Evan Alexander Moore dropped his debut album The Perennial Millennial is a defining snapshot of our time on May 22, 2020. A quirky social commentary on the American millennial experience in 2020, it’s a concept album through and through. In its sprawling length of 70 minutes, the NYC singer-songwriter tackles capitalism, the ruling class, and most entertainingly, “millennials are destroying x industry” clickbait.
Despite his varied influences from Bob Dylan to Kendrick Lamar to Joni Mitchell, Evan Alexander Moore sounds fully original. While it’s easy to spot the aforementioned artists’ impact, he retains his own unique style. One of the album’s strengths is that the sound mixing is crackly and distorted like an old record from the 60s or 70s—a comforting contrast to its intense topical lyrics. It’s also quotable from start to finish: the opener, “Millennial,” has the line “I feel like Atlas with all this school debt on my shoulders.”
Standout tracks on The Perennial Millennial include “Our Time,” “Grand Little Symphony,” and “The Price of Cereal.” And while not full songs, its two interludes offer some of the album’s most genius moments. On “Brian’s Interlude,” Moore remarks that “pitting generations against each other is just fucking clickbait shit.” He also pays homage to Bob Dylan on “Hey, Mr. Zimmerman!” The album admittedly feels long at times—the title track “Perennial” is over 14 minutes—but it’s certainly ambitious for a debut effort.
After pondering what legacy millennials will leave, Evan Alexander Moore ultimately concludes that “our generation will grow out of the cement that has been paved over us.” For younger generations, The Perennial Millennial is an inspiring, reassuring, and guilt-free experience.
Stream The Perennial Millennial here:
For more information visit Evan Alexander Moore’s website.
Danielle Ponder and Karate Boogaloo team up to create “Look Around,” a meaningful single to focus the public’s attention towards BIPOC being oppressed and murdered throughout the world.
Danille Ponder, an artist and activist from Rochester, started out this year by laying down a track for “Look Around,” a song that responds to the literal fires eating away at the continent of Australia. When she returned home to the US, she was, unfortunately, given even more dark events to add to those described in the song. The killing of George Floyd and countless other African Americans has ignited a call to action in many, Danielle Ponder included. On July 24, Danielle Ponder and Karate Boogaloo released the updated and finished version of “Look Around” as a way to remind everyone in the world of the deadly issues currently happening in America and across the globe.
Danielle Ponder spoke about the inspiration she had for “Look Around,” saying, “fires were raging through Australia and smoke covered the sky. It felt like all of our human sins had gotten the best of us and we were paying a price. I didn’t know that when I arrived back home in the U.S, the world would only get darker. I feel like my past self wrote this song for my future self knowing what was to come.” Danielle Ponder’s powerful soul vocals and visible writing talent make her voice memorable. This song was made in solidarity for all BIPOC.
Danielle Ponder Photo by Hannah Betts
Although they come from different continents, it was no problem for Danielle Ponder and Karate Boogaloo to make a connection. Their chemistry is clear in the music, as it flows naturally like they have been collaborating for years. The vocals and instrumentals together pack a powerful punch that effectively delivers the song’s message of unity for global justice.
Although Black Lives Matter is a US-based movement, it has a presence in Australia where Indigenous people undergo similarly harsh treatment. In July and August, sales of “Look Around” will be donated to the Equal Justice Initiative in the USA and Warriors Of The Aboriginal Resistance in Australia. Stream or buy “Look Around” now to support those in need.
For more information visit Danielle Ponder’s website.
If you’re in the Saratoga Springs region this August and September and need a safe activity for the whole family, where everyone can feel like a kid again, you’re in luck. Saratoga Springs’ Universal Preservation Hall has the perfect afternoon activity for you.
“Part of the Machine: Rock and Pinball” is one of the most fun and unique experiences you’ll have this summer in Saratoga Springs. Designed for music lovers of all ages, you’ll find 16 different pinball machines, all inspired by Rock ‘n’ Roll bands including The Rolling Stones, KISS, AC/DC, The Beatles and Alice Cooper, among others.
There is of course one of the greatest pinball machines of all time, the detailed “Tommy” celebrating The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” himself. Alongside each machine, you’ll find artist memorabilia and information on each pinball machine, as curated by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who brought the exhibit to UPH.
UPH is also taking all precautions during the exhibit. There is a limit of 20 patrons per 90 minute block, during which time a facemask and gloves are required. Upon entry they’ll check your temperature and guide you in a socially distanced way to the exhibit.
Following each block, all machines and surfaces are sanitized and cleaned over 30 minutes, before the next group comes in. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children, giving access to all pinball machines, with no need to dig into your pockets for quarters.
The Saratoga region is fortunate to have such an exhibit open to the public during a time when group activities seem a relic of the past. Given the UPH staff’s propensity for professionalism and creating an environment that is welcoming to all, you’ll find this exhibit welcoming and return for future performances and exhibits. Playing pinball for 90 minutes is a great way to get lost in the music and feel like a kid again, if only for a short time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPST-FJtAH/
“Part of the Machine: Rock and Pinball,” is now open and runs through September 26. Tickets are available for admission during the following time frames: Sunday â Wednesday: 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Thursday â Saturday: 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m. 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. For more about the exhibit, visit UPH’s website.
The guitar Pete Townshend used to write “Pinball Wizard” is an added bonus to the Rock and Pinball exhibit at Universal Preservation Hall.
Long Island jam band veterans, Cousin Fungus, have a long history of strong live performances. Some even credit them with contributing strongly to the establishment of a much more vibrant jam band scene today. With the release of 22, Vol.1, the band has released its best recorded material to date. With Volumes 2 and 3 promised to be right behind, veteran as well as new fans are in for quite a sonic treat.
The band is made up of three brothers: Thomas (bass guitar, vocals), Christian (drums, percussion) and Henry (guitar, vocals) Stanziale. Good friend, Dennis Belline, Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), rounds out this group of stand-out musicians. The tight knit bonds between the members are on display on here in the cohesiveness of their sound. The collaboration just feels natural and easy.
From the opening keyboard notes on 22, Vol.1 evoking the Who, the songs sound both nostalgic and yet contemporary. This volume clocks in at just over forty minutes and the seven songs included are positive, almost celebratory. As bands and fans gear up for the return to live music shows, keep an eye out for Cousin Fugus. They are at the top of their game and ready to get back to the jam!
Key Tracks: Embrace, Black Cat Black Dog, Caravan
With the release of 22, Vol.II, the Cousin Fungus crew unleashes their first album of live tracks. These seven songs have been honed and developed over the years, crafted with audiences watching. The guitar work is as steady and solid as you’d expect from these jam band veterans. And the keyboard contributions really stand out, sometimes as featured solos, but also as a connective agent between all of the pieces assembled here.
Cousin Fungus doesn’t shy away from exploring different styles of music either. There are bluesy elements, funky stylings and straight ahead roaring guitar riffs.
The final installment of the “22” trilogy will be released in the coming months.
Ghostface Killah is one of the more renowned members of the Wu Tang Clan, lauded for his exceptional skills as an emcee, where he mixes detailed storytelling with a unique sense of imagery and style. Those abilities were ever-so-present on his second studio album Supreme Clientele. On the RZA produced album, he successfully implemented a trendsetting combination of lyrical excellence and story-telling exclusive only to him.
The lead single was the oft-sampled “Might Healthy,” which showcased his deadly skills as an emcee, as well as the kind of presence that would make him a mainstay of hip hop culture. Debuting at #7 on the Billboard 200, Supreme Clientele was the most acclaimed of each Wu Tang member’s respective sophomore effort. And ironically, the highlighted record — “Mighty Healthy” — was one of the few not produced by Wu Tang head honcho, RZA, with production being handle by producer and Wu Tang Clan DJ, Mathematics.
The iconic album cover
“Mighty Healthy” was partly inspired by Brooklyn based hip-hop group, Divine Force, and their single pack “Holy War (Live).” Divine Force was made up of emcees Sir Ibu, Lady Nefertiti and her brother Supreme and their DJ, Jizer. They were managed by Melquan, who also managed RZA (then known as Prince Rakeem), GZA (then known as Genius), and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, before 36 Chambers fame. “Holy War (live)” sampled drum patterns from Melvin Bliss’ “Synthetic Substitution,” an uncharted record that went on to become one of the most sampled songs in hip hop history.
On “Mighty Healthy,” Ghostface begins the sampling at around the 1:12 mark. You can hear him using Sir Ibu’s flow as well as some of his lyrics as a way of paying homage.
When we hug these mics, we get busy
Come have a good time with G-O-D
Make you snap your fingers or wiggle
Scream, shout, laugh or just giggle
Shake that body, party that body
Don’t f**k with ghost you’ll feel sorry
That’s word, I’m not the herb
Understand what I’m saying, saying, saying
Sir Ibu’s lyrics on “Holy War (Live)” read:
“The wisdom that I’m speaking are words that I’m rhyming
The God of rhyme, Divine Force gets busy
Make you hip or hop or get dizzy
Make you snap your fingers or wiggle
Scream, shout or laugh or just giggle
That body, party that body
Don’t (F**k) with me you’ll feel sorry
That’s word, I’m not the herb
Understand what I’m saying?”
Besides the Divine Force interpolation, “Mighty Healthy” sampled records from other pioneers of hip hop, sampling “Wish I Could Talk to You” by The Sylvers, as well as, “Nobody Beats the Biz” by Biz Markie featuring T.J. Swan and “Funk President (People it’s Bad),” by James Brown (another heavily sampled artist).
Ghostface did much more than just interpolate others, and “Mighty Healthy” showcased some of the best rapping of his career. Heavily inspired by martial arts — much like the rest of the Clan – the song begins with a sound bite from the film Shaolin Rescuers. He starts his verse with his typical and colorfully descriptive lyrics.
Son trifling f**k, wildflower on the cycle and
Picked up the broom thought I was Michael in
West Brighton Pool, now I’m into Iron Duels
Turn nuns to Earth Whoopi, she at Allah school
He starts with an honest, yet blunt description of himself, then says he thought he was “Michael in West Brighton Pool”– a home goods store located in Staten Island — but the imagery, metaphors and double entendre are ever present, as “broom” is also slang for guns; in the next line he talks about now being into “iron duels,” (as a gun is made of steel). Before finishing off the bar with a Whoopi Goldberg reference, known best at the time for Sister Act, where she played a choir singer who had to relocate after having witnessed a murder and enters witness protection as a nun.
“The world can’t touch Ghost, purple tape Rae co-host
In his second verse, he continues his onslaught, first by paying homage to Sir Ibu on the bride before getting into his verse, setting it off with this”
Hit mics like Ted Koppel, rifle expert
Let off the Eiffel, burn a flag in your grass, spiteful
Ringleader set it off, rap Derek Jeter
Culprit, prince of the game wish you could see us
Ghost brags here, letting the audience know that he is better than most. Ted Koppel was a famous anchor and broadcaster for ABC and Nightline, from 1980 until the program’s end in 2005. Ghost continues by saying, he’s a rifle expert who lets off “the Eiffel,” and “burn a flag in your grass, spiteful” is his way of saying that after conquering his enemy with his superior weaponry, he will continue to acknowledge it to the world. Finishing off by labeling himself “ringleader” and the “rap Derek Jeter.” He continues his braggadocios rhyming throughout,
“Too hot to handle, one thought from scrambling the mandolin
Hundred game Wilt Chamberlain, smack ‘em, say when”
“Mighty Healthy” has meant a great deal to hip-hop and to Ghostface, with Complex Magazine even naming it his best song. It has also been sampled on a myriad of records, including “No More Parties in L.A” by Kanye West — off of his 2016 album The Life of Pablo. The chorus was heavily interpolated on the Pusha T and Kanye West collaboration “New God Flow,” as well as a J. Cole rendition titled “Mighty Crazy.”
“Mighty Healthy” is one of the many bright spots from Supreme Clientele, yet its enduring legacy within hip hop circles has solidified the album as a classic. Ghostface stuck to his style and made it something to behold, especially at a time when other rappers were changing their sounds to fit the new party and club theme music of the 2000’s. The album’s success also cemented him as one of the commercial faces of Wu Tang, a spot that had only been previously reserved for Method Man.
In 2020, it is nearly impossible to imagine 600,000 people gathering anywhere, but especially in the rural town of Watkins Glen for Summer Jam ’73. For live music enthusiasts, summer is the best time of the year. The warmest months typically mean road trips with friends to exotic cities like Hartford, Connecticut; Bangor, Maine; and Camden, New Jersey. It means forgetting your tent stakes and having to make new friends by begging for extras at music festivals. Summer is when the sun stays up the latest, the air smells the dankest, and live music infuses with nature in the most powerful ways.
As many festival professionals, seasoned Shakedowners, and road warriors are isolated in their hometowns waiting for social ‘undistancing’ to begin, we take a trip back in time to July 1973 — to Summer Jam at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway. Thanks to Dave Smith’s Historic Essay, and many other stories written by attendees of the mega-event, we’ve put together a list of 1973 Flashbacks from that iconic yet blurry weekend.
UPSTATE NEW YORK’S LARGEST CITY
With 600,000 people crammed onto 95 acres, Watkins Glen became one of the most densely populated areas on Earth! It is estimated that 1 in every 400 Americans trekked to the event, many being young adults from the Northeast.
JAM BEFORE THE MUSIC
New York State Police estimated 20 miles of roadblocks (with over 50 miles of traffic) by 4am Saturday morning — 8 hours before the first band was set to take the stage. Traffic was so backed up many guests abandoned their cars and walked tens of miles to get in. On Wednesday night, 48 hours before the actual event, police estimated roughly 50,000 new guests in a town of 3,500. By Thursday, that figure doubled and by Friday night, Watkins Glen was a quarter-million strong. New York State Troopers recalled Woodstock and the nightmarish traffic problems. This was worse.
ICONIC MUD OF NEW YORK MEGAFESTS
Tents, tarps, flip-flops, beer cans, strollers, coolers, empty peanut butter jars, and fancy sun hats were among the items caked into the mud long after the event was over. Much like New York’s iconic music festival four years earlier, Woodstock, Summer Jam ’73 had its fair share of torrential rain and ass-shaking hippies to create an Upstate NY mud bath for the ages.
IS THIS STILL SOUNDCHECK?
The Band and the Allman Brothers Band both put on longer (and more rocking) soundchecks than usual to warm up the early attendees, but The Grateful Dead put on a two-set pre-show for the ages. Bassist Phil Lesh did his best to remind the crowd, “This is still just a test,” as they introduced Set II, but happily, no one was buying it. “This whole thing is a fraud, we’re really clever androids,” Lesh announced before breaking into a legendary “Bird Song.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7L1zD4Xh-Q
TRANQUIL(IZERS) AND SERENE
How do you take the beauty of the Finger Lakes Region and make it even more spectacular? Drugs. Jamaican grass, speed, LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline, cocaine, and a suspicious clown peddling Ex-Lax were a few of the items found at the mind-altering buffet that weekend. Dealers made so much money selling everything from animal tranquilizers to bags of oregano, that some of them rented U-Haul storage trailers just to leave behind come Sunday morning.
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
With over half a million young adults gathered from all parts of the country, there was almost zero violence (one stabbing reported). A 74-year old Watkins Glen native, George Rehety, reported from his lawn chair, “You know, these are nice kids. I haven’t seen one fight.” An eight-year-old from nearby Corning, NY had this stellar recap: “Music was good, but I couldn’t understand the words. What was that funny smell? The food that I tasted was really yummy.”
LOCAL LAW KEPT IT COOL
600,000 drunk and stoned young people in blazing heat — what could go wrong? The sheriff of Schuyler Country was Maurice Dean of Watkins Glen. As one of the youngest sheriffs in the Empire State, his age helped him understand the prevalent generation that was “invading” his town. When comparing the Summer Jam crowd to the Can-Am crowd just one week earlier, a mounted cop said, “I’d rather deal with these kids than the race crowd any day. I’ve never been called ‘Sir’ so many times in my life.”
BUZZED AND CONFUSED
The drug of choice for the weekend was Jack Daniels and Canadian Club whiskey. Pull tab beer cans like “Genny” went for 99 cents a six-pack, but only if you were prepared. The local beer suppliers were fresh out. “And I’d filled the place with beer, up to the ceiling,” Jack Mafianey, the Beverage Baron himself, said. “This is ten times bigger than the Grand Prix.” With the biggest party on Earth happening in a tiny town, beer disappeared. According to Dave Smith’s record, concert beer initially went for $.75 a can and when all the ice melted, warm beer cost a quarter.
GO CHASING WATERFALLS
Nude swimmers were surfacing all over the beautiful Finger Lakes Region. At the end of Main Street, Chequaqua Falls saw its fair share of bare butts, and Aunt Sarah’s Falls in Montour Falls became a communal bathtub by the Sunday morning. Locals laughed at the sight of concertgoers emerged in the local ponds off County Route 16 — a favorite for Watkins Glen snapping turtles that loved to chomp anything that dangled past them. One local couple looked outside their window to see a trio of young women spraying each other down with a hose. Not the usual Saturday night ritual in Watkins Glen.
WILL WAIT FOR FOOD
Forget about fast food in rural Finger Lakes towns back in 1973. Jim Teemley’s Meat Market and Deli was the next best thing for the dry-mouthed hippies that descended on the community. Teemley’s wife recalled, “It was as orderly as a school cafeteria, the kids were very polite and mannerly, and there were no incidents of potato chip bags or candy being stolen.” On Route 414, the Simpson’s store ran out of food at a record pace, and although the Raceway was prepared for 150,000, they didn’t properly supply for four times that amount. Luckily, with free entry, the extra $10 fans brought for the now free concert entry was more than enough to acquire sustenance.
While the world may never see another Summer Jam ’73, music festivals will return. The sweet sound of live music will fill the air. You and your friends will make unforgettable memories. And concertgoers will wake up on another hazy Monday morning with mud in their Birkenstocks. 2020 may prevent us from partying with 600,000 like-minded people, but it won’t stop us from discovering the wonders of nature and finding community through the chaos.
Kids These Daze is a detailed description of the world’s musical genres, interpreted by Casey and the Comrades. It’s as though they’re telling you about their worldly travels, but this time, you’ll actually want to hear about someone else’s vacation stories. Casey Cranford (of BIG Something) and friends, have fused a wide variety of sounds together that add spice to their jam band undertones – and strung together, it makes for a very exciting album.
In their press release, they say “listeners will find a completely original sound” Completely original? No. But when you step back and look at the big picture, then yes – the execution of the album is fairly original. Special guests like, Nick MacDaniels, Becca Stevens, Paul Hanson, Billy Cardine, Saxton Rose, Nate Werth, and Lucy Woodward, bring their impressive musical talents to the table, which makes each track unique and dissectible.
One thing that allows them to be so eclectic is the EWI (electronic wind instrument) played by Casey Cranford. His instrument can emulate the sounds of most winded instruments, allowing the group to morph into different genres. The saxophone is the most prominent sound we hear throughout the album, which can be heard playing the extremely memorable licks on “H1N1” and “ExciteBikeRack.” Speaking of – these tracks are the most interesting and energetic of the bunch. In “H1N1” We’re thrown straight into, what feels like a sandstorm raging through the Arabian deserts. We dive and fall into a fast paced race through memorable licks and avant garde solos. Then we’re seamlessly dropped into heavy, dense breakdowns that keep things spicy. The whole track is 7:39 second roller coaster of sound.
In “ExciteBikeRack,” we feel this sense of constant forward movement, coupled with hard hitting left and right turns, which allows for an ideal space to solo over in a live and studio setting. The hardest hitting turn is the rap break by TommyBlaze336. Not something we hear often in a “psychedelic space fusion” band, as they have proclaimed themselves to be.
Aptly named, “Fall” is the jazziest of the album. We feel like we’re free falling through space, with our attention being gently directed to the wide array of solos from a lush saxophone and bright keyboard, brought to us by Julian Sizemore. The track does drone on a for a while but as it ends, we feel ourselves “surviving the fall” as the lyrics go, and finally reaching the ground, entering the next song of the album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdRiAnF3T3k
So is this a “completely original sound” as proclaimed? In the grand expanse of time, no, it’s not original. So many key aspects go into making a sound that is distinguishable and different from anything else. Someone’s very unique voice, guitar tone or production tactics, are what give a band a unique sound. Somehow, we’ve heard these songs before. We’ve seen cooky instruments in a jam band, we’ve heard a jam band use Middle Eastern/ Arabic tones and scales, we’ve seen the concept album about how technology is double edged sword, and we’ve experienced the psychedelic space jam band. But again this should not undercut the fact that this album is interesting, impressive, full of creative licks and hooks.
It’s always impressive when people master their instruments, when groups of six or more can collectively agree on a vision, and make it come to life in a well executed and precisely produced manner. But being one of a kind doesn’t mean adding layers and layers of instruments and fussing every known genre together. It’s something that comes naturally, even accidentally, over years and years. We hope this group reaches that threshold, where we the listeners can hear a song, a lick, or vocalist, play something that is quintessentially Casey and the Comrades, because it’s obvious these men and women have the talent to make it happen.
Albany-area heavy rockers The Erotics are no longer a new band or young pups, having been at it for over two decades now. They first released “Get Drunk Again” on Cacophone RecordsUltra Swank compilation in 1999, so we can reasonably call these lads veteran heavy rockers by now.
Let’s Kill Rock ‘n’ Roll is a live record of all-new songs – I remember Central New York heavies The Rods doing this in 1984, but this is not common in the heavy rock world. However, it’s no crappy live-in-a-club recording – the band recorded this in front of a small audience of hardcore fans in an actual studio, so the sound is fantastic, the guitars are up-front and face-removing, a great balance of clarity and rawness. The small live audience gives it a vibe not unlike the legendary promo-only live 1977 AC/DC record Live from the Atlantic Studios, which was recorded in similar fashion.
Before getting to the tunes, one thing that has always set The Erotics apart from your typical Albany-area “plays the local clubs and occasionally some other Northeast city” band, is that these guys have built a following well outside the local area. No doubt, there have been Albany bands who have done the same – Troy heavies Stigmata and Brick by Brick developed national followings and have performed in Europe; Albany ska-crunch heroes Can’t Say have toured nationally and released records in Japan; and legendary area greats Blotto were on MTV on Day 1 and toured the States opening for Blue Oyster Cult.
When I’ve seen The Erotics in local clubs, there always seems to be someone there down from Canada or over from Europe to see the band. Having toured the UK several times, last year they played a British festival opening for one of my favorite bands ever, The Wildhearts; the reach of this band extends far beyond the 518.
Anyways, the music: this record rocks. A killer old-school heavy rock record, with no pretensions to alternative rock or punk hipster-ism. I know other reviews and articles brand these guys as punk, but I don’t hear that – this band is firmly in the tradition of 70s (Alice Cooper, Bon-era AC/DC) and 80s hard rock. They invoke Appetite-era Guns n Roses, maybe first-two-records-era Motley Crue (but without the shitty singer) ‘Electric’-era The Cult and, again, AC/DC. Great riffs, great songwriting, and lyrics about things real rock bands sing about (fighting, drinking, rocking, women & hell). The record starts off with a short instrumental, “Nothing to Sing About”, with chugging riffs and Thin Lizzy-style harmony guitars, into title track “Let’s Kill Rock N Roll,” killer riff, memorable chorus, a truly great heavy rock tune.
There’s mighty, hefty riffs everywhere and some excellent choruses, as with “Monday Morning Meltdown” and “Head of the Low Class.” Mike Trash’s vocals, always good, are top-shelf here, in the region of a more whiskey-soaked Axl. “Lie My Way Into Hell” is excellent, maybe the best track, great, swaggering stuff. Not much to criticize here – “Wrong Kind of Love Song” maybe reminds me a bit of those 80s power ballads I fucking hated back in the day, albeit without the candy-corn production, and as you get into the latter half of the 14 tracks, there’s a blending-in-together feel. But the record ends on a high note with “Fighting Like Cats and Dogs,” full of high-speed, fast, heavy, crushing metal. Great stuff indeed.
All hail Let’s Kill Rock’n’Roll, a top-notch hard rock record, released on July 20, so go get yourself a tall glass of this now. Check it out on Bandcamp.
Key Tracks: Let’s Kill Rock N Roll, Lie My Way Into Hell, Fighting Like Cats and Dogs
Prolific Buffalo rapper Westside Gunn celebrates his 38th birthday today, July 27. Born Alvin Lamar Worthy, Westside has dominated the western New York rap scene along with the help of his brother, fellow rapper Conway the Machine, and their cousin, Benny the Butcher. The three have made a name for themselves in the current hip hop landscape through the formation of Griselda Records in 2014 which led the “Griselda gang” on their trip to stardom.
2016 saw the release of Westside’s debut studio album Flygod which lent further credit to the rapper’s name. The following year saw Griselda Records made a deal cosigning with Eminem’s Shady Records which further accelerated the groups career. The groups deal with Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope records, made Westside and his brother Conway the Machine the first Buffalo based rappers to sign to a major record label, giving the two an almost untouchable status in the Buffalo rap scene.
Recently, Westside Gunn has been a hot feature for artists such as Rick Ross and Anderson .Paak, collaborations that would have been hard to land without the backing of Eminem’s label. Westside has also made a name for himself in the music festival route playing massive summer events such as Coachella and Governor’s Ball.
This past April Westside Gunn released his Pray for Paris LP which debuted at number 67 on the Billboard 200. The album features sample heavy production handled by both The Alchemist and Tyler, The Creator who also guest stared in a verse on the track “327.” Other features on the album include Freddie Gibbs and Wale along with the rest of the Griselda gang, Conway The Machine and Benny The Butcher.
During the recording process for Pray for Paris, Westside learned that he had contracted COVID-19 which, he recounts, led to much of the promotion for the album to be handled while sick and isolated. Pray for Paris is yet another musical project that has faced obstacles placed by the global coronavirus pandemic. Following the mandated cancelation of large gatherings, the initial release party was postponed and traded in for a live stream event which took place on Twitch.
NYS Music and Music Minds have teamed up to check in with musicians around the scene and see how they are holding up and how they are feeling about their craft. For the first installment, we talked to Shira Elias, vocalist of Turkuaz.
Vocalist Shira Elias finds her voice in the space where soul, pop, and R&B collide. This spring, Shira welcomed her debut solo endeavor, GOODS the EP, under her latest project, Shira Elias’ Goods & Services. With funk band, Turkuaz, Shira has recorded six records and played shows across the globe at legendary venues and festivals. Elias is collaborating with producer and musical partner MEGA to offer up a series of songs that are deeply personal, decidedly honest, and undeniably unique.
Adam Chase: In what ways has this time period put live music into perspective?
Shira Elias: I mean, you don’t know what you got til it’s gone, right? In so many ways, over the past 4 months we have seen how art brings people together and HEALS us. Especially now, live music is necessary in that way.
AC: In what ways has music helped get you through tough times?
SE: Music is therapy for me, both by experiencing it from an outside source and in creating it myself. It transports me to a spiritual place where I can really look within myself for answers and for comfort. For me, it’s the most potent anxiety reliever out there.
AC: What makes being a singer different from other musicians?
SE: Your instrument is your body. It is all within you. Instrumentalists have a separate entity that they channel their expression through. Vocalists have a more literally visceral connection to their instrument, which is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I believe the sound of a human voice can resonate and express emotion in a more profound way than any instrument can by virtue of it being produced by a living being. And a curse, because there is no escaping it. You cannot put your instrument away in its case after the gig, which is why vocal health is a lifelong challenge for singers.
AC: What words of encouragement would you have for someone learning how to sing?
SE: I would tell them to sing as much as they can, as often as they can because your voice is a muscle that you need to train and work out just like any muscle in your body. You gotta get those reps in. And I would also encourage them to find their own true, authentic voice, rather than try to sound like someone else. No one else in the world can sound like you, so be the best you that you can possibly be.
