NYS Music 202​0

Category: Alternative/Indie

  • Elder Orange, Fine Grain and more featured on this week’s EQXposure

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm 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 new music from Elder Orange, Fine Grain and many more!

    elder orange

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an 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.

    Vermont’s Elder Orange has released a new recording titled, “Brick’s in the Bathwater.” This release is a fascinating sonic journey, evocative and head bobbing, full of emotional voices, brilliant guitar playing, melody weaving, and genre bending. The album is a series of connected tunes that all work as one piece of music, one that is very inventive and unique in a world of singles that occupy the popular music format. This bold step of creativity is worthy of far more attention. Available for streaming on Bandcamp.

    Kicking off the show will be two new songs from Fine Grain. The first is a world premiere release of “Calculate,” available on Thursday, December 10, followed up by “Strings Attached.” Fine Grain is a weird punk/post-punk outfit out of the Capital District that doesn’t quite stick to genres. Their live shows feature antics, copious beer consumption and a lot of hair with a lot energy put into the music that even on record, they sound as though they’re playing in your living room. 

    EQXposure will also be featuring more music from Upstate Mixtape, Vol 1., a compilations of 518 artists, committed to amplifying Black voices and suppressing racism. One hundred percent of the sales of the release, will be distributed to black artists. Pick up a copy here.

    Upstate Mixtape Vol 1. is part of antiracist grassroots fundraising efforts, spearheaded by Jammella Anderson. Among songs contributed to Vol 1. include demos, B-sides, album loose ends and more from a group that showcases the multifaceted nature of musicians in the 518. This week you’ll hear JB and Victory Soul Orchestra‘s “God Self Icon,” NXNS “Motherbrain,” The Age “Take a Dive,” and Wurliday “Clyde.”

  • Premiere: Oak & Ash look for better days with “New World”

    Oak & Ash, an alternative rock band from New York today release “New World,” their first single in over three years. With a relevant message of change and hope for better days to come, “New World” is a motivational anthem for everyone who strives to build a better and more accepting world.

    oak and ash

    “New World” was written for people who are acknowledging today’s mistakes, with a reminder that although the world we live in is full of love, kindness, generosity, and beauty, it has yet to grow out of hate, inequality, injustice, and fear. There is still work to be done in order to eradicate these major issues, but in order to do so, we have to come together.

    Produced by multi-Grammy award-winning producer/ engineer, Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse), “New World” maintains the energy of a live band with added support from Moon Taxi’s Spencer Thomson who adds a layer of synthetic production work to the track.

    Oak & Ash captured the energy they bring to live shows and with help from Jacquire, the band was able to continue to spotlight vocals and instruments and stay true to their original sound. The band had been focusing on live performances since their last release and then hit pause due to the pandemic.

    Oak & Ash is Rich Tuorto (vocals, guitarist, keyboardist), Chris Tuorto (guitarist), Paul Gramigna (bassist), and Bryan Garbe (drummer). The band got thier start in New York City in 2014 when the Tuorto cousins and long-time friend, Paul, decided to join forces and they haven’t looked back since. Their debut EP, “Slightly Reckless,” was released in 2015 and singles “Step into the Light” and “For You” follwed in 2017. They also celebrated a career-defining moment in March 2017, opening for Bon Jovi at Madison Square Garden. 

    Follow Oak & Ash on Instagram | Spotify | Facebook | YouTube

  • Upstate Mixtape Vol 1. Featured on this week’s EQXposure

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm 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 artists featured on Upstate Mixtape Vol.1 and many more!

    ugly muppets upstate mixtape

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an 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.

    For the next two weeks, EQXposure will feature bands and the music selected for Upstate Mixtape Vol 1, a compilations of artists from the 518 area, committed to amplifying Black voices and suppressing racism. 100 percent of sales of the release, which will be distributed to black artists.

    upstate mixtape

    Upstate Mixtape Vol 1. is part of antiracist grassroots fundraising efforts, spearheaded by Jammella Anderson, working with musicians that identify with antiracism values and commit to amplify Black voices. Among songs contributed to Vol 1. include demos, B-sides, album loose ends and more from a group that showcases the multifaceted nature of musicians in the 518.

    Featured artists that you’ll hear on EQXposure from Upstate Mixtape Vol. 1 include Blue Ranger, “Everybody Lies,” Greens, “Go Somewhere,” Carl Daniels “Morning Pages,” and Front Biz “I Want You.” More tracks from Upstate Mixtape Vol. 1 will be featured next week, as this is a collection of tunes that deserves two weeks.

    Also featured on EQXposure are two cuts from Liam Singer’s forthcoming release, The Ocean, due out on January 15, which features a mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces, in the vein of new-composition and experimental music. “Cannon Beach” features guest vocals by Arone Dyer (Buke & Gase, Mistresses, Drone Choir), and “Heavy Water / I’d Rather be Sleeping” is a cover of a song by the artist Grouper, from her 2008 album Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill.

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

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

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

    Photo Credit: Oskar with a K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Hannah Sumner Pays Homage to Brooklyn on “Only You”

    Hannah Sumner released her new track, “Only You” on Friday, November 20. The song features over 10 NYC artists and attempts to pay homage to Brooklyn and the feelings of isolation during COVID-19.

    Hannah Sumner is a Brooklyn based writer, producer and performer who is a mainly alternative artist. She has released two EP’s: To The Almost, containing five songs, and Guesthouse containing four songs. Sumner has been singing since she can remember, but came into producing after graduating from Berklee College of Music. She messed around with Logic, popular production software, and taught herself how to produce when she no longer had musicians to play with post college. This is when she found her voice.

    Hannah Sumner
    Hannah Sumner photo provided by press release.

    Every musician has a different writing process and for Sumner, she prefers to write songs by improvising over her own productions. Her single, “Only You,” came out of this process. The chorus of the song contains the original first improvised take. “I use my first take a lot, as the songs come out almost finished. They help me understand what I’m feeling, usually before I even understand myself,” she explained. 

    She uses her music as a way of journaling her feelings and experiences. “Only You” was written back in April of 2020 when she, like many people around the world, was missing connection. She poured these feelings into a creation that ended up featuring 10 New York City artists, that she considers to be her ‘music family.’ 

    The song features: Steve Bone of VICE audio who mixed the track and performs guitar on it; Adam Neely, Youtube star playing bass; Ella Joy Meir of Iris Lune on vocals; Curtis J and Jackee Frome on vocals; Jacqueline Kerrod playing harp; Joey D’Alessio on vocals; and  Markus Roessler on vocals.

    The music video was shot on an iPhone, creating beautiful transportations, It is something Sumner aims for in her music, propelled by an underlying interest in film. 

    The song is somber and eerily-beautiful, which is perfectly mirrored within the music video. It starts with a simple chord progression on guitar with lyrics floating in subtly. Then the song builds up until the full lineup comes together to create a haunting melody. The different musicians featured on the song show up within the video in their own little screens chiming in on the chorus. It’s a song that’s very fitting and universal during these COVID-19 times and definitely worth listening to if you are feeling isolated or alone.

    For more information on Hannah Sumner visit her Facebook.

  • Ugly Muppets and many more featured on this week’s EQXposure

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm 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 the latest from Saratoga’s Ugly Muppets and many more!

    ugly muppets

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an 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.

    Ugly Muppets – Rocket Science

    Ugly Muppets is a three piece psychedelic indie garage band coming from the sewers of Saratoga Springs, and straight into your heart. With fuzzed-our guitars, blistering kazoos, and sometimes-on-key vocals, people have said of the band, “Oh yeah, I think I’ve heard of them.”

    This group of proto-post-punk weirdos includes Josh Clark (vocals, guitar, bass), Daniel Burt (vocals, drums), and Jeremy Katz (vocals, bass, guitar, kazoo, synth, production)

    Pulling on influences including The Stooges, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Black Angels, Black Lips, Black Flag, Black Sabbath, and pretty much any band with black in the name, and for Josh Clark, Oasis, Ugly Muppets has been together for five years, while performing in various bands since high school both independently and together.

    The sound of Ugly Muppets is has an overall character that is as much a result of wanting to create something raw while embracing the happy accidents.

    Ugly Muppets have well crafted songs that retain a raw production quality, which ties the full band sound together and in a way, becomes a character, if not member of the overall band.

    Katz says of their sound, “We used a franken-rig of all our collective gear to do the recording and tracked as much as we could live so the sounds already had their own unique character, which we tried to lean into when we did the mixing,” with Burt adding, “It took us a while to form a sound we where happy with, a heavy garage influence was inevitable considering the music we were listening to and the gear we were working with.”

  • Taking Meds to Make Their Audiotree Live Debut December 4

    The members of Taking Meds are looking forward to taking a trip out to Chicago at the beginning of December to perform on Audiotree Live. 

    The NYC-based indie punk band had to cut a cross-country tour short this spring when COVID hit. Shows started getting cancelled while they were on the road. “On the fourth day we were in Georgia, and 50% of the shows had cancelled,” Taking Meds frontman Skylar Sarkis told NYS Music. “We decided to head home.” 

    Eight months, an EP, and a music video later, and they’re excited to finally be hitting the road again. While they’ve been actively working, they haven’t been able to play some of their new songs in front of an audience since March.

    Taking meds

    “Everyone’s missing live music,” continued Sarkis. Most venues have not reopened since the start of the pandemic, due to contagion risk at gatherings. “Audiotree has a COVID-friendly way of continuing to do what they’re doing, and I think being able to access high-quality studio sessions online is really key for everybody right now.”

    This will be Taking Meds’ debut on Audiotree. What started as an artist discovery platform has continued this tradition by continuing to work with emerging independent artists and artists on indie labels. The recorded sessions are just one facet of Audiotree’s footprint in the music industry, but they have become a cornerstone in the international music scene over the past decade. 

    Tune into Audiotree on Friday, December 4 at 4PM CT (5PM EST) for the Taking Meds performance. Viewers will be treated to a few songs off the band’s new EP The Meds You Deserve, released in July on Smartpunk and Near Mint. Sarkis added that they plan on debuting a new song from their next LP, which they just finished recording with Kurt Ballou at GodCity in Massachusetts.

    Taking Meds is comprised of Sarkis on vocals and guitar, Ben Kotin on guitar and vocals, Jon “Steel Wolf” Markson on bass and vocals, and Alex Salter on drums. They don’t all live in the same city. It’s an occasion when they are able to gather at the studio, or go out on the road together, or shoot a music video. 

    Earlier this year, they got to meet up with director Luke LeCount to make a video for one of the songs on The Meds You Deserve, “Sucks To Be Me.” It features Sarkis as his narcissistic alter-ego, firing band members as he tries to impress some sleazy A&R types. He can be seen playing out this persona in a series of off-the-cuff low-budget promotional videos on the Taking Meds YouTube channel. 

    Leading up to the tour, they released a series of humorous videos about packing for tour, filmed by their manager/agent Alex Martin and featuring Sarkis trying to pack merch, gear, his cat, and pictures of Michael Stipe of REM. While Sarkis cites REM, Fugazi, and other bands from that era as band influences, their angular sound is impossible to pigeon-hole as any one genre.

    “We’re just trying to write whatever we want,” explained Sarkis. “Lately that’s coming out sounding like it’s pretty squarely influenced by early 90s stuff. I’m trying to make songs that I would want to listen to.” 

    Other people are digging their sound, too. Most fans have discovered them through word of mouth or by catching a live show. “My experience with this band is that there’s not a lot of hype. We get fans when we’re on tour and they stick around. It’s cool to build a fanbase that’s loyal.”

    Their recent EP The Meds You Deserve, and their full length albums My Life As A Bro and I Hate Me are available for purchase digitally. At the time of press, there are a handful of copies of The Meds You Deserve and I Hate Me on vinyl at Near Mint. 

    Follow Taking Meds on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay on top of news and content. 

  • 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.

    Brooks Hudgins
    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.

  • Hearing Aide: Vaporeyes “Cantrips”

    Syracuse quartet, Vaporeyes, is set to release its sophomore album Cantrips this Friday the 13th. This comes on the heels of Vaporeyes’ eponymous first album, a Syracuse Area Music Award winner just last year. Both albums were beautifully produced by More Sound Recording Studio and are quite the sonic achievement.

    vaporeyes cantrips

    “Cantrips is an old Scot word that basically means a magical spell of any kind” says Jonas Reddy-Nicholson (keyboards, vocals) when asked about the meaning of the name. He goes on to say, “Cantrips is also what they call the type of spells one can cast at any time in the game Dungeons & Dragons.” The band ended up tying the new album thematically to a D&D campaign that they played together.

    And play together, they do. Stylistically they fit snugly into the jam genre. Pat Tierney (guitar) is such a versatile player. He can solo and do the heavy jam riffing so familiar to fans of the jam scene. But he also steps back and lets the other players in the band shine in their roles. “Juice” opens the new album and has a psychedelic, escapist vibe to it. The ethereal vocals and keyboards from Reddy-Nicholson lay the foundation. And the rhythm section members, Shannon Zory (bass) and Sean Cadley (drums) only accentuate the flow.

    vaporeyes

    But before you close your eyes and float away, the band changes things up, shaking the listener from the dream state. One of my favorite examples of this on the new album is “Donye Wump.” Cadley on the drums turns the tempo up and brings everyone along with him. Zory’s bass lines are a joy here, too – thumping, moving and bumping. Hearing this song live is an absolute blast.

    The members of Vaporeyes all live together, which made all band activities (band meetings, practices, livestream performances and working on new music) all that much easier to schedule and follow through on. Moving into the Covid-19 lockdowns of this past Spring, the band was in a unique position. They had an abundance of time together and really were able to do even more work on the music and new album. When their gig money dried up, they launched what turned out to be an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign to fund Cantrips. It wasn’t just a win for Vaporeyes. Give this album a listen. This is a win for all of us!

    vaporeyes

    Key Tracks: Juice, Donye Wump, Peregrine

    For more Vaporeyes information, as well as recordings of their excellent “Quarantine Jams” can be found on Vaporeyes’ Facebook page.




  • Photo Gallery: Goose Celebrate a Delayed Halloween at South Farms

    Indie-Jam darlings Goose returned to South Farms for their Halloween shows, held November 6 and 7. The week delay was due in part to the torrential rain that hit the Northeast in the last days of October, causing the ground to be too soft for vehicles to enter in Morris, CT. Fans didn’t seem to mind. Celebrating a week late, and turned out in costumes, they were ready for one final dose of Goose Drive-In shows.

    goose halloween

    The shows brought out fans, good jams and a couple debuts from Goose. In the first set of Friday night’s show, “It Burns Within” was busted out for the first time since 2014. The second set saw the debut of pre-Goose band Vasudo’s “Empress of Organos,” which segued into a cover of The Band’s “Don’t Do It,” a fan favorite. Later in the same set, the new “Earthling or Alien” debuted, with pro-shot footage released from the set.

    Setlist: Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – Friday, November 6, 2020

    Set 1: Lily’s Tiger > Butter Rum, The Whales, It Burns Within, All I Need > Secret Agent Man, Into the Myst
    Set 2: Empress of Organos* > Don’t Do It, Creatures > Honeybee, Your Ocean, Earthling or Alien?^, Yeti
    Encore: Ghostbusters Rap
    *First Time Played
    ^debut

    Saturday was ‘Halloween’ for fans, with costumes galore and the final show for Goose this Drive-In season. A theme of ‘Donnie Darko at The Farms’ reflected on the 2001 cult-hit Donnie Darko, with band members wearing costumes related to the movie – Ric Mitarotonda in the title character’s skeleton costume and Trevor Weeks playing the role of Darko’s imaginary rabbit friend, Frank.

    Debuts were on tap throughout the night, with an apropos cover of Echo & The Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” hitting on the Halloween and Donnie Darko theme to start the night. Two bands from the 80s and 90s were found at the end of Set one and start of Set two, with Tears for Fears “Head Over Heels” and Duran Duran’s “Notorious,” respectively. Original pairing “Seekers on the Ridge pt. 1” > “Seekers on the Ridge pt. 2” came in the middle of Set two, ahead of the ever popular “Hot Tea” and “Wysteria Lane.” A little more Tears for Fears came in the form of “Mad World” to wrap up the themed affair.

    Setlist: Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – Saturday, November 7, 2020

    Set 1: The Killing Moon*, Arrow, Doobie Song, Slow Ready, Jive 1 > Jive Lee, Head Over Heels*

    Set 2: Notorious*, Tumble, Seekers on the Ridge pt. 1* > Seekers on the Ridge pt. 2*, Hot Tea, Wysteria Lane> Head Over Heels Reprise

    Encore: Mad World

    * debut

    photos by Chad Anderson

    “Halloween” night