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 The single is about that, how so much seems to happen each day that topics can be “out of date or even inappropriate by noon.”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.
Curbside Concerts, who bring the live music experience to you, will have a pair of shows in the Hamilton, NY area thanks to the Arts at the Palace and the Hamilton Movie Theater. Bringing back live music with proper precautions for COVID-19 in place, Curbside Concerts was recently launched in an Uber Eats style, with users able to use their phones to find local artists who will perform a live set at your address.
The partnership between Hamilton Movie Theater and Arts at the Palace is a strong effort to resume live music in a controlled setting. Artists will perform for four 30 minutes time slots each evening.
As they move about town we encourage the folks that booked them to sit on their porch or yard in a socially-distanced manor. “Free delivery” and a fun night interacting and listening to these local and regional musicians is our mission. After the first one last week, the artist Seth Becker of The Old Main said, “I’d like to keep doing this!” Sounds good to us. We encourage all communities to do this safely!
Sean Nevison, General Manager, Hamilton Movie Theater
On July 1 you’ll find Chris Eves and Johnny Jones, followed by Jes Sheldon and Mike Davis on July 8. In the event of rain, shows will be held on the following Thursday. For more information visit the Arts at The Palace website.
Based in Westchester, Raquel de Souza (Singer), Cat Lines (Fiddle), Luis Cruz (Guitar), Tommy Carlucci (Drummer), and Steve Riccio (Bass) are Raquel and the Wildflowers. This troupe have provided a breath of fresh air into the country/rock genre with Raquel’s first single “Run Towards The Highway” charting #32 on DRT top 50 Country Airplay charts in 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rEvzv0d8sI
After the bands public debut in 2019 they have been on a marathon of performances. The band has opened for multi-platinum artist Andy Grammer, award winning band Skeeter Creek, international country star Jessica Lynn, performed at The Cutting Room for Lauren Davidson’s first “Urban Country Jam”, Daryl’s House, qualified for the “Battle Ground Talent Show Case” finals at West Point Eisenhower Theatre and much more.
Most recently the band played the virtual concert for the radio station BIG FROG 104, and have posted the lovely performance on their Facebook page. For this performance, the band played covers as well as some of their originals, “King of the Jungle”, “Hot July”, “Room 15”, in addition to soon to be released songs “At least that’s what they say” and “What’s Done is Done”
In addition to online shows, the band will be doing “front lawn concerts” where they will be available to play for private shows and can be booked through their contact list on their website.
Their fully released songs are available on all major music outlets and you can find Raquel and the Wildflowers on their Facebook, Instagram, and website.
Albany’s revolutionary The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio is once more changing the game. In an announcement today, The Linda has announced the launching of brand new virtual programming being dubbed ‘The Linda: Open for Take-Out Virtual Concert Series.’ Produced in collaboration with Troy’s video production company Chromoscope Pictures, the virtual concerts will take place Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on The Linda’s Youtube channel and will be ticketed just like their regular shows.
“We realize that the impacts of COVID-19 have been dire for working musicians and the music industry as a whole. The goal of this series is to restart the local music economy by bringing a wide array of eclectic and diverse, local and regional musicians back to the stage in a safe environment and to provide fans with a professionally produced concert delivered directly to the safety and comfort of their homes”
First up in the series will be indie band Motorbike from Saratoga Springs on July 13 at 8 p.m. Their debut LP Victory Lap was released January 2019 delivering to fans and heartfelt hooks from the alternative rockers. Scheduled for July 20 is Girl Blue, a indie pop songstress from Long Island whose debut single “Fire Under Water” racked up over 2 million streaming plays. Canadian neosoul artist The Age will round out the initial lineup with a show on July 27.
Upon purchasing a stream, you will be sent a private YouTube link for each performance. For more information and updates regarding the series visit The Linda’s website or their social media pages.
Check out this stream and more through our series NY Stream and Support, where you’ll discover artists around the Empire State streaming nightly, and ways to support musicians and charitable groups close to home!
“All I Can Say,” a documentary on the late Shannon Hoon, the late lead singer of Blind Melon, was released on June 26. The film will not be released in theaters as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will be available to rent on Relix.
The film is made up of many clips Hoon filmed of himself between 1990 and 1995. Hoon was known for religiously filming himself and his day to day life and left over 200 hours of raw footage right up until his death at the age of 28. The footage starts from before Hoon joined Blind Melon and through the band’s experiences in L.A, filming right up until a few hours before his death. The film was co-directed by Danny Clinch, Taryn Gould, and Colleen Hennessey.
The film was funded by a Kickstarter that hoped to raise $100,000 but ended up raising $115,524 with almost 2,000 backers to the campaign. The Kickstarter explained their hopes for the film saying, “This film documents the band’s rise to fame, Hoon’s family life, his creative process, his tumultuous struggle with addiction, as well as the politics, technology and culture of the 90’s. It is being made in a way that honors the footage Hoon shot while maintaining a genuine and authentic story.”
Oscilloscope Laboratories made the film available to the public via a rental program. Viewers can purchase a 3-day rental period of the film. Relix is partnered with Oscilloscope to share the film.
https://youtu.be/3xph8pPJMB8
For more information or to rent the film visit Relix Presents website.
Brooklyn-based indie rock band, The Next Great American Novelist (aka NGAN), share their new single, “Drag,” from their upcoming sophomore record, Careless Moon. Written before the pandemic and a better-late-than never Civil Rights revolution took the main stage of society. The new single, “Drag,” works to show that there was never a comfortable or correct “normal” in life when times were “precedented,” fully working for everyone.
Songwriter Sean Cahill explains the new single, saying:
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.
Cahill was on the verge of ending his The Next Great American Novelist project before it really even got off the ground. He recalls his experience saying:
I was working in life insurance, and I had a gig at some small venue in Bushwick. I almost didn’t do it because I was so depressed from my living situation and work. I knew nobody, and my girlfriend didn’t show up. I played the show solo, and I was so over everything. I just didn’t give a shit, so I was very open and honest on stage. And this guy who was super shy came up to me afterwards and was like, ‘Hey, I really like your music. I’m a sound engineer, you should come by my studio,’ and gave me his card.
That shy fan was Justin Helm, an engineer at New York’s The Cutting Room. Cahill later stopped by the studio and met the in-house producer, who happened to be Cummings. The two quickly hit it off, connecting over a love of The Beatles and Dirty Projectors. With Helm co-producing and engineering, Cummings would go on to co-produce and play onI’ll See You in the Art You Love, Cahill’s partially crowd-funded debut as The Next Great American Novelist.
It wasn’t long before the pair went from friends to true creative collaborators. As soon as Art You Love was completed, they started approaching a few dozen bedroom demos Cahill had written. Eventually, Cummings expressed a not-so-secret desire to join NGAN, and Cahill was happy to welcome him to the foil. From that moment, the band’s trajectory dramatically changed.
Cahill had never fostered a strong ambition to take his music beyond a personal escape. He’d studied classical guitar in college, but left the program when the criticism and perfection of academia began to suck the fun out of the art. Now with Cummings to play off of, Cahill was rediscovering the joys that attracted him to writing and performing in the first place. The duo have applied creative efforts outside the band as well, writing jingles for everything from Swedish Fish to dog medication.
More than ever, Cahill wanted NGAN to become a band people brought their friends to come see live. United, Cahill and Cummings set to work creating new songs that would “make sense live.” It all came together in the studio with drummer Danny Sher of Horse Torso (his outfit with Baroness bassist Nick Jost) laying down the rhythm live to tape as they built towards their new record, Careless Moon.
Careless Moon is about the relationship between romance and indifference. How it’s possible to see different concepts in the same symbol. One night, you could look at the moon and see an illuminating presence, brimming with light, offering clarity to a sky that is otherwise shrouded in darkness. The ridges of its surface appear as something familiar, a face, looking down and bringing you comfort. Other nights the moon can seem callous: an indifferent rock suspended unwillingly by gravity. You remember that the moon drifts from the earth by 3.8 cm each year, orbiting away from you as it barrels out into space. Your life changes but the moon doesn’t, each night you can find it waiting for you. When you realize that it has no attachment to you, it is frightening.
This upcoming album will be their latest since Under the Lights which was released in 2017. The new album was recorded before the COVID-19 quarantine began, and although the band did not intend on fast tracking any songs from the album, they decided that releasing one song ahead of the rest would be a ray of light in this time of negativity and unrest. All four members of the band, who are quarantined in different parts of the country, decided unanimously to release “Good Days.”
Elliot Peck, who along with Grahame Lesh and Nathan Graham wrote the music and lyrics, says that the song’s chorus was stuck in his head even before he wrote the full tune. Peck states that his vision for the song “was of a small rustic cabin, where two people were sharing their time, and were happy enough with just each other’s company that they needed nothing else.” The image of a rustic cabin is present to the listener, as the song has a country notable feel to it. The song itself is extremely warm despite the fact that its message is somewhat somber.
“Good Days” is also about yearning. “We are a culture always in wanting,” explains Peck. Despite the fact that we always yearn for more in our present and future, “when we really think about our happiest times, it was the simplest ones, when the company of someone was all we needed.” The song is a nostalgic look on the singer’s past as they remember the “Good Days” when they were happiest.
The song’s release in our current time is coincidentally perfect as we remember the “Good Days” before everything in our world changed seemingly in the blink of an eye. Elliot says that “The tune was written and recorded before the pandemic changed everything about our current lives. It was written in a time of hugs and handshakes, communal joints and sipping van whiskey straight from the bottle, small rooms full of close friends and large festival grounds full of complete strangers, frequent flyers with rarely a home cooked meal.” The song is a perfect way to currently reminisce on the past while simultaneously looking forward to the future. Even when everything seems horrible, we can always celebrate the good days.
“Good Days” features Elliot Peck (vocals and acoustic guitar), Grahame Lesh (vocals, acoustic guitar, and 12 string guitar), Connor O’Sullivan (bass and mandolin), Nathan Graham (vocals, drums, and banjo), and Jason Crosby (piano). Lesh describes that Midnight North’s music tells their story, and that with their songs they hope to “transport you into [their] world for an hour or two.”
Midnight North is excited for the world to hear their “entire new album of fresh new music.” There is no confirmed release date for the new album, but Midnight North asks us to be patient as we wait for the album’s release ‘in the coming seasons.’
Proctors and 98.3 TRY will present musical acts paired with classic movies in a Concert Cinema Drive-In Series at Jericho Drive-In in Glenmont. The series features artists performing oldies, Motown, classic rock, and even Disney music over five consecutive Wednesdays beginning July 8. Each artist is paired with a similarly-themed classic film that is shown after the live concert performance, except for a Pink Floyd tribute act which performs The Dark Side of the Moon as the soundtrack during a showing of the 1939 film classic “The Wizard of Oz.”
The concerts will kick off with a performance from The Oldies Show as well as the screening of the film “American Graffiti” on July 8 at 8p.m. The Albany-based The Oldies Show, led by three dynamic singers and backed by a rhythm section and horns, play hits from the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. “American Graffiti” is the 1973 American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, and Cindy Williams.
Into the Floyd will performPink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon live as the soundtrack to the “The Wizard of Oz” on the big screen on July 15 at 9p.m.
The Little Mermen is set to perform on July 22 at 7:30p.m. followed by the movie “Beauty and the Beast.” The Little Mermen are a New York City-based Disney cover band that play the hits from “The Jungle Book,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen” and more. “Beauty and the Beast” is the 2017 live action musical film about an arrogant prince cursed to live as a terrifying beast until he finds his true love.
A performance from Tusk- The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute is on July 29 at 8p.m. as well as the screening of the movie “Almost Famous.” Tusk takes audiences on a sweet ride down memory lane through the catalogue of one of classic rock music’s most enduring acts; the 2000 comedy-drama “Almost Famous” follows. The film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, is the fictional story of a 15-year-old music fan assigned by Rolling Stone magazine to interview an up-and-coming rock band.
Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble and “Lady Sing the Blues” is scheduled for August 5 at 8p.m. Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble is an all-star group of lead singers from top Capital Region bands who pay tribute to the golden age of Motown, Staxx Records, Chess Records and Philadelphia International soul music. “Lady Sings the Blues” is a 1972 film about legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday featuring Diana Ross.
Many will remember Phantom Planet for their song “California,” but for many fans there more than just a theme song. The band actually started their career at just 15 years old and will later be an indie rock staple with songs like “Lonely Day,” “Big Brat,” and “Do the Panic.” Now after 12 years the bank has come back with their highly anticipates album Devastator – now available worldwide.
Devastator is the first album Phantom Planet has released in 12 years.
The album is a great tribute to summer with songs like “BALISONG” and “Only One,” and the lyrics are on point! However, after listening to the album, it left me with several questions for the band.
Fortunately, I had the amazing chance to chat with lead singer, Alex Greenwald to not only discuss about the creative process with the album- but to also discuss the challenges that were involved:
Tamara Estrella: Thanks Alex for chatting with us here at NYS Music, I remember when there were teasers that a song was being produced. However, once you did the release and the mini tour, what led to the creation of the album? Was this all a part of a big plan that fans didn’t know about?
Alex Greenwald: The night we played our first show in January 2019, our last album’s producer Tony Berg (who is a LEGEND) said he was floored watching us and invited the band to record in his new studio. The ‘new studio’ happened to be Sound City which is one of LA’s most historic places to record, where many, many great records have been made. Nirvana’s “Nevermind” for example. Also, the hugely successful version of Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks actually formed in the room we recorded in. THEN ,when we were mixing the album, Bob Dylan was recording at the same time across the hall. Making this album was incredible.
TE: Listening to songs like “Time Moves On” and then seeing the album art….I hate to ask…but was this album inspired about personal events? Or was there another meaning behind it?
AG: Before I answer this question, I’d like to make it clear – as the person who wrote it – that these songs are about whatever you think they’re about. You, the listener are who gives these songs meaning. Ok. Now to answer your question. Yes. A lot of the songs on Devastator were inspired by a breakup with someone I’d been in a relationship for seven years. Every time I told someone about the breakup – that she got to keep our dogs – they would say something like: “My G_d that’s devastating!” Always that word. So, the album just kind of titled itself.
TE: I love watching your YouTube videos and it’s great to see that you guys were even able to release a music video during all of this. How has this whole pandemic experience been for you guys as a band?
AG: The pandemic has affected everyone in such different ways, but the one thing we all have in common is that we are trying to live our lives to the best of our abilities while under house arrest. I’ve been learning all I can about anything I can, and being as creative as I can be during this time. The band has been sharing music amongst its members, collaborating via “satellite”. We’ve been making home vids of certain songs and putting them up online. I made a music video for our new song “Only One” with a green screen. I found a bunch of royalty free video from the internet, and edited it to the song. I filmed myself with my iPhone. It came out way better than I thought it would, seeing as I had absolutely no experience making music videos or editing or green screening. One of my favorite qualities of human beings is our ability to adapt. I see a lot of adapting, and although the circumstance are FAR from ideal, I have seen so many flashes of beauty through this dark unprecedented time. Stay strong everyone. We still have each other, even if we can’t be close right now. Love will carry us through.
So as Billboard shares, be ready to ‘dance, smile, cry and go through all the emotions,’ for an 11-track musical narrative that was seriously 12 years in the making- and honestly worth the wait.
Check out Phantom Planet’s latest video “Only One”:
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and self-taught musician Ian Holubiak, who goes by the name Great Ian Alexander, has released the music video to his new protest anthem, written in response to the death of George Floyd and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“The Ballad of Michael Brown,” was originally supposed to be a battlecry for the late Michael Brown, a victim of police brutality. As the years have passed, the song has maintained its relevance, serving as yet another voice in defiance of the systemic racism inherent in America’s police forces. Great Ian Alexander presents a song to aid in the revolution, to form a new police system and oust the racism that has been perpetuated and brutalized through the 13th Amendment.
Written by Ian Alexander Holubiak, Larz Principato & Denis Lipari, the song is a part of Holubiak’s solo project, Great Ian Alexander.Holubiak, a self-taught musician from the age of nine has toured with the Atlantic Records band, Oh Honey, as both a member and co-songwriter. Among the other groups he has toured with include Beach Weather and singer-songwriter acts inducing Grammy award nominated Elle King.
