Looking for a new genre of music? Try Funeral Pop, and the sounds of New York based duo MXMS who have recently released their new single “Gravedigger.” The self-produced duo from New York City and small-town Oklahoma have created their own genre, which fuses classic melodic songwriting with dark, unfiltered chaos, driven by a thousand forms of fear. Just in time for the holidays. They’ll perform in Hollywood, CA at underground nightclub Cloak & Dagger on October 30.
MXMS is short for “Me and My Shadow” and brings together singer Ariel Levitan and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Dawson. MXMS’ debut untitled album will be released on We Are:The Guard/Kobalt Records in early 2019.
With a crowd diverse in age and race, a lively audience came to the Swyer Theater at The Egg in Albany for a night of South African music that was engaging and inspired dancing in the crowd all throughout the evening. Celebrating the 100th birthday of global peacemaker Nelson Mandela and nearly 25 years of freedom from apartheid, Vusi Mahlasela paid tribute to South African music legends Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masakela, Dorothy Masuka and Brenda Fassie with ‘Township!’
South African music was hard to come by for the mid-late 20th century, due to the cultural boycott on the country due to apartheid, and at home, black South African music was banned from the radio, so American records were played at pubs. Known as “The Voice,” Mahlasela hails from Mamelodi Township, outside Pretoria and experienced this music embargo first hand, yet became an international legend starting in the late 1980s. Accompanied by Mongeze Ntaka on guitar, Jimmy Mgwandi on bass and Ian Herman on drums, Mahlasela took the audience on a tour of South Africa’s sights, sounds and languages through a variety of songs from the influential artists that came before him.
The night opened with the acoustic “Ubuhle” in the Hosa/Zulu dialect of South African – where there are 11 official languages – and was followed by a song about the beauty of the land, “Silang Magele” and “Jabula,” a song sung by a dove during harvest season. “Draaikies” by Dr. Phillip Tabane, was sung in a slang language of South Africa, combining elements of regional and European dialects. An untitled song referenced the pain of separation and was written on toilet paper while in jail. Here, Mahlasela spoke of Africa deserving better because Africa has been giving all along – through slavery, raw materials, and colonization, and still today through the neo-colonization seen by China.
“Our Sand” was dedicated to the San people, who were the first people to walk the earth, also known as Bushmen. The upbeat and joyful Township songs closed the performance, starting with “Jesu” and “Uncolo.” “Unomeva” was inspired by the speakeasies of South Africa and the characters and musicians that were found there. Finally, Mahlasela mentioned the concept of Ubuntu, the quality of human virtues, including humanity, compassion, tolerance, love, among others. “Say Africa” was sung with the audience enthusiastically serving as the chorus. An encore of “Woza” gave a swingtown vibe to the Township we were welcomed into this evening.
Setlist: Ubuhle, Silang Magele, Miyela Africa, Jabula, Amdokwe, Draaikies, When You Come Back, Untitled, Our Sand, Jesu, Uncolo, Unomeva, Say Africa
Having originally started as a funk-based instrumental group, Animal Sounds is debuting their record Ennui, that will soon define them as one of the indie powerhouse bands that call Western New York their home. The five-piece group released an all instrumental EP back in 2015 titled Fling Mingus which had well written guitar duos and harmonically vibrant compositions that didn’t get too complex, making for an easy and interesting listen. A couple years later, the band released a single titled “Ghost” which had lyrics- marking a change in the group’s direction. Composed of Erik Gordon (vocals), Shawn Brogan (guitar), Alex Brophy (guitar), Angel Figueroa (bass/keys), and Theo Schirmuhly (drums), Animal Sounds presents a versatile and eclectic sound that doesn’t veer far from their roots while also solidifying the band’s progression into a vocally driven sound with intriguing instrumentals. While this new release, Ennui, can take a very strong cue from the group’s main influences, there’s enough in this 8-track album to warrant a close look at how well the band is able to execute these sounds and create a product that oozes the stylings of some big-name alt rock/indie groups.
A major highlight of the album are the guitar performances. The clean lead duos are reminiscent of Minus the Bear, with both guitars playing melodic parts that mesh as one voice. This is apparent right from the get-go, with the second track “Hesitation” starting off with a conversation between the two guitars, one just slightly grittier than the other so as to differentiate the voices enough. Schirmuhly’s drums do a great job to accent both the bass and guitar lines. On the seventh song, “Wanderlust”, the hi-hat accentuates beats in a way that makes different parts of the guitar line pop out, while the bass drum syncs with the bass to achieve a really big lower end without the frequencies getting muddied in the mix. The bass overall keeps a steady groove in each song, never becoming too flashy but also not becoming redundant or droney. It leaves room for the guitars to shine and will even jump in on a well composed trio part like in “Antelope”.
The vocals are very strong from top to bottom. Gordon weaves his way through already melodically layered songs, finding open spots to color the music with his own melody. The lyrics seem to ride on one theme- a dissolution with the current state of one’s being and how growing into adulthood amplifies those feelings. It’s a darker lyrical focus, which matches the melancholy mood of the songs well. The harmonies are a big stand-out, with numerous vocal parts being layered to create atmospheric backdrops to mesh with the ethereal guitars. The group displays a lot of chemistry, and strong song structuring.
One thing that comes out a bit much are the sounds from the group’s influences. A few of the tracks instrumentally sound very similar to a Tame Impala song, sometimes Minus the Bear. Despite these parallels, the songs are well written and do a very good job of nailing down the timbres and subtleties those groups use in their music- an achievement regardless. Animal Sounds has a lot of chemistry, and it’d be interesting to hear a bit less of the influences and more of the unique sound the band can bring to the table. The group puts on a very strong live show too, covering tunes that are complete departures from their influences and making them their own. If you enjoy the album, get out to one of Animal Sound’s shows in the WNY area!
Key Tracks: Hesitation, Wanderlust, Kid Dankë Schon
“If you told my high school self that I’d be receiving an email from Natalie Merchant,” Paul Rudd quipped, “asking me to take the stage with Mary Stuart Masterson and introduce Antonio Delgado, I would’ve said, ‘What’s email?’.”
The event– Hudson Valley Votes– took place at UPAC on October 20 and featured prominent Hudson Valley residents. In addition to 10,000 Maniacs’ frontwoman Natalie Merchant, long-time David Bowie band member Gail Ann Dorsey, renowned songwriter Dar Williams, Lettuce collaborator Alecia Chakour, and Woodstock favorites Rachael Yamagata and Simi Stone participated in the musical portion of the evening.
Natalie Merchant, Gail Ann Dorsey and Resistance Revival Chorus
The show, organized to trump up support for local progressive politicians, began with a rendition of Woody Guthrie classic “This Land Is Your Land.” The itinerary progressed fluidly; after the Guthrie cover, children and teenagers from Kingston’s Energy Dance Company took the stage and invaded the aisles, putting on a high energy hip-hop dance performance that earned a standing ovation. The youth movement continued with a subsequent performance by members of Woodstock’s Rock Academy.
“We aim to turn New York blue through the activism of young people!” one of the event’s organizers exclaimed. It was reiterated throughout the evening that young voters would need to show up on November 6 in order for the progressives’ candidates to succeed. In addition to young people, women carried the night. Many of the featured candidates were females running in their first elections; most of them expressed displeasure with the unequal representation of women in Congress.
Merchant, the musical director, sang a moving rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” vocally accompanied by Dorsey and Yamagata, with Jack DeJohnette on the piano. Dorsey, who womanned the stage more than anyone, showed off her vocal versatility all night. She also collaborated with Williams, Chakour, and The Rock Academy.
Gail Ann Dorsey (left) and Dar Williams (right)
The musical highlight of the evening undoubtedly came, however, from the Resistance Revival Chorus. More than a dozen women, resplendently clad in white, put on a haunting acapella protest performance, singing about marching to take back Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House, and to take back power. They received a well-earned, deafening ovation from the exuberant audience.
Keynote speaker Antonio Delgado, who is challenging John Faso for a seat in the US House of Representatives, followed the Resistance Revival Chorus by continuing the tone of resistance. “We cannot solve problems,” Delgado claimed, “if we do not have civic discourse.” The charismatic politician joked about the difficulties of raising twin boys, spoke about challenges he faced growing up as a black boy in Schenectady, and vowed to supporters, “I will always be straight with you and I will always be accountable to you.”
Antonio Delgado, NY19th District Candidate
While the political sphere in the country seems to be growing increasingly partisan, musicians showed the beauty of collaboration Saturday night. The crowd was energetic and the atmosphere full of hope. The sold-out event appears to have been a success, although attendees and participants may be waiting until November 7 to make their final determination.
Have you ever heard of the genre known as Black Dirt Music? No? Here’s a hint – buy Edward David Anderson’s new release Chasing Butterflies, put on headphones, close your eyes to the world and let the music take over your soul. Recorded in the Muscle Shoals region of Alabama, an area famously known for timeless music recorded here, don’t be surprised if you fall in love with this artist as soon as you hit play. Anderson’s refreshing blend of tone, lyrics and melody make for an exhilarating new batch of Americana tales sung straight from the heart.
Anderson has a knack for being relatable with his lyrics. Swaying from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other, he hits home with several tracks that everyone can respond to easily. Gut wrenching, soul searching tunes include “The Ballad of Lemuel Penn” and “Crosses.” The former cuts deep into the soul with heart wrenching lyrics that tell the true story of a man who died “because of his own skin.” Though Penn was senselessly murdered by Klansmen, this song still rings true today as racial hatred unfortunately remains alive and well in parts of this nation. The latter reaches into the heart while painting a musical visual of crosses that quietly dot roadsides. Unafraid, this track eloquently speaks of heartache and loss and those who died that are remembered with a simple cross “on the side of the road.”
Upbeat, spirited tracks also line this well-balanced album. Easily understandable stories are sung within several songs throughout. “Bad Tattoos” speaks just about that – the why and how of a bad tattoo. It’s hard to resist a quick chuckle as the lyrics “if I had to choose, I’d do it all over again” roll by. Who hasn’t seen a few bad ones in their time? Man’s best friend is honored and appreciated in “Dog Days” while “Sittin’ ‘Round at Home” lyrically rambles through noodling around on a guitar and recharging while relaxing at home.
Graceful melodies that meander along the edges of seriousness and playfulness also show their graceful presence. “Harmony,” “The Best Part,” “Only In My Dreams” and “Chasing Butterflies” flow with melodies that make it easy to sway and tap to without noticing. The Americana spirit winds along the lyrics and melodies of these tracks, maintaining a clean tone while etching a story-filled landscape of emotional appeal.
Wrapping up the album, “Seasons Turn” flawlessly breathes while inviting the listener to feel the notes as an edgier guitar takes hold. A perfect transition to bring Chasing Butterflies to a close. Overall, Anderson’s latest release is uncluttered with clean lines, graceful lyrics and spirited energy. If you’re searching for a refreshing sound that you can’t put down, this is it. You will not be disappointed.
After The Disco Biscuits wrap up their two-night run at The Palace Theatre in Albany, head down to Parish Public House for an after-party featuring the debut of Scumdog Millionaire$. Born out of Funk Night in Albany, the inaugural affair will focus on exploring the sounds of wild improvisation amid heavy grooves.
Scumdog Millionaire$ features Rob Compa (Dopapod), Adrian Tramontano (Kung Fu), Beau Sasser (Kung Fu) and Justin Henricks (Wurliday). The show starts at 11:30pm and goes late – $10 cover at the door. More info can be found here.
The 2018 Pearlpalooza met a warmer-than-expected Saturday afternoon, bringing plenty of fantastic music to Pearl Street in Albany from both the local and national scenes to mark the last weekend of summer.
Kicking off the afternoon at 1pm was the winner of Jupiter Hall’s Battle of the Bands El Modernist with a small but engaged crowd of Pearlpalooza early birds. Following El Modernist was another Albany band who’s quickly gaining ground with their garage rock-pop sound, Good Fiction.
Moving on from one band in particular who caught the attention of many new listeners was Kitten, based out of the New York City area (with some strong Los Angeles roots from singer Chloe Chaidez). The Greeting Committee followed with an upbeat, light-hearted indie rock set before trading off to Vermont’s own Caroline Rose. Closing out the afternoon with a large gathering in front of The Hollow was London-based Superorganism, an electro-pop group made up of talent from around the world whose stage show had as much detail as the composition of their songs.
The Hollow was home to Connecticut’s own West End Blend on Friday, October 12. The jam-friendly funk group brought The Age to open and then put on a funk clinic for a packed room. Erica T. Bryan‘s soul flowed through the band as their jams crashed onto the dance floor again and again.
West End Blend has quickly worked their way up through the ranks to become one of the best live acts touring the northeast. You can catch them this weekend at Disc Jam Presents Holloween Horror Camp. And, if you can’t make it to one of their shows coming up, you really ought to pick up their new live album, Live at the Waterhole, because there’s nothing like listening to a jam band jam.
Boasting an impressive 30 year run, the preparations for Warren Haynes’ Annual Christmas Jam are underway. The popular, two-night benefit will take place on Dec. 7 and 8 in Asheville, NC at the U.S. Cellular Center. Tickets for presale were released on Oct. 19, along with a limited number of discounted two-day passes and VIP packages. Regular ticket packages go on sale at 10 a.m. on October 26th.
Grammy Award-winning vocalist-songwriter, prolific producer, and notorious guitarist, Warren Haynes has more than upheld his reputation by continuing to curate performances that draw crowds year after year. Haynes spoke on the event’s transformation over the years stating,
I can’t believe that it has been 30 years since myself and a few friends held a small event in a local club so we could all play together around the holidays and donate a small amount of money to charity… It’s gone from being a local event to an international one and we couldn’t have done it without the help of all the great artists, bands, and musicians that have donated their time through the years… This is truly going to be the biggest and best Christmas Jam yet.
This year’s line-up, in alphabetical order, for Dec. 7 is as follows: Dark Side of the Mule, Grace Potter, Jamey Johnson, Marco Benvento, and Mike Gordon of Phish. Dec. 8, also in alphabetical order, includes: Dave Grohl and friends play “PLAY”, Eric Church, Gov’t Mule, Jim James, and Joe Bonamassa. While local and international music fans can expect stellar performances both evenings, the entertainment doesn’t stop there. There’s no need to wait around till dusk; attendees can treat themselves to “Xmas Jam By Day” concerts and events. Also note that there are still other artists to be announced as the Christmas Jam draws nearer so be on the lookout for further announcements.
The 2018 Christmas Jam marks 30 years of great music, but it also commemorates 20 years of Warren Haynes collecting donations specifically for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Haynes’ investment in his community and long-term commitment to this cause has resulted in the Christmas Jam collectively raising roughly 2.3 million dollars for Habitat for Humanity. For concert goers looking to be more directly involved in the charity, there is another day event which coincides with the concert. “Before the Jam, Lend a Hand” brings together the musical artists, event staff, and attendees to help construct those homes which are only possible due to concert proceeds.
The link below is a video of Warren Haynes performing “Melissa” with Warren Haynes with Jake Shimabukuro at last year’s 29th Christmas Jam.
On a chilly New England night in Worcester, Massachusetts, Disco Biscuits fans gathered at the famous Worcester Palladium for the group’s first run of fall tour. The room was nearly filled up by the time the band took the stage and people were ready to dance their butts off to get warmed up.
To open up the first set, the group started into “Uber Glue,” an ambient, synth-driven song that, like most Biscuits songs, acts as a great jumping off point for jams. The band wasted no time getting this rendition started, jamming on the tune for well over 20 minutes before building the groove into the beloved “Caterpillar,” which took the energy from “Uber Glue”’s jam and launched into the song’s first verses. Bassist Marc Brownstein and drummer Allen Aucoin kept the groove locked in as guitarist Jon “Barber” Gutwillig and keyboardist Aron Magner led the song’s chorus, joined by the crowd singing the lyrics passionately and dancing their butts off. Following the chorus, the group spent some time building an upbeat techno groove that brought the song into Brownstein’s first vocal effort of the night, “Miracles.” The jam in “Miracles” showed off the band’s ability to work as a unit as they brought the techno jam they had built into an ambient, almost soundscape-like section introduced by Magner and Brownie.
The group let the soundscape breathe a bit before dropping into the darker “Air Song,” which blew through the lyrics fairly quickly and led them immediately into a funk jam, mostly led by Magner on a Clavinet sounding patch. The jam didn’t really leave the song’s main structure, acting more as a platform for Barber and Magner to build off of, before the group brought it back into “Miracles,” starting off the second half of the first set sandwich. The group continued through the song’s verse and chorus sections until they broke into a dark fast-paced jam that featured the first big peak of the night, and brought the song back into the set opener “Uber Glue,” before dropping into the last verse of “Caterpillar.” The energy from “Miracles > Uber Glue” culminated in one last passionate chorus section of “Caterpillar,” before the group ended the set for a short set break. During the set break, Brownie tweeted out the fact that 75% of the songs in set 1 were songs written during the current Allen era of the band, saying “…let’s see if that trend continues into the second set!!!!”
“Rivers” kicked off the second set, getting into a Barber-led jam after the lyrics had been sung. The whole group was very active in bringing the song into an up-tempo peak before slowly ending the song with one of the main riffs. Following “Rivers” was the segment of the night, “Catalyst > Great Abyss > Boomshanker > Mr. Don,” which was filled with deep jamming and seamless transitions. “Catalyst” came out swinging, Barber following a very up tempo composed section with a high energy solo on his green Stratocaster aptly named “Money Bags.” “Catalyst”’s jam section spanned over nearly 30 minutes and was an exemplary musical representation of what the Biscuits are all about, letting a jam develop naturally and working together to bring it new places. Barber led the song into a another grand peak with another energetic solo before the group brought the jam into uncharted territory and started exploring.
Brownie, Magner, and Barber locked in on a riff that ended up being the basis for a good chunk of the jam before Brownie started driving the bus into “The Great Abyss,” a very synth heavy song that was also released during the Allen era of the band. “Great Abyss” also featured a lot of experimenting from Brownie and Magner, while Barber added textural shredding that made the jam feel extremely tense at points. Out of nowhere the group dropped into the dub reggae-esque tune “Boomshanker,” which featured a laid back synth bass line from Brownie while Barber and Magner layered textures together to add to the reggae sound. The jam was fairly straightforward, never really leaving the bounds of the main song itself. Towards the end of the jam, Magner started playing around with some organ sounds which lifted the song into the fan favorite “Mr. Don,” which lifted the tempo up a bit after “Boomshanker.” During the whole of “Mr. Don,” Barber had a smile plastered on his face, showing that he could tell they had just performed an incredible set. Following the main portion of the song, Barber took an enormous solo that was supported by the driving force of the band behind them, and led the song into a quick peak before ending the set. For an encore, the group performed the Brownstein-penned “Portal to an Empty Head.”
The Disco Biscuits performed a fantastic show in Worcester, MA, and will hopefully be back next October to continue the trend of awesome shows at the Palladium. They perform at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas November 1-3, and at The Palace Theatre in Albany November 23-24, where Albany jamband Formula 5 will open up the night on the 23rd. Check out the photo gallery below for a taste of the first night of the run.
Disco Biscuits, Worcester, MA, October 20, 2018
Set 1: Uber Glue > Caterpillar > Miracles > Air Song > Miracles > Uber Glue > Caterpillar
Set 2: Rivers, Catalyst > The Great Abyss > Boomshanker > Mr. Don
Having originally started as a funk-based instrumental group, 
Have you ever heard of the genre known as Black Dirt Music? No? Here’s a hint – buy 
