NYS Music 202​1

Category: Artist Profile

  • Catching Up With Irv Da God: Talks Come Up, Upcoming Project, Verzuz Battles & More

    In our current social-economic climate, many gage an artist based on their mainstream success. Did they have a big hit record? Top-selling album? Never mind the fact that outside of the music industry’s true 1%, streaming is a non-factor.

    Hence, despite our emotional attachment to art, the music industry is a business and should be handled as such. Take Queens native, Irv Da God (Born Derrick Duke Irvin), for instance. His foray into the music industry was not based on a pipe dream of having a chart-topping hit or selling a million units. Rather, steadily establishing himself through various ventures and building a following. 

    Fortunately, Irvin’s upbringing during the rugged 90’s era Queens prepared him for an equally — for different reasons — cutthroat world. 

    As we got older, we all dealt with the obstacles as everyone’s trying to survive, get money. You just had to be always on point [and] never be caught slipping. 

    As he sheds light on his days as an aspiring hooper running the streets of Queens, it becomes ever apparent that Irvin is a by-product of his environment. 

    His production company, Block Boy Media, LLC, has directed, filmed, and edited productions for the likes of Dave East, Cam’ron, Chubbie Baby, Coi Leray, Lil Durk, Avianne & Co. Jewelers, among others. Yet, it is a passion that can be traced back to his childhood. 

    I was really into films since a kid. We had the VHS tapes and I used to drag my mom to the Africans and make her buy all the bootlegs. Back then we didn’t have cellphones, so I would just watch a lot of VHS tapes, I had at least 100 movies. 

     After being inspired by the countless hours of film study and the budding acting career of his self-admitted “rap superhero” and fellow Queens MC, Sticky Fingaz, Irvin took his hustle to the next level. He saved and enrolled himself into a six-month course at New York Film Academy where soon after he was making money recording and editing music videos for artists, as well as his own productions. 

    Irv Da God

    While admittedly a basketball head for large portions of his upbrining, the influence of hip hop is never too far away from inner-city youth. 

    His label, Block Boy Mafia, Inc, was home to his first studio album, Thirty 3, in 2019 and in 2020, B.B.M. released their first studio collaborative album, Son Day. 

    Irvin speaks of his Block Boy Mafia family with great hubris, acknowledging their status as family rather than business associates, yet lamented the fact that he seemed to care more about the preparation and overall success of the collective than others. As he matures in the industry, he’s made the conscious decision to prioritize Irv Da God and lay the foundation which he hopes his crew will build upon. 

    I can keep the family together, but I can’t make the decisions for the family all the time. When everybody has opinions, I have to let everybody be who they want to be.

    In Irvin’s eyes, it’s all for the greater good, as he embodies the Block Boy moniker. On the block one would typically hang out with family, close friends and acquaintances and that is how he envisions his long-term success. 

    I just want to do it with my friends, the people I looked up to, [spent time] around and people we came across in our lifetime. 

    As he continues to spotlight, Irv Da God, it’s clear that “the block” is never too far away. It was only earlier this year that Irvin teamed up with Onyx’s own, Sticky Fingaz, and Bizkit of B.N.B. to release “Fearless,” a collaborative track made for the Vitor Belfort vs Evander Holyfield boxing match on Triller Fight Club. 

    Tasked with leadership for long periods of time, Irvin’s relationship with Freddo Starr and Sticky Fingaz feels like a breath of fresh air for the Hollis, Queens native, as Sticky and Freddo are two of hip hop’s most successful rappers-turned-actors.

    They’re such good people man and show a lot of brotherly love,” Irvin says of the duo. “I’m a rap artist now and they’re my first rap brothers in the game.

    His latest endeavor, a red-carpet appearance at the TrillerVerz battle in Hollywood, CA between Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony and Three 6 Mafia to promote the “Fearless” record, reiterated why he has stood on his family-oriented principles. After a chippy contest, that even included a near-altercation between the two legendary hip hop groups, it was Three 6 Mafia’s camaraderie that won Irvin over, despite being a bigger fan of Bone-Thugs. 

    Irv Da God

    People are big into energy nowadays. You can tell which groups are organized and you can tell which ones don’t really deal with each other anymore. You grow together, you have to keep the synergy in alignment, I feel like Juicy J and Three 6 Mafia definitely had the energy, they had the crowd jumping. It was like they were back in time to when the records first hit the club.

    As he enters the next phase of his development, Irv Da God is preparing to independently release his sophomore project, Irvin Jackson. A soundtrack album set serve as the score for an upcoming tv series aptly named, Block Boy: Behind The Lights, Irvin is looking to showcase some of the very best from Block Boy Mafia. 

     I’m just giving people different styles of me. I’m really just showing people the growth of my career and my music. When I first came out, I might have been a little hard and aggressive on my Thirty 3 album. The traction was great, but it doesn’t show my diverse side. I’m not giving people pain, but I’m giving people experience.

    As he comes up in the game, Irvin doesn’t seem mystified by the thought of bright lights. Despite being a Las Vegas resident, he keeps his city close to heart and speaks of the relationships he’s made along the way with gratitude. Whether it be Boston Rob for connecting him to Sticky Fingaz, Bronx MC Haddy Racks, A$AP Ferg and Dave East as old friends whose success have inspired him. 

    One thing people got to understand is that we made it already, everything else is just understanding the business and getting with the right people. These videos and these movies are edited, real life ain’t.

  • Moxie Raia Takes Control with New Music, Choreography and Ideas

    I started dance classes when I was 2, then I was competing around the country when I was six. Dancing, singing, putting on a show, that was my entire life. 

    Not much has changed for 28-year-old Jersey native, Moxie Raia, in that regard. But in truth, her life can be characterized through her willingness to evolve and adjust. All in the pursuit of her ultimate goal.  

    At age 13, the “Love Language” singer (born, Laura Raia) convinced her parents to let her attend performing arts school in New York City. From there, Raia — who had been writing songs for years — began to record vocals for the very first time. Thereafter came the industry connections, live shows and meetings with labels.

    I have always known that I wanted to do music and be an artist. My parents were really supportive as well. 

    Since then, the “On My Mind” singer has spent time on the rosters of Capital Records and Def Jam during her early twenties; having recorded, performed and toured with some of the most recognizable names in music. Her debut Dej Jam project, 931 Reloaded (which was a re-release of her independently released EP of the same name), featured the likes of Wyclef Jean, Pusha T and Post Malone, which she got to perform as she served as the opening act during the North American Leg of Justin Bieber’s Purpose World Tour. 

    Despite her bubbling success, the music industry can be a bit “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to artist presentation, preferring them to fit certain criteria that meet the label’s needs. And at the time, that did not suit Moxie Raia.  

    I don’t think I was strong enough to express what I really wanted creatively. I would definitely sign to a major again, but I didn’t want to do it before I had this foundation.

    The foundation she speaks of is her own development and evolution as an artist. With creative direction no longer a worry, the singer-songwriter has had free will to rebrand the way she sees fit. 

    One of her newer records, the dark and seductive “Not The One” sees her tap into her sensual side, as she pays homage to the late Aaliyah. 

     The thing that captivated me most about her [Aaliyah] was how she was so soft and feminine but a Tomboy and strong. That song in particular was a homage to that time and those sounds. 

    Creatively, Raia feels her niche falls within that dichotomy, the grey area between delicacy and strength. Wanting to portray a sultry, yet dominant presence rather than the damsel in distress image many pop stars carry in the early stages of their careers. 

     I think I’ve become better at executing my vision and that comes down to confidence and faith. 

    Her creative freedom can be found through her alter ego, Carbon Girl, a superhero character whom Raia plans to base much of her upcoming EP, 2989, on. Representing the strength Raia is looking to emit through her music.

    What drives me most is thinking about being on stage and being connected to 20,000 people at one time. And everybody, for a moment is there with the music, forgetting about their differences, forgetting about what’s going on in their life that may not be ideal, and you just have a moment with people.

    With a relaxed, recently awoken tone throughout, Raia remained nonchalant throughout the interview. Until, the topic turned to the reason behind her perseverance in the music industry. It was then that the fervor in her voice could be heard, reacting strongly to the thought of creating music without performing. It became clear that, through nearly two decades of pursuit, one thing has remained the same, Raia’s passion for performance and the cathartic feeling of live performance.

    I like making music in my room that I can listen to, but I wouldn’t still be going if that was the motivation. The motivation is those moments.

  • Chris Jehnert Takes Hold Of His Music Career Releasing Chapter One: The Hollow

    Over his career, Chris Jehnert has taken many routes, such that you may know for his acting chops or even frontman status in the internationally recognized boy band Larger Than Life. Chris since then has developed a more mature sound, solidifying himself in the alternative rock scene with his debut EP Chapter One: The Hollow.

    After his “Welcome To The Hollow” single in 2019, which has garnered over 100,000 streams, Chapter One: The Hollow delves further and expands on the intricacies of of love, loss, isolation, and obsession. With song titles like “Raise The Dead,” “Ghost,” and “Love You to Death,” this EP uses dark and haunting metaphors to delve into personal issues. 

    Chris Jehnert


    One of Jenhert’s song off the EP is “Ghost” which recounts a time when Jehnert was accused of ghosting after ending a fling. “I Love You To Death” is dedicated to his fans, specifically those that are willing to give their life away for Jehnert despite their lack of personal relationship. “Raising the Dead” is actually about rekindling a flame with an ex lover although the relationship was toxic, the title describes the resurrection of all the emotions and traumas from hooking up

    The EP itself is all based off of journal-style lyrics, where I take the things I’m dealing with internally and create metaphors for them. I then write the songs as if those metaphors were literal. Equating The Hollow to being a place cold and empty that people are drawn to and trapped in, but it’s a metaphor for my personal relationships

    Chris Jehnert

    Chris has been trained as a triple threat from early on with singing, dancing, and acting. Complete with a vocal performance degree from CCBC Essex, Jehnert worked alongside world class singers Jennifer Hudson and Kristin Chenoweth in eight productions at Disney World. Touring with the Concert Anniversary Tour of “Hairspray” led him to settle in New York City.

    Chris is a member of “Larger Than Life: The Ultimate Boy Band Tribute” and has traveled around the world performing in their concerts alongside Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Jeff Timmons, Aaron Carter and many more. Having taken a lead role in the Streamy-nominated series “Disposable Teens,” Chris now has pursued releasing his own music as always intended.

  • Keeping His Composer: Michael Vincent Waller On His Journey into the world of Hip Hop

    Staten Island native, Michael Vincent Waller’s latest release — The Lex Luger assisted, CLASSIC$ — has re-engineered the way we look at the compatibility between genres, opening new possibilities of unforeseen musical collaborations. A hip-hop album with trap drums and classical symphonies, with trap artists rhyming over it. Two separate worlds coming together, for a harmonious result. 

    Yet, MVW has always been a hip-hop fan, admittedly listening to the genre “exclusively” during his adolescent years. However, his musical palate broadened when he began to receive piano lessons from his grandmother, establishing a foundation for future endeavors. 

    His foray into instrumentation did not leave an immediate impact though, as he didn’t develop the urge for playing the piano until his time at NYU. 

    I didn’t think about music as something I wanted to do, I just loved listening to music. And then when I went to NYU, I saw it was a really artistic place and I was like, I want to play piano.

    From there, he switched gears as his musical choices became varied. Indie Rock, Classical and Jazz became the new norm for a budding MVW. As a composer, he’s studied under, La Monte Young, worked with Phill Niblock and has had his music fill venues such as Carnegie Hall, ISSUE Project Room, Roulette and Palais de Tokyo Museum. At the same time, he often listened to Biggie and Wu Tang for inspiration while composing. 

    MVW’s Evolution

    One might wonder what would cause an inherently successful classical composer to switch lanes and produce a hip-hop album, but like the rest of the world, life took a halt for MVW beginning in the spring of 2020. After the cancellation of annual music and film festival, South by Southwest, and being forced to record and produce remotely, Waller began to coordinate his excursion into the world of hip-hop. 

    After honing his skills remixing electronic records, he sought out platinum-selling producer, Lex Luger (known for his distinct trap drums and use of orchestral sounds) to assist on a remix of his own. The end-product pleased MVW enough to where he thought something bigger could come of it.  

    CLASSIC$ saw hip-hop and classical worlds combine.

    I realized this is more than just a remix, this is something I could actually put to the next level.

    Despite the lack of familiarity between the duo, their chemistry wasn’t that of complete strangers but, rather two accomplished musicians looking to expand their repertoire.

    I reached out to him, he said he liked the music and I started sending him certain samples that I thought would be perfect for beats and everything he sent back to me was perfect. It wasn’t forced, we didn’t have to overthink it. Everything was organic. 

    Debut Album

    Serving as the executive producer to his own project, MVW had to learn the ins-and-outs of putting together a hip-hop album. Which includes, recruiting artists for features, clearing them with labels (which is a meticulous process of its own) and hiring lawyers to make sure contracts were standard. As MVW stepped away from the role of musical composer for this venture, he picked up the duty of musical conductor, working hard to study chords and song structures to figure out how to turn compositions into convincing trap records.

    I worked on the album for 18 months. I would work with the material for long periods of time. I had to arrange it, because I was given feature material, but I had to transform it into a convincing song, given what I had. That was the really creative part for me that I started to enjoy, tapping into the composer side of me. 

    Despite this being his first and an independently funded rap album, CLASSIC$ features a host of well-known trap artists, who best complimented the minimal drums and snares (Valee, LilGotit, Duke Deuce). While giving important, tone-setting roles to lesser-known artists (Jaydonclover, Shanique Marie).  

    Valee is the missing link that connects everything, featuring throughout the album

    I got everybody who I wanted cleared. But I set practical goals, I didn’t try to get 15 people on the album.  

    His extensive work in putting the project together gained him an appreciation for the hip hop community, their accepting nature and for staying true to the music.

    I was happy to know that people would appreciate my skills, because it can be nerdy. In hip hop if you have a good sound, that’s what they evaluate you on, ‘is it good?’ which is great.

    On account of how much time, effort and persistence required to make this album a possibility, MVW does intend to gauge the public’s response. But while many artists refer to streams, charts and general statistics to determine success, he refuses to get bogued down by numbers. And as a hip-hop debutant, he has yet to be tainted by the commercial side of the music business. Instead, relying on the tastemakers of the hip-hop community to glean insight on where CLASSIC$ stands as a body of work.

    Putting it out and making it happen, it already feels like a success to me because of how much effort it took and how much it makes it happy. I do it really for me, so I would say on that level it’s a success. The other thing that I’m interested in, is understanding how people respond. To me it’s not about charting, especially as an independent artist. But the fact that people who like and know music respond positively, and frames it to give me something to learn. Even if it’s just for people in the community of hip-hop, that means more to me than one song having a million plays. It’s definitely not trying to be commercial, it’s about art.  As long as I can see the art is out in the world, influencing and inspiring people, then that’s a success for me.

  • BLVCKBOW Debut “Memorize U” With Show At Pianos On October 20th

    Pop duo BLVCKBOW released their first self-written and produced song Memorize U. BLVCKBOW quickly found out how electric their creative connection was, and easily wrote ten songs in less than a month. The pair’s charisma can be heard in their new single with effortless adlibs mixed with electro-synth groove and sentimental lyrics. The duo will be coming to Piano’s on October 20th with Yarn starting at 8 pm.

    BLVCKBOW

    Memorize U draws in listeners with their eerie intro filled with shrieking violins and distortion to a headbanging chorus with Jasmine’s and Brittni’s effortless vocals. Hawaiian natives Jasmine Crowe and Brittni Paiva created Memorize U to draw attention to the unforgettable feeling and connection we feel with someone that we can’t help but be present in these moments. “The song is about realizing there is so much in life we can’t predict, so being present is sometimes all we really feel like we have to hold on to… The lyrics to ‘Memorize U’ are inspired by feeling physically and emotionally bonded with someone,” says Crowe.

    The second verse and pre-chorus amplify the song’s energy as Paiva and Crowe riff together creating a symmetry that fuels the sleek production. Stunning high vocal riffs and harmonies from the duo stand out as unforgettable moments in the track. The sonic exploration concludes with a mesmerizing, complex solo, helping close the track on a high note.

    After Brittni Paiva brilliant performance as a featured guest on Jasmine Crowe’s latest single, “LOVE IS LOVE” they soon realized the true amount of potential they held as a duo. Once the pair teamed up again as BLVCKBOW, they wrote ten songs in just over a month with ease.

    Thanks to Crowe’s songwriting talent established in 2018 as the winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and Paiva’s three-time NA Hoku Hanohano Awards, we can be sure to hear more music very soon. To download on stream platforms, click here.

  • Artist spotlight: X.ILE from Queens

    Eccentricity can be an unsettling space to operate in. But, like most frantic states , when harnessed it can bring about thought-provoking, abstract art. Such is the case with Queens-based rapper, DJ, and producer, X.ILE (born, Xavier Maymi).

    Having shared the stage with artists such as The Chainsmokers, Meek Mill, French Montana and more, the jack-of-all-trades emcee has begun his ascension into the world of recording artists. His own solo work has garnered attention from established tastemakers. His records, “Buffalo” and “Carnota” were both featured on Eminem’s Sirius XM station Shade 45 and its flagship program Sway in The Morning, while “JAM” featured on SiriusXM HipHop Nation’s Discovery Channel.

    Beginning his career at the age of 14, he has placed himself in a position to grow as an artist with many years invested into his craft. But, in an era where all it takes is a large social media following to get a record contract, he hasn’t stagnated, taking the old-school route of self-improvement and variation to achieving his goals. His resourcefulness when it comes to his music videos (which aren’t high budget but remain action packed), is a testament to his dedication to the craft of being an entertainer. Many artists drop a record and hope for the best, X.ILE is looking to tell a story through his music and visuals are a big part of that process.

    Unafraid to foster an environment where all genres can coexist throughout his music, X.ILE does not rely on flashiness, nor tall tales of grand living. Much like his diversified sound, X.ILE’s appeal comes from the many ways he can impact a listener. Even if you’re not a fan of his rapping, you’re sure to enjoy his well-thought out, over-the-top visuals, which tend to look like controlled chaos. If not, then his production might get you.  

    His latest record, “BLEACH,” perfectly encapsulates his artistry. The record itself feels oxymoronic, beginning with a simple acoustic guitar before all hell breaking loose. Featuring different voice inflections, various flows, drum patterns and instrumentation. It can feel like a lot is going on, until realizing the anarchy throughout the production reflects the record itself, as he ties it all in with a music video equally full of pandemonium. 

    The serenity at the beginning of the record can be interpreted as the calm before the storm that is life. Filmed in the woods, X.ILE is seen in a serene environment holding just an acoustic guitar and a bottle of bleach. He then goes into a solemn spiel about how his need to be liked consumes him, more so than money, fame and even his rent. After taking a swig of the bleach, utter musical and visual chaos ensues, before returning to the same woods bloodied with his guitar broken. X.ILE takes another chug of the germicide, insinuating that after all the heartache and chaos, all we want is for our troubles to evaporate, which is what the bleach seems to represent. Now, bleach can’t get rid of anyone’s troubles, but as a fatal chemical, to some, it may be one-in-the-same. 

  • Meet Stella Prince, The Hudson Valley Songwriter With A Voice Beyond Her Years

    At only 17, Hudson Valley singer-songwriter Stella Prince has a voice and sensibility well beyond her years. Her eerie soprano simultaneously evokes Americana and traditional choral music. But her raw lyrics, which evoke the anxiety and open-heartedness of Gen Z with a rare clarity, even further reflect an old-soul songwriter. After a new single and many solo shows, Prince is looking to take a lifelong dream to the next level. 

    Photo Credit: Lily Prince

    “Ever since I was like 4 I had it in my head that I wanted to be a famous singer,” Prince said. “But I feel like during the pandemic I really just realized that this was meant to be, and it really started growing incredibly quickly.”

    Prince has released three new singles this year, each more arresting than the last. Though the  unassuming honesty and plucked guitar evoke idols of her own like Taylor Swift, her more unconventional tastes shine through as well. As a pre-teen, Prince hosted her own radio show where she primarily played tunes from the ‘30s and ‘40s. She’d grown up with the genre, and liked the idea of playing something unique. Furthermore, she already respected the era’s influence on her, and wanted to share it. 

    “I was just drawn to it,” Prince said. “It taught me so much about music.” 

    Sharing something deeply personal is inherent in Prince’s musical philosophy. Prince describes her goal as bringing “an authentic, acoustic sound back to contemporary music.” Stella Prince believes making something timeless and catchy, that diverse audiences can relate to, doesn’t have to mean sacrificing the words in your heart. 

    The urgency of Prince’s lyrics is nearly palpable in her singular voice, which effortlessly recalls the measured melodies of classic folk. Even on the highest notes, Prince’s voice holds a softness and lightness. Over careful and striking guitar lines, she all but lulls you into a trance. It’s a unique and memorable sound thats led her to critical acclaim.  

    Prince’s first live show, at the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nashville in early 2020, left her both elated and intimidated. She dropped her guitar onstage, breaking all of the strings. But she thought fast, used the house guitar, and continued to perform. The “traumatizing” experience is far behind her now, and these days Prince’s biggest dream is to play a stadium someday. But Prince said she ultimately gained something from the early mishap. 

    “You have to learn when you’re performing that all of these things can go wrong,” she said. “There’s so many things that can go wrong, and you just have to deal with it.”

    Photo Credit: Lily Prince

    Since gaining her associates degree at 16, Prince has split her time between Nashville and Los Angeles. Prince credits her parents’ support with keeping her sane as she travels more and more for her career. COVID-19-withstanding, Prince has maintained a growing and consistent touring schedule around the East Coast since her graduation. Still a minor, she always travels with her parents. Prince said she’s grateful they’re fellow artists: her father is a writer, and her mother a painter. 

    “I think their work ethic really inspired me growing up,” she said. “They worked all day on their art, and I saw that from a really young age.” 

    Despite her newness in the studio, Prince has already begun solidifying her own tastes into a style. She got a taste for producing with her last single “The Rain Might Fall,” and hopes to continue honing that skill, and control over her sound, in the future. 

    In the track, over a twinkling and methodic melody, Prince grapples candidly with the confusion and turmoil of adolescence. “The Rain Might Fall” finds her unsure of what’s coming next and where she’s going, but aware she must go. Singing “I’ve been staring at the ocean/ mesmerized by motion/wondering why,” Stella Prince effortlessly captures the moment you realize just how big and mysterious the world can be.

    “I think, you know, in terms of songwriting I really knew exactly what I wanted to say,” she said of developing the track. “Because I think the song for me really just talks about what its like to not know.”

    It’s here that Prince’s young age comes through in an arresting way. Her existentially questioning, and sometimes painful, lyrics poignantly reflect the specific anxieties of Gen-Z’ers. Her peers around the world face an uncertain future and rapid change, in a way that feels both collective and personal. 

    On the spare “Scared,” Prince faces that uncertainty head on, as bravely as she did years ago with a broken guitar at the Bluebird Cafe. She sings: “In the end I really have to trust myself/ Once again I can’t wait for someone else/ To fill my dreams, I’m scared it seems/ Its up to me.” The lyric beautifully captures the moment of anxiety right before you do something big, on your own. With confidence and grace, Prince seems well on her way to filling those dreams herself. 

    For more on Stella Prince, visit her website,

  • Tom Petty Lives on in new Documentary

    We have some big birthdays on the horizon and what better way to celebrate Tom Petty’s birthday, than with a documentary film on his life. Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers reminds us of the true humble being this rock star really was, bringing you a closer look over his incredible career. It’s hard to believe that we lost him only four years ago. The theatrical release will, of course, be on Petty’s birthday, October 20, featuring a one-night global celebration via Trafalgar Releasing with another encore screening in select cinemas on October 21.

    Be sure to be there to get the full experience on the big screen with immersive surround-sound, that is before the YouTube Originals worldwide release. But that’ll be later this year for free in full 4K resolution.

    This documentary has so much potential, already winning the Audience Award at SXSW 2021 and Best Documentary Film at the Boulder Film Festival. Director Mary Wharton aimed to please after releasing the critically acclaimed Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, Sam Cooke: Legend, Elvis Lives!, and The Beatles Revolution.  After the gold reissue of Wildflowers & All The Rest from Warner Records, we have been waiting for the second half of Tom’s autobiographical masterpiece.

    Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers will almost make you feel like Tom is back and rocking right in the room with you. This documentary will focus on the period of 1993-1995, where, if you forgot, Tom was working with legendary producer Rick Rubin for the first time. You’ll see some never-before-seen footage of the boisterous life of a rock and roller and innate genius. Filled with new interviews from album co-producer and Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell along with Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench, the documentary is waiting to blow you away.

    Warner Music Entertainment and Warner Records with Peter Afterman, Mary Wharton, Dan Braun and Adria Petty produced a documentary that will illuminate an insider look on Tom Petty in his height of iconicity.

    If you want to hear a little more. Mary Wharton and Adria Petty spoke about the film with rock author/journalist David Fricke on SiriusXM’s Tom Petty Radio. Tickets can be found here

  • Don Everly, 1937-2021

    Don Everly, the remaining half of the iconic Everly Brothers, has passed away at the age of 84. Together with his brother Phil, The Everly Brothers helped revolutionize and form the early sounds of the rock and roll movement that would engulf America. Their distinguished harmonies accompanied with elements of country music would go on to influence an entire generation of fellow musicians, enabling them to be one of the first artists to be inaugurated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis in 1986. Phil Everly later passed on in 2014 at the age of 74.

    Don Everly

    Issac Donald “Don” Everly was born on February 1, 1937, about two years before his brother Phillip. They spent most of their childhood in Shenandoah, Iowa, raised by musically-inclined parents who performed country music throughout the South and Midwest before moving to Iowa. Their father Ike hosted a show on local Iowa radio, first singing with with his wife Margaret, and later “Little Donnie” and “Baby Boy Phil” joined them as the Everly Family. The family would later relocate to Knoxville, Tennessee. Here, the brothers would find work on Cas Walker’s Farm and Home Hour, a regional radio and TV variety program. They managed to catch the eye of Chet Atkins, who managed RCA Victor Studios in Nashville and was also a family friend. Atkins was somehow able to get the brothers a recording deal with Columbia Records in 1956. However, the lone single “Keep a-Lovin Me,” which Don wrote and composed ,flopped and the Everlys were quickly dropped by the label.

    Again with the help of Atkins, they were later hired by Acuff-Rose music publishers in Nashville, but strictly as songwriters. However, this connection helped finally launch their career as they were soon introduced to a Cadence Records label that was looking for recording artists. At Cadence, they were presented with a song that had been rejected by dozens of other artists previously. But the Everly Brothers would record it in February of 1957, and their lives would never be the same again. “Bye, Bye Love” reached No. 2 on the pop charts, fighting with Elvis for radio airplay, and also reached No. 1 on the country and No. 5 on the R&B charts.

    Their follow up to “Love” was somehow even more successful, with “Wake Up Little Susie” topping both the pop and country charts just a few months later. Both songs, and many of their other hits like “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and “Bird Dog,” were all written by the husband-and-wife Nashville writing team of Boudeleaux and Felice Bryant that Cadence Records employed. Their early hits helped them land an opening spot for Buddy Holly and the Crickets for tours in the late ’50s. Their innovative “countrified” rock style and distinct harmonies would begin to plant the seeds of influence for some of the greatest bands of the latter half of the 20th century. The Beatles once referred to themselves as the “British Everly Brothers” in their nascent days and Simon and Garfunkel have readily admitted to them being the driving influence behind their collaboration.

    Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful. The Everlys were there at the crossroads of country and R&B. They witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll.

    Paul Simon

    After three years at Cadence, the Brothers would sign with Warner Bros. Records in 1960. It was here that they recorded their first successful hit that they wrote and composed themselves, “Cathy’s Clown.” It would go on to sell eight million copies and become the duo’s biggest-selling record. It’s also the first song ever that Warner Bros. released in the UK. If there’s any doubt as to the popularity of this song, it somehow even made its way into a Phish show as the opener for their show at SPAC on 7/2/19.

    The Everly Brothers would continue to churn out Top 10 hits in both the US and UK throughout the early ’60s like “Walk Right Back,” “Crying In The Rain” and “The Price Of Love.” In fact, they would average one Top 10 hit on the pop charts every four months from 1957 to 1961. However, royalty disputes would later emerge with Acuff-Rose, to the point where The Everly Brothers would only record songs from other composers/publishers so as not to pay them anything. This also meant they were cut off from working with the Bryants who had written so many of their hits.

    Both brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961. They did resume their career after being discharged from active duty, but their success in the US would begin to dwindle. The Everly Brothers’ last US top 10 hit was 1962’s “That’s Old Fashioned (That’s The Way Love Should Be)”, a song recorded but unreleased by The Chordettes. Album sales began to dwindle as well. The Everlys’ first two albums for Warner Bros. peaked at No. 9 US, but after that, of a dozen more LPs, only one made the top 200: 1965’s Beat & Soul. By the end of the 1960s, the Everly Brothers still maintained some success in Canada, the UK and Australia, but returned to their country rock roots with 1968’s Roots which was critically acclaimed. But this wasn’t enough to keep their contract with Warner Bros. from lapsing after ten years. In 1970, Don Everly released his first unsuccessful solo album. The following year, the brothers would resume touring once more, with Lindsey Buckingham joining them in 1972. But sadly, the brother’s relationship also frayed over the years. Their last performance together took place on July 14, 1973 at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA with Phil smashing his guitar and walking off stage leaving Don to finish the show by himself while famously remarking, “The Everly Brothers died ten years ago.”

    Don Everly

    Both brothers would then go on to pursue solo careers, with Don Everly finding some minimal success on the US country charts in the mid- to late-1970s with his band Dead Cowboys, and playing with Albert Lee. He also recorded with Emmylou Harris on her 1979 album Blue Kentucky Girl. But nothing approached the commercial success he had experienced with his brother.

    The brothers would later reunite in 1983, with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London which was recorded for a live LP and video broadcast on cable television. This helped put them back on the map and included a new album EB ’84, produced by Dave Edmunds with its single “On The Wings Of A Nightingale” written by none other than Paul McCartney. It returned The Everly Brothers to both the US and UK pop charts for the first time in more than a decade.

    Their last charting hit would be in 1986 with the title track to Born Yesterday. Afterwards, their career consisted of mainly collaborations with other artists. They would go on to provide backing vocal’s on Paul Simon’s signature solo effort, Graceland. And later, in 2003 and 2004 on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Old Friends” reunion tour, they would share the stage again. As a tribute to the Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel opened their own show and had the Everlys come out in the middle of it. At almost all shows, Simon made a point to express how much of an influence the brothers had on his career.

  • New Orleans Legend Tony Hall Talks Funk, performing with Dave Matthews, Jewel, Bob Dylan and more

    In 1989, New Orleans had its own gold lit resilience of funk around town. Many helped add to the consonant grooves inside legendary buildings turned nighttime studios. Every great musician in town was collaborating and famous artists were there to help feed in the rhythm. Tony Hall was part of this golden era and is still a staple in the New Orleans sound.

    Hall had been grooving with the renowned Neville Brothers on St. Charles Avenue. Tony played the chilling bass line on their album Yellow Moon. The track “Healing Chant” off the album won best pop instrumental performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1989.

    Tony has gone on to work with bayou locals like The Meters, Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr. Trombone Shorty, and Marc Broussard.

    He has been part of infamous studio sessions with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Trey Anastasio, Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, Joan Baez, Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, Jewel, Edie Brickell, Linda Ronstadt, Pretty Lights, Herbie Hancock and Maceo Parker.

    Producer and musician Daniel Lanois felt these sounds in his soul. He assisted in some of these collaborations and on his own work. Tony covers bass for Lanois’ famous original composition “The Maker.” It has been honored with covers by Willie Nelson, Jerry Garcia Band and Dave Matthews Band with Victor Wooten.

    Tim Reynolds said this summer of his old band mate Tony, “You know those guys when you’re playing a gig, he’ll look right at you? That’s him. He’s a bad ass.” This past spring Tony just released a new studio record with his band Dumpstaphunk for the first time in seven years. He took some time to talk about the timeline on these projects with NYS Music.

    Matthew Romano: Tony, Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today about your past, present and future musical experiences.

    Tony Hall: Thanks man, lets get at it.

    MR: Daniel Lanois claimed Oh Mercy was a record you listen to at night because it was, “designed at night. Bob Dylan had a rule, we only recorded at night.” What did that session look like behind the scenes in a house turned studio in New Orleans?

    TH: We would go in at about 4 in the evening and Dan had a lot of ideas of the songs so we went through a bunch of them. Then… when Bob came… It would all go out the window. He’d start a groove and we would follow him. Let’s just match whatever he was doing.

    TH: It was all of us in a circle in a room, facing each other. Very long hours on this record. So many different versions of songs.

    MR: Well how about the funkiest collaboration on the track Everything is Broken?

    TH: It started with Bob playing his line and we just came in. Willie (Green) grooves and I jumped in on the spot (bass line humming).

    Ivan Neville, Keith Richards, Tony Hall, Don Was

    MR: Was Dylan just playing harp on that track for his solo?

    TH: No, he’s on guitar for that as well. He played guitar on a lot of songs and piano too. Brian Stoltz played with all of us as well on guitar.

    MR: Was that just a studio experience? Did you get to bring that on the road?

    TH: Just a studio record. Never got to play it live.

    TH: My experience working with Daniel Lanois came from him producing the Yellow Moon Recording, Bob Dylan’s Oh Mercy, and Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball. I recorded on his solo album Arcadia. He had a completely different approach.

    TH: He pulls everything you got in you…out. On “The Maker,” was me noodling and I kept adding parts. He even wanted to add a harmony part to one line. It has five different bass parts on that track

    TH: I met Dave Matthews in the early 90s. The Neville Brothers and DMB did a show together. I saw him in 2001 at a Emmylou Harris show and he knew as me the guy from “The Maker” that his band went on to cover

    TH: When we did the Dave Matthews solo record Some Devil in 2003 it felt so good. Brady and Trey all suggested we should be a band. “Hey let’s take this on tour.”

    MR: How was it behind the scenes during that legendary studio collaboration with Brady Blade, Trey Anastasio, Ray Paczkowski, Dave and Tim Reynolds?

    TH: Dave had all the songs written and we just came in and added our own parts to it. When you hire people to do a record, you have them bring what they do to the table, you know? So you can give them a lot of options. You play some stuff… like this? Sometimes the first thing is the one. “How about that?” No you did it already… (laughter)

    TH: I had a lot of fun with that record. One of my favorite songs is “So Damn Lucky.” And the song “Too High.” I love the end. The groove on the end is killing. We even overdubbed The Seattle Symphony to it. The big line everyone is playing together is led by Dave on the guitar. It’s killing. Its a great record!

    MR: Where does he come up with those unique sweet up and down chord progressions? Are they easy to jump on?

    TH: That would be a question for him (laughter). Some of the chords are open tuning with a lot of different fingerings for it. But it’s cool as shit. It works well together.

    MR: Then there was the Some Devil live tour that went to every major arena in America. Headlining sets at Bonnaroo and Vegoose Music Festivals. Even a Caribbean Cruise with Bob Weir special guesting on the boat. Who chose all those great covers ranging from Sly and the Family Stone, Chaka Kahn, Little Feat, Joe Walsh, The Band, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Hendrix, Zeppelin and Stones?

    TH: That was Dave and Trey’s call any given night. Ya know during the break sometimes (laughter). Let’s go do this…

    MR: After meeting Trey Anastasio and Ray Paczkowski at this project you ended up in the studio with him for his Album Bar 17.

    TH: The Trey thing, musically, was very talented. I didn’t know him before Some Devil. He had me come to Atlanta to do a session and sent me the songs to learn. But it wasn’t a session. It was an audition. Which is a cool way to audition somebody. Make them think it’s a session so if it doesn’t work you pay them and they just go. You don’t have to tell them they suck (laughter). But afterwards they said hey you got the gig. I’m like cool… what gig? (laughter)

    tony hall
    Brady Blade, Tony Hall

    TH: But the composition “Goodbye Head,” that song I listened to and it was a very long jam. I thought, “Oh, I got this,” and during rehearsals Trey’s like, “You have it down?” (of course). But I didn’t check the end of the tape where there was a whole ‘nother section. It got to the jam part and I just stopped. This tune gave me a run for my money. That song kicked my ass, I got to tell you that right now.

    MR: Then you went on a US tour with Trey Anastasio as part of an ever changing cast on stage in 2005 and 2006. It had special guests like Stewart Copeland, Bill Kreutzmann, Jon Fishman, Skeeto Valdez and Jeff Sipe along the way on Drums. Yet It always had you on bass and Ray Paczkoswki on keys as a constant. There was even Raymond Weber from New Orleans with you holding the bottom end down on drums at one point.

    tony hall
    Trey Anastasio, Stewart Copeland, Tony Hall

    TH: Yea Raymond ended up in the band after Trey came to sit in with us for the Dumpstaphunk show at B.B. King’s in New York City. So we call some stuff I got him to do, “46 Days” and um, “Cayman Review?” Raymond killed it on “Cayman.” He was like, “Damn you hear that on the bell? That reminds me of New Orleans.”

    TH: But our official live band release came from Original Boardwalk Hall Style in Atlantic City on New Year’s Eve 2006. That was the most cast with an 11-piece band. Yea, but I had a lot of fun playing with Trey. He would kick into a groove and then I’d pick up. He’s like, “OK this is your job, when it mellows out you take the way.” I think it was good for him to have someone who’s like, “Come on. Come on.”

    TH: He was always adding songs though. Like that Frank Zappa “Peaches En Regalia.” By it being new at soundcheck, I would learn it that night. So afterwards in Albany, between eating, I’m making notes before the start of the set figuring it out (laughter).



    MR: Heading Back to The New Orleans studios in 2017 you were a part of Trombone Shorty’s record that has the ultimate cover of Ernie K Does “Here Come the Girls.” Shorty is also on your new record this year.

    TH: Yeah that’s nice. I think George (Porter) is on the original version. I’ll have to look it up.

    TH: We have known Shorty since he was young. Coming up he’s always been extremely bad ass. In the beginning he used to do some shows with us and then did his own shit. Then blew up. He’s the man and puts on a hell of a show. Phenomenal player on the trumpet and trombone. It’s like nobody can touch him. But he also plays everything else like drums, keyboards and sings.

    tony hall
    Joseph “Ziggy” Modeliste, George Porter Jr, John Mayer, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Tony Hall

    MR: Speaking of horns you were on legendary sax player Maceo Parker’s album released last year recorded at an old New Orleans hotel turned studio.

    TH: Yea at Goat’s studio down in the ward, who’s Maceo’s soundman. It was fun and great to be on a record with his original track MACEO. Then great covers by Dr. John on “Right Place Wrong Time” that Dumstaphunk started doing.

    MR: The new Dumpstaphunk record you just released this year has some just straight funk instrumental tracks. Where did the “Dumpstamentals” come from?

    TH : Some of those came up at soundcheck. Me and the drummer Deven Truscleir started jamming on some stuff and other people came in. Ian (Neville) always records those on his phone and so do I so we can revisit them. Ian came up with Backwash when checking his rig during warm up and things like that.

    TH: We recorded a bunch of these songs and didn’t finish them lyric-wise. Vocal-wise we can always change. It goes kind of like vice versa. We’re all a band that can sing and play too, ya know? We did two of our favorite covers by Sly and the Family Stone for “In Time” and Buddy Miles’ “United Nations Stomp.”

    MR: How about Buddy with Band of Gypsies? He also covered “Don’t Keep Me Wondering” into “Midnight Rider” by The Allman Brothers for his own record.

    tony hall
    Tony Hall Beacon Theatre

    TH: He also covered their song “Dreams.” I know those from Buddy and I found out later they were Allman Brothers songs. Just like “Down By the River,” I learned that from Buddy and then found out after it was a Neil Young song

    TH: Yea Buddy’s the man. He’s one of my favorites. One of my mom’s favorites. She used to play it all the time. His live release is one of the best records. One of my top favorites.

    MR: Last time Dumstaphunk played New York State was headlining the 2019 Blues Fest in downtown Syracuse. After hours you and Deven Trescleir on drums came for a special sit-in with the band at Funk n Waffles for a bass-leading cover of The Temptations “Standing on Shaky Ground.” Less than a month later Dumstaphunk was opening for The Rolling Stones at the Louisiana Superdome in front of 60K. Are you ready to get at it like that again in 2021?

    TH: That was a great show, Most of the time when you’re an opening act people are just walking in doing your set or the place doesn’t fill up until your last song, but that show the crowd was there and it was a lot of our fans, the energy was high and we felt the love. It was our home town, it felt great!

    MR: The Woodstock 99 documentary just released features your performance with Brady Blade and Jewell. Any memories of that infamous Sunday gig in Rome NY?

    TH: We drove over night to the festival, I woke up on the bus at the site. I didn’t do much. I watched a few bands from the side stage. We had a good set. We stayed to watch the Red Hot Chilli Peppers show and left right before everything went down. The people from the documentary reached out about my experience there. I was only able to tell them what I’m telling you (laughter).

    tony hall

    Tony Hall