It’s March and it’s time for the 2017 NYS Music March Madness, Round 1! We bring together 64 up and coming bands from across New York State for a friendly tournament style competition throughout the month of March for readers to discover new artists who call New York home.
These are 64 bands you might not know about, but should. Recommended for inclusion in our field of 64 by NYS Music staff, contributors and readers, we hit every corner of New York State, from Long Island to Buffalo, The Catskills to the North Country and all points in between. NYS Music March Madness is a great way to discover a new and upcoming band in your area and show your support and love for bands you see often. We focus once again this year on the bands who are on the cusp of greatness. There was only room for 64 but we made some great choices and picked a wide array of genres to bring to you this year.
We’d like to thank our regional sponsors The Hollow Bar and Kitchen, Nietzsche’s Buffalo, The Downtown Barn and Castle Studio. These small businesses represent the best of what New York State has to offer and celebrate music while inviting local and touring bands to perform for growing local scenes across the state.
First round matchups in Nietzsche’s Buffalo region include:
Mister F (jam/prog) vs Subsoil (hip-hop)
Funktional Flow (funk n jam) vs Gowanus (jamtronica)
Folkfaces (bluegrass) vs Phineas and the Lonely Leaves (indie rock)
Sly Fox & the Hustlers (rock) vs King Buffalo (blues/stoner rock)
Lucky Jukebox Brigade (indie/pop/punk) vs The Other Brothers (jam)
The New Daze (psychedelic jam rock) vs Druse (post hardcore)
Ire Clad (metal) vs Raibred (Progadelic)
Tart Vandalay (indie) vs Lord Electro (jamtronica)
In the Castle Studio region we have these 8 matchups:
Teddy Midnight (electro jam) vs Vaporeyes (jam)
Super Killer Robots (stoner rock/metal) vs Intrepid Travelers (improv/jam)
Space Carnival (psych groove rock) vs Murder in Rue Morgue (Metalcore/groove metal)
Mike Powell (folk) vs Let’s Be Leonard (jazz/jam fusion)
Talking Underwater (indie rock) vs Let Go Daylight (hard rock)
Annie in the Water (acoustic rock) vs Hot Mayonnaise (rock n roll)
Candy Ambulance (grunge rock) vs Jeremiah’s Razor (heavy rock)
Red Shift (rock) vs Ampevene (prog rock)
The Hollow Bar and Kitchen region features:
St. Philip’s Escalator (rock) vs The Medicinals (reggae)
Root Shock (reggae) vs Schmave (indie)
Breakfast for the Boys (rock) vs North and South Dakotas (y’allternative)
Last Daze (black country rock) vs Oogie Wawa (alternative/reggae)
Castle Creek (blues rock) vs Unknown Woodsmen (funklove)
Humble Braggers (indie ambient) vs Barroom Philosophers (reggae rock)
Wavy Cunningham (soul) vs Chris James and Mama G (Ameribeat)
Ocular Panther (prog/electro) vs SchwizZ (prog funk rock)
The final 8 matchups are in The Downtown Barn region:
Frank Palangi (solo rock) vs Boogie Low (acid rock)
Skeptic (death metal) vs Cousin Earth (folk rock fusion)
Fall of Humanity (metal) vs Dead Superstars (metal)
Kimono Dragons (surf rock) vs Further Unsound (psych rock)
Love Deep (jam/blues/rock) vs The Demos (indie pop)
Big Mean Sound Machine (funk) vs Danielle Ponder & Tomorrow People (soul)
EVHO (rock) vs Space Bacon (jamtronica)
Stellar Young (indie punk rock) vs Formula 5 (jam rock)
First Round voting begins at 10AM EST on Monday, March 11, and closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 13. Second Round begins at 10AM EST on Thursday, March 14 with the remaining 32 teams. Vote now for your favorites and discover some of the great up and coming music that New York State has to offer!