Talking Under Water takes us on a journey that some of us know too well: the winding path to recovering a broken heart. At times achingly candid, the overall tone of the album is triumphant, featuring big choruses and soulful vocals that stir the intricate songwriting. Talking Under Water is a five-piece outfit hailing from Rochester. Their namesake debut LP is a great premise for what we can expect from this promising group.
After Dave Chisholm received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Eastman School of Music for jazz trumpet in 2013, he found himself returning to his roots of singer-songwriter. The project began to take on life when he decided to put together a band. He elicited help from fellow former Eastman students Elise Hughey (cello), Alex Patrick (guitar) and Joe Parker (drums).
“I really think cello lends itself well to the type of songs I tend to write–these reflective, melancholy, lyrical things–so I asked Elise to play,” Chisholm told NYS Music. “She has both her Bachelors and Master’s Degrees from Eastman, as well. In any project she’s a part of, Elise really puts everything she has into it.”
While Parker and Patrick’s contributions live on with this LP, Talking Under Water now features Colin Gordon (piano), Matt Bevan-Perkins (drums) and Samantha Thomas (vocals). According to Chisholm, there are plans in stow to record this summer with the current line-up.
The group recorded in December of 2015 at Temperamental Studios in Geneseo, NY. A large portion of the LP was recorded live; and Grammy Award winner Stephen Roessner produced and mixed the record. Violinists Marja Alanen and Molly Werts McDonald, and violinist Ben Magruder joined them in the recording studio, along with jazz trombonist Brendan Lanighan and Matthew Sieber-Ford on tenor saxophone.
One of the driving forces of this record is to give people a guiding path in times of trouble. “I just think about the hard times I’ve had, the struggles I’ve faced with regards to my own mental health–it seems like sad songs really serve such a strong purpose for those times in our lives,” Chisholm wrote. “So often the overwhelming feeling during dark times is one of isolation, and sad songs tell me that I’m not alone. The message is ultimately one of empathy. I hope listeners find this music cathartic when times are hard, and point the way for a more hopeful tomorrow, even on just a personal level.”
The album begins with an alluring piano tune, and Chisholm’s voice quickly follows in the first track, “Lost,” which has the first big chorus that could be seen as the band’s signature sound. The interplay of instruments and artistic melody exhibits the diligence the band poured forth while producing the record. The second track, “We Used to Dream,” blends the horn section seamlessly into their sound. “Days Like Today” shows Beatles inspiration, while the piano certainly adds a wonderful element to the building melody. Finally, the track “Gravity” is an acoustic melody, eventually backed by Hughey with stirring cello, where Chisholm once again displays his wide vocal range.
The album will be released on Friday, April 28, 2017. To pre-order your copy today, visit here. Talking Under Water will hold an album release show on April 29 at The Little Theater in Rochester. For more information, go here.
Key Tracks: Lost, Days Like Today, If My Body Freezes
The Heavy Pets and Backup Planet will co-headline their spring 2017 tour, which will kick off March 17 at High Dive in Gainesville, Florida, and run until the end of April, right before festival season kicks off.
The tour will have a few N.Y. dates, including March 15, at Funk ‘n’ Waffles Downtown in Syracuse, March 19, at the Brooklyn Bowl, presented by Relix, and March 21, at the Hollow in Albany.
Other dates include an Atlanta date at Aisle 5 on March 31, Gypsy Sally’s in Washington, D.C. on March 13 and Milkboy Philly on March 14, right before their N.Y. run, which is then followed by more dates in the South at the Raleigh Pourhouse on March 26, and Revelry Room in Chattanooga, TN on March 28.
Florida quintet, the Heavy Pets, are Jeff Lloyd (guitar/vocals), Mike Garulli (guitar/harmonica/vocals), Jim Wuest (keyboard/vocals), Jamie Newitt (drums/vocals) and Tony D’Amato (bass). While they are described as an American rock band, their sound is made unique through a blend of reggae and funk. Their vocals are addicting and soothing, with an exemplary song craft that pulls it all together. Their double-disc debut album was an instant sensation on Sirius XM radio back in 2007, and they have continued to expand their fan base over the years through extensive touring.
Backup Planet is Ben Cooper (keys/vocals), Chris Potocik (drums/vocals), Gavin Donati (guitar/vocals), and Blake Gallant (bass/vocals). Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, this quartet’s sound is a progressive funk-rock jam that mixes in other special elements like jazz, roots, electronic, and blues. Their performances are a live experimentation for how to improvise those elements into an unforgettable show, which has kept fans coming back for more and more, as their repertoire grows.
Rock n Roll Resort: v7 returns this year Friday, March 31 to Sunday, April 2 at the Hudson Valley Resort in Kenhonkson, NY.
The weekend will feature three full sets from New Orleans trio, the Nth Power, and two full sets from Pink Talking Fish. Additional artists on the bill include Beau Sasser Trio, Madaila, the Primate Fiasco, Gang of Thieves, Cousin Earth, Goose and SkyDaddy.
Orchard Lounge’s Ben Silver has been announced as the special late-night VIP act, or “Lounge Set.”
More acts, special guests and roaming artists are yet to be announced. Stay tuned for updates.
Event planner and organizer, Shannon Plaquet has high hopes for this year’s event.
We’re on our seventh year, and we’ve really fine-tuned things more and more with each successive event. Last year’s ‘Low Key’ event showed us how much our guests truly care about the family atmosphere and the intimate environment. It’s absolutely about the music, but rekindling with your peers seems to be how our guests truly want to start off the festival season. Rock n Roll Resort isn’t a festival, and we never had a playbook for ‘Throwing an indoor resort-party.’
For more information on rooms and packages, activities and directions, please visit the event’s webiste here.
The 120th annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival will take place this year on Feb. 3-12. NYS Music is proud to present the 10 day line-up for The Waterhole Upstairs Music Lounge, which will feature 16 acts of both local artists and national touring acts.
The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival is the longest-running event of its kind in the eastern U.S. Originally established in 1897, the event has since grown into the 10-day celebration that it is today.
The Primate Fiasco uses instruments that are loud without electricity, giving them the opportunity to attack at any moment, in any location, with or without permission. No one is safe, not even an elevator or city bus. If the Primate Fiasco sees a dull moment somewhere, they will pop out of the nearest sewer drain or trash can to lead an irresistible dance party.
On stage, the sound is different. This band has pioneered what is possible with mind-bending accordion, funky pockets of a hyperactive Sousaphone player, and banjo that thinks it’s a Fender Strat. Add lyrics that grab hold of even the most inattentive audience and beats that channel surf like a remote that’s been sat upon. The music is always high energy and extremely imaginative. Most importantly, this is fun. People smile from the first beat to the last smoldering ash of what was previously a dance floor.
Annie in the Water’s music is a groovy combination of reggae, funk, rock, blues and jam, written with a conscious dose of positive vibes, unique melodies and intelligent lyrics. With the ability to fill an entire night with original music and also render well-known covers into a signature style, fans share extraordinary experiences that can’t be seen anywhere else.
After nine years performing more than 600 shows in over 13 states, the original duo of founding members Brad Hester and Michael Lashomb also lead a full band that will shock your soul into euphoria. The full band line-up includes featured members Joshua West (formerly of Lucid) on drums/percussion, Dillon Goodfriend (Fox Richardson) on keys/backing and Anthony Leombruno (Capital Zen) on Bass. Occasionally the lineup may feature percussionist Bill Bentz (Exit 30) and various woodwind or brass members.
Lucid decided to take a hiatus from touring in early 2016, after 13 years on the road. The band’s culminating performance in April captivated a sold out crowd at the newly renovated Strand Theater, in their hometown of Plattsburgh NY. Lucid’s only other appearance last year was at their home festival Backwoods Pondfest in Peru, NY. One of the reasons the band wanted to take a break from touring was so they could slow down and be more deliberate in their choice of venues and events. When asked about playing Winter Carnival in Saranac Lake, Lowell Wurster said “All the guys were really excited at the idea. We have been playing the Waterhole for many years, and we love Saranac Lake and the people who live there. We always have a blast up in the mountains; it truly is our second home.” In addition to a genuine love for the Adirondacks, the Waterhole has special meaning to Lucid because of its proprietors, Eric & Kiki. “They have done a stellar job keeping the music alive up there. The bands they are bringing in have raised the bar in the North Country music scene, and we are so excited to be a part of what they are creating. We want to help them keep the momentum building, ”
Eastbound Jesus draws on a mix of diverse influences from the worlds of bluegrass, country and rock and roll to develop their own sound that is at the same time distinctly familiar and completely original, one that they have dubbed “Northern Rock,” These six friends from the rural upstate New York town of Greenwich have released four studio albums and a live album over the past five years, all while packing venues across the northeast with an infectious energy that gets people smiling, dancing, and hollerin’!
Donna the Buffalo just celebrated their 25th year as a band and have proven to be a consistent purveyor of American music. What’s the recipe? To be sure, it’s infused with more spices than you’ll find at a Cajun cookout by way of a southern-fried, rockin’ country old-time jamboree. “For the dizzying array of styles and genres with which they work, Donna The Buffalo maintain a surprising level of consistency. The New York-based band has played around with folk, zydeco, and many other musical ideas over the course of their 25-year career, but they retain a sharp focus that has helped them create some truly lasting music,” writes Elmore Magazine.
If any band is a poster child for turning the power of positive thoughts and intention into reality, it’s the explosive horn-and-percussion trio Moon Hooch. In just a few short years, the group—Wilbur, fellow horn player Wenzl McGowen, and drummer James Muschler—has gone from playing on New York City subway platforms to touring with the likes of Beats Antique, They Might Be Giants, and Lotus, as well as selling out their own headline shows in major venues around the country. On Red Sky, their third and most adventurous album to date, the band uses everything they’ve learned from their whirlwind journey to push their sound to new heights, bringing together the raw, transcendent energy of their live performances and the sleek sophistication of their studio work into a singular, intoxicating brew that blends elements of virtuoso jazz, groovy funk, and pulse-pounding electronic dance music.
Currently based out of Massachusetts, the vocal cord conductor known as Honeycomb has quickly risen to the top of the food chain of northeast beatboxers, placing 13th in the 2015 American Beatbox Championships. With a unique approach as an equally versed music producer, and a frequent collaborator in both the live and studio settings, Honeycomb has built a sound fan base for himself through original productions and ear popping performances.
Jiggawaltz is a six piece band hailing from Burlington, VT and Upstate NY focused on performance, engaging their audience with tightly woven compositions and elegant sections of improvisation. Fusing together many influences including classic rock, funk, electronic dance music, Latin jazz, soul, disco, and metal to create a unique pallet of sounds sure to entertain audiences from all walks of life. With original songs that uniquely decorate time with melody and harmony and a large repertoire of covers, Jiggawaltz often blends songs together to create a rich collage of sound.
Spirit Family Reunion is a touring band based out of New York that aims to deliver raw, high-energy honest music. They have self-produced and self-released two full-length albums (No Separation in 2012 and Hands Together in 2015) as well as multiple songbooks and other collections of recordings.
Folkfaces is a group out of Buffalo, NY that plays a rowdy blend of rootsy folk, jazz, and blues, fusing classic forms with contemporary feelings and irresistibly danceable energy. Their inspiration comes from the mountains of Appalachia to the deltas of Mississippi, the swamps of Louisiana to the concrete jungle of the Rustbelt. Specializing in merriment and sticking it to the system, Folkfaces make the crowd dance and the hierarchy shatter.
Swampcandy is an internationally touring, primitive blues influenced Americana duo. Ruben Dobbs’ aggressive finger-picking and rhythmic style (which often adds up to sounding like more than one guitar) combined with Joey Mitchell’s bass playing, pounding kick drum and percussive bass throttling (representing the presence of a full drum kit) easily fill up the sonic space normally created by a trio or even a four-piece. Dobbs’ soulful, passionate vocals are the glue that holds it all together and makes the band tick.
Since their conception, ten piece funk/soul band West End Blend has been playing their version of funk and soul in venues all over the Northeast. Fronted by vocalist Erica Bryan, the band pays homage to classic throwback sounds while adding their own distinct vibe and flair. Behind her, the Blend packs a four-piece horn section, two guitars, bass, keyboards and drums onto stages every night. From humble beginnings in an epic sweaty funky basement dance party, the Blend’s goal has always been to bring that same atmosphere to every show.
To understand Bella’s Bartok, imagine what you would get if Salvador Dali and Toulouse Lautrec were fronting the Moulin Rouge’s house band, and you have the exuberant spectacle that is Bella’s Bartok. Described as “about as much fun as you can have with your pants on” (Dan Wolovick, Two Way Monologues), this six-piece powerhouse melds Bohemian Klezmer punk with pop sensibilities into an eminently danceable party. The diversity of musicians that make up Bella’s Bartok, combined with their boundless energy on stage, has been known to break a dance floor, or two (or three, but who’s counting?). Their sound moves way beyond labels, pushing the envelope towards the darker side of Eastern European music, referencing Vaudeville and 20th century eclecticism.
February 12– Folkfaces
Folkfaces is a group out of Buffalo, NY that plays a rowdy blend of rootsy Folk, Jazz, and Blues – fusing classic forms with contemporary feelings and irresistibly danceable energy. Their inspiration comes from the mountains of Appalachia to the deltas of Mississippi, the swamps of Louisiana to the Concrete Jungle of the Rustbelt. Specializing in merriment and sticking it to the system, Folkfaces make the crowd dance and the hierarchy shatter.
On Friday, Jan. 20, the 6th Annual Wintercourse will be held at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn for an evening with some of the area’s top acts, known as The Brooklyn Jam Syndicate: Teddy Midnight, Cousin Earth, Space Bacon and Chromatropic.
The evening will kick off with Teddy Midnight taking the stage at 8:30 p.m. Teddy Midnight delivers a mix of progressive rock, drum and bass, jazz and downtempo at their shows; a self-titled genre they term as “Electro-Dance-Funk.” They’ve played sold out shows at other prominent NYC establishments like Irving Plaza, Brooklyn Bowl, Gramercy Theater and Bowery Ballroom. They’ve shared the stage with Dopapod, Consider the Source, The Werks, Twiddle and other successful touring acts.
Cousin Earth will take the stage at 9:45 p.m. Cousin Earth is a progressive ukulele rock band, and you can expect anything from bluegrass to electronica from this Brooklyn act with a wide repertoire of both original and cover songs. They have played over 170 shows throughout the Northeast United States, from Maine to Pennsylvania, and have shared the stage with other acts like Melvin Seals and the Jerry Garcia Band, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Future Folk, Andy Frasco, Rustic Overtones, and many more. Their full-length album is set to be released sometime this year.
Space Bacon will take over at 11 p.m. to keep the evening going. This local four-piece act will bring their own version of progressive electronica & funk rock. The name “Space Bacon” emerged from the love of Kevin Bacon and Kevin Spacey. At the end of 2016, the group released a “Best of 2016” digital album of their best performances of the year.
Rounding off the evening, Chromatropic will be the last act at 12:15 a.m. Their sound is described as “live organic neo-psychedelia,” and they deliver a truly original show that you don’t want to miss.
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