Westchester bred singer songwriter Thomas Pipolo (Pip) has collaborated with Dr. Dre’s production partner Sam Sneed on his newest single, “Sinatra Swag”.
With this release, Pip and Sneed set out to reimagine the sound of Frank Sinatra for a Gen Z audience. The summery single features trap beats while also showcasing old school influences.
“Sinatra Swag” was inspired by the desire to feel and explore a little bit of that old school magic, persona and sound that I feel has been missing in our culture. This song infuses an old classic sound with a modern pop feel — plus it was pretty easy to write about Frank Sinatra as an Italian American musician who is from the shadows of New York City like myself.
Pip
Before he officially became Pip, 25 year old Pipolo played Division I baseball in college. He left the sport following injuries and mental health struggles and began playing guitar and piano at age 18 to relax and unwind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbM9_yGnMoo
“Sinatra Swag” is not Pip’s first single. Along with his other tracks “2:22”, “Human Interaction” and “Dancin’ in the Rain”, Pip often shares his music on TikTok. Along with playing samples or acoustic versions of his own songs to his nearly 80,000 followers, Pip posts TikToks covering some of his favorite artists. He recently covered “Peaches” by Justin Bieber (someone he cites as a musical influence), “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys and “Daughters” by John Mayer.
Pip, photo accessed through @pipmusic_ Instagram
In creating his original music, including “Sinatra Swag”, Pip wants to blend diverse genre influences with authentic lyrics. Adorned in his signature baseball cap and sometimes simply strumming his acoustic guitar, Pip aims to create a timeless sound enjoyable for all generations.
While sipping on Loverboy in The Hamptons, Pip instantly thought the name would be a great title for a summer song.
Being a songwriter, I am always looking for unique titles and ideas to write about. The song captures the vibe of what it’s like to be outside by the pool, sipping on something cool and celebrating life with your friends in The Hamptons.
Pip
Pip perfectly captures the essence of The Hamptons magic with his flirty lyrics, smooth beats, Gatsby references and can-pop sounds. “This song will make you want to pop open a cool drink on a hot day and celebrate summer.” ‘Loverboy’ is penned by Pip and the GOOOD MOOOD collective, including 2AM, Gramz, Jake Eckhaus, Ali Soomro & EMME.
Alan Evans, a prolific musician from Buffalo, has just released a new album Love & Truth, with Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers, which he claims as his guitar player alter ego. The album is released by Vintage League Music, one of Evans’ endeavors that reflects his passion for Soul & Funk music.
Alan Evans is the multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of acclaimed band Soulive, that has been performing together since 1999. In Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers, Evans is able to focus on his guitar personality rather than being a drummer like in Soulive. His astounding talent is apparent in the new album Love & Truth, which evokes the classic 60s and 70s Soul & Funk sound of Memphis, Chicago, Detroit, and NYC.
The album features an all star line-up of acclaimed guest vocalists including Kim Dawson (Pimps of Joytime, Matador Soul Sounds), Saundra Williams (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Saun & Starr), Lyle Divinsky (The Motet), Yanick (After Funk) and Brother GoodLove (Aztec Sun). Evans handles guitar, bass and drums with guests such as Darby Wolf & Neal Evans on keys and the horn section from the BT ALC Big Band.
Love & Truth is an album of outstanding musicianship, powerhouse vocal performances but most of all classic songwriting which oozes authentic soul. It encompasses quality funk music that is a blessing to all ears. The smooth guitar lines mixed with the classic drum rhythms makes it an unforgettable album guaranteed to soothe the soul. It blends a retro sound with a modern sensibility, strong songwriting and powerhouse vocals.
Love & Truth from Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers is available now at all good record stores, all digital streaming platforms and via the Vintage League Music.
Motörhead are one of the great metal bands of legend, with a long history of playing multiple gigs throughout the State dating back to their first US tour in 1981: New York City, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo – these cities saw numerous Motörhead gigs in the years the band toured America. Not Albany.
Oddly, this 2000 gig at Northern Lights remains the only headline show Motörhead ever played in the Albany/Saratoga area, EVER, in 40 years of being a band, almost 35 years of touring America. I don’t count Poughkeepsie in that – 1.5 hours south of Albany, a much smaller city, yet they first played there in 1981 on the ‘Ace of Spades’ tour opening for Ozzy, played again in ’83 headlining with Robbo, and played The Chance and Mid-Hudson Civic Center many, many times since.
Lemmy and the boys played lots of times, in little, backwater Poughkeepsie, but they’ve hardly ever played in the much bigger Albany area (the only other times were opening for Ozzy at SPAC in ’92 – Mikkey Dee’s first-ever gig with Motörhead – and more recently at Glens Falls with Megadeth and SPAC with Slayer, both in 2012). Albany was rarely blessed with Motörhead. You almost always had to road-trip.
Anyway, this was a cool bill. Speedealer opened (original name: REO Speedealer, until the classic rock band threatened suit), a band I’ve seen a few times, with Fu Manchu and (several times) The Supersuckers. Good band, noisy and punky, and they were good this night.
The Supersuckers, one of my favorite bands, played next. At the time they were pushing the fantastic ‘Evil Powers of Rock’n’Roll’ album, one of their best. I’d discovered them around the time of their ‘Sacrilicious’ album, but this was the first time (of many) I’d seen them. This was still the ‘classic’ Eddie/Rontrose/Thunder/Dancing Eagle lineup, and they crushed. Played like 15 songs in 40 minutes, one after the other, short, fast, no-nonsense real punk-metal-rock with a few funny stage raps from Eddie.
I don’t know why more metal fans don’t worship this band. It was a well-balanced set, mixing new ‘Evil Powers’ songs (the set-opening title track, “Santa Rita High”, “I Want the Drugs”, “Gone Gamblin”), with some older blazers (“Beat to Shit”, “Doublewide”, “She’s My Bitch”, “Creepy Jackalope Eye”, “Mudhead”), a few covers (WILLIE NELSON’s “Bloody Mary Morning” and “Whiskey River”, and a tease of THIN LIZZY’s “Cowboy Song”) before the concluding Satanic headbanging glory of “Born with a Tail”. Fantastic band, killer opening set.
Nashville Pussy followed. Liked the ‘Double Live Gonzo’-inspired name, fun album titles like ‘Let Them Eat Pussy’ and their fuck-off attitude, but the music never caught me. So, never really a fan of this band, don’t dig the vocals, but I remember they did play AC/DC’s “Kicked In The Teeth”, which is a great cover choice, and everyone who was there remembers clearly inebriated bassist Corey Parks’ boobs repeatedly falling out of her tank top. Other than that: eh.
Motörhead of course then went on and conquered all. My recall is that the place was not anywhere near empty, but not packed to the rafters either. Maybe this is why Motörhead never play headline gigs here.
This was the ‘We Are Motörhead’ tour, a great album. The title track is one of my favorite Motörhead songs and a great opening number. In 2000 they were still playing a fair amount of ‘newer’ (i.e. post-1990) Motörhead songs, whereas by the end in 2015 they’d gone to the majority of the set being Fast Eddie-era stuff, which of course is some of the most classic metal ever, but leaves aside some great stuff. The cool ‘deep album’ track for the show was “Dead Men Tell No Tales”, but they played many post-Eddie songs (a roaring “I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care)”, “Over Your Shoulder”, “Civil War”, “Born to Raise Hell”, “Stay Out of Jail”, “Sacrifice”, “Going to Brazil”), plus a slew of neck-snapping expected classics: “Bomber” and “No Class” early on, “Dead Men” and an all-conquering “Orgasmatron” mid-set, and the face-removing “Iron Fist” and “Killed by Death” to conclude the regular set, with “Ace of Spades” and “Overkill”, as always the usual encore songs. It was LOUD. Lemmy presided over all like the undisputed king of volume and unassailable cool he was. He is missed. All hail the late, great Lem, and the almighty Motörhead.
Setlists
Supersuckers – Evil Powers of Rock’n’Roll, Santa Rita High, Luck, Beat To Shit, I Want The Drugs, Doublewide, Creepy Jackalope Eye, Mudhead, Gone Gamblin’, She’s My Bitch, How To Maximize Your Kill Count, Bloody Mary Morning, Whiskey River, Born With a Tail
Nashville Pussy: Struttin’ Cock, Piece of Ass, Wrong Side of a Gun, 5 Minutes to Live, High as Hell, Shoot First and Run Like Hell, She’s Got the Drugs, Go to Hell, Kicked in the Teeth, I’m the Man, Go Motherfucker Go
Motörhead: We Are Motörhead, Bomber, No Class, I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care), Over Your Shoulder, Civil War, Metropolis, God Save The Queen, Born To Raise Hell, Stay Out Of Jail, Dead Men Tells No Tales, Sacrifice/Drum Solo, Orgasmatron, Going To Brazil, Iron Fist, Killed By Death, Ace of Spades, Overkill
Hudson-Valley native and indie-pop singer-songwriter, Aubrey Haddard, shared her new single “National Tragedy” on June 23, along with a music video. “National Tragedy” is the latest of four singles released by Haddard over the course of the last year.
Inspired by singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, Haddard forged her own path in music with a confident spirit and bold art style. She released her debut album Blue Part in July 2018 to wide critical acclaim. The success of Blue Part resulted in seven nominations and several wins at the 2018 Boston Music Awards, including Vocalist of the Year and Singer/Songwriter of the Year.
Following her debut, Haddard has made a name for herself at festivals across the country, including Firefly, Mountain Jam, and Waking Windows.
This year, Haddard has released one other single besides “National Tragedy,” called “Red Portuguese.” In 2020, she released “Thin Line” and “Sweeter Than Honey,” that show the beginning of her shift to a more smoother, retro style.
Like reliving a childhood memory of witnessing something scary on the television, it was remembering Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales’ passing that inspired the song. “National Tragedy” provides a soundtrack to Haddard’s memory of the unwavering presence of the news in her childhood home, to the confusion of watching her mother crying on the couch, and the sorrow played out on TV.
One of my earliest memories is my mother watching Princess Di’s funeral on our old screened-in porch, the feelings of uncertainty and sadness. Throughout my life, each time tragedy struck and the world stopped to watch, the reality would sink into me a little deeper, but in September ‘97, my inability to understand was the perfect escape. “National Tragedy” is part memory, part sweet escape and an all too familiar feeling.
Aubrey Haddard on “National Tragedy”
Haddard takes on a different, more somber style for this release. Usually a passionate rocker similar to Tedeschi, “National Tragedy” has a tinge of 70s easy-listening. The guitar riffs are repetitive and the drums are simple, which complement Haddard’s controlled, yet strong voice. The instrumental break in the middle of the song can be best compared to late-60s experimental art-rock like Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
According to Haddard, “National Tragedy” needed a music video to match the song’s “lighthearted, imaginative twist.” The result is an animated clip art utilizing ethereal scrapbook-like collages by collaborator Kaya Blaze Kelley.
Narrating her own experiences in life and love, she holds space for dialogues of hardships as well as times of joy. Her goal is to encourage others by singing her truth, and her relatable topics and catchy lyrics are a great way to connect to listeners.
Haddard will also be performing live at the Levitate Music Festival in Massachusetts on July 9, 2021.
On June 24, members of the American Symphony Orchestra played Opus 40 in Woodstock. Winds Among Trees, a wind instrument sextet brought a new layer to experiencing the sculpture park. Both shared a story of creative survival amidst destruction, which made it the perfect time and place for the convergence to occur.
The sextet blending in the shadows
Senses Alive
Bright light, contrasting stone and stunning landscapes made for the perfect atmosphere. Placing the band strategically on the artwork itself, allowed for an elevated way of experiencing both the art and the music.
A welcomed visual obstruction
Ornate hedges and seemingly innocuous smaller sculptures partially obstructed nearly every view the music and the monolith. Senses were heightened as participants were compelled to be more present, and listening with a more focused ear and eye. As the post-solstice afternoon progressed, the sun started to blare into the eyes of the audience, which made viewers feel like they were part of a progressive performance art piece.
Enjoying the experience
Rare Music, Rare Location
The contrasting stone with all of the afternoon’s light made all the of the artist’s intentions clear. The monolith’s sun dial- like beacon of love was built on an old bluestone quarry after the land had been destroyed by construction.
Beautiful works like this achieved though years of manual labor.
The music played by the sextet was extremely rare in that it is not often played or performed, but also in the idea of it being chosen by the musicians. During shutdown, when all sought-after cultural celebrations of art and music were closed, members of the American Symphony Orchestra were given an interesting assignment. Captains were chosen to enlist a team to learn a collection of rare music.
A beautiful venu
This is not common and the idea to perform these collections in different interesting venues made this even more thoughtful. Being able to have creative control as well as the project and accountability hopefully helped some through the incredibly trying time.
Music stands excited they non longer have to socially distance
Visitors to Opus 40 took away a feeling of gratitude. They felt music in a unique environment during a new beginning for our society.
Setlist: Serenade for 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, and 2 Horns (Matyas Seiber), Sextet No. 1 in Eb (F.H.J. Castil-Blaze), Sextet (Harald Genzmer), Adagio and Rondo (Carl Maria von Weber)
Setlist via americansymphony.org
To see more of what the ASO has done over shutdown, visit their website.
These are old school music lovers. The obsessive Boomers who spent way too much of their youth flipping through tons of heavy vinyl, the literal and figurative. In used record and department stores. At yard sales, stoop sales and flea markets. In church basements and Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. Anywhere an obscure gem could be unearthed for less than the price of a cup of Joe or can of Tab (the original diet soda introduced in 1963, just ask your grandmother). Along the way, they developed wrists of mighty girth from all the light-speed musical flipping, much the same way today’s generation has thumbs overdeveloped from swiping through the limitless universe of sounds on Spotify, Pandora and the like and hook-ups on Tinder.
Now a duo of these music obsessives and a host of their friends have put together a book about their most memorable finds. With a reading and some deep listening, it will give you a doctorate degree in the deep cut music that matters most. These are the hidden gems of doo-wop, sunshine pop, psychedelia, progressive rock, soul, early metal and proto-punk, ones that are left out of rock’s big history books.
The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know is a delicious new deep dive written and compiled by Sal Maida, NYC-born bassist for Roxy Music, Sparks and ‘70s power pop combo Milk ‘n’ Cookies, and veteran rock journo and A&R exec Mitchell Cohen. The duo recruited for their “society” a gang of esteemed music obsessives – musicians, label executives and journalists –who chose favorite albums from the ‘60s and ‘70s to rave about. The only criterion was that the albums never made the top 100 on Billboard’s LP Top 200.
As Sal and Mitchell write in the book’s introduction: “These are the albums you might not read about, except here. No one needs to tell you why Pet Sounds, Revolver or Blonde On Blonde are essential parts of any decent record collection or guide you towards classics – or even somewhat lesser efforts – by the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Or which Pink Floyd album is indispensable (hint: the debut; you can stop right there). Although we have strong opinions about pantheon artists like Led Zeppelin and Marvin Gaye and are happy to share those views with anyone within earshot, that isn’t what The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know is about. We aren’t here to challenge or endorse rock orthodoxy. Neither is the mission to, once again, assert the brilliance of Skip Spence’s Oar, of such artists as Nick Drake, Big Star and the Velvet Underground, whose influence, despite the lack of any commercial success in their time, has been thoroughly – one might even say exhaustively – documented elsewhere.”
To help tell this story, Sal and Mitchell called upon an impressive team of two dozen guest essayists. They include Patti Smith Group guitarist and writer Lenny Kaye, producer Russ Titelman, scenester/singer Bebe Buell, journalists Jim Farber, Peter Keepnews, Ira Robbins and Mike Stax, Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, NYC’s chameleon chanteuse Tammy Faye Starlite and many more.
What you will find here? Stories like how with Evie Sands made one of the most confident and accomplished albums by a female singer-songwriter, Any Way That You Want Me, two years before Carole King waxed her 1971 platinum-selling masterpiece, Tapestry. You’ll also hear how county crossover star Bobbie Gentry followed up her monster single “Ode to Billie Joe” and the LP of that title, with a haunting, mysterious concept album that defies description and still surprises with listens today. In all likelihood you will be introduced to the quirky New York folk-rock duo of Bunky & Jake, to the art-rock of Ars Nova, and to the entrancing psych-pop of Blossom Toes. Georgie Fame, Joe South, the Hollies, Jackie DeShannon, The Impressions, the Everly Brothers and Nico all pop up here, often in ways you might not expect. This is a book for everyone who has gravitated to used record stores, garage sales and flea markets and is willing to take a risk in on something simply based on the cover pic, the liner notes or the vibe/impulse to take it home.
As with his bass playing, Maida has a wonderful flow and emotional drive with his words. In The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know, he demonstrates his authority and love for the deep cuts of British pop and American psyche like The Hollies’ Here! Here!, the Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll’s Open, The Bonniwell Music Machine, Curt Boettcher and The Millenium’s Begin, the debut by the Jeff Lynne-led Idle Race and Tomorrow’s self-titled debut. Cohen’s contributions span the stylistic gamut from the vocalese of DJ Murray the K’s Gassers for Submarine Race Watchers comp, the folk treasures in Tim Hardin’s debut and the off-beat pop of Lovin’ Spoonful guitarist Zal Yanovsky’s obscure debut, Alive and Well in Argentina. Cohen also tackles the progressive soul of The Impressions’ The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story, the sharp twang of Merle Haggard’s Pride In What I Am and Laura Nyro’s Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, with some smart comparisons to the work of another R&B inspired tri-state NY collective, The Rascals.
The work of the many “society” contributors also sparkles, with musical knowledge and a resonance of the emotion these ofttimes unknown offerings still trigger in them.
Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley provides a heartfelt tribute to the lasting impact of the hard-to-find 1966 bossa nova classic Os Afro Sambas by Baden Powell and Vinicius De Moraes, while drummer/reissue maven Pat Thomas reintroduces Seize the Time, an obscure 1969 disc by Black Panther Elaine Brown which chronicled the movement in song. One of the most fun is bassist Eva Gardner’s (Cher, Pink, Moby) recollections of her father Kim’s work at bassist for legendary British mod poppers The Creation and The Birds.
Proving my own worth as a rock anorak, I was familiar with a good deal of the artists covered, while maybe not the particular discs upon which the writers chose to expound. There were a few fab exceptions that I had no idea of, ones that sent me scrolling through YouTube and Wikipedia to discover .
Jim Farber, an excellent music writer who traffics in elevating obscurities these days for the New York Times and The Guardian, explores the spirituality laced folk of Rachel Faro’s 1974 album, Refugees. It’s a should’ve been classic of the Blue-era Joni Mitchell idiom, one produced by John Simon (The Band, Van Morrison) for an artist who disappeared by the end of the decade. Journalist Jim Allen raves on the one album recorded by Paul Siebel, a popular Greenwich Village folkie, 1971’s Jack-Knife Gypsy. Paul was a great songwriter and performer who called it quits after this one offering.
An album cover I encountered repeatedly in ‘70s but never listen to, Baby Huey’s Living Legend, gets the proper praise from Cohen. Produced and with three songs by Curtis Mayfield, it featured the powerhouse 400-pound singer fronting a full throttle band of session aces (Leon Russell), a band compared to James Brown’s JBs meets the Vanilla Fudge. After a blitz of press, Huey’s story ends sadly with an overdose before his album is released. His tune “Hard Times” lives on as a sample in the works of rappers like Ice Cube and A Tribe Called Quest. Well worth many listens.
There were just a couple of puzzling entries in the book. Mega-producer Russ Titelman (Randy Newman, James Taylor) wisely chose Judee Sill’s self-titled 1971 debut, one featuring the classic “Jesus Was A Crossmaker.” But he only goes on for a few short paragraphs about it and the singer’s star-crossed life and career. Songwriting ace Marshall Crenshaw takes on an unexpected choice, Soft Machine’s decidedly avant-garde, self-titled 1969 debut. After complaining about the garbage sounding drums, bass, and a Lowrey organ played with fuzz through a Marshall stack and ear-splitting jamming, Crenshaw somehow concludes about how much he loves it. I might have preferred he discuss something that had a more logical impact on his work, but perhaps, that really isn’t the spirit of the book and his contribution.
If that’s not enough for you, the book concludes with Sal and Mitch’s recommendations of 150 more great albums that failed to crack the charts. Their suggestions include artists like Irma Thomas, Alan Price, the Sir Douglas Quintet, Kaleidoscope, Spooky Tooth, Taste, Jack Bruce, Grapefruit, The Move and more.
I had the pleasure of tackling The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know on long a cross-country drive. Like me, it is one you will want to spend a lot of time with. With open ears, open mind and a long drill down the YouTube wormhole, it will help you discover a boat load of astoundingly cool retro sounds, ones whose impact can last a lifetime, just like they have for these intrepid vinyl scavengers.
Danger Ken! released their 10 track debut album, Up is Down, on May 7th. Aside from a few guest appearances on certain tracks, drums, keys, guitar, bass and vocals are a product of the album’s creator. A multi-talented instrumentalist and composer local to New York, it appears Dan Gerken’s musical alias, a play on his own name, is just as clever and catchy as his new music.
The opening song, Lagoon (Intro), creates an air of mystery as we unravel what’s to come. Free of lyrics, the song invites the listener to relish in the evolving peaceful synthesizers in the background. By contrast, the intro is followed by Jubilate which pushes back our preconceived notions about the album as a whole. Expanding instrumentation, Jubilate, accompanied by guest Andrew Chamberlaine (Mister F,Timbre Coup) brings a punchy retro-sounding electric guitar and pumping drums to get you moving.
Once lyrics emerge in the third track of the album, Astral Traveler, accompanied by guest instrumentalist Dave Berger (Groovestick), its evident no track is alike on this album that keeps you on your toes, switching from tracelike to groovy all in a matter of seconds. Through the diverse discography, there are staples to the album the listener can count on: catchy electric guitar lines, experimental ethereal synthesizer backgrounds, and unique layered vocals.
The psychedelic cover embodies the range of emotions the lister is drawn to feel while listening to this ever-changing musical soundscape. My ears were constantly attuned to the minute changes in instrumentation. While seemingly minimalistic standing on their own, individual loops placed over top one another allowed for a repetitive yet diverse music range across songs.
My personal favorite track, Time to Go, had notes parallel to 80s synthesizer and electric guitar parts with contrasting rock-like vocals bringing a 90s element. The cross-generational track’s beautiful smooth evolution of instrumentation, experimenting with both tempo and timbre, was both catchy and peaceful. The perfect song for a cross-country solo road trip or backyard concert, I was completely entranced, particularly by the thread of electric guitar that wove in and out of the piece.
A self proclaimed “byproduct of being home a lot the last year and having the studio here for the first time in my life,” Gerken’s vocals are passionate and personal, inviting experimental rock into an intimate atmosphere. I highly recommend giving it a listen, and feel confident in saying between the diverse genre shifts within the album, there is bound to be a favorite for everyone.
Streaming on Bandcamp and Spotify, the album is just waiting to be checked out!
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 fromHasty Page 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.
Hasty Page
On Friday June 18, Queensbury trio Hasty Page released their new single, “The Wire.” Unlike the HAIM song of the same name about poor communication, lead singer and drummer Josh Morris goes above and beyond to prove his devotion in a relationship: “Tiptoe on the wire, burning with desire.”
With Anthony Kiedis-like vocals and some seriously groovy guitar and bass, “The Wire” is a clear callback to 90s alt rock. Hasty Page is rounded out by guitarist Zane Agnew and bassist James Paolano. “The Wire” is the first of five songs planned for Hasty Page’s upcoming EP.
Standing at only a mere 4 days old, “Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!” the new single from Arthur Moon has already amassed thousands of streams and landed on playlists alongside huge artists like The Japanese House, Sufjan Stevens, and St. Vincent. Before the mark of their one year anniversary, they earned themselves an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert.
It’s clear this band is praised for their excellence, and their new single hits the mark the very same.
The Brooklyn avant-pop group, led by composer and singer Lora-Faye Åshuvud with collaborators Cale Hawkins, Martin D. Fowler, Dave Palazola and Aviva Jaye, released the single while announcing their new album to be released in the fall under the same name: “Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!“
And that’s just what the single is: a beautiful and haunting chaotic musical masterpiece. Boarding on the genres of indie and electropop with elements from jazz and a choral influence, Arthur Moon is able to seamlessly meld these opposing musical soundscapes in a captivating and genius way.
“Avant-pop group Arthur Moon are more than happy to deconstruct the conventions of typical pop music”
-Billboard Music
Not a single time during my first time listening through to the single did I know where the next note would land. Against dissonant to resolving vocals and piano vamping that explored multiple keys sometimes within the same measures, there was a sense of peace in the chaos. The droning electronic sounds complimented rather than clashed with the more organic instruments.
The vocals evolved from melodic singing to speak-singing with a metallic overlay, creating chaos in the mix. But never did the chaos not resolve, paving the way for a beautiful jazz piano solo overtop the synth drone.
Rather than staying in the confines of one genre, Arthur Moon seems to reconceptualize boxing artists into one genre over another. They explore so many different soundscapes that at one point, I scrapped the idea of attempting to label them as alt or pop, instead praising their ability to operate outside of anything I’ve ever heard before.
“Dump the heteronormativity and get on Arthur Moon’s wavelength instead”
-Refinery 29
“Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!,” sung by lead Ashuvud who identifies as queer, was released for Pride Month. The music video captures two queer women dancing alone together in the purple light, expressing themselves and their love unequivocally. Their music shows the same queering of pop, electronic, and experimental music. Ashuvud is not afraid to defy traditionalism, bringing a unique approach to timbre, melody, and rhythm throughout all of her pieces.
The unpredictable nature of Arthur Moon’s music alludes to a rejection of heteronormativity within music and a huge step towards the acceptance of queer music which is so very crucially important, particularly in a month honoring our LBGTQIA ancestors. Following the accolades from monumental influences in the music industry, including Billboard and NPR Music, it’s clear Arthur Moon is on the verge of blowing up. If you want to secure bragging rights of knowing their name and following their music before they’re the household name they’re bound to become, stream their new song asap!
When you search the words “Senior Living,” the very last thing you’d expect is a bunch of 20-somethings moshing in a damp basement. New Yorkers Zac Geddies, Gino Lopez and Brendan Snell intend to change that. The Albany-native band has announced that their debut LP album, Anniversaries, will be available starting June 25.
Formed in 2016, Senior Living was a passion project for Zackery Geddies (guitar/vocals) and Jeremy “Gino” Lopez (drums). Geddies and Lopez began booking local tours during semester breaks from college, making a name for themselves across the Northeast DIY music circuit. Brendan Snell (bassist) is a recent addition to the band and assisted on recording Anniversaries.
Senior Living’s music is best served cranked up loud, with a side of even louder. They have been described as a band that weaves together genres from ethereal shoegaze to punk with a tinge of modern dream-pop. The band’s chemistry, stage antics, and not to mention the blasting Roland Jazz Chorus amp, is guaranteed to fill the room with an immense pool of sound. They have a budding reputation as Albany’s loudest band, so be sure to bring earplugs!
Anniversaries album cover
Anniversaries, the bands debut full-length, tells the story of Geddies’s upbringing and how he experienced maneuvering through childhood with anxiety. The album explores the manic side of depression, the crippling feelings of stress, self-loathing, experiences in interracial relationships, and growing up a person of color in America.
It’s kind of a challenge to pinpoint exactly what led me down a path to music. I’d like to say that the music I’ve made is just my own attempt at coping with my mental health and the societal issues that affect me and the ones I love. Whatever it was that led me to the point where I want to pursue music, I’m glad I’ve found it, and I won’t be ready to give it up anytime soon.
Zac Geddies, founding member and guitarist
Geddies’s raw vocals tackles the serious themes with pure emotion. Two of the tracks are only about a minute long, just enough time for a short poetry excerpt. The LP has an eerie closer with back to back songs “Sourir” and “Everybody Dreams About Dying,” adding an element of the feelings of depression. Except, at the very end, Senior Living picks it back up with a guitar riff – a cliffhanger.
It seems Anniversaries is meant to be listened to in order, showing the progressions of emotion from elation, to self-doubt, to sadness, and back again.
Senior Living previously released “Dominick,” track seven on Anniversaries, as a demo on Bandcamp in March 2020. All proceeds from the single were donated to United Way COVID-19 relief and Meals on Wheels. As a teaser for the album drop, the band shared opening track “Carousel” with an accompanying video on June 21.
According to the band, all nine tracks were recorded in one day at a secret studio location in Oneonta. Each single is unique and can’t be contained under one genre, some songs are hardcore rebellion garage rock while others have a grungy get-in-your-feels type vibe. Though the tracklist is diverse, the album meshes really well.
Prior to Anniversaries, the band has dropped two short albums, two songs on The Paintbox Lace and three on 35mm.
The experience of writing and recording a whole album with close friends and collaborators in the studio led to a concentrated and compact album, and that chemistry can be felt throughout the tracklisting.
