Living in New York you always stumble upon legendary sit-ins and collaborations amongst your favorite artists. When you’re favorite trumpet player or vocalist get called on stage to accompany the band, that feeling in your stomach starts to grow, you ask yourself “what will they play?” or “I wonder what these two will come up with?” At the Funk n’ Bowl show at Brooklyn Bowl the fans had plenty of time to let their imaginations run wild on what sound, songs, and jams this stellar group of musicians would come up with.
With a line up as long as the bathroom lines at Wrigley Field the stage was graced by Eric Krasno (guitar, Soulive), Jesus Coomes (bass, Lettuce), Adam Deitch (drums, Lettuce), Marco Benevento (organ) accompanied by Snarky Puppy’s Chris Bullock (sax), Michael “Maz” Maher (trumpet), Justin Stanton (trumpet), and Nate Werth (percussion). The show opened as most superjams do with each member of the group showing off their talents, but none stood out more than Coomes who stood center stage like this was his band. They worked their way through multiple tracks off of Krasno’s 2010 release Reminisce which included covers of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” and The Beatles “Get Back” and a sit-in by Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown (trumpet, TTB). While Coomes seemed to be guiding the band we were graced the the occasional Krasno guitar solo and fantastic high’s from the horns section.
The second half of this one set show featured Marco taking charge, highlighting his organ work, a rarity you see him without the rest of his arsenal. He captivated the crowd and got everyone involved with “At The Show” off of his current album Swift. Bobby Deitch took his son Adam’s place behind the drum kit for a couple of songs then the evening was brought to a close with both Deitch’s on stage working percussion while the rest of the band brought the night of funky jams to a close.
Misery Kills (formally called Misery) is a metal band from the Long Island/New York City area that I never heard of until a couple of weeks ago when I caught a few metal shows down there while visiting family. Bassist Joe LoCasto, who plays in Misery Kills, also plays in a band with Joey Z of Life Of Agony called Zire’s War. After having the pleasure of witnessing Zire’s War, Joe LoCasto told me to check out Misery Kills, so after receiving their album My Ugly Insides, I had high expectations for this album, after listening to this album, I was not disappointed.
The album starts of with an instrumental intro entitled “Eight FortySix Thirty” then blazes into a devastating track called “Eyes Wide Open.” And when you hear the evil screeching roars of vocalist John LoCasto combined with dual guitars of Corey Schaefer and Duane Conlon, you know that this band means business. To top it off the bone crushing tracks from drummer Scott Borrero aided with underlying bass of Joe LoCasto gives this band a unique chemistry. The best way to describe the sound of this band…remember the circle charts from elementary school? Picture three interlocking circles representing three bands: Lamb Of God, Coal Chamber, and Agnostic Front. The gray area that the three bands I just mentioned share is what Misery Kills and this album reminds me of.
Now back to the album. The track that I fell in love with is “Poltroon.” That song makes me want to stomp someone the hell out, a great feel good aggressive song. Every track is solid, thrashy, and to the point. The quality and mixing of this album sounds retro, which I believe that producer Joey Z (Life Of Agony, Zire’s War) was going for when he was putting the finishing touches on this album.
The next track that gets me going has to be “Kills My Day,” it’s the fastest and most vulgar track on the album, it’s very blue-collar with no-nonsense. Right after that, the guitar work on the following two tracks “Sick Around You” and “White Trash” is absolutely top-notch. This band grabs you by the collar and makes you listen…and trust me, you will be hooked.
Towards the end of the album, you are graced with the track “Give Em Hell” which is a foot stomping anthem with catchy hooks and nasty breakdowns , then My Ugly Insides ends with the title track which is the cherry on the bloody sundae that this band serves. It’s a very appropriate and dark song to cap off to what is in my opinion, a very solid metal album from a very hard-working band. I was happy this band reached out to me, so do your ears, mind, body, and soul a favor and pick up this album.
You can purchase My Ugly Insideshere. Check out the track “13 Miles” below.
Short and sweet, this newly released four track EP Stereochrome is full of the uplifting soulful sounds that we’ve come to expect from Turkuaz. A self proclaimed “funk army” it’s obvious from the get-go that their mission is to get you on your feet.
The first track, “The Fader” is high energy and completely instumental, reminicent of a stripped down James Brown song. The other three songs are full of meaningful lyrics and well-timed harmonies. The two female vocalists Sammi Garet and Shira Elias really shine throughout the EP, especially on “Tiptoe Through The Crypto” where Elias’sultry voice adds an authentic richness.
Sterochrome is like a revival of the ghost of funktown’s past. With their influences varying from Sly and the Family Stone to Parliament, Turkuaz excels at adding a refreshing take on an older, homegrown style. If you want to catch them live, they’re playing various dates around the Northeast in the coming weeks.
When I learned that a new venue in Camden, Nicole’s of Camden, would be featuring a Zac Brown Tribute Band (ZBTB), I knew I had to take the drive to check out this new venue and this cover band. So glad I did. The venue is amazing. Nicole’s of Camden offers great acoustics and awesome lighting with plenty of space to dance. For a small venue it’s the perfect setting for bands and attendees to enjoy enough room to dance and play comfortably. The completely revamped restaurant/bar offers patrons the perfect spot for a night out. With a full menu and bar, I highly recommend you taking a drive to Camden to take in one of their many shows and some good eats.
Every once in a while you just need a dose of your favorite bands live? What do you do if they are in the studio recording, or touring overseas, or just not coming anywhere within earshot of you? You do the next best thing, you catch a cover band.
Zac Brown Tribute Band – Nicole’s of Camden
Every musical photojournalist has a “bucket list” of sorts. This list includes the names of bands that they must cover as well as ones if they come to town they would like to cover. The difference between the two lists is simple. The must cover shows will include ungodly amounts of travel, with little to no sleep for the following day, only to stand on a bucket and shoot 30 seconds of a song, to capture a shot they hope when cropped, is still in focus and not too pixellated. The ones they would like to cover require less travel, usually no bucket is involved, and if they are tired they may just miss it if they have something pressing the next day at their day job. I’m happy to say that I have had the opportunity to check a few off my must cover list. However, there is one band still on my list I’m hoping to check it off real soon. Until then, a good cover will suffice. What band would I be referring to? Well the Zac Brown Band my friends.
Zac Brown Band
We all love them. Since the first time we heard “Chicken Fried”, we’ve tapped out toes and raised a glass to “salute the ones who died, those ones that gave their lives, so we don’t have to sacrifice all the things we love; like our chicken fried”. Come on, you know the words, don’t be shy. Well this may have been the first song that captured my attention, but what held it has been the diverse mix of music they’ve created since that first tune hit the charts. There’s something unique about the Zac Brown Band that makes them so very special. I love their blend of sounds. This mix of Caribbean flare with country bluegrass, and a touch of seventies and eighties rock gives them their unique sound. It hooked me and keeps me on the line following them as they amass their catalog of music and fans worldwide.
Opening the evening were locals Mad River Junction. This band brought the party with their renditions of some Stray Cats, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Petty, and Johnny Cash. Any band that plays Stevie Ray Vaughn gets my automatic stamp of approval. Describing themselves as the love child of Cyndi Lauper and Muddy Waters, who ultimately is raised by Prince, Neil Young, and Bret Michaels, I totally can see that love child(ren) becoming Mad River Junction. Kudos to band members, or love children, Matt Chalifoux on drums/percussion, Nick Pulizzi, on guitar and vocal, Greg Owens on guitar, bass, and vocals. And Kenny “The Demon” Swavely on harmonica. Really enjoyed this set.
As the ZBTB took the stage and began to play, it was crystal clear that this cover band recognized the one key quality that makes the original Zac Brown Band special, the individual instrumentation brought to the sound by each original band member. The ZBTB recognized how to replicate that sound and bring their audiences the musical magic they would expect to see from their beloved original band by providing a full band to back up some amazing vocals. Pete Frank fronts the group with his spot on vocals and acoustic guitar. If you closed your eyes, you would be hard pressed to tell a difference. I was super impressed. Joining him on vocals and guitar was Matthew Stephens who rocked the crowd as he shredded some amazing Metallic “Enter Sandman” towards the end of the evening, setting the crowd over the top. For those of you that know me well know I’m a sucker for a fiddle, and Mike Kedley is one of the best in the state. Joining in on fiddle and vocals, Mike brings that down home country bluegrass sound you come to expect from the Zac Brown Band. Also on vocals and guitar we had Jeremy Laursen who with his harmonies take these songs to a new level. On that background beat we had Tim Hull on bass, and Joey Saliceti on keyboards pounding out the tunes and undertones. And keeping the whole lot of the bunch in time we had Danny Roelle on drums/percussion. With this full band playing Zac Brown favorites such as “Knee Deep”, “Sweet Annie”, “Whatever It Is”, and “As She’s Walking Away”, I felt as though my need for a bit of Zac Brown Band was satiated by this cover band, and could totally fill my need any time I couldn’t see the real deal.
ZBTB – Nicole’s of Camden
Starting their set list with Zac Brown Band favorites and covering some of the most popular covers the band played two full sets of music covering all of my personal favorites and then a few more. Dancing the night away was a full house of patrons who concurred with my sentiments fully. Overall, I wholeheartedly gave a thumps up to this cover band for doing the original Zac Brown Band justice and suggest you check them out soon in a venue near you.
Set 1
Natural Disaster Let It Rain
The Wind
No Hurry
Let It Go
Midnight Rider
As She’s Walking Away
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Jump Right In
Ants Marching/Frankenstein Whiskey’s Gone
Sweet Annie
Make This Day
All Alright
Can’t You See
Times Like These
Colder Weather
Toes
Set 2
We’re An American Band Day For The Dead Comfortably Numb
Knee Deep
Settle Me Down
Whatever It Is
Keep Me In Mind
Sic ‘Em On A Chicken
One Way Out
Highway 20 Ride
Enter Sandman
Free/Into The Mystic
Chicken Fried
Uncaged/Kashmir/Devil Went Down To Georgia Killing In The Name
New Jersey’s Screaming Females may have started as a punk rock band, but they currently are just a rock band.
But not “just”, they have distilled the mere essence of rock, consumed it, and ooze it out of their every being. The rhythm section powers through every tune like their lives depend on it, which I suppose they do in a way. Abbate’s bass work is melodic yet driving. Dougherty’s drumming is not needlessly flashy, but tight and controlled with just the right bounce. Paternoster’s guitar work is nothing short of phenomenal. The riffs. Oh my god the riffs. These are riffs that cannot possibly be written. They already exist somewhere to be discovered, and she has discovered them, somehow, somewhere. Guitars exist so these can be played. Her solos explode from her guitar seemingly effortlessly. Her singing feels a little forced, but in the best possible way. It’s like she is creating a voice that is not her own, simply because it is the perfect voice to accompany the music.
“First and foremost we want to make the show as good as it can be.”—Marissa Paternoster, guitar and lead vocals
“The reason for us to go on tour is to go play music.”—Jarrett Dougherty, drums
“If you’re going to be in a band you should want to play shows, right? I mean what the hell is the point if you’re not going to play?”—Michael Abbate, bass (Quotes taken from Noisey’s recent tour documentary)
Midway through their hourlong set Saturday night at the Bug Jar, a ragged and sweaty man collapsed against the wall next to me, hunched over with his arm on his head. I thought he might collapse, or perhaps be messed up on too much drugs. After asking if he was ok, he looked up at me, smiled, and assured me he was just exhausted. He caught his breath, and seconds later jumped back into the maddening mass of people. The club was acting as one organism, pulsating in and out, back and forth, bodies knocking against each other with reckless abandon. When you left the show that night, you had the sweat of a dozen other people dripping off your skin. The line between the stage and the crowd was blurred, the audience regularly pushing past the edge of the stage. Paternoster took a couple of solos leaning out while the crowd supported her, once in a full-out crowd surf. And Abbate, at once point, called up a friend from the audience, quickly taught him the bass line, handed over his guitar, and then ran out into the crowd to see how it was on the other side, jumping around and screaming, like a fan of his own band. Later he exuberantly lead us in the post set encore chant. The band was having as much fun as the audience, our energies were equalized, the entire room was one.
Screaming Females yearn to put on the best possible show every night. On this night, I can confirm, they damn well succeeded.
Monophonic, by definition, means consisting of one sound, yet Monophonics, a six-piece band from San Francisco, are anything but monophonic. They call their style of music “Psychedelic Soul.” That’s exactly how to describe their newest album, Sound of Sinning, which draws from the rich history of the Bay Area’s music scene and mixes it with the sounds of Motown and southern soul.
Listening to Sound of Sinning, you will think it was recorded 45 years ago. The album starts off with a nod to the psychedelic garage rock of the ’60s. “Lying Eyes” mixes smooth harmonies, reminiscent of The Byrds, with a raspy belting chorus. The remainder of the album is very much that “Psychedelic Soul” sound, bringing together psychedelic sounds with R&B, soul, and funk in a perfect union. The title track sounds as though Aretha Franklin was performing with The Zombies as her backup band while “Hanging On” brings back memories of The Supremes. The album closes out with the mostly instrumental “Everyone’s Got…,” layering vocal harmonies over a catchy rhythm and psychedelic melodies similar to The Beatles’ “Revolution 9.” Lyrically, this album speaks of heartbreak, broken promises, and lies – the sound of sinning.
Monophonics are currently on tour, finishing up a run through the northeast before they head south and then west to California, followed by a handful of shows in western Europe. They will play Buffalo’s Iron Works with Wild Adriatic on Thursday, April 16 and then they head east to Rochester on April 17, to play The Club at Water Street.
Al Bell, record producer and co-owner of the legendary Stax Records, calls them “One of the best live soul bands I have ever seen!” Sound of Sinning can be purchased through their Artist Stores page. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Key Tracks: Lying Eyes, Sound of Sinning, Find My Way Back Home
Be prepared to be wowed by the sweet harmonies coming forth from these super talented sisters, performing together as Rising Appalachia. A sound this tight could only come from two people who have put in a lifetime of singing and living life together. Hailing from the South, sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith have traveled extensively throughout the world, which truly shines through in their music. Joined by stand-up bassist/baritone guitarist David Brown and world percussionist Biko Casini, Rising Appalachia’s latest album Wider Circles is sure to gain this band heaps of new fans from all walks of life.
Seamlessly covering the entire spectrum of musical genres, ranging from traditional music of the American South highlighting the banjo and fiddle, to world music featuring African drums, there’s something on this album for everyone to enjoy. Mixing in poetry, and even rap, on some of their tunes, it is definitely worth giving the lyrics a hard listen. You will feel like you learned something by listening to this album, hearing stories about medicine women and men on “Medicine”; listening to a chorus of African women singing at the end of “Bright Morning Stars”; being called to action in “An Invitation” and “Spirits Cradle” and hearing instruments prominently featured simultaneously that might not typically be paired together, like the banjo and trumpet on title track “Wider Circles”.
Perhaps even more unique and inspiring than the album itself, Rising Appalachia is taking part in a “slow music movement” approach to touring, in an effort to travel to their shows in a more sustainable way and immerse themselves in the local communities in which they play. In advance of their new album, the band has embarked on their Wider Circles Rail Tour, during which they are traveling by train from show to show throughout their tour of the southwest, which began in New Orleans on March 28, and will feature several stops along their journey to Austin, Texas’s, Old Settler’s Music Festival, which will be taking place on April 18.
Having graced an impressive variety of venues with their presence, ranging from Radio Popular Italy to Burning Man, this band has impressed audiences all over the world, and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Featuring something for everyone as far as musical tastes go, it is highly recommended to check out the extraordinary harmonies and unique combination of instruments featured on Rising Appalachia’s latest album Wider Circles, which is set to be released on April 21. In the meantime, enjoy a brief video of one of their older songs to get you psyched for their new album release.
Key Tracks: Novels of Acquaintance, Medicine, Wider Circles
New England has unexpectedly become a hotbed of the new folk scene that has emerged in the past decade. At first glance it felt like it was just a perceived and inflated importance caused by the Newport Folk Fest favoring regional bands in their undercard selections. Perhaps that has had some influence. but at this point it does seem much bigger than just the work of one festival. One of the latest bands to emerge on the scene is Boston’s The Ballroom Thieves, with Martin Earley on guitar, Devin Mauch on percussion and Calin Peters on cello. They came to Rochester’s Abilene Bar and Lounge just ahead of the release of their debut full-length, A Wolf in the Doorway, out on April 21.
As they took the stage the crowd was loud, chatty and hardly aware the band had begun. Opening with “Storms,” a pleasant plucked guitar with just Earley’s voice which could hardly pierce through the noisy din. But as Mauch and Peters’ vocals layered in beautifully, one by one the offending noises dropped out and the crowd nudged in closer. The vocals built to a climax with some punctuated stomping, and just like that the Thieves had stolen the bar for themselves.
Right away Earley had proven he could carry a performance himself if need be, nailing his vocals and showcasing some quality guitar work. But this was a band of three. As they moved next into “Wild Woman,” a banging country rocker off their upcoming album, the other two were able to showcase more fully their contributions. Mauch’s set-up was customized and somewhat unusual. Just a tom, snare, cymbal and a djembe laid on the floor that acted as a de facto bass drum. Add to that a string of jingle bells that was wrapped around his thigh. Using sticks, brushes and various sized mallets, he was able to manufacture the perfect amount of noise to fit each tune. His resulting hypnotic seated dance was at times just as entertaining as the rhythms produced.
Earley picked up his electric guitar for the deep Delta blues of “Oars to the Sea.” But it wasn’t the guitar that would shine. Unexpectedly, Peters stepped up with as bluesy a solo you will hear on a cello. Throughout the evening her cello work proved to be the secret weapon. Either with her solos which could mimic a guitar’s wail, carrying the songs melody or filling in the gaps with plucks and bows, the cello grabbed my attention as much as anything. Later in the set she would show off more of her talents, singing a lilting lead on a song she co-wrote with Earley, “Bury Me Smiling”. (video below)
So it begins with Earley’s guitar work. Then sprinkle on the unique rhythms from Mauch and engaging cello work from Peters. Layer upon that what might be this bands strongest attribute, their soaring 3-part harmonies. Working all together to perform the music they’ve written, a varied collection of rockers, ballads, hymnals, barroom blues and on, all hewing Americana. The new songs noticeably stood out as especially strong throughout the set. I expect A Wolf in the Doorway will be turning some heads in the coming weeks and months and year. It is such a treat to be able to see a young band’s evolution occurring in real-time on the stage.
Usually you long for the days when you could still see a band with a small intimate crowd before they “made it.” But The Ballroom Thieves played beyond the walls of the small neighborhood bar. The sound reached up and out and yearned to be heard somewhere bigger, with better acoustics, more people, more energy, more everything. I’m looking forward to when they make it, which might not be too far off, and might even be up on that Newport stage.
The Doors were one of the biggest acts all over the world from 1967 to 1971, but the tragic death of Jim Morrison put a halt to that. The music still resonates with a lot of people and Robby Krieger is making sure fans can celebrate the band’s music this year, since it is the 50th anniversary of them first getting together. Wrapping up this leg of the tour at The Egg, Robby Krieger celebrates with his band. They tore through two hours of Doors hits and rarities to the delight of the crowd.
Robby let loose on his guitar throughout the evening whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his great solos on songs such as “Moonlight Drive”, “When the Music’s Over” and “Maggie M’Gill”. About half way through the concert he played an extended stunning version of “Spanish Caravan.” His band were spot on with the music all night, while his son Waylon honored the lyrics with his best take on Jim Morrison. Near the end of the show, a good portion of the crowd flocked to the front of the stage to get an up close look at the band while they played their last few songs. Ending the night with “Light My Fire,” Robby, with a smile from ear to ear, thanked the crowd for coming and celebrating the great music.
Set: Break On Through (to the Other Side), People are Strange, Not to Touch the Earth, Moonlight Drive, Horse Latitudes, Wild Child, Peace Frog, When the Music’s Over, Spanish Caravan, Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar), Five to One, Riders on the Storm, Touch Me, Wishful Sinful, The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat), LA Woman
It was a calm, cool, April evening in Albany when Zappa Plays Zappa descended on The Egg in Albany. The show was completely sold out and the crowd was tame but one could tell it was full of die-hard Frank Zappa fans who remained seated all show and absorbed every single note.
The band featured Dweezil Zappa (guitar), Scheila Gonzalez (saxophone, flute, keyboards, vocals), Ben Thomas (vocals, trumpet, trombone, guitar), Chris Norton (keyboards), Kurt Morgan (bass guitar), and Ryan Brown (drums). The show was one long set with no breaks, which found the band play the landmark 1975 LP “One Size Fits All” in its entirety along with other Zappa and Mothers of Invention classics.
The show started with a small speech from Dweezil who explained how they were honoring the 40th anniversary of his father’s iconic album “One Size Fits All”. The band then wasted no time before diving into opener “Inca Roads”, which features very unusual lyrics and tempo, but a soaring guitar solo by Dweezil. Next up was the prog rocker “Can’t Afford No Shoes” and the instrumental “Sofa”. The always weird “Po-Jama People” followed, with its lyrical satire and jazzy feels. Next up was the complex “Florentine Pogen” and the short, quirky, “Evelyn, a Modified Dog”. “San Ber’dino” was next on the album, a tune about the recollection of staying in jail and true love. The band was firing on all cylinders during a nice jam of “Andy” before finishing up the album with “Sofa#2”.
Dweezil gave a brief explanation of the next song “Status Back Baby” (Mothers of Invention), before leading the band through a slew of other Frank Zappa and Mothers of Invention songs. The band cruised through classic Zappa tunes “The Grand Wazoo”, “Baby Snakes”, and “Society Pages”. With no setbreak and the show almost 1.5 hours in, some people were taking off already since the band had already covered the album. Those who stuck around were treated to a “Who Needs the Peace Corps?” and the rocker “My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama” which featured furious guitar work by Dweezil. The band finished off the night with a classic off the 1974 album “Apostrophe (‘)”, “Cosmic Debris”. The band also closed the night with the well-known “Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy” and “Muffin Man.” The room acoustics are absolutely amazing, and no matter where you were in the room, every band member was loud and crystal clear. This added to the experience making it a truly intimate evening for the many Zappa fans in attendance,
ew York City area that I never heard of until a couple of weeks ago when I caught a few metal shows down there while visiting family. Bassist Joe LoCasto, who plays in Misery Kills, also plays in a band with Joey Z of 
Monophonic, by definition, means consisting of one sound, yet 
The show started with a small speech from Dweezil who explained how they were honoring the 40th anniversary of his father’s iconic album “One Size Fits All”. The band then wasted no time before diving into opener “Inca Roads”, which features very unusual lyrics and tempo, but a soaring guitar solo by Dweezil. Next up was the prog rocker “Can’t Afford No Shoes” and the instrumental “Sofa”. The always weird “Po-Jama People” followed, with its lyrical satire and jazzy feels. Next up was the complex “Florentine Pogen” and the short, quirky, “Evelyn, a Modified Dog”. “San Ber’dino” was next on the album, a tune about the recollection of staying in jail and true love. The band was firing on all cylinders during a nice jam of “Andy” before finishing up the album with “Sofa#2”.