NYS Music 20​18

Category: Special

  • Definite plans underway for Woodstock 2019

    There will be a Woodstock festival in 2019, fifty years after the iconic 1969 affair. Michael Lang, promoter of the festival for the past five decades, spoke with the Poughkeepsie Journal on Friday, November 16, confirming that plans are shaping up. While the date, lineup, and other details are not ready to be revealed, Lang told the Poughkeepsie Journal that the 50th anniversary will come full circle to the original themes of sustainability, activism, and social justice.

    We’re hoping to inspire people to speak up and get involved and get out and vote and help us save the planet. We are in trouble and it seems like we’ve been brought back in time in a lot of ways. It’s eerie how similar a lot of things are to the way it was in the late ‘60s. Lessons we thought we learned seem to be coming back, unlearned. The progress we learned in social justice seems to be going backwards.

    – Michael Lang, Woodstock Music and Arts Festival Promoter

    During a Q&A at the Long Island Music Hall of Fame ceremony earlier this month, Lang was asked, “Plans for 50?” He responded, “Coming. I can’t yet, but coming. Definitely coming.”

    Last December, New York State’s Regional Economic Development Council awarded the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts — a performing arts center located on the grounds of the original Woodstock — $689,063 for a three-day festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

  • Vermont’s first WinterWonderGrass hosts Grass After Dark series

    A favorite feature of the Colorado version of the winter music celebration, WinterWonderGrass Stratton has finally introduced its own iteration of the Grass After Dark Series with one month until the event kicks off.

    Grass After Dark

    Bluegrass fans new to the festival should be aware that festival tickets are not required for the Grass After Dark series. All of the late night shows are 21+ and are a separate purchase from the WWG day festival tickets. Grass After Dark tickets are limited and expected to sell out quickly. You can secure your spot at the event by purchasing your tickets at the WWG website.

    The night series opens on the eve of WWG Stratton day festivities, with An Evening with the Infamous Stringdusters on Dec. 13 at Grizzly’s. The GAD series is hosted between two intimate mountainous locations for four nights of bluegrass in the village. Dec.r 15 is the only night attendees will have to choose between Grizzly’s and the Green Mountain Room in Black Bear Lodge at the Stratton Mountain Resort. The full GAD late night show schedule is down below:

    GRIZZLY’S:

    Thursday, Dec. 13 – An Evening with the Infamous Stringdusters
    Saturday, Dec. 15 – Keller Williams and Fruition
    Sunday, Dec. 16 – Billy Strings and Lindsay Lou

    BLACK BEAR LODGE:

    Friday, Dec. 14 – Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Saints & Liars
    Saturday, Dec. 15 – The Kitchen Dwellers and Rumpke Mountain Boys

    Tickets are still available for those interested in the full WinterWonderGrass community experience. Single day prices are currently $59 for Friday, $79 for Saturday, and $59 for Sunday. For the complete festival schedule and all ticket packages, visit the WinterWondergrass website for more information.

  • Twiddle’s Mihali makes solo debut with ‘Fading State’

    Twiddle frontman Mihali recently released politically charged single “Fading State” for his upcoming album. The album is yet to be titled and fans are eagerly anticipating a release date. The new single features vocals from Nahko (Nahko and Medicine for the People) and Trevor Hall who support Mihali in this advocacy-driven single. Produced by Johnny Cosmic of Stick Figure, Mihali’s reggae single focuses on protecting the environment and putting aside political agendas for the greater good.

    The issue is continuously met with opposition motivated by greed. It’s up to all of us as individuals to do what we can…to do our part to make a positive change in the world. With our current political climate, I think now is the perfect time for this single to be released.

    Mihali refers to “Fading State” as the spark that influenced most of his newest musical creations. While the debut album is yet to be announced, glimpses of the anticipated album will show up throughout the course of Mihali’s solo December tour of the Northeast. There are four New York shows lined up in the rapid fire schedule below.

    Mihali Tour Schedule:

    Dec. 5 – Mercury Lounge –  New York, NY 
    Dec. 6 – Spcae Ballroom – Hamden, CT
    Dec. 7 – Putnam Place – Saratoga Springs, NY
    Dec. 8 – Funk ‘n Waffles – Syracuse, NY
    Dec. 9 – Portland House of Music – Portland, ME
    Dec. 11 – Wonder Bar – Asbury Park, NJ
    Dec. 12 – 8 x 10 – Baltimore, MD
    Dec. 13 – BSP-3 – Kingston, NY
    Dec. 14 – Jewel – Manchester, NH
    Dec. 15 – Gateway City Arts – Holyoke, MA

    Watch Mihali’s “Fading State” music video down below and get a feel for what to expect on his premier solo album.

    Editor’s Note: This article was edited to correct the title of the song. 

  • WinterWonderGrass comes to Vermont in December

    WinterWonderGrass arrives this weekend at Stratton Mountain Resort from December 14-16 in Stratton Vermont. Locals introduced to this traditionally Colorado music festival can expect craft beers, tasty treats, outdoor winter fun, and the intimate family atmosphere that WWG is famous for fostering. At the popular mountain resort located just a short drive from both Boston and New York City, concert attendees can enjoy a perfect winter backdrop for WWG’s inaugural New England appearance.

    Here’s this weekend’s schedule including ‘Grass after Dark’ shows held nightly.

    WinterWonderGrass vermont Single day tickets are currently $59 for Friday and Sunday, while Saturday tickets are $79.  The best priced ticket package is the three-day ticket ($149). On top of three days for WWG musical offerings, three-day tickets include three hours of beer, cider, tea and Switchel samplings each day.

    After each day’s main headliner, fans are welcome to attend special performances at the Soapbox featuring Pickin on the Dead on Friday, Rumpke Mountain Boys on Saturday, and the Jon Stickley Trio to wrap up on Sunday. Committed to community engagement, WWG is also hosting free afternoon meetings for WWG artists and local musicians interaction. Bring your own instrument, refreshments will be provided.

    Be on the lookout for more bluegrass events at the festival, more is still to come for the evening.  WWG is preparing to announce ‘Grass after Dark’ late night shows on Nov. 13. The late shows will bring guests to more intimate peaks and settle the concert into a more casual vibe. Connecting artists with the local community, these events bring you up close and personal with bluegrass icons as they improvise musical conversations with ease.

    WinterWonderGrass is a low-impact event with music throughout the day. Get to know the lay of the land, what beers will be available for sampling (daily from 2-5p), what food trucks will be on hand, where the Kids Zone is and more.

    If you still need lodging options, WinterWonderGrass has partnered up with a few local options to ensure maximum comfort during your visit. Shuttles will run from select properties in Manchester as well.

    In 2018 alone, WinterWonderGrass diverted more than 23,000 lbs of waste from landfills due to their composting, recycling and food donation program. WWG has long been a partner with Waste-Free Earth out of Burlington. Get to know their company and how big of an impact they’ve made on our festival community.

    Check out the dining options around the resort outside of the festival grounds and for more info, check out WWG’s additional FAQs with anything and everything you need to know to have the best possible WWG experience. From what to wear, what not to bring, what’s allowed and so on. See you in Stratton!

  • New York Funeral Pop Duo MXMS Share New Single “Gravedigger”

    Looking for a new genre of music? Try Funeral Pop, and the sounds of New York based duo MXMS who have recently released their new single “Gravedigger.” The self-produced duo from New York City and small-town Oklahoma have created their own genre, which fuses classic melodic songwriting with dark, unfiltered chaos, driven by a thousand forms of fear. Just in time for the holidays. They’ll perform in Hollywood, CA at underground nightclub Cloak & Dagger on October 30.

    MXMS is short for “Me and My Shadow” and brings together singer Ariel Levitan and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Dawson. MXMS’ debut untitled album will be released on We Are:The Guard/Kobalt Records in early 2019.

  • Premiere: Animal Sounds debut ‘Antelope’ off upcoming album “Ennui”

    Indie psych rockers Animal Sounds from Rochester, NY will release their debut LP Ennui on Friday, October 26th and today premiere with NYS Music “Antelope.”

    animal sounds antelope

    Guitarist Shawn Brogan had this to say about the track: “Dating in the millennial age is confusing and the lack of communication often results in one person wanting completely different things than the other. “Antelope” was written about witnessing a friends-with-benefits situation turn ugly and the emotional turmoil that came with it.”

    Animal Sounds upcoming LP Ennui showcases a variety of songwriting capabilities and progressive song structures, with influences such as of melodic guitar riffs from Minus The Bear, psych groove’s of Tame Impala, and the rock n roll energy of Cage the Elephant found throughout the LP. Follow Animal Sounds on Soundcloud, Bandcamp and Instagram.

  • Brooklyn’s Phony Ppl share funky new tune ‘Something About Your Love’

    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

  • Longwave release “Stay With Me,” first single in 10 years

    While their new album is still under wraps, LongWave has “Stay With Me,” the first single from the NY rockers in ten years. Longwave formed in Brooklyn at the dawn of the New York indie rock resurgence in 1999 and signed with RCA Records where it released the Dave Fridmann-produced (Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips) The Strangest Things, who also produced the EP Life Of The Party. The band has toured throughout the world sharing billing domestically and overseas with their friends The Strokes, as well as The National, The Vines, The Doves, bloc party, Blue October, and Kasabian among others.

    The band will embark on a Fall Tour supporting Blue October, kicking off in Royal Oak, MI on October 11th. They’ve also launched a Pledge Music campaign to coincide with the upcoming tour and album release.

    Tour Dates
    (headlining)
    11.17 – New York City, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

    (with Blue October)
    10.11 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
    10.12 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
    10.13 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave / Eagles Club
    10.14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
    10.17 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Room
    10.18 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
    10.19 – Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theatre
    10.20 – Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
    10.21 – San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre

  • Premiere: Gallons of Pork debut “WEED POLICE” music video

    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.

  • Rochester’s The Dirty Pennies premiere video for “A Prisoner’s Passage”

    “A Prisoner’s Passage,” a new song with accompanying music video from Rochester’s The Dirty Pennies premieres today on NYS Music. The video, filmed Live at Wicked Squid Studios, will be featured on The Dirty Pennies’ next EP due out in early 2019.

    The song was written shortly after their first run of regional festival appearances at Lilac Fest & Grassroots Festival. The band chose the live video route in order to embody the energy of a live show in hopes of engaging more than just the auditory senses, giving fans, both new and old, a taste of what to expect in the future.

    The Dirty Pennies next show will be on Halloween at Bug Jar in Rochester, with Morning Teleportation & Desert Noises. More info can be found here.