NYS Music 20​17

Category: Regions

  • Get Brainwashed with ShwizZ’s Quirky video for “Listen To It”

    This past week, ShwiZz released their video for “Listen To It,” a satirical song with an equally odd video that bounces around similar to the jams ShwiZz performs. Watch below.

    “Listen To It” was conceptualized and written by Ryan Liatsis and brought to life in 2017 with the band ShwizZ. The self-referential tune encourages the listener to indeed “listen to it,” over and over again. Guitarist Ryan Liatsis shared some background on the video. “The original idea was to write more of a pop song to take the band in a different direction, but of course our love for Zappa shone through and we wound up adding quite a bit of humor and satire. The song is merely a mockery of the power mainstream media has over so many minds, “telling” them all what should be listened to, whether you like it or not! We are undoubtedly not the first people or group to shed light on this matter, but our hope is that people who view this video will consider giving a listen to small time bands, music you’ve perhaps never heard and non commercial radio and media. Or perhaps we just want to brainwash everyone as well.”

    shwizz at garcia's Shwizz Listen to it“Listen To It” was directed and produced by Paul Liatsis and Bridgeside Productions out of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn, NY, and was filmed at Bridgeside Productions Studio in Nyack, NY.

    Catch ShwiZz on December 9 at B.R.Y.A.C in Bridgeport, CT, December 15 at Casa Del Sol in Nyack, NY and on January 11 at 10pm they’ll be part of a live TV performance “Raw Music Sessions,” available for viewing on Channel 79 Time Warner Cable and Fios Staten Island

  • Front Country swing through NY for 3 shows this week

    Front Country, a Roots Pop band out of the San Francisco Bay Area heads into New York this week for three shows in NYC, Albany and Nelson. NPR has recently said of these musicians “In the bluegrass world, musicians tend to define themselves by their tradition and discipline. But Front Country is defined by its no-rules approach.”

    With acoustic string instruments, the group finds a way to combined acoustic sound with pop songwriting, the byproduct being both complicated yet infectious. Their most recent release Other Love Songs has emotional songs throughout, with lead singer Melody Walker penning 8 of the 12 tracks

    “These songs follow the lessons that everyone learns in their own personal evolution toward emotional maturity and vulnerability,” says Melody Walker, “in which all of us learn to break down toxic romantic fairy tales and write our own Other Love Songs that work for real people in the real world.”

    Catch Front Country this week across New York. Thursday the 7th they’ll be at American Beauty in NYC, Friday they are at The Egg in Albany supporting Darlingside, and Saturday they play The Nelson Odeon in Nelson, NY.

  • Floodwood Celebrates Release of Third Album With Two Shows at Kirkland Art Center

    Progressive string band, Floodwood, will celebrate the release of its third album at Central New York’s Kirkland Art Center with a pair of shows. The two day celebration, to be held Friday and Saturday Dec. 8 and 9 will feature four sets from the headliners along with guest appearances from Nigel Felony on Friday and the Old Main on Saturday. Tickets are $25 each night or $40 for both nights. Members of the Kirkland Art Center can purchase tickets for $23 each night or $36 for both nights. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.

    floodwood showsFloodwood is Jason Barady and Nick Piccininni of Woodenspoon, Vinnie Amico of moe., Tony Markellis of the Trey Anastasio Band and Chris Eves of Chris Eves and the New Normal, Castle Creek and Skunk City. Combined, they bring a menagerie of influences to their unique brand of bluegrass.

    The band’s third album (second studio album),‘Til I Die was released on Dec. 1. It was recorded over the past year at RDRAUDIO Studios in Amsterdam and was produced and mixed by the band’s engineer Mark Cochi with additional recording by Casey Latter. The new album is available digitally on Amazon, CD Baby, iTunes and Bandcamp and physical copies will be available at all shows.

    floodwood showsFloodwood’s lineage reads like a history of Upstate New York music. From their bio:

    Vinnie Amico has been playing drums professionally for nearly 30 years, 20 with jamband mainstays moe. Vinnie has been with Floodwood since it’s inception 5 years ago. Vinnie is influenced by many musical styles including rock, jazz, bluegrass, reggae, country, and world music. Those influences shine bright in Floodwood…

    Tony Markellis is a bassist and record producer from Helena, Montana, now residing in Saratoga Springs, NY. His career spans over forty years, playing blues, folk, jazz, rock and country music with musicians such as Trey Anastasio, Paul Butterfield, The Mamas & the Papas, Johnny Shines, David Bromberg and many, many more. Markellis was a founding member of the groundbreaking Vermont-based jazz fusion group Kilimanjaro, as well as the Unknown Blues Band featuring Big Joe Burrell.

    Jason Barady spent over 10 years recording & touring with the Bluegrass group Wooden Spoon from Taos, until returning to his hometown in central, NY. An influential part of his local music scene, Jason plays with an unyielding energy and creativity on both local and national stages. Fans have been known to refer to him as “the Hendrix of Mandolin”. 

    Nick Piccininni is a self taught banjoist/fiddler who learned his bluegrass chops the old fashioned way – in picking circles at his favorite bluegrass festivals. He has been involved in many projects including touring for two years with CMA recording artists, The Abrams Brothers. Nick arguably smiles the most of anyone in the band.

    Chris Eves, from the band Castle Creek, is an accomplished guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He has shared the stage with The Zac Brown Band, Jon Fishman of Phish, Johnny Lang, John Popper and many others. He also played guitar for American Idol and is featured in the film Star Trek Nemesis.

    The Kirkland Art Center is a regional multi-arts center located in an old church in the heart of historic Clinton, New York facing the Village Green. The center has been integral in maintaining cultural endeavors in Central New York for over 50 years.

    Floodwood always puts on an engaging show, filled with humor and brotherly competition. Check out some fan shot video of Floodwood’s newest member, Eves, kickin’ it at Funk ‘n Waffles in Syracuse last year below.

  • Refusing the Rules of the Game, Grace VanderWaal Steals the Show

    Refusing the Rules of the Game, VanderWaal Steals the Show: How a 13-year old’s authentic sound reminds us to be ourselves

    Tucked in between artists still struggling to find their voices, Grace VanderWaal let her light shine brightly at the Palace Theatre Tuesday night hosted by local radio station FLY 92. Skipping on the stage wearing a feline headband, worn jeans, a modest knit top and raspberry socks tucked in loafers, 13-year-old VanderWaal charmed the audience immediately with her authentic smile and honest voice.

    Strumming her ukulele and stretching her ethereal voice with “Moonlight” and “Florets,” VanderWaal smiled, jumped, danced, and even sang with her hands at times betraying some nervousness normal for 8th graders. This New York State kid from Suffern’s talent is far beyond normal though; she writes her own songs, and her performances offer a fresh and vulnerable persona rarely seen in pop music these days.

    She was incredibly earnest when she asked the audience to sing along to “I Don’t Know My Name,” perhaps her most widely recognizable hit from TV show America’s Got Talent. She added that it makes her happy to hear people sing her words, and the audience eagerly obliged.

    Songs like “So Much More Than This” and “Scars To Your Beautiful” speak with authority about being young and not wanting to fit in, and accepting imperfections with pure joy rather than compromise. Who better to peddle hope to teenagers that a thirteen-year-old who titled her first short release “Perfectly Imperfect?” VanderWaal offers hope from a place of reality: she isn’t just writing about being awkward and inexperienced, but from living and embracing being awkward and fresh on the scene. In fact, she’s holding on tightly to who she really is, and is reminding us that we should, too. Her promise was that by being oneself, one can actually be happy.

    VanderWaal covered “Home,” and the intensity of her plucky, hopeful spirit couldn’t be contained. Accompanied by a keyboard, guitar, and drummer, VanderWaals’s contagious smile and energy helped to forgive some pitches she reached for a just slightly fell flat. Because of her joyfulness, the message of authentic courage, and marching dance style across the stage, it was easy to forgive the few notes that didn’t quite meet their mark. She hopped like a small finch across the stage, singing her lyrics and owning the Palace.

    By the end of the short set, she had inspired singing, dancing, and even crowd participation with cell phone lights. VanderWaal certainly doesn’t play by the rules, as she wrote in her song. She left us with goosebumps and this startling realization: we were in the presence of a real musician, an authentic teenager, and a genuine hope monger for her generation.

    Keep your eyes and ears open for Grace VanderWaal. Her joy won’t, and shouldn’t, be contained. If you get the chance, go catch some of it. You will leave uplifted and be believing not just in music, but even a bit in your imperfect self again, courtesy of VanderWaal’s youthful wisdom.

  • Aqueous Announces Gorillaz NYE Theme

    Buffalo groove rockers Aqueous will be making their Town Ballroom headlining debut this New Year’s Eve.  In anticipation of the evening, the Buffalo based quartet has announced that in addition to their own catalog, they will be dedicating a set of music to the English virtual band, Gorillaz.

    aqueous gorillaz“AQ draws from many different bands’ catalogs for inspiration, and the Gorillaz catalog is one that all four of us are HUGE fans of,” noted Aqueous frontman and guitarist Mike Ganzter via press release.  “Their catalog integrates four styles of music that we all love: hip-hop, rock, punk and electronic, and once the idea got thrown out there to do a Gorillaz themed set, it was clear that that was the vibe we wanted to really set our NYE party over the top!”

    This past March, Aqueous made their performance debut at the Town Ballroom opening in support of Vermont’s genre fusing jam band, Twiddle.  As AQ steps into the headlining position to close out 2017, Ganzter reveals the evening’s importance to the band. “This city has so much love for us and has supported us on a really profound level at every turn,” he said. “We’re coming into this gig with true gratitude and a mission to deliver in a big way at a venue that we all grew up seeing our favorite bands perform at.”

    Buffalo post-rock art band Lazlo Hollyfeld has been added in support.

    On Thanksgiving eve, Ganzter stopped by the Lazlo Hollyfeld annual Thanksgiving Eve show for an unannounced sit-in.  Besides their own unique brand of musical stylings, Lazlo Hollyfeld is also known for their perfected tribute sets, including performances of the Talking Heads, Radiohead and most recently, Arcade Fire.

    Aqueous is currently finishing up a nearly three month tour of the greater United States before retuning home to celebrate the New Year with their hometown fans. AQ will kick off 2018 with performances on Jam Cruise as well as tour in support of Papadosio for recently announced dates in February and March.

    Tickets for Aqueous’ NYE Gorillaz bash at Hometown Ballroom are $20 in advance and are still.

    Aqueous Upcoming Tour Dates

    Dec. 6 – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge
    Dec. 8 – Fort Collins, CO – Hodi’s Half Note
    Dec. 9 – Frisco, CO – The Barkley Ballroom
    Dec. 12 – Davenport, IA – Redstone Room
    Dec. 13 – St. Louis, MO – The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy
    Dec. 14 – Lexington, KY – Cosmic Charlie’s
    Dec. 15 – Columbus, OH – Woodlands Tavern
    Dec. 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Rex Theater
    Dec. 29 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium *
    Dec. 31 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
    Jan. 17 – 22 – Miami, FL – Jam Cruise

    * w/ Umphrey’s McGee

  • Live Music across the State this December, Presented by NYS Music

    Once again, NYS Music is happy to present to you another packed month full of great live music for New York State.  Make sure not to miss out on these shows taking place in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Saratoga Springs and Cohoes.

    Albany/Cohoes/Saratoga Springs

    December 8 – For an unforgettable pop-funk and party-rock performance, don’t miss when Ripe takes Putnam Den with psychedelic-soul duo Okey Dokey and indie rock band Campo! Event link.

    December 9 – On their 20th Anniversary “Cheers and Echoes” Tour, the highly acclaimed group Enter the Haggis will be stopping in Saratoga Springs a memorable night of Celtic Folk Rock. Accompanied by Black Mountain Symphony, it’s sure to be a night of incredible performances. Event link.

    December 15 – Back by popular demand, Pink Talking Fish will be sure to bring an electric performance with their unique synthesis of hits from Phish, The Talking Heads and Pink Floyd.  This time Annie in the Water is joining them to open up the night with some funk, reggae and rock. Event link.

    December 23 – For a fresh take on your favorite Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers come see Steal Your Peach Band. It’s a can’t miss show for jamband fans. Event link.

    Cohoes  (Presented by Guthrie/Bell Productions) 

    December 3 – At Cohoes Music Hall, come see Hot Tuna Acoustic, electric blues power duo of Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady.  You don’t want to miss these living American music legends. Event link.

    December 7 – Fresh off the release of their second album Cheen, Lespecial will be at Parish Public House with Backup Planet to give a dynamic and captivating contemporary rock performance. Event link.

    December 8 – As it reads in their biography, “If intergalactic beings of pure energy, after initiation into an order of whirling dervishes, built some kind of pan-dimensional booty-shaking engine, powered by psychedelics and abstract math, it’d probably just sound like a CTS tribute band.” And that’s exactly why you can’t miss this.  If you have not experienced “Sci-Fi Middle Eastern Fusion” yet, there is no better opportunity than coming to see Consider The Source with Teddy Midnight at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. Event link.

    December 9 – For pure musical brilliance and a horn section to die for, come see Big Mean Sound Machine with special guest Nautilus at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen. Event link.

    December 16 – Gratefully Yours would like to bring every Dead head their dream setlist of Grateful Dead music.  For this show at The Hollow, head to the bands website and make your suggestion for what the ideal setlist would be, then come out for an incredible performance! Band website.  Event link.

    December 20 – For a moving performance and an intimate night with Bettye LaVette, featuring simply her stunning vocals and a piano, come to The Cohoes Music Hall.  Her soulful style is widely acclaimed by all who have experienced her live and definitely a treat you do not want to miss out on. Event link.

    December 22 – ‘Tis the season for the Guthrie/Productions Christmas Party, this year featuring Eastbound Jesus, Girl Blue and the Eastern Highs at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen.  Nothing like some good bluegrass and rock and roll to get you in the holiday spirit! Event link.

    December 29 – For a once in a lifetime experience,  come see The Talking Heads tribute band, Start Making Sense, at The Cohoes Music Hall for some 80’s rock and funk. Event link.

    December 31 – Ring in the New Year with Mister F and Goose at The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, a walk across Pearl Street from Twiddle the same night.  Come see Mister F’s last performance before going on hiatus and celebrate the new year! Event link.

    Buffalo – Nietzsche’s

    December 1 –  Formula 5, Blue Rootz, Vinyl Orange Ottoman – catch three powerhouse jam bands to kick off December! Event link

    December 8 –  Strange Machines, Dr. Slothclaw – Boston jam wizards Strange Machines are out to Buffalo on the heels of the release of their new album Voice of Color, along wit Dr. Slothclaw, an out of this world, freak explosion of funk, progressive rock, blues, and everything beyond that you must see for yourself. event link

    December 16 – Murmur (A Tribute to R.E.M.) recreates the power and passion of R.E.M.’s live performances with precise musical detail. Event link

    December 22 – Censored by ZFT: A Tribute to Frank Zappa. Honoring the music and legacy of Frank Zappa with two sets of his music. The show will feature songs from all eras and bands with an ensemble similiar in size to his touring bands of 1975-1976. Event link

    December 27 –  THE TRUTH, Elliot Scozzaro. THE TRUTH is a jazz/funk/fusion quintet from Buffalo, NY that takes a modern approach to improvising while keeping a connection to the deep language and history in the jazz community.  Event link

    December 31 – Celebrate New Years Eve at Nietzsche’s with Folkfaces and Intrepid Travelers! Event link

    Syracuse – Funk ‘N Waffles

    December 5 – Backup Planet’s progressive funk-rock performances will have you feeling like you’re time traveling.  They will joined this time by the Jimmy Wolf Blues Band. Event link.

    December 7 – Check out Deadgrass, the five piece tribute band to Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Event link.

    December 8 – Mammal Dap, the electronic group, will be hitting Funk ‘n Waffles with the anti-genre indie band, SeeppeopleS.  Event link.

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    December 14 – Come out to The English Project’s Album Release Party for a free show featuring Chris Jame & Mama G, and make sure to grab an album while you’re there! Event link.

    December 16 – Dodapod After Party featuring Syncpulse, Craig Brodhead of Turkauz. Event link

    December 21 – For some progressive and psychedelic rock, come see Railbred, Astro Collective,  and Fordham Road. Event link.

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    December 22 – Come celebrate and hear some great jam rock music at The Album Release Party Chris Eves & The New Normal with Chiggin. Event link.Image may contain: 5 people, text

    December 23 – Syracuse’s longtime favorite hard rock band, Dracula Jones, will be performing with special guest TBA. Event link.

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    December 28 – For night one of their rock and roll New Years run, Gang of Thieves with Balkun Brothers will be hitting Funk ‘n Waffles and bringing their funky riffs, high energy, and some special surprises with the help of KTR Lighting. Event link.

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    December 29 – Barrom Philosophers, Astro Collective, and Organic Soul will be performing and bringing an overall mix of reggae, rock, and psychedelic sound. Event link.Image may contain: one or more people

    December 31 – Don’t miss Sophistafunk, for some hip-hop, funk fusion with Syracuse’s own Skunk City, the funk rock experience. Event link.

    Rochester – Funk ‘N Waffles

    December 5 – Be sure to click the link to the event page to grab your tickets for Larry Carlton Quartet with Chet Catallo & The Cats for some jazzy blues guitar. Event link.

    December 6 – Another local opportunity to see Lespecial with Backup Planet while they’re in New York. Event link.

    December 7 – Right before they hit Syracuse, Mammal Dap with SeedpeopleS will be giving you another opportunity to hear them in Rochester. Event link.

    December 8 – And right after they rock Syracuse with their Grateful Dead tribute, Deadgrass will be coming to Rochester. Event link.

    December 15 – For an unforgettably unique, psychedelic hip-hop fusion show, come to Hyperborealis III to see Haewa, Pine Needle Soul, and SKYwalker. Event link.

    December 20 – Railbred, Astro Collective, Fordham Road will be rocking out in Rochester before they roll to Syracuse. Event link.

    December 22 – Vanishing Sun will be releasing their album live, so the four Rochester-based including Lost Wax Collective, The English Project and Eli Flynn will be jamming together the celebrate. Don’t miss it! Event link.

    December 23 – Pearly Bakers Best, The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band and The Beatles tribute band will be bringing their usual great performance from their weekly residency in Syracuse to Rochester. Event link.

    December 28 – Personal Blend will be releasing their reggae/rock EP with special guests Upward Groove, and a solo performance by Joe Kaplan. Event link.

    December 30 – Check out The Pumpkin Patch All-Star Party featuring Barroom Philosophers, Syracuse’s own genre benders, as well as Mother Funkin Planets, Stone Jack Ballers, Aaron Rizzo, Nic Deluc. Event link.

    December 31 – Dirty Blanket and Root Shock will be starting off the year right with great music at Rochester’s Funk ‘n Waffles New Year’s Eve Celebration. Head to the link for tickets and more information! Event link.

  • Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Play Packed Paradise

    Friday, December 1st, the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA hosted a sold out Pigeons Playing Ping Pong show. “One of the fastest sellouts we’ve ever had,” exclaimed Greg Ormont, rhythm guitarist and front man of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The crowd was surging for both sets in the packed club, the band feeding off their energy. You could see it in their eyes as they belted out heavy jams.

    pigeons playing paradiseTheir cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” was met with a very positive scream from funk-hungry fans. Their set list was a “flocker’s” wet dream, keeping them in motion for the whole night. Even during the set break, it seemed like the dance floor was still in rhythm. After two incredible sets, the quartet ended with a long, dark and heavy “Live It Up” encore.

    Pigeons is closing their “Pizazz” tour this weekend in Philly at the TLA and Pittsburgh at Mr. Smalls Theater on December 8 and 9. They close the year on a high note with two shows in Cleveland at Beachland Ballroom December 29 and 30, and end with a bang at Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky on New Year’s Eve.

  • Breaking: Dead & Co. Scraps Tonight’s New Orleans Show; Mayer Hospitalized

    Dead & Company’s scheduled show tonight at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans has been postponed due to John Mayer being hospitalized.

    Mayer Hospitalized

    Mayer was hospitalized early Tuesday for an emergency appendectomy. No make up date was given for the show but tickets for tonight’s show will be honored at the rescheduled date. Refunds will be offered at point of purchase.

    Dead & Company are in the tail end of their fall tour with stops in Orlando and Sunrise, FL scheduled later this week. Those shows are still on schedule as of press time.

  • Hearing Aide: Sharon Coates ‘here now’

    Rochester-based songwriter and vocalist Sharon Coates recently released her second album just in time for winter, entitled here now. This eleven-track jukebox brings a variety of styles to our ears, with a persistent folk and americana intention, only complimented by her soft vocal timbre.

    Her intriguing lyrical stories take us through her personal timeline, apparent in her reminiscent song “The Town Where I Live,” and in her evolution of complex concepts through poetry in “Cathedral.” Joining her on the record are instrumentalists Dave Drago, Alex Northrup, Jacob Walsh and Dave Chisholm, and in sync, their sound is familiarized as Southern country, with use of an accordion, banjo, organ, and even a trumpet to round out the sound.

    With interesting rhythm changes and unique guitar strumming patterns, songs like “Mexico” and the major-minor combative “Just Don’t” stand out as the album’s commanders. The song’s opening track “A Bullet Ain’t Got A Name” has a slight Tom Petty hint to it, with a light, smooth groove to introduce Coate’s new chapter. Her initial release was back in 2016, and it wasn’t long before she was ready to release new material to her listeners, and this album was well delivered the second time around. There’s no reason for her to be here now, when she’s been here all along, releasing music back-to-back.

    Despite her library of music, Sharon Coates puts her music in few places. To listen to her full album, you can go to her Bandcamp site, or stream a few songs form her album below.

    Key Tracks: Mexico, Just Don’t

  • Hard Soul returns with new EP featuring new Single “See Me”

    It’s been almost three years since Troy’s emotive rockers Hard Soul have performed in the Capital District, but the wait is over. The group has announced the release of their new EP This Will Hurt, due out on Friday, December 8. The band has released an official video of the audio for “See Me,” the first single of the EP on Youtube and the track on Bandcamp.

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

    Lead singer Johnny Salka shared his thoughts on the new EP and return. “Hard Soul has always been about creating simple, singable songs that can connect with listeners of all musical backgrounds. The new EP is a renewed approach to that songwriting ethos which represents the last three years and next step in the musical evolution of Hard Soul. We’re absolutely stoked to share the new songs with our fans and the rest of the world.”

    The EP features five tracks, including three brand-new songs and two new arrangements of previously-released acoustic tracks “Fairer ShorTes” and “Have To Be A Miracle,” which originally appeared on the band’s 2015 EP Fairer Shores.

    Salka’s hometown of Troy gets some love in the new single. “The main riff of ‘See Me’ is forever linked to South Troy, a proud neighborhood in my home city where I wrote the song, with the chords and melody materializing early one morning. There was an immediate acknowledgement that there was something special about it. The song slowly evolved into a powerful display of riffs and vibrant vocal harmonies; however, the simple arrangement retains the song’s energy even while being performed on a simple acoustic guitar.”

    The group partnered with longtime collaborator & producer Steven “SolidGold” Goldman on their latest musical effort. Returning for the new EP is Nick Kossor (guitar), Steve Thompson (guitar, backing vocals), Mark Podbielski (drums), along with new addition Sean Murphy (bass guitar). The record also features Mike Perri (The Racer) who performed “I Am The Hurricane” and “This Will Hurt,” delivering a thundering performance on drums.

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