For the first time ever Father John Misty and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will be co-headlining a national tour that will run throughout the month of June. The tour will begin June 5 in San Diego and end in Tulsa, OK on June 29. The tour makes stops in New York at Celebrate Brooklyn! on June 19 and at CMAC in Canandaigua on June 20
Father John Misty is currently supporting his acclaimed 2018 release God’s Favorite Customer. While four time Grammy award winner, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is touring in support of their album The Nashville Sound. Joining the tour will be Jade Bird, June 6-25 and Erin Rae, June 27- June 29.
Pre-sale tickets begin Wednesday Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. (local), with general public tickets going on sale Friday Feb. 15.
June 6 – Cal Coast
Credit Union Amphitheater*- San Diego, CA
June 7 – Santa Barbara Bowl*- Santa Barbara, CA
June 8 – Greek Theatre*- Berkeley, CA
June 9 – Les Schwab Amphitheater* – Bend, OR
June 11 – Marymoor Park Concerts* – Redmond, WA
June 14– The Armory* – Minneapolis, MN
June 15 – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island* – Chicago,
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The Austin, Texas based duo, The Wind and The Wave are no strangers to hard work. Since their formation back in 2012, Dwight Baker and Patty Lynn have recorded three full length albums, multiple EPs, endured an exhausting roller-coaster of extensive touring, created their own podcast and have developed a rabidly devoted fan base.
It is evident that their hard work is paying off. Their latest effort, Human Beings Let You Down, which was independently released by The Wind And The Wave, made it in the top 10 most downloaded albums on iTunes during its debut week, late October 2018. The band has been prominently featured on the longtime ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, which provided coveted national exposure for the pair.
Baker and Lynn provided the show’s producers with refreshing interpretations of a multitude of cover tunes that were featured on the successful drama. These original adaptations of classics include “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol and the Simple Minds 80’s classic, “Don’t You Forget About Me.” Lynn and Baker vocally put a definitive Wind and Wave spin on these covers, in turn creating a sound distinctly different than the original compositions.
Lynn’s writing is always extremely personal and in the title track she lyrically accesses where her life’s journey has taken her, while following her passion of music. She recounts that this journey, while ultimately rewarding, can sometimes be extremely overwhelming. “Follow Your Heart Around,” is a catchy tune that musically illustrates the cohesion and trust that the duo has developed over many years together, making their third full album top notch.
One of the most interesting songs on the record is the third track, “Lay Me Down.” Lynn skilfully describes what a grind touring on the road with a band can become. With lyrics like: Standing weak beneath the shower head or faced down on a bleached out bed, thinking about what I miss the most, Patty illustrates the flip side to the excitement and glamour of performing music on stage. The lyrics are a huge contrast to song’s upbeat tempo and joyful rhythms that the duo created musically for the piece. Those stark differences between these two characteristics create a complex and layered listening experience.
Overall the tunes on Human Beings Let You Down are more cultivated and refined than its predecessor, 2016’s Happiness Is Not A Place, which had a distinctly raw and unpolished theme to its production. The final result is a work that is reminiscent to their debut release, 2014’s From The Wreckage. This similarity may also be due to the fact that Baker was at the helm producing both of those records; and is illustrative of his sensibilities behind the mixing board. The final result is a strong and moving group of very personal songs penned by Lynn that will keep the listener grooving to the musical beat of this very special duo.
Key tracks: Neon Prayers, Human Beings, Follow Your Heart Around
On a cold and rainy Wednesday night, the Los Angles based band, Dawes brought An Evening With Dawes: Passwords Tour to the The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y. The weather didn’t damper those in attendance, as the band took a full house on a journey through its catalog of songs. The band opened the show with “Living in the Future,” from their most recent release Passwords. Throughout the night Taylor Goldsmith roamed the stage engaging his band mates and the audience. By the end of the night, all were one. The band played two sets, finishing the night with “All Your Favorite Bands” from All Your Favorite Bands.
Set 1: Living in the Future, If I Wanted Someone, Right on Time, Quitter, Never Gonna Say Goodbye, Things Happen, Just Beneath the Surface, Now That It’s Too Late, Maria, Time Spent In Los Angele, Feed the Fire, A Little Bit Of Everything.
Set 2: None of My Business, My Greatest Invention, My Way Back Home, From A Window Seat, Picture Of A Man, Coming Back To A Man, Don’t Send Me Away, Most People, Crack the Case, Roll With The Punches, When My Time Comes, All Your Favorite Bands.
Slow down, stay a while and unwind with something like you have never heard before. Troy, NY natives, BURLY, have created a lush, warm and plain relaxing collection sure to help you let go of the days struggles – sinking into your chair for a spell. You won’t find anything else like it, and it just might be your odd cup of tea you never knew you needed.
The album is laced with jazz, folk and indie influences with poetic lyrics layered over the top of each track. They’re literally poems. The “Infinite Broken” lyrics are lifted directly from one of the non-performing member’s own poems. Lyrically, it’s intriguing. But what really sets this group apart is the instrument arrangement: jazz inspired percussion, airy guitar, breathy saxophone, thoughtful bass and mellowing vibraphone. This ensemble is reminiscent of pivotal jazz groups and it’s warming to see a modern revival of this set up. That being said, the group is still in their grassroots stages, so there is a lot of experimentation happening here. We find rockish songs, ones with a western feel and some that are plain melancholy.
We start out with “Branches of Blood” and to be honest, the whole song is perplexing. Highly interpretive lyrics, unique instrumentation and odd time signatures and tempos make the song intriguing, and a bit discomforting. But it’s still very good. It’s obvious that everything is done with intention and diligence. The fact that the group can evoke so many emotions within the songs is incredible. It’s a great way to kick off the album, but as stated before, things keep changing.
Another one of their best is “Happy Birthday 2001,” a song about a “half-remembered birthday party of a high school friend.” Lyrically, it’s pretty comical because we’ve all been to those awkward parties, finding the piano in the basement and “stabbing at the piano keys,” playing video games and “smoking weed out of a corn cob pipe” and “talking to cousins, trying not to seem like a kid”. Beyond that, we find a style that’s high energy and rockish, a much different feel compared to the rest of the album. Yet, it still holds a jazzy feel thanks to the vibraphone and sax. “Happy Birthday 2001” gives an otherwise cringeworthy story, a light hearted and airy feel. It’s just fun to listen to.
“Kent Lame” brings the vibe down. Way down. We’re told a story about, what we can only suspect, is drugs use and the effect it has on people. “I met crystal hazard… two days with two friends of mine confused on acid.” One can only assume. It’s accompanied by a very fitting tone – a soft bed of slow and deliberate instrumentation. This is the vein of the group and they’ve mastered it.
This is one of the most interesting albums I’ve heard in a long time. And although BURLY has done an incredible job creating such a unique atmosphere, I would hope to see more work like “Happy Birthday 2001” in the near future. And whatever you do, don’t get rid of that vibraphone.
Key Tracks: Branches of Blood, Happy Birthday 2001, Kent Lame
On a snowy night in Ithaca on the precipice of the deep freeze, known as the Polar Vortex, a young college town crowd braved the elements to warm up to folk-rock breakout, Rayland Baxter and his 5-piece band. In the midst of a lengthy tour promoting his critically-acclaimed new release, Wide Awake, the set expectedly concentrated heavily on the new stuff, but sprinkled in songs from his entire catalog for a dynamic show.
The set list looked a bit like a roll call. Present was “Mr. Rodriguez,” “Angeline,” Willy, “Sandra Monica,” “Olivia,” Larocco and “Amelia Baker.” But all eyes, ears and minds were set on Baxter himself.
The frontman commanded the stage and audience like an old pro. The crowd was amped and excited; Baxter was game for a little friendly banter, going so far as to join in on a FaceTime with someone’s father. The obligatory “How’s it going?” query was answered, “It’s a massive Tuesday in Ithaca.” Baxter agreed, then took it and ran, describing his day flying in from Nashville. Later he would introduce “Olivia” as a Massive Tuesday for sensitivity dot com. When asked about his shoes, Baxter promptly took one off and put in a pitch for All Birds, followed by a pitch for his toothbrush brand of choice, of all things.
Even more, he controlled the crowd through music. At the powerful highs of “Everything to Me” and the extended jam of “Amelia Baker” they followed along in full rock out mode. They sang and danced together to the catchy hooks of “Hey Larocco” and “Casanova.” When Baxter broke it down in a mid set solo excursion, exploring some of his older, folksier material like “Dreamin’” and “Willy’s Song,” the ambient noise in the bar was dropped to an almost indistinguishable murmur. Respectfully and incredibly quiet to enjoy Baxter alone with his guitar, voice and an airy whisper of a whistle blown through his teeth.
Illiterate Light, a guitar and drum duo out of Harrisonburg, VA, warmed up the night with selections from their just-released EP, Sweet Beast. Bombastic drumming played from a standing position, fiery guitar leads and quality vocals, reminiscent of Jim James, put the stamp on an opening set that checked all the boxes. The venue had a room full of patrons from the get-go: the headliner had a crowd thoroughly ready for their set, the audience had an introduction to a great young band, and Illiterate Light had themselves a bevy of new fans.
Setlist: Strange American Dream, Mr. Rodriguez, Freakin’ Me Out, Everything to Me, Angeline, Sandra Monica, Young Man, Dreamin, Willy’s Song, Olivia, Hey Larocco, Casanova, Amelia Baker, Yellow Eyes, Let It All Go Man
AJ Lambert, granddaughter of Frank Sinatra and daughter of Nancy Sinatra, recently debuted the video for “Cleo,” a cover by artist John Cale. The track appears on her first full length solo album, Careful You, which was released earlier this month.
Careful You is an album of unique, poignant interpretations of songs by artists including Spoon and TV on the Radio, as well as some of her grandfather’s deep cuts such as “Sleep Warm” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” The album was recorded with a full band and produced by Daniel Schlett (The War on Drugs, Amen Dunes) and Boshra AlSaadi (TEEN, Janka Nabay). AJ will tour in support of the release, with a full band featuring musicians from the album, such as drummer Parker Kindred (who also plays with Joan As Policewoman) and bassist Josh Werner (who recently collaborated on a release with Bill Laswell).
Speaking about the video for “Cleo,” Lambert said, “I just thought it would be fun to really play up the pop elements of the song in a new version… to me, it’s lyrically keeping with the theme of the record – namely thinking that love will save the day and then reckoning what happens, when it gets more complicated than that. Hence the ‘always a bridesmaid’ theme of the video, too.”
Last year, she released Lonely Songs, a collaborative EP with Greg Ahee of Protomartyr, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of her grandfather’s seminal album, Only the Lonely. In AJ’s words: “These songs let me say thank you to Frank. I’m so honored to carry on a bit of this tradition of being a song interpreter and it’s so much fun to do it in a modern way… I believe that good music is good music, no matter what era it’s from… Greg was a big fan of the album already so it was fun to collaborate.”
AJ Lambert has worked as a film music supervisor and bassist in various bands (including Here We Go Magic and a reunion of seminal punk icons, The Homosexuals). As a solo vocalist, she performs two complete Sinatra albums live – In The Wee Small Hours and Only the Lonely – with John Boswell on piano, at small clubs and theaters around the country. AJ also hosts “Third Generation” on Sirius XM’s “Siriusly Sinatra” channel and regularly performs at private and charity events. Whether performing with a pianist, a full band or on record, AJ Lambert’s style and interpretations of both standards and contemporary music alike are truly her own.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
photo by E. Reid CokerHenry 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.
