Komrads, a Synthpunk/Darkwave duo based out of Rochester, NY have released the first track off their upcoming album Resistor, due out on May 25 and now available for pre order. The track, “Prom Dress,” is a post-punk inspired anthem about love and loss. Resistor was produced, mixed, and engineered by Joshua Pettinger at Wicked Squid Studios and mastered by Brian “Big Bass” Gardner.
The album release party and Resistor tour kick off on June 8 at Rosen Krown in Rochester with dogmath and DJ Bumphead, and after a jaunt through the Midwest, Komrads return to New York for a show in Buffalo on June 22 at Milkies with Curse of Cassandra (Cincinnati, OH Witch House/Goth Trap), Industry of Life Divine, Finality Complex, And Armageddon Party.
Resistor Tour Dates June 8th – Rochester, NY – Rosen Krown
June 9th – Flint, MI – Churchill’s
June 10th – Chicago, IL – Livewire Lounge
June 11th – Muncie, IN – Be Here Now!
June 12th – St. Louis, MO – The Monocle
June 13th – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle Brewing*
June 14th – Cincinnati, OH – The Listing Loon*
June 15th – Columbus, OH – Cafe’ Bourbon Street*
June 16th – Mansfield, OH – La Luna* June 22nd – Buffalo, NY – Milkies
June 23rd – Salem, MA – KOTO
Cincinnati synth-pop outfit, Founding Fathers, today debut their new video for “VHS,” a track from their latest album, Mating Rites. The retro feel of the video will immediately bring you back to the early days of MTV, when music videos were nascent and MTV actually played videos.
With a blend of synth-rock, funk, dance, and new wave, “VHS” is both an infectious composition and accompanying video. The band chose “VHS” for their video because of its upbeat and catchy nature, and gives a strong representation of their current sound, per Eric Johnson, guitarist of Founding Fathers.
The refrain “Pop me in like a VHS cassette, I wanna relive this moment again” has a Devo-esque quality to it and coupled with rustic blue screens for their effects, you’re getting a rough feel of what music videos had in store in the mid-80s. For 2018, this is a throwback video that hits all the right notes: a catchy tune, a poppy synth beat and four guys in purple who clearly loved making this video.
Founding Fathers vocalist and bassist, Mahoney (Matt Chmielewski) came up with the initial concept to capture the spirit of 80’s public access music videos. “It became a really appealing idea because we were able to do something visually entertaining, yet have an element of self-awareness and weirdness. It exacerbates the motif of over-using low budget video effects in public access videos,” said Johnson.
“VHS’ was produced by Mark Borison (The Mark) and Holland Rains of Local Favorite Productions. Catch Founding Fathers this month in Buffalo on Saturday, May 20 at Mohawk Place and in Manhattan on Wednesday May 23 at Bowery Electric. Listen to recent release Mating Rites below.
Swimmer has premiered “Hyperbole” off their upcoming album Throw it Out, exclusively through NYS Music. The 11 minute track is a sojourn through tempo, winding through 70s rock with a disco beat, while jazz flows through the composition.
Matt Dolliver (keys, sax) says of the track “Hyperbole is a journey. It’s up and down. It’s left and right. It’s fast and slow. It’s here! Oh, look! It’s over there! It’s a tune we wrote collaboratively and has proven over time to be a highlight in a live setting.” Catch Swimmer this summer at StrangeCreek Music Festival, as well as stops in Buffalo and Syracuse this month.
Albany’s breakout funkateers Hartley’s Encore are slated to release their eponymous debut EP on April 20, and have released the first single, also titled “Hartley’s Encore,” through NYS Music. The track was written by Hartley’s co-founders Luke Malamood and Christopher Oliver, and the album was recorded and mixed by Alan Evans of Soulive at Iron Wax Recording Studio in Millers Falls, MA.
The refrain “Gonna give you an encore” fits perfectly as the last track of this 6-song EP, a party starter live and sure to leave those enjoying the EP wanting more. Driving horns stand out over a rous built by Luke Malamood’s keys and organ. Sax and trumpet interludes from Jeff Nania and Phil Chow, respectively, keep the flow of this funky number moving, just as your feet and hips will be once you get a taste of this funky troupe’s flavor.
Hartley’s Encore will be released on Friday, April 20, with a Record Release Party on Friday, April 27 at The Hollow in Albany with special guest Victory Soul Orchestra and hosted by Guthrie/Bell Productions. They will also perform at Bowery Electric on May 18 in Manhattan. Pre-order the album now.
Cincinnati-based synth-pop troupe, Founding Fathers, today release their sophomore full-length album “Mating Rites.” With influences of Beck, Ween and LCD Soundsystem, Founding Fathers blends new wave, synth-rock and dance to deliver a high-energy performance of infectious music guaranteed to get you moving.
Eric Johnson (guitar, vocals) handled much of the recording, mixing, and mastering process, with production and mixing assistance from Associate Engineer Greg Yock (Bottom Line). Johnson states that Founding Fathers’ “…goal is to infect as many people as possible with our music.” The group’s debut album, Filthy Animals, was released in October 2016.
Schenectady native, and upcoming local hip hop artist, 3ality, recently sat down with NYS Music for his first ever interview with any kind of publication.
3ality has been blowing up fast on the local hip hop scene since debuting last summer. During the interview, 3ality was asked about performing live for the first time, when his next album will come out, and his first experience hitting the road.
NYS Music: I was at your very first performance back in June at Our Place in Mechanicville. There was a downpour of rain all day. The promoter shows up late, in a pickup truck with all the sound equipment including speakers in the back getting soaked. Besides the obvious butterflies that had to be in your stomach, what was going on through your mind after witnessing this?
3ality: I didn’t know what to expect, I just know I practiced my ass off and was ready to go do what I had to do…Nine months later, I know that my feelings that day are true. It was so unprofessional, so poorly promoted, and to this day, nothing has changed. I have one more date there that is part of an upcoming tour, unless changes are made, I promise that place will never see me again.
NYS Music: Yeah I would say after nine months, and several shows, its time to move on from that promoter, but how about the venue itself? Was there something about the venue that you didn’t really care for?
3ality: Besides being in the middle of nowhere, it’s kind of small but it does justice for a local show. If shows were actually promoted, it wouldn’t be so bad. The promoter and even the owner make it hard for people to enjoy themselves. 3ality tomatoes gives it a thumbs down, but I’ve enjoyed all my times there. It was the first place I got to perform my own music. The promoter doesn’t make fliers until the week of the show. Like what? The venue has a 21 and over only policy which dampens ticket sales and no real security.
NYS Music: Interesting. You think they would implement a wristband system and place a black X on the back of the hand like other venues to tell difference between customers under 21.
3ality: Yeah it only makes sense. They sell soda and food there. No reason they cant do 18+.
NYS Music: How did you go about practicing for your first show? You obviously never performed on stage or in front of a crowd.
3ality: I knew a month in advance that I was on the show so I filled my allotted time with my tracks and just did them over and over again until I was confident wit the memorization.
NYS Music: How did you go about memorizing them? Did you just read over and over again what you wrote while sitting on your couch? (Laughs)
3ality: I had some studio recorded stuff, so I have been already listening to myself and singing along. What I mainly did practicing was play the beats and sing over it cause that’s what I will be doing live. You check your lyrics until you get them. Just keep practicing like a spelling test. I worked at a community center which is like a YMCA, and after I was done working, I would go into the auditorium and use the mic set up and practice on stage to an empty room or a friend or two. Our Place didn’t have a stage and I felt like I could’ve put on an even more badass show for my family and friends from work who came to see me.
NYS Music: That’s pretty badass. Nice to see that some family friends and co workers came out a supported you.
NYS Music: Since your first performance, you have played several local shows throughout the Capital District in 2017, some shows in Pennsylvania, and capping the year off on New Year’s Eve in New Hampshire. How did you feel performing for the first time in a room where only the performers knew who you were.
3ality: It felt amazing and right at home. That New Hampshire show was a “Juggalo” show which is the crowd I feel I appeal to most. I’m not shy when it comes to seizing the moment. I’m an outgoing guy when comfortable and have had a lot of experience prior to 3ality performing in front of big crowds.
NYS Music: Experience performing in front of crowds before how?
3ality: Singing in shows in school, karaoke in bars, and doing demonstrations in tae kwon do.
NYS Music: What about IYF Wrestling? (Laughs) I’ve seen on your Facebook page that you used to wrestle on the local independent scene.That had to help with performing in front of a crowd.
3ality: I don’t know. That was a whole different world. I feel like if I could’ve done that, I can do anything so your right cause that definitely had me nervous. (Laughs)
NYS Music: (Laughs) I Bet.
3ality: Yeah hopefully one day I’m big enough to set up a match at WrestleMania.
NYS Music: It is coming to NY/NJ in 2019 so a close to home boy on a close to home show would be pretty cool.
NYS Music: You traveled to New Hampshire and performed your first live set for a New Year’s Eve crowd. What expectations did you have going into the show, compared to how you felt after your performance?
3ality: I think my expectations were exceeded from the point my first song ended and the crowd erupted. I felt like I belonged and the rest of my set was a breeze.
NYS Music: In mid April you and some other local hip hop artists are going to hit the road and open shows for Skero. The tour is going to travel to parts of the U.S. including once again NH, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and kicking things off in Ohio. What are you looking to gain from this first time extended touring experience.
3ality: This tour is gonna have the same type of crowd as New Hampshire. I met Skero at that show. I hope I get the chance to expand my fan base, and get people to follow me, want new music, and come out a see me perform again.
NYS Music: You’ve released an EP and CD in the past year. Speaking of new music, can fans expect a new EP on this run?
3ality: I’ve been a little busy…there wont be a new solo EP before summer, but there will definitely be new music before the year is out. One EP, two albums, I cant say yet but everyone is gonna get more familiar with the name 3ality, so I hope everyone is ready. You can check out my debut album on Spotify, iTunes, Google play and other like sites.
NYS Music: Since your first live performance, how do you feel you have progressed from that first show, and have you changed anything about the way you approach a live performance?
3ality: Not much. I’ve performed a few different songs, and collaborated with other artists. I’d say I have a lot more energy now.
NYS Music: Thanks for taking the time out and chatting with us here at NYS Music. Last question: What else can we look forward to in the future from 3ality? Any other tours or shows planned?
3ality: Thank You.Not yet. My biggest show to date will be in Stanhope, NJ, on May 13, when I open for Blaze Ya Dead Homie.
New Yorkers can check out 3ality on April 15, at Our Place in Mechanicville, April 17, at Gusa’s in Elmira, and April 25, at The Footlight in Queens.
little good bad (+ -), a hybrid-pop band from Pittsburgh, premieres the video for “Black + White,” an energetic EDM-tinged pop song. The trio innovate a new style of pop music adding in punk, neo-soul and EDM, creating a hybrid style of music that translates into a unique live show experience.
Rachel B (vocals, keytar + songwriter) shares insight behind the song, saying “Black + White is about proving people and your own negative thoughts wrong. There’s not one way and Black + White is an electronic rock song defying any notion that the world is just black and white or wrong and right. We usually find the answer somewhere in the middle…”
little good bad (+ -) formed when Rachel B and Billy Castle (drums, multi-instrumentalist) met at a party in Boston before dropping out of college. They reconnected a year later in Los Angeles and moved to Pittsburgh where they started writing and performing together. Dinn Winnwood (DJ), an electronic producer from Philadelphia made the group a trio and gave their songs new life by bridging Rachel and Billy’s sounds.
Together, they represent the duality that lives within ourselves and our relationships.The group creates music with unique sounds and visuals that break down society’s confines of originality, sexuality, and complacency. Rachel B says of the trio, “Life is a series of random events, both beautiful and sometimes tragic. The more we come together to create unity in chaos, the better the show.” Listen to more on their Soundcloud and check out their show at The Stage at Karma on March 24 in Pittsburgh with Red Room Effect and Xavier Wells.
Brooklyn-based trio, Modern Whale, are too pop for indie, yet too indie for pop, and have a released their latest single, “The Dirt,” cultivating a sound rooted in pop-rock. The driving rock of “The Dirt” brings to mind the post-grunge 90’s of Three Days Grace and My Chemical Romance with driving guitar rhythms and symphonic vocals that combine for an instant, and pleasant earworm.
Helmed by Bushwick-based record producer and songwriter Rob Guariglia, Modern Whale is not a specimen of the sea but rather a musical crossing. The group formed in Brooklyn at the infamous rock refuge Meserole Sound Studio, with a name that reflects the animalistic tendency of music and is encapsulated through Rob’s dog Stella, his assistant and muse. “The Dirt” was written by Robert J. Guariglia & Stephen Ericson and produced by Robert J. Guariglia.
Space rockers Escaper, who perfectly blend funk, rock, jazz and fusion, today released their second album Edge Detection on Ropeadope Records. NYS Music is proud to premiere Edge Detection, recorded at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn with co-producer John Davis (Lettuce, Brad Mehldau, Black Keys). The opening track “Secret Weapon” is indeed that – with a slowly accelerating build infused with saxophone, the song gets grittier and nastier, and just when you think it’s fading out, Escaper storms back giving a Flying Frog Brigade level of intensity to the track. Give a listen to the album below.
Escaper performs in Syracuse on Saturday at Funk ‘n Waffles with special guest Ryan Vendetti.
While at The Bunker Studio, Escaper recorded over the course of two days with all five band members playing together simultaneously, while in isolated rooms. Bandleader and guitarist, Will Hanza, expresses, “This also allows for synergy to happen because instead of me playing with something that is already there and that not being able to react back to me, we can all react to each other together, alive in the moment. I think that is the most important thing. Our live show is really important to us and what we can do with that. We wanted to be able to capture that feel and that synergy in the studio as much as possible.”
The songs all had a set structure, but left plenty of room for improvisation right in the studio. The idea was to capture an in-the-moment feel of the musicians working off of each other. In regards to this, Will further states “The term ‘jam’ can be a loaded one, but the idea of having some concrete ideas, while still allowing the music to be open to take advantage of the moment is really important to us.”
Prog rockers Ampevene have released the first video, “Valencia,” from their upcoming live album Ephemagoria, set to be released on February 9. The live album featured classic and never before recorded Ampevene songs as well as covers, capturing the feel of a live performance at The Recording Company in Esperance, NY, and mixed by Tim Lynch with mastering by Alan Douches of West West Side Music.
Helmed by 