Category: New York Singles

Folk-Rock Rabbi Gedalya looks at Spirituality during the Holidays

Hanukkah is right around the corner and folk-rock Rabbi Gedalya has released “The Lesson of the Flame,” a musical reflection on the need for positive spirituality during difficult situations.

With a spiritual message that is universal, “The Lesson of the Flame” reflects Gedalya’s faith. “Finding ways to get through hardship is central to religion,” says Gedalya, “and I wanted this song to reflect the powerful combination of faith and positivity.”

It’s my first time writing a holiday song, or even writing a song directly about Judaism, for that matter. Even though I wrote the song with the holiday season in mind, it’s about more than just the annual celebration. I wanted to convey the power in continuity and history. This Hanukkah, many of us are experiencing a year of tragedies, but by learning from tradition and remaining faithful we can find better times. I tried to reflect that in ‘The Lesson of the Flame.’
Gedalya

The roots of ‘the flame’ in this case connects to the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, and the lesson that comes from the eight-day holiday. Jewish men fought against the Greeks around 165 BCE, thus preserving their belief in the Torah. This self-sacrifice merited a miracle which revealed to them divine assistance; thus future generations now have this lesson to remember that even in the darkest of times, we are all capable of receiving divine assistance, especially when putting in effort to see through lies and seek the truth.

The song speaks directly to the power of positivity, especially during times of tribulation.

Finding yourself can be a challenge, especially when times are difficult. This year especially I have seen so many struggle with what is happening in the world. I wanted to make sure they heard a positive message for the holiday, but also I wanted anyone that hears the song to feel – deep down – that their situation can also get better. Now is the time to look inward to find the strength to make it to those better times.
Gedalya

The message of the song is not inherent to a particular faith, but rather speaks to a state of being. Framing ones mind that allows light to enter the darkness and appreciate the blessings of life.

Listen to “The Lesson of the Flame” here and learn more about Gedalya on his website, and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS5tEYVEzx8

December 2, 2020
War Orphan take aim at National Rifle Association with new single “F*ck the NRA”

Thrash/hardcore revolutionists War Orphan, featuring former Sick of It All guitarist Richie Cipriano, drummer Dante Renzi (Reach) and vocalist David Bason (Barfbag, Lords of the Drift), pay tribute to The Exploited’s controversial track “F*ck the USA,” with a new version, “F*ck the NRA,” that takes aim at the National Rifle Association.

The daring new track debuted on WeAreThePit, highlighting the searing protest song about the death dealing war machine, which has consistantly turned a deaf ear to the epidemic of gun violence.

Guitarist Richie Cipriano comments on the inspiration for the song:

We love The Exploited and all English punk. We figured this would be a good time to pay tribute and give it a little twist.
Richie Cipriano, War Orphan

The trio formed when longtime friends Dante, Richie and David moved from recording songs trying make each other laugh to taking it seriously. Singer David Bason lives in Los Angeles, and missing his New York friends, he would leave Cirpiano voicemails about how he thinks heavy metal is silly. Richie and Dante would track record metal songs to them and send them back. Thus, was born Bloodbath and Beyond, an inside joke to kill time and crack each other up.

Richie called and said he thought he had a song they should take seriously. Bason got excited and the EP was tracked, mixed and mastered in a matter of weeks. War Orphan developed organically and the results show.

War Orphan recently made their debut with a seething thrash punk EP Closer To Death Than Life. Their initial offering is a fearless protest record that delivers a much needed shot of angst into the hardcore scene and swift throat-punch to rightwing extremists and the current presidential administration. Bason summons the furious rage that people across the country have felt over the last few years, channeling it into songs about systematic racism (“Autonomous Zone”) and a deceitful president (“Prop Up The Polls”) among other topics that are more relevant and important now than ever before.

November 22, 2020
Brooks Hudgins shares Breakup Track “February” from December Debut Album

Multi-talented Brooklyn artist, Brooks Hudgins, just released his new single “February” off of his upcoming debut album Drive Thru Communion. The single first premiered on Cool Hunting, Nov. 13. The album is set to be released Friday December, 11.

Photo Cred: Kevin Lombardo

“February” is a breakup track with dark wit and immaculate production. It transitions into jazzier components as the song carries on. According to Cool Hunting the “lyrics of conflict paint a picture of distaste and concern over a person caught up in vice-laden and content-streaming lifestyle.” Hudgins’s prominent vocals are raw and emotive, a highlights as they blend with the song’s instrumental. In addition to his vocals, Hudgins has songwriting credits for creating his compelling track.

Drive Thru Communion will feature 13 tracks that were all recorded in different studios and bedroom closets across the country. The various locations helped bring a dark peculiarity characteristic that fans have never heard from Brooks Hudgins.

Hudgins has also released two other tracks during 2020 including “405 South” and his debut double single “Only Fans/Gas Station Viagra.” Record producer and former violinist, Grant Gardner, teamed up with Hudgins at Corner Store Studios in Ridgewood, NY to record Drive Thru Communion. Despite little experience, the duo created an alt-country album that shows flashes of brilliance and moments of musical amateurism.

Hudgins started out his musical career as a techno DJ who split time between LA and the UK. He later settled in New York and tried his hand at songwriting and recording tracks in his Bushwick basement studio while working at Sugarfish restaurant at night. Hudgins used his screenwriting experience to write and produce an eight-episode season of an iHeart Country Musical Podcast for MGM and WME. The podcast featured Billy Bob Thornton, Miranda Lambert, Dennis Quaid and Craig Robinson.

November 18, 2020
Black Suit Youth Release Environmental Anthem “The World Is Almost Over”

Alternative rock band from New York City, Black Suit Youth, released their new environmental anthem “The World Is Almost Over,” on October 30. The release date for their upcoming 5th LP, The World is Almost Over, is set for 2021 and will feature the newly released single.

Black Suit Youth blends a combination of punk rock, classic rock and indie rock into their music. The four-person group includes Bryan Maher (vocals/guitar), Fed Canalos (guitar), Juan Orellana (bass), and Ray Mazza (drums). The group’s original name started out as The New York Dynamite in 2004. In 2007, the band changed their name and released their debut album Our Future is History.

A song they eventually scrapped called “A Black Suit For My Youth” inspired the group’s name change. Since their formation, they have has released seven projects and had 10 different members throughout the group’s tenure. The band has amassed various touring experiences including opening up for acts such as Story of the Year, Alien Ant Farm, The Undead, and more. Following their 2017 release of their LP False South, Black Suit Youth looks to lean toward a new musical direction while maintaining their usual punk rock style.

The song is about the reality that we all see, but often ignore things while we deal with our immediate troubles. At some point, the bigger picture is going to become too big to ignore and it may already be too late to do anything about it. History is happening all around us and it gave us the opportunity to film in a desolate, boarded up Times Square, something you’d normally only see in a post-apocalyptic movie.
Black Suit Youth

Read More Black Suit Youth on NYS Music

In 2016, they signed to 59 X Records and released False South in 2017. Black Suit Youth single The World Is Almost Over will be their second project released under the label.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Us6QDQb7BI&feature=youtu.be

Here is a look at the lyrics for “The World Is Almost Over” :

When we were young they said our future would be so bright we’d have to wear shades
Well there weren’t completely wrong
It’s gonna be so hot we’re gonna melt in our graves
Now we’re lost inside a mindless paper chase
As the oxygen is leaking into space
Yeah the worlds almost over
Throw a life preserver to a drowning polar bear
Yeah the worlds almost over
So have another drink cuz no one cares
The ocean is the first casualty
Of our never ending worship of the GDP
So what is left for you and me?
When all the fresh water is owned by corporate entities
I’m sorry to say but things are looking bleak
It’s the new dark ages so pop off a few more tweets
Newsflash we’re all gonna die poor
As the refugees from the countries we destroy are knocking at our door
We don’t ever take any blame
It’s always some Boogieman
We’re too afraid of change
Yeah we’re dead and gone
We’re living on krypton
We pretend it isn’t true
Yeah we’re dead and gone
Hallelujah it’s the great beyond
Ces la vie and bye bye baby blue

November 10, 2020
Order Of Operations to Release Talking Heads Cover EP

Order of Operations, a Brooklyn-based synth-pop project released their cover of “Psycho Killer.” This is the first to be shared off of their upcoming Talking Heads covers EP. It is the solo project of musician and producer Alain Paradis. This is the first recorded output from Paradis since 2014. The EP, Love Me Til My Heart Stops, is available November 19.

Order Of Operations is the solo project of Brooklyn musician Alain Paradis. The group spans the spectrum of future-looking indie — from austere cold wave, to noisy post-punk & dream pop, to Big Chair-style synth ballads in search of a John Hughes film.

The group debuted with 2014’s EP Constrvctive Delusions. Love Me Til My Heart Stops marks his second release, as he works towards his next original music venture. Alain Paradis lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY with his synths and his regal-looking Persian cat Zoe.

Photo Cred: Brennan Michalowski

There’s a symmetry present in Order Of Operations reimagining the music of Talking Heads in 2020. Caught up in a cacophony of crises, NYC has begun to mirror the rumbling streets of the late 1970s that Byrne and company first crawled up from the cracks of. Alain Paradis sends a bright and lucid current through these songs, replacing irony with something that feels more like empathy. Additionally, the skittish no-wave originals are remade into evocative synth-pop anthems, spun through a kaleidoscope of chillwave and bedroom pop influences, until they seem to exist in their own unique time and space.

November 3, 2020
Brooklyn Artist Katie Rush Urges America to Vote with “World Leader”
Katie Rush, a Brooklyn singer/songwriter, is the latest artist to combine politics and music with the release of her latest single “World Leader.” The song encourages the importance of voting and speaking up for what is right in all communities as the 2020 election approaches. “World Leader” is a protest song that combines pop/dance music to address the troubles of the U.S. political climate and delivers a call to action for Americans to get out and vote.

Rush released “World Leader” on October 27, which Sam Mehran produced and Vincent Cacchione mixed/mastered the track. Marissa Alper edited the music video. “World Leader” was one of the last songs where Rush worked with Sam Mehran. Mehran, who was an American-Australian musician/songwriter/producer that co-founded the punk band Test Icicles, died on July 29, 2018.

Here is a look at the lyrics:
```
Never in my life
Have I seen a World Leader
Who could take us to the very edge
Never in my life have I seen a great pretender let me down
I still believe In the right for this land to be free
Oh, I embrace the people
Not the king
 
But we know with every leader
They will guide or we resist
And we will count on each other
Not to make the same mistake
And maybe down the line
To have support of our country
When we’re old or poor or sick
 
Never in my life have I seen a great destroyer who could tear apart our very land
Never in my life have I seen such a liar put us down
I still believe that we have the power
Won’t stand for this, can’t get us down
Still gonna win
 
We look to our future leaders
To guide the human race
And we still stand together
Despite our politics
And maybe down the line
We’ll place our faith in them
Something better will come of this
 
```
Not only has Rush released a single just in time for the election but she also has Rush also released a special edition “zine” (short for magazine) to accompany her “Natural Mystics” song released on September 17. The “zine” is a 16-page story by Taraka Larson and Annabelle Weatherly created the art for the project. Rush describes “Natural Mystics” as an “Italo Disco inspired dance floor burner dedicated to all of the visitors from other stars.”

“I am frustrated but I am hopeful. I know a lot of us are. Let’s talk about the troubles in our current political climate. There are so many disservices in the world right now but there are also so many strong individuals challenging what is happening and leading us into the future. My new single “World Leader” expresses just how I am feeling. One of the final works I made with Sam Mehran this is probably the most personal and politically charged song I have ever released. Encompassing all my love and passion, I present “World Leader.”
Katie Rush said in a Facebook post

Watch the music video for “World Leader.” down below.
November 2, 2020
Trampoline Jetstream’s “Jerry” was worth the wait

Utica band Trampoline Jetstream just released their latest single, “Jerry,” which has been in the works since 2018.

The four person indie rock band began to record “Jerry” in Utica two years ago. Before they could finish, vocalist Nick Vanderwood suffered an injury that left him unable to sing. The band put the project on hold until February 2020, just before the COVID epidemic put everything on pause. Trampoline Jetstream had finished recording, but had to delay production and gigs further.

The band joked that the album was cursed. “At one point we almost abandoned the project completely to begin writing a new album,” said drummer Adam Manion. “In the end, we felt too strongly about these songs and decided to release them as an EP.”

It’s no shock that Trampoline Jetstream couldn’t abandon the project – the songs are incredibly personal. “These songs really are about figuring out your place in the world and wishing you could rewind yourself,” said guitarist Alex Verbickas. This feeling is present in “Jerry,” which “was inspired by a feeling of nostalgia and longing for youthful memories that have passed while also growing older” noted on the band’s SoundCloud. The indie band draws inspiration from different genres but pulls it all together with solid guitar and lyrics. With their varied style, even their instrumentals have the same nostalgic quality that their lyrics speak about.

Fans are glad the band didn’t abandon “Jerry,” too. Audiences loved it so much that the band changed their name to the track’s first title, “Trampoline Jetstream.” Now, years later, those audiences along with the rest of the world can listen to “Jerry” and the other tracks to come.

The full EP, Jerry, will also feature “I Confide” and “Rewind/Barney’s Quadrant.” The band will follow it with a companion EP released early 2021. Stream “Jerry” and Trampoline Jetstream’s other music now on SoundCloud and Spotify. Follow the band on Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss any updates on their new releases!

October 30, 2020
Ok Cowgirl descends into a fuzz-laden abyss with “Get Gone”

Ok Cowgirl, the lofi indie rock project of Leah Lavigne, a Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist has released their debut single “Get Gone.” The song describes the desire to abandon younger insecurities with appearances, wealth, and beauty. It could also be described as an unimpressed response to a superficial culture.

They discussed the various topics associated with the track, speaking about radical-self acceptance, beauty standards, and capitalistic norms. Lavigne said, “At a certain point I knew I needed to let these emotions be what they were. I needed to stop filtering them and stop judging myself for feeling these things.”

Look At My Record praised Lavigne’s “powerful and domineering vocals” of song, and mentioned her strong expression of the frustration with our current cultural values. They also described it as “descending into a fuzz-laden abyss” and finally being able to release the pent-up emotion. Ok Cowgirl has an artistry that goes into the idea of the musician and the role we provide to this world, especially with our modern challenges.

This project also represented a major change for Leah Lavigne. Her earlier solo career up consisted of a more softer energy. People would come up to her in shows and say that she was their favorite sad girl. The Detroit native realized there was so much more to her style and has expanded her lane. Lavigne used to play the piano and switched her focus towards the electric guitar.

Since the summer of 2018, Lavigne performs alongside long-time collaborator and percussionist Matt Birkenholz, bassist Jase Hottenroth, and lead guitarist Jake Sabinsky. They have been noted for their lyrically-driven rock tinged sound, with a soft synth and melodic, angsty influence.

Their new single will surely not disappoint fans of the Brookyln-based group. Their follow up single, “Don’t Go,” will also be out on November 20. “Get Gone” is out now on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Soundcloud.

October 29, 2020
Brooklyn Duo Fake Dad serve up new single “Breakfast in New York”

In preparation for a new EP in 2021, Brooklyn group Fake Dad have released a new single to close out the year. Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford found inspiration for their single “Breakfast in New York,” from a very interesting and unusual source.

The song is a mid-tempo electronic/R&B track, inspired by a knock off Jurassic Park ride in the middle country. “Fake Dad” used that exact backdrop for another music video, bringing a new inspiration to the duo. When de Varona and Ford wrote the song, they were fixated on the idea that the things we wish we could change is exactly what make our lives meaningful.

The Brooklyn duo, Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford, have made music in their tiny studio apartment since 2018. The duo had designated their roles within the band and have worked with a variety of up and coming artists. Andrea and Josh come from different musical backgrounds, but they do share a common goal. That goal is to create something that understands the listener. Both Andrea and Josh wanted to create music that comforted people, especially if the listener had a rough day in life.

“Fake Dad” has received many plaudits from media outlets. The Wild Honey Pie wrote, “Fake Dad take listeners on a trip down memory lane — but it feels closer to a cautionary tale than a fond retelling.”

EARMILK felt “Fake Dad” knew how to express their concepts with their single “Summer Hill.” EARMILK wrote “I tend to reject the saying, “Life is hard.” Not because it is not, but because it glosses over the very real hardships and struggles that so many of us face, tying it up with a bow in just three short words. I do not want to gloss over it. I want to dig deep and uncover what makes the simple act of existing so challenging for all of us. Fake Dad, comprised of Andrea de Varona and Josh Ford, sonically and visually conceptualize all of these ideas.”

“Fake Dad” looks to comfort and share their conceptual ideas with listeners, and their new single will surely do that. “Breakfast in New York” is out now on Spotify. To check out more of “Fake Dad” and their work, visit their Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, or Instagram page.

October 28, 2020
CLAVVS take a new approach with their latest single “Dance in Place”

CLAVVS have released a new single, “Dance in Place,” coming off of rave reviews from the release of their latest EP No Saviors in 2019. Along with an extended version of their EP released in February, CLAVVS are looking to capitalize on these releases with their brand new single. The single is also accompanied by a music video and was shot in their neighborhood in Brooklyn.

They made their own music video, looking to capture the strong presence of the sun and the vibrant colors of the autumn weather. Amber describes the video saying, “For the past few years I’ve been imagining visuals that capture my experience of moving through New York but with this fantastical element of suddenly connecting with strangers in some unexplainable moment of celebration.” Especially in the wake of the pandemic, Amber adds, “Having lived through Co-vid here, we both feel even more bound to this city and our neighbors. So, this video is a socially distant version of that daydream.”

The single represents the criticism of capitalism and “grind” culture. Amber described the song as a call for radical self-acceptance and finding joy in a joyless culture. “I wrote this song in February, so it was super weird when we were all kind of forced to closely examine those things in March,” she said. “We couldn’t have guessed how on-the-nose this song would feel now.” It features great production work and a very catchy hook. “We aren’t taking ourselves very seriously anymore,” said Graham. “We just want to have fun with our band.”

Going forward from their previous EP, the Brooklyn via Atlanta duo really wanted to challenge their sound. They have shifted from making disruptive pop songs to reflective music. The duo embraces their flaws to reinvent themselves. “The question became, how do we make CLAVVS songs that we can dance to and smile to?” Amber said. “We really wanted to challenge ourselves to make something we had never made before, something that, for a long time, didn’t feel at home to us. We didn’t know how to write happy songs that felt genuine.”

“Dance in Place” has strongly built on the success of their recent EP. The new song is out now on Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp and various other platforms. Their new single is also accompanied by a music video, which is out now on YouTube.

October 25, 2020