NYS Music 20​19

Category: Features

  • Interview: Maybird’s Josh Netsky on Music and Mixtapes

    Rochester/Brooklyn band Maybird will soon be launching their second release on 30th Century Records. The first song off the recording, “Don’t Keep Me Around,” is indicative of the unique sound the band has crafted over the past six years – an amalgamation of indie and roots rock, filtered through a psychedelic veil. The four-piece band consists of singer/songwriter Josh Netsky, guitarists Kurt Johnson and Sam Snyder (aka Overhand Sam), and drummer Adam Netsky. NYS Music checked in with Maybird’s frontman to get the scoop on the inspirations and collaborations behind the new work.

    Photo by Teagan West

    Paula Cummings: You have a new song out called “Don’t Keep Me Around.” What is the story behind the song? Why did you choose to lead with this one?

    Josh Netsky: We’ve been playing “Don’t Keep Me Around” live for well over a year now, so our fans are familiar with it and it’s just been waiting to be heard for a long time. We haven’t really explored many of the other songs on the record in a live setting yet, so it felt right to set this one free first. I wrote this song very quickly during a spontaneous recording session with producer Sam Cohen. Quickly in comparison to my usual writing process, at least. Quick songs are usually better in my experience… if you don’t have to think too much about it, that’s a good sign.

    PC: Your songwriting has always been influenced by your own personal experiences. What people, places, or events lit the spark that led to the creation of your new songs? 

    JN: Some of the songs go pretty far back – I think the oldest track was written in 2012. So there are a lot of very different answers here from years of experiences and inspirations. But the overall arc of the album deals with a few main themes. Seeking purpose and clinging to memories/trying not to forget are the big ones. Kurt Vonnegut’s novel The Sirens of Titan was a huge inspiration for the album and put these ideas into perspective for me in the first place.

    PC: Who did you work with on the album, and how did these industry professionals shape your work?

    JN: For “Don’t Keep Me Around,” we worked a lot with Sam Cohen, who’s an amazing producer and our label-mate on 30th Century Records. He also mixed our entire album. Aside from that, we did most of the work ourselves independently. We all have small studio setups of our own, mostly we worked out of a studio that Sam and Kurt had set up in Ontario, NY. A few of our Rochester comrades put down some horn parts and extra instrumentation.

    PC: Can you share any details about the new album? 

    JN: We’re looking at a late spring release, the date will be announced soon I’m sure. But we will be releasing singles up to that point, so there will be a constant flow of music from here forth. Plus we’ve got some videos and other material that we’re psyched to share alongside the tracks. 

    PC: Maybird’s Spotify playlist contains some great indie music. Which bands or musicians spur you forward by setting a benchmark that you’re striving to reach?

    JN: I love having a Spotify playlist and updating it frequently. That’s exactly what it does, keeps inspiration flowing. We call it Maybird Mixtape. The whole thing started with an actual physical mixtape. We used to dub a bunch of tapes and give them to fans at shows to share what we were listening to. Spotify is obviously a lot easier to manage, but we still make the physical tapes every once in a while. I have a very open ear and use Shazam all the time. If I hear something that I would like to examine closer for whatever reason, whether it’s at a restaurant, in a store, on the radio or whatever… always Shazaming. A lot of what ends up on Maybird Mixtape is from that. I found this band Billy & Dolly that way, for example, and their album ended up being one of my favorites of 2018. Excellent songwriting and production. That’s really the only benchmark – to keep pushing forward in the writing and production… Cass Mccombs, Deerhunter, Daniel Ramano, Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala, The Voidz, Danger Mouse, Wilco, Sly & The Family Stone are a few regulars on the mixtape. It’s all over the place, it’s all just really good. I think our sound is all over the place as well, and that’s the way we like it.

    Check out Maybird’s new song over on Flaunt magazine. And be sure to follow Maybird on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to catch their latest music and videos and find out about upcoming shows.

    Photo by Teagan West.

  • Photo Gallery: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Mihali

    The Flock was not disappointed at a sold-out Capitol Theatre show with Mihali Savoulidis of Twiddle, Saturday, January 26. The room was packed and a sense of excitement could be tasted in the air. It was funky. Mihali’s set featured new material, as well as Twiddle classics like “Every Soul” and a sit-in on “River Drift,” from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong basist, Ben Carrey, playing a set of whistles! Mihali’s set was unlike the Pigeons, with deep storytelling-like lyrics. This made a more intimate experience where lots of the audience had their eyes closed, deeply feeling the music.

    Pigeons Playing Ping Pong opened with “Time To Ride” and the first set highlights included the beloved “Poseidon > Eyes Of The World > Poseidon,” mashup. Pigeons paid tribute to The Capitol when Ormont changed their lyrics to Wake up to find out that you are the size of a squirrel. The crowd went wild. The second set featured “Yo Soy Fiesta,” one of Pigeon’s newer tunes, “Kiwi” and “Upfunk,” where Jeremy Schon was really shredding, going that extra mile. We have not seen this level of excitement and Schon just kept getting better.

    The encore included a rendition of  Disney’s “Colors of the Wind” during “Schwanthem” and “Doc” with the West End Blend horns sitting in. The Pigeons are building their flock and flying higher than ever.

  • Sister Sparrow Shines, Dirty Birds Delight at Levon Helm Studios

    Arleigh Kincheloe, aka Sister Sparrow, mesmerized a full house at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock Saturday night, with the Dirty Birds backing her, as she held the audience entranced, proving one’s presence can dwarf their stature. The setting, a barn-turned-showroom, was ideal as onlookers surrounded the band and Sister Sparrow’s voice reverberated majestically.

    The show, Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds’ second at Levon Helm Studios, was long-awaited. SS&TDB were scheduled to make their first appearance in Woodstock since 2012 last December 29. Due to illness, however, the concert was rescheduled for January 26. If good things are worth the wait, the band can be forgiven for the near-seven year hiatus; they were excellent.

    When concert-goers arrived in Woodstock, they waited a little longer for the headliner as Melanie Glenn, Mary Kenney and Allison Olender, of the band Upstate, opened with an a capella set. While they typically play with a backing band, the set highlighting the singers was apropos for the intimate Levon Helm Studios.

    The sincerity of their voices manifested in calls and responses, gospels mixed with folk, and the three young ladies had evident chemistry. Expressive and at ease on stage, each singer had her own style and personality: Glenn took the limelight at one point with an acoustic guitar and Olender later came to the front with her electric Fender. Kenney anchored the set, standing center throughout. While Sister Sparrow would come out to steal the evening, Upstate’s harmonies set the mood wonderfully.

    After a brief intermission, the Dirty Birds took the stage and, with the audience’s enthusiastic encouragement, Sister Sparrow crept up to the spotlight. With a playful look of surprise for the applause (“Who– me?”) and a shake of her long, red hair, she grabbed the mic and it was off to the races.

    She’s tiny. She’s huge. The microphone stand rivals her in stature, but Sister Sparrow’s presence is titanic. With her mother watching from the crowd and her brother Jackson supporting on the harmonica, Sister Sparrow banged her bright red tambourine, swung the mic, and belted out invigorating tunes.

    While Sister Sparrow’s stage presence is as cool as watermelon on a summer afternoon, the band, a menagerie of supporting musicians, has a full, clean rock ‘n’ roll vibe. With his shoulders curling and head nodding, drummer Dan Boyden played with a nonchalance that imbibed the spirit of Levon Helm. During a cover of Toto’s “Rosanna,”  trumpeter Phil Rodriguez and saxophonist Brian Graham turned and nodded to each other as if to say, “Yeah, we’re gettin’ it!”

    The sounds ranged from pop to folk, prominently featuring funk and soul. Sister Sparrow’s candid mien was positive and jocular, her voice captivating. The show was intimate yet energetic, and, from the beginning, there was a feel in the air that something special was taking place: refreshing music created by from experienced entertainers.

    The Barn at Levon Helm Studios had a church-like feel Saturday night. Rows of worshipers sat in awe as Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds held the pulpit. The music had a soul-cleansing component and the crowd was a lowercase-c catholic cluster of Dirty Bird disciples. While it was my first time attending a Sister Sparrow sermon, I most certainly hope it’s not my last.

    Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds

  • Long Island’s Josie Bello releases new album ‘Can’t Go Home’

    Josie Bello has a Country-Rock vocal style, combined with the skillful musicianship evident throughout the CD, have prompted a number of listeners on ReverbNation to ask the question, “Were these recordings done in Nashville?”

    The album was, in fact, produced and recorded on Long Island at Melts In Your Ears Studio and mixed at Workshoppe East, both located in Huntington.

    josie bello

    Can’t Go Home contains 10 tracks of original music in which Josie covers a wide range of subjects related to the human condition. The title track contemplates the loss of one’s past. Other tracks cover themes such as infidelity (“Dignity”), infatuation (“Crush”), relationships (“Good People,” “Bad Love”), drug addiction (“Mother’s Love”), Long Island living (“Kit House”) and even political partisanship (“Two Trains”), co-written by producer Mike Nugent and the only co-write on the album.

    The very active live music scene on Long Island, and the abundance of local talent continues to inspire Josie as a songwriter and performer.

    Josie enjoys creating images and telling stories through song and often says, “Hooks are everywhere, you just need to listen”.

    She’ll tell you that she’s been singing every day of her life — around the house and everywhere she’s been since childhood. She can remember her mother saying to her, “Please, try to pipe down, just for a little while”.

    Luckily for local musicinans, Josie is quite active on the Long Island music scene. She runs several open mics: at Urban Coffee in Greenlawn on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month and at the Park Lounge in Kings Park on 3rd Fridays.

    Additionally, once a month she hosts a singer-songwriter night at Urban Coffee. Josie performs with her husband Frank Bello as “Duo Bello” at many festivals throughout the island, including their annual hosting of the Long Island Fall Festival Acoustic Stage. She is honored to participate in the LI-based group OOMPA (Organization of Open Mic Performing Artists) and recognizes all the talent and support their membership provides to open mics and musical charitable events throughout the Island.

    Josie’s music is available on most digital distribution platforms such as iTunes and CD Baby. A hard copy of the CD can also be purchased at CD Baby.

    This article was originally published by Under the Radar – Covering the Long Island Music Scene and appears as a special to NYS Music. Under the Radar and NYS Music work in partnership to provide readers with in-depth coverage on the local music scene across Long Island. For more, visit BreslauBombers.com.

  • Hearing Aide: Wavy Cunningham and DJ Mercy ‘The Art of War’

    Wavy Cunningham and DJ Mercy, hip hop artists from Albany teamed up for their second effort, The Art of War, a ten-track album launched on December 28, 2018.

    Wavy wrote most of the lyrics in one sitting, matching them to hooks and audio samples he had on deck; DJ Mercy composed the instrumentals and fused the beats together.

    Photo: Zach Hitt

    The duo raised up a chilled out, yet confident, beach vibe to sit at the core of the album’s sound. They included a lot of work in the percussion department – a welcomed and elemental foundation, since Mercy plays drums by trade. The beats and samples weave together with stitches by Wavy’s urgent vocal style. The opening track, “Ain’t About Me,” claims, no collusion, but the chemistry between the two is too reactive. It can’t be true.

    “Lose Control” has modern, robotically tuned vocals, similar to Atlanta artists Future and Migos. At the same time, the title track and “4 The Gang,” follow old school hip-hop traditions, featuring bouncy drums and turntable scratch tricks. “The Right Drugs,” reminisces on a romantic relationship, lost and highlights the album with its atmosphere and narrative.

    The Art of War is solid, short, and sweet. It runs experiments on its genre without going overboard. However, the mix and master deserve re-evaluation. Lyrical and instrumental subtleties get lost in limited production. Though the politics of how a project should sound are generally opinion based, one thing is for sure: the core writing and composition is an effort that will leave the listener with a smiling new impression.

    Key tracks: Lose Control, The Right Drugs, 4 Tha Gang

    The Art of War is available on major streaming platforms.

  • Hearing Aide: Some Ska Band ‘It’s Going Down’

    Ska has come a long way since its origins in the Caribbean in the 50’s. The upbeat, syncopated style of music has caught on around the globe, adapting to the cultural nuances in places far and wide. It has spilled Upstate with Some Ska Band and their 9-track debut release, It’s Going Down, which shows off how adaptable ska music can be.

    The opening track “Forty Thieves” was inspired by author and sax player, Charles Benoit, who spent  time teaching in Kuwait and absorbing all the cultural influences of the city. The instrumental ditty pulls from classic literature for its title and snippets of Middle-Eastern-style riffs.

    Everything I know about ska, I learned from Benoit, a ska-aficionado (or ska-ficionado, if you will). Benoit is one of eight members of the Rochester-based band. Mary-Jude Vacca and Shad Froman take on the vocals. Will Browar keeps the beat and hits things. On guitars are Joe Sims (bass), David Keller (lead), and Miles Pierce (rhythm). Joining Benoit in the brass section is Neil Pierce on trumpet. After years of playing originals (and some songs originally by other artists), the eight of them made their way into the studio to lay it down.

    All the songs on It’s Going Down are pretty snappy, but a few stand out in particular. “End of The World” is a clever little tongue-in-cheek song, written on January 20, 2017 (if that date doesn’t ring a bell, look it up). The chorus includes the lines “It’s not the end of the world/ But you can see it from here.”

    The title track “It’s Going Down” is another little gem, that demonstrates their musical prowess. The deep, heavy rhythm creates a perfect backdrop to showcase Vacca’s rich, sonous voice. The “Obligatory Drinking Song” is a sing-a-long fan favorite at live shows. The album wraps up with an instrumental version “American Skalines,” a song that usually includes a spoken-word script when played live.

    Whether you’re a ska-ficionado or a newbie to the genre, you’ll get a kick out of It’s Going Down.

    Key Tracks: Forty Thieves, End Of The World, It’s Going Down

  • 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.

  • Artist Profile: Girl Blue, as big as an Ocean


    Girl Blue has a passion for music, vocals and a stage presence to draw you in – listen. The stage name of Arielle O’Keefe, Girl Blue is one of the Capital District’s emerging singer-songwriters, alongside peers Sean Rowe, Sydney Worthley, Sawyer Fredericks, and Moriah Formica. On Thursday, January 24, she will open for Dar Williams at Cohoes Music Hall.

    O’Keefe’s drive for music goes back to her childhood in Bayshore, Long Island, where she started playing piano at age 5 and guitar at age 12. From this, she sees music adhered to her identity, throughout her life. “It’s sort of a raging ambition inside me, it feels like all I have is this thing to work on.” After a move to Dallas during high school, she headed north to New York City and finally to Albany, to move her career forward. She chose her stage name, Girl Blue, from two musical inspirations – the Nina Simone album, Little Girl Blue, which she listened to a great deal growing up, and the Stevie Wonder song “Girl Blue,” where the character described was much like Arielle.

    Girl Blue received broad exposure when her first single, “Fire Under Water,” was picked up by Spotify for New Music Friday, and was eventually placed in a Las Vegas tourism commercial. From there it went viral, racking up over 2.5 million plays. This led Spotify to pick up her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” a stripped down version of the original. “I would play with vocals and looped them along with one or two guitar lines. The song is so emotional and almost creepy. I wanted to do something that was really broken down and make it a little more epic, so I covered it with just vocals and guitars, then went in and produced the final version.”

    girl blue

    When O’Keefe is on stage, she commands attention to her performance. “When I was younger, I went to different types of venues, hip-hop showcases and singer-songwriter performances and saw singers that you have-to-listen-to, instead of being forced to listen. I do that for myself, making it so that people have to lean in.” After 14 years, this has developed into Girl Blue’s remarkable stage presence.

    A range of vocal inspirations – Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Roberta Flack, Ani DiFranco and Tori Amos – as well as comparisons to Carole King, Laura Marling, Bonnie Raitt and Jeff Buckley, give you an idea of the powerhouse-vocals and songwriting Girl Blue has in her skill set. She looks towards Frank Ocean as one of the defining voices of the current generation. “He has a voice with character and is a talented singer, who has that intangible quality to translate emotion through his voice. He makes people feel, and that will stand the test of time. His style has been copied over and over already; that says a lot if everyone wants to be Frank Ocean.”

    Last May at Proctor’s Theater in Schenectady, Girl Blue performed as part of Capitol Records Live, an event bringing together a half-dozen local artists to take on the songs of The Beatles’ – The White Album and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Singing “Glass Onion,” “Blackbird,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Getting Better,” her performance stood out among a lineup that included Wild Adriatic, Eastbound Jesus and Let’s Be Leonard.

    Currently, Girl Blue is recording with Dan Dekalb and Jimi Woodul from Dark Honey, with plans to release a stripped down album in May, and the full album slated for later this year.

    On March 2nd, Girl Blue will perform at The Linda in Albany with Belle Skinner and Zan Strumfield, but first, she opens for Dar Williams at Cohoes Music Hall on Thursday, January 24. Tickets are still on sale.

    Girl Blue posts monthly exclusive songs and behind the scenes content online on Patreon. Click here to subscribe and support her work.

  • 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.

  • Guster Kicks Off 2019 Tour With Show at Upstate Concert Hall – Photo Gallery

    Boston based alternative rock band, Guster launched their 2019 tour in support of their new release, Look Alive at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY on January 16. Supporting Guster was Burlington Vermont singer Henry Jamison who had a February 8 released album, Gloria Duplex.

    Guster
    Guster
    photo by E. Reid Coker
    Henry Jamison

    Guster set list: One Man Wrecking Machine, Terrified, Stay With Me Jesus, Diane, Hello Mr. Sun, Backyard, Architects and Engineers, Look Alive, Manifest Destiny, Doin It By Myself, Come Downstairs and Say Hello, Gangway, Overexcited, I Spy, Satellite, Long Night, Demons, Mind Control, Amsterdam, Barrel of a Gun, Hard Times (audience choice), Hang On, What You Call Love, Happier.