NYS Music 20​16

Category: March Madness

  • March Madness 2016: And the Winner is… Sprocket!

    At midnight on Sunday night, NYS Music closed the polls on another successful March Madness. With only a handful of votes separating Capital Region blues rockers Sly Fox and the Hustlers, and Brooklyn’s best kept secret, Sprocket. When the dust settled, Sprocket had 51% of the final vote in this year’s March Madness. It was truly a case of every vote counting and the NYC jam community stepped it up.

    The quartet got their name from the dog in Fraggle Rock, and includes members Thomas Tompkins, Nate Rosler, Dan Haller, and Angelo Miliano. They have been around since 2011 but it wasn’t until last year that they ventured out of the Big Apple.  Besides playing a few key shows in Upstate New York, Sprocket also played to a sold out Hard Rock in Chicago during Fare Thee Well last summer.

    sprocket march madnessAs far as March Madness was concerned, the band didn’t know they were even in the tournament at first. Tompkins said, “I saw the bracket come up on my (Facebook) newsfeed and thought, ‘It would be cool to be a part of that,’ automatically thinking we weren’t. Then saw we were. That was pretty awesome.” Haller added, “We were honored, frankly. We know, respect and have had the pleasure of playing with a bunch of the bands in our bracket, and were honored to be in such great company!”

    Fueled by social media votes started coming in, Sprocket had to face Tim Britt from the Utica area in the first round and Buffalo’s Second Trip in the second round to make it onto the Sweet Sixteen.

    Dan Haller commented on the support Sprocket got from it’s dedicated followers, “It was really fun to get our fanbase engaged in spreading the word about the contest. We were pulling for a bunch of bands in the tournament, including Sly Fox and The Hustlers, who we squared off against in the finals.”

    sprocketIn the Sweet Sixteen, Sprocket narrowly escaped the round with 53% of the vote over Saratoga’s Let’s Be Leonard. That win had them faced off against Northern Faces and a win carried them into the Final Four.

    Tompkins has spent the time to listen to every band in the tournament and there are already plans in the works to play with a few of them. “I really enjoyed the energy and vibe from Sly Fox, which was that you know you’re going to have a good time seeing them. After that I reached out to Gary.” Haller added, “Plans are even being made for us to share the stage in a few months.” Tompkins gave props to the tourney, “The contest has been helpful already in getting the name out there.”

    In the Final Four, Sprocket faced off against Big Mean Sound Machine from Ithaca, before going toe to toe with Sly Fox and the Hustlers in the Finals.

    What’s next for Sprocket? There are discussions of starting a Brooklyn-based festival for a contingent of bands from the city. And sometime in the future there are dreams of hopping on the “Sprocket Rocket” and playing a show on the moon.  There are also plans on a second record and hopes to see the band at a few festivals this summer.

    Upcoming Shows:
    4/13 at Goldsounds in Brooklyn with Eminence Ensemble
    6/6 at Brooklyn Bowl w/ The Jauntee and Tweed

  • NYS Music’s 2016 March Madness – The Finals

    And then there were two … We started NYS Music March Madness 2016 with 64 New York State bands who are all ready to make a name for themselves outside their local scenes. These fresh faces were spread over many genres and all over The Empire State. In fact, our Final Four represented four distinct regions around the state; Folkfaces in Buffalo, Big Mean Sound Machine from Ithaca, Sly Fox and the Hustlers representing the Capital Region and Sprocket from New York City.

    But only two bands could make it to the finals, so congratulations to the blues-rock stylings of Sly Fox and the Hustlers and Brooklyn’s newest jam sensation, Sprocket.

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers is a high-energy blues/funk band band out of the Capital Region. The band formed in 2010 and has shared the stage with many notable names within their genre, such as Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robin Trower, and Soulive’s Sam Kininger.  Their latest full-length LP American Gypsy was released earlier this year and is available on their website.

    Brooklyn’s jam quartet, Sprocket, was conceived in late 2011 and didn’t work their way out of the city scene until 2014. They released their debut album Tropical Bushwick last March and have headlined NYC’s The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall Studio and the Mercury Lounge.

    The Finals: Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) versus Sprocket (jam).

    Buffalo Iron Works, Funk ‘n Waffles, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year and we’d like to thank them and all the venues that support local, original music around the state.

    The Finals voting starts at noon EST on Friday, March 25 and ends at midnight on Sunday, March 27. Vote now for your favorites!

  • NYS Music’s March Madness 2016: The Final Four

    We started with 64 New York bands who have a strong presence and fan base, and are ready to make a name for themselves outside their respective music scenes. These fresh faces are spreading over many genres and all over The Empire State.  After 4 rounds of voting 64 has been whittled down to four. For the sake of 2016 March Madness jargon, “The Final Four.”

    Throughout this tournament the voting has been the closest that we’ve ever seen.  More than a few match-ups ended up at 51% to 49% splits. Many more ended with a margin of less than 10% of the vote.  It goes to prove our local music scenes are alive and well, regardless of the city or genre.

    Buffalo Iron Works, Funk ‘n Waffles, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year and a winner has been named in each of their brackets.

    Match-up 1 will be the Iron Works winner: Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) versus the
    Funk ‘n Waffles winner: Folkfaces (folk jazz).

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers is a high-energy blues/funk band band out of the Capital Region. The band formed in 2010 and has shared the stage with many notable names within their genre, such as Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robin Trower, and Soulive’s Sam Kininger.  Their latest full-length LP American Gypsy was released earlier this year and is available on their website.

    Folkfaces mixes of folk, jazz, and blues into an upbeat blend perfect for letting loose.  The band calls the Buffalo area home and have recently released their single “Institution Blues” off their album Freedom Fries. The band lists a wide variety of influences, from French guitarist Django Reinhardt to American folk legend Woody Guthrie, and the more contemporary Tedeschi Trucks Band.

    The second match-up is The Hollow Bar and Kitchen winner: Sprocket (jam) versus The Waterhole region finals give us: Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)

    Brooklyn’s jam quartet, Sprocket, was conceived in late 2011 and didn’t work their way out of the city scene until 2014. They released their debut album Tropical Bushwick last March and have headlined NYC’s The Knitting Factory, Webster Hall Studio, and the Mercury Lounge.

    Big Mean Sound Machine hails from Ithaca and tours with more members than the other three Final Four bands combined, a full stage of 13 touring members.  Their unique Afrobeat, dance, funk combination has been together since 2009, but has seemed to be catching fire as of late.  They are currently touring the East Coast.

    The Final Four voting begins at 12 noon EST on Tuesday, March 22 and closes at midnight on Thursday, March 24. The Final Round voting begins at 12 noon on Friday, March 25 and we close Sunday, March 27, at midnight. Vote now for your favorites!

    Check back for our final two Friday at noon!

  • 2016 March Madness – Elite Eight

    We are into the fourth round of NYS Music’s March Madness 2016 and our field has been whittled down to just 8 bands from across New York State! This friendly tournament style competition runs through the month of March.  Our goal is to bring new bands that you might not know about, but should, to your attention.

    The last round was the closest ever with the widest spread being only 43% to 56% and a few races were separated by only 1 or 2%.  Let’s hope this round proves to be equally as exciting.

    We hit every corner of New York State from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and also to show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a larger audience are not included in this year’s March Madness. Instead, the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s tournament. There was only room for 64 but we made the tough choices and put in a wide variety for fans to choose from, there truly is something for everyone.

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole each sponsored a regional bracket this year. And this round those brackets will each have their winner as we enter into the Final Four next week.  These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and they celebrate music by allowing local and touring bands to perform for growing scenes across the state.

    The Iron Works region finals are:

    Blind Owl Band (jamgrass) vs Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock)

    Funk n Waffles final matchups are:

    Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs Folk Faces (folk jazz)

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

    Sprocket (jam) vs Northern Faces (indie)

    The Waterhole region finals give us:

    Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat) vs Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)

    Round 4, or the Elite Eight, voting begins at 12 noon EST on Friday, March 18 and closes at midnight on Sunday, March 20. Final Four voting begins at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 18 for the regional champions. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!

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  • The Sweet Sixteen of NYS Music 2016 March Madness

    We are into Round 3 of NYS Music’s March Madness and our field is down to 16 bands from across New York State! This friendly tournament style competition runs throughout the month of March, bringing new bands you should know about to your attention.

    These are bands you might not know about, but should know about. Recommended for inclusion in our field of 64 by the NYS Music staff, we hit every corner of New York State from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and also to show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a massive audience are not included in this year’s March Madness. Instead, the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s tournament. There was only room for 64 but we made some great choices and picked a wide array of genres to offer you competition.

    We’d like to thank The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole for each sponsoring a regional bracket this year. These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and they all celebrate music by allowing local and touring bands to perform for growing scenes across the state.

    Third round matchups in the Iron Works region include:

    Stellar Young (Indie) vs Blind Owl Band (jamgrass)
    Sophistafunk (funk hip/hop) vs Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock)

    Funk n Waffles third round matchups are:

    Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs Subsoil (psychedelic hip hop)
    Folk Faces (folk jazz) vs Annie In the Water (acoustic rock)

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

    Sprocket (jam) vs Let’s Be Leonard (jam)
    Mister F (prog jam rock) vs Northern Faces (indie)

    The Waterhole region brings together these matchups:

    Super Killer Robots (rock) vs Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat)
    Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance) vs Formula 5 (funk jam)

    Round 3 voting begins at 12 noon EST on Tuesday, March 15 and closes at midnight on Thursday, March 17. Round 4 voting begins at 12 noon on Friday, March 18 for the remaining 8 teams. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!

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  • NYS Music 2016 March Madness, Round 2

    We are into Round 2 of NYS Music March Madness and our field is down to 32 bands from across New York State! This friendly tournament style competition throughout the month of March, bringing new bands you should know about to your attention.

    These are bands you might not know about, but should know about. Recommended for inclusion in our field of 64 by the NYS Music staff, we hit every corner of New York State, from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between, NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a massive audience are not included in this year’s competition, instead the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s March Madness. There was only room for 64 but we made some great choices and picked a wide array of genres to bring to you this year.

    We’d like to thank The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole for sponsoring a regional bracket this year. These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and celebrate music while inviting local and touring bands to perform for growing local scenes across the state.

    Second round matchups in the Iron Works region include:

    Stellar Young (Indie) vs Funktional Flow (funk n jam)
    Blind Owl Band (jamgrass) vs King Buffalo (stoner/psych rock)
    Sophistafunk (funk hip/hop) vs Lucky Jukebox Brigade (Indie pop punk)
    Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock) vs North and South Dakotas (bluegrass/folk/y’allternative)

    Funk n Waffles second round matchups are:

    Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs Last Daze (alt)
    Castle Creek (blues rock) vs Subsoil (psychedelic hip hop)
    Folk Faces (folk jazz) vs Dirty Smile (rock)
    Bump (rock) vs Annie In the Water (acoustic rock)

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

    Sprocket (jam) vs Second Trip (rock)
    After Earth (metal) vs Let’s Be Leonard (jam)
    Mister F (prog jam rock) vs Funknut (funk/soul)
    Northern Faces (indie) vs Linear North (garage rock)

    The Waterhole region brings together these matchups:

    Root Shock (roots reggae) vs Super Killer Robots (rock)
    Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat) vs Unknown Woodsman (funklove)
    Space Carnival (slippery disco) vs Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)
    The Lawn Sausages (garagepunkschlockglam) vs Formula 5 (funk jam)

    Second Round voting begins at 12 noon EST on Friday, March 11, and closes at midnight on Sunday, March 13. The Third Round begins at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 15 with the remaining 16 teams. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!

  • NYS Music March Madness 2016, Round 1

    It’s March and that means March Madness at NYS Music! We bring together 64 bands from across New York State for a friendly tournament style competition throughout the month of March, bringing new bands to our audience’s attention.

    These are bands you might not know about, but should know about. Recommended for inclusion in our field of 64 by the NYS Music staff, we hit every corner of New York State, from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between, NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band and show your support and love for bands you see often. Established bands who have gained a massive audience are not included in this year’s competition, instead the bands who are on the cusp of greatness are the stars of this year’s March Madness. There was only room for 64 but we made some great choices and picked a wide array of genres to bring to you this year.

    We’d like to thank The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Buffalo Iron Works, Funk n Waffles and The Waterhole for sponsoring a regional bracket this year. These venues represent the best of what New York State has to offer and celebrate music while inviting local and touring bands to perform for growing local scenes across the state.

    First round matchups in the Iron Works region include:

    Stellar Young (Indie) vs Melia (alt rock)
    Funktional Flow (funk n jam) vs Candy Ambulance (alt grunge rock)
    Pizza Party (‘Cuse rock) vs Blind Owl Band (jamgrass)
    King Buffalo (stoner/psych rock) vs Dragnfly (rock)
    Sophistafunk (funk hip/hop) vs Honey Smugglers (bluegrass/folk)
    Lucky Jukebox Brigade (Indie pop punk) vs Los Blancos (American roots)
    Teddy Midnight (electro dance funk) vs Sly Fox and the Hustlers (blues funk rock)
    Glen Street (alt hard rock) vs North and South Dakotas (bluegrass/folk/y’allternative)

    Funk n Waffles first round matchups are:

    Waydown Wailers (roots rock) vs I’m From the Gov’t and I’m Here to Help (metal)
    Last Daze (alt) vs Twin Lions (modern rock)
    Castle Creek (blues rock) vs Let Go Daylight stoner rock)
    The Other Brothers (soul funk) vs Subsoil (psychedelic hip hop)
    Pale Green Stars (rock/blues/alt-country) vs Folk Faces (folk jazz)
    Phineas and the Lonely Leaves (indie) vs Dirty Smile (rock)
    Bump (rock) vs Ire Clad (heavy metal)
    Annie In the Water (acoustic rock) vs Oogee Wawa (alt/reggae)

    The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region has:

    Sprocket (jam) vs Tim Britt (acoustic blues/disco)
    The Sea The Sea (indie folk pop) vs Second Trip (rock)
    After Earth (metal) vs Ampevene (prog rock)
    Let’s Be Leonard (jam) vs The Alaskan (heavy)
    Breaking Solace (hard rock) vs Mister F (prog jam rock)
    Spectacular Average Boys (folk) vs Funknut (funk/soul)
    AjamajA (prog jam) vs Northern Faces (indie)
    Linear North (garage rock) vs Murder In Rue Morgue (indie metal)

    And The Waterhole region brings together these matchups:

    Root Shock (roots reggae) vs Lord Electro (electro/house)
    Jeremiah’s Razor (metal) vs Super Killer Robots (rock)
    Chris James & Mama G (Ameribeat) vs Gowanus (experiemental rock)
    Unknown Woodsman (funklove) vs Animal (metalcore)
    Imperial Brown (jam rock) vs Space Carnival (slippery disco)
    Danielle Ronder & Tomorrow People (soul) vs Big Mean Sound Machine (Afrobeat/dance)
    The Lawn Sausages (garagepunkschlockglam) vs Crows Cage (hard rock)
    Formula 5 (funk jam) vs Crackin’ Foxy (swing)

    First Round voting begins at 12 noon EST on Tuesday, March 8, and closes at midnight on Thursday, March 10. Second Round begins at 12 noon on Friday, March 11 with the remaining 32 teams. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!