NYS Music 20​18

Category: Alternative/Indie

  • Rabbit Jaw responds to anti-immigration policies through music

    Erin Bahn is a singer, a dancer and a humanitarian. Through her art, she expresses her passionate messages against oppression and authoritarian regimes, and she is backed by her band of equally revolutionary-minded musicians. The Buffalo-based art-rock band Rabbit Jaw has released a music video for their song “Stowaway,” which is in response to right-wing American anti-immigration policies.

    Bohn, who choreographed and directed the video, recently told Buffalo Rising, “This film is one take, played in reverse. Within this film, although it is played in reverse, I wanted to play with concepts of restoration of dreams and dreamers.”

    Rabbit Jaw will be playing two shows in Buffalo on September 29: The Tabernacle from 6-8pm and then Dinosaur Bar-B-Que from 10-midnight. To stay up to date on news and events, follow Rabbit Jaw on Facebook.

    rabbit jaw
    photo by Glenn Murray

  • David Byrne brings American Utopia Tour to the Palace Theatre

    David Byrne’s much-hyped (and rightly so) American Utopia Tour found its way to Albany’s Palace Theatre on Sunday, September 9, after six months of crisscrossing the country, with all the buzz about the set and production having preceding each performance. Byrne’s catalog of music was on display throughout the night, with 21 songs covering his solo work, as well as that with Talking Heads and with St. Vincent and Fatboy Slim, combining for a nearly two-hour performance with the psychedelic alt-rock of Tune-Yards opening the night. With a futuristic mix of electronic, new wave and indie pop, plus a lead singer dressed like a dystopian Supreme Court justice, made for an interesting prelude to Byrne. Forty minutes of pure energy and symphonic pomp was capped by “Heart Attack,” and paired nicely with the variety of Byrne’s music that would follow.
    American Utopia TourNature sounds over the PA filled the air as the stage was set for David Byrne. When the curtain opened, we found Byrne sitting at a table holding a human brain, pointing out the purpose for the brain in the lyrics of the opener ‘Here,’ an anticipatory introduction into the evening’s performance. Slowly, an 11 piece band, including six percussionists and drummers, emerged from behind the silver strand curtains that surrounded the stage on three sides, as Byrne moved into “Lazy,” which could have easily been pulled from LCD Soundsystem’s catalog. But it was the opening beats of “I Zimbra” that brought the audience to their feet in unison, like a preacher calling the congregation back from a moment of reflection.

    Following “Slippery People,” Byrne took a moment to recognize Headcount and encouraged everyone to register to vote, and then make sure they vote in elections, which was met by thunderous applause from the audience. The St. Vincent collaboration “I Should Watch TV” and “Everybody’s Coming to my House” preceded two of the most familiar songs of the night, “This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)” and “Once in a Lifetime,” the crowd singing along some of Byrne’s finest work.

    The band was introduced one by one for a slowly growing intro to “Born Under Punches” from the acclaimed Remain in the Light. Byrne’s solo work was showcased with four songs that followed, “I Dance Like This,” “Bullet,” “Every Day is a Miracle,” and “Like Humans Do.” Blind” took on an ominous feel with low stage lighting projecting a monstrous shadow of Byrne on the curtains behind the band, with a raucous “Burnin Down the House” closing the 80+ minute set.

    For an encore, Byrne introduced “Dancing Together” as a song with lyrics provided from Imelda Marcos’ own words and originally from a musical Byrne collaborated on with Fatboy Slim about the former Philippine dictator’s love of shoes and disco. A frenetic version of “The Great Curve” followed, with the woke audience moving to the enthusiastic Talking Heads original. Returning to the stage for a second encore, Bryne chose “Say Your Name” by Janelle Monae to put a coda on the evening, which shares the names of numerous individuals who have been victims of police and/or racial violence, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Amadou Diallo and others. It was a powerful statement to send the audience out on and left an exclamation point on an evening at The Palace.

    Byrne’s American Utopia tour continues with stops in Syracuse on Sept. 12, Queens on Sept. 15, and two nights in Brooklyn Sept. 16-17.

    Setlist: Here, Lazy, I Zimbra, Slippery People, Dog’s Mind, I Should Watch TV, Everybody’s Coming to my House, This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody), Once in a Lifetime, Doing the Right Thing, Toe Jam, Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), I Dance Like This, Bullet, Every Day is a Miracle, Like Humans Do, Blind, Burning Down the House

    Encore: Dancing Together, The Great Curve
    Encore 2: Hell You Talmbout*

    *Janelle Monae cover

  • Interview: Roan Yellowthorn is Back with New Music and to Talk about Their Growth

    Since last speaking with Jackie McLean nearly a year ago, she and her partner, Shawn Strack have grown tremendously as musicians. They are known as Roan Yellowthorn – an indie pop rock duo. Shawn, who had never been involved in musical production before, is the main engineer and instrumentalist on the upcoming album, Indigo, which is set to be released later this month.

    Roan Yellowthorn

    Their latest single, “Talk About It” is their audience’s first sneak peek as to how the album will sound. This song is a beautiful take on an unresolved relationship as it winds you through a journey both lyrically and melodically. It has a catchy chorus that will remain in your head long after listening to the song.

    My last discussion with Roan Yellowthorn touched on many of the overarching questions regarding her musical influences and the power of a song. This time around, we delved a bit deeper into her artistic development and how this is reflected in her upcoming project. Read more about Jackie and Shawn’s journey below.

    Sammy Steiner: After listening to “Talk About It,” it was clear that Roan Yellowthorn headed in a new sonic direction. Can you talk about how you have grown since “Child in Chief” and your self-titled EP?

    Jackie McLean: The songwriting process has pretty much remained the same except this time I am making a conscious decision to be more honest in my lyrics. The main difference between my last project, (which was made in 48 hours) and Indigo is not only the time we put into it but also the overall production of every song. On this album, my partner, Shawn and I worked very closely to create the entire album ourselves. Shawn used to be a video editor but had never been involved in production before working on this project. The nature of our relationship made our collaborative process extremely complimentary. He knew how to take my abstract concepts and turn them into a reality. Additionally, since we did everything ourselves we were able to go back and tweak every song until we felt it sounded perfect.

    SS: As a follow-up, what has this past year looked like for you guys in terms of the work you put into creating this album? Where did you draw most of your inspiration from?Roan Yellowthorn

    JM: I am constantly writing songs so by the time I started recording Indigo, I already had the majority of the album written. We spent about one week recording in Upstate New York during August and then the following three months were focused on intense mixing and producing. Shawn played every instrument on the album with the exception of the piano which I played. I would say that the biggest difference since our EP is that now we’re doing everything together as opposed to before when we outsourced most things.

    SS: What are some goals you have for the upcoming album and tour?

    JM: My main goal is to bring our music to more people. I really enjoy being able to interact with the audience and hear their opinions in person. We are currently working on putting together a setlist, which will most likely consist of the entire Indigo album as well as a handful of songs from past projects. We are also excited to be experimenting with the drum pad on stage to enhance our live performances by recreating some of the sounds you will hear on the album.

    SS: I had the privilege of getting a sneak listen to the album – for everyone else, can you tell them a bit about what they can expect?

    JM: This album is very personal and very emotional for me. It came together really organically as I kept writing songs to process my feelings. It is an extremely sincere album and I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write another album like this one. I dug so many emotions out of my soul but now it feels like I’ve shed a layer. I hope that everyone likes it!

    SS: What was it like for you, Shawn, to produce this album having never done this kind of work before?

    Shawn Strack: I used to work in film, media and television so I had a basic understanding of the software and the editing process. After having many conversations with Jackie, I understood her vision for the album and was confident that I could translate those ideas into the music. To give you an example – she once said to me that she wanted the title track “Indigo” to sound as if she was flying through space with stars exploding around her. I added a post rock influenced guitar under the verses while she played the piano and put drum and guitar layers during the chorus.

    SS: Finally, what does the word ‘indigo’ mean to you and to this album?

    Shawn: The color indigo is present in the colouring of the sounds on the album. It can be dark but there are moments of brightness.

    JM: The last song I wrote for the album was the title track, “Indigo.” This song really encompassed the idea behind the entire album and I had really strong instinctual feelings that the album was done once it was written. Afterwards, I came to find many more meanings behind the word as it is also a feeling, color, mood, idea, etc. I finally had a name for the feeling.

  • Syracuse’s Westcott Theater Announces Fall Performances From Turkuaz, Snails, and More

    In the coming months, the Westcott Theater in Syracuse will be hosting several exciting events with appearances from Turkuaz, Snails, Dubloadz, and the Ghost of Paul Revere and Charlie Parr. These are all ages shows, allowing for anyone to come and enjoy a great musical experience from any of these talented and entertaining performers.

    Turkuaz is a colorful Brooklyn based group that blends male and female harmonies into a unique sound that touches on funk, alternative, and R&B. Their show at the Westcott Theater is one of many on their new promotional tour for their album Life in the City available Sept. 28. They will be accompanied by Butcher Brown.

    DJ and producer SNAILS, who has earned tremendous praise from major dubstep stars such as Skrillex, Diplo, Datsik, and Excision, will also be taking over Syracuse for a night. With viral tracks under his belt like “Dirty Raxxx,” “KRMT” and “RUBBR,” the Montreal artist has built a wild bass-loving collection of fans who are always eager for more hardcore beats.

    Dave Nardolilli, otherwise known as Dubloadz, is yet another rising dubstep talent who dedicates himself to shocking crowds with his “Savage Wonk” musical style. 2014 was his breakout year as he toured around the globe at high demand shows and demonstrated the love he has for his craft. Ambitious and recognized in the industry, Dubloadz went on to say that: “I can only hopeto inspire people. I love what I do and I want people to realize they can make their dreams happen as well.”

    Finally, the Ghost of Paul Revere and Charlie Parr will be performing a beautifully chilling and harmonic set of classic folk music that has earned them a powerful reputation in the genre. With a multitude of influences from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, and Radiohead, their melodies take listeners on a harmonic journey through deeply rooted emotion and the simplicity of letting instruments speak for themselves.

    For more information on these and other dates at the Wescott, visit their website here.

    Westcott Theater Show Dates:

    Turkuaz – Oct. 4

    Dubloadz – Oct. 20

    The Ghost of Paul Revere and Charlie Parr – Nov. 11

    SNAILS – Nov. 20

  • Success Through Independence: An Interview With NYC’s VHS Collection

    VHS Collection is a band formed in New York City by three longtime friends – Nils Vanderlip (keys), Conor Cook (guitar), and James Bohannon (vocals). They boast a big, modern electronic rock sound with an occasional retro synth aesthetic in the mix.

    Closing out their spring 2018 tour, VHS Collection played an early afternoon set for the second day of Governors Ball on June 2. Their set was a classic example of the phrase “never miss an early festival set.” A loyal crowd gathered for their show with a great deal of energy in tow, a sign of their growing success as an independent band. The band has released a self-titled EP and a handful of singles but is due to release their debut full-length album this year.

    VHS Collection joined NYS Music for a few minutes after their set to chat about their experience at Governors Ball and talk about their independently-driven success and songwriting on their upcoming album.

    Steve Malinski: What is the experience like for you guys playing in your hometown, at one of the biggest summer music festivals in the northeast?

    Nils Vanderlip: It’s pretty special…

    James Bohannon:  It’s awesome. We cut our chops playing in the local rock and roll venues and halls throughout the lower east side and Brooklyn and the fact that we get to play a large festival here outside is pretty awesome.

    NV: Yeah, New York is a big theme in a lot of our songs and lyrics so it’s really cool to see New Yorkers sing those lyrics back to us.

    SM: You guys have been playing music together for a while, so how did you get from being a small neighborhood band to where you are now?

    JB: We started as kids, we all grew up in different areas of the city and jammed on acoustics as young bucks and formed some bands in high school. It all came together nicely, it was a good mix of timing and skill after school in New York. We all had this hunger to play some music and eventually went out to play some live shows. The reception from the early days was pretty high. And in fact, Mercury Lounge, one of our original stomping grounds, is where we’ll be playing after the festival tonight.

    SM: One thing I’ve noticed is that you’ve maintained independence through this whole process – you aren’t signed to a label. How have you gotten to your level of success without the backing of a label?

    Conor Cook: Well, at first it was slowly. We were playing for a year before we got together to pull some money together to make recordings. Spotify has helped us a lot in terms of reaching new fans by putting us in their playlists. That’s probably been our biggest network. But, we’ve put some singles out, made and saved money from that to put into the next batch of recordings. We’ve had enough money just to invest in each next step and not necessarily do the same thing that major label artists would do, like spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on videos and radio ads. Thankfully, fans have continued to stick with us and the shows are slowly building. Every dollar we make from streaming generally goes into the project.

    SM: Speaking of next projects, you have a new album coming out this year. What can you tell us about that?

    JB: It’s been a great process for us. I think it represents the next evolution of our songwriting capabilities, our chance to work with some top industry writers, producers and engineers, and mixers who have worked with acts that we love. So its definitely a step up and the sound is crisp and new.

    CC: We’ve continued to hone in on our sound and I feel there’s a wide variety of songs. Some are really heavy kind of like rock tunes. Some are more electro-pop/synth-oriented songs. They’re all, I’d say, pretty traditional songwriting-esque songs at the core, but dressed up in a lot of different ways. We’ve been doing it in spurts, maybe three weeks of recording and then the next two/three week recording session will be four or five months later. So it’s kind of a reflection of the evolution of our sound over about a year or year and a half almost. I don’t know if anyone else would pick up on that [detail] but I feel like I pick up on it being so close to [the music].

    SM: Yeah, for me only starting to listen to you guys recently, I’ll admit that’s something that might be tough to pick up on.

    CC: Well, you’ll definitely pick up on the variety of songs. And having seen us live, that will all make sense. I feel like all the songs we have on the album translate well to good live shows  – we hope to do a lot more touring in the next year.

    SM: They definitely translate well; It made for one of my favorite GovBall sets so far.

    All: Thank you.

    SM: You guys are heading out on a tour, so what’s in store for that?

    NV: This is actually the last date of our tour but we’re back out in the fall.

    CC: We’ve got a couple shows here and there but we’re looking to do a longer tour in the fall for about a month or six weeks. So, we’re going to go to a lot of new markets. Hopefully we’ll go to Europe – that’s been a dream for us. This last tour was kind of a warm up. We’ve played some of our biggest markets and it’s been a big improvement over the previous year. It’s nice seeing people responding to not just our biggest songs but some of the ones we released a few years ago and new ones we just released.

    JB: We put a single out a month ago and people were singing it in the front row,  “One,” and “Sign” which came out a bit before that.

    VHS Collection’s music can be found on Soundcloud and Spotify, and be sure to check out their live show when they’re in town.

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

  • Premiere: Carpool releases new single ‘Idaho’

    Western New York alternative punk band Carpool has released their debut single “Idaho.” The track is from the band’s upcoming EP I Think Everyone’s A Cop, which is scheduled for release on Sept. 13. Drawing influence from elements of shoegaze and emo, Carpool crafts songs characterized by catchy hooks, insightful lyrics, mathy guitar riffs, and a plethora of pedal effects. Singer/guitarist Chris Colasanto has the following to say about this song:

    ‘Idaho’ is a song about a place I’ve never been. This past year has really been a turning point in my life and has made me realize how slow moving and pathetic I was… Everyone around me was steadily growing up and moving on. It made me really wish I could just get up and go to somewhere unknown. But like everything else in life the grass is never greener on the other side.

    It’s about issues with your self image and self worth. It’s about wanting so badly to relapse into your old toxic self, but knowing that if you let it happen it’ll ruin you and possibly kill you. It’s about giving up on yourself and being who you need to be.

    Digital copies of I Think Everyone’s A Cop will be available Sept. 13. Physical copies will be available in October via Syracuse label Nothing Feels Good Records.

    I Think Everyone’s A Cop Track Listing:
    1. Cigarette Cough
    2. Another Song About Rachel
    3. Beauty School Dropout
    4. Local Joke
    5. Idaho
    6. Close Encounters
    7. I Think Me And Drake Would B Friends

  • Weezer a Crowd Pleaser at Syracuse Show

    Weezer and Pixies‘ co-headlining tour brought a seamless blend of 90s rock nostalgia to the St. Joseph’s Amphitheatre in Syracuse, NY on July 15.

    Pixies ripped right into their set with their raw punk rock hits. Their set was much more rigid and simplified in comparison to Weezer’s. It was also so jam-packed that they left no time to interact with their fans. They undeniably showed the audience why they have been the influence to many of their other favorite artists.

    Once Weezer took the stage, they wasted no time busting out their mega hits. They kicked off their set with their most notable song “Buddy Holly.” Fans had a nostalgia overload because the band re-created the “Buddy Holly” Arnold’s Drive In video set and each band member was dressed in clothing to match while performing the song.

    Weezer was the complete opposite of Pixies and had numerous interactions with the crowd. The band’s front man, Rivers Cuomo even visited the cheap seats on a small stage in the back of the amphitheater and performed a few hits including “Island in the Sun” and “Feels Like Summer”. He traveled to this other stage via the S.S. Weezer which was a small boat with wheels that security operated in the absence of water.

    The crowd could be heard singing along with every song with Rivers all the way to the parking lot. You could tell Rivers and the rest of Weezer were genuinely enjoying themselves and putting on the best show they knew how.

    Weezer setlist: Happy Days Intro, Buddy Holly, Beverly Hills, Pork and Beans, Undone – The Sweater Song, Hash Pipe, Perfect Situation, My Name Is Jonas, El Scorcho, In the Garage, Susanne, Happy Together, (The Turtles cover) (with a snippet of Longview by Green Day), Keep Fishin’ (Brian Bell vocals), B-Stage, Island in the Sun – (Rivers solo), Take On Me – (a‐ha cover) (Rivers solo), Burndt Jamb, (Smells Like Teen Spirit lyrics, without Rivers), (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To, Feels Like Summer, Africa – (Toto cover)

    Encore: The Good Life, Play Video, Say It Ain’t So (with Black Sabbath “Paranoid” outro)

  • New York Gypsy Music Festival Returns for 14th Captivating Performance

    In it’s 14th exciting return to the stage, the New York Gypsy Festival will once again be celebrating the stellar beauty of Gypsy music at the downtown venue DROM this fall. The event is a prideful display of universal love for music and also includes performers from Canada to Russia. Loved for its wide spectrum of genres and culturally rich showmanship, listeners will be exposed to “flamenco, southern Italian folk, turbo-punk, Indian, Balkan brass, funk, and more.”

    The festival’s continued appearance in NYC can only be considered fitting as it is a place of inclusiveness and appreciation for the arts. As any real music lover would agree, listening is only one part of experiencing the music. The New York Gypsy Festival prides itself on shocking its spectators with intricate dancing, authentic outfits, and demonstrating the emotional connection each performer has with their respective culture.

    See dates below:

    Sept. 6 – Dobranotch (Russia)
    Sept. 14 – Underground Horns (New York)
    Sept. 20 – Romashka (New York)
    Sept. 25 – Barbara Martinez (New York)
    Sept. 26 – Lemon Bucket Orchestra (Canada)
    Sept. 28 – Original Quartet by Javier Limon (Boston)
    Oct. 3 – NY Gypsy All-Stars (New York)
    October 5 – Newpoli (Boston)

  • Arise Music Festival Emerges as an Antidote for Dangerous Times

    These are dangerous times in which we live. Our culture is teetering on the brink. And if music festival organizer, Paul Bassis is correct, the Arise Music Festival held last week outside Loveland, Colorado may well be an antidote to help stop the madness. Bassis’ claim is a bold pronouncement, for sure, but he and his hearty team of Arise staffers and volunteers have made painstaking efforts to make that claim a reality.

    From the festival’s inception six years ago, Arise has staked a claim among a short list of conscientiously-based music festivals that promote environmentally conscious practices as a “leave no trace” event that plants a tree with every ticket purchase. In addition, as in past years, last week’s event featured a wide range of workshops and presentations focused on environmental and social justice issues that ran alongside its hefty live music schedule. While such offerings are familiar to Arise veterans, what has changed recently is the urgency in which Bassis and the Arise crew have pushed its more communal and activist leanings. “There was a time when I wouldn’t have called myself an activist, but now things are different. So much is at stake.”

    This year’s edition of the Arise fest did include a number of popular live and EDM music acts, including Slightly Stoopid, Thievery Corporation, Opiuo, and Trevor Hall, that perform at many other festivals around the country. However Bassis intones that while many festivals offer escapism from turbulent cultural events, Arise is designed to engage festifarians in local and national political affairs. “We have got to build a community that makes changes and makes things right,” he stated on the festival’s closing day. “My stump speech is,” he continued, “there is a reason why call this the Arise Festival and not the Wake-Up Festival.”

    That sense of urgency permeated the festival grounds throughout the weekend by way of world-renowned presenters like environmental activist Julia Butterfly and grassroots activists seeking signatures for a number of issues including a petition to ban oil fracking. After the rousing bluegrass set of the Kitchen Dwellers from Montana, bassist Joe Funk commented that he felt the Arise Festival sense of purpose was  clear and that the festival, itself, came as close as any to be able to change the world.

    Alongside its progressive social and political focus, the Arise Festival featured a diverse entertainment line-up that included a number of magical performances from the little-heralded but fiery acts such as Guerilla Brass Band, and Colorado-locals, the Gasoline Lollipops, with their unique style of psychedelic punk/folk music. Festival stages literally soared with the dazzling acrobatics of Quixotic. Even the festival’s last performance boasted the thunderous, raucous Colorado return of the New Orleans-based funk group Dumpstafunk.

    As to whether the Arise Festival will change the world, only time will tell. But festival organizers like Bassis say they have no other choice. “We must all be activists, and we must meet the challenge.”

  • 10 Years Leads the Crowd to Believe in Something

    Finding an amazing live band is like finding a rare gem, their energy while performing is what makes them unique and amazing. 10 Years is one of these rare gems. Their live performance is so amazing that they “lead you to believe in something” and forget about the numbing of life’s tolls for just a moment in time.

    10 Years outdid themselves at The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT on July 20 and put on one of their best shows at that venue. The crowd was bigger than ever at the Wolf Den and they simply rocked!