NYS Music 20​17

Category: Special

  • Exclusive: Shouthouse Debuts Video for “ANTS”

    New York City ensemble Shouthouse debuted their single “ANTS” last week on NYS Music, and today, they debut an elaborately choreographed music video for the tune. Watch below.

    Composed by pianist Will Healy, shot and edited by Jack Frerer and colorized by Bobby Wagnerman at Haym Pictures, the music video traverses the city and combines various elements of New York City with “ANTS,” bringing two complex components together for one multi-dimensional video. Healy spoke with NYS Music about the video:

    “Living in New York can become oddly isolating, even though there are so many people living there together. As you move through the streets and subways, it’s easy to feel alone in a crowd. There is an impersonal atmosphere in New York, and any amount of self expression can be seen as bizarre, shocking, or dangerous.

    shouthouse video ants“For this video, I wanted each rapper and dancer to slowly transform from a normal face into the crowd into artists. As the music plays, they are shown walking or standing, and over time they separate from those around them, transitioning into movements and verses that express their inner dialogue.

    “I wanted the viewer to get a sense of the different sides and heights of urban living, progressing from underground in the subways to ground level in Times Square, and finally on a roof overlooking East Harlem.

    “We had a blast shooting this video. Any excuse to interrupt the routine among commuters gets great reactions (especially the shots on the escalator!). There are also so many interesting spots to shoot, the city was our playground for the day. There are three dancers in the video–Taylor LaBruzzo and Zach Gonder from Juilliard, and Quilan Arnold, who is a Brooklyn-based hip hop dancer. It was great to see their different styles interact, and they did a great job visually representing our unique style of music-making through their different genres of dance.”

    Shouthouse performs next at Shapeshifter Lab in Gowanus, Brooklyn, on October 6. More info can be found here.

  • Sunday Fun Day at Rochester Fringe Festival with Tart Vandelay at Java’s Cafe

    KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival is still going strong. In its fifth year, the entertainment offerings are better than ever. After a couple nights at the main stage on Parcel 5 at Fringe Festival, I took a detour down Gibbs Street to check out one of the smaller Fringe Festival venues, Java’s Cafe. On Sunday, they featured a musical performance by art pop duo Tart Vandelay.

    Tart Vandelay Java's CafeJava’s Cafe is situated beside the Eastman Theatre and across from the Eastman School of Music, making it a natural place for musicians and music-lovers to congregate. The wooden interior, warm lighting and art-lined walls lend to the cozy atmosphere. The venue is a perfect pairing for local indie pop artists Tart Vandelay. Tonight they performed as a duo rather than a full band. The founding members, Katie Halligan  with her microphone and looping station and Martin LoFaso with his guitar, set themselves up in the corner of the shop, the tables already filled to capacity with family, fans, and people who came to see them for the first time. Among the crowd were members of The Demos, a testament to how supportive the local music scene is of each other’s work.

    Tart Vandelay Java's CafeThey started the set with a cheery song called “Spin.” Halligan worked her magic with the looping station to create repeating layers of playful vocalizations (“ba-da-ba”s and “ooh”s) and percussive beats with handshakers. Over-top this foundation, she began to sing in dulcet tones the optimistic chorus, “Spin, spin. Go with the flow. Let my orbit carry me where I need to go.” LoFaso chimed in on guitar, and his solo replicated the melody of the chorus. They radiated pure joy as they played, and the feeling was contagious. The audience was drawn in by their charisma. The typical coffee shop chatter and bustle seemed to be put on hold, as all eyes and ears were fixated on the splendor that is Tart Vandelay.

    Tart Vandelay continued to spin an intricate web of acoustic strands, deceptively simple yet completely spellbinding. The set included all the songs from last year’s debut EP Frontier Pioneer, and a couple new ones that they’ve been working on. One of the new ones, “I’m Gonna Try,” is a great example of how they incorporate wordplay into their songwriting. The chorus “Try, try, do my best and do it again” was repeated with slight variations of melody and layered over each other. It’s like having an entire choir of Halligans, a delightfully enchanting concept that she is able to bring to life using modern musical technology. It was easy to let oneself get lost in the enchantment of sounds as the duo continued to weave their magic spell. The set was over way to quickly, time seemingly suspended and the world having faded away for a too-brief period of time. Halligan dedicated the final song to her father, who was in the audience: a heartfelt cover of Julia Easterlin’s “Go Straight Away.”

    https://soundcloud.com/tartvandelay/spin

    Tart Vandelay Java’s Cafe Sunday Setlist: Spin, Alien, I’m Gonna Try, Not Alone, Bells, How Hard Could It Be?, High Life, Go Straight Away (Julia Easterlin cover)

    Tart Vandelay makes another appearance at Java’s Cafe on Thursday, September 21 at 9pm. Frontier Pioneer is available on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and Spotify. Follow Tart Vandelay on Facebook for news and upcoming events. To read more about the band, see their recent interview with NYS Music.

    Java’s Cafe offers a wide variety of environmentally-friendly and socially-conscious menu items, including free-trade coffee, an exotic collection of teas made from loose leaves, hormone-free dairy from a local farm, and allergen-free baked goods. They’re providing free entertainment during Fringe Festival.

    Remaining Fringe Festival Shows at Java’s Cafe:

    September 20 – 6pm – Cherrytree Jukebox (duo covering singer/songwriters of the past century)

    September 20 – 8pm – An Evening With Logan Miller (singer/songwriter)

    September 21 – 7pm – Dave DiPrimo Band (alternative rock)

    September 21 – 9pm – Tart Vandelay (indie pop)

    September 22 – 11pm – Ponder the Giraffe (alternative jam)

    September 23 – 2pm – Daniel Henry (tribute to Frank Sinatra and Friends)

    Rochester Fringe Festival continues through Saturday, September 23. Shows at Java’s Cafe and several other venues are free – arrive early for seating. Ticketed shows have been selling fast, so it’s best to purchase them in advance. For more information, visit RochesterFringe.com.

  • Saturday at Rochester Fringe Festival: Rocking with The Demos and Penthouse Views

    Excitement abounded downtown on Saturday September 16, the third day of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival. With hundreds of shows on dozens of stages over a span of ten days, there’s a lot to see and do. I made my way down East Main Street of my native town, heading towards Parcel 5 to catch a set by power pop band The Demos and the second and final night of Plasticiens Volants. A sign on the corner of East Avenue invited festival-goers up to the building’s penthouse terrace. I kept that in mind for later, and continued on to the stage.

    The Demos were scheduled to play at Fringe Festival last year, but the show was called off due to rain. This time, the weather couldn’t have been better – a warm and sunny end-of-summer day. Native Rochesterians and visitors filled the square, milling about or relaxing on blankets and lawn chairs. Tonight, the stage was decked out in strands of fairy lights, with lawn flamingos perched about – the same flamingos from the videos The Demos used to promote their show.

    The band wasted little time on sound check, diving right into a cover of Velvet Underground’s “What Goes On.” While The Demos rocked out, the stage was flanked by a pair of girls with light-up hula hoops, who spun the circles with acrobatic skill to the rhythm and tempo of the music. Bubbles floated around the stage, carried by the wind from the street performer on the corner. The atmosphere was buzzing with a sense of fun and excitement, and people were drawn towards the sights and sounds of the stage.

    Members of the band were having fun, too, exchanging smiles and glances as they played “I Don’t Mind” and “Clearly” from their last release, Paramount Clouds. The synthesizer plays a particularly prominent role on these numbers, with Caela Moore grooving out at the helm of a double deck of keyboards. Frontman Jay Milton was on top of his game tonight, putting everything he had into the performance, from rich vocals to on pointe guitarwork.

    A rousing rendition of “Veronica” got the audience clapping along. They added some twists to the song, a few call-and-response-style lines sung by bassist Cal Saunders that aren’t on the version they recorded for their full-length album Lovely. Drummer RJ Papaleo may be the newest member of the band, but he didn’t miss a beat as they dug into the catalog of songs from the band’s archives. Jeremiah O’Reilley is also relatively new to the band, but has been a fan since the early days, and slipped seamlessly into the role of guitarist.

    The crowd continued to swell as the sun started to set. Jay asked the amassing audience who among us has seen the band before. A sea of hands flew into the air, with cheers. He asked who had been coming to see them since he and Cal started 15 years ago. There were still some hands in the air. “This one’s for you,” Jay said as they started playing a song called “Don’t Give Up On Me.”

    The tempo slowed a bit as they did a couple more stripped-back songs, starting with “Shooters and Fixers.” Then they played a new song, “All I Need,” a bittersweet ballad featuring Caela on ukulele, Jay on the keyboard, and Cal singing harmony. Jeremiah, his services not needed on the stage, took the opportunity to come down from the stage and dance with his wife. He hopped back on stage for a couple more new songs.

    The sea of people were nodding and moving along to the new tunes, but when the band followed them with their hit “Hardly Done,” people started singing along. Another new one, “Risin’ Up,” represents a departure from their typical lyrical themes. This anthemic song has more of a political bent. “People rising up, they’ve all had enough,” Jay sings. “Where do we go from here?”

    The pinnacle of the set was “Better.” The groovy pop song with a sweet hook peaked with a solo in which the instrumental sounds came crashing together in a frenzy of noise, amassing in a sheer wall of acoustic energy. The 75-minute long set concluded with an ode to Rochester called “My City.” They took a quick moment to thank their manager, friends and families before being whisked off the stage. Around me, a group was chanting for an encore, but Plasticiens Volants‘ “Big Bang” show was about to begin.

    Still buzzing with adrenaline and not ready to call it a night, I retraced my steps to The Penthouse at One East Avenue to scope out the scene. The 11th story penthouse is now a hip, upscale event venue which offers a unique perspective. The sleek interior does not detract from the view through floor-to-ceiling windows, and glass doors give way to a wraparound outdoor terrace. In the center of it all is a small bar which offers a selection of beer, wine, and spirits. In addition to private events such as weddings and corporate meetings, they’ve also held a series of musical performances and silent disco. Coming up on September 21 is a Bacon and Bourbon tasting, and on October 28 they’ve planned an interactive mystery night. Tonight, they’re open for viewing the events at Parcel 5, including the second and final Rochester performance by French street theater troupe Plasticiens Volants.

    Walking the length of the balcony, I witnessed the city alive with lights across the skyline glowing and traffic bustling down the main arteries. A crowd was already jockeying for position along the railing for a look at the multi-media show by Plasticiens Volants, featuring balloons the proportions of Macy’s Day Parade handled by puppeteers who walk through the crowd, a mix of narration and world beat music, pyrotechnics, lights and mirrors. For a more in-depth description, read the review from Friday night’s performance.

    The Demos’ next show is the Floated Halloween Bash at the Bug Jar on October 21. Find their music online at Bandcamp, iTunes, and Spotify. Read more about the band in their interview with NYS Music.

    The Demos’ Setlist: What Goes On (Velvet Underground), Regal Dimensions, I Don’t Mind, Clearly, Bobby Pins, Veronica, Impossible, Another Day, Only Want The World, Nervous, Truth & Lies, She Lives in Pictures, All I Need, We Could Do Anything, Elegant Ties, Not Coming Down, Hardly Done, Risin’ Up, Life’s A Gas (T. Rex), Better, My City

    Rochester Fringe Festival runs through September 24, with a wide variety of music, theatre, comedy, and other entertainment. Advance ticket purchases are recommended, as shows do sell out. For more information, visit RochesterFringe.com.

  • Frank Palangi Premieres Title Track off Upcoming EP ‘Set Me Free’

    Glens Falls native Frank Palangi has released “Set Me Free,” the title track off his upcoming EP. The hard rocking single puts Palangi’s gritty vocals and grunge-tinged sound on display ahead of the October 2 release of the Set Me Free EP.

    Palangi draws on hard rock and metal influences such as Metallica, Creed and Daughtry, and has opened for a variety of artists including 3 Doors Down, Candlebox, Buckcherry, Starset, Spiritual Rez. Using powerful vocals layered on driving, upbeat rock and roll, Palangi brings a fresh sound to modern rock.

    Set Me Free was produced and mixed by Frank Palangi, mastered by Robert Venable, and recorded at The Cat Room Recording Studios, Off The Wall Studios, and Palangi Studios.

    “Set me Free” will be released on October 2. Pre-order on iTunes or Amazon.

  • Rochester Fringe Festival Starts Off with a Bang

    The city was alive with the sound of music Friday, September 15. Dozens of venues throughout the downtown Rochester area are participating in the fifth annual KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, featuring more than 500 music, art, and theatrical performances over a 10-day timeframe. I spent the evening at Parcel 5, the site on Main Street on which Midtown Plaza once stood. The plan for tonight was to catch a theatrical performance by French troupe Plasticiens Volants and a set of music by local legends Teagan and The Tweeds.

    Teagan and The Tweeds

    Upon approach to Parcel 5, I heard strains of syncopated reggae rhythms filling the air. Festival goers lingered around the lot, some heading closer to the stage, and others staring in fascination at props for the Plasticiens Volants show, and others joining the lines of food trucks parked along the street. Reggae music, courtesy of Rochester’s Noble Vibes, gave way to the sound of bagpipes from Rochester Scottish Pipes and Drums, as people continued to pour into the square.

    The sun went down, and the lights came up on the far end of the lot. Plasticiens Volants began to perform a show they call “Big Bang.” Although the French street performance troupe was founded in 1976, this is their first time on tour in the US.

    Curiosity abounded as people young and old were drawn to viewing a video projected onto an inflatable globe. Narration spoke about the origin of life. A film began, which showed the evolution of civilization. The significance of the experience was not lost on those who grew up in Rochester, the birthplace of modern photography and film.

    Shadow puppets were incorporated into the visuals, and speakers pumped world music with a heavy techno beat. Suddenly, large inflatable balloons came to life, lifted by puppeteers who carried them through the crowd. Seashells and fantastical beasts and planets soared above the crowd, dipping and swaying to the music.

    Children on tiptoe stretched their arms to the star-studded sky to brush the balloons with their fingertips. The music and narration told the story of The Big Bang as a sci-fi fantasy. The magnificently choreographed spectacle ended in a light display, with mirrors like facets of diamonds catching spotlights and splaying beams of light across the city skyline.

    Teagan Ward of Teagan and The Tweeds posted a video of Platiciens Volants on social media as they prepped for their set, the final event of the night at this location. People gravitated towards the stage as the band cranked out boot-stomping tunes.

    This was my first time seeing the band, and I was completely enraptured. My jaw dropped as I watched Teagan, a barefoot blonde bombshell, belt out whiskey bar blues.

    Once the mesmerized gathering got over their initial shock, an impromptu dance floor opened up in front of the stage. Drummer Alfredo Encina provided a strong backbone and bassist Jeremy Stoner laid down grooves as deep as the day is long. They provided a foundation for Katy Wright’s stellar performance on the keys and Lou Giglio’s fancy fretwork. Tommy Formicola took it on home with his pedal-steel guitar.

    The people behind me must have been fans, because they knew all the words to “Morning Glory” and “Give It Up or Let Me Go.” They even played a new song, “Route 100.”

    Elsewhere, the city-wide party was still going strong. A silent disco was about to rage around the corner at the Speigeltent. Attendees donned headphones, through which they could switch between channels as three DJ’s in the tent dueled for the crowd’s favor. The dance wound down at 2am. (If you missed it, don’t worry, they’ll do it again on Saturday September 16, Friday September 22, and Saturday September 23.)

    Plasticiens Volants will reprise their performance on Saturday, September 16 at 8pm. Arrive by 6:30 to catch local pop band The Demos, and plan to stay late for Ithaca’s Big Mean Sound Machine.

    Rochester Fringe Festival runs through Sunday, September 24. For a complete listing of events, go to the website. Advance ticket purchases are recommended, as several shows have already sold out.

  • Exclusive Premiere of ‘ANTS’ by NYC Ensemble Shouthouse

    Shouthouse, a 16-piece chamber orchestra from New York City has released their latest has released their single “ANTS” through NYS Music. Combining elements of jazz, hip-hop, and classical music, Shouthouse brings together talented artists from various backgrounds to achieve a new form of expression through powerful music while telling stories through notes, structures and words.

    ShoutHouse began in 2012 as members of the afrobeat/hip-hop band Yes Noyes collaborated with orchestral musicians and composers. Over the past five years, the group has grown into a small orchestra and a large community of performing artists. Altogether, the project includes more than fifty musicians, dancers, visual artists, poets, and rappers. In 2016, Shouthouse worked with hophop and classical dancers, to develop choreographed performances, first presented at The DiMenna Center as part of their CrossCurrents series.

    “ANTS” is part of a series of pieces that reflect on New York City, imagined through different time periods. Shouthouse’s upcoming album has pieces that are about the distant past, 1940’s New York, and the distant, dystopian future. For “ANTS”, pianist Will Healy shares “We were thinking about what modern life is like in an urban hive – a combination of massive, overwhelming concrete and exhilarating, fast-paced life. The track is constantly active with notes and fast changes, and the lyrics are full of stories, metaphors and references that all circle back to the concept of being a part of modern day life as specks in the big city.”

    “ANTS” features Bush Tea and Nuri Hazzard, with music by Will Healy. The song was produced by Harrison Keithline and Tyler Wood and mixed and engineered by Jack Frerer, with additional editing from Mikkel Christensen and Skei’n Studios. Shouthouse’s orchestra includes Megan Atchley (violin), Allison Mase (violin), Drew Forde (viola), Olivia Harris (cello), Luiz Bacchi (bass), Jack Gulielmetti (electric guitar), David Valbuena (clarinet), Kelley Barnett (flute) Jesse Greenberg (vibraphone/glockenspiel), Aaron Ewing (drumset), Will Healy (piano) and conducted by Alex Burtzos.

    Stay tuned next week for the premiere of Shouthouse’s video for “Ants,” exclusively from NYS Music. Follow Shouthouse on Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud and YouTube.

  • Wild Woods Festival: An Intimate Affair

    Driving up the long dirt road to Page Farm, you start to realize just how far away from civilization you are. The trees get thicker, the houses scarcer. This comes as very good news because things get a little crazy once the sun sets on Wild Woods Festival.

    This small festival comes from the minds of Greenvibe Entertainment and founder Ryan Dubois. In its fourth year, Wild Woods had its best year yet, unfolding August 11-13. There’s something amazing about this place that you just can’t seem to put your finger on. It has an almost familiar feel to it.

    The campgrounds are tucked away in the forest, trails winding through with lights hanging overhead for when the day gets dark. As you walk out from your site, you pass a vendor village with treasures and trinkets of all kinds. A little further, you pass through a towering gate into an open field. Surrounded by trees on every side, you can’t help but feel at home. Every inch of the grounds feels like the woods you played in as a child. Except here, there was a wonderful lineup of music to be played.

    Strange Machines kicked off Friday with a bang. I said it last year and I’ll say it again this year: these guys had the best dance party of the weekend. Not to say it was the biggest, but the crowd was definitely dancing the hardest. Kung Fu gave us a huge dose of funk before the sun set on Page Farm and things took a very different turn. Supersyllius was joined by Lespecial for his “Lifeband” set. The main stage closed with a long intimate set from Papadosio. The crowd was really feeling it. The stage may have been small but The Reliquarium display that surrounded the stage was lit with mapped visuals. The night ended with sets from Lespecial, Esseks and Jade Cicada, rolling everyone into the early morning.

    Saturday was really quite a surprise. The threat of rain was constant and lightning in the distance was alarming at times but never came too close. Honestly, it made the whole night that much more memorable. The slight drizzle that came with it danced off of the lights and lasers. Local favorites, Harsh Armadillo, really brought the crowd to life that evening. It’s really hard not to dance to their high energy funk. The same could be said though for Hayley Jane and the Primates and Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, both giving the crowd incredible shows. Hayley Jane was accompanied by her good friends in The What Collective. Their choreographed dancing was a really cool touch for the Primates’ set.

    New Hampshire’s own Roots of Creation played a very unique “dubtronica” set for the crowd. This is something the band is pretty used to playing. They love to put their own spin on the dub/reggae sound so it was a real treat to be able to get a lot more out of this set. Greenvibe was really proud to have Papadosio join the Wild Woods lineup this year, and the crowd was more than thankful. Their incredibly beautiful and deep tracks filled the field with violin and heavy bass sounds. The whole festival was in attendance for this set. The night finished with a huge set from Mr. Bill and Govinda played us deep into the morning with his mesmerizing tracks. Music bounced off the tents and tarps until the sun rose.

    The weekend was full of fun and laughter. The Wild Woods fam is a real thing, a real feeling you get after a weekend with these characters. Hopefully Wild Woods will return next year. If so, we can be sure that it will continue to live up to its name.

  • Sit-Ins, Covers and Heavy Improv Highlight Adirondack Independence Music Festival

    It doesn’t seem like the easiest feat to get a small music festival up, running and successful, but that’s just what the organizers of the Adirondack Independence Music Festival did this past weekend, September 2-3.

    In its second year and hosted in Lake George at the Charles R. Wood Commons, the two-day festival brought a stacked lineup to eager fans, and may have solidified itself moving forward as an Upstate New York gem. Ticket prices were beyond reasonable, the atmosphere was relaxed and omnipotent and every person who graced the stage brought something unique and memorable.

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  • Photo Gallery: Chevelle Kicks Chevy Court into Full Gear

    On August 24, the 3-piece hard-rock trio, Chevelle, brought their brand of rock from Illinois to the New York State Fair. Check out the setlist and photos below.

    Setlist: Another Know It All, The Clincher, Young Wicked, Take Out the Gunman, An Island, Jars, Vitamin R (Leading Us Along), Closure, Rivers, Joyride (Omen), Face to the Floor, Still Running, I Get It, Door to Door Cannibals, Hats Off to the Bull, The Red, Comfortable Liar, Send the Pain Below

  • Photo Recap: Night Lights Music Festival 2017

    Once a year in late August, The Heron becomes a temporary home for hundreds of friendly faces at Night Lights Music Festival. Also known for being the grounds of The Great Blue Heron Music Festival, The Heron holds a secluded location tucked into the woods of Sherman, NY.

    Night Lights Music Festival 2017The drive to Night Lights consists of winding hills, endless woods, and a considerable amount of horse-drawn carriages.

    Upon arrival, you can expect to be greeted by the gatekeeper with a genuine “Welcome home!” If you’re lucky, you might also have a friendly encounter with the Parking Wizard.

    The Heron takes an entirely different form when the sun goes down. The trees are lit up all throughout the woods, creating a breathtaking atmosphere.  And last but not least, the musicians that brought the NLMF family together.