Senior Living (formerly Backseat Bullets) today debut their three track EP 35mm exclusively through NYS Music. The shoegaze/dream pop band has been performing throughout the Capital District and branching out into New England over the past three years, and changed their name as it better represented the music they were writing. Given the crowd response at Pauly’s Hotel and local House shows, Senior Living will continue to gain steam with their melodic, Pixies meets Cocteau Twins EP.
Guitarist/singer Zack Geddies shared thoughts on the experience recording the EP: “As a band, you learn that patience is key. This is the first time we released something we’re all really confident about. Serious thought was put into each decision made and even though its just three songs, this feels like the biggest thing we’ve creatively been a part of. Everything these songs set out to do is up for interpretation but, for us they mainly indicate where the future of our music is heading, sonically. The songs are loud, but so is life and that can get overwhelming; but, then again so can life.”
“The instrumentally expansive nature of these songs in a way reflects the time, distance and dead space that I’ve become so familiar with. Some days seem sweet, sometimes they’re abrasive, and the rest are just hollow. But, there’s always that silver lining to be found. These songs are intended to surround whoever is listening with a heavy cloak of noise and then provide uplifting relief through the shimmering of chorus laden leads and trailing reverb when needed most. The imagery used in the cover art compliments the light-dark, bittersweet nostalgia that these songs carry. We decided to title the EP 35mm because photography has been another form of expression that all of us enjoy aside from music.”
Senior Living will perform in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont in June, then return to Albany on July 12 for their album release show at The Low Beat. For more shows check out their Facebook page.
John Fogerty will be playing the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts on Sunday, Aug. 18 with special guests Tedeschi Trucks Band and Grace Potter. The site of the original Woodstock Music & Arts Festival announced that the 50th anniversary of the famed festival will be celebrated with three separate events taking place August 16-18, with John Fogerty, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Grace Potter closing out the weekend. ‘My 50 Year Trip’ commemorates Fogerty’s time with Creedence Clearwater Revival and the evolutionary music created during 1969, recreating the Woodstock experience.
Tedeschi Trucks Band never fails to put on a phenomenal live performance with their outstanding musical chemistry. They have developed a distinguished reputation selling out multi-night runs at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Beacon Theatre, and Ryman Auditorium.
With her strong voice, Grace Potter captivates and moves her audiences. She has demonstrated her versatility performing with acts from Kenny Chesney to The Rolling Stones to Bob Weir.
Tickets for John Fogerty: My 50 Year Trip with Tedeschi Trucks Band and Grace Potter go on sale Friday June 7, for more information click here.
This upcoming weekend, from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9, the 9th annual Disc Jam Music Festival will once again take place at Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, NY. The festival is a melting pot of art, music, and disc golf, cooking up relaxed vibes and nonstop good music until 3 in the morning every day. Disc Jam’s dual main stage setup makes catching the next set as easy as can be, only having to shift a couple feet left or right to move to the next stage.
Thursday’s music kicks off on the Tent Stage with Space Junk is Forever, a jazz fusion duo out of Boston, MA that recently formed and recorded their debut album. The Tent Stage has sets going on all day, every day for the whole weekend. Other notable bands on Thursday to check out are Eggy, Of Clocks and Clouds, and Circles Around the Sun’s late night set. On the dual main stages, Dopapod bassist Chuck Jones and drummer Neal Evans’ side project Mom and Dad kicks off the action on Main Stage A (Live For Live Music Stage), followed by Litz and two sets of Aqueous. Main Stage B (Grassroots Stage) features the Connecticut-based group One Time Weekend, Horizon Wireless, Dynohunter, and the musical lovechild of Primus and Nine Inch Nails, lespecial.
Friday’s music starts a little earlier, with Wurliday and Funk Dawgz Brass Band opening up the Main Stages B and A, respectively. Following Wurliday, old school prog rockers The Breakfast will be melting faces, before West End Blend feeds everyone’s souls with the sweet, soothing voice of Erica T. Bryan and the no nonsense funk band behind her. The live electronic band Sunsquabi brings their 3-piece grooves to Stage B, with Ripe closing the stage out with an hour and a half long set. Over on Stage A, The Elovaters follows the Funky Dawgz; the Boston-based group will be bringing laid back vibes to the fest with their reggae sound and fresh new tunes from their recent release Defy Gravity. lespecial plays their second set of the weekend after the Elovaters, followed by saxophone duo Moon Hooch, and closed out by the recently returned prog rockers Dopapod, for their second performance of the year. On the tent stage, performances to keep an eye on are Muscle Tough, Formula 5 for one of their last ever performances, Catullus, and Consider the Source.
Saturday’s lineup kicks off with Audiodacity on the Main Stage B, followed by Paris Monster and Sam Kinninger Band. Root Shock opens up the Main Stage A, followed by Tweed, with Kung Fu chopping up funk grooves for an hour and a half after that. The four big performances on Saturday are Ghost Light, Papadosio, John K’s West Philly Fadeaway, and Lotus ft. Jon “Barber” Gutwillig. Ghost Light is Philly legend Tom Hamilton’s new project, featuring keyboardist Holly Bowling, drummer Scotty Zwang, guitarist Raina Mullen, and recent addition, bassist Dan Africano. The band blends indie-esque songwriting with intricate, weaving setlists and gets deep into improv during their live shows. Papadosio is a jamtronica band from Asheville, NC that uses a lot of electronic aspects in their music. Their shows seem to put out a very strong vibe, through the combination of the music and lights, of just being present in the moment, and experiencing the music as it happens.
John K’s West Philly Fadeaway hasn’t happened before, so there’s not much that can be said about it, other than the fact that it’s the OG Disco Biscuits with John K playing Dead tunes, which should be incredible. Then, finally, closing out the main sets of the night, is Lotus w/ Barber. Fans didn’t and still don’t know what to expect when this was announced, but from what bassist Jesse Miller has said, expect songs where the guitar is relatively clean so they can experiment with the effects. It should also be noted that Barber has played a number of shows with drummer Mike Greenfield and has stated that he’s a fan of Greenfield’s technique and textures, so there’s already a musical bond formed with arguably the most important part of the music. The Tent Stage on Saturday is chock full of awesome bands, though you’re gonna want to check out Timbre Coup, returning to the stage for the second time this year, Strange Machines, Space Bacon, and Chachuba, as well as the Doom Flamingo and CIA & Friends late night sets which will presumably feature some of drummer Allen Aucoin’s Disco Biscuits counterparts.
Sunday is a little lighter than the two days preceding it, with music ending at 8 p.m. instead of 3 a.m. Boston’s Dewpoint opens up Main Stage A, followed by Cape Cod jams rockers The New Motif, and Snarky Puppy side project Ghost Note, featuring MonoNeon and Nate Werth. Closing out Stage A is Pink Talking Fish, a cover act blending Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish together, who also recently gained a new guitarist, Cal Kehoe. Over on Stage B, Eastbound Jesus will open up the stage, followed by Disco Biscuits drummer Allen Aucoin’s solo project Dr. Fameus. Closing the B Stage out is Star Kitchen, Disco Biscuit bassist Marc Brownstein’s new funk side project that features guitarist Danny Meyer. The Tent Stage lineup for Sunday is all heavy hitters, with Baltimore’s Band Of Tomorrow, Upstate NY’s Space Carnival for their first show back since the hiatus, Brooklyn’s Escaper, and the Capital Region’s hard rockers Wild Adriatic all prominently featured. It would be worth it to check all of those bands out.
For the attendees that purchased a VIP ticket, the VIP lounge will be hosting several special solo piano sets, including Ben Carrey of Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits, Jonathan Grusauskas of lespecial, and Ryan Dempsey of Twiddle. VIP ticket holders will also receive an exclusive merch package that includes pins, cups, prints and shirts, access to a complimentary craft beer garden, and access to a VIP camping area that includes bathrooms and showers.
For any FAQs or tickets, head over to the festival website. Check in with NYSMusic on Instagram durign the weekend for updates from the festival, and stay tuned next week for full coverage and a photo gallery from the weekend!
ShwizZ, a one of a kind duo from Nyack, NY will release their latest album, ShwizZ II on Tuesday, June 4 on Spotify and Apple Music, with the single “Boss Hog,” a speedy, Zappa-esque jam brings to mind CBDB, with a touch of prog throughout.
https://soundcloud.com/shwizzband/boss-hog
The duo, Andy Boxer (Drums/Vocals) and Ryan Liatsis (Guitar/Keys/Vocals), draws influence from classic progressive artists including Frank Zappa, Weather Report and Steely Dan. They consistently put their musical abilities to the test, delivering high intensity, musically immersive live performances. By using their skills in the studio, ShwizZ was able to recreate the feeling of listening to a record, live, in front of your face.
Best described as a melting pot of funk and progressive rock, ShwizZ’s original sound will be sure to put a smile on your face. The band’s variety and depth allow for twists of improvisation and spontaneity with technical prowess and musical complexity.
Over the years the group has shared bills with many notables including Jeff Beck, Primus, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Kung Fu, Particle, Dopapod, Consider The Source and more.
ShwizZ will hold an album release show on Wednesday, June 5th at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar in Nyack, NY. Tickets are $15 and music gets started at 8pm.
After you’ve released two albums, how do you do to follow it up? Albany based band, Stellar Young’s, latest EP And Turned To Ash, is as founding member John Glenn (vox/vocals) describes it, “the final of a concept trilogy,” something the band has been working on since late 2014.
Stellar Young – Photo by Ashley Nizolek
The earlier cogs in this wheel, Became a Flame, a straightforward rock and roll EP, and The Spark Caught (the first of three) which goes in multiple directions, have set the musical bar high for the finale . The opening track “Silhouette By Line” bathes you in warm expansive tones, setting the stage for the rest of the EP. Track two, “Wait,” followed by “Old Roots,” pick up where “Silhouette By Line” leaves off. For a moment you get lost, listening to a liquid suite and not just three separate songs, as the feel and flow align. Maybe a trilogy within a trilogy?
“Dance with Static” sits in the middle of the EP. The song takes a right turn from the previous three, cleansing the musical pallet with it’s foot tapping straight away groove, while preparing you for the rest of the meal. “Struck” and title track “And Turned to Ash” round out the EP, sweeping you back into the sonic glow that envelops the EP.
Producers Dan Dekalb and Jimi Woodul (Dark Honey) have captured the band’s aura that radiates throughout this final piece. The music glides ever so smoothly from single instrument and vocal to full on band and back again without upsetting the character of the songs. Well thought out arrangements enhance the quality of the writing and playing, putting Stellar Young And Turned To Ash in the keep pile.
Hail the almighty bass – a beautiful cornerstone of countless bands through history. Its versatility is a product of its transformation over time, to become a tool that is both seismic and transient. With such a dichotomy, the possibilities are endless, and that attracts some of the most sagacious of musical minds. Chris “Freekbass” Sherman is one such person; his bombastic aesthetic and revolutionary playing style is evened out by his time learning from one of the most accurate and revolutionary funk bassists of all time (Boosty Collins).
In this focused yet unrestrained way, Freekbass explores the extremes of his instrument while never venturing too far into the obscene, instead riding the line of being an accessible yet progressive artist. Freekbass himself is one of the true cornerstones of a band, with a physical image formed around his vision and shaped by the eccentric. In this new album, All The Way This. All The Way That., Freekbass puts on a clinic for bass enthusiasts, as he invites along a cast of immensely talented musicians to create a work that takes the listener on a travel through funk music’s past, present, and future.
The band on this album is stellar in every performance aspect. The Freekbass Experience is composed of all-star players Rico Lewis on drums (George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic), Sky White on keys (Foxy Shazam), and Sammi Garett on vocals (Turkuaz). Every track is unique in its usage of the band, with Freekbass’ bass lines acting as a centerpiece for most tracks, developed further by his supporting cast. In general, each song could be described as being steeped in a sort of chaotic beauty, creating a very instrumentally deep album that breathes an air of robustness. This is one of the things that defines Freekbass’ aesthetic in a way; from his image to his stage presence, it’s wild, yet neither ignorant nor forced. It’s large, but never overwhelming.
“Blizzard Lizard” offers a great look at this dynamic. A soft opening gets the listener comfortable before the bass slaps them awake, ushering in a groove so funky it warrants a spray of Glade air freshener. While this track has a darker mood, the energy remains potent as heavily effected guitar and synth lines swirl above a dark, black-hole of bass.
Much of the time though, the album has a brighter nature with springy instrumentals and sing-able hooks. An unrelenting pulse between the bass and the drums sets the tone in “You Make Me Wanna Dance.” Here, the vocals sit nicely in an agile arrangement with a lot of interplay between the organ and bass. Added strings nod to older funk and disco. Vocal “ooh’s” on top of that work to create a cinematic atmosphere – a unique experience in a mostly pocket-funk styled song. One thing that stands out here, as well as in numerous places elsewhere on the album, are the transitions between the song’s parts. There is a well-phrased melodic line in “You Make Me Wanna Dance,” much like something out of a Stevie Wonder song. In the more 80’s funk-pop styled song, “Your Love Is Always On Time,” you find a lot of bass fills between side-chained sub-bass and drum breaks alaPrince. And speaking to that point, it’s evident that these modern funk figures, such as Stevie and Prince, lent as much influence to this album as did pioneers like James Brown and P-Funk.
The intricacies in more pop-oriented songs are a testament to the skill of the band on this record. Take “Steppin’ Outta Line” – this song could have easily gotten away with a simple drum beat; bass drum on the one, snare drum on the two, and so on. Instead, you’ll notice that the bass drum lines up almost perfectly with the bass line, which does move around a fair amount without becoming too evasive. One of the lyrics on this song offer a great explanation as to why this type of intricacy is preferred to the more modern simplicity in this funk-pop: “Some may conform with the norm of the time / Others fly the coop / Steppin’ out of line.”
Composition on this album stands out in a big way against the back drop of good-ol’-fun funk jams. Accessible and technical! Modern, yet paying homage to what made this type of music so intriguing to begin with.
The closing song, “Thrust”, sends the album out on a high note, acting as a good cap to a breakthrough album. The chorus holds strong as an earworm. The drums are accurately performed, filling out their function as the co-equal to the bass while breaking out in fills at just the right time; vocals are layered so thick that they are felt seismically. It’s just as much as the bass, though their presence makes it so a voice never get lost in the mix. This chorus is likely the strongest on the album, and along with the chipper instrumental, it is a great end to an absolute trip. As the song fades out, the need to listen through again will surely arise.
Chris Sherman’s on-stage persona is a sight to witness. That taken along with this new album, one should expect to be seeing the name Freekbass more and more over the next year. Make sure to listen on Spotify, and visit Freekbass’ website for upcoming show information as well as live content. Follow on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and more! And if you’re in NYS, you can see him in Marlboro for Mazzstock 2019, playing onstage with Zach Deputy.
Key Tracks: Thrust, Fre3kroNomoKon, Gotta Get Back To You
The neon sign outside Montage Music Hall was a beacon in the night, drawing music lovers into the heart of Rochester for the first live performance by Losers Club on Friday, May 31. The project is new, but members are seasoned musicians who have been playing out in bands for years. The downtown venue was packed with their friends, family, and fans.
Losers Club debut performance – Photo by Corrine Cummings
Losers Club took to the stage. Cody Wagner took his place behind the drum kit. Andy Champion picked up his bass. Aidan Snyder and Nate Blasdell strapped on their guitars. Then, Blasdell took a spot center stage, in front of the mic. Blasdell has been in several bands (The Bunny The Bear, I Set My Friends On Fire), but this is his first time as front man. Blasdell thanked everyone for coming before delving into their set.
Bassist, Andy Champion – Photo by Corrine Cummings
Rocking rhythms and pop hooks paved the way for emotional lyrics, oozing with unapologetic honesty. Between songs, Blasdell told the crowd a little about how the band was conceived, during a snow day this past winter. The band members came together after knowing each other for years through the local music scene. He also talked about the origin of the band name, and how Losers Club is about embracing the feeling of not fitting in.
Guitarist, Aidan Snyder. Photo by Corrine Cummings
The set was full of original songs, but they threw in one cover. Mid-set they got the crowd singing along to a rocking rendition of Lil Uzi Vert’s “All My Friends Are Dead.” Losers Club came out of the gate strong for their first show. It’s clear this new band is one to watch.
Opening for Losers Club was indie pop band So Last Year. The five piece powerhouse gave an energetic performance. The set included sing-along faves from their albums In The Light Of Summer and It’s Later Than You Think. They’ve since been writing and recording for their next release, and on this night they played the soon-to-be-released song “Already Gone.”
So Last Year building steam, for an energetic set – Corinne Cummings
Over Memorial Day weekend the city of Boston hosted the 10th Boston Calling Music Festival, located on Harvard University’s amazing campus. The Harvard athletic complex is beautiful and gave some luxury to the festival experience, where each stage was constructed on the Astro turf fields. There was a three-stage setup with the two main stages next to each other, separated by a replica Green Monster that read: “You Are Our People” across the top.
Each day was filled with great acts and music fans with a great energy. Here are some of the best things we saw during this festival weekend:
Brandi Carlile
She greeted her audience, “Hello Rock n Roll People.” She plugged in and was off, on one the best sets of the weekend. Highlights included opening song, “Hold Out Your Hand,” which every fan in attendance was singing word for word. Amazing covers of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You” followed. Brandi and her band put on one of the most special sets.
Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals
From the moment his drum set rose from the bottom of the stage, .Paak and his band brought funk and soul to the main stage the second night with their amazing songs and musicianship. Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals are one of the top live music acts doing it right now; it’s amazing to see the growth and following that has already surrounded theses musicians. The highlight of the set was the guest appearance by Lil Nas X, and the duet of “Old Town Road”
Travis Scott
Music festival performances are special, you want to see and artist give their all and hold nothing back – that’s where Travis Scott delivers. His live show was top notch, out-of-control fun. The stage was adorned with a fifty-foot teddy bear, timely pyro technics, and amazing visuals and lights that covered everything on the stage. His stage presences and hype helped make this performance one for the Boston Calling history books.
Tame Impala
Kevin Parker informed the audience that he recently fell off a roof during a photo shoot and was taking lots of pain meds. That being said, it had little to no effect on Tame Impala’s headlining set Saturday night. The sets was like a slow burning fire, slowly progressing until an explosion. It was the bands hit song, “Elephant.” Confetti, smoke and lasers took over the crowd, as this song flipped everyone from a calm somber mood, to 150 MPH hauling down the highway. Impala knows how to entertain a festival crowd, period, allowing them to deliver one of the best sets of the weekend.
Twenty-One Pilots
Prior to this festival there was a lot of hype about Twenty One Pilots being a headliner. The magic of live music, proof you can’t judge a book by its cover surpassed the hype, tenfold. This was more than just a set of music it was a full stage show, opening with a knight igniting a car on stage to start the set, confetti and fire, and a cinematic storytelling element.
Over all, the 10th edition of Boston Calling Music Festival was a success. Music fans were treated to an amazing weekend with clear weather and one of the most eclectic lineups for the 2019 festival season. Great food and that ‘home team comradery’ within the heart of Boston, made this year’s festival one to remember. We are looking forward to what comes next for this premier music festival.
Tanglewood, the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937, launches the Tanglewood Learning Institute, and a dazzling array of concerts for their summer season, which runs from June 15 through Labor Day weekend. Tanglewood is located in the Berkshire Hills, between Stockbridge and Lenox, MA. This summer includes a lot of debuts, as well as returning acts for Tanglewood.
The season starts off with Popular Artist Series throughout the month of June, including performances from Postmodern Jukebox, Josh Groban, James Taylor and Earth, Wind & Fire. Then, starting on July 5, the Tanglewood will be home to BSO’s Music Director, Andris Nelsons, for 14 orchestra programs. The BSO and Andris Nelsons will open the orchestra’s summer season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22, with Emanuel Ax as soloist.
Other highlights from the season include a one-night-only performance of Bach Cello Suites by Yo-Yo Ma and three performances from The Boston Pops celebrating the music of John Williams. One of these performances being Star Wars: A New Hope, which includes a showing of the classic 1977 film, with the Boston Pops Orchestra performing Mr. Williams’ iconic score. For a complete list of events this summer at the Tanglewood and ticket information click here.
Acclaimed filmmaker, Karen Kramer, will begin a week long theatrical release of her new feature doccumentary, Renegade Dreamers, at Greenwich Village’s own Cinema Village starting Friday, May 31. The film is a look into beat poets and folk singers of today, who use free speech and song to spread words of action and change throughout our society. Renegade Dreamers also shows the history of this same rebellion that took place in New York City in the 60’s.
Beat writers, poets and folk singers inspired a social movement in Greenwich Village in the 60’s, showing the public power of the first amendment, and how powerful spoken word can be. The movement brought light to a change that was happening in our country and introduced us to some of the most important artists and wordsmiths of an evolving generation. Renegade Dreamers profiles the artists and activist pursuing this same mission in the world we live in today.
The Film sheds light on numerous subjects all using some form of spoken word art to express a sense of rebellion and concern for the road our society is going down. Weather it’s Matt and Tiffani using folk music and an acoustic guitar, or Roya and Jeremy using poetry and public speaking, each subject featured in the film wants to inform audiences of the power in the firstamendment; just like in the past, with innovators such as Kerouac, Ginsberg, Dylan, and more. Using your voice can make all the difference.
Over all this film is about looking into our past and learning from these people who decided the path they were on was not for them. It’s about how history often repeats its self and how we should take lessons from the past. It’s a film that makes you realize in light of what is going on in our world today It’s more important than ever to question authority.
Renegade Dreamers • Fri., May 31 – Thurs., June 6 • Cinema Village, NYC
