NYS Music 20​16

Category: Features

  • Aoife O’Donovan Uncorks a Perfect Night in Geneva

    Traveling down a country road that didn’t veer from it’s straight path infinitely in either direction, the kind GPS voice eventually called for a turn down a perpendicular gravelly dirt path. It wound through a vast vineyard before arriving at a wooden barn. Visible inside through the large barn window, a stage was being set: drums, amps, guitars, all illuminated by a simple set of LEDs. As the crowd gathered, sampling the wine and meats being served up at the Ravines Wine Cellar, they oohed and aahed and tried to capture images of September’s beautiful full moon, aka the Harvest Moon, rising through the late summer sky.  The crescent moon logo of the Smith Club Series, however, served as a reminder of the impending concert with Aoife O’Donovan.

    aoife odonovan genevaOpener Brooke Annibale, comes from Pittsburgh via Nashville via Pittsburgh and back again. Her sound reflected her disjointed travels. Her beautiful voice sometimes reaching a more emotional gravelly strain, melodic strumming interrupted by dashes of brilliant fingerpicking, and simple rhythms shifting in surprising jolts. One of her songs took a cyclical path as well. “Alright,” off of her 2015 LP The Simple Fear (as most of the set was), was written while she was employed at Starbucks. After finally  recording it a few years later, Starbucks bought the tune to play in their stores nationwide.

    Headliner Aoife O’Donovan took the stage in front of the sell out crowd after a short break. Her band, Anthony Da Costa on guitar and Steve Nistor on drums, have been touring with her since January, in support of her early 2016 release, In the Magic Hour. “Lay My Burden Down” off of her 2013 debut Fossils was followed by “Magic Hour” off her latest, and the set continued with a healthy mix of both releases, sprinkling in some covers for good measure.

    O’Donovan’s voice provided the melodies, her guitar the rhythms. Her song craft was like the perfect grapes, but as any vintner or artisan knows, that is just the base. She added Da Costa’s guitar and Nistors’s drums to fill the bottle with subtle and not-so subtle hints and flavors. Free from major rhythmic lifting, Nistor danced outside the edges with flourishes and broad swaths. Da Costa’s guitar added body and color, bringing out the best in every moment, constantly moving in fleeting moments of brilliance, rarely soloing but shining brightly when given the opportunity. O’Donovan had crafted this band perfectly. The timeless quality of her music mellowed warmly within the barns wooden walls, much like the wine aging in casks nearby.

    During a two-song solo break, she veered from her planned set to grant a fan’s request of the rare “Diamond” from her former band Sometymes Why. She pulled off the unexpected change incredibly well and followed with a stunning rendition of the traditional Creole love ballad, “The Lakes of Pontchartrain.”

    Throughout the evening O’Donovan chronicled the band’s travels that day through upstate New York. They started with coffee in a “beautifully tiled” cafe in Buffalo. A little while later they were stranded for two hours at the Pembroke Thruway rest stop when they mistakenly locked the keys in the rental car. They made it to the gig though, with time enough to sample Ravines’ wines, grab some dinner and rehearse for a “special silent movie soundtrack” set they were performing at Freshgrass. After the show they would head to their hotel in the foothills of the Adirondacks, in Utica. “We’re in the Finger Lakes now, how far are the Adirondacks?” she wondered aloud.

    The evening ended as it had begun, with the room mesmerized by the Harvest Moon. In tribute of the full celestial moon, the band played a cover of the Neil Young tune that shared it’s name. A fitting finish to a perfect evening amongst the grapevines.

    Setlists

    Brooke Annibale: Like the Dream of It, Under Streetlights, Middle of the Mess, Alright, All Over Again, The Good Hurt, Patience, Remind Me

    Aoife O’Donovan: Lay My Burden Down, Magic Hour, Stanley Park, Hornets, Magpie, Glowing Heart, Red & White & Blue & Gold, Beekeeper, Anyhow I Love You (Guy Clark), Diamond*, The Lakes of Pontchartrain* (Traditional), Donal Og (Traditional) > Porch Light, King of All Birds, Detour Sign, Oh Mama

    Encore: Harvest Moon (Neil Young)
    * O’Donovan solo

  • Tad Robinson Brings a Heart Full of Soul to The Dev

    Two steps past the front door of The Dev to load in for a Friday, September 16 performance in Utica, Tad Robinson took a quick glance left and figured he and the band were about to be pigeon-holed into playing in the front window of the small bar. Twenty-five years ago, that would have been the case, with the likes of Danny Morris, Sonny Rhodes, Hubert Sumlin, and others having done so. The bar has expanded since then, added a raised stage, and co-owner Tim Schram has avoided having The Dev be pigeon-holed by featuring a wide variety of live music styles, with a commitment to primarily original music.

    The Indianapolis based Robinson is an eight-time Blues Music Award nominee. His 2016 Soul Blues Album of the Year nomination was for Day Into Night, his fourth release on the renowned  Severn Records label. A diverse crowd of blues fans, bar regulars, out of town businessmen, and neighborhood residents were all captivated by Robinson’s voice and the musicianship of him and his band. Backing Robinson were Paul Holdman on guitar, Jeff Chapin on drums, and Kevin Anker on keys, who has appeared on and co-produced Robinson’s recent recordings.

    Tad RobinsonA smooth, stylish, distinctly different vocalist, Tad Robinson impressed with both tone and control by knowing when to punch a phrase and when to lay back. He also exhibited notable harmonica skills, particularly on the chromatic harp. Holdman took the lead for a song of his own with a bit of a gospel touch, and Robinson often gave Anker plenty of room to showcase his abilities on the Hammond keyboard. Remarkable moments during the two set show included “Rained All Night” from Back in Style, Little Walter’s “Last Night,” and a crowd-pleasing rendition of the O.V. Wright southern soul classic, “A Nickel and a Nail.”

    Tad Robinson

  • Hearing Aide: Glens Falls’ Red Shift release debut EP

    Red Shift is a newly emerging alternative rock band from the Glens Falls area. They currently have four singles released: “Around the Sun,” “By Design,” “Heads or Tails,” and “Victorious.” The members consist of Keiran Dupper and Chad Jones on guitars, Andy Frasier on bass, Erich Hobus on drums, and Tim Ortiz on synth while providing the vocals. Named “Best Bets” by the Post Star, the band will release their first album on September 23.

    red shiftRed Shift is a respectable band in the rock genre. Their music is impressive in many ways and, as a brand new band, they have a lot of potential. Ortiz has a very nice voice that fits in well with the rock genre. His voice is equally as impressive in “Heads or Tails,” one of their more rock-out tracks, as it is in “Around the Sun” which is slightly more mellow, giving the group plenty of options for the future.

    One thing that I would like to see improve as the group continues to release albums is the lyrics. I felt in at least two of the four tracks that the lyrics could’ve been significantly better. I found some of the content a little cliche at times and if it wasn’t the lyrics themselves it was just the fact that the songs had vague and generalized subjects/topics. I found them relevant and relatable, but had trouble relating on a deeper level. While they were giving me a message, their songs’ messages weren’t particularly clear.

    Despite these minor issues, I find the instrumentals in this group to be extremely impressive. Dupper and Jones on guitar have pleasantly surprised me with every track. Their guitar lines are fantastic and after every song I hear, I go away wishing I could play guitar like that. Frasier on bass does a fantastic job as well, really filling out that hardcore rock vibe and giving some great lines in the process. Hobus on the drums delivered some fantastic lines as well which helped fill out some of the instrumental breaks that seemed to carry out for a little longer than I would’ve liked them to, particularly in “Heads or Tails.” Personally, I believe the instrumentalists did a fantastic job throughout all of “Around the Sun,” which is my favorite track by far. I also greatly enjoyed the use of synth in their music because not only do I love synths, but it was both surprising and refreshing when I recognized the synth playing as I hadn’t expected one to be a major part in a band like this.

    Overall, Red Shift is a relatively respectable rock band. They are new so there is plenty of time in the future for them to improve, and since they’re starting off in a very good position to begin with through great instrumentals, vocals, and talent, it will be exciting to see where this takes them in the future. On Friday September 23, Red Shift is holding a concert to officially release their first album. From 8pm-11pm Red Shift will be playing at Mean Max Brew Works in Glens Falls with Squanch and other special guests. Having only heard four of their songs, I’m curious to see what else they have up their sleeves for this album release and how it compares to what I’ve heard so far.

    Key Tracks: Around the Sun, By Design, Heads or Tails, Victorious

  • Sounds Like a Party To Me: Lettuce Interview Jesus Coomes

    Music might be business for some, but for others, it’s a way of life. Lettuce is one of those bands where music is what you do, how you do, and why you do it. It’s family and friends and everything in between. Simply put, music is life. The band hasn’t gotten where they have been in their 20+ year run from stepping on others or chasing the next hit. Throughout their journey, it’s always been about the music and its ever present bond created between them on so many levels.

    This passion and love spills over on the stage, in the studio, and through all of their interactions. It’s touching to see a band deservedly grow that embodies this spirit. In just over a year, the band has headlined Red Rocks (twice), released a new album (appropriately titled Crush), played to massive crowds, and hit other career peaks along the way. As the band packs up the bus to the hit the road on yet another tour, we got a chance to catch bassist, Erick “Jesus” Coomes, before a flight out to the east coast.

    lettuce jesus coomesNYS Music: So you’re getting ready to kick off the Sounds Like a Party Tour, which is jam-packed with dates and riding high on how well Crush has been received. How are you feeling?

    Jesus: I’m so thankful – everything is great! I’m in Long Beach right now, but leaving tonight for the tour. I’m going to meet up with my best friends in the world to make some music. The first gig is in Connecticut at Toad’s Place and a bunch of our original followers are there, so we’re going to get some of that hometown love right away. I’m excited about all of this.

    NYS Music: There was a mention of Nigel Hall joining you guys via the Lettuce Facebook page. Is he joining for select dates?

    lettuce jesus coomesJesus: He’s coming for EV-ERY-THING bro. He’s going to be crushing this whole tour!

    NYS Music: That’s amazing! I saw that Nigel has recently been playing some kind of synth onstage as opposed to just coming out for the lyrical songs. Tell me more about that and if we’ll see it on the SLAP Tour.

    Jesus: He’s playing a Moog and a couple of other synths; he has a whole keyboard rig now. The thing is, we were having Nigel come on tour with us and he was literally sitting in the back for a long time until he got to sing a couple of songs. We’re like, this guy plays his ASS off on keyboards. Why don’t we set him up with a sick keyboard rig so he can play the whole show with us? We’ve been doing that for a few shows now and I can’t tell you how much fun it’s been!

    NYS Music: On the topic of Nigel, has the band ever thought about including more of his vocals on an upcoming release?

    Jesus: We definitely have and we want to do as much as we can with him. He’ll definitely be a big part of the next album. We’ve always kept it somewhat instrumental, but at this point, we kind of want to do a whole EP or album with him singing every tune. At the same time, we really love instrumental music, including Nigel, so it’s a hard balance but we want to explore that more on this tour.

    NYS Music: Selfishly, I would just suggest recording a double album with one side all instrumentals and the other with vocals.

    Jesus: Ohhhhhh….that’s a great idea! I love that idea!

    NYS Music: Along those same collaboration lines, Lettuce worked with Wu-Tang Clan for the 2013 Bonnaroo SuperJam [audio]. Your music certainly incorporates hip-hop into your flavor of funk. Have you guys ever thought about bringing in a hip-hop artist on an album to rap over an original tune?

    Jesus: Oh yeah, definitely. There are some things in the works right now that I wish I could tell you more about. I’ve had that same thought as well. Listening to a tune like “Trillogy,” I could totally hear Ghostface or somebody like that over it. I’d love to do a whole album like that called Lettuce Raps. I’ve had that thought for a long time – 10 years or so.

    NYS Music: I feel like the hip-hop, jazz, and funk scenes are thankfully all starting to blend and collaborate in beautiful ways. What are your thoughts on that topic?

    Jesus: I love it and just hearing you say that makes me so happy. I love what Kamasi Washington is doing, and my friend Josef Leimberg just dropped an album on Kamasi’s label. I think I played bass on a couple of songs on that. And then there’s my homie Thundercat just crushing the bass harder than anybody and being totally acknowledged for it. It just makes me so happy. Real music is becoming important again. We have some of the best music ever hitting the mainstream – I’m geeked out about it!

    NYS Music: Changing gears, I watched the live-streamed Lettuce Lockn’ set and have since listened to it again. I’ve never heard the band explore their songs like that before, taking more than half of the songs over the 10-minute mark. Are you guys going to continue to do that in pockets?

    Jesus: 100% we are – just hearing your enthusiasm makes me so happy. We’re on a good path and communicating really well right now. It allows us to take a jam and extend it without sacrificing quality. We’re always coming from the heart and I’m really excited where we’re taking it. I feel like the universe is putting us into the perfect place. It’s much bigger than any of us and we’re digging in. Music is such a deep art form. I don’t know if we’ll ever get to the bottom of it, but we’re trying.

    NYS Music: That’s so good to hear! In terms of new ventures, Lettuce just released a new music video that is pretty exploratory both musically and conceptually. Can you talk a little bit about the process behind it and why you went the direction you did?

    Jesus: It was really incredible. The band was so excited about Crush as an album that we wanted people to hear a lot of it at once. We did the one video for “Phyllis,” but with this, we wanted to do a sneak peek of the whole album in a video format. I’m happy with the way it came out. We shot our parts and then the animators worked their butts off on the rest.

    NYS Music: What are you excited about literally heading out shortly for this tour?

    Jesus: The whole thing is so exciting, bro. I’m about to get on a bus with my best friends. Basically, I’m excited to see my homies and I just saw them all summer, every weekend. I’m so excited to hang out and make some smoothies. It’s like when you’re with your team, they make you better. When I’m with the guys in Lettuce, I’m a better person and I think we all make each other better. We live a healthy lifestyle and make great music every night. It’ll be nice to get back into that flow of making great music together every night and then having great days together. I’m really excited about the whole thing to be honest.

    This Thursday, September 22, Lettuce will take the stage at The Tralf in Buffalo, NY. Tickets are still available for purchased. Additionally, their new album Crush can be purchased via iTunes here.

  • Just Say YES: Everyone Orchestra Gathers in Syracuse

    On Thursday night at the Westcott Theater, Matt Butler and Everyone Orchestra concocted a musical potion that had us all under a spell.   Butler played the role of lead hypnotist as he memorized not only the crowd, but also the band that he so craftily pulled together for this outstanding evening of sonic surprises.

    Binghamton-based three-piece, Several Sons, opened the blissful trifecta of acts with their mellow harmonies and soulful unplugged sound. Their performance featured Bradford Allen on cajón drum for the entirety of the performance, which created a backyard fire-pit vibe. Kevin Ludwig took over the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, paving the way for Jack Bucher to display his bluesy chops on lead guitar. The mostly instrumental set list was capped off by a folk rock original, “Moonshine,” paying tribute to the act of getting drunk with friends. What a way to send us off into a set break.

    Located just a couple of cities to the left of Syracuse is the blue-collar, “Bills Mafia” community of Buffalo, NY. Football probably holds the title for most discussed topic of conversation on a Saturday night, but I can guarantee that the local groove-rock quartet, Aqueous, is definitely on the minds of many Western New Yorkers. Their appropriately named, “2016 Random Company Tour,” fits the bill perfectly as the entire room anxiously awaits their arrival to the stage.    As they entered to DMX’s “Party Up (Up In Here)” blaring on the speakers, we hoped they were about to make us lose our minds (sorry, I went there) and lose our minds we did.

    “Strange Times” was first up and allowed Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss to share the spotlight on vocals and guitar solos. The two methodically went line-for-line on this lyrically appealing tune before dropping into a sludgy, greasy transition.  Evan McPhaden pounded away on bass to symbolically clean up the jam goo.   Solid improvising segued into “The Median” off the 2014 album, Cycles. Rob Houk’s drumming showcased their genre blending skills by combining elements of progressive rock and reggae with a hint of electronica. There was one point towards the end of “Median” where it almost sounded like a completely different piece, but long time fan, Mitch (the guy on the rail whose head seemed to explode note to note), explained that this phenomenon is common during one of their juiciest originals.   Loss then seamlessly goes back and forth from guitar to keys while Gatzner pans for gold on lead guitar during the third and final song of the set, “Don’t Do It.” The crowd was definitely thirsty for more after the brief second act, but with Everyone Orchestra being served as an entrée, just about the entire room decided to take a break outside to work up an even stronger appetite.

    Butler appeared on stage with his 7-piece mixture of talent to specify the guidelines of the show. He would be writing notes to the band and the crowd on his simple yet effective white board while signaling to all of us via hand gestures, screams resembling words and Hulk Hogan-like crowd controls. Realistically, Butler runs the show like a drag race in the movie Grease, “Rules are, there ain’t no rules.” The ceremony began with Butler warming up the fingers of the esteemed group of musicians as they delivered a tight and funky beat that got the room dancing immediately. Eric Yates deserves the first MVP award of the night due to his funky banjo plucking while Ryan Montbleau deserves a shout out for creating the lyrics, “What do I see in my sight? Westcott Theater on a Thursday night.” Rob Derhak’s bass was bumping along with Emanuel Washington’s drumbeat when Butler asked the crowd to throw an idea at Montbleau for additional lyrics. The best we could up with was “sexy night” which morphed into an entire band-crowd, call-response of “Ugly, sexy night, yeah!”

    After a brief stretch of weirdness, the conductor brought us all back down to planet Earth and asked Yates to pick away on the banjo during a fast-paced, unusual and unplanned cover of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain.” The Westcott was transformed into an old-timey honky-tonk as the band turned the Dylan cover into something reminiscent of Johnny Cash in his prime. Montbleau and Yates had a dueling guitar-banjo section before turning the spotlight to moe.’s Al Schnier for a signature guitar solo. Syracuse’s own Adam Gold from Sophistafunk kicked off the next piece with a heavy yet buttery organ solo. Butler did an amazing job of hazing the Everyone Orchestra freshmen as each member of Sophistafunk joined the group for the first time on Thursday. The conductor wrote, “This is Part A” on the iPad while scribbling up directions on his whiteboard for only the band’s eyes to see. Tommy Weeks took over to deliver a spectacular sax solo before returning to Gold for a spacey synth solo. The baton was passed back to Montbleau for an Everyone Orchestra modification of his original “Dead Set” which features the lyrics “Observe your mind, and stop your thinking” which is good advice for a band expected to go with their gut on these improvised reconstructions.

    Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer returned to the stage and the applause grew when Butler informed us that it was his birthday. “Soft” was written on the whiteboard as Gantzer took over with a silky guitar riff. The crowd participation was at an all time high as we yelled “Birthday” to celebrate the joyous occasion. The band was fully in sync at this point in the performance and it was evident through the design of a new smash hit “Hotel Party” which Montbleau creatively developed before our eyes.   “There’s ice in the bathtub” and “Everyone’s invited” were only some of the outstanding sporadic lyrics sung by Montbleau which brought a collective smile to the room. Gantzer channeled the energy of Jerry Garcia, with a liquid fuzz distortion on his incredible solo before Gold killed the keys on Butler’s command. After the Holiday Inn jungle boogie, the show wrapped up in an epic formation of nine band members with the addition of David Loss from Aqueous and the return of Eric Yates on banjo. The conductor looked more like a mad scientist as he circled the stage giving each and every member one last time to shine. The evening was capped off with birthday boy Gantzer’s in-your-face knockout solo.

    Butler thanked the crowd and noted that after 15 years of asking members of different bands to come together so that he can live his dream, they keep showing up and they keep showing up! There is no question that this traveling circus of insane talent brought the goods to Syracuse on Thursday. Some bands spend years touring and writing music together to find out what it is that makes them unique. Matt Butler pulls the rabbit out of his hat night after night by creating the magic rather than searching for it. He is a composer, a communicator, and a connector all in one while leaving his mark on music through his whiteboard, iPad and multitude of invisible air instruments.   When asked to join the Everyone Orchestra in the future, just say, “Yes” and strap in for a truly special ride.

    Aqueous Setlist: Strange Times> The Median, Don’t Do It

    Everyone Orchestra Setlist (To the best of my ability):  Funky Intro, Jam (Ugly Sexy Night), Buckets of Rain*, Part A Jam> Dead Set**, Gatzner’s Birthday Jam, Hotel Party Jam, Set Closing Jam

    *Bob Dylan Cover (Blood on the Tracks)

    ** Ryan Montbleau Cover (For Higher)

  • Fitz and the Tantrums talk to Recess with Spinelli

    From College Radio to Top 40 Radio,  Fitz and the Tantrums have proven that they can cross multiple generations, genres and audiences.  Alexander Spinelli of the radio show, Recess with Spinelli spoke with Keyboardist, Jeremy on the phone before their performance at the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY.

    Listen to the abridged feature/interview

    You can listen to the Full Radio Broadcast of Fitz and the Tantrums.

    Concert Photos:

    Fitz and the TantrumsRecess with Spinelli can be heard every Wednesday 8pm-10pm EDT on WSPN in Saratoga Springs, NY on 91.1FM (https://academics.skidmore.edu/blogs/wspn/) and on Hoxton FM in London, England every Wednesday 11pm-1am GMT (6pm-8pm EDT) (http://www.hoxton.fm)

    Recess with Spinelli can be heard every Wednesday 8pm-10pm EDT on WSPN in Saratoga Springs, NY on 91.1FM and on Hoxton FM in London, England every Wednesday 11pm-1am GMT 6pm-8pm EDT

    Follow Recess with Spinelli: Instagram Twitter Facebook Youtube Soundcloud  Mixcloud Tumblr and online at longbowmedia.us

  • ZZ Top Closes Out Summer Series at Lakeview Amp

    The newly erected Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse has had quite the summer for it’s first full season of live music.  Covering a wide variety of genres from Snoop Dogg to Dave Matthews Band to Keith Urban to Phish.   But, the season couldn’t end on September 4, without some good ‘ol fashioned southern rock Hall-of-Famers!   Since the scheduled Gregg Allman canceled due to his health, ZZ Top and Charlie Daniels came to the rescue with some legendary entertainment.

    Jim Houle Photography - ZZ Top - Lakeview Amp - Watermark - NYSMusic-26

    Social Distortion‘s current guitarist Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, kicked off the evening with some of his own original songs and a brief Charlie Daniels band cover before giving time to the band themselves.  Within a few moments, Charlie Daniels Band made way to the stage minus the jolly fiddler, himself.   The group bursted into an energetic instrumental as Mr. Daniels himself, stepped out in front of a cheerful audience. Sporting a large cowboy hat, white button down shirt, blue jeans, a massive belt-buckle, and his trusty fiddle, Daniels ripped into each song of their hour-long set with  passion and enthusiasm ending their performance with the ever popular “Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

    Texas Legends, ZZ Top, collectively took to the stage without hesitation, starting off with “Got Me Under Pressure” and “Waiting for the Bus,” before breaking it down with the bluesy “Jesus Just Left Chicago.”  Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill seemed to keep the energy at low for the beginning of their show until picking things up with “Give Me All Your Lovin.”  The southern trio joyously included “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix and “Two Trains Runnin” by Muddy Waters in their set amongst other popular tunes, before ending the night with a 3-song encore.

    Set:  Got Me Under Pressure, Waitin’ for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Gimme All Your Lovin’, Pincushion, I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide, I Gotsta Get Paid, Rough Boy, Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix), Two Trains Runnin’ (Muddy Waters), Sixteen Tons, Cheap Sunglasses, Chartreuse, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs

    Encore:  La Grange, Tush, Jailhouse Rock

  • Finding Inspiration with Stephen Douglas Wolfe

    We are all products of the things we’ve seen and the places we’ve been. For singer/songwriter, Stephen Douglas Wolfe, the journey to find a place to live and hone creativity has been an interesting one. From his origin in Lawrence, Kansas, to the fast-paced New York City, to finally settling upstate in Syracuse, New York, Wolfe and his music have grown along with every mile traveled.

    Lawrence, Kansas is described by Wolfe as an, “… open minded town in a closed minded state,” although despite the feeling of safety within his hometown, he left Lawrence to avoid the temptation to fall into a slump of complacency. Like many other musicians, Wolfe then moved to New York City with hopes of finding more inspiration for his music, however opposite those who preceded him, Wolfe simply could not create. He found himself working in retail management and having very little time to even think about putting pencil on paper. The bustling concrete jungle yet again seemed to swallow another talented musician, although Wolfe’s destiny had other plans. He then met his wife and moved upstate to Syracuse where the writer’s block finally broke and he was met with an explosion of creativity, pent up from the time in the Big Apple.

    Two of Wolfe’s most recent releases, “Thoughts and Prayers” and “Believe Me,” comment on the absurdity of the societal and political status of the United States. “I’ve never really taken a stance musically before,” Wolfe says, “When I was younger it was natural to write songs about heartbreak… Now I feel like I have an obligation to speak my mind.”

    “Thoughts and Prayers” is a track written in wake of the fatal shooting of Baton Rouge native, Alton Sterling, and later that month the shooting of six police officers, also in Baton Rouge, three of which were killed in the incident, the other three injured. The song is intimate and soft, only including elements of a single guitar and one voice. It calls on people to take action instead of just leaving the sentiment of thoughts and prayers with those in rough times because as Wolfe states, in these times, “Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough.”

    “Believe Me” is a song with many layers and from different viewpoints. Part of its anthem refrain, “I will not run, I’ll pay for the mistakes that I’ve done and not done,” is written as hypothetical but truly hopeful words coming from the mouth of presidential candidate, Donald J. Trump with hopes that he will not continue in the run for President of the United States. Using the same refrain lyrics, Wolfe states, “I’m not going to run from my duty to speak out.”

  • Hearing Aide: TAUK “Sir Nebula”

    On September 16, 2016 Long Island’s very own TAUK will be releasing Sir Nebula. This will be their fourth studio release, fifth along with their live double album, HEADROOM. Sir Nebula is being released by STS9’s record label, 1320 Records and is available at taukband.com.

    TAUK "Sir Nebula"Captivating the knowable instrumental fusion that is TAUK, the four piece has again proven they have earned their right to be performing on a professional level with bands such as Umphrey’s McGee, Lettuce, Thievery Corporation, and more. Since their lineup completion in 2012 TAUK has been working harder than most to show music appreciators their brand. Constantly spreading the name TAUK with tours of 30 plus shows, always writing new material, and producing albums on their ‘time off.’ Bassist Charlie Dolan says when the band is in the studio it is “a time where we can really try to expand what we do, try new things and rediscover who we are.”

    Listening back to tracks such as “Side Project” from Pull Factors, you can really understand Dolan’s statement. TAUK’s use of melody and creating a singular sound with four people cohesively creating music is a consistency they will always have. As they have progressed and grown you will notice in this new album their use of effects and technology followed by true musicianship.

    The first single “Horizon”  follows the TAUK path but with a major punch. With a really interesting intro of each member coming in piece by piece into all four members melodically arpeggiating notes into a break. Following this path throughout the song with each member touching back at the their root tag but staying extremely progressive.  A fully captivating tune.  The track playing in the beginning of the video preview of the album (below), “Program Select,” will also give you further taste of what’s to come. At any giving moment this track can take you in a surprisingly new direction with trap into another explosive well section.  The entire album follows this theme and keeps you interested. Individually each track ‘TAUK’s’ for itself but I would suggest sitting back and listening to it as a whole, keeping you interested and on a path of excitement of what’s to come next.

    Watch TAUK talk about Sir Nebula:

    Whether you’re at a show or festival with the desire to get down, driving all 119 miles from Montauk to NYC, or just feel like listening to music Sir Nebula is a perfect choice.

    Key tracks: Horizon, Program Select, Time’s Up

  • Counting Crows interview on Recess with Spinelli

    Local radio show, Recess with Spinelli sat down for an interview with Adam Duritz of Counting Crows before their concert at SPAC in Saratoga Springs, NY with Rob Thomas and K Phillips.

    Listen to the abridged feature/interview

    You can listen to the Full Radio Broadcast

    Recess with Spinelli can be heard every Wednesday 8pm-10pm EDT on WSPN in Saratoga Springs, NY on 91.1FM and on Hoxton FM in London, England every Wednesday 11pm-1am GMT 6pm-8pm EDT

    Follow Recess with Spinelli on Instagram Twitter Facebook Youtube Soundcloud  Mixcloud Tumblr and online at longbowmedia.us