NYS Music 20​16

Category: Genres

  • ROCK. IS. DEAD. The Halloween Show at Unit J in Bushwick October 29

    On October 29 in Bushwick, Unit J is throwing a raging ROCK. IS. DEAD. Halloween show featuring some of your favorite revived rock acts! Costume contest, cricket brownies, blood punch and a rad dance floor will be featured at Unit J, a multi-use art space in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

    The music kicks off at 11PM with The Ghost of Patsy Cline (Megg Farrell). Unit J has revived the “crazy” legend to bring you some dance-worthy honky tonk. Bring the moonshine. At 12AM The Talking Deads, (Dru Cutler and The Heart and Hand Band) a killer, 8-piece Talking Heads cover band performs tracks from Remain In the Light.” Prepare to dance your ass off. At 1AM, The Zombie Beatles (Mama Juke) rock every upbeat Beatles track you can imagine.

    Tickets are available in advance for $25, at the door for $29, with VIP balcony seating costing $39. All tickets include 1 free drink. Get a free download from The Zombie Beatles “Key of B.”

    Unit J is located at 338 Moffat St, Unit J, Brooklyn, NY, and regularly features live concerts, video and photo shoots, film screenings, art shows, and live theater. Take the L train to Wilson Ave or J train to Chauncey St.

  • James Brown Band Lives Again!

    Sunday night at The Warehouse at FTC was filled with nothing but surprises. Everything was so pleasantly unexpected and it made seeing the band James Brown Dance Party a true spectacle to behold. The supergroup absolutely rocked the Fairfield, Connecticut venue and the few people there were all equally blown away by the talent of everyone on stage. It’s hard to understand why more people didn’t show. Perhaps it was a Sunday night party, or high ticket prices, but hopefully this review will convince James Brown fans to make time to see these guys where ever and whenever they go.

    Matthew Chase- Guitar, Elise Testone- Vocals and Morgan Price- Saxophone

    Supergroups have the potential to yield some impressive pieces of music with names like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Cream, Bad Company and others making a pretty big name for themselves. The James Brown Dance Party has that same potential, if they were to ever go on and create some original tracks. There was such a strong sense of camaraderie between the musicians mainly among the horn line, which is the exact recipe needed to create some true works of art.

    The classic King of Soul covers they played were executed perfectly. They pretty much played each cover verbatim but they really began to shine when they broke off to solos and started to have some fun. Again, the energy of the group was radiating from the horn line with guitarist Matthew Chase (The Chase Brothers) bassist Chris Sherman (Bootsy Collins) and drummer Adam Chase (Jazz is PHISH) lying dormant throughout the performance, as well as lead singer Elise Testone (American Idol). Trombonist Adam Dotson (Rubble Bucket), Trumpeter Carter Yasutake (LCD Soundsystem), and saxophonist Morgan Price (Charles Bradley) were the focus of the show from the get go when they played an instrumental version of “People Get Up” and “Drive Your Funky Soul.” Everyone in the horn line seemed to give it their all while most of them were already profusely sweating and blowing their horns all up and down the scales during their solo time. It seemed like there was a bit of friendly competition between the trio brassmen, and it helped them push their skills just a bit further, as they were each representing their own band. Of course, there was never any signs of hatred towards one another, but it was pretty obvious they were trying to one-up the person that soloed before them.James Brown Dance Party

    They played two sets that lasted a little almost two hours playing the tracks, “Get Up Off of That Thing,” “Get On Up,” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” and so many more. Each one was unique thanks to the horn line while still holding the sound of the original song outside of the solos. They were all just as tight, funky and energetic as the original group and aside from Testone, the group all together sounded eerily close to the original recordings the covered. Their second set consisted of “The Boss,” “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World,” and “Cold Sweat” and others to cap off the night with the audience going wild after every song.

    This will not be last time the group will be in the Connecticut and New York area, but odds are the line-up will be completely rearranged, making each performance unique. Check out their website and Facebook page for information on shows and line-ups.

  • Hearing Aide: Ali Carter “Songs of Longing”

    Ali Carter Songs-of-longingAli Carter, singer and songwriter originally from Sydney, Australia has relocated to Brooklyn with the hope of making a name for herself in the music industry. With the release of her debut album earlier this year entitled Songs of Longing, Ali is ready to bring her music to the American music scene.

    Growing up in a household filled with music, Ali was exposed to a wide range of genres of music from an early age. She describes her style of music as soulful, containing some aspects of folk music as well. Her twelve-track debut record embodies both those styles and more, being classified as an indie pop and jazz album. Songs of Longing is a multifaceted work on which Ali contributes both vocals and instrumentals.

    Ali’s unique sound is created by the combination of her dynamic voice and ukulele-driven songs. Her use of the ukulele, traditionally a folk instrument, on an indie pop and jazz album is an original creative twist. Other artists have had success incorporating non-traditional instruments in their performances such as Ian Anderson’s use of the flute in rock music. Her personal and poetic lyrics are further supported by her three-man band and showcased on every song on her album.

    It’s always refreshing to discover an artist like Ali Carter with a passion to create sincere and pure music. Songs of Longing is a cohesive work whose overall unique sound and mellow temperament will leave your ears wanting to hear more.

    Key Tracks: My Heart’s in Union Square, Sex and Cigarettes, Open to You

  • Warren Haynes’ 28th Annual Christmas Jam to Feature ‘The Last Waltz’

    The hardest working man in rock and roll revealed the lineup for his annual Christmas party Thursday. The show takes place at the U.S. Cellular arena in Warren Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, NC on Dec. 10. A line-up loaded with talent features Haynes’ main vehicle, Gov’t Mule headlining, along with a who’s who of musicians celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Band’s final show as The Last Waltz Band.

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    Haynes started the Christmas Jam in 1988 at a local Asheville club as a benefit for local charities. For the past 18 years, he has used it as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. As of last year, the Jam has raised over $1.8 million for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.

    The 2016 version of the Christmas Jam happens Dec. 10 and is guaranteed to sell out quickly. Pre-sale tickets are available at noon Monday Oct. 24 with VIP packages also available. General sale begins Nov. 1. General admission tickets are $63 and a limited number of reserved seats are available for $73.

    Performers this year, in addition to Gov’t Mule, include Bob Weir, Michael McDonald and Jamey Johnson with Alison Krauss.  The Last Waltz Band features Haynes, McDonald, Johnson, Don Was, John Medeski and Terrence Higgins.

    Other special guests scheduled to appear include Branford Marsalis, George Porter, Jr., Steve Kimock, Marcus King, Kevn Kinney, Audley Freed, “Steady Rollin’” Bob Margolin and Mike Barnes.

    For more information on this year’s event, visit the Jam’s website.  And while you’re mulling over whether you should attend, take a gander at this stellar version of “Stormy Monday” featuring Gregg Allman from the 2013 Jam.

  • Don’t Miss Saturday’s Jam Packed ‘Brooklyn Comes Alive’

    On October 22, the musical jam spirit in New York will be at its height when the sold-out Brooklyn Comes Alive festival comes to three venues in the heart of Williamsburg. This one-day event features a veritable who’s who spanning the jam band, funk and electronic scenesbrooklyn-comes-alive-2016-featured

    Members of The Disco Biscuits, Medeski, Martin & Wood, The String Cheese Incident, Lettuce, Break Science, Greyboy Allstars, Mike Gordon Band, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Soulive and the Trey Anastasio Band are just a few of the more than 50 artists slated to perform.

    This event promises to feature performances from hand-selected super groups, impromptu jam sessions, and very rare collaborations, kicking off with brunch and running well into the depths of the evening. The venues that will host this monstrosity also happen to be Brooklyn’s most popular venues – Brooklyn Bowl, The Hall at MP, and Music Hall of Williamsburg, which are all conveniently within a 10-minute walking distance from each other.

    With the festivities kicking off at noon at The Hall at MP, brunch will be hosted inside at the MP Taverna, featuring an amazing dining experience from Michelin Star chef Michael Psilakis. For those that are worried about missing out on some of the action while fueling up, live audio will be pumped into the dining room to keep the grooves going.

    Also featured are members from groups such as The Knux, Ne-Yo, Snarky Puppy, RAQ, Nth Power, Stanton Moore Trio, Kung Fu, Primus, Dopapod, Garaj Mahal, Dub Trio, Gov’t Mule, The Black Crowes, The Stepkids, Deep Banana Blackout, Matisyahu, Organ Freeman, and Santana. In addition to the collaboration of band members from different groups, established solo artists will be making an appearance including Samora Pinderhughes, Raul Pineda, Farnell Newton, Chauncey Yearwood, Ian McGuire, Wiley Griffin, Luke Bemand and Dan Lyons.

    Holly Bowling, the solo pianist who takes Phish and Grateful Dead classic jams and transcribes them arranged for piano, will open the festivities just after noon at The Hall MP of Brooklyn. Highlights include the All Brothers Band — featuring Oteil and Kofi Burbridge, and Neal and Alan Evans — Tim Palmieri and Friends, DRKWAV, which features John Medeski, Adam Deitch and Skerik, and Horizon Wireless.

    Reed Mathis and Electric Beethoven is a new group that takes inspiration from Ludwig Van Beethoven, and has arranged some of his classic pieces for a rock group. This is one of the must see acts of the festival. The Rhythmatronix, featuring Jason Hann, Oteil Burbridge and Sting and Garage Mahal guitarist Fareed Haque, are the late-night group at The MP. This is just a small smattering of the incredible lineup put together by Live 4 Live Music.

    A few hours after brunch is concluded, Brooklyn Bowl and Music Hall of Williamsburg will open and will stay open throughout the night.

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    Full List of Performers:
    Joe Russo (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead/Furthur/Benevento-Russo Duo)
    Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers/Dead & Company)
    Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits)
    Aron Magner (The Disco Biscuits)
    John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood)
    Borahm Lee (Break Science)
    Natalie Cressman (Trey Anastasio Band)
    James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band)
    Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy)
    Scott Metzger (Joe Russo’s Almost Dead)
    Kofi Burbridge (Tedeschi Trucks Band)
    Alan Evans (Soulive)
    Neal Evans (Soulive)
    Eric “Benny” Bloom (Lettuce)
    Jesus Coomes (Lettuce)
    Adam Smirnoff (Lettuce)
    Ryan Zoidis (Lettuce)
    Roosevelt Collier
    Michael League (Snarky Puppy)
    Skerik
    Todd Stoops (RAQ)
    Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy)
    Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power)
    Nick Cassarino (The Nth Power)
    Nate Edgar (The Nth Power)
    Courtney J’Mell Smith (The Nth Power)
    Manic Focus
    Will Bernard (Stanton Moore Trio)
    Tim Palmieri (Kung Fu)
    Jay Lane (Primus/Electric Beethoven)
    Rob Compa (Dopapod)
    Eli Winderman (Dopapod)
    Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu)
    Holly Bowling
    Rob Marscher (Matisyahu)
    Brasstracks
    Fareed Haque (Garaj Mahal)
    Cochrane McMillan (Tea Leaf Green)
    Andy Hess (Gov’t Mule/The Black Crowes)
    Eric Slick (Dr. Dog)
    Dan Edinburg (The Stepkids)
    Jen Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout)
    Johnny Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout)
    Jason Hann (The String Cheese Incident)
    Adam Deitch (Lettuce/Break Science)
    Robert Walter (Greyboy Allstars/Mike Gordon)
    Reed Mathis (Electric Beethoven)
    Rob Somerville (Kung Fu)
    Benny Rietveld (Santana)
    Jake Sherman
    Raul Pineda
    Farnell Newton
    Danny Sadownick

  • Hearing Aide: Communist Daughter ‘The Cracks that Built the Wall’

    Photo Credit: Communist Daughter WebsiteIt’s a pretty phenomenal album, but only when there is a fairly deep understanding and sympathy for who wrote this and why he did. A naive listener would view this album as just another “hipster” sound with spacey vocals, an indie sound with touches of punk rock. And they wouldn’t be wrong, but the album represents so much more than that.  

    The protagonist of the story is Johnny Solomon and the tale of his musical career started with his first band, Friends Like These, which was allegedly widely recognized, but was short lived as well as his marriage, thanks to substance abuse and mental health issues that landed him behind bars for sometime.

    Needless to say it was a low point in his life and he wanted to push forward and moved to Prescott Wisconsin hoping to escape his demons with the assumption his musical career was over. He found that song writing was the coping mechanism he needed, but little did he know that he would have created some true masterpieces. Friends and colleagues came to help record what Solomon thought would be his eulogy, and before they knew it  Communist Daughter was born. The band launched off, and during all of the success, Solomon leaves for a rehab one more time to be as clear eyed as possible for the release of the band’s debut album, Soundtrack to the End in 2010, an EP Lions and Lambs in 2012 and now, their sophomore album, The Cracks That Built the Wall releasing October 21.

    This new album is very personal, very indie and very well done. The production value is immaculate and their sound, although very familiar, is strong and empowering.

    This big euphoric sound is the most prominent in the first track, “Hold Back”. Like most of these songs, the tone is major and uplifting, but the musicianship is rock based, which tends to have a minor tone to it. That defining characteristic of indie music coupled with what is unmistakably punk or rock undertones, will result in an ethereal tone that  is given power and force which can be synonymous with a feeling of freeing oneself of a physical/ mental hardship or point in life, like what Solomon endured. The album has so much more meaning when the muse of it is fully understood and it’s especially true with this collection.

    Other tracks have the same effect, with some being a bit more dainty than others, like “Strange” with Solomon’s wife, Molly, taking the lead vocals in the track. Her voice is breathy and angelic, with some aid from sound effects and echo, but nonetheless makes this track more ballad-like but still not necessarily depressing, but definitely more uplifting.

    Other tracks “Beach Stalker” and “The Dealer” are harder variations that definitely stick out in the album more than some of the softer tracks. They feel like they have more effort put into the production and songwriting especially when it comes to the direction of the songs. The ones mentioned later are omnidirectional and unpredictable at first listen. The ballads on the other hand can be a bit dreary and lackluster. Arguably, this is album is a representation of his Solomon’s life, which undoubtedly had it’s many, many ups and downs.

    Overall, this album will definitely help launch Communist Daughter into more music scenes, with production value and pedigree being a catalyst. Indie bands are widely abundant and loved these days, which is ironic within itself, but nonetheless will help these very talented musicians make waves in the indie music scene.

    Key Tracks: Hold Back, Beach Stalker, The Dealer

  • Tea Leaf Green Makes The Crowd Scream

    ‘Twas a night of dim lit eye candy and musicality, where Stop Light Observations opened up the evening ahead of Tea Leaf Green at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday, October 15, like a fresh can of soda pop. SLO, a southern-retro-electro-rock band, holds an intricate blend of influences, some of which include revival, folk, Motown, and indie. Groups like this one build a strong bond over the years, having been formed in their teens.

    tea leaf greenThe members entered and dropped their little pup on the stage, being their biggest groupie. Fans obsessed over the charming pooch as his friendliness filled the atmosphere and matched the cool vibes of the performance.

    The crowd was getting rowdy, for Tea Leaf Green was due to perform next and blow the audience away. Alas, the musicians played a mean set at this fine tea party; Josh Clark sparked the floor with his guitar and powerful vocals, Trevor Garrod made love to the keyboard and killed it with the harmonica adding some vocals as well. Eric DiBerardino made the crowd bounce with his bass. Lastly, Cochrane McMillan and Scott Rager beat the drums to match the rhythm of the fan’s heartbeats.

    They played moving songs throughout the night, some of which included “Sleep Paralysis,” “Red Ribbons,” “Germanating,” “Bouncing Betty,” “Let us Go,” and ended the night with “Incandescent Devil.” Each song had its own bit of flare with an emotional build up and release, including a bit of rock, jam, and hypnotic beats.

    tea leaf greenTLG stems from the heart of the Golden State in San Francisco; these talented individuals pour love and dedication into their stellar performance, with an array of overlapping vocals. Each artist fused a piece of their soul into each album, which ultimately created an intriguing mix of sounds; if only I could spread this kind of jam onto my toast.

  • Godsmack on Hiatus, New Album on Hold Until 20 Year Anniversary in 2018

    Godsmack fans who were hoping for a new album from Sully and the boys will get exactly what they wanted. A new album. What fans didn’t want though is, that they are going to have to patiently wait until sometime in 2018 to get their ears on the band’s seventh studio effort. 2018 also marks the 20th anniversary of Godsmack’s debut album.

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    Godsmack frontman, Sully Erna, recently sat down with Roxy Myzal of HardDrive Radio Blabbermouth reports, and talked about the bands future plans and his career.

    Myzal asked Erna what fans could expect from Godsmack in the upcoming months. He replied:

    I don’t know yet. We’re talking now about getting together maybe fall of next year to write and record and dropping something top of 2018, which is gonna be the 20th-year anniversary of our first album. So we thought, you know what? We could have pushed it and did something to drop in 2017, but we were, like… You know what?

    After, Erna touched on how drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola are currently working on their side project The Apocalypse Blues Revue, and that he is currently busy with his solo stuff. Erna continued:

    So let’s just finish this and do it right and just wait a pinch longer, because if we do that, and we drop in 2018, we can make a really big, great world tour with the whole theme of the first album concepts involved in it and all that. So I think that may be the plan.

    When asked about some of his personal highlights from his 20 year career as a musician, Erna responded:

    Well, certainly for my musician side of me, I think it’s meeting some of the people that were my childhood heroes. Being able to meet Neil Peart [Rush] a couple of times, that was, for me… I didn’t need to meet anyone else after that. As much as I love the Steven Tylers and the Joe Perrys and the James Hetfields, Neil Peart… that guy changed my life as a musician. I quit school because of Rush.

    Erna is set to embark on another solo acoustic tour this fall, beginning in Atlanta at Center Stage on Oct. 26. The tour will support his just released second studio solo album Hometown Life. The tour will make several stops in New York. First stop will take place Nov. 1 at The Space in Westbury, Nov. 2 at the Gramercy Theatre, Nov. 13 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, Nov. 16 at the Riviera Thaetre in North Tonawanda, and Nov. 22 at The Egg in Albany.

  • Mister F and lespecial hit The Hollow on Friday, October 21

    Mister F brings lespecial to town this Friday, October 21 to The Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany. Featuring performances of brand new material and some very special guest collaborations between the bands, Mister F is stoked to be back on their home turf before heading out into the Midwest for a tour with McLovins next week. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of show.
    mister f lespecial
    Having recently returned from Luna Light Festival in Maryland, Mister F welcomed Holly Bowling to the stage to play keytar on “Answer the Dog.” Keyboardist Scott Hannay shared the story on the sit-in: “We had talked a number of times in the past about having her throw down on my keytar, but the timing just hadn’t yet worked out. She reached out to me shortly before we pulled into Luna Light festival this past Saturday and we made it happen. She’s a natural on that thing. Someone get that girl a keytar!”

  • Sturgill Simpson Simply Stuns the State

    Outside, on the streets of Ithaca, the plants were dying and the leaves were falling. But inside, in the cozy majesty of the State Theater, country was ‘In Bloom’ as Sturgill Simpson took the stage Thursday night.

    Simpson and his big band (Laur Joamets on electric & slide guitar, Chuck Bartels on bass, Bobby Emmett on keyboards, Miles Miller behind the kit and on backing vocals, Scott Frock on trumpet, Brad Walker on saxophone and Jon Ramm on trombone) played over two hours in a career-spanning set. There was no opening act, there was no encore and there wasn’t an unsatisfied soul walking out the door at the finish.

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    Simpson’s albums famously stretch the fabric of country music, adding in threads of soul, roots, blues and psychedelic elements. Live it plays as kind of a country soul revue, with a three-piece horn section, ever-present slick guitar and a keyboardist that isn’t afraid to mix in some spacey Moog. The band was utilized to full effect throughout the set, whether covering material from his debut High Top Mountain or his breakout sophomore release, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, each of which dominated the first half of the show. The music also moved the audience to full effect, from head to toe, with head bobbers, shoulder swayers, fist pumpers, booty shakers and foot stompers. Surprisingly, the most country the band sounded all night was in a phenomenal twanged-up cover of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks.”

    It was over an hour before they played material off Simpson’s latest, A Sailor’s Guide to the Earth. After a spacey and noisy intro, the album finally broke into the set with “Welcome to Earth.” The song built in intensity with the horns bursting out into a funky groove that smoothly found it’s way into the second track on the album, “Breakers Roar.” The set continued on as they tackled the entire album front to back. Simpson played the part of band leader throughout, coaxing more guitar, quickening the rhythm or adding more horns, simply with motions of his guitar or a nod of the head, commandeering the stage and in turn the packed theater. “Keep It Between the Lines” brought the outlaw country down to New Orleans with funky horns and B3 organ. They stretched the center out to fit extended solos in from nearly everyone in the band, including an extra groovy bass and drums section. It reached a fever pitch that was fit for a show-stopping set closer, but they were just getting started. Still yet to come was their stirring soul-country cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom,” the heavy-rocking “Brace For Impact,” with Simpson finally strapping on an electric, and the set-closing “Call to Arms” complete with a “Soulful Strut” jam and a proper off-the-rails scream-to-the-end finish.

    Setlist: Living the Dream, A Little Light Within, Water in a Well > Long White Line > Call Me The Breeze (Lynyrd Skynyrd) > When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin), ?, ?, The Promise, Railroad of Sin, It Ain’t All Flowers, ?, Some Days > Turtles All the Way Down, Hero, Welcome to Earth > Breakers Roar, Keep It Between the Lines, Sea Stories > In Bloom, Brace For Impact, All Around You > Oh Sarah, Call to Arms