NYS Music 20​18

Category: Features

  • Mark Anthony Manning: The story of a rising 20-year-old Albany singer

    The 20-year-old man’s voice soared as he played the piano in a minuscule practice room, eyes shut as he swayed to the music and several veins appeared across his face and neck. The dim lighting and tight space made the experience feel more intimate and hearing his voice echo sonically through the surrounding walls projected the impression of a cathartic release of pent-up energy and passion.

    Mark Anthony Manning had invited me to meet him there at the Massry Center for the Arts in the College of Saint Rose in Albany. He is currently a junior student there and studying towards a bachelor’s degree in Music Industry. Performing a few original songs on the black Steinway & Sons piano which he’d penned, he said that he mainly plays pop and R&B music, is a songwriter, and he has two music-related jobs.

    First, he has been working as a wedding singer for Silver Arrow Band, a company which performs at festivals, corporate events, private functions, and weddings, since early summer. In Manning’s case specifically, he travels with them across the state to perform a collection of requested songs for people’s weddings. Silver Arrow Band has won numerous accolades, including WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards every year since 2016.

    “It’s by far the best job I’ve ever had. There’s just so many musicians and you just get offered gigs. I’ve never been to a wedding with like the same exact band, it always like switches out because it’s a company,” Manning said.

    According to him, he usually gets paid at least $500 or $600 per wedding, although it depends on what musical instruments and how many fellow Silver Arrow Band members are brought for the wedding performance. “It helps me pay the bills and I like getting to travel with them,” he said.

    His second stint is being the frontman and lead singer of his own live student band, called Mark Manning and the Sexy Bitches.

    His fellow bandmates are Joseph Taurone on the drums; Gabriel Klinger-Horn playing the guitar; Sam Walczyk on the bass; Dan Carr who is in charge of synth, auxiliary percussion, and can substitute for drums guitar and bass; and finally, Kyle Robinson and Amy Branham who both serve vocals and play the piano too. All are St. Rose students, whom Manning met when he was still a sophomore, and they collectively rehearse together every Monday night.

    Manning first met Klinger-Horn during a college party early last fall where after some small talk, Manning expressed his desire to start a band. He was surprised when Klinger-Horn revealed he plays the guitar and knows of two peers, Taurone and Walczyk, who play the drums and bass. Over time, the remaining members joined but ironically, the band did not have an official name yet.

    It was not until the day of their very first performance together, which occurred at the Rice House — a venue that showcases local collegiate and young adult music talents — in Albany back in October 2017. He noted that that was the night the band made a name for itself in the Saint Rose community and the overall local music scene.

    “That day, I was like, ‘I don’t even know what to call us, guys.’ But there was this other band called Hasty Page and one of its members, Josh Morris [who serves vocals and plays the drums] said ‘Mark Manning and the Sexy Bitches’ as a joke,” he admitted. “I then slipped and said it accidentally onstage. But the performance was so much fun and looking back now, we weren’t really friends back then and we’ve since improved so much. It was the first night we really clicked and bonded. The name just stuck since then.”

    In fact, he recalled that eventually, people from Silver Arrow Band once saw him perform with his own band, and they asked him if he was interested in working for them too as a wedding singer.

    Having started to write songs upon entering college, Manning said “right now, all our songs are about relationships, unreciprocated love and how they don’t work out.”

    “I have not one happy song,” he joked.

    Regarding his songwriting process, it “usually starts with me getting my feelings hurt in some shape or form, and I’ll come to practice and I tend to have the chords first, before getting the melody and tempo. I mean, every song is different though. Some songs, the melody will come to me first in my head before I work on it with the piano.”

    Originally from Long Island, he identifies himself as “maybe a baritone but I’m definitely not a tenor. But I wouldn’t just say I’m a bass either.” Among his sources of inspiration are Beyonce, John Legend, Daniel Caesar and Kirk Franklin. He personally enjoys gospel, jazz and soul music.

    “My three siblings, cousins and I were all like a gospel and sang a lot of gospel, and it was cute that we were all family and being in church,” he recalled his childhood days. “We were called like The Manning 6, but eventually, they all grew out of music and I just didn’t.”

    After Manning began trying to take piano lessons in second grade, then fourth grade, and again in tenth grade, it was not until attending St. Rose where he had to take four semesters of piano to genuinely improve his piano proficiency.

    He was also highly active in musical theater growing up, particularly when he attended Patchogue-Medford High School in Suffolk County, Long Island.

    In terms of high school musicals, he played Gary Coleman in “Avenue Q,” Mr. Black in “Wild Party,” The Wiz in “The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical” and Donkey in “Shrek the Musical.” In college, his credits include playing Seaweed J. Stubbs in “Hairspray” and Mitch Mahoney in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

    “It just feels like this was something I was born to do, I don’t want to do anything else,” he concluded. He hopes to eventually move to California sometime after graduation to grow as an artist. He even wants to become head of A&R — standing for artists and repertoire, they choose certain artists to get signed and develop their brand — of a music label someday.

    “In California, there’s so many record labels and young people out there chasing their dreams,” he said. “I just feel like the resources are more open there. If you want to be noticed by someone important, that’s the place to go. But I really believe in myself and have so much faith. You have to, no one else is going to if you don’t.”

    For now, Manning maintains a website at iammarkmanning.weebly.com and has an upcoming extended play coming out in either October or November.

    This article was originally published by The Spot 518. is property of Spotlight Newspapers in Albany, N.Y., and appears as a special to NYS Music. TheSpot518 and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene in the Capital District and New York state, respectively. For more, visit TheSpot518.com.

  • Hearing Aide: The Upstart Crows ‘The Upstart Crows’

    The Upstart CrowsMoving out from a small college town music scene into one of the world’s largest and most diverse arts cities is daunting. For The Upstart Crows, fitting in means being different. So, when they moved from a small college town in New Hampshire into the Big Apple, they were able to settle right in. Late in August the band released their first album; a combination of punk, honkey tonk, and a vaudeville styled theatrical influence. The self-titled album, The Upstart Crows, is a grab bag of these various influences that the band draws from. The two piece group, comprised of Jon Adams (vocals/guitar) and Forest DeCoste (drums/bass), recorded at Proper Pop Studios in Brooklyn, NY. The band seized the opportunity to layer on elements that their two-member setup has handcuffed them from doing; the band plays as a guitar and drum duo typically. The addition of bass and some other backing instruments gives every song more dimension and enabled the group to hash out the ideas a bit more. Despite this, the album does feel a little meandering, focusing on the lyrical theme of sadness but not staying true in terms of genre and flow. The album remains an interesting listen despite the scattershot and shows how well the duo can formulate a song with consistently catchy melodies and tight performances.

    The album opens a little heavier with “Bad Medicine”, the first single The Upstart Crows put out in anticipation of the album. The song feels similar to an early 2000’s era emo tune, without the over-saturated production. The bass line fits well with the drum beat and provides a solid foundation for the rich guitar chords to lay out the progressions. The guitar ultimately leads the bass, with both instruments locking together in such a way you’d expect to hear in a song written by a smaller crew of people. The song is fun, heavy, and not overbearing. Adam’s vocals immediately stand out as theatrical and exciting. A few songs follow this formula of heavier instrumentals and grittier vocals. One vocal performance, from “Lying and Crying”, has Adam’s singing with a distortion on his vocals. This works really well with his higher tenor voice, commanding the listener’s attention. The end of this song also has an octave-matched guitar solo that adds some meat and more development to the melody.

    While the heavier songs provide good energy to the album, The Upstart Crows do really well in their more pop-oriented songs. Adam’s vocals shine in track 7, “Heart to California”. A more bubbly song with an indie/alt vibe, the band takes a catchy hook and layers on a lot of fun percussive parts and some group vocal refrains. Similar to a song you’d hear from The Dear Hunter, this offers a view of the band that would be interesting to hear more of. “What Did I Say” gives a similar vibe, keeping the song fresh with catchy hooks and a honkey-tonk feel. Adam’s vocals float above the instrumental like Ben Folds or Tom Chaplin (Keane). The mix gives the song a heavier feel without pumping the distortion of muddying the vocals. Like a few other songs on the album, this one had a seamless transition from the previous track. The band makes portions of the album feel like they were recorded one after the other without break, which yields a cool effect.

    From the heavy distorted wash of instruments, to a more jangly and organic songs, this album does not get boring. While the rocky flow and genre mixing can be a drawback at points, the ability to write consistently catchy hooks and execute performances that are tight make this album fun to listen to. The Upstart Crows cover a wide spectrum of genres in this album, and it’d be interesting to hear an album (or two) that focus on a steadier narrative and true genre. With this first release, the band has started to establish a theatrical alt-rock sound that can be refined to great effect. Check out the album, and if you’re in the NYC area don’t hesitate to catch a live set! You’ll get something a little different than the album, and that’s a great reason to catch a live set.

    Key Tracks: Heart to California, What Did I Say, Bad Medicine

    https://soundcloud.com/user-362945912/bad-medicine

  • Hearing Aide: The Lionfish ‘You Won’t Keep Me Down’

    Fairfield University bred rockers, The Lionfish, sting. Their second studio release, You Won’t Keep Me Down, is as colorful as the marine fish itself. It’s packed stout with driving rock, intimate blues-ballads and sounds that delineate genres. The Lionfish cannot be defined, nor contained. You Won’t Keep Me Down sounds more like a greatest-hits rock party than anything else.

    the lionfish

    The Lionfish will be debuting You Won’t Keep Me Down Friday September 28 at Peaches Southern Pub & Juke Joint from 9:30 pm to 12:30 pm. The beauty and purity of the record will be preserved, performed in its entirety, amidst a non-stop three-hour set.

    “Our origins are not based on a pop single,” said frontman, Robby Schwartz. “We are all raised and influenced on the idea of an album as a whole.”

    The album’s title track “You Won’t Keep Me Down” is a full-fledged swamp tune. Heavy drums hold the band steady, as screaming guitar licks respond to Schwartz’s vocal chants. Each instrument speaks; arpeggiated keys, guitar and bass all crash into the bridge. Their energy is sharp and venom-like. Your feet won’t have a choice. Go ahead and try.

    “The album speaks to a voice in favor of loving your neighbor, instead of building walls. ‘You Won’t Keep Me Down’ was one of the first songs written. It is anthemic in its own way,” said Schwartz.

    “Dogs of Quito” is a more poetic take on rock n’ roll. Schwartz had been writing most of the songs while in Ecuador, volunteer teaching, as “a release from the normal working world.” Inspired by authentic Quito graffiti,  the tune has a recurring theme of Without Love Nothing. The desolate streets can be heard in Schwartz’s distinct ‘howls’ throughout the driving chorus.

    The dogs of Quito are howling / In a fight like there’s no tomorrow / The rest of the world is watching / In a trance of pain and sorrow.

    The Lionfish get intimate with “She Lifts Me Up.” The track is jazzy and soulful, opening with finger-snaps and backed by powerful female harmonies. Schwartz’s keys take off. The dynamic change reveals the subtle articulation of each instrument. “She Lifts Me Up” was also featured as  a NPR fan favorite, submitted as a Tiny Desk entry.

    Acoustic guitar sets the mood for “The Last Town,” with a southern air that makes the listener sway with the breeze. “The first five tunes are my favorite,” said Schwartz. “There were times on the record when I was writing from an outsider perspective.” However, “Some of the tracks date as far back as high school.”

    Other tracks stand out, such as “The Wall,” which features Schwartz on solo piano. “Love (Sin Amor, Nada),” becomes otherworldly, with clave ostinatos and a variety of percussion. “Untitled Blues,” concludes the twelve-track record, with a nine minute anthem of nonstop soul.

    “I think this show at Peaches will be a great opportunity for us to show off how proud we are. We are playing the album in its entirety, along with a bunch of covers. It will be interesting to play it live as a four-piece,” featuring core band members Chris Finelli (guitar), Mark Schwartz (bass/guitar/vocals), Robby Schwartz (keys/bass/trombone/vocals) and DJ Horstmann (drums).

    Key Tracks: You Won’t Keep Me Down, Dogs of Quito, Untitled Blues.

  • Hearing Aide: Turkuaz ‘Life In The City’

    Brooklyn’s own, Turkuaz, has released their fifth full-length studio album Life In The City. With a soundscape more vibrant than a rainbow, each track is crowded with intensity and expressionism. Life In The City paints the aura of a mundane, overstimulated world and bespatters the canvas with electro-funk graffiti. It’s infectious, luring ghost-walkers in from the darkest alleys. Once the nine-piece powerhouse entraps your mind, life as you know it, will cease to exist.

    Turkuaz Life In The City

    The title track, “Life In The City,” sets the stride with heavy isolated synths and layered upbeat guitar.  The pulse is familiar, like walking. Weighted four-on-the-floor kick drum echoes the mass of worn shoes, marching without question. Every step brings a new impetus. The overtones and decay of the drums juxtapose reality as they ring out through a suspended chorus. Choir-esque harmonies, punchy horn lines and random hi-hat splashes seem chaotic, but become increasingly cohesive

    “Life In The City  portrays a dark and dystopian future, or current city environment, full of over stimulus,” said guitar/vocalist Dave Brandwein. “It gets harder and harder to appreciate life. Blind in the spotlight and caught up in the hustle and bustle of the city. We want it to feel that way in our songs.”

    Collectively the album is a constant echo of life. From a willingness to try and “just letting it come out”, themes arose, like the reoccurring ‘city noises’ throughout the record. “Make You Famous” is full of funky-energy, bells and ambient percussion. Freeform keyboard leads squawk, reminiscent of Hancock’s Head Hunters. “The Question” becomes more airy and soulful, with predominant female vocals, but as it fades away, synth taunts us with a motif from the title track.

    Life In The City is the most elaborate Turkuaz collaboration to date, according to Brandwein. “If I Ever Fall Asleep,” was co-written with Baritone Saxophonist, Josh Schwartz, with driving energy. The record was co-produced by Jason ‘Jacko’ Randall of More Sound Studios in Syracuse, Rob O’Block of Nashville and Dave Brandwein in the band’s “home-base,” Galaxy Smith Studios in Brooklyn. Moreover, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads produced “If I Ever Fall Asleep” at The Bunker Studios. “It definitely doesn’t hurt when an inspiration of the band, like Jerry, is on your side,” Brandwein confessed.

    In comparison to the daunting 24-track Digitonium, this release was boiled down to nine tracks. “All of those nine songs, I stand strongly behind,” said Brandwein. “ We actually recorded 20 songs. We will be trickling out material little by little, which is exciting.” Turkuaz will debut the new record on a upstate New York run in early October at The Westcott Theater in Syracuse, Town Ballroom in Buffalo and Putnam Den in Saratoga with Butcher Brown. The band is excited to make their first appearance at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester with Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles on October 19.  

    “We’re drawing from an eclectic pool of music,” said Brandwein. For newcomers, check out Turkuaz’s latest in-studio video. “I think that song combines a lot of things into one. You can see our energy. It’s got the full package.”

    Key Tracks: Life In The City, Make You Famous, Lady Lovely

  • Get Up and Dance to Redbeard Samurai’s ‘Turn It Up’ Video

    Redbeard Samurai has just released a new music video that’s going to make you want to get your groove on. The video for his catchy number “Turn It Up” features dancers from a variety of different styles, from hip hop to swing. This fits with the song’s overriding message: “It doesn’t matter how you cut loose, it matters that you cut loose.”

    “Turn It Up” is the first single from from Redbeard Samurai’s upcoming debut hip-hop album Second. The project is the brain-child of versatile musician Blake Pattengale, a recent graduate of Eastman School of Music. With school behind him, Redbeard Samurai is finally ready to launch the music they’ve been writing and recording for the past few years.

    Photo: Dave Jones Empire West Photography

    The video for “Turn It Up” was directed by Josiahx, and features some members of the band and their friends. (Vanishing Sun fans will recognize a cameo by singer Zahyia.) The dancers don everything from traditional dance costumes to a panda suit. It was filmed at Arbor Loft in downtown Rochester, which fit the cleaned-up post-industrial vibe Pattengale was looking to achieve.

    As a concept album, ‘Second’ includes both songs and skits to tell a tale. Pettengale describes it as “an underdog story in which Redbeard Samurai works to liberate the people of Highstrung Falls from the shackles of propriety, conformity and mostly from the autocratic Chancellor who rules Highstrung Falls.” ‘Second’ is being mixed and mastered by Matt Ramerman of The Green Room. The release date will be announced soon. The album visuals were designed by Mexican artists Raul Urias and Moises Cordova.

    To stay current on upcoming events and album news, visit the website or follow Redbeard Samurai on Facebook and Instagram.

  • Hearing Aide: Roan Yellowthorn ‘Indigo’

    The color indigo is unique in pigment, featuring hues of inspiration across the color spectrum, while staying true to a rather dark disposition. Such is the feeling of the album released by indie pop songwriting pair Roan Yellowthorn, titled Indigo in its own right. You may recognize the last name of the band’s lyricist and lead singer, Jackie McLean, from her father, the great songwriter Don McLean. Following slowly in his footsteps, McLean and production partner Shawn Strack release their debut album with no outside assistance, honing in on their personal vulnerability and growth as songwriters.

    Roan Yellowthorn Indigo

    Supporting McLean’s buzzing vocal lines are a variety of instruments, including soothing piano lines, cranked guitar chords, and interesting choices of auxiliary percussion. The title track of the album is a clear example of this, switching from a soft section to a more abrasive rock interlude, with words of inner crisis to round it out. The duo also released a pulsing preview to the album with the single release of “Talk About It” earlier in August, with a unique video to go along with it. While this song may lead you to believe this album is dance-oriented, it surely isn’t. There are energetic surprises, but the album is about reflection, so the somber tone is an overarching theme of the album.

    The soft guitar strumming of “How Are You” to combat the forceful piano chords creates an inner conflict, a true testament to the band’s ‘indigo’. Arguably the best song on the 10-track album, entitled “Mark My Words”, is slightly out of place from the rest of the album, and ultimately sounds like a sweet serenade of inner despair. Being only about a minute and a half in length, McLean’s voice is filtered with some kind of EQ, giving off the sound of a voice through an old radio, to match the abrasive chords and feedback that resonate behind her.

    All in all, this first crack at audio production for Stack is above adequate, only to improve with the genres of music they tap into in future albums. As this group develops their style, the lyrics will follow, a musical choice that contrasts them at this moment. The group has a series of vignettes to inspire their lyrical creativity, and with some more work to strengthen the backbone of their sound, Roan Yellowthorn is sure to become a beloved duo in the indie pop sphere.

    Don’t forget to follow Roan Yellowthorn on her journey via her website and Facebook page. They’ll also be playing a show at the Bitter End in NYC on October 20th in celebration of their new release, Indigo.

    Key Tracks: Talk About It, Mark My Words

  • Hearing Aide: Groovestick ‘Mosaic’

    Mosaic carves out a unique jazz-funk sound in the vein of Head Hunters while injecting subtle pop melodies, making the album as accessible as it is complex. Original member Dan Gerken (guitar/bass/vocals) has assembled a power house of a group with Chris Carballeira on keyboard/vocals and Dave Berger on drums. A fun mixture of richly dynamic songs gives Groovestick a few staple releases, as well as 10 tracks of dance-able tunes drawing influences from funk pioneers all over the board.

    Right from the start, any funky human can tell that the album is going to be a pleasure to listen to. “Balloons” sets the scene with a laid back groove with a great hook and a theme of soulful guitar solos and organ majesty is conveyed immediately. Groovestick takes a handful of sticky riffs a step further than offering a single hook and elaborates on that by casting out a collection of ear worms within each song. They tastefully add in elements of prog rock by developing and layering on new ideas and hooks for the listener to latch on to. It is vital to be able to keep the song interesting to the audience in this style and genre, and Groovestick shows they definitely learned how to engage people with a song by playing live and getting that feedback. The key here for the band is that they were able to transfer the atmosphere of a live show onto an album. They do really well to keep the songs fun, and are able to showcase their jam-ability; no doubt a product of their intensive work on stage and in numerous musical projects.

    The second and sixth tracks (“Mischief”, “Nola”) show the band foremost instrumentally, as they’re able to keep the vibe of the opening track going without needing any words. Groovestick takes a wordless tune and still emotes the feeling of each piece through their skillful improvising. There are a few instrumental tracks on the album overall, with one standout being “Crablegs.” Gerken’s bass lines match seamlessly with Carballeria’s left-hand work on the organ to great effect. One major point on the album that stands out is the way these two are able to sync so well together to hold a groove. Berger is able to lay out quick yet spacious drum beats to hold the groove down, giving each song a flash of jazzed taste. There is a lot of play with dynamic range as well, namely in “Scrumptious” where the band seamlessly breaks the song down to almost nothing before coming back into set the mood for the next song, “Inkblot.”

    A highlight track on Mosaic is definitely “Inkblot.” It’s possible to write an entire review on this one song with how many dimensions the band is able to mesh together. From jazz, to funk, to even ska (!), this song covers so many bases while still being….a song! The band is able to navigate the line between these genres and fuse them together. As a whole, the album has a similar feeling to this song in that the transitions between each song gives the album a nice instrumental and dynamic arc. Switching between vocalized and instrumental pieces while maintaining a consistent theme and feel added a lot to the listening experience and gave a nod to the deep knowledge the band possesses in their musical experience.

    All of the performances are very tight, with everything from rumbling and climbing bass solos, to ripping guitar leads and magnificently executed key-lines, with the drums never faltering in the groove foundation. This was a very fun listen! Definitely check out Groovestick’s release and go out to see them live if they come to town. It’s going to be interesting to hear some of these songs live with how much they make me want to dance in my seat.

    Album release party is 9/29 at Parish Public House!

    Key Tracks: Inkblot, Crablegs, Mischief

  • Arleigh Kincheloe of Sister Sparrow Discusses New Album and New York Tour Dates

    In the middle of her move out of Brooklyn, Arleigh Kincheloe of Sister Sparrow carved out some time to speak with us about her upcoming album and the end of her tour as she hits a few more spots in NY.

    Kincheloe and the Brooklyn-based Dirty Birds got their start in this borough in 2008 and have made quite the name for themselves, performing in almost all of the 50 states and over 10 separate festivals. Their latest work has evolved into something unique compared to their three studio albums. Kincheloe speaks about the reason for the change, the source of her inspiration, as well as a few words of reassurance about the albums development and sonic success.

    Sparrow and the Birds will fly through The Egg on November 10 and Irving Plaza on December 1 – two venues that Kincheloe has deep connections to.

    Dave Ostroff: There’s something different about this album. What would you say is setting this one apart from your previous work?

    Arleigh Kincheloe: This one is a different for me because this is more of a solo project. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and I never really had the time to do it. I had a baby and all of a sudden we had to stop touring for a while and I focused on this record and started writing some of the songs while I was pregnant … then when my son was two months old I started going into the studio and working on it. One of the reasons I wanted to do this was we made a lot of records as a band and most of those records were created in a live style – we’d go in and together and try to capture our live side. What I really wanted to do for the first time was let the production side (take control) and kind of explore things I’ve always wanted to try in the studio that I never had because we were trying to go for that live band sound. It was really fun for me. I was trying to be creative in a new way and I was writing with a lot of different people and was really just stretching my legs a little bit. And also I was trying to figure out how to be a new mom. It was a crazy time in my life and I think this record was made all out of love (along with) a lot of exciting stuff happening in my life.

    DO: There’s definitely tons of experimentation in there and it’s very successful experimentation. What kind of musical inspiration have you channeled into this album?

    AK: I always wanted to try too marry modern sounds, hip hops elements, soul and funk stuff that I love. I sometimes still listen to the track and say, ‘I can’t believe it came out like this!’ I have a whole Spotify playlist that was my soundscape for this. The Staples, Aretha Franklin, The Pointer Sisters, Bill Withers, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker – a very ’70s vibe. But I tried to add the modern techniques and drum sounds. The person I worked with in the studio, his name is Carter, we really got each other. I met him because of a song songwriting session where we created “Gold”. After working with him that one day, he got a exactly what I‘m going for. I verbalized exactly what I was picturing and I said, ‘ build me this world!’ and five minutes later he completely created that world. I wanted to make the rest of the album with him because I thought he just nailed it. So that’s where it’s all coming from. It was such a fun experience and it was just the two of us a lot of the time.

    DO: I’ve done some digging and found some initial reactions to the single “Ghost” and your fans loved it. But some are saying they think it’s too poppy and they don’t like the change in style. What would you like to say to some of those people to reassure them this album has a lot more to offer than this one track?

    AK: I want express as an artist that we have to evolve. If we stay the same, then we’re going backwards. We have to try new things and not everyone will like it all the time, but that’s why it’s art and music is subjective and that’s why we’re all entitled to our own opinions. I would definitely like to say wait and listen to the whole album to get a bigger picture because “Ghost” is definitely one of the more poppy songs on the album. I hope people stick around and check the rest of it out. It definitely has a little bit of everything on there. Some of the tracks lean closer to the Dirty Birds sounds and some lean farther away.

    DO: When is the release date?

    AK: It’s October 12th. It’s going to be everywhere that day. You preorder it on iTunes, you get two of the songs now. We’ll be pressing vinyl which is very exciting. The vinyl will have a couple different versions of the songs that we have – Ghost will be different on that vinyl.

    DO: Moving on to the tour and the shows – you’ve found a full time keys player, Nat Osborn. What’s his story? What does he bring to the table?

    AK: We brought him on to be the keyboard player when we did a cover show of Aretha Franklin’s Live at the at Fillmore West album. We did that at the Brooklyn Bowl and we obviously needed a piano player because that album has her playing the organ. We all got along so well – he’s actually an old friend of a couple of the guys in the band and I personally got along really well with him. It’s been adding a lot of freedom in other ways. Whereas my brother on harp, a lot of time he was holding down the organ sounds through his pedalboard and his harmonica, so he now has the freedom to mess around with a different things. My brother is also playing lap steel (guitar) now so we’re bringing a lot of dynamic sounds to the mix which is a lot of fun for us. That is helping bring in the new album songs to life. It’s been really fun and I’m really excited for the rest of the fall.

    DO: You have three NY shows coming up, out of those, do you have a favorite?

    AK: New York is a hometown. I was born in Albany and raised in the Catskill Mountains so Albany is a hometown show in that my dad will be there, my friends from high school will probably come up and see that one. Aand then here in Brooklyn, this is where the band started and where I’ve been for the past decade so those two are both going to be really special.

    DO: I wanted to close out with this – to those who haven’t seen a Sister Sparrow show, what would you say to that are on the fence about seeing you guys live?

    AK: If you’ve never seen us before, we’re all just having a good time. For me, the whole point of this is to have a good time, to spread that feeling of joy and dancing – that’s a very important part of it for me and I hope people also feel the same way. It’s just a good time. We’re a little bit loud, a little bit rock, a little bit emotional as hell. We’re trying to bring everything together, spread a little love, spread a little joy – I know it sounds so cheesy but it’s true! That’s my mission and if I could have a good time up there, hopefully it’s contagious. When the crowd is having a good time then we’re having a good time and visa versa.

  • Photo Gallery: Lark Fest

    Albany’s Lark Fest 2018 featured beautiful late summer weather and local acts including opener The Ryan Leddick Trio, Bendt, and Mirk who released their fourth album Sense the night before. Kimono Dragons and Victory Soul Orchestra w/ J.B., aka Dirty Moses, kept the crowd pumped for headliner The Age.

  • Brooklyn Comes Alive: ‘My Life Before, Then Forever After’ with Karina Rykman

    Multi-instrumentalist Marco Benevento entrusted his iconic top hat upon Karina Rykman, a fill-in bassist in her early 20’s, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Rykman’s mouth agape, Marco’s stare tracked dead in her eyes, sealed shut in the moment. She was in disbelief, but this three-day stint would soon end. It didn’t.

    Benevento, in addition to Ween bassist Dave Dreiwitz, played instrumental roles in shaping Rykman-on-the-rise. She dove head first into a towering repertoire of Benevento tunes,  learning them backwards and forwards, day-in and day-out, Rykman recalls.

    “That first run with Marco was one of the most spectacular moments of my life. I thought that was my last show with them ever,” said Rykman, increasing with excitement. “It was the best time, then scaling the walls (of the Music Hall Of Williamsburg green room post set) throwing ice, tequila and limes.” The room was packed with Karina’s friends, family and teachers. Karina was home.

    “Marco is committed to the vibe and always goes the extra mile,” said Rykman, as she reminisced about the pop-up record player and miles of christmas lights that decorate their oasis backstage. Night after night, the ‘Green Room Road Case’ lives on as Karina’s enthusiasm parallels her sheer musical talent.

    The New York Native has a pure starvation and aestheticism for all things music. It predates her Benevento/Dreiwitz days. It is infectious, inspiring all those around her. In eighth grade, two years after quitting piano lessons, a friend placed a guitar in her lap and taught her The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

    “I remember my life before [that moment], then, forever after,” said Rykman. “I was fixated on playing all the time. That was my vibe.”

    Two years after joining Benevento’s band full time, Rykman comes full circle, hosting the second set of The Jam Room at Brooklyn Comes Alive on Saturday, September 29 at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Rykman will play host, alongside Turkuaz guitarist Craig Brodhead, to an undisclosed list of phenomenal musicians and guests. The set will start at 1:45 am, merely 15-minutes after Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and The Meters’ bassist George Porter Jr. ends the first installment of this unique collaboration.

    The Jam will consist of 100-percent improvised music. “How do you prepare for that?,” asked Rykman. “Simply put, you don’t.” Take all the music you’ve learned, scales you’ve studied or harmonies you’ve practiced and “throw them all out the window! It is a crazy exercise of staying focused and in the moment,” added Rykman.

    “I’ve played with people 20-plus years older than me; musicians who have committed themselves longer than I have been alive. It’s really humbling. I’m always absorbing because they have been there. I am just delighted to be accepted.” 

    The female bassist will also be playing with her new project, The Karina Rykman Experiment, at BCA at Rough Trade from 5 to 6 pm. Rykman’s Trio consist of NYU friends, Chris Corsico on drums and Adam November on guitar. “The guys in my band are slaying. Crushing it onstage and off. November is a loop-master and creates a whole world of soundscapes, so there is a lot going on.”

    Three is the magic number. Karina first performed in a trio with Benevento and has taken matters into her own hands. “Harmonically it’s just me and Marco, which makes me deeply, deeply focused on what he is doing. I play a lot of lead and fuzz bass too, which almost acts like a guitar sonically.” Expect no less when The Karina Rykman Experiment takes the stage.

    New Yorkers, beware. Rykman deems Brooklyn Comes Alive “not for the weak of heart.” Whether she is serving as a proving ground with her own ensemble, backing Marco in pure bliss, or sneaking off to see as much new music as she can, BCA will be another one for the books.

    “There’s this scene where people come out to see great improvisers improvise. It’s not for everyone, but there is something to be said to observe those who have toured their asses off and have played music for so many years.” Especially, in the Jam Room. “A collaboration brews with people that don’t perform together often, or ever!,” explains Karina. “To see someone who has put in their 10,000 hours create on the spot, is something to behold.”

    Nobody knows what to expect. As the Jam Room takes flight, the motion will be from “recreational to medical, if you know what I’m saying,” said Rykman [laughs].

    karina rykmanInspired by the vibrant musical communities of Brooklyn and New Orleans, the event brings together more than 50 artists, allowing them to carry out passion projects, play with their musical heroes and collaborate in never-before-seen formations. Each attendee will receive a wristband that grants access to every venue and makes hopping from set to set a breeze, recreating and paying homage to the atmosphere of Jazz Fest by night, which initially inspired the festival’s concept.

    Past editions of Brooklyn Comes Alive have seen unforgettable cross-collaborations amongst legends and favorites like George Porter Jr., John Scofield, Johnny Vidacovich, John Medeski, Bernard Purdie, Henry Butler, Oteil Burbridge, Cyril Neville, Eric Krasno, Jon Cleary, Joe Russo, Skerik, and Marco Benevento, plus members of Umphrey’s McGee, moe., The Disco Biscuits, The String Cheese Incident, Trey Anastasio Band, Lotus, Snarky Puppy, Lettuce, Soulive, The Motet, The New Mastersounds, Break Science and more. Tributes to Herbie Hancock, Earth Wind & Fire, The Allman Brothers, Jamiroquai, and Green Day comprise just a few of the many highlights over the last three years.

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