When we hear the name Berklee College of Music, it’s natural to think of the great musicians who attended this institution such as John Mayer, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) to name a few. This impressive school has fostered the talent of a countless number of artists and bands and continues to do so with the members of the up-and-coming New England band, The Penthouse with their new album Overnight.
This indie rock group consists of Eric Derwall on the drums, Kyle Raney on the bass, Jacob Arias on guitar and Patrick James as the front man. Although their band is based in Boston, they are making a name for themselves through live music performances in major cities such as New York and Boston.
The band’s latest releases “City Lights” and “Another Day” perfectly embody what it means to be ‘indie rock.’ Every track makes you both want to move but also listen closely to the story being told through the lyrics. “Best Friend” for example is a relatable track about falling in love with your best friend that also makes you want to dance to its fast-paced and foot-tapping beat.
The band member’s varying musical backgrounds make the instrumental portions of their music even richer in songs like “Everytime” and “Clear As Day (feat. Noah Jackson)” as each instrumental solo is just as strong as the next. This new rising band welcomes you to The Penthouse as stated on their SoundCloud page so don’t miss a chance to listen to their new music!
Much like fashion, music trends tend to circle their way back around. We knew we would see 90s grunge rock make a return, and that day has arrived. So wrap that flannel around the waste of your favorite ripped jeans and get ready for The Backseat Bullets.
Despite having been born well after the untimely death of grunge icon Kurt Cobain, the Albany based band aids in the nostalgia for those of us in their 30s and 40s. This foursome has done a great job encapsulating the Seattle influence while offering their own take on a familiar genre.
Their five-track, self-recorded EP, Give You the Moon, has a bit of a garage band feel with overpowering symbols and under emphasized vocals throughout. However, part of what we love about grunge is the grit, right?
The first track, “Danger,” is aggressive with consistently smooth bass lines. While the guys say they try to avoid being political or vulgar, this would be the perfect track in which to riot. Similarly, “Don’t Shut Me Out” is fast, upbeat and reminiscent of early Offspring.
The title track, “Give You the Moon,” however, is somehow darker and encouraging of thrash. Where “Suede” is beautifully simplistic; a love song about heartbreak that bursts with passion in the latter half.
We get to hear a little more of the guitar riffs in the final track, “The Smell of Rain.” No doubt that with a professional studio recording, we’d hear more of this.
Close your eyes and kick back to Give You the Moon and tell me you aren’t reminded of Nirvana. Is it rain you smell? I think it’s really teen spirit.
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
There are many people out there who would argue that rock is losing its edge. Countless old folks continue to make the bold statement that “rock n roll is dead.” Anyone who believes this laughable claim has yet to listen to The Rifts’ debut EP, Off the Rails.
Although they are based out of Buffalo, The Rifts originally came together in Fredonia, NY. The band consists of Cory Clancy (lead guitar), Brendan Hoare (vocals/rhythm guitar), Dylan MacDonell (drums), and Ryan Donohue (bass). Their self-proclaimed influences consist of classic acts Led Zeppelin and The Doors, as well as modern day alt rockers The Black Keys and The Strokes.
The Rifts recorded the EP with Alex Maiola and Nathan Chordas-Ewell (Chordola Audio) in their home studio. It was released on SoundCloud June 11, 2017, and became available on streaming platforms June 16, 2017.
The EP title Off the Rails says a lot more than the train crash shown on the album artwork. With this release, The Rifts break away from the monotonous track that too many popular bands seem to follow nowadays. The EP is firmly built around Cory’s electrifying guitar riffs, and each track is a portal that sends listeners back to “the good old days of rock n roll.”
If you’re still unconvinced after reading this review, take a listen for yourself. Off the Rails is available on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
Walter Becker, bassist and guitarist for the highly successful rock duo Steely Dan died Sunday at the age of 67. His death was announced on his website with a simple diptych of Becker as a child and an adult with the caption, “walter becker feb. 20 1950 – sept. 03 2017.” No further details on the cause of death were provided.
Becker missed both July Steely Dan dates of the Classic West and Classic East shows due to a procedure, his performing partner Donald Fagen revealed in an August interview in Billboard. Fagen didn’t elaborate. The band also recently announced a fall tour with a scheduled stop at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo Oct. 17.
Becker was born in Queens and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan in 1967. He met Donald Fagen while both were students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York that same year. A quick friendship was formed when both realized similar interests in music and the beat poets. They performed in various local groups, including the Leather Canary, which included comedian Chevy Chase on drums.
Upon Fagen’s graduation in 1969, the two moved to Brooklyn. Becker and Fagen became touring musicians for Jay and the Americans for a brief time before leaving due to a pay dispute. Their biggest success while still in New York was Barbra Streisand’s recording of their song “I Mean to Shine.” The duo recorded a series of demos and scored a soundtrack for an early Richard Pryor film before making tracks to Los Angeles.
The move to Los Angeles proved fruitful for the eventual Steely Dan. It was here that they connected with ABC Records producer Gary Katz. Katz hired Becker and Fagen as staff songwriters for the label and would go on to produce all of Steely Dan’s 1970s output.
It was in Los Angeles where the two musicians struck out on their own, recruiting guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder and singer David Palmer to form Steely Dan. The name was chosen as a nod to beat writer William S. Burroughs. The “Steely Dan” was a sex toy mentioned in Burroughs’ Naked Lunch.
What followed was one of the most unlikely string of successful albums put to tape. From Steely Dan’s debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill in 1972 through the 1977 pinnacle album Aja to 1980’s Gaucho, the band’s penchant for obscure references, dark humor, quirky time changes and studio perfection landed them in an unlikely spot on the Billboard charts time and again.
The duo parted ways in 1981, with Becker taking his family to live in Maui, HI where he quit using drugs and, according to the Steely Dan Timeline, became “a gentleman avocado rancher and self styled critic of the contemporary scene.” During this time, Becker began producing in earnest as well as working with English pop band China Crisis.
Despite the inactivity of Steely Dan, Becker and Fagen still managed to work together formally and informally during their hiatus. Becker sat in with Fagen’s New York Rock and Soul Revue in 1991, which led to his producing Fagen’s 1993 solo album, Kamikiriad. Fagen returned the favor, producing Becker’s 1994 solo outing 11 Tracks of Whack. These collaborations renewed the Steely Dan spark and led to the band’s first tour in 19 years.
They continued to tour and in 2000 dropped an album of all new material, Two Against Nature that garnered Steely Dan four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. In 2001, Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music.
Another Steely Dan album followed in 2003, with Becker making his vocal debut on the track “Slang of Ages” and the band continued touring through the mid 2010s, including a headlining spot at 2015’s Coachella Festival in Indio, CA.
Becker’s work left an indelible mark on the music industry and musicians worldwide have been offering tribute to him since his death was announced. Josh Kroop, former manager for Connecticut jamband Kung Fu shared professionally shot video of the band’s The Royal Scam set from two years ago, featuring members of the Steely Dan band, Bernard Purdie on drums and Jon Herington on guitar.
On Sunday, Fagen shared a note remembering his long-time friend and collaborator. The full text is below:
Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967. We started writing nutty little tunes on an upright piano in a small sitting room in the lobby of Ward Manor, a mouldering old mansion on the Hudson River that the college used as a dorm.
We liked a lot of the same things: jazz (from the twenties through the mid-sixties), W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, science fiction, Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, and Robert Altman films come to mind. Also soul music and Chicago blues.
Walter had a very rough childhood – I’ll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading people’s hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art. He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in my wife Libby’s singular voice that made the three of us collapse with laughter.
His habits got the best of him by the end of the seventies, and we lost touch for a while. In the eighties, when I was putting together the NY Rock and Soul Review with Libby, we hooked up again, revived the Steely Dan concept and developed another terrific band.
I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band.
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.
Opening the evening at Darien Lake Amphitheater for the Grammy award winning Green Day, was the British punk rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen. New to some, however highly popular with the younger crowd in attendance, these four young musicians filled the amphitheater with smoke and energy setting the scene for the crowd, who already was primed, to see their favorites, Green Day.
Oakland based punk and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Green Day, graced western New York’s Darien Lake Amphitheater, Saturday, August 20 with the summer stretch of the Rev-Rad Tour.
Band members Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bassist), and Tre’ Cool (drummer) were joined by Jason White (guitar) and Jason Freese (keyboards, accordion, and saxophone). While Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” played, the audience sang along in unison; you could feel the excitement and energy through the venue.
Green Day immediately had fans screaming and to their feet as they took the stage with “Know Your Enemy” and “Bang Bang” leading straight into “Holiday” and his decree about Nazis, racism, and sexism and his dislike of Donald Trump. He was then quoted as saying “This night isn’t going to be about politics, just fun,” and it was clear to all present that he got the message across that maybe the best medicine against hatred is joy and unity.
Armstrong is indeed quite the showman, to him there was no barrier between the rock legends and the simple fan. He invited one teenage girl on stage to sing “Know Your Enemy” sending her back to her spot with a swan dive into the crowd. He soon thereafter invited an 11 year old boy on stage to sing the lyrics to “Longview,” and immediately followed that performance with a 15-year-old girl as she played guitar on Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge,” giving her the instrument to keep as she exited.
Green Day did not disappoint fans reaching far back into their catalog with Kerplunk, playing “2000 Light Years Away,” right up to ending the two and half hour setlist with songs from their newest album Revolution Radio, playing “Still Breathing” and “Forever Now.” The group then returned on stage for an encore of “American Idiot,” and “Jesus of Suburbia” off their concept album and highly acclaimed “Punk Rock Opera” American Idiot.
Ending this incredible evening Armstrong played an acoustic version of “21 Guns” then right into “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” and yes Billie Joe this audience indeed had the time of their lives.
People seemed to lazily roll out of their tents on the final day of LOCKN’ 2017′, but Keller Williams returned to the stage on Sunday in full force, this time with his Grateful Gospel project. It was specifically conceived as a Sunday morning installation for LOCKN’. Playing some of their favorite Grateful Dead tunes with a black gospel spice, it filled the dusty air with a fitting soundtrack for the snoozy attitude shared by many.
Virginia-based Anthony Rosano and the Conqueroos stayed with the funky blues theme, Rosano’s sturdy bellowing voice married soulfully with a sweetly played saxophone. “Devils Hand” was among their setlist, as was a tease of Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” Mid-set he addressed the crowd, “Make some noise so I know you’re still breathing out there!” Glancing around at the listeners, some with nose and mouth draped in a bandana to block out the red dust billowing up, there was no doubt everyone’s lungs were a little worse for wear after four days of inhaling the dirt-speckled air. A quick nostril excavation would surely reveal the treasure trove of crusty reddish-black gems harbored by festival goers all weekend.
Keepin it classy, Eric Krasno Band‘s jazzy flair featured an old school organ with those quintessential revolving speakers that have fallen out of popularity but are always a nostalgic site. The female vocalist sharing the stage complimented Krasno’s vocals beautifully, making for some soulful harmonies.
Over at the main stage, The Record Company emerged with their rough and rowdy rock n roll to which lead vocalist Chris Vos assured, “It’s rock n roll, it ain’t gotta be pretty. At least not the way we do it I suppose.” After a short but intense set, the band thought their time was up but were cued to keep playing, to which Vos announced, “And now we will play the entire Rush 2112 album,” followed by cheering in the audience. Vos quickly responded, “Just kidding, we couldn’t play that if we tried! But glad you’d let us get away with it.” His humble humor made his set stand out even more after bonding with the crowd over a good laugh.
JJ Grey and Mofro followed, dressed to the nines with lead vocalist JJ Grey donning a black sport coat and red satin tie. Bouncy keys and two horn players, who swayed in choreographed unison, brought a more upbeat and dance-worthy feel. Grey sang several songs inspired by his grandmother, a woman who heavily influenced his life. He exclaimed, “If she taught me one thing, it’s that you can’t fight darkness, you have to be the light.”
The atmosphere mellowed out during Margo Price’s set which transitioned to a slightly more country folk style. Her soft vocals almost felt a bit lost as they floated through the crowd, her music seeming muted after the two lively sets before. Her song “Desperate and Depressed” spoke of the woes of trying to make it as a musician, but things must be looking up, getting a slot at LOCKN’.
The Revivalists opened their set with “Bulletproof” and also played their popular radio hit “Wish I Knew You.” They played mostly to the books, without too much experimentation outside of their establishedsong structures. The band concluded with a classic, “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
Phil Lesh and friends accompanied by moe. was an eagerly anticipated collaboration given that it will be one of the last times moe. plays for a while as Rob Derhak tackles a recent cancer diagnosis. Their lighthearted sound brought a warmth felt throughout the crowd. After their set, the crowd thinned out a bit, leaving more room for fans excited to watch The Avett Brothers close out the festival. They opened with “Satan Pulls the Strings,” and also played “Down with the Shine,” during which their vocals could have been raised, a sentiment echoed by several in the crowd.
The laid-back comfort between the band members gave the feeling thatthey could just as easily be playing together in a cozy living room instead of on display in front of thousands of fans. Cellist Joe Kwon didn’t even utilize his cello stand, preferring to hold the instrument up and walk around with it, which was both amusing and impressive. Violinist Tania Elizabeth and Scott Avett shared a fun chemistry, as they both enjoyed breaking it down, at one point standing face-to-face before bending down on their knees at the front of the stage to the delight of the audience.
The Avett Brothers also played “Headful of Doubt/Road Full of Promise,” “Laundry Room,” “Morning Song,” “Vanity,” “Kick Drum Heart” and “Murder in the City” before Bob Weir joined them onstage. Weir’s sweet guitar added a richness to their set, a perfect marriage of sound they continued to carry out for the rest of their performance. The Avett Brothers made a fitting cap to the four day festival, with their honest storytelling illustrating scenes many in the crowd can relate to. As their set played out, listeners seized the last opportunity to genuinely connect to the music and with the LOCKN’ family of music fans they forged over the long weekend.
What do you do when college isn’t everything you thought it would be? For four friends, the answer was to put the band back together. Gary Sheedy, Steven Browne, Charles Campanella, and John Perdue had been playing together since middle school, but called it quits when they accepted offers to different universities. A couple years later, they were back at it, writing songs long-distance by phone and internet throughout the 2016-17 school year, this time under the name Previous Love.
Produced by Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Cute Is What We Aim For) at GCR Studios in their hometown of Buffalo, the self-titled EP Previous Love captures coming-of-age disillusionment by combining lyrics reflecting internal monologue, swimmy shoegaze contemplativeness, and crashing rock. The sonic effect brings listeners along for a ride through the emotional roller coaster of growing up: the heartbreaks, the feeling of being adrift, and the yearning for purpose and meaning.
The opening track “Dead Ends” is particularly heavy-hearted. Gossamer reverb-laden guitar strumming creates an ambient background as vocalist Sheedy questions his faith in religion, mankind, and himself. “The older I get, the more I know that I don’t know anything at all. It’s all dead ends,” he laments. The tension builds, climaxing in an angst-ridden frenzy.
This emotionally-charged first track then gives way to some lighter melodies. While “Pinwheel” is about the frustration of feeling stuck in place, the tune is a bop. The contrast between the instrumentation and the lyrics creates balance, while the driving drum beat gives the sense of moving forward and pushing through the hard times. “Caffeine” is another notable track. With a strong hook and a jangly sound, the song is the musical equivalent of a shot of espresso.
Listeners will find it easy to pick out old-school new wave and grunge influences, the dreamy sounds of The Cure and The Jesus and Mary Chain and the raw, raucous energy of Nirvana. Compared to Buffalo-area contemporaries, Previous Love lies on the spectrum between ambient pop artists Humble Braggers and alt rockers Head North.
While the collection of songs on Previous Love are a reflection on growing pains, there’s also a vein of hopefulness, and an anticipation that great things lie ahead.
Previous Love is available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp.
New York City-based rock band Upright Man got down at the Bowery Electric on Wednesday night, August 23rd. In support of their self-titled album which was released earlier this month, bandmates Aidan Dolan (guitar/vocals), Nick Katz (bass/vocals) and Max Yassky (drums/percussion/background vocals) brought some timeless, old school charm to their set. With singles like the haunting “Checked Out” or the glittery Beatles-esque “Three Easy Pieces”, this trio possesses some great songwriting skills and creates some wonderful arrangements that are soothing to the ear.
In support of Upright Man was San Francisco based, Royal Jelly Jive. With an already huge following on the West coast, RJJ dazzled the audience at Bowery Electric on Wednesday night. Their style of gypsy jazz is light, contagious and makes you want to get up and dance. Vocalist, Lauren Bjelde’s tantalizing, soulful pipes and infectious smile just lights up the stage. We look forward to seeing more of them on this coast.
When we hear the name Berklee College of Music, it’s natural to think of the great musicians who attended this institution such as John Mayer, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) to name a few. This impressive school has fostered the talent of a countless number of artists and bands and continues to do so with the members of the up-and-coming New England band, The Penthouse with their new album Overnight.
Although they are based out of 
Becker missed both July 
In support of Upright Man was San Francisco based,