NYS Music 202​0

Category: Video

  • Wu Tang Clan and Texas Reunite for the First Time in Two Decades with ‘Hi’

    Wu Tang Clan released “Hi,” a new single alongside Texas, on Tuesday, December 1.

    Recognized as one of the pioneers of the grimy, raw, hard-nosed sound, Wu Tang Clan’s status as international stars is not to be underestimated. They were synonymous with New York for almost three-decades. Their reputation as one of the most influential factions in Hip Hop history has seen their popularity soar in nations throughout the world, one being Scotland.  

    It was February 9, 1998, when Clan members Method Man and RZA joined Scottish pop-rock outfit, Texas, on stage at the Brit Awards in London. The two factions were performing the remix to the latter’s top 10 UK charting single, “Say What you Want.” Now, over twenty years later, the two groups have collaborated on another trans-cultural record, “Hi.” 

    Featuring RZA, Ghostface Killah and with vocals from Sharleen Spiteri, the record came about during RZA’s time in Glasgow. Whilst the Clan head honcho was filming a documentary, he connected with Spiteri and subsequently contributed a verse the Wu Tang Clan track, “Hi.” 

    A fast-paced alternative record, the music video opens up with Top Boy actor, Kadeem Ramsay, watching footage of their iconic performance at the Brit Awards. The television then segues into a more recent interview between RZA and Spiteri in which they discuss their yearn to work together again. Ramsay’s character is a super-fan of the two groups, as his room is filled with posters, memorabilia, as well as a shirt with a picture from the 1998 Brit Awards plastered on it.

    Throughout the Wu Tang Clan “Hi” music video, he is seen performing routine tasks such as; picking out an outfit, driving his car and getting a tattoo. It is revealed that he kidnapped Spiteri in an attempt to get the two groups to collaborate once again. Spiteri responds by facetiming RZA, and after a short conversation, he obliges to the request. Spiteri and Ramsay then share a smoke, as she lightly ridicules his poor attempt at tying her up. 

  • moe. to ‘Play for The Palace’ on December 11

    moe. will perform once again from the lobby of The Palace Theatre, this time to benefit the historic and beloved Albany venue.

    moe not normal
    photo by Frankie Cavone

    moe. shared on their Facebook page:

    We set up in the lobby of one of our favorite venues, the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY, during rehearsals for our Fall Drive-in Tour and recorded the whole thing. Along with our playthrough of Not Normal, we recorded a full 2 set show that will premiere on December 11.

    With venues across New York State being severely impacted by closures related to COVID-19, the need for assistance for these businesses to continue to remain open is greater than ever.

    Join moe. on Friday, December 11 at 8:30PM for a special performance to benefit the Palace Theatre. Pick up Broadcast tickets and poster bundles here – a portion of every ticket and ticket bundle sold will be donated to the Palace Theatre.

    moe not normal
    photo by Frankie Cavone

    The Palace has been Albany’s iconic downtown landmark for more than 80 years, bringing the biggest names in entertainment to the Capital Region. The history and programming of the Palace is a unique and often untold story with roots dating back to the period of the Great Depression.

    The Palace Theatre was built in 1931 and originally presented vaudeville acts, feature films and later became a civic auditorium before closing its doors in 1969. The theatre maintains its original beauty and design and is a historical landmark in the City of Albany.

    The Palace Performing Arts Center was established in 1984 and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1989, created to operate the Palace Theatre. The Palace brings world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region, greatly enhancing the area’s cultural and economic development.

    Read more of NYS Music’s past coverage of shows at The Palace Theatre, and tune in for moe. on December 11.


  • David Jonathan and Inner City Bedlam debut with “No Collusion” Remix

    “No Collusion,” a remix from Buffalo’s David Jonathan & The Inner City Bedlam, featuring Chuckie Campbell, is the first single off 400, a project commemorating the 400 year anniversary of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade. The accompanying music video is directed by Alex Roje Felix of Earthbound Films. 

    Inner City Bedlam have a stated mission to break the boundaries holding back the inner cities of every city in the nation, to destroy racist ideology while providing the soundtrack to the inner city, and seek to change the face of American culture by providing outlets to educate the world about black culture through music.

    David Jonathan and the Inner City Bedlam create an expansive and kaleidoscopic sound, formulated around their love of jazz-inspired melodies and warmly sophisticated rhythms. In teaming up with Chuckie Campbell, they release a stunning remix version of “No Collusion,” which stands out for its modern, organic sound that is polished but not overproduced.

    inner city bedlam

    In addition to the edgy performance value, quality production and a balanced mix makes for a lively and stark sonic approach. Many subtle nuances are found in “No Collusion,” which adds to the richness of the track when taken together.

    Collaborating on “No Collusion” is Chuckie Campbell, an American recording artist, poet, fiction writer, editor, publisher, and educator who has been named Best Hip Hop Artist by All WNY Music Awards and ArtVoice Awards. Campbell performs with The Black Den, a six-piece live approach to hip hop filled with fluid instrumentation, lush musical arrangements, and heartfelt poetic lyrics.

  • Sawyer Fredericks Featured on the Next Episode of NYS Music in Motion

    We’re moving through NYS Music in Motion’s inaugural season with rocker Frank Palangi, and we’ve got three big episodes to go. Coming up on Friday, November 27, Frank welcomes Fulton County native, The Voice’s Sawyer Fredericks.

    Music in Motion brings together seasoned musicians from across New York State, who hail from or have made New York their home, with host Frank Palangi, a guitarist and singer from Warren County. On December 11 Palangi welcomes Wavy Cunningham and on December 18 he’ll sit-down with Dopapod’s Rob Compa to close out Season 1.

    sawyer fredericks

    Sawyer Fredericks won Season 8 of The Voice and has amassed a sizeable fanbase. He released “Born” on April 1 via American Songwriter. Sawyer has 12 songs on his latest new album, covering his journey growing up as a working musician. His “free range folk” merges blues, roots rock and jazz with real-time live instrumental arrangements throughout.

    Set a reminder below for Friday’s episode of NYS Music in Motion with Sawyer Fredericks.
    Subscribe to the NYS Music YouTube channel and get the scoop on Season 2 plus videos from across the state and beyond.

    Catch up With NYS Music in Motion

    Added Color performs “Something Better,” a bonus track to their NYS Music in Motion sit-down with Rocker Frank Palangi. “Something Better” is off Added Color’s latest “EP If You Had It All.”

  • Hampton 97 Announced for post-Thanksgiving Dinner and a Movie

    Phish’s now monthly installment of Dinner and a Movie will revisit a classic Fall ’97 show from Hampton Coliseum. On Saturday, November 28 at 8:30 pm, Phish will offer a free stream of November 22, 1997.

    Hampton 97

    Part of the Phish Destroys America tour, the show ranks as the 11th highest rated show according to Phish.net, and for good reason. The show begins with a 17-minute “Mike’s Song,” and 18-minute “Harry Hood” and closes with Hendrix’s “Izabella” – and that’s just the first set. Set two opens with 26 minutes of “Halley’s Comet” and blasts off from there.

    Released as part of the Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97 box set, just before Set 2 started, the audience made a group effort to sing “Destiny Unbound,” a song that had been shelved for six years at that time, in an effort to have the band bring the song back into rotation. The banter from Trey in response is hilarious and well worth hearing, and now seeing, on this week’s Dinner and a Movie.

    For the dinner portion of the evening, lighter fare is offered, courtesy of Nashville-based chef Ryan Poli, formerly of the famed Catbird Seat restaurant. Butternut squash soup with chipotle chiles and popcorn, a brussel sprouts salad, and a sticky toffee pudding with a spiced caramel sauce are on the menu. Recipes can be found here, and fans are encouraged to tag photos of their creations with #phishdinnerandamovie.

    The beneficiary for this weekend’s Dinner and a Movie is The Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.), a non-profit organization that seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. F.E.P encourages healthy food choices that reflect a more compassionate society by spotlighting the abuse of animals on farms, the depletion of natural resources, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the unavailability of healthy foods in low-income areas. Donate at phish.com/waterwheel.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Set 1: Mike’s Song -> I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Harry Hood > Train Song, Billy Breathes, Frankenstein > Izabella
    Set 2: Halley’s Comet > Tweezer > Black-Eyed Katy > Piper > Run Like an Antelope[1]
    Encore: Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer Reprise
    [1] Lyric changed to “Michael Esquandolas.”

  • Indie Rock’s White Cliffs Two-Lane Travel Creation ‘Six Cylinder Run’

    Ignition on, as we drive off into the horizon with Brooklyn based White Cliffs. The two-sided single, “Six Cylinder Run,” was bred from an impromptu cross-country trip, released Friday, Nov. 13. The single marks a kick off too future releases as we move later into the year.

    Rafe Cohan, aka. White Cliffs is a virtuoso of all things music with a slew of singles and EP’s being released since 2018. A musical chef, if you will, blends his talents as a guitarist, pianist, percussionist, singer and songwriter. Moreover, his producing talents fuse these ingredients to create a numbing effect, synonymous with wide open roads and endless travel.

    Photo Credit: Oskar with a K

    The title track, “Six Cylinder Run,” instigates the hype of a road trip. Suspended echoing-synth leads layer as Cohan sets off with his newfound friend. Tight drum beats prove calming as we move steadily down the highway at 75.

    Artists, and travellers alike, can relate to the bottomless feeling White Cliffs emulates across both tracks. He is nor here nor there, constantly in motion. Thus, the void is created. It is a void where musical expression blooms. We stew on its endless exploration. We harness creativity, but we never interrupt the drive.

    Last summer I met this new friend. I didn’t know him very well but we became very tight when he was moving to LA… He was supposed to drive across the country so I went with him and we made an EP starting with me in the passenger seat of a car with no real instruments, just on a laptop.

    White Cliffs
    Watch “Six Cylinder Run” music video here, released November 18.

    “On My Mind” gives you a second wind with a phat dub-bass ostinato. Written to back-half the trip, your neck begins to sway with the landscape. It’s getting late, but you seemingly rejuvenate, despite hours to go. The only gripe with these releases is the short sub-three-minute track length, aiding to an industry shift in a shorter attention span.

    Listen to “Six Cylinder Run”/”On My Mind” HERE

    ‘On My Mind’ is 2AM and you have hours ‘til you get to the hotel, pulling this U-Haul trailer and this is like hell. We worked on the songs in the hotel, we brought a bunch of gear with us, little synths, monitors, working on it in Albuquerque and in LA.

    Dubbed as a purist, and lost in the art of producing, White Cliffs opens our minds to the days on the road. Listeners relate, especially with touring or traveling experience that encompasses the music industry. Cohan has experimented and crafted, leading him to debut under the moniker White Cliffs in 2017. He has toured with Big Wild, Elderbrook, STS9, in addition to performing at New York City’s Panorama Festival.

    With this cook in the kitchen, passengers are left feeling incomplete in its length. The singles don’t transcend the journey, leaving us audio-less quickly. In hopes of accumulating a larger album, White Cliffs will certainly lure his future listeners into the carpool lane for one last late night drive. For now, toss both singles onto your road-trip mixtape.

    Take a deeper look into “Six Cylinder Run” and producing craftwork.

  • moe. to Premiere ‘Not Normal’ from Palace Theatre on November 19

    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.

    moe not normal
    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.

    moe not normal
    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.

    Read mo(r)e. on NYS Music

    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.”

  • Shubh Saran Becoming a Musical Medium of Genres

    Brooklyn based musical fusion, Shubh Saran, is Becoming a musical world map for genres. In a cell-phone driven society, you would open your GPS to navigate outward. Saran, 29, becomes a medium, channeling a multitude of genres inward and back out through his compositions. The Indian native fuses traditional music, with punk, blues, rock and his head-on studies in Jazz.

    The Delhi high school student made Berklee dream come true, honed his passion amongst a “best-of-the-best” melting pot at the college. He has resided in multiple countries, grabbing musical influence at every turn, and it shows. Now calling New York home, Saran’s latest creation, Becoming, is a must explore.

    The title track and lead single off the album was originally released Nov. 12, 2019.

    The 5-track EP is an navigation to new color palettes that will re-texture the ears of the most seasoned listener. The goal is not a means to an end; It is an exposition of clashing sounds that provoke a journey of unforeseen turns.

    Take The title track “Becoming” as example. Saran cresendos into a collapsing overture, filled with dual-drum-sets, arching strings and key pads. Everything peaks at once until Saran reels you back in with his ethereal guitar passage. It draws you into the basement of Berklee’s practice rooms and jam-sessions; the moment where you are sucked in reverse to the doorway, as an unknown musical fusion burst from its seams.

    Pairs of drums, Saxophones and strings create a flam-like density. An illusion of the same track being overlapped in slight delay should sound abrasive yet this creates an ever-expanding feeling. The 5:09 track feels like one deep inhale. Its healing breath ends abruptly.

    ‘Becoming’ definitely wasn’t written as the single off the album, nor was the EP supposed to be named after the song, or vice versa. As I started writing it, though, I began to realize that this is the anthemic song that really sums up the whole message of the EP.” 

    Shubh Saran
    Shubh Saran Becoming – Released February 10, 2020

    Saran’s musical quests become physical as he travels across the globe with his work. Strength, musical and cultural growth bloom in the cyclical nature of Suran’s playing. Most recently he took this EP on tour to with performances and workshops across New Delhi, Goa, Gurgaon and Mumbai. “I compose in a modern jazz sort of idiom, but I decided to revisit the music I grew up with as a teenager… it was Blink-182, punk rock, Green Day, the kind of music you don”t associate with ”serious music”,” Saran told Outlook India. Saran is giving back, filling the music void he had as a high school student. He excites the musical realm and young artists alike.

    “I’ve always liked artists who have long music careers, where their first album is really different from their last album, and you can see the evolution and influences over time. I’m just celebrating that by being who I am as a musician.”

    Track Listing:
    1. Becoming
    2. Storm
    3. Safe
    4. Comfort (feat. Hannah Sumner and JAE SOTO)
    5. Dust

  • Noon Fifteen gets “Easy” in new interactive 360′ video

    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.

    Noon Fifteen Easy

    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.

  • Watch the George Floyd-inspired “The Ultimate Litmus” featuring Wynton Marsalis

    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.

    the ultimate litmus
    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