With a wildly colorful, multi-screen retro workout music video, Philadelphia’s Tweed had fun in style with the release of “Moves.” The electro-rock powerhouse puts on a bright display of 80s-themed jazzercise and old-school fitness in a Wes Anderson-esqe compilation. Driven by an undeniable groove of thick bass, smooth vocals, and electrifying melody, the song is something you can kick back with, or dance to.
Tweed cites hometown heroes The Disco Biscuits and Lotus as inspiration, but their music draws from indie rock, electronica, and disco – a combo of Phoenix meets Daft Punk. Having recently added violinist and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Field to the band, you can expect something unique from this lineup as Tweed prepares to release their debut full-length album.
“The song (“Moves”) was a collaboration since its inception,” notes Tweed drummer, Joe Vela. “From writing in a cabin we rented in North Carolina while on tour, producing with Jeff “Mud” Mahajan and Jesse Miller of Lotus in the studio, to designing the film shoot with our director, Nicholas J Piser, and the help from our film team who made it happen, it was a big team effort.”
“Moves,” the single for the video, is out now on all streaming platforms and will be featured on Tweed’s debut full-length of the same name expected before the end of 2019. Having already performed at Camp Bisco, Peach Festival, Beardfest, and their hometown curated SENSORiUM Festival, the band has their eyes set on a big 2020.
Belén Cusi, an Argentine-American singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn has unveiled the video for her second single, “Estrella Fugaz” (Shooting Star). Shot over the course of six months around Manhattan and Brooklyn, “Estrella Fugaz” was directed by Tatiana del Fuego, among a diverse core team of mostly LatinX women. Belén Cusi will perform on Saturday, November 9 at Groove in the West Village of Manhattan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0qfpfHtUDg
In directing “Estrella Fugaz,” del Fuego expressed to Cusi how it important it was for her to helm the ship of a very heavy femme team, “and how important it is for femmes to dictate what we consider sexy and empowering. This is 100% the female gaze, and it’s very delicately executed.”
Cusi appreciated this vision, and sought of the video to be elegant, feminine, and to show a strong female character that, despite singing about being played on by her partner, emerges as victorious and empowered at the end of the video. “I think we succeeded at that,” said Cusi.
Born to Argentine parents, Cusi was raised in San Antonio, TX, where she began studying classical piano at age 8. She studied at Boston University where she began singing and writing songs. After working with a local producer on what would be her (unreleased) first LP, Closer, and a two-year leave of absence from college, Cusi felt restless and dissatisfied creatively upon the album’s completion, she returned to school, studying philosophy and traveling to Argentina to connect with her familial roots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEVFpotmNl0
After an almost five-year hiatus from music, Cusi experienced an epiphany reading the book Mastery by Robert Greene and decided to return to her music career indefinitely. She quickly assembled a band and became a local regular at various Boston clubs, before moving to New York City in 2017.
Upon her move, she began recording new music with DJ Afro and has since become a local staple at legendary clubs like Groove in the West Village. Lauded as a “whimsical performer who can transport you with just one song,” Cusi has proven herself to be a formidable artist. She consistently hones her craft and takes inspiration from other disciplines. In addition to driving her music project single-handedly, she also works in architecture PR to pay the bills and goes to acting school at night. Cusi is not your average triple threat.
Listen to her previously released single “Me Has Liberado” (You’ve Released Me) below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLyBbD-OqtE
Don’t miss Belén Cusi on Saturday, November 9 at Groove in the West Village of Manhattan. Click here for details.
Twiddle frontman Mihali Savoulidis performed to a near sold out crowd at Pearl Street Pub in Albany on Friday, November 1. A wide array of Twiddle songs, some new songs and a closing cover of Harry Nilsson’s “Lime in the Coconut.”
Catch Twiddle November 29-30 at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester for their annual Frendsgiving, with Aqueous opening both nights.
Mihali setlist (via iTwiddle): New Song, Everysoul, Son’s Gonna Rise, Strongest of our Kind, Round Here, Stubborn Smile, New Song, Apples, Heart Song, Carved Lines, New Song, Mickey’s Medley (Orlando’s > RickiSnick > Nicodemus Portulay > Frankenfoote > Jamflowman > Carter Candlestick > Frankenfoote), Lost in the Clouds, Girl I Want to Lay you Down, Over Land & Sea, Hatties Jam > When it Rains it Poors, Lime in the Coconut
NYC-based queer pop artist Stefan Alexander, whose promising initial surge began three years ago with his debut single “Skeleton,” has released a video for his cover of Tweet’s “Oops (Oh My)” feat. Missy Elliot.
“Back when I was a kid, the song (and the iconic music video) felt so scandalous in the best way possible,” says Alexander. “Now, from an adult perspective, I understand the lyrics to be about self-pleasure and independence, especially for women and femme-identifying folks, who are too often stigmatized for their sexual desire. The message is timeless!”
Stefan grew up in an artistic household in Northampton, MA playing multiple instruments including cello, piano, guitar and mandolin. While attending NYU’s Clive Davis program, he formed a folk band opposite pop singer Phoebe Ryan. In the NYC folk clubs, Stefan honed his songwriting and vocals, realizing his strengths as a pop musician. Stefan soon began collaborating with producers Elliot Jacobson (Verité, Elle King) and Andrew Horowitz (John Legend, Janelle Monae) to discover his sound.
With his smooth as silk vocals laid over a very stylized R&B bed, Stefan switches up the perspective, tackles the track, and posits it in a very modern take, while maintaining all of the flavor. Replacing the sparse Timbaland production with a more synth-driven texture, he embraces all of Tweet’s sensual delivery and turns up the heat, making the song more intimate and seductive.
Tackling such an iconic song is no easy feat, and Stefan told Stitched Sound, “I tried to modernize the song with some more current production, but I wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible. The most important thing was to keep the sensuality of the original, so hopefully that comes through.”
Although his career trajectory was cut short when he succumbed to a mysterious pain disorder (Central Sensitization Syndrome) that made it impossible for him to perform music, much less most physical activity, Stefan has picked up where he left off. He is using his platform to speak honestly about his chronic illness and hopes his story can inspire others to overcome whatever challenges they may be facing in their lives.
Back in the ring, Alexander released the much-lauded EP Thunderclap earlier this summer, signaling his return to form, of which The New Nine said, “An emotional pop masterpiece that will get stuck in your head but also make you cry if you let it sneak up on you.”
Stefan plans to release his second EP in early 2020, with more music coming throughout the spring and summer.
Full Body is a Rochester-based rock band that has been making music that fits their name. The band’s deep brand of gangly rock is unique and rounded, tying in elements of shoegaze and post-rock to make something in the realm of noise rock. Their most recent release, Always There, cements their sound in a well produced record. The band is composed of Dylan Vaisey, Jack Chaffer, and Jacob Kotler. Full Body has been navigating the local scene with a sound that stands out, relentless in their writing of melancholy and bittersweet music.
The album has just eight songs, but is constantly engaging. Each song has a sweet melodious center, but the band fills out the rest with oblique instrumentals. “Hard Drive” is a great example of this, with its lurid opening slowly building out chorus-washed guitars into a vigorous guitar solo. The vocals carry the tune well, though they never really take the spotlight away from the mood the song is conveying. This is the case throughout the album as each song is more a product of its parts.
The tunes are short and to the point; there’s no meandering and no ideas that feel unfinished. The third track, “Alias,” is a great look at the band’s ability to mesh together different ideas and grooves to create coherent and viable songs. Though each part compliments the others, it should be pointed out that the drumming on this album is stellar and warrants a close look on its own. The deft navigation of song structure in the rhythm section, including bass, adds a lot of thickness to each tune. “Sonic Boom” is another hard hitting song that shows this.
Overall, Always There is certainly worth a listen through. It is short, interesting, and very well written by a band that is making their own sound and owning it. Full Body has found a niche, but they are not afraid to break out of that to take creative risks that ultimately pay off. Be on the lookout for Full Body to come to your town, and make sure to support by streaming their music on services such as Spotify and Bandcamp.
They say “never miss a Sunday show” and whoever “they” are were right about the packed house turned listening room at the beautiful State Theater of Ithaca for a magical night of music from Gregory Alan Isakov with support from Luke Sital-Singh. The clocks were set back earlier in the morning and the audience was also taken on a trip through time when singer-songwriters ruled the land, everyone hung on each word and the music became part of the environment, like listening to the waterfalls just up the road in Treman State Park.
Isakov commands the stage with such simplicity, like a circa 1962 Bob Dylan, when a personality becomes the music. His showmanship exists only in the respect he has for his bandmates and the humble nature of how he addresses the audience and the nature of his songwriting. It is as if one can hear the wind wailing through the Colorado mountain passes in each harmony drifting through the five pieces of his band over the land Isakov farms and writes on. He is, after all, billed as a farmer first – a most important trade, becoming harder and harder in our current world. However, just as obvious as his love for the land, his touring band captures a mystic and ghostly quality that enriches the often forlorn lyrics. It’s as if the dust bowl of “The Grapes of Wrath” meets Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac stranded under millions of mountain stars with the music of Hank Williams trickling out of a passing train. One could try to categorize Isakov’s music as indie or folk, but there is far more at play and it is a show that must be seen to be believed.
“Oh, highway boys all sleeping in With their dirty mouths and broken strings Oh, their eyes are shining like the sea For you, the queen of San Luis I’m a ghost of you, you’re a ghost of me A bird’s-eye view of San Luis.” – Isakov
Photo: Aurora Roe
Isakov was born in Johannesburg and immigrated at the age of seven to the US. He started touring at the age of 16 and released his first album in 2003. His musical career is very interesting and he even dusted of an old song, “I’ll Feed Your Horses,” that he wrote about recording with Brandi Carlile. It was a very tight set that prominently featured two guitars, violin, bass, drums and a few songs with banjo. The band played several songs in the middle of the set around one microphone, which added to the beauty and “old timey” feeling of the evening. Towards the end of the first set, Isakov brought out opening act Sital-Singh for a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Ghost Of Tom Joad,” noting that as they walked around Ithaca, NY they both spoke of their passion for “The Boss.”
Photo: Jordan Rucks
Sital-Singh played a beautiful opening solo set, alternating with an acoustic and electric guitar. His stage presence was endearing and fun and he captured the audience with witty banter between songs. Just as with Isakov, it was a complete listening room for Sital-Singh and he definitely made many new fans. The tour continues throughout the Midwest and South, moves abroad for a few shows, and then comes back to the West Coast of the States. Many of the shows are already sold out. You can follow the tour HERE.
Members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra shut down the house with a robust symphony performance of four classical pieces at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday night. As the musicians took to the stage, excitement rose in the room as everyone got ready to celebrate ESYO’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. The crowded room had a diverse audience of young and old, supporting family members and fans of classical music alike. Renowned for its amazing acoustics, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall served as a perfect venue.
With as much animation as the small box on which he stood would allow, conductor Carlos Agreda drew exactly what was needed out of the 100 Capital Region middle and high school students sitting on stage.
Opening the concert was Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Festive Overture OP.96.’ This celebrative piece, while the shortest of the night, was the perfect set up for what was to come. ESYO Alumni Kenneth Olsen took the stage to perform the solo of the four movement ‘Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra’ by Edward Elgar. Hailing from the Albany area and a graduate of Colonie High School, Olsen feverishly tore through the piece all from memory which brought the crowd to their feet in applause.
After a brief intermission the audience returned to their seats for the final two pieces. First up was the wildly popular Overture to ‘Die Fledermaus’ by Johann Strauss Jr., bringing another witty and playful piece to the set before the musicians settled in for their most complex piece of the night. The grandeur sounds of composer Ottorino Respighi filled the venue as the students undertook the ‘Pines of Rome’ with near perfection. Through four movements, using various melodies and rhythms including a recording of a nightingale, the audience was transported to another time and place.
Agreda asked at the beginning of the concert, “Why ESYO? Why should one support the arts?” The smiling faces and teary eyes from nearly every person in the room was answer enough. ESYO provides students a chance at pursuing musical excellence and reminding us all that music speaks where words fail.
Be sure to check
out ESYO’s website for the upcoming 2019-2020
season including their annual Melodies of Christmas at Proctors Theatre in
Schenectady.
ESYO
Upcoming Concert Dates
Nov. 24 – TBA
Dec. 6 – Fransworth
Middle School – Guilderland, NY
Dec. 15 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Dec. 19-22 –
Proctors Theatre – Schenectady, NY (Melodies of Christmas)
Feb. 1 – Crossgates
Mall – Albany, NY
Feb. 12 – Clayton
B. Bouton High School – Voorheesville, NY
Feb. 13 – TBA
Feb. 27 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Mar. 9 – UAlbany
Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Mar. 29 – UAlbany
Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Apr. 1 – Proctor’s Theatre
– Schenectady, NY
Apr. 26 – Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall
May 1 – TBA
May 2 – Arthur
Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY
May 3 – Brown
School – Schenectady, NY
May 10 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 17 – Massry
Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 31 – Saratoga
Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
June 20 – GE
Theatre at Proctors – Schenectady, NY
Albany’s Senior Living has released the music video for “Heathers,” the closing track off their 35mm EP that was released over the summer.
The video was shot and directed by Nadia Boye from SUNY Oneonta, and centers on water and the fluidity of nature, with a focus on the moods and emotions inspired by the ground beneath our feet and the world that we live in and are a part of each day.
Senior Living are planning shows for January around the Northeast and Southeast. More details to come.
The calendar may have turned to November but the Halloween spirit was strong in Buffalo with Turkuaz dressing up in celebration of our neighbors’ to the north national pastime, ice hockey! Sammi Garett and Shira Elias even dropped their gloves and staged a hockey fight that had to be broken up by referee Chris Brouwers to the delight of the packed crowd at the Town Ballroom.
Setlist: Nightswimming, Doktor Jazz, Make You Famous, Heat Drop, If I Ever Fall Asleep, E.Y.E., Mister Man, Digitonium, Big Business > Murder Face, Take ‘Em Down, Every1’s A Winner > Superstatic, Better Get Ready > Lookin’ Tough, Feelin’ Good, Gogo Mr. Dodo, The Shape I’m In Encore: Monkey Fingers
The Flatbush Zombies drew a huge costumed crowd that packed Brooklyn Steel on Halloween night. Erick Arc Elliott opened as a DJ, playing noise-music of a sort that jumped from soothing jazz to banging trap. This kicked off the chain of shenanigans that would precede the show.
Meechy Darko emerged, in a bright yellow leather patched suit and heavy clown face paint, as the Joker to kick off the costume contest – the grand prize being $1000. They brought up ten selected members of the audience and let the rest of the crowd decide on who the winner was. The list of costumes at Flatbush Zombies included but was not limited to a Spiderman, Frozone, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain, and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. They went down the line with hovering hand over heads and listened for the cheers. Then it was down to the final three: Frozone, Sally, and a masked killer. The crowd overwhelmingly hailed Frozone as king of the costume contest, who then proceeded to deliver a heartfelt acceptance speech before being abruptly kicked off stage by a raging Meechy.
After a set change, another Joker entered the stage waving and boasting his wrestling championship belt. Zombie Juice was following, promising to relinquish him of it. A fierce fight ensued with all sorts of jump kicks and WWE slams. When the dust finally cleared, Zombie Juice stood victorious.
