NYS Music 20​17

Category: Ithaca

  • Hearing Aide: Noon Fifteen ‘Volume 1’

    Ithaca’s growing music scene includes prog soul project Noon Fifteen. This band of seasoned musicians have blended elements of 60’s rock and 70’s blues, creating catchy songs that make it impossible to sit still. The songs on their debut release, Volume 1, showcase powerhouse vocals, intriguing musical arrangements, and captivating story lines.

    The EP captures attention from the first track, “Knock Knock Knock.” Sassy chanteuse Mandy Goldman sings about the time her drunken neighbor was banging on her door in the middle of the night. The story takes a surprising twist as she waits for an apology, and hopes that it would come in the form of an Olive Garden gift card. Goldman’s powerhouse vocals are backed by funky rhythms, starring Harry Nichols on bass and Chris Armitage on drums. The songs have a timeless quality, achieved in part through the use of vintage instruments, with Joe Massa on guitar and Sam Lupowitz on keyboard. Saxophones punctuate the melody, adding yet another layer of dimension to this plucky little number.

    A couple other songs on Volume 1 incorporate horns (trumpet and sax), as well as a string section featuring violins and cellos. One of them is “Dave Coulier.” This tale of passion and revenge features a character who realizes that she is only loved when she is needed. “I will be the girl to fix it for you,” later becomes the bitter line “I won’t be the girl to fix it for you.” The instrumentation also reflects the change. It starts as a jangly and upbeat love song, with some hand claps thrown in for good measure. It becomes progressively darker as the narrator becomes more embittered, and picks up as she exacts vengeance. Each chapter is separated by a dramatic musical interlude. The song was originally titled “You Oughtta Know,” but Alanis Morissette already used that title for one of her songs.

    “Her (Morisette’s) song is about Dave Coulier, the actor who played Uncle Joey on Full House,” Nichols told NYS Music. “So, in a moment of randomness equal to that of the song’s overall composition, we called the song Dave Coulier.”

    Overall, the EP is a jam, with infectious grooves, skillful arrangements, and rich vocals. As the title Volume 1 suggests, this is just the beginning for this group. Just don’t let the name throw you: it’s always a good time to listen to Noon Fifteen.

    Volume 1 is available on Bandcamp and Spotify. They’ve also released behind-the-scenes music videos and a Noon Fifteen podcast with episodes about each song.

    Key Tracks: Knock Knock Knock, Dave Coulier

  • Donna the Buffalo Poised to Stampede into Rochester

    Groove-heavy americana quintet Donna The Buffalo of Trumansburg, is returning to Rochester this weekend to distribute an eclectic mash of folk, roots, country, reggae, jam and zydeco, to a devoted local crowd. Accompanied by Rochester’s own, Aaron Lipp and the Slacktones, the foot-stomping, hug-sharing, and partner-twirling will take place on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 PM at Anthology. Advanced tickets are $22.50 and the gate price is $25.

    “I love playing music. I love playing the fiddle…I love to sing. I never thought too much about it. I never wondered why I play music. I’ve just always done it. There was never anything else I was gonna do instead. There has never been a question. I was drawn to music. I love listening to it. I love playing it. Music fills me up. It’s one of my languages.” -Tara Nevins of Donna the Buffalo

    Nearly thirty years since their humble beginnings, Donna the Buffalo is warming into an extensive winter tour, traveling from New York, to Florida, to Texas, with many show stops in between. There is good reason Donna the Buffalo has toured extensively for the better part of thirty years. The group provides a dynamic high-energy performance that is at one moment completely fun-loving and carefree, then in the next, undoubtably heartfelt and deeply insightful. At every show, the audience experiences poetic stories about life, family, and the human condition. To top off the enthusiasm brought by their live performance, Donna The Buffalo brings improvisation and spontaneity to the table. The band doesn’t work off a set list, rather, co-leaders Jeb Puryea and Tara Nevins take turns choosing the next song in real time.

    When I asked Nevins if she had any advice for a young musician with aspirations to pursue the music industry, she retorted, “Do it because you love it don’t do it because you think you’ll be famous. And enjoy the journey..” I think it is crystal clear that Tara Nevins and all of the Donna the Buffalo family do indeed play music that they love, and do indeed enjoy the journey.

    If you’re in the Rochester area, check out Donna the Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 9, and everyone, stay tuned, Donna the Buffalo is recording a new record in February.

  • Brandi Carlile Announces 2018 New York Tour Dates

    Brandi Carlile fans are some of the luckiest fans in the world. They can see Carlile just about any time they’d like to because she always seems to be on tour. She’s performed at least once a month, almost every single month since 2014 and will continue this streak well on into 2018, making several stops in New York along the way. These shows include a three-night run at the Beacon Theatre on April 5, 6 (Sold Out) and 7, the Palace Theatre in Albany on May 6 and the State Theatre in Ithaca on May 8. Tickets for all of these shows are available now and are modestly priced. Again, the April 6 show and the Beacon Theatre is sold out.

    Brandy Carlile Tour

    Carlile will be touring with her five-album discography and will likely showcase some new material from her soon to be released collection, By the Way, I Forgive You. Listeners can get a taste of the new album by checking out the single, “The Joke.” It’s sentimental and a bit melancholy, which isn’t unheard of for Carlile. But taking into account this track’s tone coupled with some emotional album artwork, it raises the question, what will the rest of the album sound like? That question will be answered on February 16, 2018.

    Anyone unfamiliar with Carlile’s work should give her the old college try. Her music is wholesome, moving, catchy and beaming with energy. On top of her extensive musical career, she and her bandmates, Tim and Phil Hanseroth also found the time and energy to create a nonprofit called the Looking Out Foundation. They, “band together with fans, nonprofits, and corporations to translate voices of song to voices of action,” as well as donating $1 from every concert to their efforts and related charities.

    Tour Dates:

    April 5 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
    April 6 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY (SOLD OUT)
    April 7 – Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
    May 6 – Palace Theatre – Albany, NY
    May 8 – State Theatre – Ithaca, NY

  • 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!

  • In Their Own Words: JP Biondo of Cabinet

    On Friday September 29, folk powerhouse Cabinet landed in Ithaca, NY, and played two long sets at The Haunt. Since their birth in 2006, Cabinet has built a committed grassroots following by providing an eclectic roots sound. They have earned unconditional respect with their commitment to quality songwriting, and impressive ability to cross between genres of bluegrass, country, jam, and psychedelic. Before Cabinet’s foot-stomping performance, NYS Music had the  opportunity to sit down with Cabinet co-founder, singer, songwriter, and mandolin player JP Biondo. NYS Music is ecstatic to present you this edition of “In Their Own Words.” Here we have a collection of bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from J.P Biondo of Cabinet:

    On a Musical Childhood:

    My first instrument ever was a Tuba. I joined the band as a young teenager in around 1998. As a child, I always loved music. I always loved singing a bunch. I came from a very musical family. Growing up, I was surrounded by music all the time. For example, my dad would teach me how to sing harmonies on car rides.

    I come from a very large musical family. My dad has eight brothers and sisters, and so, I have like a whole slew of 1st cousins. There is a total of 35 of us or something like that. The family has at least one family reunion every year at grandma’s house. She lives on a big farm near Scranton, PA. At last year’s family reunion, there was like 180 us. Every year, the sun goes down and everybody knows  it’s time to get around the campfire and sing. We sing, play harmonies, and just hang out and have fun. This is how I first learned to sing. At our family reunions, I would pick an elder out for the night and stand by their side and listen to everything they were singing. I would be like, “ohh thats how you do that. Ok cool.”  So a lot of my teaching came organically that way.

    Later on, I started to take playing very seriously.  I started playing guitar when I was about 14 or 15. I learned every Dave Matthews song in the book–like any young kid does. I just loved it. I always loved music. Until this very day, music pulls me like nothing else in life. When it came to playing music, I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.

    On Songwriting:

    I don’t have a specific goal. Every song is different for everybody. I like to write about life experiences, For example, I wrote a song called “The Tower,” about this place where I grew up, we called it the “Dry Dam.” It’s a dam that was supposed to provide drinking water for the town of Scranton, but, for whatever reason or another, it didn’t end up working. The lake stayed there, and above this dam there was a big tower.  It was like 30 or 40 feet high. As kids we would climb up the tower and jump off into the lake. We also would just hang out, drink under age or whatever, all the stuff kids do. It was a big time hang out spot for me and friends. I had a lot of fun experiences there. I like writing about my personal experiences and hopefully, someone can relate to them in some sort of way.

    Advice For a Kid or Young Adult With A Passion For Music:

    Follow your heart…Decide if music is something you’d like to make money at or if it’s something you just enjoy doing. Try to decide that as soon as you can, and either way is fine, but, just make that decision at some point and know where you’re at with it.

  • X Ambassadors play host to Cayuga Sound Festival

    The atmosphere of the Cayuga Sound Festival perfectly summed up the Ithaca experience. The day-long festival kicked off Saturday, the 23rd, beginning hopefully a new annual tradition. The festival was scheduled during one of the most musical weeks in Ithaca, as locals were gearing up for Porch Fest the following day. The festival kicked off around noon, with the Imperials taking the smaller of the two stages. Unlike most music festivals, the two stages were located side by side. This allowed both venues the classic Stewart Park Lake view beloved by all, and allowed for continuous music to a static audience. The Imperials set the mood of the festival. This local band is categorized as post-rock, and their eclectic musical quality lent itself to the ambient environment of the afternoon. The theme of the festival seemed to be hometown heroes, with the entire thing put together by the X Ambassadors, an indie-band that got its start in Ithaca. Each band that came on played into the atmosphere, calling out the beautiful scenery and talking to the crowd.

    X Ambassadors cayuga sound festival
    Photo by Graham Fielder

    After Imperials, Stone Cold Miracle took the Main Stage. Another locally based band, their soul-infused style played perfectly off the energy created by Imperials. The crowd for the first few concerts was primarily locals, with lots of families running around the grounds. Stations were set up for face painting while the lake side of the stages were lined with local favorite food trucks like Silo’s. The day crowd stayed small enough that wait times were short. The longest line was for the ice cream, as the crowd tried to beat the heat. Still, a consistent group of enthusiastic fans stuck by the stage. The group was hemmed by couples and families in lawn chairs and on blankets. The rest of the concertgoers spent their downtime sprawled out by the lake, which was filled with boats as people flooded to get as close to the music as possible. Although Ithaca is frequently dominated by the two large colleges in town, the festival was marketed to all ages, which allowed the true relaxed and friendly spirit of Ithaca shine through.

    Following on the Lake Stage was Izzy True, an indie-rock band. Their mood was less joyful than that put out by Stone Cold Miracle, however, their lead singer had instant charisma with the crowd, who were found nodding along. A few even broke into dance as the pace picked up. Jukebox the Ghost continued this energy. Although still within the aesthetic of the festival, they were the most pop-oriented group of the day. The younger audience was really engaged through their energetic performance style, and their songs were a mix of their older acoustic-based music and more recent indie-pop songs.

    X Ambassadors cayuga sound festival
    Photo by Graham Fielder

    Sammus completely changed the mood as the young rapper took the stage. The artist is known for her evocative lyrics paired with heavy beats, and although she gave an incredible and resonating performance, it was a sudden derailment from the relaxed family-friendly vibe set by the earlier groups. The crowd thinned out to mostly young adults and college students, with Sammus being a clear favorite for many concert goers. She fit the theme of powerful women set forth by Izzy True that would be repeated again in K.Flay and Tei Shi’s performances.

    Crush Club’s funk mix brought back the earlier vibe, along with grabbing the attention of some surprised older concert goers who were drawn to the band’s sound. Their set was fun and light-hearted without losing the attention of the younger group that Sammus had drawn.

    The largest issue that arose during the festival seemed to be around scheduling, as The Knocks ended up canceling the day of the concert. Although times were shifted to accommodate this, many later performers didn’t seem to get the memo. This was unfortunate as it created musical gaps in the well-planned schedule. It also gave concertgoers a chance to relax along Cayuga Lake, indulge in the delicious food, or just hang out with a beer. During these breaks, the atmosphere was relaxed instead of stressed. People hula-hooped, played Frisbee, and even napped.

    The music got progressively heavier as the sun set. This was fitting, as the crowd shifted from families to college students and young adults. K. Flay’s music picked up the energy, with her making several shout-outs to being in Ithaca. Savior Adore’s pop-infused music kept the crowd dancing as more and more people began to trickle in for the night’s main event. By the time Tei Shi took the stage, the crowd had easily doubled from the daytime group. Gone were the lawn chairs, replaced by a crowd ready to dance, jump, and jam with the three headliners.

    By the time X Ambassadors took the stage, the crowd was going wild. This marked a homecoming for the band, and their excitement to be back was palpable. Their set was one of the most memorable of the night, as they mixed popular and newer songs together to create a show that suit both avid fans and more passive listeners. Finally, The Roots made it to the main stage. Their performance included their beloved music, reaching back into the ‘90s for some crowd favorites. By now the crowd was huge, spilling over the area in front of the stage so people were dancing in the field and even down on the shore of the lake. The Roots were perfectly suited to this festival, as their sound appealed to all ages of audience. Many families had left by the time The Roots stepped out on the main stage, however the audience as still a great mix of local Ithacans and college students. The fireworks following the concert tied together a beautiful day, hopefully one that will be repeated in years to come!

  • Broken Social Scene Breaks Out a Social Scene in Ithaca

    Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene opened their US tour, their first in six years, at the State Theater in Ithaca on Saturday, September 16. They’re touring behind Hug of Thunder, their first album in seven years. With the exception of some one-off festival shows here and there (mostly there), the band has essentially ceased to exist.

    As soon as the lights went down, the much-less-than-sellout crowd left their assigned seats en masse, as if it were planned, tightly packing the theater halfway. What they lacked in size, they made up for in energy and excitement. Ring leader Kevin Drew took notice and set the tenor for the evening. He said the tour manager warned of a light crowd, but they didn’t care, they were going to throw a “private party” in Ithaca. And gracious hosts they were. Indeed they broke out quite a social scene. Drew, always a showman, was especially high-spirited and chatty on this evening.

    They may not have played as a regular unit in a while, but this wasn’t a mere reunion show featuring just a couple of the original members. They brought the core band that has been together since the early days of the band, Drew, Brendan Canning, Charles Spearin, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Amy Milan, Sam Goldberg along with some horns and percussion and Ariel Engle, the relative newcomer on vocals. Members came and went and switched instruments at will for a constantly fluctuating lineup that maxed out at 11 people. The guitarist became the bassist became the keyboardist became the trumpeter became the drummer, and so it went.

    The band, or at least some of them, kicked into the opening notes of “7/4 Shoreline” shortly after arriving to the stage. Drew stopped them, saying they weren’t playing that yet. They recollected themselves and reached further back in their catalog for the opening “Cause=Time,” which was immediately followed by the aforementioned “7/4 Shoreline.” The band was loose in spirit and playing, but still incredibly tight, like they’d been playing hundreds of shows a year.

    Drew’s strict adherence to their predetermined setlist was eventually abandoned. Midway through the set he started openly taking requests from the audience. It was a “private party” after all. “We’re for you, not us, don’t forget that,” explained Drew. “Almost Crimes” opened up the request faucet. “Texico Bitches” also came by request, though as the band started into it, Drew said, “Oh we’re really doing this?” The leader became the follower, reluctantly. They wouldn’t oblige all requests though, “Swimmers” was too deep to be dredged up. Nonetheless, that the somewhat out-of-practice band of 11 was willing and able to take random requests was most impressive. That’s not an easy ship to steer.

    Someone, perhaps angry their request wasn’t granted, threw their cup on stage, nearly hitting Drew. Security quickly apprehended the guilty party and dragged them out of the venue. Drew, watching the action unfold, responded, “Aww, I liked that guy!” But he wouldn’t be invited back to the party.

    Right before “Sweetest Kill,” Drew took a video of the crowd wishing his friends congratulations on their wedding, which he was sad to be missing due to this show. A message from one “private party” to another. “And now we’re going to sing a song about divorce,” he kidded.

    “Ibi Dreams of Pavement” closed the set, but the word ‘closed’ is used loosely. It was announced as the closer, and the band started leaving as it finished up, but before the entire band left Drew managed to wrangle a few to stay as he said, “That was the last song, but I gotta do this for this guy.” Another request which, as the host of the party, he couldn’t let pass. So the crowd was treated to “Major Label Debut,” and as more and more band members got back on stage, it eventually finished with the full band. One more song with more from the ladies, so they played their early infectious hit, “Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl,” which mirroring the start of the show, featured a false start and a do over. But they still weren’t finished, and would grant one last request, this one from the back of the stage, as drummer Justin Peroff asked to play another early one, “KC Accidental.” After a rocking romp through that classic, the band waved their goodbyes and stood together off to the side of the stage for one last look at their party guests. Egged on by a lingering guitar swirl from Whiteman, a few members grabbed an instrument and kept the jam going. A couple more minutes of incredible instrumental Broken Social Scene were squeezed into the end of the show, it was the kind of party no one wanted to leave.

    One last pearl of wisdom from Drew as they finally left the stage, “We’re relying on you, so help someone out, it’s the best feeling in the world.” Earlier in the evening, he wondered aloud if he was talking too much. He was looking forward to reading the review of the show that complained about his excessive banter. This isn’t that review.

    Setlist: Cause=Time, 7/4 Shoreline, Halfway Home, World Sick, Victim Lover, Protest Song, Superconnected, Fire Eye’d Boy, Almost Crimes, Gonna Get Better, Sweetest Kill, Stay Happy, Hug of Thunder, Texico Bitches, Stars and Sons, Ibi Dreams of Pavement, Major Label Debut, Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl, KC Accidental

  • of Montreal Gets Weird in Ithaca

    of Montreal played to a full room at The Haunt in Ithaca on September 11. They brought with them their experimental pop led by lead singer and founder, Kevin Barnes. Barnes, who is sort of an androgynous David Bowie type, kept the crowd into it with his energy and interactions with the fans, along with the costumed performers that intermittently crashed the stage. You can check out their latest EP Rune Husk from early this year. They are still touring though the end of they year, but you’ll have to be down south or on the west coast to catch them.

    of montreal

  • 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.

  • Dark Star Orchestra Expands on Fall Tour to Include East Coast Dates, Including 20th Anniversary Show in Albany

    Dark Star Orchestra rolled out more 2017 tour dates. The newly added East Coast performances include a handful of shows in New York, including DSO’s 20th anniversary celebration on November 11 at the Palace Theatre in Albany. The fall dates lead up to a Cosmic New Year’s Run which includes three nights at Philly’s Electric Factory from December 29 through New Year’s Eve. Details and tickets are available at DSO’s website.

    dark star 20th anniversaryDark Star Orchestra Remaining 2017 Dates:

    Sept.21 – San Antonio, TX – The Aztec Theatre
    Sept. 22 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Austin
    Sept. 23 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas
    Sept. 26 – Salina, KS – Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
    Sept. 28 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
    Sept. 29 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
    Sept. 30 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
    Oct. 2 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
    Oct. 5 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland
    Oct. 6 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
    Oct. 7 – Columbus, OH – Express LIVE
    Oct. 10 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
    Oct. 12 – Detroit, MI – The Majestic
    Oct. 13 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
    Oct. 14 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater

    Dark Star Orchestra Fall Tour – Part 2 (Newly Announced Dates):
    Nov. 10 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
    Nov. 11 – Albany, NY – Palace Theater
    Nov. 12 – Peekskill, NY – Paramount Hudson Valley
    Nov. 14 – Northampton, MA – Calvin Theatre
    Nov. 16 – Portland, ME – State Theatre, Portland, Maine
    Nov. 17 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall
    Nov. 18 – Worcester, MA – Worcester Palladium
    Nov. 19 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre of Ithaca
    Nov. 21 – Concord, NH – Capitol Center for the Arts
    Nov. 22 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
    Nov. 24 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
    Nov. 25 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
    Nov. 29 – Richmond, VA – The National
    Nov. 30 – Richmond, VA – The National
    Dec. 1 – Norfolk, VA – The NorVA
    Dec. 2 – Washington D.C. – The Anthem ( ** Recreating Grateful Dead’s 6/14/91 R.F.K. show **)
    Dec. 28 – Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theater
    Dec. 29 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory – with Dirty Dozen Brass Band
    Dec. 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory – with Keller Williams solo
    Dec. 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory – 3 sets of DSO