NYS Music 20​17

Category: Uncategorized

  • Hearing Aide: Evolfo ‘Last of the Acid Cowboys’

    Raunchy, horny, raw and unfiltered.  No, this isn’t an organic cocktail description from a Williamsburg bar, it’s Evolfo’s debut LP, Last of the Acid Cowboys.  This Brooklyn-based 7-piece has been filling up clubs and basement dance parties since their infestation into the music scene in 2011. A mix of intelligent lyrical grittiness, swampy horns out of the deep South and cleverly executed compositions have granted them access into the underground indie culture.   If you are lucky enough to catch this tornado of sound live, expect to hear a smorgasbord of musical influences crammed into their short sets as tightly packed as the band members on stage.   NYS Music covered an Evolfo gig at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn last summer and the sweaty night reminded me of a Wodka Vodka advertisement: “Escort quality, hooker prices.”

    When asked about the methodology behind their newest album, lead singer and song writer, Matt Gibbs said, “I think generally bands have one of two experiences in regards to studio time. Some bands write an album first and then spend a while figuring out how to bring that stuff to their live show. In the case of Evolfo, we had to buckle down and figure out how to capture the live energy onto an album.” 

    The opening track, “Vision of Sin,” has an all-encompassing psych soul rhythm which seems like it traveled through time to capture sounds from each of the past six decades.  About a minute and half into the chaos, there is a funky breakdown where the horn section reminds listeners that you gotta have that funk.  The seeds of the first track begin germinating into the second as “Moon Eclipsed the Sun” slowly crawls its way from a slow and melodic beginning to a fiery and powerful chorus.  Think Black Keys featuring the Nitty Gritty Brass Band.  Mesmerizing lyrics with punchy guitar riffs and backing vocals keep this satellite of a song hovering around the planet and clocks in as the longest track of the album at a whopping 3 minutes and 50 seconds.

    “Bloody Bloody Knife” has a 60’s punk  feel that makes you feel guilty for listening.  The paranoia felt from this track is one example of how these talented writers create horror-movie terror when they feel like it.  “Why am I hiding if I have done nothing wrong?” I ask myself as Rafferty Swink finger bangs the keyboard during this zombie apocalypse national anthem.  The decision making on track placement is as ambitious as the tracks themselves.  The blood thirsty “Bloody Bloody Knife” gives way to “Don’t Give Up Your Mind” which sounds like it belongs on Side B of a classic 70’s soul album.  The eclectic variety of music changes so much from song to song that the mish mash arrangement of musicians seems to shift form.  Do not be mistaken, this album is in no way a compilation album of different artists, but instead, it is a Megazord where each member is displaying a different source of inspiration and power.  “Rat City” is the mod-punk sound that frat maniacs across the country will embrace as they nose dive head first into the shallow end of a pool.  Serving up a slice of pie that any pizza rat would enjoy, Evolfo cooks up “Rat City” with a simple and aggressive recipe that paralyzes the taste buds and ear drums on any garage rock connoisseur.

    “Last of the Acid Cowboys” reminds me of something a resurrected Jim Morrison would bring into the studio with The Doors. The added brass section in the title track makes for a layered, yet comfortable journey; not your average psychedelic rock piece.  The sweet sounding “Peachy” has the loungiest feel of the record.  Subtle percussion accompanied by haunting horns in the far distance create a dreamy landscape for listeners to embrace during this final track.  After a true genre-blending 10-song adventure, my only complaint is that the incredible album clocks out at 28 minutes, much shorter than your average cowboy’s acid trip.

    Buy Last of the Acid Cowboys now and see them on tour ASAP!

    Key Tracks: Rat City, Don’t Give Up Your Mind, Last of the Acid Cowboys

  • Hops and Handrails Festival Moves Mountains to Longmont, CO

    Moving mountains is usually the province and design of Greek gods, religious deities in the pages of sacred books or Hollywood film directors armed with a bevy of computer special effects. However, for one Colorado-based brewer, it has become an annual ritual in the front range town of Longmont, Colorado that is merely a matter of assembling a dedicated work crew driving a parade of dump trucks (carrying 18 loads of ski resort snow in three round trips) and armed with the imagination to throw beer festivals unlike any other. On March 11, for the fifth year, and with the eye-popping cinematic grace of a white-bearded Charlton Heston in a colorful robe raising his arms to part the waters of the Red Sea in a Cecille B. Demille film, the Left Hand Brewing Company pulled off this “miraculous” feat of building a nearly four-story-high snowboard/ski ramp for rail competition, hosting more than 70 breweries pouring craft beer samples, offering a kid’s terrain park and, on the side, throwing a daytime music festival.  It’s a far cry from throwing up tents in a parking lot and claiming it’s a beer fest.

    Still, the effect is pure, homespun Colorado charm. Along with the beards, beer and boards were a trio of bluegrass and jam bands that shook the stage and sloshed more than a few full bellies. Leading off were two area favorites with Colorado roots, Grant Farm and the Jeff Austin Band, featuring Yonder Mountain’s former frontman.  Austin may be a family man now, but he still knows how to make it appear that a crowd full of beer-toting music fans were dropped onto a giant hotplate with the propane cranked high. The afternoon closed with the Grateful Dead-influenced Chris Robinson Brotherhood.  Left-Hand Brewing is determined to lead its participants to the “promised land” of beer festivals. And all one can after attending, is, well…Amen!

  • A Quarter Century Q and A with Greg Bell

    Greg Bell has been promoting and putting on shows in the Capital Region now for 25 years. All month long in April, he will be celebrating that milestone with shows each weekend at the Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany.

    In late march 1992, Bell formed a partnership with his friend Dale Metzger called Two Fools Present. They proceeded to put on what turned out to be the first of many shows promoted by Greg. It was held on April Fools Day at the Masonic Hall on lower Madison Avenue. The bands who played were the Sharks, Hard Times, Motherjudge and Brian Kenny and Friends. Two Fools worked together for an outdoor festival and two or three more club shows and parted ways. In 1993 Bell teamed up with Jeff Guthrie to form Guthrie/Bell Productions. Jeff left the business a few years later but Bell continues to work under that name today.

    NYSMusic caught up with Bell to talk about his career and how he’s made it this far while staying so successful.

    Neil Benjamin: You’ve been putting on shows locally for a while, and now you’re celebrating a big anniversary. What’s it been like to be such a huge part of the Albany music scene?

    Greg Bell: I had always been a part of the local music scene .I had many friends in local bands and I probably went to at least one show per week from my college days until  I started promoting on my own. One of the reasons that I started putting on shows was to give local musicians  and the audience a situation to be in that treated them with respect instead of being treated as a product. I was always involved with the local music scene . One night , out drinking with a friend , we decided to throw a party with some friends’ bands just for fun . It was sort of like Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland saying “lets put on a show” in an Andy Hardy movie. The first show went well , so we did another . then another and it just sort of snowballed

    NB:Do you know how many shows you’re promoted?

    GB: Probably around 2,000.

    NB:What was your favorite show to put on? Can you share a memory or two?

    GB:Probably a tie between the first time that i had moe. play the Palace and the Phil and Friends show at the Glens Falls Civic Center when Trey Anastasio showed up and sat in for the entire show. the moe. show was exciting for me as they were the first band that I had taken from a small club situation to a big theater show . The Phil show is a given. I first saw the Dead in 1970 and here I was promoting a show with a member of the Dead and a member of Phish on stage. It was an amazing feeling.

    NB: How long do you plan  to do this?

    GB: According to my wife, until I die.

    NB: What’s the most difficult aspect of promoting shows around here?

    GB:The hardest thing for me is putting on an amazing band to a small crowd. I try to promote bands that I think people should see and I feel like I let some bands down when the turnout sucks. Only do this if you love music. If you do it for money, find something else.

    NB: How many concerts do you think you’ve attended and who is your favorite band?

    GB:My favorite band has been the Grateful Dead for 47 years . I couldn’t even guess how many shows that I have attended, but it’s a lot.

    NB:You attend most of the shows you put on. Is your family supportive of what you do and why?

    GB:My family is very supportive . My wife designs all of my flyers and posters as well as Bellstock tee shirts and loves coming to shows . My kids have been attending my shows since they were born and are proud of what I accomplished. They also like the fact that I can get them into concerts that they want to see.. One thing that I made sure of is that putting on shows was secondary to my family . I never missed a school concert or function  . I never missed their soccer games or track meets .I was a teacher , so I was able to spend all summer with my kids.

    NB:How has your approached changed over time as society and technology change? Is it easier or harder to promote in the social media age?

    GB:My approach hasn’t changed. Word of mouth is the way to go. Technology has made things easier, but handing out a flier is the best way to get people in the door.  The danger with technology is that it makes promoters lazy. It is so easy to just to think that you just need to send out a Facebook post or a text to get the word out. I truly believe that the personal touch of talking to people at shows and handing out flyers to people while explaining why they should come to a show is the best way to promote. I am at almost every show that I put on and I am constantly in contact with the people who attend my shows. They know that I only put on shows that I want to see and I think that gives my shows some credibility.

    Catch Guthrie/Bell’s 25th anniversary shows at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Albany:

    April 1 Wreckloose w/ School Bus Yellow and Hartley’s Encore
    April 15 Eastbound Jesus w/ Elrod & Motherjudge and the Grassroots Rebels [featuring members of Jerkwater Ruckus ]
    April 28 Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets w/ Lynch [featuring members of Conehead Buddha and Schleigho] and the Eastern Highs [featuring members of Free Beer & Chicken]

    All shows are 18+, tickets $12 in advance, $15 day of show. Doors at 7:30, show at 8pm

  • Riff Raff’s Rap got the Crowd Roaring at The Lost Horizon

    Riff Raff gave Syracuse “4 million” reasons why they should have been at The Lost Horizon This past Thursday, March 2, performing his signature brand of crunk braggadocio to a packed house of CNY’s trillest. Draped in a gold chain to match his shiny rings and belt buckle, the Houston-based rapper dazzled the audience with thumping beats and catchy refrains about his lavish lifestyle. The crescendo of his set was the aforementioned banger “4 million,” which had the crowd singing in unison about Riff Raff’s purported income from the 2016 fiscal year.

    riff raffAll in all, it was a high-energy performance and unforgettable party for everyone in attendance. The opening acts were Sig Roy, Dom x Vince Cioci, followed by Cuse Williams featuring DJ Lionheart. Yola Cerew replaced Atrilla for one last crowd exciter before Riff Raff hit the stage. The first song in Cuse Williams’ set “Left for Dead” was definitely a highlight of the evening. The track began with clips from a news report about a shooting in Syracuse, and was followed by heartfelt lyrics against gun violence.

  • South Africa’s Cultural Ambassadors Amaze the Quick Center

    It was an absolute honor and pleasure to see this iconic group of musicians Ladysmith Black Mambazo play such a humble venue as the Quick Center in Fairfield, CT. They were not only baffling to listen to, they were visually astounding. Dressed in brightly colored shirts, dark pants and white shoes, they danced around in unison and improvisationally in the most entertaining way. They were well rehearsed, full of energy and had a  great sense of humor. 

    Those not familiar with the group might recognize them from the highly respected Paul Simon album, Graceland, among a plethora of other widely recognized artists. More info on the band can be found in an interview with NYS Music and one of the founding members, Albert Mazibuko. Listeners can appreciate the beauty of the music for themselves by finding their copious amount of music available for download on their website, iTunes and Spotify.

    The group consisted of mostly  replacement members and only two members that were with the original group. Taking the place of founding member Joseph Shabalala, were his two sons, Thamsanqa Shabalala and Sibongiseni Shabalala, who were a perfect fit for the group as it moved into it’s sixth decade. Other members included close and extended family, all of whom did an immaculate job.

    Unfortunately, Ladysmith already made their rounds through New York and Connecticut, but they are always touring and will undoubtedly run through the tri-state area again soon.

    Their music wasn’t really the most fascinating part of the show, though. Although it was more than impressive, their presence and personalities made it the extravagant performance that it was. At first, it was almost uncanny how close they sounded to their studio recordings. But what was more astounding was they didn’t need to listen to the key of the song they were going to sing. They just dove right into it and all nine of them were all in sync and on the same key. It goes to show how well rehearsed and passionate they are about about their music as well as what it represents. Some amount of improvisation was used in terms of their singing and dances. The rest of the group would vamp over the chorus while members would take turns stepping forward to center stage and show off some moves. They would perform both native dances as well as some modern and comical moves coming from the younger members.

    They mostly performed songs from their most recent album, Walking In the Footsteps of Our Fathers which they described as a celebration of the group’s past present and future. They said it is a way for the future group to honor the paved path made by their predecessors. They featured many of their own popular recordings like “Awu Wemadoda, “King of Kings” and “Long Walk to Freedom”  as well as some of their most popular songs like “Homeless, and the intro to “Diamonds In the Soles of Her Shoes,” both of which were written alongside Paul Simon. Preceding the songs, members would tell a quick story or explanation behind the creative process and meaning of the songs. These stories clearly gave the audience a better understanding of the songs as well as the visuals performed by all members. The show was stimulating to almost all of the sense and is definitely something everyone should experience in their lifetime.

  • The Disco Biscuits Announce 3-Night Run at Capitol Theatre

    The Disco Biscuits have just announced a 3-night run at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY on April 27, 28 & 29.

    Three day passes have already sold out, but single day tickets for all 3 shows will go on sale Friday, March 17 at 12 noon ET through The Capitol Theatre’s website.

    disco biscuits 3-night capitol

  • The Griswolds Rock Out at The Waiting Room

    Friday, March 3:  the first Sunday of Lent. In Buffalo, that normally means every restaurant has their take on fish fries out and people are trying to better themselves through personal sacrifice. However, those attending The Waiting Room that evening found themselves in a very party-friendly environment. One that resulted in a lot of spilled beer on the floor. But given that the band was from Australia, a country known for their heavy drinking, it seemed only fitting. And it also seemed fitting that the band, The Griswolds, named for the Vacation film series family often driven to their limits, was the main event.

    The Griswolds hail from Sydney, Australia and were on tour behind their new album, High Times for Low Lives. The lineup, made of Christopher Whitehall on lead vocals and guitar, Daniel Duque-Perez on keyboards and guitar, Tim John on bass and Lachlan West on drums, claim to be inspired by the likes of 2000’s indie bands Vampire Weekend, MGMT, and Of Montreal along with Kanye West and the Beach Boys.

    Whitehall definitely gives off the impression of an Australian man, with a scruffy head of long hair along with a somewhat trimmed beard. His thick accent when he spoke to the crowd was the common kind of slurred speech people often expect to hear from Australians. That sort of made his open attempts of getting the audience to party all the more amusing. His guitar sported the phrase “Love Trumps Hate” in a slightly more pleasant looking matter than if Tom Morello would’ve done it.

    The music itself does bear the influences of the band on its sleeves. The walk-on music for the band was the same “In High Places” sample by Mike Oldfield, used in Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy” before going into “Role Models.” The various tricks performed were often found in prominent 2000’s acts, like the weird synth vocals in “16 Years,” the psychedelic sounding keyboards of “Right on Track” and high-pitched chorus line of “Be Impressive.”

    At one point, Whitehall asked if anyone in the audience had a birthday, and a few did raise their hands. He then told the crowd it was the drummer’s birthday and replied, “This is the best birthday ever” in a similarly thick accent. After a round of “Happy Birthday,” the band delved into their own song titled “Birthday,” one that played much slower and less joyous, but went in deeper. Compared to the much more upbeat, “If You Wanna Stay,” which probably got the most party-like reception the band wanted, The Griswolds really run a gauntlet of various tastes.

    After ending with “Down and Out,” complete with Whitehall doing a guitar solo with the guitar strapped to his back, and a plainly obvious attempt at an encore, they played the very Vampire Weekend-esque “Beware the Dog,” another song where the drummer got into the hard rhythms. In a rather surprising move, Whitehall, after asking the audience if they wanted one more, invited one of the opening acts, Dreamers, onto the stage. The now 8-person band on stage, in one last bit of fun-giving, played the ever-classic “Hey Ya!” Whitehall and Dreamers singer Nick Wold traded verses and lines in the chorus, trying to channel whatever parts of Andre 3000 they could muster.

    The Griswold’s music was plenty entertaining enough, with their odd mix of new wave, electronics, and funk rhythms. But at the same time, they didn’t make too much of an impression of me beyond that. I was interested in seeing this band because of the question, what would a band named The Griswolds sound like? And now that I have, I can say I’ve heard plenty of other bands trying the same thing. It’s not anything original, but it’s not anything to completely discount either.

  • South Africa’s Cultural Ambassadors, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Come to Fairfield

    NYS Music had the honor and pleasure of speaking with Albert Mazibuko, an original member of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the a cappella revolutionaries from South Africa. They gained global recognition from their collaboration with Paul Simon on his album Graceland and their careers have skyrocketed since. They worked with a variety of widely recognized artists from Dolly Parton to Sarah McLachlan and released a plethora of albums over the course of 50 years. Tickets are now on sale to see the group perform at the Fairfield University Quick Center in Connecticut, Sunday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. Mazibuko tells NYS Music about their humble beginnings, stories of their time with Paul Simon and more information about their upcoming performance.

    David Ostroff: When was the last time Ladysmith Black Mambazo came to Connecticut?

    Albert Mazibuko: I cannot be specific, but it was maybe a year or two years ago. I cannot tell because we are always around the country

    DO: That’s not surprising. Ladysmith has been performing constantly for years now. That being said, how do you and your team keep up your enthusiasm after 40 plus years of recording and performing?

    AM: The music itself gives the energy that we need. Sometimes, I’m feeling tired before the show. But then we get together and we pray. After that we start a song to warm up ourselves and then the energy just comes. Before I hit the stage, I am a new person.

    DO: I have to ask. I did some research and saw that in South Africa, before you came to the states, Ladysmith would perform in a cappella competitions. But you guys were so good that they wouldn’t let you compete. How did that happen?

    AM: Wow, that is a good refresher! I’ll never forget that day. We were finally allowed to enter the competition (because their music was a different style than other groups). After we sang, the judges and audience stood up, and the other groups said, “You already won!” They decided the music was too good to entertain, so what (we) would do is sing from 8 to 12, and then after, the other groups will compete. We couldn’t believe it happened. We really missed the competition. But not anymore, after our success in our group.

    DO: What were some of your best memories when working with Paul Simon?

    AM: When we first received the message that Paul Simon was in Johannesburg to met Joseph Shabalala, we wondered why he would want to meet (Joseph)? We first thought it was someone who would sing American gospel, which is similar to our music. But when we heard it was Paul Simon, because we knew his music, it would play all over radio’s in South Africa, we said, “How?? Why does he want to meet him?” When Joseph went there, I remember he went there in the morning because we were around in Johannesburg on tour so he went to meet him in the studio and Joseph came back in the afternoon. We asked him what Paul said, Joseph said, “He is a man of music. He wants to do something with us.” So the concern was more than before. In two weeks time, he sent us a letter with a demo (of the track “Homeless”). Along with it came a piece of paper in Paul’s handwriting that said, “Dear Joseph, Don’t change this because I took it from one of your recordings.” Paul only sang two lines by himself which were “Homeless, homeless.” (The chorus) This was the right time to write the music because this would go with the situation in South Africa. Violence was all over the place. We then received a message that we had to go to London to meet with Paul. We went as a group and we were so excited. We stood behind the microphones, and Joseph told Paul we had been trying to work on the song.  We tried to record the song on the first day and it did not work at all. It was so much different with all the people trying to help and the song was not getting together. We were in the studio at two in the afternoon, and by six in the evening, Paul said let’s all go back to the hotel. We were very disappointed because Ladysmith Black Mambazo would usually record up to 12 songs a day. We practiced until midnight. The following day, we went into the studio. Joseph told Paul that that we had been rehearsing and to take a listen to this one. We sang the whole song, someone said, “This is it,” and in two hours we knew the song was there.

    DO: Well it must have been worth putting that effort into that song, though. It’s absolutely beautiful.

    AM: It was like a nightmare to us! One song for three, four hours?  But we understood that it was something else that was introduced to us. I appreciate that because, after that, everything was so much better for the group.

    DO: I didn’t know much about your music aside from your work with Paul Simon and most of my generation have limited knowledge of Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well. What else would people my age recognize Mambazo from?

    AM: We have worked with a song on Michael Jackson’s “Moonwalker” and we collaborated with artists like Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder and Ben Harper. There were so many others. Sesame Street (“Put Down the Duckie”) was a very famous one, The Lion King (“Upendi” from The Lion King 2) and the track for Eddie Murphy in “Coming to America” (“Mbube”).

    DO: Aside from your generation, Americans most likely remember Ladysmith from their intro in Paul Simon’s “Diamond on the Soles of Her Shoes.” What is the rough translation of that intro in English?

    AM: That one happened in the way that we used to do things. One day we came to New York to perform on Saturday Night Live. (The day before SNL) Paul Simon was recording and he said, “You can come in.” When we went in we found he was working on this song, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” and he said to Joseph, “Just give me some blessings in my song.” We listened and said, oh this song is complete. But Paul Simon insisted that we do something. Joseph just took a piece of paper and a pen and wrote it down.  It translates to, “It’s unusual, the girls, they take care of themselves so they don’t depend on a man.” He was responding to the song about this girl who is rich. The girls have their own money so they take care of themselves. We recorded that on the last day, and it took not even 30 minutes. To tell you the truth, this is a song that after I heard it for the first time I thought, “Oh it’s one of those song where you said, ‘Okay I need 12 songs, so I’m going to put something that makes number 12’”. But I was mistaken, because after I played it the third time I realized, this song is good!

    DO: One more question before we move to your performance in Fairfield. Your group has been recording and performing for more than half a century now. Many bands and musicians that stay together for even half that time were doomed to have conflict, like Simon and Garfunkel. How did you and your group keep such good ties with one another?

    AM: I think something is helping us.  You see groups all over the world that have been together for two or three years and then they go separate ways which is sad, most of the time. But in ours, we are fortunate that we are all family. In our culture, the family will stick together, no matter what. And also, our culture tells us that the person who is in charge of the family is a leader of that group. We are bound to listen to that person and respect that person and also respect one another. We believe that (Ladysmith Black Mambazo) is a family and if I have a different opinion than my brother, or whomever, I represent that in a respectful way. So even if we have some disagreement in the group, we always tell it with respect. It helps us a lot because I can tell you the truth that we’ve never had something like a fight between us. We do have different opinions sometimes when we talk about things. But we find a solution and a common ground. If my way works, I will never say, “What did I tell you? Your idea was useless.” No you don’t say that. In our group, we will always find a way to agree with one another.

    DO: On behalf of all people that love your music, thank you for thinking in such a way and staying together for as long as you have. Your contribution to American music was immense. Let’s move on to your performance at the Quick Theater. What kind of audience usually attends your shows?

    AM: It’s amazing that we see all ages. All people. Older people up to the toddlers. All the nations and the colors enjoy our music. Joseph used to say, “Our music, it’s coming from the blood to the blood.” So everyone creature who is a human being in this world can relate to our music because we speak to the soul of the people. When I look to our audience, every time I will see a 90-year-old and then I see the toddlers, maybe three years, which we are so grateful for that.

    DO: In a few of your albums and performances I hear some light instrumentation. Will we see a strictly a cappella or will there be a band accompanying you?

    AM: No it will just Mambazo. When you get into the theater you will see 10 microphones lining up on the stage. You will see 10 guys, they walk to the stage with colorful clothes, white shoes and the song will begin. Some parts we will include the audience and so we engage them. We give them something and then we sing so it’s like a competition then after that we come together and we sing. It’s a very good lineup. It’s songs that are entertaining and uplifting. They are more encouraging with a positive message, especially in this time. It seems that this beloved country is in a conflict. We choose very specific songs for that. The songs that we sang for South African people, it helps them and encourages them. They were able to solve their problems. Hopefully the message is going to be held in America so it can open into its beauty again. Our music is about love, peace and harmony. We want people to take peace and feel that harmony. By doing that, we will make this world we’re living in a beautiful place to live

  • Hearing Aide: Overkill “The Grinding Wheel”

    It is already the second month of 2017 and it is already showing this year is the year of the thrash! With Kreator’s Gods Of Violence and Sepulutura’s Machine Messiah released in January, both are perfect examples why the genre will never go down without a fight. Now it is time for another thrash/speed heavyweight to show the spirit of cheap beer and denim is still alive. I am speaking of course of the mighty Overkill with their latest album, The Grinding Wheel, released via Nuclear Blast. Time to give this giant a well deserved review.

    Being the eighteenth studio album from Bobby “Blitz” and the boys, it is safe to say these veterans of the genre know what makes the name Overkill so great. A great follow up from White Devil Armory (released 2014 via Nuclear Blast), this album has their brand of metal written all over it. The groove aspects of D.D Verni (bass guitar) and Derek Tailer (rhythm guitar) gives the album many memorable tracks. The most dominant tracks on the album that showcase their type of approach are the tracks “Come Heavy” and “Red White and Blue.” With “Blitz” vocals, you will find yourself singing along while the general public just stares at you. Let them stare! You are a thrasher. These tracks just keep you bobbing your head more than a headbanger from “Brütal Legend”. It is called heavy metal.

    Another key element of this album are the 80s classic thrash riffs that makes you wanna toss your friend in the circle pit while you hold his beer. You totally got it dude! The single off the album, “Our Finest Hour,” is the powerhouse staple that drives the aggression from start to finish on this shred-tastic release. The machine gun style drumming of Eddy Garcia, always keeping up the groove and the pace of the song, is like a kick in the jaw. . Every snare and cymbal hit sounds as if a storm is coming over the horizon. You might as well get a mouth guard while listening to it. It is a a non-stop ride of pure danger, but we know you love the abuse.

    There are so many tracks on this work of art which which will keep you windmilling for days. It is safe to say this album will constantly be blasted by those who are thirsty for the glory days of American thrash. Prepare those neck muscles. This album gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Pick it up now via Nuclear Blast or at your local record store.

    Key Tracks: Come On Heavy, Our Finest Hour, Red White and Blue.

    Overkill is currently on a North American tour w/ Nile, Amorphis and Swallow The Sun.
    Overkil. Hitting up Clifton Park at Upstate Concert Hall on September 3rd, 2017.

    For all concert check the band’s page. http://wreckingcrew.com/Ironbound

  • Photo Gallery: LOCASH at Vapor Nightclub

    The Nashville-based Country/Pop duo LOCASH performed along with a full band on February 16 at Vapor Nightclub in Saratoga Springs, to a packed house.  The show was hosted by 100.9 The Cat.

    locashChris Lucas and Preston Brust, whose powers’ combined make up LOCASH, were in especially good spirits after receiving their first major Country Music Industry award nomination earlier in the day for New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year. Lucas and Brust, along with their band, were riding high throughout the show, taking the opportunity to celebrate this milestone in their careers with their fans who showed up for them in droves and packed the club out.

    The ACM Awards will air live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 2nd.