NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Singer-Songwriter

  • Hearing Aide: Sharon Coates ‘here now’

    Rochester-based songwriter and vocalist Sharon Coates recently released her second album just in time for winter, entitled here now. This eleven-track jukebox brings a variety of styles to our ears, with a persistent folk and americana intention, only complimented by her soft vocal timbre.

    Her intriguing lyrical stories take us through her personal timeline, apparent in her reminiscent song “The Town Where I Live,” and in her evolution of complex concepts through poetry in “Cathedral.” Joining her on the record are instrumentalists Dave Drago, Alex Northrup, Jacob Walsh and Dave Chisholm, and in sync, their sound is familiarized as Southern country, with use of an accordion, banjo, organ, and even a trumpet to round out the sound.

    With interesting rhythm changes and unique guitar strumming patterns, songs like “Mexico” and the major-minor combative “Just Don’t” stand out as the album’s commanders. The song’s opening track “A Bullet Ain’t Got A Name” has a slight Tom Petty hint to it, with a light, smooth groove to introduce Coate’s new chapter. Her initial release was back in 2016, and it wasn’t long before she was ready to release new material to her listeners, and this album was well delivered the second time around. There’s no reason for her to be here now, when she’s been here all along, releasing music back-to-back.

    Despite her library of music, Sharon Coates puts her music in few places. To listen to her full album, you can go to her Bandcamp site, or stream a few songs form her album below.

    Key Tracks: Mexico, Just Don’t

  • Hearing Aide: Sydney Worthley “Strong”

    In anticipation for her upcoming album release, Albany-based singer-songwriter Sydney Worthley has dropped the title track of her new album exclusively this week, entitled “Strong.”

    Sydney Worthley StrongFor anyone who has ever seen the decline of a loved one, through various hospital visits and treatments, this song hits right at home. Despite the morbid picture the lyrics paint for us, Worthley reminds us to hold on to our loved ones and keep going.

    This title track will be one of the many pop-infused trials Sydney brings us on Strong, which will be released on September 9. This album features 14 tracks, each song with its own unique style and intent. She has a creative mind for vocalization and harmonizing, which renders her identity to fit a folk or Americana sphere. Her ease of shifting in and out of her head voice could be comparable to Joni Mitchell, with a songwriting technique similar to that of early Taylor Swift. Despite the multiple genres Sydney toys with in Strong, it’s in this soft, vulnerable space where we hope to see future works of Sydney Worthley, which will allow her vocal technique, and her story, to shine through.

    In anticipation for the upcoming album release, head over to her Twitter and Facebook for updates on releases and performances, and check out Sydney’s newly-released title track below.

  • Hearing Aide: Matthew O’Neill’s ‘Trophic Cascade’

    Underwater Panther Coalition, an emerging record label with a mission to take care of our Earth, recently released Matthew O’Neill’s LP Trophic Cascade on May 5. This debut LP features O’Neill’s single “Louisiana” released in March earlier this year in support of Earth Guardians.

    Currently living in Upstate New York, O’Neill was raised in Pennsylvania and spent much of his time immersed in the Eastern Woodlands. O’Neill’s musical inspiration and style is drawn directly from his relationship between modern life and his exposure to the indigenous lifestyle. Half of all profits from the record sales are to be donated to frontline earth protection groups and more specifically to conserving indigenous rights.

    O’Neill’s perspective of the world is drawn from varied experiences that can be heard throughout his LP as he channels these contrasting lifestyles into music. Trophic Cascade is composed of fourteen tracks that experiment with sounds from a broad range of music genres. Styles such as psychedelia are prevalent during “1000 years” and the mountain styled music peaks through on songs like “Golden Boy” and “Relaunching.”

    Other songs on Trophic Cascade include elements of Americana, rock, folk and soul. “There You Go Again” features a horn section while “Break Stride” embodies a toe-tapping and fun upbeat rhythm. Each of these fourteen tracks embodies another emotional message and strives to build the bridge between activism and action.

    Whether or not you are an avid tree hugger is not integral to be a fan of O’Neill’s music. The sincerity within his music shines through as it goes hand-in-hand with his message of appreciating and protecting our world’s natural beauty.

    Key Tracks: Louisiana, Ain’t No Way, Relaunching