NYS Music 202​0

Category: Albany

  • Hearing Aide: Wavy Cunningham’s ‘Club Wavy’

    Wavy Cunningham, an Albany-area rapper who has shown much potential in the past, comes through with his first full length project, Club Wavy. The album is a product of the collective efforts of Wavy along with producers N-Pro, DJ Mercy, and Frank Finesse.

    The album itself plays as if Cunningham and the production crew have a thorough understanding of old school and underground hip-hop simultaneously performed through a 2010 lens. Throughout the album, it becomes evident that Wavy is eager to make a name for himself in the current hip hop landscape; Club Wavy may very well be that stepping stone.

    The album starts off with the swirling synth beat featured on “I’m Good.” Wavy immediately follows in finding himself riding the beat like a surfboarder, spitting bar after bar about his come up in the past few years. The track progresses into a familiar “Eenie Meenie Miney Mo” rhyme pattern which is both appealing as well as gratifying to hear those anticipated rhyme schemes fulfilled. Wavy continues to flex his pen game which remains impressive from track to track. As the album progresses, the production leans towards a jazz rap fusion with Wavy’s prominent voice hitting as hard as a hammer over synth jazz chords.

    Wavy’s vocal performances throughout this project are as smooth as ever, whether delivered in a triplet flow pattern reminiscent of 21-Savage on “I’m Good” or in smooth R&B fashion such as on “The V.I.P” with soulful, crooning vocals that hit like Kids See Ghosts era Kid Kudi. “The V.I.P.” serves as an interlude for the album but still, even as a transitional track, “The V.I.P” carries an almost tangible emotion that brings the audience into the next half of the album. The remainder continues on with Wavy performing in his pocket over beats with a jazzy guitar chords along with classic trap instrumentals which allow Wavy’s voice to take center stage.

    The album culminates with “All We need is Love,” an emotionally heavy track that honors the lives of those who have become victims of police brutality. “All We Need is Love” is ripe with emotion and showcases Wavy’s ability to rap while simultaneously narrating a coherent story about a young black college man who was subject to unlawful search and seizure along with a wrongful arrest.

    Wavy closes the album out by remembering the lives of recent victims of ongoing police brutality and racial discrimination in the United States, humbly singing and asking a closing question to the audience,

    All we need is love, when it’s all said and done what we do effects the future of our daughters and our sons. Tell me what’s really going on.

    Key Tracks: Whattup?, The V.I.P. (interlude), All We Need is Love

  • Hearing Aide: State Champs ‘Unplugged’

    COVID got you down? Having some relationship troubles? Or maybe there’s a hankering for some good ol’ 2010 nostalgia? Take a listen to State Champs new album Unplugged and let it all out, in a true pop punk fashion. This collection was released to celebrate 10 years since the bands’ start in Albany. In their press release, they declare their change of pace as a “healthy growth spurt,” that will “set the table for the next ten years of their career.” They definitely have grown since their start a decade ago, but it’s arguable that they may have just aged out their genre, rather than growing into a new one.

    state champs

    This six-track album, with four original songs in their newfound acoustic sound, also features two covers of their highest rated songs, transposed into their new style. What’s fascinating is they’re able to keep that drive going in such a ‘low lit’ environment. This is their saving grace because, on its face, this album might not sound so appealing. How can you have a chill version of pop punk music about how your hometown sucks and you hate your ex-girlfriend? Well this is one way to do it. This feels highly multi-layered throughout. It’s not just a softer version of the songs you like, some are reimagined in creative ways. 

    “A Thousand Hearts” really sets the scene as to how laid back they’ve become. It has decent drive and motivation, but it’s not at all parallel to their original work, with one of the only similarities being Derek DiScanio’s voice and lyrical theme. That’s fine and all, being that the band wants to move in a new direction. It might be a bit of a shock to long time listeners, as will the smooth as butter saxophone solos. “The Recipe” falls into the similarly romantic space, but presents a better sense of direction and drive, as well as more relatable lyrics about how relationships don’t need to follow a ‘recipe.’ 

    “10 am” has a very unique, self proclaimed EDM sound, mixed with well produced, natural sounds. It’s got a catchy hook to it, but again, not the most revolutionary word-smithing going on in this one. Musically though, this is very well executed. Fun fact: the song was birthed by Evan Ambrosio, who was messing around with an automated drum loop, and ran with the idea, creating a song with a synthetic drum loop that has a natural sound to them. Most of the song sounds completely acoustic and man-made, but fades out with the drum beat, which slowly morphs into a more computerized, 8-bit sound – a fun nod to the muse of the song. 

    “Crying Out Loud” is the best original on the album. The hook is super catchy, the energy created both lyrically and musically is moving and it should resonate well among Champ fans. This could easily be transposed into their original style perfectly, but again, that’s not their vision.

    “Criminal” is the first acoustic version of an original song and it feels more natural compared to the first four tracks on the album. They’ve thrown in a very poppy, bluegrass feel to it, which takes some getting used to but it’s still a fun song if you’re a fan of the original. 

    “Dead and Gone” is the perfect song to cover. The lyrics are edgy enough to give it the drive it needs and the music follows to help propel it even further. It’s not too busy, or trying to be something other than what it is. The most extreme change is a twangy guitar that pops in and out of the song. The double time effect that we hear during the verses, (that feeling of the music getting faster) comes through perfectly in this too – a cornerstone of pop punk music. 

    Pop punk is a culmination of a lot of music, so the logic should be sound – why not just add another genre in there, and we should sound different. But pop punk is already so many things: Emotional, energetic, silly, dramatic, loud. There aren’t many genres that can say they have all of those things and still be palatable to the masses. It’s also quite the challenge to change a group’s entire attitude, let alone pulling from another genre of music. This is a definitely a sensible direction to go for State Champs, as the pop punk area of music may start to trail off soon, if it already hasn’t. But if State Champs find that golden ratio, as they did in their “Dead and Gone” cover and “Crying Out Loud,” then they themselves will be golden and “set the table for the next ten years of their career.”

    Key Tracks: 10 AM, Crying Out Loud, Dead & Gone

  • LarkFest 2020 Cancelled Due to COVID-19

    LarkFest is a well known Albany tradition loved by it’s community for bringing guests from all over, vendors, artists, and musicians to the Lark Street Corridor in Albany. Unfortunately, this year the festivities have been cancelled due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The festival was scheduled to happen on September 19, 2020 from 10:30AM -5:30PM.

    LarkFest

    Lark fest is put on by the Lark Street Business Improvement District. It is a celebration of everything unique and exciting about Lark Street and the creative culture of the greater Capital Region of New York. LarkFest was cancelled this year due to the inability to keep attendees safe which is the festival’s highest priority. On top of the  inability to keep people socially distancing and safe, the restrictions on mass gatherings make it impossible to make LarkFest happen this year.

    The team behind LarkFest encourages people to continue to safely support the artists, musicians, businesses, and vendors that make this event so special each year despite it being cancelled this year. LarkFest plans to be back and booming in 2021. Until then, there are a few local arts & cultural organizations that are so critical to the foundation of what makes their community unique and beautiful the team behind LarkFest want to point people in the direction to support. These organizations include African American Cultural Center, Albany Center Gallery,  Albany Symphony Orchestra, Creative Impact Capital Region Artist Fund, Irish American Heritage Museum, Palace Theatre.

    For more information on LarkFest visit their website.

  • Start Making Sense to Perform at Jericho Drive-In

    Start Making Sense announced their plans to perform at the Jericho Drive-In Glenmont, NY on August 28, 2020 at 7PM. The show will follow social distancing guidelines with attendees staying in their cars and will be followed by a showing of the film The Big Lebowski at 9PM.

    Start Making Sense is a Talking heads tribute band that even Bernie Worrel, the keyboardist for Talking Heads and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member, thinks the band does a great job recreating the Talking Heads’ music. Worrel said, “To all you listeners… This is an appropriate title — Start Making Sense. This band makes plenty of sense to me, and is a great representation of Talking Heads’ music. So listen up and go check them out!” 

    Tickets are on sale now here and include three different tiers of pricing according to the tiers of parking. Advance pricing on the first three rows will cost $80 a car load. Rows four through six are for sale for $70 a car load with the advance pricing. And lastly rows seven through thirteen will cost $60 per car load with the advance pricing. Each car load can have up to four people at that price with an additional $10 more per person over 4 to be paid at the gate. Day of show pricing is an additional $10 more per vehicle. Doors open at 6PM. 

    For more information on Start Making Sense visit their website. For more information on the show visit the Jericho Drive-In’s website. 

  • Wavy Cunningham and DJ Mercy Continue the Fight on Two New Projects

    If one thing is clear, it’s that Wavy Cunningham always makes music. I’ve seen him write a song in a notebook, and then release it days later. He never waits. He gave his fan base a week between the releases of his new EP, Fight Back, and album, Club Wavy. They set sails on July 31st and August 7th, 2020, respectively.

    Photo by Zach Hitt

    Always Be Closing

    Wavy might not yet be a household name, but his charisma and performance style converts first time listeners into fans with little effort. That’s how he got me to listen. I’ve seen this happen during live sets, both at shows where he’s the featured headliner, and guest spots on stage too. But his ease around people doesn’t negate his work ethic.

    Unique Style

    In fact, Wavy, along with his frequent collaborator and producer DJ Mercy, enjoy writing, recording, and releasing music in extremely quick succession, unlike certain artists who wait for “outside influences and people around them” to lead to an album’s refinement, Wavy says. 

    Every year, major league record labels dispose of a tremendous amount of resources for their artists to drop a project only once every few years, on average. However, Wavy releases multiple projects per year without a label, so I talked with Wavy about his process, his plan, and his methods. We also dug into his newest work, Club Wavy and previous efforts such as Catch Me If You Can (2016).

    More Music on Deck

    At this point in time, Wavy Cunningham and DJ Mercy have over five projects on Spotify with dozens of smaller EPs, demos, singles, and mixtapes collecting listens on SoundCloud. “We also have a bunch of unreleased projects,” says Wavy. It allows the duo to pull from a vast repertoire of well-written rhymes and vintage samples when it comes to live shows. And Wavy is not concerned about what others are doing. He mentions wanting to go his own way, instead of “running on the hamster wheel,” or following the same pattern that other artists do.

    The New Normal

    Speaking of shows, performance is Wavy’s bread and butter, in my opinion. So with a lot of the world shut down due to the dangers of the COVID-19 health crisis, we might not get to see his live vibe for songs like “Doin’ My Thing,” (one of my favorites) and “1B” for quite awhile. Wavy told me that platforms like Twitch and live streaming methods have allowed him and other artists to put on virtual shows. “We’ve done…a concert on Instagram Live and we pulled out unreleased tracks. It’s cool to [be able to] do that.” Wavy also said that he and DJ Mercy have tentative plans for another Internet set, in which they’ll perform an album from beginning to end.

    Most Improved Goes To…

    Although the concept of recording and turning over material so quickly may seem chaotic, Wavy has a plan for the future, and music waiting to be released. “Each project is a learning experience,” he says, in which he and Mercy have been able to learn from each studio session and improve the listening experience little by little. They’ve made little changes along the way that lead to a steady climb in quality. 

    Notably, Entreband’s MostlyEverything took care of the mix and master to balance out the technical sonics of both projects, and producers Frank Finesse, Phil Dreisin, Hyuka, and N-Pro all lent instrumentals to pair with Wavy’s flow. “We went for more original sounds…this time. There’s less samples and more elements of [live instruments],” Wavy says. These instruments perfectly balance tracks such as “Get Away” (Fight Back) and “Whattup?” (Club Wavy) both of which feature a glassy guitar intro.

    To close the latter of the projects, Club Wavy, Cunningham wrote “All We Need is Love.” This track contains a beautiful tribute to Breonna Taylor and other people who have been killed due to systemic racism and police violence. The swan song perfectly closes both projects and carries a message that will be heard the loudest.

    Verdict

    Overall, Fight Back and Club Wavy are strong entries into Wavy’s catalogue and will stay as his most cohesive work until he comes up with something, which probably won’t be long from now.

    Club Wavy and Fight Back are both available on all major streaming services, with the music video for “Whattup?” being available for views on YouTube and Facebook.

    Key tracks: Whattup?, Get Away, Never Ends, All We Need is Love

  • Albany’s Historic Fuze Box Is For Sale

    After serving as Albany’s heart for the punk and hard rock scene since the ’90s, the Fuze Box has been listed for sale according to Spotlight News. For a mere $244,900, the 2,400-square-foot venue is ready to be bought according to the building’s real estate agency NAIPlatform.

    A popular spot over the recent years for those looking to get their ’80s pop dance fix, it also served as the preferred venue for hard rock artists from around the Capital Region. The Fuze Box was known during the ’80s and ’90s as QE2 and was often a frequent jaunt live performances. The Red Hot Chili Peppers even performed in the cramped space a few years before the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magik shot them to superstardom.

    One of Fuze Box’s Last Live Performances

    Fans voiced their concern on the venue’s Facebook after the pandemic forced them to shut down, leaving the Box dark since March. A post on their social media page announced the closure with no clue to when there would be dancing occurring on the checkered dance floor again.

    The Fuze Box weathered the riot that rocked the Central Avenue area of Albany where it is located. Despite concern from locals over the venues condition afterwards, the building remained intact. Silenced ensued from ownership even as neighboring restaurants were given the go ahead to reopen last month. Then the retail sale sign was posted last week.

    The 75-year-old Art Deco building is practically a blank slate for the right buyer. The venue has been approved for multiple zonings by the City of Albany which would allow for artisanal manufacturing, cafes, galleries, restaurants, a dayare and much more according to NAIPlatform.

    “Albany is probably [my] second favorite city I’ve played in behind Detroit in my 15-plus-year DJ career,” wrote William Dice Willard on FuzeBox’s Facebook page. “Such a vibe up there!”

    All of which are far flung from where the building got its start. Advertising for White Tower Burgers that still graces the front of the building giving ode to the early ’50s hamburger chain it was. The restaurant existed into the ’70s according to an online article published last year by Albany Historian Matt Malette. Remaining vacant until 1986, it was bought by purchasers Charlene and Dave Shortsleeve, who turned it into the QE2 Club. And a club it has remained since then.

  • Update: Eastbound Jesus Joins “The Palace Sessions”

    The Palace Theatre, the City of Albany and Mirth Films have announced that folk group Eastbound Jesus will be featured on the next episode of “The Palace Sessions”. Eastbound Jesus’s performance will live stream for free on August 19 at 7 p.m. on The Palace Theatre’s Youtube channel.

    Hailing from Greenwich, NY, Eastbound Jesus is a six piece “Northern Rock” band whose members are Adam Brockway, Carl and Luke Anderson, Dave Wright, Dylan Robinson and Zack Infante whose music is a melding pot of styles. Full Moon Over Salem is Eastbound Jesus’s latest project, released just this past February.

    Story Updated: 8/9/2020

    The Palace Theatre along with the City of Albany and Mirth Films have announced that Saratoga Springs natives Wild Adriatic will be featured on the next edition of “The Palace Sessions”. Taking place on August 19 at 7p.m. in a undisclosed unique location within the historic theatre, the performance will stream live on the Palace Theatre’s Youtube page.

    Executive Director of the Palace Billy Piskutz notes:

    “We are thrilled to be able to welcome live music back to the hallowed halls of the Palace Theatre. This historic building exists to entertain and create memories and after a nearly four-month absence due to COVID-19, it is a thrill to know that it will again. We hope that our patrons will enjoy these performances as much as we do!”  

    The series kicked off on July 15 with a special performance by Albany locals Wurliday. Additional shows are slated for September 16 and October 21. Those performers have yet to be announced at this time.


    “Summer in Albany is synonymous with music and entertainment and it is wonderful to have the Palace Theater hosting local musicians albeit in a different way this year. I applaud the ingenuity of the Palace Theater, the Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mirth Films in bringing entertainment to people during COVID-19.  I continue to be impressed with how our community has risen to the challenge of keeping the arts alive during this time and look forward to tuning in to the Palace Sessions.”  

    Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan

    During the performances donations are being accepted which will assist the Palace Theatre in continuing its mission to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region.  Donations can be made HERE or directly through the Palace Theatre’s Text To Give program, by texting Palace2020 to 44321.

  • Walking in Bendt’s World: Rock Music Beyond the Surface

    An Albany passion project amongst friends has evolved into a molecular musical composition, otherwise known as Bendt. The four-piece rock group strands undoubted rock heritage with a meticulous nuance of modern yet technical tangents. In their most recent, and debut full length, Bendt tells a story that clearly roots deeper than their sonic surface.

    Bendt

    Bendt’s nine track album, Brightness in the Barrens, is sequenced in such a way that provokes the ear. With each track comes a new tone, walking you up a spiral staircase. It’s that moment where you inch closer, adjust your ear and grow more curious with each step. “Encumbered,” marks that sonic threshold where you’ve now entered Bent’s world – The Rock n’ Roll egg has been cracked and mutates before your own eyes.

    A Lonely shadow wearing down

    The flooding ends but the flames abound

    With knowledge worth its weight in gold 

    Encumbered minds best left unsold

    “Encumbered” – Bendt

    Notably, Bendt has made an effort with the albums opening track “Symptoms.” It debuted as a single in January and paired with a play-along music video. You can’t knock a band that leads with their musical foot forward. The opening hook is gritty with drum licks that make the listener jump more than once. Lead guitarist, Carl Blackwood, is impressive as he takes the bridge to atmospherical heights. Each instrument colors the piece in their own right, but Bendt is just getting warmed up.

    Bendt has that iconic rock sound, but thrives in their subtle textures. Tracks like “Dire Elevation,” “13th” and “Don’t” start at utter ends of the spectrum and contrast each other brilliantly. It’s a physical fitness test of the musical minds. Nothing yields way. Everything is continually changing.

    Bendt @ Sonelab Recording Studio 12/16/18 – Bryan Lasky

    Without ample background, Bendt punningly plays on the notes between the notes. Highlighting on a personal favorite, “Knife” cuts right through the bullshit. Downright gritty rock that highlights the strength of each player. Continually throughout the album Blackwood and bassist, John Longo push and pull against Matt Plummer’s lead vocals. Drummer Cody Bingham doesn’t play like an outright rock drummer. His nuance captures the intricate textures that non-chromatic instruments often miss – taking what’s his and bolstering the energy in the room. Then roaring on the floor tom, sharpening the band back into the hook.

    Album outliers “Open Spaces” and “Something” round out this debut and make way for a suspenseful setlist if weaved carefully as interludes, or stacked as dreamy encore.

    Bendt is a hip rock band that plays outiside the box. My guess: their live performances will keep the eyes and ears on edge, trying to absorb what’s actually going on. Gridlocked by the pandemic “Brightness in the Barrens” has not had its chance to bloom.

    Be sure to check out Bendt’s 2017 self titled EP that holds its own against Brightness in the Barrens eye for eye – or mixed on shuffle. “Odyssey” is a mysterious harmonic that lurks in the musical mastermind of Bendt – giving way with long-winding strums – so you can take it all in once again. It grows.

  • Wild Adriatic Joins “The Palace Sessions”

    The Palace Theatre along with the City of Albany and Mirth Films have announced that Saratoga Springs natives Wild Adriatic will be featured on the next edition of “The Palace Sessions”. Taking place on August 19 at 7p.m. in a undisclosed unique location within the historic theatre, the performance will stream live on the Palace Theatre’s Youtube page.

    Executive Director of the Palace Billy Piskutz notes:

    “We are thrilled to be able to welcome live music back to the hallowed halls of the Palace Theatre. This historic building exists to entertain and create memories and after a nearly four-month absence due to COVID-19, it is a thrill to know that it will again. We hope that our patrons will enjoy these performances as much as we do!”  

    The series kicked off on July 15 with a special performance by Albany locals Wurliday. Additional shows are slated for September 16 and October 21. Those performers have yet to be announced at this time.

    Wurliday Performing at Palace Theatre

    “Summer in Albany is synonymous with music and entertainment and it is wonderful to have the Palace Theater hosting local musicians albeit in a different way this year. I applaud the ingenuity of the Palace Theater, the Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mirth Films in bringing entertainment to people during COVID-19.  I continue to be impressed with how our community has risen to the challenge of keeping the arts alive during this time and look forward to tuning in to the Palace Sessions.”  

    Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan

    During the performances donations are being accepted which will assist the Palace Theatre in continuing its mission to bring world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region.  Donations can be made HERE or directly through the Palace Theatre’s Text To Give program, by texting Palace2020 to 44321.

  • Albany Symphony Subgroup Dogs of Desire Announces “Hot, w/Mustard,” Series

    Albany Symphony subgroup Dogs of Desire announces their “Hot, w/Mustard,” 10 week series featuring 10 emerging composers. The series will start on August 2 and run through October 4 and the series will be available on the Albany Symphony’s website.

    Albany Symphony’s Dogs of Desire Photo Provided by Albany Symphony.

    The Dogs of Desire are made up of 18-members of Albany Symphony and will feature genre-bending new music. The emerging composers highlighted are: Alexis Lamb, Carlos Bandera, Annika Socolofsky, Andre Myers, Nina Shekhar, Jack Frerer, Clarice Assad, Gala Flagello, Paul Mortilla, and Derrick Spiva. The works of “Hot, w/Mustard” will cover a wide range of subjects, including an anthem paying tribute to nurses on the front-lines, Thoreau’s thoughts about the miracle of seeing the world through another person’s eyes;,the hope embodied in Dolly Parton’s music, bedtime stories,  and a feminist look at Dear Abby. 

    Artistic Director David Alan Miller explained the reasoning behind the creation of the “Hot, w/Mustard,” series saying,  “During difficult times, music is a source of inspiration, hope and comfort. We asked some of our favorite composers to create works to showcase the uniqueness of Dogs of Desire during a summer in which it is much more difficult than usual for listeners to experience exciting new art. We hope this new series will provide both our ardent fans and those who have never heard the Dogs [of Desire] the chance to enjoy our brilliant ensemble in all its glory through the rest of the summer. So, we hope you’ll kick back, relax and enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience each Sunday.” 

    https://youtu.be/bRr6EIxu9os

    The series will start up on August second featuring  Alexis Lamb on “Look Through” inspired by a quote from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. On August 9th the series will host Carlos Bandera with The Vast Hour. On August 16  will host Annika Socolofsky with an arrangement of Dolly Parton’s “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” On August 23 Andre Myers  will step up to the plate with “Pulp Anthem: Reflected Glory” which is an anthem for nurses. On August 30 Nina Shekhar will present “Dear Abby” focusing on the 1956, Dear Abby is a newspaper column in which readers ask for advice on a variety of topics, including etiquette, relationships, sex, health, and career guidance. On September 6 Jack Frerer will be featured with “Getting Better.” On September 13 Clarice Assad will feature “Treta.”

 On September 20 Gala Flagello will present “Persist” after a poem Flagello wrote earlier this year. On September 27 Mortilla will present “Transmuting Ether // Quarantine-Dreams.” And on October 4 Derrick Spiva will wrap up the series with “From Embers” mimicus ideas of meditation, beginning small, then growing and unfolding with compound meters, mimicking the uneven beats of a pumping heart.

    The series will be available on Albany Symphony’s website and on Albany Symphony social media channels. Each new work will be unveiled on Sunday. There will also be features, including interviews with the performers and composers and festive menu ideas, accompanying each release. 

    For more information visit Albany Symphony’s website.

    Watch the first performance in the series by composer Alexis Lamb below.