NYS Music 20​17

Category: Pop

  • A Phantogram Homecoming

    Phantogram played to a sold-out crowd in Clifton Park Saturday with New York City-based We Are Scientists. Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel of Phantogram spoke of their love for Upstate NY throughout the set and even Sarah’s mother was in attendance. They electrified the crowd with new gems like “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” and threw down with the classic “When I’m Small.”

    Setlist: Funeral Pyre, Black Out Days, Turning Into Stone, Don’t Move, You’re Mine, Same Old Blues, Answer, Mouthful, Howling At The Moon, Bad Dreams, Destroyer, When I’m Small.  Encore: Cruel World, Fall In Love, You Don’t Get Me High Anymore.

    PHANTOGRAM.ECOKER_11

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  • Q&A: Adam Weston from Birds Of Tokyo Talks About New LP ‘Brace’

    Rock music across the pond in Australia is starting to have quite the following here state side with bands such as Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus and 12 Foot Ninja. But one band that seems to be looked in the rock genre is Birds Of Tokyo. Birds Of Tokyo have been pigeon holed into the pop genre with singles from their self titled and March Fires albums. But this time around Birds embrace their heavier roots on their latest album Brace, which was released on November 4, 2016.

    Brace has a dark, heavy and sometimes retro tone throughout the entire album, yet it is enlightening lyrically. Birds pushed the envelope and delivered a much needed album reflecting current political events happening all over the world. Digging deep, Birds transcended by taking their fans to a new level of music greatness with Brace.

    Fresh off of their Australia tour, Birds Of Tokyo’s drummer Adam Weston graciously took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for NYS Music!

    Rebecca Clark: What was the hardest track to record on Brace and why?
    Adam Weston: “Empire.” In demo form it had its strengths but lacked an identity that the other album tracks solidified during pre-production, so once we actually started drum recording it really was against the ropes. Some songs really tell you what direction they want to go in and others you sometimes end up putting through the ringer. After all tracking had been done we had a breakthrough with the song, flew our producer David Bottrill back out from Canada, set everything back up again and nailed it.

    RC: If you could go in a time machine and could tell your past self anything what would it be?
    AW: Other than a decade’s worth of NBA winners I’m not sure I would have anything pivotal to say. No regrets!

    RC: What did you guys do to celebrate on release day of Brace?
    AW: Our bass player Berney and his wife are great cooks, so it was food, plenty of drinks and arguments over album track listing at his pad. We shunned the tradition of cigars which is probably a good thing.

    RC: How was it working with Hayley on “Discoloured?” How did teaming up with her come into play on the record?
    AW:     Haley’s a gem and really gave “Discoloured” an extra edge. We’ve run into The Jezabels often when billed on the same festivals or just out at pubs in Sydney, so Hayley was our first choice and the first time Birds have collaborated with another vocalist on record.

    RC: Your lyrics have always been amazing and dig deep on a personal level. Was it nerve wracking stepping into writing about the more political and heavier events going on in our world? With the US presidential election at fever pitch while writing, I personally love what you have done with the lyrics.
    AW:     Lyrically, Birds often had a ‘you and I’ connection in their early storytelling, then with March Fires it became more of a ‘we’ perspective and Brace is more of a current ‘state of things’ extension of that.

    While we knew we were aiming towards a harder edged record, some content naturally found its way in purely from what was and of course still is going on in our daily lives. Current Australian government policies, environmental issues and other worldly concerns were an alarming fit to the dystopian-tinged tales and end of days vibes we were feeling.

    RC: What is the story behind the art concept on the cover of Brace?
    AW:     We came across some amazing art done by the wonderful Sean Mundy and that acted as a visual starting point. Mood boards followed that encompassed a lot of sci-fi and dystopian content but we didn’t really want to blatantly take that path. So many facets of the album process were about making new and bold decisions, so the final cover art I personally feel is certainly bold while suggesting despair from oppression. Based on a lot of feedback it really is open to interpretation.

    RC: What is the one thing you hope your fans take away from the songs by crossing the “political line” in your songs?
    AW:     Awareness. I think all members have been passionate about particular causes since our teenage years, but as a group of friends continuing to grow and write together I feel we’re just more aware than ever about issues that concern everyone around us. Of course this isn’t literal amongst the material, but there’s a sense of shining a light on the things that trouble us.

    RC: Is Glenn jealous that there isn’t another Glenn in the band? I know Kenny goes by his last name, do any of the Adams have nick names so you don’t get confused?
    AW:     Ha, well there’s Kenny, Sparky, Westy, Berney and Glenn is Diffy.

    RC: Is it hard sharing Kenny with Karnivool? How does he compartmentalize being in two successful bands?
    AW: That all just comes down to time management/effective planning. Naturally not everything lines up exactly but we all make it work.

    RC: Do any of the other band members have other projects they work on as well as BOT?
    AW: Berney and Diffy have recently begun a Sydney based band Kiko Smokes – check em out.

    RC: Who has pulled the most epic prank and what was it and on who?
    AW:     A friend of ours and a studio colleague of a couple of members recently reported a break-in where a whole heap of valuable gear and irreplaceable hard drives full of work were stolen. The break-in was real, but fortunately the stolen gear was not. I’m not sure how long the members were left stewing, but I know my stomach sank when I heard the first half of the story!

    RC: What is your theme song when you walk into a room? (like in the movies)
    AW: Spanish Flea

    RC: Do you have anything else to add?
    AW: In the space of two weeks this month I get to see (again) two of my favourite acts, Every Time I Die and PJ Harvey, while other weekends include Birds shows, then in February it’ll be a guilty pleasure as Glenn are off to Gn’R! Not a bad start to 2017…

    Thank you so much for your time Adam!

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMAWvSpnqdE[/embedyt]

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  • Hearing Aide: Theo Katzman ‘Heartbreak Hits’

    Funk mastermind Theo Katzman of Vulfpeck has released his second LP today titled Heartbreak Hits, following the 2011 release of Romance without Finance. This latest work oozes heartache, with Katzman‘s youthful vocals lamenting the loss of a lover. The songs evoke the agony of painful breakups, and might even open old wounds for some listeners, but they’re delivered with such gripping soul, that most won’t even think to press pause.

    The album kicks off in rock ballad fashion, akin to the likes of 70’s icons The Eagles. Katzman confirmed on his crowdfunding album campaign that the band did in fact lend inspiration. Wailing guitar on album opener “Hard Work” shocks the eardrums to life before Katzman’s breathy pop vocals attempt to make sense of a failed relationship. People will go the extra mile for someone they love, and with pragmatically comical lines like “I held your hair back when you had too much to drink/ I used my bare hands to unclog that bathroom sink” and “When you got depressed and your mind was on the brink/ I peeled you off the floor and drove you to a shrink” it’s easy to see how a guy thinks he’s earned his keep.

    “Breakup Together” is sweet on the ears, but the melodic sing-songy quality carries Katzman’s tenderly brooding words as he laments “We used to make love together, now we break up together.” Trilling backup vocals follow this somber sentiment. The silver-tongued harmonies call to mind that flock of helpful songbirds chirping away in Snow White, but instead of helping the fair maiden do laundry, they perch on Katzman’s shoulders and chime in as he mopes (understandably) in a corner.

    “Crappy Love Song” supplies some of the most gut-tickling harmonies on the album before “My Heart is Dead” goes nineties angst as Katzman pouts, “My heart is dead girl/ It doesn’t beat no more.” “Good to be Alone” presents a sobering, understated country folk charm replete with slide guitar. A more earnest tone on this number replaces Katzman’s raspy pop attitude found throughout much of the album. Lyrics seeking the silver lining of reclaimed independence in the wake of a breakup, he attempts to convince himself, “No one to scratch you down your back/ No one to cut you any slack/ You got to scratch it on your own/ It’s good to be alone.”

    “Lost and Found” staccato style drums, guitar and vocals add a bouncy feel, revisiting the lively pop realm before “My 1-Bedroom” finds Katzman dreamily fantasizing about the prospect of sharing his small dwelling with a significant other, nearly whispering the lyrics with stripped down instrumental accompaniment. Already the album has led the listener on a roller coaster ride, each song undulating along the spectrum of sadness and resentment, lyrics spiced with cynicism. “As the Romans Do” injects some steam into the track list with powerhouse pop vocals and pounding drums. This song in particular demonstrates the skillful subtleties in Katzman’s singing ability, especially through the lines “I bid a fond farewell to my bestest friends/ I packed my possessions in a Uhaul then/ I sailed like a sailor to the promised land.”

    “Love is a Beautiful Thing” mellows the track list again with soft jazz guitar, muted drums and light piano laced with Katzman’s delicate falsetto. The words convey a familiar scenario in breakups: the pain of seeing an ex-lover involved with someone else when you’re still hurting. He sings, “Love is a beautiful thing/ Hugging, kissing, laughing, holding hands/ Love is a beautiful thing/ Unless it’s you loving another man.” After this song the listener almost surely feels as if Katzman has beaten them over the head with such relentless harping on the same themes of loss, yet by sticking so loyally to this theme, he has created a very real portrayal of the cyclical thought patterns many experience in a breakup. “Plain Jane Heroin” rounds out the ten-track album on a somber note, ending the album on a bit of a cliche, comparing the allure of a woman to the addictive nature of heroin.

    Katzman has crafted a string of songs that thoroughly display the breadth of his vocal ability. The rawness of the lyrics suggest Katzman might have actually had his heart recently ripped from his chest by whichever woman called it splitsville. While profit from fresh heartbreak is a form of sweet songwriting revenge, it doesn’t appear that a recent tragic breakup is the essence of inspiration. Katzman stated in his album campaign, “I started writing songs, and found myself exploring different angles of letdown/loss of expectation/heartbreak: My own personal experiences, as well as the extrapolation of those experiences into my imagination.” Nevertheless, nearly anyone can empathize with Heartbreak Hits’ sentiments, and dance, rage or cry to the album at their discretion.

    The album was recorded by Tyler Duncan at The Barber House, mixed by Duncan and mastered by Devin Kerr. Cover photo by Claire Marie Vogel and album artwork by Robert Lester. Musicians contributing to the album include: Joe Dart (Fender bass), Woody Goss (piano, Wurlitzer electric piano on “Break Up Together”), Laura Mace and Mike G: (omni backing vocals), Lee Pardini: (Wurlitzer electric piano), Drew Howard: (pedal steel guitar) and Brett Farkas: (additional electric guitar on “As the Romans Do”).

    Currently Katzman has one scheduled performance on January 26 at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, California. The album is available for purchase here.

    Key Tracks: Hard Work, Breakup Together, As the Romans Do