On a day clouded by social media turmoil featuring Tory Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion, A$AP Ferg has quietly released Floor Seats II, the sequel to his 2019 EP, Floor Seats. Looking to follow-up on the success of its predecessor, which spawned hit records like “Jet Lag” and “Floor Seats.”
This latest project comes on the heels of reported disfunction within the A$AP collective. A$AP mob founding member A$AP Illz has accused the 31-year-old Harlem-bred emcee of stealing ideas and claimed the “Plain Jane” rapper’s affiliation with the Mob was over.
Not one to go back-and-forth through the media, Ferg has predictably kept quiet, relying on his art to do the talking for him. The 10-track project features a myriad of notable guest appearances that captures Ferg’s Kaleidoscopic approach to music.
The intro features rock & roll legend Marilyn Manson, while the star-studded tape also features: Lil Wayne, Tyga, Nicki Minaj, Puff Daddy, New York City up-and-comer Jay Gwuapo, as well as XXL 2020 Freshman Class members Fivio Foreign and Mulatto.
Known for his hard thumping and anthem-like records, Ferg and A$AP Mob affiliate A$AP Rocky, serve as the lynchpins the the group’s success. With their ascension as major players in hip hop, the collective has been able to venture successfully into other fields. With A$AP Bari’s successful Vlone brand a prime example. While the group’s dissimilation may seem in effect. For now though, A$AP Ferg still carries the moniker, and with an impressive resume of Billboard charting hits, his descension is certainly not imminent.
On September 19th, more than 60 musicians gathered to honor a man who had worked for over 40 years in the music world, the late great Joseph Louis Manganello, aka Joe Mango.
As his obituary stated, “Mango was a renowned sound engineer who worked with many local and national bands throughout the years. He also worked with the bands that played at BRYAC Restaurant and Raw Bar in Bridgeport and also worked at Guitar Center in Orange. He was an accomplished voice and theatre actor. Joseph was the co-founder and co-producer of the Soupstock Music and Arts Festival benefitting the Mary A Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund that took place in Shelton every year. He loved to attend music festivals and was an avid Hot Wheels collector, but his most prized collection was friendships. Everywhere Joseph traveled, he acquired a new friend who instantly became a member of his extended family.”
Joe Manganello, aka Joe Mango
It was this prized group of friends who gathered from across the country to honor the late sound engineer, thanks to promoter Josh Kroop who helped arrange the socially distant event.
“I know how profoundly this would have impacted Joe Mango and how much he impacted the lives of everyone involved! You guys are the best of the best! I hope we all carry the feeling we shared this past Saturday around for the rest of our lives. I know I will!” said Kroop.
“Joe Mango was a fixture in the music scene. He made the music sound great and used music to bring us together for noble causes,” said Tim Palmieri guitarist of Kung Fu and The Breakfast.
“Mango & I had an understanding! He was one of the only “grumpy sound guys” in the country that I know fully had everyone’s best interest at hand! If he asked me to turn my amp down, which he always did, I had absolutely no problems with that! I trusted him completely because his motivation wasn’t to control the sound, it was simply to make sure everyone in the room had the best possible experience! He truly cared because that’s the kind of guy he was & that’s exactly why we all loved him so much!” stated Danny Meyer (guitarist Star Kitchen, Eric Krasno Band, Alan Evans Trio, On The Spot Trio) of the late sound engineer.
The night, which was streamed across the internet thanks to media mastermind MKDevo, helped raise over $7,000 which will be used to help Joesph’s family pay for end of life expenses as well as portions to be donated to The Mary A Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund, an organization charity which seeks to build community through art, music, theater, skilled craft, and other creative pursuits in order to create a rich cultural heritage for tomorrow.
Highlights of the night included “Midnight in Harlem,” sung by Elise Testone with the BRYAC All-Stars backing her, “Sweet Like Honey” by Alpaca Gnomes with Fuzz (Deep Bananna Blackout) sitting in, Rich Zurkowski covering Black Sabbath’s “Fairies Wear Boots” with Darien Cunning, Michelangelo Carubba (Turkuaz), Johnny Durkin (DBB) and Kris Yunker (On Spot Trio, Jen Durkin and The Business, Alan Evans Tribute), Goose’s rendition of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/ /Arpeggi” and, of course, the Mango All-Stars’ cover of Phish’s “Mango Song.”
“Thank you so much to everyone who joined in honoring our colleague, our friend, our biggest fan, Joe Mango. We cannot thank you enough for the generous donations being made to assist his family during these difficult times and to the The Mary A. Schmecker Turtle Shell Fund, the non-profit that Joe co-founded and was passionately committed to for building community through the arts.
Thank you to everyone who made last night possible – every moment was special and reminded me that Joe will never be forgotten; he will always live on – through music, and through all of us. Be good to one another. Appreciate the things you have. Fight for the things you believe in. And always follow your heart, the one thing Mango always did,” stated Nicole Heriot Mikula who is the co-founder of Celebrate Shelton and the festival director for CT Folk.
If you missed the event and would like to watch the stream and you’d like to make a donation, you can still watch the stream here. You can make donations to Joe’s family via Venmo @welovemango and PayPal.
Lucas Garrett, a 27-year-old musician from Glens Falls, NY, has just released his album Familiar Floors. Since his EP Evening’s Come, but It’s Not Dark in 2017, he has come out with a few powerful singles. However, this album marks a transition in his career where he sings about his life in a new, but confusing light.
Lucas Garrett’s ‘Familiar Floors’ Album Cover
Consisting of four songs – “Wires Humming,” “All Around Me,” “Inside Out,” and “One More for the Road,” – his album’s lyrics speaks volumes. With a mixture of rock and roll and folk, Garrett shows his talents with great musicians by his side. Bandmates including Kevin Kosach on bass, Emmett Rozelle on drums, and Cassandra Pratt and Bob Bates on Violin, all who contribute to Lucas Garret’s musical vision.
Where am I right now? I cannot pretend To know where this room starts and Where it will end I have a strange feeling I’ve been here before Nervously make my way Across familiar floors
Lucas Garrett – ‘Inside Out’
The album’s name, Familiar Floors, resonates with anyone who has ever felt befuddled in their own life, not knowing what got them to where they are now or where it will take them in the future. Garrett has made this clear through his music that life takes you on unexpected journeys, but you always have to make the most out of where it takes you.
Two Tails Graphics and Consulting
Lucas Garrett has not had an easy life, but he is also very aware of how fortunate he has been. The singer-songwriter suffers from Pompe Disease which makes him wheelchair bound and in need of respiratory aid, but still he gets to live his dream of producing music. He understands the meaning of music and how music is different for every ear listening. Garrett says, “Music is an equalizer, ‘cause everyone gets it, you know? I play a lot better than some people, I play a lot worse than some people, and it has nothing to do with what I got goin’ on health-wise. And no matter what you do in life, there’s always gonna be someone better than you—and someone worse than you.” He does not let his condition define him, which continues to speak to his identity as an individual and as a musician.
I can see your ecstasy all around me We have eaten, now we wait for the new day
Lucas Garrett – ‘All Around Me’
In his new song “All Around Me,” he sings about ecstasy which expresses his feeling of great happiness. Not only does he speak of happiness in his lyrics but he demonstrates all emotions: sadness, anger, and enjoyment, to name a few. On “Wires Humming,” you can hear these emotions come to light.
My mind is burning The world is burning What the hell can we do?
Where do we go? Gone before tomorrow We’ve been wasting Away our days Unrelenting dreams
Lucas Garrett – ‘Wires Humming’
It is not an easy task making lyrics that resonates with not only himself, but his listeners as well, and Lucas Garrett shows his talents better than ever in this new album.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm on 102.7 FM, you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear music from The Sea The Sea, Sarah King, The Rough Shapes and many more!
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.
On the wave of their latest release, Stumbling Home, WEQX will play the single “I’ll be Loving You.” Heartfelt lyrics, soul stirring harmonies, and very attentive arraignments make this music so interesting to indulge in listening. 15 million Spotify streams can’t be denied. The Sea The Sea is a pop band only in their melodic infectiouness, otherwise they are at their best when subverting conventions and making really excellent music.
Sunday evening EQX will broadcast Sarah’s newest single, “Nightstand” before it is released on October 2. Sarah’s powerful and dynamic voice is a link between Americana roots and pure wide open soul. Her songs are insightful and cut to the many dualities of the human condition. There is an intensity to her lyrical honesty and vulnerability. You’ll feel like you’re sitting on a front porch in the deep south on a sultry summer night with one too many drinks behind you, looking out at a dark, beckoning path toward a future you want to believe in but can’t quite see.
If dark moody rock-billy is a thing, here it is in all its glory. The Rough Shapes latest release is titled “Lost Stations” and is full of significant flowing melodic songwriting coupled with world-class performances by this guitar, bass, and drums trio of Jeff Kadlic, Colin Almquist and Dan Cartwright. On the surface the music plays, but there are layers of rich textures that continue to reveal themselves upon each deep listen to this awesome new release.
United By Dance: A Camping, Art, Music, and Drive-In Event is set for Sept. 26 from 4:00 p.m.-9:00 a.m. at Yasgur Farm in Bethel, NY. The festival will start in the daytime and continue into the night with an overnight camping option for guests. With safety protocols in effect, fans can camp in their car or rent a camping plot to enjoy a sunrise filled with music.
The Drive-In event will take place at the same location as the historic Woodstock Festival, with a maximum capacity of 600 guests and 150 car parking slots. In addition to music, attendees will have access to art installations, food, and merch vendors. Attendees can expect a laser show later in the night as well. The lineup for the United by Dance event includes music from house, techno, and tech-house artists.
Fans can purchase tickets for the United By Dance Drive-In here. United by Dance will enforce CDC guidelines including social distancing with marked walkways and car parking spots marked 6 feet apart. Attendees must wear their masks when they leave their designated car spot. United By Dance plans to use their events to provide a sense of unity through music, art, and dance by welcoming everyone with no restrictions.
We had to be aware and cautious about all the regulations. The new norm has made us adapt and find new options, but has also allowed us more of an opportunity to create diverse events like our drive-in.
Today, Greywolf drops the second single, “Temple,” off his upcoming debut album, titled Operation Wolf. A perfect follow-up to his solo debut “Exit Key,” the track continues the beautiful sounds and harmonies of the first release, as well as similar themes of release, cutting chains that weigh you down.
Whether it’s shame, adversity or betrayal, “Temple” sends a message, making a conscious choice to live your best life and to project love, even in times of peril. The track opens with synth sounds that remind one of church bells ringing in the distance, as well beautiful harmonizing between Greywolf and guest vocalist Aya Nori. The track contains elements of hip hop and R&B, particularly Aya’s verse, and sounds at times like a Justin Timberlake tune.
While Greywolf (Jay Grey) is best known for his work as bassist for Brooklyn-based Escaper, he has branched off to deliver a sound all his own. Once again he plays all instruments on this track — vocals, synth, bass, and beat programming. Additional lyrics written and sung by Aya Nori, who has recently released her sultry single “Daze,” the follow-up to her critically acclaimed song “Young And Offended.”
Teaming with Aya Nori for “Temple” was a dream come true. I’ve been a fan of her music for a long time and couldn’t be more excited with the end result. I feel we’re cut from the same cloth in terms of tonality.
Greywolf
“Temple” was mixed and mastered by Abe Seiferth. Greywolf’s debut album, Operation Wolf, will be available for release in Fall 2020. Wolf says of the upcoming album, “The timing of the record — I don’t think there is any better time to put music in the world. If I can project light and hope into this world then I know I’ve done my job.”
The Smoke Jazz and Supper Club in NYC is starting a new streaming service, Smoke Screens, to deliver its jazz to audiences around the world. The world-renowned artists are streamed live using six HD cameras in audiophile sound.
The program was launched in July with Wayne Escoffery. Since then, there have been sets by Peter Bernstein, Vincent Herring, Steve Turre, and other esteemed artists. Joe Farnsworth will be on September 25, joined by Wynton Marsalis, to celebrate his new album, Time to Swing.
Smoke Screens has been considering starting a livestream for many years. However, the owner, Paul Stache, wanted to do it correctly and “reflect the quality of the artists performing.” Because Smoke Jazz and Supper Club hosts so many top artists, Stache wanted to wait until they were able to have optimum sound and lighting.
When asked about the quarantine, Stache replied, “It’s been tough for us, it’s tough for the musicians and it’s tough for New York. All the things that we love about the city are shut down, so Smoke Screens is our attempt to bring the intimacy and excitement of Smoke into people’s living rooms and find a way to bring them the music they need.”
For years, Upstate Concert Hall has been incorrectly listed on tour promotion and concert posters as being located in Albany, NY. The venue, has been located in a Clifton Park, NY strip mall since 1996, when it was named Northern Lights, and is a 20-minute drive over the Mohawk River from Albany. The geographic error makes little difference now, as the owners of Upstate Concert Hall have relocated to Albany.
Guster performing at Upstate Concert Hall, 2019. photo by E. Reid Coker
With a fresh location in the former Capital Repertory Theatre building on South Pearl Street, the venue and area are in for a major upgrade from its previous setting. Capital Rep is moving to a new location in a renovated warehouse at 251 North Pearl Street, per the Times Union.
Upstate Concert Hall is beneficial for artists passing through the Capital Region, particularly metal and hardcore artists, as well as jam bands. The new venue at the former home of Capital Repertory Theatre stands to be a positive sign for the city of Albany, especially on Pearl Street where revitalization feels to be continually on the cusp of a renaissance.
The view from inside Capital Rep, the new home of Upstate Concert Hall
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said of the move, “This is yet another example of the unprecedented investments occurring in Albany’s newest neighborhood.”
The Clifton Park location became known as a great destination for a large number of bands who could not find a location in the city of Albany to play to crowds over a capacity of 250. There were drawbacks to the venue, including a low ceiling which limited light shows and large scale production (think of OK GO! and their confetti cannons, hitting a 12 foot drop ceiling doesn’t have the same effect).
Add in average sound quality throughout the expansive venue, as well as the location within a strip mall with limited restaurants and bars within walking distance, and Upstate Concert Hall became a destination for the artist, not the venue.
The view from inside Capital Rep, the new home of Upstate Concert Hall
Speaking to the Times Union, Jeff Buell, a principal at Redburn Development said, “We are working closely with Upstate Concert Hall to reimagine what a rock room looks like mid- and post-COVID.” Redburn purchased 111 N. Pearl two years ago as part of a six-property deal with the longtime owner, the developer Herb Ellis. Redburn has finished or is converting nine downtown buildings to rental apartments as part of a project with more than 275 residential units and a price tag north of $80 million. Buildings that are open are full or near capacity, Buell said, with others due to open in the coming months already 50 to 80 percent leased.
Shira, a fairy-folk singer-songwriter from Rochester, has released the first part of her new EP Birds of a Feather on Sept. 18. The four-song EP is the first part of a two-part release with the rest of her project, called Birds of a Feather Flock Together, coming in 2021. Shira’s radiant personality provides listeners with an infectious amount of hope on her latest project.
Courtesy of One in a Million Media
Shira released the music video for the song “Wait For Me” on Sept. 18 alongside her EP. The ukulele arrangement perfectly complements her journey from the US to reunite with her fiancé in Barcelona in the video. Shira’s nervousness for her international journey is also accompanied by a sense of hope as she sings, “One more breath before I go, there’s nothing left to hide.” While the lyrics reveal a level of vulnerability her graceful singing reveals optimism towards taking a risk as she did when she embarked on her journey.
“Usually” positively embraces anyone who is going through adversity, especially fitting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her lyrics: “Don’t let fear kick in, it’s just trying to make your bright light disappear” encourages listeners to hold to hope even during times of uncertainty. Shira’s self-described “fairy folk” sound resonates through the lively orchestral arrangement on this track.
By Iraia Olivas Etxaniz
On her title track “Birds of a Feather,” Shira successfully blends her voice with the ensemble of drums, piano, and guitar as she sings about the value of strength and unity in partnership. Even through life’s adversity, Shira’s reassuring lyrics: “We’ll brave this storm, birds of a feather” emphasize the strong partnership displayed in her video when she traveled to her fiancé across the world. Shira’s violin filled arrangement on “Go Uncharted” captures the decision to take a leap of faith into the uncharted unknown. In a mission to bring healing to the world through music, Shira’s Birds of a Feather delivers a needed sense of unity to listeners.
Birds of a Feather is about finding yourself first, exploring, not being afraid to ask for what you want, struggling with the fear of never being seen, listening to your inner voice over outside noise, letting go and trusting.
Jimkata announces new album titled Bonfires which is anticipated to be released in Spring of 2021. The new album announcement comes on the coattails of the band dropping multiple singles this summer after their indefinite hiatus back in 2017. Bonfires is Jimkata’s first studio album since 2016’s In Motion.
Jimkata. Photo provided by press release.
The new album will include 10 tracks according to their press release. The album will be released as a series of singles every month with an accompanying visuals and merch line for each song. Jimkaka hopes the album Bonfires highlight themes of uncertainty, being in limbo, and looking for an anchor of hope in these trying times.
Three singles have been released so far off the anticipated album. The three singles, “Wanna Go,” “Wait for You,” and the title-track “Bonfires” already nod to the themes Jimkata is trying to capture within the album. “Wanna Go” focuses on perception versus reality particularly in the times of social media. “Wait for You” touches on the feelings of being dejected and the unknown of what the future holds. “Bonfires” is all about the vulnerability people feel when they are facing uncertain times and the reflexive tendency to seek out the comfort of nostalgia that happens as a result.
Jimkata is a three-piece anthemic, synth-washed, electro-rock band based out of both Ithaca and Los Angeles. They had grown a large grassroots following before taking a two and a half year hiatus. They have released six studio albums all with their signature swirling synths, infectious pop hooks and candid lyrics.
For more information on Bonfires and Jimkata, and to pre-order limited edition vinyl of the new album and other merchandise, visit Jimkata’s website and stay tuned for updates. Enjoy Jimkata from their final perfomance in Albany in May of 2016 below.
