NYS Music 202​0

Category: New York Singles

  • Alondra Galopa Release Cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence”

    Alondra Galopa dropped their cover of “Sound of Silence” originally by Simon and Garfunkel. The cover comes from a place of unrest and gives the song a new meaning in 2020. 

    Alondra Galopa is an alternative indie band that originates from Granada, Spain. The band has worked with Linier Discos and The Borderline Music record labels producing one of a kind sounds. Some of their biggest songs include, “no hay marcha atrás,” “héroe,” and “a ninguna parte.” The band is made up of Juan A Salinas, Monica Navarro, Antonio “Lopez” y Manuel Marín.

    Before the worldwide pandemic, Alondra Galopa, was in full production work for their next record release. The album production process had to stop due to the group’s inability to reunite. Band members Mónica Navarro and Juan A. Salinas have adapted “Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel to Spanish during their unexpected downtime. They have turned the sound into a dark pop terrain, with the essence of post rock and dark noise that characterizes some of their productions. Between Monica Navarro’s vocals and the eerie sound it’s an original version of  “Sound of Silence.” The cover is really something special that takes a classic song and changes to the sound while still keeping the essence of the song intact which isn’t an easy thing to do. 

    The song is definitely worth giving a listen to if you are a Alondra Galopa or Simon and Garfunkel fan. The song is out now and available on most streaming services.  


    For more information on Alondra Galopa visit their Facebook Page.

  • Alan Evans’ new project, Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers, drop video for “As Far As We Know”

    Soulive’s Alan Evans and his label, Vintage League Music, have released “As Far As We Know,” an uplifting soul ballad by Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers. Featuring an illustrious group of collaborators—including the BT ALC Big Band, Brother GoodLove and more – this project of Evans’ will showcase the multi-instrumentalist’s guitar skills.

    At a time where the world might seem bleak and divided, Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers are here with a gentle track that carries a unifying message of peace, singing, 

    As far as we know / We ain’t too different / You and I could spend all our time / Make this world a better ride / Imagine the difference if we try.

    Evans says of the collaborative project:

    “I originally wrote the music for ‘As Far As We Know’ back in May 2019 with another VLM project in mind. I knew that I wanted to have Stephane (Brother GoodLove) singing on this song from the beginning. I didn’t realize that Stephane would turn that working title into such beautiful and powerful lyrics—I was really blown away when he sent me the first demo of the vocal and couldn’t wait to get it into full production but for whatever reason, it wasn’t the right time. But once I had the idea for the new Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers album, ‘As Far As You Know’ being included was a no brainer. So during quarantine, Stephane cut the vocals and I called on my Vintage League Music family of musicians to fill out the song and the rest is history. Without a doubt, it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written.”

    Alan Evans

    Stephane Detchou, who performs under the moniker Brother GoodLove, was born in Montreal to Cameroonian parents and has been surrounded by music his entire life. Genres like folk, jazz, soul, rock and reggae were central in his upbringing and would come to influence the music he would later produce. It is within soul where he explores his identity and sense of self, reflects on the world and contributes to a future he believes in—and “As Far As We Know” is no exception, a song in which he penned the lyrics for.

    Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers

    In addition to Brother GoodLove, “As Far As We Know” also features Darby Wolf on piano, Alex Lee-Clark and Brian Thomas of BT ALC Big Band on the horns, Ryan Hommel on acoustic baritone guitar, and Cynthia Tolson on the strings.

    The official music video for “As Far As We Know,” directed by Samuel Hall, sees Brother GoodLove travel around Washington, D.C. while pondering the profound message of his lyrics, including footage captured during the current Black Lives Matters protests in the area.

  • Burning Bicycles Release Debut Single “Moonlight”

    One of the newest bands to come out of New York City‘s Indie underground, Burning Bicycles makes their debut with the single “Moonlight.” Originally released April 13, this track serves both as an acknowledgment of NYC’s crisis with COVID-19 and a call for hope amid the chaos.

    In this track you can hear the Burning Bicycles leaning into their psychedelic rock roots, crafting a dreamy track that pairs a mellow glimmering guitar with a laid back beat. Burning Bicycles states that “Moonlight’ encourages our fans to be aware of the world around them, but not to give up on their dreams and ambitions: regardless of the conditions we face.”

    I couldn’t agree more with their assessment and the chorus perfectly exemplifies their intent, further adding to the inspiring and uplifting tone of the track.

    “Don’t break away, Look around at the world that you stay, Living in and, Don’t let them take, All your dreams it’s the reason why you live”

    Be sure to check out Burning Bicycles newest single, “War” and find them on their Facebook for updates on their coming releases.

  • Roan Yellowthorn Covers Chris Cornell’s “Can’t Change Me”

    Indie pop rock duo Roan Yellowthorn have released a cover of Chris Cornell’s “Can’t Change Me” to benefit the Chris and Vicky Cornell foundation. 

    Roan Yellowthorn Chris Cornell
    Photo courtesy of roanyellowthorn.com

    This single is the second in the Blue Élan’s ‘We Are The Highway’ project series, which features Chris Cornell covers to benefit children across the globe who struggle with issues like homelessness, neglect, abuse, and poverty. The project seeks to uphold Chris Cornell’s legacy and show that music can create positive change. Blue Élan stresses that now it is more important than ever to help children in need, and co-founder of Blue Élan and friend of Cornell Kirk Pasich states that “We cannot think of a better musical way to do that than sharing the music of Chris Cornell, in his memory, and to help children.”

    Roan Yellowthorn is made up of Shawn Strack and Jackie McLean, daughter of Don McLean. Jackie McLean comments on covering “Cant Change Me,” saying: “When I hear [Cornell’s] words, I am struck by his depth of feeling. I am struck by the intensity of his emotion. I am struck by the strength of his presence.” 

    Much like Chris Cornell, Jackie McLean is an artist who is also known for putting deep feeling in her music. Their latest album Indigo “is an extremely sincere album” and was written as a way for McLean to process her feelings. All of Roan Yellowthorn’s music comes from the heart. 

    Roan Yellowthorn

    There are more songs to come in Blue Élan’s We Are The Highway project. The songs inspire people in difficult situations to survive and persevere despite their struggles, embodying the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation’s mission to help children who cannot help themselves. You can follow the official “We Are The Highway” playlist here.

  • Miserable Chillers Release Newest Single “Saga’s Sword” from ‘Audience of Summer’

    Alternative rock band Miserable Chillers debuted their third single, “Saga’s Sword,” off their upcoming album, Audience of Summer, out Friday, August 7.

    “The song really captures the feel of a curious young child exploring and actively pursuing new experiences, as Gallego even adds some ribbiting frogs and glimmering forest sounds to complement the track’s shiny guitar riffs and marimba-sounding percussion.”

    Look At My Records

    Bandleader Miguel Gallego grew up in suburban New Jersey, where he found his passion for music. He now lives in Brooklyn. He recorded and produced his latest tracks with Baby Blue Records, in New York.

    Album art for Miserable Chillers’ Audience of Summer.

    Miguel’s creativity and intuition came from the world wide pandemic caused by COVID-19. “I think of myself as a late bloomer, a lot of things have only recently started to appear obvious to me,” said Gallego.

    As a result, Fifty percent of the proceeds from digital purchases on Bandcamp will be donated to Bed-Stuy Strong. This is a group of over 3,000 people helping in the aid of their community during the COVID-19 crisis.

    I believe that in times of economic and public health crisis, and amidst the violent failures of state policy to address the needs of vulnerable communities, the necessity of local, communal responses to communal needs is especially acute. I would like to support a local mutual aid group. Bed-Stuy Strong centers on solidarity, care, and an imaginative approach addressing the needs of the community and neighborhood that I live in.

    Miguel Gallego – Bandleader

    Along with Gallego, artists from other bands contributed to the making of this album. Megan Braaten from Your Sister and Kabir Kumar of Sun Kin both sang backing vocals. While others like Sarah Goldfarb (Red Widow and Ovaeasy) played the cello. Together, they created the baroque pop sounds of the new record, exactly how is described as.

    Audience of Summer is out Friday, August 7.

    Miserable Chiller’s newest single “Saga’s Sword”.

    Mutual aid provides an alternative model for addressing need; and we badly need to embrace and imagine alternatives to our preexisting methods—be it the police, punitive and carceral responses to harm, or how we as a society provide for the healthcare of our neighbors.

    Miguel Gallego – Bandleader

  • Jimkata Returns From Hiatus With New Song “Wanna Go”

    Jimkata returned from their indefinite hiatus with the new song “Wanna Go.” The song dropped with a music video on their YouTube channel on July 9. 

    Jimkata is an electro rock trio that evolved from their original jamband roots, to a more electronic sound. The band started at Ithaca College back in 2005 with Evan Friedell (vocals, guitar), Aaron Gorsch (guitar/keys) and Packy Lunn (drums).

    The trio grew up together in the Upstate college town of Oneonta and are the founding members of the band. Dave Rossi served as bassist until 2015, having joined the band after meeting the other members during his freshman year at Ithaca College. Jimkata became a local favorite in Ithaca and across New York state before taking their indefinite hiatus in 2016.

    “Wanna Go” dropped shortly after the band teased of new music on their Facebook page starting back on June 16, 2020. They released a new clip of them working on new music every few days with all the titles together reading, “ DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD RELEASE SOME NEW MUSIC?”

    The new song comes on the coattails of the release of a Greatest Hits Album, Best, on June 12. Jimkata left a quote on the album’s release saying, “All the best things seem to surface after the worst times, all the worst things seem to come around after the best times…”

    To check out the teaser videos check out Jimkata’s Facebook.

    The video features the band setting up a living room and sitting on a couch in a picture frame. There is a theme of being surrounded by the color yellow in the video, and in the teases released and on their website. The song is boppy – a solid return to the music realm for Jimkata. 

    For more information on Jimkata visit their website or their Facebook Page.

  • Card Reader releases emotional single about life and death

    Long Island based pop-punk band, Card Reader, released their newest single, “Sore Eyes,” in honor of the loss of a close friend to lead vocalist Tom Petito.

    (From left to right) Guitarist Marc Lambert. guitarist/vocalist Tom Petito and drummer Rob Cigliano.

    “I wrote this song after I lost a close friend. The message is resounding: life is short, any day could be your last so don’t settle for less. Go after your dreams unapologetically,” said Petito.

    Card Reader made their first appearance to the music scene earlier this year with their debut single and music video, “Familiar Voices.”

    Petito, drummer Rob Cigliano and guitarist Marc Lambert worked with other bands for 10 years until Petito wanted to start his own project and formed the trio. Petito said the creation of the band was to put passion at the forefront.

    Card Reader has struggled since live music has been put on halt, but are determined to get their EP released by fall.

    The band’s motto states, “believe in yourself unapologetically. Don’t settle for anything less than what makes you happy in life and in music. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and put your own stamp on what being in a band means.”

  • Ben Folds Sums Up this Year with Single “2020”

    In response to the first six months of this “rollercoaster year,” Ben Folds has written a new single “2020.”

    The song expresses Folds’ take on 2020. “We seem to be currently reliving and cramming a number of historically tumultuous years into one,” he says. “For a moment it was all about the 1918 pandemic. Then we began seeing hints of the Great Depression before flipping the calendar forward to the Civil Rights protests of the 1960’s. Running beneath this is the feeling that we’re in the Cold War, while seeing elements that brought us to the Civil War rearing their head, making us wonder if we’ve learned a damn thing at all.”

    At the start of this year, Folds was on an orchestral tour of Australia. However, it was cancelled due to the pandemic, and is set to continue in 2021 along with his US tour. Since quarantine, Folds has been working on his next album, the sequel to his 2019 New York Times best selling memoir A Dream About Lightning Bugs, and other new creative projects.

    Folds notes that the current sense of accelerated time is not only “personally disorienting,” but “also artistically disorienting.” The single is about that, how so much seems to happen each day that topics can be “out of date or even inappropriate by noon.” “2020” touches on the fact that this year seems like several past years crammed into one.

    Despite today’s stress, Folds optimistically hopes for a better 2021 to come. “2020” is available for streaming now.

  • Rich Girls Defy with New Single, “The Fighter”

    NYC-based art punks, Rich Girls, released their single “The Fighter,” an anthem of low-key defiance. Frontwoman Luisa Black shares her thoughts on what the song means.

    “Fuck bigots, it’s all I thought about this year. If it’s about anything, it’s about that.”

    Photo Cred: L. Black

    Rich Girls combine British art rock polish with primitive energy of American garage. Black started the band as the solo recording project after the breakup of her San Fran garage band The Blacks. It evolved from series of dark pop demos Black wrote while living in London.

    A steady stream of EPs cemented the Rich Girls high/low sound and found a small following in unexpected outposts across the UK and Europe. Rich Girls live create a big, urgent sound out of minimal elements. All proceeds from Bandcamp digital purchases of the single will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

  • The Next Great American Novelist Release New Single “Drag”

    The Next Great American Novelist, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, released the new single “Drag” from their upcoming album Careless Moon. 

    “Drag” was written before the countless changes of the past few months. The song explores the pre-pandemic ‘normal,’ but doesn’t paint it as being perfect. It looks into the monotony of life.

    “I love New York City, though, some days it feels like a dysfunctional landscape of ill-routine. Living here, you realize you’re functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within the larger enterprise. I’m immersed in a series of habits: standing in line, getting on a train, heading to work, buying coffee, buying booze… Are these choices I want to make or am I just keeping the machine going?” 

    Sean Cahill, Songwriter.

    This will be the band’s second album after I’ll See You in the Art You Love, released three years ago. The Next Great American Novelist, or NGAN for short, wanted their music to be something that could be enjoyed best live, by all sorts of people. Art You Love delves into depression with an emo-folk sound. Careless Moon includes songs that will “make sense live.” Atwood Magazine, who debuted the album’s first song “Blackberry,” notes that that the band’s new songs have “a heavy alternative sound that simply wasn’t present in NGAN’s previous repertoire — and yet, this growth feels natural and exciting.” 

    The upcoming album comes from a place of joy rather than sadness and is marked by their new sound. Despite the band’s evolution, fans will still be able to recognize NGAN in Careless Moon from their three-part harmonies and meaningful, storytelling lyrics. It explores the relationship between romance and indifference. The two can coexist at the same time within one symbol.

    Watch The Music Video for “Drag” Below:

    Cahill has gone through ups and downs with his relationship with music. Yet he realized that it is his calling. “For a while I felt guilty about playing music, playing shows, as if it was a shameful or self-serving pursuit,” he tells Atwood. “After some reflection, I’m realizing that music is the best way I can spend my time, as it brings more light into the darkness and opens up an avenue for sharing joy.” Cahill eventually met Helm and Cummings through a “chance encounter,” and the three then formed NGAN through a shared music taste and interest in becoming creative collaborators. 

    Atwood reports that Careless Moon is “bigger, edgier, and more alternative; an unabashed outpouring of raw dynamism. The Next Great American Novelist are ready to be your Next Favorite American Band.” “Drag,” along with “Kubler,” “Baby Duck Song,” and “Blackberry,” are available for streaming now.