On a frigid Saturday night in the early part of March, many brave New Yorkers left their cozy warm homes and made their way to the Homer Center for the Arts to see a band called Scythian. Known to many bluegrass, Americana, and Celtic fans, this high intensity band had yet to cross my path. I was anxious to see what they were all about.
Currently based out of the Washington, DC area, they personally describe their style as Celtic, gypsy, Americana, and punk; and I believe that’s a pretty accurate description of their eclectic sound. With a history of eastern European ancestry, bluegrass influences of their region, and love of Celtic music, the blend is seamless and energy highly intense. With fiddle, accordion, bass, penny whistle, percussion and guitar to name a few of the instruments to accompany, they quickly escalated the heat in the room. It took them no time at all to get the crowd to their feet in the beautiful venue that once was a church. Dancing in the isles outside the pews and in the balconies, the packed crowd stomped and clapped and danced the night away.
With brothers Alex and Dan Fedoryka, Nolan Ladewski, newcomer Fritz McGirr, and Thomas Pillon filling in for sister Larissa Fedoryka, this band demonstrated their multiple musical skills, charming personalities, and energetic stage presence throughout the entire evening. All night long I couldn’t tell who was having more fun, the band or the audience.
With a six-year absence from the area, Scythian was warmly welcomed back to New York on one of the coldest nights around, and I personally hope their return is much sooner as they now are one of my favorite live bands to see. Scythian, where have you been all my life?
Set 1: Lagan Love, Scratchbox Reel, My Son John, Wisemaid Set, Paint This Town, Gypsy Fiddle, Hey Mama Ya, Go Lovely Rose, Drums of Belfast, Jump at the Sun, Road to Galway, New York Girls
Set 2: Far Away, New Reel, I Will Go, Stop the Show, End of the Street, Leaving of Liverpool, The Ocean, Danny Boy, Same Old Man, Plackets, Girl Named You, Caeli, Dance All Night, Those Were the Days
The eight-piece powerhouse that is St. Paul & The Broken Bones took the stage at The Egg in Albany on Sunday, March 5 in classic soul – R&B fashion, with the lights dimmed and front man Paul Janeway cloaked in a cape. As the sound of “Crumbling Light Posts, Part 1” built to a crescendo, he shed the cape as the band exploded into their next number, in which Janeway sang “Just flow with it.” It was good advice. Janeway and the Broken Bones took the audience on quite a journey, from funk to earth shaking shouts to heartbreaking soul music, changing tempo and dynamics while the attendees’ enthusiasm continued to build.
The group consists of Chad Fisher on trombone, Allen Branstetter on trumpet, Jason Mingledorff on saxophone and flute, drummer Andrew Lee, bassist Jesse Phillips, guitarist Browan Lollar, and Al Gamble on organ and piano, with Paul Janeway on lead vocals. A consummate showman clad in a leopard print jacket and pants with gold shoes, Janeway pulled out all the stops, dropping to his knees, rolling on the floor, shimmying and sliding all over the stage, and doing a crowd walk halfway up and across the theater during the emotionally wrenching “Broken Bones and Pocket Change.” The band changed gears once again, following up with the crowd singing and dancing to “Call Me.” The bulk of the set was from 2016’s Sea of Noise, but there were a few remarkable cover songs. During the encore, a fan called out for some Otis Redding. Janeway responded that the band hadn’t played the song yet on this tour, but led them into a showstopping rendition of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.” Despite over ninety minutes of music and a four song encore, St. Paul & The Broken Bones adhered to one more bit of showmanship – always leave the audience wanting more.
Opening act Aaron Lee Tasjan captured the audience’s attention before he even played a note, taking the stage bedecked in a black and white star-spangled suit, silver boots, and a wide brimmed cowboy hat.
He led his trio through an eight song set peppered with humor and story telling between songs. The songs were from his 2016 album Silver Tears, released on the New West Records label. Describing him as alt-country, or folk rock with a gritty undertone, doesn’t completely tell the story. Some songs, including “Little Movies” had an ethereal Brian Ferry / Electric Light Orchestra vibe, and Tasjan certainly showed his considerable guitar skills on “Ready to Die” and also when he was invited onstage for an encore with the headliners for a cover of David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.” You should put both of these acts on your list of artists to listen to and go see live.
Set Lists:
Aaron Lee Tasjan: Out of My Mind, Little Movies, Memphis Rain, Lucinda’s Room, 12 Bar Blues, Where the Road Begins and Ends, Ready to Die, Success
St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Crumbling Light Posts, Pt. 1, Flow With It (You Got Me Feeling Like), Like a Mighty River, I’ll Be Your Woman, Tears in the Diamond, All I Ever Wonder, I’m Torn Up, Unknown (band instrumental), Brain Matter, Waves, Midnight on the Earth, I’ve Been Working (Van Morrison cover), Broken Bones & Pocket Change, Call Me, Sanctify
Encore: Is It Me?, I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (Otis Redding cover), Moonage Daydream (David Bowie cover, joined by Aaron Lee Tasjan), Burning Rome
The Cincinnati, OH based band Telehope released their debut and self-produced album Chasing Dreams on January 1 of this year. Lengthwise, the group’s eight-track album fits in between some people’s description of an EP and a full-length album. With that being said, Telehope most certainly does not lack content as each song showcases the best of what this up and coming band has to offer our thriving music scene.
This quintet, consisting of Mark Brad, Adolph Goetz, Ben Malson, Nate Trammel and Brett Sackenheim, combines each of their individual talents to create the sound that is Telehope. In most of today’s music, musical interludes seem to be less prevalent than they used to be. Telehope has thankfully not fallen into this trap and utilizes the emotional power of instrumental outros in songs such as “Joy” and “Have My Heart”.
They have also effectively matched a song’s musical mood with a title’s intended meaning as seen in “Insomnia,” the third track on their album. “Ghost” is another interestingly arranged song as it begins stripped down with merely vocals and ukulele. Near the end, just as you think the song is beginning to wind down, the volume of all the instruments and vocals drastically increases for a split second catching the listener (certainly myself) off-guard. Though at first I questioned this creative choice, I came to the conclusion that it added an element of surprise ‘coincidentally’ reflecting the purpose of the song’s title.
Pulling from influences that are visible in their music such as Walk the Moon and The 1975, this indie/pop band hopes to shine positivity through their music and succeeds in doing just that with their first album.
Key Tracks: Joy, Have My Heart, Ghost, Chasing Dreams
Gorillaz, the Grammy-winning virtual band co-created by multi-instrumentalist Damon Albarn and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998, has laid plans for its own festival, which is to be called Demon Dayz Festival, after its second album. While the lineup has yet to be released, this is slated to be Gorillaz’ first live performance since the conclusion of 2010’s Escape to Plastic Beach Tour in Auckland, New Zealand.
At that show Albarn warned fans that it might be the last ever for Gorillaz, so today’s news comes as a sigh of relief for Gorillaz fans worldwide, who, for several years now, have been inundated with rumours of Albarn and Hewlett’s falling-out, delayed releases, and other speculation.
The announcement comes following an increase in social media activity by the band, which has included biographies for the band’s four virtual members—2D, Murdoc Niccals, Russell Hobbs, and Noodle—a revised timeline of the band’s history, and the January release of “Hallelujah Money,” a single featuring Benjamin Clementine. While an album of new material has been in the works for a couple of years, a 2017 release now appears to be imminent. Check out the video for “Hallelujah Money” here.
The single-day Demon Dayz Festival is scheduled for June 10 in Margate, England at the Dreamland amusement park. Tickets are now available starting at £60.00, with priority entry tickets for £70.00. Tickets include full access to the park’s rides. RedBull TV will also live stream the festival. Click here to visit the Demon Dayz website for tickets and more information.
Friday, March 3: the first Sunday of Lent. In Buffalo, that normally means every restaurant has their take on fish fries out and people are trying to better themselves through personal sacrifice. However, those attending The Waiting Room that evening found themselves in a very party-friendly environment. One that resulted in a lot of spilled beer on the floor. But given that the band was from Australia, a country known for their heavy drinking, it seemed only fitting. And it also seemed fitting that the band, The Griswolds, named for the Vacation film series family often driven to their limits, was the main event.
The Griswolds hail from Sydney, Australia and were on tour behind their new album, High Times for Low Lives. The lineup, made of Christopher Whitehall on lead vocals and guitar, Daniel Duque-Perez on keyboards and guitar, Tim John on bass and Lachlan West on drums, claim to be inspired by the likes of 2000’s indie bands Vampire Weekend, MGMT, and Of Montreal along with Kanye West and the Beach Boys.
Whitehall definitely gives off the impression of an Australian man, with a scruffy head of long hair along with a somewhat trimmed beard. His thick accent when he spoke to the crowd was the common kind of slurred speech people often expect to hear from Australians. That sort of made his open attempts of getting the audience to party all the more amusing. His guitar sported the phrase “Love Trumps Hate” in a slightly more pleasant looking matter than if Tom Morello would’ve done it.
The music itself does bear the influences of the band on its sleeves. The walk-on music for the band was the same “In High Places” sample by Mike Oldfield, used in Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy” before going into “Role Models.” The various tricks performed were often found in prominent 2000’s acts, like the weird synth vocals in “16 Years,” the psychedelic sounding keyboards of “Right on Track” and high-pitched chorus line of “Be Impressive.”
At one point, Whitehall asked if anyone in the audience had a birthday, and a few did raise their hands. He then told the crowd it was the drummer’s birthday and replied, “This is the best birthday ever” in a similarly thick accent. After a round of “Happy Birthday,” the band delved into their own song titled “Birthday,” one that played much slower and less joyous, but went in deeper. Compared to the much more upbeat, “If You Wanna Stay,” which probably got the most party-like reception the band wanted, The Griswolds really run a gauntlet of various tastes.
After ending with “Down and Out,” complete with Whitehall doing a guitar solo with the guitar strapped to his back, and a plainly obvious attempt at an encore, they played the very Vampire Weekend-esque “Beware the Dog,” another song where the drummer got into the hard rhythms. In a rather surprising move, Whitehall, after asking the audience if they wanted one more, invited one of the opening acts, Dreamers, onto the stage. The now 8-person band on stage, in one last bit of fun-giving, played the ever-classic “Hey Ya!” Whitehall and Dreamers singer Nick Wold traded verses and lines in the chorus, trying to channel whatever parts of Andre 3000 they could muster.
The Griswold’s music was plenty entertaining enough, with their odd mix of new wave, electronics, and funk rhythms. But at the same time, they didn’t make too much of an impression of me beyond that. I was interested in seeing this band because of the question, what would a band named The Griswolds sound like? And now that I have, I can say I’ve heard plenty of other bands trying the same thing. It’s not anything original, but it’s not anything to completely discount either.
NYS Music had the honor and pleasure of speaking with Albert Mazibuko, an original member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the a cappella revolutionaries from South Africa. They gained global recognition from their collaboration with Paul Simon on his album Graceland and their careers have skyrocketed since. They worked with a variety of widely recognized artists from Dolly Parton to Sarah McLachlan and released a plethora of albums over the course of 50 years. Tickets are now on sale to see the group perform at the Fairfield University Quick Center in Connecticut, Sunday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. Mazibuko tells NYS Music about their humble beginnings, stories of their time with Paul Simon and more information about their upcoming performance.
David Ostroff: When was the last time Ladysmith Black Mambazo came to Connecticut?
Albert Mazibuko: I cannot be specific, but it was maybe a year or two years ago. I cannot tell because we are always around the country
DO: That’s not surprising. Ladysmith has been performing constantly for years now. That being said, how do you and your team keep up your enthusiasm after 40 plus years of recording and performing?
AM: The music itself gives the energy that we need. Sometimes, I’m feeling tired before the show. But then we get together and we pray. After that we start a song to warm up ourselves and then the energy just comes. Before I hit the stage, I am a new person.
DO: I have to ask. I did some research and saw that in South Africa, before you came to the states, Ladysmith would perform in a cappella competitions. But you guys were so good that they wouldn’t let you compete. How did that happen?
AM: Wow, that is a good refresher! I’ll never forget that day. We were finally allowed to enter the competition (because their music was a different style than other groups). After we sang, the judges and audience stood up, and the other groups said, “You already won!” They decided the music was too good to entertain, so what (we) would do is sing from 8 to 12, and then after, the other groups will compete. We couldn’t believe it happened. We really missed the competition. But not anymore, after our success in our group.
DO: What were some of your best memories when working with Paul Simon?
AM: When we first received the message that Paul Simon was in Johannesburg to met Joseph Shabalala, we wondered why he would want to meet (Joseph)? We first thought it was someone who would sing American gospel, which is similar to our music. But when we heard it was Paul Simon, because we knew his music, it would play all over radio’s in South Africa, we said, “How?? Why does he want to meet him?” When Joseph went there, I remember he went there in the morning because we were around in Johannesburg on tour so he went to meet him in the studio and Joseph came back in the afternoon. We asked him what Paul said, Joseph said, “He is a man of music. He wants to do something with us.” So the concern was more than before. In two weeks time, he sent us a letter with a demo (of the track “Homeless”). Along with it came a piece of paper in Paul’s handwriting that said, “Dear Joseph, Don’t change this because I took it from one of your recordings.” Paul only sang two lines by himself which were “Homeless, homeless.” (The chorus) This was the right time to write the music because this would go with the situation in South Africa. Violence was all over the place. We then received a message that we had to go to London to meet with Paul. We went as a group and we were so excited. We stood behind the microphones, and Joseph told Paul we had been trying to work on the song. We tried to record the song on the first day and it did not work at all. It was so much different with all the people trying to help and the song was not getting together. We were in the studio at two in the afternoon, and by six in the evening, Paul said let’s all go back to the hotel. We were very disappointed because Ladysmith Black Mambazo would usually record up to 12 songs a day. We practiced until midnight. The following day, we went into the studio. Joseph told Paul that that we had been rehearsing and to take a listen to this one. We sang the whole song, someone said, “This is it,” and in two hours we knew the song was there.
DO: Well it must have been worth putting that effort into that song, though. It’s absolutely beautiful.
AM: It was like a nightmare to us! One song for three, four hours? But we understood that it was something else that was introduced to us. I appreciate that because, after that, everything was so much better for the group.
DO: I didn’t know much about your music aside from your work with Paul Simon and most of my generation have limited knowledge of Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well. What else would people my age recognize Mambazo from?
AM: We have worked with a song on Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalker” and we collaborated with artists like Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder and Ben Harper. There were so many others. Sesame Street (“Put Down the Duckie”) was a very famous one, The Lion King (“Upendi” from The Lion King 2) and the track for Eddie Murphy in “Coming to America” (“Mbube”).
DO: Aside from your generation, Americans most likely remember Ladysmith from their intro in Paul Simon’s “Diamond on the Soles of Her Shoes.” What is the rough translation of that intro in English?
AM: That one happened in the way that we used to do things. One day we came to New York to perform on Saturday Night Live. (The day before SNL) Paul Simon was recording and he said, “You can come in.” When we went in we found he was working on this song, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” and he said to Joseph, “Just give me some blessings in my song.” We listened and said, oh this song is complete. But Paul Simon insisted that we do something. Joseph just took a piece of paper and a pen and wrote it down. It translates to, “It’s unusual, the girls, they take care of themselves so they don’t depend on a man.” He was responding to the song about this girl who is rich. The girls have their own money so they take care of themselves. We recorded that on the last day, and it took not even 30 minutes. To tell you the truth, this is a song that after I heard it for the first time I thought, “Oh it’s one of those song where you said, ‘Okay I need 12 songs, so I’m going to put something that makes number 12’”. But I was mistaken, because after I played it the third time I realized, this song is good!
DO: One more question before we move to your performance in Fairfield. Your group has been recording and performing for more than half a century now. Many bands and musicians that stay together for even half that time were doomed to have conflict, like Simon and Garfunkel. How did you and your group keep such good ties with one another?
AM: I think something is helping us. You see groups all over the world that have been together for two or three years and then they go separate ways which is sad, most of the time. But in ours, we are fortunate that we are all family. In our culture, the family will stick together, no matter what. And also, our culture tells us that the person who is in charge of the family is a leader of that group. We are bound to listen to that person and respect that person and also respect one another. We believe that (Ladysmith Black Mambazo) is a family and if I have a different opinion than my brother, or whomever, I represent that in a respectful way. So even if we have some disagreement in the group, we always tell it with respect. It helps us a lot because I can tell you the truth that we’ve never had something like a fight between us. We do have different opinions sometimes when we talk about things. But we find a solution and a common ground. If my way works, I will never say, “What did I tell you? Your idea was useless.” No you don’t say that. In our group, we will always find a way to agree with one another.
DO: On behalf of all people that love your music, thank you for thinking in such a way and staying together for as long as you have. Your contribution to American music was immense. Let’s move on to your performance at the Quick Theater. What kind of audience usually attends your shows?
AM: It’s amazing that we see all ages. All people. Older people up to the toddlers. All the nations and the colors enjoy our music. Joseph used to say, “Our music, it’s coming from the blood to the blood.” So everyone creature who is a human being in this world can relate to our music because we speak to the soul of the people. When I look to our audience, every time I will see a 90-year-old and then I see the toddlers, maybe three years, which we are so grateful for that.
DO: In a few of your albums and performances I hear some light instrumentation. Will we see a strictly a cappella or will there be a band accompanying you?
AM: No it will just Mambazo. When you get into the theater you will see 10 microphones lining up on the stage. You will see 10 guys, they walk to the stage with colorful clothes, white shoes and the song will begin. Some parts we will include the audience and so we engage them. We give them something and then we sing so it’s like a competition then after that we come together and we sing. It’s a very good lineup. It’s songs that are entertaining and uplifting. They are more encouraging with a positive message, especially in this time. It seems that this beloved country is in a conflict. We choose very specific songs for that. The songs that we sang for South African people, it helps them and encourages them. They were able to solve their problems. Hopefully the message is going to be held in America so it can open into its beauty again. Our music is about love, peace and harmony. We want people to take peace and feel that harmony. By doing that, we will make this world we’re living in a beautiful place to live
Get ready for the Chase Brothers to take your ears by storm. JAZZ IS PHSH, founded in 2015 by Adam and Matthew Chase, are releasing their debut album, He Never Spoke A Word, on March 3. The group is well known for having an ever-revolving cast of musicians joining in during shows. The concept behind JAZZ IS PHSH is that an instrumental jazz feel is brought to Phish songs, leaving plenty of room for exploration and improvisation on stage. Stacked with special guests throughout, including Kofi Burbridge, Jonathan Scales, Chris DeAngelis, Holly Bowling, and Carl Gerhard to name a few, twists and turns of musical delight await. Hold on to your seat, or not, as the album is broken down track by track.
“Ghost” quietly tip toes into the melody with gentle steel pan and keys leading the way. Rich and airy flute meander their way through the tune, as warm keys float along with deep bass tones. This breezy song is a classy start to an album full of joyful music. Trumpet, trombone and sax meet up to fill out the melody as if it’s a cocktail party, with each musical instrument socializing with others before all meeting up in the same room to toast in celebration. The champagne has been popped and the album is off to a glorious start.
Now that the listener is in a relaxed state, “Cars Trucks and Buses,” steps things up as horns kick into gear, and bass slaps remain a constant. Trombone bending notes fill out midway, only to hand things off to the tenor sax before the other instruments join in on the fun. “Weigh” holds a beat that insists on movement. That slide trombone reaches out and begs to take the listener by the hand to the dance floor. Close your eyes and it’s easy to forget this a jazz interpretation of a Phish song. Rockin’ guitar chords step in for a brief moment, without losing the calm mood that lingers along.
“Foam” is a combination of melodies dancing around each other, but never losing sight of the core undertones. Lighthearted steel pans, coupled with sax, jazz the hell out of this track, imploring listeners to get those feet tapping forward and back to the beat. Up and down, around and around, the kaleidoscopic rhythm flows without hesitation, as guitar intertwines for the duration. A sunshine lit song, this is one to play repeatedly on rainy days to lift the spirit and soothe the soul.
Switching gears, “46 Days” takes off with heavy bass bombs, crunchy guitar, and funky keys. Easy trumpet paces its way early on before handing off the beat to the guitar for layered, soulful chords. Don’t be surprised if this jam creates visions of riding in a Cadillac with the top down, rolling down the strip in Vegas, without a care in the world. Don’t break that vision yet, as “Dog Log” busts onto the scene with a muted trumpet, creating a smooth blend of piano, sax, and trumpet as they join in full force. The silky drums on the backend hold the tune together while explorations on horns take charge. This track brings the listener back into Phish, but only for a moment, before the band takes off into jazzy directions full of zest.
The stereotypical feel of a jazz club, complete with half empty whiskey glasses and ever present cigar smoke, takes hold as “Lawn Boy” makes it’s entrance. Seductive guitar tones fill the air, as teasing trumpet and sexy sax traipse along. “Meat” pulls the listener out of that smokey club and back onto the dance floor to sway along with a partner. Snapping out of the leisurely melodies, “Camel Walk” takes the listener on an energetic ride. Jazzy guitar, followed by warm trombone, carry the majority of the track. Towards the end, a switch up occurs with the beat, the key, and the variety of instruments that bring the track to a solid close.
Throwing it back to the jazz era, “Magilla” throws splashes of images reminiscent of backroom speakeasies. Feet that can’t stop dancing to the quick tempo come alive. The trumpet flits about the melody, as the saxophone darts in and out of the notes, producing a colorful creation of tones that chase each other as the jazzed up number swirls along. Closing out the album, a jazzy jam sandwich featuring “Alumni Blues>Letter To Jimmy Page>Alumni Blues” wraps up the musical journey in style. Free flowing flute slide around, bouncing in and out of the horns, keys, and guitar tones, cooling down the listener and taking the music full circle.
Overall, He Never Spoke A Word is brimming with colorful imagery drawn out by the improvisational melodies and experimental tones, having fun with each song. It’s easy to forget that this album is stacked with jazz interpretations of Phish songs, with hints here and there reminding the listener of the true beginnings of each tune.
For Phish fans who’ve never been truly introduced to jazz, and for jazz fans that are unfamiliar with Phish, this is the perfect cross over album for fans of both, as well as lovers of music in general. He Never Spoke A Word truly reaches admirers of music across the board, both young and old alike. This is perfect accompaniment music for any occasion and would fit well in everyone’s musical catalog.
For more information regarding JAZZ IS PHSH, along with tour dates and their debut album, please visit their official website.
Everyone needs some feel good dance music in their life and mainstream pop doesn’t always tickle the fancy of listeners. Crystal Fighters found a way to create a cultured, unique and all around fun album to enjoy, with past albums like Cave Rave and Star of Love inspiring some good feelings. A majority of their songs were uplifting but some had a darker, more intense feeling to them. Their new album, Everything is My Family, is a bit contrary to their prior work. It has a more straightforward structure to it and many characteristics of today’s pop songs. But the groups Bosque roots and use of organic instruments from that area of Spain sets this apart from mainstream pop songs and it makes for an interesting and different take on the genre.
The sound isn’t the only thing that’s interesting; The story behind the group’s beginnings is almost too good to be true. Group vocalist, Laure Stockley, found her deceased grandfather’s unfinished opera that he started in his last days when he was deemed insane, according to The Guardian.Earlier albums were created in an attempt to finish and recreate some parts of the unfinished play, but that vibe and character they have created has taken on a life of it’s own which now isn’t so dark and insane. It’s more uplifting and motivational and heavily based around partying and having a good time.
Some people might think the lyrics a little corny, but deep lyrical content was never the focal point of pop/dance music. Looking past that, listeners will find the group has a great story and inspiration behind it, along with a tasteful twist on a tired out genre.
“Yellow Sun” is up first and it could be seen as background music for a Corona commercial, where “twentysomething’s” dance around a makeshift bonfire under a moonlit sky. There’s a fair amount of acoustic instrumentation with hints of synthetic sounds and it makes for a good segue into the moral/ direction of the album. The following track “Good Girls” has the same feel but includes more of a synthetic sound. They’re both key tracks that prepare listeners for Crystal Fighters’ change of pace.
“Live For You” is the only ballad on the album. It’s a spacey and euphoric tune that’s synthetically driven but includes a plethora of unique but pleasant tones that make it intriguing and immersive. Vocalists whisper lyrics through a slightly auto-tuned tone but it’s sung over acoustic drums and acoustic guitar which gives a cool contrast.
“Ways I Can’t Tell” is one of their less impressive songs. It was definitely created for the rave scene. It’s very predictable and has no other purpose but as a build of for a drop. The drop isn’t really that special either, but it’ll make a nice addition to a dance/ pop playlist for die hard fans of the genre.
“All Night” is going to be hit or miss with listeners too. It’s very tribal with light touches of synthetic instrumentation but it’s very busy and polyrhythmic, meaning there’s a number of conflicting rhythms and percussion instruments. It’s what gives music that primitive or tribal sound. Fighters uses it a lot in this album but it’s very prominent in this track.
“Fly East” is one of the most interesting songs on the album. It builds in the strangest way and at first listen is completely unpredictable. It’s the longest track on the album and it needs to be because it’s always changing direction and tone. It’s light and dark, excitable then settled and is over all just epic. The end of the song is unfortunately a let down. There’s so much time spent building up this feeling with different directions, and it lazily concludes with a fade out. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine what would be the perfect ending for the song would be.
“Lay Low” caps off the album with a natural and uplifting tone. It consists of almost all acoustic instruments and holds a powerful message about living life to the fullest while it’s still good. The music isn’t very complex so listeners can focus on the meaningful lyrical content a little bit more. The music is still catchy and fun and it makes a perfect ending to an inspiring album.
The album is available on multiple platforms and are coming to Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg April 5 and 6.
Sunday night, The Barkley Ballroom in Frisco, CO was home to a reunion of two former New Yorker bandmates turned Colorado transplants. Thom LaFond, former guitarist for Albany-based and Camp Bisco alum, Dirty Paris, joined his former bassist, Chris Duffy, with Duffy’s current band The Magic Beans for an ambient take on The Magic Bean’s space funk rager “Jabu Jabu’s Belly.”
LaFond lent his hand in setting the tone with an opening improv jam, heavy with ambient delay which built the suspense and anticipation for the first drop into the meat of the song where Casey Russell took over with a soulful organ lick to get the bodies moving. Chris Duffy held things down for the bulk of the song with his thick bass grooves while the rest of the band moved through keeping things danceable yet continuing to utilize the spacey vibe that has become more familiar to a Beans dance party as they develop as a band.
Around the 8:20 mark, drummer Cody Wales started laying out the heavy snare hits, signaling the jam to open up, transforming into a high flying shred fest. Lafond adeptly built the speed and intensity of his lead work while Beans guitarist Scott Hachey complimented, both matching LaFond’s picking runs and building things up behind LaFond to take the final few minutes of this jam into something that had the whole room soaring before being dropped straight back into the dance party for a few more measures.
If you haven’t had a chance to experience The Magic Beans in person, be sure to catch them on tour in April.
The Magic Bean’s 5th annual music festival Beanstalk, will be held June 22nd-25th at the legendary festival venue Rancho del Rio along the Colorado River in Bond, CO. The lineup includes tons of faces familiar to the Northeast jam scene including Holly Bowling, lespecial, Corey Henry, Tom Hamilton as well as a smattering of established and up-and-coming awesome Colorado based bands. Don’t miss out on a chance to learn why Colorado is so in love with The Beans.
You can catch LaFond’s band, Banshee Tree, at License No. 1 in Boulder, CO every Saturday night for a swing dance-dance party.
This past Saturday, February 25, Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band brought their original sound to Retro Live, a new concert venue in Plattsburgh, NY. Between original guitar solos from Alex Mansman and the leadership of front man Joe Mansman, each member perfectly complemented each other.
The band brought a fully stacked set list with them and most being originals. I found myself head banging to new riffs that felt right. To sum up Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band, the only words that I can use to describe them is rock and roll. Joe Mansman brought a stage act that to me has been missing with a lot of newer bands. With songs like “Below or Above” and “Dead as it Gets,” I really felt that I was at a rock show in the late 1970’s but with fresh with new rock music. About half way through the set, the front man and keyboardist Chris Becker played a couple duets to give the show a smooth transition to a heavy ending.
Joe Mansman and the Midnight Revival Band is a group that gives people an option to let loose and bang your head. They ended the show with “Live Free or Die,” and were not afraid to bring the show off the stage. With front man Joe Mansman jumping onto a pool table and guitarist Alex Mansman hopping down to the venue floor to play heavy riffs, the group brought a show that had something for everyone.
Setlist: Dead as it Gets, Below or Above, Born to be Wild (Steppenwolf cover), Reap and Sow, Cold Virginia Nights, Blaze of Glory (Bon Jovi cover), Hell or High Water, All Along, Den of Thieves, Mother (Danzig cover), She’s Mine, Long Rope, You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive (Darrell Scott cover), Rock and Roll ain’t Noise Pollution(AC/DC cover), Nobody’s Sun, Boundless Grace, Too far gone, Cut out my tongue, Crowbar hotel, House of Wolves, Live Free or Die
The group consists of Chad Fisher on trombone, Allen Branstetter on trumpet, Jason Mingledorff on saxophone and flute, drummer Andrew Lee, bassist Jesse Phillips, guitarist Browan Lollar, and Al Gamble on organ and piano, with Paul Janeway on lead vocals. A consummate showman clad in a leopard print jacket and pants with gold shoes, Janeway pulled out all the stops, dropping to his knees, rolling on the floor, shimmying and sliding all over the stage, and doing a crowd walk halfway up and across the theater during the emotionally wrenching “Broken Bones and Pocket Change.” The band changed gears once again, following up with the crowd singing and dancing to “
The Cincinnati, OH based band 
At that show Albarn warned fans that it might be the last ever for Gorillaz, so today’s news comes as a sigh of relief for Gorillaz fans worldwide, who, for several years now, have been inundated with rumours of Albarn and Hewlett’s falling-out, delayed releases, and other speculation.
Get ready for the Chase Brothers to take your ears by storm. 
“Ghost” quietly tip toes into the melody with gentle steel pan and keys leading the way. Rich and airy flute meander their way through the tune, as warm keys float along with deep bass tones. This breezy song is a classy start to an album full of joyful music. Trumpet, trombone and sax meet up to fill out the melody as if it’s a cocktail party, with each musical instrument socializing with others before all meeting up in the same room to toast in celebration. The champagne has been popped and the album is off to a glorious start.
The Magic Bean’s 5th annual music festival Beanstalk, will be held June 22nd-25th at the legendary festival venue Rancho del Rio along the Colorado River in Bond, CO. The lineup includes tons of faces familiar to the Northeast jam scene including Holly Bowling, lespecial, Corey Henry, Tom Hamilton as well as a smattering of established and up-and-coming awesome Colorado based bands. Don’t miss out on a chance to learn why Colorado is so in love with The Beans.
The band brought a fully stacked set list with them and most being originals. I found myself head banging to new riffs that felt right. To sum up 
Joe Mansman and t