An exclusive to NYS Music, Space Carnival has released the video for “Moon Boots.” Filmed by Front Row Dave at Damn Sam’s Harvest Festival in Laurens, NY on October 8, 2016 and edited by Shane O’Sullivan, the song debuted as a single off the group’s recent debut album Drawn in By the Sun.
Blog
-
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.
-
Let it moe. – A Holiday Celebration at The Capitol Theatre
The holiday spirit was alive and well in Port Chester, NY as New York rock icons moe. treated The Capitol Theatre with its first ever “Famoe.ly Holiday Concert” that saw the band dust off some old holiday covers, debut a few new songs and deliver some good old improvisational rock as only moe. can.
The show also served as a benefit for Caritas, a local food bank, befitting of the holiday spirit courtesy of food donations from attendees as well as a raffle for signed posters and tickets to future shows at The Cap. Revelers pre-gamed next door at Garcia’s, a small bar attached to the venue, with libations of their choosing before settling in next door for a unique yet classic moe. show.
The band took the stage to a full crowd on the floor, although the balcony, surprisingly, was a little sparse early on with plenty of open seats to be had. In a nod to the show’s locale, “New York City” opened things up in somewhat standard fashion before bassist Rob Derhak began playing the familiar opening notes of the Peanuts theme song, technically known as “Linus and Lucy.” Their take on the classic Vince Guaraldi jazz song was the first of several tonight previously featured on their 2002 album Seasons Greetings From moe. and hadn’t been played in a live setting for nearly three years.The old school rocker “Head” then followed, replete with wailing vocals as delivered by guitarist Al Schnier, and the high energy number soon faded into a softer groove before teases of the same turned into a full on version of “Zed Naught Z.” This percussion-driven instrumental gave Jim Loughlin a chance to shine on vibes as the composed section was delivered flawlessly before the beat picked up steam again and a delightful almost “Rec Chem”-esque jam ensued, a sign of things to come, before the band roared back into the ending of “Head,” serving as a true first set highlight.
The next holiday song of the night followed with “Oh Hanukkah,” another instrumental number found on the 2002 holiday album that had somewhat of a surf rock feel to it, before a brand new song, “Angel,” was debuted. This one gave Schnier a chance to do his best Bruce Springsteen impression as this song sounded like it could have come directly from The Boss’ catalog and featured some fine complimentary play from fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey. Then, in what has to be considered one of the peak musical moments of the night, moe. ended the first set with an absolutely blistering and thorough “Recreational Chemistry” that, early on, showcased watery bass tones from Derhak and impeccable drum fills via Vinnie Amico before devolving into a dark, dissonant jam that had the whole room spellbound. From these depths, slowly and very surely, the song’s signature guitar-driven finish emerged and delivered a firm exclamation point on a well crafted first set.
“Puebla” started things off to begin the second set and picked up right where things left off with another driving and soaring jam that featured more stellar play from Loughlin on vibes before he took over on vocals himself, a rarity for moe., for “Don’t Wanna Be,” another debut number which had a moody feel to it. It was then time for the holiday spirit to be reintroduced and moe. did so with “Carol of the Bells,” another instrumental not played in several years. This short and sweet cover yielded a jam that had a brief flurry of “Rebubula” teases thrown about before quickly shifting gears and going into “Downward Facing Dog,” a song found on the band’s 2012 release, What Happened to the La Las. Once again, a crisply played composed section gave way to a rather dark and menacing jam filled with both heavy guitar and vocal distortion.
The last of the evening’s debuts followed with “Prestige Worldwide” and seems to fit the classic mold of a moe. song in that it featured stellar guitar interplay between Schnier and Garvey and another heady solo from Loughlin on vibes before giving way to another frenzied improv jam showcasing the cohesiveness this outfit has built up over the course of their 27 year career.
It remains to be seen what, if any, connection this song has to the movie Stepbrothers and Brennan and Dale’s international music corporation. And just as they did in the first set, moe. ended the second in classic style with a pairing of old school favorites. “Four” gave Garvey a chance to take lead on vocals and resulted in another jam that started out innocently enough and later ended with feverish guitar licks. Two great sets of music were capped off with a mild segue into longtime crowd favorite “Buster,” before Derhak thanked a fervently appreciative Capitol Theatre crowd.
Not missing out on one last chance to ramp up the holiday spirit, the moe. bassist emerged in full Santa garb for the encore which featured a fantastic cover choice in The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” and one last nod to the holiday album in “We’re A Couple Of Misfits,” the band’s interpretation of Hermey’s and Rudolph’s song of outcast from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. With a fantastic night of music in the books and a very successful food drive accomplished, one can only hope this is the start of a new holiday tradition for Port Chester and The Capitol Theatre, one of the more aesthetically pleasing and intimate venues the metropolitan area has to offer.
moe. ~ 12/03/16 ~ The Capitol Theatre ~ Port Chester, NY
Set 1: New York City, Linus & Lucy#, Head > Zed Naught Z > Head, Oh Hanukah##, Angel^, Recreational Chemistry
Set 2: Puebla > Don’t Wanna Be^^, Carol Of The Bells%, Downward Facing Dog, Prestige Worldwide%%, Four > Buster
Encore: Father Christmas+, We’re A Couple Of Misfits++
# LTP > 12/13/13
## LTP > 12/06/13
^ FTP > (original – al. song)
^^ FTP > (original – jim. song)
% LTP > 12/09/13
%% FTP > (original – rob. song – working title)
+ FTP > (cover – The Kinks)
++ LTP > 12/07/13 -
Wild Rivers Make Waves in London, Ontario
From Washington, DC to London, Ontario, Wild Rivers is making a name for themselves in the world of music. This Toronto based indie folk band was born out of a duo that met in university in Kingston, Ontario. Devan & Khalid (the original group) expanded their band in 2015 creating a more holistic sound to their unique music while maintaining the compelling appeal of a male-female duo.
Wild Rivers is touring across Canada and even extended their reach into the United States with recent concerts in Washington, Boston and New York. For a seemingly new and upcoming band, they already have established a dedicated fan base who were very visible at the show in London on November 18 at The Rosewood. With only a debut album under their belt, the audience was familiar with all of the songs played and sang along in unison to every one of the poetic lyrics primarily written by Khalid.
Two years prior to releasing their self-titled debut album “Wild Rivers,” Devan & Khalid put out their first EP entitled “This Town.” Though their set list was mainly composed of songs from “Wild Rivers,” the audience was in for a treat when the band broke out songs featured on “This Town.”
Wild Rivers opened their show Friday night with “Undercover” followed by one of their singles and a crowd favorite, “Already Gone.” They then played a personal favorite, “Paul Simon,” a song featured on both the band’s 9-track album and Devan & Khalid’s first EP. Though Paul Simon himself is only mentioned once in the song’s lyrics, this interesting choice of title being a well-known musician is intriguing to one who may never have heard the song before. The first time around, “Paul Simon” was recorded acoustically with nothing more than a guitar and vocals. In concert, it was performed as seen on “Wild Rivers” with the addition of a drummer and bass player making for a foot tapping, high energy performance.
After closing their set with “Speak Too Soon,” a catchy sing-a-long finale, the crowd insisted upon hearing more. Not having anything else planned, Wild Rivers responded to their encore demand breaking out another song from “This Town.” They played “No Ribbons,” the first song for which they released a music video, paying homage to the beginning of their musical journey.
Being able to share in the joy of not only the band’s passion to create meaningful music but the audience’s appreciation for the magic of live music made for an unforgettable night. This folk quartet is definitely one to be on the lookout for over the next couple of years.
Set List: Undercover, Already Gone, Paul Simon, Rolling Stone, Heart Attack, Fish On A Hook, Mayday, Wandering Child, Speak Too Soon
Encore: No Ribbons
-
Let it moe. – A Holiday Celebration
The holiday spirit was alive and well in Port Chester, NY last weekend as New York rock icons moe. treated The Capitol Theatre with its first ever “Famoe.ly Holiday Concert” that saw the band dust off some old holiday covers, debut a few new songs and deliver some good old improvisational rock as only moe. can. The show also served as a benefit for Caritas, a local food bank, befitting of the holiday spirit courtesy of food donations from attendees as well as a raffle for signed posters and tickets to future shows at The Cap. Revelers pre-gamed next door at Garcia’s, a small bar attached to the venue, with libations of their choosing before settling in next door for a unique yet classic moe. show.
The band took the stage to a full crowd on the floor, although the balcony, surprisingly, was a little sparse early on with plenty of open seats to be had. In a nod to the show’s locale, “New York City” opened things up in somewhat standard fashion before bassist Rob Derhak began playing the familiar opening notes of the Peanuts theme song, technically known as “Linus and Lucy.” Their take on the classic Vince Guaraldi jazz song was the first of several tonight previously featured on their 2002 album Seasons Greetings From moe. and hadn’t been played in a live setting for nearly three years. The old school rocker “Head” then followed, replete with wailing vocals as delivered by guitarist Al Schnier, and the high energy number soon faded into a softer groove before teases of the same turned into a full on version of “Zed Naught Z.” This percussion-driven instrumental gave Jim Loughlin a chance to shine on vibes as the composed section was delivered flawlessly before the beat picked up steam again and a delightful almost “Rec Chem”-esque jam ensued, a sign of things to come, before the band roared back into the ending of “Head,” serving as a true first set highlight.
The next holiday song of the night followed with “Oh Hanukkah,” another instrumental number found on the 2002 holiday album that had somewhat of a surf rock feel to it, before a brand new song, “Angel,” was debuted. This one gave Schnier a chance to do his best Bruce Springsteen impression as this song sounded like it could have come directly from The Boss’ catalog and featured some fine complimentary play from fellow guitarist Chuck Garvey. Then, in what has to be considered one of the peak musical moments of the night, moe. ended the first set with an absolutely blistering and thorough “Recreational Chemistry” that, early on, showcased watery bass tones from Derhak and impeccable drum fills via Vinnie Amico before devolving into a dark, dissonant jam that had the whole room spellbound. From these depths, slowly and very surely, the song’s signature guitar-driven finish emerged and delivered a firm exclamation point on a well crafted first set.
“Puebla” started things off to begin the second set and picked up right where things left off with another driving and soaring jam that featured more stellar play from Loughlin on vibes before he took over on vocals himself, a rarity for moe., for “Don’t Wanna Be,” another debut number which had a moody feel to it. It was then time for the holiday spirit to be reintroduced and moe. did so with “Carol of the Bells,” another instrumental not played in several years. This short and sweet cover yielded a jam that had a brief flurry of “Rebubula” teases thrown about before quickly shifting gears and going into “Downward Facing Dog,” a song found on the band’s 2012 release, What Happened to the La Las. Once again, a crisply played composed section gave way to a rather dark and menacing jam filled with both heavy guitar and vocal distortion.
The last of the evening’s debuts followed with “Prestige Worldwide” and seems to fit the classic mold of a moe. song in that it featured stellar guitar interplay between Schnier and Garvey and another heady solo from Loughlin on vibes before giving way to another frenzied improv jam showcasing the cohesiveness this outfit has built up over the course of their 27 year career. It remains to be seen what, if any, connection this song has to the movie Stepbrothers and Brennan and Dale’s international music corporation. And just as they did in the first set, moe. ended the second in classic style with a pairing of old school favorites. “Four” gave Garvey a chance to take lead on vocals and resulted in another jam that started out innocently enough and later ended with feverish guitar licks. Two great sets of music were capped off with a mild segue into longtime crowd favorite “Buster,” before Derhak thanked a fervently appreciative Capitol Theatre crowd.
Not missing out on one last chance to ramp up the holiday spirit, the moe. bassist emerged in full Santa garb for the encore which featured a fantastic cover choice in The Kinks’ “Father Christmas” and one last nod to the holiday album in “We’re A Couple Of Misfits,” the band’s interpretation of Hermey’s and Rudolph’s song of outcast from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. With a fantastic night of music in the books and a very successful food drive accomplished, one can only hope this is the start of a new holiday tradition for Port Chester and The Capitol Theatre, one of the more aesthetically pleasing and intimate venues the metropolitan area has to offer.
moe. ~ 12/03/16 ~ The Capitol Theatre ~ Port Chester, NY
Set 1: New York City, Linus & Lucy#, Head > Zed Naught Z > Head, Oh Hanukah##, Angel^, Recreational Chemistry
Set 2: Puebla > Don’t Wanna Be^^, Carol Of The Bells%, Downward Facing Dog, Prestige Worldwide%%, Four > Buster
Encore: Father Christmas+, We’re A Couple Of Misfits++
# LTP > 12/13/13
## LTP > 12/06/13
^ FTP > (original – al. song)
^^ FTP > (original – jim. song)
% LTP > 12/09/13
%% FTP > (original – rob. song – working title)
+ FTP > (cover – The Kinks)
++ LTP > 12/07/13 -
Interview with Michelangelo Carubba of Turkuaz, Performing at Putnam Den with The New Mastersounds
Nothing beats a night filled with funk—something the Putnam Den knows all too well. This time around on December 6, multi-talented, power funk collective Turkuaz, with drummer Michelangelo Carubba, will come together with old souls at heart, The New Mastersounds, ready to demonstrate their deep seeded talents for an Upstate New York crowd on a Tuesday night.
Turkuaz, a sizable group containing talent just as abundant as its 9-piece lineup, has explored their extensive vault of instruments, gripping vocals and dance moves each night during their 40+ co-headlining tour dates. While some might think that’s a tough act to follow, or open up for in this case, The New Mastersounds provide necessary balance to explosive dance music with their smooth tunes and classic style, crafted two decades ago directly from Leeds, UK.In conjunction with the country-spanning tour, the two outfits will come together to release a split 7” vinyl, where they take turns covering each other’s songs, while adding their own elements and sounds into the mix. Fans can also find tracks that feature the 80’s funk revolutionaries collaborating with the 4-piece smooth R&B and jazz fusion pioneers. The limited edition vinyl is now available to order, and will be exclusively available for pick up at merch tables on tour.
This co-headlining tour is sure to jam the roof off of any venue with its thick grooves, synchronized dancing and encapsulating performances, which has proven to be true so far with praised stops across the board in New Haven, Chicago, Lake Tahoe and more. Don’t miss their Putnam Den gig this Tuesday, December 6! Doors open at 8PM with a harmonious show to follow at 9PM. 18+ with a $5 surcharge for those under 21. Tickets are $17 in advance/ $20 day of show.
Ever wonder if anyone still uses ringback tones and if Mike Carubba of Turkuaz did, what it would be? I have the answer: “The Watcher” by Dr. Dre.
Q & A with Turkuaz drummer Michelangelo Carubba:
Alyssa Ladzinski: In today’s day of social media, things can blow up pretty fast. Can you explain how it felt when your performance video reached 2 million hits on Facebook?
Mike Carubba: It was exciting for us. It was the first time any of us had been a part of something that had gone viral like that. The international reach of something like that was the most exciting part for me. I had google translator working hard as I read thousands of comments from people all over the world.
AL: Being from Buffalo, NY yourself and the band being Brooklyn based, what did it mean to you guys and to your career to have your music soundtrack a New York Knicks game?
MC: That was another moment where we felt like the hard work was paying off, and the Knicks and the city of NYC sort of giving a nod to us, as being something uniquely “New York”, felt really gratifying. We’re a lucky band.
AL: You got your band name from a Turkish deli across the street from where Dave and Taylor used to live. They frequently bought Fantas—what flavor?
MC: I think Dave and Tay would dabble in all flavors Fanta. They like to really live on the edge.
AL: What’s one band you would love to tour with that you haven’t gotten the chance to? Last time NYS Music interviewed you, you said Snarky Puppy but that has since been scratched off the list!MC: There’s a lot of cool music going on right now, so it’s hard to pick one band, but I think as a group we’re starting to really set our sights high, and look for a major tour to work with. Dave Matthews, Tedeschi Trucks, the Stones would all be amazing.AL: In conjunction with the tour, you and The New Mastersounds are releasing a 7″ split vinyl where you cover each others songs and collaborate on others. What has been your favorite New Mastersounds song to cover so far? And what do you think theirs has been?MC: We’ve been playing their song, “On the Border,” and we’ve given it the P-Funk treatment, which is always fun for us. Eddie and the guys have been doing a really great job with our tune, “The Rules.” I’d like to think he’s been enjoying it.AL: As a drummer, do you have any specific brand loyalties?MC: Early on I was pointed in the right direction with the gear I used, and they’ve provided me with quality products for the last 20 years. Companies like Vic Firth drumsticks and DW hardware are companies I’ll be working with until I retire or my hands fall off, whichever happens first.AL: Let’s be honest, artists always have that one song or artist they despise playing. If any, what are yours?MC: If you ask me to play Lady Gaga, I will refuse.AL: What’s your favorite CD, vinyl or song purchase from 2016?MC: Josh Homme and Queens of the Stone Age released a live acoustic concert called Like Cologne, and anyone that knows me knows I’m a sucker for QOTSA. -
Cuomo Signs Ticket Bot Bill Into Law
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill this week that calls for harsher punishments for those using automated ‘Ticket Bot’ software to purchase large blocs of tickets for concerts and other events. These tickets often turn up on third party ticket resale sites such as Stub Hub minutes after purchase at a much higher markup.
✔️ Signed: Law to make the resale of tickets obtained via "ticket bots" illegal.
More info https://t.co/TD9l4Xpmcq
— Archive: Governor Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 28, 2016
The new law, sponsored by Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (D-Bronx) and Senator Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), makes using ticket “bots,” or willingly reselling tickets purchased using the software illegal in New York State.
The use of ticket bots was already illegal in New York but this law toughens penalties beyond the civil level. It carries with it a civil penalty of a $500-$1500 fine and forfeiture of any profit made for anyone reselling tickets purchased using “bots” and rises to the level of class A misdemeanor if the person knowingly uses “bot” software to purchase tickets with the intent to resell for profit. In a statement, Governor Cuomo said:
These unscrupulous speculators and their underhanded tactics have manipulated the marketplace and often leave New Yorkers and visitors alike with little choice but to buy tickets on the secondary market at an exorbitant mark-up. It’s predatory, it’s wrong and, with this legislation, we are taking an important step towards restoring fairness and equity back to this multi-billion dollar industry.
As reported by NYS Music in January, the issue of ticketing “bots” gained widespread attention when New York’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a report critical of the industry. Several states have anti-scalping laws on the books, but this new law provides the harshest penalties thus far.
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda issued a call this July, via a New York Times editorial, to get tough on ticket “bots.” In it, he praised the efforts of the AG and sponsoring legislators in pushing the bill through and called on Governor Cuomo to quickly sign the bill into law, which he did Wednesday.
At the federal level, Tuesday the Senate, passed the BOTS (Better Online Ticket Sales) Act of 2016. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be signed into law.
-
The Wizards of Winter Kick Off “Magic of Winter” Tour in Syracuse
The Wizards of Winter kicked off their 2016 “Magic of Winter” tour at the Crouse Hinds Theater in Syracuse, NY November 23. The performance was the night before Thanksgiving and while I can think of no better way to get into the holiday spirit than by listening to some rocking Christmas music, the crowd was very light. I guess people were busy prepping turkeys, welcoming out of town guests or traveling to their holiday destinations. It is a shame though because they missed an amazing show.
The Wizards of Winter is a massive ensemble that started as a Trans-Siberian Orchestra tribute band in 2009. The band quickly gained popularity and decided to write their own music and have since released two albums. The twelve-member band is made up of Scott Kelly, the musical director and amazing keyboardist, Scott’s wife Sharon Kelly on flute and vocals, Greg Smith from Ted Nugent on the bass, Fred Gorhau on lead guitar, Steve Ratchen on the bass, TW Durfy on guitar, Mary McIntyre, vocals and keyboard, Shawna Marie, vocals, Vinny Jiovino, vocals, Jenn Hamilton rocking the electric violin and former members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Tony Gaynor as the narrator, Guy LeMonnier, vocals and Tommy Ference on the drums. The massive sound that this talented collaborative produces is extraordinary.
My five year old son had the pleasure of joining my husband and I for this performance and he loved it. He was on the edge of his seat the entire time and despite it being way past his bedtime, he refused to leave early. He loved the narrator, Tony Gaynor, who took the stage in between songs to tell a quick tale about where the audience was traveling to next. He loved the epic guitar solos, Mrs. Claus popping through the crowd and gifting him a candy cane and of course the flying beach balls toward the end of the set. Despite a few opening night technical difficulties, the band smiled and kept playing. The vocals were powerful and awe inspiring, the violin and flute melded flawlessly, the guitars were fierce and the drums held everything together in perfect rhythm. This is Christmas music with backbone and I loved it.
Notable favorites of the almost three-hour set included: “Flight of the Snow Angels,” “Special Feeling,” “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (Savatage cover),” “March of the Metal Soldiers” and “Gales of December.” Thank you to the band who took the time to meet the fans and sign a poster for my son after the show. Thank you Fred Gorhau for giving my son his first guitar pick. The Wizards of Winter created a memory that will last a lifetime for my family and especially for our son.
[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”245″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_pro_slideshow” image_crop=”0″ image_pan=”1″ show_playback_controls=”1″ show_captions=”0″ caption_class=”caption_overlay_bottom” caption_height=”70″ aspect_ratio=”1.5″ width=”100″ width_unit=”%” transition=”fade” transition_speed=”1″ slideshow_speed=”5″ border_size=”0″ border_color=”#ffffff” ngg_triggers_display=”always” order_by=”pid” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]
-
Long Island’s Bête Noire Offers a Ska Twist on Christmas
Desmond Dekker, Dandy Livingston, The Clash, The Specials. These artists aren’t typically associated with Christmas. Long Island‘s Bête Noire is out to change that perception with the release of its new Christmas single, “A Message to Rudolph.”
The song is heavily influenced by The Specials’ 2 tone remake of Dandy Livingstone’s reggae classic “Rudy, A Message to You,” recalling the infamous rude boy reindeer’s tale of one foggy Christmas Eve in a campy video.Bête Noire is a music collective based in Long Island. Members of the collective appearing in the video play with the bands Oogee Wawa, Aqua Cherry, Radio 4 and Hot and Ugly.
Now that December has arrived, add a new carol to your playlist. You can download the single at Bête Noire’s Bandcamp page or through iTunes. Check the video below.