Amy Helm will celebrate the holiday season with two picturesque train journeys through New York’s Catskill Mountains on Dec. 15. Fans are encouraged to ‘Take in the beauty and majesty of winter in the Catskills aboard Delaware & Ulster Railroad’s Rip Van Winkle Flyer featuring a special intimate holiday performance from Amy Helm.’
Located in the Middletown hamlet of Arkville, NY, Amy Helm’s holiday express will have two trips, one early, boarding at 1pm, and a late trip boarding at 4 pm. More information can be found here.
On Saturday, November 16, hip hop, jazz, funk, and soul will merge together as DDAT brings an original southwestern feel, energy and excitement to Flushing Town Hall in Queens. The band was named by NPR as one of the top 10 bands in the United States.
Preceding the 2:15 PM family performance will be a panel discussion, led by Delbert Anderson and Chris Bidtah, both Navajo, on incorporating Navajo Culture in art-making and music as medicine.
Trumpeter Delbert Anderson says of DDAT’s upcoming panel discussion and performance:
“We hope to help people understand the importance of preserving our cultural music. During the panel we will educate and expose everyone to the idea of preserving cultural music through contemporary collaboration. There are many ways to preserve cultural music, but we also want to explain the struggles one might face when dealing with fusing cultural music.”
The funky, poetic and forward-thinking DDAT features Chris Bidtah on vocals, Delbert Anderson on trumpet, Nicholas Lucero on drums, and Mike McCluhan on bass.
Music from the quartet has been heard all over the world with features on NPR, Sirius XM, Indian Country Today, SAY Magazine, Weekly Alibi and many more. DDAT tours include several West Coast Tours, Canada’s Music is Medicine Tour, Aboriginal Music Week Tour in Canada, and Van’s Warped Tour – USA. Their first album DDAT was released in 2017.
“All audiences should be excited because there will be something everyone can relate to whether it’s the suspense of the improvisational solos or high energy music,” Anderson says. “MC Def-i will put on an electrifying show backed up by one of the funkiest, hip hop sounding bands. Those who are brave, expect to engage with Def-i while he shows his improvisation skills by rapping about what you decide to hold up in your hands! Together we are DDAT – a music celebration sharing our positive message of hope and collaboration through music.”
Tickets to the family performance are $14/$10 Members/$8 Children/$6 Member Children/FREE for Teens, and the panel discussion is free (though online RSVP’s are required). To RSVP and purchase tickets, visit the venue website.
Flushing Town Hall opens its doors to teenagers, and for free! Under the “Teen Access Program,” all 13- to 19-year-old teens (whether a member or not) will be welcomed to attend any performance for free. The program is designed to appeal to students and help foster a greater love for arts and culture.
Spafford announced its 2020 winter tour this week. The four-piece will venture out on a 39-date tour following their four-night New Year’s run in California. Throughout the winter, they will be joined by a number of special guests including The Iceman Special, Eggy, Cycles, Yak Attack, and The Jauntee.
The tour kicks off Jan. 15 in Houston, TX at the White Oak Music Hall, then continues into Austin, Dallas and New Orleans. The band will then travel to the southeast with dates in Pensacola, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Oxford (MS), and Knoxville. Jan. 31 is the first of a two-night run at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA.
February will see dates in Greensboro, Washington D.C., and Boston before their three-night run at Brooklyn’s Brooklyn Bowl February 7-9. The last night of the run will be a special acoustic-only performance. The band will take a short break and get back on the road for a set of Colorado dates, which start with a three-night run Feb. 28 – March 1 in Winter Park. March brings two-night runs in Frisco and Steamboat Springs, followed by stops all throughout the midwest and west coast, until the band reaches Las Vegas on April 4.
See the full list of dates below. Presales and VIP packages are available now, and general admission tickets for all announced dates go on sale Friday, Nov. 15. Check out the band’s website for ticket information.
December 27 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy Theatre
December 28 – West Hollywood, CA – The Roxy Theatre
December 30 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
December 31 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
January 15 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
January 16 – Austin, TX – Antone’s Nightclub
January 17 – Austin, TX – Antone’s Nightclub
January 18 – Dallas, TX – Trees
January 19 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues New Orleans
January 22 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
January 23 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
January 24 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
January 25 – Jacksonville, FL – 1904 Music Hall
January 28 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
January 29 – Oxford, MS – Proud Larry’s
January 30 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
January 31 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
February 1 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
February 3 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger
February 5 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
February 6 – Boston, MA – Royale
February 7 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
February 8 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
February 9 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl *
February 28 – Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern
February 29 – Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern
March 1 – Winter Park, CO – Ullrs Tavern
March 4 – Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
March 6 – Frisco, CO – 10 Mile Music Hall
March 7 – Frisco, CO – 10 Mile Music Hall
March 10 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Schmiggity’s Live Music Dance Bar
March 11 – Steamboat Springs, CO – Schmiggity’s Live Music Dance Bar
Distractions, the debut album from the Brooklyn-based Acidhead coming out on November 15, is a moving opening statement. It’s an honest delivery of feelings and emotions that are often the very essence of being distracted.
The brainchild of multi instrumentalist Patrick McGee, Acidhead doesn’t say outright that it’s about a breakup but the cues from Kanye West’s 808’s & Heartbreak combined with song titles like the opening narration “Everything Got So Distant” and the album’s single “Throw Away The Time” are obvious hints.
Distractions lead single “Throw Away The Time.”
Throughout the album, distorted auto-tuned vocals and 808 beats put McGee’s influence on full display. The second single, “Love Has Me Keep On Dying,” is chock full of the aforementioned effects while the lyrical content drives the emotion forward – “Everyone’s lonely, hearing her voice late in the morning.”
While each track has strength in their own right, showcasing instrumental fluency and pulling from a variety of styles, the entire track list is cohesive and, ironically, not distracted at all. Each song sits just where it should and even as they are different in their composition, they feel like they all belong together on this album. On the fourth track, “Marciac Doney,” there’s a steadily building and lighthearted instrumental that crescendos into a hard-hitting drum and synth pad jam. Then, track five, “Hanover Rains,” features a straight up piano ballad. It’s nicely even-keeled
Lending a hand throughout the album are Andrew Forman of Goodfight, Lou Rogai of Lewis & Clarke, and the Rat Trap Pack, McGee’s avant-garde horn ensemble. The closing track “Wrongright” brings the set to it’s conclusion with a manic, guitar-duo-solo but settles down as if to say, “That was a whirlwind. I’m tired, Time to relax”
Key tracks: Hanover Rains, Throw Away The Time
You can catch Acidhead on tour in New York and Pennsylvania through mid-December. Be sure to check out Distractions when it drops on November 15.
11/22/19 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Karl Hall – w/ Lou Rogai, Chukwu
11/27/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory w/ Jesse and Forever
11/30/19 – Easton, PA – Connexions Gallery w/Chukwu
12/7/19 – Beacon, NY – Quinn’s w Jesse and Forever
12/8/19 – Cambridge, MA -The Lilypad w/ Mario Fabrizio/Phillip Gollub, Wendy Eisenberg, Crylophone
12/14/19 – New York, NY – Con Artist Collective – w/Amani Fela
12/15/19 – Ruba Club – Philadelphia, PA w/ Flanafi, Cheeky
Crash Adams, a duo from Toronto comprised of Rafaele Massarelli (Crash) and Vince Sasso (Adams), have been around music their entire lives. With Massarelli’s uncle running a studio since before they were born, they’ve been luck enough to use the studio whenever they wanted.
As a result, the duo produce, write, sing, mix and master all their music, and this week have released their first single, “Astronauts.” The track kicks off their soon to be released EP, and does so with gusto. With a distinct club vibe and a touch of Chromeo-style funk, “Astronauts” is an infectious song for Crash Adams to make an introduction to audiences.
With an immense range of influences, Crash Adams‘ goal is to make you feel nostalgic, yet inspired.
Crash says of “Astronauts”:
“There are so many “astronauts” in the world, they may know it or not, but eventually they will achieve everything they’ve wanted out of their time on earth. It will be hard, and they will be considered different from those who aren’t astronauts. But in the end, the view of earth is greatest from outer space.”
“Musically, our album is inspired by sounds that spoke to us growing up, and what feelings helped shaped our lives. There are many hidden messages in our brand that will be revealed throughout our journey. We want our sound to be more of a feeling than a genre, and that’s what we’re striving to keep.”
Saratoga Spring’s premiere music club, Putnam Place, hosts a wide variety of rock, jam and funk acts this November. Check out the shows below and get down in the Spa City with these bands. For more information, visit Putnam Place’s website.
The Wheel – Thursday, November 14
Celebrating the music of The Grateful Dead, The Wheel was founded in 2010 by Andy Morse looking to play to his roots of years chasing the Grateful Dead. The Wheel is ever rolling, covering new terrain in and out of the spaces before it as we spin 24 hours a day.
Tickets are “Pay What You Want” if you are over 21, $10 for 18-21 if under 21.
Kung Fu w/ Strange Machines – Friday, November 15
Funk and jam unite with Kung Fu and Strange Machines throwing down a full night of deep funk-filled jams. Kung Fu draws on influences such as early Headhunters and Weather Report, and merges those ideas with a contemporary EDM informed sensibility. Imagine 70’s funk-fusion meets a modern dance party. Strange Machines consistently deliver high energy and engaging live performances, and the band continues to make waves throughout the Northeast and beyond.
Rock and psychedelic rock are on tap when White Denim and Spaceface arrive in Saratoga Springs. White Denim have carefully and continuously studied the greatest records ever made, but they write songs just dumb enough to drink, dance, and fight to. Theirs is a music that aims for the whole body, while equally satisfying the mind. While it has morphed, expanded, and even burst apart, White Denim’s sincere and human drive and ability to spark true rock & roll exhilaration have been unerring constants of the band’s 10-year existence.
Spaceface is led by Jake Ingalls who also plays guitar and synthesizer in The Flaming Lips. The experience reflects that influence, as it works to bring the concert grade experience to a club level. Spaceface’s music offers a refreshing approach on psychedelic rock, with transparent ’70s references but also strikingly modern elements that make this trick something to behold. Their new record, Sun Kids is hazy, psychedelic pop music, elegantly composed and features artists Mikaela Davis as well as Julien Baker.
Tickets are $17 in advance / $20 Day of Show. $5 surcharge if under 21. 18+
Given to Fly, The Otherside, Flannel Millennium – Friday, November 22
Tickets: $10, 18+ ($5 surcharge if under 21)
Remember the 90s? Well on Friday, November 22, three bands will jog your memory and transport you back to the era of grunge, flannel and OG teen angst. Given to Fly (Pearl Jam tribute), The Otherside (Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute), and Flannel Millennium (90’s / 2000’s Grunge / Alternative tribute) offer a 1-2-3 punch of classic
Looking to get your Phish fix in before Fall Tour starts? Then look no further than The Lizards, Toronto’s premiere Phish cover band. Always inventive with their setlist and playing to huge crowds throughout the Northeast, The Lizards are a great warm up for Island Tour 2.0
Tickets: $12 Advance / $15 Day of Show. 18+ ($5 surcharge if under 21)
Skeeter Creek – Saturday, November 30
The Capitaland’s premiere modern country group, Skeeter Creek always brings a party to Putnam, or wherever they’re playing! Skeeter Creek started off as a Bluegrass Band in 2002, formed by the late Tim Seabolt of Walton, West Virginia, and Joe Kulewicz from the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Skeeter Creek has become much more than a band, it’s a way of life for these talented, professional musicians.
Tickets are only $10, 18+ ($5 surcharge if under 21).
Tool, fresh off the release of their long-awaited studio album Fear Innocum, have kicked off their tour this week in Canada, and head to Brooklyn’s Barclay Center on Tuesday, November 19. And just as tour kicked off, Tool added 11 shows in January and February of 2020.
Tickets are on sale this Friday, 10 AM. For more information visit Tool’s official website.
Tool 2019-20 Tour Dates
Nov. 11 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON Nov. 12 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON Nov. 14 – TD Garden – Boston, MA Nov. 16 – Prudential Center – Newark, NJ Nov. 18 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA Nov. 19 – Barclay’s Center– Brooklyn, NY Nov. 21 – Mohegan Sun Casino Arena – Uncasville, CT Nov. 22 – Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ Nov. 24 – PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC Nov. 25 – Capitol One Arena – Washington, DC Jan. 10 & 12 – Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA Jan. 15 – Save Mart Center – Fresno, CA Jan. 17 – T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV Jan. 18 – Gila River Arena – Glendale, AZ Jan. 21 – Frank Erwin Center – Austin, TX Jan. 22 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX Jan. 28 – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA Jan. 29 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN Jan. 31 – FedEx Forum – Memphis, TN Feb. 1 – Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA
Toro y Moi (aka Chaz Bundick) has been going strong ever since he broke onto the scene at the start of the decade, and 2019 has proven to be no exception. Back in January, Chaz released the excellent album Outer Peace and has been touring on and off since. Now, just as the fall tour was wrapping up with two sold out nights at Brooklyn Steel, Chaz dropped a surprise LP, Soul Trash.
Support for the fall tour came from exciting newcomer Channel Tres. His infectious blend of hip-hop and deep house kept the packed Brooklyn Steel dance floor moving for the entire opening set. Flanked by two backup dancers and thunderous house beats, Channel Tres performed his entire 2019 release Black Moses, including the hit “Sexy Black Timberlake.” The set was rounded off with other singles like “Topdown” and “Jet Black.” The future is incredibly bright for Channel Tres, including much anticipation for a full length LP. He has several West Coast dates coming up, with a show at Elsewhere’s Zone One next May.
Toro y Moi has a very unique blend of styles. One of the few surviving bands from the chill-wave movement, Toro has maintained success by mixing elements of classic R&B and disco with more modern electronica and indie palettes. Each release takes a new approach to these sounds and keeps the ever growing Toro y Moi discography fresh and exciting.
With so much material to draw from, including the new LP Soul Trash released just two weeks before, the set provided by Toro y Moi was truly representative of his entire discography. The title track “Soul Trash” opened the show, while tracks from Outer Peace included “Ordinary Pleasure” and “Freelance” (which closed out the show). A personal favorite, “Rose Quartz” from the incredible 2013 LP Anything in Return, echoed effortlessly around the room. The band glided through a 21-song set without a single dull moment.
Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Saturday night was the last show of the current tour, with a late night DJ set at Elsewhere just to top it all off. Chaz has some DJ sets scheduled out west in December, but for now, we just look forward to what he has in store for 2020.
Copenhagen-based tech startup WARM have launched WARMCharts.com, an alternative to mainstream charts like Billboard and Rolling Stone. With a goal to change how artists are discovered, WARM uses a scoring system different than that of existing charts, giving artists a better chance at breaking through.
By introducing transparent music charts, WARM hopes for a system where everyone gets a fair chance. WARMCharts uses a 1 for 1 method – one airplay on the radio equals one count. With no obscure scoring system, an audio fingerprint technique collects all airplays from more than 27,000 radio channels worldwide into one chart.
From the above image, notice that Lizzo, who has the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, is actually just only in the top 10 of most radio airplays worldwide based on the 25,000+ radio stations WARM monitors. Likewise, Ed Sheerans ” Don’t Care” (ft. Justin Bieber) and “Beautiful People” (ft. Khalid) are ranked 11 and 14 on the Hot 100. However, WARMCharts reveals that those tracks are actually the two out of three songs with most airplays worldwide.
An alternative to current music charting system, WARMCharts offers a unique formula that can level the playing field and offer another method for artists to garner insight into their rise in popularity among fans. CEO of WARM, Jesper Skibsby, discussed his vision in “No one told us we had a radio hit in Poland!,” via Medium, and spoke with NYS Music to discuss how the platform will become a utilized system.
Pete Mason: Noting that WARM Charts is a new ranking system for airplay, how does it hope to become a trusted, reliable source that is used by marketing companies and labels?
Jesper Skibsby: We have an extremely solid music recognition and audio fingerprint technology running WARMcharts as well as the largest coverage of radio channels globally. This means that everything is updated automatically, without any manual interference. This makes the charts equally fair and reliable to anyone. The charts are completely transparent, as we are counting plays, instead of having an intransparent weighting/scoring system. We are launching close to 35 new and different charts, e.g. “Global Rock”, “North American Electronic” and “Scandinavian Jazz”, this mean many more charts will be relevant to many more artists, bands and labels, and in the end this will hopefully mean that many more will start using WARMcharts as a trusted source, and as an extended and much more accurate chart structure.
Pete Mason: How did WARM first come together? What caused the creation of the site, in addition to changing how artists are discovered?
Jesper Skibsby: The idea to create WARM was brought to life based on my personal frustration, of signing a band to a major label in Denmark, and then experiencing that results outside Denmark were not relevant to my, at the time product manager. It was clear to me that there was a very big missing link in the music industry, called radio data, which clashed with the “local office major label mentality” of primarily looking at local data, in each country. There is a fight between the independent sector wanting and needing global radio data also from smaller radio, as they are often the ones supporting the indies and upcoming segment, and the major label sector, primarily working with local data principles, for then to share this between the offices. I also quickly understood, that a major label A&R in country A, can have difficulties to convince another A&R in country B and C, to prioritize a new artist or band. From an indie perspective, you should want to find your emerging markets and engaged audience regardless of where they are. Music is globally available instantly, with the help of streaming, but the majors are still primarily focusing on local data.
New York reggae-pop band The Big Takeover have released ‘Where Did I go Wrong?,” off the band’s upcoming fifth album Spilling Water. The track was self-produced by The Big Takeover and mixed by Pete Hanlon, and is due out on Friday, November 15.
Fronted by the charismatic Jamaican-born singer/songwriter Nee Nee Rushie, The Big Takeover blend Jamaican pop traditions with the spirit of Motown and uptown sophistication of the 21st-century retro soul and R&B revival scene. Rushie says of the song:
“‘Where Did I Go Wrong?’ is a personal experience about being rejected by someone that you know wants to be with you. It explores the complication of feeling someone pushing you away, but reaching out to you at the same time.”
The Big Takeover’s sound channels melodic, big band arrangements of 60s and 70s soul music, with high-energy grooves of popular Jamaican music. This rich sound and rigorous touring schedule has led the band to share the stage with The Wailers, Sister Sparrow, Jefferson Starship, Pete Seeger, The Slackers, Toots & The Maytals, and many more. The group’s first single off Spilling Water, “Shy,” was released earlier this summer. An album is expected in 2020.
In 2018, the band shared a cover of Sophia George’s 1985 dancehall hit, “Girlie Girlie,” which was recorded as part of a UK compilation album featuring 40 covers of classic Trojan Records hits from artists around the world.
