NYS Music 202​0

Category: Audio

  • Holiday Rapping: The Eight Rhymes of Christmas

    Christmas is here. Which means it’s time to deck the halls with bars of the holiday. So grab your cup of eggnog, your Santa hat, and enjoy this list of Christmas raps.

    Christmas Rap
    Remember the 80s?

    “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” by Tyler, the Creator.

    Inspired by the music and animation of Dr. Seuss’s “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Tyler took the reigns and composed a soundtrack to accompany the 2018 Universal Studios animated film The Grinch. Although a whole EP full of songs inspired by The Grinch can be found on Tyler, the Creator’s Spotify, something about Tyler’s typical cartoonishly deep vocal inflections make this song a true holiday standout.

    “Christmas in Harlem” by Kanye West featuring Teyana Taylor

    There’s something almost ironic about how Kanye, a man known for calling himself “Yeezus,” would release one of the 2010s most critically acclaimed Christmas songs. Originally released on December 17th, 2010, “Christmas in Harlem” brings us the best of both worlds around the holidays. Produced by Hit-Boy and originally released as part of Kanye’s GOOD Music series, “Christmas in Harlem” exhibits the raw talent West possesses when it comes to the meticulous process of arranging music.

    “Santa Clause Goes Straight To The Ghetto” by Snoop Dogg featuring Daz, Nate Dogg, Tray Deee, & Bad Azz

    Have you ever wanted to hear a gritty, G-Funk Christmas song that simultaneously critiques the modern commercialization of Christmas? Well, “Santa Clause Goes Straight to The Ghetto” is the song for you to hear this holiday season. Again, this song is a perfect blend of Snoop’s typical West Coast cool, calm, and collected rap flows while flipping the typical narratives driving Christmas songs. This song is sprinkled with social commentary and full of joyous Christmas cliches.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVkg5FM59NA

    “Christmas in Hollis” by Run D.M.C.

    If there were ever to be a rap song synonymous with Christmas, it would be Run D.M.C.’s “Christmas in Hollis.” This song may owe some of its notoriety to the hotly contested Christmas movie, Die Hard (yes, it’s a Christmas movie! ). Run D.M.C. trade-off shouted verses about stumbling across Santa in the park.

    “Christmas Rappin’ ” by Kurtis Blow

    For the next song on our list, we go back to the early days of rap when its popularity as genre was just becoming mainstream. Curtis Blow’s “Christmas Rappin’,” was released in 1979 and found instant success, capitalizing on two popular trends, rap and holiday music. “Christmas Rappin’,” was a product of two Billboard employees who recognized the potential for a hit song. They then enlisted Curtis Blow as the MC who would deliver this rendition of the Christmas classic “Visit from Saint Nick.”

    “Merry Muthaf****n Xmas” by Eazy-E featuring Menajahtwa, Buckwheat from the Lil Waskals, Will 1X, & Atban Klann

    Eazy-E isn’t referred to as one of the kings of gangsta rap for nothing, the twisted spin “Merry Muthaf****n Xmas” takes on Christmas music and is a prime example of E’s close ties to gang life growing up in Compton, CA. Everything about this song rings true to West Coast rap: the beat, the lyrical narratives Eazy-E and company explore, and, not to mention, the yuletide sampling and mentions of Santa that classify this otherwise raunchy cut as a Christmas song.

    “Nothing For Christmas” by Rae Sremmurd

    Rae Sremmurd’s “Nothing For Christmas” is the first song on our list that takes all the tropes and clichés of Christmas music and combines them with all the lackluster components of trap instrumentals. In a way, this song gives birth to a new musical genre – trap-mas music. And that alone gives this song an immense amount of bragging power.

    “Chi-Town Christmas” by Chance, The Rapper

    The most recently released song on this list, “Chi-Town Christmas” is perhaps one of the most emotionally potent tracks from Chicago-born artist Chance, the Rapper. Chance released a whole album’s worth of original Christmas music this past month featuring longtime collaborator Jerimiah. In “Chi-Town Christmas,” Chance once again takes center stage as the rap game’s family man and recites verses depicting a lowkey Christmas in Chicago. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Chance dabble in Christmas music. However, this is by far his most organic attempt.

  • Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio Surprise fans with “December”

    Christmas came early for Phish fans on December 24, with a 2pm premiere of December, an album from guitarist Trey Anastasio and Chairman of the Boards™, Page McConnell.

    The sessions from the band’s recording studio, The Barn, in Vermont, were recorded over the summer, of which two songs were shared during The Beacon Jams series this fall.

    The album features six tracks, all arranged for Page and Trey, offering a more melodic treatment of a few Phish ballads. The album leads off with Hoist track “If I Could” followed by “Mountains in the Mist,” and “Wingsuit,” “Joy” and “Miss You.” A 16-minute version of “The Squirming Coil” rounds out December, making it one of the longest versions of the song to date.

    December was produced and mixed by Bryce Goggin, engineered by Ben Collette and mastered by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Mastering, Nashville, TN.

  • This week’s EQXposure features Being Both, Girl Blue and many more!

    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 new music from Being Both, Girl Blue and many more!

    Being Both

    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.

    When EQXposure kicks off on Sunday evening, host Pearson will feature an hour of two in a row from a select group pf local artists. These two songs in a row will give a glimpse into an artist or band that reveals who they are and what they are all about, no matter how different or similar the songs are.

    Featured artists in this first hour include Slaughterhouse Chorus, Ferriday, Sarah King, Donnie, Elder Orange, Victory Soul Orchestra, Lorne Montague and Party of the Century.

    Being Both – “Picturing Picturing”

    Next, Pearson, features the new project from Christopher Brown of Troy’s Super Dark Collective, called Being Both. The debut track “Picturing Picturing,” from the album Her Words, My Mouth, is a beautiful tune of longing, with a subtle mellotron background set next to an arpeggiated electric piano.

    Also featured is a brand new song from Girl Blue, “Just a Dream” 

  • Sly Fox and the Hustlers share “That Spirit of Christmas”


    Saratoga Springs’ Sly Fox and the Hustlers are currently in the studio completing a new album to be released in Spring 2021. Ahead of time, Fox has shared a Christmas tune, a cover of Ray Charles’ “That Spirit of Christmas,” designed to spread some love this holiday season.

    Released on December 17, along with the snowfall, the song channels the Ray Charles holiday classic with Fox’s blues roots through his vocals and guitar. The single will be available for purchase on all streaming sites and all proceeds will be donated to Toys for Tots in the Capital Region during the month of December. 

    Sly Fox Christmas

    Sly Fox shares some thoughts on the song:

    I’m one of those people that loves Christmas music, especially the classics but this one is my favorite! I’m a huge Ray Charles fan and it’s a cover of his song, “That Spirit of Christmas.” What makes it stand out to me (among all the great Christmas songs) is the soulful message of the song with an emphasis on spirituality, love, family and trying to sustain those good vibes throughout the year! 

    Fans of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will recall the song from the scene where Clark (Chevy Chase) is in the attic. The artwork for the song is Fox and his sister on Christmas morning at 5yrs old with his first guitar. For more music from Sky Fox and the Hustlers, follow them on Facebook.

  • 27 Years Later: Phish Play Final Binghamton Show During Historic Run

    It’s somewhat surprising that during the storied touring career of Phish, they’ve only played five shows in the City of Binghamton. The last one of these took place 26 years ago today, on December 14, during a time that’s now looked back upon in deep reverence. December of 1995 was one of the band’s most formative and successful eras. In fact, tonight’s show at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena was deemed worthy enough of being the first official live release from Phish’s extensive live catalog. With a couple of classic song selections and some jams that are truly definitive of the band’s ascent, it’s not hard to see why.

    “Suzy Greenberg” starts off the show before a lively Binghamton crowd in grand fashion. Baby grand, that is, as Page McConnell takes a couple of spirited piano solos to the delight of all during this old school Phish favorite. The “Llama” that immediately follows sees him deftly shift over to the organ early on for a few more harrowing runs. Trey then quickly assumes command on guitar and leads throughout the rest of the way on the A Picture of Nectar classic that’s executed to perfection.

    Phish Binghamton

    This opening pairing is followed with another in the “Horn” > “Foam” sequence that comes next. “Horn” is played with no frills. But the “Foam” provides the first real chance for the band to stretch out a little, thanks to some exploratory solos from McConnell and Anastasio that do just that. These lead to a short but ever so powerful jam that culminates in a beautifully sustained guitar note atop the classic relentless rhythm of Mike Gordon on bass.

    “Makisupa Policeman” then produces one of the all-time most bizarre “keywords” from Trey, a reference about smoking a joint with Khaddafi in bed.

    While the “Policeman” doesn’t really do much, the “Split Open and Melt” that proceeds it certainly does. Jon Fishman pops right away on this one, delivering the signature opening drum beat, and doesn’t let go. He nails the song’s odd time signature and lays the groundwork for a pulsating, driving jam that eventually shifts into Type II territory before re-entry. It’s the first real extended jam between all four musicians and a sign of things to come.

    “Tela” then takes everyone on a quick excursion to Gamehendge, with McConnell handling the lead vocals and Anastasio providing the fiery guitar finish as usual. “Taste That Surrounds” provides a glimpse into the evolution of a Phish song. Now simply known as “Taste,” this is a primitive version that would be one of the last ones ever played before being further modified. Its song history provides full details.

    After a move by “Dan from Binghamton” in the ongoing “Band vs. Audience” chess match featured that tour, Phish’s second set begins. “The Curtain” is a more than apt opener that displays the technical wizardry and seamless cohesion that are staples of December ’95. Without even pausing for a moment, “Tweezer” starts up as soon “The Curtain” goes down. This serves as the meat of the second set, and the show really, with a jam that patiently builds and includes a distinct “Slipknot!” tease.

    Before it can fully bloom, though, Trey suddenly begins strumming an entirely different melody altogether and redirects the rest of the band through “Timber.” This is cast aside fairly quickly. Not long after the final “Timber” lyric, the “Tweezer” jam reemerges and Phish jumps back on it in a seamless merge through musical traffic.

    Fishman drives the tempo to a near-insane pace at one point which, when combined with Trey’s wailing guitar sound effects, give this one a true feeling of a train about the run off the tracks. As “Tweezer” comes to a surprisingly gentle landing, “Keyboard Army” emerges. This 1995-era special features all four band members on a different instrument at McConnell’s keyboard rig. Until it was recently dusted off at Dick’s in 2015, tonight’s performance in Binghamton was the final one played.

    Phish Binghamton

    “Halley’s Comet” begins the landing sequence for tonight’s show and features a sneakily impressive jam that revolves around an infectious Anastasio-created melody. Phish collectively toys with the tempo, once again ramping it up to extreme levels and stretching the first ever jammed out “Comet” to almost twelve minutes. A rare, late-show “NICU” then emerges from the ska-like outro jam and, with it, another mesmerizing improv-heavy jam on the tail end that takes it from a standard to a stellar version.

    “Slave To The Traffic Light” serves as a proper close to a set full of both patient improvisation and hard rock. And, after noticing a request for it displayed on a fan’s sign, Trey notes it’s “one they want to play” and leads the band through a show-closing take of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold As Love.” Phish left it all out on the table this evening in, remarkably, their final Binghamton show to date.

    Phish Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, NY 12/14/95

    Set 1: Suzy Greenberg > Llama, Horn > Foam, Makisupa Policeman > Split Open And Melt, Tela, Taste That Surrounds, My Sweet One, Frankenstein

    Set 2: The Curtain > Tweezer -> Timber (Jerry the Mule) -> Tweezer -> Keyboard Army, Halley’s Comet -> NICU -> Slave To The Traffic Light

    Encore: Bold As Love Phish Binghamton

  • NXNES, Sarah King and more featured on this week’s EQXposure

    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 new music from NXNES, Sarah King and many more!

    NXNES

    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..

    NXNES – “Phasez”

    This week’s featured artist is NXNES (pronounced ‘Nuns’), from whom you’ll find brilliant song crafting, with each piece of music is clever and well thought out, as it intricatley weaves heavy emotional content across an addictive and appealing set of sounds.

    NXNES’ music resonates deep, and is sonically wide, using rumbling low end frequencies and steady beats to leave sonic space for the listener to acclimate to balance of message and entertainment.

    The brainchild of Jo-Jo Rose originally from New Bedford, MA who now calls Albany, New York home. Striving to corral the culture’s hearts and minds into logical, self affirming, wellness by way of truth; holding a mirror to society and himself in order to gain a sober perspective of all things. His goal is to magnify and celebrate the greatness of blackness and black culture in an honestly unapologetic way.

    For WEQX’s Pearson, “every once in a while an artist comes across that is does something different enough to turn us on our ears, NXNES is that artist. While straddling pop, ambient, and free form, the music is so appealing and then there is the rich story telling, each piece of music tells a clear and concise story, which is exactly what songwriting is all about.”

    Sarah King – “War Pigs”

    On this classic Black Sabbath tune. Sarah King adds to the field of great artists who have brought a twist on this brilliant anti-war song. Gov’t Mule, Cake, Ween, and Faith No More come to mind, but none of those bands stripped it down and gave us such a haunting glimpse into exactly what disgust was buried in the fury of the lyrics and harmony.

    Sarah King’s acoustic rendition is chilling, and cuts to core of the song, a treatment so honest and pure that it is as powerful as the original.

  • Brother Kody shares debut single “This is Right”

    Brother Kody debuts today with “This is Right,” the first solo original music from Eddie Hotaling, guitarist and vocals for Albany’s Glass Pony. With a talented group of musicians lined up on the album, the solo indie-folk/rock project provides an outlet for music written and released as a result of quarantining this year.

    Included on “This is Right” are Scott Apicelli (drums), Drew Costa (rhodes) and Ominous Seapods‘ Tom Pirozzi (bass) who help bring this song to life. A song about the day Hotaling’s sister got engaged, his (now) brother-in-law invited the family and friends down to Queens to be there for the surprise. “I am grateful that my sister married somebody who cares about her the way she deserves and I was inspired to write this song about that day.”

    Brother Kody

    The name Brother Kody comes from Hotaling’s family dog, a Siberian Husky that he raised from a puppy when he was younger. The pup grew to be a part of the family, and the moniker Brother Kody stuck. Hotaling shares his thoughts on the release of “This is Right”:

    I decided to lead off with this song just because it was recorded first. Originally, I had planned on doing a full album instead of just a single. This is one of the songs that was going to be on the album but I wanted to give it to my sister and her husband as a wedding gift so as the wedding got closer I decided to go into the studio to get it down first with the intention of starting the rest after. Things got busy and I kept pushing working on the album back but I had this song pretty much done so I decided to just release singles as I finished them instead of trying to get them all done before putting anything out.

    “This is Right” was originally recorded at Blue Sky Recording in Delmar, NY in the fall of 2018, and free time in 2020 gave Hotaling a chance to add pieces to the arrangement and finish it up.

    Artwork for the album is by talented Irish artist Mairéad Hannon, who Hotaling met on a trip to Galway, Ireland in 2018. “She has a very interesting style and I’m very grateful to her for letting me use this piece to go along with the song.”

    Hotaling handles vocals on “This is Right,” as well as acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel, percussion, and handled recording, production, mix and mastering of the track. For more info visit Brother Kody’s website.

  • Neal Casal Final Solo Recordings Released

    The final two solo recordings from the late Neal Casal – “Everything Is Moving” and “Green Moon” – have been released across all digital music platforms. The accompanying video for “Everything Is Moving,” directed by Ray Foley, features footage of Casal from throughout his career, has also been released.

    The songs were initially written as early as 2013, but Casal, never completed them prior to his passing in August 2019. Over the course of 2020, Casal’s close friends and longtime musical collaborators Jeff Hill, Jon Graboff, John Ginty, George Sluppick, Jena Kraus, JP Hesser and Jim Scott came together to add additional parts and complete mixing on the tracks.

    neal casal final

    Working on these songs has been truly cathartic for me as I continue to process the loss of my dear friend. Neal writes in ‘Everything Is Moving,’ ‘I am just a shadow on the wall, you won’t even think of me at all.’ As much as Neal’s lyrics can be eerily prophetic of the tragedy to come, he was wrong. So many of us will be thinking of Neal for decades to come

    Jeff Hill

    The two songs are also featured on a limited edition 7-inch vinyl that will be released on February 26, 2020, by the Neal Casal Music Foundation (NCMF) in collaboration with Royal Potato Family, who released Casal’s final solo album, ‘Sweeten the Distance,’ in 2012. Pre-order for the vinyl edition is available now.

    All proceeds from the sale of the album will benefit the non-profit formed in Casal’s name, which will provide instruments and lessons to students in New Jersey and New York state schools, where Neal was born and raised, and will also make donations to much needed mental health organizations that support musicians in need.

    NCMF is being spearheaded by Casal’s longtime manager Gary Waldman and a team of the late musician’s friends. A first round of funding for the foundation was raised through a Kickstarter campaign earlier this summer comprised by two primary packages: a coffee table photography book, ‘Tomorrow’s Sky: Photographs by Neal Casal’ produced by Jay Blakesberg and edited by his daughter Ricki Blakesberg, along with a 30-plus song tribute album, ‘Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal,’ tentatively planned for release in Spring 2021.

    neal casal final

    Casal began recording “Everything Is Moving,” which in hindsight hints at some of the struggles he was facing, at The Stable at Studio G in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, around February 2013. The band on these initial sessions featured Casal on acoustic guitar and vocals, Jon Graboff on acoustic guitar, Jeff Hill on bass and Joe Russo on drums. Additional parts were cut in July 2020 w/ Graboff returning to play pedal steel and electric guitar, John Ginty adding piano and Hammond B-3 organ and harmony vocals contributed by Hill and Jena Kraus.

    With Casal beginning to envision a new album of solo songs, he started work on “Green Moon” at Castaway 7 Studios near his home in Ventura, CA in the summer of 2016, laying down lead and background vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and piano. Jeff Hill and George Sluppick would add bass and drum tracks respectively to the original recording in October 2020 to complete the song.

    Neal Casal was a songwriter, singer, guitarist, record producer, photographer, surfer and friend. Over the course of a 30-plus year career, he appeared on multiple recordings as a member of bands like Circles Around the Sun, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beachwood Sparks, The Skiffle Players and Hard Working Americans.

    With the formation of the Neal Casal Music Foundation, the body of work he left behind, including an extensive archive of unreleased material, will be reimagined to further shine a light on his artistry, while providing resources to raise money for positive change. Neal Casal brought joy to so many and, in his absence, the foundation created in his name will further that purpose. It also hopes to reflect back to Casal the beauty he brought to this world in pursuit of a life dedicated to music and art.

    Stream both songs here and watch the videos below.

  • Elder Orange, Fine Grain and more featured on this week’s EQXposure

    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 new music from Elder Orange, Fine Grain and many more!

    elder orange

    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.

    Vermont’s Elder Orange has released a new recording titled, “Brick’s in the Bathwater.” This release is a fascinating sonic journey, evocative and head bobbing, full of emotional voices, brilliant guitar playing, melody weaving, and genre bending. The album is a series of connected tunes that all work as one piece of music, one that is very inventive and unique in a world of singles that occupy the popular music format. This bold step of creativity is worthy of far more attention. Available for streaming on Bandcamp.

    Kicking off the show will be two new songs from Fine Grain. The first is a world premiere release of “Calculate,” available on Thursday, December 10, followed up by “Strings Attached.” Fine Grain is a weird punk/post-punk outfit out of the Capital District that doesn’t quite stick to genres. Their live shows feature antics, copious beer consumption and a lot of hair with a lot energy put into the music that even on record, they sound as though they’re playing in your living room. 

    EQXposure will also be featuring more music from Upstate Mixtape, Vol 1., a compilations of 518 artists, committed to amplifying Black voices and suppressing racism. One hundred percent of the sales of the release, will be distributed to black artists. Pick up a copy here.

    Upstate Mixtape Vol 1. is part of antiracist grassroots fundraising efforts, spearheaded by Jammella Anderson. Among songs contributed to Vol 1. include demos, B-sides, album loose ends and more from a group that showcases the multifaceted nature of musicians in the 518. This week you’ll hear JB and Victory Soul Orchestra‘s “God Self Icon,” NXNS “Motherbrain,” The Age “Take a Dive,” and Wurliday “Clyde.”

  • Post-Rap’s DIE the Monk Unveils Impurity in ‘The Beauty Complex’

    DIE the Monk is a music alias that explores the macro imperfections of the worlds porous skin. In his latest release, The Beauty Complex, the post-rap artist turns a musical effort emotive. Thus, dissecting brash human composition in real time.

    London born, Sebastien Carnot, deems the stage as his battleground, “where the enemy of the past meets the savior of self-preservation.” Likewise storytelling through dramatized musical ideas and industrial sounds are the essential elements to his craft. The Beauty Complex surely isn’t everyones spot of tea, but the inter-workings of the album shed light on modern warfare in the likes of self-destruction and social [media] evolution.

    DIE The Monk
    The Beauty Complex album art. Released Nov. 19, 2020.

    Carnot pursued the DIE the Monk persona in 2018 when he felt the urge to express energy outwards and publicize his secrets. The realization becomes apparent through The Beauty Complex: that we are all Monks, stewing on our own thoughts for better or for worse.

    I was aiming to create a dancy album full of industrial noises. Messages in this album surround feelings of concern for: self-preservation, mindlessness, over-thinking, and listening to your gut.

    The 9-track DIY opens with “The Void,” a ghoulish opera that crosses the threshold of your inner black hole. With no hope of return, the monk’s musical tinure holds true to the genres dystopian harmony. Immense reverb, choir like voices and a seemingly subconscious conversation drives the listener indefinitely inward.

    “Driver,” may have suited as a better opener, as it sucks you into a heavy trance. Envision London’s late night, underground dance tunnel thriving through all hours, until the explodes into a fountaining half-time.

    Point blank song titles provoke emotion in its purest form. “Timid” takes on a mystical intro. Opening with heavenly exploration, the music weaves into a darker reality of ones insecurities. Off-the cuff raps leave hints of social media and Instagram complexes, but in monk’s reply “I’m not a pretty picture.” None of us are.

    Influenced by artists like Shabazz Palaces, JPEGMAFIA, Xiu Xiu, and Macula Dog, DIE the Monk has carved an underground vibe that transcends pop-up backyard and basement shows. In 2018 DIE the Monk released his debut album, Privacy, filled with drama and dark underlying tones. In the last year a follow up album, Deep End, captured a love disaster, where on his third effort DIE the Monk states “The Beauty Complex is just the beginning.”

    The Beauty Complex is surely an acquired taste, yet worth the exploration in its musical and social exploration. The driving and infinite electronic colours will keep the listener entwined. No “Pressure.”

    More DIE the Monk on Facebook & Instagram