LOCKN’ Festival is officially being postponed to October 1-3, 2021 due to COVID-19. The festival had originally planned to take place in June 19-21 of 2020, was delayed to October 2-4 of 2020 in hopes the virus would subside, but was officially postponed until 2021 on August 29, 2020.
The 8th annual LOCKN’ Festival will take place at Infinity Downs & Oak Ridge Farm on LOCKN’s 387-acre property located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Arrington, VA. The LOCKN’ 2021 festival will mark an all-star celebration of Phil Lesh’s upcoming 81st birthday, with the legendary musician performing alongside an array of famous friends and special guests over the three-day event. There will also be a special “Steal Your Thursday” which will kick off the festival weekend on Thursday, September 30, 2021.
A complete artist lineup and additional ticket information will be announced soon. Individuals who already purchased LOCKN’ 2020 tickets can obtain a full refund for tickets and camping accommodations or choose to have their ticket rollover to LOCKN’ 2021. LOCKN’ 2020 purchasers transferring their order to LOCKN’ 2021 will receive one free access voucher for all three crowdless performances from the LOCKN’ site by Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on October 2-4, 2020. There will be a lot of additional benefits applied per ticket type, with VIP Ticket Holders and Super VIP Ticket Holders will receive an invitation to a private celebration at LOCKN’ 2021 with complimentary food and beverages, along with some surprise guests. Super VIP Ticket Holders will also get a very special ride on the Main Stage turntable. GA ticket holders who rollover will also be entered to win a VIP ticket and camping upgrades for LOCKN’ 2021.
For people who are looking for a refund on their LOCKN’ 2020 tickets instead of a rollover can request a full refund of the total purchase price, including all fees. Requests must be made by September 27, 2020 by 11:59 PM EST. Refunds will be processed in as little as 30 days following the deadline; refunds will be issued to the ticket holder’s original method of payment. If no selection is made by September 27, 2020 orders will automatically roll over to 2021.
There is also the option for LOCKN’ 2020 ticket holders to donate their current ticket to LOCKN’ if they are unable to attend in 2021 to help to ensure another year of music and family on the farm. A portion of the face value of all donated ticket sales will be given to HeadCount to support its mission of promoting participation in democracy by registering voters at live and virtual events. For complete details on how to rollover tickets, request a refund, or donate LOCKN’ 2020 tickets, visit here.
For more information on LOCKN’ Festival 2021 visit their website.
File this one under so nice the Analog Players Society had to release it twice. The first disc, TILTED, is a percolating live acoustic jazz session featuring four of the genre’s finest players. The second, Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film, is a loop based reimaging of the sounds waxed during the former, a fractal audio swirl that gives props to the sample-heavy production of hip-hop’s Golden Age and a new kind of noir cinema sound.
The culprits behind this very forward-thinking project are the Analog Players Society, the brainchild of producer/engineer Amon Drum (aka Amon aka J. Amon). This heavy collective originated at Amon’s first studio, The Hook, which recently moved and expanded to be reborn as The Bridge Studio, a new Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based favorite of NYC’s most cutting-edge players.
Photo by Jude Goergen.
The APS collective features a rotating ensemble cast of some of the Big Apple best soundmakers. APS’ various projects, which are all decidedly eclectic by nature, carry serious strains of the Jazz, Dub, Funk, Afrobeat and Soul within. Analog Players Society’s 2012 debut album, Hurricane Season In Brooklyn, impressively debuted in the top 15 of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, and earned press accolades from NPR’s Fresh Air, Wired, and All About Jazz to name a few.
Fast forward to April 2019 and the Analog Players Society is reborn during a live jazz session produced by Ben Rubin (aka Benny Cha Cha) and Amonat at The Bridge Studio. Rubin gathered four of the best jazz musicians in New York City for the occasion: tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin (David Bowie’s last bandleader on Blackstar), pianist Orrin Evans (the Bad Plus), and the in-demand rhythm section of bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Eric McPherson.
The fruits of this meeting are featured on TILTED, which comes out today on Ropeadope Records. It boasts three lengthy explorations, all full of quirky creative turns and high-wire harmonic interplay.
Nothing like the tinkle of a toy piano to set the mood for this most unique cover of Monk’s angular and playful Epistrophy. McCaslin is the focal point for most of this 10-plus minute journey. He deconstructs lines and floats across Evan’s alternatively chopped single note support lines and lush, complex chord painting. McPherson’s unique drumming, evident on all the tracks, is at its most impactful here. He’s a man more inclined towards orchestral stomps, punky thunks and unexpected breakdown fills than cliched, cymbal-ridin’ chinga chinga cocktail lounge swing. To my ears, his style owes more to someone like Captain Beefheart’s John “Drumbo” French and the delightfully jerky time of Prime Time-era Denardo Coleman than traditional post bopper. And making this even more oddly Monk, Evan’s goes two hands for his solo here, one on the piano grand, and one on his toy ivories!
Photo by Jude Goergen.
On the other cover here, One Note Samba, the quartet wrestles a tasty dose of avant garde out of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s mellow bossa nova classic, with McCaslin tossing about the memorable melody, bringing a bit of sinister mood with the subtle delay and harmonizer laden on his horn. With the sole original, Freedom is but a Fraction of Humanity, what starts as a lovely, yearning ballad turns into a high-speed chase, with especially fierce soloing from Evans. All of these tracks are produced and engineered to perfection by Rubin and Amon, imparting a crisp acoustic experience, notable on Douglas’ deep soulful bass, and with tasteful use of electronic effects that give it just the right among of left field fun.
When it comes to left field fun, it will be hard to beat the second release birthed from these sessions, Soundtrack for a Nonexistent Film, to be released on October 30.
Running a little over 30 minutes in all, Soundtrack is comprised of 12 miniatures composed entirely lifted from short samples from TILTED’s tracks, seven by Amon on the A side; five by Rubin on the B side. These tiny gems are looped and mutated electronically to create a new kind of moody, one that is part street, and part cinematic cool.
The opener, Chase, features a driving 70s Miles Davis beat (think Al Foster on Agartha) on which Amon hangs an edgy bit of melodic sax, only to break the drive periodically with the ringing of solo piano chords and time changes. He gets extra points from me on this one with the injection of the fartiest sawtooth wave bass synth lines, vintage Krautrock or early ELP. My favorite Amon remix is Act Cool. It features a Hip-Hop beat under a warm, melodic acoustic bass, lush pads and McCaslin’s sax at its breathiest, a kind of Ben Webster Goes to Mars experience.
Photo by Jude Goergen.
Rubin’s five pieces demonstrate his devotion to in-the-pocket rhythms and dub mixing, most evident on the ska-infused Brooklyn Blackout and the jazzy blues of Starry Night. What’s a delight about all the tracks here is how the duo recycles and dramatically changes these little phrases, whipping them into a wide range of compositions, ones that always seems to milk something evocative out of these humble two-bar nuggets.
Key Tracks: Epistrophy, Freedom is but a Fraction of Humanity, Act Cool, Brooklyn Blackout
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, 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 music from Millington, Liam Davis, and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a 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.
From their album Beatdown Generation, Millington has played at EQX events such as the battle of the bands and Frogtober Fest at Frog Alley Brewing in Schenectady. Singer/Producer Cody Okonski learned a lot during his time working in Goldfinger frontman John Feldman’s studio. In that time Cody observed the techniques of Blink-182, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Sleeping With Sirens. Other members include Cody’s close friends John Bintz, Alex Maloy, and Brandon Rutski.
Liam, from Mount Vernon, NY, has toured with some notable acts in the Albany scene over the past few years. He was born in NYC and has been playing multiple instruments from a young age. His influences include Led Zeppelin, Jeff Buckley, and Stevie Wonder. EQXposure has also featured his song ‘In Your Dreams‘ and this one has a bit of a different vibe than that.
On August 29, 2019, MC5 founding guitarist Wayne Kramer brought his supergroup MC50 to Le Poisson Rouge in New York City to celebrate 50 years of punk rock greatness. The group consisted of guitarist Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), drummer Brendan Canty (Fugazi), bassist Billy Gould (Faith No More) and singer Marcus Durant (Zen Gorilla).
MC5 is considered one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era. The band performed as part of the protests of the Vietnam War at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that were broken up by a police riot. According to Kramer in an interview featured in the documentary “Get up, Stand Up,” the band played for over eight hours straight when the other bands scheduled to perform didn’t show because of the chaos.
“Kick Out the Jams” was released as a single in March 1969 by Elektra Records. It has been covered by numerous bands including Bad Brains and Rage Against the Machine. The band’s debut album of the same name was released a month earlier and was recorded at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom over two nights, Devil’s Night and Halloween, 1968.
The band played the entire “Kick Out the Jams” debut album. They also played songs from MC5’s other two albums including “Tonight,” “Everything” and “Let Me Try.” They sounded great as they ripped through their 80 minute set at the very intimate but temporarily closed Greenwich Village venue LPR. The show was one of the only three shows the band played in the United States in 2019 before going to the United Kingdom to open for Alice Cooper for another seven shows.
Brooklyn based alt rock band, The Upstart Crows, today debut their catchy single and accompanying music video for “Stuck.”
Lead Vocalist/guitarist Jon Adams.
Lead Vocalist/guitarist, Jon Adams, says the new single displays the “frustrations with feeling stuck in life.”
“Stuck is a catchy ballad reflecting on the frustrations of feeling stuck in life, waiting for change to come, and not being sure if it will ever come.”
Adams formed the band along with band mate and drummer, Forest DeCoste, in the basements on Keene, NH. The two made their way to Brooklyn where they went on to release their first self-titled album. The two recently parted ways, although both are on good terms. Adams says that he was in the process of looking for new band mates when the global pandemic happened, so in the meantime, he’s playing solo.
“Recently Forest decided he wasn’t interested in playing in the band anymore so he quit the band. We are still on very good terms, and we even still play DND every week. I was in the process of finding new band mates and moving the project in a new direction but Covid put the kibosh on that for now. So currently it is just me.”
Jon Adams
In regards to live shows and concerts starting back up, Adams says that we still have a long way to go, but he’s hopeful for the future.
“It looks like live music, for now, is live streams. But I bet we will figure out a creative solution to have live music again. I hear some people are doing shows at drive-in movie theaters now. “
Jon Adams
Be sure to check out The Upstart Crows past sounds and tune in to watch and listen to Stuck.
Wavy Cunningham, an Albany-area rapper who has shown much potential in the past, comes through with his first full length project, Club Wavy. The album is a product of the collective efforts of Wavy along with producers N-Pro, DJ Mercy, and Frank Finesse.
The album itself plays as if Cunningham and the production crew have a thorough understanding of old school and underground hip-hop simultaneously performed through a 2010 lens. Throughout the album, it becomes evident that Wavy is eager to make a name for himself in the current hip hop landscape; Club Wavy may very well be that stepping stone.
The album starts off with the swirling synth beat featured on “I’m Good.” Wavy immediately follows in finding himself riding the beat like a surfboarder, spitting bar after bar about his come up in the past few years. The track progresses into a familiar “Eenie Meenie Miney Mo” rhyme pattern which is both appealing as well as gratifying to hear those anticipated rhyme schemes fulfilled. Wavy continues to flex his pen game which remains impressive from track to track. As the album progresses, the production leans towards a jazz rap fusion with Wavy’s prominent voice hitting as hard as a hammer over synth jazz chords.
Wavy’s vocal performances throughout this project are as smooth as ever, whether delivered in a triplet flow pattern reminiscent of 21-Savage on “I’m Good” or in smooth R&B fashion such as on “The V.I.P” with soulful, crooning vocals that hit like Kids See Ghosts era Kid Kudi. “The V.I.P.” serves as an interlude for the album but still, even as a transitional track, “The V.I.P” carries an almost tangible emotion that brings the audience into the next half of the album. The remainder continues on with Wavy performing in his pocket over beats with a jazzy guitar chords along with classic trap instrumentals which allow Wavy’s voice to take center stage.
The album culminates with “All We need is Love,” an emotionally heavy track that honors the lives of those who have become victims of police brutality. “All We Need is Love” is ripe with emotion and showcases Wavy’s ability to rap while simultaneously narrating a coherent story about a young black college man who was subject to unlawful search and seizure along with a wrongful arrest.
Wavy closes the album out by remembering the lives of recent victims of ongoing police brutality and racial discrimination in the United States, humbly singing and asking a closing question to the audience,
All we need is love, when it’s all said and done what we do effects the future of our daughters and our sons. Tell me what’s really going on.
Key Tracks: Whattup?, The V.I.P. (interlude), All We Need is Love
NYS Music and Music Minds have teamed up to check in with musicians around the New York scene and see how they are holding up and how they are feeling about their craft. For this installment, we talked to James Casey, saxophone player of Trey Anastasio Band.
James Casey is an NY/LA-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer and composer, born in Washington, D.C. to a musical family, and raised in Phoenix, AZ, from where he left to pursue a Music Business degree at Berklee College of Music. After leaving Boston, Casey moved to New York to continue to develop his passion for making music.
Over the years, Casey has become one of the most in-demand sax players in New York and Los Angeles and has toured the world with multiple artists. When not on the road, Casey has found a niche in the studio, producing and performing for many different acts, including his own, Animus Rexx. Casey is also co-founder and owner of Aux Chord, an online live-streaming venue.
Adam Chase: What are the biggest issues facing musicians during this forced hiatus?
James Casey: I’d probably say: stagnation and complacency. We’re all in the same boat of not being able to have live, in-person concerts right now, and we have no idea on how long we Americans will be in this predicament. I think the worst thing any of us could do is to sit still and wait for things to get better. We don’t know what better looks like or when that will be. As of today, NY passed a law basically saying venues can’t pay for live music right now. And understandably so!
We definitely can’t be trusted to be smart about this pandemic…but we also can’t remain where we are. Live in-person concerts are only part of being a musician. We should use this time to shore up deficiencies in our playing/performing, begin (or finish) that project you’ve been putting off, expand your musical horizons, or even start a new, adjacent musical venture! There are very few times in life that you will have this much time as an adult, it would be a shame to waste this opportunity!
AC: Have you found and tricks to staying positive?
JC: Hah, well, fortunately I was able to make my way to Hawaii a bit before NYC shut down. Right now, being on Kaua’i, I’m able to go to the beach, enjoy the outdoors, and be in an environment where people take coronavirus seriously…but with no community spread. I don’t know how I would have been had I stayed in NYC, in my little apartment during this time.
As far as remaining positive is concerned, I try to continually touch base with family and friends…and I really don’t like talking on the phone or FaceTiming. I know that a lot of people are in a much more difficult situation than I am, so I try to listen to what they’re going through and respond positively without bragging too much.
AC: What effect do you think musicians can have on social change?
JC: Musicians are the amplifiers of ideas and feelings. Any ideas or feelings. If you say something in a chant or with a simple melody, it remains in the consciousness of the listener and will bubble up from time to time. If it’s a good melody, idea or feeling, the effect is exponential.
There’s a reason we still hear the songs from the civil rights era right now; not only were they great songs, but they all conveyed a great message, a great idea and enough emotion to keep them circulating forever. “What’s Going On,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” or even “Strange Fruit” (from before the Civil Rights era) are songs that have become timeless and will eventually be revered like “Amazing Grace.”
We as musicians have the ability to write these iconic songs and we have a duty to chronicle the era in which we are living. I urge everyone I’ve spoken to on this subject to “write that song,” “tell that tale,” and talk about the things that are bothering you because you never know who it will resonate with. It could be the next song to bolster the movement.
AC: How have you been using your time during the shutdown?
JC: Surfing! Hah, not really. I tried, but I can’t stand up on the board yet.
I saw this pandemic coming (to the US) pretty early. I live in NYC and there’s no way it wasn’t gonna get there and explode. So while I was trying to figure out a way to leave, I was also trying to figure out how musicians would be able to work while not being able to play shows.
The idea I came up with was an online venue…but I had no idea it would get as bad as it did. Cut to April, and I see everyone on my timeline doing livestreams on Facebook and Instagram. They were all asking for tips and basically busking. That’s when we put the idea into high gear and created a platform where musicians can do live stream shows of all production capabilities (living room to a huge theater or soundstage) behind a paywall. It’s called Aux Chord and you can find it at AuxChord.live. I’ve been spending most of my time cultivating and growing our platform.
AC: What do you want people to know about Aux Chord?
JC: Well, we put it together for musicians. Since its inception, we wanted to find a way to have high quality audio and video without gouging the artists. I’m an artist and I know how difficult it is to deal with venues, so we made the pricing structure as simple as possible so the artists get as much as possible. Also, I think every artist should do at least one livestream. It’s not as daunting as it seems before you attempt it. If I, a saxophone player, can do a whole show from a locked down island with no Guitar center and Amazon taking a month to deliver anything, I’m sure you can from the comfort of wherever you are! Plus, to all the bands out there, we have different venues and staging areas around the country and production capabilities from small venues to giant sound stages, so hit us up!
AC: What song or album would you nominate for the soundtrack to 2020?
JC: My initial thought was “Scream” by Michael and Janet Jackson…but honestly, if you just record someone falling down like four flights of stairs, then have them stop and stand up, only to fall down five more, that would be my nomination.
From August 26-27, 2005, Camp Bisco 4 was held in Van Etten, NY at the Skyetop Festival Grounds, marking the first time the festival was not held in Pennsylvania. The festival grew this year, and would return even stronger in 2007 at Hunter Mountain before firmly establishing their presence in Mariaville, NY from 2008-2013.
Camp Bisco IV lineup
This weekend in particular held additional significance for the Philadelphia-based hosts of Camp Bisco, the Disco Biscuits. Original drummer Sam Altman would be leaving the band after this weekend to pursue a medical degree. With the fate of the band, and festival in question, Camp Bisco IV: The Trance-Formation was held to send Sammy out on a high note. The band would later welcome current drummer Allen Aucoin behind the kit at shows starting that fall.
Map of the festival grounds
Ahead of Camp Bisco IV, Meat Camp Productions (now MCP Presents) took over management of Camp Bisco and, being fans, the band felt the festival would be in good hands. MCP sought to make Camp Bisco a larger event by moving to Van Etten, and drew a reported 4,400 attendees, the largest Camp Bisco at that time.
Camp Bisco IV offered two sets of the Disco Biscuits each night, as well as 2005 up-and-coming bands Umphrey’s McGee, The New Deal, Conspirator, John Brown’s Body, The Benevento Russo Duo, Brothers Past, Big in Japan, and DJ’s Christian Bruna, Omen and D.R.O. (Final Phaze NYC), DJ Mauricio a.k.a. Fractalien (Portland), and Orchard Lounge (Chicago). Many acts can be seen on the Camp Bisco IV official DVD, which is incredibly still in stock.
Friday night would feature regular Camp Bisco acts including Brothers Past, Orchard Lounge and The New Deal. The Disco Biscuits would kick things off with “Astronaut” -> “Shem-Rah Boo” -> “Astronaut,” the start of over 100 minutes of non-stop playing in their first set of the weekend.
Day 2 of Camp Bisco IV featured even more music, as well as overcast skies that would lead to rain later that night. Lynch, featuring Jim Loughlin of moe., John Brown’s Body from nearby Ithaca, the Benevento Russo Duo, two sets of Chicago firebrand Umphrey’s McGee, and following two sets of Disco Biscuits, the trance-heavy sounds of Simon Posford projects Hallucinogen and Younger Brother.
Big in JapanThe Benevento Russo DuoLynchUmphrey’s McGee
Camp Bisco IV boasted not only a family-friendly environment, with a family camping area and child play-park (Mulberry’s Dreamland) as well as the first time Color War was a featured activity during the day. The event pitted four teams of festival attendees (Orange, Green, Yellow, Purple) in friendly competition, reminiscent of summer camp ‘color wars’ of the past. Activities included volleyball, dodgeball, capture the flag, a freestyle competition and much more. The Orange team was victorious in the first event, now a staple of Camp Bisco, held at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA since 2015.
Color War schedule of events, as created by Yancy Davis
The emotional build up of the weekend would take place late in the Disco Biscuits’ second set on Saturday, following “Floes.” Jon “The Barber” Gutwillig noted to the audience that there were some in attendance that night who were at the first Disco Biscuits show, saying, “So we feel like we have a lot of the old, a lot of the new, and everybody came together up here in the mountains for a very, very special night. The Professor, his last gig on the drums. Let’s hear it for Sammy.”
With that, the crowd roared with appreciation as the band played “A Song for Sammy,” referencing songs he wrote, inviting him back to perform whenever he wanted, tying an emotional bow on the weekend.
Appropriately, the band returned to the stage to perform “Spectacle,” with lyrics that spoke to the closing of one chapter of Disco Biscuits and Camp Bisco lore:
Asleep in the day, awake in the night, only so many roads to take your life.
The problem you see, you can’t mess with time, and take a different road you’d try.
“Spectacle”
Special thanks to Camp Bisco Color War HQ for photos of the first year’s events.
Some of jazz legend Mynton Marsalis’ best work of the last four decades has been influenced by socio-cultural and political issues. In 1985, his Black Codes(From the Underground) won a Grammy, in 1996, Blood on the Fields became the first jazz piece ever to win a Pultzier Prize, All Rise was performed by Symphonic Orchestras all across the world in 2002, and in 2007, From the Plantation to the Penitentiary was said to “[reveal] some important truth about this country with a lot of anger and heart.” It seems only fitting that now, during this historical time of national protest, Wynton Marsalis release a new work that reflects on these human rights issues.
The Ever Fonky Lowdown directly addresses the racism, deception, and greed that clouds the country’s chances of human rights for all and pushes us further away from democracy. It was written in 2018 to combat human suffering and exploitation on the universal scale, but is now, in 2020, more topical than ever. The album’s narrator, “Mr. Game,” says it himself: “We are here tonight, but this is an international hustle. It has played out many times across time and space and is not specific to any language or race. It takes on different flavors according to people’s taste, but always ends up in the same old place.” These issues have been happening to countless all throughout history, and it is time to strip away the distractions to attack the injustice’s sources directly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IurvhGqimkY
The Orchestra singers act like a narrative Greek chorus and call upon several different forms of jazz, Gospel, American folk, swing, New Orleans funk, and more. The celebratory music is its own character and satirically expresses the joy with which humans hurt one another. The 53 track piece is both entertaining and thought provoking.
“Usually I research and learn a lot of new material for longer pieces. For this one, I went with music and mythology that I have lived. From the music my father and great New Orleans drummer and composer James Black played in the 60’s, to the funk we played in the 70’s, to the modern jazz we have been blessed to play, teach and shape over these last decades, The Ever Fonky Lowdown is an antidote to the poisonous (and largely unquestioned) cultural mythology that continues to infect our general quality of life.”
Wynton Marsalis
Marsalis wants the listener to question what is shown to him: the propaganda, media, and populism. He encourages all to look beyond what is shown to us and find our immediate reality and work to improve it. Essentially, The Ever Fonky Lowdown asks, ‘Where do we go from here?’ Marsalis answers:
“There’s no real answer on the Left or the Right. The solution lies outside of the game. But, we have to rise above our position on the board to get a broader view…..and then decide individually, if we have the will to fight for a collectively better country (or world) populated with ‘others’. It boils down to the basic question of predation vs. symbiosis—do we want to help one another or exploit each other?”
In a year where things can’t seem to get any worse, Added Color provides a rare hopeful vision. The Brazilian-American Brooklyn rock band returns with their new song “Something Better,” the lead single for their upcoming November EP, If You Had It All.
“Something Better” impressively tackles a myriad of problems plaguing Western culture without skimping on any of them. Using topical slogans like “resist” and “I can’t breathe,” it sounds like a socially conscious mosh pit. The accompanying lyric video complements the song with a staticky aesthetic, depicting this year’s protests, inedible fast food, and corrupt politicians. But despite including the likes of Donald Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, Added Color believes these presidents merely personify deep-rooted societal issues:
We feel that the greed, corruption, and cruelty that is embodied by world leaders such as Trump and Bolsonaro is a symptom of something that’s been decaying for quite a while now. A lot of people are depressed; a depressing amount of people are addicted to drugs. Police brutality is a massive issue—it seems we hear a new heart-wrenching tale of senseless loss of life on a daily basis. Access to decent healthcare is a nightmare for millions of people in what is supposed to be the richest country in the world. Fast food franchises reign supreme; it’s a challenge to eat decently in a lot of places.
It all amounts to a huge macro need for Something Better. The capitalization is not just because it’s the name of a song. It’s an idea for another world: one that we all deserve, and one that we can create together.” Of course, the song’s bridge decides that “Something Better starts with you.
“Something Better” precedes Added Color’s November EP, If You Had It All. The band is releasing the EP through Damp Interactive, in partnership with global distributor Symphonic Distribution. Recorded and produced by Johann Meyer (Gojira, Mastodon, Shinedown) and Jamie Uertz (Blind Melon) in Brooklyn, guitarist and vocalist Kiko Freiberg says If You Had It All is “darker, more political, and more powerful” than past projects. Drummer and singer Daniel Freiberg elaborates:
“The EP attacks the ‘free world’ as a society designed for failure, where corporations and government work hand in hand to thrive off the backs of the oppressed. Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to make the world pay attention to the societal diseases that plague our revered ‘Western Society.’ It’s time to make a change.”
Added Color has played in over 25 states as well as internationally. They’ve toured in Morocco five times, including at the 2019 L’Boulevard Festival, and played at some of Brazil’s biggest music festivals. Since the pandemic has stopped them from touring, they’ve instead planned live performances online. Every Tuesday at 3:00 P.M. ET, the band streams their “Chevy Expressions” series on Instagram Live.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CESO8ZHDjns/
Stream “Something Better” here, and visit Added Color’s website for more information.
