NYS Music 20​17

Category: Western NY

  • 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 Rifts ‘Off the Rails’

    There are many people out there who would argue that rock is losing its edge. Countless old folks continue to make the bold statement that “rock n roll is dead.” Anyone who believes this laughable claim has yet to listen to The Rifts’ debut EP, Off the Rails.

    the riftsAlthough they are based out of Buffalo, The Rifts originally came together in Fredonia, NY. The band consists of Cory Clancy (lead guitar), Brendan Hoare (vocals/rhythm guitar), Dylan MacDonell (drums), and Ryan Donohue (bass). Their self-proclaimed influences consist of classic acts Led Zeppelin and The Doors, as well as modern day alt rockers The Black Keys and The Strokes.

    The Rifts recorded the EP with Alex Maiola and Nathan Chordas-Ewell (Chordola Audio) in their home studio. It was released on SoundCloud June 11, 2017, and became available on streaming platforms June 16, 2017.

    The EP title Off the Rails says a lot more than the train crash shown on the album artwork. With this release, The Rifts break away from the monotonous track that too many popular bands seem to follow nowadays. The EP is firmly built around Cory’s electrifying guitar riffs, and each track is a portal that sends listeners back to “the good old days of rock n roll.”

    If you’re still unconvinced after reading this review, take a listen for yourself. Off the Rails is available on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, and SoundCloud.

    Key Tracks: Twelve, Head on a Swivel, Burn Out

  • Photo Recap: Night Lights Music Festival 2017

    Once a year in late August, The Heron becomes a temporary home for hundreds of friendly faces at Night Lights Music Festival. Also known for being the grounds of The Great Blue Heron Music Festival, The Heron holds a secluded location tucked into the woods of Sherman, NY.

    Night Lights Music Festival 2017The drive to Night Lights consists of winding hills, endless woods, and a considerable amount of horse-drawn carriages.

    Upon arrival, you can expect to be greeted by the gatekeeper with a genuine “Welcome home!” If you’re lucky, you might also have a friendly encounter with the Parking Wizard.

    The Heron takes an entirely different form when the sun goes down. The trees are lit up all throughout the woods, creating a breathtaking atmosphere.  And last but not least, the musicians that brought the NLMF family together.

  • Green Day Revs up Darien Lake Amphitheater with Rev-Rad Tour

    Opening the evening at Darien Lake Amphitheater for the Grammy award winning Green Day, was the British punk rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen.  New to some, however highly popular with the younger crowd in attendance, these four young musicians filled the amphitheater with smoke and energy setting the scene for the crowd, who already was primed, to see their favorites, Green Day.

    Oakland based punk and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Green Day, graced western New York’s Darien Lake Amphitheater, Saturday, August 20 with the summer stretch of the Rev-Rad Tour.

    Band members Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bassist), and Tre’ Cool (drummer) were joined by Jason White (guitar) and Jason Freese (keyboards, accordion, and saxophone).  While Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” played, the audience sang along in unison; you could feel the excitement and energy through the venue.

    Green Day immediately had fans screaming and to their feet as they took the stage with “Know Your Enemy” and “Bang Bang” leading straight into “Holiday” and his decree about Nazis, racism, and sexism and his dislike of Donald Trump.  He was then quoted as saying “This night isn’t going to be about politics, just fun,” and it was clear to all present that he got the message across that maybe the best medicine against hatred is joy and unity.

    Armstrong is indeed quite the showman, to him there was no barrier between the rock legends and the simple fan.  He invited one teenage girl on stage to sing “Know Your Enemy” sending her back to her spot with a swan dive into the crowd.  He soon thereafter invited an 11 year old boy on stage to sing the lyrics to “Longview,” and immediately followed that performance with a 15-year-old girl as she played guitar on Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge,” giving her the instrument to keep as she exited.

    Green Day did not disappoint fans reaching far back into their catalog with Kerplunk, playing “2000 Light Years Away,” right up to ending the two and half hour setlist with songs from their newest album Revolution Radio,  playing “Still Breathing” and “Forever Now.” The group then returned on stage for an encore of “American Idiot,” and “Jesus of Suburbia” off their concept album and highly acclaimed “Punk Rock Opera” American Idiot.

    Ending this incredible evening Armstrong played an acoustic version of “21 Guns” then right into “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” and yes Billie Joe this audience indeed had the time of their lives.

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  • Hearing Aide: Previous Love ‘Previous Love’

    What do you do when college isn’t everything you thought it would be? For four friends, the answer was to put the band back together. Gary Sheedy, Steven Browne, Charles Campanella, and John Perdue had been playing together since middle school, but called it quits when they accepted offers to different universities. A couple years later, they were back at it, writing songs long-distance by phone and internet throughout the 2016-17 school year, this time under the name Previous Love.

    Produced by Jay Zubricky (Every Time I Die, Cute Is What We Aim For) at GCR Studios in their hometown of Buffalo, the self-titled EP Previous Love captures coming-of-age disillusionment by combining lyrics reflecting internal monologue, swimmy shoegaze contemplativeness, and crashing rock. The sonic effect brings listeners along for a ride through the emotional roller coaster of growing up: the heartbreaks, the feeling of being adrift, and the yearning for purpose and meaning.

    The opening track “Dead Ends” is particularly heavy-hearted. Gossamer reverb-laden guitar strumming creates an ambient background as vocalist Sheedy questions his faith in religion, mankind, and himself.  “The older I get, the more I know that I don’t know anything at all. It’s all dead ends,” he laments. The tension builds, climaxing in an angst-ridden frenzy.

    This emotionally-charged first track then gives way to some lighter melodies. While “Pinwheel” is about the frustration of feeling stuck in place, the tune is a bop. The contrast between the instrumentation and the lyrics creates balance, while the driving drum beat gives the sense of moving forward and pushing through the hard times. “Caffeine” is another notable track. With a strong hook and a jangly sound, the song is the musical equivalent of a shot of espresso.

    Listeners will find it easy to pick out old-school new wave and grunge influences, the dreamy sounds of The Cure and The Jesus and Mary Chain and the raw, raucous energy of Nirvana. Compared to Buffalo-area contemporaries, Previous Love lies on the spectrum between ambient pop artists Humble Braggers and alt rockers Head North.

    While the collection of songs on Previous Love are a reflection on growing pains, there’s also a vein of hopefulness, and an anticipation that great things lie ahead.

    Previous Love is available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp.

    Key Tracks: Dead Ends, Pinwheel, Caffeine

  • Druse Heading Out on East Coast Tour, Including Hometown Show in Rochester

    Rochester’s Druse is taking to the road. They’ll be co-headlining a fall tour with Charleston’s Innerout. The East Coast tour includes shows in Rochester at The Bug Jar on September 28 and The Well in Brooklyn on September 30. This North & South pairing of bands highlights each of their unique talents on the cutting edge of post-hardcore indie rock.

    Delightfully eclectic, to confine Druse to the label of post-hardcore screamo would be a disservice. They defy convention, incorporating elements of melodic metalcore, dreamy shoegaze, and lo-fi grunge to create a sound that has crowds swaying in a trance one moment and moshing the next. Last year’s EP The Way We Ache is their most intricately composed work to date. Emotionally charged lyrics explore the role of pain as part of what it means to be human, and how it ultimately brings us closer to each other.

    Innerout from South Carolina self-identifies as pedalcore, a label that describes the blending of pedal-gazing with post-hardcore. Their sound is tinged with bits of southern flair. Case in point: the country-inspired intro on “Fair Play,” the lead track on their latest release, Say, followed by the echoes of southern rock in the fluidity of some of the guitar riffs throughout the rest of the EP.

    Both bands challenge post-hardcore stereotypes – not content with what it is, but re-imagining what it can be.

    Tour dates:

    Sept. 19 – Baltimore, MD – The Raven Inn (Druse only)
    Sept. 19 – Wilmington, NC – Randal 9000 (Innerout only)
    Sept. 20 – Richmond, VA – TBA
    Sept. 21 – Charleston, SC – TBA
    Sept. 22 – Orlando, FL – Uncle Lou’s
    Sept. 23 – Gainsville, FL – Hardback Cafe
    Sept. 24 – Atlanta, GA – TBA
    Sept. 25 – Louisville, KY – Spinelli’s Downtown
    Sept. 26 – Columbus, OH – Middle Earth
    Sept. 27 – Cleveland, OH – Mahalls Locker Room
    Sept. 28 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar
    Sept. 29 – Boston, MA – TBA
    September 30 – Brooklyn, NY – The Well
    Oct. 1 – Philadelphia, PA – TBA

  • In Their Own Words: Freekbass

    On a sunny Friday evening on August 18, funk icon’s Freekbass and The Bump Assembly rocked the main stage at Nights Of Fire Music Festival in Franklinville, NY. Before the big performance, NYS Music was honored to sit down with Chris “Freekbass” Sherman in Freekbass and The Bump Assembly’s tour van. As we began,  Freekbass wittily commented, “It’s appropriate that we’re doing this in the van, because this is where we live.”

    Born, raised, and currently based out of Cincinnati, OH, Freekbass has released six full length albums and has collaborated with modern legends including Bootsy Collins, DJ Spooky, Mike Gordon, Buckethead, Bernie Worrell, and many others. His touring band, Freekbass & The Bump Assembly includes Razor Sharp Johnson (Bootsy’s Rubberband/P-Funk) on keys and synths and Rico Lewis (George Clinton & P-Funk) on drums.

    Whether he’s rocking the cover of Bass Guitar Magazine, playing upward of 150 shows each year, or working on his new album with Ropeadope records, Freekbass is one of the hardest working musicians in the funk business. NYS Music is humbled to present you this edition of “In Their Own Words.” Here we have a collection of bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from Freekbass:

    On Life On The Road:

    Living in the van, we play about 150 dates a year. I enjoy the road life. I always say you sorta have to have that trucker gene in you to really enjoy it. In James Brown’s autobiography, he explains how they started in a station wagon, then they moved to a van, then to a bus, then a plane, and then a private jet. It doesn’t matter if you’re in that private jet or that station wagon, the road is still the road.  You have to enjoy yourself.

    I like meeting new people all the time. It’s always exciting because you gain energy from new people, and the energy is always different in different places. The audience becomes as much a part of the music and the band as we are. I used to thank the audience at the end of the show. I’d say, “thanks for letting us play for you,” nowadays, i’m always saying, “thank you for letting us play with you.” It feels like our audience has become as much a part of the music as we are. We can play a song for 20 minutes long or the same song for 5 minutes. It all has to do with what the vibe is that night. A lot of our performance has to do with what’s happening with the audience.

    In the last few years, music streaming, illegal downloading, and torrenting has taken over the industry. Five to ten years ago, you recorded a record and then you played live to promote the record. Nowadays, it feels like it’s almost the opposite. A band records a record to help bolster their live show. For instance, when they first began, Pretty Lights gave all of their music away for free. Some people said, “oh wow this is a pretty odd business model,” but, the idea was to get inside everyone’s ears. All of a sudden, they created this huge live buzz, it was all about going to see them live. We have a brand new business model. I think it’s great. Nowadays, you have to be a really good live act. The one thing you can’t replace is a good live show.

    On Cincinnati Ohio’s Funk Music Scene:

    The Cincinnati music family is pretty tight knit. In the music industry, there already is just six degrees of separation between everybody, but, the funk community is even smaller. That’s one thing that’s great about being in Cincinnati. The history goes back to the days of James Brown and King Records; that’s how many great funk players such as Bootsy Collins got their start. There’s always been a strong community of funk musicians in the midwest. When there is a plethora of musicians playing the same kind of music, it’s easier to connect then it might be in other parts of the country.

    On Pre-Performance Rituals:

    We always get together and meditate and pray before a show. It’s something we do no matter what. This is nice because sometimes-at festivals especially-performing can be freaking chaotic due to changeovers and all sorts of things. I feel like prayer grounds us. Right before we go on, no matter how chaotic the day is, even if we have to run behind the back of the van and do it, we always pray.

    Fun Facts:

    I’m looking forward to the new Justice League movie…I also listen to a lot of superhero podcasts. My favorite one is called Holy Batcast. There is also Batmannews.com, Suicide Squadcast, Batman On Film, ect. I’m a big podcast fan. I also listen to WTF with Marc Maron quite a bit. I enjoy putting my headphones in and listening on long road trips.

    Listen To The Entire Freekbass Live at Nights Of Fire Performance:

  • In Their Own Words: Byron Cage of The Joe Louis Walker Band

    On the evening of August 16, 2017, Blues Hall of Famer Joe Louis Walker graced the Photo City Improv stage in Rochester, NY. Joe Louis Walker has been playing the blues since the 1960’s and is still rocking both classic and contemporary styles. Earlier this year, Joe Louis Walker’s new album, “Everybody Wants A Piece” received a nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 59th annual Grammy’s. Before their show at Photo City Improv, NYS Music had the humbling opportunity to sit down with Joe Louis Walker’s drummer, a Syracuse NY native, Byron Cage. Here are some bite size nuggets of knowledge, quoted directly from Cage:

    On Working With Joe Louis Walker:

    I’ve been playing with Joe Louis Walker almost four years. It’s been a wonderful four years. I am learning and growing as a musician, and as a young man. Joe is my mentor. He’s a complete mentor. He’s a great guy onstage and off stage.

    Joe has taught me to be proud of who you are and be proud of what you do. To be able to share the blues with the world is privilege. It’s a cultural experience, and you want to represent yourself well.

    We try to keep our music authentic and stay true to the roots of the blues. There is nothing wrong with new age experimenting or adding new things… A lot of spontaneous things happen every night. But, when traditional blues is called for, that’s what we play. When it’s time for electric or rockin’ blues, we can do that too. It’s fun to exercise all these different music muscles in one night. We work together as a team; we are a real band. Our chemistry off stage shows on stage. We all genuinely care for each other as people and musicians.  This is represented in our live performance, and everything else we do.

    On Live Music:

    When you play music, the sky is the limit. You don’t level out unless you want to. You can keep growing and growing as long as you push for it. There’s always something new to learn. There is always something new to experience and explore musically. That’s what we want to do. Keep it fresh.

    Music is a universal language. No matter where we go, from Australia, to Asia, to Europe, to Brazil, we connect through the feeling of the music. We vibe together. I believe that is what life’s about.

    At the end of the day, the goal is to share something positive. There is so much crazy stuff happening in our world. People are dying senselessly. We are experiencing a whole new wave of hate. What better way to fight against that hate than to pull everybody together to enjoy some music- to smile and laugh with one another. Then, we shake hands at the end of the night, and create good memories. It’s a beautiful thing. I’m happy to be a part of it.

  • In Their Own Words: Lamar LeBlanc of The Soul Rebels

    Born and raised into the culture of New Orleans, Louisiana, The Soul Rebels have been a brass ensemble since 1991. Fast forward to 2017, the band has toured Africa, China, Japan, Australia, Europe, and beyond. They have regularly collaborated live with Talib Kweli, Nas, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Marilyn Manson, Metallica, and many others. In His Own Words: Lamar LeBlanc, co-founder and snare drummer of The Soul Rebels, spoke with NYS Music before their show at Photo City Improv in Rochester on August 12.

    For audio of the entire conversation, please listen to the Rochester Groovecast episode at the bottom of this page.

    On The Soul Rebels:

    When we first started Soul Rebels, our message was so strong. The band was based on the premise of freedom. Freedom for individuals to distinctively show their own personal individuality. That’s what the name personifies, freedom of the soul.

    We rebel for, not against, but for freedom of expression, love, peace, and strength.

    You have to have camaraderie because you are together so long, so many hours, and so many days. If you don’t have some type of connectedness interpersonally, it’s not gonna work. If it’s not connecting vibe wise, it’s definitely going to show in the musical representation of the group.

    Cyril Neville and Milton Batiste always stressed, be real and be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else. Don’t try to imitate someone else, because you can’t be better than that person at doing what they do, you can only be the best at what you do.

    Soul Rebels has always tried to be different. And not just be different to be different, but be ourselves…It was a struggle because New Orleans had already had a foundation of how they felt a brass band should be.

    We always wanted to play the hip hop and funk. We always wanted to have the swag that we have…Kind of a Public Enemy fight the power type vibe…Bob Marley warrior type spirit…still infused with love and freedom.

    On Aspirations To Start A Podcast:

    We’re blessed to have survived the ills of the community of the ghetto. We often just talk about all of the issues, from politics, to financial situations, to marriage, to interpersonal connectedness with people.

    We’re trying to see how we can connect more with the young people. This will go a long way to keep the future preserved. We think we can do that with a podcast.

    Women, relationships, that’s definitely a topic we want to touch on. We see the woman as being very powerful and very influential on all of these issues. So, we can’t do it without a powerful woman. It wont work. I don’t care how strong a man thinks he is, if you don’t have a strong woman there, it’s not gonna work.

    You have to get a woman’s perspective. You have to hear it from them. Feel it from them. They have to speak for themselves.

    On The Aftermath Of Hurricane Katrina:

    Katrina affected the city. It affected the culture. The people are so strong and resilient, but, they did lose a lot. It’s functioning and back but it’s no way near completely what it was prior to Katrina.

    A lot of new buildings, new infrastructure, but before, it was the raw New Orleans that had been around for so long. The demographics are different now, down to the type of resident and everything, but, it still has it’s authentic culture.

    You can’t fight God. The people are so strong and they love the city.

    On Touring:

    It’s amazing how music can transcend so many different lines of communication. It can cut through all the B.S and go straight to a person’s soul. No matter where they are. No matter where you’re from. That’s the gift of music that I’ve seen. We can’t speak the language…but, when you play the music, oh man, I don’t care where we are, the people come and galvanize around.

    Management have made it so everywhere we go we get treated well. I’ve never had that bad experience. That’s not to say maybe a plane wont lose your luggage or something, but, I got it back, so it was still positive.

    On Personal Development:

    I was always a sponge…I always look at myself as a student…one who is constantly learning.

    I read constantly. That’s a gift I got from my mom. I just love reading. Even in this day and age, I still love the physical texture of a book.

    On Fashion:

    My passion beside music…God…family…I really love fashion. My store, my more or less boutique…I probably would call it LeBlanc, I think it’s a cool last name that my family gave me.

  • Head North Discusses Band’s New Sound and the Making of Their Breakaway Album

    Head North’s debut full-length album The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World represents a new direction for the band. The Buffalo-based quartet has shed their teenage pop punk angst and emerged from last year’s break with an impressive coming-of-age indie rock venture.

    Head North
    Head North. Photo: Eli Ritter

    On The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World, singer Brent Martone’s weathered vocals convey a wisdom beyond his youth as he delivers storylines of characters searching for meaning in a dystopian world in which love and God are forbidden. The instrumentation augments the myriad of moods, from the melancholy march in “Sort of Medicine” to the frantic breakdown in “Pulse.” Experimental elements from spoken word segments to a snippet of bird songs contribute to the authenticity in the story. The result is a work that is honest, ambitious, and creative. It’s as intriguing on the first listen as it is on the hundredth. Maybe even more so.

    NYS Music sat down with drummer Ben Lieber over a cup of coffee at an unpretentious shop away from the touristy area of Buffalo. We talked about the evolution of the band, the creation of the album, and playing live shows.

    Paula Cummings: Head North started as a pop punk band?

    Ben Lieber: We had a great year in 2015. We were very busy. We did the country three times that year, and put out two releases. Everything was going great. We were like ‘We got this record deal, we’re going to be on tour with these bands, we’re 18/19 years old, pissed off at the world, let’s make an angry emo record, and it will sell.’ And that’s what it did.

    PC: What factors led to changing the direction the band was heading?

    BL: The way we operated our band, and the trajectory that we were on in 2015, helped us decide what type of band we wanted to be and how we wanted our sound to reflect that. And I think what it came down to was being genuine. The sonic direction was a result of personal growth as well as realizing what we didn’t want to do.

    PC: At what point did you know this was going to be a concept album?

    BL: Brent had the basic idea of the story for a long time. He spent a lot of time with himself to figure this out. I also think there’s a lot of the narratives in the record that are true to our lives, which had to happen for there to be a resolve in the story. Our lives needed to happen. It’s comforting because we went through all that shit and it took so long, but clearly it needed to happen in order to make this record.

    PC: What was it like to record the album?

    BL: We funded the recording ourselves. When we were recording, I feel we were all in this mindset that it had been so long since the band was hyped, we were so far out, that we didn’t care. The record was solely ours at this point, so we could do whatever we wanted. It was very freeing. Previous to this recording, we had always done it in the format of instrument to instrument. That’s cool and allows for speedy work, but it doesn’t allow you to get into the vibe of the song. But with this recording, we had the whole studio for two weeks, and we did it song-by-song. Having that ability made a huge difference.

    PC: Head North has played everywhere from basement house shows to large venues. Where do you prefer to perform?

    BL: Playing a massive venue, the wall of sound is the coolest feeling for sure, but I still like the intimacy of a small show. The new music is set up for a full stage. We run sample pads and multiple harmonies, and try to create a massive sound. Sometimes we struggle to translate that to a house or DIY show. But the best way to accomplish that is to play it like a punk show like we used to. At the end of the day, it’s about getting energy out, feeling it. It’s a live experience. And I like playing first. I like opening a show. Being the first band is sink or swim. If you’re sick, you’re going to win them over, but if you’re not, people aren’t going to care. I like that challenge.

    The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World is available through iTunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp. Physical copies on CD and vinyl, as well as other merchandise, are available on the Head North webstore.