NYS Music 202​0

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  • Upstate Home of Aaron Copland to Host NPR Tiny Desk Concert

    National Public Radio has announced a very special program featuring instrumental works by Oscar-winning composer Aaron Copland. Streaming from inside Aaron Copland’s home studio in Upstate New York on November 13 at 5 a.m, like all Tiny Desk Concerts, the performance will be available to stream on the NPR Tiny Desk page indefinitely.

    In fact, the concert takes place a day before what would have been Aaron Copland’s 120th birthday.

    Aaron Copland
    Top: Composer Aaron Copland
    Bottom Left to Right: Carol Wincenc (flutist), Curtis Macomber (violinist), Michael Boriskin (Copland House Artistic and Executive Director)

    Artists from the internationally-acclaimed Music from Copland House (MCH) ensemble will perform a variety of selections from Copland’s library. Duo for Flute and Piano, composed in that very room; Sonata for Violin and Piano and Three Moods for Piano are all part of the set list.

    Born in Brooklyn, his peers and critics referred to Copland as “the Dean of American Composers.” Making a home in New York’s lower Hudson Valley for 30 years, Copland passed in 1990. After the composer’s death, the estate was marked a National Historic Landmark. Revered as a first-of-its kind creative center for American music, the estate is the composer’s only U.S. home. Devoted to championing America’s rich musical heritage through a broad range of public, educational, and informational programs, its activities uniquely embrace the entire artistic process, from creation and development to study, presentation, and preservation. The Music from Copland House ensemble is the entity’s touring residence which journeys across 150 years of the American musical landscape in concerts, recordings, and other programs.

    Tiny Desk Concerts are a video series of live concerts hosted at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. Currently, the acclaimed series is hosted in the home of artists across the globe due to COVID-19. In October, NYC’s pop duo Gracie and Rachel joined the growing list of at home Tiny Desk Concerts.

  • Gov. Cuomo Imposes New Curfew and Capacity Regulations Statewide

    Governor Andrew Cuomo announced, Wednesday, new statewide curfew and capacity regulations. They will take effect on Nov. 13, to combat the recent surge in Covid-19 cases across New York State.

    Cuomo Regulations
    (Credit: Deadline) NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo conducts press briefing and makes a presentation at the 3rd Avenue office in New York on July 23, 2020. Governor announced that President Trump will not send federal agents into New York City. He again pleaded to young people to be responsible, keep social distances and wear masks. (Photo by Lev Radin/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

    On Friday, establishments licensed by the State Liquor Authority will have to close their doors at 10 p.m. This includes, restaurants, bars, bowling alleys and gyms. After curfew, restaurants can do curbside food-only pickup.

    According to Cuomo, house parties and small social gatherings are the third “great spreader” identified by the contact tracer. All at-home gatherings will be limited to ten people.

    In the last week, new reported cases have doubled in New York and New Jersey. The biggest goal for the new regulations is to ensure the state does not go through another shutdown if they don’t have to.

    “If these measures aren’t sufficient to slow the spread, we will turn the valve more and part of that would be reducing the number of people in indoor dining,” Cuomo said, “If that doesn’t work, if numbers keep going crazy, there are some scientists who believe we should close down. I hope that doesn’t happen.”

    Over the course of the pandemic, many regulations have been set in place by the governor and reinforced by the SLA. This is the first time in months that they’ve had to crack down once again. Unfortunately, this doesn’t just pertain to New York but also neighboring states.

    Cuomo Regulations
    NY state Covid map, updated November 2020

    “If you look at the places in our state where we’re having issues, they’re very often near the neighboring states,” Cuomo said. “If the national numbers are going up and the states around you are going up, be prepared.”

    With music venues around the country struggling to keep their doors open, this is yet another step backward for the industry. So that businesses can open and run normally, everyone is encouraged to follow the new rules and ensure everyone’s safety.

  • Virtual PhanArt Show features more than 50 Artists, Vendors and Small Businesses

    On Nov. 14, PhanArt launched the Virtual PhanArt show, an experience that will feature its largest gathering of artists yet from Phish and jam communities.

    PhanArt
    Lineup for The Virtual PhanArt Show.

    The show is set to run through mid-January so that fans could connect with artists, while browsing and shopping at small businesses, just in time for the holidays.

    The show starts at Noon ET on Saturday, starting off with a live-stream kickoff party via Launchglobal.tv that will go until 5 p.m. Sweeping Views and DJ Raphael25 will perform live, plus interviews with PhanArt Pete and the Launch Global Team. Where there’s “Phans,” there’s trivia. The show will hold a Phish trivia game that includes a VIP package of prizes and more.

    The Virtual PhanArt Show is sponsored by Helping Friendly Hemp Company, with a wide array of CBD products and salves available in their store. Thank you to media partners Relix Magazine, Cash or Trade, JEMP Radio, NYS Music, and Groovesafe for their support of this event.

    At a normal in-person PhanArt show, Phish enthusiasts could acquire one-on-one personal interactions with vendors and artists. Each vendor showcases their one of a kind items, while music plays through the venue. Virtually, that doesn’t change. Instead of entering the show room, fans will enter the ‘event space’ on the PhanArt website. Everyone will have the same perks as a regular show and even receive exclusive items through drops handled by artists and vendors directly.

    With over 30 artists, the virtual show possesses an array of activities that will be sure to host your inner Phish obsession.

    PhanArt Show 2019

    The Virtual PhanArt Show Lineup features Maria D. Designs, Wookles & Co., The Art of Ryan Kerrigan, Girl Tour, MYFE. Designs, The Goddess Revival, GratefuLegos, Tripp, BB Denim Co., Super Rad Cape Company, Hang Loose Creations, Shop Cadillac Rainbows, Party Time Design, The Overhead View, New Springfield Boogie, Lizzy Layne Art & Design, Fred Sutter, California Ave Artworks, Jamie Lee Meyer, Rude Judy Designs, Fat Karr Studios, Groovesafe, Jeremiah Merrill, Appalachian Alchemy, Wook Chic, La Placa Pottery, Mittyart, Josean Rivera, Babacool LLC, AZN Media, Phan Gear, Phrames, All in this Together, Trixy Starr and many more to come

  • Photo Gallery: Goose Celebrate a Delayed Halloween at South Farms

    Indie-Jam darlings Goose returned to South Farms for their Halloween shows, held November 6 and 7. The week delay was due in part to the torrential rain that hit the Northeast in the last days of October, causing the ground to be too soft for vehicles to enter in Morris, CT. Fans didn’t seem to mind. Celebrating a week late, and turned out in costumes, they were ready for one final dose of Goose Drive-In shows.

    goose halloween

    The shows brought out fans, good jams and a couple debuts from Goose. In the first set of Friday night’s show, “It Burns Within” was busted out for the first time since 2014. The second set saw the debut of pre-Goose band Vasudo’s “Empress of Organos,” which segued into a cover of The Band’s “Don’t Do It,” a fan favorite. Later in the same set, the new “Earthling or Alien” debuted, with pro-shot footage released from the set.

    Setlist: Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – Friday, November 6, 2020

    Set 1: Lily’s Tiger > Butter Rum, The Whales, It Burns Within, All I Need > Secret Agent Man, Into the Myst
    Set 2: Empress of Organos* > Don’t Do It, Creatures > Honeybee, Your Ocean, Earthling or Alien?^, Yeti
    Encore: Ghostbusters Rap
    *First Time Played
    ^debut

    Saturday was ‘Halloween’ for fans, with costumes galore and the final show for Goose this Drive-In season. A theme of ‘Donnie Darko at The Farms’ reflected on the 2001 cult-hit Donnie Darko, with band members wearing costumes related to the movie – Ric Mitarotonda in the title character’s skeleton costume and Trevor Weeks playing the role of Darko’s imaginary rabbit friend, Frank.

    Debuts were on tap throughout the night, with an apropos cover of Echo & The Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” hitting on the Halloween and Donnie Darko theme to start the night. Two bands from the 80s and 90s were found at the end of Set one and start of Set two, with Tears for Fears “Head Over Heels” and Duran Duran’s “Notorious,” respectively. Original pairing “Seekers on the Ridge pt. 1” > “Seekers on the Ridge pt. 2” came in the middle of Set two, ahead of the ever popular “Hot Tea” and “Wysteria Lane.” A little more Tears for Fears came in the form of “Mad World” to wrap up the themed affair.

    Setlist: Goose at South Farms, Morris, CT – Saturday, November 7, 2020

    Set 1: The Killing Moon*, Arrow, Doobie Song, Slow Ready, Jive 1 > Jive Lee, Head Over Heels*

    Set 2: Notorious*, Tumble, Seekers on the Ridge pt. 1* > Seekers on the Ridge pt. 2*, Hot Tea, Wysteria Lane> Head Over Heels Reprise

    Encore: Mad World

    * debut

    photos by Chad Anderson

    “Halloween” night

  • Cassandra Kubinski is Ready to Build on Her Versatility

    Cassandra Kubinski is a “storytelling oriented, piano-driven, theatrical pop” singer/songwriter from Saratoga Springs. Her passion for music from a young age propelled her into a successful career with Billboard charting albums. Kubinski’s career has already linked her to artists like Chris Botti, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Mary Ramsey of 10,000 Maniacs. Since her 2005 debut, Kubinski’s development as an artist continues to showcase her unlocked talent waiting to be released.

    Cassandra Kubinski
    Cassandra Kubinski

    A Musical Introduction

    Growing up, Kubinski listened to a variety of artists because of her parent’s eclectic musical taste. Billy Joel, Carole King, Jackson Browne, and Joni were all a frequent part of the Kubinski’s family’s rotation of music. Kubinski’s theatrical exposure to Bette Midler, Guys and Dolls, Barbra Streisand, and Pippen shaped her into becoming a musical storyteller. Kubinski has even garnered praise from her musical idol, Billy Joel.

    “Billy Joel is embedded in my DNA. My parents were listening to his music and loving him before I was even a twinkle in their eye. His storytelling, passionate vocals, and rogue piano playing style influenced me when I decided to be a songwriter,” Kubinski said.

    During a 2008 concert in New York City, Kubinski’s dream of meeting Billy Joel came true. The full-circle moment of meeting her childhood music idol is one of the most memorable and surreal moments as an artist for Kubinski. If Billy Joel is willing, Kubinski would love to add a possible collaboration to her musical resume. Kubinski’s other musical hopes include opening up for Billy Joel, Jason Mraz, and Rob Thomas on tour one day. While the pandemic canceled touring for most artists, Kubinski looks forward to having a face-to-face interaction with concert audiences again. Performing at music venues with a beautiful outdoor component like Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and Humphreys Concerts By The Bay in San Diego are at the top of her list.

    The Journey

    While Kubinski’s musical aspirations keep her motivated as an artist, she has already amassed a couple of well-deserved accolades. Onward charted #97 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart in 2016, while Holiday Magic charted #46 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart in 2017. In 2020, Kubinski has released her “Stardust,” “Back to Earth,” and “Stardust (DJ Taz Rashid Remix)” singles. “Stardust” highlights Kubinski’s “epic pop and piano sound” with the combination of positive lyrics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kubinski has gained a new perspective of how her songs can take on a different meaning from their initial release. “Dreams” started as a “whimsical look of a bittersweet moment of willing to let go because a better dream is coming” and now has a different significance of embracing the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic.

     I didn’t write “Stardust” in the pandemic I wrote it years ago. Since releasing it during the pandemic, I’ve heard from fans it was a sentiment they needed to hear to feel connected to something bigger, connected to nature, and reminded that they have power. This pandemic has made a lot of people feel very helpless and powerless. “Stardust” is about claiming and reclaiming your power. It takes on that meaning even though that’s not what I wrote it about,” Kubinski said.

    Cassandra Kubinski and Tony Daniels shot the “Stardust” music video before the COVID-19 pandemic

    What’s Next

    Looking ahead, Kubinski is already working on a song with Hannah Grace Colin from “Dance Moms.” Her upcoming song “Eternity” with DJ Sol Rising is a follow up to “Stardust” and is set to release in early January. As fans can look forward to more music, Kubinski continues to progress as an overall artist. From the release of her first album, Hold The Sun to her latest single “Stardust,” Kubinski has honed her ability and confidence to lead as an artist with a specific creative direction in mind. “Trust your vision,” Kubinski said. “When you see something for yourself, work on it, and do it. That’s your vision for a reason and you’re the one that has to execute on that vision.”

    Cassandra Kubinski
    Cassandra Kubinski

  • Celebrated Cuban Percussionist Cándido Camero Dies at 99

    Cuban percussionist Cándido Camero passed away on Nov. 7, 2020. Camero was 99 years old and was a well known, and loved, pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz genre. He was an innovator in conga drumming. 

    Cándido Camero died peacefully at his home in New York on Saturday morning according to Camero’s grandson, Julian, told NPR member station WBGO of the sad news. Despite his age Cándido Camero played music up until the very end. 

    Cándido Camero
    Cándido Camero performs with Paquito D’Rivera at Flushing Town Hall (November 2019)

    He was born in San Antonio de los Baños, near Havana, in Cuba on April, 22 1921. His parents were Caridad Guerra and Cándido Camero. He moved to New York in 1946 and was “already a well-known musician in Havana as a percussionist and also for playing the Cuban tres, a folkloric guitar. He spent eight years playing at the famed Tropicana nightclub, backing the biggest Cuban stars of the day and counted the young Mongo Santamaría among his bandmates” according to NPR’s article. 

    Throughout the years Cándido Camero became a well known and extraordinary pioneer of the Latin Jazz genre and played with the best of the best throughout the years. Some of the big names he performed with include Charlie Parker, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, and Machito. He is known for being one of the first percussionists to play multiple congas at the same time, with each conga tuned to a different pitch, enabling him to play not only rhythm but melodies. 

    His biggest mainstream track came in 1979 with his disco recordings for Salsoul. He recorded several albums for the audiophile label Chesky Records. One of these records included Inolvidable, with Graciela, which earned him a nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. He was still playing and performing live up until the end. Back in Sept. of 2019 he joined Flushing Town Hall to celebrate their season’s launch with a performance from Canadian Afro-Cuban artists Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. He then returned in November to perform with the Gathering of the Masters alongside fellow greats Paquito D’Rivera, Joanne Brackeen, Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Cobb, and Reggie Workman. 

    Cándido Camero will be greatly missed from the music community. We mourn his loss and send our condolences to his family and friends.

  • Black Suit Youth Release Environmental Anthem “The World Is Almost Over”

    Alternative rock band from New York City, Black Suit Youth, released their new environmental anthem “The World Is Almost Over,” on October 30. The release date for their upcoming 5th LP, The World is Almost Over, is set for 2021 and will feature the newly released single.

    Black Suit Youth

    Black Suit Youth blends a combination of punk rock, classic rock and indie rock into their music. The four-person group includes Bryan Maher (vocals/guitar), Fed Canalos (guitar), Juan Orellana (bass), and Ray Mazza (drums). The group’s original name started out as The New York Dynamite in 2004. In 2007, the band changed their name and released their debut album Our Future is History.

    A song they eventually scrapped called “A Black Suit For My Youth” inspired the group’s name change. Since their formation, they have has released seven projects and had 10 different members throughout the group’s tenure. The band has amassed various touring experiences including opening up for acts such as Story of the Year, Alien Ant Farm, The Undead, and more. Following their 2017 release of their LP False South, Black Suit Youth looks to lean toward a new musical direction while maintaining their usual punk rock style.

    The song is about the reality that we all see, but often ignore things while we deal with our immediate troubles. At some point, the bigger picture is going to become too big to ignore and it may already be too late to do anything about it. History is happening all around us and it gave us the opportunity to film in a desolate, boarded up Times Square, something you’d normally only see in a post-apocalyptic movie.

    Black Suit Youth

    Read More Black Suit Youth on NYS Music

    In 2016, they signed to 59 X Records and released False South in 2017. Black Suit Youth single The World Is Almost Over will be their second project released under the label.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Us6QDQb7BI&feature=youtu.be

    Here is a look at the lyrics for “The World Is Almost Over” :

    When we were young they said our future would be so bright we’d have to wear shades 
    Well there weren’t completely wrong 
    It’s gonna be so hot we’re gonna melt in our graves 
    Now we’re lost inside a mindless paper chase 
    As the oxygen is leaking into space 
    Yeah the worlds almost over 
    Throw a life preserver to a drowning polar bear 
    Yeah the worlds almost over 
    So have another drink cuz no one cares 
    The ocean is the first casualty 
    Of our never ending worship of the GDP 
    So what is left for you and me? 
    When all the fresh water is owned by corporate entities 
    I’m sorry to say but things are looking bleak 
    It’s the new dark ages so pop off a few more tweets 
    Newsflash we’re all gonna die poor 
    As the refugees from the countries we destroy are knocking at our door 
    We don’t ever take any blame 
    It’s always some Boogieman 
    We’re too afraid of change 
    Yeah we’re dead and gone 
    We’re living on krypton 
    We pretend it isn’t true 
    Yeah we’re dead and gone 
    Hallelujah it’s the great beyond 
    Ces la vie and bye bye baby blue

  • Allman Betts Band Lit up The Paramount on Nov. 10, 2019

    The Allman Betts Band brought their 2019 fall tour to The Paramount on November 10, 2019. The tour was supporting their latest album, Down to the River which came out earlier in the year. The supporting acts were Joanne Shaw Taylor and and Jackson Stokes. The Allman Betts Band is Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Berry Duane Oakley, John Ginty, Johnny Stachela, R. Scott Bryan and John Lum.

    Jackson Stokes, who is the first artist signed to Devon Allman’s new record label, Create Records, opened up the show with songs from his new self titled album, released on October 25, 2019. He was also the guitarist for The Devon Allman Project from 2016 to 2018. Joanne Shaw Taylor is a British blues rock guitarist and singer. Her sixth album, Reckless Heart, was released on May 17, 2019.

    The Allman Betts Band set consisted of songs from their latest album including “Down to the River” and “Southern Accents,” plus a covers of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky.” The Allman Brothers Band “Elizabeth Reed,” “Midnight Rider” and The Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” rounded out the bill. They also brought back Taylor for a cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples” and Jackson Stokes to play on “Mahalo.” The two-hour set ended with “Long Gone” from the new album.

    The Allman Betts Band @ The Paramount Theater on Huntington, Long Island, NY November 10, 2019

    Setlist: All Night, Shinin’, Autumn Breeze, Down to the River, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Blue Sky, You Got Lucky, Good Ol’ Days, Melodies Are Memories, Dimples*, Friend of the Devil, Mahalo^, Jessica, Down to the River.

    Encore: Long Gone
    * with Joanne Shaw
    ^ with Jackson Stokes

  • New Scientific Study Explains Why Music Can Give People the Chills

    A new scientific study was released on Nov. 3, 2020 that explains why music can quite literally give people chills while listening to it. The study explains how and why people experience these chills while listening to certain music. 

    The Frontiers in Neuroscience journal released an article titled, “Cortical Patterns of Pleasurable Musical Chills Revealed by High-Density EEG” that goes into depth on this topic. Researchers are trying to understand this by studying brain activity behind these chills people experience. They believe they are getting closer to understanding why music makes us feel pleasure.

    The study focused on 18 people comprising 11 women and 7 men, 10 of which were amateur musicians themselves. The study originally had 23 participants but three participants reported one or zero instances of chills during the experiment, and for two participants not enough EEG epochs free from artifacts were recorded so they were ultimately left out of the study. 

    The study was conducted with participants each picking five songs ahead of time that they knew often gave them the sense of chills. The scientists provided the participants with three neutral songs to listen to as a control group to compare the reactions the participants gave to the songs they brought in. The participants were told to sit back and close their eyes, and listened to the music through wireless headphones while scientists monitored their brain activity using an EEG. As the participants listened and got chills an average of 16.9 times each. Each chilling moment lasted for 8.75 seconds.

    Music Chills
    Regions of the brain activated when music gave participants experience chills. Graph provided by Frontiers in Neuroscience article.

    So why does this matter? What is the big deal about these chills? The big deal is when these participants listened to songs they brought that gave them the chills they had an increase in theta waves (a wave of brain activity that follows regular oscillations) in the orbitofrontal cortex. This area of the brain is associated with emotional processing. The scientists performing the study also found patterns of activity in two other brain regions: the supplementary motor area, a region of the brain involved in motor control, and the right temporal lobe, which is involved in interpreting non-verbal communication, like music.

    The scientists and authors of the study believe that the increase in theta wave power participants experienced on the surface-level which then signals a two-pronged reward response which happened deep in the brain. This buildup of theta wave power eventually releases dopamine in the participants systems and gives them those happy chills. 

    This proves that listening to music can scientifically give you chills. For more information on the study read the full article here.

  • Orange Corner Debut “Hippie Baby” Gets Out the Cradle

    Image a bastard-child bred from a strange co-mingling of iTunes libraries. A mash of genres and unforeseen turns have fused a free flowing debut single from Orange Corner, named “Hippie Baby.”

    Buffalo New Yorks’ five-piece multi-genre performance band, Orange Corner, has no filter. The band leans heavily on funk, obvious trips of psychedelic rock, metal, reggae, hip-hop and electronic genes are all dispersed. It is no suprise they get lost in improvised jams, which keeps their live sets in motion, fresh and new. If you like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Pink Floyd, Jamiroquai or Talking Heads, Orange Corner and “Hippie Baby” will quickly gain your attention.

    orange corner
    Orange Corner “Hippie Baby” album art.

    “Hippie Baby” is not for the faint of ear. It’s the epitome of a toddler running rapid, musically challenging the norms of song structure. Orange Corner’s take it or leave it approach sucks you right in as Drummer Tj “Thor” Carson creates a dynamic ploy across the toms. Seemingly out of time, “Hippie Baby” lures with swaying bass and lots of texture.

    By the time the band kicks off, in the eight-plus minute track you get it, and sink into the groove. Yet, the band does play with you heart-rate as they sink back into a musical somber, filled with guitar overtones, cymbal textures, and electronic ‘spaceship’ synth.

    Orange Corner takes you for ride with “Hippie Baby.” filled with an unexpected pit-stops, like Randy Pawlak’s ‘out-your-mind’ bass lick as he and Thor quest the band onward.

    Upon attending an Orange Corner performance, be prepared to
    endure musical movements of vast magnitude. Once it’s showtime, a fresh sonic pallet is tastily presented, and the crowd quickly becomes enthralled in an upbeat mix of soaring solos, rhythmical nuances, and downright infectious vocals.Whether it’s through dancy improvised medium or tethering originality with appropriate covers, this band has a knack for cleverly stimulating the amygdala….

    Orange Corner Bio

    Orange Corner’s circle has been growing through WNY grass-roots festival, Tedfest. Last year the band had 700 people pass thru the day/night, across three stages, 20+ bands, and a load of vendors.

    Check out more WNY YOU NEED TO SEE BANDS Here

    Meet Orange Corner:
    Nathan Addenbrooke: Funk-n-soul driven vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
    Randy Pawlak: In-the-pocket, out-your-mind bass & bubbly backseat banter
    Thomas Leaming: Lavish lead guitar love generator
    Tj “Thor” Carson: The groove-hacking, head-banging drummer
    Tommy McDonald: White keys, black keys, spaceships and synth leads