Jamestown four-piece fusion group Cold Lazarus have recently released the video for “Butterflies.” Filmed in various locations in Western New York – including Ripley Beach on Lake Erie, downtown Jamestown and Nietzsche’s in Buffalo – over a period of about two months, the video was directed by Jamestown-based filmmaker Nigel Eastman, who was assisted by his director of photography, John Brown.
“Butterflies” first appeared on Cold Lazarus‘ debut EP All Alone in February 2017, and was re-recorded for inclusion on the band’s self-titled full-length debut album, released in January 2018. Stream their music on Spotify and Apple Music.
Although they’ve gone their separate ways, Oneonta’s Space Carnival have shared video from their late night Wormtown Festival set from September 15. The combination of “Pleasure in Sin” -> “2001” -> “Moon Boots” come from Space Carnival’s first Wormtown show and the late night set after Lettuce was a packed cabin for the duration of their two and a half hour set. One of the final Space Carnival shows, guitarist Jeremy Kraus said “We went into it with zero rules and no plans for anything, as we always did.”
This past Halloween, Long Island based prog rockers Dino Skatepark has released the music video for “Boogeyman.” The punk band gets heavy in “Boogeyman,” with eleven different time changes, and style changes from punk to jazz and metal. The video was filmed by local videographer Sean Johnson with direction inspired by Dino Skatepark vocalist Dylan Belpanno and drummer Joe Quinn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqWA_XdgIWg
Dino Skatepark has released four singles, including “East Quogue” released in June 2018 and are in the process of releasing four new songs throughout the course of the next few months accompanied by music and lyric videos. Stay tuned to Dino Skatepark on Facebook for updates and upcoming shows.
Walk Off The Earth, the indie-pop band from Burlington, Ontario have released the new single, “Fifth Avenue,” ahead of their upcoming US tour this November. As percussionist Joel Cassady explains, “New York has been the source of many important milestones for us on our journey as a band, and it felt like the right time to create a song honoring this amazing city that for us and so many others has helped turn dreams into reality.”
Billboard describes the track as “Exploring the wonders and challenges of living in the concrete jungle, the upbeat, New York-inspired tune narrates both the coming of age and the constant epiphanies brought by the chaotic — but endlessly inspiring — life in the city.” Comprised of five multi instrumentalists (Sarah Blackwood, Gianni Luminati, Marshall, Joel Cassady, Beard Guy), Walk Off The Earth originally gained massive public attention when their interpretation of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.”
Since then, the band has released a string of successful original songs including “Fire In My Soul” and “Rule The World,” both of which went platinum in Canada and have supported Keith Urban, Snoop Dogg and Steve Aoki, as well as winning the Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for “Group Of The Year”
After a summer in Canada and Europe, Walk Off The Earth return to the US in November 2018. Watch video of their performance of “Fifth Avenue” on Good Day New York from October 2.
Tour Dates
Nov. 1 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
Nov. 2 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
Nov. 3 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Nov. 4 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
Nov. 6 – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
Nov. 7 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
Nov. 10 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
Nov. 11 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
Nov. 13 – Austin, TX – Stubbs
Nov. 14 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Nov. 16 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
Brooklyn-based quintet Phony Ppl have shared their funky new song, “Something About Your Love”, off their forthcoming album, mō’zā-ik, due out Oct. 19. Phony Ppl blend soul, funk, and R&B and are not limited to just one genre, as evidenced by this track mixed by Grammy Award winner Qmillion. Complex premiered the song, who said “Although this track details the experience of heartache and pondering the right time to leave a toxic situation, the band creates a balance with the instrumentation that mirrors the good moments we tend to focus on when ignoring all the red flags.”
Explaining the track, frontman Elbee Thrie noted, “It’s a song about staying in a relationship you know is poisonous. We recorded it at a Universal Audio session in Santa Cruz, CA then finished back in NYC at ‘The Cabin’ at The Manhattan Center” Phony Ppl also earned cosigns from heavyweights Childish Gambino and Tyler The Creator, who named “End of the Night” one of his favorite tracks that year.
Phony Ppl have performed with Erykah Badu and The Roots, along with opening for 2017 breakout star Kali Uchis on her nationwide tour, and individual members have shared their talents on projects from Snake Hips, Princess Nokia, Mac Miller and Odd Future.
All five members of Phony Ppl come from a long line of musical families which helped cultivate their own love for the artform. Each member attended music classes and schools across the country, including Juilliard and the School of Rock, before finding each other in 2009. Those early after-school jam sessions evolved into the band’s current lineup, featuring Elbee Thrie on vocals, Elijah Rawk on lead guitar, Matt “Maffyuu” Byas on drums, Aja Grant on keys and Bari Bass on bass guitar.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Nov. 8 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
Nov. 9 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA
Nov. 11 – The Pressroom – Phoenix, AZ //
Nov. 13 – Summit – Denver, CO
Nov. 15 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
Nov. 16 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 18 – Vogue – Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 19 – House of Blues Cleveland – Cleveland, OH
Nov. 20 – The Danforth BIA – Toronto, ON
Nov. 21 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
Nov. 23 – The Fillmore -Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 24 – The National – Richmond, VA Nov. 25 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Nov. 26 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Grunge-punk trio Candy Ambulance dropped a new and intense music video for their “Spray,” the title track off the band’s EP Spray released earlier this year. The fast-paced and delightfully quirky tune explores the fixation of mania and anxiety, in a frenzied and wild ride with raw, energetic and wildly unabashed visual cut.
Vocalist Caitlin Barker shared, “Choosing “Spray” for the first video off our latest EP was a no-brainer. I was very agitated when I wrote the song. I started to see the narrative play out in my mind every time we rehearsed it; a sweaty drink glass, rubber dish gloves, smoking at the record player. It felt like a song I could see.” The band said their aim is to “make the viewer itch a little,” with a montage of scenarios throughout.
Formed in the summer of 2014, Albany-based and grunge-influenced Candy Ambulance is Caitlin Barker, Jesse Bolduc & Jon Cantiello. Lifelong friends and musical mates Bolduc & Cantiello rescued Barker from a wealthy engagement prospect and whisked her away to the land of DIY punk. Poppy melodies, dynamic vocal changes and half naked live shows have solidified this rock trio as always entertaining, unabashed fun.
With a delicious blend of gritty grunge and punk-rock hooks, Candy Ambulance continue to hone their sound into an irresistible mix, and building their name with intense, antic-filled live shows. They opened for PVRIS in May, and have performed alongside acts such as Screaming Females, Speedy Ortiz, Daddy Issues, and Dorothy.
Spray is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes and all major digital retailers. Candy Ambulance continue to tour with upcoming eastern and midwest U.S. shows, and are in the process of writing and recording new material this winter.
The long-awaited music video by New York-based band Gallons of Pork, “WEED POLICE,” debuts today on NYS Music. The song has been an unexpected hit in the Northeast DIY scenes. Produced by Jack of Trades Media, the WPD are a specialized squad who gauge random folks on their Tetrahydrocannabinol levels, tirelessly searching for any dweebs who pass on that loud.
Gallons of Pork assures fans that there is more to the WEED POLICE than meets the eye: “They will arrest you for not being high / that’s about it, that’s all they do.” … Along with violent involuntary dosing, civil asset forfeiture, and brutal arrests.
Bassist and video director Frankie Krungus says of the video, “Our nerdy side is apparent; the video is rife with Dragon Ball references, combo moves, and sound effects. I was really inspired by music videos like Black Flag’s ‘TV Party’ and anything by Mac DeMarco, so I took that and peppered it with my dear childhood memories of watching raunchy dashcam footage on YouTube and the tv show ‘Cops.’
Gallons Of Pork blurs the lines between genres with versatile and high-energy music that is highly addictive, loaded with chemicals, packaged and ready to serve. Gallons of Pork are in a class of their own with bizarre caricatures and zany tonality, teetering atop the precarious point between magnetism and chaos. These are stories about the band and their encounters in a world that they never asked to be born into – each song an expertly-sourced blend of extreme elements of metal, jazz, punk, funk and more, designed to shake the hanging meat right off the hooks.
Gallons of Pork is bassist Frankie Krungus AKA Copus Krungus in WPD, guitarist and vocalist Joe Kap (the good citizen), singer Peter Grancio AKA Sneaky Pete, guitar maestro Mo LaMastro (another target of the WPD), and drummer Mike Sandbags AKA “Mikey Gash.”
The band formed when Frankie gathered these hooligans in a rehearsal space. He and Mike knew each other from back in their hometown of Staten Island, NYC. Mike performs with his band Figurehead who is based there. The first time Frankie and Joe Kap met, they jammed while an edible kicked in. Joe gave the band a home to jam and write songs out of on Dietz Street in Oneonta, NY. Mo LaMastro has developed a musical language and flavor unique to his own style and this band. Pete has been a recent addition to the band, at first as engineer, then producer, then performer. He transcends from a bizarre vocalist on the record into an in-your-face MC live. He also plays drums in the bands Elm Sun and Gamma Ghouls, whose members are all featured in the Weed Police video.
The band is currently recording their third album, The Third Annual Phram Dongleson Memorial Hot Dog Eating Contest for a digital and vinyl release in April 2019, with eight tracks that incorporate their improvisational & multi-genre instincts into a freshest farm to table sound.
Brooklyn based electro-pop/rock group Beauty in the Machine recently released a mesmerizing animated video for their latest single “13 Days.” With dazzling vocals from Jennifer Cella, former lead vocalist of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and production by Monikkr, the monochromatic animation is a brilliant juxtaposition of sight and sound playing to the track’s effervescent theme.
Beauty in the Machine is Jennifer Cella and producer/DJ Monikkr, combining elements from progressive rock and bass-driven house music for a Sub Pop feel. Live performances combine drum machines, synths, vocals and captivating visuals that bring together a seductive, futuristic and immersive experience.
As former lead vocalist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Jennifer has headlined on some of the most prestigious stages in the world including beloved Madison Square Garden in New York City, as well as performed with various musical legends including Roger Daltrey of The Who, Joan Jett, Greg Lake of ELP and Jon Anderson of Yes. Monikkr, on the other hand, has DJed alongside some of the biggest names in dance music. As a former resident of legendary Webster Hall, you could find him opening for Skrillex, Dada Life, Bingo Players, Tommy Lee and many more. Before that, he was a live musician in rock bands Crash Theory and Colorblind and house music live act, Speakerbox. Together today, they’ve been compared to a modern version of Sneaker Pimps meets Portishead.
Albany’s Backseat Bullets consider themselves the noisiest band from the Capital District and that moniker is on the spot on “Bonnie Meets Clyde,” the latest single from the shoe gaze trio that combines grunge, punk and emo-pop with ease.
Geddies says of the track: “‘Bonnie Meets Clyde’ was one of four or five songs I had written and taken real Lo-fi crappy recordings of in my dorm room spring semester of my freshman year. It was the result of the convergence between a bunch of new artists and musical styles I had been getting into, some pretty obscure and interesting stuff. For the longest time the melody and later, the lyrics (mainly about all the antics love inspires), of the song played as a soundtrack for my life, something I would whistle or hum to myself on the way to class. After classes ended for Jeremy (Lopez) and I and we were back home for the summer practicing for the string of shows and small weekend tours we had coming up we would work on the song here and there but it was never something that took the spotlight.
We finally had it written the way we wanted and had gotten the chance to play it only at one or two shows towards the end of summer. A week before Jeremy left for school I remember coming to him asking “Hey let’s record this” with the intention to release it while we were away. I guess the whole thing was just pretty impulsive, we got it all recorded in a day and sent out to be further mixed and mastered later that week. It really proved to me how much important the shared importance of music and DIY ethos are between Jeremy and I. The whole mentality I had the entire time was just to use the little time we had available to us (we both had pretty intense work and personal schedules at the time ) to make a song that in the end both of us were pretty proud of.”
Lopez says of the track: “This one was pretty special because I knew it was going to be the last song we would track together as a while. It was almost like a wake up call for me to be honest with myself and admit the fact that summer is over and Zac and I will be apart for a while. With my Behringer 4 input audio interface and 4 Pyle (SM57 clones), we tracked the guitar and drums in one take which was surprising because we never do that. Our friend Matt Spinner (The Northway) was kind enough to mix and master this basement recording of ours in due time for its release. We’re proud of it and hope ya’ll enjoy it too!”
The Backseat Bullets (BSB) have a true “do it yourself attitude” and have quickly become game changers in the Albany music scene. Starting with their humble beginnings in a barn outside of the city to working their way into some of the most iconic and nationally recognizable venues in the scene. Hopeful to reinvent the old stereotype of a three piece punk band, The Backseat Bullets have roots in hardcore punk as well as modern dream pop and shoegaze music all wrapped up and delivered in a charming, mass appealing way that has caught the attention of music lovers far and wide. With recent releases including their debut EP Give You The Moon, and their most recent self produced single “Suede,” the band has announced they are currently recording a second EP that is promised to be full of 1990s grunge/emo era hooks and singable choruses.
Let’s Be Leonard has released the second video off their sophomore album Static, for the track “Channel 2.” The video features art design by Toni Nastasi and whimsically depicts the central focus as a love affair between Nick, and his mop-lover, Sally. “Channel 2” follows on the heels of “Most Days,” released earlier this summer.
The band will release one more single prior to the release of the full film. The feature will be shown at intermissions during a three-day stint at The Barrelhouse in Saratoga Springs on October 11, 12 and 13. Let’s Be Leonard will also appear in Troy at River Street Pub for Troy Night Out on September 28 with Great Mutations and Better Pills.
