NYS Music 20​19

Author: Rob Simakovsky

  • Hearing Aide: AJ Lambert ‘Careful You’

    AJ Lambert, daughter of Nancy Sinatra and granddaughter of Frank Sinatra, joined the family tradition with the release of Careful You on January 21. Lambert’s innate talent, clearly in her ancestral DNA, has produced a skillfully crafted record, featuring interpretations of songs from artists like Spoon, TV on the Radio, and of course her late, great grandfather.

    This album follows Lambert’s extensive experience in the entertainment industry, having augmented a career which spans film music supervision, live performance (Here We Go Magic, The Homosexuals) and radio (“Siriusly Sinatra” on Sirius XM). Produced by Daniel Schlett of The War on Drugs and Boshra AlSaadi, the album includes drummer Parker Kindred (Joan As Policewoman) and bassist Josh Werner (Bill Laswell) as session musicians. The album is both an homage to artists such as Billie Holiday and other legends, and a bold reconstruction of the same musical history, featuring lavish ambient soundscapes in “Ebb Tide,” Lambert’s polished vibrato on “Sleep Warm” and a touch of glam with “You and Your Sister.”

    Each track on the album is meticulously sculpted. Every instrument shines through the mix and Lambert’s vocals flow over it all. Songs like Frank Sinatra’s “Sleep Warm” are regarded with holy sanctity as she works to maintain, but slightly revise the original feeling; while songs like “(Glad I’m) Not a Kennedy” are a particular point of fun. The Shona Laing cover supersedes the original with even more flair and modern dance vibes.

    The album isn’t perfect — the production is so clean and defined that you’ll find yourself yearning to hear some rambunctiousness. However, Careful You is an insight into how an artist like Lambert can carry on a familial legacy while providing some updated energy at the same time.

    Key Tracks: Careful You, I Summon You, (Glad I’m) Not A Kennedy

    Read More: Lambert’s “Cleo” Music Video on NYS Music. Find Aj Lambert on Facebook and Instagram. Get the album.

  • Pixies Announce New Album, Podcast and Shows with Weezer

    Over the course of the past year, The Pixies recorded an upcoming record at Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, near Woodstock. Known for working with diverse and legendary artists including, The Band, Herbie Hancock, Fleet Foxes, and Sufjan Stevens, the studio is housed within the bones of the former St. John’s Church, built in 1896. Once used for hallowed prayer and song, the structure of the building now lends itself to create the ideal acoustic environment to support the Pixies’ experimentation with sound and dynamics.

    Due in September, the record is produced by Tom Dalgety (2016’s Head Carrier). Fans will be able to take a special journey into the history of the band and the making of the still untitled album through a 12-part podcast, titled “Past Is Prologue.” Hosted by New York Times best-selling author Tony Fletcher and produced by Signal Co. No1, the episodes will begin June 27, and will air weekly until the album drops.

    Fletcher, having written popular biographies on The Who’s Keith Moon and R.E.M., is inviting listeners inside the recording process. He says, “Thanks to the unprecedented access, we can all experience how their magic gets tracked, taped and transmitted.”

    Commenting on the scope of the podcast series, Signal Co. No1 co-founder Michael Simons shared, “While the emphasis of the podcast will be on the creation of the new album and looking forward, we were very interested, from a story perspective, in the way history has shaped who the Pixies are, and how and what they are creating now, how the past creates the present.”

    Watch the trailer, here.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk2Z270Xxcs

    As if it wasn’t enough, the band will be going on tour with Weezer as co-headliner. You can find them coming to New York on March 12 at Madison Square Garden in NYC, and March 14 at the Times Union Center in Albany.

  • Japanese Breakfast Takes Over at Brooklyn Steel

    Japanese Breakfast had the crowd dancing, jumping and swaying as they shared the band’s enthusiasm on January 18 at Brooklyn Steel. Michelle Zauner’s solo project has developed a fanbase eager to dive into the group’s experimental blend of shoegaze, indie pop and rock. Joined by drummer and producer Craig Hendrix, Deven Craige on bass and her husband Peter Bradley on guitar, this tour features an expanded live ensemble, complete with NYC-based string section Quartet 121, Aaron Rockers on trumpet and Adam Schatz on sax.

    Zauner has a persona influenced by Bjork and other animated performers. Walking out in a whimsical white dress with coils of fabric attached, her engaging and infectious attitude transformed the stage into her own personal, musical playground. Kicking off with “Machinist” using modulation effects to augment her voice, the set came alive with colorful lights and large visuals as they went into “In Heaven.”

    The band’s energy was dynamic, and Zauner shifted from guitarist to full frontwoman as she sang about lust and indifference to the ethereal, marching groove of “Road Head.” The crowd journeyed from high energy, endorphin-releasing rhythms to the somber admissions of heartache in “Boyish,” a haunting dream-like song, which wouldn’t have been out of place in an episode of Twin Peaks.

    When 2016’s Psychopomp was released, Zauner was dealing with the grief of her mother’s death. She continued to channel her thoughts on love, heartbreak and trauma in 2017’s Soft Sounds from Another Planet. At Brooklyn Steel, she gave us her personal story, alongside projected collages of old family photos and videos during a stripped-down acoustic performance of “Till Death.”

    The night began with a couple of strong openers. Meg Duffy of Hand Habits played an electric solo set blending vocals, effects and guitar prowess into passionate, sometimes melancholic soundscapes and melodies. Things got moving with Cincinnati-based WHY?, as rapper and singer Yoni Wolf led the band through a tight, eclectic mix of alternative rock and hip hop.

    Japanese Breakfast has seen a lot of activity recently including headlining tours, festivals and new releases. The band has also been busy scoring the soundtrack for “Sable,” an upcoming open-world video game, due out later this year. Zauner’s ability to transform her raw emotions into extroverted performances continues to attract and delight new audiences.

  • Radiohead Surprises with B-Side “Ill Wind”: Listen

    Radiohead fans were treated to an Internet-streamed surprise of a b-side track to 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. “Ill Wind” begins as a brooding, bass-driven track which opens to a full suite of synth inspired soundscapes towards the latter half. Released with the song “Spectre,” the band’s rejected intro theme to the 2015 James Bond film, the two tracks were an extra CD bonus with the purchase of the vinyl record.

    Take a listen.

    The release of “Ill Wind” comes during a flurry of news regarding solo work from Thom Yorke. He’s announced a limited edition release of more than 20 songs, cut from the soundtrack to the 2018 remake of Suspiria. Separately, a solo record, apparently sharing some political themes has been confirmed for 2019.

    According to an interview with El Mundo, with translation from Pitchfork, Thom states “I didn’t have any desire to make very political music, but everything I do tends to go that way anyway.” The album will be produced by longtime Radiohead collaborator, Nigel Godrich.

    Thom Yorke and Radiohead fans have much to look forward to in 2019, including Radiohead’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Coincidentally, Thom won’t be able to make it to the ceremony, he’s got some other things to attend to.

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