Category: Genres

Interview: NYS Music Talks to Aztec Sun

If you like a little soul sprinkled into your funk, and you have a little jiggle in your step, then you’ll love D.C.’s emerging talent, Aztec Sun.

This eight-piece ensemble brings funk-groove-improvisation to their performances that is sure to kick dancing shoes into gear; the band is Stephane Detchou, on lead vocals & rhythm guitar, Ryan ‘Catch’ Sarafolean, on keys/organ & backing vocals, Michael Dravone on trombone, Shane Weckesser on bass, Ray Lamb on lead guitar & backing vocals, John Heinze on drums, Adam Kent on trumpet and Dave Klein on the sax.

Originally conceived back in 2013, Aztec Sun has been steadily evolving and making a name for themselves; and 2016 was a big year for the group. For one, they were voted “Best Original Local Band” by the Washington City Paper, and performed in front of a significant crown at the D.C. Armory for the paper’s annual “Best of D.C. Celebration.”

In the past, they’ve shared the bill with other talented acts such as Pimps of Joytime, Burning Spear, The Suffers, Alanna Royale, Naughty Professor, Major and the Monbacks. AZTEC SUN talks about wanting to “push out their ‘Soul with Funk’ to diverse audiences,” and this year, they have done so at prominent D.C. establishments, like The Black Cat, Howard Theater, Rock & Roll Hotel and Strathmore.

In the future, however, they look to spread their love of funk further, into surrounding areas like upstate New York and Boston, for example; and their dreams extend to playing at bigger venues like Red Rocks, The Gorge, or maybe the Brooklyn Bowl or Fillmore West. Their name is one you’re sure to hear of again.

Their new studio E.P., titled Set You Free, a five-track, self-produced album, will be released tomorrow. The album is a recognition of their accomplishments thus far, and true to the band’s manifesto to “do whatever you can to make them dance,”AZTEC SUN invites anyone in the DMV area to come celebrate their newest project at their E.P. Release Dance Party at the Songbyrd Music House & Record Cafe, tomorrow, Sat., December 10.

For more information and tickets, please visit here.

Karina Verlan: What is the origin of the name Aztec Sun?

Stephane Detchou: Once the founding band members decided to “become a band,” they wanted to come up with a name that would best represent the music they were writing. After a number of different noun pairings, we decided on “Aztec Sun”: a name which, for us, combined the indelible, fiery presence of Funk with the warmth and energy of Soul.

Ray Lamb: This has nothing to do with how the name came about but in researching about the ancient Aztecs, I learned that they were not one tribe, but multiple tribes unified together. I think our band dynamic and music have similar qualities.

KV: What genre of music do you consider your work to be, and who are your major influences?

SD: We call it “funk with soul.” It generally errs on the side of groove music with a focus on rhythms that will make you move. Our influences are as diverse as our bandmates — James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, Prince, D’Angelo, Ben l’Oncle Soul, Phish, Snarky Puppy, The Meters, Budos Band, Fela Kuti (to name a few)

RL: I agree with Steph. We incorporate a lot of different influences in the music we play. I guess sort of like a funk/soul stew with a sprinkle of jazz, rock, blues, pop, jam etc.

KV: I love that! funk/soul stew… How did you all meet?

SD: Aztec Sun was initially four guys (two guitars, bass, drums) who started playing together four years ago off of Craigslist. From there, we met and invited new bandmates through personal connections, referrals or random meetings at music events.

RL: I met Steph at a show that we both were performing in. We had a great conversation about music. About a month later my previous band was having a show and I asked if Aztec Sun wanted in. Steph accepted and asked if I wanted to sit in. I did and they haven’t been able to get rid of me since.

KV: Who writes your songs in your band? Do you typically write the music or the words first?

SD: Given the size of our group (eight+ musicians), most of our songs are written collaboratively in some shape or form. Someone will bring a demo to the group with draft arrangements, structure, direction and we’ll hash out details by playing through the songs in rehearsals. In most cases, we’ll have some words to accompany the music when we start working on a song (especially when one of our singers brings a demo); but there are times when a song is born out of an organic “jam session” and we’ll write lyrics afterwards.

RL: Yeah it’s really a cool process with this band. You can bring in an idea and you have seven other minds to help develop it. It’s quite a luxury. Also listening back to jams is great because there are eight different instruments that you can listen to get new ideas from.

KV: Very cool. How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together? What’s your ultimate direction for your band– are you seeking fame and fortune?

SD: Our first batch of music was more like funk-rock (think some of Red Hot Chili Peppers). As we added horns and keys (piano + organ), our sound naturally expanded to include a dimension of classic ‘70s soul we could add to the danceable funk we were already playing. At this point, our band’s goal is to continue sharing our music and our live performance with new audiences within and throughout the DMV and add to the funk & soul movement in D.C.

RL: In the two years I’ve been in the band, I think we’ve all become better friends, which in turn helps with the music becoming tighter. We listen better and trust each other more. Fame and fortune might be a stretch. However, if it comes, that would be awesome. But that’s not our goal. We want to keep having fun and get as many people dancing to our music as possible. I think we want to ride the train as long as it stays on the tracks.

Ryan ‘Catch’ Sarafolean: We want to continue to push this as far as it can go, at this point, it feels like this project has a lot of growth left still in it and we’d all like to see where we can take this music. Outside of the D.C. area is our first step from here.

KV: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

SD: So many people have helped us accomplish what we’ve done so far. In terms of emotional support, probably all the friends and family who have been coming to our shows to support us, no matter how many times they’ve seen our live set.

RL: I’d like to thank family, friends, and old band mates.

RCS: I’d like to also thank all of our neighbors and roommates for dealing with our music into the wee hours – you all are the best!

KV: Haha. So, what advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

SD: Be honest and collaborative. Being part of a band is an opportunity to express oneself creatively, but that also means remembering to keep an open ear for others’ expressions and ideas.

RL: Have fun! I think that’s why most people play music to begin with. When you’re having fun, people can tell and it’s infectious. If you read about why most bands break up, they state that they stopped having fun.

RCS: Push yourself outside of your comfort zone, I’ve found that is where the most amazing growth comes from.

KV: What are your dream cities to tour? And who would you like to tour with, in an ideal situation?

SD: Aztec Sun is from D.C., but we aren’t all “from” D.C., so we’re going to be working on touring in cities closer to home: Montreal, upstate New York, Minneapolis, Boston, Chicago… And in terms of tours, it would be great to share a stage with any of the artists that influence our music.

RL: Touring is great. It’s always nice to play in front of new people. I’d love to play Red Rocks, The Gorge, The Fillmore West, Brooklyn Bowl, Electric Factory, Fox Theatre, Madison Square Garden (hey, gotta dream right!). As far as bands, Alabama Shakes, Vulfpeck, Trey Anastasio Band, D’Angelo, Turkuaz to name a few.

RCS: I’ll say it – it would be great to play at the 9:30 club, here in our backyard. That venue is continually rated as the best venue to go see live music in, and damn would it be a fun place for some funk. I’d love to open for Galactic, or Trombone Shorty, or Rebirth Brass Band – anyone out of New Orleans would be dope.

KV: Do you find it hard to balance music with your other obligations at this point in your career?

SD: At times, definitely. We try to balance a very accurate shared calendar that keeps track of everyone’s schedules which helps us determine whether or when we can book gigs. On top of that, we’re all working full-time — which can mean very late nights/tough mornings when we’ve got a couple of shows in the same week. We also need to ensure we’re taking our time to check with our families, partners and friends etc (and not just inviting them to our gigs)… so it can get to be a very busy time. But we really enjoy playing and creating as Aztec Sun, so it’s worth it.

RL: It’s definitely hard but music always manages to make itself a priority in my life.

December 9, 2016
Saratoga Gets Down with The New Mastersounds and Turkuaz

Funk comes in all shapes and sizes these days. Those eager to see two very different versions headed to the Putnam Den in Saratoga on December 6 to see The New Mastersounds, originally from the U.K., co-headline with Brooklyn’s Turkuaz.

The two boast their own unique style, but both brought anyone with a pulse to their feet that night. The show was part of an extensive tour to promote a split 7” vinyl featuring both bands performing a cover song from the other’s catalog, while also joining in on the collaboration.

The New Mastersounds came as a pleasant surprise to those witnessing the foursome’s raw talent for the first time. The band makes its rounds on this side of the pond, but the majority of those in attendance had likely never seen them before.

With slicked back hair and a blue suit jacket complete with a pocket square, guitarist Eddie Roberts paralleled his fashion swagger with his musical prowess. He laid down soulful yet jazzy riffs throughout the evening with ease. Pete Shand thudded the bass to bring the familiar foundation of funk this upstate New York crowd came to see. The level of technicality in which Joe Tatton wailed on the organ was impressive and moving, even adding synthesized tones later in the set. The funk was here and the crowd was loving it, whistling loudly indicating their approval and awe.

Their set was upbeat and drove harder and faster as it progressed. They slowed it down slightly to do a one-of-a-kind version of Sneaker Pimp’s “Six Underground,” a song that became popular in the 90s, included on the soundtrack of the movie Can’t Hardly Wait.

Without a horn section, their sound is old-timey soul but with a modern funk that hits just right. They welcomed Turkuaz saxophone player Greg Sanderson on stage who fits the band like a glove. Den dwellers had fogged up the windows at this point and many headed outside to catch some air only to be sprinkled with wet snowflakes. The already thick crowd swelled as more joined the party for Turkuaz.

Anticipation built as the 9-piece ensemble entered the stage and prepared to take off. “You’re in for a treat” was heard muttered in the crowd from the more experienced Turkuaz fans to some of the “newbs.” They weren’t wrong.

They set sail into fan favorite “Bubba,” and then to a speedy rendition of “Percy Thrills, The Moondog.” After big songs, the explosions of color and sounds end abruptly as the lights shut completely off on stage, like a period indicating the end of a sentence.

The Turkuaz ladies, Sammi Garett and Shira Elias, choreographed their moves and vocals to add a splash of Motown to the pop funk. Chris Brouwers keyboard skills were reminiscent of the digital sounds of the 1980s. Josh Schwartz took a break from the sax and sang, and “Dude’s got some pipes on him,” was overheard in the crowd.

Shira Elias and Sammi Garett took the lead vocals on a funked up rendition of The Band’s “Don’t Do It,” providing a welcomed twist on the beloved classic. The energetic and colorful evening came to a close with a one-two punch of “Chatte Lunatique” and “Ballad of Castor Troy” in which drummer Michelangelo Carubba delivered a solid solo.

The tour hits the road and heads south to Pittsburgh, PA on December 8, Washington D.C. on December 9 and on to Philadelphia on December 10.

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December 9, 2016
Greg Lake, Prog Pioneer, Dies at 69

Greg Lake, founder of progressive rock pioneers King Crimson and founding member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer has died at the age of 69.

Lake, a founding member of both King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, was one of the progenitors of the progressive rock movement in the late 1960s through the mid 1970s. His vocal style propelled ELP to FM radio stardom in the U.S. on songs such as “Lucky Man” and his solo Christmas song “I Believe in Father Christmas,” a constant on FM radio this time of year.

Bandmate, and lone surviving member of ELP (Keith Emerson passed earlier this year.), drummer Carl Palmer told the Los Angeles Times:

We have a lot to thank him for. If you look at the musical landscape of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, he wrote most of the songs that got played on American radio. What he brought was a uniqueness that the music business didn’t have at that time. We weren’t an out-and-out rock band, and we didn’t play the blues. He was a choir-boy kind of singer, a very angelic sounding voice.

ELP carried popular rock music beyond the blues-based sounds that had been coming from British bands such as the Rolling Stones and the Faces, creating a more theatrical and symphonic style of rock music based in the sounds of classical musicians such as Mussorgsky, Bach, Copland and Bartok.

Lake balanced the bombastic keyboard work of Emerson with acoustic songs such as “Lucky Man,” a song he wrote at the age of 12, and “From the Beginning.” He recorded his first solo piece in 1975, the perennial Christmas favorite, “I Believe in Father Christmas,” but continued recording with ELP until their break up in 1979.

Lake’s career began in 1965 as a member of Unit Four and Time Checks, cover bands that gave him exposure in the Dorset, UK scene. His time in Unit Four led to a relationship with Robert Fripp, who recruited Lake to sing and play bass for his new band, King Crimson.

Lake performed on King Crimson’s seminal debut In the Court of the Crimson King and the follow-up In the Wake of Poseidon before parting ways after striking up a friendship with The Nice’s Emerson in 1970. The two recruited drummer Palmer from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown to form what became the prog-rock supergroup ELP.

Lake was born Nov. 10, 1947 in Bournemouth, England, to an engineer father and housewife mother. He is survived by his wife, Regina and their daughter, Natasha.

December 9, 2016
Debt to Nature EP Release Show at Mohawk Place

On Saturday, December 3, the Mohawk Place in downtown Buffalo hosted an EP release show for an up-and-coming local, modern post-hardcore band called Debt to Nature. And much like the city they come from, you can instantly tell the amount of work put into their songs to make them work.

Debt to Nature, on the outset, seems like any other modern post-hardcore rock band. Their releases, such as their first EP From the Start, back this theory up, with angsty lyrics and guitar riffs not out of place from a Pac Sun store or a Warped Tour stage.

But to me, at least, what set this apart was the presentation. You can hear loud, fast music in any number of establishments and get the point. But hearing it live is something different. Singer Michael O’Connor may look like a lumberjack, but delivers the lyrics with alternating power and levity that it’s amazing he can still speak at the end of the set. Bassist Josh O’Connor was confident enough in his abilities that he would engage in reverse fretting, attempt to balance his bass in one hand, and walk out into the crowd to his friends. Not to mention the hard work guitarist Brian Macijewski and drummer Nate White had to put in to keep the whole act moving at a furious pace.

The real ace up the sleeve for this band is how easily they establish control over the crowd. I assume the crowd present goes to these kind of post-hardcore shows all the time, given the amount of head banging, people moshing by themselves, and hand gestures, but even one as uninitiated as myself could get sucked into the methods after a few songs. During the few solo guitar breaks, the audience started clapping over their heads on their own, with the singer encouraging more once it got going.

Some of the most fun moments of the night involved just how much control the band had over the crowd. Members of one of the opening acts, The Otherme, were invited onstage to sing The Darkness’ song “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” The audience tried to sing the famous falsetto chorus line, to various results. While the band’s music may not be for everyone, this was one particular moment the entire crowd was getting into.

Another moment didn’t involve anything the band played, but during a song break, either the lead singer or someone in the crowd shouted out “somebody” like the first word from Smash Mouth’s “All-Star,” and the entire crowd managed to sing the first verse all the way up to chorus. At that point, the singer demanded they stop as they played more.

Either I don’t get out to see enough shows like this or this was a special occasion, because the crowd actually demanded an encore successfully. Debt to Nature were happy to oblige, feeling like they conquered the evening. Probably on their way to conquer more as well.

December 8, 2016
Phil Finger Death Punch, a Possible Glimpse Into The Future

All That Remains frontman Phil Labonte has come up from the “Righteous Side Of Hell,” to help save the boys in Five Finger Death Punch from being on the “Wrong Side Of Heaven,” due to the band’s erratic troubled frontman Ivan Moody, to save the rest of the band’s co-headlining tour with Shinedown, a tour that also features Sixx: A.M., and As Lions.

Labonte, who is good friends with Moody, stepped up and filled in on Dec. 1 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, doing a tremendous job in the process. Joining Labonte in helping save the tour for FFDP and their fans were Sixx: A.M. frontman James Michael and As Lions singer Austin Dickinson (son of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson), lending their vocals during FFDP’s set. Phil will continue the vocal duties for Five Finger Death Punch for the remainder of the tour. There has been speculation that this could be an audition for Labonte to replace Moody for an extended period of time or even permanently.

Moody stated on Nov. 29 to Syracuse, NY fans inside the Oncenter, that they would see the real Ivan Moody tonight. He went on and said that with all the social media outlets out there, that his life is exposed, and can’t seem to get away from people fabricating stories about him.

One of those “fabricated” stories came days earlier in Worcester, MA, when Moody stated to the crowd that his mother was passing away as he was onstage, and cut the concert short. Bassist Chris Kael was left with the mop up duties, apologizing to the crowd for the early departure. In an odd twist, Moody’s sister stated that their mother was not ailing nor anyone else in their family, for that matter. This prompted Moody’s statement at the band’s Newark, NJ show that the mother he was referring to was his “House Mother” from rehab.

During the same show, Moody, who has revealed his thoughts about Kanye West in the past, compared himself to the hip hop star, stating that he now “Get’s it” when it comes to the “mental breakdown” that West is has currently been hospitalized for, after West went on various verbal tirades during his live shows and cutting concerts short. Two days later, Ivan Moody is on the shelf due to illness and off the rest of the tour.

Moody had his famous Memphis meltdown back in May of 2015, where he apparently angered drummer Jeremy Spencer with a comment he made over the mic about Spencer’s book, prompting Spencer and the rest of the band to leave Moody by himself on stage. Days later, the band stated that there was nothing wrong with Moody, or the band, and blamed poor sound equipment as the reason why they had cut their set short.

It has been no secret, as reported previously by NYS Music, that the band is being sued by their record label, Prospect Park. Some of the reasons stated in the lawsuit include that the band doesn’t care for Moody’s well-being and that they are trying to cash in before Moody has a complete meltdown, or even worse, dies. With his past and recent actions, Prospect Park could be onto something when it comes to Moody’s well-being.

Fans, music insiders and music executives believe that, without Moody, there is no FFDP, and with all his recent seemingly “I’m untouchable” behavior over the past couple of years, Moody must feel the same. Moody’s recent behaviors suggest a desperate need for an extended break from touring, the music industry, and the limelight.

Eventually, the band will have to draw the line with Moody’s recent actions and do what’s best for FFDP moving forward. Whether they move on with Labonte or someone else, or force Moody to take a break.

With all that being said, Labonte has the goods to deliver the songs in FFDP fashion on stage, but does he has the raw charismatic edgy appeal that Moody possess, and that fans crave and love about Moody?

When it come’s to what’s next in the Ivan Moody/FFDP saga”All That Remains” is, wait and see.

https://youtu.be/OdOqi03fbds

Remaining Five Finger Death Punch/Shinedown Tour Dates:

12-08 – Amway Arena – Orlando, FL
12-09 – Amalie Arena – Tampa, FL
12-10 – Infinite Energy Center – Duluth, GA

December 8, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Black Clouds ‘After All’

Like many music lovers, I spend a lot of time seeking new artists. Although, the Black Clouds are not new, per se. They’ve been working on music since 2008, and After All is their third effort.

The Black Clouds, rock from Monmouth County, New Jersey, just finished recording their newest album, After All, set to hit shelves January 6, 2017. With influences such as Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, I appreciate the enthusiasm present from the beginning to the end of the album.

Produced by Jack Endino, After All is energetic and fast. From the words of the band themselves, their central dedication is playing fast and hard. That’s exactly what guitarists Neil Hayes and Dan Matthews (vocalist as well) deliver: short, punchy, loud songs identifiable as personal life stories.

Along with Gary Moses and Cory King on bass guitar and drums, respectively, it’s clear that The Black Clouds have developed cohesively as a team. Numbers like “Self Control,” and “Going Going Gone” display chemistry between all members. Vocal melodies are reminiscent of singers like Dave Grohl and Danko Jones, and the fast, aggressive music mirrors this energetically, but also grants some dynamic range. “Falling” features weaving acoustic guitars and a sad melody.

Overall, I enjoyed a few listens of this album, and I would go as far as to call it solid, but every album has its weaknesses. After All has a limited amount, if any, musical risk, and in many parts, Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell may as well have recorded one of their legendary runs over the instrumentals. Although more originality could have been exhibited in many places, one might classify this as a “good problem.”

I can definitely say I would attend a live show of theirs and enjoy the loudness, as I’m sure many will after hearing After All. For now, The Black Clouds have my attention, and I’m excited to see what silver linings The Black Clouds have in their near future, and for the rest of their career.

For fans of: Danko Jones, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden

Key tracks: Going Going Gone, Falling, Merchants of Death

December 8, 2016
Interview: Del and Dawg Return to RPI to Celebrate 50 Years of Music

David Grisman, the Dawg of Del & Dawg

The roots of bluegrass travel from Appalachia through Kentucky in the 1940s, but the origin of one of the most famous duos in bluegrass history is found in New York. On Saturday, December 10, Del McCoury and David Grisman, better known as Del and Dawg will reunite to celebrate 50 years of music. They’ll do so on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, just as they did that first time back in 1966. Del and David will be joined on this very special evening at EMPAC by Jerry McCoury and Chris Warner.

Mandolinist David ‘Dawg’ Grisman, a nickname coined by Jerry Garcia, has combined bluegrass and jazz throughout a career of acoustic prowess. Grisman studied English at NYU and lived in Greenwich Village where the folk scene proliferated in the early 1960s. David learned to play mandolin in a style befitting the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. One of Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, McCoury switched from banjo to guitar, making the pairing with Grisman have a deeper connection in the music.

Grisman spoke to NYS Music from his Northern California home, discussing the origins of Del and Dawg, bluegrass today and the influence of Jerry Garcia on his mandolin playing.

Pete Mason: The performance at RPI on December 10th is the 50th anniversary of your first show with Del. How does it feel to bring your history together full circle? Any memories of that show?

David Grisman: It feels just great to have maintained such a fruitful musical and personal relationship for this long. I still remember the excitement and energy of that first gig together, which was captured on tape and released in part on my album, Early Dawg. I was offered the princely sum of $200 to put a bluegrass band together and was able to obtain the services of Del and his bass-playing brother Jerry, with whom I played in Red Allen’s band. My good friend and banjo whiz, the late Winnie Winston, completed that first ensemble. Later that year (1966) at the 2nd Bluegrass Festival in Fincastle, Virginia, Del asked me to play a set with him. That band included Chris Warner on banjo. Del and I have invited Jerry McCoury and Chris Warner to join us for the second half of this show for a special Bluegrass 50th year reunion set. We’re calling the band The Bluegrass Survivors! We’ll also be playing the next night at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va.

PM: How was bluegrass received in the mid-1960s in New York?

DG: Bluegrass was always exciting for New York audiences, then and now. Of course, now there’s a wider audience. But it always was very special for me, particularly when people like Ralph Rinzler, Mike Seeger, John Cohen and Israel G. Young started promoting concerts with bands like Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys and the Stanley Brothers.

PM: What are some of the highlights of the last 50 years of playing music with Del?

DG: Playing with Del is always special, but one highlight was the tour we did in 1989 as the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience where Del and his band (featuring his sons Ronnie and Rob and two fiddle players) joined me for a two-week tour to promote my LP, Home is Where the Heart Is. Another high point was producing the Mandolin Extravaganza project with Ronnie McCoury, which featured eight bluegrass mandolin masters in various combinations, all backed by Del’s masterful rhythm guitar.

PM: What is the first instance where you knew there was a musical chemistry between you?

DG: I reckon it was the first note we ever played — long ago.

PM: How did playing with Jerry Garcia influence your mandolin playing?

DG: Playing with Jerry opened me up to exploring a lot of possibilities that existed within our many common musical sensibilities. We had both drunk from the same musical well for many years and playing together later in our careers was a great musical and personal experience for me.

PM: You have seen 50 years of bluegrass music, from the beginning of the familiar genre. How have you observed its evolution?

DG: Well to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t there at the beginning which Del & I both agree occurred when Earl Scruggs joined Bill Monroe’s band in 1946 (which already included Lester Flatt and Chubby Wise). I didn’t discover bluegrass music until 1960, but fortunately the original architects of the music were still in their prime and playing. I did get to play with many of them, including Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Red Smiley, Mac Wiseman and Red Allen, who gave me my first “hard-core” bluegrass job. I’m currently working on a project with one of my heroes, the great mandolin master, Jesse McReynolds. Bluegrass has of course “evolved”, taking on many influences that Bill Monroe probably wouldn’t have approved of. In a way it’s become diluted and in my opinion, commercialized by the music business, as have many other genres. I still like the more traditional bands like Del’s. Having said that, I think there are many young musicians who are playing incredible music these days, from Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers to Sierra Hull. I just wouldn’t call it bluegrass. That’s why I called my own music Dawg because I don’t feel it is bluegrass as defined by the creators of that genre.

PM: What is it like to have not only a stage relationship with Del, but to also have sons Monroe Grisman and Ronnie McCoury born a month apart?

DG: Our children are a great source of inspiration. Monroe Grisman is a wonderful musician and singer, but was always in the rock world. He now plays in a very popular band in Marin County, California — Petty Theft. My daughter Gillian (head of production for George Lucas’ Edutopia project) is also musical and even played a gig with John Sebastian’s jug band on washboard bass! My son Samson is a great bass player who currently plays with Lee Ann Womack and the Bryan Sutton Band, as well as my own Bluegrass Experience. My stepson, John R., has been developing into a fine mandolinist and my wife Tracy has subbed for Sam on bass and also plays guitar and fiddle. Of course Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob are fantastic award winning bluegrass musicians and will certainly carry on the McCoury legacy. I know that Del and I are both proud dads and we’ve talked about doing a father & son project someday.

Tickets for Saturday’s Del and Dawg show are available through EMPAC.

Watch Del and Dawg from Oriental Theater in Denver below.

December 7, 2016
Jerry Douglas: A Man, a Microphone, and a Dobro

Last Friday, December 2 was an absolute treat for everyone that went to The Warehouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. The night was even a pleasant surprise for renowned dobro player Jerry Douglas, saying he was “shocked people wanted to sit through an hour and a half of dobro music.” His hour and a half spread over two hours after the crowd begged for more and gave him a standing ovation at the end of his performance. No more than 100 people were in attendance which made for a very intimate show, intimate enough that he came out after his set and met almost everyone that showed up.

He played some of his own highly improvised original songs, told hysterical stories, talked with the audience mid-show, joking about how there’s some parts of his songs that he wish he never wrote, and completely opened up to everyone there about his personal life. He shared stories from how his late and most beloved dog inspired him to not walk off stage if he thinks there will be an encore, to how he wrote a song in spite of Maurice Sendak, because his famous book Where the Wild Things Are scared his children when he read it as a goodnight story. “I’m going to write a song about it, get rich and get back at Maurice Sendak at the same time. Neither of those things happened.” And that’s how his song “Wild Rumpus” came to be.

To get a sense of why this was a huge surprise to see such a small turn out, one must do some homework and will appreciate the amount of time and dedication Douglas has clocked in since his start in the 1970’s. He’s worked with a plethora of world renowned artists from Ray Charles to Eric Clapton, Paul Simon to Dolly Parton and countless more, while still writing his own music and performing alongside Alison Krauss and Union Station. He has won numerous Grammy’s, many of which were awarded to his work with Union Station and some for his original recordings. He’s a Country Music Hall of Fame member, won three CMA Musician of the Year awards and a copious amount of International Bluegrass Music Association awards over the past three decades. Simply put, he’s damned good, and so was his performance last Friday.

He played for two hours and had every soul in the house engaged for every minute he was on stage, partly because of his raw talent, but mostly because almost every song had a story behind it. He started with a short introduction and immediately everyone felt a connection with him. He opened with “A New Day,” a soft and sultry song with a perfect balance of country twang, moving to a cover of “Foggy Mountain Rock,” a recording Douglas said was made in order to compete with Elvis who had at the time was the center of attention in the music world and was, “ruining it for everybody.” This time, his fingers started flying across the frets and still managed to keep a steady melody. It blew the audience away.

He continued on through the night performing his original song “Peaceful Return” which was unsurprisingly peaceful, simple and serene, and onto a cover of “Hey Joe” by Hendrix and many more covers from musicians he’s worked with and ones he hasn’t. Each one was special because of the attachment Douglas had to it and knowing the backstory of each song he played made it so much more meaningful to the audience, encapturing them in a way that was never thought to be possible.

He played about 12 songs total, and every one had a unique sound, which is an incredible feat using just one instrument. An assortment of loop and effects pedals contributed to that accomplishment, but an untrained eye would pay no mind to it and would be simply blown away by his talent and charm.

It’s fair to assume Douglas does not have a lot of down time, so it’s undetermined when he will be touring again, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on. His plethora of recordings are available on Spotify as well as iTunes and is worth investing some time into.

December 7, 2016
Bumpin Uglies Jam out at Nietzsche’s

Buffalo’s Nietzsche’s got a healthy dose of reggae on December 3, thanks to the smell of weed in the air and a band from Annapolis, Maryland called Bumpin Uglies, with Buffalo their latest stop on a tour promoting their new album, Keep It Together.”

Bumpin Uglies, made up of Brandon Hardesty on lead vocals and guitar, Dave Wolf on bass and backing vocals, and TJ Haslett on drums, have quite the resume for a modern reggae band. Since forming in 2008, the Uglies have recorded 3 LP’s, 2 EP’s, a live album, and constant touring in the form of eight national tours and many more regional tours, including performances at Warped Tour and California Roots. On their tours, they’ve stopped in Buffalo seven times.

The tone of the show was set even before the band took the stage. During one of the opening acts, a Buffalo reggae band named Reggie Childs got the crowd grooving thanks to the help of the main band’s fan group, the Uglies Nation, whose members danced near the stage and kept a drumbeat going on wooden boxes by the merchandise stand. This continued well into the main show, which briefly had beach balls pulled down from the space’s chandelier.

It’s hard to call the Uglies style traditional reggae. It’s more a combination of that, plus some occasional fast ska tempos, dub vocal and guitar effects, and some good ol’ alt-rock. A good example is one of their new songs, “Place Your Bets.” The verses and chorus come off as your usual reggae with a bit of dub thrown in, but the instrumental breaks play off like a 311 song. Add a few reverb-laden guitar solos and you’ll have a good idea what these guys sound like.

Given there were a sizable amount of Uglies fans present, the band had great crowd interaction. Hardesty would ask for shots, get a reaction out of saying he saved his drinking just for tonight, and share stories regarding songs like “Bad Decisions” and “Officer O’Hurley.” A fair amount of the show was spent on their new album, with songs like “Load in Load Out” and “Sorry I’m Not Sorry” getting a fair share of audience participation. The odd thing about the set was that on their albums, a horn section will occasionally be present, adding more reggae cred to their songs. There was no horn section present for the show, which didn’t take away that much, but could’ve added a bit more.

Still, it was a fun evening for those in attendance, even for those who appear to have been at several of the band’s shows already. We’ll definitely be hearing from these guys again soon if the topic of modern American reggae music ever comes up, and how it can effortlessly co-opt other styles into it’s own.

December 7, 2016
Long Island Synth Rockers Shiffley are Back with “Sleepless Night”

Buckle up, New York. Long Island synth rockers Shiffley are back with a new single. Drawing from the great omnisexual songwriting tradition that brought us “Electric Barbarella” and “The Sexy Data Tango,” “Sleepless Night” delivers the utterly touching story of a robot who falls in love with a human.

Unlike Duran Duran and Voltaire, however, Shiffley resist the urge to sing about ultra-chrome, latex, and android anti-freeze. The single instead focuses on the emotional spectrum of the machine as it comes to identify and reciprocate emotions, realizing that “Cruel is how it has to be for now.” When asked about the songwriting process, singer Alex Ganes revealed, “Instrumentally this single was birthed in the studio and is very much so a collaboration with our producer, Will Rosati. It is adventurous for us in that the synths heavily drive the song’s percussion.”

This is not the first time the foursome have written about, um, mechanical sentiments. “Systems,” which premiered on New York State Music earlier this year, follows a lovesick robot who learns to feel “and then instantly regrets the decision.” Check out the quantum-singularity-contesting “Sleepless Night” below:

December 7, 2016