Category: Punk

  • Grammy’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Announced – Isaac Hayes, Public Enemy and Others to Be Honored

    The 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients have been announced by the Recording Academy and it features a heralded list of singers, songwriters, rappers and performers.

    The recipients include, rock band Chicago, who is known for bringing jazz band-style horns into rock music, as well as numerous number one albums, one of which – Chicago Transit Authority – has been inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame.

    lifetime achievement awardFourteen-time nominee, and four-time Grammy-winner, Roberta Flack, will also be a recipient. The songstress is known for number one records like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song.”

    Soul singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes, already a member of the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will collect another nod to his legendary career.

    Influential rocker, Iggy Pop, also known as the “Godfather of Punk,” is best known for his illustrious solo career, while also serving as the lead singer of proto-punk band, The Stooges. He will be on the receiving end of his very first Grammy-award, as a 2020 Special Merit recipient.

    Folk singer/songwriter, John Prine, known for his humorous style of country music – will be collecting his third Grammy, the influential songwriter has also had his eponymous debut-album inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

    Hip-hop pioneers, Public Enemy,  known for their hard-hitting politically conscious lyrics and social commentary – will be awarded their very first Grammy win. The legendary group is best known for its classic LP It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back in addition to the renowned protest anthem “Fight the Power,” which has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

    Sister Rosetta Tharpe, being awarded posthumously, was a gospel singer, with innate skills on the electric guitar. The singer-songwriter, somewhat under-appreciated, with only one Grammy nomination before her death in 1973, but not any less legendary, was also recognized as having the first gospel record to crossover on the R&B charts.

    The Special Merit Award – also known as the Lifetime Achievement Award – is decided on by vote of the Recording Academy’s National Trustees, to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, according to the official Grammys website, with past recipients including the likes of – Dianna Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Miles Davis.

  • Best of NYS Music 2019: Music Festivals

    Our annual recap of the Best of 2019 has arrived at music festivals. Just like when fans arrive at these ever-popular weekend extravaganzas, we’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed looking forward to what surprises lay around the corner. Our staff has been to dozens of festivals around the country, and of course, across New York State, where we have the most music festivals of any state! Whether it’s the original Woodstock, Summer Jam at Watkins, The Clifford Ball, Mountain Jam or Jazz Fests, New York is home to some of the most historic music festivals in American music history.

    If you missed our earlier selections for 2019’s best “under the radar” bands, and our albums of the year, go here and catch up. What festivals had the kids dancing and shaking their bones? Let’s take a look at the best festivals in New York State.

    Best New York State Festivals

    best of 2019 music festivals

    Adirondack Music Festival

    In only it’s fifth year, Adirondack (aka, ADK Fest) Music Festival has established itself as the Labor Day weekend event in Lake George, with fans pouring in from across the Northeast to see Twiddle, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Pink Talking Fish, Everyone Orchestra, G. Love and Special Sauce, and many more. For two days and two crazy late nights, Charles R. Wood Park, just a stones throw from the shores of Lake George attracted thousands of live music fans in one of the most intimate settings you’ll find for a music festival. Miles Hurley said of the festival:

    All of this top-notch live music was met resolutely throughout the weekend with a positive and welcoming vibe, upheld via a sense of strong community and creativity. For mid-size festivals Adirondack Music Festival is one of the best you can experience in the ever-musically-fertile land of upstate NY—yet here’s to a steady growth from mid-size to who knows how big.

    Here’s to another fantastic year of ADK Fest in 2020!

    Governors Ball

    Despite most of Sunday’s performances being cancelled due to intense storms in the area, Governors Ball was a rousing success, with performances by Tyler the Creator, Florence and The Machine, Nas, Lily Allen, Lil Wayne, and The 1975 among others. The 2020 edition will return to Randall’s Island June 5-7, although the festival has been looking into relocating to the Bronx for future installments.

    CGI Rochester International Jazz Fest

    Now in it’s 18th year, one of the most well known annual festivals in New York, CGI Rochester International Jazz Fest, brings together musicians and jazz luminaries from across the country and the world. The eight day-long festival will introduce you to new artists, hard to catch acts and significant musicians who should be on your radar.

    Eli Stein profiled 10 artists that caught his eye (and ear) at the 2019 installment, including Girls in Airports, Enemy, Paris Monster and Spaga, to name a few. Read more about these acts and get ready for the 2020 edition, to be held July 19-27.

    Night Lights Music Festival

    A staple of Western New York, Night Lights Music Festival once again brought a diverse lineup to the Heron Farm and Event Center in Sherman, NY. Staples such as Aqueous, !!!, Big Something, and Girl Talk headlined the affair, but the visual thrill is a major draw year after year.

    Kat Horton, Night Lights Marketing and Artist Relations specialist said to NYS Music, “While creating the lineup for the festival each year it is always a priority to make sure to share new music. We want to be your gateway festival, we want you to trust us and trust that we will blow your mind.” She also explained that while curating the lineup, the focus is to tell a story. “We try to create an ebb and flow to the layout of each daily schedule, we want the weekend to create a story.”

    Check out some of the action from this year’s installment from Strawberry Island Dweller here.

    Best Out of State Festival

    Peach Fest was the runaway winner this year, and for good reason. The lineup for this year was stacked top to bottom with a who’s who of jambands, classic rock acts and up and coming groups, including Goose, who put on a memorable set that burst them out into as of the strongest and most exciting new acts. Writer Jared Lindquist said of the festival, “This weekend was full of great music and rarely ever had a lull in things to do. Spirits were high and the weather was great until the yearly rain on Sunday night. Peach is an event not to miss.” His detailed take on the festival, covering sets from Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Trey Anastasio Band, Mungion and more can be found here.

    The 2020 edition of Peach already is a contender for lineup of the year, with Oysterhead, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, String Cheese Incident, moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Twiddle, Turkuaz, and dozens more. Find out more info on Peach Fest 2020 here.

  • Manic Kat Records Celebrates 5th Anniversary with Festival

    Along the banks of the Hudson River, new music is flourishing. New York towns like Beacon, Kingston and Woodstock are emerging as musical meccas. Last weekend, Nyack joined this burgeoning trend when it served as the location for Manic Kat Records’ 5th anniversary festival. This two-day event, held at Olive’s, served as an opportunity for Manic Kat to showcase their stable of artists.  With a mantra of “Real Punk. Real Attitude,” the music ran the gamut from Metal to Ska, Pop Punk to Rock and Roll.

    Cult Classic

    The spectrum of talent possessed by the label was on full display over the two days. Local favorites Cult Classic and Philly’s A Likely Story joined Bay Area pop punkers Neverlyn and Central California’s For the Record as part of a 15-act smorgasbord of music. Keeping things running smoothly, Suicide Girl, Paijee Suicide, presided as host of the festival lending her charm to the merriment.

    Neverlyn

    Rockland County-based, location hasn’t limited Manic Kat’s reach when searching for talent to fit their brand. Having acts now hitting Billboard Magazine’s Hard Rock Album Sales and Heatseekers Album charts, be looking for bigger and better things to come from this Pomona, NY label as their roster grows. The tide on the Hudson may ebb and flow, but one constant is that Manic Kat Records is Real Punk, Real Attitude and Real Music. 

    A Likely Story
  • Mungion and the Magic Beans Drop Fall Tour Heat at the Knitting Factory

    Chicago’s Mungion, a funk/rock jam band, and the Magic Beans, another impressive jam band from Boulder, Co, delivered funky fall tour heat at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, NY. Both bands wrapped up an exciting fall tour on the East Coast together, alternating closing duties nightly. Mungion did the honors at the Knitting Factory. The Bushicks, a local Brooklyn band, opened the evening for these talented bands.

    John Adamski of the Busicks

    The Brooklyn native Bushicks are a power trio hailing around the tri-state region. The band consists of Jonny Patrizio (Vocals/Guitar), Jessica Bogwicz (Bass) and John Adamski (Drums/Vocals). The trio was joined by a saxophonist this evening for most of the set. They delivered their signature rock, including a sweet cover of “Axilla” by Phish.

    Casey Russell, Scott Hachey and Chris Duffy from the Magic Beans are feeling it.

    The Magic Beans wove their tasty funk/soul/rock sounds next. The Bean band members include Scott Hachey (guitar/vocals), Casey Russell (keyboards/vocals), Chris Duffy (bass/vocals), and Cody Wales (drums/vocals). The band began by immediately dropping into a deep jam, showcasing their exceptional improvisational skills, and never looked back. This band specializes in space jam funk, and did not disappoint.

    Mungion

    Mungion picked up the jam vehicle where the Magic Beans left off, and dove into a rocking jam of intricate riffs. This band is made up of Justin Reckamp (guitar), Joe Re (keys), Sean Carolan (bass), and Matt Kellen (drums). The exciting directions, stellar compositions and expressive improvisation were apparent from the first note.

    Scott Hachey of the Magic Beans

    Both the Magic Beans and Mungion are firing on all cylinders after their 2019 fall tour through the East Coast. Mungion is closing out 2019 by playing December 29-31 at Martyr’s in Chicago, Ill. The Magic Beans are playing one night at the Goat in Keystone, Co on December 28. They resume touring with Snowstalk, their own winter festival in Frisco, Co on January 24-25, 2020. The Colorado based lineup includes Kyle Hollingsworth from String Cheese Incident, as well as skiing at Copper Mountain, and is certain to be a special event.

  • Tommy Stinson Lines Up NY Mini-Tour for December

    Tommy Stinson is currently on a run of solo shows throughout Spain, leading up to a Montreal appearance at a 40th-anniversary celebration of The Clash’s seminal London Calling album called Montreal Calling on Dec. 6. Following that show, which also features Alejandro Escovedo, Jesse Malin, and the Asexuals, Stinson will embark on a brief tour of unique venues across New York.

    Stinson, perhaps best known as the snotty young bassist for the should-have-been-more-famous ne’er-do-wells known as The Replacements and as Duff McKagan’s replacement in Guns N’ Roses for 16 years, is currently working on several other projects, including a new solo album, the follow-up to his band Bash & Pop‘s 2017 album Anything Could Happen and an album with his other project Cowboys in the Campfire.

    While returning to his home in Hudson, he will run through a series of “living room” shows across New York, beginning in somebody’s actual living room in Hamburg, just outside of Buffalo on Dec. 10. Stinson then winds his way east, visiting the famous Bop Shop Records in Rochester on Dec. 11 and Wildflowers Armory, a unique art space in Armory Square in Syracuse on Dec. 12, and finishing up at Barry Family Cellars in the Finger Lakes town of Burdett. on Dec. 13. Tickets for all but the Hamburg show are available through Eventbrite and range from $25 for a general admission ticket to $100 for a limited “Drinks With Tommy” ticket.

    NYS Music recently sat down with Stinson to discuss this tour and many other subjects of his past, present, and future. That interview will be published in the next week. For more information on Stinson and his various projects, visit his website here.

  • Degenerates Crowd for A Day To Remember in Syracuse

    Fans braved frigid temperatures and snow at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena in Syracuse, NY on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 for A Day to Remember.

    A Day to Remember is headlining The Degenerates Tour, which began its
    2-month tour on September 6, 2019, spanning until November 23, 2019.
    The show had three opening acts. Can’t Swim, based out of Keansburg, NJ, Beartooth, hailing from Columbus, OH, leading up to I Prevail, from Southfield, MI, who all seemed to be eligible headliners on their own.

    Jeremy McKinnon – lead vocals- A Day To Remember

    The band is touring to support their new single “Degenerates” while preparing for the release of their seventh studio album; You’re Welcome,  on November 15, 2019. The album is their follow-up to their 2016 release of, Bad Vibrations.

    The show was non-stop energy from the moment Can’t Swim took the stage.
    Can’t Swim is: Chris LoPorto (lead vocals), Mike Sanchez (guitar), Danny Rico (guitar), Greg McDevitt (bass), Michael Sichel (drums). They are an EMO / Post-Punk group hailing from Keansburg, New Jersey. They certainly set the pace for the remaining show.

    Chris LoPorto-lead vocals-Can’t Swim

    When Can’t Swim left the stage, they were quickly replaced by Beartooth. The crowd started to expand, they shouted and jumped with intensity as Beartooth ripped the stage in true metalcore/punk rock style with heavy beats and strong riffs.

    The band was named after the Bear Tooth Court, where their original bassist Nick Reed grew up. Shomo has stated that Beartooth was supposed to be a mere distraction while he was still a member of Attack Attack! having no intentions to record or play live music; however, after his departure, he focused on Beartooth, which has surpassed his wildest expectations. He recruited guitarist Taylor Lumley, bassist Nick Reed, and drummer Brandon Mullins for live performances.

    Caleb Shomo -lead vocals- Beartooth

    After a long break to set up the stage for I-Prevail, the crowd had really loosened up. The security unit in front of the stage was heavily present, as the crowd surfing, mosh pit and wall of death activities began. At one point, someone dressed as a shark, crowd surfed into the guards.

    I-Prevail was strong enough to be the headliner. The band—Brian Burkheiser, Eric Vanlerberghe, Steve Menoian, and Dylan Bowman — easily toss and turn between heavy metal, alternative, hip-hop, and electronic moods without warning, boundaries, or rules. They were hard-driving and loud, and the fans took in every note with electricity.

    Brian Burkheiser -lead vocals- I Prevail

    Finally, after a long night of hard-hitting music, A Day To Remeber took the stage. The crowd got silent, as the curtain rose to reveal the headliners. Formed in 2003 and known for their fusion of pop-punk and metalcore, the band provided the soundtrack for millennial teen angst with their fourth album, Homesick, about a decade ago. Their fans — now adults —arrived to relive their emo days.

    The music got into your chest and became the heartbeat within you, pulsating through every nerve. The five-man band showcased some new material and pulled out all the stops to do so. Beach balls bounced off the stage and into the mosh pit below during the performance of “Rescue Me,”  A t-shirt gun fired into the audience while the band presented their newly released single “Degenerates,” which is the first single off their upcoming album You’re Welcome, released on November 15, 2019


    Setlists:

    Beartooth: The Lines, Hated, Aggressive, You Never Know, Bad Listener, Disease, In Between.

    I Prevail: Bow Down, Gasoline, Rise Above, Scars, Paranoid, Hurricane, Breaking Down, Deadweight, Come and Get It.

    A Day To Remember (ADTR): The Downfall of us All, All I want, Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End, Paranoid, Sticks & Bricks, My Own Worst Enemy (Lit Cover), Better Off Ths Way, Right Back at it Again, Rescue Me, Have Faith in Me, Degenerates, Bullfight, Sometimes You;re the Hammer, Sometimes, You’re the Nail, End of Me, 2nd Sucks, I’m Made of Wax, What are You Made of?


    ADTR Encore: If It Means A Lot To you, All Signs Point to Lauderdale, The Plot to Bomb, the Panhandle.

  • Hearing Aide: Full Body ‘Always There’

    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.

     
  • Sleeping With Sirens Announces 2020 ‘The Medicine Tour’ with Set It Off, Belmont and Point North

    Pop – punk group Sleeping With Sirens will set off on a 21 stop North American tour in 2020 to celebrate  the release of their new album “How It Feels To Be Lost.” Joining “The Medicine Tour” starting in Lincoln, Nebraska on Jan. 8 will be alternative rockers Set It Off, Belmont and Point North. Along the way, they will make a stop at Upstate Concert Hall near Albany on Febr. 4 before ending the tour a few days later in their current residence of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    How It Feels To Be Lost is Sleeping With Sirens’ fifth full-length studio album since emerging onto the scene in 2010. Returning to a post-hardcore sound, the  record features tracks like “Leave It All Behind,” “Break Me Down,” and “Agree To Disagree,” as well as the track appropriately titled “Medicine (Devil in My Head).” Recorded at the MDDN Studios in Los Angeles, the album was produced by Zakk Cervini and Matt Good.

    The group’s daring ability to push the envelope in rock has pumped out music infused with different genres from pop, acoustic and some R&B. A loyal fan base known as “Strays” has helped them reach over 1.5 million in record sales, millions of streams and three gold singles. Tickets for “The Medicine Tour” go on sale Friday, Nov. 8, at the group’s website.


    Sleeping With Sirens, Set It Off, Belmont + Point North 2020 Tour Dates

    Jan. 8 – Bourbon Theatre – Lincoln, NB
    Jan. 10 – The Forge – Chicago, IL
    Jan. 11 – Skyway Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
    Jan. 12 – Granada Theatre – Lawrence, KS
    Jan. 14 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
    Jan. 15 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
    Jan. 17 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
    Jan. 18  – Regency – San Francisco, CA
    Jan. 20 – Encore – Tucson, AZ
    Jan. 22 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX
    Jan. 23 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
    Jan. 25 – The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
    Jan. 26 – The Cowan – Nashville, TN
    Jan. 28 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
    Jan. 30 – Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ

    Jan. 31 – Soundstage – Baltimore, MD
    Feb. 1 – Palladium – Worcester, MA
    Feb. 4 – Upstate Concert Hall – Albany, NY
    Feb. 5 – Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, Ontario
    Feb. 7 – The Crofoot – Detroit,MI
    Feb. 8 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

  • Hearing Aide: Glass Pony ‘Glass Pony’

    Albany, NY based band Glass Pony is dropping their debut self titled album today, November 2, on all streaming platforms. The seven-track album has head-bopping beats that make you want to get up and move. The four piece band made up of guitar, bass, and drums gets inspiration from everything in between the 60s and 90s, with influence from rock, punk, indie, and jam band genres, according to their bio.

    The album starts with “Grover’s Mill 1938,” which is a groovy opener. With a runtime dropping in just under 9-minutes, it’s a long listen, but one worth listening to. Its usage of multi layered vocals has a somewhat Pixies meets jam band’ feel to it, that keeps you entertained throughout. 

    Glass Pony

    If you aren’t into songs long songs, Glass Pony might not be the band for you; about half of their songs hit in the 8-10 minute mark and take their time to get in the groove with long intros and outros. Their second song on the album, “Swing That Maximus” has a full two-minute instrumental intro. With tempo changes up the wazoo throwing the listener from dance-y beats that make you want to get up and boogie, to slow sections you would barely move your body, they are definitely the type of band you can let loose to live or shamelessly-groove-to on your daily commute. Glass Pony brings you out of the mundane with some chaotic, yet systematic rhythms and beats that make Glass Pony one of a kind. 

    Shorter songs like, “Too Close To The Sun” (under 5 minutes), follow suit with their routine guitar riffs, solid beats and smooth tempo changes. Glass Pony is a band to keep an eye on, with this solid album in their arsenal.

    Key Tracks: Stardust, Grover’s Mill 1983, Too Close To The Sun.

    Listen to Glass Pony on CD Baby or Apple Music.

    Their album release party is on November 2nd at the Parish Public House 388 Broadway Albany, NY 12207.

    Doors are at 7 PM with the show starting at 8 PM.

    For more information visit Glass Pony’s website.

  • In Focus: Harvestfest, Tribute to Mother Earth Puts the Focus on the Ladies

    Four years ago Matt Strong had an idea — an idea that came to him as he admired a painting a friend of his had done. The idea was to put together a fall festival celebrating Mother Earth and female musicians. As the owner-operator of Rooted Entertainment Solutions, he was finally able to bring that to fruition at Woods Valley Ski Area in Westernville, site of the past two Woods Fest Music Festivals, this past Saturday at Harvestfest: Tribute to Mother Earth.

    Woods Valley owner-operator Tim Woods and Strong put their heads together to create a regional fall festival drawing from bands with strong female musicians. The result was a full day of music, collaboration, vendors, good vibes and hats, lots of hats, that lasted into the wee hours of the morning. The event culminated with a female-heavy superjam that saw the ladies collaborating on stellar versions of Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade” and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”

    Headliner Hayley Jane sat in with a number of the acts throughout the day and performed two sets with Rob Compa of Dopapod as well.

    The lineup included Ithaca ska band ¡Viva Mayhem!, Connecticut neo-soul act Erica T. Bryan and the New Mosaic, Utica folk artist Lady Daisy River, Syracuse reggae-roots rockers Root Shock and Syracuse indie-punk-ska outfit Late Earth.

    The running theme throughout the day was community. Attendees of all ages, including families, attended the event, greeting familiar faces and befriending unfamiliar faces. Attendees and musicians alike were seen mingling, talking music and art and just enjoying the beautiful weather.

    Despite the fact that each band came from different backgrounds and different areas, there was a true sense of community felt among the musicians at Woods Valley. Many of them were meeting each other for the first time and became fast friends, with some even making plans to perform together in the future. This may have been an unintended goal in putting together such a festival but one that will surely benefit the Northeast music community for some time to come. The intended goal was surely achieved. This was a day to celebrate the power of women in music. There were several powerful performances throughout the day and one powerful organization that is quickly making its name in the live music scene.

    The non-profit organization Groovesafe was on site during the festival. Groovesafe is a 501(c)(3) organization that brings awareness of the need for consent, to stand against sexual assault and unwanted touching at shows and festivals and to create safe and respectful dance spaces. It is a movement founded by Ashley Driscoll, following an incident at a Phish show in Las Vegas in the fall of 2016. To learn more about the Groovesafe movement and how you can donate or contribute to the cause, visit their website here.

    Plans are already underway for Harvestfest 2.