NYS Music 20​17

Category: News Desk

  • X Ambassadors Release ‘Ahead Of Myself’ Music Video in Advance of Hometown Festival

    Ithaca natives, X Ambassadors, have released their new music video for the single “Ahead Of Myself,” which was released this past July. In what’s sure to be another hit for the band, the video was filmed near Rochester.  Frontman Sam Harris put in an amazing vocal performance, singing the song live for the shoot instead of the usual lip syncing as he and the band walked the streets of Monroe.

    Harris recently talked with Billboard about the new music video. He stated:

    We’ve done the narrative film structure of the music video. We’ve done full-on big performance video with lights and stuff and we wanted to do something that felt really intimate and real, authentic, so we shot this video in upstate New York, in Rochester. We’re from Ithaca, New York, upstate. My grandfather used to work at the Kodak building in Rochester.

    Syracuse.com also reports, according to Billboard, Harris wanted to do the live vocal take to feel more intimate, real, vulnerable, and in the moment. The singer avoided alcohol and fried foods for a week in preparation for the vocal video performance. X Ambassadors left an Easter egg in the new music video, as Harris is seen walking into the Monroe movie theater at TMAAC, the marquee above says the word “Joyful,” the band’s next single.

    X Ambassadors will co-headline, along with the Roots, the inaugural Cayuga Sound Festival at Stewart Park in Ithaca on Sept 23. The band hit number one on the Billboard Top 40 in 2015 with the hit “Renegades,” which also became a commercial tie-in for Jeep Renegade. The alternative rock group was formed by Harris, his brother Casey, and childhood friend Noah FeldShuh. The trio went on to college in New York City where they met drummer Adam Levin while attending the New School in 2006. XA blew up all over the N.Y. music scene, and were eventually signed by Interscope Records after Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds heard an acoustic version of their song “Unconsolable,” on the radio while in the hospital. Reynolds told Interscope to sign the band right away.

    The band’s inaugural festival, Cayuga Sound takes place this weekend in the band’s hometown. The official pre-festival parties Friday night at The Haunt and The Dock will feature live music from Jukebox the Ghost, Mail the Horse, the Blind Spots, Namahrah, the Miserable Genius, No Comply, Tender Cruncher and Beau Mahadev.

    Saturday night will be co-headlined by X Ambassadors and the Roots. There will be two stages at Stewart Park, with artists rotating throughout the day. General admission tickets are still available through Ticketfly. Special VIP packages are sold out. For more information about Cayuga Sound, visit the festival’s website here. See the new video from the band below.

  • Space Carnival to Headline Brooklyn Bowl in October

    One of our own 87/90 bands Space Carnival is headlining Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday, October 24!

    Space Carnival brooklynCatch 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.

  • Interview: Midnight North Talks Upcoming shows in New York, Latest Album and more

    For those who love modern classic rock, Midnight North returns to New York this week, bringing with them songs off their latest release Under the Lights. The band has found followings on the West and East coast, and perform on Tuesday at The Hollow in Albany, Friday at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock and Saturday at Brooklyn Comes Alive. Connor O’Sullivan, who plays bass and mandolin in Midnight North spoke with NYS Music about their latest release, their East coast fanbase and how things have changed in the past year for the group.

    midnight north

    Pete Mason: What can fans in the Northeast who are venturing out to see you the first time expect in a live setting?

    Connor O’Sullivan: For fans who’ve never seen us, it’s maybe rock n roll with a bit of twang, with a little jam thrown in there. It’s not a classic rock show, but it’s maybe a classic rock kind of sound with what we’re trying to do – write songs that will become classics, with a few covers sprinkled in here or there from the 60s or 70s – Dead or Dylan or CSNY – but it’s gonna be a rock show focused on classic songs and a lot of singing. We have 3 very powerful harmony singers in the band and every once in a while I’ll throw my voice in as a fourth. We try to keep it balanced between vocals, harmony, and soloing. I think the focus is on new classic rock songs and that’s what you’re going to hear.

    We’ve been able to grow our fanbase in the Northeast after playing nationally for the past couple years, but the New York area is sort of a second home to us. We have super fans who travel 2-3 hours to see us and we are able to borrow gear from other bands. Sometimes the shows on the East coast are even better than the West coast and we feel that love. It’s a grind – you gotta stick to it and keep your head up and slowly build it up and that’s the philosophy behind us.

    PM: Under the Lights is a fantastic album about the road, touring, traveling and the life of a band. How have the experiences since the album’s release compared to those that were reflected on the album?

    CO: I think it’s similar – we’ve taken a very small step up. Those songs were written last summer. Since then, the shows are slightly bigger, and sometimes we still worry that we might not have a crowd. We know that we’re still a band building it up and growing, but because we’ve put in the work, the experience on the road is a bit easier and we’re more used to it. We are only a year and a half removed from the album, but we’re a little bit more experienced.

    PM: At Brooklyn Comes Alive, you’ll perform a CSNY tribute. What is the influence of CSNY on your sound, and what will the set will be like?

    CO: The set is going to be awesome. We started the idea at Terrapin Crossroads in the early days of the venue, even before there was a stage – there was no stage in the bar, no music every night, and we were one of the first bands to play there every night, so we would play there once or twice a week. We did the entire Grievous Angel album by Gram Parsons. Grahame (Lesh) would do the Gram parts and Elliott (Peck) did the Emmylou Harris parts, and there are few albums like that with male and female parts. It was great and we got a great response, right at the beginning of the band.

    CSNY came about when we decided to spitball some new cover ideas, and we wanted a folk rock opus like “Suite Judy Blue Eyes.” There are different feels, difficult harmonies, tempo changes, and it took a couple months to learn it and people were losing their shit the first time we played it. That was one of the big covers we did for a number of years. From there, we left Gram Parsons at Terrapin and we ended up learning more than a whole set of CSNY songs and we did a show at Slim’s in San Francisco a year ago that was all CSNY. Phil Lesh played with us at Slim’s along with a bunch of other guests – Jay Lane (Primus, Furthur) and Lebo (Dan Lebowitz, ALO) on guitar. Brooklyn Comes Alive asked us to do the same. We also had a Terrapin Crossroads show with Mike and Phil on bass to start second set, just bass solo, and I sat back and played mandolin along with Grahame’s brother Brian and Rob James – this was sort of the original Terrapin musicians lineup playing all together.

    PM: Has there been a moment where the band, or you individually have gone ‘Wow, this is… this is what we’ve been working for,’ throughout your career?

    CO: There’s definitely been some shows on the East coast – The Acoustic in Bridgeport, CT – it was close to a sell out show and it really felt good – a place we hadn’t played before, where the room was full, it was our show only, and everyone was there to see us. It felt like it was starting to work.

    Same feeling came when we toured with Twiddle and started opening for them. They draw a ton of people across the country, and they packed the Westcott Theater. We had the thought “This is a good band, this is gonna work,” and going on tour with them paid off and playing with them helped a lot, on top of being some of the nicest people in the world.

    PM: What role does improvisation have in the live performance?

    CO: Well, it depends on what kind of live performance. I grew up playing a lot of classical music and there is no improv there. Rock n roll, you get on stage and you’re essentially winging it. Your equipment might break, an amp might go down, you’re putting yourself out there, standing on stage in a rock club where people are usually drunk and things are supposed to be a little wild, and if it’s not, you’re not doing it right, and getting the real essences of rock n roll. It plays a big part in rock n roll, even if you’re not a jamband, you’re still up there with an anything goes attitude and I’d call that improvisation.

    Tickets for Tuesday’s show at The Hollow are on sale now. Space Carnival takes the stage at 9pm, with Midnight North taking the stage shortly after.

  • Phish’s ‘A Live One’ Gets a Vinyl Box Set Treatment

    The recent vinyl revival has brought the re-release of Phish’s first live album, A Live One, available Oct. 27 via preorder.

    The track selection, famously, wasn’t from just a single show but was a collection of some of Phish’s best work throughout their 1994 summer, fall and holiday tours. Phans can choose between four different pre-order options, all of which yield a pretty big bang for their buck.

    The options range from just the four vinyl box set for a modest $94.00 to $135.00 for the Stash Bundle which includes: A Live One 4-LP Vinyl Box, a 3X Fishman tee shirt on Heathered Stone and A Live One Lithograph Print and a full color lithograph featuring the original photograph from the cover of A Live One by photographer Danny Clinch (Measures apprx 12”x24”.) The Phish website says, “Each LP is pressed onto 180g split red/blue vinyl and includes a full color extensive photo booklet and a free MP3 download of the box set, transferred from vinyl.”

    It’s unclear if these sets are in limited supply but it is safe to assume that they will sell fast. Boxes are available now for preorder with a $3.99 shipping fee.

  • JRAD Announces Extensive Fall Tour, Including 10+ East Coast Dates

    During an absolute barrage of topnotch shows and tours coming up this fall, one revelation proves to be the most stirring.  Joe Russo’s Almost Dead have carved more than a niche for themselves in the current jam rock landscape, and it’s reflected in their unbelievable ticket sales and current momentum.  Joe and the boys gained some real notoriety over the summer, playing and arranging the Dead’s music in a genuinely awe inspiring style at several festival dates including Peach Festival and two nights of Lockn, as well as a sold out two-night run at the Capitol Theater.  Beginning in October, the RADness will continue with six sold out dates at the Brooklyn Bowl, with the first run being Oct. 5-7 and the second weekend being the 12-14.  Following later that month will be a pre-party for Hulaween Festival down at Suwannee in Florida.  After a brief west coast sabbatical, JRAD will be back in late November for several more sold out bangers in Philadelphia and Boston. See below for full schedule.

    Having already seen over 10 JRAD shows this year, nothing excites me more than a proper tour just over the horizon.  Call ’em a cover band all you want; they’re playing the Dead’s music better than any touring band in the scene is playing their own music currently.  The quartet is beyond a force to be reckoned with.

    Tour Dates:

    At the Brooklyn Bowl – October 5*, 6*, 7*, 12*, 13*, 14*

    At Suwannee Halloween – October 26

    At the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, CA – November 9*, 10*

    At the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA – November 11*

    At the Fillmore Philadelphia – November 24, 25*

    At Dominican Holidaze in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – December 1

    At the House of Blues in Boston, MA – December 8*, 9*

    *= SOLD OUT

  • Vintage League Music – Rekindling True Musical Production

    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.

  • Kettlefest to Feature Homegrown Music

    The lineup for this year’s KettleFest includes Anastazja, Some Ska Band, Ruckus Juice Jug Stompers and String Chickens. The one day celebration of sustainable farming takes place in on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Kettle Ridge Farm in Victor, NY. In addition to music, there will be workshops, children’s events, crafts from local artisans, and a wide selection of food and beverages.

    kettlefestAdmission is $6, and children under 13 are free. Kettleridge Farm is located at 515 Log Cabin Road in Victor, NY. For more information, visit the Kettlefest website.

    Music Schedule:

    Main Stage:
    – 10:15 a.m. – Anastazja
    – 12:15 p.m. – Some Ska Band
    – 2:15 p.m. – Ruckus Juice Jug Stompers

    Porch Stage:
    – 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. – String Chickens

    kettlefest

  • Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart Dead at 56

    Grant Hart, drummer and one third of the highly influential St. Paul, MN band Hüsker Dü has succumbed to cancer at the age of 56, according to Variety. The announcement was made through an uncaptioned photo of Hart on Hüsker Dü’s Facebook page posted around 2 a.m. Thursday.

    https://www.facebook.com/huskerduofficial/posts/2065361240366226:0

    Hart met singer/guitarist Bob Mould and bassist Greg Norton in 1978 at the Cheapo Records where Hart worked. As Hart remarked in a July 2000 interview with The Onion, it wasn’t so much what the three had in common that brought Hüsker Dü together as a band, but their differences. Hart was a champion of the local scene while Mould was a fan of the punk being made on the East Coast and largely unavailable in the midwest.

    The band’s hardcore sound evolved into a more melodic style, earning them airplay on college radio stations around the country. Hüsker Dü’s first release, the single “Statues” was released in 1981 on the band’s own label Reflex Records. Hart’s songwriting contributions were a stark contrast to Mould’s more bitter lyrical style, offering ranging subjects in songs like “Diane” and “It’s Not Funny Anymore,” his contributions to the band’s EP Metal Circus.

    Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt offered his condolences in a Facebook post early Thursday:

    https://www.facebook.com/wattfrompedro/posts/10155654920454666

    Hüsker Dü’s breakthrough came on the seminal double album Zen Arcade, released in 1984. That same year Watt’s Minutemen also released their high watermark Double Nickels on the Dime, both on Greg Ginn’s SST label. The two bands toured together often in the early years and formed a bond in the process.

    Hart was the subject of the 2013 documentary Every Everything: The Music, Life and Times of Grant Hart. The film gives a unique inside view of Hart the man and Hart the musician from his youth up to the recording of his final studio album The Argument, a concept album based on John Milton’s Paradise Lost.

    Hüsker Dü proved to be a huge influence on what would become the alternative scene of the early 1990s with bands such as the Pixies and Nirvana citing them as an influence. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic once said,”What Nirvana did was nothing new; Hüsker Dü did it before us.” Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters has cited Hart as a huge early influence on his style of play.

    The band was one of the first of the early ’80s punk/hardcore scene to score a major label record deal, signing with Warner Brothers for 1986’s Candy Apple Grey. However, it wasn’t long before tensions between Mould and Hart would lead to the dissolution of the band on the tour for its final album together, the 1987 double album Warehouse: Songs and Stories.

    The acrimony continued until just recently when the two performed on stage together at a July show in Minneapolis that also included fellow Minnesotans Babes in Toyland and Soul Asylum. At the end of a set that saw Hart perform several both solo and Hüsker Dü works, Hart signed off simply, “We’ll see you a bit further down the trail.”

    Mould paid tribute to his bandmate in a Facebook post early Thursday, saying:

    We stopped working together in January 1988. We went on to solo careers, fronting our own bands, finding different ways to tell our individual stories. We stayed in contact over the next 29 years — sometimes peaceful, sometimes difficult, sometimes through go-betweens. For better or worse, that’s how it was, and occasionally that’s what it is when two people care deeply about everything they built together.

    The tragic news of Grant’s passing was not unexpected to me. My deepest condolences and thoughts to Grant’s family, friends, and fans around the world.

    Grant Hart was a gifted visual artist, a wonderful story teller, and a frighteningly talented musician. Everyone touched by his spirit will always remember.

    Godspeed, Grant. I miss you. Be with the angels.

    Just last week, it was announced that a new Hüsker Dü box set entitled Savage Young Dü will be released in November. The three-disc box includes 69 tracks recorded during the band’s pre-SST days from 1979-1983 including all of their 7″ singles, a remastered version of their second album Everything Falls Apart and an alternate recording of the debut, Land Speed Record. Also included in the set is a booklet chronicling the band’s early years.

    In a 2009 interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Hart offered the following on his legacy:

    A long time ago, I started looking at my permanent record — the history of me after I’m gone. Even to speak of it reeks of egotism run wild. But I think when all is said and done, the work that I produced in this lifetime will more than repay the world for any inconvenience I’ve caused it.

    Hart is survived his wife Bridget and a son.

  • Teenage Halloween to Play in Rochester and Albany in Advance of Upcoming Release “Eternal Roast”

    Teenage Halloween will be playing at Vineyard Community Space in Rochester on Sept. 16, and then at The Rice House in Albany on Sept. 17. Both venues offer safe spaces to showcase indie talent in home-like settings, promoting diversity, respect, and inclusion.

    Teenage HalloweenThese are values that Teenage Halloween embraces, as they deliver upbeat numbers about self-acceptance and empowerment served youthful exuberance and a twist of whimsical irony. Just this week they announced a new release, entitled Eternal Roast.

    In Rochester, Teenage Halloween will be sharing the stage at Vineyard Community Space with their tour mates from New Jersey, Secret Mountain, and local bands Full Body (celebrating their new release), as well as Taking Meds and California Cousins (on the final night of their East Coast tour). Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show ends by 10 p.m. The suggested minimum donation is $7.

    In Albany, Teenage Halloween and Secret Mountain will be joined by local bands Jouska, Hate Club, and i feel okay. The show runs from 8 p.m. to midnight. Entry is $5. 

    Members of Teenage Halloween hail from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The entire octet was in the studio to record the latest release: Luke Henderiks on vocals and guitar, Brandon Hakim on Saxophone, Kevin Sabik on trumpet, Lynn Tuimil on bass, Brian DeSeno on drums, Danni Ciminnisi on keyboards & vocals, Eli Frank on lead guitar & Connor Egan on trombone.

    Eternal Roast is the follow-up to Teenage Halloween’s 2015 EP It Was Weird But It Worked, and will be available on Oct. 20 in a variety of formats (including vinyl). The limited-edition cassette is now available for pre-order on ‘Get Better Records.’

  • Hear Sydney Worthley’s New Single and Album Title Track, “Strong”

    Songwriter Sydney Worthley will release her first full album on September 9 on Ambassador Music Group, with an exciting album release show to follow at Jupiter Hall in Albany. The show will feature Worthley’s set, along with other artists such as Ryan Clark and Zan Strumfeld. With 14 tracks on the new album Strong, this event will surely feature a large selection of songs for fans to hear. In advance of the release date, Ambassador Music Group has released the title track of the album as a single.

    If you’re in the Albany area, you don’t want to miss this pop-country fusion when Sydney Worthley graces the Jupiter Hall stage at 7pm. The event is posted on Worthley’s website, and the official RSVP can be found on Facebook.