NYS Music 20​15

Author: Anastasia Michalowskij

  • Hearing Aide: Space Jesus ‘Close Encounters’

    November 20 marked the release date of the much anticipated album by EDM artist Space Jesus. The album Close Encounters is okay with a few redeeming songs on the album and as a whole it did not stand out as unique. “HydraBadMan” is one of the better songs on the compilation as Jasha Tull was able to manipulate bass that felt eerie and all encompassing. However dissecting the rest the “HydraBadMan” minus the bass, it felt unauthentic – a feeling reflected in the whole album. The song “The Sultan” felt easily calculated and lacking personal voice. The album does not stand up with the multitudes of other compellingly abstract music that tries to merge Middle Eastern influences into contemporary music of America. Consider the Source for example is a band that does a stunning job of that. Some characteristics of sounds were hinted at but not well represented.

    Space Jesus
    Space Jesus, Close Encounters

    The album does demonstrate that the artist has knowledge of this hip-hop style where the bass in smoothed out and slowed down to create what we know as dubstep. The frequencies in the track “Sycamore” are nice and I think that is one of the songs where the whole sound came together. Each entity in “Sycamore” relies on the other for strength and pivot point. This could be a fascinating album if you are looking into electronic music and wanted an album that features a variety of different sounds.  However what is lacking here in the Close Encounters album is connection from track to track. There is no story being told or any sort of desire to transcend the confines of four minutes. The concept of the album is using it as a means of birthing a beast, creating an entity or exploring flow. The experience of listening to a good album for the first, second and third time should be like bearing witness to an inspiration that the musician had a genuine interest in serving out.  Yet no relationship could be found between the music and the feelings that were supposed to be alluded by Space Jesus. 

    Key Tracks: HydraBadMan, Sycamore

  • Hearing Aide: String Cheese Incident ‘The Rhythm of the of Road Vol 2, Live in Las Vegas’

    String Cheese Incident The String Cheese Incident is celebrating their 20th year together as a band. The Rhythm of the Road Vol 2; Live in Las Vegas is a new release for October. This album is successful because the music explores the uniqueness that life can bring.  Each member of The String Cheese Incident comes from a different musical background. These happy differences have lead to the marriage of many genres and twangy Colorado mountain bluegrass.  This album is a live performance that exemplifies how sounds of music can all come together to create whirlwind imagery.

    Imagine a bunch of road lovin’ country boys who play music. Along their travels meet a man with a bright twinkle in his eye. Graciously he invites them to a paradise in the caribbean- the place he was born. Right as he waved his arm in the follow me motion the young men were swept over by a soft salty wind. When the dreamy haze settles, they realize they have been instantly transported. Their toes rest on the sand in ‘San Jose’, a land entrancingly unfamiliar.

    The imaginary cinema of travels inspired by SCI’s music continue in the back seat of a car.  One close and personal view of just the side of a man’s face and his delicate reflection on the window. Outside of the window is the sound of the winds and the brown, American earth, passing by at fifty-five miles per hour, backroad. Nowhere to be but somewhere; excitement in the unknown of what lays ahead. The performance on ‘Desert Passage Jam’ is filled with bright expression of musical beauty and occasional slow rhythmic bongos create feelings of undeniable appreciation for life that surrounds us.

    Key Tracks: San Jose, Got What he Wanted, Desert Passage Jam, Cedar Laurel, Dirk

  • Disc Jam: A Melding of Passions

    With Disc Jam quickly approaching this coming weekend, June 11 through 14, NYS Music spoke with festival founder to find out more about what makes the collaboration between music and disc golf so cool and also a little bit about what is to be expected.

    Disc Jam FestivalThis is a different experience from the other music festivals because of the on-site disc golf course designed specifically for this event.  More than five years ago, the weekend had two pastimes: Going to music festivals and playing disc golf with friends.  He aspired to combine the two.

    Both events are similar in that they bring out people who like to have fun outdoors during rain or shine. The mindset is to welcome the idea of fun and community. The course welcomes beginners. It is set up on an eye level playing field creating difficulty somewhere in the middle of the skill set so that familiar players can have some challenge but at the same time new players will not be intimidated and can make some shots.

    The construction of the lineup goes along with same mindset. With all the different types of music ranging from the funk and progressive rock of Dopapod to the organic electronic sounds of Phutureprimitive. The course is set up in harmonious location so that while playing the game all the music being played on the main stage can be heard. It can be played all day long for free, except during tournament time. Discs are up for loan courtesy of Explore Disc Golf, an Amherst, Massachusetts, based disc golf design firm. The fest has teamed up with Explore to design the official Disc Jam course.

    The tournament is $35 per player and you will be playing for prizes such as festival merchandise, Vibram 5 Finger shoes, tickets for Disc Jam 2016 and everyone who signs up for the tournament receives a custom Disc Jam disc golf disc from Innova. When asked, in regards to the bands, if you compare disc golf skills to the skills someone has playing an instrument, they assured me, there was no comparison. So the challenge is out there for the featured musicians to come out and try their luck on the course.

    The Cosmic Dust Bunnies play the opening set at 6pm on Thursday at Disc Jam. See everyone there. Tickets are available now.

  • Forever Young, Wild, and StrangeCreek

    The 13th annual Strange Creek thrown by Wormtown Trading Co.,was one for the books.  The weekend was like a fruit filled parfait layered with wild and wonderful people, beautiful works of art, dusty roads, lots of sunshine and of course music to inspire the span of ages that attend StrangeCreek. Majority of people steadily streamed in all day Friday. EZ ups popped up, strangers became neighbors and people all became pieces of the StrangeCreek woods.

    Friday included notable performances by Banooba and Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds. Sister Sparrow played down bluesy tunes such as “Boom Boom,” “Too Much Ain’t No Good” and a Doors cover of “Roadhouse Blues” with a sit in by Patchen Montgomery of Strangefolk.

    StrangeCreekThe crescent moon had been visible in the sky all day long and as the sun went down during a familiar Shakedown set the magic was undeniable. The wonderful Zach Deputy cleaned up the Main Stage that Friday night with his one of a kind style of comedic RnB. Unfortunately, a flip flop of set times between Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Primate Fiasco lead to a lot of people missing Pigeons set.

    It feels like a blessing that year after year everyone gets to keep reuniting on the banks of the river at Camp Keewanee. Its refreshing that some of the proceeds of the festival go back to Keewanee. It is uplifting to see the amount that members of Massachusetts music community gives back to one another.

    On Saturday at high noon, The Kind Buds gave a beautiful acoustic set performance at the main stage. It did not take long in the day for a mystery to surface. Who in the world is Cuty Phazed? This unknown act began to spark some questions among festival goers. It soon became clear that no one actually knew who Cuty Phazed was. But because it was Strangecreek naturally, Sheriff Zach Deputy was hot on our radars and after some good detective work it became apparent that Cuty Phazed was Zach Deputy with the letters rearranged. This mid day acoustic set at Vernville stage was better than the night before. His setlist included “Chicken Pot Pie,” “Bikers in Diapers” and a cover of “Gold Digger” by Ray Charles.

    StrangeCreek

    A stroll over to the main stage after Cuty Phazed lead me to my first rendezvous with Vermont native band the Gang of Thieves. Michael Reit shred the lead melody of a Led Zeppelin son. They were generating a huge sound. It was hardcore to hear Violinist, Michael Reit shred the lead the melody of a Led Zeppelin song.  At 4:20 Max Creek played their first set of the day on the Vernville stage in honor of their 44 years playing together. The whole day set was a tribute too all songs that came out in 1971 such as “Playing in the Band,” “Brown Sugar” and “Riders on the Storm.” Then later a second set on main stage that when combined with the day set total six hours of music. Saturday night continued to be amazing with William Thompson Funk Experiment. They got everyone very comfortable and loose and grooving by intertwining the art of funk with the art of poetry. One of the best acts of the StrangeCreek weekend.

    The 50 year anniversary of the beloved Grateful Dead has lead to more tribute shows than usual. The Dead set on Sunday featured a “Jack Straw,” the second of the weekend, a “Ripple” and a long and beautifully jammed out “Terrapin Station.”  Following The Dead Set was Consider the Source, a festival favorite, they packed the main stage at 6 p.m. with almost everyone at the festival.  Their setlist included “I’ll Fight for the Imp,” “Put another rock in that bag PT. 1, IV” and VI and You Go Squish Now. CTS is a hard act to follow. Smushed in between the end of Source and Ryan Montbleau a band called Llama Lasagne imposed a jovial spectacle on the river worm stage. The stage held over 12 people, it is no wonder they call themselves a party ensemble.

    The sun set around us as the Ryan Montbleau and Friends set took flight. They treaded lightly into a cover of “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” to open. conveniently enough, the band slid into the tune “Dead Set” which was well played and the feeling of love became contagious as the setlist featured a bunch of songs about women and love such as “Honeymoon Eyes” and “Back in Love again”. If we weren’t already standing it would have been a standing ovation.

    A successful music festival can be weighted by all the musicians who jammed so lovely that their music finds its way into your future repertoire. The bands that made a lasting impression this year include William Thompson Funk Experiment, Mother Ton, Jeremiah Hazed and Banooba. A special thank you needs to be given to everyone who went into making this StrangeCreek, the strangest and most magical to date. That includes the late working vendors, the FireWormz, the volunteers, year after year,the owners and staff, as well as, the musicians and of course the Massachusetts community.

  • 10 Reasons You Should Attend Disc Jam

    Music Festival season is swinging into full gear as we speak. New York, in particular, is known for hosting a large number of festivals. Making its way to the top this year is Disc Jam. It has one of the hottest lineups, featuring some of the most talented up and coming artists, as well as some very well established bands. With more than 50 artists there is a lot to choose from. This article features a low down of 10 sets that should not be missed. If this piques your interest click here for the full lineup/tickets.

    10. Spiritual Rez

    Spiritual Rez is that luxurious feel good music that feels like sunshine. When dub reggae goes deep, that, is Spiritual Rez. This is the set to be at if you want to feel free, so come mix around.

    9.Formula 5

    Don’t miss New York State’s own Formula 5. These up-and-coming musicians released a live album in April.  It is proof that they are generating tight sounding live performances chock full of ascending melodies and improvisation.

    Disc Jam

    8. Bells and Robes

    Bells and Robes is an electronic music duo coming out of Gainesville, Fla., whose sound is lush and kickback. They released a new EP in April of this year. Stocked with new material, they will try quenching the never-ending thirst for good livetronica.

    7. Mister F

    Mister F describes themselves as neat & clean, hard & dangerous. This young band of experienced musicians is the offspring of members of Timbre Coup and Capital Zen. I’ll say it myself: Mister F has been on fire, pleasing crowds all up and down the east coast and in parts of the Midwest. This is a set you do not want to miss.

    6. Phutureprimitive 

    Phutureprimitive has been producing electronic music since the 90’s. His musical approach incorporates fuzzy bass lines and organic soundscapes. His music is known to enter into another realm of reality.

    5. Twiddle
    With a passionate crowd and hailing from nearby Castleton, VT, Twiddle has been making waves in the past two years, pe/king all across the East coast, Colorado and making for a fantastic NYE show courtesy of Disc Jam Presents. Don’t miss their two sets!

    4.Pink Talking Fish

    Pink Talking fish plays a combination of Pink Floyd, The Talking Heads and Phish by finding commonalities in grooves of these three musical powerhouses. This is them making a return to Disc Jam and they do a good amount of playing around the Northeast so some are likely to have experienced Pink Talking Fish and will catching the set. If not, make it a fresh experience.

    3.Lespecial
    Lespecial released a new album in April of this year. Their sound is wildly different with each song, giving Lespecial’s sets an unexpected feel. The multitude of flavors could allow for the set to be cohesive with Disc Jam vibes.  This set is guaranteed to be exciting.

    2.Electron
    Who doesn’t love a supergroup? Electron Brings together Aaron Magner and Marc Brownstein, of the Disco Biscuits, with Mike Greenfield, of Lotus, and the talented Tommy Hamilton, of Brothers past. This band is an occasional side project that has been happening off and on for over a decade, making this a rare and formidable occasion.

    1.Lettuce
    Twenty years of experience has allowed Lettuce to become a staple of the live music scene. Lettuce is known for their old-school sound combinations but also their vision to take funk music out of the box. Featured as one of headliners, Lettuce will be flooding the sound waves with music that is soulful and sure to manifest good feelings inside the body.  Don’t miss out!

    Of the lineup, those which have not been listed in this article include Kung Fu, Dopapod, Consider the Source and Twiddle. This is a beautiful lineup and tickets are indeed still available right here. Hope to see a lot of shining faces at the 5th annual Disc Jam Music Festival!

  • Hearing Aide: The Pandemics ‘Hard Headed’ EP

    The PandemicsThe Pandemics just released a new EP called Hard Headed. This band of musicians is a relatively new force in New York. Debuting in 2010 and having previously released another EP and an album, The Pandemics are an eight piece band spreading through New York State with a recognizably robust sound.  The sounds of trumpets and drums open up the EP with an initial jam that is slower and one of the key songs on the EP to check out. The second song to be check out is “Change Your Mind.” This song is a head full of upbeat punk music with sarcastic humor on one shoulder and the combination of bad words on the other shoulder.

    “Stop and Get Frisky” is a very relevant tune. This number is all about police violence. This past year the murder of Mike Brown and Eric Garner as well as other murders received a lot of well deserved attention and sparked a movement called Black Lives Matter.  Cops are recurring themes in Ska and punk music, however, the lyrics in “Stop and Get Frisky,” – “The stopping for white is nearly six times for blacks,” make it clear that the song is specifically addressing the issue of racial profiling.

    The Pandemics are bringing up important issues of police profiling in their new EP Hard Headed. Check it out and catch The Pandemics on tour in New York State this summer! 

    Key Tracks: Change Your Mind, Stop and Get Frisky

  • StrangeCreek Campout Returns for the 13th Year

    The StrangeCreek Campout will return to Camp Kee-Wanee in Greenfield, Mass., over Memorial Day weekend for the 13th consecutive year. Put on by Wormtown Trading Co., StrangeCreek features more than 50 acts this year, led by Max Creek, Ryan Montbleau, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and Consider the Source on multiple stages. Other notable attractions include late-night sets, a Silent Disco and special cabin performances.

    StrangeCreek

    Jeremiah Hazed, winner of the Worcester Battle of the Bands, will perform a special late-night set on the Woods Stage. The fire spinning performers who go by, FIREWORMZ, will spin fire every night.

    The StrangeCreek tribe and all the music lovers who come together in Western Massachusetts do a great job of creating a family atmosphere amongst all festival goers new and old. There is a family camping area as well as a kids cabin and teen scene. The landscape of Camp Kee-Wanee is known for its wooded camping area where the festival goers can dwell between sets, covered by the shade during the day, before exploring under the shadowy canopy at night.

    strangecreek-2011

    A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Camp Kee-Wanee. StrangeCreek also supports Strangers Helping Strangers, a non-profit that runs a food drive at over the weekend.

    For a full look at the lineup click here.

    Gates open at 9 a.m. on that Friday morning. Tickets are still available.

  • Hearing Aide: Space Carnival ‘Live at the Oneonta Theatre’

    Space Carnival, an Upstate band out of Oneonta has released Live at the Oneonta Theatre from a performance at the Oneonta Theatre in March 2015.  The first song is a weak start. But the second song, ‘Moon Boots’, is really groovy. The track starts out slow then the drums lay a techtonic foundation in which the keyboard and the guitar then take turns being the voice of the song.

    ‘Moon Boots’ has a little flavor similar to the song ‘Funkytown’ by Lipps Inc. It would have been a good idea to drive right into that song ‘Moon Boots’ from the get go. It seems that Space Carnival takes pride on creating an atmosphere that welcomes fun and dancing. They are successful in doing that. This live album is swirling with positive energy.

    space carnival live

    Like most good jam bands they stray away from the vocals in majority of the album; only occasionally throwing in a “Hey! Hey!” Each song is different from the next. The band plays around with a triage of styles. From spacey sounds with slow guitar, to fast, playful keyboard grooving and some Ryan Stasik style-esque bass playing. The song “Uh oh I Slipped my Disco” is huge for this set. It stands out because of the patience the band has. During this song the band slows things down to exploar and really takes some risk. It was their longest jam, totaling 16-minutes, and is entertaining the entire time. The song incorporates playful melodies, slowed down dub and one evil synthesizer.

    Key Tracks: Moon Boots, Uh Oh I Slipped my Disco, Filth

    Check out this live album and more of Space Carnival music on BandCamp.

  • A Great Set by Yarn at Funk N’ Waffles Downtown

    Yarn Funk N' Waffles
    Mandolin of Andrew Hendryx from Yarn

    Melodic twangs were drifting out of the walls of Funk N’ Waffles and down the crisp streets of downtown Syracuse on Friday night. A band of local Syracuse musicians who go by Boots n’ Shorts were in the midst of their set. This bluegrass band was a great welcome off of the street into the warm bar. It’s nice, for a change of pace in Syracuse, to hear live bluegrass. The five piece Boots n’ Shorts were fired up, playing fast and well their entire time on stage. It was a good opener for Yarn at Funk N’ Waffles.

    The main act of the night at Funk N’ Waffles was the band Yarn; a bluegrass/americana band from New York. These guys started the night with some bright songs that were totally easy to get along with. With a little bit of direction lead singer Blake Christiana turned the place into a whimsical sing along. The crowd mirrored his words, belting, “I’m a king, I’m a god.” It was easy to spot out the old adorning fans and soon the heartfelt sprit was easily caught be new ones. The sing along was a spin on the everyday way of appreciating the American dreams of conquest and freedom in a funny, boyish way.

    The roots of American county lie in the heart of a good story. Happiness and joy are the greatest feelings we can wish for, but all paths are sometimes rocky. It is not without contrast of those moody days that makes us appreciate the people we have to lean on. Blake Christiana definitely enjoyed telling a tale. About half way through the set, they took a chance on a slow song. It after all was the beginning of the weekend and the bar was full of people whose bellies are warm and full. It was a respectable time to evoke that kind of moment. It took a little while for the mandolin player to get his game face on. Once he got into it, the set got rather impressive. There were multiple stand out moments when the mandolin and the double bass were together in beautiful harmony. It is always a treat to hear a performance with an upright. All in all it was beautiful show; the show became a performance and the course of the set displayed diversity in the feelings of the sound.

  • St. Vincent Headed to Rochester March 5

    Thursday March 5, St. Vincent takes the stage at a sold out show at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY. This is one out of only two stops in upstate New York during this tour. St. Vincent just won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album. Congratulations to her for the award on the self titled album.

    st vincent rochesterSt. Vincent is multi talented singer songwriter with an established reputation. Her distinctive electric sound intrigued David Byrne, of the Talking Heads, leading to a great collaborative album back in 2012. It is nice to see and hard to believe that tickets were originally on sale for 25 dollars. Even though Water Street is sold out try to pick up some tickets. Do not miss out.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY-WAu_SqWs

    Doors at 7pm show starts at 8pm.

    St. Vincent’s next stop in New York state is Clifton Park on March 7.