NYS Music 20​15

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  • Mister F “The Machine”

    For the third and last video for their brand new Snow Day Sessions EP – Mister F welcomes us to “The Machine.” The F are NY bred from the Albany area and feature brothers Matt and Ben Pickering on drums and bass, guitarist Andrew Chamberlaine, and jack of all keys Scott Hannay who gave us some details on the song’s background:

    “The Machine” was untitled during most of the Midwest tour –  it debuted on November ’14. We took suggestions from people, we thought of everything we could, but we just couldn’t come up with the *right* name, and didn’t want to just phone it in. We were in the van between shows watching a video of this guy, Bert Kreischer, on Joe Rogan’s podcast, telling a rather involved story about being abroad with a college class of his in Russia. He accidentally introduced himself as ‘The Machine’ to these Russian mobster bodyguards named Igor and Igor, and they laughed, partied, and took him in…and made him rob an entire train(and his classmates) with them. Obviously, we called the song “Igor and Igor”. That lasted for one show – we then decided that “The Machine” was more appropriate for the sound!

    The three track Snow Day Sessions release is now available for less than a latte on the F Bandcamp page. Check out “The Machine” below and go get yourself F’d on tour soon!

  • NYS Music March Madness 2016 – Round of Eight

    Welcome to Round 4 or better known as the “Elite Eight” of NYS Music’s March Madness 2016! This tournament-style competition includes the remaining 8 bands and artists who call New York their home.

    This year’s 4 brackets are based on genres of music – Funk/Jam/Reggae, Metal/Rock, Bluegrass/Folk/Americana and Indie/EDM. Each bracket has 16 New York bands in their respective region, battling it out to reach the Final Four and claim this year’s title. Bands were chosen based upon their origins in New York and popularity in their respective genres.

    Since we are including all the genres together and you may not be familiar with all the bands, please take some time to check them out. The winner of each matchup will move on to the “Final Four” and go head to head with a band from another genres.  In the Folk/Bluegrass/Americana/Country category there are 8) Eastbound Jesus vs. 10) Blind Owl Band. In the EDM/Indie/Other genre are 5) Manhattan Project vs. 3) Jimkata. In the Jam/Funk/Reggae genre check out 1) moe. vs. 6) Conehead Buddha.  Wrapping things up in the Metal/Rock/Punk division are 12) Jesus Christ & the Hallucinogenic Allstars vs. 10) Wild Adriatic.

    Round 4 voting begins Friday, March 27 at Noon and ends on Sunday March 29th at midnight. Round 5 (The Final Four) will begin on March 30, with additional rounds announced on the NYS Music Facebook page.

  • Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Electrifies Syracuse

    Rolling around the northeast on their Spring Steady Tour, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad burned one down this past saturday with the help from the High Hopes Band and Danielle Ponder & the Tomorrow People at the Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY. High Hopes hit the stage at 8 p.m. sharp, not wasting a moment of the audience’s time. Ready as ever, they kicked off the first set with originals from their newly released album Forever Love. HHB serenaded the crowd for the their full hour with silky smooth lyrical stories accompanied by cavernous bass lines and rich drum rhythms. Luscious guitar melodies and keyboards were nothing short of ear pleasing for the 70’s era reggae lovers in the theater.

    The second performance was delightfully owned by Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People. These Rochester, NY funksters brought with them to Syracuse a style of their own, blending Soul, Funk, R&B, and Hip Hop. The group practically tore down the roof with covers of “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees and “Cherish the Day” by Sade, along with a mix of their own original music. Danielle belted out every lyric and syllable with precision and affection as a passionate singer should, which may have come easy being backed up by a modestly qualified band.

    By the time the first two performances were finished, the crowd was warmed up and awaiting some Giant Panda love. A few moments later, the five members of GPGDS ascended the stage with instruments in hand and propelled into their set. Opening with a new song called “Make it Better,” the squad put their faith into the commendable crowd, which yielded a boisterous cheer. Graciously, the quintet pursued a monstrous segue jam that Chris and Tony kept glued together, consisting of “Seasons Change,” “Foundation,” “Mr. Cop,” “Pockets,” and ending with “Healing.” Without taking a breath, they dove right into “Steady,” the title track of their most recent release and the crowd displayed extensive joy as they sang along with Dylan and Dan’s unified harmonies.

    Giant Panda flawlessly gave the people what they wanted with more fan favorites, such as “All Night Music,” “Whatever Cost,” and “Take Your Place.” The energy in the building was immense to the point that the band did not want to take a break, playing nearly a three hour set. Sparing no expense, the guys dropped a whopping “.45” with James leading on vocals and bass. After departing the stage for a brisk water break, the ensemble returned with a two song encore consisting of “Far Away” and “OK,” coupled with a fancy dub jam molded in the middle. Before anyone could appeal, the show was closing and the band was thanking the Salt City along with everyone in attendance for sharing their evening with them.

    Amidst a lengthy northeastern run, these artists held their momentum and have not wasted one ounce of energy on their fans. As GPGDS continues their Spring Steady Tour through April with three more shows in Ithaca, Albany, and Buffalo, they will also be traveling to the west coast for a few appearances this spring, including the California Roots Festival on May 22.

  • Bowlive VI, Night 8 – Wyllys and Soulive with Marco Benevento “At The Show”

    The final night of the Bowlive run is akin to the last day of your wedding week. Seeing the same faces you have seen all week, reminiscing over all the great times you had, and looking forward to one final party to cap it all off. On this the eighth night, Soulive could’ve chosen any band in NYC to open the show. Instead they tapped Royal Potato favorite Wyllys to get the crowd warmed up ahead of Marco Benevento and Soulive. Wyllys still opts for the old school method of spinning rock, funk, and soul tunes on vinyl in addition to using the electronic devices at his disposal. If one thing was learned throughout this run it was the importance of the opener to not only set the stage for Soulive but to warm the crowd up. On this Saturday night in Brooklyn, the crowd was ready to have the best night of their lives.

    soulive marco benevento

    Soulive took the stage for their final engagement with just the three members of the band. Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums), and Neal Evans (keys) hit the ground running with “Rudy’s Way” off of the 2002 album Turn It Out, then took it back even further with the 2001 tune “One In Seven” off of Doin’ Something. Only two songs into the night and The Shady Horns consisting of Benny Bloom (trumpet) and Ryan Zoidis (sax) joined in on the action on “Spark”, a tune penned as a tribute to American jazz blues guitarist Melvin Sparks. The next two songs “Backwards Jack” and “PJ’s” both came off of the 2009 release Up Here. The final guest of Bowlive 6, Marco Benevento, joined in the fun to occupy his empty piano at center stage and close out the first set with a psychedelic rendition of the appropriately named “Up Right.” He jammed away on his piano, giving the crowd a slight foreshadowing of how electric the remainder of the night would be. In between sets a montage was played on the screens at Brooklyn Bowl recapping the previous seven nights, the same you would find at a wedding, recapping all the good times spent together.

    soulive marco benevento

    The second set began with the ensemble on stage joined by Maurice “Mo Betta” Brown (trumpet, Tedeschi Trucks Band) for the second time of the run for a heart filled rendition of George Benson’s “Soulful Strut.” As Marco delved into “Limbs of a Pine” off his 2012 Tigerface, it became apparent that no man was smiling wider then Benevento, his electric personality and smile energizing the audience and band in what would be their seventeenth and final set of Bowlive 6. Up next was “At The Show,” which featured Benevento leaving his bench and keys to prance around the stage like a exuberant child on Christmas morning, only making a pit stop to share a dance with his ivory tickling brother, Neal. Marco returned to his piano to close out the second set with the jammed out psych jazz “The In Crowd.”

    soulive marco benevento

    For the final encore Soulive, The Shady Horns, and Marco Benevento went an interesting route and chose an instrumental version of Led Zeppelin’s “The Ocean,” the same tune they closed out the previous Saturday night with, with Jennifer Hartswick on vocals. After the encore, Pete Shapiro came out on stage and gifted the band “61” necklaces to honor the 61 shows Soulive has played at Brooklyn Bowl to date. The evening was brought to an end with Wyllys continuing to keep the crowd grooving into the late hours of the night with his unique mash-ups and fan favorite tunes.

  • Buffalo Metal Scene Rallies to Support St. Jude Children’s Hospital

    On Friday March 20, the Buffalo metal scene came together at the Rockin’ Buffalo Saloon in West Seneca, NY, to raise some money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The event was called “Metal Fights Cancer” and it was hosted by Brian Pattison, a longtime Buffalo show promoter and supporter. Six bands took the stage that night, playing to a packed house of other musicians and show goers. Each act put on a killer set and added to the Buffalo metal scene’s already sterling reputation for excellent musicianship and charitable contributions.

    buffalo metal sceneThe night kicked off with Tyranitar, a Viking themed metal band from Rochester, NY. They ascended to the stage in full Viking attire, paying homage to the Nordic gods while playing flawless Euro-influenced melodic death metal. I’d recommend this band to any fan of Amon Amarth or Kings of Asgard. Tyranitar’s set ended with a great Amon Amarth cover, which set a nice mood in the audience for the next act.

    Armageddon, Buffalo’s ‘young thrash attack’ took the stage next. This three piece ranges ages 12-18, but don’t let that discourage you. They can hold their own with the best of the best and put on a fantastic performance. Armageddon audiences are never disappointed. I like to think of their sound as being a rejuvenated Death Angel.

    buffalo metal sceneFollowing Armageddon, was Weaponex This band features guitarist, Mike Willard, a local idol in Buffalo’s guitar world. He’s a master of all styles and his riffs and leads are well complimented by a stunning rhythm section. Weaponex reminds me of a very progressive Megadeth, with song structures and dynamics that will keep you guessing until the very end.

    Enthauptung (ent-owpt-oong) appeared shortly after, under haunting blue lights in an otherwise dark and silent room. It was my first time seeing them, but I can already tell you they are a true black metal authority in WNY. Their songs are long, symphonic and hypnotic with guitar work and drumming that resets the black metal standard. Fans of Emperor, Mayhem, Burzum or other local black metal lords, Hubris, will appreciate Enthauptung.

    buffalo metal sceneSeven Faces returned to the stage in Enthauptung’s wake, just in time to calm things down before the night could become too evil. They’re a solid rock metal band, with tight heavy riffs and clean singing, reminiscent of the great radio rock bands of the mid-late ’90s. A few songs reminded me of Alice in Chains’s heavier material. I give them 5 out of 5 stars for great musicianship and making me feel nostalgic.

    buffalo metal scene

    The night concluded with Aspired Infliction, melodic thrash with breakdowns from Buffalo. They’ve been on the scene the last four years, only you’d never know it because of repeated hiatuses and a briefly spun carousel of guitarists. They came out with their usual heavy and gave those who came to mosh a reason to. The pit erupted during the first song and intermittently continued until the end of their set. It was a truly fitting end to a very successful night.

    Brian Pattison ended up raising a good chunk of change for young cancer patients that night, and further upheld the Buffalo metal scene’s good name. Then, on the following night, Saturday March 21, he put on a second cancer benefit for the family of Jennifer Rinaldo, a dear friend of his who died of cancer a few years back. Regretfully, I was unable to attend.

    Here are some links for donations to both causes:

    glorioustimesdeathbook@gmail.com- Paypal for Jennifer Rinaldo’s family

    www.stjude.org– St. Jude Children’s Hospital

    All photos taken by Lee Hoffman- www.buffalo24.com

  • Karyn Crisis Returns to Upstate with Gospel of the Witches

    It has been quite some time since trailblazing musician Karyn Crisis has played Upstate New York. She used to front the heavy rock band Crisis, and they made a few stops over the years in this area before disbanding in 2006. Now, she is set to bring her newest project to Trickshots in Clifton Park on Saturday March 28.

    Gospel of the Witches brand new album Salem’s Wounds was just released to the masses on Century Media Records. Karyn has laid low since leaving Crisis, focusing on her love or art and the occult. But after meeting her husband Davide Tiso, and starting to lend some vocals on his projects, she decided to venture forth into the world of music once again. The band started as an incantation between Davide and Karyn, and has morphed into a full on project with members of Immolation, Tombs and others join the ranks to bring this occult metal band to life. Upstate New York’s up and coming premier metal venue, Trickshots Billiards in Clifton Park, is lucky enough to house one of two special performances by the band on the east coast in support of their new record, thanks in part to the tireless efforts of Joelggernaut Productions.

    Also appearing on the bill will be local heavy bands Purifier, The Final Sleep and Black Iron Prison. Doors are at 7pm, and the $10 cover ensures you get a night you won’t soon forget, and shouldn’t miss out on, for every band brings something unique to the stage. Check out more details at the Facebook event here.

    For a taste of Gospel of the Witches new record Salem’s Wounds check out “The Alchemist”.

  • Bowlive 6 Night 7 – Erik Deutsch and The Jazz Outlaws, Soulive w/ George Porter Jr. “The Captain of Bowlive Pt. 2”

    Night seven of Bowlive opened with local musician Erik Deutsch (keyboard) and his band The Jazz Outlaws. Deutch and company brought more of a crushing rock and roll set to Brooklyn Bowl than the classic psych jazz he is known for. Joined on stage by Scott Metzger (guitar, WOLF!) Erik Deutsch gave way to his band to carry the set and performing a mixture of original tunes and covers of The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses,” Etta James “Dearest Darling,” Bonnie Raitt’s “Too Long At The Fair,” and Waylon Jenning’s “Whistlers and Jugglers.” The set was capped off by Greg Humphrey’s (guitar) original tune “Natural Child.”

    Soulive Erik Deutsch

    Soulive began the evening with The Shady Horns on stage for the first time of the run. The night was kicked off with “El Ron” off of Soulive’s 2002 self titled album. “Flurries” off Next followed and Eric Bloom (trumpet) and Ryan Zoidos (sax) brought some heat to to this tune as the evening was kicked into high gear right off the bat. We were lead through a soulful rendition of “Vapor” and a slow psychedelic journey through “Third Stone From The Sun” and “Lenny”, all Soulive originals. For the second night in a row George Porter Jr. dubbed ‘The Captain of Bowlive’ joined the band for the remainder of the first set where he brought us New Orleans classics “Junco Partner,” an abbreviated “Iko Iko,” and the Rebirth Brass Band original “I Feel Like Funkin It Up.” The set came to a close with Porter Jr. and The Runnin’ Pardners original “Take A Chance.”

    Soulive Erik Deutsch

    The second set began with the same group on stage and hit the ground running with The Meters smooth jazz melody “No More Okey Dokey.” Donny Hathaway tune “Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)” followed up and kept pace with the blissful jazz to begin this set. Porter Jr. then brought us “I Need More Time” off of his 2011 project Can’t Beat The Funk. The surprise guest for this evening was none other than 12 year old guitar prodigy Brandan “Taz” Niederauer.  Anyone who has witnessed his shredding guitar style knows that at his young age he can stand toe to toe with the pros. Taz led Krasno and Porter Jr. on The Meters upbeat “Fire On The Bayou” and “People Say” standing front and center on stage showing off of rock star chops and signature curly hair before leaving the stage. The Meters “Hand Clapping Song” followed and featured Krasno getting the crowd involved and clapping their hands in the air before segueing into “Funky Miracle.” The set came to a close with the Wilson Pickett hit “In The Midnight Hour,” highlighted by an Alan Evans drum solo that continually got pushed harder and faster by Porter Jr. For an encore, Taz came back out on stage and stole the show one more time for The Meters “Just Kissed My Baby,” Niederauer showed off his amazing talents as he handled his instrument with the control and professionalism of any guitarist in the scene today.

  • Sworn Enemy to Support Biohazard at Bogies March 28

    Queens, NY metal core titans Sworn Enemy, who are on tour in support of their newest release “Living On Borrowed Time”. On their current tour with Brooklyn’s own Biohazard, they will be making a stop at Albany’s legendary punk and metal venue, Bogies at the end of March. Sworn Enemy who formed back in 2001 has proven time after time that their blend of old school hardcore definitely withstands the test of time. By delivering that extra heavy crunch and killer riffs it’s no question as to why 18 years later these guys are still crushing it.

    sworn enemy

    The Band – Sal Lacoco (Vocals), Matt Garzilli (Guitar), Mike Pucciarelli (Bass Guitar), Jeff Cummings (Guitar), Taykwuan Jackson (Drums).

    Sworn Enemy will play Bogies in Albany on March 28, tickets can be purchased online HERE.

    Links:
    Facebook Event

    Bogies Albany, NY

  • Upstate Funk Heads West: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad with Euforquestra

    At one time I had a friend who exclaimed before each concert she attended, that each band she heard must pass what she called “the sweat test.” That is to say, in order for her to feel satisfied with a band’s performance she should walk away with her clothes drenched in enough sweat from dancing that her attire would freeze stiff shortly after exiting a venue. This was during the early 1990s when I lived through a few rough winters in Rochester, NY. I didn’t go to shows at the time because I was attending a local seminary to get a theology degree and become a Baptist preacher.

    Euforquestra

    Still, her standard for live music stuck with me through the ensuing decades as I grew into the live music scene. I was recently reminded of her on a chilly evening in Boulder, CO as the Rochester-native band, Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad headlined with the Colorado-based funk band, Euforquestra. As I watched the venue full of twirling, jumping,wriggling, and flopping enthusiasts it became clear to me that both bands would easily pass the sweat test.

    Euforquestra led the way with a scorching blend of brass-infused funk/Afrobeat music. Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad has gained a devoted following to their improvisational roots reggae sound in the Rocky Mountain region, and their lively finishing set was part of a winter tour devoted only to stops in Colorado.

    • Euforquestra

  • Reunion Announcement: Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit Announce Tour

    Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit have announced a summer reunion tour scheduled for late July and early August. The band will feature the old-school lineup of Col. Bruce Hampton, guitarist Jimmy Herring (Widespread Panic), bassist Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brother Band), keyboardist Matt Slocum and drummer Jeff Sipe. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 27 at 11am ET. The band has been on hiatus since 2011.

    Aquarium Rescue Unit reunion

    TOUR DATES

    July 29 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
    July 30 Boulder, CO — Fox Theatre
    July 31 Bellvue, CO — Mishawaka
    August 1 Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre
    August 5 Birmingham, AL — Iron City
    August 6 Nashville, TN — Cannery
    August 7 Atlanta, GA — Buckhead Theatre
    August 8 Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
    August 9 Asheville, NC — Orange Peel
    August 12 Raleigh, NC—The Ritz
    August 13 Richmond, VA — The National
    August 14 Washington DC — The Howard Theatre
    August 15 Port Chester, NY — The Capitol Theatre
    August 16 Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Bowl