Upstate New York singer/songwriter Ian Flanigan today debuts his single “Picture You,” produced by three-time Grammy winner Justin Guip (Levon Helm, Hot Tuna). Flanigan’s songwriting features husky vocals and evocative lyrics that highlight the rural landscapes of his compositions.
“Picture You” seamlessly weaves intricate acoustics and lyricism across supportive cello arrangements and skillful percussion. The song in its entirety is concise, persuading the listener to play it on repeat. “When the world feels like it’s about to break…” the melodious bridge sings out to the listener “…I picture you,” illustrating the comfort in familiarity—a feeling the listener will become familiar with after falling in love with “Picture You.”
Flanigan’s sound — an eclectic blend of progressive folk and percussive finger-style — is reminiscent of the road less traveled, paved with poignant lyrical truths of his past. Ian is a celebrated Kerrville Grassy Hill New Folk Festival finalist, and Emerging Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Artist.
Flanigan has had the pleasure of sharing stages with Corey Glover (Living Colour), Sean Rowe, The Pedrito Martinez Group, Session Americana, Chris Knight, and Dwight Yoakam. Follow Flanigan on and Facebook, and listen to “Picture You” and watch “Give Me Color.”
Just in time for the impending summer heat comes the revival of the generally unappreciated sound of surf rock, unless you’re Quentin Tarantino. Then, a track off this album will likely wind up on your next movie, shot in glorious 70mm film. The Abyssmals are treading new water on their sophomore album as they explore a surf rock sound. The genre is very cut and dry – a good majority of the top surf rock songs of the 1960’s did have a similar feel to it.
But The Abyssmals try to break out of the mold by mixing in new flavors, both modern and classic. Where would someone listen to something like this? Hard to say. A slow cruise with the top down on a blistering, mid-July heat wave? Tiki bar party, perhaps? The tone of surf rock isn’t what people call uplifting either. It’s odd that it’s associated with relaxing at the beach at all. Nevertheless, it’s timeless sound, and The Abyssals have thrown a unique spin on the genre while flaunting their mastery of the quintessential sound of California’s beaches circa 1960.
The album is good fun. It won’t be in the Billboard Top 40 list anytime soon, but it could strike a chord with lovers of surf rock, grunge, psychedelia and even folk. The Abyssmals experiment with a several types of surf rock fusion, each of which has a natural and palatable feel to it, although the influence of grungy, darker tones can be found in almost every track. The album has a very familiar sound, but is also still very unique and almost indescribable. Listeners can pick out influences of anything ranging from Dick Dale to The Beatles, even Queens of the Stone age.
Listeners can enjoy a mainstream, stereotypical surf rock sound like in, “Enter… The Abyssmals!” and “For All Time.” Quintessential instrumentation will drop listeners right into the bench seat of a ‘37 Split Window Ford, racing to Bikini Beach. Modern recording tactics keeps the sound recognizable but modern and tasty.
But dive deeper and listeners will find a more unique blend of their influences. Songs like “Sleepwalker” and “See You Go” are built upon surf rock basics but are laced with psychedelia and indie. At this point, their sound is that of The Beatles meets The Black Keys. Lackadaisical vocals from Jarpon Reyes and Bob Forget are coupled with washy but sturdy instrumentation creating a unique atmosphere and a throwback to simpler times.
This will be fun to see live and there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Check out their Facebook events page for the full list of dates and try to catch them in New York and Massachusetts area where they’ll be spending the majority of their time. The album is up for download on Bandcamp and available to stream on Spotify and Soundcloud.
Last Pharaoh screamed out melodic power/progressive metal and neo-classical music at Orange County Choppers on Saturday night which left the crowd roaring for more. Influenced by Iron Maiden, Saxon, and Queensryche, Last Pharaoh was signed by Pure Steel Records in 2018. Their first album, “Mantle Of Spiders”, was released last year on September 21. After their ‘blowing off the roof’ rendition of “Bark at the Moon,” they treated the crowd to their soon to be released “Intruders” as their last song of the night (which will be on their new album and first single).
The four band members each bring a rocking history of their own and combine to a fantastic blend of guitar riffs and metal screams, Ron Toth on guitar, Michael James on bass, Ed Shelinsky playing drums, and Tommy Santangelo performing on vocals. They are based in the Hudson Valley, however, they will be coming to the Albany area at Chrome in Waterford, NY on May 25. Look for their music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple music, iTunes, Amazon, and of course, your local record store.
Setlist: Into the Darkness, The Headless Horseman, Jekyll and Hyde, Desert Dreams, Deadly Dreams, Machinic Non-Conscience, Slave to the Kill (The Son of Sam), Mantle of Spiders, Psychohouse, Bark at the Moon, Intruders
Pure emotion carried the crowd away
Michael JamesRon TothEd ShelinskyTommy SantangeloMichael JamesTommy SantangeloRon TothTommy Santangelo
Trey Anastasio Band closed out a long weekend run with the second of two sold out show at Brooklyn Bowl on Monday Night. Playing the beloved Brooklyn venue for only the third time, fans didn’t hesitate on packing this venue/bowling alley to capacity. This is one of the smaller venues TAB will play, but it seemed like Trey’s eight-piece solo outfit felt right at home in this tiny space.
The show began with “Blaze On” a song TAB debuted three nights earlier at Anastasio’s Me and My Mind documentary premier. The band continued in top form offering up TAB favorites Including “Alive Again,” “Night Speaks to a Woman,” “Curlews Call,” and “Dark and Down” before bringing an amazing first set to an end with “First Tube,” the Phish fan favorite.
After a short set break Trey and his amazing band returned with “Money Love and Change” where Anastasio shined with amazing guitar work. The rest of the set included speak to me, the first “The Land of Nod” since 2017, and a fun version of “Alaska” that the entire crowd sand every word to. The set came to a close with a smooth pairing of “Shine” into “Rise/Come Together.” The band returned for a two song encore offering up “Drifting” and “Ghost.”
Trey Anastasio Band Continues with a four night run in the southeast at the end of May as they prepare for a full card of summer dates. See a full gallery from the show Monday below.
Beginning tomorrow, keyboard maestro, Marco Benevento, will kick off a string of 10 summer tour dates with room for more to be added along the way. The experimental rock and jazz pianist will play two dates before hitting White Eagle Hall in Jersey City on Friday, May 3, where NYS Music will be there to catch the set in full review.
Armed with the rhythm section of Karina Rykman on bass, drummer David Butler, and a smile from ear to ear, every one of the trio’s gigs is a celebratory event. With appearances already booked at Mountain Jam and Levitate Music and Arts Festival, Benevento’s summer is sure to be as colorful as the stained striped suits he likes to wear on stage.
A taste of live Benevento
Ahead of the first release under his birth-name, New York City native Andrew Fox has been enlisted to bring his soulful psych-pop blend to both the Jersey City and Washington D.C. dates as the opening act. Be sure to check out Shock By Shock, on streaming platforms now.
Andrew Fox Debut Shock by ShockMarco Benevento
Tour Dates:
May 1 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – River Street Jazz Cafe May 2 – Ardmore, PA – The Ardmore Music Hall May 3 – Jersey City, NJ – White Eagle Hall w/ Andrew Fox May 4 – Greenfield, MA – Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center May 10 – Washington, DC – Pearl Street Warehouse w/ Andrew Fox May 11 – Harrisburg, PA – The Abbey (Free) June 13 – Bethel, NY – Mountain Jam June 26 – Brooklyn, NY – Industry City July 13 – Marshfield, MA – Levitate Music & Arts Festival August 7 – Big Indian, NY – Full Moon Resort
Update (2:52pm): Michael Lang sent out an email with the following statement:
Dear Woodstock Friends It seems in a way that history is repeating itself. In July of 1969 we lost our site in Walkill and with only a month to go we managed to move to Bethel. Woodstock was going to happen no matter what!
This time around, Woodstock’s new hometown, Dix & Watkins Glen, NY and New York State have been really wonderful. I went door to door to talk to the neighbors. Some remembered Summer Jam back in ’73 and were worried about history repeating itself. But they opened their doors to us and we talked it out. Many of those people have reached out over the last 24 hours with messages of hope and encouragement. The venue, Watkins Glen International, have been totally supportive and professional.
Yesterday, our financial partner, Dentsu-Aegis, made the decision to pull out and informed us that they were cancelling the festival at the same time they let the press release go public.
We have yet to understand why they would try to prevent the festival from happening by seemingly undermining us in this way. It is one thing to decide for oneself that it is best to move on, but it is entirely another thing to try and close the door on us.
Yesterday, I couldn’t help but relive that moment 50 years ago – it was “ déjà vu all over again”!
Supporting the principles of activism and sustainability are too important to be derailed by shortsighted partners.
We continue our work with NYS, Schuyler County and various parties to keep things on track.
Woodstock never belonged to Dentsu, so they don’t have a right to cancel it.
Woodstock belongs to the people and it always will.
We don’t give up and Woodstock 50 will take place and will be a blast! Thanks for Listening, Michael
Michael Lang, via email
Woodstock 50 promoter Michael Lang responded to reports of his festival’s demise in a Facebook post late Monday, exclaiming, “Although our financial partner is withdrawing, we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners.”
The loss of Dentsu Aegis Network‘s funding of the festival comes at a time when Lang has confirmed artists have been paid in full, a mass gathering permit has yet to be issued, and tickets still have not gone on sale.
Lang took to Facebook on Monday evening, saying the following:
We are committed to ensuring that the 50th anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name and place in American history and culture. Although our financial partner is withdrawing , we will of course be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners. We would like to acknowledge the State of New York and Schuyler County for all of their hard work and support. The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it’s going to be a blast !
Also at issue is the lack of a mass gathering permit, which would allow for ticket sales to commence. Per New York State Department of Health guidelines, a temporary permit is needed 15 days prior to the advertising or selling of tickets. That permit, as of now, has not been acquired by Woodstock 50.
While media outlets are reporting the festival is cancelled, Lang is committed to saving the star-studded festival from an untimely demise. He did so in 1969. Let’s see if he has another miracle up his sleeve.
This past Saturday, Dopapod returned from their hiatus at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. Fans flocked from all over the country for the show, which should say something about how anticipated this day has been over the last year. The weather was perfect, spirits inside the Cap were high, and fans were ready to rage. Dopapod was nearly back.
The show started just as any Dopapod show starts: lighting designer, Luke Stratton, playing mysterious-sounding keys from the front of house to set the mood. As the lights came up and the band walked out onstage, the entire crowd erupted in applause. Keyboardist, Eli Winderman, sat down and got right into it, starting into the opening riff of the quintessential “Vol 3 #86,” which had the entire crowd freaking-out from the first note. Right off the bat, the band was very visibly happy to be back onstage playing this music together and they were absolutely locked in with each other. (Stream Matt Moricle’s recording below or download here)
After playing through the main composition of “Vol. 3 #86,” Winderman took the helm with his Moog and the band was off into uncharted territory. The jam in “Vol 3” was very patient and allowed for Winderman and guitarist, Rob Compa, to explore different melodic ideas before locking in on a driving, synth groove that led the group into a mini peak, before dropping back into the “Vol 3” ending, hard. Bassist, Chuck Jones, immediately started into the heavy intro riff of “Nuggy Jawson,” an instrumental that’s very riff-centric and progressive. Following “Nuggy Jawson” came “Mucho,” the mysterious funky jam that provides an optimistic outlook on life. The crowd was getting down and singing along to every word, including the chorus, which is completely in Spanish. Winderman led the group on his Moog. The jam was fairly short and the band sang the last round of lyrics before having some fun with the clapping part, as the song ended.
Compa finally broke the silence and addressed the crowd with a “Welcome back!,” before starting the opening notes of “French Bowling,” a jazzy tune that features a lot of intense melodic lines. “Bowling” would fit perfectly in a spy movie, the vibe is almost Pink Panther-esque in the way it slinks around and leaves the listener wondering where it’s going next. At this point in the show, the entire theater was grooving and cheering at nearly every section change.
The jam in “Bowling” was dark and mystifying, led by Compa with a remarkable solo weaving through each chord change expertly. The group crushed the dubby outro of the song and used the energy to transition into the heavy rocker, “Braindead.” It didn’t feature a jam, but “Braindead” allowed room to breathe, making for an experimental, but tight version of the song. The slower “My Elephant vs. Your Elephant,” was a testament to Winderman’s ability to draw the sweetest melodies out of his synth. The composed section was tight and led the band into a groovy, bouncy jam led by Winderman on his Moog and organ. The jam never reached a peak.
To close out the set, the band dusted off fan-favorite “Trapper Keeper,” with Jones introducing the song as such. “Trapper Keeper” was one of the highlights, featuring the most exploratory jam that tapped into the use of space and ambience to create a wonderfully mystical atmosphere. Towards the end of the jam, Compa took an absolutely beautiful slide solo that seemed to be him pouring out emotions built up over the hiatus. After a powerful ending, the band left the stage and the fans were speechless. In-house set-break entertainment was provided as Stratton projected the movie Shrek the Third onto the walls of the theater.
To kick off the second set, the group broke into their recently released “Numbers Need Humans,” a funkier tune that’s never been played live before. The song translated to the live setting easily and the band was obviously enjoying it. Following “Numbers” came “FABA,” which is arguably the group’s greatest song. The crowd was ecstatic from the opening melody. “FABA” was another one of the night’s highlights; it was absolutely perfect front to back and by the looks on the members’ faces, they thought so as well. The jam explored a bit different territory, with the band locking in on a funk groove before getting into this rising, atmospheric groove that built up perfectly into the crescendo of the jam.
Winderman wasted no time post-“FABA” and started right into “Onionhead,” which was an excellent follow up to the 17 minutes of goodness that preceded it. The intro was extended and stripped down, before the band dropped heavily into the recorded intro and started into the song’s driving, bass groove. Winderman led the jam on piano, working around the grooves that Jones and Evans were laying down. Before starting the next song, Jones addressed the crowd saying: “Luke gets paid way more to light this song,” as the band broke into “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” by the Smashing Pumpkins, who Stratton has been working for during the hiatus. Apparently the group tricked him by putting a Dopapod song in this spot on the setlist, so Stratton had to light the song on the fly.
Winderman started the opening of “Superbowl,” laying down heavy synth bass notes that literally shook the venue. The jam in “Superbowl” was sweet and succinct, not going far outside the realms of the song. The upbeat “Roid Rage” came next, a fusion-esque tune that quickly got into a jam, which featured an incredibly impressive metal section before Compa took the helm and soloed masterfully through the quick changes. Up next was “Plaese Haalp,” off of the group’s 2017 release Megagem, played uptempo which gave it a funkier feel. “Haalp” didn’t feature a jam section, but featured yet another impressive guitar solo from Compa. Evans started into the groove of “Cloud World.” The song’s jazzy sound served as a nice follow up to “Haalp”’s harder rock sound. The jam section in “Cloud World” was very spacey and had elements of reggae, before the band started rising the groove back into the ending of the song.
Winderman thanked the crowd and introduced his and Compa’s parents, telling the crowd that they decided to play a song they were going to save for the VIP set: “Never Odd or Even,” the secret track off of the 2014 album of the same name. This was the live debut of the song, and it was a very emotional moment for a lot of lifelong fans. There were some heavy emotions flowing out of this performance, and it was the most beautiful part of the show. To close out the second set, the group kicked off “Bubble Brain,” another fan favorite and one of the band’s best compositions. The jam section of “Bubble Brain” carried some of the emotion from the previous song “NOOE,” as Winderman led the charge with an emotional organ solo that was a shining example of why he’s one of the best organ users on the scene right now.
The band took a very quick encore break before returning to the stage, and Jones started introducing the members of the band, asking if “you wanna hear ‘Trapper Keeper’ again? Absolutely not! Shame on you!” Winderman opened with the synth notes of “Freight Train Filled With Dynamite,” a powerhouse of a song that sounds like a freight train barreling down the tracks. Freight Train’s jam section had an overall jamtronica sound, with collaborative electronic grooves. The band masterfully transitioned back into the head of the tune.
This show was incredible. Dopapod was locked in with one another, the jams were fresh and explored really interesting territory and the setlist was phenomenal front to back. Luke Stratton also put on one of the most astounding light shows the crowd had ever seen, seemingly never repeating a single move. It’s hard to put into words the emotions the band conveyed musically, but one thing is very clear: all four of them really enjoyed performing that show and are happy to be back.
Dopapod, April 27, 2019 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
Set 1: Vol. 3 #86 > Nuggy Jawson, Mucho, French Bowling (1) > Braindead, My Elephant vs. Your Elephant, Trapper Keeper
Set 2: Numbers Need Humans, FABA, Onionhead, Bullet With Butterfly Wings (2,3), Super Bowl, Roid Rage, Plaese Haalp, Cloud World, Never Odd Or Even (2) > Bubble Brain
Billboard is reporting that Woodstock 50, scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 at the Watkins Glen International Speedway has been cancelled.
According to a statement released by the Dentsu Aegis Network, who was funding the event, “We don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock brand name.”
TMZ reports that Michael Lang, the festival’s promoter, was surprised by Dentu’s announcement and that, “they’re not giving up on the festival yet.”
The announcement comes on the heels of a delay in ticket sales, which were supposed to have gone live on Earth Day, April 22. The full statement is below.
“It’s a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment, we don’t believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees. As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network’s Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved.”
NYS Music will provide information as it becomes available.
This week, Rochester’s Haewa embarks on a four-show run in May, taking them to Albany, Plymouth, NH and Burlington, VT, then back home to Rochester on May 10, where they will open up for Consider the Source at Flour City Station.
Originally a trio, Haewa started in 2011 with a foundation of fearless improvisation. They soon transformed into the four piece band they are today, featuring founding members Collin Jones (guitar) and Ben Chilbert (bass), as well as the newer additions of Troy Evan’s (keyboardist/synth wizard) and Marco Cirigliano (powerhouse drum master). The band’s roots allow their collaboration to create a unique sound that balances the sonic landscape between utter chaos and pure bliss.
Haewa’s matured sound encompasses unique songwriting, in depth instrumental compositions, as well as pure improvisation and vocals. Combining the spirit of rock-n-roll with trance-like, electronic influences and funk, Haewa commands their audience down the musical road less taken, into a familiar yet enlightening unknown.
Catch Haewa in Albany on May 2, Plymouth, NH on May 3, Burlington, VT on May 4, and back home in Rochester, supporting Consider the Source on May 10.
New York City’s post-punk, pop outfit, The Goodnight Darlings, are cutting edge. Bred from the William Faulkner quote ‘murder your darlings,’ nothing stands on safe ground. At any moment an explosion of creative energy, or sound, propels the band into an epic dance-rock performance on stage. With the glam of a fairytale princess, frontwoman, Kat Auster, commands the stage instantaneously while her counterpart, Wilson Jaramillo stretches the soundscapes of rock guitar.
Catch them this Thursday, May 2 at The Cutting Room in the heart of Manhattan at 9:30 pm.
Bonded by The Goodnight Darlings, and marriage, Auster and Jaramillo are one anothers’ creative spark. Auster’s style is bold, flailing on stage in a exuberant unicorn outfit earlier this year. A perfect match to the screaming notes from Jaramillo and his cutting distortion. As it turns out, the duo has been proven endlessly. Kat Auster is steeped in the likes of Madonna, Blondie and, according to The Village Voice, “Gwen Stefani’s evil twin.” Likewise, she is an esteemed Juilliard graduate and appeared as an MTV Made coach. Going toe-to-toe in his own light, Wilson toured with The Fugees, Wyclef Jean and sessioned for Mary J. Blige and DMC. The Fugees dubbed Wilson as ‘the punk’ and ‘the scientist’ because of his energy and endless effects.
“You can’t be too precious about your work, or get attached to pieces of it. The way I understood it [Faulkner] was to make sure you maintain irreverence and freedom when you write. When Wilson and I founded the band, we felt this way, having traveled around the world experimenting with different bands and genres,” said Kat. “Then we changed the band name slightly to The Goodnight Darlings; the name has a darkness or a sweetness to it, depending on perspective. This dichotomy of dark, yet sweet, is very true to us – like a cherry-bomb.”
Photo by Donna Renna
The Yin and Yang of The Goodnight Darlings is further exposed with Wilson’s influences. From The Clash and Public Enemy to Jane’s Addiction and Ice Cube, the punk has plenty to draw upon. “YYY’s and Santigold are big influences because we come from the same school. When we started GND I wanted to incorporate a city vibe which was more electronic and hip hop, but not lose that punk rock edge,” said Wilson – as if music was second nature to breathing.
“I was still learning how to walk when music hit me. My parents would listen to music from Ecuador and groups like The Platters. I would get lost in their perfect harmonies and felt a physical lump in my throat from the emotions coming out of the speakers,” added Wilson. “I also would get hyper while listening to Little Richard and early Elvis…I have always immersed myself in music of all types.”
The Goodnight Darlings continue to test their musical bounds in a collaboration with Oklahoma City rapper, Jabee on “Start Up,” a single released earlier this year. What spawned from hip hop photographer, Robert Mayer, turned into a lifelong relationship between Jabee and the darlings.
“From the beginning, Jabee asked for my lyrics and wanted to really understand what my message was in the song. The way he approached it made me feel really at home. He’s a kindred spirit. His energy is so special, and different from mine. We play off each other and I think it makes for captivating moments,” said Kat.
“Jabee is another pro, very conscious lyricist and easy to work with. When we finally met him in person we knew he was family for life,” added Wilson.
The bands musical sense is also inspired by their bond which is nothing short of family-for-life. Bassist Joey D’Alessio has been sucked into this familiar world. “When we jam over new material, it really is like playing with my siblings. It’s very free and unassuming, but rocks hard. GND is extremely collaborative and there are smiles for days in the rehearsal room. We are constantly surprising each other and playfully one-up each other to bring out the best. GND shows are exactly that, a show! The crowd gets involved, we command the stage and by the first hit it’s a frenetic ball of fun.”
All that The Goodnight Darlings are, transcend from their music and persona to visually breathtaking music videos. Their 2017 release of “Carousel” is as colorful as it sounds. Driving palm-muted guitar rushes in with the changing backdrop-rooms in rotation. “Empire Vampire” contrast in a darker sheen, featuring members of Cirque du Soleil.
Aside from The Goodnight Darlings, Kat and Wilson create musical jingles – a polar opposite of punk-rock. “I think one keeps the other fresh. What’s cool about writing jingles, is that you’re like an actor. You take on whatever the client or product needs. We always aim to do it super well, so it has to become a part of you,” said Kat. “ You can learn a new vibe or approach. One time I had to sing a Kesha cover, and I never really listened hard to her inflections. There’s always something cool to learn and throw in the cosmic stew of our music.”
The Goodnight Darlings are more entity than sound could bare. More edge and less genre, always pushing new musical territory. Their excitement is evident and as the band continues on their DIY path, creative doors are held wide open. Push your limits Thursday at The Cutting Room and become apart of the honorary Darling family. Get your tickets in advance HERE. Follow The Goodnight Darlings on Instagram and Spotify.
