NYS Music 202​0

Category: News Desk

  • Kitchen Dwellers announce release of ‘Reheated Vol.2’ featuring Pink Floyd covers

    Kitchen Dwellers have released Reheated Vol. 2, their take on Pink Floyd with three covers – “Welcome to the Machine.” “Hey You,” and “Pigs (Three Different Ones).” This release marks the second installment of their Reheated series featuring covers interpreted by Kitchen Dwellers through their eclectic and expansive approach to Bluegrass music.  Kitchen Dwellers launched their Reheated series in 2018 with Vol. 1, a four-song EP that reimagined songs from The Band.  

    Reheated started out as a way to play the music of some of our favorite bands while putting our own twist on it. We draw influences from all kinds of styles and types of genres, so diving into somebody else’s work is fun for us. It creates its own set of challenges and we tend to incorporate some of the things we learn along the way into our own songs and playing. For the first volume, we released songs from The Band. We love their approach to songwriting and singing so we really had a lot of fun with that one.  

    After many rounds of debate, we ultimately chose to do Pink Floyd for the second volume. Throughout their long career, they have been so inventive and experimental. As a kid, I used to think the band members of Pink Floyd wore lab coats and twisted nobs to make their music. Their songs also pose big questions about life and have the ability to make you think from different perspectives. We chose one song from three of their most influential albums; Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall. All songs were recorded and mixed with Colin Bricker at Mighty Fine Productions in Denver, CO. We tried to recreate some of the iconic sounds that Pink Floyd managed to produce in the studio, this time, with acoustic instruments. Every single instrument track was recorded on one of our four instruments except for one, so we really had to work on getting it right. This release has been highly anticipated for us and It’s with great excitement that we can put this out into the world. 

    Max Davies (guitar/vocals)

    The Montana-based bluegrass band has performed for thousands at Red Rocks, shared bills with the likes of Railroad Earth, The Infamous Stringdusters and Twiddle, graced festival stages from Northwest String Summit to WinterWonderGrass, and transcended traditional genre boundaries. 

  • The Canadian National Anthem gets a Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra makeover in new video

    The Daniel Hersog O Canada Jazz Orchestra has released their first digital music video, featuring the Canadian National Anthem “O Canada.” The video’s release comes just in time for Canada‘s July 1 Independence Day.

    Daniel Hersog‘s 17-piece ensemble formed in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The group is comprised of Juno Award winners, Canadian jazz stars and a recipient of the Order of Canada. All 10 Canadian Providences are represented among these musicians that have come together to support each other during trying times.

    Daniel Hersog, hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, has quickly become a vital Jazz player as a trumpeter, composer and arranger. Hersog is currently receiving significant airplay, and international media attention for his newly released album Night Devoid of Stars released through Cellar Music Label.

  • Curbside Concerts come to CNY thanks to the Hamilton Theater and Arts at the Palace

    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.

  • Watch Carl Reiner sing opera on “Caesar’s Hour” and “Conan”

    The comedy world lost a giant today, as Carl Reiner passed away at age 98. Known for creating The Dick Van Dyke Show and directing comedies including Oh God! and The Jerk, few know that Reiner also dabbled in singing, notably opera music, part of two television performances that bookend his career.

    Born in The Bronx to Jewish immigrant parents in 1920, Carl Reiner would go on to serve in the Army Air Force in World War II, before performing in Broadway musicals Inside U.S.A. and Alive and Kicking, among others, as well as the lead role in Call Me Mister. In 1950, he joined the cast of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, appearing on air in skits while also working alongside writers Mel Brooks and Neil Simon in the early years of their careers.

    At 33 years of age, Reiner joined Caesar’s Hour in October 1955, Reiner would perform a selection from Pagliacci, with Sid Caesar in the role of Gallipacci (Canio in the original opera). Gallipacci and wife Rosa (Nedda), played by Nanette Fabray, are traveling in an art troupe, when Rosa falls in love with Emilio (Silvio), played by Reiner. The two make plans to elope, but a jealous Gallipacci discovers their plan. Watch below and listen for a young Don Pardo introducing the sketch.

    Now compare a young Reiner, whose career was just getting started, to a 91 year old Reiner on Conan promoting his book “I Remember Me.” The two discussed how he was never able to perform opera for a career choice, and Conan offered him a chance to perform on the show that night. Reiner took the chance and sang from Pagliacci.

    Rest in peace Carl Reiner, thanks for the laughs and for shining a light on your potential operatic career.

  • GarciaLive Volume 14 features Jerry Garcia & John Kahn at The Ritz in 1986

    The latest release from the GarciaLive series brings bassist John Kahn together with Jerry Garcia on the duo’s winter tour stop at The Ritz in New York City on January 27, 1986. The collection includes a liner note essay by bluegrass virtuoso Billy Strings.

    This performance at The Ritz was during the midpoint of their East Coast run, with Garcia and Kahn delighting the audience with a mix of Grateful Dead favorites, folk standards, and other staples from Garcia’s songbook. A laid-back yet passionate performance, Garcia’s mastery as a storyteller is on full display. As Billy Strings describes in the liner notes, Garcia “sings through the verses and picks through the melodies as if he is the man in the story. Delicate and deliberate.”

    Art by Suburban Avenger

    A sultry version of “Friend of the Devil” showcases Garcia’s soulful singing and his deep musical connection with Kahn. A pair of nods to Dylan are included in the show — “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and “Simple Twist of Fate.” Additional highlights include an upbeat “Bird Song” which Garcia & Kahn stretch out for the longest jam of the evening and a joyous “Ripple,” heard below.

    Pre-order Vol.14 of GarciaLive here, and while supplies last, every CD pre-order via Garcia Family Provisions will receive a bonus CD featuring the duo’s show the next night, January 28, 1986 at The Ritz.

    Set One: Deep Elem Blues, Little Sadie, Friend of the Devil, Oh Babe, It Ain’t No Lie, When I Paint My Masterpiece, Run for the Roses

    Set Two: Dire Wolf, Simple Twist of Fate, Spike Driver Blues, Bird Song, Ripple

    Encore: Goodnight Irene

  • 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj’s “TROLLZ” plummets down the Billboard Hot 100

    After debuting atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week with new song “TROLLZ,” New York rappers 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj have broken the all-time record for biggest fall from number one. Dropping to #34, the duo doubles the previous record-holder, The Weeknd’s “Heartless,” which fell to #17.

    “TROLLZ”  marked 6ix9ine’s first number-one single, and Minaj’s second. Earlier this year, she hopped onto a remix of Doja Cat’s viral hit “Say So” for her first. The success of “TROLLZ” has been historic in many ways: after spending the late 2010s mired in controversy and overshadowed by new talent, Nicki became the first female rapper to debut at #1 since Lauryn Hill’s 1998 “Doo Wop (That Thing),” and 6ix9ine beat the odds despite being blacklisted from radio as well as playlists curated by Spotify and Apple Music.

    The accompanying music video, filmed at 6ix9ine’s home while under house arrest for racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, has almost 160 million YouTube views and counting, and the single has sold 116,000 downloads, the highest figure since Taylor Swift’s “ME!” Both rappers took to Twitter to gloat about the successful debut:

    Without industry support, “TROLLZ”’s number-one debut was almost entirely a fan-driven operation. This is admittedly impressive, but on second thought it bodes bleak for the future of chart-toppers. While never an indication of a song’s quality or cultural impact, going number-one once meant having the most popular song in the nation for a week or more.

    Now, a devoted fanbase could theoretically get their idol’s song to the top of the chart without anyone else beyond their ranks actually listening to it, only to nosedive into oblivion the next week without having made its mark on popular culture and the general public. While claiming the coveted crest of the Hot 100 has historically been a prestigious accomplishment, this arguably causes the feat to lose its luster.

    Discounts, merchandise bundles, and multiple versions are increasingly popular methods of boosting sales, and fan practices such as employing bots and VPNs to manipulate a song’s performance have potentially made the Hot 100 less representative of the masses’ tastes than ever before. While the latter has only been rumored in this instance, 6ix9ine and Minaj employed all of the former tactics: “TROLLZ” was discounted to 69 cents, sold alongside CDs, vinyls, and hoodies, and released with explicit, alternate, and clean versions.

    Although 2020 is only halfway through, the year has already seen five Hot 100 number-one debuts, some of which proved to be similarly frontloaded: Travis Scott and Kid Cudi’s “The Scotts” fell to #12 the following week, and Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber’s “Stuck With U” plunged to #13. Since Billboard is constantly amending its rules amid the ever-evolving musical landscape, none of these artists or fanbases are technically ‘cheating’ by pulling out all the stops to ensure a number-one.

    They still obtained the necessary sales, streams, and radio play (provided they aren’t blacklisted) required to top the chart. Unlike payola, the practice of record companies paying radio stations to play a song without disclosing the agreement, it’s perfectly legal for artists to go to 6ix9ine and Minaj’s lengths to top the Hot 100. But will those songs be remembered a year from now? Next week, even?

  • Broadway Shutdown Extended to January 3, 2021

    On June 29, The Broadway League announced that the Coronavirus shutdown would remain effective for Broadway theaters for the remainder of 2020. 

    Photo by Kate Glicksberg

    On March 12, The Broadway League closed NYC’s shows after Governor Cuomo placed restrictions on mass gatherings. The theaters were supposed to only stay closed for a month. However, due to the ever-present threat of COVID-19, the date was pushed back several times. Now, shows will not be opening until January 3, 2021. 

    Broadway has gone dark before. Shows have been closed many times for strikes in 1919, 1964, and 1975, and all shows were closed for several days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This hurt shows financially so much that several were not able to reopen after the shutdown ended. However, Broadway has never been closed this long before.

    Much like the 9/11 shutdown, Broadway shows are being deeply hurt by this inactivity today. Hangmen and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? will not be able to open in 2021. 31 productions were running in March, with 8 new shows in previews that were scheduled to officially open later this year. The Minutes, American Buffalo, and the long anticipated revival of The Music Man starring Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman announced that their opening dates would be postponed. The Lincoln Center Theater and the Roundabout Theatre Company have released new Spring dates for their upcoming works. 

    Via gaylesbroadwayrose.com

    “The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal,” says Chairman of the Board of The Broadway League Thomas Schumacher. “Every single member of our community is eager to get back to work sharing stories that inspire our audience through the transformative power of a shared live experience. The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it’s safe to do so. One thing is for sure, when we return we will be stronger and more needed than ever.”

    The theaters are expected to open with rolling dates starting on January 3, 2021. All tickets before this date are being refunded or exchanged. In the meantime, Broadway fans can watch the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton on Disney+, which will be available for streaming on July 3.

  • Live Nation is Under Scrutiny From Religious Leaders Over Hindu-Buddhist-Jain Statues

    Religious leaders from Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Jain denominations are urging Live Nation to remove Hindu-Buddhist-Jain statues that are located in various night clubs and requested a public apology.  The statues are located in eight major US cities in the Foundation Room night-clubs in House of Blues and the religious leaders find them highly inappropriate.

    Lord Parshvanatha in Foundation Room Chicago with masquerade ball mask in his lap.
    Photo from from Foundation Room Facebook page.

    Foundation Room night clubs are a part of the “House of Blues” network of Live Nation Entertainment and are located in Anaheim, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. Live Nation Entertainment’s network also includes Ticketmaster, bringing 40,000 shows and more than 100 festivals to life, selling 500 million tickets per year.

    With Live Nation being such a large corporation and having a great deal of influence on the music world, and claiming to be the “world’s leading live entertainment company,” statues of Hindu-Buddhist-Jain icons adorning these music venues is out of line.

    Leaders released a joint statement on June 26 saying that, “placing highly revered Hindu-Buddhist-Jain icons to adorn night-clubs was very disrespectful, out-of-line, prone to desecration by patrons, and could be disturbing to the adherents of these [Christian-Hindu-Buddhist-Jewish-Jain] faiths.” The group of religious leaders include: Greek Orthodox Priest Stephen R. Karcher, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, prominent Buddhist Priest Matthew T. Fisher, well-known Jewish Rabbi ElizaBeth Webb Beyer, and renowned Jain leader Sulekh C. Jain. 

    President of Universal Society of Hinduism Rajan Zed highlighted that Hindu deities Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, (among others) were meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be thrown around loosely in a night-club for dramatic effects or a mercantile agenda. Devotees of these religions would see such denigration of sacred deities as hurtful.

    Lord Ganesha at Foundation Room Houston with wine-glass in front of him. Photo from from Foundation Room Facebook page.

    Sulekh C. Jain explained that the statues of Lord Mahavira and Lord Parshvanatha don’t belong in night-clubs and that they belonged in temples for veneration. He then suggested that Live Nation Entertainment could donate these to Jain temples in the USA and the Jain community would gladly pay for their transportation.

  • The Linda ‘Opens For Take Out’ Reviving the Capital Region Music Scene

    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!

  • NYC Council Members form Caucus to support Independent Music Venues

    Former hardcore musician and NYC Council Member Justin Brannan of Brooklyn and NYC Council Member Keith Powers of Manhattan have formed the “CBGB Caucus” to help support independent music venues during the pandemic. The councilmen hope to protect and help small venues from being forced to close during these trying times. 

    NYC Music Venues

    Brannan was a member of hardcore bands Indecision and Most Precious Blood before getting into politics. This close connection to being a musician and the need to keep venues afloat is one of the reasons behind the formation of “CBGB Caucus.” CBGB is an historic a New York City music club that opened in 1973 and closed its doors in 2006.

    According to Brooklyn Vegan, the councilman, “shared a letter to members of the NYC Congressional Delegation offering their support to efforts by the National Independent Venue Association.” Currently, 90% of venues will be forced to shut down without much needed aid the councilmen are pushing for. 

    To help support and save independent music venues, visit SaveOurStages.com where you can quickly fill out a form to contact your legislators about the need for aid for venues. You can also help support individual NYC music venues survive the pandemic by donating to them directly. A list of venues you can donate too can be found here.

    The full letter can be read below:

    Members of the New York City Congressional Delegation,

    We are writing to express our support of the National Independent Venue Association’s efforts to expand the Federal Paycheck Protection Program to offer more help for businesses like theirs that are completely shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are in need of support during this unprecedented time. We need to allow independent music venues to recover in order to preserve some of New York City’s — and our country’s — most important cultural institutions.

    With nearly 2,000 venues in all 50 states, the National Independent Venue Association represents an industry that has served as a cultural hub for New Yorkers of all different communities. These businesses have been particularly impacted by the pandemic due to their inability to reopen under profitable conditions for the foreseeable future. This has also affected all of the staff that work at these venues including production staff, managers, promoters, producers, stagehands, drivers, and a myriad of others whose livelihoods cannot resume until the pandemic has passed.

    We stand by the proposal to create a benefit which, along with emergency unemployment insurance, would be available to those who cannot work due to a canceled live event or performance during the continuation of the shutdown. This simple change could allow families across New York to continue to pay rent, while preserving our music venues. Flexibility in these programs, especially for the performance industry, is needed now more than ever.

    We look forward to working together in order to ensure that this valuable community in our city can get help. We at the Council are happy to lend our support.

    Thank you for your consideration, and with any questions, reach out to our offices.