NYS Music 202​1

Author: Jacob L. Pitts

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Haley Moley, 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 Haley Moley, Architrave and many more!

    haley moley

    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.

    Haley Moley

    Haley Moley’s newest release, “Narcissus,” is equal parts rock and electronic. Sporting a silver spoon on the single cover, the song’s lyrics speak of a selfish lover. Jennifer Maher Coleman’s vocals fade in and out, acting as another instrument beside the pulsing guitar and synths. Based in Troy, NY, Haley Moley also features Paul Coleman on guitar, Andrea Kosek on keyboard and guitar, Pat Thorpe on bass and Mike Broomhead on drums.

    Architrave

    Architrave, another project from Jennifer Maher Coleman and Paul Coleman, channels the new wave of the early 80s. The title of their recent single, “Headcount,” is deceiving. Its opening lines say, “There’s safety in numbers, here’s the headcount / One, one, and another one, I’m the only one.” While equally moody as “Narcissus,” Coleman’s vocals take center stage here.

    Anacortez

    Anacortez harkens back to the alt rock sound of the early 2000s. Consisting of Jessie Comtois, husband Michael Comtois and drummer Kevin Couture, the band is named after a town in Washington. Their latest single, “Another Sad Song,” resides on the softer sound of 00s rock.

    Danger! Ken

    Lastly, multi-instrumentalist and composer Danger! Ken will be playing “Astral Traveler” off his new release, Up is Down.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features The Wufs, Red Light Rivals 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 Wufs, Red Light Rivals and many more!

    The Wufs

    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 Wufs of Hollis, New Hampshire are debuting new music on Sunday, May 9. Their 2020 single, “Naked In Line,” is an earworm thanks to its simple yet arresting guitar riff. More recently, the Wufs released the groovy “Searchlight” last March.

    With gravelly vocals and a gritty country feel, the verses to Red Light Rivals’ “There Ain’t Enough Time” sound like an updated Johnny Cash. The chorus and bridge are much poppier, closer to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, but Red Light Rivals is able to navigate both territories with ease. Rather than succumbing to whiplash, it showcases their versatility.

    “Daycare Dropout” is the first song off the Pine Boys’ EP, Electric Minnow. A quirky rock ballad about a rebellious toddler, it evokes “Another Brick in the Wall” and Frenchy from Grease equally. Where Alice Cooper would protest pencils and books, this song’s protagonist is more concerned with Crayola and naptime. Deceptively simple, repeat listens show the song is more sonically interesting than it has any right to be. The Pine Boys are a trio from Albany, NY, consisting of Andrew Cerone, Brett Maney and Sam Laskey.

  • 24th Annual Brooklyn Film Festival Returns in June

    The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) has announced its 24th annual installment, running from June 4 to June 13. 2021’s lineup includes the online premiere of 140 films, available to stream any time throughout the 10-day period. It also sees the return of in-person screenings, at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, from June 5 to June 13.

    brooklyn film festival

    This year’s theme is ‘The Clearing.’ Cinemas are slowly reopening after spending the last year shuttered, signaling the end of a lost year. While the 23rd Brooklyn Film Festival was fully virtual, the 24th will be a hybrid, featuring distanced in-person selections.

    For this year’s festival alone, BFF received 2,615 submissions from 91 countries. The 140 chosen films will air as 33 program blocks, with feature-length films playing alone and shorts grouped together by category and direction. There are six categories overall (Feature Narrative, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Experimental and Animation), but all films are eligible to win the festival’s top award: the Grand Chameleon. There are also 29 minor awards, with each winner receiving a prize totalling $50,000 in cash, film services and products. While judging panels determine some of the winners, the BFF Audience gets to vote online for their favorites.

    New York residents are getting vaccinated in large numbers and are diligently observing the city rules regarding safe distancing and mask wearing. Cinemas are re-opening with new, safer policies and criteria. Because of this, we feel a sweet sense of optimism, as if we were experiencing a slow awakening from a one-year hibernation. That is why BFF is ready to show indie films to live audiences. Considering the amazing success of last year’s virtual festival, BFF will offer the full lineup online, again this year. ‘The Clearing’ is about safe distancing also from all the accumulated pain and anger of the past year, and is about getting re-acquainted with life’s important values. Fundamentally, ‘The Clearing’ is a message of hope that we want to spread, while trying to leave the ‘Covid tunnel’ behind us.

    BFF Executive Director, Marco Ursino

    The 17th Annual KidsFilmFest will also stream online from June 4 to June 13. There are two programs: one for ages 3 to 7, and another for ages 8 to 15. All children’s films are rated G.

    For more information about the Brooklyn Film Festival, visit brooklynfilmfestival.org.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaQVBCtcnu0

  • Kid Cudi pays tribute to Farley and Cobain on Saturday Night Live

    Promising Young Woman actress Carey Mulligan hosted this week’s Saturday Night Live, with rapper Kid Cudi joining her as musical guest. Cudi released his most recent album, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen in December of 2020, concluding the trilogy he began in 2009.

    Kid cudi

    Mulligan’s husband Marcus Mumford appeared during her opening monologue, offering to be the night’s musical guest. After Mulligan informed Mumford that Kid Cudi was performing already, he pulled an acoustic guitar out of thin air and accompanied her closing remarks. Of course, Mumford is the front-man of folk rock band Mumford & Sons, who previously played SNL in 2012, 2015 and 2018.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BfpGLs0Cs

    Before his performances, Kid Cudi first appeared in a sketch with Pete Davidson and Chris Redd, “Weird Little Flute.” It parodied flute rap, a burgeoning subgenre including songs like Future’s “Mask Off.” Previous SNL host Timothee Chalamet made an unexpected cameo, endorsing the weird little flute as a musical asset.

    Kid Cudi chose “Tequila Shots” as his first song of the night, with lyrics about alcohol-induced anxiety and depression: “It seems I’ll never learn / I won’t stop ‘til I crash and burn / Tell my mom I’m sorry.” He wore a t-shirt depicting late SNL cast member Chris Farley, who famously struggled with addiction.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr6Vyc_qYMg

    Cudi closed out the episode with “Sad People,” a toast to contemplative night owls. Following in the footsteps of Kurt Cobain, he wore a floral dress. Cobain died by suicide this week in 1994, and Cudi has been open about his own experiences with suicidal ideation.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsagiYnmN_4

    As for Kid Cudi’s 2021 plans, an album is likely on the horizon for his supergroup, The Scotts. Made up of Cudi (whose first name is Scott) and Travis Scott, The Scotts formed in 2020 and debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 with single “The Scotts.”

    The episode ended with an in memoriam tribute to rapper DMX, who played SNL in 2000.

    DMX Kid cudi
    SNL honors DMX.

  • St. Vincent Transforms SNL Into Studio 54

    St. Vincent took to the Studio 8H stage this week as Saturday Night Live‘s musical guest, with Judas and the Black Messiah star Daniel Kaluuya serving as SNL host. St. Vincent, (real name Annie Clark) will release her seventh studio album Daddy’s Home on May 14.

    The episode opened with Chloe Fineman’s take on Britney Spears, who tackled Lil Nas X’s Satan shoes, Pepé Le Pew’s removal from Space Jam 2 and Rep. Matt Gaetz’ sex scandals. While Britney was sympathetic to Lil Nas X, she deemed Le Pew and Gaetz “not that innocent.”

    St Vincent SNL

    St. Vincent’s first song of the night was her lead single, “Pay Your Way in Pain.” The funk track is a love letter to the 1970s, channeling Prince, David Bowie and the sounds of Studio 54. At the end of the performance Clark revealed the word “Daddy” on the back of her jacket, in reference to her upcoming album.

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

    “Pay Your Way in Pain” was co-written by Jack Antonoff, who previously worked with Clark on her last album Masseduction. The two also shared writing credits on Taylor Swift’s 2019 song “Cruel Summer.”

    This isn’t the first time St. Vincent has played SNL; back in 2014, she played the gig to extremely mixed reception. It’s not surprising: like Fiona Apple or Björk, Clark’s sound is an acquired taste that cares little for accessibility. All are undeniably talented, but easily jarring to unfamiliar listeners.

    St. Vincent closed out the night with her new single, “The Melting of the Sun,” whose lyrics reference Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Nina Simone. Clark’s backup singers nearly stole the show:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baklAZ2Rrt4

    SNL returns next week, April 10, hosted by Promising Young Woman star Carey Mulligan with Kid Cudi as the musical guest.

  • Spaghetti Eastern Music Blast Off With “Blues For a Lost Cosmonaut”

    Spaghetti Eastern Music returns with the maxi-single, “Blues for a Lost Cosmonaut.” The solo project of  NYC and Hudson Valley-based musician Sal Cataldi, Spaghetti Eastern’s latest releases have ventured into ambient music. The sprawling new track occupies almost ten minutes of time and space, taking the listener on a peaceful star trek through the galaxy.

    Despite lacking lyrics and hooks, “Blues for a Lost Cosmonaut” still makes room for a narrative and recurring themes. While an overall peaceful auditory experience, suspense and uncertainty creep up on the listener between stretches of serenity. In its most tense moments, “Blues” evokes the eerie prog-pop bookends of Gary Wright’s 1975 “Dream Weaver,” but this time the dissonance is in the middle. If Walt Disney World’s Space Mountain had a secret chill detour, this would be the soundtrack.

    The inspiration came from watching some old videos of the early Soviet space program, especially the first space walk by Alexei Leonov. It was about recreating the contrasting moods and feelings that the film of this moment imparts. There’s peace, wonder and weightlessness combined with the realization that this could spin out of control at any moment, as it did for some early Soviet space explorers.

    Sal Cataldi

    Another clear inspiration is Fripp & Eno, an ambient side project consisting of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. “Blues” is the third offering in a trilogy of similar pieces: in 2020, Cataldi released “Her Lemon Peel Raincoat” and “Peace Within.”

    It’s just a fun exercise in soundscapes, in impulsive sound painting recorded in the wee small hours during the lonely moments of the COVID quarantine.

    Sal Cataldi

    Cataldi released his first album under Spaghetti Eastern Music in 2015, titled Sketches of Spam. He recorded “Blues for a Lost Cosmonaut” on his houseboat in Port Washington, Long Island, Houseboat Garlic Knot Studios, as well as at Sonic Garden in West Saugerties, New York. “Blues for a Lost Cosmonaut” is available for download and streaming on Bandcamp, CD Baby, iTunes, Spotify and elsewhere.

  • Watch Nick Jonas Host And Perform on Saturday Night Live

    Saturday Night Live welcomed Nick Jonas for 15th episode of Season46.
    Tonight’s cold open featured cast members feigning medical conditions in order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Kate McKinnon continued her portrayal of Dr. Anthony Fauci, with Aidy Bryant as Senator Ted Cruz and Pete Davidson as Governor Andrew Cuomo. Despite criticisms of SNL having a liberal bias, both politicians were teased equally, with more than a nursing home joke thrown in Cuomo’s direction.

    Gearing up for his first solo album since the success of the Jonas Brothers’ 2019 comeback, Nick Jonas had double duty as host and musical guest. In addition to new songs “Spaceman” and “This Is Heaven” he appeared in several skits throughout the night, playing Prince Charming and a Mirror fitness coach.

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

    Besides promoting his new music, Nick is also set to return for his sophomore season as a coach on The Voice. In a Dionne Warwick Talk Show skit opposite Ego Nwodim, she told him, “I’ve heard you’re the most boring coach, even though one of the other coaches is John Legend.”

    In his opening monologue, Nick paid homage to Broadway theatre, still shuttered nearly a year later, by singing “Drink With Me” from Les Misérables. Back in 2010, Nick played Marius in the London production of Les Mis at the O2 Arena. He also gave a shout-out to older brother and bandmate Kevin, who was in the audience, as well as his home state of New Jersey.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCy5Gb9NYN0

    Nick’s first song was his new single, “Spaceman.” With themes of isolation and disillusionment, the song references mask-wearing and the rising pandemic death toll, tying them up with an outer space metaphor. “And the numbers are high but we keep going down / ‘Cause we ain’t supposed to live with nobody around,” the chorus says.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12akdhW8OEs

    He closed out the night by debuting “This Is Heaven,” which sounds suspiciously like his 2014 hit “Jealous.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p9TzfI6WGM

    SNL returns on March 27, with former cast member Maya Rudolph hosting and Jack Harlow as the musical guest.

    nick jonas

  • Mt. Joy To Play Silver Lake Drive-In On May 8

    On Saturday, May 8, indie rock band Mt. Joy is coming to Silver Lake Drive-In in Perry, NY. Presented by Twenty6 Productions, the show begins at 4:00 p.m. EST with special guests to be announced.

    Mt. Joy

    Tickets are available in seven tiers, ranging from front-of-stage VIP pods ($275) to car seating (starting at $125). Each ticket purchase includes admission for five people, with VIP ticket holders receiving show posters. Individual tickets are also available for concertgoers in cars occupying more than five. The snack bar and restrooms are open at limited capacity, and guests must wear a face mask to use them.

    Mt. Joy formed in 2016, when former high school classmates Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar) met again on the opposite side of the country in Los Angeles. They linked up with bassist Michael Byrnes through a Craigslist ad, and named the band after Mount Joy, a mountain in Valley Forge National Historical Park near their hometown of Philadelphia, PA. The band’s first song, “Astrovan” was an instant success, receiving over two million Spotify streams in its first month of release and over 36 million to date. Other hits soon followed, such as “Sheep” and “Silver Lining.” Mt. Joy is rounded out by drummer Sotiris Eliopoulos and keyboardist Jackie Miclau.

    Mt. Joy’s second album, Rearrange Us, was released on June 5, 2020, coinciding with the murder of George Floyd. The band was unable to delay the album, so they instead donated 100% of profits to the police reform nonprofit Campaign Zero. Rearrange Us marked the band’s debut on the Billboard 200, with the single “Strangers” also reaching #5 on the Adult Alternative chart. While their dates were cut short due to the pandemic, Mt. Joy toured with the Lumineers throughout early 2020. Most recently, they released “New President” in October, ahead of Joe Biden’s victory:

    For more information on Mt. Joy’s Silver Lake Drive-In show, view the event details here.

  • Watch Phoebe Bridgers Smash her Guitar on SNL

    Saturday Night Live welcomed Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy (dad Eugene stopped by too) and musical guest Phoebe Bridgers for the smashing second episode of 2021.

    Phoebe Bridgers

    Phoebe Bridgers is without a doubt the year’s breakout indie darling. Her 2020 sophomore album Punisher garnered four Grammy nominations, including Best Rock Song and Best New Artist. While there’s some stiff competition for the latter, including Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, she’s one of the most acclaimed of the eight nominees.

    Bridgers is also one third of the supergroup Boygenius, with Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. On Thursday, February 4, she tweeted in support of Marilyn Manson’s accusers after sharing her own experience.

    https://twitter.com/phoebe_bridgers/status/1357370603079098374
    https://twitter.com/phoebe_bridgers/status/1357371191732953089

    For the night’s first song, Phoebe performed “Kyoto,” the second single off the emo-folk Punisher, and one of the most upbeat offerings in her catalog. It concerns Bridgers’ tumultuous relationship with her father, and dissociating on a trip to Japan she took in February 2019. One of the song’s hardest hitting moments is the first line of the chorus, “I’m gonna kill you / If you don’t beat me to it.” Throughout the set, Phoebe and her band both wore her signature skeleton onesies.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2bepLzZW6E&feature=emb_title

    After the more accessible “Kyoto,” Bridgers closed the night with Punisher’s final track, “I Know the End.” The apocalyptic song concluded with calculated cacophony: after her guitar solo, Bridgers yelled into the mic and smashed her guitar, joining the likes of SNL alums Arcade Fire, Nirvana and Cypress Hill.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LE5tafaayc

    Tune into SNL next week, February 13, with host Regina King and musical guest Nathaniel Rateliff.

  • Albany Symphony To Stream “Tchaikovsky Serenade” Concert With Female Composers

    The Albany Symphony is gearing up for their first concert of 2021. On Saturday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m., they’ll be live streaming Tchaikovsky Serenade from the Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. In addition to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, the program includes works by George Walker, Jean Sibelius, and two living female composers: Jessie Montgomery and Caroline Shaw. Season subscribers can arrive early at 7:00 p.m. for a pre-concert talk, and stick around afterwards for a Q&A session with the musicians.

    Tchaikovsky Serenade
    The Albany Symphony, conducted by Maestro Miller.

    Tchaikovsky Serenade will open with Banner, a piece Jessie Montgomery wrote in 2014 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Banner combines the traditional national anthem with world music and protest songs, prompting the New York Times to call it a “musical melting pot.” Montgomery, a recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation, grew up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side with a creative family. Her father, a musician, and her mother, a theater artist and storyteller, brought her to rallies and performances for social movements.

    Tchaikovsky Serenade
    Jessie Montgomery.

    The Albany Symphony will also perform Entr’acte, composed by Caroline Shaw in 2017. The piece, inspired by the minuet of Haydn’s String Quartet in F Major, evokes Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. Shaw is the youngest-ever recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, thanks to her 2013 Partita in 8 Voices, an a capella composition for her vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth. “Writing music sometimes feels like gardening. It takes a lot of work and preparation, but with the right attention and care, you end up with something beautiful and nourishing,” said Shaw. Shaw has previously collaborated with Kanye West and the National, and performed with artists such as Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds.

    Tchaikovsky Serenade
    Caroline Shaw.

    I’m elated we will perform Jessie Montgomery’s and Caroline Shaw’s breathtaking pieces, which are very different from one another but will both captivate members of our audience and provide them with a touching experience they will not soon forget.

    David Alan Miller, Albany Symphony Director

    Besides Montgomery and Shaw, the Albany Symphony will also play pieces by George Walker, Jean Sibelius, and of course, Tchaikovsky. Choreographer George Balanchine borrowed Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings for Serenade, his first full-length ballet in America, and excerpts continue to circulate throughout pop culture. Tchaikovsky was no stranger to ballet himself, having composed Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker.

    The 2020-2021 symphony season, known as the Virtual Concert Hall, runs through June when the Albany Symphony will celebrate the American Music Festival. Other programs include Rachmaninoff’s Third on March 13, and Haydn & Schubert on April 24. This is conductor David Alan Miller’s 27th season as the Symphony’s music director: he won a Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo in 2013, and has since racked up four more nominations. The Albany Symphony’s previous performance, The Magic of Christmas 2020, was televised on NewsChannel WNYT 13 last December.

    For more information, visit the Albany Symphony’s website.

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