NYS Music 20​15

Category: Album Reviews

  • Hearing Aide: Dave Spadaro Group’s Self-Titled Debut

    coverimageDave Spadaro Group has come out of the gates in 2015 with a great record blending together jazz, funk, blues, and rock. With this self-titled debut, they have let the world know they are here to make beautiful music to put into your ears. The seven song album moves along too quickly in the 42 minutes, it goes and leaves you wanting more. For a debut record, this is exactly what you want from a band.

    “Pushin” starts the record off strong with a great guitar groove from Dave Spadaro, that is accompanied by wonderful saxophone work by Brian Patneaude. Brian takes the song over with wonderful melodies dancing over the great rhythms by Stephen Orsini on bass, Andrew Costa on keyboards and Brandon Isles on drums. The playing between Andrew and Dave in the middle of the song in a call and response before Brian takes back over is a truly beautiful music moment. Like many songs throughout the album, if you close your eyes you can picture the band directly in front of you coaxing those extra notes out of one another to push the limits of the songs.

    dave-spadaro

    Funk and psychedelia take over in the latter part of “The Upside”, pushing the band into new territory and getting more of how the band sounds live onto the album. Although the jam in this song was most likely thought out clearly, the fact that it sounds like a live jam is a testament to how great the musicianship on the album is. “It’s Alright” gives the album its “single” with Josh Farrell on vocals. This is the most radio-friendly tune on the album, which isn’t a bad thing, because the more chance people have to hear this band the better.

    “As She Moves” brings the album to a slow groove with help from Jeff Nania on sax and flute. Careful guitar interplay by Dave lets Jeff highlight the song. “They Said” and “Fat Tony” bring the album to a close, with “Fat Tony” putting a great cap to the album with beautiful solos by Dave, taking over the song completely, yet not overshadowing the rest of the band. Spanning so many genres, music lovers should have no problem getting cozy with this album through the remainder of the cold winter months, staying warm with the wonderful grooves that the Dave Spadaro Group lays down. The album is available now on their soundcloud page or at live shows around the Capitol Region.

    Key Tracks: Pushin, It’s Alright, Fat Tony

  • Hearing Aide: Armageddon ‘Captivity and Devourment’

    captivityIt’s no secret that ‘Armageddon’ is one of the most overused metal band names in history, with over 800 entries on Metal Archives alone. That being said, too many metal heads that shouldn’t be overlooking this particular ‘Armageddon’, have been for far too long. Formed in Sweden in 1997 by Chris Amott (ex- Arch Enemy), Armageddon has been home to a revolving door of session musicians, who have all happily catered to Amott’s array of metal writing concepts. Captivity & Devourment is the band’s first release since 2003’s Three. 

    The album features ten beautifully composed songs, all of which flawlessly pay homage to Sweden’s original melodic death metal sound. It kicks off with the title track, “Captivity & Devourment”, which has a more traditional death metal feel. This tune gives us our first opportunity to hear Matt Hallquist (Under A Serpent Sun) expertly deliver his signature punchy death metal vocals over Amott’s guitar work, and although Hallquist’s screams (traditional highs and lows) are nothing out of the ordinary, they compliment the music perfectly.

    The album continues with the tracks “Locked In” and “Rendition”. These two tracks are instantly memorable and pack more of Amott’s signature melodic hooks and anthem like solos. However, the riffs are just as heavy and driving as they are insanely catchy. We even get a chance to hear Amott’s fantastic clean vocals by this point in the album, on “Rendition”. 

    The album’s fourth track, “Fugitive Dust”, was in my opinion, a perfect choice for a single. It kicks off with an ’80s sci-fi style intro, reminiscent of the soundtrack to the movie, “Blade Runner”. It then instantly kicks in to the main riff, a classic choppy melodeath riff, with quick pick scrapes and three note harmonic sweeps, adding even more to the mechanical sci-fi feel of the entire track. Hardly surprising, since their first album, Crossing the Rubicon (1997), was entirely science fiction themed. (Scroll down for the “Fugitive Dust” video)

    Other songs like, “Conquer,” “Thanatron” and “The Watcher” really bring the initial ideas behind this album to fruition. We even get to hear more of Amott’s clean vocals on the track, “Equalizer”. As a whole, Captivity & Devourment is destructive, beautiful, masterfully layered, sinister, sludgy and downright metal. Fans of this genre shouldn’t be able to ignore this one.

    Armageddon is now based in New York City and are currently taking the upper east coast by storm on their No Dead Weight tour with Framework. All the details for this tour are on Armageddon’s Facebook page. If you have the opportunity to check out one of these shows, I’d advise you to do so!

    Key Tracks: Locked In, Rendition, Fugitive Dust

    www.facebook.com/armageddonbandofficial

    www.facebook.com/christopheramottofficial

  • Hearing Aide: A Troop of Echoes ‘The Longest Year on Record’

    Heavily influenced by The Slip and Bela Fleck, A Troop of Echoes is aptly named for their style. Inherently emotional, pensive, and sometimes haunting, this album sounds like a melancholy rendition of a faraway memory. Recorded in a former brewery in Providence, RI and mixed by a producer specializing in metal bands, and mastered in Chicago, this album has passed through many hands to form a unique sound. The Longest Year on Record is all instrumental, and with nine songs that are mostly over six minutes long, it’s experimental rock fusion that still retains a composed sensibility.

    The first song, “Manifest and Legion” sets the tone for the rest of the album. It starts off slow and a little introspective, then unexpectedly delves into rock. Simultaneously intense and sweet like eating a Sour Patch Kid, this song holds a certain charm ending with a slightly militaristic sounding drum roll.

    Next is “Small Fires” where the opening notes sound like they could be from The Pixies. The song begins with a psychedelic sounding saxophone which carries throughout. The saxophone is especially prevalent in this song and adds an upbeat, even triumphant sentiment. “Small Fires” has the kind of melody that you could easily find yourself humming along to.

    In the beginning of “Acrecibo” the drums retain a bit of a militaristic sound, following in line with “Manifest and Legion”. The beginning of this song in particular sounds very methodic like a nostalgic slow dance. It unfurls itself into something quite pretty, the bass line leading the way.

    “Kerosene”, the halfway point of The Longest Year on Record is the first song on the album that features string instruments. The glockenspiel really shines on this track in its mixture with the strings. “Kerosene” is a song that is rife with its own personality. It holds an intrinsic curiosity, and sounds like it could be lifted from a movie soundtrack.

    “Constellation” and “The Longest Year on Record” are two of the strongest tracks on this record. Both are skillfully composed, delicate, and slightly wistful. “Constellation” resembles its title, both contemplative and poignant. Perfect for stargazing, its smooth amalgamation of sounds. This song has great transitions, each instrument coalescing together to create something larger. “The Longest Year on Record”, is the title track and represents what the crux of this album is all about. The softness of this song is highlighted by the saxophone’s trilling notes. The subtle bass line and the complex layering of sounds gives this song a slightly redemptive feel. It features a great buildup into a slightly angelic ending.

    The pinnacle of instrumental music is that it’s so conducive to different interpretations. That is what is so great about this album. Musically, it’s dynamic and the production value is evident in the fact that it just sounds good. The Longest Year on Record seems like it could even be one continuous song that just happened to be broken into parts. This is A Troop of Echoes second record, and after listening to this, I’m looking forward to their next release.

    Key Tracks: Small Fires, Kerosene, Constellation

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  • Hearing Aid: Dank: ‘Dank’

    Dank (formerly Dank Sinatra) are currently touring in support of their most recent self-titled release Dank, which was released in early February 2015. Currently, the band is touring heavily through the south and spreading their new music across to a vast array of new audiences.

    The new album marks a new level of maturity and musical craftsmanship as the band has dipped into new terrain featuring a plethora of new age synth space effects. Staying true to their roots, the band demonstrates plenty of intense guitar solos wrapped around their powerful lyrics. Dank are products of the south and their music is inspired with deep southern rock and roll roots. Hailing from Atlanta, Dank works well at crafting clever melodies around catchy hooks while still leaving so much to be explored.

    Opening up with “Crash The Door” the band is patient letting an ambient sound build and develop before dropping into an upbeat and moving groove. The simplicity behind the music and the soft drumming makes way for the lyrics to make a solid impact. The energy is very much alive as the band powers through the last part of the song with precision. The first track on the album is a great example of the band’s fearlessness approach to trying something different. With great musical risks comes a great reward and “Crash The Door” is a great example of the band successfully breaking through to something different and unique.

    Continuing with the upbeat tone of the first track, Dank pushes on with “Nobody Home” which showcases the intricacy between Jimmy Bones and Joe Gaines on guitar. “Gold Blues” is where the band’s southern chops out in a thick and gritty blues time signature. Matt Henderson really shines on the keys and wastes no time opening the music up. The album is full of highlights but one of the best compositions Dank has to offer is a number called “80’s Dude.” The music flows very well and keeps a consistent tone before it drops off at about two and half minutes in. The band breaks through with a deep exploration of a synth-based jam, which features Josh Birmingham commanding the drum kit before the vocals come back in.

    It seems a commanding force is driving the band and their willingness to explore new terrain will surely translate in the live atmosphere. With gigs booked through the end of March, Dank will continue to spread their unique musical vision across the south and the southeast.

    Key Tracks: “80’s Dude,” “Gold Blues,” “Crash The Door”

    Check out an incredible pro-shot version of “Gold Blues” here.

  • Hearing Aide: New Savant Album ‘Invasion’

    Norwegian musician, Savant has been on an upward spiral since his career started four-years agSavant Invasiono. Since his debut album, Ninur, was released, Savant has continued to top the charts of Beatport in multiple genres of EDM. This year should be no different. 2015 begins for Savant with the release of a new album called Invasion, which has killed it so far among fans. The 18-song album covers a wide spectrum of musical styles but each and every song is made for dancing.

    The album opens up with a playful love song called “Orphan”. In the beginning the notes have a buzz type quality while the song jumps around a scale like a video game. This lighthearted type of love song maybe not purposefully pokes some fun into the sappiness that comes along with missing a lover. A lot of the album is fast paced. It is easy to recognize that the strong pursuit of exploration Savant is taking in EDM. Everything takes a turn when trumpets sound in the song “Innocence” which is funk. It is not free form, which makes it grooveable.

    Part of what makes this music appealing is it gives a taste of aspects of many different styles of EDM music and makes it assessable. In one of the key songs on Invasion, “1997,” Savant revisits the style of techno that thrived at that time in the ’90s.

    Key Tracks: Orphan, Innocence, 1997.

  • Hearing Aide: Tyler Smilo ‘Dust In a Grave’

    Singing the songs of a true wanderer, traveling throughout the country before settling in Erie, PA, Tyler Smilo has numerous stories to share that are more than worthy of a listen. On top of his deep lyrics, Smilo’s shockingly powerful voice featuring incredible vibrato definitely hits a nerve right from the start of his second and latest album Dust in a Grave.

    tyler smiloIt’s hard not to get sucked right in to the intense emotions of this tremendously talented singer-songwriter. Spouting lyrics about love – and love lost – on “These Will Be the Days” memories of the good old days before technology took over on “Rescue the Radio” and death of a loved one on “Dust in a Grave.” This musician seems to have experienced a great deal of trials and tribulations for someone so young. Let’s hope he continues to have many more adventures that he is willing to sing about for years to come, as after listening to this album, I was left wanting more.

    Because his thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics are so compelling, it is easy to overlook the fact that this musician has mad guitar talent too. Able to change rhythms on a dime, and switch between minor and major chords several times within just one measure, it is certainly worth honing in on his guitar licks while listening through his album.

    In advance of his album, Smilo put out a series Rooftop Session videos recorded on the roof of the Renaissance Centre in his hometown of Erie, PA. Once you watch these videos, you’re going to find it hard not to delve deeper into Smilo’s music by checking out an upcoming show or purchasing one of his albums.

    Key Tracks: Blood In the Water, Dust In a Grave, These Will Be the Days

  • Hearing Aide: Mosh along with Blacklisted’s ‘When People Grow, People Go’

    What better way to start off the year with a strong dose of strong raw hardcore. Philly based Blacklisted have crafted another dose of feedback driven, groove based, punk infused hardcore with their fourth record When People Grow, People Go. Clocking in at just over 20 minutes, the album wastes no time getting its point across. The record is almost trapped in time with a sound that sounds straight out of the late ’90s early 2000’s era hardcore that got me into the scene. This is stuff you would have heard any given Saturday night at a VFW or community rec center. Songs that force you to bob your head along and say to yourself “man, this is good stuff”. The riffs are strong, the drums push the beat forward, and the whole thing is begging for a pit to open up.

    When People Grow People GoThe song “Riptide” in particular sounds exactly like the Syracuse hardcore scene I loved so much through my teenager years and every song on the record has a really stripped down approach that doesn’t rely on production gimmicks. It’s really refreshing in 2015 to hear a record that hasn’t been overproduced to the point of sounding like a robot recorded it. While I do wish there was a little more punch with the drums it feels authentic. This sounds like they just went into a room, banged out some songs, and recorded them. Nothing fancy about it. Just pure energy.

    The signature sound on the record has to be the guitar layering. Traditional hardcore punk riffs with a nice mixture of chaotic feedback that blends to radical harmony. They also know how to speed things up when needed and add a little edge of aggression but at the same time when they slow it down a little and lock into a groove it’s beyond good. Opening track “Insularized” is a great example of them being able to shift gears from fast to slow and back again. Sometimes this causes a song to come off disjointed but they were able to keep it together without sounding like they cut and pasted two different songs together.

    Blacklisted has become one of those bands that has started to really cultivate a strong catalog of releases. Some bands start their career off with a bang and slowly go downhill from there trying to chase after what they once had. And some bands just never get that light bulb moment where everything clicks together and they put out something really special. But Blacklisted have been able to be consistently good. Few bands can lay claim to being able to say that they haven’t put out a bad or disappointing record. While When People Grow, People Go doesn’t go outside of the box, it also doesn’t feel like they’re playing it safe. They made a record that has a very distinct sound that doesn’t bend to any trends. That should be applauded when more and more bands are slowly getting away from the things that made people fall in love with them in the first place.

    Blacklisted have long been viewed as one of the best in their genre. They put on a live show full of energy with crowds that get whipped into a fury and now they’ve added to their legacy with a great all around record. While it doesn’t pack the punch of their previous releases it’ll please their fans for sure and they remain at the top of their class.

    Key Tracks – Insularized, Deeper King, Riptide

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKKYYzIMHhA&w=560&h=315]

  • Hearing Aide: Driftwood’s Self-Titled Debut

    driftwoodWhether you enjoy the whimsical melodies of folk music, or the boot-stomping, heart-pumping beats of rock ‘n’ roll, Driftwood’s first full-length album has a little something for everyone.  Hailing from Binghamton, the band’s ability to glue together a small piece of every genre is remarkable.

    As a whole, the self-titled album Driftwood manages to paint very descriptive, colorful narratives of lessons and stories that unfold seamlessly.  From the first few seconds of the first song, “High School Paycheck” listeners can glide along through a story ultimately about the sum of our days not being comparable to the amount of money earned.  It’s a sentiment that people of all walks of life can relate to, and the listener’s journey has only just begun.

    The softness of the first track should not be a reflection of what Driftwood manages to accomplish with the rest of the album. The second song, “The Sun’s Going Down” hits hard and heavy.  We are encouraged to go along on the ride with them, listening close to their words and physically feeling what it is they are trying to convey.  The rest of the album continues to raise the bar.  “The Carburetor and the Steam Engine” slowly creeps up to a powerful peak of emotions and is followed by simple, yet soul tingliging lullabies such as “Outer Space.”  Claire Byrne’s powerful ode “Before I Rust” could make anyone weak in the knees, as can her delicate and expressive fiddle playing. Combined with Joey Arcuri’s passionate bass lines, Dan Forsyth’s revelatory voice and Joe Kollar’s unique style of banjo, the four-piece has it all.  Their spot-on harmonies and attention to detail round out the album like a classic novel, with heartfelt finality and precise conclusion.  Driftwood’s collective songwriting skills are honed by the classics in music, and given their fire from the rock ‘n’ roll of our parents’ generation. When assembled, the words and melodies are nothing short of a masterpiece.

    Key Tracks: The Carburetor and the Steam Engine, Before I Rust, Buffalo Street

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  • Hearing Aide: Murder by Death ‘Big Dark Love’

    Murder by Death 'Big Dark Love'My roommate introduced me to the band Murder by Death. I found myself instantly impressed by their blend of soulful, Johnny Cash’esque blues and hard rock leanings. Some might simply call this Americana, but the Indiana born quintet is quite obviously deeper than the title of a genre. Their latest release, Big Dark Love, is proof of that.

    The band’s fearless leader is Adam Turla. Over the course of the band’s history, his voice has deepened and matured like a tasteful red wine — only getting better over time. My introductory album was Red of Tooth and Claw — where songs like “Fuego!” and “’52 Ford” quickly had my attention. Big Dark Love is stylistically similar on a musical level, but Turla’s vocals have more fold to them this time around. He uses the fullness of his range and is not afraid to employ harmonies, but still stands with his emotional integrity — making the message of each song completely convincing. The creepy title track gave me chills, “isn’t that fun?”

    Likewise, Turla delivers a tear – inducing performance on “Send Me Home,” which deals with death of a loved one. Quite the same is suit on “Hunted,” which lyrically encapsulates a man’s perspective on women’s issues. “We don’t know what it’s like to be hunted. We don’t know what it’s like to be wanted,” Turla admits.

    But Murder by Death is not the Adam Turla show, thank God. Each member is quite obviously showcased in his or her own way, perfecting the art of being a band. Quite simply put, you can’t have one without the other. And none of their music is ‘simple rock songs’ either, which is why Sarah Balliet’s cello playing is so perfectly placed on each song. Cello isn’t a typical rock instrument, either. But before you dismiss her back to the first cello seat in orchestra class, realize that without Balliet, Big Dark Love would not have quite the round aggression it needs and accomplishes.

    Likewise, the rhythm and bass section of the album simply kicks ass. With songs like “Natural Pearl,” and “It Will Never Die,” a strong ‘backbone’ is not the important thing. The important thing was to create a natural ambiance. The title track does this extremely well. The showcased members are less Turla and Balliet and more autonomously Matt Armstrong on Bass, Dagan Thogerson on drums — he delivers an equally emotional and driving drum performance — and a strong presence from David Fountain on keys and additional stringed instruments. Fountain’s performance (including his vocal harmonies) throughout the album displays a sort of musical growth for Murder by Death, as if the band has taken another step in the evolutionary process.

    Either way, Big Dark Love is another slam dunk for Murder by Death. No questions asked.

    The album can be purchased directly from the band and on iTunes,

    Key Tracks: Big Dark Love, Send Me Home, Hunted

  • Hearing Aide: Balkun Brothers ‘ReDrova’

    Emerging from CT with an explosive, funkified blues-rock sound, Balkun Brothers have been touring heavily up and down the East coast in support of their first full-length studio album, ReDrova.

    The trio features Steve Balkun on guitar/vocals, Nick Balkun on drums and Caleb Battersby on bass/vocals, creating a new age soulful blues with hard-hitting attitude. They’ve been voted “Best Blues Band in Connecticut” for the past two years in a row and ReDrova is a powerful testament to the title. The 12 track album covers a diverse taste of Balkun Brothers flavor with foot stomping, high-speed chase tunes to swampy Americana punk. The Balkun Brothers have shared the stage with such acts as Dopapod, Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Mike Dillon and many more with hundreds of shows set at festivals and legendary clubs across the country.

    The album kicks off with an organized mess of a crescendo from the trio before slamming into heavy, classic rock guitar riffs and rhythms that throw the listener into the music with full force. The impressive rock star vocals with lengthy note holds and range are enthusiastic cliff hangers throughout the entire album. The blues rock is a swampy surprise as the twang of the guitar blends with the deep bass notes and steady percussion perfectly each time. The album takes a turn to slow it down for a heated focus on the sensual melodies only to segue into an upbeat New Orleans’s jazz for a ‘spin me around the dance floor’ free for all. Each song is fresh with an energetic punk meets blues rock and a heavy twist of Elvis Presley charm.

    ReDrova is available on their website for $10 as a digital download or as a hard copy at any of their shows. Catch them this weekend when they return home to Connecticut to perform at The Main Pub in Manchester on Friday, February 6 and to Upstate, NY on Saturday February 7 at Syracuse’s Funk n Waffles with special guests Canopy. Check out their website for all their upcoming New England show dates because with their hot new album release, this is the band to look out for this year.

    Key Tracks: Oh Yeah! (Last Jam), Got My Boots On, Sally’s Blues

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