Category: Reviews

Photo Gallery: The Machine at Paramount Hudson Valley

No one can replace the likes of Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, or Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, but in The Machine’s recent stop in Peekskill the band showed that it’s possible to get fairly close to doing so.

The Machine lived up to their 26-year reputation for accurately recreating the Pink Floyd catalog in their first ever appearance at Paramount Hudson Valley, a sort of hometown show as they are from across the river to the south in Nyack, NY.

The set list pulled from each of Pink Floyd’s distinct sounding eras including the songwriting of Syd Barrett, the Roger Waters-driven songwriting, and the post-Waters take-off under the wing of David Gilmour’s guitar. The Machine wasn’t shy in reaching deep, either. “Wut’s…Uh the Deal” and “Burning Bridges” were in the mix as treats to the true Pink Floyd fans in the crowd.

Each of the key elements that identify Pink Floyd’s style were obvious during The Machine’s set. Joe Pascarell’s guitar intonation mimicked that of Gilmour’s Black Strat and was almost note-for-note on solos, particularly the show-closing “Comfortably Numb.” The distinct vocal leads of both Waters and Gilmour were well represented in similar tones particularly when the two roles play off each other in “Run Like Hell.”

The Machine returns to New York for two shows in November in Ithaca and Tarrytown.

Setlist

Set 1: Welcome to the Machine, Another Brick in the Wall, Wot’s…Uh the Deal, Hey You, Astronomy Domine, Sheep, On the Turning Away

Set 2: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5), What Do You Want From Me, Echoes, Money, Arnold Layne, Wish You Were Here, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6-9)

Encore: Burning Bridges, Comfortably Numb

August 13, 2016
The Evolving Evolfo at Shea Stadium Brooklyn

The night was dirty, loud, revolutionary, beer-soaked and pleasantly dark. I’m not only describing the inside of indie Brooklyn’s sacred sanctuary, Shea Stadium, but also the band behind the interior madness, Evolfo. As the band entered the stage, their UFO style of music was introduced to the crowd with a thunderous instrumental intro highlighting everything from the keyboard and bass to the drums and horn section.

One of their newer installments, “Bloody, Bloody Knife,” had a familiar, almost White Stripes meets 60’s punk sound and included a guitar solo by Matt Gibbs. During the solo, his hair completely covered his face while he melted our faces. The crowd favorite, “Mechanicals,” created an infectious dance party with a late night lounge feel. The whirling keyboard effect used by Rafferty Swink sounded like something Dr. Dre may steal for his next album while Matt Gibbs’ creative lyrics were politely screamed in a Shakespearean manner. As soon as it feels like the song couldn’t get anymore genre blending, the bursting horns march their way into the room like an impromptu parade down Bourbon Street. Gibbs gave the crowd a minute to catch our breath as he highlighted how ecstatic the group was to play in such an iconic, underground sonic space.

After boogieing through “Love Like a Freak,” Evolfo kept the most recent songs coming with “Rat City.” Imagine David Bowie’s “Suffragette City” played with a faster tempo by a psychedelic garage band like The 13^th Floor Elevators, but with just the perfect amount of brass to shackle it to the ground. Next up was “Let’s Carry On” which saw bass player Ronnie Lanzilotta stomping back and forth like an air guitarist on Red Bull. His energy was so intense he cosmically summoned one of the members from the opening act, Mobile Steam Unit, to jump on stage and rage with him equally as hard. The momentum spread like the Zika virus and before you knew the entire crowd was infected; one of the highlights of the hour long set.

Judging by the “Herbie and the Headhunters” t-shirt worn by their bearded saxophonist, Jared Yee, this gnarly crew were no strangers to the realm of funk. They have no shame in fronting as a “funk band” even though they consider themselves “garage-soul.” One of the best tunes that display their thrilling, chilling funk talent is “Wild Man” which Evolfo played with delightfully terrifying precision. I had a moment to speak about the visually freaky yet addicting music video for “Wild Man” with Gibbs before the set, inquiring about the first music video regarding any correlation to the imagery in the video compared to what he thinks about while on stage. He replied:

“Well some things in the video do quite literally have a place in our show. Some of the outfits and the demon mask and other small things have made their way onto the stage over the years. And then, of course, I hope that we portray some of that raw animal magnetism. I would love for real life to be as crazy as “Wild Man.” If we’re in the zone and we’re getting the energy from the audience I believe we can really live up to that fun with reckless abandon. As far as what’s on my mind while I play, I pretty much always wish I could pour some ambrosia on the audience and make them turn into animals. That would be ideal.”

After the “Wild Man” lit up the room with aerobic weirdness, they were ready to give us what we wanted, the title track to the newly announced EP, Last of the Acid Cowboys. The lyrics are coming from a place of pure spacey madness. Swink’s keyboard is projecting a surfin’ synthesizer sound while he sings in an eerily familiar Jim Morrison tone. If this song doesn’t wind up on the next Quentin Tarantino soundtrack, someone isn’t doing enough research.

Gibbs shed some details about the new EP and it was time for one more classic Evolfo tune for the brass-aholics in the crowd. Loaded with sexual innuendos, tantalizing bass lines and mod soul-funk, the climax during “You Light Me Up” is definitely the horn (or horny, sorry, I had to) section. Their time on stage was short and sweet, but the memory of that performance will last a long time, even for the fans in the booziest of states.

Musical evolution has been as much a staple of New York City as pizza, or more recently, Pokemon Go. Much like the global sensation of walking around with a smart phone and searching for rare creatures from a different dimension, a new species of music is evolving right before us. Label it whatever you want, but for those of us lucky enough to discover the rare Evolfo at Shea Stadium on a Wednesday night, we have a new band that is about to morph. After the release of their new EP, a tour is sure to follow and if they continue to put on shows with that sort of allure and creativity, I gotta catch em’ all.

August 12, 2016
Taste of Country 2016 Music Festival: Kid Rock Sets The Mountain On Fire

I had never been to a country music festival until I attended the 2016 Taste Of Country Music Festival, and I honestly did not know what to expect. The yearly festival was held June 10, 11 and 12 on Hunter Mountain in Hunter, NY. Driving into Hunter, NY, I had to double check my GPS to make sure that I was in the right place. I was fairly surprised that mega country stars like Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen and rock star Kid Rock, artists who usually sold out stadiums such as Ford Field and Gillette stadium with capacities of over 60,000 people would play a small mountain town with a population of just over 2700 people. But the small town, usually known for it’s superb winter skiing, with its amazing mountain views, ended up being a great choice for the fourth annual Taste of Country Festival, which set a new attendance record with over 53,000 fans over the weekend.

The festival split it’s acts between two stages, the main stage, named The Dodge Ram Guts and Glory Stage which featured the festival’s bigger acts, including the headliners, and the Bud Light Stage, which featured up and coming country artists. This provided three days of back to back country music, with a touch of rock to keep things interesting, and kept this reporter running back and forth between the stages to try to catch most of the action. The first day of the festival was headlined by Kid Rock, and featured Big & Rich, The Cadillac Three, Logan Brill, Annie Bosko, Jana Kramer as well as Dylan Jakobsen.

Annie Bosko, was the only artist to be featured on both the main Ram Stage and later in the day, the Bud Light Stage. Bosko is an American Idol alumni, and has paid her dues singing backup vocals for the likes of Adele and Darius Rucker. She was named by Rolling Stone Magazine as “One Of 10 New Country Artists You Need To Know: Summer 2015.” She has powerful voice and backs it up with a bold on stage attitude. I was especially impressed by her single “Crooked Halo.”

The Cadillac Three took the Ram Stage at 6pm. The Cadillac Three or TC3 as they are also known, launched their first album in 2012, and are currently on tour with Florida Georgia Line. Each member had long hair and wore a baseball cap over it. Their look, sound and love for the South, reminded me of a modern Lynyrd Skynyrd. The group told the crowd about the first time they played a show in New York, a few years ago and were worried about how their brand of country would be accepted this far north, but then realized that there were more rednecks up here than in the South.

Up next was Logan Brill on the Bud Light Stage. Logan released her first album in 2013, but has been preforming in front of crowds in Tennessee since she was 11. I was impressed with the diversity of her music, she was able to transition from the blues, to country and pop without missing a beat. Her experience showed in the emotion and soul that she brought to her performances. I especially loved her heartfelt single, “World Still Round”.

Once Logan finished her show, I rushed back to the Ram Guts and Glory Stage for Big and Rich, who broke out to the country music scene in 2004 with their mega hit “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)”, and have been making country music history since. Including a CMA, ACM and CMT nomination and two platinum albums. The crowd definitely responded to them and seemed to sing along to most of their songs. Their on stage, fun loving energy animated the crowd who seemed to enjoy every minute of it.

Last but definitely not least, Kid Rock took the stage around 10 o’ clock to end the night with a bang, both literally and figuratively. Kid Rock is one of the few artists to successfully be able to mix rock, rap, and a touch of country. He released his first album in 1990, a second in 1993 and his third album in 1996, but it wasn’t until 1998 when he released his fourth album, Devil Without A Cause that he found success. His 1998 album sold over 10,000,000 copies and ensured that he would become a household name. His appearance was met with screams and cheers. At one point during his performance, with a grin, Rock lamented to the crowd that he had no idea why he kept “getting booked at all of these country festivals.”

Perhaps it was because, although he did not technically sing country music, he definitely embodied what southern rock was all about, and that his modern cowboy persona fit perfectly in a country festival. Rock showcased his musical talent during his show by jumping between being the lead singer, to the drummer, to playing the piano, to playing the guitar, to playing DJ by scratching on the turn tables, while at the same time pouring himself a glass of Jim Beam. The show even included a row of moving, mechanical flame throwers behind Rock and a few loud bangs at the perfect moments in various songs. This put an amazingly explosive end to had already been an amazing first day at the TOC festival.

August 11, 2016
AWOLNATION ‘Sails’ Through Upstate Concert Hall

AWOLNATION ‘sailed’ into Upstate Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 13, energizing the audience despite the imposing heat.

Kicking off the evening were L.A. natives Irontom. With flamboyant gestures and high energy, the band quickly engaged the audience and became the highlight of the three sets of the evening. Irontom consists of guitarist Zach Irons, singer Harry Hayes, bassist Dane Sandborg, drummer Dylan Williams, and Daniel Saslow on keys. Lead singer Hayes was fascinating to watch as he gestured and mimed his way through the band’s set, almost reminiscent of Cage the Elephant’s Matt Shultz.

Unfortunately for the audience, Irontom’s set was over too soon, as time constraints forced them to end before their last song. Irontom has released a compilation album of their 2012-2014 recordings. Check out their upcoming tour dates.

Following Irontom was San Francisco’s Finish Ticket, who just recently opened for Fitz and The Tantrums at UCH on June 23. While less energetic than Irontom (lead singer Brendan Hoye frequently cited the heat), Finish Ticket is reminiscent of Walk the Moon. The highlight of their set was a cover of the Killer’s “When You Were Young,” sounding perhaps better than the original.

Finally, AWOLNATION took the stage around 10pm. Consisting of front man Aaron Bruno, Kenny Carkeet on keyboards and guitar, Isaac Carpenter on drums, and bassist Marc Walloch, AWOLNATION combines electronica and rock to create a unique sound. Their second album, Run, was released in March 2015.

Opening with “Run,” the band covered the majority of the tracks from their sophomore album, while also throwing in highlights from their debut. The crowd covered all of the floor at UCH, with little room left to spare. As the night went on, the temperature rose as condensation dripped from the ceiling.

AWOLNATION didn’t let the heat slow them down, powering through “Hollow Moon,” “Not Your Fault” and “Jail Break,” joined by Irontom’s guitarist Zach Irons (replacing AWOLNATION’s Drew Stewart who left the band in September 2015), and with Irontom’s drummer Dylan Williams on one song.

The band was thankful to be there and appreciative of their audience, frequently checking in with the crowd, telling people to look out for each other, and often remarking that their music “is for everyone.”

Highlights of their set include a drum solo, the appearance of inflatable shark pool toys in the audience (which one crowd surfer climbed atop), and “Dreamers” during the encore.

The band closed the evening with a medley of “Now I Can See You” and crowd favorite “Sail.”

Setlist: Run, Hollow Moon, People, Not Your Fault, Jailbreak, Soul Wars, Windows, Kill Your Heroes, Woman Woman, All I Need, Like People, Like Plastic, Drum Solo / Burn It Down, I’m on Fire, I Am, Dreamers, Sail

Tune in below for an interview with AWOLNATION’s Aaron Bruno and Keller of WEQX, prior to their UCH appearance

August 11, 2016
A Milestone at 10: Pondfest Continues to Innovate

For any festival to survive – let alone thrive – for 10 years is an impressive feat. Bonnaroo and Coachella are two names that immediately pop into mind, but now it’s time to add Backwoods Pondfest to that list.

This past weekend at Twin Ponds Campsite in Peru, N.Y., Pondfest, which is put on by northern New York band Lucid, celebrated its 10^th birthday by throwing a truly cohesive party melding the fun of camping in the middle of the forest with live music.

The lineup mixed the best that the Adirondacks has to offer, with some of the bigger acts of the festival circuit. Lucid, a band straight from the heart of the Adirondacks, has been a staple of the weekend since inception, and while this year was the same, it was also very different. Last year, the band announced it was taking a long break, but not officially breaking up and would continue to play events like Pondfest.

And just to put any rumors to bed, bassist Chris Shacklett gave me a brief interview on Saturday afternoon to discuss the state of the band. First off, Lucid is not breaking up.

“We are totally shifting our focus,” Shacklett said. “Instead of continuing to hemorrhage money, we are being smarter about what we do. There’s not going to be much in the way of touring anymore, but we’re going to do more things like this (Pondfest).”

Along with Lucid, the other headliners were Melvin Seals and JGB, Pink Talking Fish (is Bowie), the Blind Owl Band and Twiddle’s guitarist Mihali Savoulidis and his ‘Frends’, who brought the surprise of a Twiddle set. NYS Music contributor Chelsea Wright was in attendance and gives us a first hand account of how it went down:

“I received a message from Lowell, letting me know that there would be a special surprise Thursday night. I made the last minute decision to travel the two hours from Vermont for the ‘Mihali & Frends’ show, knowing that if Lowell promised a surprise, it was bound to be extra special. Having seen Mihali & Frends the weekend prior as a part of Twiddle’s first major event, Tumble Down, I knew that some amazing collaborations were going to happen – at his sold out Higher Ground show, he brought together musicians from Nahko & Medicine For The People, Twiddle, and the Kitchen Dwellers for two full hours of incredible jams.

Arriving just on time, I approached the stage and Mihali was just getting it started by inviting a few good Frends up to join him. It was like revolving doors, including some of my favorite musicians; Ryan Dempsey on keys, Jamie Armstrong on Sax, Joshua West on drums, to Kevin Sabourin on guitar and vocals. At one point Brad Hester from Annie in The Water came up and had a back and forth match on a kazoo, with Jamie’s sax. Then they switched it up to Chris Shacklett on bass, Lowell Wurster on percussion and vocals, the beautiful Meadow on vocals, and then the big surprise of a total shift into a set by Twiddle. After Twiddle finished, Mihali remained, and invited members of Capital Zen up to join him. It was an all-around party, with special moments that no one could have anticipated.”

Arriving on Friday, I was greeted by multiple ambulances and state police cars with lights flashing all over. I was not allowed to enter for nearly two hours as the entrance was blocked for any cars getting in or out.

When pressed for a reason, a State Police officer said, “We’re here because of some overdoses. Make sure you’re safe when you go in.”

Derek Haviland, the press and marketing man for the festival, said there weren’t any overdoses in the sense that you’d think of, but rather that someone had simply imbibed a bit too much and just needed a little help. He hinted at a bit of an overreaction by local first responders.

“Little towns like this aren’t really used to stuff like this, so I think they just took any and every precaution while they were here,” Haviland said, adding that the individual was fine by the following morning. “We are safety first; we took all the right precautions.”

With my delayed arrival killing any chance at seeing Hayley Jane and the Primates, Bella’s Bartok, Thunder Body and Lucid, I arrived just as Melvin Seals was taking the stage. The longtime keyboardist for Jerry Garcia had a nice groove going for “Cats Under the Stars,” before starting right up into a Grateful Dead regular, “Sugaree.” “Strugglin’ Man,” “Rhapsody in Red” and “Money Honey” perfectly captured the essence of a JGB show, with swirling, noodly guitar and the big church organ sound. “Sisters and Brothers” and “Deal” were my personal favorites, with the latter coaxing an uproarious applause from the crowd of beards, sun dresses and dreadlocks.

Right after, on the Woods Stage, Syracuse hip-hop trio Sophistafunk took the audience on a positive mental trip with lyrics of encouragement, happiness and elation.

Spiritual Rez then started the late night sets and there seemed to be a large congregation of fans in attendance mainly to see this band. After a set with some sit-ins, Rez gave way to Tweed on the Woods Stage at around 2:25 a.m.

Tweed could be categorized as a jamtronic act, but I thought the set was more dreamy than anything else. Because of the downpour, I made the decision to hear the set from my tent which was about 300 feet from the stage. I drifted right off into blissful slumber.

Waking up in the woods when the weather is hot but still pleasant, is everything I want in a festival morning. This morning was special as some of my favorite live acts were slated to perform. Making my way backstage to interview some folks, I bumped into Formula 5’s bassist and the young Gregg Allman-lookalike James Woods, who was energized and pumped for the band’s set later that afternoon.

After grabbing a sausage, egg and cheese, two coffees and water (thanks to my editor), I made my way to catch some of Doomf#@k, a band with some of the Lucid guys. I can only describe this act as a talented, humorous joke band.

The Honey Smugglers were slated to perform on the smaller stage, but because the members of The Brummy Brothers, scheduled to perform on the main stage later, got into a car accident and were unable to make the trek, the Smugglers were asked to move from their slot and play on the main stage later.

Formula 5 comprises young men from the Adirondacks, led by guitarist Joe Davis who totes a red Gibson SG, a guitar he loves with all his heart.

“This thing is a beauty,” he said before loading in his gear.

F5’s set consisted of some of the tightest jamming I have ever heard from the group. Matt Richards, who recently took over keyboard duties, displayed the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the band. Woods and Davis are a natural team, with Davis typically weaving his speedy licks around Woods’ boisterous bass lines.

Mister F’s insane pace and tempo made them perfect for the late afternoon slot before Lucid and The Blind Owl Band satiated the crowd’s thirst for jams, before leading into Pink Talking Fish’s set in honor of David Bowie. The band weaved in songs from Bowie, Phish, Talking Heads and Pink Floyd seamlessly while guitarist Dave Brunyak shredded uncontrollably.

Gang of Thieves, The Nth Power and Subsoil finished off the music with abandon and there wasn’t an unhappy soul in attendance.

With 10 years under the belt, Pondfest shows no signs of slowing down, even a bit. Attendees often speak of the weekend as “going home” to see their friends and make new ones. With a great philosophy and positive outlook, Pondfest stands to be around and rocking the Adirondacks for years to come.

August 11, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Felice Brothers- Life in the Dark

The Felice Brothers album, Life in the Dark, to be released on June 24, is a great example of how to be a relevant folk band. Many bands feel they need to discuss the good ole days or life out on the farm, but the Felice Brothers largely steer clear of this theme, and are able to get their message across just fine. They define as indie-Folk, if that’s even a thing.

Songs like the opener, “Aerosol Ball”, “Plunder” and “Sally” are rocking tunes reminiscent of shows like Happy Days. Not many bands would try and pull this sound off – mixing the rock n’ roll of the 1950s under lyrics about issues of today is just, well, nifty.

“Jack at the Asylum” and Life in the Dark” are two examples of a slower side of the Brothers. In “Asylum”, Ian Felice howls “America” with what would seems like his last breath while “Life in the Park” preaches a different, very morbid message. At the end of the song chanting that “we live and we die and we don’t know why”, there seems no place for such a line, but maybe, since the album was named after this song, there is a reason its on here.

“Diamond Bell” is the only song that has a new age folk vibe. It is the story of a girl who seemingly goes on a murder spree across the country and he loves her anyway: more of the same story that’s been told a million time. My deepest apologies if this “Diamond Bell” did enter your life and cause such a ruckus, but it seems far fetched and when all is said and done it didn’t add very much value as the album is strong enough on its own. The style that fans have grown to love shines through this album. People who think folk is a dead art need to listen to “Life in the Dark”, by The Felice Brothers.

Key Tracks: Jack at the Asylum, Life in the Park, Plunder

August 10, 2016
Hearing Aide: Suit of Lights ‘Break Open the Head”

Earlier this month, Suit of Lights released their album Break Open the Head. Suit of Lights is a musical project that was started by Joe Darone who’s played in a number of bands prior to this including The Fiendz and The Rosenbergs. You can hear Darone singing the vocals and playing keys, Chris Connors on guitar, bass and keys, Billy Carrion also on bass, and Corey Colmey on drums. Suit of Lights is based in New York City and though the band self-identifies as a rock group, this album is far from a standard rock album. Most rock albums contain songs that remain in one key and in one time signature. Break Open the Head pushes the limits of genre categorization and explores the capabilities of musical structure in just ten tracks.

The title track and first track on the album has a cool groove with offbeat accents on the hi-hat during the verse and then morphs into a half-time feel during the chorus. In accordance with the groove shifts, the mode of the music changes from minor verses to a more major sound in the chorus and instrumental break. The song “Break Open the Head” seems to be first so that the songs that follow illustrate what happens once the head (presumably figuratively) is broken or thoughts span outside of the box.

“New Frontier” begins with a spooky introduction on piano that’s passed off to the guitar. The chord progression throughout is a little unsettling as there is a harsh balance between tension and release. Featured on the track is an organ sounding instrument, or better yet, a calliope- type instrument that creates carousel or carnival music. The instrument comes in when the singer sings about a continuous carousel of time. That’s clever introduction to the timbre but the tones get a little distracting. The song is slightly unresolved at the end with the guitar feedback, perhaps indicating that the future is uncertain.

“Monsters” has a neat little 7/8 introduction that features a repetitive guitar melody. It’s all about getting rid of your monsters; it’s quite empowering. “Zero Camera,” along with others, frequently changes harmonically with the chord progressions. Though artistic, someone who doesn’t appreciate the theory may find it unsettling or too dramatic “Circle the Drain of History” features the lyrical line “monkey with brains all full of mush, about to get the royal flush, circle in the drain…” over and over again, perhaps to reinforce the concept that history repeats itself.

The instrumental prowess of the musicians is quite strong as, technically and harmonically, the backing works. But the vocals don’t match. The tenor tones are a little whiny sounding, almost in the vein of an acoustic pop punk vocalist. Some upper range notes sound like a push or slightly unrehearsed. The vocals are on key, but they’re not as strong as the instrumentals. The purpose of the album may simply be to stand as a work of art. It may be an album to spark change and stand for something more than notes and rhythms. In that case, it definitely succeeds in sounding unique and has some catchy lines that may stick in your brain. They’re not the easiest songs to sing along to as they’re very unpredictable in nature but, over time, they could become participatory.

Overall, it’s a quick album to listen through and interesting if you’re looking for a change from more mainstream artists.

Key Tracks: Monsters, The Beginning Is Near, Break Open the Head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cslOSbzyss

August 9, 2016
Hearing Aide: The New Daze ‘Give Them Laughter’

Summer is a time for embarking on adventure and expanding horizons. Syracuse psycho-funk group The New Daze have been increasing their ear drum influence by regularly touring throughout New York, wrapping up a July residency at Funk ‘N Waffles downtown, and just releasing their third studio album, Give Them Laughter. Recorded in Ontario, NY at The Green Room, this is the first studio project for Steve Graf (drums) and Erik Hoffman (keyboard), with senior members Max Flansburg (guitar/vocals) and Jamie Knittel (bass) rounding out the quartet.

The New Daze are known for their articulate, psychedelic, disco-driven jams featuring consistently solid instrumentation and wacky effects interspersed with metaphoric yet relatable lyrics. The musicians aren’t afraid to get silly, sometimes crafting elaborate back stories to provide a whimsically rich context for their music. Take, for instance, Uncle Stremnf, the zebra mascot who often appears on stage in stuffed animal form and serves as a central part of their new album artwork.

Give Them Laughter embodies the highly danceable and imaginative foundation of The New Daze but also traverses all corners of the musical map, exploring the realm of reggae while retaining a trademark funkiness with the first track, “Pumpkins.” Flansburg’s warm vocals add richness to the tune before it breaks away with a zippy instrumental jam. The first half of “Disasterpiece” bears striking familiarity to a peppy Disney number featuring Knittel on vocals before it too picks up speed, expanding into a noble duet of guitar and keys before Knittel repeatedly decrees, “Life is meant to celebrate, even when it’s a disaster.” It’s almost impossible to not crack a smile as the song concludes with this devil-may-care notion. Flansburg resumes command on vocals for “Send It,” eliciting a more sophisticated, scratchy soulfulness which conveys a youthful crossbreed of Randy Newman and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

“Face Paint” inhabits the album as a one-and-a-half minute tornado of circus-like effects swirling with spurts of heavy drumming, guitar and organ. It serves as an enticing interlude before “Mr. Bonzai,” the longest track on the album at almost fourteen minutes long. This extended track offers a sonic patchwork stitching together techno, jazz and rock elements, at times evoking the muted melancholy of Pink Floyd. The album concludes with “Sunroof Cop,” culminating in the most intense jam on the album, giving listeners one final chance to freak out before the last thirty seconds of book end to the album with a slew of cartoon-like voices reinforcing the nonsensical nature of The New Daze.

Key Tracks: Send It, Mr. Bonzai, Sunroof Cop

August 8, 2016
LoCash and Skeeter Creek at Alive at 5

With only a five percent chance of rain forecast before the Thursday, July 28 Alive At Five event, who knew that there would be a cloudburst when Skeeter Creek took the stage at the City of Albany’s “Country Night’ featuring LoCash as the headliner. Fans of Skeeter Creek and those who arrived early for the headliner were soaked within minutes, but most didn’t care. The show was for free and seeing two great bands, getting something to eat and drink to unwind before the weekend is what Alive at Five is all about.

Songwriters and vocalists Chris Lucas and Preston Brust of the LoCash band have charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts so the fans were out in force by the start of their fine set at Broadway & Columbia Street in Downtown Albany at Tricentennial Park after the rain stopped.

LoCash’s country music style is a mixed bag of styles with a spattering of rock and rap mixed in flawlessly. It’s all good and so singable with audience friendly hooks galore as the many thousands of fans proved time and again with a sing-a-long throughout the show.

The City of Albany Events Department has a nose for selecting their ‘Country Night’ acts. They’re always on the brink of moving up to bigger venues in the very near future. Several years ago they brought in an ass-kicking concert by Lee Brice, and later Dustin Lynch, and look at them both now! Lee and Dustin have both opened up for major country acts at SPAC, with Dustin having just opened up for Luke Bryan at SPAC.

August 7, 2016
Hearing Aide: Lotus “Eat the Light”

Bringing back that same lovable soul of Nomad, Lotus recently released their thirteenth studio album, Eat the Light. Since their start in 1999, Lotus has been wowing listeners with ways of creating new sounds, while remaining distinctively Lotus, and continuing their legacy with a new 10-track record where every song features vocals.

It is a pop record in the sense that the arrangements are purposely simplified and the melodies are catchy,” bassist Jesse Miller said. “We want people to be humming these songs days after hearing them. The album doesn’t need an accompanying catalytic life story to be explained, just put it on the stereo and enjoy.”

This album includes guests such as, Oriel Poole, Steve Yutzy-Burkey and more. Each track having vocals will certainly open many doors for Lotus, especially in the jam scene with tracks such as “Move too Fast,” which is an evocative and playful track with a skittering drum beat and insistent, syncopated bass line. It evokes the feeling of weightlessness, while having a head-nodding beat and vocals by Johnny Fissinger (Philadelphia’s Damn Right!).

Not that Lotus needs any help gaining likes, but taking this new approach with Eat the Light will certainly entertain a whole new audience while keeping their diehard fans excited, especially since they plan on releasing a 2016/2017 tour.

Key Tracks: Fearless, Sleep When we are Dead, Eat the Light

August 7, 2016