NYS Music 20​19

Category: Syracuse

  • The Soul Rebels Announce Poetry In Motion 2020 Tour

     The Soul Rebels, a brass/hip-hop ensemble out of New Orleans, has announced a winter tour in support of their new album, Poetry In Motion. Joining them on tour will be Matisyahu, Tank and the Bangas, and Big Freedia who are also featured artists on the album. 

    During the month of March, The Soul Rebels will make four stops in New York. First, they will be performing at Buffalo Iron Works on March 1. They will travel to Syracuse for a night at the Westcott Theater on March 2, before journeying downstate to Poughkeepsie to play at Revel 32 on March 7. Finally they will spend their last two days on March 13 & 14 at the Brooklyn Bowl where they will be joined by unannounced special guests.

    Released in October via their imprint Rebelution Music Group, on Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group, Poetry in Motion debuted at #1 on the Contemporary Jazz charts and was in the top 20 for the Current Rap, R&B/Hip – Hop and R&B Album charts. The song “Greatness” was ESPN’s official College Hoops Blockbuster promo song for the 2019-20 season. Recently The Soul Rebels appeared on Dave East feat. Nas‘ track “Godfather 4,” adding harmony and backup vocals.

    Tickets are on sale now and available at TheSoulRebels.com. All tours dates are listed below.

    Tour Dates:

    Dec.30-31 – The Ardmore Music Hall – Philadelphia, PA *with Matisyahu

    Jan.7-12 – Jam Cruise – Miami, FL

    Jan.13-18 – Havana Jazz Festival – Havana, Cuba *with Tank & The Bangas & Cimafunk

    Jan.24 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA

    Jan.25 – The New Parish – Oakland, CA

    Feb.25 – Snowmass Base Village – Snowmass Village, CO

    Feb.27 – Riverfront Live – Cincinnati, OH

    Feb.28 – Thunderbird Café & Music Hall – Pittsburgh, PA

    Mar1 – Buffalo Iron Works – Buffalo, NY

    Mar.2 – Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY

    Mar.3 – The Press Room – Portsmouth, NH

    Mar.6 – Washington, D.C. – U Street Music Hall

    Mar.7 – Poughkeepsie, NY –  Revel 32

    Mar.8 – Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center – Greenfield, MA

    Mar.10 – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME

    Mar.11 – Infinity Music Hall – Norfolk, CT

    Mar.12 – StageOne – Fairfield, CT

    Mar.13-14 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY *with Special Guests

    Mar.15 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA

    Apr.9 – Carolina Performing Arts-UNC at Chapel Hill  – Chapel Hill, NC *with Big Freedia

  • Benefit for Charley Orlando to Take Place Sunday at Syracuse’s Westcott Theater

    Charley Orlando may be best known to the jamband world as the former frontman for psychedelic ’90s road dogs Dexter Grove, who toured incessantly for the better part of ten years. The Syracuse area knows Orlando as not just a musician but also one of the area’s biggest music ambassadors. This Sunday, Dec. 22 the Syracuse community will come together at the Westcott Theater with a full day of music to celebrate his contributions while also raising money for a recent emergency spinal fusion surgery Orlando had performed.

    Photo: Ian LaRochelle

    Tickets for the all-ages benefit are $20 and can be purchased online, at Sound Garden in Armory Square, Syracuse, or Funk ‘n Waffles on Clinton Street. Doors open at noon. Artists scheduled to perform include Sophistafunk, Root Shock, Pearly Baker’s Best, The Old Main, Chris Merkley, Chris Eves, Bea, and Joe Driscoll. See the schedule below.

    Orlando’s recent projects include the Grateful Dead tribute band, Pearly Baker’s Best, who has a Monday residency at Funk ‘n Waffles. He also has done work as a solo artist and with his bands Ruha and the Charley Orlando Band. His work managing the Little Rock Music Group has helped bring many national, international and regional acts to Syracuse-area venues such as Funk ‘n Waffles, Ray Brothers BBQ, along with the Seedstock Festival in Cortland and the Middle Ages Brewing Company Brewfest in Syracuse. Little Rock Music Group also represents David Gans along with such up-and-comers as Root Shock, Big Sexy & the Scrambled Eggs, All Poets & Heroes, and Steven Cali.

    All proceeds from the event will go towards Orlando’s medical bills. Those who cannot attend the show can contribute funds through Facebook here.

    Scheduled performers:

    Bea: 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
    The Old Main: 1:45 p.m. – 2:45p.m.
    Chris Merkley: 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    Pearly Balers Best: 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
    Chris Eves: 5 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
    Joe Driscoll: 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
    Sophistafunk: 6:45 p.m. -7:45 p.m.
    Root Shock: 8 p.m. – 9 p.m.

    https://youtu.be/Fiel8ObUkHM

  • In Focus: Disco Biscuits wrap up first part of Fall Tour at State Fairgrounds in Syracuse

    The Disco Biscuits returned to Syracuse for two nights, their first run in the Salt City since Halloween 2015. The masters of live electronica and improvisation performed four flawless sets to enthusiastic crowds at SI Hall at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse on November 22 and 23.

    On Friday, following an energetic “M.E.M.P.H.I.S.” opener, guitarist Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig stretched the intro to “Run Like Hell” out for an extended period before a triumphant burst into the Pink Floyd cover, then took the long route into an inverted “Aquatic Ape.” A full “Hot Air Balloon” closed the five song set, one of the few this tour to feature no new material that the band has been breaking out.

    disco biscuits syracuse
    photo by Josh Davis

    Set 2 opened with a pair of ‘global’ tunes, “Jigsaw Earth” and “Story of the World,” the latter of which sandwiched the remained of the set. “Anthem” and “Rocket Science,” two new originals debuted this tour, filled the sandwich, with an “Orch Theme” meshed in between. With the clock ticking, Men Without Hats’ “Safety Dance” served as an encore, with the show ending right at 11pm. A sweaty and smiling crowd rejoiced at one of the finest nights of the tour thus far.

    Disco Biscuits, Syracuse, NY – Friday, November 22 setlist via PhantasyTour:

    Set 1: M.E.M.P.H.I.S. > Run Like Hell1 > Aquatic Ape2 > Svenghali3, Hot Air Balloon
    Set 2: Jigsaw Earth, Story Of The World > Anthem > Orch Theme > Rocket Science > Story Of The World
    Encore: The Safety Dance

    1. unfinished
    2. inverted version
    3. ending only

    The Biscuits’ Saturday performance featured a pair of new songs, a Tractorbeam jam, and one of the best sets from the eight fall shows thus far. Two songs, “Mulberry’s Dream” and “Crickets,” were each interpolated with “Catalyst” and recent debut “4th of July,” respectively. In between these two combos found another new tune, “Electric Slinky,” part of a potential series of ‘Slinky’ songs, including “Freebis Slinky.”

    disco biscuits syracuse
    photo by Josh Davis

    Set 2 was filled with pure heat from start to finish. The four song set featured three roughly-15 minute jams, and one monster jam that went past the half hour mark. Opening with “Clocks,” a debut from earlier this year, the band ventured into “Gangster” which was met with cheers and fist pumps from the audience. What came next was one of the longest jams of the tour (thus far) and the highlight of the weekend. A 30+ minute “Spacebirdmatingcall” featured a Tractorbeam jam on Crackazat’s “Fly Away,” which draws on Earth Wind & Fire’s “I’ve Had Enough” and seemed to never let up as the band dove deep and kept exploring what the jam had to offer. “Little Shimmy in a Conga Line” wrapped up the set nicely, and a pairing of “Frog Legs” and the ending section of “Run Like Hell” from the previous night’s version cemented the night as one of the best of the tour. Setbreak is indeed over.

    The Disco Biscuits head south to Florida for four shows in mid-December, then return to New York City where they will close out the year in Times Square at the Playstation Theater, which will close on December 31st following their performance.

    Disco Biscuits, Syracuse, NY – Saturday, November 23 setlist via PhantasyTour:

    Set 1: Mulberry’s Dream > Catalyst > Mulberry’s Dream, Electric Slinky, Crickets > 4th of July > Crickets
    Set 2: Clocks > Gangster > Spacebirdmatingcall > Tractorbeam Jam1 > Spacebirdmatingcall, Little Shimmy In A Conga Line
    Encore: Frog Legs > Run Like Hell2

    1. Fly Away (Crackazat)
    2. ending only; completes 11/22/19 version
    • photo by Josh Davis
    • photo by Josh Davis
    • disco biscuits syracuse
      photo by Josh Davis
    • photo by Josh Davis
    • disco biscuits syracuse
      photo by Josh Davis
    • disco biscuits syracuse
    • photo by Josh Davis
    • disco biscuits syracuse
      photo by Josh Davis
    • photo by Josh Davis
    • disco biscuits syracuse
      photo by Josh Davis
    • disco biscuits syracuse
      photo by Josh Davis
    • photo by Josh Davis

  • Goose announces 2020 dates with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong; headline Syracuse April 22

    Fast-rising indie-rock band Goose kick off 2020 with two sold out NYC shows, and then fly west to join Pigeons Playing Ping Pong for 13 shows on their first ever West Coast tour. The Norwalk, CT based group has taken flight this year, with notable performances at Peach Fest and sold out shows throughout their Fall Tour.

    Not only will Goose open for Pigeons to start 2020, they’ll be on the Rock Legends Cruise, setting sail in late February, then head to Pelham, TN to perform at The Caverns for a PBS special.

    Tickets are on sale now through Goose’s website.

    Goose 2020 Tour Dates

    January 24 — New York, NY
    January 25 — Brooklyn, NY
    February 5 — Tempe, AZ*
    February 6 — Solana Beach, CA*
    February 7 — West Hollywood, CA*
    February 8 — West Hollywood, CA*
    February 12 — San Luis Obisbo, CA*
    February 13 — Santa Cruz, CA*
    February 14 — San Francisco, CA*
    February 15 — San Francisco, CA*
    February 16 — Crystal Bay, NV*
    February 19 — Eugene, OR*
    February 20 — Bend, OR*
    February 21 — Portland, OR*
    February 22 — Seattle, WA*
    February 28-March 1 — Rock Legends Cruise
    March 27 — Pelham, TN
    April 16 — Asheville, NC
    April 17 — Raleigh, NC
    April 19 — Baltimore, MD
    April 22 — Syracuse, NY
    April 23 — Philadelphia, PA
    April 25 — Boston, MA
    April 26 — Boston, MA

    * with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

  • More than a dozen Jam for Tots shows planned across New York State this holiday season

    NYS Music is proud to announce 15 Jam for Tots shows around the Empire State this holiday season. Kicking off on November 27, each show will have a Toys for Tots box set up for patrons to donate gifts to kids in need.

    With a wide variety of artists, including Consider the Source, Runaway Gin, Annie in the Water, Tim Herron Corporation, Strange Machines, and Swedish metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, this annual series will connect live music fans with those most in need in their local communities.

    jam for tots

    Support kids in need this holiday season by bringing an unwrapped toy to any of the following shows. Jam for Tots is brought to you by NYS Music.

    Regional shows include:

    Mid-Hudson Valley

    Nov 27 Open Jam – Main Street Public House, Philmont

    Dec 5 Open Jam – The Stewart House, Athens

    Dec 7 Yngwie Malmsteen – The Chance, Poughkeepsie

    Dec 14 IS – Hilltop Bar and Tavern, Tannersville

    Westchester

    Dec 4 The Spadtastics – Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester

    North Country

    Dec 6 Hunter – The Monopole, Plattsburgh

    Western New York

    Dec 14 Strange Machines w/s/g Haewa- Flour City Station, Rochester

    Dec 20 PA Line “Chrismukkah Show” w/ Special Guests – Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo

    Capital Region

    Dec 14 Annie In The Water, The Deadbeats – Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs

    Dec 14 Consider the Source w/s/g Swimmer – The Hollow, Albany

    Central New York

    Dec 8 The Old Main – Woods Valley, Rome

    Dec 19 The Action! – Copper City Brewing Company, Rome

    Dec 28 Tim Herron Corporation – Funk n Waffles, Syracuse

    New York City

    Dec 26 Runaway Gin – Knitting Factory, Brooklyn

    Massachusetts

    Nov 30 Fennario – Electric Haze, Worcester, MA

  • 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.

  • Return to Roots: Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton and Jontavious Willis take listeners back in time

    Blues music legend Willie Dixon liked to say, “Blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits,” to explain the influence of that genre on other forms of music. But as the music progresses, the roots of blues music itself are sometimes heard less often, lost in the cacophony of over-amplified electric guitarists with pedalboards the size of dinner tables. Fortunately, two young bluesmen, neither of them more than 33 years old, are preserving and promoting the roots.

    Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton and Jontavious Willis have paired together for a brief tour that found its way to the Auburn Public Theater on Sunday, November 17. Playing to an intimate, attentive audience of perhaps 60 people.

    Jontavious Willis and Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton

    Paxton opened the evening, displaying comfortable ease in switching from guitar, to banjo, to harmonica, and then fiddle throughout his set. He covered a range of jazz, ragtime, train songs, and acoustic blues. Incorporating finger-picking, flat-picking, and slide playing styles. Paxton also utilized particularly bawdy humor that was often a staple of both minstrel shows and blues songs that hark back to the ’20s and ’30s. A skilled storyteller, Paxton explained how songs came to influence him, through his family and personal experiences, or through their historical significance. His music can be found here.

    Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton

    Jontavious Willis followed with more of the same styles of roots and blues music, though many were more contemporary in origin, including original songs of his. A popular performer in Central New York, Willis has also performed in Norwich and Syracuse, and was returning to Auburn after a very well-received show just last year. Willis released his highly acclaimed recording Spectacular Class, in April of this year, produced by Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. It is available here.

    The duo paired for an impromptu song at the back of the audience, before returning to the stage for one final song together. The setting, and smaller crowd, made for a distinct connection between the musicians and the audience, and shaped the evening into an enjoyable journey back to times, places, and songs that impacted what is heard today in blues, roots, Americana music, and more.

    Jerron Paxton and Jontavious Willis ask the audience for one more song.

    NYSMusic.com fans can hear Paxton and Willis at City Vineyard in New York City on Tuesday, November 19, tickets available here, and Thursday, November 21, at the historic Caffé Lena in Saratoga Springs, tickets available here.

    • Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton
    • Jontavious Willis

  • Andrew Vannorstrand shares video for “Boy with the Gray Eyes,” performs in Syracuse and Auburn this week

    This September, Andrew VanNorstrand released his debut solo LP That We Could Find A Way To Be and this month premieres the video for “Boy with Gray Eyes” off the album. Americana Highways premiered the audio for “Boy With The Gray Eyes” and said of the track, “In a song about hope and hesitation, VanNorstrand constructs comforting, introspective guitar sounds, and the low vocals, clarinet and fiddle are the icing on the cake.”

    Andrew VanNorstrand, a musician, singer, songwriter and producer living in Upstate New York, has performed on festival stages, concert halls, dance floors and living rooms all over North America and beyond. For eighteen years, he toured and recorded with the popular dance band Great Bear which also featured his brother Noah VanNorstrand and mom Kim “Mama Bear” Yerton. Andrew and Noah continue to perform together in the bi-coastal folk quartet Wake Up Robin and acoustic power trio The Faux Paws.

    His debut solo album, That We Could Find A Way To Be, focuses on the complicated intersections of love, faith, loss and uncertainty, queerness and the search and struggle for understanding from the rust belt to the Blue Ridge, from a cold spring in New England to a summer’s night in Charlottesville. Andrew blends traditional folk, old-time and country music with indie-roots-Americana and a passion for shared connection and a song well sung.  

    On November 13, Andrew will make his solo, live television debut on Central New York’s ABC affiliate, WSYR Channel 9’s Bridge Street. He also performs a few shows around CNY over the next two months. Click for details below, or visit Andrew’s website for more details.

    Friday November 15
    Andrew VanNorstrand with Anna Patton and Dana Billings
    Auburn Public Theater, Auburn, NY  

    Saturday November 16
    Andrew VanNorstrand with Anna Patton and Dana Billings
    Rochester House Concert

    Thursday–Saturday December 5, 6 & 7
    Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand
    Annual Solstice at the Cathedral Concert, Syracuse, NY

  • Hearing Aide: Jess Novak and Ben Wayne ‘Rise’

    The Syracuse based duo, Jess Novak & Ben Wayne, are dropping their four track EP Rise today, November 10, across all streaming platforms. This alternative Indie-folk rock-duo fused their previous individual works with their environmental inspiration while recording in Nashville, Tennessee to breed Rise. The EP builds on both their individual strengths from Wayne’s Southern California rock and reggae roots, and Novak’s distinct violin, songwriting and vocal skills, which are well recognized with her winning Best Female Vocalist by the Syracuse New Times back in 2018.

    Ben Wayne (left) and Jess Novak (right) promotional picture for Rise.

    The EP opens with the song, “After All” which has a distinctly doo-wop rhythm to it. In conjunction with Novak’s vocals it differs from every other song coming up on your favorite streaming service. It’s a refreshingly unique combination of doo-wop and alt-rock that we don’t hear nearly enough. With the rhythm section being layered with lead guitar, carrying an almost country feel, the song is hard to categorize into one singular genre. A trend of Rise in general. It’s not one singular sound. It’s not one singular genre. It is a little bit of its own thing – which is one reason it’s so enjoyable and a well rounded.

    The second track “Carousel” is a known Ben Wayne song. While Jess Novak writes and takes the lead vocals on the other three tracks, Wayne leads on this hauntingly beautiful and painful song. It starts with a little walking bass line on the acoustic guitar played by Wayne and a violin smoothly dropping in, with Wayne’s drawl starting shortly after. The song revolves around accepting that things are coming to an end and letting the other person go even though you could still be happy with them. It’s the kind of song you listen to on repeat with your headphones stuck in your ears, escaping the world, or maybe more correctly escaping your own carousel that you are stuck on. 

    Ben Wayne (front) and Jess Novak (back) promotional picture for Rise.

    “Here to Stay,” an abrupt change from “Carousel,” fits Rise‘s diverse musical and artistic showcase of both Novak and Wayne’s talents. They don’t have to stick to one particular sound or genre or tempo. The song is heavy on Novak’s vocals without Wayne backing on it much if at all. This track really stars Novak’s accompanying band which is made up of Jeff King on guitar, Steve Brewster on drums, Mark Hill on bass, Tim McDonald on keyboards, and of course Jess Novak on Violin. Between the tempo changes, build ups and guitar riffs it’s definitely a track that is beyond vocally focussed and gives credit to all the great musicians involved. 

    “Ripper” swings. It has and upbeat, dance-tempo, making it hard for you to sit still. You will find yourself bobbing your head without meaning to. The song has a similar sound as “Here to Stay,” with more punch to it. With the topic of having your heart ripped out and being excited about it, it’s not the most common motif.

    The EP had help from producer Bill Warner and songwriter Kirsti Manna, who is best known for her work with Blake Shelton. Rise is a powerful piece of work made by Jess Novak & Ben Wayne. It’s something worth listening to if you’re looking for new music to add to your arsenal. The EP release party is at The Ridge located at 1281 Salt Springs Rd, Chittenango, NY 13037 on November 10th at 3PM. For more information check out Jess Novak’s website and Ben Wayne’s website.

    Key Tracks: Carousel, Here to Stay.

Built in Breakdance