NYS Music 20​19

Tag: review

  • Hearing Aide: Acidhead ‘Distractions’

    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

  • Hearing Aide: Adapter ‘Period’

    Sometimes, often unexpectedly, life decides to take a plate of glass and smash you right in the face. When that happens, you can either retreat and regroup or take that sharp, broken glass and smash back. That is what Adapter did with their first EP, Period. This is a band with a chip on their shoulder, and the chops to go out and make a statement about it.

    adapter period

    First impressions as a modern mix between Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band are never a bad thing, but as you dig deeper you realize Adapter subtly carved a sound of their own. Their sound can loosely be described as a new aged hard rocking spin on classic blues; however, they possess the in-your-face rock and roll spirit that once dominated life for many. Even through headphones there is a sense of electricity and danger, both musically and lyrically, with explosive rocking chords that nearly beg to be vibrating wall to wall in an arena.

    Watch Adapter at Brew York Music Fest HERE

    Lyrically, Period is a familiar peek into a songwriter who has been damaged and cannot decide what to do next. The hard-rocking opening track “The Pains” delves deep into the mental struggle of whether to go back to a lover who has hurt you. This all too human battle continues as the EP continues with “Mean Bitch Blues,” where the band transports you to that dark unknown where you don’t know what to do next now that it has all ended except express anger and sadness. While only five songs, Period gives a good snapshot of the band’s capabilities melding between hard rock, trippy blues, and a more subtle, lighter side at times. Already sounding like a refined, authoritative group, Adapter will be a fun band to watch grow as they continue making music.

    Key Tracks: The Pains,  Josephine, Alone

  • Hearing Aide: Silver Relics ‘Generic.’

    New York City based duo, Silver Relics, is Alex Sepassi and Justin Alvis. Their latest release, Generic., is anything but what the title suggests. Sepassi started writing songs and singing at the age of ten, and over the years his craft has been incorporating elements of the influences he listens to. This runs anywhere from 80’s indie rock and post-punk, to 90’s grunge. The duo’s songwriting first philosophy lends itself to this easy-listening album. The familiar song structures and melodic phrases give heed to pop-punk, while the instrumentation is rich and intriguing, with aspects of countless genres woven throughout the songs. Each tune brandishes a fun chorus, while the verses and intermittent instrumental parts hash out the soundscapes that Silver Relics build.

    The production on this album is a bright spot. Sepassi has worked with New York producer, Howie Beno, since meeting him in 2016. The skills he’s honed in those years, evinced by the loaded yet not bloated instrumentals. The second song, “Generic,” opens with a cinematic string intro that eventually turns into an quasi-prog rock song with shoegaze elements interspersed throughout. Here, the verse and chorus are well defined apart from each other, and flow well in and out. While the songs are not structurally challenging or progressive, the way the atmosphere changes between these parts is noted and appreciated as a transition mechanism.

    A standout song with a lot of grit, ‘Timebomb’, offers an edgier look at the band. Much of the song is unrelenting; its furious intro leads the listener into an anthemic chorus, as a beautifully effected shoegazuing guitar outlines the nuances in the chord progression. For fans of shoegaze like My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive, this album provides a shmorgishborg of tried-and-true shoegaze guitar tones that sit well on top of vintage synths and spry drums. The tenth track, “Yellow Master Motive” opens with a very intricate vocal part, performed to great effect. The opening instrumental that follows is lush and sits well behind the spotlighted vocals. There’s a lot of moving parts here, as the song slowly builds up into a rock anthem.

    Overall, Generic. was an exciting listen. The energy is kept up, as Silver Relics blast out earworm after earworm while leaving traces of their influences hidden underneath the solid base of the song. The songwriting first philosophy the group took in recording this record really shows. What the songs lack in compositional variety, they make up with instrumental diversity. Huge ranges of tonality come together as a woven basket, with each influence offering an essential purpose to the whole product. Generic. is streaming now!

    Key Tracks: Time Bomb, Yellow Master Motive, Wanderlust

  • Hearing Aide: The Abyssmals ‘Gospels, Hymns and Other Trash’

    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.

    abyssmals

    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.

    Key Tracks: For All Time, Sleepwalker, See You Go


  • Song Premiere: Megg Farrell And Friends to Release ‘Blues in the Womb’

    Coming this April, Megg Farrell & Friends will release their first country-influenced album. Farrell is a seasoned jazz musician and is now trying her hand at the country scene with their song “Blues in the Womb.”

    The new direction is a result of years of musical experience, as well as a plethora of genres and influences. Megg Farrell & Friends stems from country roots, but dives deeper where listeners will find there’s so much to pick apart and enjoy. Now, this is arguably not their most exciting track, but it will strike some amount of curiosity into anyone who remotely appreciates jazz, country, bluegrass and pop. Weird combo, eh? Well this track is the quite contrary to weird. It’s buttery, exotic, organic and plain fun.

    There’s so much to unpack here. Warm, jazzy guitar lulls us into the space with Farrell’s complementary airy and chipper vocals, setting a sultry scene. The album’s party trick of including country into its jazz roots pops up once again when quintessential bluegrass brush drumming solidifies the beat as a dobro lazily glides around in the background. At this point, listeners may feel compelled to grab a grass skirt, coconut bra and fruity drink, because this sounds very tropical… But wait. Just like that, a clave beat swings in, one that is used very often in jazz music. In this case, it’s a little more aggressive which helps pick up the pace and energy.

    https://youtu.be/42Nu-ZGaQg8

    Now fully immersed in the space they’ve created, listeners can finally relish in Farrell’s outstanding vocal creativity and range. It resembles something similar to Regina Spektor or Fiona Apple, but more full and clean cut. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have fun though. Her range is phenomenal and the fact she is able to produce such a full sound at such a low register is telling of how talented she is. To the untrained ear it might not be so impressive but rest assured, it’s not something that’s learned overnight. Just as easily as she hits the low notes, she bangs the higher register without hesitation.

    The track finishes with an abstract but palatable solo from an unnamed sax player and a sudden drop off. The track may have felt more tied together if each player had a chance to solo, but they’ll likely have the liberty to flaunt their talents in a live setting. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for upcoming events and news – they’ll be skating around New York for the next few months.

    Again, “Blues in the Womb” is not the ambassador for the remainder of the album. Rather, the song shows how raw talent can pull in vast influences into one track to create something smooth and natural. Although people might shy away when they hear the word “country,” it’s highly encouraged listeners of all types try this one from beginning to end; it’s a near guarantee there’s something that everyone can enjoy. The album drops on April 5 on all major streaming services.

  • Hearing Aide: Bruiser and Bicycle ‘Woods Come Find Me’

    This is Bruiser and Bicycle’s second stab at an album and they have found something worth sticking to. Nick Whittemore and Keegan Graziane decided to make a change of tone and left their first albums, post-punk basement-core group with dark undertones and synesthetic lyrics, as they described it on their Promo Juke Box page. Now, they are pursuing an indie, psychedelic and eccentric writing style that keeps the album spicy and plain fun to listen to.

    They burst out of the gates with a quintessential indie and energetic tone in “The Train,” which is broken up by odd vocals choices. As for as an intro goes, it’s definitely exciting but feels like a big tease. A huge build up, and then drop off. No big jumps or launches. But listen on and you’ll see it’s not their style.

    “Casper” moves into their straightforward, folky roots and we begin to realize how their vocal style and tone separates this group from others. It’s not too deep in terms of production – we hear straightforward instrumentation, but also an omnidirectional and engaging sound. The duo showcases their lead guitar skills with a call and response from two very different voices. Static and distortion precedes a clean and spacious sound but both work over just the a-persistent, folksy guitar riff. It’s brilliant!

    “Woods”  is about as mainstream as the group gets. Without the electronic and quirky touches, we can see how well tuned into the music industry these two are. They know what works and they can recreate popular sounds but make it their own. That’s not a skills everyone has. However, we find ourselves on the other side of the spectrum with “Yonder”  – it’s an acid trip compared to “Woods.” We get very trippy and lazy vocals, omnidirectional and experimental instrumentation and some guitar licks that are plain discomforting. Lets just say the chorus isn’t something you’ll be whistling along to at work.

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