NYS Music 20​17

Category: Exclusive

  • Exclusive Premiere: Hard Soul’s EP “This Will Hurt”

    Hard Soul returns this week with their new EP This Will Hurt. NYS Music presents an exclusive premiere of the 5 track EP, due out tomorrow and available on the group’s Bandcamp. The first single “See Me” was released this past week.

    The EP features five tracks, including three brand-new songs and two new arrangements of previously-released acoustic tracks “Fairer ShorTes” and “Have To Be A Miracle,” which originally appeared on the band’s 2015 EP Fairer Shores.

    Lead singer Johnny Salka says of the latest release, “The new EP is a renewed approach to that songwriting ethos which represents the last three years and next step in the musical evolution of Hard Soul. We’re absolutely stoked to share the new songs with our fans and the rest of the world.”

    https://soundcloud.com/thehardsoul/sets/this-will-hurt-ep/

  • Exclusive Premiere: Tart Vandelay “Cloudy Doubts”

    Rochester indie pop group Tart Vandelay has released the first single, “Cloudy Doubts,” off their upcoming EP Flow, which is due out on Friday, December 1. Like others on the EP, “Cloudy Doubts” uses nature as a metaphor for personal trials and tribulations, overcoming challenges and adversity. The idea is to see how nature flows and functions and use that as a guide to narrate one’s own life. The EP was recorded at Wicked Squid studios and was produced by Josh Pettinger.

    Tart Vandelay Cloudy DoubtsYes, that band name is inspired by a classic Seinfeld, but this group is a sonic importer/exporters that began as a duo featuring musical couple Marty LoFaso and Katie Halligan. The two began dating in 2011 while studying music in their hometown of Rochester, NY. After moving to Boston, MA, the couple officially formed Tart Vandelay in the summer of 2014. The duo added a rhythm section recently, adding Stephen Petoniak on bass and Christopher Dubuc-Penney on drums in spring of 2016, and in 2017 Pete Zamniak replaced original bassist Stephen Petoniak. Stay up to date with Tart Vandelay and listen to “Cloudy Doubts” below.
     

    Follow Tart Vandelay on Instagram, Bandcamp, Facebook and at their website.

  • Previous Love Releases Music Video “Caffeine”

    Buffalo-based band Previous Love has debuted their first music video, for their song “Caffeine.” The catchy alt rock tune is from their self-titled EP, which was recorded and released over the summer. The  video montage documents their coffee-fueled recording sessions.

    “We wanted to really take our fans into the studio with us but still capture the emotion of the song,” bassist Steven Browne told NYS Music. “We get asked a lot what it’s like being in the studio for the first time as a  young band. I believe this really captures our experience while still staying true to the intent of the song.”

    The video features band members Steven Browne (bass), Charles Campanella (guitar),  John Perdue (drums) and Gary Sheedy (vocals and guitar) working alongside producer Jay Zubricky. Filmed in and around GCR Audio, it includes shots of them traveling to the studio, recording, and hanging out. Visual effects such as cross-dissolves, slow motion, time lapse, reverse footage create a surreal effect that suits the “Caffeine” theme.

    “It’s exciting being in the studio, capturing those moments that make a record special,” said Browne. “At the end of the video it actually is the footage from the moment we captured the ending to ‘Caffeine.’”

    Follow Previous Love on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Their debut self-titled EP Previous Love is available for purchase on Bandcamp (name your price) and streaming on Spotify. For more about the EP, read the NYS Music review.

  • Dave DiPrimo Band’s Latest Single “Know You Best”

    Rochester alternative folk group Dave DiPrimo Band has released their latest single, “Know You Best.” The song comes from their forthcoming sophomore album Reflections, which is set to release on Saturday, November 25.

    “Know You Best” is the first track on the new full-length LP. In this intensely emotional tale of longing for connection, pleading lyrics give way to bellowing vocals in the chorus. The song establishes the nostalgic tone that pervades the entire album.

    Dave DiPrimo Band is: Dave DiPrimo on vocals/guitar/keys, Reid Hoffmeier on drums, Ian Benz on bass, and Karis Gregory on saxophone (and sometimes guitar). While based in the folk tradition, DDB weaves in influences from genres as far flung as soul and punk to create a sound that’s both timeless and contemporary.

    https://soundcloud.com/nysmusic/know-you-best

  • Premiere: The Bowling Alley Sound present latest single “Alabama Dissonance”

    Northern New Jersey post-rock band The Bowling Alley Sound has released their latest single “Alabama Dissonance,” on their label 46 West, exclusively through NYS Music. The single follows their 2017 sophomore EP The Bowling Alley Sound, which was named a “Fresh Find” for the first half of 2017 by Spotify.

    The inspiration for this song came from a cross-country road trip with friends. “We were driving down an Alabama highway in the middle of the night,” describes guitarist Mike Basil. “Truckers were speeding past us, rain was pouring, and the thunder was unbearably loud. The woods along the highway were aflame in the distance. This tense, otherworldly experience is reflected in the song’s dissonant chords, loud feel changes, and cymbal crashes. In contrast, the youthful voice of my nephew adds peace and resolve to the track, leading it out of a confusing place.”

    The Bowling Alley Sound is a five piece instrumental band consisting of guitar (Mike Basil), drums (Nick Looney), bass (Andrew Capuano), violin (Isaac Rubins), and trumpet (Danny Molloy), and when combined bring together a sound that evokes artists such as Do Make Say Think, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai and other ambient minimalist musicians.

  • Premiere: Collin Jones releases title track off “Specimen” EP

    On Friday, November 10, Collin Jones will release his first solo EP, Specimen, released on Galaxy Diamond Records. A member of Rochester bands Haewa, Ocular Panther and Stereo Nest, this record offers a more personal, stripped down approach to Jones’ music, who wrote, records and produced the tracks in his hometown of Rochester. An album release party will take place on November 10 at Temple Bar with PA Line.

    Listen below to the exclusive premiere of ‘Specimen’

  • Venezuelan-American Folk/Rock singer Daniel Tortoledo Premieres “Eloise”

    Brooklyn-based Venezuelan-American songwriter Daniel Tortoledo has released his latest single “Eloise,” from his upcoming album Throughout These Years.

    Regarding “Eloise,” Daniel Tortoledo noted “When we first started putting it together with the band, I remember challenging the drummer to a bare minimum use of cymbals. Listening to the track today, I think it shows how much it can be accomplished with so little.” Daniel added “Anecdotes aside, I believe and stand behind every word in the lyrics.”

    Daniel Tortoledo EloiseThroughout These Years is Daniel Tortoledo’s first full-length solo album and was recorded in New York City and Boston, and backed up by band members Billy Herron, Cullen Corley, Chris Kyle, Dave Cole and Grant Zubritsky. “I’ve worked in different projects in the past but this one has the most meaning to me because I was able to get out of my comfort zone and hit extreme aspects of my inner self.” he explained. “I feared and loved every decision along the process.”

    Alongside the studio version, Tortoledo has shared an acoustic stripped-down rendition of the song, filmed during an intimate live session in Brooklyn shortly after the songwriter completed a string of West Coast shows.

    Follow Daniel on his website and on Spotify, Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter.

  • Premiere: Swedish Pop Group Akaba Releases Video for “Starfly”

    Swedish band Akaba has released their newest video “Starfly,” a collaboration with Kjahart, who used stop motion film and also created the album cover art for The Rust Within, recorded at Roth Handle Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

    Åsa Carild tells of the song’s background “I used to sing in a band that was, for a little while, very successful. Being very young at the time it became an important part of how I defined myself. When all that faded, I was no longer who I defined myself as. The song is about the struggle with this.”
    Akaba starfly

    Akaba will release their debut album The Rust Within on October 13 and will perform at Pianos in NYC on October 14. Doors open at 6:30, with Akaba performing at 7pm.

    Akaba was born from the ashes of two other prominent Swedish Indie bands, Pineforest Crunch and Reminder. Åsa Carild, Tobias Ljungkvist and Mattias Olsson have toured extensively in Sweden playing everything from Thai restaurants to 600 seat venues, as well as touring the west coast of the United States, Toronto, London and New York City. Follow Akaba on Facebook, Soundcloud, Instagram, and tune in on Spotify or order their album on Amazon.

  • Blind Owl Band Premieres “Reloading” from Upcoming Album ‘Skeezy Patty’

    On Friday,October 13, The Blind Owl Band will release their third studio album Skeezy Patty. NYS Music has an exclusive premiere of “Reloading” off Skeezy Patty.

    “Reloading is a chant for the resilient” (Arthur Buezo) and Blind Owl Boys have clearly reloaded on Skeezy Patty. “Reloading” is up tempo and slightly dark yet true, with a little Greensky Bluegrass influence in the tune’s peaks and valleys, with Arthur Buezo (guitar) trading lines with James Ford (banjo)
    The album pays homage to their beloved 1999 Ford Econoline tour van “Skeezy Patty,” who just like Blind Owl Band, has pushed the limits of life on the road. In the five years since their last release, the owls have played over 700 shows across 17 states, building their rowdy & dedicated fan base across the east coast.
    blind owl band skeezy patty
    An intricate offering of 10 fervent tracks, Skeezy Patty reflects heavy periods of musical and emotional growth, that offer a dark and dynamic raw sound while pushing the limits of their acoustic sonic tone. Blind Owl Band’s newest album reflects the stark reality of being musicians who continually strive to evolve with their music and live life of purpose. The boys push the limits of their engine night after night; climb aboard and get ready for a one-of-a-kind ride.

  • Bencoolen Premieres new single “The Crown”

    Bencoolen has released their latest single, “The Crown,” recorded this past summer at Inner Ear Studios and produced by Don Zientara.

    The song combines hard hitting songwriting, dynamic shifts, and tells the story of driving to a music festival to encounter someone struggling with addiction. The lyrics set the scene of the drive in, the sights and sounds of the festival, and an ironic throne on which he sits.

    The Washington D.C. based group transitioned into a touring act in February 2016, bringing together founding members Teddy Scott (guitar) and Paul Gregg (vocals/guitar) with Jack Bentsen (Alto Sax), Ben Suarez (bass) and Will Lockery (drums) joining them. Together, Bencoolen has evolved into a ‘more is more’ rock group with soaring vocals, powerful guitar works and soulful saxophone. They’ve supported Big Something, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Atlas Road Crew, the Mowgli’s, and Marcus King Band, among others, and has been hitting the road hard in the Mid-Atlantic area.

    bencoolen the crownThey’ll be in New York on November 17 for a performance at Arlene’s Grocery with Youth Yamada and supporting Maradeen.