NYS Music 20​19

Category: Rochester

  • Premiere: Caleb Churchill “Chuck Had Days Like This”

    Rochester-based musician Caleb Churchill is on the verge of launching his next album, the fourth in a span of a little over a year. “Chuck Had Days Like This” gives us a first glimpse at the upcoming release. Indie rock influences abound in this frantic percussion-driven song. And the stream-of-consciousness spoken word sections are reminiscent of the 90’s lo-fi avant-garde stylings of King Missile and The Mountain Goats.

    Churchill’s solo work shows another side of the frontman from Antilock, a garage punk band that’s been making waves in the underground music scene in Rochester for the past few years. More details about the new album will be revealed via social media. Follow on Facebook for news and upcoming events.

    https://soundcloud.com/user-980104660/chuck-had-days-like-this/

  • Hearing Aide: Ryan Sutherland “Sleepwalker”

    Like top shelf whiskey, country music is best served straight up. This is what Ryan Sutherland serves up in Sleepwalker. Pure unadulterated country, without any neotraditional, pop, or indie-rock influences to water it down. If you listen to what passes for country these days, and wonder what happened to musicians like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, give this album a spin.

    I don’t trust any musician who works the bar venues and doesn’t have a decent drinking song. This 8-track long album’s got two. Sleepwalker kick starts with one of them, “Jimmy Tequilla.” Sutherland, with his guitar and slide, sings about the kind of guy everyone knows and shakes their head about. After the second chorus, the conclusion of song is told from Jimmy Tequilla’s perspective: You see, I can’t love nobody / as much as I love to hate me / She is like a deep dark well / A Better reflection of myself/ That’s enough to dull the pain. And in that moment, he becomes relatable as we realize that there’s a little bit of Jimmy in each of us.

    “Bar Weirdos,” the other drinking song, features harmonica interludes as Sutherland turns a phrase about the communal nature of local watering holes. Well, leave your politics and your worries behind / Drink your communion straight from the vine / Here at the bar we’re all the same. Although the song is set at a bar stool, it’s the kind of song that’ll make you want to dust off your old cowboy boots and kick up your heels.

    Sutherland continues to exhibit his ability to spin a yarn and set it to tune in “The Ballad of the Trap Man” and “Twisted Liz.” Interspersed are some songs that aren’t story-based: a contemplative medley called “Maybe Ya Can,” the longing reminiscence “Yuletide Regrets,” and the soul-searching “Two Bedroom Apartment.”

    Sleepwalker was recorded and engineered by Eric Pinales at Nothing to Lose Studios in Irondequoit, NY. The album art featuring a hiker in the mountains was designed by Adam Kujawski. Sutherland wrote and performed the entire album himself.

    Key tracks: Jimmy Tequilla, Bar Weirdos, Maybe Ya Can, Yuletide Regrets

  • Wild Rivers Open Their Tour at Good Luck

    Toronto quartet Wild Rivers returned to Rochester after their set this summer opening for Donna the Buffalo at the outdoor party, Band on the Bricks. Now it was winter, and the eternally gray skies were falling in the form of cold rain. The venue was cozy and warmly lit. Good Luck and the crowd was the highly attentive audience who frequent Honest Folk’s productions. Dancing feet were replaced by listening ears and Wild Rivers’ brand of poppy folk would hold strong across that divide.

    They opened with their first written song, “Wandering Child,” a song which opened quietly before exploding with a full folk sound. Later, they introduced “Moving Target,” which is still two-weeks out from officially being released. Guitarist Khalid Yassein switched to keys and the band went fully electric, becoming more moody and ethereal. The set closed with a stunning, near-acapella, front-of-stage performance of “Howling.” Wild Rivers performed songs oldest to newest, electric to completely un-mic’d acoustic and the rest of the set was a healthy blend of everything in between.

    Yassein and bassist Devan Glover traded lead vocals song to song and verse to verse. In the moments when their criss-crossing met with two-part harmonies, musical sparks ignited. Lead guitarist Andrew Oliver added in tastefully restrained yet intricate leads and also took over on bass for a couple tunes. Drummer Julien Laferrière kept everything humming along, from the slowest slow to rocking highs, matching the mood perfectly throughout.

    Local singer-songwriter Cammy Enaharo opened the show with a short set. In the Swiss-Army-Knife of the Rochester music scene Enaharo has been a go-to vocalist for bands of every ilk. But tonight, it was just her and a baritone ukelele. Her rich and smooth voice was more than capable of carrying the day. Put them in front of her honest and personal songs and 30 minutes just had us hungry for more. Originals like “Neighbors,” “Home,” and “Mermaids” matched wits with her emotional cover of Desiree’s “You Gotta Be.”

    If you like to see live music, but are not a fan of standing around in a crowded bar waiting around until late at night for the bands to finally take the stage, give Honest Folk a try. They start promptly around 7pm and don’t ever go past 10pm, so even on a weeknight you’ll be home at a reasonable hour. The shows are seated, the decibel level doesn’t require earplugs and most importantly the music is top notch. Their next show is March 12, back at Good Luck, featuring Dead Horses and Honeysuckle. Tickets are on sale now at early bird pricing.

  • Carpool and Lily Grave Hitting The Road, with Stops in Rochester and Brooklyn

    WNY’s Carpool and Syracuse’s Lily Grave are heading out on a weekender this month – hitting Buffalo, Rochester, Asbury, NJ and Brooklyn. They start off with an intimate show in Buffalo on January 16 before hitting their familiar stomping grounds at Bug Jar in Rochester on January 17. From there, they head to Asbury Park Brewery for a show on January 18 before wrapping it up at Bushwick Public House in Brooklyn on January 20.

    Carpool recently released I Think Everyone’s A Cop, a follow-up to 2017’s I Still Blame Everything Else. In an interview with NYS Music, lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Colasanto said the latest collection of songs “is about complacency, substance abuse and relationships – like you’re stuck in a stagnant state of molasses.”

    Lily Grave also had a new release in 2018, entitled Absurd Faces.

    Jan. 16 – house show w/ Ghostpool & Previous Love – Buffalo, NY
    Jan. 17 – Bug Jar – w/ California Cousins – Rochester, NY
    Jan. 18 – Asbury Park Brewery w/ Toy Cars, ManDancing, and Prim – Asbury, NJ
    Jan. 20 – Bushwick Public House w/ Cold Wrecks, & Common Sage – Brooklyn, NY

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