NYS Music 20​15

Tag: turkuaz

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Out-of-State Festivals

    While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.

    2015 festivalsBest Small Festival: Arise Music Festival, East Coast Tsunami Festival, Grand Point North Festival and The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival

    With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.

    Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”

    Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”

    And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”

    Best Midsize Festival: Green River Festival
    Honorable Mention: Aura Music and Arts Festival, Boston Calling, Camp Bisco, DelFest, McDowell Mountain Music Festival

    Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:

    Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”

    Best Large Festival: Gathering of the Vibes and Summer Camp
    Honorable Mention: Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Fest, Lockn’ Music Festival, Peach Festival, Rock Allegiance, Rock On the Range

    Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:

    As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”

    With more than 100 bands over four days on seven stages, this year’s installment of Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL, saw a stacked lineup of bands like moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Miller Band, Widespread Panic, STS9, Big Gigantic, John Butler Trio, Krewella, Trampled by Turtles, Keller Williams and Grateful Grass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Violent Femmes and many, many more. Festivalgoers also had access to on-site camping, the infamous late night Red Barn Shows, musician workshops, a nonprofit village, arts and crafts and unique food vendors, plus some impressive improvements. In Pete Mason’s review of the festival’s final day, he detailed what made the perfect ending to the much celebrated event:

    The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”

    Read more from Summer Camp Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for New York State Festivals

    Nothing compares to experiencing live music. But when it comes to packing up and leaving the world behind to immerse in a weekend of musical debauchery with a community of like-minded souls, well, that’s the stuff that dreams are made of for music festival fans.

    From one-band to multi-artist events and crowd sizes from 2,000 to 50,000, New York State hosts a bevy of festivals annually in some of the most beautiful settings imaginable, and let’s face it, our state knows how to throw a proper fest, as it is ingrained in New York’s rich musical history having put on one of the biggest rock festivals of all time, Woodstock. Here we’ve rounded up our favorites from NYS Music 2015, so sit back, relax and relive some of the festival magic that happened throughout the Empire State this year, because we all know what it’s like to experience those post-fest blues.

    Buffalove2015sat-0626

    Best Small Festival: Buffalove and Disc Jam

    The third installment of Buffalove Music Festival saw a venue change from Cole Farm, Panama, NY, to North Fork Music Park, Warsaw, NY, with the new location offering four stages, a private beach, disc golf and wooded-area camping, and a record attendance that doubled previous years. With an impressive lineup including Kung Fu, Pink Talking Fish, Funktional Flow, Particle, Formula 5, Mister F, Space Junk, Dopapod, Aqueous and Aquapod, the three-day June 2015 festival created to celebrate Western New York’s emerging music scene was one for the books, according to Jen Foster and Thomas Sgroi:

    Buffalove came through. Co-founder of Buffalive Productions and Founder of Buffalove Cody Conway clearly had one goal in mind: keep the energy as high as possible. Every single band had heads turning and jaws on the ground. There was never a lull, never a band that just played to fill space. Every minute was dance-worthy. If you missed out this year, we can highly recommend you don’t make that mistake next year. Without any problems or unruly attendees, this festival made its mark at North Fork Music Park in Warsaw, NY. The amount of talent coming out of Upstate New York is only paving the road for more incredible shows. Buffalove, you certainly were lovely.”

    Another summer fest that saw a venue change was the fifth annual Disc Jam Music Festival, which moved from Massachusetts to New York State—and promoters recently announced that the event will return to Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown for its sixth year in June. Throughout four days of music, camping, disc golf and Flow Tribe, festivalgoers experienced live performances from more than 50 acts, including Lettuce, Electron, Dopapod, Aqueous, Brightside, Kung Fu, Consider the Source, Cabinet, Soule Monde, Roots of Creation, Formula 5, The Hornitz, Soul Rebel Project, Broccoli Samurai, Krewe de Groove and Relative Souls. According to Dave DeCrescente, the festival’s last day culminated with a “healthy dose of guest sit-ins” with jamband Twiddle, noting that:

    One of the highlights of the set was the massive guest sit in with DJ Honeycomb, James Woods, and Joe Davis from Formula 5, Scott Hannay of Mister F and Todd Stoops for the ultimate mega jam on “Apples.” The Disc Jam Flow Tribe was out in full force with fire spinners and hooping entertainers that were almost as mesmerizing as the music. The weekend ended just as it started, with mind blowing music and a close knit community who continue to make the Disc Jam Festival special. Tony Scavone and crew did a suburb job of organizing the 5th annual Disc Jam with a new location but still the same friendly, loving festival experience that keeps fans coming back each year.”

    Best Mid-Size Festival: Catskill Chill

    While Catskill Chill is speculated to make a move to Lake George in 2016, the festival’s last waltz at bucolic Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY, this September was a success, selling 5,000 tickets, according to Chill promoter Dave Marzollo. Headlined by moe. who kicked off their fall tour at the festival and including other bands like Lotus, Zappa Plays Zappa, Lettuce, Twiddle, Turkuaz, Dopakuaz plays Studio 54 and The Motet, the sixth annual installment of Catskill Chill featured on-site cabin rentals, daily yoga, live art, a farmer’s market, craft and food vendors, a communal bonfire nightly and an open mic. The three-day event was packed with guest sit-ins and collaborations like Dopapod and Turkuaz joining forces to play as Dopakuaz, which Chill organizer Josh Cohen noted is the type of community mindset that sets this festival apart from others its size or larger by creating an environment where rising bands can experiment and grow in a unique setting:

    Point is that when comparing us to larger festivals, we’re at this cool stage attendance-wise where in many band’s cases we have the best ‘music’ out there in our prime slots. I love tons of bands who’ve been around since the ’90s or earlier but there’s nothing like seeing musicians in their youthful stages, when creativity is just exploding and you can feel it dripping off the stage as opposed to later-in-their career bands who are playing mostly songs they first wrote and fell in love with decades earlier.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R6Uk03HW9k&feature=youtu.be

    Best Large Festival: Magnaball

    It’s no surprise that Magnaball takes the cake for this category. During late August more than 30,000 phans invaded Watkins Glen International race track for Phish Festival 10. And while the three-day event took place at the site of their 2011 Superball IX festival, this time around the setup featured many upgrades, including local and regional food vendors, the five-course restaurant Festival Ate, MagnaWater Program, speciality Phish-themed cocktails and coveted craft beer from Lawson’s Finest Liquids and Hill Farmstead. (And let’s not forget to mention the interactive Glurt Institute, Drive-In movie theater, JEMP Record Store and cornhole tournament.) The Vermont quartet majorly delivered throughout the weekend’s eight sets busting out rare tunes like “Mock Song” and jamming out typical breather ballads such as “Prince Caspian” to uncharted territory, but perhaps one of the highlights was the Saturday festival tradition of performing a late-night set, which according to Pete Mason raised expectations for future secret sets:

    Magnaball’s foray into the history of Phish’s special festival sets was the Drive-In Jam and it raised the bar while putting forth a performance on par with the ‘Storage Jam,’ if not exceeded this established upper echelon of improvisation. On a 183-foot movie screen, a wide array of visual treats combined with a progressively growing ambient jam that eclipsed the Lemonwheel by a longshot and morphed into a full on jam for 50 minutes. The Drive-In Set raised the bar for surprise performances and gave fans a treat after the music on the main stage ended an hour prior.”

  • Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Albums by New York Artists

    The NYS Music team has voted and these are what we chose as the best albums released in 2015 by New York artists. Turkuaz’s Digitonium, Lettuce’s Crush and Consider the Source’s World War Trio Parts II & III each received multiple votes from the staff.

    12 Jacket (Gatefold - Two Pocket) [GD30OB2-N]

    Turkuaz’s Digitonium is “the future of retro pop funk.” Turkuaz has been quite busy lately, having recently completed an extensive fall tour that spanned the continental U.S. Featuring great tracks like “Nightswimming,” “Percy Thrills the Moon Dog” and “Doktor Jazz,” the album is “the ideal listen for any pre-party or when you are just ready to share in the groove.”

    From our review:

    The 23 track album is a mature testament to the bands growing sound that continues to push the boundaries of funk with heavy ’80s influences. The album is full of instrumental segues of experimental melodies that set the stage for evolutionary funk tunes with classic, raw Turkuaz energy. Digitonium is built upon layers of exploratory themes, characters and repetitive lyrics that get the listener to pause, rewind and think outside the album.

    CrushCover1600x1600

    The latest release from Lettuce, Crush, is the first album in three years from the seasoned funk band. Jeremiah Shea calls it their “most aggressive, ambitious, and funkiest album to date.” With highlights, such as “Phyllis,” “Trilogy” and “Pockets of Change,” this is a must-hear album.

    From Shea’s album review:

    If you’ve never had the opportunity to dive into some Lettuce head first, now might be a better time than ever. Crush is the convergence of road tested and polished material, musical exploration, deep pockets of groove, and a band that is simply on top of their game. With a discography full of hits, this album somehow stands above them all.

    Consider the Source World War Trio

    Sticking to the funk theme of the other albums is Consider the Source and their latest effort, World War Trio Parts II & III, the follow-up double album to last year’s World War Trio Part I. In reviewing the album, Shea says “If pop music is reading at an elementary level, World War Trio Part II + III, is at least a 400 level college course.” The Middle Eastern sci-fi psychedelic funk fusion trio has been quite active in recent years. This album was no small undertaking. Of its 20 tracks, “This Dubious Honor,” “Up to, But Not to Exceed… Whoa,” “I’ll fight for the Imp” and “You are Disappearing.”

    Of the album, Shea says:

    Never before though has the band done it this masterfully and with such vision. This isn’t just food for thought, but a feast, with such lush sonic depth that can’t simply be explored in one pass. This is music that commands focus in a time when fans are more flippant than ever. You could say the band is fighting a natural progression, but I applaud the effort and what they force a willing listener to listen to. The continuity between songs is beautifully orchestrated and only possible with an overall delivery being kept in perspective from the onset.

    Among the many albums released by New York bands this year, others receiving additional accolades included Johnny Cummings’ Radiate, Misery Kills’ My Ugly Insides, ShwizZ’s My Good Side/My Bad Side, Sean Rowe’s Her Songs EP and Stellar Young’s Vessels. It’s been a good year for New York artists. These were just a sampling of all the great music released in 2015. Here’s to an even better 2016!

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OayMa_Qzfk[/embedyt]

  • Borg Party Heads to Buffalo and Rochester

    Buffalo and Rochester won’t be short of something amazing to see this holiday season as Borg Party invades both cities just days before the Christmas Holiday. The super group spearheaded by Dopapod’s Rob Compa (guitar) also features Mike Gantzer (Aqueous– guitar), Mikey Carruba (Turkuaz – drums), James Searl (Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad – bass) and Willy O’Riley (The Niche – keys). Borg Party will take over Buffalo Iron Works in Buffalo on Dec. 22 before moving to Flour City Station in Rochester on Dec. 23.

    The music looks to take on a festive atmosphere with a mix of covers and improvisational rifting. Compa, who grew up in Rochester, told NYS Music that he wanted to create a project that was less about creating something new and more about playing music that is enjoyable. “I was planning on coming home for the week of Christmas to visit my parents, so I figured I would call up some people who’s playing I really love who are from western New York and put together a couple shows just to have some fun and blow off some steam. That is really pretty much the whole point. Every one of the guys doing this with me is one of my favorites on their respective instruments, so I really wanted a chance to play with all of them.”

    It’s not the first time that Compa has played with several of the musicians in various incarnations. This summer Dopapod and Aqueous highlighted the Buffalove Music Festival as Aquapod. At Catskill Chill, Dopapod and Turkauz joined forces for the Dopakuaz featuring the music of Studio 54. Gantzer has also made appearances on stage with both Dopapod and Turkauz at various shows in Buffalo.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr-90SLkSl8

    But for Compa, it’s also another opportunity to play with a musician that was an enormous influence on him as a teenager. “I used to go see Willy O’Riley play with his band the Niche when that venue [Flour City Station] was called Milestones,” he noted. “I was young and hungry to play, and was a huge fan of that band. They were incredibly cool to me and would let me sit in with them from time to time at that club. Willy in particular is a huge influence over who I became as a musician, and this will be our first time playing together in that room in almost ten years. I’m really excited to play with him again.”

    Borg Party is currently only planned as a two night engagement. Tickets for both shows at Buffalo Iron Works and Flour City Station are currently still available.

  • Whole Lotta Love for Elise Testone in Providence

    Elise Testone brought her All Star Tribute to Led Zeppelin to The Spot Underground in Providence, Rhode Island on Friday, Dec. 4. Rhode Island band Sgt. Baker and the Clones opened for her, and Breakfast for the Boys from New Paltz closed out the night.elise testone

    The Spot Underground, now in its third location in Providence, features two stages. Sgt. Baker and the Clones took the stage in the smaller room around 9:20 p.m. Their sound is ’90s grunge meets rockabilly and country. The band consists of three guitarists, two on acoustic; a bassist; and a drummer. The crowd was still filing in throughout their set. They opened with “Stick Fishin’,” which features quotes from The Beatles’ “Cry Baby Cry” outro. This was followed up by a cover of Robert Cray‘s “Phone Booth,” which brought some energy to the crowd as folks started dancing. A country influence could be heard in the slower “Flesh Puppets.” They also played a few more covers, including Mars Volta’s “The Widow” and Cold War Kids’ “We Used to Vacation.” The latter featured additional vocals from local singer/songwriter Nate Cozzolino. They closed out their set with a raunchy cover of “I Will Survive,” played in a similar vein to Cake’s version with some altered lyrics. The lead guitarist played a really nice solo before the band finished the song to end their set. The highlight of the set was “Pigs,” which featured some fun animal sounds from Baker to start. While a bit rough around the edges, the set was enjoyable for all the smiling faces in the room.

    Testone’s set was delayed a bit. To keep the fans happy, Cozzolino, who is also the venue’s cook, played a short set with Mike Baker, aka Sgt. Baker, on djembe. His set started with a cover of Sublime’s “Badfish.” He then played through a handful of originals to a small crowd eager to hear Elise Testone and her tribute to Led Zeppelin.

    Elise Testone and her all-star tribute to Led Zeppelin took the main stage around 11 p.m. The band consisted of Todd Stoops (RAQ) on keyboards and backup vocals, Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz) on drums, Danny Mayer (Alan Evans Trio) on guitar, and Jed Lingat (Timothy Bloom) on bass. Testone, of course, handled the lead vocals. They opened their set with “Black Dog.” It took a little bit for the crowd to really get into it, but when the opening notes to “When the Levee Breaks” were played everyone was pulled in. The set ran through 19 of Led Zeppelin’s more notable songs. “Trampled Under Foot” featured a short, but fun keyboard solo from Stoops. “No Quarter,” one of the highlights of the night, saw an unexpected piano solo, one of the few moments the band took some creative license with the music. This was followed by two of the other highlights of the night, “Kashmir” and “Nobody’s Fault by Mine,” which featured excellent keyboard and guitar solos. “Fool in the Rain,” while a bit rough, was one of the crowd favorites of the night. The entire venue was dancing along. “Heartbreaker” was played without the expected segue into “Living Loving Maid.” Carubba played a solid solo in “Moby Dick,” and his perfect keeping of the beat held the band together throughout the night.

    The set ended with “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” an odd choice given slower tempo. They came back out to encore with “Rock and Roll.” The one other highlight of the night was “Over the Hills and Far Away,” which featured some nice interplay between the guitar and keyboards during a short jam. The crowd was quite pleased with the two hour set. The band was tight and well-rehearsed. Testone’s vocals, while not completely appropriate as a Robert Plant replacement, handled the songs as though they were written for her. If any criticism is to be made, it’s that they simply covered the songs as Led Zeppelin would have played them. With a band of such talented musicians, it would be nice to see them use some creativity in the future, making the songs more their own and fitting them better to Testone’s voice.

    Breakfast for the Boys played a late night set in the smaller room. Their female-led soul closed out the night as the crowd slowly dwindled. Their sound can be compared to that of Lake Street Dive.

    All in all, it was a great night of music in Providence. The Spot’s new location isn’t the most ideal, though the larger room has great sound, which might be better than their previous locations. If you have the chance to see Elise Testone doing any type of show, don’t hesitate. Her voice is fabulous and quite adaptable to many different genres and styles of music.

    Elise Testone will be playing with her All-Star Band on Thursday, Dec. 17 at The Hollow Bar in Albany at 9 p.m. Brian LaPoint and the Joints are the supporting act. Tickets are currently available.

  • Members of SCI and Turkuaz, Plus Holly Bowling, to Perform with Joe Marcinek Band (Updated)

    The Joe Marcinek Band will play five shows in early December with a very special lineup. The brief tour brings the band to Syracuse and Buffalo on Dec. 4 and 5.

    jmb_dec_tour

    The current incarnation of the Joe Marcinek Band features Reed Mathis (Tea Leaf Green) on bass, Pete Koopmans (Family Groove Project) on drums and Holly Bowling on keys. Joe Marcinek, of course, will be on guitar. Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident, EOTO) will cover percussion the first two nights, with Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz) taking over the final three. ROAR, formerly Yojimbo, will open each night.

    Marcinek has a new album in the works. He is funding its creation through a crowd-source campaign. From his website:

    We are going out to Colorado to record at Scanhope Sound with Joey Porter from the Motet producing. Most of the money raised will go towards covering the studio time, musicians, mixing, master, manufacturing and anything left over will go towards advertising!

    I’ve put together a great package of perks for all those that pledge! Not only will you get a copy of the new CD once finished but if you let us know your email address you will recieve a digital copy of our first album “Both Sides” and the unreleased recording of the show from last month where JMB opened for Moe. The JMB lineup included Jim and Vinnie from Moe as well as Borahm Lee from Break Science on keys! 

    Tickets for all shows are currently available.

    Joe Marcinek on Facebook

    Joe Marcinek on Twitter

    Tour Dates

    Dec. 2 – Scarlet and Grey Cafe, Columbus, OH
    Dec. 3 – Madison Live!, Covington, KY
    Dec. 4 – Funk ‘n Waffles, Syracuse, NY
    Dec. 5 – Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY
    Dec. 6 – Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH

    Correction: Michelangelo Caruba will no longer be joining the Joe Marcinek Band for this run. Jason Hann will be covering percussion for the first three nights, with Ryan Nogle, formerly of Aqueous, on the fourth night. There will be no percussionist on Dec. 6.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfACgqp25c8[/embedyt]

  • Borg Supergroup Poised to Assimilate Western New York this Christmas

    BORGChristmas just got a whole lot more interesting in Western New York. A brand-new supergroup of New York-based musicians coined Borg Party will be playing a two-night stint this December at Buffalo Iron Works (Dec. 22) and Flour City Station in Rochester (Dec. 23).

    Consisting of Rob Compa (guitar/Dopapod), Mike Gantzer (guitar/Aqueous), Mikey Carruba (drums/Turkuaz), James Searl (bass/Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad), and Wiley O’Riley (keys/The Niche), the Borg Party should attract a star cruiser full of assimilated dancing fans.

    With all of these musicians have collaborated multiple times in the past, attendees should expect far more than a simple night of improvisation and covers. In the past year alone, Compa’s Dopapod has played entire mash-up sets with Aqueous and Turkuaz.

    [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/211571756″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

    Tickets for either night are $15 pre-sale.

    Also don’t miss catching Dopapod Wed, Nov. 18, at Buffalo’s Tralf Music Hall.

  • Hearing Aide: Turkuaz ‘Digitonium’

    NEWTURK_highres2The nine piece funk phenomenon known as Turkuaz are releasing a new studio album Digitonium on Oct 2. The 23 track album is a mature testament to the bands growing sound that continues to push the boundaries of funk with heavy ’80s influences. The album is full of instrumental segues of experimental melodies that set the stage for evolutionary funk tunes with classic, raw Turkuaz energy. Digitonium is built upon layers of exploratory themes, characters and repetitive lyrics that get the listener to pause, rewind and think outside the album. It’s the future of retro pop funk.

    While the entire album is thoroughly enjoyable, some songs are sure to be stand out favorites. “Nightswimming” has that familiar Turkuaz pop rhythm, blaring horn build ups and catchy chorus that is sure to make it a big hit when performed live. “Percy Thrills The Moondog” explodes out of the speakers in true Turkuaz nature of slamming guitar riffs and crashing cymbals, complete with growling, barking and howling.“Doktor Jazz” has groovy bass plucking with rain fall synth melody and haunting, echoing vocals that give it a mad scientist toe tapping vibe. One track with possibly the heaviest 80s sound is “European Festivity Nightmare” with dark lyrics set to an upbeat digitalized street rhythm that sends the heart racing like Talking Head’s “Psycho Killer”. Digitonium is the ideal listen for any pre-party or when you are just ready to share in the groove.

    In celebration of their new album, Turkuaz will perform a two night run at Brooklyn Bowl in their hometown of NYC on Sept. 29 with Polyrhythmics and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band on the 30th with the PitchBlak Brass Band on both nights. You can pick up a copy of Digitonium at their merch table at any of their many fall shows across the country or download online via iTunes on Oct. 2.

    Key Tracks: Nightswimming , Percy Thrills The Moondog, Doktor Jazz

    Fall Tour Dates:

    09/29 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl**+
    09/30 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl*+
    10/01 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club*
    10/02 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall*
    10/08 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Live
    10/09 – Joshua Tree, CA – Joshua Tree Festival
    10/10 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theatre
    10/11 – Albuquerque, NM – Marble Brewery
    10/14 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads***
    10/15 – Ozark, AR – Phases of The Moon
    10/16 – Ozark, AR – Phases of The Moon
    10/17 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom****
    10/20 – Missoula, MT – Stage 112
    10/21 – Moscow, ID – John’s Alley Tavern****
    10/22 – Boise, ID – The Reef****
    10/24 – Placerville, CA – Hangtown Halloween Ball
    10/25 – Placerville, CA – Hangtown Halloween Ball
    10/28 – Bend, OR – Domino Room****
    10/29 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern****
    10/30 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom****
    10/31 – Eugene, OR – HiFi Music Hall****
    11/04 – Fort Worth, TX – The Live Oak Music Hall
    11/05 – Austin, TX – Spider House Ballroom
    11/06 – Houston, TX – Last Concert Cafe
    11/07 – New Orleans, LA – The Parish at H.O.B.
    11/10 – Birmingham, AL – Zydeco
    11/11 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5
    11/12 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House&
    11/13 – Jacksonville Beach, FL – Freebird Live&
    11/14 – Boca Raton, FL – Funky Biscuit&
    11/15 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar Live&
    11/18 – Charlotte, NC – The Rabbit Hole&
    11/19 – Raleigh, NC – The Pour House&
    11/20 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
    11/21 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage

    * with Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band
    ** with Polyrhythmics
    *** with Roxy Roca
    **** with The Quick & Easy Boys
    & with The Fritz
    + with PitchBlak Brass Band

  • Catskill Chill Preview: One Last Dance at Minglewood

    As the summer festival season draws to an end, next week’s Catskill Chill Music Festival which takes place September 18-20, a week later than it is usually held, also marks an end of an era. The 6th annual festival, which has grown in popularity each year, will be the last one held at its original home of Camp Minglewood in Hancock, NY before the party moves elsewhere next year.

    Catskill ChillFittingly, upstate NY jam legends moe. will serve as musical headliner and Particle, the only band to play every Chill, will close out the weekend in grand fashion along with help from a number of other guests and friends.

    This year’s festival also offers a number of other intriguing musical collaborations as this seems to be a theme for the weekend. In addition to their own sets on Sunday, Dopapod and Turkuaz will be combining forces on Friday night and recreating a night at Studio 54. Shwizz and Fikus will follow their Saturday sets with a joint one featuring musical selections from the ‘80s before the Chillfam All-Stars perform what is sure to be an entertaining tribute to Herbie Hancock. This isn’t even the only All Star band of the weekend as the Stratosphere All-Stars, featuring members of Lotus, Particle and Digital Tape Machine, will help usher in the Saturday night dance party.

    If a band on this bill isn’t collaborating with another one, there’s a good chance they’re pulling double duty and performing multiple sets. Consider the Source will be doing both an acoustic and an electric set on Friday and Twiddle will be performing a set of Grateful Dead covers in addition to a set of their own Saturday night.

    Other notable performers this weekend include upstate NY’s own Aqueous and Solaris as well as Lettuce, Zappa Plays Zappa, The Motet and Electron.

    Catskill Chill is known for its home of Camp Minglewood and the purely intimate setting it provides with summer camp style cabins for lodging close to all the stages and designated camping areas strewn between them all. RV parking is also available for $150 and the festival offers both VIP ticket purchases and upgrades. In addition to an incredibly packed musical docket, there’s also Open Mic sessions being offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons as well as yoga classes.

    Tickets for $195 and one last chance to experience one of the true hidden gems of the festival circuit can be purchased here.

  • Arise Music Festival-Loveland, Colorado

    “I’ve never heard so many notes playing at once!” exclaimed a lanky festivarian draped in a tie-dye T-shirt, following the terrific main stage show of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead at the recent Arise Festival in Loveland, Colorado. Certainly, the hippie’s exclamation served as an apt description of the world’s best Dead cover band. However, the statement served as even more appropriate description of the hybrid event set the picturesque mountain setting. Arise is constructed as a “co-creator” event that offers a spicy jumbalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.

    Arise Festival

    For those busy facilitating the weekend workshops, the 100 musical acts may have been mere distant echoes, but the results, at times, gave heartrending results. One such workshop led with a descendent of a man who once led a massacre against a Lakota tribe. The harrowing account was immediately followed by another presenter who is a current Lakota tribe member who offered words of healing regarding the violent past, and finished with a blessing of earth healing. That’s powerful stuff to be sharing at a music festival for sure.

    As for the music scene, Arise boasts an advantage of what many are calling “next generation” festivals. Unlike similar events like Costa Rica’s Envision festival, the folks of Arise largely rely on the presence of live music acts. Not that Arise didn’t give electronic bassheads enough whomp. The Polish Ambassador headlined the main stage on Friday and a revamped Area 51 stage featured a full schedule of spin meisters through the weekend.
    For me, the joy of the music scene was the live music. And there was plenty of joy in the concert bowl. Friday highlights included an emotional set of bluegrass folk from Rising Appalachia and the rousing rockabilly of Sister Sparrow and Dirty Birds. Arleigh Kincheloe, the band’s lead singer belted out tunes with pipes powerful enough to put plumbers out of business. And these acts were just warming up the crowd. Lukas Nelson, who spent the summer touring with Neil Young, shimmied, jumped, and rocked his way in the free world with a series of serrated guitar solos that Young would admire. And even though funk bands seem to grow these days thicker than mountain thistle, Turkuaz finished with a reasonably fresh and energetic take on the newly popular genre. Interspersed between the live sets were a dizzying array of acrobatic and fire performances from the likes of Lunar Fire and Fractal Tribe.

    The 90 degree daytime temps didn’t slow down the Saturday line-up either. Western New York’s favorites Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad have become Colorado’s adopted sons for roots reggae, and their upbeat, jaunty rhythms dropped happily between two festival favorites, Ozomatli and the afore-mentioned Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. The crowd danced so hard, even Dirty Santa and sequined red suit was “almost dead” before midnight.

    Still, the peak acoustic show the weekend didn’t arrive till Sunday’s offering of Larry Keel’s Bluegrass Tribute to the Grateful Dead. Edward Sharpe of the Magnetic Zeroes, at times, seemed restless and distracted, but the top-notch band behind him remained strong. Rounding out the main stage show, Trevor Hall’s easy going folk sound glided the crowd safely down to the festival weekend landing strip. Like many of the performers featured during the weekend, the Arise festival, only in its third year, is already hitting all the right notes.