NYS Music 202​0

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  • Brooklyn Singer-Songwriter CF Watkins releases latest single “Babygirl”

    CF Watkins, an Americana pop artist from Brooklyn, released her single “Babygirl” on Wednesday, Sept. 30. The latest single from Watkins’ upcoming sophomore project Babygirl is set to release on Oct. 16 with Whatever’s Clever Records. Watkins has already released two other singles this year called “The Tell” and “Frances” that will also appear on the 11 track LP.

    Cf Watkins

    Babygirl will include a combination of Americana/country-leaning and folk/pop songs. Watkins uses other life experiences including homesickness, family, longing, friendship, and her favorite Dostoevsky short story “White Nights” as song inspirations. While the pandemic did not affect the music production of Babygirl, it gave Watkins more mental space to promote the album. “Writing and recording the music is definitely the most rewarding and fun part of the experience- but putting it out can be very daunting,” Watkins explained. “Once the pandemic started, I was able to finally just take the leap and commit to putting it out.”

    Watkins collaborated with producer Max Hart to create an ode to her best girlfriends with “Babygirl.” Max Hart has produced multi-instrumental work with artists such as The War on Drugs, Katy Perry, and Melissa Etheridge. Instead of writing “Babygirl” as a typical love song, Watkins’ new album highlights her personal growth as a woman through relatable, powerful, and vulnerable songs. Watkins describes herself as an empath who draws on her own life experiences, loved one’s experiences, and even characters in books. “I suppose I would identify as an empath, so I feel things that happen to others in a way that sticks with me and moves me- even if they are fictional characters,” Watkins said. “Sometimes being that way is exhausting, but it helps in never running out of song material.”

     “When I thought of the purest love I know, these relationships were the first to come to mind. In romance, I’ve always been very confused- but love was so clear, magic, and eternal with my best friends, those I called babygirl – who have danced with me in the early morning rain, laughing through the confusion. This is an album meant for other women to hear — with songs that are vulnerable and powerful.”

    CF Watkins
    Cf Watkins

    Watkins’s Americana-pop style of music comes from her North Carolina roots. Watkins started performing at 14 and has shared the stage with artists like Langhorne Slim, Future Birds, Chatham County Line, Wilder Maker, Lowland Hum, and Alpenglow. Fans can watch the video for another featured song on the Babygirl album called “The Tell,” down below. Watkins describes the opening track as a mission statement about balancing vulnerability and power.

    When I think about my last album, I feel I was writing songs about weakness,” Watkins says. “With this album, I made a conscious effort to write songs about the power of choosing yourself.”

    Cf Watkins

    Click here to listen to “Babygirl” single and click here to pre-order Babygirl album.

  • The Grateful Dead’s Last Buffalo Arena Show: 9/26/81

    During an incredibly busy year for the band, the Grateful Dead did carve out a little time for Buffalo and Upstate New York in the fall of 1981. After a thorough summer run at mainly Midwest and West Coast Venues, there were a handful of East Coast shows scheduled in the end of September. Immediately afterwards, they would be off to Europe again, their second jaunt over there this year.

    These few shows would serve as more than adequate tune-ups. On September 26, the Dead would play Buffalo Auditorium for the fifth and final time, serving as an end to an era of sorts. For the remainder of their shows in the Queen City, cavernous Rich Stadium and its 80,000 seats would serve as host.

    grateful dead buffalo

    A somewhat sluggish “Shakedown Street” starts the show and seems to rely on the certainly palpable crowd energy for momentum. If anything, this recording paints a vivid picture of the effusive Upstate fervor that’s present early. The crowd almost seems to get even louder each time they’re told to “Tell me this town ain’t got no heart.” Before you know it, they easily stretch it past the ten-minute mark with a typically funky groove in tow.

    After a brief lull, the first set energy seems to pick back up with a thunderous version of “Cassidy” that’s spearheaded by the harmonies of Bob Weir and Brent Mydland. This carries right over to a raucous “Jack-a-Roe” with some splendid fills from Mydland on electric keys.

    The “Ramble On Rose” that later follows gets furious at points with a clearly vibrant Garcia manning the lead vocals effortlessly. Mydland again makes his presence very much felt with some more intimate keyboard fills. There’s a fairly quick transition to “Looks Like Rain” that has now firmly established the first set pattern of Garcia and Weir going back and forth on lead vocals. Seems to be Jerry – Bob switching back and forth throughout the first set with lead vocals. The crowd once again audibly gets back into it with some rhythmic clapping prior to the apex of “Rain.”

    The vibrant first set vibe fueled by the rather “percussive” audience this evening continues right on into and through the “Brown Eyed Women” that follows. Garcia, once again, rises through the crowd of sound and delivers an ebullient guitar solo early on that fuels the remainder of the tune.

    Weir once again takes the vocal baton from Garcia as the band continues to burst full steam ahead with a somewhat aggressive “Let It Grow” that fits in perfectly in this late early set position. The rhythms equally supplied by the dual guitars and vocals on this one are a true first set highlight.

    Weir holds onto and keeps running with the baton as the second set begins with an exuberant “Playing In The Band” that seems to literally piggyback on the end of the first set’s emotions. An early excitable jam leads into some blissful Garcia-supplied guitar licks before it explodes into a full group effort. Some pure, joyous tones lead right up to the beginnings of “Bertha,” somehow marking the last one of only four East Coast performances n 1981 for this live Dead staple.

    Upon its finish, the band wastes no time in launching into an epic “Estimated Prophet” with all the Bob Weir-led vocal bells and whistles. The Buffalo audience sounds enraptured as the band eases through one of their classic second set standards.

    However, instead of easing into an ambient or “Space”-type section immediately afterwards, the familiar rhythmic guitar into of “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad” picks up and the room is off and running again. Normally placed later in a second set, this slots in perfectly earlier in this set as the Dead’s version of an American folk classic maintains the high standards of this show.

    After typical “Drums” and “Space ” segments, the slow, rhythmic start of “Not Fade Away” starts up, signaling the beginning of the final hurrah for this final indoor Buffalo show. This one doesn’t get a chance to stretch too far as it quickly peters out and dissolves into the beginning of a poignant “Morning Dew” that gets the crowd back on its collective feet.

    Afterwards, the band collectively toys around with the “Playin’ In The Band” theme before settling into a brief reprise. Normally, this would be more than enough to end the set but “One More Saturday Night” takes care of that as Weir leads the group through one last rockin’ number to end the set.

    grateful dead buffalo
    stubs via Bob Migden

    This being Chuck Berry’s birthday, a quick dedication from Weir precedes the fitting “Johnny B. Goode” encore. And with that, the Dead’s last indoor show in Buffalo comes to a close. The next time they would come through town, five years later in 1986, Rich Stadium would take over hosting duties.

    For a full listen to all Buffalo and The Grateful Dead had to offer this evening: click here.

    Grateful Dead Buffalo Auditorium – Buffalo, NY 9/26/81

    Set 1: Shakedown Street, CC Rider, They Love Each Other, Cassidy, Jack-A-Roe, On The Road Again, Ramble On Rose-> Looks Like Rain, Brown Eyed Women-> Let It Grow-> Don’t Ease Me In

    Set 2: Playin’ In The Band->Bertha->Estimated Prophet->Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad->Drums->Space->Not Fade Away->Morning Dew->Playin’ In The Band (reprise)->One More Saturday Night

    Encore: Johnny B. Goode

  • Watch Megan Thee Stallion Perform “Savage” and “Don’t Stop” on Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live returned for its 46th season on October 3, with host and SNL alum, Chris Rock, and musical guest, Megan Thee Stallion. The season debut was also the first to be recorded live, from New York, back in Studio 8H since March 7, prior to the pandemic. In the cold open take on Tuesday’s debate, Jim Carrey played Vice President Biden, and Alec Baldwin returned once again to play President Trump. The top memories of the night though belonged to the musical guest.

    Megan Thee Stallion has had a huge year. She collaborated with her idol Beyoncé on “Savage,” broke the internet with Cardi B’s “WAP,” made the Time 100 list, and quickly recovered from a widely-publicized shooting. She also remained enrolled in school, continuing to study health administration at Texas Southern University.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9wq14EnezU

    Megan’s first performance of the night was “Savage,” in front of a black-and-white graphic saying “Protect Black Women.” While Beyoncé wasn’t in attendance, Megan did a dance break over her verse. Midway through the performance, she stopped rapping as the black-and-white set turned red with bullet holes to reference her shooting. Audio of a Malcolm X speech began playing: “The most disrespected, unprotected, neglected person in America is the black woman.”  Beyoncé herself previously sampled the famous speech in her 2016 visual album Lemonade. Megan then chimed in with her own words:

    She closed out the night with her new song “Don’t Stop,” featuring Young Thug. While not as immediately impactful as “Savage,” it arrives just in time for Halloween with references to Casper the Ghost and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcJxX6h3770

    Besides her performances, Megan also appeared in two sketches: “Bottom of Your Face,” a song about catfishing on dates by wearing a mask, and “NBA Bubble Draft,” a fictional game show where basketball groupies compete to enter the Bubble. Watch sketches from the season debut below.

  • The ‘Heroes Act’ Passes in the House of Representatives

    The ‘Heroes Act’ passes in the House of Representatives on October 1, 2020 including the Save Our Stages revisions which were added on September 28, 2020. The $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus aid package will include $10 Billion set aside for independent music and live-entertainment venues.

    The relief bill passed in the largely Democratically – controlled House of Representatives with votes 214 to 207. The votes were split largely along party lines. Unfortunately the bill still needs to be passed in the Senate which is notoriously slow in passing bills and is largely controlled by Republicans. 

    Heroes Act Passes
    The State Theater of Ithaca lit up in red during the “Red Alert” demonstration in support of Save Our Stages.

    The addition to the ‘Heroes Act‘ including Save Our Stages revisions will make a huge impact on the live entertainment industry that’s suffering horribly due to the coronavirus Pandemic. According to the Variety article, “A poll taken by the 2,600-member National Independent Venues Association, some 90% of its members said they will be forced to close permanently without federal assistance.”

    According to section 619 of the ‘Heroes Act,’ “Grants for Independent Live Venue Operators (H.R. 7806, Save our Stages Act or the SOS Act) 37 1. Authorizes $10 Billion for the SBA to make grants to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on certain live venues. 2. The SBA may make an initial grant of up to $12 million dollars to an eligible operator, promoter, producer, or talent representative; and a supplemental grant that is equal to 50% of the initial grant. 3. Such grants shall be used for specified expenses such as payroll costs, rent, utilities, and personal protective equipment.” Basically this is saying that independent venues, producers, promoters and talent representatives can use the funds to cover things like rent, mortgages, utilities, insurance and other expenses that these businesses are in during the ongoing pandemic. 

    One factor that may hold up the passage of the ‘Heroes Act’ relates to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 among Senators and the President. Three Senators – Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – all tested positive and are quarantining. Thus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has postponed all floor activity until October 19, thus prolonging the time it will take to debate and vote on the ‘Heroes Act’ by two weeks.

    For more information on the ‘Heroes Act’ read the one page summary here.

  • Borders Can’t Stop Music: ‘Fandango at The Wall’

    The music documentary Fandango at The Wall premiered on HBO Latino on Friday, September 25 and is now streaming on HBO Max. Taking place on both sides of the United States/Mexico border, founder Jorge Francisco Castillo invited multi-GRAMMY Award-winning musician Arturo O’Farrill and multi-GRAMMY Award-winning producer Kabir Sehgal to Veracruz.

    The intent behind the film was to meet the masters of Son jarocho, who perform 300-year-old folk music. Musicians took their places on both sides of the Tijuana-San Diego border, playing big band, jazz arrangements. People gathered on both sides, enjoying the presence of the harmonious music despite being on alternate sides of the United States/Mexico border.

    Fandango at The Wall

    Since the election of our current president, border tension has been rising in the past few years. The wall may be symbolic of division, but the annual “Fandango Frontierizo” music festival aims to unite all people together, regardless on whatever side of the wall a person is on.

    The film was directed by Varda Bar-Kar and executive produced by Quincy Jones, Andrew Young, and Carlos Santana.

    Our film shows how the border can become a place of friendship and amity by harnessing the power of Afro-Mexican music known as Son jarocho I’ve been making music for decades, and I’ve never experienced a more enveloping and transformative artform.

    Kabir Seghal, as told to Variety magazine

    Fandango at The Wall features Son jarocho legends Andrés Vega, Martha Vega, Ramón Gutiérrez, Wendy Cao Romero, Tacho Utrera, Fernando Guadarrama, and Patricio Hidalgo. Guest appearances include multi-Grammy nominee and MacArthur Foundation fellow Regina Carter, CNN historian Douglas Brinkley, Mandy Gonzalez, The Villalobos Brothers and Grammy nominees Rahim AlHaj and Sahba Motallebi. For more information regarding “Fandango at The Wall,” visit the film’s website, as it sure to present a diverse, and interesting, expression of music on visual platform.

  • In Focus: Tom Morello Release Party for ‘The Atlas Underground’ at LPR

    In preparation for the release of his album The Atlas Underground, Tom Morello played 2 sold out shows at New York’s Le Poisson Rouge on October, 2, 2018.

    Tom Morello

    For the first part of the show, Tom Morello was interviewed for almost an hour where he told stories about playing with Bruce Springsteen, meeting Chris Cornell for the first time, and shooting the music video for Rage Against the Machine’s “Sleep Now in the Fire,” where filmmaker and director Michael Moore was arrested. During the interview he also played his guitar solo from Audioslave’s “Like A Stone,” a song he wrote for Chris Cornell called “The Garden of Gethsemane,” and jammed along with Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley.”

    Morello recently spoke to Rolling Stone about what it was like to play with Springsteen, in celebration of The Boss’ 71st birthday. 

    For the next part of the show, Tom let the audience hear The Atlas Underground in its entirety and gave a quick synopsis before every song about the featured guest and how the songs came to be. 

    The show concluded with Tom playing “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and inviting audience members on stage for a cover of “This Land is Your Land,” and concluded the show by playing “Killing in the Name” while the audience sang vocals.

    Setlist: The Garden of Gethsemane Like a Stone Guitar Solo (Audioslave song) Mr. Crowley Jam (Ozzy Osbourne cover)

    The Atlas Underground: Battle Sirens, Rabbit’s Revenge, Every Step I Take, We Don’t Need You, Find Another Way, How Long, Lucky One, One Nation, Vigilante Nocturno, Where It’s At Ain’t What It Is, Roadrunner, Lead Poisoning, The Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen cover), This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie cover) (Fans brought on stage), Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine song)

    • Tom Morello
    • Tom Morello
    • Tom Morello
    • Tom Morello
    • Tom Morello

  • Front Biz, Waitress, In the Valley and more Featured on This Week’s EQXposure

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm 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 Front Biz, Waitress, In the Valley, and many more!

    front biz

    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.

    In the Valley – “Rest”

    Starting out in the bygone days of 2018, James and Katie Johnson have been playing folk-pop covers, but this year 2020, the married singer-songwriters announced an original music duo under the name In The Valley. Catch “Rest” this Sunday evening on EQXPosure during the second hour, and be sure to check out their performance on WHMT/PBS, “A House for Arts” this month. In The Valley’s music is a blend of folk indie, with lo-fi alternative pop grooves, with soaring voices and well told stories.


    Waitress – “Lonely”

    Ending the first block of tunes on Sunday evening’s EQXPosure is a tune called “Lonely” by Waitress. The band just lost a key member but their music is deeply enriching. A unique folk and electronic mix with Indie pop, Waitress utilizes ambient synths, and elaborated guitar lines, paired with electronic production provides a new twist on pop sound that is both relaxing and dance-y. Waitress’s beach-like ambience gives listeners a chill and relaxed musical environment, while at the same time inspiring them to move to the beat. More music from this dynamic outfit will be available in the coming few months.

    Front Biz – “Little Mutants”

    Front Biz is a shell company for an intergalactic real estate firm primarily focused on laundering money through an Earth-based rock band. Their latest album, Lunch Money, was recorded over three days in an Upstate NY cabin in March of 2018. The album was tracked live with virtually everything piped through a vintage Roland Space Echo for that timeless UFO hover. Victoria Rutledge and Anna Lazarou were ‘abducted’ for vocal support. Deep in the delay chain, the band made first contact with a disincarnate intelligence, entrapping them in a cosmic Ponzi scheme. Lunch Money is the group’s attempt to pay off their debt, and maybe get a bite to eat. Either way, the portal is open.





  • Westside Gunn releases major-label debut “Who Made the Sunshine”

    Westside Gunn isn’t new to the music industry, with his first EP dating back to 2005. In that time, he has individually and collaboratively released over 20 projects. Yet, his latest LP — Who Made the Sunshine — (his first under Shady Records, a subsidiary of Interscope records) and what he claims will be his last ever, feels different and Westside Gunn is treating it differently.

    Who Made the Sunshine

    From celebrating his Entertainment Weekly feature, to posting nostalgic pictures and videos of his journey, Westside Gunn displays a mixture of hubris and humility that comes with a certain level of ascendency.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFzs63wFpa3/

    Over the past few years, we’ve seen the extravagant emcee and his Griselda cohorts slowly rise to mainstream stardom and it feels like the one they call “Fly God” is finally taking time out to revel in the fruits of his labor.

    In the streaming era, lengthy waits between projects are no more, as this is his third project of the year. The first was the critically-acclaimed, Pray for Paris, which gained album of the year considerations. The second, was the more unassuming — but solid — Flygod Is an Awesome God 2. The last, an 11-track, 40-minute album that contains elements that are unique only to Westside Gunn.

    The wrestling-themed song titles, unique and eye-catching covers, as well as the customary features. There are the usual suspects on Who Made the Sunshine, including Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine (who have a long-standing family history of appearing on each other’s projects), Detroit emcee and Griselda signee Boldy James and the self-titled “first lady” of Griselda, Armani Caesar.  

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2MejdFLF0/

    Aside from his Griselda associates, Westside Gunn features hip hop legends the likes of: Black Thought, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes and most surprising of all, Slick Rick. Recognized for his unique presentation, nothing is off the table for the Griselda head honcho and it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks to his retirement as a rapper once this much-anticipated album has been digested. 

  • Indie Rocker Arsun Releases New Single “Southern Winds”

    “Southern Winds” the new standalone single from NYC indie rocker Arsun, showcases a mature songwriting approach with nostalgic vintage aesthetics and an original style. Glide Magazine praised “Southern Winds” for effectively incorporating the sound of previous decades. Indie88 acknowledged the catchy instrumental that highlights Arsun’s gritty vocals.

    Arsun
    Photo Cred: Tasmin Meyer Erashin

    Arsun’s musical influence for “Southern Winds” comes from a combination of Phil Spector, Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” and The Beach Boys. Arsun also used inspiration from Homer’s epic “The Odyssey” and popular music from the 1950s and 1960s. The influences help to highlight Arsun’s mature approach to songwriting at 21. Click here to listen to Southern Winds.

    The main melody kind of just came out of the blue when I was messing around with some chords one day. I really liked them and thought they had kind of a special surreal sound. I made the lyrics try to kind of reflect that vibe.

    Arsun

  • Set + Voi Drops Debut Single “TMRW”

    Set + Voi, an Asian Electro-Pop Supergroup, debuts their first single “TMRW” on October 2, 2020. Set + Voi hopes that the song will help people to view Asian Americans in a different light than they are portrayed by in the media. 

    Set + Voi

    The supergroup is made up of Tony Nguyen of Wind Meets West, Mason Wong of VYZTA, and Ashley Chong of saenabi. The three piece band hails from Brooklyn and has worked completely remotely from each other, creating this song without having ever met each other in person. The supergroup formed during COVID- 19 through the Asian Creative Network, a community to connect and empower Asian creatives. Nguyen initiated the group’s formation by inviting Chong and Wong for a writing session.

    The song “TMRW” became their first single after writing sections together where it was formed. Nguyen uses their producing and songwriting skills, Chong uses their lyrics and songwriting, led by poetry and personal narrative, and Wong’s expertise in EDM production make for music that combines emotional honesty and high-toned theatrical flair. Their different musical upbringings create a compelling mix that makes their music unique. 

    Nguyen spoke on  the creation of “TMRW”  saying, “I wrote this song about how immigrant parents sometimes can’t conceive a life outside ‘stability=happiness’, that a 9-5 is the only way to find your place in life. This song is for everyone on a nonstandard path in life, those who want to break out and live a different way than they were taught growing up.” 

    The name Set + Voi, means “set whale,” voi being Vietnamese for ‘whale.’ This name came into being after an inside joke between the band members referring to the whale-like sound that reverberates through their first single ‘TMRW.’

    For more information on Set + Voi, visit their Instagram here and stay tuned for more from this supergroup.