light Music Fest, Farm Fest and once again, to the Catskill Chill.

Key Tracks: Something Stanky, Dingo, Space Cowboy Part 2

Watch the official music video for “DayCrawler” off of Living Life Through Multicolored Scenery
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-lM1A-E4H8]

July 1, 2014
Hearing Aide: Analog Son’s Self-titled Debut Album

One of the newest bands to the funk scene, Analog Son has released their self-titled album just in time for the start of the summer. Jordan Linit and Josh Fairman have created Analog Son after years of friendship together and with the help of some talented funky friends.

The duo took months recording the album at Scanhope Sound in Morrison, Colorado using vintage equipment with modern technology to create a sound that is funky fresh. The album features members from The Motet, Dumpstaphunk, The Shady Horns, Lettuce as well as Colorado’s local talent with members of The Congress, Fox Street All Stars, Devon Parker and Convergence. The 10 track album is ideal for getting the party started on lot, at a BBQ or grooving by a pool. The album is available as a free stream via bandcamp or as a $10 digital download.

The album starts off with “The Proffesor” with immediate attention to the funky guitar riffs and bass notes with a splash of brass that gives the listener a quick lesson in instrumental jazzy boogie fever. Devon Parker of SuperCollider provides some sensual vocals on “She’s Somethin” with a hip shaking cymbal crashing. The light and loose keys give great meaning to the song title “Not A Care In The World” whereas “The Game” is a no mess around, tough and spunky melody. “Analog Island” was their first released single and sums up everything you want to know about Analog Son in one genre fusing madness tune. Channeling the disco era, “Struttin” uses harmonies and a contagious rhythm that makes you groove. “Cadillac Sundays” is a lazy afternoon day vibe with full blast guitar strumming while “Swervantes” helps you get thru the week with long stretches of climactic peaks.

Analog Son is a great addition to the growing funk music community of Colorado with unlimited possibilities of artist collaborations and their serious devotion to a dream.

Key Tracks: Analog Island, The Proffesor, Swervantes

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQYf710QJ6o]

July 1, 2014
Fox Fest Blows Up CNY Festival Scene In Year 5

As Fox Fest approaches year five of its festival run, the growth of the event in its own right is noteworthy. What began as a blending of three friends’ annual parties, has now taken on a scale enviable by many regional festivals. Located in the pastoral hills south of Syracuse, Fox Fest is a non-profit event that annually donates its proceeds to honorable charities; this year’s proceeds will go to the Cpl. Kyle R. Schneider Foundation, a local Marine who lost his life serving our country in 2011 while in Afghanistan.

The festival is organized by George Ryan and Kelly Nichols, held on their property in Navarino, and sponsored by a large group of local businesses, residents and attendees. There’s a full professional production provided by Wizzard Sound Corporation including staging, PA system, and lighting, while local food vendors like Limp Lizard BBQ provide food and refreshments at reasonable rates. It’s a family-friendly event that allows camping, coolers full of whatever you choose, and the open space to enjoy yourselves while security by Onondaga County Sheriffs keeps things safe, but not restrictive.

Each year, Fox Fest tries to bridge musical genres, bringing a little bit of a taste for everyone while keeping to a high standard of performance that matches their event. Previous headliners have included Childhood’s End – A Tribute To Pink Floyd, Vinyl Albums – LIVE, Frostbit Blue and local favorites Emerald City. This year’s roster features the return of TJ Sacco and The Urban Cowboys, Dave Porter (the former front man of regional legend and national recording artists 805) with his bass and drum robot, Bob, ‘80s metal monsters Three Inch Fury, and the remarkable Tiger and Off The Reservation as headliners. With twelve solid hours of music, including eight bands and three acoustic acts to play during change-overs, Fox Fest is easily one of the most musically diverse events of the year.

The event will be held on Saturday, August 2 at 3242 Fox Road in Syracuse, from 12:00 pm until 12:00 am. Admission is gained through a donation to the event which gets you entrance and an event t-shirt that functions as your ticket. $24.00 pre-pay includes the t-shirt or $25.00 at the gate with no t-shirt. Call or text 315-382-5896 OR e-mail bruddyryan (at) hotmail.com or gryan (at) billrapp.com and they’ll send you a form or even fill it out for you! The donation deadline is coming up fast (July 11), and you don’t want to miss out on “the biggest backyard party of the summer”, so get your donation in soon to join a couple thousand of your closest friends!

July 1, 2014
The Best of Phish at SPAC Top 10 Moments

After 14 amazing shows since 1992, Phish is returning to SPAC on July 3rd, 4th and 5th to celebrate the start of their summer tour and America’s birthday in the process. We asked fans what some of the top moments of Phish at SPAC over the past 20 years were, and here are what they came up with.

10) La Grange bustout 7/8/12

After 13 years without the ZZ Top classic, SPAC was blessed with a set closing “La Grange” in a summer of bustouts.

9) Massive storm just before the 8/16/09 show & Llama>Moma opener

Maybe you got stuck in the downpour outside the gates, maybe you were lucky to be in the pavilion or under cover already when it hit. The rain was torrential and the Llama>Moma made up for it immediately.

8) Tweezer Reprise opener/encore 6/19/10

Phish can be funny sometimes. Having not ended with Tweezer Reprise the night before, they opened with it at SPAC, and for some reason, closed with it too. Because why not?

7) Harpua with ‘I Kissed a Girl’ 8/16/09

This was a fun moment – getting a tour-ending ‘Harpua’ and Fishman singing a Katy Perry song. Only Phish.

6) Sabotage in honor of MCA 7/7/12

RIP MCA

5) Psycho Killer 7/6/12

Amid all those bustouts in the summer of 2012 came one of the most sought after Phish covers, nestled comfortable inside a “Tube”

4) Mike’s Groove 7/10/94

Mid-second set went a little something like this: Mike’s Song -> Low Rider -> Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove. That monster Stash in the first set bumps this show up a few notches on principle alone.

No video exists of this show, so enjoy some audio from Phishtracks.com

3) DWD -> Free > Poor Heart > You Enjoy Myself 6/26/95

Three ‘highly recommended’ jams, according to Phish.net, plus a little bluegrass mixed into the start of a monster second set, just as Phish was expanding into amphitheaters.

2) ASITHOS > Piper -> Jibboo 6/19/04

This show’s second set gives 7/8/12 a run for its money, and rightly so. Some of the finest jamming to come out of the 2004 tour, although that isn’t saying a lot. Still, this was a gem if you were there.

1) The Entire Second Set 7/8/12

This setlist pretty much says it all – nonstop playing for more than an hour. Oh and they encored with YEM. Easily one of the best if not the best Phish show at SPAC.

Set 2: Axilla > Light > Twist > Kill Devil Falls -> My Friend, My Friend > Swept Away > Steep > Piper > Free > Kung > Harry Hood > Cavern > David Bowie

July 1, 2014
Hearing Aide: Bryan Howell and the Standalones ‘Welcome To The World’

Even though Central New York’s own Bryan Howell and The Standalones are an unsigned group, they have already accomplished being on Little Steven’s Underground Garage Sirius/XM radio for their single “Why Oh Why” from the EP Lightning Through My Soul. The band has already released two EPs and their second one was released in May of this year, Welcome To The World.

Welcome To The World is one of those very unusual albums that can create a sound that combines an older and newer beat. The band’s sound is like a collaboration between The Rolling Stones and Weezer. The opening song off the album is “(Don’t You) Blindside Me”. Howell’s vocals and lyrics gives the song a rock edge while the guitar and drums bring almost a ‘60s vibe to it.

“Nothing To Give You (But Everything)” is a slower track on the album and the beginning focuses more on Brandon Brault: on drums. The drums come in steady as the guitar and bass slowly bring it to a surprisingly faster chorus. Howell passionately sings about how he is not the richest man in the world but he will give all his love to whom his heart is set on.

The last track off the album, “Baby, Don’t Look Back”, brings more of a faster swing than the other songs off the EP. The song also has one of the more longer guitar solos towards the end which shows the bands definite influence of The Clash.

The album is a great combination of garage, rock and even a hint of indie. Welcome To The World brings out the diversity of artists that Bryan Howell and The Standalones are influenced by (Bruce Springsteen, The Knack, Elvis Presley and The Strokes). Any fan of ‘60s to late ‘90s music will love the fine balance that Howell and his band bring to this EP.

Key Tacks: Baby, Don’t Look Back, Oh Please, Valerie, (Don’t You) Blindside Me

Welcome To The World can be purchased HERE. Visit Bryan Howell’s Facebook and Website.

June 30, 2014
Review: Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band at Artpark

Thousands of people with umbrellas and ponchos crowded the fields of Lewiston’s Artpark for Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. The sky was filled with heavy overcast with a few rays of sun but that did not stop the generation of The British Invasion and a few younger generations from waiting on the famous drummer.

The opening band for Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band was New York City’s very own, Andy Suzuki & The Method. The band filled their set with alternative songs with a mixture of blues and folk. Suzuki’s voice won the audience over with the loud applause and whistles after each song. Suzuki dedicated the song “Born Out of Mischief” to his mom and to all the other moms and dads in the crowd. The band kept the crowd entertained by making them a part of the show – clapping along to the chorus of “Lucy (The Devil)”. Suzuki even took a moment to point out his mom in the crowd while she waved back. The band ended with a bang, getting the crowd excited for Ringo Starr.

The stage immediately started to prepare for the one-time Beatle to make his appearance. The crowd cheered as the crew revealed the famous drummer’s drum kit with a huge red star on the bass drum. As the stage changed, so did the weather. The clouds came in thick and dark and in just a few minutes it started down pouring and rolls of thunder echoed throughout the hills. Fans continued to stand in the rain and chanted “Ringo! Ringo! Ringo!” until lightning was seen. The venue announced moments later that the show was postponed until the storm passed. People took cover in their cars, under the merchandise and beer tents or stood in the rain. Fans waited with crossed fingers for the rain to stop. In less than half-hour, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up. People were instructed to go back to the venue as the stage was swept dry for Ringo.

The All Starr Band made their first appearance on stage shortly after the stage was cleared of water. The crowd grew louder before everyone got the first look at Ringo Starr, who came out on stage, raising his hands with peace signs and thanked the crowd for holding up in the rain and said – “We would have played in the rain but they would not let us.”

Ringo’s All Starr Band consisted of many well-known names in the music industry, Todd Rundgren (guitarist), Greg Rolie (keyboardist), Steve Lukather (guitarist), Richard Page (bassist), Gregg Bisonette (drummer) and Warren Ham (saxophonist/ percussionist). The whole band had the amazing ability of singing and performing with each talented artist, it was as thought the audience witnessed five different bands performing on one stage.

The band opened up with Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox”. Throughout the night the setlist was a mixture of early Beatles songs, “Don’t Pass Me By” and “I Wanna Be Your Man”. Ringo had a sing along with the crowd for “Yellow Submarine”. He joked with the crowd saying if they did not know the song, they were at the wrong show. But also a mixture of 80’s songs were lead by the All Starr Band and some of the favorites of the night were, “Africa” was sung by Steve Lukather (Toto), “Black Magic Woman” sung by Gregg Rolie (Santana) and “Broken Wings” which was sung by Richard Page (Mr. Mister). Page’s incredible voice took the crowd by awe and a few lighters were seen swaying in the air during the song.

Towards the end of the night, Ringo performed the international single “Photograph” also co-written by George Harrrison. But the crowd sang loudly to “With A Little Help From My Friends”, Ringo could barely be heard while the crowd sang and fans wrapped their arms around one another’s shoulders. After the song was finished, Ringo thanked the crowd and said that was it and briefly left the stage. But the All Starrs quickly started getting the crowd to clap their hands up high and the band started singing “Give Peace a Chance”. Ringo came back to join in with the last song and performed the song in remembrance of John Lennon.

Tears could be seen on some of the faces in the crowd as the band bowed together on stage. Wishlists and bucketlists were crossed off for most people there as they witnessed the most famous drummer of all time. Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band made an impact of every rock n roll fan in that crowd. It was not just a rock concert, to some; it was a memory that will last them a lifetime.

June 30, 2014
Interview: Boxed Wine talk about Shows, Syncs and Cheap Fun

Friday, June 20th. My friend buys us tickets to see Dresses play The Studio at Webster Hall. I like the duo but feel as if my street cred is in question walking into a venue after a gaggle of fourteen year olds making some kind of remark about wearing dresses to a Dresses show. I try putting off going in for the openers, but between the scalper trying to sell me tickets to a show I already have tickets for, and the homeless guy on 11th street making me bear predictable Charlie Sheen jokes against my will, I realize it’d be easier to follow my friend inside.

Surprisingly enough, we walk into a beach-party kind of vibe. A band called Boxed Wine is on and I initially can’t tell if there are four or five members in the band—a guy in a ponytail and blue Boxed Wine shirt (apparently this guy never got the memo that this is bad luck) keeps bouncing on and off stage to sing gang vocals. Within minutes, the band has the crowd dancing. There’s a palpable sense of familiarity in the air—not in the sense that you recognize them from one of the OC mixes but in a way you know you’ve heard the songs before. When “Summer Wine” comes on, I find that I’m no longer thinking about rent, or my shitty coffee shop hours the next day. Instead, I ricochet into that two week long Halloween freshman year (Syracuse will stretch out any holiday where it’s socially acceptable to wear seasonally challenged outfits and spend the night adjacent to the toilet) when my friends drove up to my dorm, corrugated fiberboard boxes in hand, and we stayed in and got wrecked off of cheap red wine together. That’s the exact sentiment Boxed Wine captures in their music.

With the lead singer of Silver Conor on their side, a song in an Adam Sandler movie, and tragicomic DIY music videos, this New Jersey band is out to show you that sometimes cheap really is more fun. In this interview, lead singer Chris Nova talks more about the band that we’ve all seen from the corner of our eyes.

Gauraa Shekhar: According to your website, you guys love Johnny Walker Red, Magic Hat and Craft Beer. How did you end up with the name Boxed Wine?

Chris Nova: Well it happened after we wrote the first EP drinking Franzia Sangria every night (re: the cause of Summer Wine’s poor vocal takes, haha). We settled on ‘wine’ as part of the name, but argued between naming the band Fine Fine Wine or Winetown. Someone said why not just name it Boxed Wine, but we all assumed it was taken. When we looked it up and saw it was open, we were shocked and made the Facebook page that night!

GS: What brought you guys together?

CN: Ralph and I lived together for most of college at Rutgers, and met Mike halfway through mutual friends. Ralph played in a band called Jackie Treehorn with Mike (who’s also the best singer in Boxed Wine) and the precursor band to Boxed Wine, Le Le Low, but they both imploded and we all did nothing for a bit. Then Ralph and I started writing different songs when we were both depressed about how awful the ‘real world’ was. The songs were just an escape that grew gradually over time into a full band with other members. Eventually we settled on the current lineup, adding Mike and his friend Steve. Now we’re practicing with our new member Andrea who’s gonna be playing keyboard since that our sound is changing up a bit.

GS: Your songs are always in commercials, playing before Banks shows at Irving Plaza, etc. Do you guys have a say in the syncs at all or do you just randomly turn on the TV and go, “man, our song’s in a washing machine ad”?

CN: We played before Banks’ show?! That’s so cool! (Laughs) We must have a fan in NYC! We have say on some songs and not on others. The sync market is crazy competitive so they often need a yes immediately. We trust our friends in the licensing world to look out for us, but they did soundtrack an Adam Sandler movie commercial with “Waste Your Time” so we might need to reevaluate those friendships…

We never see the commercials first, our fans and friends usually text us and ruin the surprise. We don’t have cable though so it’s actually pretty helpful.

GS: On that note, what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever heard your music play?

CN: We got a small random check for being in a Norwegian airlines in-company video, so though we’ll never see it we hope it made us a fan or two! Go Norway!

GS: These days artists have started giving music videos an importance again. Bands like Cable and Babes have quite the narrative play going on in their videos but you guys are definitely onto something new. What was the thought process behind the music video for “Spies”?

CN: Well Spies isn’t a music video we made, but we’re glad you enjoyed the guinea pigs! We don’t have enough money to make videos for all our songs, so we ended up stealing a bunch of footage from YouTube to give something entertaining to watch during the non-single tracks!

You should check out Arnold in the “Tearing It Up” video, or Nickelback in the “Into the Nite” one…

We love music videos though, but have kinda screwed up every one so far, especially Cannibal. That turned out to be oddly misogynistic instead of as ridiculous as originally planned. We might remake it with naked dudes and dogs, but the original idea was pretty much done in an MGMT video we hadn’t seen. They probably do more drugs than us, which is why their music video was better. Unfortunately it had a different and much worse effect on their last album…

GS: NJ has a very tightly kit music community. I just learned that Bruce Springsteen helped Nicole Atkins set up her new record label after they met at an Ashbury Park show once. Have you met anyone from NJ who has served as your rock and roll guardian angel?

CN: Our bassist’s dad is Joe Cerisano of the 80s rockers Silver Condor. He also sang the ‘Be All You Can Be’ Army theme, which is awesome. He’s been super helpful with general career advice, which is great. Unfortunately half the people he knows in the music business are dead from an overdose of Rock and/or Roll.

Fun fact: he also sang the best version of “When a Man Loves a Woman” with Clarence Clemons on sexy sax duties. It is jaw dropping.

GS: How do you guys deal with situations where fans in Boxed Wine T-shirts insist on coming up on stage three times per show to sing gang vocals?

CN: We have an officially licensed Homer Simpson ‘Reachin’ Stick’ that we use to push them off stage.

Haha just kidding! We love our fans and honestly wish our shows were crazier, kinda like a Black Lips show. I have never been drunker or happier jumping off the stage while they played through ‘Bad Kids’ and that’s a memory to cherish. We want our crowd to have those memories too.

GS: Which show has been your favorite thus far? Why?

CN: We’ve played some seriously great basement shows in New Brunswick, but the best in our memory was April 20, 2013. It was insane and we had a whole basement soaked and exhausted at the end. That was a memory indeed.

GS: What would you say is the difference between performing in NY and NJ?

CN: There’s no venues in New Jersey, so there’s the answer. Haha kidding again. There are a few, but our best shows have been in basements, hands down. The Court Tavern finally noticed us recently and we had a good show there so we’ve set up another for August 30th.

Unfortunately there are more scammy venues in NJ than NY. There’s a difference between a draw requirement and “here’s 50 $20 tickets to sell or you don’t play an have to pay us back.” NJ has more of the latter and it’s absolutely awful. We’ve always said no to that garbage, and they’ve only tricked us once, causing us to purposefully invite no one and cancel the day before, ha.

GS: People in NY are slightly…well, insane. They tend to say a lot of ridiculous things (paging guy down the street from me who sings dirty versions of nursery rhymes and claims to be a pirate)–what’s the most bizarre thing someone’s said to you at a show?

CN: The exchange went as such:
Homeless man: “you look like a Beatle, can I have a dollar?”
Chris: “what?”
HM: “you look like John Lennon, give me a dollar!!!”
Chris: “thanks but sorry I don’t have any cash”
HM: “FUCK YOU JOHN LENNON GIMME A DOLLAR!!!!”

He then chased us. Very slowly…

GS: I know you guys look up to bands like Bear Hands. In an ideal world, which artists/bands would you like to tour with?

CN: All we want to do is tour and hang out with Tokyo Police Club, that’d be like a dream come true. I’d say Spoon would be a close second. I met Britt and he was so appreciative of his fans; just an all around nice dude. My dream, though, would be to play with the Strokes, but I imagine the second coming of Bowie would happen first.

GS: What are you all listening to right now?

CN: Ralph is listening to a bunch of synth pop bands like Magic Man and Betty Who, so now he never shuts up about Charli XCX. He keeps playing the new Blondfire record on repeat as well.

I’m currently obsessed with Mounties (because Steve Bays is a musical god) and have listened to their debut album like 40 times this month. I’m also crazy about JJAMZ because Alex from Phantom Planet is in it. Unfortunately JJAMZ has been quiet since 2010.

Mike never stops listening to Gaslight Anthem, and it’s clearly influencing the awesome solo songs he’s been writing. Frank Turner and the Fratellis are other passions of his, as well as the Naked and Famous.

Steve listens to way heavier stuff and loves Crosses and the Deftones when he’s not listening to Rush. That’s why he’s the greatest drummer in indie pop, haha.

GS: What’s your favorite Boxed Wine song?

CN: My favorite is currently our next single “Innocent.” but I also really like “Young Lovers”. Ralph’s is probably our new single ‘Quiver.’ Mike is a rockist and likes “Bones” and Steve likes another b-side that’s our heaviest track. It’s untitled currently but will be out pretty soon, we hope.

GS: What led you to make your new album available for free download on Bandcamp?

CN: We’re just realists. Everyone steals music, including us, so we felt this was a way to give back. People have the option to give us a few bucks and they often do, which shows us the true good in humanity. We line our pockets with humanity! Really though, we’d rather people buy a tangible T-shirt and come see us instead of spend the money on the digital songs themselves. We just try not to be jerks, and expect the same from any fans.

Unfortunately we’re forced to charge on the bigger sites, but if you’re not smart enough to figure out how to get it free then unfortunately you must pay handsomely, ha.

GS: Why should our readers pick up “Cheap, Fun?”

CN: It’s FREE, why wouldn’t you take it?! In all seriousness, it will hopefully make your day brighter, guide you in times of trouble, and bring you closer to His Holiness (sic.) David Bowie. All we want to do is help people forget that the world is a cold, dark, cruel place with no rhyme or reason to anything other than the fact that we should all be dancing way more often. And eating pizza. And taking naps. That’s it.
___

Download Boxed Wine’s latest album Cheap, Fun here.

June 29, 2014