NYS Music 202​0

Category: Genres

  • The Disco Biscuits go Running into the Night at Lafayette Apple Festival

    Layafette Apple Festival, just south of Syracuse, will enter 2021 as a regular stop for touring bands as we ride out the COVID-19 pandemic, and assuredly should continue to be a destination for live music moving forward. Over October 29-31, The Disco Biscuits performed to large crowds in Lafayette who were hungry for the often imitated, never duplicated release that live music provides, and in doing so put an exclamation point on the Northeast Drive-In season.

    Having performed in Syracuse on Halloween in 2015 at Crouse Hinds Hall, and again last year in November at SI Hall at the State Fairgrounds, The Disco Biscuits are regulars across New York State. They’ve hosted their Camp Bisco Music Festival numerous times between Van Etten, Hunter and Mariaville over 2005-2013, and make regular stops at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, among other venues.

    biscuits drive-in
    photo by Dave Decrescente

    Even with the rain that pounded the grounds on Thursday night, the staff assisted fans if they got stuck and took necessary measures to ensure a smooth entry and egress from the grounds. The crowd did their part two by following the lead of the staff, abiding by basic social distancing norms and remaining confined to their assigned spots for the evening.

    But being ‘confined’ to your car area has its perks. The physical space around your vehicle is greater than you might find perched up in the crowd at a music festival, and with limited interference from others. While at a festival, you have the spatial boundaries to dance and enjoy the performance, but others are close by so your volume and limbic movements are limited by comparison, or at least contrained to social norms and appropriate levels of touching.

    During COVID-19 times, touching is limited just to your personal bubble, and within your space at an event such as the Disco Biscuits, or Dirty Heads a week earlier, you have an immense amount of freedom to dance with unbridled abandon and exuberance, having only a thin tape of elastic and the proximity to your car and spot-mates keeping you confined. Even at temperatures hovering around freezing, there were major benefits to the layout of these Drive-In shows.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77sA9org5T4

    Thursday night’s performance was marred by an intense amount of rain, which led to the stream on CouchTour.TV to be lost – although they quickly replaced the stream with footage from Drive-In shows earlier in October. The night started out wet, and led to a shortened first set. The crashing of rain and its deafening sound brought out a fitting “Magellan” with a “Widow in the Rain” bustout mixed in between.

    Disco Biscuits, Lafayette, NY – Thursday, October 29, 2020

    Set 1: 7-11-> Lunar Pursuit-> Minions-> Miracles
    Set 2: World is Spinning, Magellan-> Gangster-> Helicopters (inverted)-> Widow in the Rain-> Magellan
    Encore: Frog Legs

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUsDCZ9GmPY

    On Friday night, the band waited until 7:45pm to take the stage, allowing for all to have sufficient time to enter the muddy grounds and safely arrive in their spot. The first set lasted roughly an hour, and featured one of the new songs performed last fall in Syracuse, “Freebis Slinky.” Entering into set two, “Highwire” kicked things into high gear, while a late set “Pimp Blue Rikki” gave was to rising star of the Biscuits’ catalog, “Clocks.”

    Disco Biscuits, Lafayette, NY – Friday, October 30, 2020

    Set 1: Portal to an Empty Head, Freebis Slinky-> Rock Candy-> Grass is Green (inverted)-> Rock Candy
    Set 2: Highwire-> Astronaut-> Crickets-> Mindless Dribble-> Pimp Blue Rikki, Clocks
    Encore: Station

    photo by Dave Decrescente

    One thing that is amplified in the Drive-In setting is behavior that would otherwise be incidental at a normal show. Case in point, leaving a show before the encore. Normally, you would just excuse yourself, walk out of the venue without issue, and there’s a little more space for everyone else to enjoy the encore. This happens, rarely with cause for event, and is a forgettable exchange at best.

    But at a Drive-In show, the counterpart to leaving early is a bit more engaging with your neighbors than just ducking out to beat the crowd. Provided there is no medical emergency, the act of starting your car, turning on headlights and beginning to drive out while others nearby are still enjoying the show is rude and, when weather is mixed in, can be dangerous and obnoxious. If not a venue policy, the general norm of not leaving until the show is fully over should be considered for all Drive-In shows, for safety and general courtesy of all who paid top dollar for these limited live music experiences.

    disco biscuits lafayette
    photo by Dave Decrescente

    Halloween found the band walking out wearing sweatshirts that bore V, O, T and E, making it clear what their message was this Halloween – let’s get down, then on Tuesday, let’s get down to business and vote.

    “Rockafella” launched the first set into the night, giving way to an unfinished “Little Betty Boop,” which led into a large “Morph Dusseldorf” sandwich, layered with a tease of the James Bond theme (in honor of Sean Connery, who died earlier that day), “Feeling Twisted” and a thorough “Abraxas.” After an incredibly lengthy set break, the band returned with “Save the Robots,” taking a patient stroll through the composition’s open space, leading to an extensive, tension building pause where the band got spooky, before finally dropping back into the jam, spawning an eruption throughout the audience.

    disco biscuits lafayette
    photo by Dave Decrescente

    A monstrous “Orch Theme” arose with the ominous synth out of the year-old “Running Into the Night,” which did the heavy lifting in following the top notch “Robots” and kept the set flowing from jam to jam. An inverted “Humuhumunukunukuapua’a” surfaced before diving down into a nasty “The Great Abyss” before returning to “Running Into the Night.”

    For an encore, Gary Numan’s “Cars” was the most fitting song of the weekend, if not the whole run of Drive-In shows. The first cover of the song in over 10 years, “Cars” let the band stretch their legs in the New Wave classic, before shifting into the semi-rare “Naeba” and back into “Cars,” a perfect encore choice after a high energy second set, keeping up the dance vibe all throughout. With post-show music of Poolside’s “Harvest Moon,” the crowd carefully made their way out of the grounds and off into the night.

    Disco Biscuits, Lafayette, NY – Saturday, October 31, 2020

    Set 1: Rockafella, Little Betty Boop (unfinished)-> Morph Dusseldorf-> Feeling Twisted-> Abraxas (unfinished)-> Morph Dusseldorf
    Set 2: Save the Robots, Running into the Night-> Orch Theme-> Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (inverted)-> The Great Abyss-> Running into the Night
    Encore: Cars-> Naeba (inverted)-> Cars

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uz8BpvENlg

    Hopefully this isn’t the last Disco Biscuits show of the year, but it likely won’t be the last at Lafayette Apple Festival. We look forward to 2021 mixing Drive-In shows with the return of live music to the venues across New York and the rest of the country.

    disco biscuits lafayette
    photo by Dave Decrescente

  • Pepsi Welcome Notorious B.I.G. into Rock Hall with Freestyle Challenge

    In honor of hip hop icon The Notorious B.I.G.’s induction into the Rock Hall of Fame, Pepsi released the remastered version to his one-of-a-kind Pepsi freestyle from 1997. The brand-new audio sparked online conversation about whether or not it was meant to be an ad. Nonetheless, the marketing tool was a success and brought attention to the fallen legend’s upcoming ordainment into the Rock Hall.

    Furthermore, Pepsi have doubled down on their celebration of the “Juicy” rapper with a newly announced “BIG Pepsi Freestyle Challenge.” Partnering with flagship New York radio station, Hot 97 — where B.I.G.’s original freestyle was recorded – Aspiring recording artists will have an opportunity to showcase their lyrical prowess with the ability to earn numerous prizes in the process. Using a beat provided on Hot 97’s website, entrants are to deliver their best freestyles mentioning Pepsi along with posting it on their social media outlets using the hashtags #BIGPepsiFreestyle & #Hot97Contest. A winner will be named a Champion plus four free nights of studio recording time and one week of digital market on Hot 97. Freestyles must be submitted by Friday, November 6 at 11:59 p.m., while official contest rules can be found here.

    Pepsi
    NEW YORK – JULY 23: Rappers Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls (Christoper Wallace) and Puff Daddy (sean Combes) perform onstage at the Palladium on July 23, 1993 in New York, New York. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

    Known for his mind-blowing freestyling, songwriting, intricate rhyme schemes and off-the-cuff delivery, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Rock Hall of Fame indication comes as no surprise. He will headline the 35thannual class of Rock Hall inducteeswith the likes of Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, The Doobie Brothers, amongst others. With a short career spanning only four years (he debuted in 1993 and was shot and killed in 1997), The Notorious B.I.G was able to transcend pop culture with his debut LP, Ready to Die, along with his posthumous diamond double-disc album, Life After Death. With hit records such as “Juicy,” “Hypnotize,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” the Brooklyn bred emcee set a standard for lyrical competence combined with stylish bravado, leaving many following in his footsteps.

  • Phantogram Plays “When I’m Small” For Live From My Den

    Greenwich duo Phantogram played their hit song “When I’m Small” for the new artist den series, Live From My Den. Recorded live on Friday, the performance was released on Wednesday, November 4.

    The performance was filmed from Harmonie West, frontwoman Sarah Barthel’s home studio in Los Angeles. They named the studio after frontman Josh Carter’s family’s upstate New York barn, Harmony Lodge, where they wrote their early music. Barthel and Carter originally performed under the name Charlie Everywhere, but changed it to Phantogram in 2009.

    “When I’m Small” first appeared on Phantogram’s 2010 debut album, Eyelid Movies. The song is told from the perspective of a woman in an abusive relationship. While undeniably pop, “When I’m Small” is still dark and haunting, with cryptic and ominous lyrics: “Lucy’s underground, she’s never coming back.” Back in 2014, Phantogram told NBHAP that the line was a nod to the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” but wanted to keep its meaning ambiguous. That year, they appeared on the Flaming Lips’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover album, With a Little Help from My Fwends.

    Phantogram When I'm Small

    Phantogram has released four albums total. Their newest LP, Ceremony, was released on March 6, 2020. The lead single, “Into Happiness,” peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In 2012, they collaborated with rapper Big Boi (OutKast) on two songs from his second solo album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors. They went on to form a trio, known as Big Grams, and released an EP of the same name in 2015. Phantogram’s music has also appeared on the original motion picture soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

  • Bardavon Presents 50th Anniversary Tribute to The Velvet Underground

    The Bardavon Opera House has announced a 50th anniversary celebration of Loaded by legendary rock band The Velvet Underground. Streaming free on Youtube November 15th at 8 p.m., the set includes curated commentary by Bardavon’s Stephen LaMarca with Chris Silva, Michael Nickerson and others.

    The Velvet Underground

    Formed in 1964 singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise, The Velvet Underground’s sound pushed the envelope by introducing rock to something sexier and with more grit. Although having a sound way beyond their time, a unlikely benefactor helped skyrocket the group to success.

    At the end of 1965 pop art icon Andy Warhol saw the band at a club and quickly as sold.Warhol assumed management of the group and incorporated them into his mixed-media/performance art ensemble, the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. By spring 1966, Warhol was producing their debut album. Besides album sales never reflected such, The Velvet Undergound’s is still revered as one of the best rock bands of all time.

    Featuring original performances from Loaded by The Velvet Underground, created especially for the Bardavon: 

    “Who Loves the Sun” – Tracy Bonham w/ Kevin Salem

    “Sweet Jane” – Simi Stone

    “Rock & Roll” – Steve Wynn from Dream Syndicate

    “Cool it Down” – Lost Leaders

    “New Age” – Leah Hennessey from Hennessey

    “Head held High” – Deerhoof

    “Lonesome Cowboy Bill” – John Doe from X

    “I Found a Reason” – Matthew Logan Vasquez of Delta Spirit

    “Train Round the Bend” – Satellite Mode

    “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” – Harmony Rockets w/ members of Mercury Rev, Psychedelic Furs and Hugo Largo

    Session outtake: Ocean – Shana Falana

    Bardavon’s streaming series became an important way for the opera house’s to stay connected to music fans during Covid-19. Archived albums currently available for viewing on their Youtube channel include; Bob Dylan’s ‘Highway 61’, Grateful Dead’s ‘American Beauty’, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Randy Fleischer and HVP Virtual Concert Hall #1.

    A portion of all donations from this streaming series will benefit People’s Place in Kingston & Dutchess Outreach in Poughkeepsie

  • Hearing Aide: Soviet Dolls ‘Keep Sweet’

    Rochester-based synth pop outfit Soviet Dolls have emerged from the cocoon of their retrofitted studio. Their third EP, Keep Sweet, swathes the listener in an ethereal neon sheen of electronica. It’s lighter fare than their previous releases, but then we could all use a little levity these days.

    soviet dolls


    New vocalist Emily Brown made her debut with Soviet Dolls earlier this year on their cover of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer.” She’s a natural fit for the band’s original work as well. Her subtly nuanced vocals temper the robust instrumental textures. She keeps the vessel on an even keel as the music careens between the distinct twinkle of keyboard runs and segments awash in fuzzy reverb. The digital sound is augmented by analogue processes and instruments, marrying the nostalgia for 80’s culture with the sophistication of modern techniques.
    All funds raised by album go directly to help Rochester Hope for Pets, an organization created to assist pets in the greater Rochester area whose owners are facing financial difficulty. Donate $5 or more via Play It Forward to get the Keep Sweet download code via email. Follow Soviet Dolls on Facebook for more information and updates.


    Photo by Krit Upra

  • 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

    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.

    Order of Operations
    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.

  • Flashback to November 2, 1988: Slayer, Motörhead and Overkill at Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie

    These were days when metal giants still walked the Earth, and on this day on 1988 a bulletproof triple-bill played at a packed Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie: California thrashers Slayer, legendary British underground gods Motörhead, and NJ heavies Overkill, who opened.

    motorhead
    photo by Mark Kurtzner

    At the time, Overkill were supporting their then-new third album, ‘Under The Influence’, and played a short set featuring new bruisers such as “Shred” and “Welcome to the Gutter,” along with a few classics like “Rotten to the Core.”  Said frontman Bobby Blitz a few years later about opening for Motörhead – Overkill, were, after all, named after a Motörhead song – “touring with Lemmy was like touring with GOD!  I’d be sitting next to him, taking pictures, asking ‘Can you sign another album, Lem? It was great.”

    lemmy
    photo by Mark Kurtzner

    Motörhead played second – odd to see them open for Slayer, a band who’d been wearing Motörhead shirts on the inside sleeve of their first album five years earlier, and a band about 10 years behind of Motörhead in terms of when their first albums came out – but Slayer had hit big with their third record ‘Reign In Blood’ a couple years earlier, while Motörhead were still – and always would be, In America – beloved underground veterans.  This did not stop Lemmy and his bands of rogues from stealing the show.  They were then promoting their second live record, ‘No Sleep At All’, and Lemmy strode out on stage and barked “We are Motörhead, and we play rock’n’roll”, before the band blasted into “Dr. Rock”, the ’Orgasmatron’-era pounder which also started the new live record. 

    overkill
    photo by Mark Kurtzner

    The band were still playing many songs from the most recent studio record, ‘Rock’n’Roll’ (4 songs, plus ‘Rock’n’Roll’-era b-side “Just Cos You Got The Power”), and “Eat The Rich” from that record got a big reaction, even from the younger Slayer-heads who knew it from MTV.  Unlike their later years, where the majority of the set was from the ‘classic’ pre-1983 Fast Eddie years, this night most of the songs played were from the then-recent records by the newer 4-piece Motörhead with guitarists Wurzel and Phil Campbell, including “Dr Rock”, “Built for Speed”, a grinding “Orgasmatron”, the minor hit “Killed by Death”, and the aforementioned slew of ‘Rock’n’Roll’-era songs.  The band did play a few vintage songs though, including “Stay Clean”, “Metropolis”, eternal favorite “Ace of Spades” and the world-flattening and opening-band-inspiring “Overkill”.  A ear-destroyingly killer show, and with 3 of these 4 men now in Valhalla – Lemmy, guitarist Wurzel and drummer ‘Philthy’ Phil Taylor – a lineup that will never be seen again.

    slayer
    photo by Mark Kurtzner

    Slayer, of course, were also mighty and unstoppable.  The pit was huge, sweeping away any who wanted to merely stand and watch, and the west coast thrashers opened with “South of Heaven”, title track from the then-new record, before mayhem erupted with song #2, “Raining Blood”.  This was the ‘classic lineup’ – Tom Araya, Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo, and the late, great Jeff Hanneman.  There was no rest thereafter, and the band leaned on the new record heavily – 8 of 15 songs played were from ‘South of Heaven’, with more vintage neck-snapppers like “Black Magic”, “Chemical Warfare”, “Necrophiliac”, “Postmortem” and “Kill Again” also played, before the show wrapped up – as would usually be the case, until Slayer’s 2019 conclusion as a touring band – with ‘Reign In Blood’-era skull-smasher “Angel of Death.”

    lemmy
    photo by Mark Kurtzner

    Motörhead setlist: Doctor Rock, Stay Clean, Traitor, Metropolis, Dogs, Eat the Rich, Built for Speed, Just ‘Cos You Got the Power, Orgasmatron, Stone Deaf in the U.S.A., Killed by Death, Ace of Spades, Overkill

    Slayer setlist: South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Silent Scream, Read Between the Lies, Black Magic, Postmortem, Necrophiliac, Behind the Crooked Cross, Kill Again, Mandatory Suicide, Chemical Warfare, Ghosts of War, Spill the Blood, Live Undead, Angel of Death

    slayer
    photo by Mark Kurtzner

  • 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.

    katie rush

    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.

  • Video Premiere: The Dirty Pennies ‘I’m Your Man’

    A flyer for The Dirty Pennies show in March still hangs in the window of Rochester‘s Bug Jar. The venue has been a touchstone for this rust belt garage rock band. Shortly after venues like Bug Jar shut down, the band released a single “I’m Your Man.” Today, they premiere the lyric video for the song.

    The gritty song features staple driving guitar riffs that the band is known and loved for. But it also showcases the skills of their drummer, who goes all out on the fills. It’s a more aggressive song than the rest of groups catalog, fueled by the times in which we are living.

    The video gives fans an opportunity to follow along to the lyrics. Learn those words, because when live music resumes and The Dirty Pennies can play live, this is an anthem we’ll want to sing along to.

    dirty pennies

    Formed in Rochester, the group includes Ryan Klem on vocals and guitar and Lucas Howe on drums. Bassist Joe Mungo joined the band in 2015. The trio self-released their debut album Kick Out The Rocks in 2018, and an EP entitled EP in 2019. “I’m Your Man” is one of three singles they have released this year. Learn more about the band in their interview with NYS Music.

    Find “I’m Your Man” on Spotify and Bandcamp.

    Follow The Dirty Pennies: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

  • Stellar Young 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 EP from Albany’s Stellar Young!

    stellar young

    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.

    EQXposure host Pearson came across Stellar Young’s song “Old Roots” and was struck by how the character in the voice, the feel of a waltz, and the urgency in the performance gave the song a desperate and anthemic quality. This track pulled Pearson in and when he learned their EP And Turned to Ash was part of a trilogy, he wanted to dig in further.

    stellar young

    On Sunday, November 1, Pearson will play the entire And Turned to Ash EP, and over the next few weeks he will feature the other two EPs. Playing a full artists release on a radio station in this climate is a departure from the norm, but Pearson couldn’t think of a better time to start doing this.

    Stellar Young’s And Turned to Ash is an awesome record to share because it weaves through a narrative of the PAST. That nostalgic, raw emotional pondering is evident in the treatment of the songs and the how the band orchestrates the presentation with bass, drums, layers of human harmony, guitars, and lingering tone beds – it’s rather well made album too. So put on some headphones and let’s go on a journey together. From the radio to your soul.

    A captivating blend of atmospheric indie-rock and upbeat post-punk, Stellar Young features John Glenn (vocals/keys), Erik Flora (guitar/vocals), Kyle Hatch (guitar), Dave Parker (producer), and Tim Brosnan (drums). Together the members work to create the most accurate portrayal of key moments in life that everyone understands, but often can’t explain.