NYS Music 20​17

Category: Albany

  • Interview: One For The Braves

    One For The Braves just debuted their first music video, for the song “Dirt Nap” off their latest release Does Anybody Honestly Care.

    The EP’s a mile-a-minute pop punk revelry, with pop culture references bringing levity to heart-on-sleeve lyrics. The quintet from Poughkeepsie features Adam “Radam” Rebillard on vocals, Avery Avello and Brian Morgan on guitars, Nick Ferraioli on bass, and Sean Mercado on drums. NYS Music spoke with Rebillard about the band, their latest release, and their first music video.

    Photo: Sabrina Leviton

    Paula Cummings: When and why did you start writing songs?

    Adam Rebillard: I started writing lyrics when I was really young, mostly just to kill time. When I got older, I got bored of doing it. Then I discovered punk and pop punk and all those wonderful styles of genres. It sounded fun to me, so I started singing and putting melodies to some of the lyrics. Then my freshman year in college I met our guitar player Avery, and the two of us started jamming together and it kept going from there. We got a few new members over the years.

    PC: How would you describe your band?

    AR: We take the nostalgic pop punk style, which would be bands like New Found Glory, and mix it with a newer style like The Wonder Years and Story So Far. We find ways to make it our own, so we’re not a clone of another band. That’s not what we want.

    PC: What was your most memorable show so far?

    AR: We did a show back in January. It was our first headline show at our local venue, The Loft. It was fun to finally be the main event of a local venue that we all grew up going to. We had a good turnout. We were on with some of our best friends’ bands. It was laid-back. Everyone was happy, having a good time. We do everything we can to grab an audience and keep their attention. I personally move around a lot. We incorporate solos in our songs. We do our best to get the audience interactive, talking between songs.

    PC: You recently released your sophomore EP. Tell me about the team you recorded this one with.

    AR: The first EP we did over at New Paltz. But the sophomore EP, Does Anybody Honestly Care, we did at Nada Studios in Montgomery. It was awesome. We recorded these songs with another studio, and got it back, but it wasn’t what we were looking for. We emailed Eric and Nada, told him what we were looking for, and that we wanted to record again from the ground up. We went in and he had ideas to bring to the songs. We made this amazing EP that we’re all so proud of.

    PC: What was it like to film your first music video?

    AR: It was weird, but it was fun. Like I said, I like to move around a lot – jumping, spinning. I’m doing my usual stuff. We’re filming and the guy’s like “Hey, man, that’s really cool but you need to stay in one spot so I can keep up with you.” We did it at a high school track. The song we did it for is called “Dirt Nap.” The idea behind the song is regardless of what people think you keep moving forward in life. People are going to like you, people are going to not like you. You can’t let that get to you. So when I feel anxious or whatever, I go run on a track, so one day I got the idea. So we drew up some signs and had people stand around holding these signs. The idea was to keep going regardless of the signs and what people think, and keep moving on and pushing forward.

    Does Anybody Honestly Care is available on Bandcamp. Follow One For The Braves on Facebook or Twitter for updates and show announcements.

  • 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.

  • Little Feat Play To a Sold Out Crowd in Albany

    Little Feat played to a sold out crowd at The Egg on Sunday, September 10 in Albany, NY. Wasting no time, the group opened up with “Spanish Moon” and throughout their two hour set, Little Feat gave the fans what they wanted with tunes such as “Oh Atlanta” and “Time Loves A Hero.” For more information on Little Feat’s upcoming tour dates, visit littlefeat.net

    little feat albanylittle feat albany

  • 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.’

  • Hearing Aide: The Backseat Bullets ‘Give You The Moon’

    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.

    Key Tracks: Give You the Moon, Danger

  • 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.

  • Hearing Aide: Sydney Worthley “Strong”

    In anticipation for her upcoming album release, Albany-based singer-songwriter Sydney Worthley has dropped the title track of her new album exclusively this week, entitled “Strong.”

    Sydney Worthley StrongFor anyone who has ever seen the decline of a loved one, through various hospital visits and treatments, this song hits right at home. Despite the morbid picture the lyrics paint for us, Worthley reminds us to hold on to our loved ones and keep going.

    This title track will be one of the many pop-infused trials Sydney brings us on Strong, which will be released on September 9. This album features 14 tracks, each song with its own unique style and intent. She has a creative mind for vocalization and harmonizing, which renders her identity to fit a folk or Americana sphere. Her ease of shifting in and out of her head voice could be comparable to Joni Mitchell, with a songwriting technique similar to that of early Taylor Swift. Despite the multiple genres Sydney toys with in Strong, it’s in this soft, vulnerable space where we hope to see future works of Sydney Worthley, which will allow her vocal technique, and her story, to shine through.

    In anticipation for the upcoming album release, head over to her Twitter and Facebook for updates on releases and performances, and check out Sydney’s newly-released title track below.

  • Josh Casano traded away life in the kitchen for time with family and music

    Have you had a taste of what Josh Casano can cook?

    Standing in front of an audience, the man loops an elaborate arrangement of ingredients, all with the use of his voice, his guitar and a delay unit at his feet.

    josh casanoThe chef-turned-musician ran a few kitchens in his time before the life changing events of meeting his wife, Sarah, and the eventual discussion of starting a family. Suddenly, aspirations of becoming the next Ric Orlando reduced over the flame of wanting to be a family man.

    On his Facebook page, the music man’s vita reads: Husband, Father, Brother, Friend, Musician. Like a recipe, he starts with the base of the dish, and along the way, adds the spice. What’s first is vital: Being the husband, the father. And, what’s added next is the flourish that makes Casano’s life unique. His own. What’s missing from the list is his former life as a chef, and a clearer definition of his present day job as a high school music teacher. All those details are found further down his page.

    “I know a lot of people who are head chefs, executive chefs, especially those who have started their own businesses. When you do it in the very beginning, it is really hard to be away from the business,” said Casano. “So, I went back to school to teach.”

    The 39-year-old Casano got a late start to his current career path, which involves folding musical compositions into the minds of young students by day, splashed with stealing hours away to earn his master’s degree at the University at Albany, and a sprinkle of a few live gigs throughout the Capital District. Casano can still cook up a good meal at home, but he said he walked away from the culinary arts because — would you believe it? — the hours would be more demanding on him. The prospect of trying to start up a restaurant included hours of investing in the kitchen, taking him away from a family life he and his wife had only discussed. Today, the Casano start-up has flourished into a marriage with two kids and a home in Latham.

    Casano enrolled into the College of Saint Rose’s prestigious music program. There, he quickly earned his bachelor’s degree to teach. Last year was his first, full year as a music teacher at Schenectady Public Schools. Though he’s just getting started with a career in music, music has been with him since his parents pushed the piano on him in elementary school. When he protested and asked to play drums instead, they bought him a trumpet.

    “[Drums] were too loud,” said Casano. “They were aware of practice pads. My father thought to play drums I had to have a kit.” So, the trumpet stayed with Casano throughout his high school career. Once he started learning music on his own, “I started kicking myself for not paying attention to those piano lessons.”

    Though Casano is often playing covers at his live shows, he is trained and practiced as a classical guitar player and songwriter, writing both the music and lyrics. Pay attention, and you may recognize a few of his songs as they have played on both 102.7 WEQX and 97.7 WEXT. The pressure of playing solo acts in front of an audience is akin to running a kitchen, said Casano. In both cases, he said, you’re “in the weeds” and focused on your task besides the commotion surrounding him.

    “It’s nerve-wracking,” said Casano, about looping at live shows. “It was awful [starting out]. I’d practice a whole movement, get confident, and get up on stage to play it, ‘Oh, man. Please don’t screw this up.’ … You just learn to go with it. I’ve done theatre. I’ve performed in orchestra and band. You make a mistake, you just keep going. You just play it off like you meant it and keep going, and no one’s the wiser.”

    You can find Casano playing Friday, Aug. 25 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, at 5 p.m. and at the Dana Park Concert Series in Albany, on Monday, Aug 28, at 5:30 p.m.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518 and is the property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Funk Night in Albany on Sept. 21 to be Hosted by Justin Mazer, members of Mister F and more

    September’s installment of Funk Night in Albany will featured members of Mister F and Let’s be Leonard, and will be hosted by Justin Mazer and Starbird. The return of Funk Night on August 17 was a rousing success and the crowd that packed The Hollow got down to music from members of Kung Fu, Wurliday and The Chronicles.

    Mazer has toured nationally with American Babies, Leroy Justice, and Miz and performed with Electron, Bob Weir, Oteil Burbridge, Larry Campbell, Steve Earle, Blues Traveler, and Dave Schools. Starbird is a trio featuring Al Smith (formerly of American Babies), and Dylan Skursky (of Cabinet). The trio have long performed together in various side project and will bring original compositions that focus on groove oriented music, sonic soundscapes, and a bit of twang. They’ll lay down the beats for funk night and welcome three local musicians to the stage during the night.

    Joining Starbird and Mazer are Scott Hannay of Mister F on keys and Connor Dunn of Let’s be Leonard on saxophone. Doors open at 8 with music starting at 9pm on September 21. Only $10 cover to get down with members of 4 bands laying down some funk! Take a peek at the last funk night:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BX6ycrRn0Cq/

  • Buddy Guy: Ambassador of the Chicago Blues

    Legend. A term bandied about a lot in today’s pop culture, especially when it comes to the music industry. The term is used so frequently that a lot of times it seems watered down and loses its meaning altogether. Then there are the times when that badge of honor seems small in comparison to the person it is describing. Such is the case for legendary electric Chicago blues icon Buddy Guy. George “Buddy” Guy, born in Lettsworth, Louisiana back in 1936, earned his chops in the 1960s, playing with blues icon Muddy Waters as a house guitarist at Chicago’s famed Chess Records. If that isn’t enough (and it is), Buddy has earned seven Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 by none other than Eric Clapton.buddy guy chicago blues Guy has influenced multiple generations of great electric blues men including Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Buddy has been instrumental in securing the future of the blues as an American musical art form by fostering the next generation of blues musicians. Such is the case of 17 year old blues prodigy and New Bedford, Massachusetts native Quinn Sullivan.

    Sullivan opened at Buddy Guy’s August 15 performance at the Hart Theater at the Empire Performing Arts Center in Albany. He is currently touring in support of his third LP Midnight Highway that was released in January of this year. Discovered by Guy at the tender age of seven, Sullivan in the last ten years has already amassed a career with credits that most musicians would kill for. He has performed at Eric Clapton’s blues showcase Crossroads in 2013 and has had the privilege of playing with the late, great B.B. King. The Damn Right Blues Band played double duty during the night’s performance, backing up both Sullivan and Guy through both their sets. The roster of the band includes Tom Hambridge on drums, Orlando Wright on bass, Ric Hall on guitar and Marty Sammons on keyboards.

    Sullivan kicked off his second appearance at The Egg with the radio friendly “Lifting Off” off of Midnight Highway and though still a teenager, Sullivan looked like a seasoned veteran on the stage. Sullivan’s impressive guitar playing abilities were showcased spectacularly with a version of the blues classic “Little Wing” that would have made both Hendrix and Clapton proud. The highlight of the 45 minute set was title track “Midnight Highway” which illustrated an advanced level of song craftsmanship which was completely on point. After a brief intermission, it was Buddy Guy’s turn to take the stage. Guy was greeted by an an extremely enthusiastic and rowdy crowd. Mr. Guy went straight into a ripping version of “Damn Right I Got The Blues” which featured a sublime piano solo by keyboardist Marty Sammons. Buddy set the raucous tone of the night’s performance by commencing a series of pelvic thrusts that hearkened back to the days of Elvis Presley, much to the delight of an appreciative audience. Mr. Guy told the crowd that he was going to “play it so funky you can smell it.” One crowd member chimed back, “We can smell it.”

    The high point of the performance came later in the set when Buddy busted out a spirited version of “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In” off of his 1994 release Slippin’ In. The 81 year old Guy took the party off the stage by playing the number while strutting around the excited crowd.

    Guy, who is a consummate story teller, went on to tell the audience how he met Sullivan and was so impressed with his ability to play guitar that he wound up taking him to Clapton’s Crossroads festival. Sullivan joined Guy on stage where they proceeded to trade guitar licks back and forth before Sullivan went into a medley of Clapton’s “Strange Brew” and Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile w/ Slight Return.”

    Things got a bit serious when Buddy brought up the tumultuous state of race relations in America, a reference to the recent violence that unfolded at a white supremacy rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier in the month. Mr. Guy went into a stirring version of “Skin Deep” which preaches love and understanding between all people regardless of race or religion, pointing out that our differences are skin deep. The 90 minute set concluded on more of a high note with Guy’s rendition of “Meet Me In Chicago” which left the audience on their feet. Guy will be continuing to play throughout the remainder of the summer with dates scheduled into the fall.

    Setlists:

    Quinn Sullivan: Lifting Off, Getting There, Little Wing, Cyclone, Midnight Highway, She Gets Me, Going

    Buddy Guy: Damn Right I Got The Blues, Hoochie Coochie Man, Fever, Born To Play Guitar, Grits Ain’t Groceries, Whose Making Love To Your Old Lady, Boom Boom, She’s 19 years Old, Sweet 16, Someone Else is Steppin’ In, Ain’t That Peculiar, Well Alright, StrangeBrew/Voodoo Child w/ Slight Return (Medley), Feels Like Rain, Skin Deep, Meet Me In Chicago