NYS Music 20​18

Category: Features

  • Queensryche Withstands Another Rainy Night in Upstate NY

    On Saturday, May 19, Queensryche, with special guests Great White and Autograph, took the Budweiser Summer Stage at Tag’s in Big Flats, NY despite intermittent rainy showers and brisk temperatures.

    Slated to kick off this headlining show at 10 pm, Queensryche, a powerhouse staple in rock and roll history since 1982, hit the stage early, just before 9:30, following solid performances by both Autograph and Great White. Although many thought this show might actually run behind, fearing rain delays, Queensryche busted out with their first song “Best I Can,” from their fourth studio album Empire, released in August 1990.

    Queensryche

    Led by original members Michael Wilton on guitar and Eddie Jackson on bass, Queensryche formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington. The band has gone through only a few notable lineup changes in 36 years, including Todd La Torre on vocals who replaced lead singer Geoff Tate in 2012, Parker Lundgren who, since 2009, has filled original guitarist Chris DeGarmo’s duties masterfully, and Casey Grillo, who is currently filling in the drumming department while original Queensryche drummer Scott Rockenfield is out on hiatus for paternity leave.

    Despite recovering from a broken right hand, La Torre’s vocals were amazingly powerful and strong as he belted out most of the progressive metal band’s catalog of hits including “The Lady Wore Black” and “Queen of the Reich” from Queensryche’s 1983 self titled EP, as well as the powerhouse hits from 1988’s Operation Mindcrime, “I Don’t Believe in Love” and “Eyes of a Stranger”. La Torre’s vocals only seemed to get stronger as the night progressed as he closed out with “Jet City Woman” and “Take Hold of the Flame.”

    Queensryche

    Although fans were thoroughly impressed with both Autograph and Great White, who were definitely in the pocket and put on great shows, they were most certainly left mesmerized by Queensryche’s powerful performance and 16-song set list that seemed to only get better after each song, leaving the crowd of thousands at Tag’s Summer Stage screaming for more. Queensryche closed this almost 90-minute set with the encores “Screaming in Digital” and “Eyes of a Stranger.”

    Setlist: Best I Can, Damaged, The Whisper, The Mission, Breaking the Silence, I Don’t Believe in Love, Silent Lucidity, Guardian, The Lady Wore Black, Empire, Queen of the Reich, Jet City Woman, Take Hold of the Flame, Walk in the Shadows, Screaming in Digital, Eyes of a Stranger

  • The Space at Westbury to host May 24 forum “State of the Long Island Music Scene” Or “Are Tribute Bands Taking All the Gigs?”

    On May 24 at 7:30pm, The Space at Westbury will host a discussion forum with 15 panelists from across Long Island to discuss a pressing topic in the music scene across the Island – are tribute bands taking all the gigs?

    This topic could be discussed anywhere across the state, let alone the country, and has hit a chord in Long Island, where tribute bands and cover bands are keeping original music out of the clubs. Articles such as this from Newsday in April shine a light on the prevalence of tribute acts over local, original bands.

    The effort to put the Long Island music scene under a microscope is no small endeavor, and Great South Bay Music Festival promoter Jim Faith has organized this one night discussion to get to the heart of the problem. Panelists include working original artists & tribute bands, artists that play in both original and tribute acts, venue owners, media representatives, and Jim Faith serving as host of the evening.

    Included on the panel are Glenn Gamboa (Newsday), Michael Delguidice (Michael Delguidice Band), Ian Kenny (King Neptune, NGHBRS), Joe Rock (Radio celebrity/DJ), Katie Pearlman (The Joni Project/Katie Pearlman Band), Michael ‘Eppy’ Epstein (Owner: My Father’s Place), Dan Welch (Owner: 89 North, Suffolk Recording Studio) and many more.

    The night kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with a goal of lively dialogue on the state of the scene, the realities that all artists and venues face, and how collectively, we can make it better. A $10 suggested donation to the LI Music Hall of Fame is the cover charge for the event. Find out more info or RSVP here.

    Watch footage from last year’s ‘State of the Long Island Music Scene’

  • New York, The Silk City: Governors Ball 2018

    Premier northeast music festival The Governors Ball returns to Randall’s Island in New York City in just a few weeks, taking place from Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3, 2018. GA weekend and single day tickets for each day are still available, but maybe not for long as various ticket packages, such as Sunday and Saturday GA tickets, are very close to being sold out. In just seven years running, Governors Ball has made a fast ascension to becoming one of New York City’s most anticipated annual music events, featuring a more savory lineup of artists with each passing summer. NYS Music will be there to bring you coverage of the 2018 festival.

    The biggest news surrounds the festival’s heavy headliners. Rock virtuoso Jack White will be making a return to the event, having not played there since 2014. Last time White graced the Gov Ball stage, they matched his set with a same time performance from Skrillex. This year the tossup is with James Blake, the pianist, producer and soul singer who’s won the hearts of everybody, from Beyonce to Rick Rubin. If you haven’t heard, Blake just released a collaboration with Andre3000. Get on it.

    Saturday night, in turn, will be capped off by a real rock gem. As a celebration of the ten-year anniversary of their second studio release, The 59 Sound, The Gaslight Anthem will be performing the record in its entirety. Full performances of albums are a live music treat that fans should experience if the opportunity presents itself.

    Then there’s the act we’re all probably buzzing about, Silk City. Diplo, reigning favorite of the electronic dance music world, and Mark Ronson, the producer that can do no wrong, have teamed up to make a new collaborative disco album. Governors Ball is your chance to see the duo make their first ever live performance. Travis Scott, who has collaborated with Diplo’s project Major Lazer and also shared the stage with Ronson at last year’s Gov Ball, will be dropping his set immediately after Silk City—so this is keying up to be a weekend for Governor’s fans to remember.

    But if there’s anyone that’s truly taking over the festival spotlight, it’s Eminem. Boston Calling, Bonnaroo, Firefly, and of course Gov Ball — the famed rapper is headlining them all. The last occurring slot time on Sunday night is reserved solely for him, so you can bet pretty much all eyes at the Ball will be on Slim.

    As in past years, Gov Ball will be showcasing some of the most buzz-worthy, up-and-coming bands currently making noise across the indie, pop, rock and hip hop circuits. Across each of these mainstream genres, artists can go from fresh on the scene to topping the charts in no time. And on the way there, many of them seem to pass through Randall’s Island with dynamite festival sets. At this year’s Gov Ball, artists rocking this category are the likes of alt rockers Wolf Alice, country sensation Margo Price, breakout singer Billie Ellish and more. Special mention here: Belly. If you want to talk about a comeback, the Rhode Island-based alt punk band reunited in 2016 and, this month, just released their first album in twenty years, Dove, and it rocks.

    That doesn’t even cover all of the musical goodness flooding Randall’s Island in three weeks. Hip hop supergroup N.E.R.D and NYC’s own Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are two other highly anticipated sets, given that they both have made huge reunions in the past year, while most others might be excited for the recently announced special set by Shawn Mendes.

    The party will keep going for some after-hours concerts as part of The Governors Ball After Dark. Comprised mostly of the acts performing at the festival, this series of shows kicks off Thursday, May 30 and goes through the weekend at venues throughout the boroughs. While a handful of the shows are sold out, some tickets are still available. Check out the full lineup for After Dark here.

    Aside from the music, Gov Ball is once again featuring close to 60 NYC-area food vendors with plenty of delicious tastes for everybody, including gluten-free and vegan options. More “deats” on the eats can be found here.

    Tickets are nearly sold out for Saturday and Sunday, with some available for Friday here (it will sell out). Plenty of info on how to get to the festival and FAQs on how to have the best Gov Ball experience can be found on their website.

  • AJ Lambert, Frank Sinatra’s granddaughter, releases cover of Spoon’s “I Summon You,” will headline Rough Trade NYC

    AJ Lambert, granddaughter of Frank Sinatra and daughter of Nancy Sinatra, has released “I Summon You” from her forthcoming album, Careful You, out later this year. The record features unique interpretations of songs by artists including TV on the Radio, John Cale, Spoon (“I Summon You”) as well as deep cuts from her grandfather’s extensive catalog including “Sleep Warm” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” She’ll perform selections from Careful You at an exclusive album preview show at Rough Trade NYC on May 25.

    Britt Daniel of Spoon, regarding Lambert’s cover remarked, “If you’re gonna cover someone else’s song, you’d better be prepared to add something to it that wasn’t there before, and it’s equally important to find a way to bring your own personality to the performance. Otherwise what’s the point — in today’s world, the original version is always readily accessible via the chips embedded into the backs of our skulls. Fortunately, AJ’s managed to do both with her reworking of “I Summon You.” It’s a trip to hear my song done this way. Thanks, AJ.”

    Careful You was recorded with a full band and produced by Daniel Schlett (The War on Drugs, Amen Dunes) and Boshra AlSaadi (TEEN, Janka Nabay) and is due out later this year and will be followed by a tour in support of the album.

    AJ is currently performing complete Sinatra albums live, such as In The Wee Small Hours, with John Boswell on piano. AJ also hosts “Third Generation” on Sirius XM’s “Siriusly Sinatra” channel.

  • Behind the Gear: Chris Duffy

    Chris Duffy is the bassist of Denver-based band the Magic Beans. Chris is one of the most well-respected bassists on the scene, as well as one of my favorites. If you listen to the Beans’ recent album, Casino Cabaret, you’ll hear Duffy’s bass prowess exemplified in songs such as “Inventor”, “Casino Cabaret”, “Mr. Scientist”, and my personal favorite, “Hanky Panky”. He knows how to keep a groove going! Check out some more of Chris’ playing in this Beans set from their Fox Theatre show last March.

    Bass

    Lakland 55-02 Deluxe
    Chris Duffy

    Amp

    Markbass Little Mark Tube 800 w/ Markbass Standard 104HF Front Ported Cabinet & 104RF Rear Ported Cabinet
    Chris Duffy

    Pedalboard

    Signal Chain: One Control Iguana Tail Loop MKII 5-channel Loop Switcher

    Loop 1: Boss OC-3 Octave

    Loop 2: Markbass Supersynth

    Loop 3: Source Audio Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter

    Loop 4: Moogerfooger MF-101 Lowpass Filter (w/ Moog EP-3 for Cutoff Frequency)

    Loop 5: Boss CEB-3 Bass Chorus > Earthquaker Devices Avalanche Run reverb/delayChris Duffy

    Interview

    Photo credit to Conor McMahon photography

    Behind the Gear: Did you take any inspiration from some of your favorite artists when you were building your current board? Who are some of your inspirations as a bass player?

    Chris Duffy: As far as bass players go, Dan Kurtz of The New Deal totally changed my approach to playing bass through pedals, specifically in a livetronica/dance setting. He is the master. When I saw his foot riding expression pedals for an entire show, some crucial things clicked. My use of a sub-octave/ distorted tone through the Moogerfoooger Low-Pass Filter is directly inspired by Dan. No one manipulates their live bass tone so freely on this scene. Except, ya know, Squarepusher (laughs). THAT dude is a mad scientist. As far as I can tell, his current pedal board is some obscene number of expression pedals controlling a few rack-mounted effects processors.

    If you or anyone reading knows the details on Squarepusher’s rig, please let me know, it’s fascinating. Or Dan Kurtz’s, for that matter. What a bunch of hyenas. I’ve only been interested in Squarepusher’s rig since seeing Shobaleader One videos a year or two ago, but Dan Kurtz has been influencing me since I was 16. Growing up listening to and emulating Flea means I’ll always have some envelope filters in my rig. The Source Audio is nice because it can save 6 settings, which I’m always experimenting with. It replaced my Pigtronix EP-1 Envelope Phaser, which I got after working a Turkuaz wedding and talking with Taylor Shell. I really need to fix that pedal, it’s the tits. I wish it was smaller!

    BTG: What is the one pedal on your board you couldn’t live without?

    CD: Definitely the Moogerfooger MF-101 Low-Pass Filter. I use that pedal on literally every jam the Beans go into. I probably over use it, but whatever. It gets me fired up, and that’s important in a jam band, since the flow of energy between the artists and the crowd is so fluid and tangible. If you’re having fun, they’re having fun, and vice-versa. I want to add more expression pedals for it. That’s the great thing about Moogerfoogers, you can control almost every knob on the thing with a designated expression pedal. In a perfect world I’d have four or five on my board, but that takes up so much room. Right now I only have the one controlling the filter cutoff frequency. In the future though… I’ll be Squarepusher!

    BTG: What are some of your favorite pedal combinations to play with?

    CD: Octave through envelope filter sounds are always fun. I’ve been loving the Markbass Synth through the MF-101. Throw some delay on that and suddenly I’m an EDM producer. Speaking of delay, I’m working on a sustained lead tone for taking melodic solos higher on the neck. Some sort of compression/distortion pedal that I have yet to find, through the MF-101, into the Avalanche Run, maybe some chorus. The Avalanche Run is a perfect delay/reverb for bass. That tone knob keeps things from getting too muddy. God I love that pedal.

    BTG: Do you remember the first time you were exposed to the use of effects pedals?

    CD: Flea’s tone on the “Around the World” intro led me to buy my first pedal, a Boss overdrive. Then I got into jam bands, Kurtz, Brownie, Ryan Stasik, Mike Gordon; I started copying everything those guys were doing. As I said, The New Deal changed everything.

    BTG: What drove you to pick a Lakland to use as your main bass?

    CD: Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s McGee. It’s a Skyline 55-02 Deluxe that I bought new in 2006 without even trying one, just because I loved Stasik so much. I’m lucky that they sound so punchy and play perfectly, or else I would have been f***ed! Laklands are the truth. But don’t be like teenage Duff. Play before you buy!

    BTG: Who are some of your favorite contemporaries on the scene currently?

    CD: Man, there are so many great players out there. On the Denver scene, Tim Philpott has got to be my favorite. Everything he plays is so in the pocket and seems well thought out, yet he stays creative and interesting. Another killin’ Denver homie is Tucker McClung, who is simply fearless and slaps like a mothertucker. On the bigger picture, Richard Bona really gets my blood pumping when I hear him. His Jaco-like pocket 16ths are so bouncy and energetic, it makes me run and pick up my bass and start running syncopated afro-beat rhythms to a click. His playing with the Joe Zawinul syndicate makes me want to do laps around the house. Who else, Thundercat of course. I listen to a lot of techno and house DJ sets, lots of the Boiler Room videos get me going, especially people like Solumun and other folks on the Diynamic label. On the jam scene, there’s just so much talent. It’s like with every note you can hear people sorting through all the amazing stuff they see on the internet, and we’re all just mushing it into some ever-developing Mother-Groove. I guess thats what music is now, right?

  • New York Series: Steely Dan ‘My Old School’

    While most people typically have fond memories of their college years, there are always incidents you look back on that left a bad taste in your mouth. Maybe it was that horrible breakup with your first “true” love, the time you had to repeat a class because a professor wouldn’t give you that .05 bump in your GPA, or the night you got arrested for what you thought was legally swimming in the pool of your friend’s apartment complex at 5 a.m. For Steely Dan founding members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, the black stain left on their memories of Bard College occurred on a night in May when a swarm of sheriff’s deputies swept through the campus and arrested the two, as well as 50 other students, for marijuana possession. The incident was immortalized in the 1973 single “My Old School.”

    Becker and Fagen met at Bard College in the Hudson Valley hamlet of Annandale, NY in 1967, and bonded over their shared love of jazz, dark comedy, science fiction, and Kurt Vonnegut. Their songwriting collaborations began as somewhat of a gag; writing silly little tunes on an upright piano in a small room of the lobby of Ward Manor, an old mansion on the Hudson River that the college converted to a dorm. As they played together more, they became more serious about their craft and eventually evolved into the perfectionist jazz rock powerhouse they have since been known for.

    Steely Dan

    In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s Bard College was a very hip place to be with stars like the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Bobby Neuwirth showing up at random. If you were lucky enough to be around the area during the late 1960’s you might have even caught Becker and Fagen playing with drummer and fellow Bard Student Chevy Chase at a local house party. Although the college was known for its free spirited student body, the police in the area did not see eye to eye on many of their habits. On a Thursday at 5 a.m. they devised a raid of one of the dorms in an attempt to catch the students off guard, and went on a drug bust spree.

    “These were the days when there was a ‘war on longhairs,’ as they used to call it,” Fagen said, “and Bard’s in this kind of rural district. They picked up about 50 kids just at random. There were a few warrants, and one was for me, which was based totally on false testimony. They handcuffed our hands behind our backs and put us in a paddy wagon and took us off to the Dutchess County Jail. They took all of the boys, about 35 of us, most with really long hair, and shaved our heads. I remember some of them were crying. I don’t think any of them had seen their head for three or four years. It didn’t make that much difference to me. But it was scary, you know? To hear the cell-block door slam shut, the whole business with the handcuffs and the paddy wagon. I’d never been arrested or put in jail before.”

    Steely Dan

    Becker and Fagen express their point of view of the incident and their reflection years later in the song “My Old School,” where they lash out at the school for the way they were treated. They say they’ll only return to the school if “California tumbles into the sea,” and end the song with a very direct “I’m never going back to my old school.” While that lasted a prolonged sixteen years, Fagen returned 16 years later in 1985 to accept an honorary doctorate from the school. Becker also stated that the song shouldn’t be taken literally and insisted that he never viewed it as an angry-sounding song, but rather a funny song. 

    Today Bard College is still an incredibly liberal college, and it’s campus overlooking the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains makes it an ideal place to go to school. The college also hosts two acclaimed annual arts festivals, Bard SummerScape, and the Bard Music Festival, and you would not be remiss to, somewhat ironically, hear “My Old School” while taking a leisurely stroll across the campus.

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

    ‘My Old School’ Lyrics:

    I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
    When you put me on the Wolverine up to Annandale
    It was still September
    When your daddy was quite surprised
    To find you with the working girls in the county jail
    I was smoking with the boys upstairs when I
    Heard about the whole affair, I said oh no
    William and Mary won’t do

    Well, I did not think the girl
    Could be so cruel
    And I’m never going back
    To my old school

    Oleanders growing outside her door
    Soon they’re gonna be in bloom up in Annandale
    I can’t stand her
    Doing what she did before
    Living like a gypsy queen in a fairy tale
    Well, I hear the whistle but I can’t go, I’m gonna
    Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
    Guadalajara won’t do

    Well, I did not think the girl
    Could be so cruel
    And I’m never going back
    To my old school

    California tumbles into the sea
    That’ll be the day I go back to Annandale
    Tried to warn you
    About Chino and Daddy Gee
    But I can’t seem to get to you through the U.S. Mail
    Well I hear the whistle but I can’t go, I’m gonna
    Take her down to Mexico, she said oh no
    Guadalajara won’t do

    Well, I did not think the girl
    Could be so cruel
    And I’m never going back
    To my old school

  • The Wonder of the Wanee Music Festival

    There’s something magical about the Wanee Music Festival. It always feels like the start of festival season, the official kick off if you will.

    Wanee began as a two-day festival with only 11 bands; it is now a three-day festival with as many as 44 performers. The lineup never disappoints, and you always end up with a few crossover sit-ins that are memorable and unique. The days are long; music typically begins around 11 a.m. and can go until close to 3 a.m. Then there’s the drum circle afterward. It’s only natural that the park’s motto is “Music Lives Here.”

    Wanee Music Festival

    Still, Wanee Music Festival couldn’t be what it is without the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. Maybe I am biased as a born-and-raised Floridian, but I believe this park encompasses the best Florida has to offer. It consists of over 800 acres of sprawling oak trees, natural springs, and a brackish river that probably terrifies visitors. In many ways the park still feels untouched, even as it fills with thousands of people for events. I have no doubt this is why The Allman Brothers began hosting the festival in 2005 and continued until 2014. The park even offers bands on Wednesdays now. It is a perfect marriage that brings out all of the beauty and wonder that Florida has to offer.

    There are two primary stages in the music park—the Peach stage (main stage) and the Mushroom stage. The Peach stage is in a large open field, and there you will find the bigger names that typically rotate out yearly with a few regulars added into the mix. There is a large blowup mushroom with “The Allman Brothers” written on it as a way to pay homage to the festival’s roots; it sits near the large Ferris wheel that runs most of the day. The Mushroom stage is built strategically into the woods so as not to disturb Mother Nature but to embrace all that she has to offer. The amphitheater seating is made from old railroad ties that are carefully placed and stacked to not disrupt the large oaks that provide much needed shade from the Florida sun—as well as a place to hang your hammock. This is the stage on which the smaller bands play. Don’t let that description fool you, though; the bands that grace this stage are still top-notch and put on one hell of a show. I can’t count how many times I’ve watched a band play on the Mushroom stage only to find them again in a year or two on the Peach stage.

    At the festival, you will also find beer guys with light-up hats dancing the night away while working, festival crews dressed in matching shirts, and children playing with new friends and loving every minute of it. Without question, someone will be wearing an animal onesie even though its 90 degrees out. You are also certain to see a few tutus, and people of all ages. Somehow it all works seamlessly for these few wonderful days, and everyone is just there to enjoy the music, take in the scenery, and have a great time.

    This year’s festival headliners on the Peach stage were Dark Star Orchestra (Thursday), Widespread Panic (Friday and Saturday), and Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band (Friday and Saturday). Other acts that performed on the Peach stage were Bobby Lee Rogers Trio, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Sonny Landreth, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and As the Crow Flies. The Mushroom stage was packed with talent as well. Midnight North, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, The Marcus King Band, Walter Trout, The Main Squeeze, and North Mississippi Allstars all played on Friday. On Saturday, talent included The Yeti Trio, New Orleans Suspects, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, George Porter Jr., Soul Rebels, and Karl Denson. Everything I saw was fantastic! Although Marcus King sitting in with Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band was my highlight!

    For an event of this size, festival organizers did a good job overall of not overlapping competing bands on the two stages. Any festival junkie knows that the worst part of the festival is trying to preplan each day at each stage so no bands are missed! It can be rather difficult. However, the close proximity of the stages to one another helps to keep festival goers on schedule.

    I always say that the weeks following Wanee are the “Wanee Hangover;” it is so hard to get back to reality and the daily grind. There is just something very special about the festival, where you think, “Take me back!” The biggest comfort is that, since this is the “kickoff” of festival season, at least you know the summer tour is right around the corner. Until next year, “Merry Wanee!” I hope you enjoy going to the woods as much as I do.

    This article originally appeared on Gratefulmommabear.com

  • Hearing Aide: Jon Lewis Band ‘Get Wild Somewhere’

    Everyone loves rooting for the hometown star to catch a big break. Rochester’s very own Jon Lewis Band’s  latest offering Get Wild Somewhere has the potential to expose them to their widest and most diverse audience yet. It has nothing to do with luck though. The eighth album they’ve recorded in four years stands solidly on the five member’s pure and unadulterated passion, dedication, friendship and, most importantly, talent. 

    The band’s namesake, Lewis is on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, accompanied by Dave Drago on bass, Jake Walsh on drums, Shawn Brogan on lead guitar and Alex Northrup on keys. With more time spent traveling to Los Angeles to record than actually spent in the studio, Get Wild Somewhere’s classic sound was accomplished through the use of vintage recording gear. All ten tracks were written with the intention of being played and recorded live.

    “We didn’t want to do overdubs or try to manipulate our sound too much,” said Lewis. “That made it possible to record in a shorter period of time and also enabled us to make something that showcases all of our individual strengths.”

    Fueled by adrenaline, backed by fans who crowdsourced over $2,000 to support the band’s trip to LA to record, and fed by the largest pizza they’ve ever seen (it had to be delivered through the loading dock door) Get Wild Somewhere has a polished, timeless sound that could only be done justice with vinyl.

    The Jon Lewis Band consists of Dave Drago, Shawn Brogan, Jon Lewis, Alex Northrup and Jake Walsh.

    Written by Lewis and produced, mixed and mastered by Drago in his 1809 Studios in Macedon, NY, Get Wild Somewhere tears onto the scene with the catchy opening track “Jerry My Berry.” Borrowing from the piano track that was used in famous recordings like “Werewolves in London” and “Summer Breeze,” combined with a catchy chorus, driving beat and melodious guitar licks, “Jerry My Berry” kicks the album off on an energetic note.

    Track two, “Charity,” is a beautiful opus with rich vocal harmonies complimenting mournful wails from Northrup’s organ.

    “You Don’t Wanna,” the third offering on the album, has a Beach Boys, surfer rock vibe to it. The clavinet introduces listeners to a an easy, breezy, likeable song that encapsulates the vintage vibe.

    I just want to see your face

    I just want to waste your time

    I just want to talk to you

    Cause you will see that I’m alright

    The rough riding “Cinnamon Only,”carried by a driving lead guitar, is the first song on the album to have a full-length video to accompany it. Lewis created the video over one month’s time entirely with colored papers and sketches.

    “I draw and cut out the characters, then photograph/animate them against a green screen, then I put all the layers together to create something I like to call ‘Paper World,’” he explains ,”The plot and story completely unfolded as I continued to work, just letting the song dictate the imagery.”

    The album’s closer, “So Familiar,“ is a gorgeously dark and stormy, mostly instrumental, song that hits to the core.

    Get Wild Somewhere is the sound of five friends pouring their hearts out and having the time of their lives producing fresh, original and crush-able jams, heartfelt ballads and indie rock. Each song come together effortlessly and stands on their own, as if they were just waiting to be born.

    The energy and connection on the album translates easily to the stage. Check the Jon Lewis Band out for yourself Friday, May 18 at their Album Release Party at Three Heads Brewing. Here’s hoping that this is just the start of something even bigger for these five Rochester musical dynamos!

    Key Tracks: Jerry My Berry, You Don’t Wanna, So Familiar

    https://www.facebook.com/jon.lewis.1401/videos/1781207945233793/

  • Electronic Duo Nite Haus Release Single and Video for ‘Calling You’

    American / German electronic duo Nite Haus have released “Calling You,” their first single and music video off their upcoming self-produced project, Saturation, due out in June. The album was recorded throughout 2015-2017 and was heavily influenced by Carrie Turner (vocals) and Nils Siegels’s (instrumentals, production) ever eventful lives in New York.

    Nite Haus shares on the influence of New York City on their music: “The City is a place full of stimuli, where your mind is constantly stimulated, and in turn, saturated. Carrie’s songwriting across the album touches on the glamour, the sex, and the energy that comes from living in such a place as New York City, while also opening up about her own experiences with depression and loss.”

    Nite Haus is an American / German electronic music duo who met through Craigslist, where Carrie had placed an ad saying: “Singer/fashion icon seeks weird amateur electronic musician.” Nils was her guy. Shortly after, the two began recording in Nils’s Williamsburg living room, and in 2014 self-released their debut album,Transform the Dark, which went to #11 on the CMJ RPM charts. Inspired by everyone from Kate Bush and Grimes to Daft Punk and New Order, their music mixes elements of house, electronic, and synthwave.

  • Hearing Aide: TJ Foster ‘First Person, Volume One’

    Anyone who’s ever questioned their purpose (so all of us) will relate to the sentiments laid out in TJ Foster’s recent release First Person, Volume One. The album unfolds like a diary decorated with a mix of acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica and occasional drums. Each song explores the obstacles that emerge as people struggle with defining their own identity and finding their place in the world.

    The lyrics won’t shock the ear with poetic potency but Foster’s words will validate the listeners’ own questioning of self. The first track, “I Don’t Know,” sets the tone for the album with modest guitar elevated by strong vocal harmonies. The title offers a simple and honest response to the questions that escape our grasp. “57” wrestles with the desire for human connection but hauntingly echoes the chorus “Should I just be alone.” The melancholy ensues with “Basement,” which details a few of the emotional hardships Foster has experienced including losing a friend to suicide and dealing with his parents’ divorce.

    “An Ode to my Twenties” surprises the listener with the most upbeat tune on the album, recounting important milestones including graduation, getting married, having two kids, getting a first tattoo, and perhaps most notably, finding a taste for wine. It’s may seem like a minor adult accomplishment, but detecting the subtle nuances in a glass of merlot is an ability often lost on younger drinkers. In “Upside Down,” Foster almost whispers the line “I may act like I’m awake, but I’m perpetually dreaming.” It speaks to the human tendency to be caught up in our thoughts and not actively participating in our own lives, too busy focusing on the negative to revel in the positive.

    Though First Person, Volume One offers no comforting solutions to the numerous existential questions it poses, perhaps comfort can be found the questions themselves, as they are familiar to many of us. Released on April 13, the album is available for purchase here.

    Key Tracks: I Don’t Know, An Ode to My Twenties, Upside Down

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