We set up in the lobby of one of our favorite venues, the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY, during rehearsals for our Fall Drive-in Tour and recorded the whole thing. Along with our playthrough of Not Normal, we recorded a full 2 set show that will premiere on December 11.
With venues across New York State being severely impacted by closures related to COVID-19, the need for assistance for these businesses to continue to remain open is greater than ever.
Join moe. on Friday, December 11 at 8:30PM for a special performance to benefit the Palace Theatre. Pick up Broadcast tickets and poster bundles here – a portion of every ticket and ticket bundle sold will be donated to the Palace Theatre.
photo by Frankie Cavone
The Palace has been Albany’s iconic downtown landmark for more than 80 years, bringing the biggest names in entertainment to the Capital Region. The history and programming of the Palace is a unique and often untold story with roots dating back to the period of the Great Depression.
The Palace Theatre was built in 1931 and originally presented vaudeville acts, feature films and later became a civic auditorium before closing its doors in 1969. The theatre maintains its original beauty and design and is a historical landmark in the City of Albany.
The Palace Performing Arts Center was established in 1984 and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1989, created to operate the Palace Theatre. The Palace brings world-class arts and entertainment to New York’s Capital Region, greatly enhancing the area’s cultural and economic development.
Read more of NYS Music’s past coverage of shows at The Palace Theatre, and tune in for moe. on December 11.
The late, great Hal Ketchum passed away at 67 years of age Monday night. A social media post from his wife explained his passing was due to complications from dementia. The world certainly feels a little smaller now.
Born April 9, 1953 in Greenwich, New York, Hal Ketchum went on to be a widely-loved, yet under-the-radar country singer of his day. Leaving New York at 17, finding home in Texas and finally residing his later life in Nashville, respectively.
Hal Ketchum – The Egg
After his 1988 debut, Threadbare Alibis, under Watermelon Records, Ketchum would release his mots notable hits “Small Town Saturday Night” and “I Know Where Love Lives” off of Billboard #2, Past the Point of Rescue. The album reached Gold status as well as “Small Town Saturday Night,” which peaked #2 on the US Country charts. The talent went on to earn acclaim on nearly 20 Billboard mentions.
Growing up traveling, on long open roads with a pile of country cassettes, Hal Ketchum grabs hold of your heartstrings early on, a lost art, of country breeze strumming onward. He embodies that stand-up, “tough as nails, hard as steel,” southern gent, that’s utterly sentimental. Hal Ketchum is country. Despite not living his life in the limelight when compared to other hits of his day, Hal hit the sweet spot balancing a hearty career, family and now, heartfelt-fanbase.
Andrea Ketchum, Hal’s wife, revealed he had been (officially) diagnosed with Alzheimer’s back in 2019. Accounts of him already battling the disease had stringing for “for some time now.”
Don’t worry Andrea, it surely will. Especially on the angelic vibrato of “gold,” as Ketchum’s voice touches our hearts and his guitar fades up into heaven. God bless, long live country and we send the most beloved prayers to The Ketchum Family, and friends.
May his music live on forever in your hearts and bring you peace.
This was soft country at its finest, but at times the tempo picked up to a good foot tapping and head bobbing and that was the only workout the audience was getting tonight. “Small Town Saturday Night” was one of these songs, a pure American song through and through, full of twang and Mellencamp lyrics and guitar.
[The comedian bantered] “What am I, a jukebox?” Hal shook his head and an audience member said “Play what you want!” with a bit of applause in favor. “Chickadee” was dedicated to his five grandchildren, and “Mama Knows the Highway” was played despite not being practiced, but came off perfect. Hal said afterwards, “Good country music will never steer you wrong.”
Billy Squier had pretty much jumped the shark by ’89 – he was constantly on rock radio in the early 80s, but his melodic hard rock throne had been usurped by hair metal bands by this time. His unintentionally hilarious, career-destroying 1986 ”Rock me Tonight” MTV video did not help, in which he sashayed around like… well, go watch it on YouTube, and read the comments, which are fantastic and hilarious, much like the video itself. If this place held 2500 max, there were maybe 200-300 there. The world had moved on from Billy.
Clifton Park Arena, which was not far from where Upstate Concert Hall is currently, wasn’t around for long – it was an ice-skating rink that hosted smaller arena-level gigs in 1989 and 1990. Alice Cooper, and also The Cult played some pretty well-attended shows there not long after this gig. This was not really a well-attended show.
King’s X opened, promoting their brilliant Gretchen Goes To Nebraska second record. They’d just played the area just two months before at Saratoga Winners, a pretty packed show, and played to many less people – dozens, maybe – during their early slot at this show. They did maybe six songs, that were excellent, but few were there to see it. One of the great, underhailed-yet-brilliant bands of loud rock. All hail King’s X.
A few more people joined for Blue Murder, kind of an all-star outfit with leader/Btitish guitar hero John Sykes (previously with Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang), plus celebrity drummer Carmine Appice and ex-Firm bassist Tony Franklin. Sykes had made his fortune with Whitesnake’s massive ‘1987’ LP, which he had co-written and played on, and he was looking for a repeat with Blue Murder. It was not to be. BM were a pretty good band – that self-titled first record had some solid tunes on there, but nothing great. It was all very over-produced and Whitesnake-like sounds proved a bit dated these days. As fantastic as Sykes’ playing is, by 1989 the public was moving on from that kind of thing.
Blue Murder’s very produced, ‘big rock’ sound, with an image that looked like pseudo-glamorous, made-up pirates, was a couple years past the sell-by date. People wanted Metallica, Jane’s Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Big hair-big rock was on its way out, it just didn’t know it yet. They played a bunch of songs from that first BM record and “Still Of The Night,” which confused most of the sparse crowd, who didn’t know that Sykes had played on it, because he hadn’t been in the video.
A full report on Billy Squier those 31 years ago, is not possible. After the BM gig, I went and interviewed Blue Murder for my WCDB college radio show, and asked Sykes a ton of Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang questions. He was very cool and friendly, telling lots of stories about Phil Lynott and early Tygers.
These days, Sykes is largely an international man of mystery – after Blue Murder dissolved, he toured through the later 90s and early 2000s with a reformed, tribute Thin Lizzy, made a few solo albums. For well over a decade he has been out of the public eye, occasionally teasing a return to action, but largely his mighty guitar has been absent from the world.
I didn’t really see Billy Squier – never really being a fan, and only saw the first couple songs before we went to interview Sykes. He came out and opened with a couple of those hits they always played relentlessly on PYX-106 and MTV (“Lonely Is The Night,” I think was one). While watching, Blue Murder’s road manager found me and said “pretty good so far, eh?” I had to admit it was. “It’s all downhill from here,” he replied, before leaving to interview Sykes + co. I didn’t bother going back afterwards. That said, a solid triple-bill before a less-than-packed house.
This holiday season, join NYS Music and Toy for Tots as we bring joy to kids around the state this holiday season with our annual giving drive, Jam for Tots.
Traditionally, our Jam for Tots series would be centered around various live music performances in November and December. At each show, fans are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy as a donation to brighten the day of a kid somewhere in the state. Due to the pandemic, we are changing it up this year so our collective charitable effort doesn’t fall short due to restrictions on live music and mass gatherings.
At each of these venues, whether you’re stopping in for dinner, getting take out or grabbing socially distanced drinks with a side of incidental music, bring an unwrapped toy for kids who are most in need this holiday season. A box will be there to leave your donation (through mid-December), which will be picked up by the Marines and distributed within New York State communities.
We greatly appreciate their support of these venues and the Marines during this annual giving drive. We may not be able to get down to live music while supporting the kids, but we can still support them while we wait for live music to return. Please use proper social distancing when patronizing these wonderfully supportive venues.
Jam for Tots has been an ongoing series dating back to 2008 when Positive Mental Trip frontman Luke Weiler took the show on the road, touring the East Coast while collecting toys for local charities. The event has since returned home to New York State and slowly expanded in the past few years. In 2019, in addition to a record haul of toys, 15 events were held across the state, bringing music and charity together throughout the Holiday Season.
House of Yes, a creative and theatre-infused nightclub in Bushwick Brooklyn, recently partnered with Secret Dance Addiction to host their sober virtual dance experience Ancient Aliens on Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. The virtual event will livestream on the House of Yes Twitch platform and the Secret Dance Addiction Zoom Party to provide a dance experience that does not require alcohol to participate.
The event will include a DJ set from the Founders of Secret Dance Addiction, a disco house set from Silec, and Global Soul sounds from DJ Sabine Blaizin, a House of Yes resident. In addition to music, the Ancient Alien experience will also have a costume contest, facial reading sessions, and a virtual bar experience with alcohol-free Lyre’s cocktails. House of Yes and Secret Dance Addiction hopes to elevate the message of positive partying with a sober-curious experience with Ancient Aliens.
“We are partnering with Secret Dance Addiction because we are drawn to their mission to build a mindful dance community that doesn’t require alcohol to participate. We recognize that many members of our community are sober-curious and appreciate the opportunity to learn about alternative and healthier ways to party. We want to foster genuine connections between people, where we call on them to participate in the experiences we design with their full attention and intention, and we feel like Secret Dance Addiction vibrates on that same frequency.”
Jacqui Rabkin, Marketing and Cultural Director at House of Yes
Ambie and Mike Handby founded the Secret Dance Addiction online platform to promote prioritizing health and connection over intoxicants used when partying. Any sober DJ, artist, creator, or participant can unite in a mindful and addiction-free dance music community. The goal of House of Yes is to unite creative-minded people at their Brooklyn venue to fuel passion and inspiration while providing entertainment.
As the anniversary draws near for My Life, the iconic sophomore album from Mary J. Blige, Geffen/Ume records will celebrate the November 29 anniversary with a re-release that features three physical forms.
The repackaged classic features 2CD’s, a standard weight black double vinyl, and a triple vinyl edition in translucent blue with a lenticular cover, including bonus tracks featuring rap icon LL Cool J, and underground cult-figures Smif ‘N Wessun. The 3LP edition will also be available digitally which will also feature commentary by Mary J. Blige on the original album tracks.
As one of the most celebrated R&B albums of all-time, My Life was the catapult towards the Bronx native’s placement as the queen of R&B. After a highly successful debut that featured records like “What’s the 411?” and “Real Love,” Mary J. Blige’s subsequent work showcased her songwriting abilities, going in depth about trials and tribulations and exploring topics such as; abuse, alcoholism and self-love. Her increased involvement in the songwriting process, along with her collaboration with Bad Boy Records and their much-heralded group of producers “The Hitmen,” resulted in a transcendent piece of work. Much more than that, records like “Mary’s Joint,” “No One Else,” helped her become a symbol for women’s strength, soulfulness, beauty and resiliency.
https://youtu.be/hI7GqHxr7EE
My Life was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 1995 Grammy-awards, and in ensuing years, Rolling Stone included the album on their 50 Essential Female Albums (#17), 100 Greatest Albums of the ’90s (#63) and 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (#279) lists. Blender Magazine ranked it #57 on its 100 Greatest American Albums list, and TIME deemed it one of their ALL-TIME 100 Albums.
In a showcase of the Legendary songstresses’ lasting relevance, Vice-president elect Kamala Harris’ celebratory walkout after clinching her seat in the White House was serenaded by Blige’s “Work That.”
In honor of its 10-year anniversary, NYC band Consider The Source is selling a limited edition vinyl of their album That’s What’s Up.
CTS’s That’s Whats Up Album Art
On Friday, November 13, Consider The Source made a limited 250-copy vinyl pressing available for pre-order on their online store. The $30 record ships in April 2021. Besides the vinyl, the band’s store includes “Sourceror” shirts, the name for CTS’s fanbase. Their third effort, That’s What’s Up was their last studio album to feature former drummer Justin Ahiyon before he was replaced by Jeff Mann in 2012. On the day of the vinyl release, they did a Facebook and YouTube livestream concert, the first time they performed most of That’s What’s Up since Ahiyon left. In addition to the new vinyl, the eight-track album is available for streaming on Bandcamp.
Consider The Source formed back in 2004 as a jam band consisting of John Ferrara, Gabriel Marin and Justin Ahiyon. Their style is hard to pin down, but they’ve described it as “sci-fi Middle Eastern fusion.” They released their self-titled EP in 2005, and their debut album Esperanto in 2007. They’ve since toured internationally to Israel, Turkey, and Germany.
Consider The Source released their most recent studio album last year, called You Are Literally a Metaphor, featuring the lead single “Enemies of magicK.” Back in July, they did a Radiohead-themed livestream with covers of “Paranoid Android” and “Reckoner.” In late October they did a short series of socially-distanced live shows spanning across Virginia and the Carolinas. Consider The Source also released F**k It! We’ll Do It Live, Vol. 3, their latest live album. Unlike the first two volumes, this release is 100-percent improvised.
Inner City Bedlam have a stated mission to break the boundaries holding back the inner cities of every city in the nation, to destroy racist ideology while providing the soundtrack to the inner city, and seek to change the face of American culture by providing outlets to educate the world about black culture through music.
David Jonathan and the Inner City Bedlam create an expansive and kaleidoscopic sound, formulated around their love of jazz-inspired melodies and warmly sophisticated rhythms. In teaming up with Chuckie Campbell, they release a stunning remix version of “No Collusion,” which stands out for its modern, organic sound that is polished but not overproduced.
In addition to the edgy performance value, quality production and a balanced mix makes for a lively and stark sonic approach. Many subtle nuances are found in “No Collusion,” which adds to the richness of the track when taken together.
Collaborating on “No Collusion” is Chuckie Campbell, an American recording artist, poet, fiction writer, editor, publisher, and educator who has been named Best Hip Hop Artist by All WNY Music Awards and ArtVoice Awards. Campbell performs with The Black Den, a six-piece live approach to hip hop filled with fluid instrumentation, lush musical arrangements, and heartfelt poetic lyrics.
Ignition on, as we drive off into the horizon with Brooklyn based White Cliffs. The two-sided single, “Six Cylinder Run,” was bred from an impromptu cross-country trip, released Friday, Nov. 13. The single marks a kick off too future releases as we move later into the year.
Rafe Cohan, aka. White Cliffs is a virtuoso of all things music with a slew of singles and EP’s being released since 2018. A musical chef, if you will, blends his talents as a guitarist, pianist, percussionist, singer and songwriter. Moreover, his producing talents fuse these ingredients to create a numbing effect, synonymous with wide open roads and endless travel.
The title track, “Six Cylinder Run,” instigates the hype of a road trip. Suspended echoing-synth leads layer as Cohan sets off with his newfound friend. Tight drum beats prove calming as we move steadily down the highway at 75.
Artists, and travellers alike, can relate to the bottomless feeling White Cliffs emulates across both tracks. He is nor here nor there, constantly in motion. Thus, the void is created. It is a void where musical expression blooms. We stew on its endless exploration. We harness creativity, but we never interrupt the drive.
Last summer I met this new friend. I didn’t know him very well but we became very tight when he was moving to LA… He was supposed to drive across the country so I went with him and we made an EP starting with me in the passenger seat of a car with no real instruments, just on a laptop.
White Cliffs
Watch “Six Cylinder Run” music video here, released November 18.
“On My Mind” gives you a second wind with a phat dub-bass ostinato. Written to back-half the trip, your neck begins to sway with the landscape. It’s getting late, but you seemingly rejuvenate, despite hours to go. The only gripe with these releases is the short sub-three-minute track length, aiding to an industry shift in a shorter attention span.
‘On My Mind’ is 2AM and you have hours ‘til you get to the hotel, pulling this U-Haul trailer and this is like hell. We worked on the songs in the hotel, we brought a bunch of gear with us, little synths, monitors, working on it in Albuquerque and in LA.
Dubbed as a purist, and lost in the art of producing, White Cliffs opens our minds to the days on the road. Listeners relate, especially with touring or traveling experience that encompasses the music industry. Cohan has experimented and crafted, leading him to debut under the moniker White Cliffs in 2017. He has toured with Big Wild, Elderbrook, STS9, in addition to performing at New York City’s Panorama Festival.
With this cook in the kitchen, passengers are left feeling incomplete in its length. The singles don’t transcend the journey, leaving us audio-less quickly. In hopes of accumulating a larger album, White Cliffs will certainly lure his future listeners into the carpool lane for one last late night drive. For now, toss both singles onto your road-trip mixtape.
Take a deeper look into “Six Cylinder Run” and producing craftwork.
Hannah Sumner released her new track, “Only You” on Friday, November 20. The song features over 10 NYC artists and attempts to pay homage to Brooklyn and the feelings of isolation during COVID-19.
Hannah Sumner is a Brooklyn based writer, producer and performer who is a mainly alternative artist. She has released two EP’s: To The Almost, containing five songs, and Guesthousecontaining four songs. Sumner has been singing since she can remember, but came into producing after graduating from Berklee College of Music. She messed around with Logic, popular production software, and taught herself how to produce when she no longer had musicians to play with post college. This is when she found her voice.
Hannah Sumner photo provided by press release.
Every musician has a different writing process and for Sumner, she prefers to write songs by improvising over her own productions. Her single, “Only You,” came out of this process. The chorus of the song contains the original first improvised take. “I use my first take a lot, as the songs come out almost finished. They help me understand what I’m feeling, usually before I even understand myself,” she explained.
She uses her music as a way of journaling her feelings and experiences. “Only You” was written back in April of 2020 when she, like many people around the world, was missing connection. She poured these feelings into a creation that ended up featuring 10 New York City artists, that she considers to be her ‘music family.’
The song features: Steve Bone of VICE audio who mixed the track and performs guitar on it; Adam Neely, Youtube star playing bass; Ella Joy Meir of Iris Lune on vocals; Curtis J and Jackee Frome on vocals; Jacqueline Kerrod playing harp; Joey D’Alessio on vocals; and Markus Roessler on vocals.
The music video was shot on an iPhone, creating beautiful transportations, It is something Sumner aims for in her music, propelled by an underlying interest in film.
The song is somber and eerily-beautiful, which is perfectly mirrored within the music video. It starts with a simple chord progression on guitar with lyrics floating in subtly. Then the song builds up until the full lineup comes together to create a haunting melody. The different musicians featured on the song show up within the video in their own little screens chiming in on the chorus. It’s a song that’s very fitting and universal during these COVID-19 times and definitely worth listening to if you are feeling isolated or alone.
For more information on Hannah Sumner visit her Facebook.
