NYS Music presented Funk Night at Albany’s The Hollow Bar and Kitchen on September 21, which featured a great collaborative cover of Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles.”
Starbird was joined by Joe Davis of Formula 5 on vocals and guitar, Scott Hannay of Mister F on keys, and Connor Dunn of Let’s Be Leonard on tenor saxophone. Check out this funky rendition of the 1973 tune.
Everyone, at some point, dreams of being in a band. Everyone who is in a band, dreams of achieving ultimate success. Some bands spend years in musician purgatory, putting forth albums, riding the in-between waves of small victories within their genre and trying to come to terms with if they’ll ever break through to fame or if the future remains with sold-out hometown shows. The Other Brothers, while still managing similar questions of their own, have showed relentless passion and drive to come out on top over the years, despite the lack of tangible music, until now.
Trading in hometown gigs for Capitol Theatre collaborations with Theo Katzman and Joe Dart of Vulfpeck as well as slots on festival bills, The Other Brothers have quickly hopped amid their own neo-soul totem pole to the top. Beginning as a New Paltz quartet in 2012, the six-pack made up of the flavorful Chris Owens (lead vocals), John Morrison (guitar), Jordan Mendelson (bass), Brandon Bera (drums), Gabriel Marquez (keys) and Jared Nelson (percussion), constantly performed to friends and family while hitting up the town bars and cafes, quickly making their name known and earning the gold star achievement of local favorites. Fast forward five years and the high-talent sextet have finally compiled a five-song, debut EP, Jones, ready to bestow a plentiful stew of soulful R&B, funky, rock and roll genres onto new listeners.
Adorned with a simple cartoon drawing of a burnt orange beanie, Jones offers up a fusion of sound from the very first track. The EP kicks off with “A2W,” or better known as “Addicted to Weed” and if you’ve had the pleasure of catching The Other Brothers live, you’ve noticed it’s quite the crowd pleaser, evoking smiles around the room. The song’s theme is centered on playful lyrics about tokin’ and jokin’ as listeners are lead into Jones with a head-knock worthy drumbeat and funky bass line. Owen’s launches into a narrative of all things that have been blown off because of his unwavering marijuana morale. His deep and smooth articulations are perfectly supplemented by the sultry back up vocals of Mary Corso which make a second pop up later on the release.
Lyrics like “Used to make me laugh, now I just wanna quit” and “get a full-time job and maybe a car” allude to the crossroads many people come to–when to shake a certain comfortable lifestyle in hopes of shifting into a different one or how to make both worlds coexist. The end of the song finds a rap breakdown filled with inner thoughts about giving up personal addictions while guitar aficionado Morrison dives into a funky segue with a build up and climax of heavy, mind-altering psychedelia. The EP quality is top-notch as Jones was recorded to tape, mixed and mastered by David Andersen at Art Farm in Accord, NY and Sound City Studios in Los Angeles.
“Can I Get It” quickly follows as the second track of the EP, with pronounced drum-circle percussion by Nelson and Mendelson’s bass hook stealing the show in the midst of a dance-party anthem that awakens all senses. The lyrics, while repetitive and straight-forward, aren’t meant to be the highlight of the track. Rather, they state exactly what the band will do as vocal growls and embellishments unleash before wrapping back to the song’s theme of “We’re gonna funk you up, gonna funk you down!”
An abrupt ending welcomes another fan favorite “Hit You Up” ft. The Other Brothers’ companion Wavy Cunningham. Taking a slower R&B approach to track three, silky smooth vocals and Marquez’ assistance on the keys come to the forefront of the tune before Cunningham steals the mic for a quick rhyme, appropriately placed smack dab in the middle of the track. Owens truly displays his powerhouse singing chops as the song nears its end with high-hitting notes, running scales and impressive falsetto.
Up to this point, the EP has offered slower, smooth arrangements and dance-centered tracks until “Your Machine” comes as the funkiest tune off of Jones, immediately placing you in a time machine to their enchanting Disc Jam 2017 performance. An unmistakable groove first grabs hold of your ear as odd time signatures, soaring guitar licks and swift tempo-switches keep you attentively listening to the very ending note. The guitar-wailing track collectively showcases all member’s talents and even ends with a stellar outro that tantalizes a full spectrum of sentiments.
“Cave In” is delivered as the EP’s 5th and final track, giving off a stimulating and inviting arrangement to tap your toes and swing your hips to. The dreamy vocals enter into airy falsetto, unmistakable growls and even add jazzy scatting into the mix for a nod to yet another wall of sound. “I’m gonna hide inside this groove, baby, until I get back to you” perfectly depicts the soulful and emotive themes the ending track delivers.
Before The Other Brothers even released their tunes in any capacity, they shared the stage with Vulfpeck giants Theo Katzman and Joe Dart at the famed Capitol Theatre, sold out their EP release party at American Beauty in NYC on September 30 and tore up their festival slots and summertime gigs. Taking the frontman’s signature hip sways and energetic bops across the stage out of the equation, the debut places focus on the band’s music alone–solidifying what most already knew. Owens may act as the mitochondria of The Other Brothers cell, but each of the members carry out their own complimentary duties to craft their ever-morphing sound.
With eclectic and effortless transitions between a broad horizon of styles, The Other Brothers don’t allow themselves to be labeled as a one-genre group, if anything, they’re simply contagious. Instead, they master a collection of ballads and soul-soothing soundscapes leaving their exploration and further projects open to directions of all kinds.
Celebrating their first official EP, a release party will take place at American Beauty in NYC on Sept. 30 at 8PM. Keep your eyes peeled for impending fall tour dates that will be released prior to the show.
Key Tracks: Your Machine, Cave In
The lineup on the night’s gig consisted of Rich Bomzer on tenor sax, Eric Frost and Christian Crawford (trumpet), Annie Mclean (vocals), Tj Adorno (guitar/rap), Colin Dooman (bass), Evan Sundquist (keyboard, vocals, computerized sound effects), Angel Lau (percussion) and Alex Aitken (drums).
Surrounded by avid clubs and music venues dawning bright lights, all host such enthusiastic musicians and performers. One in particular performs to achieve one simple objective: Give em’ what they want! This is the essence of the solo act that is Rob (the guitar guy) Baione.People from all walks of life gathered together in Buffalo at the intimate Tralf Music Hall Sunday, September 17 to experience the long-awaited return of the Boston-based funk machine that is Lettuce. While it was a typical, dreary September Buffalo night outside, the crowd and aura of the dancefloor gave the feeling that you were at a late Saturday night festival show.
The show began with a high energy DJ set by the up and coming electronic artist Maddy O’Neal. The 45-minute set showcased a great combination of bone shaking bass drops, obscure drum beats, and well-placed sound effects as she sampled songs that were both familiar and unfamiliar to the crowd. O’Neal’s energetic movements blurred the lines between the crowd and the performer as red, blue and yellow lights swirled around the stage and inspired the mostly timid crowd to get up and dance. By the end of her set nearly the entire dancefloor was filled and grooving, and the crowd was warmed up and ready for the meat- or vegetable- of the show.
The audience was ecstatic when Lettuce took the stage, with a few extra cheers and whistles directed towards keyboard player Nigel Hall who emerged from behind the curtain in a Bill’s hat and old-school O.J. Simpson jersey. The band took no time getting going as they opened with an electrifying “Requiem,” a song that wove jazz and funk influences as drummer Adam Deitch and bass player Erick “Jesus” Coomes held down a steady funk groove while trumpet player Eric Bloom and saxophonist Ryan Zoidis skillfully whirled through a Middle-Eastern melody.
The tight stage and small venue created a college-basement feeling as the crowd was now shoulder to shoulder, bobbing and spinning just feet from the almost comically over-packed, tiny stage of musicians. The next two songs kept the energy high as they blasted through “Get Greasy” and “Chief,” two fat funk instrumentals which gave the band multiple opportunities to showcase their ability to control the energy in the room and build to a peak out of almost thin air. The crowd clearly appreciated the heavy funk to start the show because by the end of the third song multiple heads of lettuce could be seen flying around the audience.
The band slowed things down a bit with “Dump,” the first song featuring vocals, which sounded like a cross between James Brown and Stevie Wonder. Hall did a magnificent job handling the vocals with his delicate yet dominating voice, as the band played softly around him.
The next few numbers highlighted the band’s ability to create ambience while at the same time holding on tight to their funk roots. The intro to “Ready to Live” gave the feeling that you were being ominously watched as you went scuba-diving through an abandoned shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean, eventually being pulled up to the surface by the funky breakdown.
High energy jazz solos by guitarist Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff was a clear highlight to the diverse crowd before the band took a quick break leaving Deitch alone on stage to hammer out an intense, Bonham-like drum solo. When the band returned to the stage, they might as well have come back with George Clinton with them because they brought the funk. The crowd exploded with the band, and there was not a single person whose neck wouldn’t be sore in the morning from the trance-like grooving.
The band ended their set with two songs containing more vocals than they had utilized the entire night. During “Shmink Dabby” Hall taunted the audience in a James Brown-like fashion yelling “Buffalo, Hit Me!” while Zoidis let out a powerful saxophone solo. They ended their set with “Sounds Like a Party,” a fun song that does in fact sound like a party. During the breakdown, each band member took a small solo before coming together as one entity to leave the crowd on a high note.
The band did not leave the stage for long before the crowd began a “One More Song!” chant, forcing the musicians back out almost immediately. The band thanked the audience and gave them a little more of what they wanted with a bustling rendition of “The Flu.” Hugs, high fives, and smiles were exchanged as the crowd left the venue, with every soul feeling just a bit richer thanks to the night of funk they had just experienced together.
Setlist: Requiem > Get Greasy > Chief > Dump > Ready to Live > Purple Cabbage > Kron Dutch > Blaze > Phyllis > Lettsanity > Shmink Dabby > Sounds Like A Party
Encore: The Flu
One of our own 87/90 bands Space Carnival is headlining Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday, October 24!
Catch Space Carnival in their first time headlining at Brooklyn Bowl! Also performing that night are Goose and The Southern Belles. Doors open at 6pm, and music kicks off at 8pm. Tickets just went on sale this afternoon, so be sure to grab them quickly here!
Space Carnival blends high-energy disco, funk, and progressive rock into an interplanetary performance. Formed in Spring 2013, Space Carnival consists of Jeremy Kraus on Guitar, Cameron Fitch on Keys and Vocals, Chris Meier on Bass, and Nick Tassinari on drums. The quartet began honing their live sound when they launched into the Oneonta music scene in Fall of 2013. Space Carnival keeps a consistent, fun, and fresh energy by rotating set lists, adding covers and confidently debuting original material. This four piece is sure to have you dancing with their form of loose funk and relentless slippery disco.
Find out more about the event here.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan born quartet Vulfpeck took the Brooklyn Steel stage Friday, September 8, as well as the following weekend, before departing for their upcoming tour in Europe. The venue holds a max capacity of 1800, as well as multiple bar areas and a mezzanine. The Brooklyn Steel is a popular new theatre in Brooklyn, and was the perfect setting for Vulfpeck to perform a great show. The show was entirely sold out, but the crowd was very laid back before the show started, something not common in a crowded setting like this.
Multi-instrumentalist Joey Dosik was the opening act for the night, but he was not alone, accompanied by Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman. Katzman played both bass and drums for this portion of the evening. Dosik elicited large amounts of excitement from the crowd, who seemed to be starstruck by his acapella rendition of “Stories” by Bill Withers. His tone and dynamic control were something to behold, and he seemed to be humbled by the praise he received. When his set ended, he then joined Vulfpeck on the stage and played along side them for the rest of the night, this time equipped with a saxophone. The vibe of the show was incredible.
While Vulfpeck performed, everyone in the venue became a unit. There was a magnetic pull that draped over the crowd like a blanket, and it seemed that not one person was standing still. With high energy, dancing, and lots of hollering, the people of the crowd could be seen having the time of their lives, living in the moment and through the songs the band banged out with expertise. Vulfpeck’s setlist for the evening contained some of their most iconic songs, such as “Daddy’s Got A Tesla,” “Game Winner,” and “Back Pocket.” However, not one song was played live in the same style as the studio version. Improvisation was a driving force at this show in the best way possible. They fed off of each other musically, trading ideas and including the crowd whenever possible.
The crowd harmonized as a group a number of times, the harmonies led by Theo Katzman. Not only that, but Vulfpeck spoke to the crowd like they would to a friend. The atmosphere was comfortable, and Vulfpeck made it easy to relax and enjoy a quality night of music. The acoustics of the venue were crisp, making each sound travel smooth and clear. Vulfpeck is a force to be reckoned with, being arguably one of the most diverse and unique music groups in the scene as of right now.
It seems that our society is finding comfort in nostalgia more and more every day- “It” and “Star Wars” reboots are in theaters, Dave Chappelle is back on stage and vinyl records are back on store shelves. Some say they like the sound quality and others just like the idea of having a tangible collection. Whatever the reason may be, artists are taking notice and it has sparked the imagination of great producers and musicians like musical prodigy Alan Evans of Soulive. The popularity of vinyl and today’s recording styles have pushed him to create something truly unique.
Evans said he is “… taking it back to the basics,” with his creation of the Vintage League Music (VLM). The idea behind this project is to allow musicians to create a “‘Singles’ way of releasing music worldwide both digitally and physically on vinyl records.” In a press release, Evans said that when music was printed on vinyl records, most recordings were released days after the master track was finished, keeping the music fresh and the listeners engaged. Evans intends to recreate this process and will release 7” and 12” vinyl, digital singles and full length albums from all groups that work with VLM.
NYS Music spoke with Evans to get a deeper understanding of how and why he created this project.
The focus of Vintage League Music is to release 7″ singles both vinyl and digitally. This gives us and the artists a lot of freedom in terms of release schedules but also in terms of creating the music. I just want to create a very relaxed environment for artists to create something new. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played or seen shows during Jazz Fest, on Jam Cruise or any number of festivals where some magic happens on stage with people you have never played with before. I want Vintage League Music to be the place where this all can happen (one single or a triple album).
So far, five groups have started working with VLM, most of which Evans has had a hand in, and have all released a single available for streaming on the VLM site. As of now, Evans said the vinyl is going to be released very soon and thanks to Fat Beats, they will be available wherever people are buying records now. Those who are interested in this project can go to the VLM site and find samples from each band.
Recently released projects include:
Crowd Company – “ Saw You Yesterday” – “An 8-piece modern take on vintage soul funk. Brimming with energy and a raw edge, catchy hooks, and tight grooves. The band combines a retro Hammond organ-based sound with a virtuoso horn section, soulful lead, and harmony vocals.”
This is the only group currently affiliated with VLM that has a predicted full album release date. Their single “Saw You Yesterday” is available for download on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify but a full length, 13-track album will be released digitally Oct. 20.
Matador! Soul Sounds – “Get Ready” – “Matador Soul Sounds was born from the vision of Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds) and Alan Evans (Soulive). Combining the dynamism of each band leader, the music they have created is brand new, hard hitting and drenched with their shared musical passions – jazz, funk & soul.”
This will be the first group to release a 7” single during their first official performance at the Brooklyn Bowl, Sept. 23 during Brooklyn Comes Alive. Alan says the full length album will be released at the beginning of 2018.
Agent 3 – “Mission Received” – On stage, Agent 3 is a band that tours the world playing music for adoring fans. Off stage, Agent 3 operating under Management, is a band of spies that surgically eliminates secret governments, terrorist groups, corrupt politicians and evil spy organizations.
Agent 3 will release a full length album serving as the story’s soundtrack to a comic book that is planed to be released.
4 Brothers – “No. 2” – Spiritual-Soul-Rock-Jazz. This is a concept record – put a pair of successful “brother” musicians together with another pair of successful brothers and see what happens. This one has a buzz before a single note is released.
Alan says they are planning on releasing 4 Brother as digital 7″ versions (two songs at a time) towards the end of this year and on vinyl early 2018.
Rolland Blackrock – “Buffalo” – Black Rock from the blackest rocker on the scene – Roland Blackrock. Soulive’s Alan Evans goes (sort of) undercover to create a Lenny-Kravitz-meets-Sly-Stone style Masterpiece.
The Roland Blackrock album is planned to be released digitally as volumes 1, 2 & 3 spring of 2018 along with a 12″ vinyl version.
Without the breath of big record labels steaming down musicians’ backs, Evans says there is more opportunity for spontaneity. He said some of his best work came from fiddling around on his guitar and believes up and coming groups can create some incredible work through the same process. He believes that great ideas have gone to waste because nowadays, bands see time in the studio as just a time to record, not experiment, and Evans intends to change that idea.
This project is still in it’s early stages but is definitely worth keeping tabs on. VLM can be found on multiple social sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and has kept a steady flow of information coming since its start.
LOCKN‘ 2017, held annually at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Virginia, draws lovers of funky jams, old school blues, and gritty hard rock from all corners of the country. This year, residents from every single state migrated to the mountainous landscape on a late summer weekend, August 24-27. Beautiful sunny weather with a scattering of clouds provided much welcome shade as festival goers danced and mingled, sampling a variety of local brews and food. All-star jams and vibrant performances by local artists studded the four-day event with excitement and musical release.
On a sunny Friday evening on August 18, funk icon’s Freekbass and The Bump Assembly rocked the main stage at Nights Of Fire Music Festival in Franklinville, NY. Before the big performance, NYS Music was honored to sit down with Chris “Freekbass” Sherman in Freekbass and The Bump Assembly’s tour van. As we began, Freekbass wittily commented, “It’s appropriate that we’re doing this in the van, because this is where we live.”
Born, raised, and currently based out of Cincinnati, OH, Freekbass has released six full length albums and has collaborated with modern legends including Bootsy Collins, DJ Spooky, Mike Gordon, Buckethead, Bernie Worrell, and many others. His touring band, Freekbass & The Bump Assembly includes Razor Sharp Johnson (Bootsy’s Rubberband/P-Funk) on keys and synths and Rico Lewis (George Clinton & P-Funk) on drums.
Whether he’s rocking the cover of Bass Guitar Magazine, playing upward of 150 shows each year, or working on his new album with Ropeadope records, Freekbass is one of the hardest working musicians in the funk business. NYS Music is humbled to present you this edition of “In Their Own Words.” Here we have a collection of bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from Freekbass:
On Life On The Road:
Living in the van, we play about 150 dates a year. I enjoy the road life. I always say you sorta have to have that trucker gene in you to really enjoy it. In James Brown’s autobiography, he explains how they started in a station wagon, then they moved to a van, then to a bus, then a plane, and then a private jet. It doesn’t matter if you’re in that private jet or that station wagon, the road is still the road. You have to enjoy yourself.
I like meeting new people all the time. It’s always exciting because you gain energy from new people, and the energy is always different in different places. The audience becomes as much a part of the music and the band as we are. I used to thank the audience at the end of the show. I’d say, “thanks for letting us play for you,” nowadays, i’m always saying, “thank you for letting us play with you.” It feels like our audience has become as much a part of the music as we are. We can play a song for 20 minutes long or the same song for 5 minutes. It all has to do with what the vibe is that night. A lot of our performance has to do with what’s happening with the audience.
In the last few years, music streaming, illegal downloading, and torrenting has taken over the industry. Five to ten years ago, you recorded a record and then you played live to promote the record. Nowadays, it feels like it’s almost the opposite. A band records a record to help bolster their live show. For instance, when they first began, Pretty Lights gave all of their music away for free. Some people said, “oh wow this is a pretty odd business model,” but, the idea was to get inside everyone’s ears. All of a sudden, they created this huge live buzz, it was all about going to see them live. We have a brand new business model. I think it’s great. Nowadays, you have to be a really good live act. The one thing you can’t replace is a good live show.
On Cincinnati Ohio’s Funk Music Scene:
The Cincinnati music family is pretty tight knit. In the music industry, there already is just six degrees of separation between everybody, but, the funk community is even smaller. That’s one thing that’s great about being in Cincinnati. The history goes back to the days of James Brown and King Records; that’s how many great funk players such as Bootsy Collins got their start. There’s always been a strong community of funk musicians in the midwest. When there is a plethora of musicians playing the same kind of music, it’s easier to connect then it might be in other parts of the country.
On Pre-Performance Rituals:
We always get together and meditate and pray before a show. It’s something we do no matter what. This is nice because sometimes-at festivals especially-performing can be freaking chaotic due to changeovers and all sorts of things. I feel like prayer grounds us. Right before we go on, no matter how chaotic the day is, even if we have to run behind the back of the van and do it, we always pray.
Fun Facts:
I’m looking forward to the new Justice League movie…I also listen to a lot of superhero podcasts. My favorite one is called Holy Batcast. There is also Batmannews.com, Suicide Squadcast, Batman On Film, ect. I’m a big podcast fan. I also listen to WTF with Marc Maron quite a bit. I enjoy putting my headphones in and listening on long road trips.
Listen To The Entire Freekbass Live at Nights Of Fire Performance: