NYS Music 20​18

Category: Interviews

  • Lespecial: A Power-Rock Trio, Where They’ve Been, and What’s Coming Next

    About three quarters through the Fall/Winter 2018 tour, power-rock trio lespecial brought their unique style of genre bending jams to Putnam Place and joined me for a conversation about who they are, where they’ve been, and what’s coming up next.

    The show at Putnam Place was a much-anticipated stop for the region since their set at Adirondack Independence Festival this past summer where lespecial played a high energy set that enraptured the audience and grew the regional fan base significantly. The heavy grooving trio is composed of Luke Bemand (Bass/Synth/Percussion/Vocals), Jonathan Grusauskas (Guitar/Synth/Sampler/Percussion/Vocals), and Rory Dolan (Drums/Sampler/Percussion/Vocals.) The three childhood friends, who grew up in Connecticut and are now based in New York and Boston, have a lifetime of experiences to draw on in their creative process. Individually they are musical powerhouses, and together they won’t be stopped.

    Emily VanderWiel: This fall/winter tour has been quite extensive so far and you’ve covered a lot of ground since September. What have been some highlights of the tour so far?

    Luke Bemand: The Lespectacle show we do every year is usually a highlight for us, it’s our Halloween show, we collaborate with our friends at The Reliquarium and do an interactive art space. This year we did it at their space in Rhode Island where we had two stages.  Some of our favorite producers and bands were there; Freddy Todd, Bella’s Bartok, we collaborated with our friends Supersillyus and that for us is our big yearly event. It’s the eighth year we’ve done it… so that’s always fun. It’s stressful and insane but it’s fun and we’ve done it in Brooklyn the last five years so being closer to Boston, Rhode Island and Connecticut is cool for us.

    EV: I saw some video from Lespectacle, there were a lot of nice pro shot videos.

    LB: Yeah! That was all this guy!! (pointing to his brother and lespecial road warrior Sean Bemand)

    LB: Another fun one was Jacksonville with Moon Hooch, and we just announced a show in Burlington, VT with them on December 29 at Higher Ground. Looking forward to that, those guys are really cool, with our friend Honeycomb too.

    LB: Honeycomb is a beatboxer from Northampton and we’ve collaborated with him for a couple years, playing festivals in the Northeast but we hope to collab a lot more.

    EV: There’s been a lot of new material popping up at shows, do you guys have a new album in the works?

    LB: We have a ton of new material, we have enough for a new EP or a new album. We’ve been putting out a lot of live clips of our newer stuff. We have a new track with Zion I that we’ve been working on and playing out at shows. We have a lot of different things in the works, but the focus has been on touring and with playing out so much it’s hard to get in the studio, but we’ve been rehearsing, together a lot more and writing a lot. The easiest place for people to hear our new stuff is to come out to a show. Definitely within the next year we’d like to put out a new EP or a full-length album.

    EV: The tour has been covering a lot of ground, so there is certainly a lot of opportunity for fans to get out and see the new material at shows… it looks like you guys are busy straight through New Year’s?

    LB: Yeah! Next week we are in Baltimore with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, at Rams Head Live… that’ll be cool and then we are back up to Hartford for more of a hometown show in Connecticut at Arch Street Tavern and then our New Year’s run is going to be Pacific Standard Tavern in New Haven, The Snow Barn in West Dover, VT…which is an awesome place, we did it last year, played two sets and it was a lot of fun, and then Aqueous on New Year’s Eve in Buffalo. Now with Moon Hooch show in Burlington added, it will be four shows in a row.

    EV: You guys will probably be ready for a break after that?

    LB: (Laughs) There’s no breaks!

    EV: What a great way to ring in a New Year though, that many exciting shows back to back…

    LB: Totally, those are really exciting. It’s fun because it’s a couple headlining shows and then a couple supporting shows for bands that we like and that we enjoy playing with. Then January we are going to be headed out to Colorado and we are going to be announcing a whole bunch of other January dates, so there’s no real breaks. People will say “how was the tour?” and it’s like, wait? It’s not over yet! It’s just never stopping, which is both good and bad. We don’t do a full on two-month tour but we will play for a couple weeks and be off for a week and play for a couple weeks so it’s cycles that kinda keep going. It keeps the wheels going, we keep writing on the road.

    EV: As far as the song writing goes, do you all write? How does your creative process work?

    LB: It’s definitely a collaborative process, one of us could come up with an idea for a song, like maybe Jon will have a riff for a song or something like that and we take it to practice and then we kinda add our parts. There’s never anybody that says here’s a song and this is your part, and this is your part, etc. The whole writing process is very much that somebody can bring an idea to the table and then everyone… it’s the ideas that build. So there’s that give and pull when there’s no band leader and we write our music as a trio.

    EV: The show you guys have booked for tomorrow night is a cool concept. Can you tell me a little about that?

    LB: So, it’s at the Brighton Music Hall and it also happens to be Jon’s birthday. What’s cool about it is that we are doing one set of originals and one special 90’s “Headbangers Ball” set. Balkun Brothers are playing with us and doing a Nirvana set… pretty excited about this show because we all grew up listening to this music.

    EV: You’re finishing the year out strong, ending one hell of a tour with a show with Aqueous in Buffalo!

    LB: Yes, we are for sure looking forward to that, love those guys. It should be a good time! It’s not the end of the tour though, we will be announcing some dates out west soon so people should definitely keep an eye out for that.

    EV: Thanks for chatting with me guys and I know I will be catching a few of these shows along the way and I will definitely see you at The Town Ballroom! Have a great show tonight!

    Lespecial is one of the hardest working bands out there right now and there is so much opportunity to get out and see what they can do. Next up is a special show for Luke Bemand’s Birthday at Pacific Standard Tavern, followed by The Snow Barn in West Dover, VT, Higher Ground with Moon Hooch & Honeycomb, and ending the year with Aqueous at The Town Ballroom.   2019 tour info is available on their Facebook page.

    Check out this MKDevo recording of “The Vessel” from the Brighton Music Hall in Boston, MA on 11/17/18.

  • Nobody’s Girl. That’s Right.

    Individually Rebecca Loebe, Grace Pettis and BettySoo are established singer/songwriter/performers, each with a Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competition winner title in their pockets. In 2017, Rebecca suggested a joint tour by the three  “just to share the road, share our audiences and have a bit of fun.” That one-off idea was followed by a homemade promo video, a songwriting session, a record deal, and the birth of Nobody’s Girl.

    NYS Music spoke with all three members by phone in late November after a scheduled return to the Towne Crier in Beacon, N.Y. was “snow-poned” due to a heavy dumping of white stuff, canceling the evening’s show and taking our pre-show interview with it.

    After “announcing” ourselves on the line, we were ready roll.

    Mickey Deneher: I think of this as the evolution of Nobody’s Girl. You guys started out as friends. When did you first meet?

    Grace Pettis: We first meet around 10 years ago at the Kerville Folk Festival.

    MD: Each one of you is an award winner (at Kerville.)

    GP: We did all win the (New Folk) competition in different years. (But) that was the first year we all were there and hanging out and just became pals.

    MD: You go to Kerville, do song circles, a one-off tour, a writing session, and then a record deal from the session. Was this just a flash or the progression you where looking for?

    Rebecca Loebe: You pretty much nailed it, the progression of it. Basically it just happened organically and very quickly. That as soon as we got together and started singing together we had this great sort of harmony and chemistry together and just sort of opportunities kept presenting themselves really quickly.

    You know our first co-write was pretty magical. We wrote 3 songs in basically 18 hours that we really liked. When we played them for the folks who owned the recording studio where we had gone to write, they offered us a record deal. At that point we had not even played a gig together. We didn’t have any plans of touring or plans of becoming a band. I think that made it all develop really naturally, the fact that it wasn’t something that any of us where all gunning for. We didn’t have, you know, aspirations to make this the coolest band project ever. We just thought it was fun when we sang together.

    Rebecca Loebe

    MD: Let’s talk about the writing for the EP. All three of you are credited (for the originals). Is that because it is the writing process or do you all have to get in pieces?

    Grace Pettis: We are an equal collaboration at the writing table. Which is such a new and cool experience. I have written with a lot of people. I love co-writing. But I have never been in a band, where all three members are professional songwriters and get so much joy out of that process and can kind of meet each other at the same level as co-writers. That’s just been really fun. All of the songs are true, true collaborations. Like honestly, nobody really takes the lead. Maybe somebody will have an idea, somebody will take it and run with it, and then somebody else will chime in with a different direction and we write them from scratch. Together. Equally.

    MD: You went in for a writing session. You didn’t go in as a band, but you came out as a band.

    BettySoo: We were writing for the three of us to sing together. We definitely had that in mind. I don’t think we were writing like we would scrap a song if it was good and it didn’t feel like it was going to suit the trio that well. But definitely, that was definitely sitting in our minds as we were writing. Whether it was subconscious or whatever, that this was a song for the three of us.

    Grace Pettis: Definitely.

    BettySoo: I’m sure that shaped the process some, whether we were that conscious of it or not.

    MD: So you had the “voices” in your head that you were writing for.

    BettySoo: Absolutely.

    We turned our conversation to the band’s recently released debut recording “Waterline,” which contains 4 original compositions, two covers, and a bonus acoustic rendition of the title track. It was recorded at Studios at Fischer with assistance from some of Austin’s top session players. The EP was released on the Lucky Hound label.

    MD: I’ve enjoyed the EP. The writing, the harmonies, there are different voices in there. I’ve grouped them as I hear the different voices. Tell me about “Waterline” and “Riding out the Storm.” Metaphoric songs? Deep things happening to you guys? Am I thinking correctly?

    BettySoo: “Waterline” is an interesting example of a song that started with one idea and ended up in a completely different place. It started with, I remember really clearly, a chorus idea that I had on Christmas morning last year. I would sing it for you but you would not recognize it. It did not end up in the finished song. I brought the chorus to the group and we thought oh yeah that’s a good starting place, we’ll start with that. We wrote some verses and then we liked the verses that we wrote so much more than that chorus that we had to write a better chorus to match the song.

    I think there is a metaphor in that song about how things change slowly and you can use the waterline as a reference. Gauge how things have changed over time.

    BettySoo

    MD: “Bluebonnets” (a Raina Rose composition) is an opening up of what I want to become? I haven’t been there? This is what I’m going to be?

    Grace Pettis: That’s an interesting take. I think at the time, we were left kind of writing toward a theme in terms of let’s write five songs that all fit into a theme. We just were all writing from out experiences in life and some themes just came naturally out of that. When we decided to play “Bluebonnets,” it was mostly just because we all loved the song and we loved the songwriter Raina Rose. Rebecca suggested that one. I tried it on, cause it kind of fell to me. It was time for another song where Grace is singing lead. I was sort of tooling around with it. As I was playing it, I had always liked that song and I had know of it for maybe a decade, as I was playing it, I fell more in love with it as I was singing it because it just sounds like this classic Texas country song. To me it sounds like a Willie Nelson song or Townes Van Zandt song or something like that. It just sounds like classic and there is so much heart in it. So I feel like it sings itself almost.

    MD: “Call Me,” (Blondie cover) fun song, great song. What brought that to the EP?

    Rebecca Loebe: I think it came out of a conversation on what kind of songs we wanted to cover. We were talking about writers who inspire us; women who inspire us. We sort of all stumbled into our admiration of Debbie Harry, who is the driving force behind Blondie and an absolute badass, and Grace mentioned that she had been rehearsing “Call Me” and thinking of covering it. We pulled it up and listened to it and it really clicked with all of us. We sat, spent an hour working on an arrangement, and it was just so much fun using all our voices and BettySoo’s incredible electric guitar to come up with a version of that song that really feels like us.

    Grace Pettis

    MD: Let’s talk about the band name. Who came up with that? (All three start laughing.)

    BettySoo: That may have been the most full on equal part labor.

    Grace Pettis: Yeah.

    BettySoo: That thing (band name) that we wrote, even more than the five (songs.) Because we didn’t intend to be a band at first, we just thought we’re three pals going out on a kind of co-bill tour; that was nothing that we spent a lot of time working on. We were writing songs thinking it would be a special moment in a show. All of a sudden we find ourselves with this record deal, and realized we were a band and like, oh shoot, if we are going to put out a record, we have to have a band name.

    None of us were quite satisfied with the first name that we had, Sirens of South Austin, because we really just thought of that as a tour name. And, oh my god, we went through dozens and dozens and dozens of band name ideas. I think if we all didn’t love each other so much we would have killed each other (laughs.) What a way to come up with a band name. That was the most angst-ridden discussion we probably had as a band. Maybe that’s fitting, because your name is really such an identity marker. It’s how people will judge you before they meet you, trying to make that impression about having a name you are proud of. That you feel conveys all of your personalities but also who you are as a new entity. It was really hard to land on one thing. We also started listing a bunch of songs and albums and different titles of books and all kinds of things that were references for us. I think Grace at one point had mentioned the Bonnie Raitt song “Nobody’s Girl” and surprisingly it was something all of us could agree on. As time goes by, I think we have all gotten even fonder of it.

    Rebecca Loebe: It definitely says something. It says something quickly. It speaks to all of our character and the roots were building as a band.

    Grace Pettis: I liked it because it was versatile. It sounds fun. Sounds like it could be a pop band. But then it also has a bit of a bite to it.

    MD: It’s a statement.

    Rebecca Loebe: Definitely.

    MD: What’s on tap for 2019?

    RL: We’re doing a few international trips in 2019, including a tour in Europe (that) we are really excited about. We are going to be touring The Netherlands, Germany & Ireland. We’ve gotten some sweet requests to play shows. We will be in Texas in March and touring in the summer.

    Nobody’s Girl’s “Waterline” is available on the band’s website, ITunes, and at their shows. As for that canceled show at the Towne Crier, they’ll be back (but I think there is an no-snow rider in the contract).

  • Mihali Sells Out Putnam Place, Discusses Creative Process, Inspiration and Gratitude

    Mihali Savoulidis, the lead singer and guitarist from Vermont jam-band Twiddle made a stop on his solo tour at Putnam Place earlier this month.  Playing to a sold out crowd, the energy in the room was abuzz with excitement and positivity.  Playing a combination of covers, solo originals and Twiddle songs, Mihali shared his usual charisma with the audience and this spirit and animation carried over into our conversation after the show.   We discussed collaboration, inspiration and gratitude.

    Emily VanderWiel:  A new song with Nahko and Trevor Hall just released, “Fading State.”   Can you tell me about what the creative process is like when working with them?

    Mihali:   I wrote the tune and I had them in mind, so when I recorded I literally left those places blank and hoped that they would say yes, they are both some of my very good friends.   I met Nahko first, feels like many years ago, probably 6 or 7 years ago and I met Trevor a few summers ago and it was one of those things where both times we jammed, hung out and played.  We are all born in 86, we are kind of cut from the same cloth.  A blessing for me, truly though mainly because I was a huge fan of their music before I met both.  I knew their catalogue and their writing style, and I felt connected before I knew them, and it just flowed from there.

    EV:  You are a role model for so many of your fans, both musically and personally.  How do you feel about the idea of role models, and do you have someone that you look up to?

    MS:  I don’t think so, I’ve realized that all the people I have looked up to over the years, and just in general human beings are flawed, sensitive people and no one is really, truly a role model.  Nobody is perfect, no one is the end all, be all the best person there is.

    EV: How about musically?

    MS: Well, both questions go hand in hand because I have to say when I met Trey at LOCK’n two summers ago or something, I walked up to him and said, “Hey I’m Mihali from Twiddle, and thank you for showing me that recovery is possible and that music after recovery is possible.”  Trey is just always busy, trying new things, making music and I love that about him.

    MS:   You know, the least favorite question I ever get asked is “what’s this song about.” It’s never what its “supposed to be about.”  It could be totally different than what the singer wrote it about but if it means something to that fan in their world,  I’m not going to bust their bubble and tell them that’s not what the song is about.  It’s all totally subjective.   My question is to the fan, what do you think it’s about?  Then I agree.

    EV:   I have a fan question for you.  What was the inspiration for the song Juggernaut when you wrote it and how do you feel about the fan reaction to it?

    MS:  At this time in age, and where we are right now I know the political climate is gnarly and we (Twiddle) have always stepped away from that because nobody wants to get involved with politics in music.   But when I think about my wife and my daughter and all the females in my life and the people around me that I love, and respect aren’t getting their dues, and they are not getting respected then it feels like I have to say something.  For the first time ever, well, I have always been the one in the band that’s been like No, no, no, let’s not get involved in politics.   So, I wrote it as a joke. In the studio I said “Let’s do a grunge song, Nirvana or something.  I’ll just write some chords and we will go record it.”  And Kyle, our guitar tech, he had told me a story about when he was in third grade, some kid came up while they were playing king of the kill on a sandcastle and kicked him in the face and said, “You’ll never be king of the hill!”  It was a big deal to him in third grade, and so when I was recording that first vocal “You want to kick me in the face cuz I’m different, yeah you think you’re king of the hill.”  I had recorded that verse as a joke, and we sat home for months with the demos for the album and as the political climate started changing and we started seeing what was going on, I thought that hey now that really fits.  The verses then came after that.  What can I talk about that is going on in the world?  What is bothering me, so that’s where that song came from.

    Mihali’s solo tour has been very successful and is wrapping up Dec 15 at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA.  Also just announced, Mihali will be joining Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Saturday January 26 at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY.

  • History of Wyllys to keep the Party going late after The Disco Biscuits

    The jam scene in the Northeast is as healthy as it has ever been, with bands regularly touring across New York State, building audiences and markets in the process. When the shows are over and the crowd still has energy to keep the party going, that’s when DJs and post-shows come into play. During the upcoming Disco Biscuits run at The Palace Theatre this weekend, post-shows will be great in number, with J.E.D.I. performing late-night Friday, Scumdog Millionaire$ at Parish Public House on Saturday, and uptown at The Low Beat they will present ‘History of Wyllys’ featuring MoonSine and Sex on Decks. The latter of these will be going very late after The Disco Biscuits close out The Palace, and feature a variety of beats from Wyllys spanning the history of his career as a DJ. Wyllys spoke to NYS Music about what to expect from the late night performance and what it’s like touring as a DJ.

    wyllys

    Pete Mason: Your upcoming performance in Albany celebrates the History of Wyllys, featuring MoonSine and Sex on Decks – what can we expect from a set of music spanning the history of your career?

    Wyllys: My career will always start with ambient and drum and bass. I had always loved spacey music and the very second I heard drum and bass for the first time…LTJ Bukem-Logical Progression, that was it. I wanted to DJ. After that I will slide into Nu Disco where I will be joined by MoonSine. Zac and I have been collaborating for quite a while and he was the first keyboardist for Space Disco which we played many great gigs under. After that we will take house music till the end with a good friend of mine Sex On Decks. Dan has been playing many of the same rooms and festivals with me for years so I felt it was time we got together and flowed. B2B is an art form and it takes someone like Dan to make it hum. He has a great ear and style.

    PM: How and where did you get your start in the music industry?

    Wyllys: I started learning how to do lights and sound with Rane. I was also writing a good chunk of the lyrics for them along with my dear friend and killer writer Dave Griffin. Alan from Rane, who is now president of Telefunken, gave me my first set of decks and it was ON after that.

    PM: What were your early gigs like and what is touring as a DJ like?

    Wyllys: So much terror when you first start gigging. Really it’s about balancing the sound from your headphones with the monitor and PA and a lot of times there would be this NASTY slap back delay that fucked with your beatmatching. Plus I was playing all vinyl which comes with its own sets of challenges such as the bass feeding back through the needle or the bass moving the needle around the wax. After about a year I was more comfortable but the trick is to never get “too” comfy so as to keep learning and stay on your toes. Back then I was doing small shows in Hartford with Rane and a few other bands. Very modest and slow build to what I am doing these days.

    Touring as a DJ is interesting. I have worked on all sides of the ball in this industry and the “DJ Tour” can get weird quick. I rarely could afford a TM and since I was a TM it all came easy. However things can get out of control quick with no one to put you in check. It was never about ego with me, just getting into trouble and making piss poor decisions. I felt like I had finally “made it,” paying the bills with guarantees and what not. But when that happens you literally have to gig to survive and that sucked a lot of the joy out of it for me. Once it starts feeling like work it’s time to examine the situation.

    https://soundcloud.com/wyllys/for-jordan

    PM: The Hustler Ensemble was a notable period of Wyllys’ evolution – bring us back to that era and how the sound changed with musicians on stage with you.

    Wyllys: The scene needed a funk and disco version of DJ Logic’s previous excursions. Jay was a huge influence on me in that regard. I loved Nu Disco but the BPMs were too slow for prime time sets. I felt that adding musicians would be just the reinforcement I needed and push me out of my comfort zone. I was lucky enough to have Jen and Natalie as my core and bandleaders and they taught me so much about how to communicate with players effectively and how to prepare everyone as best you can before show. Rehearsal was not all that frequent because I would have people coming in from all over but the nature of it all was improvisation with a set of “heads” or tracks we start from. I look back on that time as my biggest period of musical growth and it made a LOT of people very happy. In the end the universe has bestowed a gift to you and it is up to you to share it…to bring people joy. We did that in spades!

    PM: Your live sets and mixes dive deep – without revealing secrets, where are you finding these funky undiscovered gems?

    Wyllys: Oh I can tell you right now (and Jon ‘The Barber’ Gutwillig will tell you the same) that Juno is a great place for underground tracks both on vinyl and digital. Crate digging is still huge for me too. If you are a DJ that plays vinyl the key is to form a relationship with your record store owner. They will get to know your taste and have a pile of wax for you to listen to. That inevitably will lead you down many wormholes with artists and genres you had never heard before.

    PM: You’re playing a post Disco Biscuits show on Saturday, November 24 – how have the Biscuits influenced your musical interests and performances, and what is their legacy as they approach 23 years in the jam scene?

    Wyllys: I really don’t even know where to start here. I had been DJing for 3 years before I actually saw them and when I initially heard them there was no “trancefusion” in their wheelhouse. Once they started that mutation it was over. You take that and their revolutionary inversion and dyslexic techniques and you have a juggernaut of a band. Their influence on me is quite massive. Sammy (Altman) was a master of drum and bass as well as Allen (Aucoin) and they showed me how to layer melodic content as a way to shape the narrative under the flurry of drums and percussion, to take the audience on a journey without sacrificing the pulse. They also taught me not to fear improvisation but to know that sometimes your ideas are going to fall flat on their face and you have to persevere, you have to get past it with grace and energy. The audience is going to respect that despite you just dropping a track at the wrong moment.

    Their legacy will always be that marriage of electronica and rock and roll and really, being the last TRUE jamband in the scene. I don’t think any band is going to touch what they do every single night. They have always been the punk rock of the scene in that DIY/take no prisoners way and “Bisco” is truly a culture all of its own. That raw and untamed energy they bring is that of a team that leaves it all on the field every single game. I feel blessed to have supported many of those games over the years and look forward to more.

  • Medeski’s Mad Skillet Buffet At Cohoes Music Hall

    John Medeski’s Mad Skillet is a hot-sizzling mashup, made from the potent ingredients flavoring New Orleans. Jazz, funk and Nola-inspired spontaneity root the quartet in their self-titled debut album, released last Friday. It was recorded in a Depression-era church which parallels the Mississippi (Living Room). It’s all the spices that you didn’t expect, but, when stirred, create something magical.

    The record opens a “vast musical universe with limitless potential,” said Medeski. Bred from Jazz & Heritage Festival late night sets, the group is fired up to explore endless possibilities at Cohoes Music Hall on Wednesday, November 14.

    Dirty Dozen Brass Band sousaphonist, Kirk Joseph, grooves, period. The low-end authentic brass drives and anchors the soundscape as it drifts. Nola-born drummer, Terence Higgins, leaves it all on the record with streetbeat syncopation and second line-flare that consumes the gaps between each melody. Brooklyn’s Will Bernard transforms the second-line funk band into a psychedelic rock-arena jam session. Medeski seasons the skillet with his fingertips – zesty organ and raw keyboard asides are every bit infectious as they are iconically Medeski.

    Photo: Marc Pagani

    “We love the record,” said Medeski, who was listening to it in the van as we began our interview. “There’s a certain chemistry with the group. We’ve played together in New Orleans, recorded there and wrote a few songs spontaneously in the studio. It turned into an instant band.”

    Mad Skillet’s fusion can be heard in studio-shed tracks like “Tuna In A Can” and “Psychedelic Rhino.” Higgins opens on the snare and rim, singing out a spunky bass-line. Feeling from the soul sprawls outward into musical expression as Joseph takes the pickup, mirroring Higgins’ lips. Bernard follows and Medeski explores the spectrum of obscure keys. The track is smooth and eerie, yet at its quietest levels, you can’t help but to dance. Bernard is featured in a gritty overdriving solo.

    “Psychedelic Rhino” is a free-form experiential dish that seamlessly converges. The blind-cook stirs aimlessly, relying on only feel and taste. Steady sousaphone and sporadic drums are explosively dynamic. Medeski’s galactic keyboards diverge the track into an ambient, mind-taxing, brew.  “Psychedelic Rhino” is a 10-minute journey testing the Skillet’s endless reach.

    “On ‘Psychedelic Rhino’ we just started playing, listening and creating. Music is its own language [When you add lyrics you tell people how to think]. To be able to use notes and rhythms in this way is beyond words. Like mathematics – it’s a really powerful thing,” said Medeski.

    “The Heart Of Soul” is a driving song-structured tune with distinct melody, keyboard comps and slide guitar, in honor of Medeski Martin and Wood’s late booking agent, Chip Hooper. Medeski also contributed “Invincible Bubble” and “Piri Piri.” Bernard takes regin on his tracks “A Man About Town” and “Little Miss Piggy.” Joseph pulls from desert vistas and Ennio Morricone sores on the eclectic and spirited “Adele.” The collaboration exists like itemized palates on your tongue; each song flavors the record and the musicians within each melody follow, suit-to-taste. All nine tracks are overwhelming – hard to consume all on one plate.

    Medeski’s Mad Skillet is all about this spontaneity. Live, their musical potential is limitless. “Everyone in the band is a great musician, composer and improviser. The band can travel in whichever direction depending on the night. Being in the moment and having the tools to turn that moment into musical expression is magical – who knows what will happen,” added Medeski.

    Mad Skillet has just set out on a tour that will spill over into April 2019. For Cohoes, all the material will be fresh in the quartet’s mind – ready to excite and reinterpret the music in real time. “We want to make people feel good and open their hearts up . And help them get on with their lives in a new way,” said Medeski. The all ages show will kick off at 8pm (doors 7pm) at 58 Remsen Street – Cohoes, NY.

    Read the full NYS Music Hearing Aide HERE

  • Wurliday: A Whirlwind of Funk to play Hollow Bar Albany

    Albany’s Wurliday will fill The Hollow Bar in downtown Albany on Saturday, November 10, for the final release of a two part EP-series, Bedtime Blazer.

    Bedtime Blazer Vol. II is a more-produced studio effort, where core bandmates come together in full fruition. In comparison to the 2017 EP, the six-track response takes a risky and adventurous leap. The music pushes and pulls constantly around soulful lyrics and enticing melody.

    “The idea behind Bedtime Blazer Vol. II was collaboration; taking a Steely Dan approach and making a record featuring special guests,” said bandleader/songwriter Justin Henricks (Beau Sasser’s Escape Plan/The Chronicles). “From the moment we step on stage I become another piece of the puzzle, but it has been really cool to see the band transform into something we can take on the road. In the grand scheme, we all do our thing and I am just there to drive the ship.”

    The opening track “Mill House” is infectious; Wurliday’s energy cannot be concealed. A guitar slide-in and hi-hat backbeat leaves the music weighted in your chest – juxtaposed to airy funk-guitar licks and spunky bass, as the full band takes force. The sound is refined and booms throughout your body. Synth spurts and complementing pads color higher frequencies, while drums texture the groove with up-beat ride bell and hi-hat splashes.

    “For the first record, the band was all playing in a live room together, right to tape. It was raw with track bleed,” said Henricks. “I was excited to embrace the studio in Vol 2. We really used the recording process to our advantage – for a more isolated, more produced, sound. We got deep into synth parts, layering guitars, strings and vocal harmonies.”

    Despite the synthetic creation, Bedtime Blazer Vol. II captures the essence of Wurliday live, wholeheartedly. The evolution of Vol. II is a realtime sight-window into Henrick’s effort with his new adventure. Each song brings a new vision, panning-out on the bands’ boundless limits.

    “Give It Up” is a tight-driving funk-rock track, spotlighting Girl Blue’s (Arielle O’Keefe) soaring vocals. Whereas, “Who Are You Anyways” is vibey – complemented with a pocket-sealed shuffle on drums. Girl Blue’s voice stands firm in the track at intimate and forte levels, while the rhythm section floats with the tide. Both songs were co-written by O’Keefe and Henricks, in addition to “Mill House” and “Take Me There.”

    “Clyde,” which was nothing more than an interlude track, morphed into one of Henrick’s favorites. It features master-talkbox and multi-instrumentalist Steveland Swatkins, who is relentless. “We had a little riff at the studio and I didn’t think much of it,” said Henricks. “I asked Steve if he was down and it just came together organically.”

    The collective of Bedtime Blazer Vol. II does not stop there. Both parts of Bedtime Blazer were recorded with Alan Evans at Iron Wax Studio in Millers Falls, MA. Vocals were recorded in a ‘dope attic studio,’ where Henricks used to live and Keyboards were tracked with Paulie Phillipone (West End Blend) at Funkhaus Nebularium in Hartford, CT. “We spent several long days tracking keyboards and live guitars, as he [Paulie], likes to do,” added Henricks. The Jazz-Funk group takes on Pop-Punk influence from longtime friend and State Champs frontman, Derek Discano, who has producing credits on the record. Henricks coins him as a ghostwriter. “It takes a village, man.”

    “The strengths in our band hinge on sticking true to the art of songwriting and having a really strong chorus’. There is depth and meaning in our lyrics that will get you dancing,” said Henricks. “Of all the songs we know and love, you could sing one back to someone immediately if asked to – because they have strong melody and lyrical content. We bridge that gap. It’s music we can all eat and get behind; while creating, being innovative and making something you can believe in – all at the same time.”

    Bedtime Blazer Vol. II was released this past Friday in-junction with a show at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford, CT; tying in Henricks’ roots as a Hartt School music graduate. A second show followed in New Haven, CT at Pacific Standard Tavern which was a mass of wind. This trifecta of shows roots Wurliday in the musical ecosystems to which they were born, and will take it all home for their Albany show next weekend.

  • Tough Guys: Caroline Jones is Unapologetically Here to Shine

    Remember this name: Caroline Jones. The 28-year-old country singer and songwriter released her first album, Bare Feet, in March 2018, and has had an outstandingly remarkable concert season opening for country successes Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffett, and Zac Brown.

    Caroline Jones

    NYS Music caught up with Caroline Jones after she opened for the Zac Brown Band at Saratoga Springs September 29, 2018.  Jones’ performance demonstrated great versatility in her 20 minutes on stage.  Mashing up John Denver’s melodies with her own,  covering Coldplay’s “Fix You,” and even singing her original songs “Bare Feet” and “Tough Guys,” Jones sounded a lot like a female Zac Brown. She even pulled out the harmonica on the last song, unapologetic of her flexibility. She can sing, play guitar and harp, and even writes music.

    Jones was unassuming as she sang on a stage washed in blue-violet light. Her petite frame was relaxed as her arched her voice over two octaves. She walked around the stage, dancing and singing about wanting a man to call her baby, and alternatively, telling people it’s tough if they don’t accept her as she is. Her voice training in opera shone through as she managed challenging transitions with ease.

    After the performance, she graciously met fans at a meet and greet where she authentically appeared both relaxed and interested in each fan’s words. Smiling for the camera and chatting about fans’ love of her music, Jones was right at home during the meet and greet.

    During the interview, Jones revealed her interest in country and pop music started young, at age nine, when she began vocal lessons with a teacher who specialized in jazz and opera. The teacher was her primary coach for many years, eventually guiding her to NYU to study opera. But her love of country was organic to her; she never lost it, and has found her way back to writing her popular tunes.

    Jones offered that her parents, featured in the autobiographical song “County Girl,” were from different backgrounds. Jones shared her father is southern, and wanted her to stay connected to her southern values, including humility and a love of nature.  She excitedly shared she enjoyed walking the grounds of SPAC earlier in the day and had found a babbling brook and the sunlight filtering through the trees. She admitted she often writes her best music in nature.

    When asked about her future, Jones confidently sees herself still writing music in ten years and growing as an artist and woman. She hopes to continue to put out the type of music that communicates her values and connection to nature and womanhood, as she has done so well this year.

    Jones had a sea of plaid flannel fans swaying and singing with her during her versatile twenty minutes on stage. Later in the night, she got the nod of approval from Zac himself as they played guitar together.

    Remember the name, Caroline Jones. She is quite possibly the biggest name about to burst onto the country scene this year.

  • Some CREAM with your Rock ‘N Roll?

    In the late 60’s, the band Cream had the music scene abuzz with it’s melding of jazz, blues & improvisation. After 3 years, 4 albums, and being crowned the first “super group,” the band called it a day in November of 1968. Flash-forward 50 years to today, when Malcolm Bruce (son of Jack Bruce), Kofi Baker (son of Ginger Baker), and Will Johns (nephew of Eric Clapton) pick up where the patriarchs of the power trio left off with a 50th anniversary world tour celebrating the music of Cream.

    NYS Music spoke with the band backstage at the Ridgefield Playhouse, in Ridgefield, CT. The tour has just started. As we sat down for our interview, the band and crew discussed gravity, the speed of light, black holes, mass and Star Trek. The stage was set for our conversation.

    cream

    Mickey Deneher: The tour has started and you’ve done a few dates already. How is it feeling on stage?

    Malcolm Bruce: It’s feeling good, we’re still finding it. We are still finding the magic, but there are magic moments.

    Kofi Baker: We’re still looking for the one.

    MB: There are magic moments (they) appear on stage and yeah it’s exciting. I think we are all kind of quite excited to see where this goes, you know. Especially when you’ve got such an intense run of almost 40 shows. You know there’s going to be a trajectory, there’s going to be a progression.

    MD: Absolutely. As it progresses, it’s going to change a little.

    MB: That’s true.

    MD: It’s going to evolve.

    MB: And with this kind of music, as anyone that knows about Cream’s music, it’s always changing. Every night.

    Will Johns: You know that is one thing is constant though is change.

    MB: CHANGE. Change is the constant.

    MD: As compared to the mass?

    MB: Yeah, what

    ever (laughs).

    cream

    MD: Talk about the Genesis of the tour. Where did it come from and where are we going?

    MB: This current project started last year in Australia and New Zealand. So we did seven shows there and the promoter at the time felt we needed, what they call “ringers.” “Ringers.”

    KB: Ringers, like the phone.

    MB: Because they didn’t quite know what the entity was in terms of us three. So they brought in a couple of “names”.

    KB: They brought in.

    MB: So Glen Hughes (bass player) and Robin Ford the guitarist came over and they sort of guested and came on and did a few songs. We sort of shaped the set around them doing it. They’re both amazing at what they do, you know. But, at the end of that we all, the three of us, realized this isn’t going to work. We, its number one, it’s trio music. Cream has to be the trio. You can’t have a tambourine guy.

    KB: You can have a triangle.

    MB: Or a Bolivian nose flute guy.

    KB: A Bolivian nose flute. Wow.

    MB: Or four base players, or sixty-four snare drums.cream

    MD: You are representing a Super Group.

    MB: “The” Super Group.

    MD: Agreed.

    KB: I don’t think we are representing a super group, what we are doing is we are having the essence of that super group and keeping it alive.

    MB: We are taking it forward in a way, in our own way.

    KB: It’s our thing that we have to do. Like a glass blower, a professional glass blower. He hands that on to his son and his son takes that to the next level and takes that thing. We are doing the same thing. We are taking our father’s stuff and just bringing it into the new generation.

    MD: I think of the responsibility, I think of what people are expecting when they come to the show.

    MB: But you know, especially when Cream started coming to the states. Something changed with the band didn’t it. It was when people were starting, I don’t know whether that happened initially on the west coast, when the audiences were kind of shouting out “just play man.” So rather than kind of keeping to the song format they just opened out. I think that’s what we’re interested in. We’re playing a lot of songs in a 2 ½ hour set, but we are interested in where these jams, where this improvisation will take us and I think that’s where it’s born anew. For us I think that’s the kind of most exciting thing.

    cream

    MD: Talking about jamming, you’re able to take it out every night? Go find something?

    MB: We are the kids of those people. But despite all that, I think all three of us have just spent, you know, many many years playing music and our interests in all different kinds of music. But when we play Cream, we can really assert that aspect of it. I think that’s a really powerful message for now because everything is so radio format. Corporations telling bands; you can’t, this is how you have to be in order to be successful and actually just playing.

    KB: If you noticed the dance thing, the visual thing has gotten bigger and bigger. It’s all about the dance, it’s all about the show, it’s all about the visual rather than the sound. Cream was all about the sound. So I want to bring that sound back thing in. That’s the whole reason I started doing the Cream thing. Then with Malcolm, he’s basically Jack Bruce; that’s why I’m Ginger Baker (band laughs).

    cream

    MD: You have two jazz cats and this blues dude (referring to Will Johns).

    KB: Which is exactly what Cream was.

    MB: Very similar.

    KB: Same age group, age difference is going to be the same as well.

    MD: Do you ever try to mess Will up a little?

    WJ: Do they ever (laughs).

    KB: We don’t have to try (laughs).

    MD: Talking about the essence of Cream, did you do anything special like amps or guitars to this to insure the sound?

    WJ: I was really, really lucky to have a friend of mine make some calls and Gibson Custom Shop were really happy to give me a Gibson ES335 to use on the tour. To basically celebrate the anniversary and of course, that was the guitar that Eric used at the farewell concert almost 50 years ago next month.

    MD: How did you put the setlist together? What was the thought process?

    MB: Well one of the things is you’ve got Kofi’s big drum solo in Toad, which is a big feature. You kind of look at where that’s going to come in the set and how you build to a first half and a second half.

    KB: Everything’s built around me.

    MB: It’s all about Kofi (laughs).

    WJ: Well that’s because he’s sitting down.

    MB: We were trying to pack in all the what’s expected of Cream’s repertoire. All the well know songs like: “Sunshine of Your Love,” “White Room,” “Cross Roads.”

    WJ: And there certain songs that really, really work, and a couple of songs that we tried and we worked on and stuff and perhaps were not lending themselves to a live performance. They were more studio songs.

    MB: These guys seemed to have ruled them out. But I haven’t complete ruled them out, yet.

    WJ: So Malcolm will be doing an a cappella, opening up the set (band laughs).

    MD: ’66 – ’68 were radical times in the states. 2018 is getting pretty radical out there.

    KB: Pots going to be legalized pretty soon everywhere.

    MD: That’s the least of the radical nature. If you look at what’s going on here. Are you guys feeling some relationship to that?

    MB: I don’t think it’s just the US.

    WJ: It’s all over the world.

    MB: When you get outside of the US you realize there’s a global aspect to everything that’s going on.

    KB: It’s like things come round, full circle.

    MB: There’s positive & negatives.

    WJ: I think we’ve all got a huge responsibility now to start cleaning up the planet, especially with these plastics. It’s gone completely out of control. We are harming ourselves; we’re harming the plant, animals, fish, especially our oceans.

    MB: Change has to happen in consciousness. Once people take responsibility, take responsibility for their own lives. There’s so much social conditioning in the world, so people just switch off. People have to be responsible for what they put out into the world.

    As our conversation goes deeper, Simon the tour manger signals that the band has a show to do and our time is up. Throughout the evening’s performance, I listened and watched as the band explored the music of Cream with the audience and themselves. Not an unsatisfied customer in the house.

    The “Music of Cream” world tour rolls into: The Paramount Huntington, Huntington, NY, Oct. 17th; The Vine at Del Lago Resort and Casino, Waterloo, NY, Oct, 19th ; The Egg, Albany NY, Oct. 21st. For more tour dates go to www.musicofcream.com.

  • Interview: Getting to Know Carpool

    This summer, NYS Music premiered the song “Idaho” from Carpool’s debut album. I Think Everyone’s A Cop came out on September 13. The Western NY alternative rock band’s songs contain catchy hooks, emotionally-charged lyrics, mathy riffs, and plenty of guitar pedal effects.

    Carpool weaves together elements from various alt rock sub-genres, which gives them broad appeal. Over the past few years, they’ve opened for a diverse array of national touring acts like Microwave (alternative rock), Tiny Moving Parts (math rock), Roswell Kid (pop punk), and Fossil Youth (Midwest emo).

    Carpool is made of Rochester natives Chris Colasanto (lead vocals/guitar), Blake Weissinger (bass/vocals), Tommy Eckerson (guitar/vocals), and Juan Ortiz (drums). NYS Music sat down with Colasanto to talk about gear, the album, and the Buffalo scene.

    Paula Cummings: Why the name Carpool?

    Chris Colasanto: We originally started as Eyes Wide Shut. It sounded pretentious. So we changed the name to Carpool. It’s about hanging out and sharing good times with your buddies. We actually released an EP, Absolute Loss, under Eyes Wide Shut. It was more straight shoegaze. Carpool is more punky-emo. It’s cutesy – punk, but fun.

    PC: Was this your first time in the studio?

    CC: This was the first time going into a legit studio. We banged it out in four days, 12-hour long days. It’s different from what we used to do. Sometimes we were recording in a bathroom on someone’s computer using Audacity or GarageBand.

    PC: Why did you go with the studio you chose?

    CC: We went with RJ DeMarco at Skyway Studios. Our friends in Ghostpool dropped an EP and we absolutely loved it. We messaged them, and they said to go to RJ. We weren’t pressured, but it felt like everyone was lighting a fire under our asses do our best. We fell in love with Buffalo. It’s why we decided to move here. We visited before, but this was different. We now live in the house we stayed at while we were recording. Everything fell into place nicely.

    PC: What’s the Buffalo scene like?

    CC: Everyone in Buffalo comes out to shows – they go hardcore and support the scene. The demographic is all over. Our last show was at Milkie’s and there were kids, parents, grandparents.

    PC: Tell me about the album.

    CC: We started writing a year ago. The whole thing is about complacency, substance abuse and relationships – like you’re stuck in a stagnant state of molasses.

    PC: I like that, “a stagnant state of molasses.” Your lyrics have interesting ways of turning a phrase.

    CC: We were very conscious of the lyrics this time. We wanted to write songs that everyone likes, that everyone can dance to, but the undertone has more to it. Some of the lyrics are very tongue-in-cheek and quirky. I feel it’s relatable because of those quirks. It’s honest, maybe a little too honest at times.

    PC: Tell me about the gear you used in the studio to create your sound.

    CC: Me and Tommy used my Roland JC120 amp from 1983. It’s awesome, it’s my baby. We used my pedal set-up, primarily Adventure Audio pedals (they’re from Rochester), and Electro-Harmonix and EarthQuaker Devices. Sometimes I get pretty obnoxious with the pedal effects, but it’s fun. Tommy added a BigSky Reverb that added layers and depth – a lot of wet noise. Blake used his Jazz Bass, and he used my Adventure Audio Pedals. It ripped. And we have Juan Ortiz on drums – he’s the man, amazing as always.

    PC: Final question… What would you each sing if you were on Carpool Karaoke?

    CC: Me and Blake would do a duet of “Picture” by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. Tommy would do trap rap – “Gucci Gang.” And Juan would do a full 21 Pilots album.

    Purchase I Think Everyone’s A Cop digitally on Bandcamp. Physical copies will be available soon through Syracuse indie label Nothing Feels Good Records. Catch Carpool at Mohawk Place on October 13 with Culture Abuse, Gouge Away, Worse Things, and GOA, or on November 8 with Taking Meds, Teenage Halloween, and Movershaker. Follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for upcoming shows and news.

  • Brass Phantoms: From Dublin to Dub at Mondo.NYC

    An electro-indie rock storm is brewing three thousand miles away. Dublin’s Brass Phantoms are electrifying and edgy. The five-piece band fuses punk rock attitude with a cinematic wall of sound that reverberates in its aftermath. Their refreshing approach on the indie scene has granted wide acclaim in Ireland and London, from Clash Magazine, The Metro and BBC Radio 6 to their music being featured on UEFA Championships League.

    Brass Phantoms will play an exclusive date for their second appearance at MONDO Festival in New York City. The storm spreads to Niagara in NYC’s East Village on October 2 with The Chordaes, Jay Karnell, Nikmoody and Toronto’s Casper Skulls.

    Brass Phantoms“The flight to New York will be eight hours of The War On Drugs,” said guitarist Greg Whelan. “To play as an Irish band in NYC is amazing. We just love doing this.”

    In the last two years, Brass Phantoms released a handful of catchy singles that encompass a mass of indie influence, along with booming dance-disco beats. “City of Wolves” hits like an unexpected whirlwind. An isolated drum-groove intro against the monochromatic bassline is unassuming, until the band explodes into the hook. With each change, overtones fill the sky. Electric guitar motifs shimmer as you float across the dancefloor.

    “A lot of guitar music automatically gets classified as The Strokes” said Whelan. “It is not offensive to be compared, but it makes it that much harder to stand out.” 

    Determined to rise out of these pitfalls, Brass Phantoms released “Disciples” which delves deeper and darker into Brass Phantoms. “Disciples” opens a bigger array of sound for the band, reminiscent of The Killers, with arena rock choruses.

    Their fusion of electronic beats and newly added synth has changed Brass Phantoms direction. With all the new music coming out of Dublin right now electronic music is faster, and keeps you relevant, explained Whelan. “It forces you to get out of the comfort zone. Bands like us, who are essentially rock, need to try new things”. Female synth player, Colleen Heavey, has been around for most of Brass Phantoms’ live gigs at home. “Her vocal harmonies are much better than the shit I can do. She keeps us in chek most of the time [laughs].”

    Brass Phantoms are geared up to release a 4-track EP early in 2019 and will leak two of the songs in November of this year. “There’s a lot of traction right now,” added Whelan. The new EP will have a different production with more layered guitars. “There’s not a single formula to write a song. It gives things a different feel live and that is important.” Furthermore, Brass Phantoms have performed their last few gigs in Dublin acoustic, which may result in a second 2019 release.

    “We are excited to see other bands, such as Casper Skulls,” said Whelan “Come down and stick around. Brass Phantoms will show you how real Irishmen drink.” The band is also excited to check out Yumi Zouma, who will be playing in Brooklyn later in the week.