NYS Music 202​1

Author: Samantha King

  • Indie-Pop Artist Gerald Slevin Begins Solo Journey with ‘Kiss To the Future’

    NYC indie-pop artist,  instrumentalist and visual artist, Gerald Slevin, releases his new single “Kiss to The Future” from his upcoming album Quantum Jitters.

    Gerald Slevin
    Picture of Gerald Slevin from Infraredmag

    “Kiss to The Future” is Slevin’s first single, with a message of unity and optimism during these uncertain times. His inspiration came from his 4-year-old daughter during a hike when he saw her look to the sky and blow a kiss. She told Slevin that she was blowing a kiss to the future and that touched him. That accidental yet wholesome moment resulted in the song’s creation in 15 minutes.

    The song is the first step towards Slevin’s solo career after fronting Brooklyn’s artpop group, The Color Bars. They gained attention from their psychedelic performances filled with layered vocal arrangements and instrument swapping. Slevin aims to do different and new things with every creation resulting in the band exploring vocals, art and instruments. While most of the group’s recordings were done by him, any time he was around other musicians it pushed him to explore new sounds and learn new instruments and skills. His innovative and unique productions will not change in his solo endeavors.

    What does feel different, though, is the promotion side of it. It’s very liberating to be able to put music out under my own name, as simply an artist in the world, without the complications of describing the music as coming from a ‘band’ or a ‘project’. Having done that for so long, it feels very empowering to be more straightforward about it all

    Slevin is an NYC native, however he recently moved to Ithaca, NY which inspired him while creating his album. In Ithaca, he is surrounded by nature with gorges and waterfalls all around and tall pine trees on his street. “Great horned owls live in them and sometimes I stalk them in the middle of the night. It sounds weird, but these kinds of experiences almost always cause melodies to start playing in my head. I sing them into my phone so I don’t forget them, and eventually that turns into a song,” said Slevin. There was a major shift from living in the social, chaotic city to living Upstate filled with tranquility and focus.

    “Kiss to the Future” releases everywhere on Feb. 12 and is accompanied by a colorful music video. As a visual artist, Slevin creates his own cover art. The visuals match the message about looking forward to the future. This single is Slevin’s debut as a solo artist and he is starting with a message about being actively optimistic. This is the beginning of his solo journey and a taste of what is to come from his album Quantum Jitters.

  • Serge Bulat Releases His Newest Single ‘Digital Guillermo’

    Maldovan-Ukrainian musician, Serge Bulat, releases his new single “Digital Guillermo”, his first song after his most recent album Wurmenai.

    Serge Bulat
    Serge Bulat Cover Art for Digital Guillermo

    Bulat came to the U.S in 2009 to start his music career. He currently resides in New York and Virginia. His creativity expands further than just music, he experiments with many mediums consisting of video games, sound design, theater productions and more. Wurmenai is actually the soundtrack for his video game Wurroom and serves as the video game in album form. The game gives music a new and interactive experience. The album was his first full-length album after four years since releasing his album Third World Walker.

    The work from Wurmenai was his most diverse, featuring artists across the globe who contributed their own sound. More of his notable projects include Queuelbum that gained him the Best Electronic Album of the Year from the Independent Music Awards. Also, he is the creative behind the multimedia Inkblot, the psychological test that appeals not only to seeing but also to hearing.

    His artistic expression has only increased throughout the years and he has more in store this year. “Digital Guillermo” is Bulat’s newest release and it further explores his musical ability using several instruments throughout the song. The song is on the soundtrack for the psychological horror video game Isolomus.

  • Happy Birthday to Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

    Brooklynite and drummer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Brian Chase, turns 43 years old today, February 12. Throughout his career, he made contributions to NYC’s music world through the band and through his own ventures.

    Chase met his bandmate and vocalist Karen O at Oberlin College in Ohio and joined her and Nick Zinner in 2000 after the former drummer stepped down. In 2001 they released their first EP which was self-titled. Throughout the year the Yeah Yeah Yeahs gained international recognition through touring. They were signed to Interscope Records and released their first album titled Fever to Tell in 2003 which gained them more success and went gold. Their sophomore album Show Your Bones released in 2006, putting them on the album charts at number 11.  The band came out with two more albums It’s Blitz in 2009 and Mosquito in 2013. Their first three albums made them Grammy nominees for Best Alternative Music Album. 

    Outside of his work with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Chase collaborated with more artists and has his own projects. He had two records with Seth Misterka which were released by the Australian Heathen Skulls label in 2007. He’s played with other instrumentalists such as Yonatan Gat, Jessica Pavone, and more.

    Chase’s passion for music led him to create on his own and experiment with different genres of music. Drawing inspiration from La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela’s installation Dream House, Chase expanded his catalog with minimalistic drone music. In 2013 he released his solo album Drums and Drones which is a project that focused solely on the tones of the drums and percussions. This sound has sent him on a quest with experimental music.

    Brian Chase launched his label Chaikin Records in 2013 and released a triple album of Drums and Drones I-III. While he prepared to debut the label to the world, he became a father to a newborn and recently got married the year before. Chaikin was his original last name until his grandfather changed it to Chase. Under the label, he also released a joint album with saxophonist Catherine Sikora entitled untitled: after, serving as the second release. Chase’s mission for Chaikin Records is to explore and find music through its diversity.

  • theRep Adds Four Distinguished Figures to Associates Artist Program

    Albany’s Capital Repertory Theatre (theRep) welcomes four renowned theatre figures into their Associate Artist Program this month for their 2021 class.

    theRep

    Among the newest Associate Artists are Gordon Greenberg, Barbara Howard, Stephanie Klapper and Jean-Remy Monnay. Each of these members has made major accomplishments throughout their career and has contributed greatly to the theatre world. The recent members join the Associate Artists from 2019, Kevin McGuire, Yvonne Perry, Freddy Ramirez and Josh D. Smith.

    theRep associate Gordon Greenberg

    Gordon Greenberg is a writer and director who is currently based in New York. Some of his directing accolades include Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End and 11 of theRep’s productions. Greenberg writes for television and stage productions and has developed and directed projects for art academies around the nation. He is currently co-writing and directing several works. He also has membership in Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the Writers Guild of America, the Dramatists Guild and the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab. 

    Albany native Barbara N. Howard has already been working with theRep as the storyteller for their virtual program for elementary students called Story Hour. Howard is also a teaching artist for theRep at Arbor Hill Elementary School and she’s performed on their stage in their production of The Trip to the Bountiful. She’s directed and acted in several plays and achieved several awards for her work. Her most notorious role as Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun gained her the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Theater Association of New York State. Howard also received the “Woman of Distinction” award from the Black Women’s Association of Albany.

    Stephanie Klapper is a casting-director from New York and was theRep’s casting director for almost 30 years. She worked on productions with Broadway, Off-Broadway, nationally, internationally and on small screens and big screens. Klapper has a casting team called Stephanie Klapper Casting and they have been involved with many projects. 

    Finally, Jean-Remy Monnay was born in Haiti and moved to New York in the ’80s. After living in New York for over a decade he moved Upstate and began performing in different theatres. He’s worked with theRep onstage and as a part of their Community Bridge Building Program Neighbors for Neighbors. Monnay founded and is the producing artistic director of the Black Theatre Troupe of Upstate NY, Inc. Monnay produced the collaboration 8:46 which theRep contributed to as well.

    Their duties as Associate Artists consist of acting as ambassadors for theRep and participate in one production per season of their three-year term. They become a part of the artistic leadership team and serves as the spokespersons for theRep to the community and vice versa. Members give their input on playwrights, directors, actors and more to the projects and work with the Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli- Cahill and Associate Artistic Director Margaret E. Hall. The program is meant to help breed more art from the associates.

  • CLEAN Jams Hits Airwaves to Discuss the Road to Recovery

    Alternative rock station WEQX 102.7 FM and Old Mill Road Media collaborated to create their new radio show, CLEAN Jams hosted by Benjamin Lerner.

    The hour-long show covers topics surrounding Rap, Hip-Hop, and recovery. The program broadcasts on WEQX every Thursday night at 11 p.m. since it aired on Jan. 28. With recovery being one of the central matters of the show, each episode has a guest interview with artists, health professionals, politicians, lawyers, and others to discuss addiction and sobriety.

    CLEAN Jams host Benjamin Lerner is a composer, writer, classical pianist, and advocate for recovery from Vermont. His great-grandfather, Irving Berlin, was a composer, and is the creative behind White Christmas and God Bless America. Lerner’s sobriety began on June 13, 2016, and inspired his column, CLEAN, which gets published in the Vermont News Guide weekly. In February 2020, he released his debut album also named CLEAN, which shared his story of dealing with addiction and recovery. The album was claimed as one of the Best Vermont albums in 2020.

    Along with listeners from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Western Massachusetts; residents from New York State can tune in as well. WEQX 102.7 FM is located in Vermont, however, it reaches the airwaves of Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs, Glen Falls, and Lake George.

  • Tony Bennett Alzheimer’s Diagnosis Doesn’t Stop His Love for Music

    Tony Bennett, iconic artist and Queens native, has recently revealed to AARP the Magazine that he has Alzheimer’s.

    Tony Bennett
    Picture of Tony Bennett from AARP taken By Kelsey Bennett

    Bennett and his family kept his diagnosis a secret for about four years. He was diagnosed in 2016 by a neurologist named Gayatri Devi at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that results in memory loss and interferes with other cognitive abilities. It is the most common cause of dementia.

    While Bennett has not had the severe symptoms of the disease, he faces short term memory loss. His wife Susan says he doesn’t understand Alzheimer’s and feels fine physically but only because he wasn’t aware of what changed. He still recognizes loved ones but he isn’t sure about his surroundings or what’s happening. 

    Susan and son Danny decided to disclose the status of his health because he can no longer entertain public interviews. His son has taken place as his manager for decades and Susan is now his primary caretaker. Since Bennett does not understand the gravity of Alzheimer’s, they decided it was best to make this decision without him. 

    Before his diagnosis years ago, Bennett was a New York City native who dropped out of school to support his family after his father’s death. He also served in the Army during WWII when he was 18 and returned to New York at 20. His big break in the industry when he sang with Pearl Bailey at the Village Inn. He started with the stage name Joe Bari changed it to Tony Bennett under Joe Hope’s suggestion that the former name didn’t suit him.

    In 1950 Bennett signed to Columbia Records and made several hits. Throughout his career, he faced ups and downs, married three times, and had four children. After his career hit rock bottom in the 70s, his son Danny became his manager and is responsible for his revival in the industry. Bennett met Sandra in 1985 and they resided in New York where she started her own career and he continued to sing and paint. 

    In 2015, Bennett realized there was something wrong when he didn’t remember the names of musicians he recently worked with and wanted to go to the doctor. Currently, he is functioning well despite his condition due to medication, exercise, a Mediterranean diet, and his true love, singing. His latest work is an LP with his protege Lady Gaga that was recorded between 2018 and 2020.

    Although his life has changed significantly under this disease, one thing he remembers is his passion for music. He continues to sing and his doctor encourages singing sessions twice a week because it stimulates his brain. After years of his health being under discretion, Bennett’s story is giving inspiration.

  • Chris Garneau Releases New Transparent Album The Kind

    New York City Indie singer, Chris Garneau, released his newest and vulnerable album titled The Kind, on The Orchard on Jan. 29.

    The Kind is Garneau’s fifth studio album and resonates with the themes present in his debut album Music For Tourists. This album was written and recorded during a rough time in his life when his father passed away. Garneau goes through the motions and expresses grief and transparency. It serves as a release of emotions and explores his relationship with his father, setting boundaries, growing into and accepting self, and resilience. With every song, you feel the authenticity in his lyrics and empathize with his journey. The Gay Times presented the record and acclaimed it as “beautifully haunting.”

    Along with Garneau’s candid lyrics was the production coming from versatile musician Patrick Higgins. Their creative collaboration thrived through patience and understanding. The album was carefully crafted and made with the intent of staying true. Higgins respected the time Garneau needed to tap into his most artistic self, leading to every song’s completion before entering the studio. His mellow instrumentals complemented the mood of the words in each track. The beats didn’t overpower the words, it helped bring them to life.

    Garneau announced that he’s playing a live-streamed release show in New York’s oldest theater, Hudson Hall Opera House, on Feb. 14. Higgins will join him and play the drums, bass, synth, and programming. They are performing the whole album onstage. The show will be airing at 3 p.m and tickets can be found on Dreamstage. 

    https://soundcloud.com/arcadianow/sets/the-kind-1/s-FOftkn3dws1

  • Elsewhere in Brooklyn Expands Horizons with New Show

    On Jan. 28, Elsewhere, an independent music venue in Brooklyn is airing a new live comedic and musical variety show called Elsewhere Sound Space on Twitch.

    Elsewhere Brooklyn
    Elsewhere Sound Stage Press Photo

    Along with many other venues, Elsewhere closed due to COVID-19. As a place founded on innovation, Elsewhere Studios in Brooklyn was made to allow their community to keep creating. The series is among Elsewhere’s attempts to keep live performances alive during this time. In November, the East Williamsburg venue created a Twitch channel, ElsewhereTv, which streams performances on some Wednesdays along with music sessions on Fridays and Saturdays from their venue.

    The show is based on a musical deity’s journey back to Earth after being trapped in space. Live from the Astral Spa and Sound Bath the host, trans comedian Peter Smith, has a goal to bring live music to the isolated citizens on Earth.

    Elsewhere Brooklyn
    Elsewhere Sound Stage Host Peter Smith Press Photo

    Each episode filled with comedic skits, out of this world performances, raw interviews and holistic wellness treatments, will air monthly. Elsewhere co-founder, Jake Rosenthal, says the new series “combines the spirit of Space Ghost with the liveness of an SNL musical performance.” Twitch’s API is bringing the visions to life through original 2D and 3D animations and face-tracked video effects. The virtual production software, Aximmetry, makes the tracked-camera performances possible. Elsewhere Sound Space receives its art direction from Dark Igloo and creative direction from Hard Work Party.

    Princess Nokia’s Elsewhere Sound Stage Press Photo

    Princess Nokia is the musical guest for the debut episode launching on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. Musical guests from New York City’s underground music world are set to do live performances in upcoming episodes. Alternative artist Starchild & The New Romantic and rapper Paperboy Prince are the next two performers appearing on the show. Announcements of future performers are being made soon. Elsewhere Sound Space is airing every fourth Tuesday after its premiere on Thursday. 

  • Elle Winter Begins the New Year with “Sad Girl Heaven”

    Manhattan singer, songwriter, and actress, Elle Winter starts the year off by debuting her song “Sad Girl Heaven” and releasing an accompanying music video.

    Elle Winter
    Photo by Gianni Taylor

    This single comes almost a year after the release of her breakout album “Yeah, No” in March 2020. Winter was first discovered at 14 by Radio Disney’s “Next Big Thing” program comprising of several singles and a tour. In her high school years, she starred in two films and independently released her single “One More” in 2018. From these previous accolades, Winter signed to The Orchard from SONY Music in 2019. Her album received approval from major outlets like Apple Music, Spotify, Billboard and more. 

    “Sad Girl Heaven” is Winter’s first release of 2021 and it’s also the first single from her upcoming project. Co-written and produced by the famous UK producer Jungleboi, the song serves as a new beginning for Winter’s music. She plans to reveal a more personal and candid side of herself through her music that aims to share her story fearlessly.  

    The lyrics boldly express the cycles and emotions faced in relationships filled with heartbreak. Elle Winter describes the song as “a witty take on my tendency to pursue toxic relationships and people who are not good for me for the thrill of the experience.”

    The single is accompanied by a music video directed by Bobby Hanaford. The visuals depict Winter with her mascara running and in distress over the disappointment coming from unsuccessful relationships. It represents her dealing with her unhappiness and failed attempts at finding her equal. 

    Winter’s upcoming project is releasing with more music to unveil her experiences. Her hope is to make music people can relate to and know that they aren’t alone. The single “Sad Girl Heaven” is available now on all digital platforms.

  • Cassandra Jenkins New Single Honors Inauguration Day

    New York City singer Cassandra Jenkins released her new song “Hard Drive” in celebration of Inauguration Day.

    Cassandra Jenkins
    Photo from Cassandra Jenkins website

    “Hard Drive” is the third track and second released single off Jenkins’ upcoming album titled An Overview on Phenomenal Nature. The song is in the style of a spoken word beginning with audio of a security guard pondering about Mrinalini Mukherjee’s display “Phenomenal Nature” at the Met Breuer. It follows with lyrics filled with Jenkins recalling encounters in her life. The song works its way to her repeating “one, two, three”, a guided meditation from her friend. It ends with words from a psychic Peri Lyons stating the year will be good. Jenkins thought that Lyons’s statement was necessary after living through the uncertainty of 2020.

    The single serves as a journey through a month in her life where she was in the middle of doing two tours. Jenkins also released a video to accompany the track, consisting of scenes with her walking and peacefully riding down a road. The instrumentals are supplied by musician Stuart Bogie on the saxophone and engineer Josh Kaufman on the guitar. The song was purposely released on Inauguration Day to symbolize the country collectively moving forward into a new chapter after the past four years.When creating the album, she was reflecting on ways to heal while living under Trump’s administration.

    An Overview on Phenomenal Nature is releasing on Feb. 19 from Ba Da Bing Records. Jenkins worked with Josh Kaufman on the album and finished it within a week. It comes after her last album, Play Till You Win, which came out in 2017. Her previous body of work showcased her talent but the forthcoming work shows her adaptability. It has a theme of being optimistic and being open to change.

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