NYS Music 20​19

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  • Hearing Aide: Dopapod ‘Emit Time’

    Some say that time is an illusion, a human construct, a shimmer in the otherwise bright light of life. The passage of time, however, is a certainty, leaving its trace strewn throughout the landscape and in between the years as they come and go. After a one-year hiatus, preceded by a decade of non-stop creativity, the jam scene powerhouse quartet Dopapod has set May 24 as the day to unveil to the world their interpretation of this concept, ironically immortalized via their latest album, Emit Time.

    Dopapod has always had a knack for tricking time. Odd time signatures, overlapping melodic content, and live improvisation that extends the length of their songs beyond their studio counterparts mark the bulk of their compositions. Their palindromic album titles wink to the infinite nature of time and they’ve broken the rules in the past by performing intricate works in reverse. This new collection is a true emission of time, containing never-before-heard songs among others that have been in the live rotation for a few years. As many creative people will tell you, true artists must have the ability and see the necessity to keep pushing forward, to embrace the inevitability of growth and change. This band has taken strands of their DNA and weaved them into works that feel fresh. They are unfamiliar in their display yet familiar to the Dopapod formula of rock solid rhythms,

    The album opens with a lone pulsating organ that bursts wide open into a deep-pocket funk beat with a chomping guitar riff. “Numbers Need Humans” is a testament to the “live in the moment” attitude that energizes so much of the progressive jam scene. As was proven with the first song in the second set at the band’s recent Capitol Theatre reunion gig, this track is a great opener, prepping listeners by reminding them, “Time is all we have / So let’s have a good time.” Placed before a tightly executed guitar solo, the lyrics operate as a thematic entrance for the topic at hand through the rest of the album. “Tick tock, hands move around the clock / On the dot, that’s when time stops.”

    Following in the order of when it was released as a single, “Test of Time” comes second. This 7-minute, multi-section, progressive number is evidence that the layers time has piled onto this group are beginning to show signs of evolution. Guitarist Rob Compa leads the way, singing through a “gateway to another time.” Next to a familiar synth hook, sure to cue Eli’s signature head-bop, there is a rocking chorus and expressive singing, something that has made more and more of an appearance in Dopapod music on the last few albums and certainly on this one.

    “23 Forever” gives bassist Chuck Jones a turn on lead vocals, bringing his sense of humor to a memorable and extremely catchy chorus. This song feels like the band is revisiting a funny memory and having a good laugh about it. Another new song, “Live In The Dream” offers a consistent mid-tempo groove that gets progressively aggressive leading up to its guitar solo crescendo. A descending vocal round, “..live in the dream, live in the dream, live in the dream,” leads the song down to a decisive close.

    For the most part, this collection of songs is the most thematic that Dopapod has released as an album. As mentioned by Eli in the bands press release for Emit Time, “Interestingly, we had been developing a semi-concept album about time and time travel before the hiatus.” In combination with the feelings from that hiatus, a new album about time and time travel feels pretty appropriate.

    Still leaving room for some road tested material, “Superbowl” and “Weedie” give the album a taste of the past. “Superbowl,” a song debuted in 2016, slows up the pace but is a well-crafted atmospheric blend of synthesizer, orchestral strings, and resounding guitar. From there, “Weedie” hits with a guitar-heavy rock riff. Again, the lyrical content refers to the mindful present-living ethos, “We have our ups and downs / But life is lived in the now.”

    “Landmines” is another debut that starts to bring the album down on its two-song final descent. The bulk of this song is based on a down-tempo 16th note groove, accentuated by a tinge of spy-guitar reminiscent of something to be found in a classic James Bond film. The mid-section, however, creates a distinct change with a straightforward rock progression and brief organ solo. As it peaks, the main theme is called back as Rob plays passionately with a slide. The final track, “Whale (I Am),” is a beautifully executed landing that pairs a drifting and uncluttered tone with delicate keyboard lines and airy vocals.

    Though the album seems short in length at 8 songs, it clocks in around 45 minutes in total. It does unload a powerful punch with its production and covers a lot of ground, but it still feels like there is room to tag on one or two more tracks. “Superbowl” begins to feel a tad drawn out at the end and the album’s finale might benefit from a more energetic closing jam. Dopapod fans are a hungry bunch and when you’re as creative as these guys, new songs are always welcomed.

    Dopapod has executed their return well. They have managed to keep their fan base interested and committed for an entire year, without playing a single show, just by promising to come back. They made good on that promise, they have fresh material to present, and are keeping their appearances this summer to a unique minimum. The focus on ideas relating to time make this a relatable and inspiring listen. The band does a great job of exploring creative opportunities here, testing the potential of their inventive approach to music by applying it in new ways, taking them in new directions.

    Key Tracks: “Numbers Need Humans,” “Live In The Dream” and “Weedie.”

  • Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Arch Roo-ined

    The famed Bonnaroo Arch has been demolished, confirmed directly from Bonaroo’s social media accounts,. After buzz was created from posts about the arch being ‘destroyed’ and ‘burned in a fire,’ the iconic landmark on The Farm was put into question. It was engulfed in flames – rightfully so – due to structural deficiencies.

    Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of NYS Music’s Bonnaroo Coverage in 2018.

    The Bonnaroo Arch has draped the festival’s skyline since its inception in 2002. Over the years, its changing face has remained a rite of passage for new and returning festival junkies – illuminating the night’s sky as late night jam-sessions and raves blare till dawn.

    bonnaroo arch

    Bonnaroo 2021 Update:

    We want to thank you for being a loyal Bonnaroovian, and we appreciate your patience as we navigate the best options to ensure we can be together on the Farm in 2021. 

    The dates we originally announced for Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival 2021 have changed.  Bonnaroo will now take place on September 2-5, 2021.  Information on lineup, camping and accommodations will be available at a later date.

    We encourage you to rollover your tickets to the new dates, however, we will make refunds available for those who cannot attend.

  • Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra Make Triumphant Return to Rochester

    It took over two years for Honest Folk to get Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra to Rochester the first time, but just over a year to get them back. The band didn’t remember exactly what they played, but they remembered it and had been thinking about that show ever since. The crowd likely didn’t remember what they played either, but they, too, recalled its greatness and returned in big numbers to sell out Good Luck.

    Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra

    Regardless of the exactness of their memory, the band tried to mix it up a bit so as not to give Rochester the same show again. Old rarities and new songs alike got sprinkled into the set, which would have sounded different either way. This is a band that plays to the moment, each one different, and so the shows follows suit.

    Each member of the Old Soul Orchestra plays a simple acoustic instrument making the amount of sound the quartet outputs all the more remarkable. They squeezed their instruments for all they’re worth.

    Drummer Matt Goff hit, scraped, tapped, banged and shook with sticks, brushes, mallets, hands and various percussive toys, constantly building and breaking the music through interesting changes and movements. His solos showed off a jazzman’s touch, as melodic as they were rhythmic. Bassist Ben Berry plucked, bowed and knocked his upright in both a backing and leading capacity (particularly nicely on “Alone at the Table”), stretching out with solos fit for a psychedelic rock band. Fiddler Chris Lynch frequently handled the main melodic punches, maximizing the instrument’s capabilities by employing both the traditional bowing and also picking it mandolin-style. Lynch used pedals, adding extra flavor with the most overtly non-natural sounds of the evening: spacey echoes here, dripping psychedelia there, etcetera.

    Marty O'Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra

    O’Reilly himself stuck with the same resonator guitar throughout the night, through thick and thin. When the reverb was acting up due to the vibrations in the stage, he turned it off and made do without. When his high E string broke near the end of the first set he played “Cinnamon Tree” solo because he didn’t need it for that song. Though, midway through, he realized actually he did. But again he made it work. Whether picking, sliding, strumming or soloing, that singular guitar was all he needed.

    Mixed in with originals, like “Dempsey” and “Letters,” they also tossed in a few tunes that weren’t exactly covers, but more accurately renditions of old blues tunes. The words are the same but in their hands the music becomes something quite different. You’ve never quite heard “Samson and Delilah” or “Smokestack Lightning” quite like they play them. They played a newer blues rendition that is still in “discovery mode” as they work through it during their live shows. Appropriately, it was an interpretation of “Death Letter” by Son House, who famously was rediscovered while living in Rochester.

    It could certainly be said after their second visit, that Marty O’Reilly and the Old Soul Orchestra have officially been discovered by Rochester too. Perhaps on their next visit they’ll outgrow the coziness of Good Luck. Make sure you’re there when they do.

  • Chelsea Music Festival 10th Anniversary will Pay Homage to Composer Clara Schumann

    Chelsea Music Festival announced the theme of this year’s program: “10th Season | 200° due Clara.” The festival in NYC’s Chelsea district takes place from June 6-15, and will feature performances by The Clara Schumann Ten, a distinguished group of female composers, whose inspiration is drawn from visual art, poetry, and letters and text from Clara Schumann’s life.

    Clara Schumann

    With additional venues and new partnerships, this anniversary season will be one you won’t want to miss. A full line-up, including the homage to Composer Clara Schumann, is available at the festival’s website here. Tickets are on sale now.

    Hailed by The New York Times as a “gem of a series,” the Chelsea Music Festival exists to celebrate great music by bringing together world-leading musicians and exciting newcomers to the international stage. Inspired by its Chelsea roots, the Festival seeks to reflect the creativity gathered in one of New York City’s most dynamic neighborhoods by presenting site-specific programs that span musical genres ranging from classical to contemporary to jazz. With an emphasis on Festival-commissioned works, community outreach, and education, the Festival also exists to create a gateway to music through the exploration and interplay of art forms – specifically the musical, visual and culinary – alongside an intimate and thrilling Festival experience shared by artists and concert-goers alike.

  • Hearing Aide: Vacation Daze ‘The Upswing’

    If you’re ready to step off the beaten path of musical genres, let Vacation Daze be your tour guide. The Rochester band’s latest release, The Upswing, leads the listener on a voyage through a fusion of sounds, to a place where the lines between pop, jazz, and prog rock blur seamlessly. Your destination? An exotic clime brimming over with effervescent sonic euphoria.

    Vacation Daze

    The Upswing starts with a twinkly, jazzy composition, over which vocalist Ian Egling sings about not conforming to norms and expectations. “I am no one’s open tab,” he declares early on in the song. The album then meanders through aural explorations, soaring to the heights of alt pop in “Faberge” and delving deep into some funky soul in the jam “It’s a Comet.”

    The dreamy guitar notes opening of “Tin Can Telephone” set the tone for the nostalgic verses about first love. “But I still see you in my dreams sometimes like some ticky-tacky tin can phone / Strung up high from the window pane of a future that I’d never know.”

    At about this point, it becomes apparent that this is not only a journey of sound, but also a spiritual foray, a vantage point from which to see the past but also turn to what’s on the horizon. In “Magic Mirror,” Egling sings about how easy things were in the beginning, “Then it’s one thing leads to another / And it becomes the common cure that ails you / Do you want to know who you are?”

    When you’re ready to take a sabbatical from the norm, seek out The Upswing by Vacation Daze on Bandcamp and Spotify. The album was recorded at Rochester’s Wicked Squid Studios, with Vacation Daze album art by Kitty Box Press.


  • In Focus: Tom Morello Unleashes Atlas Underground

    Tom Morello brought Atlas Underground Live to the infamous Irving Plaza, treating a packed house of young and old fans to his most ambitious project in years, on Wednesday, May 14 . “The Atlas Underground Tour is one-part Marshall-stack guitar-madness and one part bass-drop meltdown. The show will be an intense sonic and visual ‘less talk, more rock’ experience that’s somewhere between a crazy mosh pit, an illegal rave, a subversive art installation, and a prison riot.,” said the guitar god and social justice vanguard.

    The virtuoso has taken different genres of music and blended them like never before. A new mix of EDM and his powerful tone and attitude make Tom Morello one of the top guitar players in the style. Each song was carefully selected, paired with a powerful video message depicting giant problems going on in our society.

    The show touched all genres and aspects of Morello’s long illustrious career. With plenty of Rage Against the Machine Material, the set journeyed along with nods to a deep connection with his Audioslave band mate and friend, Chris Cornell, and an inspiring cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Ghost of Tom Joad.” During the final song Morello invited as many fans as could fit on stage with him; he blew the roof off the New York City venue with the Rage classic “Killing In The Name Of.” It was proof: the song’s lyrics are just as relevant now as when the song was originally released 18 years ago.

  • Hearing Aide: The Magnetic Pull

    The Magnetic Pull, a post-rock quintet out of Syracuse, put out their second LP in April. There are no vocals over the course of the 40 minute self-titled set, though the visuals are dense and the narratives vivid. Each track plays out like the soundtrack to a short film. Live, they have been know to pull-off an original live score to the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu, so this comes as no surprise.

    They leave the stories up to the listener; titles like “Pacipede” and “Know Seas” leave a lot to the imagination. The tracks flow fairly smoothly into each other providing a singular listening experience with multiple movements, perhaps different chapters to a single story. At times each instrument: guitars, keys, drums, bass, various electronics and samples, take on the roles of separate characters. At other times the instruments mesh in a show of force, pushing and pulling the energy as one combined sound.

    From heavy-shredding guitar swells and calming melodic piano breaks to reggae infused grooves, this journey has it all. Whichever way you imagine it in your head, it is sure to be a thrill ride of a listen.

    For the record collectors, The Magnetic Pull is being offered in limited release on 180 gram, coke-bottle green vinyl, packaged with a download-code sticker and eight-page anaglyph 3D booklet with 3D glasses. Otherwise, you can find it for download or streaming wherever you consume digital music.

    The Magnetic Pull will also be showcasing their new music at the Flyday Music Festival in East Durham, NY today, Friday.

    Key tracks: Pacipede, KGBFF, Townhouse Township

  • Griz Ride Waves Tour rolls into Brooklyn’s King’s Theatre

    Griz’ Ride Waves: Season One tour rolled into Brooklyn’s Kings Theater last week. Griz is an electronic music producer and saxophonist from Southfield, MI who combines the saxophone with his self described “future funk,” electro-soul, hip-hop and funk beats.

    Griz

    Ride Waves is Griz’ fifth album, and came after a prolonged hiatus from social media and music. Griz used this time to hone his craft and travel the country while recording new music. He was able to recruit talent such as Snoop Dogg, Matisyahu, Bootsy Collins and Dram, as well as address social issues like gun control. He also recorded his first rap verse.

    King’s Theater warmly welcomed Griz and his openers, Dwilly and Yung Bae. LA-based DJ and producer Dwilly took the stage first and delivered urban pop beats and remixes that got the crowd moving. Yung Bae, the Portland-based producer who has amassed millions of streams on Spotify, followed with his disco-centric funky beats.

    Fans enjoy the Yung Bae set.

    The crowd was on their feet as Griz took the stage. His setup included a raised area for his DJ equipment and saxophone, and an area to perform near the front of the stage, with a huge LED display illuminating with positive messages. Griz was accompanied on stage by guitarist Muzzy Bearr, vocalist Chrishira, and horn/trumpet players.

    “Can’t Get Enough” featured Griz’ first rap verse, and showed his depth and talent. He sounded great and the crowd was loving it. The lyrics pulsated in bold letters behind him, and the light show was incredibly well timed.

    Guitarist Muzzy Bearr, Griz, and vocalist Chrishira

    The saxophone and guitar combination in “Caught Up” has a classic disco funk meets reggae feel. It’s hard to not start dancing, and that is exactly what the crowd did.

    “It Gets Better” emanated with positivity, and combined elements of hip-hop, jazz and funk into one danceable tune. The LED screen displayed the lyrics and was a positive reinforcement of the chill vibe. The crowd enjoyed the song, and was singing along in unison by the end.

    Griz seamlessly intertwines his funk and hip hop beats with positivity and the saxophone, creating pure musical bliss in Brooklyn. This show was an enjoyable party, from start to end, that is not to be missed.

    griz ride waves

  • Griz Reigns as King of Palace Theatre in Albany

    The Palace Theatre in Albany, NY played host to Griz and his Ride the Waves tour on Wednesday, May 8.

    Openers, Dwilly and Yung Bae opened the night and got the adrenaline pumping early. The front rows were packed with a high energy, young crowd and they were soon ready for one of Colorado’s best.

    The lights dimmed, and the bass began to rumble. Griz emerged and began to throw out some incredible lyrics, not usual for past tours. The show continued to bring out surprises including two different singers and two artists on trombone and trumpet.

    The energy, production, and bass lines, were all at full capacity all night. You can catch this energy yourself as Griz continues his tour west and is a headliner at many festivals this summer.

  • The New Mastersounds To Invade Brooklyn Bowl

    The New Mastersounds will hone in on Brooklyn Bowl Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 for two nights, back-to-back, in honor of their 20th anniversary of creating music together. The intimate yet energetic venue encapsulates the explosive nature of the band – that is, if their kinetic energy can be jam packed into such a short window.

    Each night will host two evening sets and a Saturday matinee. Friday will feature support from Lamar Williams Jr. on vocals, saxophonist, Jason Mingledorff and Mike Olmos on trumpet on top of the Leeds-based quartet. Doors at 6 pm. Set one at 8:45 pm and a follow up set at 10:15 pm.

    Saturday brings on a support band, Control The Sound, for an all ages show with doors at noon. Later on, The New Mastersounds reignite for a recurrence of Friday’s collaboration, mirroring an identical lineup and set times.

    The New Mastersounds

    Check out “Shake It” HERE

    The time to celebrate is now. The band’s vast accomplishments and endless discography is complimented by the recent 7” record release. A-side’s “Shake It,” featuring Brooklyn Bowl guest Williams Jr. and B-Side’s “Permission to Land,” featuring Jeff Franca are quintessential NMS, horn-driving and grooving from the start. Written and recorded in Denver, CO, the record was put out by guitarist’s Eddie Roberts own label, Color Red. The release coincided with the two-night appearance at House of Blues New Orleans earlier this month during Jazz Fest. Respectively so, it would only be appropriate to give New York the same courtesy.

    More inside The New Mastersounds:

    From Leeds, United Kingdom, to the heart of American soul, The New Mastersounds are intuitive to a sonic mold created by their audience. Over the past 20 years, NMS have emerged as one of the prominent bands in a new-funk scene. Elevator-esque consciousness fuses with razor-sharp funk and syncopated drums that results in a dancing frenzy.

    The band’s short instrumental songs, what drummer Simon Allen, refers to as a post-Grateful Dead jam band scene with a “snappy, quirky funk,” stretches across the pond. Distinctive as Tatton’s Hammond organ itself, the band shimmers, shines and grooves beyond belief. NMS are hard to stump, fueled by necessity, gritty grooves and the deep rhythms that leak through the cracks of a late-night dance club rage. New generations of people flood, in an overwhelming word-of-mouth craze.

    NMS engages the audience directly and harnesses their energy. All of this translates to a unique concept that Allen refers to as “believing in the groove.” By stripping the groove down and keeping it going, it makes the music consistent. Suddenly, fans hip to the groove burst out in dance. NMS generated this loop-like feel of today’s electronic music to give listeners something to hold on to.

    At its core, NMS found a common interest in Black American music in the 1960s spun by DJs in Leeds. EDM Electronica was hip and the band quickly began to add this ammunition into their arsenal.