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.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a ever-expanding listening audience. Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. NYS Music will bring you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear music from Asa Morris, Olsen Brothers Band, Dylan Giambatista, Zam Smarkey, Brian Kaplan Band and many more!
Asa Morris – You’re Always Home
Asa has been a part of the Upstate NY music scene for more than a decade and is currently living in Burlington, VT. On Tuesday, July 14th he will be releasing his 35th solo EP in six years. Seriously. Go check him out at Bandcamp and count them for yourself. The new EP, God Has Entered My Body. My Perfect Body, My Same Size was recorded this past spring and features many of his former band mates who all recorded their parts remotely and will be available at all major digital retailers with proceeds being donated to organizations in support of both Black Lives Matter and Police abolition.
Olson Brothers Band – Candle in A Storm
These brothers from Bennington, Vermont say “This is a song about having the strength to say NO to Violence, to say NO to ALL forms of discrimination,” It’s “about equality and the journey to obtain it. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, even if it gets you into trouble.”
Dylan Giambatista – Run For It & Vote For Me
Essex County (VT) House Rep. Dylan Giambatsta recorded and released a two track album about the experience of running for office. He says he grew up in the southern Route 7 corridor of Vermont and he has announced plans to run for one of the six Chittenden County Senate seats in January. He is giving away 7” records of his two songs “Run For It” and “Vote For Me” which you can get by visiting vtdylan.com and clicking on the “Music for 2020” tab.
Zam Smarkey – Helado
Zam Smarkey is a band from Saratoga Springs who just released an album called TheIce Cream Album. The idea came about when the band members were discussing what they would like to do for a summer job and they kicked around some ideas like a shaved ice business and buying an ice cream truck. Ice cream truck was the winning idea but they don’t like ice cream truck music. So what are a bunch of musician friends to do? Make an entire album of songs about ice cream. That’s what. They have yet to procure an ice cream truck but I can imagine by the sound of their stuff that they have the passion to get it done.
Brian Kaplan Band – Only For Tonight
This song is from Brian Kaplan’s new album Make No Mistake. EQX’s Jason Keller says “With Brian’s latest album, you’ll find an experienced musician, writer, and storyteller who is comfortable with showing you that one album doesn’t have to be one style. You’ll find some crunchy guitar riffs, like on “Break From the Weight,” but you can also find songs like “You Can Have It” that slow things down a bit and capture a slightly more sentimental vibe. Brian’s clear, strong, voice really brings this production together.” Listen to the track on the band’s website.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Brooklyn-based indie rock band Gooseberry has released their new single “The Protagonist.” The four-piece band met through mutual friends in the Brooklyn music and comedy scenes. After months of intermittent jam sessions in a makeshift apartment studio the Gooseberry Band became official in Fall 2019. The band consists of Asa Daniels (guitar/vocals), Colin Ashen (drums), Sam Rappaport (keys, vocals), and Will Hammond (bass).
Their mix of indie rock, blues, and R&B captures each member’s interests. Sam Rappaport brings the R&B flavor, inspired by the greats like Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and D’Angelo. Will Hammond leans more towards the indie scene, rock and folk. Asa Daniels bridges the gap in-between, having grown up playing jazz and blues and learning licks from heroes like Thelonious Monk, Eric Krasno, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has been pursuing music for nearly a decade, having had some early success with his band, Baked Goods.
Their first single “Berkshires” (listen below) goes back to major influences like D’Angelo, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder, while their newest “The Protagonist” showcases a more alternative/indie sound in the styles of the Foo Fighters, Courtney Barnett, Arctic Monkeys, and Spoon. Before the pandemic, Gooseberry had a biweekly residency at Harefield Road in Brooklyn, where they were steadily growing a devoted audience around their live shows. They had been gigging fairly regularly in and around New York City, running the full gamut of venues from The Cobra Club to DROM to house shows across the boroughs.
Asa Daniels shares his story on how he came up with “The Protagonist”:
This song started out as a little earworm that I couldn’t quite shake. I’d sit in my apartment in my little makeshift studio and play for hours and end up back on this tiny melody, and each time it would grow. A little more power here, a little distortion there. Before I knew it, there was this thing, this song, and the lyrics just fell into place. The Protagonist is a little about how we are all the lead actors of our own movies, and a lot about smiling as you lose control. The song’s title is tongue-in-cheek, but I’ve always been fascinated by points of view, the idea that we really are all the centers of our own universes, and so on. There’s a joke that those close to me know I always make. It usually comes after an impassioned speech from a friend, a major cultural event, or just a story told by someone else. It’s most effective after there’s a lull of awkward silence. I’ll usually think pensively for a moment, then look at someone and say, ‘Right, but how does this affect me, the protagonist?’ While I’m generally looking for laughs when I say that, underneath the statement is a question that I think a lot of folks are grappling with right now as the country is rife with pandemic, civil unrest, and political rancor. We may each be our own protagonist, but the story is empty if it involves no other characters. It’s important to care for one another, speak out for one another, help one another. Especially as things spiral, often beyond our control.
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.
“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.
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to a ever-expanding listening audience. Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. NYS Music will bring you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Warden & Company is a three piece band from Saratoga made up of Seth Warden, Doug Moody, and Brian Melick. They have been playing together since 2011, having started off as the backing band for local Irish music legend Kevin McKrell. The trio have also performed together as Seth and the Moody Melix, playing children’s songs written by Warden who is also a teacher. Warden & Company showcases the trio’s more ‘adult’ sound.
Jay was born and raised in Vermont and currently lives in Burlington. He says he’s been a fan of EQX since he was a teenager. “Grow Again” is his latest single, find him on Facebook and listen to more of his songs on Soundcloud.This is his latest.
Swing Your Concerns features two new tracks along with three of her singles “Swim,” “WHATISTODAY?,” and “Deserve This.” “I believe that as humans we see the option of distracting ourselves from our current reality as a better route than to truly work on bettering who we are. Why feel and work through what’s wrong when you can be numb instead. With the combination of expectations and eyeballs tracking your every move, that’s what ‘Hilary Duff’ is about,” Maggie comments on “Hillary Duff.” This song, along with “Deserve This” and “Swim,” seem to come at a perfect time in this global pandemic when emotions are high.
Maggie grew up surrounded by music as her father was in a Celtic rock band. She did not perform solo in front of an audience until she was 18, but has quickly gained popularity after being discovered by Bruce Gates at Pearl Street Warehouse in Washington, D.C. Since then, she has gained over 60K monthly listeners on Spotify, and her song “WHATISTODAY?” has been featured on several of the app’s playlists, such as Indie Pop and Fresh Finds. She has gained attention from Billboard, Variance, and American Songwriter.
This new single and EP follow an endorsement deal with Yamaha Music along with the emerging artist program WAY Up. Maggie spoke at a panel at the Yamaha Ginza Hall in Tokyo along with several other acclaimed up and coming artists. They spoke about their experiences creating music and conveying their inner emotions through it.
Photo by Jimmy Fisco
Maggie Miles, much like other alt pop artists, shows authenticity in her music by showcasing her wit and personality. At only 21 years old, Maggie likes to use comic relief as a means to poke fun at the hilarity that is the coming-of-age time in life. She draws inspiration from 90s grunge artists but still produces a unique sound that’s personal to her. Maggie says: “I make music for the utter reason alone that I need to create something for myself that makes sense, when nothing else around me does.” She has notable vocal talent, but can also play the piano, drums, guitar, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, bass, and keytar.
Maggie’s first full-length album will be out later this Summer.
