NYS Music 202​0

Category: Regions

  • Once Upon A Flatline Releases “Hang Hymn High”

    Buffalo post-hardcore rockers Once Upon A Flatline has released a new song and lyric video for “Hang Hymn High,” the third single off of the bands debut EP The Theatre Lucy. Engineered by Nate White, the track is inspired by the jazzy musical “Chicago,” with a serious message about getting help against domestic violence especially while so many are trapped at home during the pandemic. 

    Consisting of six members with a strong female front, Once Upon A Flatline attempts to combine the madness of Sweeney Todd with the post-metal of My Chemical Romance with each of their larger than life productions. Their other two singles “For The Wretched of The Earth” and “Those Last, Fatal Days” teased parts of “Les Miserables” and “Moulin Rouge,” respectively. 

    With a music video already released the band is currently in the studio finishing the last of seven songs according to the press release. Each song will keep with the band’s motif of storytelling and all be inspired by a different, famous Broadway musical with a metal twist told by ghosts that haunt The Theatre Lucy.

  • Uptown Drive-In Festival is Parking Itself at Yankee Stadium

    Yankee Stadium parking lots will be filled with cars this summer, but not for the usual reasons. A new festival, Uptown Drive-In, will be situated in Yankee Stadium’s parking lot following the new trend of drive-in events due to COVID-19. 

    News of this festival was dropped in an exclusive in Time Out New York on May 15 and is quickly making buzz for itself. According to the exclusive, Uptown Drive-in will happen every weekend starting in July and feature live music from local artists from NYC, movies, on-site live interactive games, raffles and giveaways, and car-side food service from an array of New York Street Vendors. Uptown Drive-In is planning on organizing it’s weekend activities by having date-night experiences on Friday, Saturday and Sundays in the evening, while having a more family-friendly style brunch series during the day on Saturdays and Sundays.

    The Festival is being put on by MASC Hospitality Group who is the same company responsible for events like Bronx Night Market and the Bronx Beer Festival. Not many details about the event have been announced yet, but MASC Hospitality Group’s Marco Shalma did confirm within the exclusive that the plan is for people to view the performances from their cars just like you would at a drive-in theater.  This comes from Governor Andrew Cuomo gave New York state permission to re-open some drive-in movie theaters on May 15 as part of New York state’s phased reopening. There is a plan to lift the stage and have the sound be accessible from a PA system to visitor’s car radios.

    The cost of admission is still undetermined. But those interested in attending can sign up on their website to receive information on booking dates, promo codes, exclusive packages, and giveaways.

  • Cousin Earth To Release New Single “Bacon, Cat Food & Cheese”

    On June 1, Cousin Earth will release their new single worldwide for their newest song, “Bacon, Cat Food & Cheese.”  The track, which was recorded last summer and mixed and mastered in quarantine will be available on all streaming platforms and accompanied by an absurdist video featuring the individual band members in quarantine. The video debuts three days early at Noon on Friday, May 29 via Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and NYSMusic.com, along with an audio pre-release on Cousin Earth’s Bandcamp.

    That night, band will also stream an online Zoom meeting dubbed “Bacon, Cat Food & Chill” at 8pm on Monday, June 1, with special guests expected, and hosted by Wendy LaManque of The Whistles.

    The song, clocking in at nearly 8 minutes, showcases all the things fans have come to love about Cousin Earth: layered vocal harmonies, extended improvisation, and humorous lyrics.  “Bacon, Cat Food & Cheese” recently entered the band’s repertoire, juxtaposing a down tempo funk song with an upbeat dance-jam vehicle.  It was also featured in several shows as a quirky but party-hard late set jammer.

    The lyrical concept started as an inside joke, that became a meme, that became a ridiculous song about the internal strife of eating a sandwich that could definitely be better.  At a time when so much is uncertain in the world, Cousin Earth took a silly moment from tour and turned it into a metaphor about life that seems all-too-fitting right now.  Without gigs to support them, this Zappa-esque project shows no remorse in pointing out the absurdity in our current isolation as a society.

    “Bacon Cat Food & Cheese” was written by Cousin Earth and recorded at Call Hollow Studios in Pomona, NY.  in the summer of 2019 with engineering by Matthew Einsidler and Ryan Liatsis.

  • Electronic Artist i_o Drops New Song “Annihilation” Featuring Alt-Pop Artist Lights

    Electronic Artist i_o released his new song “Annihilation,” part of his third installment titled AM 444 of his 444 album series. This song features Canadian alt-pop artist Lights and has reached #2 on iTunes electronic chart. The AM 444 installment is based on what the world feels like around 4am when the lines between night and day become foggy, and night turns into day, the world just before dawn.

     i_o’s 444 album series was named for an obscure New York City underground venue. The 444 album is part of a three-part series of four tracks each as a nod to the number this series nodding to the number four. i_o uses each installment of 444 album series to project his own feelings about the different areas of dance music that he feels defines him as an artist. The first two installments were ACID 444 and NRG 444. ACID 444 was released back in late 2019 and was all about his warehouse roots meanwhile NRG was released in early 2020 and was more of an upbeat, peak of the night, collection of songs.

    On AM 444 i_o is joined by Lights on all tracks and highlights his production skills on the more melodic and progressive side. Although “Annihilation” is the only track dropped so far from the AM 444 installment you can already see it making nods to his production value and melodic rhythms. The song’s repetitive and trancelike beats in combination with the ebb and flow of vocals between i_o and Lights really reflects the feeling of 4AM when you are still out dancing just letting the music flow through you which the entire section will be focusing on.   

    The rest of the AM 444 installment is due to drop on May 29th on mau5trap. For more information on i_o and his 444 album visit mau5trap’s website. For more information on Lights visit her website.

  • PEAK releases a unique psych-funk fusion sound with “Hot Clips Volume 1”

    Based out of Brooklyn, indie-funk artist PEAK is eroding the border between techno and funk with their new album Hot Clips Volume 1.  The collection is PEAK’s latest release that explores a wide array of emotion, and doubles as something techno-funk and indie enthusiasts look to for a unique fusion of both worlds.  Imagine as if you’re riding in a ship through a space galaxy, and you entered into a psychedelic time travel where influences of authentic 60’s bands and modern funk-rock combine seamlessly; PEAK would be the pilot of this ship and the realm is Hot Clips Volume 1.

    The album takes off with “What It Is About Her,” a track that’s experimental right off the bat with a techno beat growing into a full acoustic drum sound.  The vocals join the steady instrumental flow, and provide as a comforting blanket through exploring emotion about a girl.  Throughout the track, the band proves their unique dynamic changes with the blend of rock and bright electro-synth solos.  PEAK is able to take you on a comfortable roller coaster, with the peak (no pun intended) being the psychedelic journey track “Baromtric Pressure,” followed by the funky feel-good track “Win Some, Lose Some” that brings you back down to earth.  Once you start the adventure of listening to Hot Clips Volume 1, it’s hard to snap out of the attractive trance brought on by the upbeat dance beats and wild keyboard solos.

    Hot Clips Volume 1 is the launch of a live series from PEAK featuring Jeremy Hilliard on guitar on vocals (Turbine), Kito Bovenschulte on Drums (Particle), Josh T. Carter on Bass (Hayley Jane and the Primates) and Johnny Young on keys and vocals (Mick Taylor, Artimus Pyle). PEAK released their debut studio album Electric Bouquet (produced by Dave Brandwein of Turkuaz) in 2018, and have since since been steadily touring to perform at prominent venues, and releasing music for everyone to enjoy.  

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_DhBH9p4yz/

    Written over a period of time from Fall 2019 to Winter 2020 during tour, this collection of songs were some of the band’s favorite jams until they were solidified with the help of keyboardist and mixing engineer Johnny Young.  With all of these great influences brought to one table, the band was able to bring these jams to life and capture their emotion while maintaining a fun techo vibe.

    Key Tracks: What It Is About Her, Baromtric Pressure, Wild Ride, Can’t Love Somebody

  • Listen to Queens Duo Runitup Apply ‘Pressure’ on latest single

    A breakout single isn’t the easiest thing to find. If it were, millions of aspiring rappers would have landed record deals. And although the ball seems to get rolling after that first big hit (save for the one-hit wonders, of course), an artist is still dependent on their initial ability to connect with an audience. For most, the components of the ever elusive-hit record seem to be simple (distinctive instrumental vocals, engaging lyrics, etc..) yet, the subtle ways in which they are applied often escape aspiring artists. Which is why when one finds one of those elusive records, they hold on to it, play it and share it to the world.

    “Pressure,” the latest release from cousins and Queens duo Runitup Rich and Runitup Sho feels like one of those songs. With a Lil Uzi Vert-esque flow and delivery throughout, the Runitup duo seem to have found the exact medium they had been searching for. “The sound we started with was just something we mimicked and thought it sounded like a bump and as we kept going and following music trends, we decided to start trying to be more melodic,” says Sho. “With my background and singing and Rich’s chop-and-go flow, we came up with a sound that was still us but gave an opening for a broader spectrum of music.” 

    It isn’t just the distinctive guitar riffs nor the infectious chorus, but the duo’s effervescence throughout the song that will likely coax listeners into joining them in sing-a-longs. With the record also falling shy of two minutes, there will be plenty of people playing it on repeat. 

    As Runitup continue to establish themselves, they refrain from thinking about fame and opulence. The duo is more focused on growing, exploring their sound, evading any hastiness. “Who knows what the future holds as we continue making music. We get to see more of what the supporters of our music want, and we can form a better direction for Runitup as a whole.”

  • 518 Day Celebrates Local Music across Eastern New York

    May 18th may be just any other day of the year for most of the world, but for the extended Capital Region in New York, it is a day of celebration. 518 Day highlights the variety of local music that has been a defining part of this expansive region of New York State. 

    The 518 region stretches all the way from the Canadian border to the Mid-Hudson region, borders with Vermont, and covers more than 12,000 square miles across 17 counties of New York. Area code 518 was established on January 1st, 1947 and has a population of more than 1.3 million residents, with major cities that include Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs, Lake George, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake, and Troy among others.

    The 518 has become it’s own cultural hub and is known particularly for it’s great local music scenes. A great deal of artists come from the 518 region and call it home, including Blotto, Madison Vandenburg, Wild Adriatic, Blind Owl Band, Sawyer Fredericks, Eastbound Jesus, Ominous Seapods, moe., Glass Pony and many, many more.

    518 music is being celebrated by Radio Radio X who are running an all day show from 5AM to midnight tonight featuring local music from the 518 area. There will be a pause for Big Ed’s Little Rock and Roll show at 7PM and a new CD by Off The Record Trio which will be played from start to finish. You can listen live online here.

    Check out some videos of local 518 talent over the years

  • Watch Jerry Garcia Band from November 1991 at The Knick in Albany

    For todays Jerry Sunday installment, we look back at the November 16, 1991 performance by Jerry Garcia Band at The Knickerbocker Arena (aka The Knick) in Albany. Now known as The Times Union Center, this show brought Deadheads back to Albany eight months after the Grateful Dead’s three-night run in March.

    Jerry was joined by John Kahn (bass), Melvin Seals (keyboards), David Kemper (drums), and Jaclyn LaBranch and Gloria Jones (backing vocals).

    As noted by Colin Parsons, you can observe Garcia’s having technical problems with his guitar Tiger during “Lay Down Sally” and leaving the stage. Steve Parish worked on teh guitar with a visibly upset Garcia, who eventually went back out on the stage with his Wolf guitar. The band didn’t miss a beat and kept playing while waiting for Jerry to rejoin them.

    Jerry Garcia Band at The Knick, Albany, NY – November 16, 1991

    Set One: Cats Under the Stars, Stop That Train, You Never Can Tell, Run For the Roses, Money Honey, My Sisters and Brothers, Let’s Spend the Night Together

    Set Two: Lay Down Sally, Waiting for a Miracle, Think, And It Stoned Me, Ain’t No Bread In the Breadbox, Shining Star, Tangled Up In Blue

  • Helena Halberg releases pick-me-up single “Last Love”

    Helena Hallberg drops “Last Love” to pick us up from where we left off in NYC coffee shops crooning breakups in back alley poetics over bouquets of taunting stanzas. Somewhere between sober and sauced, the disobedient tempo paces folk to a spirited jazz gig in a backroom; challenging the distance between breakups and landslides.

    If contemporary feminist acuity impaled the deck to lull and roar all together “I am not here to be your mother, I am not your teacher,”  Hallberg’s “Last Love” is an ode to one’s own time. This time she cuts a mischievous long finger to self-realization in the full glory of independence.

    Social distancing suddenly doesn’t feel so lonely but instead a sigh of relief for a party of one. If you’re looking for a tack you can play over and over to a thousand different mood sets, Hallberg will cover you in a blanket with the thought of wherever you are is exactly where you’re meant to be if you just own it. If only transistor radios weren’t extinct but mercifully Hallberg’s uptempo asserts itself with the same temporal defiance on Spotify as it might on vinyl. 

    In the meantime of Hallberg’s next music release, check out her weekly live streams and stay updated with her latest content via Facebook and Instagram.

  • Listen to Spaghetti Eastern Music’s latest, the ambient “Peace Within”

    Spaghetti Eastern Music, a genre-leaping solo project from NYC and Woodstock guitarist/keyboardist Sal Cataldi has released his latest single “Peace Within.” An ambient piece that slowly unfolds in a series of waves, this aural meditation gives the listener an instrumental chapter of chill with an apt tonic for these troubled times.

    Using an echoey piano, vibraphone and phased strings, ones that could be a lost track from Eno’s “Another Green World,” Cataldi provides a soothing musical bedrock. This is complemented with sustained drones from a duo of Ebow guitars, drenched in reverb, setting the stage for the lead guitar which propels the searching melody of the piece. The calming and cavernous ambience created is periodically shocked and heightened with heavily processed, thunderous percussive accents.

    Cataldi’s cheekily titled debut album, Sketches of Spam, and his January 2020 single, “Her Lemon Peel Raincoat (Because It’s Raining),” have drawn notice from critics at a multitude of prestige outlets like The New York Times, Time Out NY, Jazz Times and The Huffington Post.

    The single is available for download and streaming via Bandcamp, CD Baby, iTunes, Spotify. The track was recorded by Cataldi during the Covid19 crisis at the studio aboard his houseboat in Port Washington, Long Island, Houseboat Garlic Knot Studios, and at his Sonic Garden in West Saugerties, right down the road from Big Pink. The track was mixed and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Bob Stander at Parcheesi Studios.