NYS Music 20​17

Category: Rock

  • David Crosby and Friends bring Sky Trails tour to The Egg

    David Crosby brought his friends to The Egg on Friday, November 17 for a sold out performance that featured tracks off his new album Sky Trails, as well as songs from the 60’s and 70’s by CSNY, CPR and The Byrds. Crosby’s Friends this evening included Jeff Pevar on guitar, James Raymond on keys, Mai Agan on bass, Steve DiStanislao on drums, and Michelle Willis on keys and vocals.

    david crosby and friends
    David Crosby and Friends at The Egg

    Shortly after opening with “In my Dreams,” a prime sample of Crosby, Stills and Nash’s late 70s elevator rock sound, Crosby dove into the first of a few CPR tracks, “Morrison” and later “At the Edge” and the powerful “Breathless,” as he spread out his vast catalog throughout the evening.

    After a show in Boston that had an audience member taking issue with Crosby’s anti-Trump stance, there were four instances this evening where he took jabs at Trump, with no vocal disdain from the audience. There was also the groovy “She’s Got to be Somewhere,” a song about a spy, influenced by Trump, and the first track off Sky Trails.

    Crosby shared stories throughout the evening, the first about The Byrds touring in England for the first time in the 60s, and told of how they were scared to meet The Beatles because they had copied their look, clothes, hair, shoes, sound and all. While performing one night, Crosby saw Mick Jagger and John Lennon in the crowd, and while he was nervous to meet either of them, they were as mellow as could be when they got to talking after the show. This led to Crosby offering a Ravi Shankar album to George Harrison, which had a profound influence on the quiet Beatle and his music in the years that followed. Crosby and Friends then performed “Laughing” which was written for Harrison.

    The touching CSN classic “Guinevere” was followed by referencing the Boston audience member, leading Crosby to wonder if “maybe they thought it was a Stephen Stills show,” before discussing the impact of Eisenhower’s “Military industrial Complex” speech and how it had an early influence on his view of American politics. With cheers and applause from the audience, he briefly spoke against the buying of Congress (and how there may only be five good ones left), which led into the short acapella song from an era of protest against the Vietnam War “What are their names?” Keeping the spirit of the era alive, a pairing of “Long Time Coming” and an extended “Deja Vu” with a soft jazzy interlude closed the first set.

    “Delta,” a song written on Warren Zevon’s piano (thanks to Jackson Browne when he was helping Crosby get clean) and “My Country Tis of Thee” with a CSN spin on the American staple stood out in a shorter second set. An encore of Neil Young’s “Ohio” had Crosby encouraging the crowd to sing the chorus “Four dead in Ohio,” and left the audience emboldened to take the spirit of the era from which these songs were born.

    While the show had plenty of reminiscing, Crosby’s show was far from a novelty act or nostalgia show. There were a few songs from his forthcoming album Sky Trails that were performed this evening amid plenty of classics from across his Canon. The 76 year old showed no signs of slowing down or mailing in his performance as he heads into the twilight of his career. Crosby is fired up and ready to go.

  • Joywave Leaves Fans Feeling More than Just Content on Day One of Tour

    Joywave answered the question off their first LP, How Do You Feel Now? with this year’s second LP, Content.  To promote the new album, they spent the summer touring with Young The Giant and Cold War Kids. Now they’re on their own headlining tour. Thanks. Thanks for Coming 2017 tour began on November 11 with a sold out show at Anthology in their hometown of Rochester.

    The frigid cold weather didn’t stop people from arriving early. An hour before the show, the line had already wrapped around the corner from Anthology in Rochester’s East End district. Once the doors opened, a smoking hot rock ‘n roll performance by The Demos helped to warm people up.

    The Demos

    All-female quartet The Aces wowed the audience with their indie pop prowess. Then KOPPS took to the stage, combining vivacious electro-pop songs with synchronized dance moves. By the time the supporting bands wrapped up, the sleek but chic industrial space had filled to capacity.

    Joywave started with the title track from their new album. In “Content” singer Daniel Armbruster plays with the homonym ‘content’ and the relationship between commercialism and satisfaction. The theme prevails in other songs from the new album, including “It’s a Trip!” and “Little Lies You’re Told.”

    Interspersed between the tracks from Content were songs from across their seven year span, including more obscure tunes like their 2011 single “Golden State” (featuring Armbruster on guitar) and the bonus track from the compilation Swish called “Life In A Bubble I Blew.” They also premiered a brand new song called “Alice.” A Joywave set wouldn’t be complete without songs from How Do You Feel Now?. The crowd went wild with “Destruction,” jumping in time to the beat and singing along, ” Oh my God, there’s nobody who can set me right. I’ve been sent to torch the palace down in broad daylight.”

    Daniel Armbruster of Joywave

    The tour is called Thanks. Thanks for Coming, so named for one of the tracks on Content. It’s also representative of their immense gratitude for everyone who has been a part of their journey. They took a break between songs to thank everyone, including the supporting bands, the venue, and the local alternative radio station.

    The last song of the set was “Going to a Place.” The room resonated with the sound of a thousand voices and a thousand pairs of hands clapping along. Keyboardist Benjamin Bailey extended the outro of the song. He continued to play long after the rest of the band left the stage, before eventually conceding to the end of the song.

    Benjamin Bailey of Joywave

    It didn’t take much to convince Joywave to come out for an encore. Armbruster picked up the guitar again, plucking along to the simple but sincere tune “Confidence.” They picked up the pace with “Nice House” and “Tongues.” The evening concluded aptly with a performance of “Thanks. Thanks For Coming.”

    Joywave is on tour through the end of the month. They will be joined by The Aces, The Demos, and Maybird on select dates. In addition, they are playing a few shows in December. The second leg of the Thanks. Thanks For Coming Tour was just announced. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 17.

    Setlist: Content, Now, It’s a Trip!, Shutdown, Life in a Bubble I Blew, Parade, Traveling at the Speed of Light, Alice, Rumors, Little Lies You’re Told, Golden State, Destruction, Doubt, Somebody New, Going to a Place. Encore: Confidence, Nice House, Tongues, Thanks. Thanks For Coming.

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’988′]

  • All Them Witches and King Buffalo Turned the Bug Jar Upside Down

    With a fully furnished retro 60’s apartment hanging from the ceiling, Rochester’s Bug Jar is the original Upside Down. There were some frighteningly stranger things going on between it’s walls on Sunday, November 12. The music put forth by Nashville’s All Them Witches and Rochester’s own King Buffalo could be described as a lot of things: rock, metal, blues, psychedelic, sludge, stoner. But perhaps one word summed it up best: BADASS. How else could one elicit the concentrated pulsating power billowing through the small rock club? What else could properly describe two different bands sporting shirtless drummers?

    This saga began with an ominous electric drone put out by King Buffalo‘s bassist Dan Reynolds. The suspense built as guitarist Sean McVay added some additional noise before drummer Scott Donaldson found his way to the kit. The set opening “Orion” continued to build steam until it exploded into a full-fledged rock out. “Can you hear me / through the smoke and the haze?” The band seems to run on the antithetical premise that the slower it gets, the harder it rocks. During “Drink from the River Rising” an unnatural pulsating from the intersection of guitar and bass had the entire space vibrating, before finally closing out with the same electronic drone that began the set.

    All Them Witches King Buffalo

    All Them Witches took the stage to deliver more of the same: Brooding, mysterious and bursting with dark energy. They may be the most un-Nashville Nashville band, though their geography shines through with some Southern-rock touches. The band, with Charles Michael Parks Jr. on bass and lead vocals, Robby Staebler on drums, Ben McLeod on guitar and Allan Van Cleave on keyboards, showed a great propensity for stretching songs out in long bouts of improvisation. It appeared early on with a massive “The Death of Coyote Woman” that opened and closed with extended blues rock jams. Staebler towered over his drums, pounding out an incredible amount of sound from a bare bones kit.

    No one’s calling them a jam band, but they could spar with the best of them. At the heart of the set laid a 30 minute segment that began with “Internet,” moved effortlessly into “Blood and Sand/Milk and Endless Waters” before finishing up back at “Internet.” Filling every gap within were flourishes of psychedelic organ and electric piano, staccato guitar freak outs, melodic slide guitar progressions, and low end drum rumbles. Behind driving bass work the pace quickened and mellowed over multiple distinct sections. In a quasi-apology, Parks announced, “That was a song about being alive, thanks for sticking it out with us.” There was no apology needed though, it was glorious.

    With the blistering rock-out “Sleeping Through the War” the set closed showcasing their dynamic variety. The crowd which had patiently meandered with them earlier in the set, took the opportunity to squeeze the last bit of energy out of the weekend and a mosh pit broke out. The show ended just before midnight, and as Sunday turned to Monday, reality set back in. Unfortunately, the right-side up beckoned.

    All Them Witches Setlist: Alabaster, When God Comes Back, The Death of Coyote Woman, 3-5-7, Elk.Blood.Heart, Internet > Blood and Sand/Milk and Endless Waters > Internet, Am I going Up?, Sleeping Through the War

  • Help those in need at Jam for Tots Shows throughout NYS this Holiday Season

    NYS Music along with Positive Mental Trip present 13 Jam for Tots shows throughout New York State (and one in Connecticut) to help those most in need this holiday season. Fans who attend any of these shows are encouraged to bring an unwrapped gift for a child age 2-12.

    help jam for totsEight bands are part of the Jam for Tots lineup this year, a charitable effort that brings live music and holiday season charity. Luke Weiler (Positive Mental Trip) has brought this series of shows to venues around Northeast, and has been expanded this year to span across New York State and includes 87/90 artists Intrepid Travelers, Cousin Earth, Formula 5, Space Carnival, Gowanus and Let’s Be Leonard, as well as Funkworthy and Chinatown Lights.

    Bring an unwrapped gift for a 2-12 year old and the gifts will be gathered by USMC representatives. Give back to those most in need this holiday season and enjoy a great show at the same time!

  • Hearing Aide: Jon Lewis Band’s ‘Baby Brother’

    One of the best parts of reviewing albums is being exposed to music that you most likely would have never discovered on your own. At first, I listened to the Rochester-based Jon Lewis Band’s recently-released EP Baby Brother solely for the sake of writing this review. And then, one morning, I woke up with the melodies lodged into my psyche and I listened because I wanted to.

    Don’t let the term local singer/songwriter fool you. Don’t let the genre label “indie rock” push this album out of the grasp of your musical appreciation.  Baby Brother resonates with a driving sense of urgency, possibly a reflection of the head space Lewis was in when he wrote and recorded it earlier this year.

    “After a freak car accident at the end of March, I found myself inspired to write and create music with more of an edgier attitude,” said Lewis. “We were also just returning from a short tour and I was eager to collaborate more on music that would feature the group and the intensity of those live performances. The process was so quick and often had a sense of profound urgency, energy and cohesiveness.”

    From the first track “Let Me Go,” the EP quickly seizes your attention with smokey, sultry verses, gradually leading to a bridge that builds into a chorus filled with shredding crescendos of hard-hitting rock. The third track on Baby Brother will keep you “Hanging On” with its yearning, soul-calling melodies, precise guitar harmonies and memorable lyrics.

    “What should you say, when my light is fading

    And all my bad decisions come collected

    To keep me hanging on

    Would you keep me hanging on”

    Baby Brother travels into familiar territory with hints of grunge and indie rock, yet with enough rock n’ roll and pop to set the Jon Lewis Band apart from today’s age of dime-a-dozen artists.

    A full-time musician, Jon Lewis bleeds, breaths and sleeps music. Since hitting the road as an acoustic singer-songwriter playing in coffeehouses and bars in Upstate New York in 2013, he’s released four EPs and two full-length albums –  some on his own, others in collaboration with some of Rochester’s well-known and up-and-coming artists, building a solid band of talented musicians along the way. Self-taught and determined to grow as a musician, he’s dedicated himself to producing music at a pace that matches his ambition.

    Partnering up with Producer/Engineer/friend Dave Drago of 1809 Studios, Lewis released two EPs in 2014:  Trail of Dreams and In Disguise. In 2015, he released his first full-length album Panic Rock on which he collaborated with Jacob Walsh on drums and Shawn Brogan on lead guitar, both of whom are now fundamental players in the Jon Lewis Band.  

    Soon after, Lewis began production on Out To Lunch which was released in 2016, this time joined by Alex Northrup on keys, completing the five-piece Jon Lewis Band. Wasting no time, the group released their second full length album Exquisite Corpse on May 15, 2017 and immediately followed it up with Baby Brother which was released in September, 2017.

    When he’s not on stage with the Jon Lewis Band, you can find him playing fun, educational music to kids at Park’s Departments, birthday parties and other events in Rochester with his wife as “Mr. and Mrs. Loops.” 

    “It is incredibly rewarding and fun, and an amazing way to instill the silliness that is so easily forgotten in our lives,” he said.  

    Nominated two years in a row in the City Newspaper’s Best of Rochester Contest, Lewis said the five-piece Jon Lewis Band is focused and hellbent on producing more music and you can expect to see them playing in and around the Rochester area. Be sure to keep your ears peeled. Based on their latest offering, it’s bound to be good.

    Key Tracks: Let Me Go; Hanging On

    https://www.facebook.com/JonLewisBand/videos/1922496671345016/

  • Hearing Aide: Jorian Holka ‘EP1’

    At times it seems like the world of popular music is caught in a cycle of poppy repetitive chord patterns and excessive autotuned tracks. Diversity among genres is something that is beginning to thin more and more as specific niches become more established. With his new release, EP1, Buffalo-local Jorian Holka aims to break away from the mold, and weave the world back to the days when hard rock and alternative-influenced music reigned supreme with a diverse new collection of songs.

    Jorian Holka EP1The EP begins with a statement, both musically and lyrically, with the hard-rock anthem “Rock’s Not Dead.” The up-tempo rocker starts off relatively quietly with an energizing guitar riff before quickly exploding into a full rampage, which sounds like a combination of Black Sabbath and the Foo Fighters. The sentiment of “Rock’s Not Dead” is very apparent, as the feeling that our society is losing sight of what true high energy rock music is defined as slaps the listener in the face. As the album continues, it is very clear that Holka yearns to bring back the days of lightning-fast guitar licks, heavy bass lines, and catastrophic drum solos. Elements of alternative, pop, screamo and hard-rock can be found throughout the album, as Holka does a virtuous job at keeping his influences close while establishing a sound of his own.

    Influences of Green Day, Billy Talent, Royal Blood, Nickelback, and Avenged Sevenfold, among others, can be heard echoed throughout this debut EP. While most of the EP can be defined as raw, edgy hard rock, there are often glimpses of a more lighthearted musician throughout, as seen in the intro of “Ordinary.” Holka spills his soul into the EP as the sole writer, instrumentalist, and producer, and it clearly pays off. The EP may come as a relief to many with the way popular music has drifted in the past twenty years. For as long as there are still musicians who demand loud, screaming guitar solos and the desire to play until their eyes are burning with sweat, Holka is correct in saying “Rock’s Not Dead.”

    Key Tracks: Rocks’ Not Dead, Terrible Paradise, Party Lines

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYdE_YE_qic

  • Sly Fox and the Hustlers release video for ‘Smooth’

    Sly Fox and the Hustlers have released the video for “Smooth,” off the group’s most recent studio album American Gypsy. The video was filmed at Putnam Den in Saratoga Springs, prior to recent remodeling of the cozy, worn in, rock club. With renovations now complete, the video now serves as a piece of nostalgia towards the ‘old’ Den.

    Sly Fox spoke with NYS Music about the “Smooth” video and the Hustlers.

    The concept for the ‘Smooth’ video is a grifter girl sneaking into the club and hustling a few of the regulars at a pool game and a few drinks at the bar. She then sets her sights on the door man and more importantly the door money bag after she sees him counting the money. She then tries to put some moves on him with the hopes of making off with the cash. If you want to know if she succeeds you will have to watch the video!

    Stay up to date for shows from Sly Fox and the Hustlers on their Facebook page.

  • 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.

  • The Security Project Re-imagines the Works of Peter Gabriel, On Tour and In New Live Album

    The Security Project brings together seasoned musicians to pay homage to the early works of Peter Gabriel. The band’s current lineup includes Jerry Marotta (former drummer for Peter Gabriel), Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Michael Cozzi (Shriekback), keyboardist David Jameson from New York, and on vocals female singer/songwriter Happy Rhodes. Their new live album Contact is out this month, and they are touring to promote it. Tickets are on sale now for shows in and around New York, including Pawling, Schenectady, and Syracuse.

    Mid-West/East Coast US Fall Tour Dates:

    Nov. 7 – Northampton, MA – The Iron Horse
    Nov. 8 – Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House
    Nov. 10 – Boston, MA – Regent Theater
    Nov. 11 – Schenectady, NY – Van Dyke Lounge
    Nov. 12 – Syracuse, NY – The Lost Horizon
    Nov. 14 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland
    Nov. 15 – Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
    Nov. 17 – Indianapolis, IN – The Irving Theater
    Nov. 18 – Auburn Hill, MI – Callahan’s
    Nov. 19 – Jerry Marotta drum clinic Chicago – Martyr’s (3:00 p.m.)
    Nov. 20 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
    Nov. 21 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s

  • Halloween Horror Camp 3

    The 2017 Halloween season got off to a frighteningly good start last weekend courtesy of a small and intimate party in The Berkshires that featured some of the region’s burgeoning musical acts.  Bands from Upstate NY and Western MA, along with an intimate collection of 200 some-odd live music lovers, assembled at the rustic H.A. Moses Scout Reservation in Russell, MA for a brief, yet utterly enjoyable, festival of nostalgic music and musical costumes and the third rendition of its Halloween Horror Camp. With each band playing a predesignated set of covers from other artists, the opportunities to “dress up” both in costume and musically ran rampant this cool October evening.

    Halloween Horror CampNormally used for Boy Scout camping purposes, the main lodge was transformed into a dance hall of sorts and nearby cabins were available for additional purchase as well for those that preferred bunk beds instead of roughing it outdoors. In fact, in a really unique twist, “campers” weren’t even informed of the event’s location until about 48 hours beforehand when an e-mail was sent to ticket holders.  All that was known was that it would be somewhere in the 413 area code of MA. Those that were willing to put their faith in a party with no address were rewarded with a night of music that spanned multiple eras and genres.

    One of the earlier acts of the day of Halloween Horror Camp 3 was Creamery Station who performed a “Watkins Glen” themed set of Dead and Allman Brothers tunes.  With band members feeding into the holiday spirit and adorned in full body cow costumes, classic tunes like “Deal” and “Statesboro Blues” greeted still arriving guests and those still setting up tents and camps.  A cover of The Band’s signature hit “The Weight” was also included in this engaging early set of music.

    Shifting courses a bit, a set of Daft Punk covers followed, delivered by Northampton’s own Mammal Dap with assistance from Mary Corson on vocals.  Together, they did justice to Daft Punk’s seminal album Discovery in a performance that covered nearly the entire recording.  Songs like “One More Time,” “Voyager” and “Too Long” seemed to get the dance floor moving a little steadier and served as a great precursor for things to come.

    Albany’s own Formula 5 then delivered one of the more anticipated sets of the evening with a blistering set of Phish covers.  Beginning with a well jammed “AC/DC Bag” that fed directly into “Story of the Ghost,” the Upstate NY jam outfit did not disappoint with its cover set of one of their inspirations.   A crisp “2001” kept the rave vibe alive and well in the main lodge but one of the true gems of the set was “Reba” and a corresponding jam that was melodious and powerful all at once. The same could be said for the rousing rendition of “Harry Hood” that followed later in the set before a customary “Cavern” set closer.

    Cosmic Dust Bunnies then turned back the clock and took everyone on a musical romp through the 80s with a long set of covers from the era of hair spray and cassette tapes.  Songs like “Superfreak” and “Word Up” gave the start of their set a retro dance vibe before the New Haven rockers settled into more pop hits like “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” and the ever present Rick Astley classic “Never Gonna Give You Up.”  The Bunnies continued to impress and up the ante with standout takes of “Dirty Diana,” “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Panama.”  The selection and variety of artists that were covered in this set was really impressive and a fun take of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” helped bring a close to it.

    Strange Machines, a Boston-based rock fusion act, then threw it back even further with a standout set of songs by The Doors.  A full throttle version of “L.A. Woman” kicked things off and a fun “Love Me Two Times” > “Higher Ground” > “Love Me Two Times” sequence showcased the band’s ability to stylistically bob and weave.  The “Riders on the Storm” and “Strange Days” that came towards the end of the set offered a true psychedelic tone to the evening that proved not all the music tonight had to be upbeat and poppy in order to be enjoyed.

    The party kept going well into the hours of Sunday morning courtesy of a Bassnectar themed DJ set from Uncle Bob and a stellar set from lespecial chock full of Primus covers, a sound the band has really honed of late. The final set from Roots of Creation featured Grateful Dead and Rage Against the Machine songs intertwined and throwing the crowd into a final frenzy of the night, while Kerry Quirk gave the fans what everyone wants late at night, a healthy dose of Madonna.  Those that stayed and camped overnight were welcomed with a community breakfast in the morning to help recharge before leaving the wilderness and returning to civilization.  Halloween Horror Camp has all the feel of a remote festival with a powerhouse music lineup combined with a backwoods campfire among friends.