NYS Music 20​15

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  • Hearing Aide: Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers ‘Almost There’

    Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers recently released his fifth album, “Almost There” and quickly garnered the 2015 SAMMY Award for Best Americana recording to his list of accomplishments. They’ll be celebrating the SAMMY at Small Plates in Syracuse, 116 Walton St., on May 6 with doors at 6pm, music at 7pm.

    Jeffrey is a grand prize winner in The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, the founding editor of Acoustic Guitar Magazine, a regular contributor to NPR’s “All Things Considered” and author of “Rock Troubadours” (featuring his interviews with such artists as Jerry Garcia, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Dave Matthews) as well as other books on music. From his Upstate NY base, Jeffrey teaches courses on songwriting and creative nonfiction writing in the honors program at Syracuse University and leads workshops on guitar and songwriting. If that wasn’t enough, he performs solo and with The Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers Trio, members of which are featured on this release.

    Joining Jeffrey (JPR) – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, Strumstick, tenor banjo, are Trio members, Wendy Ramsay (The Unstoppables) – backup vocals, flute, clarinet and glockenspiel, and Joshua Dekaney (Grupo Pagan, Mark Doyle’s Guitar Noir, Mary Fahl) – percussion kit, backing vocals (tracks 3,6) and chimes, along with John Dancks – upright bass, Rani Arbo – backup vocal (track 1), fiddle and Jason Fridley – saxophone. This offering was recorded and mixed by Andrew Greacen and mastered by Jocko Randall at More Sound, Syracuse with additional recording by JPR at home. All songs by JPR except ‘Almost Home’, words by JPR and music by JPR and Wendy Ramsay.

    JPR may be the quintessential acoustic singer-songwriter, but he colors with a full palette of folk, rock, blues and soul. Adding elements tastefully to create works that entice rather than overwhelm, he makes the mixes of genres seamlessly smooth, while retaining the emotion of his topics. “Eight Days In January”’ opens with all elements on deck, banjo, guitar, upright bass, fiddle and drums telling a tale of love and loss in the internet age. So sweet and sad it’ll make you move and think at the same time, in a zydeco kinda way. “The Wrong Way Home” adds the seasoned harmony combination with Wendy and Joshua creating a bridge with the chimes, his playing is a voice of its own, integrated so delicately you just float on it. “Closer” gets funky and the band warms immediately, JPR’s expressive vocals along with Wendy and Josh’s harmonies swirl sweetly together. The rhythm section has obviously been here before and JPR’s staccato guitar line just rides on Josh’s double snare hits. A get up and dance number, no doubt.

    Switching gears quickly, “Don’t Think I Can Stay Goodbye” highlights JPR’s varying acoustic styles through an emotional expose that is illuminated by fiddle and flute, accentuated by Wendy’s voice as almost an echo, reminding the protagonist why he wrote it in the first place. “Almost There” would sound great in nearly any format, it has bits of folk, pieces of rock and plenty of drive, it’s light, but pushes and pulls against the forms, very cool. “Enough About You (What About Me)” is a jaunty little number that seems to rail against social media and the opinionated, self-involved who live there. Where friends and fans count as statistics and it’s all about the ‘me’ agenda. Quite biting and hits the nail right on the head, smart and sarcastic! “I’ve Got It Here Somewhere” is a solid folk-rocker, it has plenty of room for JPR to exercise his acoustic riffs and expressive voice. A little funky, a little soulful, but right to the heart of what he’s about. Genre-defying folk rock, certainly not the easiest take. “My Bad” may hold my favorite lyrical twists that seems like opposite world, written in counter-point to what is reality.

    “‘Somehow” gets slow and soulful, sensual in its analogies, slow-moving, innuendo-fired, full of wanting. There’s something familiar in the voice/guitar interplay, I can’t place it. Wait, it’s “That Heaven” from David Gilmour’s “On An Island”, not only my favorite guitar player, but one of my favorite musicians. That’s a feel that’s reminiscent throughout and sticks in my ears in a very good way. ’Turn Away’ is JPR at ease, light on his feet, singing and playing up, his band bouncing with him in full form. A love song full of confidence and conviction, self-assured and certain. “Proof” follows with another upbeat ride, call and response vocals and flute lightly accent the rhythmic acoustic and bottom line. While each piece is tied together, they each bear individual styling that can easily stand alone. Like the samba-feel that Josh drives the closer, “End Of The Line” with. JPR jumps right up and Jason’s sax flavors it perfectly, their acoustic/sax dual melody is masterful. All this song begs for is to played again and again, much like the rest of this album, I’m confident it will be. I await its highway test, I know it will pass with flying colors.

    Key Tracks: The Wrong Way Home, Somehow, End Of The Line

    JPR has a great website where you can learn more about the man and his varied interests. Yes, he does social media too, on Facebook and Twitter or better yet, see him live!

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 3: Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless and Starset at The Palace

    Working into Day 3 of this Music Marathon, I found myself once again seeing music I was unfamiliar with and had little knowledge of beforehand so I had no expectations. The only thing that made tonight’s show different was the venue – The Palace Theatre, where I would see a vastly different crowd take in the great music Albany has to offer compared to the usual shows I attended, with a lineup of Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless And Starset.

    Halestorm The Pretty RecklessUnfortunately, I walked into this show with Nickelback on my mind, but only for the most hilarious reasons. Starset snapped me out of it with symphonic sounds brought about by lead singer/keyboardist Dustin Bates, who spoke to me later citing Hans Zimmer, Nine Inch Nails and Sigur Ros as influences on their sound. I was impressed, and reminded of Stabbing Westward amid the intensity of the show. The band wore light up masks which added depth to the pageantry, capped off by mentioning the “Starset Society”, a latter day KISS Army or nonpoint Nation. The concept of a band-driven community instead of a community-driven band intrigues me – its the opposite of what I’m used to, but if it keeps the fan base strong, go for it.

    The audience for the three bands was such a mix of rock fans, young and old, kids with parents and parents without kids. I knew nothing about these bands but couldn’t help but remark on the diversity of the crowd, the metal heads and rock stars lightly thrashing to the music throughout the night. It was a nice break from the usual for me and The Pretty Reckless were the stand out set of the night. With a “For Whom the Bell Tolls” intro followed by sounds of a woman moaning, this female fronted band was heavy, but not metal. Taylor Momsen has great stage presence and an incredible voice, while drummer Jamie Perkins looks like Mick Foley. They have a good ‘rock god’ motif down, and has an edge of Pantera influence to the music, especially on “Going to Hell.” Overall I found The Pretty Reckless to be like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, but from the wrong side of the tracks, and by wrong I mean the hard rocking side. They were great.

    Halestorm, fronted by Lzzy Hale made this night into a rarity – two female-fronted rock bands, and I could only count four off the top of my head upon Halestorm taking the stage (Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Hole, L7). Encouraging fans to raise their devil horns high, I heard Whitesnake through the guitar work of Joe Hottinger and an altogether more polished sound than The Pretty Reckless.

    The set seemed to mellow about halfway through – the first seven or eight songs were straight fire, but the drum solo and all that followed were underwhelming. They could have thrown in a Def Leppard cover or something – the lack of covers this night surprised me greatly – but instead it was all originals. “Apocalyptic” was pretty solid, and the three encores were good and catchy, especially “Like a Reckoning”, but it was pushing on soft rock at that point. To cap the night, the band had the crowd serenade bassist Josh with “Happy Birthday” while toasting shots of Jagermeister. Halestorm is solid and has a rightful following, but I’m thinking that The Pretty Reckless could lap them in a few years time, with Starset showing strong potential if the fans can dig it.

    Next up for Seven Day Music Marathon: I head to Saratoga Springs for Dave Pedinotti and the Masters of Nostalgia at One Caroline Street.

  • Funktional Flow Releases Album, Welcomes Two New Members

    Funktional Flow and new members brought the funk to Nietzsche’s on Saturday, April 25 with their release party for Let it Settle and not only did they put an album out they also welcomed guitarist Joey Lewis and keyboardist/saxophone player Matthew Lester.

    The two local musicians are no stranger to the band as they have been sitting in quite frequently and now officially became part of the growing group.

    Sonder, another local product got the party started with some great lights and an equally matched livetronica show. It was a very packed crowd that seemed to have gotten what they have been begging for, a much anticipated album and a complete group of musicians, mission accomplished.

    Funktional Flow Setlist

    Set 1: Dumber, Strong Feeling , Back Door, Walking Blind ,Moving On, F Trance, Shape , Mulligans>Great Gig in the Sky>Mulligans, Bulls on Parade

    Set 2: Trouble, Time Will Tell, Happy Hour Hero>Bullet, Leaving Town, Ambush , You Should be Dancing, Dreidel, Southern Fried, Doin’ Time, Moonlight Tide , Sledgehammer, I Wish

  • Arlo Guthrie to Perform in Lake George this August

    Famed folk musician Arlo Guthrie will perform this summer at the new Festival Space at Charles R. Wood Park in Lake George on Sunday, August 23.

    Guthrie, best known for “Alice’s Restaurant” and his 1969 Woodstock performance, plays the Capital Region on a semi-regular basis, last performing at Bardovan Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

    The currently under construction venue holds 3,000 people and is located on the site of the former Gaslight Village. The park is expected to be open by the beginning of the summer. Tickets for Arlo Guthrie’s performance are now available online.

  • Phish to Release Amsterdam 97 Box Set

    Much like World War veteran grandfathers in the 1940s, Phish completed two tours of Europe in 1997, including three shows at the famed Paradiso in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The three shows from February 17, July 1 and July 2, 1997, will be featured in an 8-disc box set to be released in June through JEMP Records.

    Amazon notes on the show include: An all new 8-CD Box Set from Phish’s infrequent European shows. Full shows from 2/17/97, 7/1/97 and 7/2/97 at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On February 17, 1997 Phish first played Paradiso, a converted former church turned rock-club/cultural center with a capacity of about 1500. Over the next four months, Phish logged three breakthrough shows at this historic venue where the intimate setting pushed the music to new heights again and again. From the Soul Shakedown party opener and fluid, psychedelic improvisation-clinic-of-a-set II (Down With Disease > Carini > Taste > Down With Disease) on 2/17/97 to the “back of the worm” Ghost opener, Reba and another peak transcendent Set II [Fish Keyboard Jam > Timber (Jerry) > Bathtub Gin > Cities] on 7/1/97 through the Mike’s Groove Sandwich and must-hear Stash > Llama > Wormtown Jam plus the double encore of 7/2/97, these three shows spread over 8 CD’s comprise some of the most experimental music Phish ever played. The three shows on the Amsterdam box, the only Phish shows to-date at Paradiso, combine to deliver the full impact of a shared peak experience in an exotic locale seamlessly integrated and sizzling with creative intensity. The shows were recorded by Paul Languedoc to multitrack tape, mixed by Jon Altschiller and mastered by Fred Kevorkian. Pick up this set and prepare for transport to the canals of Amsterdam…to the back of the worm.

  • Engineering The Local Shop: A Look At Gorham Brothers Music

    For Syracuse’s Gorham Brothers Music, they had to do it their way. They had to because that’s how they’ve always done it. The three brothers, Ryan, Brad, and Bobby have been entrenched in the local music scene for over ten years now. Some might know them as part of the bands Engineer and Blood Sun Circle. But these days most know them as the owners of Gorham Brothers Music, an independent guitar shop on Seeley Rd in Syracuse. The brothers took their experiences being in a gigging band and applied it to their business to make a shop run by musicians for musicians. But to get to there we have to go back and see what lead them to running their own store.

    You want to bring something cool to your town. If it’s not here, you can make it here

    The three brothers grew up playing guitar despite not coming from a musically inclined family. When they started playing together around 2003 it was during a point where the local scene in Syracuse was thriving. Bands always had a place to play and you could always find a show happening on the weekends. The band they have become most known for; Engineer, came together very quickly after the three brothers bounced around in other bands. They started to become serious and started practicing every day. An indication for any band that you’ve stumbled on to something good. It was a great time to start a band in Syracuse because the scene was supporting touring bands coming to town. Ample opportunities were available for the local bands to fill opening slots on a bill.

    Gorham Brothers MusicThe venues weren’t big, most were under 200 capacity but they were always full. I remember being at shows where people were literally standing outside watching the bands through the windows. It hasn’t been like that since and those memories are some of my most cherished and I know many who feel the same way.

    Bobby Gorham said, “Engineer was like our job, more so than any other job at that time. We were able to do it for so long, longer than any of us expected. Once you do something like that for so long, none of us wanted to get a career working for someone else. This was a way for us to still do our own thing.”

    Engineer put out records that helped define the sound coming out of Syracuse during the 2000’s. Their 2007 effort The Dregs was named one of the top 40 albums of the year by respected extreme music magazine Decibel. They along with area bands like Ed Gein, Achilles, and Another Breath solidified Upstate New York’s roster of incredible local bands at the time.

    But all things come to an end and Engineer slowly faded in to the background and from it came the store. Ryan Gorham compared the two telling me “Writing and recording is real expressive. You get to experiment so much in the studio. The store is sort of like another band. We go in with a focus. Not a cookie cutter store. Not always a store someone wants or expects.”

    Walking into Gorham Brothers Music immediately gives you the sense that you aren’t in your typical big box music store. There aren’t any pushy sales people working on commission. You can get an answer to your question. And they’re more than happy to chat with you about music. You feel at ease. It’s a place where you can go and test out a guitar pedal and really get a feel for if it’s going to work in your set up. You aren’t battling against 25 other guitarists all trying to wail on the solo from “Eruption”.

    One of the biggest takeaways in discussing the store with the three brothers was that their store can change. They have complete control which means they can mold it to fit the store they want to have. The biggest benefit of this is the fact that they can stock the store with used gear you might not see at another store. Bobby Gorham said “We can do all the wheeling and dealing. Which a lot of actual musicians like to do. They want to come in and see what comes in, old vintage gear, stuff guitar center can’t deal with as much.” And Ryan Gorham added “Buying stuff face to face from people lets us decide what we want to do. We don’t have to have Fender banners everywhere. We don’t have to order 20 squires.”

    The store started to see success as the years passed after opening in December of 2011. But the biggest downside was the physical size of the storefront they were in. However when the opportunity struck, they decided to expand. In October of 2014 the brothers moved the store just a few feet down in the building they were in to a much bigger space. When I asked the brothers about the expansion what I heard from Brad Gorham was exactly the kind of thing you regret not doing “It was too good of an opportunity to miss.” While the brothers said they didn’t plan on moving they all agreed it was the right decision despite the risk they were taking on.

    One of the best things to come out of the expansion was the ability to have more room for bands to play. The older smaller store hosted live acts but in the new space there is a dedicated stage with monitors set up that allows the bands to hear vocals. For anyone who has played live, you know how important that is. It’s another example of how this store is designed with musicians in mind because its owners and sole employees are musicians themselves.

    I wanted to get a feeling for what it’s like to see bands play in the store so I checked out a show booked the night we conducted our interview. The store was transformed in a very subtle way to accommodate the larger amount of people than normal. Expensive gear was protected and amps were moved around. And I have to say the sound quality was fantastic. I listened to a couple of bands from the back and got right up front for another and couldn’t believe how professional everything sounded. Other venues in the area dedicated to live acts should take a few notes.

    The future looks bright for the Gorham Brothers. The store is doing well and they get to wake up every day and know that they own a store that is uniquely theirs. A store that is crafted from their experiences on the road as a band going to other independent shops. Taking an idea from here and there and bringing in their own as well they have handcrafted a store as one of a kind as the music they made and the opportunity they offer Syracuse musicians to come in and get the gear they need at a price that makes you feel good. Not just for sales but for repair work and now for bands to have a venue to play at in a scene that has sadly lost venues in droves over the past ten years.

    They are the local shop and I don’t think they want it any other way.

    You can visit Gorham Brothers Music in Syracuse, NY at 118 Seeley Rd. They are open seven days a week. Or check them out online at gorhambrothersmusic.com.

  • Seven Day Music Marathon Day 2: Knuckle Puck, Firestarter and more at Bogies

    I don’t go to Bogies often, because that was the high school/early college venue for me, with few bands sparking my interest to bring me to Albany’s famed dive venue; Nietzsche’s, eat your heart out.

    I found out about this show through Jambase and was surprised to learn the only band listed on the lineup, Firestarter, was not the headliner. In fact there were three bands that played prior to Firestarter – Broken Field Runner (Albany), Coldfront (Canada) and Routine (Albany, playing their first ever show), all who had 20 minute sets. Knuckle Puck, out of Chicago and drawing the majority of the crowd, headlined the night.

    Firestarter is an Albany based band with influences from Blink 182, New Found Glory, Silverstein and Starting Line. I was thrown back to the late ’90s and my pre-jamband heyday with the influences ringing loud and clear, and it was alright. Matt Bliss, Firestarter’s lead guitar/vocalist spoke to me about the two year old band, who have done four cross-country tours and four regional tours, generating solid fanbases in pockets around the country, as well as a few Warped Tour shows. For a band this young and with an audience that is flocking to shows and singing every word, their potential is limitless. A new EP, A Life Inconsistent, is due out this summer.

    Firestarter at Bogies. All I hear is Blink 182 #musicmarathon #nysmusic

    A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

    Knuckle Puck, a great rock n roll band name if there ever was one, had a similar sound to Firestarter, but their audience was not just singing/shouting every single word of every single song alongside the band, they were more raucous and lively than before. Crowd-surfing and moshing was the norm for most of the night, just without the flying fists. Being Star Wars night (May the Fourth be with you), the crowd also had lightsabers worked into their fist-pumping action. The dudes in the front row were singing the words right into the face of the lead singer, pushing ever closer towards the lip of the stage, with surfers falling into the pit. I still don’t get moshing, but the crowd was welcoming and full of energy all night.

    .@knucklepuckil at Bogies #maythefourthbewithyou #punk #blink182 #moshing #nysmusic #musicmarathon

    A video posted by pete mason (@phanart) on

    The band has a vast following and an intense crowd at that, and while Knuckle Puck is far from my usual listening, it was a treat to see a thriving fan base for a completely different genre pack 200 people into Bogies, one of the last four shows at the venue, which is closing on May 31.

    Next up in this Music Marathon: Halestorm and Pretty Reckless at the Palace Theatre.

  • Golden Novak Band to rock World of Beer in Albany May 9

    In and around Syracuse, Jess Novak has made quite a name for herself. She is one of the strongest voices in music Journalism with her work for the Syracuse New Times, but it’s her passion for performing music that is bringing the 28-year-old notoriety.

    jess novak
    Brian Golden, left, and Jess Novak bring their unique sound to Albany on Saturday.

    So many musicians and bands are often labeled as eclectic, but Novak, who is half of the Golden Novak Band, truly fits that billing, melding blues, rock and roll, pop and rhythm and blues with hints of improvisation to form something that you need to experience to understand.

    “There’s a lot of great musicians in Central New York,” Novak said on April 28. “We try not to stick to just pop or blues; we play everything. And we’re weird! I sing boy songs; Golden plays his heart out. I just think we’re different.”

    Novak plays her violin on many songs, and busts out her acoustic Alvarez on others, while taking the share of lead vocal duties. Brian Golden, the fleet-fingered fret master who has been playing guitar for 24 years, provides a bluesy sound with his instrument and gritty voice.

    The pair will be joined by pianist Mark Nanni (of popular Syracuse blues outfit Los Blancos) and drummer Phil Leone this Saturday, May 9 – when the group comes to Crossgates Mall for a gig at the World of Beer. It’s a free show that begins at 7 p.m.

    In late 2013, Novak released her first album, titled Bad Habit, and it consists of 11 original songs that feature her powerful voice, ability to craft emotive songs and her chops on the violin. Songs such as Haven’t Found You Yet and Bad Habit translate well to the live setting, where Golden tends to display his talent as a soloist.

    Novak said the band has an IndieGoGo campaign out to help fund a new recording, tentatively titled Rodeo. You can help the group get to its $5,000 goal here.

    Last August, the pair released their first album, titled The Golden Novak Duo. In support of the release, the pair packed up an SUV, and toured from Vermont to Florida, opening eyes and pleasing ears on an exhaustive tour. Because of this tenacious touring schedule, the band has been booked for a five-night New Year’s run at Margaritaville in Key West after auditioning for the Jimmy Buffet-owned string of clubs.

    “We have been really well-received,” Novak said. “There were a lot of bands who didn’t get it, but they seemed to love us. It really has opened up a lot of doors for us and it feels good.”

    The band has been playing World of Beer up and down the coast, and Novak said that has helped them grow and become more visible, but won’t pat herself on the back too much.

    When asked if the combination of an attractive young singer with a powerful voice mixed with a seasoned guitarist makes the band an easy sell, Novak did not agree.

    “No, I don’t think we’re just an easy sell,” she said. “I think people are still trying to figure us out.”

    I met Novak when I first moved to Syracuse in 2011. She got me some assignments with the newspaper, and we started jamming together with a mutual friend. We used to play on my front porch for hours at a time, repeating “Friend of the Devil,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and even Phish’s “Waste” among other songs. What struck me the most about Novak was her enthusiasm to keep playing and honing her skills

    What I recall from that time was seeing Novak develop a passion for making music that has grown into an obsession. She’s played in Syracuse group Master Thieves and Jess and the Beards in the last few years, and the evolution of her as a musician is easily visible. If you ever take advice from a music writer, take this: Get out and see Novak and Golden on Saturday, before they get really big and popular. Because that will happen.

    The group’s dedication may just set the band ahead of others, as they are constantly announcing new shows or hosting open mics in Syracuse or jamming with other local musicians. It shows in Novak’s smile, and Golden’s soloing face.

    “For Golden and I especially, we’re always going, meeting new people,” Novak said. “We’re always trying to promote new shows, and that’s a lot of the fun in this. Our live show if fun; it’s just different.

    “There are a lot of great musicians around here, but not all of them travel like we do. In the near future, I would like to be opening for a huge act!”

  • Seven Day Music Marathon, Day 1: Black Mountain Symphony

    Throughout this week, I’ll be seeing one show a night in the Albany area, aiming for seven shows in seven days. Here is Night one of a marathon week of music.

    Black Mountain SymphonyStarting the night at The Low Beat was Dylan Jane, a singer/songwriter with Liz Phair lyrics and a slightly raspy voice. She brought up a mandolin and fiddle player for her last three songs which were the strongest of the night – the mix of string instruments and Dylan’s voice are a natural combination. Looking forward to seeing her down the road.

    Cobblestone, a folk/Americana band with a touch of Lumineers worked in, picked up the energy with a dialed back version of Bob Dylan and Old Crowe Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” and a great cover of “Uptown Funk.”

    Black Mountain Symphony, a six-piece folk group with a strong jam edge were consistent and had crazy energy in a Railroad Earth style. The songs built up in tempo with a Appalachian/Hackensaw Boys vibe, including a very danceable version of “Rhiannon” and a big closer with the original “We the People,” off their recently released album. All together, a lively start to a week of music.

  • Illumination Festival to Highlight RHCP-themed set by Aqueous

    Coming off a strong Cake-themed performance in Buffalo, Aqueous announced it will play a Red Hot Chili Peppers-themed show in Toronto at Illumination Festival.

    Aqueous plays both Friday and Saturday night of the Illumination Music and Arts Festival. The first night will be a normal Aqueous show, then Saturday night will feature the band doing their best to channel Flea, Anthony Kiedis and the rest of the legendary alternative rock band.

    No word yet whether the members of Aqueous will don strategically placed tube socks for the occasion.

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Bw2AQzVrA]

    The festival also features Particle and DrFameus as headliners, and runs June 12-14 at the Cage 292 in Toronto. It’s normally an outdoors camping event, but organizers had to move it inside for a year after getting last-minute news that their normal site couldn’t host anymore due to zoning issues.

    illumination