NYS Music 202​1

Author: Jacob L. Pitts

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Zan And Dave Strumfeld, In The Valley And More

    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 new music from Zan and Dave Strumfeld, In the Valley 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.

    Zan and Dave Strumfeld

    Siblings Zan and Dave Strumfeld have joined forced to give us “Christmas in Wyoming,” off their holiday EP, Winter Songs. Zan Strumfeld is also the frontwoman of Zan and the Winter Folk. Their last release, “If I Had Known (Murder Ballad),” is based on a true story from 1850s Troy.

    In the Valley

    A folk-pop duo from Clifton Park, In the Valley is best known for playing wedding gigs. They released their most recent single, “Christmas Sweater,” on December 17th. The song features a groovy saxophone and a cozy jazz piano, more than living up to its name.

    The Bitter Stars

    Consisting of Clarke Hingeford and Kyle Pemrick, The Bitter Stars have returned with a new single. An eclectic mix of new wave music and modern trance, “Dance Me to Death” clocks in at six minutes long.

    Psychomanteum

    Made up of singer Matt Smith, drummer Pete Von Stettina, and guitarist and bassist Brian Slattery, Psychomanteum is a sci-fi metal band based in Albany. Their newest single, “Strange Voltage” debuted on December 10. In the field of parapsychology, a psychomanteum is a chamber in which one can communicate with spirits.

  • Billie Eilish Is Happier Than Ever On SNL Double Duty

    Billie Eilish returned to Saturday Night Live, this time as both host and musical guest. She previously played the stage in September 2019, where she performed her breakout hit, “Bad Guy.” Last night’s hosting debut makes her the first SNL host to be born in the 21st century.

    The episode’s cold open featured a briefing about the Omicron variant from Anthony Fauci, played by Kate McKinnon. Cecily Strong and Chloe Fineman also appeared as Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Lauren Boebert, both armed with assault rifles. When Fauci tried to find common ground between the divided members of Congress, Taylor-Greene cocked her gun and said “We can all agree that the Fox News Christmas tree arsonist must be executed.”

    During her opening monologue, Billie Eilish revealed that her mother dissuaded her from pursuing acting while encouraging her brother FINNEAS. The singer-producer sibling duo’s mother then appeared onstage, wearing a shirt that said “Finneas’ Mom.” Eilish also poked fun at her past wardrobe of baggy clothes, saying it was to hide secretly being two children on each other’s shoulders in order to get into R-rated movies.

    Eilish appeared in the next sketch, where Miley Cyrus had a surprise cameo. She played herself posing for Punkie Johnson’s Christmas card, who insulted her music but threatened to call her racist if she declined a photo. As for Eilish, she played a grown-up high school bully who continued to taunt her victims through annual Christmas cards. Other sketches showed Eilish as a Christmas lounge singer, a TikToking nurse and a concierge at a lackluster hotel.

    Eilish’s first song of the night was “Happier Than Ever,” the hit single off her album of the same name. Beginning as a 50s traditional pop song not unlike Julie London’s “Cry Me a River,” it builds into a cathartic rock release. The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and saw nominations for both Song and Record of the Year at the 2022 Grammys.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdeJ8v0z64w

    While “Happier Than Ever” gleefully burns all bridges with its subject, the night’s second song, “Male Fantasy,” expresses some regrets. In the chorus, Eilish admits she still has feelings for him and can’t fully hate him. Both songs are back to back at the end of the album, ending it on a surprisingly hopeful note.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfDy6sdWRR4

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features The William Deuel Band, Dustin Sawyer And More

    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 new music from The William Deuel Band, Dustin Sawyer 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.

    The WIlliam Deuel Band

    The William Deuel Band released their newest LP, Moment in Time, in August 2021. The blues-rock band’s second full-length project, they formed in 2018 in Saratoga Springs and have since made waves worldwide. They’ve found success on Australian radio, as well as in the UK and South Africa. Inspired by a conversation between Deuel and his mother, Moment in Time’s title track is upbeat and energetic with a killer breakdown just before the three-minute mark. 

    The following song, “Call Me Crazy,” is much more acoustic and scaled-back, at least until the halfway point. Deuel’s vocals gradually become more raw and passionate, culminating in a grand finale.

    Dustin Sawyer

    One of two new songs from Americana artist Dustin Sawyer, “Take Me Away” premiered in October. In its music video, the Mayfield singer and songwriter wanders through the wilderness as gnomes and other fantastical elements appear. The song is addressed to God, with Sawyer opening it saying “Father, forgive me ‘cause I know what I’d do / Given that opportunity to walk a mile inside your shoes.” It also references the forty days and nights the Israelites wandered to find the Promised Land.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Mike McMann Band, Watch Reggie Run And More

    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 new music from Mike McMann Band, Watch Reggie Run 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.

    Mike McMann Band

    Mike McMann has been playing in various bands throughout the Capital Region for 30 years. He also performs as a solo artist, and releases his own music as the Mike McMann Band. His song “Future” begs the question, “What if tomorrow never comes? No life beneath a frozen sun,” while the bluegrass instrumental “Walleye Vision” shows off McMann’s banjo skills.

    Watch Reggie Run

    Watch Reggie Run is a father-son duo founded in 2017 by Dave and Luke Graham. They started performing as a way to connect with one another, as Luke has autism and his communication skills are limited. Their newest song “When the Snow Flies” arrives just in time for Christmas, conjuring visions of elves and magic reindeer.

    Girl Blue

    Singer-songwriter Girl Blue has released “Little Virgin,” a single from her upcoming album, Heavy Heart. EQXposure has featured Girl Blue before, previously playing “Strangers” and “Heaven.” Heavy Heart is out December 15, with Girl Blue’s website offering a bundle including the album, a t-shirt, a candle and a letter to the listener.

    Rhoseway

    Previously a singer-songwriter for Fort Rooster, Rob Fleming has arrived with his debut solo project. As Rhoseway, he’s writing, arranging, and producing by himself. “Ode to Arrows” is Rhoseway’s most recent single, and it sounds positively McCartney-esque at times.

  • Stephen Sondheim, Legendary Broadway Composer, Dead At 91

    Stephen Sondheim, one of the most iconic figures in musical theatre history, has died in his home at the age of 91. Lawyer and friend F. Richard Pappas confirmed his passing to the New York Times on Friday, November 26. Sondheim was both a composer and lyricist for Broadway plays including Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, and also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.

    Stephen Sondheim
    Stephen Sondheim | CREDIT: DOUGLAS ELBINGER/GETTY IMAGES

    Sondheim won many awards throughout his career, including nine Tonys, eight Grammys, an Oscar and a Pulitzer Prize. In 2015, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. For his 90th birthday in 2020, a virtual concert titled Take Me to the World streamed on the Broadway.com YouTube channel in his honor. The title song comes from Evening Primrose, a musical film Sondheim wrote the lyrics and music for in 1966.

    As a composer and lyricist, Sondheim was in a league of his own. Most major composers don’t write the lyrics to their scores, and vice versa; others on the list include Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Frank Loesser, Jerry Herman and Noël Coward. While many of Sondheim’s plays have gone down in theatre history, they were often more successful critically than commercially. They had a reputation for being dark, serious and experimental, a sharp contrast to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Disney’s later crowd-pleasers.

    Several of Sondheim’s plays have received Hollywood film adaptations, with the most recent one, a West Side Story remake helmed by Steven Spielberg, out this December. His 1970 musical Company is also returning to Broadway in December. It was set to open on Sondheim’s 90th birthday in March 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before his passing, Sondheim was able to attend the November 15 preview.

    Many actors and musicians have paid their respects on social media, sharing stories of how Sondheim’s work has inspired them. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previously worked with Sondheim, compared him to William Shakespeare:

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Tori, ShortWave RadioBand And More

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists, be sure to tune into WEQX this Sunday night to hear new music from Tori, ShortWave RadioBand and many more!

    EQXposure Tori

    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.

    Tori

    Albany singer-songwriter Tori has released her debut album, Half Asleep. It more than lives up to its name, offering chill indie pop perfect for nighttime. Album opener “I Don’t Wanna Talk” functions as the project’s lead single, with a catchy acoustic guitar loop designed for replay value. Another noteworthy track is “Say Hi,” one of Half Asleep’s more energetic moments.

    ShortWave RadioBand

    Schuylerville trio ShortWave RadioBand have unveiled “Don’t Care,” their debut single. With its proclamation of apathy, it arrives just in time for 2021’s pop-punk revival. While there’s nothing officially announced, the band has plans to follow the song up with an EP.

  • Ruby Greenberg Pays Homage To Colorado With “Runaway”

    NYC singer-songwriter Ruby Greenberg has released her new single, “Run Away.” Simple yet charming, the soothing piano ballad is a love letter to her home state of Colorado.

    Ruby Greenberg

    Greenberg wrote “Run Away” during a bout of homesickness. While her time in New York began as an exciting barrage of new people and experiences, she would occasionally long for the familiar faces of the Rocky Mountains.

    I wrote “Run Away” when I was feeling particularly nostalgic. One day I was sitting in a tiny rehearsal room with only an old piano and a small window that faced another wall. I started playing a melody on the piano, thinking of home and the way that the mountains out west created my sense of direction.

    Ruby Greenberg

    “Run Away” never outright disses Greenberg’s new home in the city, but the first verse tackles how jarring its busy atmosphere could be for a new transplant: “Madness is what we live in this city of lies.” The lyrics also comment on the kindness (or lack thereof) of New Yorkers, who “don’t have the time to look each other in the eye.” Greenberg spends the remainder of the song retreating to Colorado in spirit, with a jazzy organ joining the proceedings. 

    The vocals, songwriting and piano are reminiscent of Sara Bareilles, along with Greenberg’s main influences, Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile. It sounds like a sweater-clad hike on a fall day, which isn’t an accident. Greenberg is a lover of the great outdoors, and passionate about wildlife conservation and environmentalism alike. She’s performed at a benefit concert for parkland preservation efforts at Ivywild School, a community center in Colorado Springs.

    Greenberg has plans to release more singles in the near future, dedicated to her loved ones. “Run Away” is now available on all streaming platforms.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Architrave And More

    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 new music from Architrave 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.

    Architrave

    Synthpop duo Architrave have released their new album, Future Ruins. On the heels of their 2020 lockdown effort This Perfect Day, it deals with the aftermath of quarantine. Many used last year’s shutdown as a time of introspection, leading to all sorts of epiphanies and life changes. Each song grapples with some aspect of the pandemic’s psychological effects, from the news cycle to social distancing. Made up of husband-wife duo Paul Coleman and Jennifer Maher Coleman, Architrave is based in Ballston Spa.

    Future Ruins.

    Album opener, “Blissed Out” deals with the phenomenon of doomscrolling—obsessively checking bad news, something of an international pastime throughout the pandemic. The lyrics emphasize how unhealthy this practice is, opting to spend time with a loved one instead.

    Future Ruins’ next track, “Crown Shyness,” uses the evolutionary patterns of trees as a metaphor for social distancing. At the album’s halfway point, “Loved and Lost” tells the story of a couple who feel like strangers. Its dreamy instrumental evokes sci-fi films like Blade Runner and Tron.

    Penultimate track “Slice of Life” details the monotony and boredom of quarantine, searching for something unique as the days bleed together. With its darkwave influences, it would fit right in on Depeche Mode’s Violator.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Belle-Skinner, grape juice! And More

    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 new music from Belle-Skinner, grape juice! 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.

    Belle-Skinner

    Just in time for Halloween, singer-songwriter Belle-Skinner has released her love magic-themed EP, Love Spell. Each song is equal parts spooky and seductive, with siren-esque vocals and lyrics that charm and bewitch. Skinner created the concept after hearing similar songs written by her friends, and penned her own to accompany the covers. “Spellbound” follows Skinner as the target of a love spell, while the psychedelic “Love Witch” sees her as the perpetrator. Instruments like the organ and theremin set the mood perfectly, creating a haunting atmosphere.

    grape juice!

    Albany alternative rock band grape juice! released their newest single “sad songs” in July. Despite the title and some of its lyrics like “Disappointment is my forte,” it’s an upbeat power pop song in the vein of Weezer and Fountains of Wayne.

  • Halsey Surprises SNL Audience With Lindsey Buckingham

    Halsey performed two songs on last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, with influencer and reality star Kim Kardashian West as host.

    halsey

    The episode’s cold open depicted the Facebook whistleblower hearing, with an appearance from Pete Davidson as Tom from Myspace. Last week, former Facebook employee Frances Haugen alleged that the company’s properties “harm children, stoke division and weaken our democracy.”

    Kim Kardashian West’s opening monologue came next, and it exceeded everyone’s expectations. Fully conscious of the backlash to her hosting, she roasted her equally polarizing family to appeal to her critics. Between her sisters, Kanye West, and Kris and Caitlyn Jenner, no one was safe. Kardashian West appeared in many skits throughout the night, such as Princess Jasmine in a parody of Disney’s Aladdin, and a Freaky Friday-inspired sketch with Aidy Bryant.

    Other celebrity guests included Chace Crawford, Tyler Cameron, Blake Griffin, SNL alum Chris Rock, Jesse Williams, John Cena and Amy Schumer, all as Kardashian’s potential suitors in a The-Bachelorette-meets-Squid-Game reality show sketch.

    Around the episode’s halfway point, Halsey performed her first song. “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God” is the lead single from her latest album, If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power. While Halsey’s music has always had a dark bent, her latest effort is a major step up. It’s far more experimental and risky than her past work, with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross on production duty. “I Am Not a Woman, I’m a God” in particular is a dead ringer for Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwiasA-IGCs

    Weekend Update was less eventful than in last week’s premiere, but Michael Che managed to get in a good dig at the evening’s host.“This week Instagram was down for an entire day, forcing many Instagram addicts to fill their time with Twitter, TikTok or hosting SNL.”

    Halsey concluded the episode with “Darling,” one of If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’s warmer and quieter moments. Accompanying her was surprise guest Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac, and she deliberately styled herself to resemble Stevie Nicks. “Darling” is dedicated to Halsey’s first child, born last July.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H099BjA6FKk

    No Time To Die star Rami Malek is hosting next week, with rapper Young Thug joining him as the musical guest.

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