NYS Music 20​17

Tag: r&b

  • The Motet and West End Blend at The Fairfield Theatre Company

    Although the mid-week blues were in full swing, West End Blend (WEB) and The Motet managed to put a pep in the step of almost every single attendee at The Warehouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. WEB set the scene and style of the night, something that needed to be done due to the lack of enthusiasm that filled the building. Then The Motet capped it all off and blew away the audience with their relentless energy and zealous attitude. Once again, a very wide array of people attended due to the location of the up-and-coming venue, but everyone was able to find some aspect of the show they loved.

    West End Blend is based out of Hartford and showcased their funk and soul styles, but didn’t show much else. Their show was well performed and obviously well rehearsed, but the music wasn’t anything that would revolutionize the idea of funk -rather it just solidified it, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They had the formula: A solid drummer, funky horn line, groovy bassist, talented but reserved guitarist and an eye/ear catching lead singer. But it’s all been done before. They did not come short of a great performance by any means, but they didn’t knock the socks off most people there. That may have been because they were seen as the opening band or maybe it was because they only performed in front of a handful of people. The crowd just didn’t respond very well – they barely even welcomed them to the stage. Hopefully, and more than likely, they will headline a venue and get some well deserved recognition instead of being seen as just the opening band.

    Some of their most memorable tracks were “Say Hey!” which featured one of the most iconic parts of the band, 27-year-old trumpeter Mike Bafundo and his fascinating ability to sound like a funky Louis Armstrong. He and lead singer Erica Bryan have two very contrasting voices which made for a unique sound that the crowed looked forward to for the remainder of their performance. “Get Bye’ was another highlight, featured as one of their most popular songs on Spotify and was one of the only one that ventured outside of the stream line funk sound. The lazy tempo and an even lazier horn line resulted in a danceable but reggae feel. Other songs did not stray far from the funk band formula like “Attitude,” “Too Heavy” and “The Scene” which were plenty of fun and soon to be released on an upcoming album – the date is TBA.

    The Motet on the other hand had a more memorable performance.  Most of the credit goes towards the front man Lyle Divinsky. In a funk band, the lead singer needs to be like a conductor. He/she needs to draw attention to separate parts of the group because they are all required to be in unison to make the iconic sound. The horns stay reserved for the majority of the song but make a big pop during breakdowns and chorus’ – the same applies for the strings and synths. So he/she needs to work the whole stage and keep everyone’s eyes and ears moving – something Lyle has mastered and something that would change the whole attitude of WEB if Bryan were to follow in his footsteps. The Motet came out strong with “Damn!” which has been a favorite to open with for the majority of their shows including their prior Warehouse show and their first time Headlining the Red Rocks Amphitheater. It’s a perfect, straightforward ice breaker with a great funk formula that can easily flaunt their ability to build and climax flawlessly. “Damn!” is off their 7th studio album, Totem, and shows that the group is nowhere near out of ideas for funky tracks. Their sound is very familiar but manages to be unique, something that might only be true to their live performances, as their studio recordings are a little less impactful.

    They moved on to, “Like We Own It,” “Rynodub,” and “The Truth,” all of which were well received. “So High” came up and The Warehouse saw some incredible solo’s from the hornline. The crowd responded really well to Drew Sayers on saxophone. He had plenty of emotion and was able to work his way through the solo in an abstract but palatable way. He was smooth and well thought out and wasn’t afraid to take some risks. Trumpeter Gabe Mervine eventually came out of his shell after some sound board complications. He seemed concerned he wasn’t coming through clearly, but was able to focus after the problem was resolved. Keys player Joey Porter also had a few astounding and greatly appreciated solos, one of which was during “So High” where he played through a vocorder. It fit flawlessly into the songs style and got one of the biggest reactions out of the crowd.

    Drummer and founder Dave Watts never really had a moment to shine unfortunately, nor did bassist Garrett Sayers. Granted both of them have a very important role to play and not a lot of time so flaunt their abilities, but they both deserved a little more limelight than they were given. Garrett had a small chance to solo but he is such an entertaining musician and it would have been nice to see him a bit closer to the audience both literally and musically.

    The music was all incredible, but it all seemed more like an act or play because of Devinsky’s energy and charisma. He is best described as an actor but his personality comes off as genuine. He was so grateful for everyone’s enthusiasm, for being able to play at The Warehouse and was very appreciative of his band mates and their talents. Not only was he appreciative, he was sweating bullets and showed no signs of fatigue. His personality was just charming to everyone and a good part of the bands demeanor stems from Devinsky’s actions. They closed out with a cover of “Getten to Know You” by Parliament and “I Feel For You” by Prince and finished on their own “Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed.”

    This show was definitely a highlight for The Warehouse and one would hope and expect this won’t be the last time The Motet performs there. They will unfortunately be heading South and West for the first part of the summer, but will be seen at Disc Jam 2017.

  • Hearing Aide: Andy Suzuki and The Method ‘The Glass Hour’

    Andy Suzuki & The Method (Kozza Babumba) are on the verge of releasing something incredible. It’s called The Glass Hour and it’s going to get them the recognition they deserve. Their past work, unfortunately, blended in among other folk-rock/pop bands, but they have taken a new direction that will definitely make waves in the New York music scene and it’s only a matter of time before they reach national recognition. They’re slowly finding their niche, now focused around future-pop with heavy R&B and soul touches, garnished with rock undertones. There are a wide variety of tones and attitudes and one could imagine these songs fitting seamlessly in between today’s popular music radio stations.

    The Brooklyn based bunch have known each other for some time and have been producing music for about 10 years now. They first met in college and knew that they would fit together perfectly musically. Their unique backgrounds made them gravitate towards each other with Suzuki, being half Jewish and half Japanese, practicing music in both languages, and Kozza, being the son of Grammy-winning percussionist Babatunde Olatunji. They teamed up, created three albums and on February 3rd they will release their fourth one which  is arguably their best work.

    Their prior album, Born Out of Mischief,  is very heavy on the folk/country side and it slipped under the radar. It was creative, well thought out and well produced. It showed that they knew what they were doing and could work their way around a studio and recording process. It was great work but it just wasn’t special and wasn’t worthy of great recognition. Going above and beyond, trying new techniques and combining sounds that have not been fused together before is what gets the name out there. Mischief didn’t do the trick, but The Glass Hour sure will.

    The album starts off with “Run Away” and the attitude and tone is such an incredible change compared to Mischief. It’s a giant leap towards today’s pop music direction. The Method, who will be referred to as Babumba, has a keen ear for an addictive beat. That, paired to Suzuki’s sultry voice, is the perfect recipe for a not too distant future-pop sound that feels familiar but has enough flare to keep things interesting and unique. This track is a softer entry into the album but things get even more interesting as it goes along.

    “I Can’t Live” is one of the singles they released and it’s one of which they seem to be particularly proud. They say it’s one of the tracks that sounds like a cross between Jack Garratt and Michael Jackson. That’s a bold statement, but it’s arguably true. The song is more impressive because of its properly balanced mix of pop and rock. Both clean and distorted guitar sounds ring throughout the entire song which gives the heavy pop beats and licks a nice flare.

    Andy Suzuki“Shelter” is definitely a notable track because of it’s heavy R&B and gospel  influences which makes for a very emotional song. It seems that it’s about trying to convince a girl that he will take care of and “shelter” her, which is very R&B-like lyrical content. One of the best phrases of the song is when it climaxes and they bring in a beautiful gospel/church-like chorus line and it can send chills up and down the spine of listeners.

    “Fire” is more typical pop, filled with tribal drum beats and plenty of vocalization. It brings to mind a movie montage of a group of friends on their way across country via a VW Microbus. It’s well made, but lacks direction. It’s very predictable and can be uneventful to those who don’t enjoy this type of sound.

    Once listeners hit “I Need You More” they’ll see that he group is still in experimental phase as they toy around with a very 90’s pop sound. The tone stems from the beat mainly with it’s peppy and upbeat grooves and recognizable synthetic snare hits. They again combine this sound with a gospel chorus line that adds a nice flavor to an old sound. And it works pretty well, but more than likely for a small demographic. But society is full of surprises and may eat this stuff up.

    “Come Forward” is very well done and has one of the most aggressive attitudes on the record. It carries a primarily minor tonality all the way through and it makes for a very unique track. Once again, Babumba creates a very cerebral and intriguing series of beats. It’s very busy and complicated but listeners can still feel the beat and that’s not something that’s easily accomplished.

    “Overtime” will definitely be a crowd pleaser. It was another one of the singles they released so it’s obvious they’re very confident about it. The chorus is so well done and it’s hard to explain why, but Suzuki hits a perfect series of notes over a super smooth, laid back and spacey beat. Again, a bluesy and distorted guitar solo makes a for a fantastic and addicting climax.

    If listeners weren’t perplexed by the album’s diversity by this point, then they will be by the time they hear “Digging My Way Out.” It almost sounds like a modern chain gang song. It’s march with a “four on the floor” beat with a jingling tambourine on the upbeat to give it an authentic chain gang song feel. Once again, their guitarist absolutely crushes the solos and adds a fantastic emotional flavor to the song that separates it from other genres and bands alike.

    The album is highly experimental, but it seems that there is one central theme among all the songs and that’s the intricacies of the music and how they propel the songs forward. Suzuki’s voice is immaculate, there’s no argument, but a lot of the focus is directed towards how addictive the song is musically. Hopefully, they will stay with their influences of R&B and rock because these flavors obviously work with so many different genres.

    Key Tracks:  Overtime, Shelter, I Can’t Live, Digging My Way Out

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_CH_FhCKb4

  • Bebe Rexha Announces ‘All Your Fault’ Tour

    Update 01/31/2017: Just announced, after her Irving Plaza show sold out in NYC, Bebe Rexha has added a second date inside The Big Apple on March 31, at the Warsaw, in Brooklyn.

    Original article follows:

    New York’s own, Bebe Rexha, has been one of the hottest, in demand rising stars over the last two years. The vocalist has not only been turning out her own hit tracks. Rexha, with her captivating unique voice, can be heard on many different chart topping tracks expanding multiple genres over the last couple of years.

    Bebe RexhaAfter opening for artists like Nick Jonas and Ellie Goulding, Rexha is ready to embark on her first headline tour. Rexha will have a busy month of March as the “I Got You” singer will hit 20 different cities across North America during the month in support of her first studio album titled All Your Fault: Pt1. The album, which the tour is named after, will be released on Feb. 17, courtesy of Warner Bros.

    The curtain will open March 1 at Trees in Dallas, Texas and take a final bow March 30 at the U Street Music Hall in Washington, D.C. Rexha will return home to New York and play NYC on March 29 at Irving Plaza.  Opening for Rexha on the first leg of the tour will be Daniel Skye.

    After being disrespected by some in the music business, Rexha made a name for herself against all odds on the heavily rock genre favored Vans Warped Tour in 2015. Since then, Rexha has dyed her hair blonde and has never looked back. Rexha lent her many talents to various artists in her young career either performing, writing or both on tracks for artists like Eminem, Selena Gomez, Bella Thorne, Nick Jonas and Iggy Azalea. Rexha has performed on many hit singles including “Take Me Home” (Cash Cash), “Hey Mama” (David Guetta), “Me, Myself & I” (G-Eazy) and “In The Name Of Love” (Martin Garrix).

    Tickets cost $18. VIP packages are available.

    Full Tour Dates Listed Below:

    Bebe Rexha

  • Ginuwine is the real MVP; Most Valuable ‘Pony’

    Since Ginuwine came out with his would-be classic “Pony” in 1996, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t at least sing the chorus back to you. His career continued strong through the early 2000’s with songs like “Differences,” “In Those Jeans,” and collaborations with people like P.Diddy, Missy Elliot, Nas, and more.

    Flash forward to 2017 and he is still beloved by his fans and actively proving to his critics that he has had the staying power over his more than 20 year career, to sell out shows and set the crowds ablaze. He is the real MVP; Most Valuable ‘Pony’, and a King of R&B.

    ginuwineWhile covering his sold out January 26 show at Vapor Nightclub in Saratoga Springs, one major thing struck me; the energy. Ginuwine’s live show was not the watered down nostalgia that you tend to expect from an artist in the 3rd decade of their career. It was electric, upbeat, relevant and above all, entertaining.

    Playing about 90 minutes with a 7 piece live band, who were fantastic in their own right, Ginuwine was warm and giving to his fans. He frequently hopped into the crowd, grabbing hands, giving hugs, and dancing. Vocally, Ginuwine is still rich with strength and tone, a true feat after so many years in the business. The buzz in the crowd was that he thoroughly impressed everyone in attendance including those who showed up not expecting much.

    After watching him own the sold out crowd from the beginning to the end of his performance,  I don’t doubt that he will continue to sell out shows as his come back progresses.  It was a surefire reminder that the real OG’s are never to be counted out. Upstate NY made it clear, they still love Ginuwine.