NYS Music 202​1

Author: zac geddies

  • Pencildive Debut Gloomy Post-Punk LP “Grown-Ups”

    Pencildive, an indie rock band that has been aptly described by fans as “a post-punk visual nightmare” is gearing up to release their debut full-length record, Grown-Ups, out May 28th via Albany startup, Paintbox Records.

    Pencildive

    Pencildive is a name that may ring familiar to Capital Region music fans. The band has been active since 2018, releasing their debut EP When I Go Outside, in 2019, which was recently reissued by Paintbox Records this past April. Pencildive released a short video to accompany the release of their song “Cricket Man,” which was awarded an Eddies nomination for the best music video category in 2019.

    Gina De Nardo, the songwriter of the group, graces the mic with her haunting vocals and a lyrical focus centered around losing love, sleepless nights, and the overall human condition, all composed into the group’s wild, electric arrangements in an eclectic frenzy of gloomy post-punk.

    Pencildive

    Since the first EP we’ve all become more comfortable with the recording and production process which I think shows in Grown-Ups. Creating a full-length also gave more of an opportunity to tell a story through the songs and explore sounds more conceptually.

    Gina De Nardo on the Grown-Ups recording process

    Grown-Ups was written by De Nardo over the course of a decade, the first full-length album the Upstate rocker has written on her own and that sense of growth is felt throughout the entirety of the project. Grown-Ups was safely recorded in October 2020 in a cabin in the Adirondacks. The ten-track album features strings, noise improvisations, and haunting cries from the insides of a vintage Leslie speaker.

    Save Grown-Ups now on Spotify and on Bandcamp

  • Happy Birthday Lenny Kravitz!

    Born Leonard Albert Kravitz, the multi-faceted artist from New York City, celebrates his 57th birthday today. Known for his contributions to the world of music and acting, birthday boy Lenny Kravitz is known for his flashy style that translates into all areas of his creative endeavors.

    Born of bi-racial parents, actress Roxie Roker (The Jeffersons), and television producer Sy Kravitz, Lenny experienced several racial barriers at the start of his career. Often being told that his music was neither black or white enough to appeal to labels’ audiences, Kravitz took the initiative to put out his debut record, Let Love Rule, on his own. While his debut release only reached moderate success in the states, Kravitz used the momentum to land him the position of audio producer for the hit Madona single “Justify My Love” in 1990.

    lenny kravitz ride Birthday Lenny Kravitz

    His contributions to the world of record production combined with his 1991 hit ” It Ain’t Over ’til its Over” skyrocketed Kravitz to fame. Throughout his musical discography, Kravitz has shown his ability to blend influences ranging from blues, jazz, contemporary R&B and psychedelia. While collaborating with artists such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and even Jay-Z, Kravitz has well proved that his music transcends racial barriers and appeals to audiences of various backgrounds.

    Kravitz has several awards under his belt. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards for ‘Best Male Rock Vocal Performance,’ back to back for “Fly Away” and cover of The Guess Who’s “American Woman,” in 1999 and 2000, respectively. You may remember Kravitz stunning performance at the Pepsi Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show alongside Katy Perry during which he performed a handful of hits. Also making a name for himself in the world of cinema, Kravitz has most recently featured in the Hunger Games trilogy playing the role of Cinna, a luxurious fashion designer. Ironically enough, Kravitz also is the founder of Kravitz Design which focuses on residential and commercial creative direction and design working with clients such as Swarovski Crystal.

    Kravitz keeps his home close to heart. Known for spontaneously busking on the surrounding streets of Manhattan and shooting several of his music videos in Times Square, Kravitz is certainly a celebrated New Yorker.

  • Happy Birthday, Busta Rhymes!

    Trevor George Smith Jr., better known by his stage name, Busta Rhymes, celebrates his 49th birthday today.

    Born in Brooklyn in 1972, Busta Rhymes later moved with his family to Uniondale, Long Island where he and fellow MCs’ Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and others formed the hip hop group Leaders of The New School who released their first album,  A Future Without a Past, in 1991.

    busta rhymes

    It wasn’t until 1995 when Busta’s solo career kicked off. With the release of his debut album, The Coming in 1996 which was highly praised by the hip hop community at the time. Lead singles such as “Woo Hah!! Got You all in Check” ( which was later remixed featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard) brought Busta Rhymes into the public eye, securing a #8 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

    Busta’s work carried into the 21st century, collaborating with famed hip hop producer Dr. Dre on his fifth studio album Genesis released in 2001. Instead of making a quiet exit from the scene like other MCs from the golden era of hip hop, Busta stayed relevant by continuing to work and collaborate with trending artists of the 2000s.

    Continuing to keep the music interesting in 2020, Busta Rhymes delivered his 9th studio album Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God which featured the single “Look Over Your Shoulders’ ft. Kendrick Lamar. For hip hop enthusiasts, “Look Over Your Shoulders” might be the perfect balance of old-school meeting new-school, and it never sounded so good.

    2021 marks the 25th anniversary of Busta Rhymes’s debut full-length album, The Coming, which recently received a deluxe reissue.

  • Noah XO Presents “No Brakes” Just in Time for a SadBoi Summer

    If you’re a fan of pop-trap melodies with hard-hitting production, then “No Breaks” might be your song of the Summer. With pop being one of the most overcrowded, oversaturated genres, it’s easy for artists to be lost in the jumble of three-chord, autotuned melodies. Noah XO is making sure to be an exception, showing up to the game with quick, catchy melodic tunes that are sure to inspire listeners to join along in the chaotic mood swing of a ride that is Noah XO’s music.

    noah XO

    “No Brakes is a special song for me, I wrote the chorus within 15 minutes of downloading the beat and the rest was history,” said Noah XO about his new song “No Brakes.”

    Hailing from Saratoga Springs, Noah XO (real name Patrick Hayes) came up in the metal and hard rock scene, spending time in three distinct metal bands throughout Upstate New York. Hayes first started making melodic pop trap tunes under the name of Young Cobain, however, he soon changed his stage name to Noah XO to avoid controversy.

    “I felt changing my name was the best way to turn a new leaf for me and my career,” says Hayes.

    Throughout his musical career, Hayes’ tastes gradually shifted and progressed to a more melancholic pop-driven sound in the vein of crossover artists such as Post Malone and Juice WRLD.

    This isn’t to say that Hayes lost his touch for the edge and immersive styles of alternative and metal. While listening to Noah XOs new song, “No Brakes”, you can expect to hear verses sprinkled with metallic undertones and punchy, catchy pop-punk-inspired hooks.

  • Boys Cruise: Burlington’s Most Punk Boy Band

    Imagine the antics of a punk rock basement show mixed with jangle-pop sensibilities, and you have Burlington, Vermont’s Boys Cruise, a self-proclaimed boy band who are set on raising hell in the music scene. Known for their memorably chaotic stage performances, Boys Cruise is gearing up to deliver their self-titled sophomore LP.

    Boys Cruise

    Boys Cruise is a return to the band’s experimental roots; screeching lead guitar lines, soaring singalong harmonies, and gritty guitar textures are some of the aesthetics you can expect while playing through this record.

    Boys Cruise is a follow-up to 2018s Girl Cruise EP which set the band up for the potential to fame after touring much of the northeast DIY circuit and leaving behind a path of destruction leading up to their nearly sold-out circus theme show at Higher Ground in Burlington. However, 2021 sees the boy band returning to their punk roots, embracing harsh guitar tones, heavy production, and instantly catchy hooks, reminiscent of early 2000 Garage Punk acts such as the White Stripes. The album was recorded over the span of one week at Burlington’s 37ft Productions with the help of Bloomstien.

    As far as the album’s track listing goes, it makes for an enjoyable experience, starting off with the instantly catchy and infectious “ Charolastra” which kicks the album off with a witty sample introducing “the illustrious Boys Cruise.” Track one is a banger, setting the attitude for what’s to follow, a fun punk record you can put on and dance around your room to.

    “Flying Colors,” a jangle-pop anthem, you can get a good sense of the group’s party antics from this track, it plays along like the soundtrack to a cold night out bar hopping in Burlington. The song ends with a most worthy, swung, outro sure to get fans excited to hear this jammer live.

    Boys Cruise proves that with this release fans have something to get excited about with the anticipated return of live music. Celebrate Boys Cruise and the release of their sophomore album by streaming Boys Cruise on Spotify, keep up with the band by following their Instagram and their Linktree.

    Key Tracks: Flying Colors, The Owls, and Eyes Without a Face

  • Netflix Announces The Notorious B.I.G. Docu-Series

    Netflix is gearing up for the premiere of their newly announced documentary, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, which will be released on March 1, 2021. The documentary will take a deep dive into the personal life and career of The Notorious B.I.G. with commentary from fellow rappers and close friends. The streaming platform teased the series’ first trailer Tuesday, February 16.



    The documentary will provide in-depth content on the deceased mega-star, Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. Produced by Volleta Wallace, The rapper’s mother, the series will feature interviews from friend and collaborator, Diddy.

    “Biggie blew up overnight, You have no origins from what rap planet this guy came from,” you can hear Diddy say over the series trailer which features archived snapshots detailing The Notorious B.I.G.’s quick rise to fame.

    Notorious B.I.G.

    Snippets of the series also shared in the teaser include Biggie’s mother talking about his Brooklyn childhood, reflecting on memories of a young Christopher Wallace writing and reciting songs at a young age.

    “This will be the first documentary to focus on the experiences of my son’s life rather than the circumstances of his death. It is a celebration of who he was and where he came from. This is how he would have wanted to be remembered,” says Volleta, explaining the need for a different narrative surrounding the rapper, who died March 9, 1997 at the age of 24.

    The Notorious B.I.G. remains to be just that, even 20 years after his death, he remains prevalent in in rap culture. His contributions to the genre along with never before seen blend of wordplay, delivery and songwriting ability have contributed to keeping his legacy alive.



  • MF Doom may be gone, but ‘Madviallany 2’ is on the way

    On December 31st, 2020, it’s safe to say most of us had our guard down.  After living through one of the most tragically eventful years in recent memory, we may have been operating under the false pretense that 2020 and all of the misfortunes that came with it were over. However, for the hip hop community, the final blow of 2020 had just been announced, and that was the passing of enigmatic, masked MC, MF DOOM.

    MF Doom

    Daniel Dumile, best known by the stage name MF Doom, was without a doubt, the most powerful voice in the underground rap scene. MF Doom spent nearly two decades dominating dusty- lo-fi beats, entangling complex rhymes, and his unexpected word choices. Releases such as Operation: Doomsday, MM…FOOD, and Born Like This cemented Dumile as a legend in the underground rap scene.

    News has surfaced that may help us fans along with the grieving process. Stones Throw Records has received permission to release the long-awaited Madvillany 2. Madvillany, one of Dumile’s most notable releases, a collaborative project with legendary producer Madlib, may be receiving the public release of its long-awaited sequel, Madvillany 2.

    The announcement of the pending posthumous release was first made during a recent episode of Pete Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds’ shared podcast, Juan Ep is Dead. Stones Throw Records founder, Peanut Butter Wolf, confirmed during the interview that MF DOOM was working on the highly-anticipated follow-up and, that Stones Throw had received the late MCs Family’s approval to release the project.

    “DOOM was always telling me ‘It’s 85% done, it’s 85% done.,’ said Wolf during the interview. As of right now, Wolf and the label are unsure of what to do with the tracks, however, they do plan on releasing them as the long-awaited sequel, Madvillany 2.

  • Dr. Dre Speaks Out Following Apparent Brain Aneurysm

    Dr. Dre was hospitalized late Monday night at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles following an apparent brain aneurysm. TMZ reported that Dre is stable and lucid, and doctors are continuing to figure out what caused the brain bleed.

    dr dre

    The 55-year-old legendary rapper and producer, whose real name is Andre Romell Young, updated fans on his well-being on social media, speaking out for the first time since his hospitalization. “Thanks to my family, friends, and fans for their interest and well wishes,” said Dre via an Instagram post made late Tuesday night.

    Dr. Dre first climbed the ranks of the West Coast hip hop scene with N.W.A, soon rising to fame in the music industry, arguably becoming one of the top music producers of all time. He co-founded Death Row Records and produced works by Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Eminem, among many others.

    Not long after Dre’s initial Instagram post, celebrities took to social media, wishing the music industry mogul well.

    “Send your love and prayers,” Tweeted fellow N.W.A member and West Coast icon, Ice Cube.

    The Brain Aneurysm Foundation notes that ruptured brain aneurysms are fatal in about half of all cases, and survivors have a 66 percent chance of permanent neurological deficits.