NYS Music 20​19

Author: Mike Kohli

  • Exclusive Premiere: Bridge Under Fire, ‘Self-Unemployed’

    Syracuse punk band Bridge Under Fire is doing the unorthodox. They are releasing four new songs from their new EP through four different record labels. NYS Music is premiering the L.R.S. Records single, “Self-Unemployed.” Check it out below.

    Bridge Under Fire is a Syracuse-based punk/hardcore band with a discography that includes two full-length albums, two EPs, a split 7″ single and several compilation contributions. The new untitled EP has been released in four parts across four labels and through four different media outlets.

    Syracuse labels, L.R.S. Records, Aux Records, Moron Manor Media, and Counter Culture Cassette Company each released one song from the band today.

    Band leader and L.R.S. Records owner, Mark Turley, described the project this way:

    After releasing our last full length in 2017, the band was discussing other options than just writing more songs to be an EP or album.  We decided to write singles rather than songs that fit together content-wise onto an album.  The results were interesting and different than what we’ve done so far.  Through L.R.S. we had these relationships with the other labels and thought this would be a different way to release our music.

    Mark Turley

    To celebrate the release of the new music, Bridge Under Fire will host a show at Spark Contemporary Art Space in Syracuse on Feb. 22. Also on the bill that night is Sympathy Band, Talk Wrong and Dimladia. For more information on this show, visit promoter After Dark Presents’ website. To check out more of Bridge Under Fire’s work, visit their Bandcamp page here.

    Turley also hosts a weekly podcast called Long Range Sarcasm (L.R.S.) with Nick Oliver. It is available on iTunes and Google Podcasts. The podcast features news and music from the L.R.S. stable of artists as well as other Central New York musicians.

    Bridge Under Fire’s brand new single, “Self-Unemployed” is available below as a NYS Music exclusive release. Check it out.

  • Punk’s not dead: Spark to host Groundhog Day punk spectacular headlined by Inhalants

    A punk show headlined by St. Catherine’s, Ontario’s Inhalants will take place Feb. 2 at Spark Contemporary Art Space on East Fayette Street in Syracuse. The show will also feature a litany of New York State punk and hardcore bands, including Troy’s Your Brain on Drugs, Syracuse oi/street punks, the War Lovers, Syracuse old school punks, Lucky 33, Syracuse skate punks, the Shuvits and another touring band to be announced.

    Inhalants

    The $5 show starts at 8:00. Tickets will be available at the door. Proceeds are for the touring band. There will also be an array of out of print hardcore and punk t-shirts available for $5.

    Lucky 33, a veteran of two Vans Warped Tours, is currently working on new material. This show will be the band’s first with new guitarist/vocalist Zac Birdslow and last show until their second annual Punk Rock BBQ on Memorial Day weekend.

    Check out the official video for their song “Paycheck” below. The song is a solid mix of high energy, late ’80s-mid ’90s era punk with shades of pop-punk thrown in. The band has found a second home in Rochester of late and is looking to further their success in their hometown of Syracuse and beyond.

    This low-cost show is the perfect opportunity to check out what’s happening in the Syracuse punk scene. For more information, follow the event page here.

    Inhalants

  • Syracuse label, L.R.S. set to release album by Baldwinsville HS pep band

    Plan Bee, the Baldwinsville HS Pep Band, is celebrating its 10th anniversary Saturday Jan. 19 at the Palace Theater in Syracuse with a performance and release of its first full-length LP, Bee Sides.The album is being released by Syracuse label L.R.S. Records.

    Record sales and the performance, which also includes appearances by ’90s tribute act My So-Called Band and Matthew Blake & the Blues Dragons, will help defray costs for the Baldwinsville Marching Band’s trip to the 2020 Rose Bowl Parade.

    The pep band’s origins are owed to band director, Casey Vanderstow. Describing the creation of the band, Vanderstow stated, “A lot of these students are in our field band program. When that ends in the fall, there is indoor drum line, and winter guard, but there wasn’t anything for brass and woodwind players who wanted to keep playing. So this band was formed for students to continue playing, and it has grown over the past decade.”

    The band also acts as the Carrier Dome’s house band when the Syracuse University pep band is off for the semester break. Below is some video of their performance of “Land of 1000 Dances” at Syracuse’s game versus Old Dominion on Dec. 15 of last year.

    Vanderstow modeled the band on his alma mater, Syracuse’s popular pep band, the Sour Citrus Society, and they now boast a repertoire of more than 60 songs ranging from classic rock to top 40 music.

    Plan Bee’s partnership with L.R.S. Records began three years ago, with an idea to record a vinyl LP with digital download. Over that time, L.R.S. recorded the band at various venues, including basketball games, at the Onondaga County War Memorial and at the band’s annual summer appearances at Baldwinsville’s Paper Mill Island Amphitheater.

    The album will feature arrangements of songs by the White Stripes, Daft Punk, the Beastie Boys, Elton John, Aerosmith and others.

    Tickets for the show are still available through the Baldwinsville band website and range from $15 to $50.

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    Editor’s note: This article was corrected to reflect Saturday as the proper day of the event.