Carpool has just announced a month-long East Coast tour. It kicks off with a hometown show at Bug Jar in Rochester on Oct. 11. They make their way down the coast on their way to play Fest on Nov. 2. After that, they wind their way through the Midwest, hitting Chicago and Detroit on their way back to the finale on Nov. 14, back at the Bug Jar. Follow them on social media for updates.
The four-piece emo/punk band includes Chris Colasanto (Guitar/Vocals), Tommy Eckerson (Guitar/Vocals), Milo Duhn (Bass/Vocals), and Alec Westover (Drums/Vocals). Carpool released their sophomore EP I Think Everyone’s A Cop a year ago. Check out the NYS Music interview about the band and making of ITEAChere.
Music Resource Group has announced the official Call for Entries for the 18th annual Independent Music Awards (IMAs) to honor the year’s best indie music and visual design work from around the world.
Now in its 18th year, The Independent Music Awards is the premier platform for independent creatives from around the world. Honoring artistry, diversity and excellence, winners and nominees are promoted to millions of music consumers and industry insiders via ongoing promotion, performance and distribution opportunities, and celebrated during the annual IMA ceremony and Indie Konference in New York City.
Entries are judged – for their artistry and innovation rather than streaming stats or social influence – by panels of influential recording and touring artists, programmers, talent buyers and other influencers worldwide. Previous IMA judges include Keith Richards, Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, Snoop Dogg, Amanda Palmer, Keith Urban, Chris Thile, Aimee Mann, M’shell Ndegeocello, Norah Jones, Peter Gabriel, Melissa Etheridge, Buddy Guy, Ozzy Osbourne among many others.
The most diverse awards on the planet, the prestigious program celebrates achievements by established and emerging talent in more than 100 Album, EP, Song, Producer, Video and Graphic Design categories. Projects can be submitted for review here through December 12, 2019. Enter by September 29 to take advantage of the early entry period.
Fans are able to register to determine this year’s Vox Pop Nominees and will be in the running for the IMA Super Fan Award by promoting their favorite Song and Video entries to their social networks.
Nominees will be announced in Spring 2020, and all Winners revealed in June at the annual ceremony during the IMA Indie Konference in New York City.
Known for championing artists who follow their muse rather than metrics, the program receives submissions from 119 countries from artists previously on major labels, as well as notable indie label and self-released talent in all styles and mediums.
Past IMA Winners & Nominees include:Amy Lee, Asking Alexandria, fun., Melissa Auf der Maur, Five Finger Death Punch, Meghan Trainor, Passenger, Valerie June, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Lacuna Coil, Macy Gray, All That Remains, Band of Skulls, Ben Kweller, Chris Whitley, Cursive, Dale Watson, Flying Lotus, Girl in a Coma, Jamie Lidell, JD McPherson, Miguel Migs, Jackson Browne, Spinnerette, Team Me, The Apples in stereo, Tony Trischka, Vienna Teng, and many, many more.
Carving a wide path through the musical spectrum, Ezra Bell brings thrir folk/soul/rock sound to New York City on Friday, September 27 and Syracuse on Sunday, September 29. Featuring the irreverent and introspective songwriting of Benjamin Wuamett, Ezra Bell has been a staple of the Portland, OR scene since 2013, with three well-received EPs under their belt.
Ezra Bell features Maurice Spencer (bass), Tom Trotter (drums), Aaron Mattison (horns and arrangements), Honora Hildreth (backing vocals and percussion), and Jeremy Asay (keys and guitar) more-than-ably backing up Wuamett’s story-songs and satirical jigs with organic precision.
Ezra Bell has released three EP’s: Don’t All Look Up at Once, 2013; We Came by Canoe, 2014; and Farewell Griffin, 2016. Their first full length eponymous album dropped in May 2018 and is streaming now. They are currently recording regularly and releasing singles almost as quickly as the months fly by.
Monte Vayo has reemerged with a brand new track, “Sunrise 98.” The Rochester-based electronic artist made his debut last winter with the atmospheric EP Count Me Out. While his body of work thus far has been minimalist in terms of lyrics, his latest endeavor “Sunrise 98” ventures into a purely sans-vocals soundscape.
This push to create more instrumental work comes as I’m taking time to study the emergence of abstract art from the turn of the 20th century. I see instrumental music without any direct language or lyrics as parallel to artwork created without any distinct or recognizable visual forms. There is still color, there is still texture, but in lieu of a direct, explicit representation comes an unavoidable sense of space. Much like standing in an empty theatre or cavern for the first time, there’s a natural captivation that comes with experiencing atmospheres both vast and intimate.
The 19th Annual Native American Music Awards will take place at Seneca Niagara Hotel and Casino in Niagara Falls on Nov. 2. Among this year’s nominees are four New York-based acts. Public voting is now open through the NAMA website.
Syracuse’s Irv Lyons, Jr., Joanne Shenandoah, and the Ripcords were each nominated as well as Buffalo’s Nick Lone. Lyons earned two nominations, one for Best Rock Recording for his Sisters and Brothers album and one for Song of the Year, “Looking for the Light” from that album.
Lyons recorded his latest album at SubCat Studios in Syracuse with an all-star cast of area musicians that included Joe Driscoll, Billy Harrison, Melissa Gardiner, Edgar Pagan, Melanie Krahmer, Richie Melito, and others. Lyons is a Oneida Nation native and also a member of the Ripcords, who have also been nominated this year. His band’s sounds are rooted in blues, Latin jazz and country. The lineup he put together for his latest album brings hip-hop, jazz, rock, Latin jazz performers, producing a truly eclectic album.
Irv Lyons, Jr.
Shenandoah is up for Best Indie Single of the Year for her song “We Will Rise Up.” She is a Grammy-winning and 14-time Nammy winning Oneida Nation Native that not only writes and performs but is also an internationally recognized humanitarian and peace advocate. She is a founding member of the Hiawatha Insitute for Indigenous Knowledge and has performed for the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. The Associated Press has described her as “America’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed Native American musicians of her time.”
Joanne Shenandoah
Buffalo’s Nick Lone is nominated in the Best Rap/Hip Hop/R&B category for his song “Native Pride.”
The Ripcords are a Syracuse-based band influenced by the blues, roots rock, rock-a-billy, and the music of New Orleans. They’ve been on the Syracuse music scene since 2003 and have performed throughout the Northeast. The band has been nominated in the Best Blues and Best Live Video categories for this year’s Nammys for their album Live at SubCat Studios.
The full list of this year’s nominees is below.
19th Annual Native American Music Awards Nominees:
Artist of the Year
Bear Fox (Mohawk) – Life Blanket
Murphy Platero (Navajo) – Butterflies, Horses and Guitars
Shelley Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne) – Simple Truth
Tonemah (Lumbee) – Red Dirt Remark
Vince Redhouse (Navajo) – A Distant Star
Wade Fernandez (Menominee) – Journey of the Heart
Group or Duo of the Year
Crazy Flute (Cherokee) – We Belong To The Music
Cree Confederation (Cree/Various) – Medicine Horse
Larry Redhouse Quartet (Navajo) – Naomi’s Dance
Sihasin (Navajo) – Fight Like A Woman
The Cody Blackbird Band and Connor Chee (Dakota, Cherokee, Navajo) – Live From White Horse Black Mountain
Young Spirit (Plains Cree/Various) – Red Dress Special/Love, Life, Round Dance
New Artist or Debut Artist of the Year
Alex FireThunder (Lakota) – Makȟóčhe Kiŋ Theȟíla (Love For The Land)
D Johnson (Navajo) – K Town
David Lopez (Comanche/Tarahumara) – If I Won The Lottery
It had been 11 years since Phantom Planet had played a live show. Many wondered if the group was ever going to end their hiatus and get back together, even after releasing their new track “Balisong” earlier this year.
Phantom Planet performed an intimate show on September 18 at Elsewhere in Brooklyn, NY.
On September 18, members Alex Greenwald, Sam Farrar, Darren Robinson, and Jeff Conrad performed to a sold-out show on the rooftop of Elsewhere in Brooklyn. It truly felt like a homecoming for the band.
“We feel like we’re returning home,” Greenwald said in a statement. “The boys in Phantom Planet are my brothers, and we figured it was time for a full-fledged reunion.”
The venue was packed with fans who either have been following the band since the members were teens or those who are just discovering them for the first time through their latest singles “Balisong” and “Party Animal.”
The guys performed the new singles along with hits like “California” and “Big Brat.” But for the first time during a live show they also included “Local Black and Red” from their first record, Phantom Planet is Missing. The crowd had a chance to choose which song should be sung at certain moments during the set. One of the many reasons why Phantom Planet has always been one of the most engaging bands out there.
Even though official tour plans have not been announced, the band has confirmed that more music will be coming out and official tour dates are in the making.
In the meantime, fans will be happy to hear that they will be opening for Maroon 5 for a New Year’s Eve show in Las Vegas for two shows on December 30 and December 31. Read our recent interview with Phantom Planet here and catch up with the band in 2020.
Ambassador Music Group (AMG) will host its second annual Rocktoberfest music festival on Saturday, October 5th as a benefit for Cohoes-based nonprofit Community Miracles In Action (CMA) and CMA’s Louder Dreams project. The free, family-friendly event will run from noon to 6:00 pm in the heart of Albany’s Warehouse District (15 Pleasant Street, 12207).
The successful launch of Rocktoberfest in 2018 featured three main-stage acts and two acoustic performances. This year, Rocktoberfest will feature seven acts on the Louder Dreams main stage. Headliners include American Idol’s Madison VanDenburg, Americana-rock group C.K. & The Rising Tide and indie-rockers El Modernist. Rounding out the lineup are pop/indie/R&B artists Vince Palmeri, Julia Gargano, David Cuttino & The Antiks and This Strange Paradise.
Rocktoberfest is central to AMG’s mission of featuring local musicians, partnering with and promoting local businesses, and helping local non-profits. Fulfilling the goal of helping local non-profits, Rocktoberfest 2019 has partnered with Community Miracles in Action (CMA). CMA is a drop-in teen center offering a safe place for kids to set and achieve goals, build meaningful relationships, and connect with adults who provide structure and compassion. In support of this collaboration and in support of teens, the “Louder Dreams” rock stage will feature special performances by CMA and Youth FX (another non-profit organization helping students through film) youths in between main acts.
In an interview with Spot 518 (“Calculated Venture”) in 2018: “The community aspect of the music scene here is unlike anywhere I’ve been,” said Andrew, co-owner and artist manager of AMG. “I think there’s potential for something bigger to happen in the music scene, here in Albany,” said Rose, co-owner and marketing director of AMG. “And we’re on the brink of making it bigger than what it is right now. I think we’re all trying to make it happen.”
Ambassador Music Group (AMG) is an artist management company based in Albany, New York. AMG’s artists have performed on stages across New York and New England and benefit from a devoted management and PR team. While promoting their own roster, AMG reserves resources to support local musicians, partner with local businesses, and help children through music. Learn more at www.ambassadormusicgroup.com.
Rooted Entertainment and Woods Valley Ski Area are joining forces to celebrate Mother Earth with the inaugural Harvestfest at the ski area located just north of Rome on Oct. 19.
The day-long, first-year festival is headlined by Hayley Jane with special guest Rob Compa of Dopapod and Syracuse’s Root Shock.
The festival kicks off at 2:00 p.m. and is designed as a celebration of Mother Earth and female musicians. Joining the headliners are Connecticut r&b/soul act Erica T. Bryan from West End Blend with her latest project the New Mosaic, Ithaca ska band ¡Viva Mayhem!, and Syracuse alt-blues punks Late Earth.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will be donated to Groovesafe, a non-profit movement organized to stop unwanted touching and sexual assault at live music events.
Tickets for the family-friendly festival are $20 and available through the Woods Valley website here. For more information, visit the Facebook event page here.
Lake Street Dive will conclude their extensive 2019 US tour in October in support of its critically acclaimed 2018 album, Free Yourself Up. The band will perform in Brooklyn in support of the Avett Brothers on Oct. 5, then head north to Albany for a solo performance at the Palace Theatre on Oct. 6. They swing back to the Empire State in mid-October with stops in Buffalo on Oct. 18 and Geneva on Oct.19.
Free Yourself Up was released last year on Nonesuch Records to critical and popular acclaim, spending a remarkable seven and a half months on the non-commercial radio charts and an equally rare eighteen weeks on Billboard’s Top Current Albums chart. The record debuted at No. 4 on the Top Album Chart and No. 8 in the Billboard Top 200 Chart, and the lead single “Good Kisser” was in the Top 5 at Americana radio for more than a month.
Lake Street Dive Tour Dates
Oct. 2 – Lebanon Opera House – Lebanon, NH (Sold Out)
Hot Chip brought their electronic-infused indie rock to Brooklyn Steel on September 4 in support of their new album, A Bath Full of Ecstasy. This was the middle of a three-night sold out run. Holy Fuck opened the night which featured a guest vocal/sample appearance from Alexis Taylor. [Update: Holy Fuck have released this single featuring Alexis Taylor, “Luxe.” Listen here].
The night began with the opening track from their last full length album Why Make Sense? “Huarache Lights,” followed by the title track from 2010’s One Life Stand. The band then played two sequential tracks from In Our Heads, “Night & Day” and “Flutes.” It was not until the halfway point of the set where we heard the first new song, “Hungry Child.”
The stage was built to resemble classic bandshell stages, with projection towers in a crescent shape behind the band projecting various color palettes throughout the show. A dramatic laser show came and went throughout the night, an effect well received by the fans in the room.
The second half of the set saw a very frenetic rendition of the Beastie Boys’ classic “Sabotage” before two more tracks from A Bath Full of Ecstasy, “Melody of Love” and “Positive.”
The tour is just getting underway. The band tours North America throughout the fall, followed by shows in Japan, Europe and South America into December.
