Brian Wilson has extended his Pet Sounds: The Final Performances tour. The new dates include stops in Rochester, New York City and Syracuse.Brian Wilson has been on an extensive tour performing the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds in its entirety. The tour, billed as “Pet Sounds: The Final Performances,” was recently extended to add a number of dates in Europe and North America. The tour makes three stops in New York. Rochester’s Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre gets a visit on Sept. 19. They make a stop on Sept. 23 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The final New York date is Oct. 1 in Syracuse at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theatre.
The tour extension also includes several stop in the nearby Northeast. Wilson plays Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut on Sept. 21. They stop by Boston’s Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 22. Following their stop in New York City, they head to Lancaster, Pennsylvania on Sept. 25 to play the American Music Theatre. The next day, Sept. 26, they hit up the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. They head back to Massachusetts on Sept. 29 to play New Bedford’s Zeiterion Theatre before returning to New Jersey on Sept. 30 for a show at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City.
Pet Sounds: The Final Performances North American Tour Extension
Sept. 15 – Molson Canadian Centre, Moncton, NB
Sept. 16 – Scotiabank Centre, Halifax, NS
Sept. 18 – Centre in the Square, Kitchener, ON Sept. 19 – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY
Sept. 21 – Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, CT
Sept. 22 – Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA Sept. 23 – Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY
Sept. 25 – American Music Theatre, Lancaster, PA
Sept. 26 – Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
Sept. 29 – Zeiterion Theatre, New Bedford, MA
Sept. 30 – Golden Nugget, Atlantic City, NJ Oct. 1 – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theatre, Syracuse, NY
Oct. 3 – Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend, IN
Oct. 4 – Stranahan Theatre, Toledo, OH
Oct. 6 – Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont, IL
Oct. 7 – Belterra Casino, Florence, IN
Oct. 8 – Civic Center Theatre, Peoria, IL
Oct. 12 – The Big Fresno Fair, Fresno, CA
Oct. 13 – The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
Oct. 14 – Pacific Amphitheatre, Costa Mesa, CA
Last week Rochester honored six people who contributed to the local music legacy. In a ceremony held at the iconic Eastman Theatre, The Rochester Music Hall of Fame 2017 inducted blues man Joe Beard, classical composer Samuel Adler, pop star Gary Lewis, jazz trumpeter Lewis Soloff, radio DJ Roger McCall, and Penny Arcade owner Greg Sullivan. Highlights of the evening included spectacular performances by honorees and distinguished guests David Clayton-Thomas and Paul Shaffer.
The first inductee was the legendary Joe Beard, born in the 1930’s to sharecroppers in Mississippi, he grew up immersed in the musical heritage of the delta blues. He migrated north and settled in Rochester, where he married and raised four children. In his lifetime, he has played with the likes of Muddy Waters, BB King, and Son House. On this occasion, he performed with his sons, Chris and Duane. They played a trio of songs from his extensive catalog of music, including “Don’t Know Why.” Joe stood center stage, his cherry red guitar a stark contrast to his dark suit, while his sons stood behind. At one point, they took turns soloing on their guitars, playing with as much comfort and ease as a friendly conversation.
Next up for an award was Samuel Adler, a distinguished composer and teacher, with more than 400 published works to his name. Adler taught at the Eastman School of Music for three decades before relocating to New York City to teach at Julliard. His “Piano Quintet for Piano and String Quartet” was performed by Upton String Quartet with Yi-Yang Chen on Piano. The piece starts slow and lamenting, bursts into discordant notes, then finds triumphant harmony. It is a shining example of Adler’s adept skill as a composer, and why he is highly sought after for commissions.
Gary Lewis took the stage, sidestepping his way to the mic. His natural ability at showmanship comes from growing up in the entertainment industry, taking the stage at an early age with his father, Jerry Lewis. Gary made a name for himself in the 60’s with his band, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, with rapid-fire hits that bumped bands like The Beatles down on the charts. Gary Lewis met his wife at the Eastman Theatre twenty years ago, and has lived here since. They still tour actively around the world. Tonight, they performed rousing renditions of their greatest hits, including “This Diamond Ring,” which had audience members dancing in their seats.
The intermission was also a to-do, with performers and local music legends like Lou Gramm meeting with attendees in the hallways to chat, sign autographs, and share a “Kodak moment” with their fans. The second half of the night was more somber, with posthumous awards given to members of the local music community who we have lost.
Lew Soloff, most notably known for his work with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears, spent part of his career teaching at the Eastman School of Music. His daughters accepted the award on his behalf. Paul Shaffer and David Clayton-Thomas also made the trip to Rochester to help honor their longtime friend. Paul carried out Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” on piano, then took to the organ to accompany as David Clayton-Thomas played a trio of Blood, Sweat & Tears songs, starting with “Spinning Wheel.” He also sang “God Bless the Child,” a song originally done by Billie Holiday, which he said Lew had encouraged him to tackle. He ended with “You Make Me So Very Happy.”
Roger McCall, the beloved radio DJ known by the alias “Unkle Rog,” worked for over 30 years at WCMF, making him the longest-running DJ at a single station. He worked the graveyard shift, and featured local artists, helping to cultivate the local music scene. Unkle Rog was taken from us in 2003 in a tragic act of violence. His wife and his son accepted the award. A tribute song “All Night DJ” was composed by John Akers. The jazzy number was performed by Akers on vocals and piano, Paul Akers on Bass, Erik Welsh on drums, Andy Calabrese on Keyboards, and James Richmond on Saxophone.
The final inductee was Greg Sullivan, owner of local venue The Penny Arcade. The nightclub featured live music, bringing in major rock stars like Iggy Pop, Greg Allman, and Huey Lewis & The News. Sullivan also mentored local musicians, providing a place for them to hone their craft and grow a following. The club has been closed for seven years now, and Sullivan passed away in 2014. Sullivan’s wife accepted the award. A tribute song “We’re Rockin’ at the Penny Arcade,” was composed by James Richmond, Mike Gladstone, and Rob Smith. The rocking number was played by Smith and Phil Naro on vocals, David Cohen on drums, Ron France on Bass, Gladstone and Donnie Mancuso on guitars, Will O’Riley on keyboard, and Richmond on saxophone.
The finale of the night was a tribute song “You Shine,” written by Jeff Cosco in memory of Greg Sullivan and Unkle Rog, and played in homage to the legends by Cosco on vocals, Mancuso, Gladstone, and Joe Chiappone on guitars, Bobby Bond on drums, France on bass, and Andy Calabrese on keyboards.
All of the performances of the night were supported by the Hall of Fame’s house band, Prime Time Funk. The Rochester Music Hall of Fame is a non-profit agency, and this program was made possible by a host of local patrons and advertisers. For more information about the Rochester Music Hall of Fame and past inductees, visit www.rochestermusic.org.
Ever wonder where your city measures up when it comes to the music scene? Value Penguin, a company which compiles information for consumers, compared 200 US cities using more than a dozen variables from reputable sources to create a list of best places for music lovers. Six cities in New York State are in the top 30%: Albany, Rochester, Binghamton, New York, Buffalo, and Syracuse.
The top 10 cities in the nation are: Nashville, Honolulu, Seattle, Madison WI, Austin TX, Albany, Tuscon, Rochester, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco. Binghamton came in at No. 20, New York City at No. 26, Buffalo/Niagara Falls at No. 43, and Syracuse at No. 56.
Cities were rated in three categories: Bands, Crowds, and Intangibles. For bands, factors included the number of musicians and bands per capita, the number of recording studios and labels, and the average hourly wage. The crowd category included information about venues, music-related stores, and number of radio stations. The intangible category was a catch-all for miscellaneous info on weather, public transportation, music schools, and closing time for bars, all of which may impact the quality of the music-going experience. Data was pulled from government sources such as the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Department of Commerce. Additional information came from sites such as Music School Central, USA Today, Songwriter Universe, and Fodors. The information spanned the years 2014-2016.
The Albany area took a high position, thanks in part to venues like Palace Theater, Cohoes Music Hall, The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Madison Theater, Troy Music Hall, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Proctors Theater, The Massry Center for the Arts, Times Union Center, EMPAC and many more.
Rochester was not far behind, known by music lovers for the Eastman School of Music, Eastman Theater, Blue Cross Arena, The Bug Jar, The International Jazz Festival, The Record Archive and The House of Guitars, to name a few.
You can see the complete list and view the data sources at Value Penguin.
With an even mix of covers, instrumentals, and tracks off his new album, Got Soul, in just a little over an hour, Robert Randolph made Anthology his house of gospel worship. When you’re on stage with Randolph you’re a part of his family, whether you share blood relation or not. Other than his actual cousin Marcus sitting behind the drums, the names and faces have changed over the years. But their mission has stayed the same. Robert Randolph and the Family Band conduct a non-denominational service espousing love, hope and energy via a program of invigorating and uplifting funk and soul filtered through the unique style of pedal steel guitar originating in the Sacred Steel church. On a cool and damp April 20, the traveling ministry arrived in Rochester.
The service began, as they often do, with the organist filling the air with thick swirls, preparing the crowd for prayer. Things took an unexpectedly dark turn with a quick cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” But in that quick two-minute flourish the darkness would stay for the remainder of the night. It quickly moved into another cover, this one of ZZ Tops “I Thank You,” which is featured on Got Soul.
From there Randolph kicked into the first of three stunning instrumentals he would intersperse throughout the evening. Each had it’s own character, but followed the tried and true Sacred Steel format, begging the question: Can you be summoned to scream Hallelujah and Amen without a prayer being uttered? Randolph proved the answer to be a resounding ‘Yes,’ as he stretched and twisted notes, sculpting the structure of sound, building it slowly to ecstatic peaks. Randolph may have adopted a slick and polished exterior in his studio output, but from the inside looking out, he’s still the same old impassioned and energetic force of musical enlightenment.
And the new songs came off well from the stage as well, with the band rolling through uplifting takes on “Find a Way,” “Love What You Do,” “Shake It,” and “I Want It.” On “Love Do What It Do” Robert egged on his sister Lenesha to freestyle about their childhood trips up to Rochester to see the Campbell Brothers at their church on Goodman Street.
The encore began with Randolph on stage alone, eliciting some gorgeous Hawaiian pedal steel sounds on the instrumental “Heaven’s Calling” before the rest of the band filed on for one big final thank you and their version of the Sly and the Family Stone classic “Thank You Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin.” The band filed off again mid-jam, leaving just the original Family Band members, Marcus and Robert, to close out the evening with a breakdown jam that drifted off into midnight.
Rochester’s own soul superhero, Danielle Ponder, got the evening off to a hot start. Public defender by day, soul-belting goddess by night, her and her band the Tomorrow People mesmerized the early crowd with powerful heartfelt grooves, highlighted by a sexy and sultry cover of “Crazy.” Luke Wade and his young trio, playing together for the first time, played a set chock full of original love songs, with “Morning View” and “On Fire” being the stand outs.
Setlist: War Pigs > I Thank You, Instrumental, Find a Way, Instrumental, Shake It, Superstition, Instrumental, Love Do What it Do, I Want It E: Heaven’s Calling > Thank You Falettin’ Me Be Mice Elf Agin
Talking Under Water takes us on a journey that some of us know too well: the winding path to recovering a broken heart. At times achingly candid, the overall tone of the album is triumphant, featuring big choruses and soulful vocals that stir the intricate songwriting. Talking Under Water is a five-piece outfit hailing from Rochester. Their namesake debut LP is a great premise for what we can expect from this promising group.
After Dave Chisholm received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Eastman School of Music for jazz trumpet in 2013, he found himself returning to his roots of singer-songwriter. The project began to take on life when he decided to put together a band. He elicited help from fellow former Eastman students Elise Hughey (cello), Alex Patrick (guitar) and Joe Parker (drums).
“I really think cello lends itself well to the type of songs I tend to write–these reflective, melancholy, lyrical things–so I asked Elise to play,” Chisholm told NYS Music. “She has both her Bachelors and Master’s Degrees from Eastman, as well. In any project she’s a part of, Elise really puts everything she has into it.”
While Parker and Patrick’s contributions live on with this LP, Talking Under Water now features Colin Gordon (piano), Matt Bevan-Perkins (drums) and Samantha Thomas (vocals). According to Chisholm, there are plans in stow to record this summer with the current line-up.
The group recorded in December of 2015 at Temperamental Studios in Geneseo, NY. A large portion of the LP was recorded live; and Grammy Award winner Stephen Roessner produced and mixed the record. Violinists Marja Alanen and Molly Werts McDonald, and violinist Ben Magruder joined them in the recording studio, along with jazz trombonist Brendan Lanighan and Matthew Sieber-Ford on tenor saxophone.
One of the driving forces of this record is to give people a guiding path in times of trouble. “I just think about the hard times I’ve had, the struggles I’ve faced with regards to my own mental health–it seems like sad songs really serve such a strong purpose for those times in our lives,” Chisholm wrote. “So often the overwhelming feeling during dark times is one of isolation, and sad songs tell me that I’m not alone. The message is ultimately one of empathy. I hope listeners find this music cathartic when times are hard, and point the way for a more hopeful tomorrow, even on just a personal level.”
The album begins with an alluring piano tune, and Chisholm’s voice quickly follows in the first track, “Lost,” which has the first big chorus that could be seen as the band’s signature sound. The interplay of instruments and artistic melody exhibits the diligence the band poured forth while producing the record. The second track, “We Used to Dream,” blends the horn section seamlessly into their sound. “Days Like Today” shows Beatles inspiration, while the piano certainly adds a wonderful element to the building melody. Finally, the track “Gravity” is an acoustic melody, eventually backed by Hughey with stirring cello, where Chisholm once again displays his wide vocal range.
The album will be released on Friday, April 28, 2017. To pre-order your copy today, visit here. Talking Under Water will hold an album release show on April 29 at The Little Theater in Rochester. For more information, go here.
Key Tracks: Lost, Days Like Today, If My Body Freezes
In a time when locally owned stores are struggling to stay afloat, The Record Archive in Rochester is finding new ways to thrive. On Friday, April 8, they unveiled their latest endeavor, The Backroom Lounge, with an official Grand Opening Party. A venue like no other, this all-ages community space is annexed to the region’s largest record store. It’s a place to kick back, enjoy live music and have a drink – The Record Archive has the distinction of being the first and only record store in New York with a license to serve alcohol. NYS Music was invited to be part of this prestigious event.
Pulling up to the building at 33 1/3 Rookwood Street in Rochester, there’s an immediate sense that this is not your run of the mill music store. From the sunshine yellow exterior to the enormous record framing the front door, everything about The Record Archive feels extraordinary.
The interior opens up to a 10,000 square foot retail space, chock full of music, stereo equipment, gifts and memorabilia. For music lovers, it is the equivalent of being a kid in a candy shop. It is a veritable feast for the eyes and ears. It’s hard to imagine that the entire operation began in 1975 with a crate of records on the floor of a flea market stand.
The entrance to the lounge is beyond the extensive collection of CDs, through tall arched doorways framed in black curtains. For the Grand Opening event, guests were greeted with glasses of blue champagne. We also had the choice of a wide variety of drinks. The shelves held regional wines, craft beers, music-themed beverages and some new discoveries. Beer was available on tap. The cooler is stocked with non-alcoholic beverages, including the local brand FIZ Pop.
Near the entrance of the lounge, Record Archive founder Richard Storm greeted guests. I asked him what he thought about all of this, and he said, “I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d have a venue with a bar.”
The space is furnished eclectically – a mishmash of eras and styles, like remnants of random time travel. Jukeboxes are scattered around the room. Lava lamps bubble up on a far table near bookshelves overflowing with biographies of musicians. One wall is lined with boxes containing a myriad of 45’s spanning decades and genres. Seating options included a diner booth, a cozy couch, pub tables or a 1960’s ball loveseat. The room is lit by the warm glow of chandeliers in varying styles. The look of the space was put together by Reo Alderman. His design aesthetic brings the seemingly disparate pieces together in an artful showcase. And speaking of showcases, many of the pieces in the lounge are available to purchase.
At the antique piano near the bar sat a musician who could have also been plucked out of a bygone era. Honky Tonk Henry was playing jaunty old-timey tunes. These are the songs I used to listen to with my grandparents back in the day. It was comforting to know that someone is keeping the music tradition alive.
In the corner, under the watchful gaze of a full-sized T-Rex skeleton, is a stage large enough for bands to perform comfortably. I sought out the Record Archive’s Events Coordinator Deb Jones to get the scoop on the sound system.
“We’re very proud to have Fulcrom Acoustic speakers,” Deb said, “It’s a locally-based company. They’re world class speakers -they’re being installed in Madison Square Garden. We’re the only place in Rochester to have them. And the amps are Ashly Audio.” Ashly Audio is also a local company, which produces state-of-the-art sound equipment.
Deb introduced me to Alayna Alderman, business partner and Vice President of The Record Archive. She was the driving force for creating The Backroom Lounge.
“I told Rich I wanted the place to be an extension of what we’ve been – a touchstone for the community,” she told me. “This is not a club. We’re a record store that sells beer and wine, not a bar that sells music. You can come, have a slice of pizza and a drink, enjoy live music and be home by 9. The music will always be our business. This is the next layer.”
Obtaining a liquor license was not a decision that they took lightly, she told me. It was a lengthy process, and required lots of forethought (not to mention the amount of paperwork!). In the end, they decided to license the entire space, including the retail area, so that people can enjoy refreshments while they browse through the store.
The guest list was a who’s who of friends and supporters of The Record Archive over the years. Frank DeBlase, writer/photographer and front man for The Busted Valentines, described the scene as “a new living room that comes furnished with guests.” Among them was Andy Babiuk, a founding member of The Chesterfield Kings and owner of Andy Babiuk’s Fab Gear music shop. Greg DeLuca from the local visitor’s bureau was also there. Members of the local press in the crowd included Emmy-award-winning journalist Seth Vorhees from Spectrum News, Susan Rogers, Executive VP of WXXI, and Mark Shuttleworth from Legends 102.7.
True to their commitment to support other local businesses, the Grand Opening event included sweets from Savoia’s bakery and was catered by Tasteful Connections. The spread was divine. My favorite of the offerings was a Bacon Rind Shrimp Shooter – a Bloody Mary with shrimp and celery, served in a bacon-rimmed shot glass.
Alayna took the podium and thanked everyone for their support in this endeavor. And a round of speeches ensued. Ted Potrikus, president and CEO of the Retail Council of New York, talked about working at The Record Archive in 1984, and about all the effort that went into making this venue possible.
“It’s the coolest place in Rochester,” he concluded, “I’m thrilled to be here.”
City Councilman Adam McFadden presented The Record Archive with a certificate from Mayor Warren. He also shared fond memories of times spent at the Record Archive, including the joy of meeting the members of Stetsasonic after seeing them perform in the store back in their heyday.
Baye Muhammad, Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development, presented a plaque from the City of Rochester and thanked the owners of Record Archive for being committed to staying within the city limits when they relocated to this space nine years ago.
After the speeches, shiny blue ribbon embossed with the City of Rochester logo was stretched across the stage. Members of The Record Archive family and key supporters made cuts, marking the official opening of The Backroom Lounge.
The Backroom Lounge is open to the public during normal business hours, with the exception of when it is reserved for private events. The bar stops serving an hour before closing.
The room is available for special occasions such as weddings and birthdays. Furniture can be rearranged to meet the needs of events (for example, theater seating or banquet-style table arrangements). Talk to Events Coordinator Deb Jones for more information about reservations.
The space naturally lends itself to musical performances. Happy Hours are held every Wednesday. Themed nights for metal and blues occur monthly. In-store performances are plentiful. They have a full bill for Record Store Day on April 22, including The Fox Sisters, Teagan & The Tweeds, Teressa Wilcox and more. There are performances by Staly on April 28 and Zara Larson on April 29 in collaboration with local radio station KISS FM. This is also becoming a popular venue for release parties, the next one with Junkyard Fieldtrip on the evening of April 29. For a full event listing, check The Record Archive’s webpage or Facebook.
Dopapod will release their second live album II Saw Live Dopapod Evil Was IIthis Friday, March 31. The album takes choice tracks off live recordings from Fall 2016 and early 2017 shows in Colorado. This live release is in addition to the high quality soundboards of most performances available at music.dopapod.com. Highlights include the new song “Trickery”, as well as fan favorites “Trapper Keeper,” “FABA,” “Picture In Picture,” and many more.
Fans can pre-order the album and get an instant download of “FABA” and receive the album immediately upon its release.
3/29 Columbus, OH: Park Street Saloon
3/30 Pittsburgh, PA: The Rex Theater
3/31 Philadelphia, PA: Theatre Of Living Arts
4/1 Philadelphia, PA: Theatre Of Living Arts
4/5 Portland, ME: Port City Music Hall
4/6 Burlington, VT: Higher Ground
4/7 Boston, MA: Paradise Rock Club
4/8 Boston, MA: Paradise Rock Club
4/9 Fairfield, CT: The Warehouse @ FTC 4/12 Ithaca, NY: The Haunt
4/13 Cleveland, OH: Beachland Ballroom
4/14 Detroit, MI: The Magic Stick
4/15 Grand Rapids, MI: The Intersection
4/18 Urbana, IL: Canopy Club
4/19 St. Louis, MO: Ready Room
4/20 Lexington, KY: Cosmic Charlies
4/21 Nashville, TN: Mercy Lounge
4/22 Atlanta, GA: Sweetwater 420 Festival
4/25 Wilmington, NC: The Throne Theatre
4/26 Carborro, NC: Cat’s Cradle
4/27 Charlotte, NC: Neighborhood Theatre
4/28 Richmond, VA: The Broadberry
4/29 Baltimore, MD: Soundstage 6/9 Stephentown, NY
6/10 Boulder, CO: Fox Theatre
6/29-30 Quincy, CA High Sierra Music Festival
7/01 Ozark, AR: Highberry Music Festival
7/15 Berryville, VA: Pasture Palooza
8/04 Thornville, OH: Werk Out Music & Arts Festival
8/06 Loveland, CO: Arise Music Festival
8/10 Scranton, PA: Peach Music Festival
If there ever was a formula behind the iconic music of the 90s, many would say it would be “Guys with instruments & vocals” + “Guttural feelings” + “Garage.” While rock is not as dominant on today’s airwaves, some artists such as Rochester, NY’s Periodic Table of Elephants keep this classic formula alive and well. With Jason Pariseau on vocals and guitar and Sean McGinnis on drums, the Periodic Table of Elephants (PToE for short) puts together a rough guttural punch-your-boss-in-the-face sound sure to cause a riot at a pub or dive bar. As of a few months ago, PToE released their first EP titled Henry.
While PToE sights influences such as Green Day, Biffy Clyro and Blink 182, the vocals on this EP remind me of Smashing Pumpkins and instrumentals remind me of Canadian rock duo Death From Above 1979. What I mean by this is that Jason Pariseau chooses a guitar tone with a lot of bass in it to compensate for lack of a bass player, while Death From Above 1979 utilizes a bass guitar with various distortion pedals which yields a similar sound in lieu of a guitarist. Overall the production on the four-song EP was delightfully under-produced. Too often do you see up-and-coming bands using excessive production to polish their albums to the point where it no longer sounds organic. While this may boil down to preference, many purists prefer when drums hits aren’t 75 percent sound replaced.
In terms of the songs themselves on the Henry EP, the lyrics while straightforward, do the job in terms of connecting with the listener’s gut. The track “Better Off Dead” is the mosher’s anthem when played at a local show. The lyrics literally capture the intent of rage in the song with a lyrical pattern of coming back to a statement of physical action, each time increasing in violence. For example, things escalate from “I’m gonna punch you in the face” to “I’m gonna punch you in the throat” to “I’m gonna punch you in the dick”…ouch… Not the most poetic lyrics but the song was meant make an audience go wild. Out of the four songs on the EP, three of them are in your face and are very grungy while “Pile of Bones” is the one that breaks up that sound with something a bit softer and lyrically deeper. This is the track on the EP where PToE puts it all together in my opinion. It seems like Jason and Sean channeled their inner Foo Fighters on this track.
The Henry EP is a good start for Period Table of Elephants. As with any band’s first EP, this is the band trying to establish their identity and sound. The rough-around-the-edges feel will appeal to angsty millennials and Gen Xers looking for something that relates to their high school and college days. On the same token, this particular sound won’t appeal to those looking for mainstream appeal. With that being said, this EP is a tribute to the spirit of 90s alt rock…that RATM mantra of “F*ck you I won’t do what you tell me.”
St. Phillips Escalator is on the verge of releasing their long-anticipated sophomore album, The Derelict Sound. What’s more – it’s coming out on vinyl on Record Store Day. NYS Music met up with members of the Rochester-based rock band at Record Archive. It was easy to spot guitarist/vocalist Ryan Moore, with his signature newsboy cap and long sideburns, chatting with drummer Zachary Koch in the Archive’s Backroom Lounge. Friends since childhood, Moore, Koch, and bassist Noel Wilfeard were just out of their teens when they recorded their debut album Endless Trip with the help of members of garage rock revivalists The Chesterfield Kings. The 2015 EP Elevation was highly praised, with the one criticism that it was too short and left a reviewer wanting more. Now they’re just about ready to deliver.
Photo: John Myers
Paula Cummings: Tell me about your single “New Age.” Why did you choose this as your first release off the new album?
Ryan Moore: We have a heavier psychedelic sound to the other songs and this one was a little catchy. It’s one of my favorite songs on the album, I think.
Zachary Koch: We wrote it starting with the beat – it was an early Doors’ first record kind of beat – and based it around that with minor chords. It just came together. But the style definitely references them (The Doors).
PC: The single comes from the sessions for The Derelict Sound. How did you choose the album title?
ZK: We just sat down and had a talk one day when we were making some plans. We were really trying to think of what would represent the record. We’ve been together for years now and we reference music from different eras – modern and vintage – but it’s not understood by many people when they first hear it. It’s a derelict sound, an unused kind of overlooked sound… dusted.
PC: What was the writing process like compared to your previous works, the first album a decade ago and the EP two years ago?
ZK: As far as the way we write the songs, I don’t think it’s changed much since the beginning. Maybe somebody has a fully baked song or if it’s just a riff then we’ll work it out at practice.
RM: We usually know if a song works for our sound right away. We only just give it a couple tries with some because it’s like beating a dead horse with some. We’re like, “That would have been great but we know it wouldn’t work.”
ZK: We build on it together. It’s a collaborative process. Sometimes a single idea comes to the group and we know it works right away. We’ll get inspired with a song first and then play with it. We always had the power trio and blues thing happening, and on this we tried to bring it more into the psych genre.
RM: I would say this is a little bit darker.
ZK: The songs fit together well. We had 13 songs, but we cut it down to ten because some of them just didn’t fit that vision. They’re still good songs but just didn’t fit the feel we wanted for this one.
PC: How has your music matured over the years?
ZK: We have more life experience, so the content is different from our first record. We were just coming out of our teens. And now there’s more life experience. I have some political lyric writing. Ryan’s lived in New York and so has Noel, so we all have different life experience that go into the writing. I think the music process has been the same, but maybe back then it was a little unhinged, like “Let’s write and play” without having an idea first. It was fun. It’s always fun, but there’s more goal-setting. But the writing process, that’s the same. It’s always just fun at the heart of it all.
PC: You have this energy that comes across well in live shows. How did you try to capture that in the studio?
RM: The guy we collaborated with suggested we record it live. So what we did was we went to this place in Geneseo, Tempermental Recording. It’s this big old church and it’s really awesome. All of the tracks for the whole thing we recorded together. There wasn’t anybody separate.
ZK: That was the key. It was not just a live record, but the bass, drums, and guitar the core of it we played together because it’s the only way we could draw that energy. We tried before to record separately.
RM: It’s just not the same.
ZK: And allowing the big space… We need to play louder, so we don’t feel like we’re holding back. That space allowed us to be loud.
RM: Yeah, that was amazing. I think it was just one of the best experiences that we’ve had.
PC: That was my next question, how did the space enhance the acoustics?
RM: The guy who owns the church, he’s an insane collector, so it’s just full of guitars, and organs and pianos and drums and all those things are in the room, vibrating and making a sound as we’re recording, too. It’s really cool.
ZK: Even recording into the night that helped set the tone because it got dark in there.
PC: And in a space like that, you’re going to have a big, cavernous sound.
ZK: We used that to our advantage.
RM: And he had tons of cool gear that we were able to use. Echo on the vocals and vintage amps. But mostly we used our own stuff.
PC: Who did you work with, and how did they influence what you produced?
RM: Alex Patrick did the recording and the mixing. And when we were out of that studio Mike Brown (owner of Tempermental Recordings) hung out and gave us feedback.
ZK: He’s like-minded.
RM: We never met him before. We were renting the space from him, and he was just hanging out and interjecting. He came up with cool ideas.
ZK: Yeah, he’s really talented. He’s a guitarist and writer, so it was nice to get his perspective on things. It helped.
RM: Then Brian Moore mastered our tracks out at Red Booth Studios in Rochester.
ZK: Really helpful people, gifted. They have that patience I would never have to be able to engineer and mix. I just like playing.
RM: I just appreciate it so much.
PC: Which tracks are you most proud of and why?
RM: I really love “New Age.” I think that came out awesome.
ZK: I really like this track five. It’s called “Find My Way.” It closes out the first half of what will be the vinyl. And I think that it’s a different direction for us. It still fits, but in my mind it’s more of a modern song. It has a type of beat that’s different than what we’ve done. It’s this driving type of beat – you’ll see – but that’s one of my favorites from the record. Generally, a lot of our songs in the past have been four minutes. We get to solo a lot in this one.
RM: That song and the last song are kind of long, dark psychedelic songs. And I think the first song is one of my favorites, too, “Sleepy Silver Train Haze.” That’s just kind of a dark brooding psychedelic tune that feels a little sad.
PC: Is this your first vinyl? How does this fit the aesthetic of what you do and what you’re about?
RM: It fits perfectly.
ZK: It’s everything. We’ve collected, we were raised on it.
RM: We’re just huge record fans and I think it’s pained us to not have anything on vinyl yet. That’s one of the reasons why it took so long to come out. We were looking to find the right partner and in the end we did everything ourselves. We were going to wait as long as it took to make sure it was released on vinyl.
ZK: Vinyl gives the opportunity for the album artwork to shine. Ryan is an incredibly gifted graphic designer. He has a wonderful friend, a very generous friend, John Myers, who shot the cover for us and Ryan put it all together. That’s something that’s missing with a digital outlet. You can’t hold it and you can’t see the art that goes into it as well. But yeah, I play records every single day and to finally have one of our own is what we’ve always been going for. For our last EP Ryan and Noel were in NYC so we didn’t have as much time to get it all in line for vinyl.
PC: What are you listening to on vinyl?
ZK: We still listen to all formats. We just appreciate it the most and it sounds the best. But some of our favorite vinyl?
RM: My collection? I have some of my favorite old blues records like Mississippi Fred McDowell and the Blues Bakers. Cool rare blues records are some of my favorites. Then on top of that 13th Floor Elevators, The Seeds and some of the stuff that influences our band. It all sort of comes together.
ZK: And when I’m really sitting down and listening I really love to put on either Neil Young or The Byrds. I like listening to folk records on vinyl. I think it’s really befitting.
RM: We also started collecting some newer, modern psych bands on vinyl too. Morgan Delt, Black Angels. Anything that’s good sounds better on vinyl.
PC: Tell me about the album cover.
RM: We really had this idea that I really wanted this to be an out of focus picture of us, like a really blurry, just weird picture. I didn’t want just another portrait of the band. People either know us or they don’t, and I don’t care to have our mugs pegged on it.
ZK: And the photographer was able to do that without any special effects.
RM: We were just playing around. It was fun to go through a whole set of photos. We went picked the blurriest one that had a cool vibe. It’s got a cool grain and strange colors to it as well. And then I put just a small psychedelic treatment to it, kind of small off to the corner, kind of nondescript.
ZK: We never really had a set logo, and that little badge in the corner is kind-of new.
PC: You guys have been together half of your lives. What are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome to do this?
RM: I think it’s because we were friends first. I think we became friends in junior high.
ZK: I think it’s been an advantage.
RM: I think that us looking out for each other and keeping each other in mind…
ZK: Feeling comfortable enough to share what turns out to be a really terrible song or a great song, but not being afraid of what you’re bringing to the table.
RM: Respect for one another.
ZK: When we play, we’re just hanging out. So we get to hang out with each other as friends but also as a band. It’s beneficial.
RM: Sometimes it gets tough though when you have to get work done, and you just want to have a beer and catch up.
PC: So you mentioned that Ryan and Noel lived out in New York City for a bit and you had to make that work long-distance.
RM: Yeah, that was tough. We weren’t as active during that period. But it also opened up some different opportunities because I met a lot of people in New York and we were playing a lot of gigs in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
ZK: And then we could just stay at Ryan’s.
RM: Yeah, it was easier then than it is now because we had a home base.
ZK: And then we rented an hour studio to practice in New York.
RM: We were still playing shows actively, but I think creation was the harder thing to do.
ZK: We would send things online, but we couldn’t really test them out.
RM: That was obviously the hardest part…
ZK: The productivity in the studio.
RM: But something about us being together for so long, we could book a show in New York or Rochester, practice once – or not – and play the show and it still sounds good.
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Primus has announced a slate of dates for July and August. The band takes to the road with special guest Clutch starting July 17 in Charlotte.
Claypool and company have only announced one stop in New York State, July 21 at the Dome in Henrietta, just outside of Rochester. The two-month long tour includes a variety of stops across the country including eastern dates. in Raleigh, Detroit, Lancaster, Boston, Portland (Maine), Burlington, Asbury Park, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The July 27 show in Burlington is a part of the Lake Champlain Festival, which also includes Twiddle’s Tumble Down Festival.
The tour heads to the midwest and west coast in August with dates in Milwaukee, Mankato, Cedar Rapids, Kansas City, Dallas, Tempe, Las Vegas, Bonner, Troutdale, Eugene, Seattle and Stateline before closing the tour at the Greek in Berkeley on the 18th.
According to Clutch’s website, both bands will be performing full sets with no openers or supporting acts.
Tickets for these newly announced shows go on sale this Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m. local time. A pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 21 at 12 p.m. ET via Primus’s website.
Brian Wilson has been on an extensive tour performing the Beach Boys album Pet Sounds in its entirety. The tour, billed as “Pet Sounds: The Final Performances,” was recently extended to add a number of dates in Europe and North America. The tour makes three stops in New York. Rochester’s Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre gets a visit on Sept. 19. They make a stop on Sept. 23 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The final New York date is Oct. 1 in Syracuse at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theatre.
Pulling up to the building at 33 1/3 Rookwood Street in Rochester, there’s an immediate sense that this is not your run of the mill music store. From the sunshine yellow exterior to the enormous record framing the front door, everything about The Record Archive feels extraordinary.
Fans can pre-order the album and get an instant download of “FABA” and receive the album immediately upon its release.
While PToE sights influences such as Green Day, Biffy Clyro and Blink 182, the vocals on this EP remind me of Smashing Pumpkins and instrumentals remind me of Canadian rock duo Death From Above 1979. What I mean by this is that Jason Pariseau chooses a guitar tone with a lot of bass in it to compensate for lack of a bass player, while Death From Above 1979 utilizes a bass guitar with various distortion pedals which yields a similar sound in lieu of a guitarist. Overall the production on the four-song EP was delightfully under-produced. Too often do you see up-and-coming bands using excessive production to polish their albums to the point where it no longer sounds organic. While this may boil down to preference, many purists prefer when drums hits aren’t 75 percent sound replaced.
The Henry EP is a good start for Period Table of Elephants. As with any band’s first EP, this is the band trying to establish their identity and sound. The rough-around-the-edges feel will appeal to angsty millennials and Gen Xers looking for something that relates to their high school and college days. On the same token, this particular sound won’t appeal to those looking for mainstream appeal. With that being said, this EP is a tribute to the spirit of 90s alt rock…that 
