Punk supergroup The Myrrhderers (as in, The Murderers) bring together prominent members of the North Pole underground scene for their debut album, The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas.
Al Frankincense (Dead Kringles), Elliott Gold (Prancid), and Bill Myrrhey (Sleigher) entered the studio in 2020 for an historic documentation of the North Pole underground Christmas culture.
Hard-hitting versions of classic carols like “Deck the Halls” and modern classics such as “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” pepper The Myrrhderers’ debut EP. The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmasmakes its worldwide debut November 20, and will be followed up by The Myrrhderers Sleigh Some More on December 11.
Discussing the first single, ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ Elliott Gold says,
Making Christmas punk music is a bit of a balancing act – you need to give the songs some kind of twist to make them work in a punk context, but you also don’t want to push a song so far that it loses its original Christmas ‘feeling.’ This is one of the heavier tracks on the record, but we wanted to put it out first because we feel like it captures both sides of that equation, without compromising one for the sake of the other.
Our scene isn’t gonna be around forever. Since Bezos came along, there’s been a lot less work up here, so most of our friends have moved south looking for a better life, and not to mention, less melty terrain. We figured if we don’t document this now, it might never happen.
The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas is produced by land-based producers Jamie Hilsden of Man Alive (The Militia Group), Corey Ben-Yehuda of Usless I.D. (Fat Wreck Chords), and mixed by Vince Ratti (Bouncing Souls, Brand New, The Wonder Years, Tiny Moving Parts, Circa Survive). Visit their Bandcamp to pre-order the album.
Long Island rapper Nikmoody has been writing his entire life, taking the lemons of life and turning them into more than just lemonade. Case in point: a 1,000-point scorer in both high school and college, Nikmoody transferred his passion for Basketball to the pen after an ACL tear, leading him to a Masters degree in English Literature.
Drawing on influences such as Kendrick Lamar, Atmosphere and J.Cole, as well as Nirvana, Moody creates a conscious lyricism with soul, amid a blend of grunge and boom-bap hip hop. With the release of “Either Way,” he shows growth in style, adding in trap sounds within his strong lyrical base. Experiences of loss and addiction have helped Moody find his voice, adapting his music as he evolves within hip-hop, which he considers to be the most descriptive art form in the world, when combined with pain and passion.
Moody released his first EP, House of Mirrors, in 2017 and hasn’t slowed down since. He has continued to create music, releasing eight singles, ten music videos and his 2019 EP The Quiet One. Moody has performed at SXSW in Austin, headlined at SOB’s in Manhattan and opened for Wyclef Jean, Dizzy Wright, Raz Simone and KOTA The Friend.
Nikmoody works with his passion and continues to release singles, including April’s “Hysteria,” which was written with the guise of trying to bring a unified culture to Long Island. While The Quiet Two is planned, Moody notes below in an interview with NYS Music that it may not surface in 2020, as new projects have his attention.
PeteMason: Recently you posted on Facebook: “I know I haven’t been as active on social media lately. It’s only because I’m locked in. We been experimenting with new sounds, new flows…New music coming very soon.” Inquiring minds want to know – what new sounds and flows do you have coming?
Nikmoody: There’s been a lot of experimenting in the last few months. I wrote that in my post because I’ve been digging into other genres like trap, grunge rock, dubstep. I’ve been trying to find a way to harness the aggression that lies at the heart of my music and display it melodically. It’s been a learning experience but I’m really excited about the direction of the new music.
PM: How has quarantine life been for you on personal and creative levels?
NM: Quarantine has been a rollercoaster. My family got sick early into the lockdown so that was nerve-racking and worrying. But after everyone got healthy, I was still unemployed and stuck in the house. It became a blessing in disguise because it was the first time in my life that I was able to be creative without being in school or having to work full time. It allowed me to broaden my horizons musically and try new things. It also gave me a peak into what life would be like when I turn my music into my full time occupation. That was quite beautiful.
PM: Speaking about sacrifice in an August post, you discuss everyone being on their own journey, closing with “But that is their journey, not mine. I still see 100,000 at Bonnaroo every time I touch the mic.” Is it safe to say that performing at Bonnaroo is a big destination on your own journey?
NM: 1,000%. I’ve been to Bonnaroo twice as a camper (once general admission and once with an RV) and I have to say those were some of the most incredible days of my life. Nothing but music and love in the air. I met a lot of people from all over the world at those shows and to this day, Bonnaroo is the most coveted memory my friends and I have. To play there would be a dream. Chance the Rapper on Saturday night of Bonnaroo 2018 is the greatest show I’ve ever been to. To imagine myself doing the same is fun to think about.
PM: You’re from Brooklyn and Long Island – how did growing up between the two influence your creativity, your love of music, and connection to others?
NM: Well I kind of split time with where I grew up. I lived in Canarsie, Brooklyn until I was 11. Then, my family moved to Merrick, Long Island. Although I didn’t spend my high school days in BK, the attitude that comes with growing up in Brooklyn still sticks with me. It was a drastic difference moving to Long Island. That juxtaposition is vital to me as a person. Coming from a small apartment in a diverse neighborhood and moving to a house in an all white town took a lot of adjusting for me as a kid. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up. I didn’t know how to connect with my classmates in Long Island. I liked rap, basketball and frequented corner stores. They liked pop punk, lacrosse and traded baseball cards.
It took me a while to fit in but I learned a lot in those confusing times. That’s when I really started to write a lot and just observe people. I never really hung out with one group of people, I wasn’t always with the athletes or the stoners or whatever stereotype you can think of. Fast forward to now and that duality is present all over my music. Learning to combine all these influences into one complete thought has been a challenge but when I do, you’ll know when you hear the song who it is because no one else could make it.
PM: How does The Quiet Two differ from past releases, and how does it connect to The Quiet Ones?
NM: Well I’m not sure if The Quiet Two will ever see the light of day if I’m being honest. I will be dropping some of the songs off that project as singles but I’m not sure if it’ll drop as a full entity. I’ve started working on something else that I’m really proud of. It’s early on but the music has evolved a great deal. It differs in the fact that it’s a bit more modern, the sounds we’re using are more in tune with the times but the lyrics and rhyme schemes have stayed in that old school realm of hip hop. I’m still the quiet one that you got to watch haha.
PM: When did you come up with the mantra “I can turn a negative into a positive with just one line – +”?
NM: I write lyrics on paper for the most part and I was just playing around with symbols one day and that line came into existence. I think it really represents what I stand for and my logo in general. While it looks dark and negative, it’s ultimately positive. We’re spreading hope at the end of the day.
Nikmoody now focuses on the one year anniversary of The Quiet One with the upcoming release of his new single “No Pulse.” Due out on Thursday, November 19 as thanks to his supporters for continuing the journey with him. Given the pandemic and artistic responses to increased isolation and time to create, whatever comes from Nikmoody will surely resonate with his audience.
Before moe. hit the Drive-In circuit this fall, they made a stop to the familiar confines of the Palace Theatre in Albany for a performance that was far from normal. Setting up in the lobby of the Palace, the band performed and recorded a ‘playthrough’ of their new album Not Normal, premiering Thursday, November 19 at 8:30pm on moe.’s YouTube Channel.
photo by Frankie Cavone
Not Normal is the second album to be released by moe. in 2020. The first This is Not, We Are, was shared with fans through weekly videos in May and June. There are no details yet on the five-track studio release, adding a shroud of mystery to the evening’s performance.
photo by Frankie Cavone
On Friday, November 20, Not Normal will be released digitally, and This is Not, We Are will have its long-awaited physical release.
Pre-order physical copies of Not Normal & enter to win a signed test pressing here.
This is Not, We Are:The latest track, “Dangerous Game,” written by Al Schnier, gives us two takes – one from the studio spliced with a live version from the song’s debut at the State Theatre in Portland, ME on February 16, 2019. Schnier explains about the song:
“This song came from me watching and reading a little bit too much news these days. I don’t want to say that this song is political in nature; it’s more about the personalities of the people in power and maybe the cult of personality and those things we all contend with. I don’t want it to come across as some leftist, liberal rant against the current people in power. It’s more a song about my personal concerns about anyone who would be in a position of power.”
Update: Twiddle’s Frendsgiving performance will now take place in Vermont this weekend. As reported by Relix, due to an abundance of caution for COVID-19, Twiddle have decided to switch locations for their annual Frendsgiving shows.
The crowdless livestreams performances were set to take place on Nov. 27 and 28 at Port Chester, N.Y.’s Capitol Theatre. They will now take place at an undisclosed location in Twiddle’s home state of Vermont. The shows will still be broadcast on FANS.
Original article follows below:
Every soul looking forward to Twiddle‘s annual Frendsgiving, which found a home at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester since 2017, bringing fans together for a celebration as the holiday season kicks off. Twiddle will continue the tradition over November 27 and 28, streaming a live performance from The Cap.
Pre-sale discounted passes and limited edition screenprint bundles are on sale now, with a general on-sale beginning Wednesday, November 18, at 10a.m. ET.
In the true Twiddle spirit of loving relentlessly, the band plans to donate a portion of each Frendsgiving ticket sale to the White Light Foundation in support of forthcoming winter initiatives. Fans also have an opportunity to win one of seventy-five Paul Kreizenbeck Screen Prints, seen below.
To win one of these prints, go to Twiddle’s Frendsgiving Facebook Post, tag three “frends,” and share your favorite memory of Twiddle at The Cap – extra points for photos, sharing, and making people happy – three winners will be chosen at Noon on Thanksgiving Day!
Order stream passes (pre-sale code: FRENDS). For more information, visit TwiddleMusic.com
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear the latest EP from Albany’s Son of a Gun and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Son of a Gun – “Call of Days Past,” “Wind of Change,” and more!
In Fall 2018 Ben Sokol (vocals/guitar), Tyler Treacy (bass) and Rob Piccola (drums) started jamming through a mutual friend who worked at a music store. Rob had a place to jam and Ben and Tyler had been playing together in another band that had gone through some lineup changes. It was time for something new. It was clear pretty quickly that the chemistry was good. Work began immediately on some songs Ben had written and as Tyler and Rob contributed their pieces to them an overall sound took shape. From there, Son of a Gun was born.
Ben would often (and still does) record rudimentary versions of his original songs with the basic structures and lyrics on an acoustic guitar, and Tyler and Rob would come up with parts. Those parts would almost always get tossed at the next rehearsal, the band preferring the material they would come up with on the fly when improvising off each other.
The songs still stay between the lines of the basic structure that was written, but they end up with a more custom paint job, and that can be true at live shows too. They wouldn’t consider themselves a jam band, but the hunt for new sonic territory is always there, and each show has moments of spontaneity. The band started to make the rounds locally, and sold out their first show at Albany’s Jupiter Hall. It was a kickoff to winning over audiences all over Upstate New York.
Crowds overwhelmingly responded positively wherever the band played, and their connection with the original songs was especially apparent, Lyrically the songs deal with subject matter that sometimes comes from Ben’s personal life, but other times the narrator of the song may be a character. Regardless, Ben doesn’t mince words. Whether he’s writing about something he’s been through, something he’s seen from others, or something else entirely, if you listen to the songs, you’re going to know how he feels about it.
The simple beauty that makes it work is that you’ve felt like that too. The band self-recorded their eponymous debut album at Rob’s studio (Sundog Sound) in Voorheesville, NY, and released it in January 2020, just in time to begin cancelling touring opportunities that had begun to materialize. The band did what the band does, and hit the rehearsal room again with a new batch of songs. As of this writing an EP has been recorded and the guys are working to get it mixed, mastered, and digitally released in the early part of 2021. The plan is to get back to torching stages as soon as possible, hopefully to support the EP that’s coming your way!
Despite anxiety and unease in the air all around the globe, Ithaca’s soul/rock/pop/prog ensemble Noon Fifteen returns to Finish What You Started, their series of thematic releases with a focus of confronting your fears. Three new songs from the collection — “Dinosaurs,” “Easy,” and “Scared To” — will be released via the band’s podcast and YouTube channel between Halloween and Thanksgiving, coinciding with the 2020 U.S. Presidential election and the waning of this frightening year.
The first release of the three, “Easy,” tackles internal and external conflicts that keep us standing still, pairing with the soon to be released “Scared To.” Watch the video from vocalist/guitarist Mandy Goldman.
Additionally, keyboardist Samuel B. Lupowitz’s composition “Dinosaurs” examines the danger and violence wrought by outmoded political philosophies.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has kept Noon Fifteen apart for most of 2020, the band members have remained productive. Goldman, Lupowitz, Harry Nichols (bass/vocals), Joe Massa (guitar), and Phil Shay (drums/vocals have released two standalone singles this year, “Thaw” in March and the found-sounds creation “Outside” in August. Pre-quarantine, on Halloween 2019, the band released their 22-minute rock opera,At the Festival.
The initial installments in the Finish What You Started song cycle, “The Cell,” “The Tick,” and the title track, were released in the summer of 2019 during Noon Fifteen’s “Julyfecta” run of shows. While those tracks were recorded in a tiny studio at Cornell University, the new releases continue the band’s collaboration with Chris Ploss at Sunwood Recording in Trumansburg, NY, with mid-pandemic finishing touches recorded at Lupowitz and Goldman’s new home studio in Ithaca.
Each of the Finish What You Started track is accompanied by an interactive 360* video, allowing the viewer to observe the band’s performance from the center of the recording studio. A behind-the-scenes podcast, hosted by Dan Cole, founder and longtime host of WVBR-FM’s “Tuesdays with the Band,” will reveal details about the writing and recording of the songs, as well as the band’s influences, inspirations, and offbeat sense of humor.
Since their 2017 debut,Volume 1, Noon Fifteen has leveraged a why-not, can-do attitude and a proudly DIY aesthetic to present their music to the world. As we said of their debut, Noon Fifteen is “a small town band with a big imagination,” with five friends aiming to deliver fun, forward-thinking songs bathed in layered vocals and old school instrumentation.
The final installments of Finish What You Started will be released in 2021.
The election may be over, but the people and causes that pushed for change are still making their voices heard. “The Ultimate Litmus” was written by Carlos Henriquez and Jenny Hersch, in response to the protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd. The pair have produced an accompanying music video for the song, featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis on both vocals and trumpet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5N6FCNN8X4
Hersch says of the song,
I wrote a verse of poetry on June 2. It just poured out. On June 9, I wrote verses two and three. I have poetic thoughts but I don’t often write them down. Carlos Henriquez (bassist and arranger, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra) and I have worked on several projects together over the past few years involving music for kids. I sent him the lyrics and asked him to write a brass band arrangement.
Jenny Hersch
Using a New Orleans street sound seemed to be the best choice given the circumstances behind the lyrics, with emotion and energy being simultaneously expressed.
I gave the vocals a try in a rhythmic spoken-word style over Carlos’s MIDI file and immediately called Bryan R. Smith, a photographer friend in NYC to ask for the use of the protest pictures he took in New York, Washington D.C. and Minnesota. Carlos then called Dwight Adams (trumpet), Jeffrey Miller (trombone), Ibanda Ruhumbika (tuba) and Ali Jackson (percussion) to record their parts from home.
Jenny Hersch
With the track laid down, Carlos played a rough audio mix of “The Ultimate Litmus” for Wynton Marsalis in early September. Marsalis was moved by the project and offered to recorded the vocal track and a trumpet solo, which he did in early October.
Protesters walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on June 6, 2020 in New York. Photo by Bryan Smith
The video was assembled by a team of recent Berklee College graduate Alex Leiva (sound) and Shannon Magnaldi (video), a recent Massachusetts College of Art grad. “The Ultimate Litmus” features Dwight Adams and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Jeffery Miller (trombone), Ibanda Ruhumbika (tuba), and Ali Jackson (percussion).
Lyrics for The Ultimate Litmus, by Jenny Hersch
A bottomless pit of pandemonium A breaking point? A tipping point? No quick fix outcome
A state of being? A state of mind? Is it an absence of mind? Where is the presence of mind?
Confusion …. Delusion No illusions No stop gap brawl In it for the long haul
A faction reaction No abstraction Identity …. Integrity Conformity …. Community
Relationships based on tolerance not trust? Is it them or is it US?
Protest No contest 24 7 With no rest
Pros and cons A long list at best Overwhelmed by stress In need of a life vest
Constitution …. Restitution Persecution …. Absolution Abusers …. Accusers For the foreseeable future
Civic values Civic virtue Reeling …. kneeling Rail against the curfew
Fleet of feet Running from a browbeat Bias Is a one way street
Who will bear witness The ultimate litmus A test of wills What values instilled
No justice No peace May wonders NEVER cease
ACTION Is gaining traction Words are not enough Need satisfaction
Lines of questioning Is what we’re expecting Fear of the unknown Will compassion be shown
What is the hold up We’re all thunderstruck No sit down strike Throngs are running amok
Painted into a corner No clear path forward Blurred on the periphery The slope is very slippery
Tears are to be expected We’re so disconnected Celebrate our differences While honoring our preferences
Human rights Are bona fide Like clockwork Like predicting the tides
400 years Of victimization We need a DO-OVER In this nation
Indie-Jam darlings Goosereturned to South Farms for their Halloween shows, held November 6 and 7. The week delay was due in part to the torrential rain that hit the Northeast in the last days of October, causing the ground to be too soft for vehicles to enter in Morris, CT. Fans didn’t seem to mind. Celebrating a week late, and turned out in costumes, they were ready for one final dose of Goose Drive-In shows.
The shows brought out fans, good jams and a couple debuts from Goose. In the first set of Friday night’s show, “It Burns Within” was busted out for the first time since 2014. The second set saw the debut of pre-Goose band Vasudo’s “Empress of Organos,” which segued into a cover of The Band’s “Don’t Do It,” a fan favorite. Later in the same set, the new “Earthling or Alien” debuted, with pro-shot footage released from the set.
Setlist: Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – Friday, November 6, 2020
Set 1: Lily’s Tiger > Butter Rum, The Whales, It Burns Within, All I Need > Secret Agent Man, Into the Myst Set 2: Empress of Organos* > Don’t Do It, Creatures > Honeybee, Your Ocean, Earthling or Alien?^, Yeti Encore: Ghostbusters Rap *First Time Played ^debut
Saturday was ‘Halloween’ for fans, with costumes galore and the final show for Goose this Drive-In season. A theme of ‘Donnie Darko at The Farms’ reflected on the 2001 cult-hit Donnie Darko, with band members wearing costumes related to the movie – Ric Mitarotonda in the title character’s skeleton costume and Trevor Weeks playing the role of Darko’s imaginary rabbit friend, Frank.
Debuts were on tap throughout the night, with an apropos cover of Echo & The Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” hitting on the Halloween and Donnie Darko theme to start the night. Two bands from the 80s and 90s were found at the end of Set one and start of Set two, with Tears for Fears “Head Over Heels” and Duran Duran’s “Notorious,” respectively. Original pairing “Seekers on the Ridge pt. 1” > “Seekers on the Ridge pt. 2” came in the middle of Set two, ahead of the ever popular “Hot Tea” and “Wysteria Lane.” A little more Tears for Fears came in the form of “Mad World” to wrap up the themed affair.
Setlist: Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – Saturday, November 7, 2020
Set 1: The Killing Moon*, Arrow, Doobie Song, Slow Ready, Jive 1 > Jive Lee, Head Over Heels*
Set 2: Notorious*, Tumble, Seekers on the Ridge pt. 1* > Seekers on the Ridge pt. 2*, Hot Tea, Wysteria Lane> Head Over Heels Reprise
Foo Fighters were the musical guest for the first post-election Saturday Night Live last night, which was also the record sixth consecutive show for the NBC late night institution.
With comedian Dave Chappelle returning for the second time, the first since November 12, 2016, which was also a post-election show but one that had a much more somber tone to it. The tone for the election results this past week would be set by the master comedian, who offered up a lengthy, thought provoking, and hilarious intro monologue.
Foo Fighters have performed seven times prior on Saturday Night Live, and just before the show announced via Pitchfork that they are releasing a new album, Medicine at Midnight, due out February 5, 2021. They performed “Shame, Shame,” a slow rocker that stands out as different than past Foo Fighters songs. Guitarist Chris Shiflett told The Brag, “It’s definitely a little different than anything we’ve ever done before and it’s a little bit different than anything else on the record, although the record has a lot of songs that are, you know, groove-based like this one is.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh_vJ-E337g
For their second song of the night, Foo Fighters went back to their 2002 release One by One for a fitting “Times Like These.” The true-to-the-moment version, with lyrics that are nearly two decades old hold true in the wake of a monumental election, with Dave Grohl notably repeating with increasing emotion, “It’s times like these you learn to live again.”
I—I’m a one-way motorway I’m the road that drives away Follows you back home
I—I’m a street light shining I’m a white light blinding bright Burning off and on
It’s times like these you learn to live again It’s times like these you give and give again It’s times like these you learn to love again It’s times like these time and time again
I—I’m a new day rising I’m a brand new sky To hang the stars upon tonight
But I—I’m a little divided Do I stay or run away And leave it all behind?
The first musical moment of the show, however, came in the cold open, featuring Alec Baldwin’s President Trump, finding the lame duck sitting down at a piano to sing a sad version of The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” The musical moment was a nod to the first post-election show in November 2016 that had Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton singing an emotional version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” with Baldwin even saying a line similar to McKinnon’s, “I will never give up, and neither should you.” However, this time the performance by the losing candidate was met with laughs from the audience, and not a somber reception followed by ecstatic applause as was the case in 2016. Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden and Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris also closed out their celebration dancing to “Lose Yo Job” as the open wrapped up.
Phish had not yet started their Fall 1997 tour, one that would be dubbed “Phish Destroys America,” yet they were already debuting new tunes for fans. On November 7, 1997, Phish performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, giving fans a first taste of “Farmhouse,” despite being there to promote the just-released live compilation Slip Stitch and Pass, before heading west a week later to kick off their Fall Tour in Las Vegas, NV.
As Glide Magazine points out, Phish was not prone giving names to their tours, but Fall 1997 quickly earned the “Phish Destroys America” moniker by fans, thanks to a controversial Ames Design tour poster used to advertise the tour opener at Thomas and Mack Center, althought the title fits the tour perfectly.
The performance on Late Night featured a stand alone version of “Farmhouse,” a song that lent its name to their May 2000 studio album. The mild reggae vibe brings to mind Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and could be found in Phish’s regular rotation beginning in the summer of 1999. Guitarist Trey Anastasio can be seen enjoying the guitar solo thoroughly during the more than four and a half minute version of the song.
Following the performance of “Farmhouse” and Conan coming over to introduce and thank the band, O’Brien said “Take it away guys,” and Phish quickly moved into the intro to “Mike’s Song,” as they might do in live performances, much to the glee of lucky fans in the audience.
Phish would return to Late Night with Conan O’Brien once more on June 27, 2000 to perform “Get Back on the Train,” which would also be featured on the band’s ninth studio album, Farmhouse.
