NYS Music 20​16

Tag: chromatropic

  • Dance 2016 Away in the Big Apple

    New Year’s Eve and New York City go hand-in-hand. While the celebration and ball drop in Times Square receive the most attention from people around the world, there are also a ton of musical happenings in the city, with Phish’s storied Big Apple New Year’s Eve run at Madison Square Garden, December 28 to 31, 2016 being one of the big highlights. Here’s a rundown of the shows happening, some billed as Phish after-parties and some shows worth mentioning on their own accord. There’s something for Phish fans and non-fans alike in the city during the days leading up to 2017.

    American Beauty, just a block from MSG, is hosting several Phish-related events. They kick off the run on Dec. 27 with a free show by Phish tribute band Jibooty and a late set from Escaper. The show starts at 7 p.m. The following four nights, they feature Phish pre-parties and after-parties. Dec. 28 sees PEAK and Gang of Thieves playing a pre-party at 4 p.m. for $5 and Particle and J. WAIL playing the after-party at 11:55 p.m. for $20. Dead Sessions plays tribute to the Grateful Dead for both the pre-party at 4 p.m. and after-party at 11:55 p.m. on Dec. 29. These shows are $20 each. Phanart presents a free pre-party on Dec. 30 with Formula 5 starting at 3 p.m. Spafford and the Magic Beans play two nights on Dec. 30 and 31 after Phish. They start at 11:55 p.m. and are $25 for each night. The pre-party on Dec. 31 features the Stella Blues Band paying tribute to the Grateful Dead at 4 p.m. with a $15 cover.

    DROM in the East Village hosts two Phish after-parties on Dec. 28 and 29. Aqueous plays the 28th with Mungion. The show starts at midnight with tickets at $12.50 in advance or $17 at the door. The 29th sees lespecial with Chromatropic. The show starts at 11:30 p.m. with tickets going for $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

    The Cutting Room, a handful of blocks from MSG, is also hosting several Phish parties, all presented by CEG. Elise Testone brings her “Thankful for Amy” tribute to Amy Winehouse with several special guests for an early show at 8 p.m. and a Phish after-party at midnight on Dec. 28. Tickets for both are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Kung Fu plays an after-party on Dec. 29 at midnight with tickets at $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Holly Bowling pays tribute to Phish and the Grateful Dead through her solo piano work at pre-parties on Dec. 30 and 31. The shows start at 4 p.m. with tickets running $15 in advance or $20 at the door. The Marcus King Band plays the after-party on Dec. 30 at midnight. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

    The Brooklyn Bowl has a series of shows leading up to the new year. Zeppelin Bowl, featuring Gene Ween, Scott Ian and John Medeski, takes place on Dec. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 and still available. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead plays a sold out show on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. Late night on the 29th is Talib Kweli performing a DJ set at midnight for $10. Kamasi Washington and the Budos Band are playing Dec. 30 and New Year’s Eve. Tickets are $40 for the 30th and $65 to $75 for New Year’s Eve. Both shows start at 8:30 p.m. Sleigh Bells is playing a DJ set late night at midnight on the 30th for $15 with Animal Collective doing the same on New Year’s Eve for $20 to $25.

    Being New York City, there are plenty of other shows taking place that are worth checking out. See below for a rundown.

    Wednesday, Dec. 28
    PEAK with Gang of Thieves @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $5 *
    Zeppelin Bowl feat. Gene Ween, Scott Ian, John Medeski @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $20
    “Thankful for Amy” with Elise Testone @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 8 p.m. & 12 a.m. – $20 each #
    Aqueous with Mungion @ DROM (East Village) – 12 a.m. – $17 #
    Particle with J. WAIL @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $20 #
    Madaila @ Arlene’s Grocery (Lower East Side) – 11:55 p.m. – $10 #
    Hayley Jane and the Primates do Bowie @ Lucille’s at B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 11:59 p.m. – $10 #

    Thursday, Dec. 29
    Harlem Gospel Choir @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 12:30 p.m. – $30
    Dead Sessions @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. & 11:55 p.m. – $20 each * #
    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $40
    Dar Williams @ The Bell House (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $25-$30
    The Skints with The Far East and Rude Boy George @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $20
    The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 9 p.m. – $30
    Start Making Sense @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 11 p.m. – $20
    lespecial with Chromatropic @ DROM (East Village) – 12 a.m. – $15 #
    Kung Fu @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 12 a.m. – $20 #
    Talib Kweli (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $10

    Friday, Dec. 30
    Formula 5 @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 3 p.m. – free *
    Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $20 *
    David Wax Museum with Auld Lang Syne @ Mercury Lounge (Lower East Side) – 6:30 p.m. – $20
    Tower of Power @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. – $45 each
    Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 8 p.m. – $45
    Gov’t Mule @ Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) – 8 p.m. – $50-$60
    Kamasi Washington with The Budos Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $40
    The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 9 p.m. – $30
    Cymbals Eat Guitars with Haybaby @ Mercury Lounge (Lower East Side) – 10:30 p.m. – $20
    Pink Talking Fish plays Animals @ Gramercy Theater (Gramercy/Flatiron) – 11 p.m. – $29.50 #
    Spafford with The Magic Beans @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $25 #
    Sprocket with Kabina @ The Bitter End (Greenwich Village) – 12 a.m. #
    The Marcus King Band @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 12 a.m. – $20 #
    Sleigh Bells (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $15

    Saturday, Dec. 31
    Stella Blues Band @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $15 *
    Holly Bowling @ The Cutting Room (Midtown) – 4 p.m. – $20 *
    Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 8 p.m. – $60
    Rainer Maria with Snail Mail @ Saint Vitus (Brooklyn) – 8 p.m. – $25
    Kamasi Washington with The Budos Band @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 8:30 p.m. – $65-$75
    Gov’t Mule @ Beacon Theatre (Upper West Side) – 9 p.m. – $65-$75
    Guided by Voices @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn) – 9 p.m. – $70
    The Lone Bellow @ Bowery Ballroom (Lower East Side) – 10 p.m. – $40
    All-Star James Brown Dance Party @ Gramercy Theater (Gramercy/Flatiron) – 12 a.m. – $35 #
    Spafford with The Magic Beans @ American Beauty (Midtown) – 11:55 p.m. – $25 #
    Animal Collective (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn) – 12 a.m. – $20-$25
    Snarky Puppy @ Irving Plaza (Gramercy/Flatiron) – Doors 1 a.m. – $35 #
    The New Deal @ B.B. King’s (Times Square) – 1:30 a.m. – $30 #

    * Billed as Phish pre-party
    # Billed as Phish after-party

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJyf5NqiMNE[/embedyt]

  • Best of NYS Music 2016: Staff and Reader Picks for Albums of the Year

    In NYS Music tradition, as we count down the final days of 2016, we reminisce about the hours we’ve spent obsessing over music. Whether planning wild road trips to chase bands whose music feeds our souls, frequenting our favorite venues and exploring new ones, head banging to heavy jams and accidentally spilling drinks, dancing with strangers and making new friends, music is a common thread that unites us. Now it’s time to reflect on the soundtrack of 2016 and recognize the music that carried us through another revolution around the sun.

    We polled the staff and asked our readers for their input in ten categories: Best Albums by NYS Artists, Best Albums Overall, Best Shows by Region, Best Venues in NYS, Biggest Musical Loss, Best Live Cover or Tribute Performances, Best NYS Festivals, Best Out-of-State Festivals, Best Music Town, and Bands on the Rise. Throughout the week we will present two categories a day highlighting the top picks. We’ll kick things off with Best Albums by NYS Artists and Best Album, Overall. Here we go!

    Best Albums by NYS Artists

    Receiving the most votes, Aqueous’ EP Best in Show was voted in as the top album of 2016. The Buffalo rock quartet released the record in October and it stands as “a four song reflection not only of the band’s time without a permanent drummer, but also a glimpse into the band’s future as drummer Rob Houk melts into the Aqueous groove with fluid rhythm that feels as if he’s always been here.”

    NYS Music writer Kat Horton’s review offers this commentary:

    “The four songs are highlighted by tiny nuggets of rightness; lyrically, musically and in its production Best in Show turns a pointed spotlight on how much Aqueous has grown in the two years since their last studio release. But more importantly, Best in Show is Aqueous’ resolve from the challenges they have faced and proves their tenacity to move forward while solidifying their line-up.”

    This year our readers were in agreement with which NY artist released the best album, nominating Aqueous as their top choice. Queens-based hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest’s We Got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service and Brooklyn’s psychedelic funk band Chromatropic and their recent release, Abundance were also favored.

    A handful of NYS albums deserving honorable mention in the staff vote include: Funktional Flow’s Time Will Tell, TAUK’s Sir Nebula, A Tribe Called Quest’s We Got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, Seymour’s Seymour, and Vaporeyes’ Golden Baron.

    Best Albums Overall

    Though Phish’s live albums are what usually garner attention, this year their release of Big Boat left an impression on fans and the “13th studio recording is the most genre bending album they have released.”

    NYS Music’s Neil Benjamin Jr. offered this review, commenting:

    “Ever think Phish would start off a studio album with a sort of Brit-pop-punk sounding song? Me either, but that’s exactly what the band did by kicking off Big Boat with the Jon Fishman song “Friends,” which is the perfect lead-in to an album by a band that has built its fanbase by throwing it curveballs.”

    A Tribe Called Quest’s album We Got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service also received recognition in this year’s poll. Smart lyrics and slick beats produced by this socially conscious group offers a dialogue that resonates with many listeners and “once again, the group has created something one of a kind a revolutionary, that listeners can only hope will inspire other artists to follow in Tribe’s footsteps.”

    In a review of the album, NYS Music’s Dave Ostroff remarks,

    “The production value of this album is immaculate. It feels like listening to a remastered, never released album, because Tribe led the public to believe their fifth album was their last breaking up in 1998. And even without all of the original members, their sound is still effortless and always moving.”

    Bon Iver’s 22, A Million melts his hauntingly sweet voice into a pool of shockingly experimental effects that stings the ears with intrigue. “While experimenting with the auto-tune and synthetics, Bon Iver explores the world beyond the conventional three-minute song while staying true to himself.”

    NYS Music writer Sammy Steiner reviewed the album, offering:

    “The controversial album that is 22, A Million was successful in reinventing Bon Iver to the extent that he is compared to the works of Kayne West and Frank Ocean. With this album, Bon Iver reaffirms his ability to remain of interest to our scattered millennial generation and the contemporary world.”

    According to our readers, Aqueous also took the top slot for Best Album, while Metallica’s Hardwired… To Self Destruct and Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool were also popular choices.

    Other notable contenders that have earned honorable mention for Best Albums chosen by our staff include: Jimkata’s In Motion, Childish Gambino’s Awaken, My Love!, Kiefer Sutherland’s Down in a Hole, TAUK’s Sir Nebula, Twiddle’s Plump: Chapter One, and Lotus’ Eat the Light.

    Of course we wish we could highlight even more albums and celebrate all of the amazing music released this year, but stay tuned throughout the week for the remaining Best of NYS Music results to be released!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hZCsgcKa-g

  • Rock n Roll Resort Releases Schedule, Announces Artists at Large

    Rock n Roll Resort v6 “Low Key” has released their schedule for this weekend’s festivities and with hardly any overlapping sets, there’s no excuse to not get down with your friends this weekend in the Catskills!

    On Friday night, things get started in the Acoustic Lounge with some Phish via Uncle Ebenezer, along with Cousin Earth’s funky earth sounds, and Outer Style. The Empire Lounge heats up with Fat Bradley in the Empire Lounge and some funk shortly after via Formula 5. Hayley Jane and the Primates kick off the night in the Manhattan Theatre, followed by the first of three Max Creek sets this weekend. The music doesn’t stop until dawn with Roxy Roca, Teddy Midnight and Funkadelic Astronaut stretchin the night until day.

    Saturday has music starting at 11am for the early risers! Don’t miss Goose, Black Mountain Symphony and Mister F as they start your day off right. New England favorites The Kind Buds start their set promptly at 4:20, right before Master of Ceremonies Honeycomb demonstrates some of the best beatboxing in the Northeast. Two more sets of Max Creek and a pair from West End Blend span the night in the Theater, while Clevland’s Broccoli Samuari hits the Lounge at 10pm, followed by Chromatropic and Space Bacon. Don’t miss psychedelic duo The Balkun Brothers or The Other Brothers (no relation), the latter hailing from nearby New Paltz and ready to fill your ears with soul.

    Artists at Large include members of Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan, Danny “Soul Train” Meyer and Mary Corso.  Danny is a founding member of On The Spot Trio, and is currently with Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan & formerly of Alan Evans’ Playonbrother (2012-2015). Mary Corso, the lead vocalist for Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan & founding member of her own band Broca’s Area. Mary and Danny have recently worked together in a new project called Danny Mayer Trio featuring members of Turkuaz & Nth Power.