NYS Music 20​18

Category: NYC Metro

  • Some CREAM with your Rock ‘N Roll?

    In the late 60’s, the band Cream had the music scene abuzz with it’s melding of jazz, blues & improvisation. After 3 years, 4 albums, and being crowned the first “super group,” the band called it a day in November of 1968. Flash-forward 50 years to today, when Malcolm Bruce (son of Jack Bruce), Kofi Baker (son of Ginger Baker), and Will Johns (nephew of Eric Clapton) pick up where the patriarchs of the power trio left off with a 50th anniversary world tour celebrating the music of Cream.

    NYS Music spoke with the band backstage at the Ridgefield Playhouse, in Ridgefield, CT. The tour has just started. As we sat down for our interview, the band and crew discussed gravity, the speed of light, black holes, mass and Star Trek. The stage was set for our conversation.

    cream

    Mickey Deneher: The tour has started and you’ve done a few dates already. How is it feeling on stage?

    Malcolm Bruce: It’s feeling good, we’re still finding it. We are still finding the magic, but there are magic moments.

    Kofi Baker: We’re still looking for the one.

    MB: There are magic moments (they) appear on stage and yeah it’s exciting. I think we are all kind of quite excited to see where this goes, you know. Especially when you’ve got such an intense run of almost 40 shows. You know there’s going to be a trajectory, there’s going to be a progression.

    MD: Absolutely. As it progresses, it’s going to change a little.

    MB: That’s true.

    MD: It’s going to evolve.

    MB: And with this kind of music, as anyone that knows about Cream’s music, it’s always changing. Every night.

    Will Johns: You know that is one thing is constant though is change.

    MB: CHANGE. Change is the constant.

    MD: As compared to the mass?

    MB: Yeah, what

    ever (laughs).

    cream

    MD: Talk about the Genesis of the tour. Where did it come from and where are we going?

    MB: This current project started last year in Australia and New Zealand. So we did seven shows there and the promoter at the time felt we needed, what they call “ringers.” “Ringers.”

    KB: Ringers, like the phone.

    MB: Because they didn’t quite know what the entity was in terms of us three. So they brought in a couple of “names”.

    KB: They brought in.

    MB: So Glen Hughes (bass player) and Robin Ford the guitarist came over and they sort of guested and came on and did a few songs. We sort of shaped the set around them doing it. They’re both amazing at what they do, you know. But, at the end of that we all, the three of us, realized this isn’t going to work. We, its number one, it’s trio music. Cream has to be the trio. You can’t have a tambourine guy.

    KB: You can have a triangle.

    MB: Or a Bolivian nose flute guy.

    KB: A Bolivian nose flute. Wow.

    MB: Or four base players, or sixty-four snare drums.cream

    MD: You are representing a Super Group.

    MB: “The” Super Group.

    MD: Agreed.

    KB: I don’t think we are representing a super group, what we are doing is we are having the essence of that super group and keeping it alive.

    MB: We are taking it forward in a way, in our own way.

    KB: It’s our thing that we have to do. Like a glass blower, a professional glass blower. He hands that on to his son and his son takes that to the next level and takes that thing. We are doing the same thing. We are taking our father’s stuff and just bringing it into the new generation.

    MD: I think of the responsibility, I think of what people are expecting when they come to the show.

    MB: But you know, especially when Cream started coming to the states. Something changed with the band didn’t it. It was when people were starting, I don’t know whether that happened initially on the west coast, when the audiences were kind of shouting out “just play man.” So rather than kind of keeping to the song format they just opened out. I think that’s what we’re interested in. We’re playing a lot of songs in a 2 ½ hour set, but we are interested in where these jams, where this improvisation will take us and I think that’s where it’s born anew. For us I think that’s the kind of most exciting thing.

    cream

    MD: Talking about jamming, you’re able to take it out every night? Go find something?

    MB: We are the kids of those people. But despite all that, I think all three of us have just spent, you know, many many years playing music and our interests in all different kinds of music. But when we play Cream, we can really assert that aspect of it. I think that’s a really powerful message for now because everything is so radio format. Corporations telling bands; you can’t, this is how you have to be in order to be successful and actually just playing.

    KB: If you noticed the dance thing, the visual thing has gotten bigger and bigger. It’s all about the dance, it’s all about the show, it’s all about the visual rather than the sound. Cream was all about the sound. So I want to bring that sound back thing in. That’s the whole reason I started doing the Cream thing. Then with Malcolm, he’s basically Jack Bruce; that’s why I’m Ginger Baker (band laughs).

    cream

    MD: You have two jazz cats and this blues dude (referring to Will Johns).

    KB: Which is exactly what Cream was.

    MB: Very similar.

    KB: Same age group, age difference is going to be the same as well.

    MD: Do you ever try to mess Will up a little?

    WJ: Do they ever (laughs).

    KB: We don’t have to try (laughs).

    MD: Talking about the essence of Cream, did you do anything special like amps or guitars to this to insure the sound?

    WJ: I was really, really lucky to have a friend of mine make some calls and Gibson Custom Shop were really happy to give me a Gibson ES335 to use on the tour. To basically celebrate the anniversary and of course, that was the guitar that Eric used at the farewell concert almost 50 years ago next month.

    MD: How did you put the setlist together? What was the thought process?

    MB: Well one of the things is you’ve got Kofi’s big drum solo in Toad, which is a big feature. You kind of look at where that’s going to come in the set and how you build to a first half and a second half.

    KB: Everything’s built around me.

    MB: It’s all about Kofi (laughs).

    WJ: Well that’s because he’s sitting down.

    MB: We were trying to pack in all the what’s expected of Cream’s repertoire. All the well know songs like: “Sunshine of Your Love,” “White Room,” “Cross Roads.”

    WJ: And there certain songs that really, really work, and a couple of songs that we tried and we worked on and stuff and perhaps were not lending themselves to a live performance. They were more studio songs.

    MB: These guys seemed to have ruled them out. But I haven’t complete ruled them out, yet.

    WJ: So Malcolm will be doing an a cappella, opening up the set (band laughs).

    MD: ’66 – ’68 were radical times in the states. 2018 is getting pretty radical out there.

    KB: Pots going to be legalized pretty soon everywhere.

    MD: That’s the least of the radical nature. If you look at what’s going on here. Are you guys feeling some relationship to that?

    MB: I don’t think it’s just the US.

    WJ: It’s all over the world.

    MB: When you get outside of the US you realize there’s a global aspect to everything that’s going on.

    KB: It’s like things come round, full circle.

    MB: There’s positive & negatives.

    WJ: I think we’ve all got a huge responsibility now to start cleaning up the planet, especially with these plastics. It’s gone completely out of control. We are harming ourselves; we’re harming the plant, animals, fish, especially our oceans.

    MB: Change has to happen in consciousness. Once people take responsibility, take responsibility for their own lives. There’s so much social conditioning in the world, so people just switch off. People have to be responsible for what they put out into the world.

    As our conversation goes deeper, Simon the tour manger signals that the band has a show to do and our time is up. Throughout the evening’s performance, I listened and watched as the band explored the music of Cream with the audience and themselves. Not an unsatisfied customer in the house.

    The “Music of Cream” world tour rolls into: The Paramount Huntington, Huntington, NY, Oct. 17th; The Vine at Del Lago Resort and Casino, Waterloo, NY, Oct, 19th ; The Egg, Albany NY, Oct. 21st. For more tour dates go to www.musicofcream.com.

  • 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

  • Hearing Aide: Doug Berns Band ‘Outlier’

    Doug Berns Band release debut albumBrooklyn trio, the Doug Berns Band, are quietly meshing together key elements of rock to create a sound that is both accessible and flashy. The group is fronted by bassist, singer and songwriter Doug Berns (EMEFE, The YeahTones), and features Sean Salant (AwakenTheShadow, Nova Lantern) on guitar and Coleman Bartels on drums. The group is releasing their debut album, Outlier, on October 18th, the same night as their release party at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. In light of the upcoming release, NYS Music had the pleasure of checking the album out early. At the bottom of this review, the group is premiering their newest music video for their single, “Outlier”, the title track of the album. The nine track album is high octane from start to finish. It meshes the stylings of heavier groups like Metallica, lighter grunge like Alice in Chains, and an element of prog rock with soaring vocals and ripping guitar solos. The group demonstrates their technical ability in a slew of tight performances that highlight each member’s grasp on their intended sound.

    While the Doug Berns Band describes themselves as impressionistic rockers, it is tough to label them in this way. The album doesn’t take too many risks in terms of mood and timbre, but rather leans on catchy instrumental hooks and sticky vocal lines laid over heavy, well-executed instrumentals. Berns’ vocals float over top of thick distorted guitars in a way similar to how LaBrie’s (Dream Theater) vocals are the cherry on top of his band’s instrumental as opposed to being the main focal point. In the second track, “It Gets To You”, Berns shows off his falsetto, and establishes his presence in the mix without standing out too much. The melody is written well, and does a good job of leaving room for the guitar to fill space between phrases. This is especially potent in the fifth song “Mainline”, where the lyrics drive the narrative a bit more and the guitar provides great support to the song as a whole instead of pushing to stand out.

    The bass’ presence in the album deserves a big shout out, as Berns keeps a solid foundation when needed and doubles up with the guitar to add weight to certain lines. The guitar often runs off on its own to great success. The blazing and technically proficient solos are a big stand out. While Salant’s guitar is coated in dirt more often than not, there are a few points (namely in “Hell”) where the clean tones stand out just as much as the gritty lead tones- a nod to Salant’s ability to navigate modes within a key and color the solos so they stand out melodically from the rest of the backing instrumentals. The eighth song, “Ready Player One” features a specifically heavy solo, and covers a ton of harmonic ground. The drums remain pretty true to the genre and breathe an air of familiarity into each song. This might entail keeping the pulse while the guitar plays more complex rhythmic, palm muted riffs (like in the second track “It Gets To You”) or just holding the line on the odd-time parts of songs (like in “Meet Me”). This isn’t to take away the energy Bartels adds with his lightning fills. He shows flashes of his chops, but tends more frequently towards servicing the song as a whole which adds to the flow of the entire work.

    This album offers a good look at a band who is taking pieces from their predecessors and melding them to create a unique amalgamation of elements. In a way, this is impressionistic in itself without having to reach too far into the avant-garde. While the instrumentations are more traditional, the compositions and well-crafted structures allow the band to show their experimental side and give the listener some music theory fodder. Outlier is an accessible and exciting listen, a nice treat to hear for fans of heavier rock.

    Key Tracks: Outlier, Mainline, Ready Player One

  • 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

  • Behind the Gear: Ryan “ShwizZ” Liatsis

    Ryan “ShwizZ” Liatsis is the guitarist and frontman of the power rock trio ShwizZ. A well-respected group in the scene, ShwizZ is a 3 member group who are incredible at their respective instruments, and perform a wide range of progressive rock music. Ryan uses a fairly unique rig compared to other players on the scene, using a digital modeling pedalboard rather than analog pedals, and utilizing a MIDI-trigger board to play chords for added textures during his songs. Check out ShwizZ’s performance from Disc Jam this past June, footage courtesy of mkDevo.

    Ryan Liatsis
    Photo Benny Rodriguez

    Guitar: Music Man EVH Wolfgang Special
    Amp Head: Mesa/Boogie Express 5:50 Plus Cab: Mesa/Boogie Widebody 1×12 Pedalboard HeadRush Pedalboard w/ Boss Expression Pedal Keith McMillan Instruments SoftStep 2
    Keyboard Korg Krome Music Workstation w/ sustain pedal

    Jared Lindquist: Why do you put your amp head under your cabinet?

    Ryan Liatsis: This just made the most logical sense when I got the amp, though I do like to think of it as my signature move! I like when the speaker is as close to ear level as possible so you can hear what is actually being captured by the mic and therefore EQ better for the stage. That and for my particular amp (Mesa Express 5:50) the head was heavier than the cab, so it just felt right to put the heavier piece on the bottom.

    Ryan Liatsis

    JL: When did you make the switch to the modeling pedalboard?

    RL: Very recently! It’s been about 2 months with the modeler and I’m a big fan. I’m currently using the Headrush FX pedalboard. I am completely happy with the tone of the overdrives and distortions as that is extremely important to me. The switch over to the modeler has just made life easy on stage with being able to switch patches with one button and digital storage. Having a gate on the input and EQ section on the master output is extremely helpful too. The best method I’ve found is to get rid of all the speaker cabinet models on your patches. I just use the FX and occasionally the amp head models right in to the front of my amp. I haven’t tried it using the xlr outs to a PA speaker, though I imagine that’s where the speaker cabs would come in handy. This past year has seen a huge leap with amp modeler technology and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more pro players using them.

    Ryan Liatsis

    JL: Did you model the effects after your analog pedals?

    RL: I tried as best as I could, though I wasn’t exactly going for that. I think that every piece of gear just has its own flavor and you should put that to use. So instead of trying to recreate my boutique analog pedals, I decided to just see if I could get tones I like and was comfortable with out of the Headrush. Which, much to my surprise, I did! It seems about every 2-3 years I decide I want to change my tone to better fit my needs. I’m sure some new product will catch my eye a few years from now and I’ll adapt to what it has to offer. It’s a lifelong quest and I don’t think there’s an end, just a journey of different sounds and tones. Tone has a lot to do with creating your signature, but more importantly it’s your fingers and note choices. And as I mentioned I’m just a big fan of having different tones for different songs. The good thing about this current amp modeler I’m using is it has an fx loop, so I can insert any of my analog pedals in to the chain of each patch if I really wanted to.

    JL: What are some of your favorite pedal combinations?

    RL: Well, I am all about mixing overdrives and distortions…and now amp models. I use delay, but not much unless the song calls for it. I barely use modulation like phaser and chorus and also rarely use reverb unless for some ethereal washy effects. On my analog board I had 6 different overdrives, just for different flavors. I found I was getting bored of just having 2 overdrive sounds. One of my favorite combos is the Vox Trike Fuzz and the T-Rex Tone Bug. Putting the Fuzz first gives it quite a quality. You can hear what I mean on the guitar solo of the ShwizZ track “Hog Thai.”

    JL: What’s going through your mind when you’re deciding which effects to use?

    RL: Well, the options are limitless with effects these days. So just like with writing, deciding on a tone is really about what sparks your emotion and hits your ear in that special way. But to give you a theoretical answer, a big part of my decision is the type of tune we’re playing. If it’s agreed we’re going for a certain vibe or sound, I’ll cater to that style. Such as if we say this part of the tune should be like a 70’s disco feel, I’ll probably be using some phaser with a clean Fender-ish type sound. Overall, I don’t go crazy on the effects, I find the simpler the better most of the time.

    Ryan Liatsis

    JL: Who are some of your inspirations as a player?

    RL: Too many to name! So I’m going to go with my top 5. Frank Zappa – need I say more? Chick Corea – I was introduced to Chick’s music at a young age and it inspired me to learn jazz and fusion. Specifically, the later electric band stuff always blew me away. He was always one of those music god’s to me who could just play whatever line came in to his head at that moment with no hesitation. Sill on a quest for that level like the rest of us. Frank Gambale – My drummer buddy introduced me to Gambale when I was about 20 and my mouth hit the floor. How can somebody get away with playing bebop lines that fast with sweep picking and overdrive!! Steve Khan – I studied with Steve for 2 years. He’s probably one of the most underrated and unknown guitarists on the planet and he’s played with all the greats and been on tons of studio recordings. His chordal work puts most to shame which struck something in me. I love the chordal movement aspect of guitar and keyboard and it’s something I don’t see enough of unfortunately in today’s music. Slash – Yes it’s true, I was obsessed with Slash from age 16-18! I just wanted to be him, the playing, the image, he was the whole package. I transcribed a lot of his solos when I was younger, my favorite of all time being the ending solo on Paradise City, complete shreddage!

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

    RL: Kung Fu is my all time favorite of our scene, if you can call the rest of us contemporaries because they basically blow everyone out of the water! Dopapod, Mungion, The Southern Belle’s and The Fritz. My ears always tend to get caught by those bands who have their own unique style. There’s so many bands out there, great bands even, but some bands just have their own sound and you know it’s them playing instantly, which is the most important thing to me.

    JL: You’re one of the only guitarists I’ve seen that uses a MIDI-trigger board to play chord samples live, what inspired you to start doing that?

    RL: Well, necessity really. A power trio can be a thing of beauty. BUT, I’m very much in to chordal structure and movement and I always thought drums, bass, guitar and keys was the perfect instrumentation for my tastes. The thing about ShwizZ is that I play loud and sometimes very heavily distorted guitar sounds, so playing chord melody doesn’t quite give the effect desired. After our keys player and second guitarist left I said…well just how the hell am I gonna do this?! I didn’t want to play to a click or with backing tracks, so I thought, what if I can just do what some organ players and even bass players do with their feet using pedals, except polyphonic. It took a bit of cash and a lot of experimentation with different pedals and pieces of gear until I came across a handy dandy app that could do it all and be controlled by a simple trigger pedal that connected with a USB cable. I would simply record each chord I needed for that particular part or song and could save each song file as their own entity. It adds a little more switching of sounds between songs but it’s worth it to have the phantom 4th member laying down that bed of chords. Below is a link to a video I made that goes in to a bit more depth on how the system works.

  • Documentary Being Produced About Legendary Long Island Nightclub My Father’s Place

    It was Memorial Day weekend in 1971 when Michael “Eppy” Epstein opened a nightclub in the sleepy town of Rosalyn. “My Father’s Place” hosted some of the hottest up-and-coming acts of the era, including The Ramones, The Police, Blondie, and Talking Heads.

    The legendary hot spot closed in 1987, but is now re-opening. To honor the legacy of the club, a documentary entitled “Names are Bullsh*t” is being produced using vintage footage and archival documents. The Kickstarter campaign which runs through today offers Migliori Crypto Metaverso investors the opportunity to get exclusive perks such as t-shirts and their names in the credits of the film. Follow the film on Facebook for updates.

    https://youtu.be/f7XQpFcdE_Q

  • Celebrate National Gumbo Day with Baked Shrimp at Parish Public House

    Long Island’s Baked Shrimp will be in Albany on Friday, October 12 to celebrate National Gumbo Day at the Parish Public House. Joining them are local Albany bands Hasty Page and Hilltop.

    Baked Shrimp has been tearing up Long Island and NYC spots on their Summer Tour and embark on a Fall Tour with their first ever show in Albany. Check out our review of their album Feast of Delight. Tickets are $10 and more info can be found here.

    Pete Mason: Fans in Upstate are getting their first taste of Baked Shrimp – what can they expect to get down to?

    Baked Shrimp: We’re so excited to finally make it to Albany! The band has played in Upstate before, multiple times in New Paltz, and now we’re heading back to Oneonta, but getting to play New York’s capital will be a real treat. Expect the unexpected! We’re going into Fall with over 40 songs that can come out at anytime, and with Albany being the first show of the tour everything is on the table. Over the Summer, on top of teaching Jager all of the already written Baked Shrimp songs, we were also all learning together new originals, Beatles tunes, meme songs, and other cool covers for our Five Night Special that took place in Woodmere. Check out the recap from that and the rest of the Summer to see what’s on the table!

    PM: Was playing on National Gumbo Day at a New Orleans themed venue/restaurant planned or just a delicious coincidence?

    BS: Both! We knew Albany was planned for mid-October, and Dan from Parish Public House mentioned that it would be National Gumbo Day on the 12th. So we had to do it!

    PM: What’s the best part of the Long Island scene?

    BS: The best part is how close the folks in the jam/funk scene community on Long Island are to one another. Everyone knows each other, and the shows become a big gathering for everyone to meet in one spot to support the bands and the scene around them. It’s a goal of ours in the next couple of summers to do an outdoor camping festival on the island that we would host. It’s still a ways away since we’re still trying to find a proper location where we can do such an event, especially on Long Island, but we’ll make it happen! 2020!

  • 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.

  • STS9 Lights Up NYC with Empire State Rooftop Performances

    If a band is going to perform on the rooftop of a building to nearly 3,000 people, and that rooftop is in Manhattan, then the show should feel larger than the sprawling metropolis itself. That’s exactly what jamtronica heavyweights Sound Tribe Sector 9 (STS9) did on their two-night run this weekend at new music venue Rooftop at Pier 17 NYC.

    An aerial view of Pier 17 during the show, taken by photographer Bill Bernal aboard a FlyNyon helicopter.

    The Seaport on South Street has seen an artistic resurgence in recent times, and part of that has been the harbor’s opening of a brand new live entertainment venue in August, Pier 17. The venue sits on the rooftop and commands breathtaking views in all directions. Musicians from Sting and Shaggy to Kings of Leon, as well as Comedians like Amy Schumer have graced this rooftop gem. But even with those big-name acts, the venue featured one of its most anticipated events so far in Sound Tribe’s two night run this weekend.

    Night One

    Peaceblaster’s “Metameme” kicked things off in comfortable and colorful style, as Tribe’s lights began to illuminate the New York City night in similarly cosmic, mind-bending style. Night one overall would be a well-appreciated offering of old school-style Tribe, not only in the songs making the setlist but also in the spirited feel the band found again and again through the evening, harkening back some of their best days of live performance over the past many years. Such night one gems as “Ramone and Emigilio” even with its relatively new style, and a first-set “When The Dust Settles Reprise” instilled some spontaneous joy in the die hard percentage of the audience.

    Following the opener was “Out of This World,” and its segue into “March” really helped the night launch proper. By the end of this nicely extended two-hit segment, around seven o’clock and barely twenty-five minutes into the show, the playing from the band was reaching top-notch and the energy on the rooftop reaching towards the sky. Over the last many shows this year, Tribe has been working in more drum and bass grooves into their live mix. Whenever the building energy of a particular song seemed to call for it, bassist Alana Rocklin and the twin percussion killers of Zach Velmer and Jeffree Lerner were given the floor to launch into energetic drum and bass sections.

    Several times over, the night saw Rocklin meticulously weave her bass lines into the percussive wall that helped to charge some of the great night one jams. On one such drum and bass segment at the end of a fantastic version of “Reemergence,” Velmer saw a furious moment across the drum kit, and made for arguably the most exhilarating segment of night one.

    Sound Tribe offered a banger of an encore for this first of two shows, with a “Water Song” that blended perfectly with “Kaya” to wrap it all up. As angelic white beams of light beaconed into the dark New York City sky, a gorgeous, liquefied, stretch of space linked the two songs seamlessly, with David Phipps leading on his pristine synth work.

    Night Two

    As the band took the stage again on night two, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge loomed behind, and a colorful sunset transitioned across the sky. The mood was incredible. Set one, which began with “Menacer”, felt like a jam filled donut, with the band seamlessly weaving new and old songs together. The high energy and sprinkled rap samples got the crowd going.

    “Menacer” segued into Peaceblaster’s “Shock Doctrine,” and the heavy, dark undertones and electric riffs from guitarist Hunter Brown set the tone for the night. “A03,” a new, airy tune, came next, and was an exciting one for the crowd to hear, because STS9 had debuted this song at their Red Rocks Run only three weeks ago in Colorado.

    “A03” segued into several classic Tribe tunes sandwiched together, starting with “Frequences 3.” This was not an ordinary Frequencies rendition, as the high energy Frequencies 3 was played first. The band smoothly moved into another older favorite, “Squares and Cubes.” The colorful light rig above the stage was dominated by illuminated squares and cubes, perfectly complimenting this song. Without stopping, the band continued into the mellower dance tune “Frequencies 2,” and eventually found their way back into “Squares and Cubes.” The band created a reverse “Frequences” “Scubes” sandwich, and the crowd was energized to a maximum level.

    Next up was “ABCees,” another older STS9 song mixing dark undertones and reggae samples, and included another drum and bass section. “Strange Games,” was next, and utilized both Outkast lyrics and melodies from their own song “Get Loud.” The band closed the first set by transitioning into “When The Dust Settles,” which included lyrics from “Games”.

    After a short break, the band returned with another newer song “Spending Time,” which they debuted at their recent New Years show. This segued into Peaceblaster’s “Beyond Right Now,” and also included a crowd-pleasing drum and bass section.  The quintessential “Moonsocket” followed, and has evolved significantly since the Interplanetary Escape Vehicle release in 1998. “Moonsocket” included a longer jam that did not disappoint. The band changed gears with three new songs, “Dragon City,” “New Dawn, New Day”, and “Seed.” “Seed” segued into the fan favorite “Rent,” teasing “When the Dust Settles.”

    STS9 ended their two-night run at Pier 17 on a high note, before returning to play one more song before the 10 pm curfew. They sent their fans home happy with an energetic version of yet another classic offering, “Be Nice.” 

       

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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