NYS Music 20​18

Category: Regions

  • Port Chester is for Umph-Lovers

    Sunday, October 14 marked the fifth time Umphrey’s Mcgee has stopped off at Port Chester, New York’s Capitol Theater. It was also the band’s first Sunday show at the historic New York State venue, and if you haven’t heard it yet (or maybe you have and just aren’t listening) “never miss a Sunday show.” Umphrey’s Mcgee ran the gauntlet of their repertoire with a mix of songs both new and old. They also invited Tierinii Jackson and Ori Naftaly, of their supporting act Southern Avenue, on stage to close out the first set with a version of The Beatles’ “Come Together,”  a song they haven’t played since 2007, making it the first time played in 1,240 shows. The second set featured another cover we haven’t heard the boys play in some time as well. ZZ Top’s La Grange made its first appearance since 2013. Although we only got one verse, it hasn’t been done in 532 shows. They found their way in and out of teases from Fleetwood Mac, The Verve and Jake even found himself behind Joel’s keys during the band’s original “Plunger.” As it goes with these guys, don’t blink, you just might miss something great. Especially on a Sunday night in New York.

    Set List

    Set 1: The Floor, Draconian > Mulche’s Odyssey, The Pequod, You & You Alone, Bridgeless -> Hajimemashite, Come Together[1]

    Set 2: The Triple Wide[2], Seasons, Plunger[3], What We Could Get, I Ran, Resolution[4] -> La Grange[5] > Ocean Billy[6]

    Encore: Kula > Bridgeless

    Notes:
    [1] with Tierinii Jackson on vocals and Ori Naftaly on guitar (Southern Avenue)
    [2] with Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac) tease in intro
    [3] with Jake on keys
    [4] with Norwegian Wood (The Beatles) jam
    [5] one verse
    [6] with Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve) tease

  • Jefferson Starship’s San Francisco Sound Returns to the Hudson Valley

    Jefferson Starship returned to the tri-state area with a performance at Paramount Hudson Valley on Sept. 14. It was one of the band’s first shows back in the area following the 2016 loss of Paul Kantner, the driving force behind the Airplane, Starship, and Jefferson collaborations.

    Under the lead of singer/guitarist Cathy Richardson with long-time singer David Frieberg by her side, the band did a remarkable job of carrying on the spirit of the music to fill the void on stage. Frieberg, who just recently celebrated his 80th birthday, displayed a strong performance lending beautiful harmonies on a duet with Richardson on “Tomorrow.” Richardson, who joined the band in the mid-2000s, has been a consistent anchor to Grace Slick’s vocal performance since first hitting the road with the band and on the 2007 album Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty.

    The show weighed heavily on Jefferson Airplane’s catalog, with a little bit of Quicksilver Messenger Service and 80s-era Starship mixed in. With a sizeable discography to choose from and the time constraints of a concert, some songs were left out that some folks would have liked to hear, however, the staples of the catalog were covered within a mix of the band’s lesser common songs.

    Later in the show, Richardson took a few moments to talk about Kantner and his legacy of using music to promote social justice and announced that they are heading to the studio to record a new album to honor that legacy. From that, we heard the debut of a brand new song “What Are We Waiting For.” (As of now, there is no further information on a release date)

    Setlist: Sunrise, Ride The Tiger, Find Your Way Back, Count On Me, Today, Fresh Air, What Are We Waiting For, Winds of Change, Medley, Miracles, Embryonic Journey, White Rabbit, We Built This City, Jane, Somebody To Love

    Encore: Volunteers

  • Walk Off the Earth release ode to New York City with “Fifth Avenue”

    Walk Off The Earth, the indie-pop band from Burlington, Ontario have released the new single, “Fifth Avenue,” ahead of their upcoming US tour this November. As percussionist Joel Cassady explains, “New York has been the source of many important milestones for us on our journey as a band, and it felt like the right time to create a song honoring this amazing city that for us and so many others has helped turn dreams into reality.”

    Billboard describes the track as “Exploring the wonders and challenges of living in the concrete jungle, the upbeat, New York-inspired tune narrates both the coming of age and the constant epiphanies brought by the chaotic — but endlessly inspiring — life in the city.” Comprised of five multi instrumentalists (Sarah Blackwood, Gianni Luminati, Marshall, Joel Cassady, Beard Guy), Walk Off The Earth originally gained massive public attention when their interpretation of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.”

    Since then, the band has released a string of successful original songs including “Fire In My Soul” and “Rule The World,” both of which went platinum in Canada and have supported Keith Urban, Snoop Dogg and Steve Aoki, as well as winning the Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for “Group Of The Year”

    After a summer in Canada and Europe, Walk Off The Earth return to the US in November 2018. Watch video of their performance of “Fifth Avenue” on Good Day New York from October 2.

    Tour Dates
    Nov. 1 – Orlando, FL – House of Blues
    Nov. 2 – Charleston, SC – Music Farm
    Nov. 3 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
    Nov. 4 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
    Nov. 6 – Charlotte, NC – Fillmore
    Nov. 7 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
    Nov. 10 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
    Nov. 11 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
    Nov. 13 – Austin, TX – Stubbs
    Nov. 14 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
    Nov. 16 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

  • Hearing Aide: Younger Then ‘Bad Life’

    For a band that doesn’t have unlimited funds, recording in a studio can be nerve wracking. Every minute that passes represents a dollar gone, and the expectation to nail down a cohesive album with tight performances is exponentially higher. Buffalo local indie rock band Younger Then knew the stakes were high when they walked into Nashville based Blackbird Studio- the same studio that recorded albums for the likes of Kings of Leon and Lynard Skynard. With a short time period, and uncertainty surrounding the loss of a bass player, Younger Then rolled up their sleeves and got to work. The product is an expertly produced, 11-track roller coaster of an album that dropped October 12 via Standby Records.

    Their second release, Bad Life, is both a continuation and improvement from their first release. The growth of the band as a unit is evident. The songs are well written and, despite the high-pressure situation in the studio, Younger Then is able to capitalize on the world class studio production and deliver 11 catchy songs in an immersive, exploratory album. Michael Wirth (bass/guitar) provides a strong rhythmic foundation on both bass and guitar that Jeremy Shields (drums) builds upon in a big way. Austin Dorr (guitar) writes lead lines that interplay with Zack Dupuis’ soaring vocals. These elements together, plus the clean production, makes for a big sound with a lot of clarity.

    It was an unexpected surprise to hear the amount of experimentation in each tune. The group is very good at expanding the role of the guitar, finding different tones and timbres to accentuate the mood of a song. The fourth track, “Sarah Told Them,” has a set of reverb-washed guitars and a spacious synth. These mesh to create a beautiful canvas for Dupuis to paint on with his musings on finding one’s way. The song has a steady build and emotes the lyrical content well. This track, while harmonically verdant, doesn’t lean as hard on raw energy as much as a few other tracks.

    The first tune, “All in All”, kicks the album off with a high-energy wind sprint of a song. The sound is huge, and Shields sets the precedence early on that his drums will be a commanding presence throughout the album. The drums are a major highlight from beginning to end. Lightning fills and huge toms round out a massive sounding kit, while Shields is simultaneously able to gently work the hi-hat to give the rhythm a big dynamic range. The bass stays in the pocket for the most part, save for a feature on “Wishing Tree”, but this works with how high-octane the drums are. The interplay between the two services the song more than the individual parts.

    A common theme throughout the whole work is how well each part plays to the larger picture. Analyzing the pieces is somewhat trivial- ‘Bad Life’ doesn’t take many theoretical risks and the instrumentals are simple for the most part. Typically this would be a knock, but with how the songs are written it works great to create a cohesive song, as opposed to a stand-out single instrument performance. The layering of uniquely effected guitars along with Dupuis’ consistently well-executed vocals fit like a glove along with the pocket-bass and the blistering drums. There are points where you’ll be listening in on a single instrument only to be pulled away by something just as interesting coming from your other earbud. Some of the spacious guitar lines sound like something from a deep-cut The 1975 song (like in track 9, “Luna”). These are contrasted at various points in the album by more clean guitars with tremolo and chorus to widen the sound. There’s so much to catch within the confines of each song, every one having replay value.

    Lyrically, there is an arc that the narrator creates. It centers around feeling displaced and unwanted. Further listening will shed more light on the exact meaning of each word and phrase, but for the most part the arc is uplifting yet realistic. It’s not fairy-tale happy and not whiny. It sits in a firm position of realism, acting as another reflection of the maturation of the band’s writing style. On top of this, the melodies themselves outside of the lyrics are sticky. The verses ride easy, and the chorus parts yield ear-worm hooks that’ll get stuck in your head for days. The structures are simple, making the album very accessible and easy to learn as a listener who no doubt will want to sing along. This way, when you catch them live, you’ll be able to sing along with their new tunes! Add ‘Bad Life’ to your fall and winter playlists and be on the lookout for these guys as they begin to branch out of the area and into the larger industry!

    Key Tracks: Sarah Told Them, Bad Life, All in All

  • Tom Morello Gets Close and Personal with his Music

    There are some musicians that when you hear they are playing in your area, you’re almost obligated to find a way into the show. The list is beginning to dwindle as time drags on, however some names are so engrained into the fabric of music that hordes of fans will be seeing them until the day they die, regardless of the project they are working on. Tom Morello fits into that (seemingly) waning list. On Monday, October 1st, Morello pleased a limited number of fans with his Atlas Underground CD release party to promote his new solo album in New York’s (le) poisson rouge.

    It was the first time a US audience had heard the album in its entirety, but before Morello gave New York a glimpse of the goods, he sat down with a moderator for a compelling Q+A. Spanning nearly an hour and a half, the discussion began with stories from the start of Morello’s extensive career, and included pictures of him as a child and Morello playing in his first band. The discussion progressed as the timeline of his life moved forward, and through it all he gave a serious look at who he was as a musician, how he became who he is, and what/who influenced him through the years.

    In between each major milestone, Morello picked up his guitar and jammed out on the style he was interested in at each point during his career. This gave the audience a glimpse of why he played what he did, the thought process of his change, and how he ended up with a certain tone/style. As he told fascinating stories from playing with his first band, to recording music videos with Rage Against the Machine, to getting on stage with Bruce Springsteen for the first time, and jammed his way through his career, the small audience was able to paint a full picture of who Morello was as a musician, and how he got to where he is now.

    tom morello

    The Q+A ended the first part of the evening, and once everyone in the room understood how Morello progressed as a musician, he played his new album, Atlas Underground, in its entirety for the entranced group. The album, he declared, was influenced by hearing the group Knife Party, and deciding to create an EDM based album with a slew of popular musicians. The album features groups such as Knife Party, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Portugal the Man, and Gary Clark Jr, and each song features a taste of the contributing artist’s sound layered with Morello’s signature style. Although he didn’t play along with the album, before each song began he discussed why the song was written, what it was about, and how it came to be.

    tom morello

    The audience was incredibly receptive to Morello’s new work, and once the album ended he picked up his guitar and began to do what everyone was waiting all night for; playing his signature songs. To the excitement of the audience he jumped into Springsteen’s “The Ghost of Tom Jones,” among other tunes, before ramping into full gear with a thrilling version of “Killing in the Name.” As the audience began to get their fill of live Morello tunes, he discussed how later in life he began to realize that in many cases folk songs were just as heavy as heavy metal songs, and that it was important to him that they were played accordingly.

    To end the show, Tom Morello invited the entire audience on stage with him for a sing-a-long rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” leaving every face, on stage and off, in smiles.

  • One Night Only: Warren Haynes, John Medeski, George Porter Jr. & Joe Russo, Benefitting Debra of America

    A virtuoso stacked super jam featuring Warren Haynes, John Medeski, George Porter Jr. & Joe Russo was held at The Capitol Theatre to benefit the worst disease you’ve never heard of. The venue was packed with support for both the music and the cause of Debra of America.

    Spirits were high and the boys were excited to deliver an impressive performance. Classics such as “It Aint No Use”, “Hey Joe”, and “Soulshine” were weaved into two impressive sets filled with masterful improvisation.

  • 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

  • Interview: Getting to Know Carpool

    This summer, NYS Music premiered the song “Idaho” from Carpool’s debut album. I Think Everyone’s A Cop came out on September 13. The Western NY alternative rock band’s songs contain catchy hooks, emotionally-charged lyrics, mathy riffs, and plenty of guitar pedal effects.

    Carpool weaves together elements from various alt rock sub-genres, which gives them broad appeal. Over the past few years, they’ve opened for a diverse array of national touring acts like Microwave (alternative rock), Tiny Moving Parts (math rock), Roswell Kid (pop punk), and Fossil Youth (Midwest emo).

    Carpool is made of Rochester natives Chris Colasanto (lead vocals/guitar), Blake Weissinger (bass/vocals), Tommy Eckerson (guitar/vocals), and Juan Ortiz (drums). NYS Music sat down with Colasanto to talk about gear, the album, and the Buffalo scene.

    Paula Cummings: Why the name Carpool?

    Chris Colasanto: We originally started as Eyes Wide Shut. It sounded pretentious. So we changed the name to Carpool. It’s about hanging out and sharing good times with your buddies. We actually released an EP, Absolute Loss, under Eyes Wide Shut. It was more straight shoegaze. Carpool is more punky-emo. It’s cutesy – punk, but fun.

    PC: Was this your first time in the studio?

    CC: This was the first time going into a legit studio. We banged it out in four days, 12-hour long days. It’s different from what we used to do. Sometimes we were recording in a bathroom on someone’s computer using Audacity or GarageBand.

    PC: Why did you go with the studio you chose?

    CC: We went with RJ DeMarco at Skyway Studios. Our friends in Ghostpool dropped an EP and we absolutely loved it. We messaged them, and they said to go to RJ. We weren’t pressured, but it felt like everyone was lighting a fire under our asses do our best. We fell in love with Buffalo. It’s why we decided to move here. We visited before, but this was different. We now live in the house we stayed at while we were recording. Everything fell into place nicely.

    PC: What’s the Buffalo scene like?

    CC: Everyone in Buffalo comes out to shows – they go hardcore and support the scene. The demographic is all over. Our last show was at Milkie’s and there were kids, parents, grandparents.

    PC: Tell me about the album.

    CC: We started writing a year ago. The whole thing is about complacency, substance abuse and relationships – like you’re stuck in a stagnant state of molasses.

    PC: I like that, “a stagnant state of molasses.” Your lyrics have interesting ways of turning a phrase.

    CC: We were very conscious of the lyrics this time. We wanted to write songs that everyone likes, that everyone can dance to, but the undertone has more to it. Some of the lyrics are very tongue-in-cheek and quirky. I feel it’s relatable because of those quirks. It’s honest, maybe a little too honest at times.

    PC: Tell me about the gear you used in the studio to create your sound.

    CC: Me and Tommy used my Roland JC120 amp from 1983. It’s awesome, it’s my baby. We used my pedal set-up, primarily Adventure Audio pedals (they’re from Rochester), and Electro-Harmonix and EarthQuaker Devices. Sometimes I get pretty obnoxious with the pedal effects, but it’s fun. Tommy added a BigSky Reverb that added layers and depth – a lot of wet noise. Blake used his Jazz Bass, and he used my Adventure Audio Pedals. It ripped. And we have Juan Ortiz on drums – he’s the man, amazing as always.

    PC: Final question… What would you each sing if you were on Carpool Karaoke?

    CC: Me and Blake would do a duet of “Picture” by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock. Tommy would do trap rap – “Gucci Gang.” And Juan would do a full 21 Pilots album.

    Purchase I Think Everyone’s A Cop digitally on Bandcamp. Physical copies will be available soon through Syracuse indie label Nothing Feels Good Records. Catch Carpool at Mohawk Place on October 13 with Culture Abuse, Gouge Away, Worse Things, and GOA, or on November 8 with Taking Meds, Teenage Halloween, and Movershaker. Follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for upcoming shows and news.

  • Funktional Flow Launches Search for Drummer

    Funk/Rock/Reggae/Jam outfit Funktional Flow is launching a nationwide search for a drummer.

    The search begins a month after the departure of Ryan James Acanfora behind the kit.  Former Aqueous drummer Ryan Nogle has been covering duties for Funktional Flow while the band searches for the right fit.

    Exclusive to NYS Music, Flow noted that they are looking for something more than just a great musician. “Obviously being a great musician is important, but we here at Flow truly consider ourselves a family.  We function on the values of hard work, creativity and mutual respect and are looking for someone who reflects these qualities.”

    Hailing from Buffalo, Funktional Flow is known as a versatile five piece that fuses elements of rock, funk and reggae.  Featured in Relix magazine’s “On The Rise” and with a host of regional accolades, Funktional Flow has become one of Western New York’s most prominent original bands. Recent local awards for the band include Best Original Alternative Band (Buffalo Night Life) in 2016 & 2017 and the Album of the Year Award from Artvoice Magazine for their 2016 release Time Will Tell.

    Funktional Flow has become a staple of the Western New York jam scene, including their own festival Flowfest, now coming into its fourth year. Flow has opened in support of major touring artists including The Wailers, Warren Haynes, Rusted Root, Railroad Earth, Sublime with Rome, Twiddle, Papadosio, Aqueous, Dopapod, Eric Krasno Band, Snarky Puppy and Turkuaz.

    The band has also enjoyed festival appearances at Disc Jam Music Festival, Catskill Chill Music Festival, Night Lights Music Festival, The Great Blue Heron, and Cobblestone Live among others.

    Interested musicians should inquire via e-mail to funktionalflow@yahoo.com.  The band requests inquiries include a brief musical bio and either video or audio samples.

    Funktional Flow features Jeffrey Kuebler (Guitar & Vocals), Ben Whelan (Bass), Joey Lewis (Guitar & Vocals), and Matthew Lester (Keys, Sax & Vocals).

Built in Breakdance