NYS Music 202​1

Category: Reviews

  • Grateful Dead Return to the Garden: March 9, 1981

    Grateful Dead Garden

    Few buildings have as storied a relationship with the Grateful Dead that Madison Square Garden does. The World’s Most Famous Arena quickly became the band’s “home” arena on the East Coast beginning with their first run here in January of 1979. Their welcomed stay would last until their final shows played there in 1994. Today, we celebrate the anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s third run at the Garden and only their sixth show ever here. This would be the first of only two Dead shows here this year. But its musical impact, thanks to an incredibly well preserved AUD recording, will last forever.

    The opening tones of “Feel Like A Stranger” ring throughout the Garden to kickstart things this evening. The electricity immediately comes through the pristine recording on this one as the bands “get’s on with the show.” Guitarist Bob Weir’s voice is in fine form for the opener and throughout the rest of this show. Some typical brief, scat-like improv singing from him gives way to a short but tight little opening number. “Althea” then follows, with fellow guitarist Jerry Garcia getting his turn to serenade the New York faithful. A fierce early guitar lick sets just the right tone early as Garcia nimbly moves from singing to soloing and then back.

    This is followed by a super-bluesy “C.C. Rider” that’s fueled by some great interplay between Garcia, Weir and Mydland on keys. A raucous Garden crowd makes their feelings well known afterwards. An extended tuning break might disrupt the rhythm for any other concert, but it’s not long before the arena is back in full sway and singing along with Garcia to “Ramble On Rose.” As expected, the “Just like New York City” line is met with resounding approval. Weir seems to begin “El Paso” by himself at first, but the band soon catches up and nails the rest of this first set staple. This one sees more impressively delicate guitar fills thrown in by Garcia who sounds clean and inspired from the onset this evening.

    A return to the blues then follows, this one of the “Deep Elem” variety. After being taken off the shelf late last year in October, the vocal sections still sound a little unsure on the Dead’s take of this blues standard but the continual passionate guitar stylings from Garcia more than makes up for it. There’s nothing unsure about Weir’s vocal delivery on “Beat It On Down The Line” as the band rips through another first set staple.

    Jerry’s vocals seem to run out of steam somewhat in the “Bird Song” that comes next. But the initial lackluster vocal section quickly gives way to some dazzling improv in the jam that follows with Garcia’s guitar leading the way. This seems to infuse some life into the band and the song’s dismount is much cleaner. Weir then re-assumes command and “New Minglewood Blues” closes out a rollicking opening stanza. Whether it was planned or not, the two guitarists wind up going tit-for-tat and alternate lead vocal duties between each song in the opening set.

    But like any Dead show, the real “meat and potatoes” of the show are generally found in the second set. Tonight’s show at the Garden would be no different. After some clearly audible teases while tuning, the band takes their sweet time before launching into a majestic set-opening “China Cat Sunflower.” Garcia’s meandering guitar solos play perfectly atop a bed of fresh bass rhythms supplied by Phil Lesh. The slowly building jam eventually makes its seamless transition into “I Know You Rider” where both Weir and Garcia throw a little extra mustard on their respective parts. The second “China Cat” > “Rider” sequence ever played at MSG is certainly one to behold.

    Out of the ashes of this blistering start comes “Samson and Delilah” with drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart wasting no time at all before launching into the percussive into. The accompanying jam is played at a near-frenetic pace that seems to have carried right over from the start of the set. Things finally cool down for a bit with “Ship Of Fools” that Garcia ably leads the group through with no issues. Even a slower number like this one seems to have the Grateful Dead Garden crowd enraptured.

    Things perk back up in a big way in the second set with the two heavy hitters that follow. “Estimated Prophet” sees a fired up Weir complemented beautifully by Mydland and the signature tone of his electric keys on this number. A typically patient and slow-building jam then ensues with Jerry soon beginning to take the helm musically. When this reaches its conclusion, he switches tones and starts the opening chords to “Uncle John’s Band.” The Garden is again enthralled by these proceedings, with many clapping along in time.

    Towards the end of the second’s set traditional “Drums” > “Space” section, some familiar chording can be heard. And before long, Lesh’s bellowing bass roars once again, signaling the high-intensity start of “The Other One.” The rest of the band follows Weir’s lead on vocals with this passionate take on a classic Dead number.

    After this powerful, but fairly short “Other One,” begins to peter out, Garcia slows things down once more and the beginning of “Stella Blue” ensues. A large crowd that was in full rock mode, clapping along wildly just more than an hour ago, is now in near total silence listening to Jerry’s deliberate and soulful vocals – a testament to the emotional power of a Grateful Dead Garden show.

    It sounds like Jerry wants to revisit and possibly finish “Uncle John’s Band” at the end of “Blue,” but they instead shift towards a “Good Lovin’” closer, the second set’s only cover song. The Garden crowd, once more, shows their love and appreciation afterwards before a “U.S. Blues” finishes things out, a proper call after so much blues-inspired songs and playing this evening. The Dead would go on to play one more show at MSG the following night. And thanks to the impeccable recording by Barry Glassberg below, we’ll be able to enjoy this one forever.

    Grateful Dead – Madison Square Garden – New York City, NY 3/9/81

    Set 1: Feel Like A Stranger, Althea-> CC Rider, Ramble On Rose-> El Paso, Deep Elem Blues, Beat It On Down The Line, Bird Song, Minglewood Blues

    Set 2: China Cat Sunflower-> I Know You Rider-> Samson & Delilah, Ship of Fools, Estimated Prophet-> Uncle John’s Band-> Drums-> The Other One-> Stella Blue-> Good Lovin’,

    Encore: U.S. Blues

  • Hearing Aide: Alan Evans “Let it Ride”

    In the early part of the decade Alan Evans had been playing with his band Soulive and every other big name in music. In 2004 he had the notion to collaborate with some of his closest friends to put out his first solo album. Let It Ride was only released on CD in Japan, but now 17 years later Alan Evans’ 2005 album has been released to all on February 26, 2021 by Vintage League Music. The record features bonus tracks and a snippet of Alan live in Upstate New York from 2005 with some of the cast.

    He recruited some of the best names of the modern funk soul scene to help him record it. Neal Evans, Sam Kininger, Aaron Bellamy, Nikki Glaspie, Mike Feingold, Ruslan Sirota, Cochemea Gastelum, Atticus Cole, Amee Jana and Skip Jennings. The music was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Evans at his Iron Wax Studios.

    alan evans let it ride

    The album features Alan locked in with bass player Aaron Bellamy for every track to hold down the bottom end. All the right personnel start the groove on “Do It Again” where Evans channels his inner James Brown shot calling “ Only Way to Do It, Is to Do it, So hit me Sam!!” that drops an iconic Kininger saxophone solo to get your head wrapped on the familiar funk these cats bring. “Can you feel this sound?” Evans vocals ask the same question “Auhhhh, are you with me?” for the appropriately named track “Are You With Me?” that also features Sam K on Saxophone. Answer most given, “Right on, Right on, Right On!”

    alan evans let it ride electric company
    Sam Kininger, Alan Evans, Aaron Bellamy at Electric Company in Utica

    To exit with the heavy funk, Evans gets his brushes out on ‘Welcome To The World’ where his vocals on this tune sound as soft as Hendrix on 1983… (a Merman I Should Turn to Be). Saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum helps set a worldly tone through the orbits on “Low Down Low.” To help come full circle on the recording Nikki Glaspie, Amee Jana and Skip Jennings lend their profound voices over the backing groove that kicks the record off on the “Do It Again Outro.”

    In light of his Upstate New York roots, Alan chose to release along with Let it Ride, the second half of a live album from Saratoga Springs on February 5, 2005 at Skidmore College. Saratoga native and former band mate Peter Prince encouraged this particular set, which encapsulates the whole mood of this release – Alan leading the improvisational pack with Aaron Bellamy on bass, Mike Feingold and Jeffery Lockhart on guitar. They stretch out on the live bonus tracks in front of the crowd many Februaries ago that even features a Jimi Hendrix mash up of “Purple Haze” and “Third Stone from the Sun” on the final track. We should be glad Alan Evans and company decided to “Do It Again” this year for the release of this funked up record.

    Key Tracks: Do It Again, Are You with Me?, Welcome to the World

    Purchase the Album here and look for our interview with Alan later this week.


  • Hearing Aide: No Showers On Vacation ‘Aquaband’

    No Showers On Vacation sounds about right. Now, wouldn’t that make you stink? Well, yeah of course. It is fitting then that this Burlington group’s funk is so strong it can kill a hippo. And jokes aside, this Phish-inspired group really does know how to bring their A-game while keeping things fun and exploratory.

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    This second pandemic release, AQUABAND, is true to the group’s sound and intentions. The album is terrifically produced and the compositions are very well organized considering this is a group that releases material at a good rate. Sam Lyons (drums), Emmett Lurssen (guitar), Alden Nichols (keyboards), and Pat Maley (sax) form a very good jam group. It is worth noting that this is only their second release, after debut EP Bath Time: Miami. Spoiler alert: this album is well worth your time.

    The first track, “Chestnut” features a rambling but consistent piano riff that leaves room for a ton of various solos. The eccentric beat forms itself into a Santana type jam, while a dirty guitar solo paves the way back to the piano riff. There is nothing missing here, aside from more sax (and even then, you better hold onto your hats cause this album just started). Throughout the beginning, the listener sees the piano taking center stage.

    The keys introduce a lot of the themes of the song and bring in the rest of the band. The bass divides the chord structure, navigating its way around the low end with a steady groove. The guitar sits back when it should and finds its way into the spotlight only when called upon. In a band of this style, it is often the case that one instrument will win a power struggle for being the most heard- that is not the case at all with No Showers On Vacation. Here we have a group that meshes really well and leaves space for every aspect of their music to shine.

    One that will get listeners up and active is “Sinkko.” Really, the only thing listeners might want more here is…literally more! The song hooks you in and then sets you free. It is easy to listen to this one a few times to soak in the vibes and the bouncy rhythm. “Amtrakk” features a beautifully organized instrumental that harkens back to a lot of 70’s jams. This is something you likely do not hear a lot of, coming from a band writing music today. The song has a progression that feels like you are actually traveling on a train (minus sitting next to someone who did not shower on their vacation). The charging, locomotive piano and beat drop off to a grand, empowering progression that can be likened to driving out of a tunnel onto a mountainside road.

    The beauty of what the band puts together here compared to the dirty funk in something like “Chonk” gives this album a whole of re-listening value. Highly recommend, and keep an eye out for when No Showers On Vacation are able to get back out to their live element! Find them on Instagram to keep up to date.

    Key Tracks: Chonk, Amtrakk, Gold

  • Rochester’s Old Fame Release “Nowhere to Be” EP

    Today, Rochester indie-rockers Old Fame release their second EP Nowhere to Be, a collection of four songs written in response to the pandemic, the media, family disfunction, shame, and division amongst families over politics. Or, as the band puts it, “All the fun stuff!”

    Old Fame EP
    Artwork by JJ Pelechaty

    On “Act II,” Old Fame demonstrates influences of psychedelic post-rock and emo. Previously, the band released singles “Short Cub” and “Cumberland” with the final track, “Slevin” debuting today with the release of the full EP.

    “Short Cub” and “Cumberland” were written in 2019, while “Act II” and “Slevin” were written during the pandemic, thus, neither of the latter two tracks have been performed live. Recorded at Wicked Squid Studios is located in Rochester, the alt-rock tones are impressive, leading to much build-up and flowing seamlessly together.

    Old Fame EP

    Old Fame is Ben Armes (vocals, guitar), Doug Kelley (drums), Evan Clark (guitar), Jay Asarese (bass). Members of the band have played in Rochester area projects including Like Vintage, Alberto Alaska, Emulet, and Heavy Lies the Crown.

    Listen to the latest EP from Old Fame below or on Bandcamp.

  • 2014 Flashback: Paul Simon and Sting hold a “Little Experiment” at MSG

    In February of 2014, Paul Simon and Sting began their ‘On Stage Together’ Tour in Houston, TX.  The tour traveled across North America, Oceania, and Europe before concluding in Amsterdam in 2015.  I was lucky enough to catch one of the shows on my birthday, March 4, 2014, at Madison Square Garden.  That made this night even more special than it was already set out to be.  The accompanying band was comprised of members of both Simon and Sting’s bands respectively. 

    paul simon sting

    “Welcome to our little experiment” Simon said to the crowd early on.  After performing the first few songs together, the duo took turns alternating throughout the night, but still sprinkled in a few more songs together before they both took the stage once again for the encore.  After the opening duets, Simon left the stage and Sting began his Police heavy solo block with “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, Englishman In New York”, “I Hung My Head and “Driven To Tears”.  He ended his first set with “Walking on the Moon” which transitioned nicely into Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion”.  After that, Sting left the stage and Simon began his first solo set with “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”.  The rest of his set were all hits from his solo career like “Graceland”, “Still Crazy After All These Years” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” 

    Before Paul left the stage again, they both did a magnificent cover of Sting’s “Fragile” from his Nothing Like the Sun album. Sting started his next set with a stripped down cover of Simon’s “America”.  “Paul has been my mentor and teacher for many, many years” Sting told the audience.  He then explained that the song reminded him of when he first came to America. Him, Stewart and Andy rented a station wagon in New York and drove across the country playing in dives and staying in shitty hotels. He said “Even though this song was written a decade before, it still reminds me of that time”. He then continued his set with some more Police classics like “Message in a Bottle” and “Roxanne” along with more solo hits like “They Dance Alone” and “Desert Rose.”

    Another highlight of the night is when Simon appeared back on stage and helped end Sting’s set with another duet cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”.  The two sounded amazing as they harmonized on the song that was recorded over 40 years earlier. 

    For his next set, Paul dusted off the title track to his 1983 album Hearts and Bones as well as his 1991’s percussion driven “The Obvious Child”.  I love this song but for some reason it is not a crowd favorite.  But, needless to say he quickly reengaged the sold out crowd at The Garden with what is probably his most popular solo song “You Can Call Me Al” to end his final solo set.  

    The encore began with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with Sting nailing the high notes on the first verse.  Paul sang the second verse before transitioning right into “Every Breath You Take” as well as a vibrant version of “Late in the Evening”. 

    At this time the band walked off the stage and it appeared the show was about to end, but Simon and Sting then both picked up acoustic guitars and harmonized once again on the Everly Brothers “When Will I Be Loved” that they dedicated to the late Phil Everly.  

    The show was over three hours long and it was so good that I could have watched the entire performance again. This was one of the best collaborations I have ever seen between two iconic performers coming from different backgrounds and styles.  

    Paul Simon and Sting, Madison Square Garden, NYC – March 4, 2014

    Setlist: Brand New Day@, The Boy in the Bubble@, Fields of Gold@, Every Little Thing She Does is Magic#, Englishman in New York#, I Hung My Head#, Driven to Tears#, Walking on the Moon#, Mother and Child Reunion@, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover*, Dazzling Blue*, Graceland*, Still Crazy After All These Years*, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard*, Fragile@, America#, Message in a Bottle#, The Hounds of Winter#, They Dance Alone#, Roxanne#, Desert Rose#, The Boxer@, That Was Your Mother*, Hearts and Bones*, Mystery Train*, Wheels*, The Obvious Child*, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes*, You Can Call Me Al*

    Encore: Bridge Over Troubled Water@, Every Breath You Take@, Late in the Evening@, When Will I Be Loved?@

    # Sting
    * Paul Simon
    @ Sting and Paul Simon

    • paul simon sting
    • paul simon sting
    • paul simon sting
    • paul simon sting
    • paul simon sting

  • NYC indie soul band Melt talk Debut EP ‘West Side Highway’

    It has been four years since the members of Melt came together as a band. Co-founders Veronica Stewart-Frommer (Vocals) and Eric Gabriel (Vocals, Keys) both NYC natives, started playing music together in High School. They and some of their friends entered a local battle of the bands competition and won. They took the prize money from that competition and used it to produce the band’s first song “Sour Candy” which was released as a single in 2017.

    Melt is a septet, which is comprised of an additional five members: Marlo Shankweiler (Guitar), Josh Greenzeig (Drums), Coulou (Trumpet), Lucas Saur (Bass), and Nick Sare (Saxophone). Melt’s successful debut single propelled the band into the limelight with the strategic utilization of social media and substantial exposure on various internet streaming services. “Sour Candy” holds the distinction of having over 5 million streams on Spotify since it’s initial release. Between this heavy exposure and the band’s high energy live performances, Melt has been successful in establishing themselves securely in the rough and tumble NYC music scene.

    melt band

    Melt has a reached another important milestone with the February release of their Debut EP West Side Highway, which includes six tracks of previously unreleased music. Recorded at the Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, West Side Highway reflects a new level of maturity that Melt has been successful in developing as a band. “Coming into the studio with the goal of creating a longer work, we thought more intently on how each track worked with one another and used the opportunity to weave together the wide set of influences helping to shape a seven-person band,” said Josh Greenzeig (Drums).

    “We used the EP format to create a snapshot of what that moment in time was for us, cementing elements of our sound that we love and finding new ones worth exploring.”

    melt band

    West Side Highway starts out with opening track “Don’t Want Me,” a moody number that details a love affair that has gone bad and is still painfully lingering in it’s final death throes. The masterful guitar instrumentation by Shankweiler and the melancholic vocal by Stewart-Frommer both work in concert to create a setting of sad desperation with a longing to be released. It was a great way to start the record and one that was interesting in it’s selection. It set the meditative tone of the EP which is soothing, comforting, and introspective in it’s entirety. This on going theme is again illustrated with third track, the EP’s title track, “West Side Highway,” which can be considered a love letter to pandemic ravaged NYC. This thought evoking number features a wonderfully muted trumpet solo by Coulou that is enhanced with Gabriel’s creative keyboard playing. his type of musical craftmanship results in another gem of a track on the record.

    We were able to get some time with Melt co-founders Veronica Stewart-Frommer (Vocals) and Eric Gabriel (Vocals, Keys) in order to discuss the band and it’s debute EP – West Side Highway.

    melt band

    Tim Bopp: How did the band Melt form and what were the circumstances that caused the genesis of the band.

    Eric Gabriel: Veronica and I went to High School together and towards the end of high school we had some more time to kind of start playing with people around the city and that was really the first iteration.   

    Veronica Stewart-Frommer: The first call we made was Marlo who is our guitar player.

    TB:  How did you come up with the band name Melt?

    VS-F:  The funny thing about that is that we actually had the song even before we had the name for the band. Suddenly we were sitting with this single and we were like, “Alright and we kind of want to put this out there but we don’t have a name.” So we went down this very long list of random names. The night before we were going to release “Sour Candy” we actually made a Facebook page called Big Deli Chain.  We were like, “That is it! That is the name! We are going to be Big Deli Chain (laughing).”  At some point between 2AM and 4AM that night I was just like this band can’t be named Big Deli Chain and we changed it to Melt.  It was so random.

    TB:  How has the Pandemic Affected the band and the new EP West Side Highway?  

    VS-F: The EP really is a product of the Pandemic.  In a lot of ways, it feels like an entirely new Melt.   This was such a unique time for us. Something that is interesting about us is that during the year we are all either doing our day jobs or even in school. A lot of us are still in college. So we do this kind of funky long distance band thing where we unite for these crazy weekend shows and then go our separate ways.  In a lot of ways due to the Pandemic, if we wanted to work, we had to live together for multiple weeks in order to justify moving anywhere. It was kind of the first time since four years ago when the band started that we were able to settle down and really be together for weeks on end and write and hang out. We are such a live band that our songs are usually tested over months and years at live shows and they are based on what the audience reacts to and how we are feeling at the show but there was none of that this time.

    EG:  We have mostly been thought of as a live band. On most of our singles we typically try to document that energy that we all love about playing together at a live show.  This EP we kind of wanted to go into a different direction.  I think it is much more chilled out and doesn’t really have as much of that live band sound. The individual tracks we kind of wanted to take a different approach in the crafting of the songs.

    TB:  What are some of your musical influences? 

    VS-F:  Part of what makes up the Melt sound is that we are seven people and some of us went to school for Jazz music and some of us studied political science and were raised on the Beatles and Bob Dylan.  A lot of us have been into the Jam scene.  That is actually how I met Marlo, through Phish and the Grateful Dead.  I think we are kind of all over the map on that.  Obviously as a singer I really adore a lot of artists like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Otis Redding. That is where I fell in love with that genre and that type of singing. We are really all over the place.  Right now a lot of us are into Phoebe Bridgers and the more Indie scene. I think that comes through on this EP.

    EG:  I grew up with a ton of Bruce Springsteen. More recently I listen to more folk music like Adrianne Lenker and also bands like the National.  That kind of music.

    TB: So, are you two the predominant the songwriters for Melt?

    VS-F: Typically, that is how it has been. In the past, Eric and I usually write the lyrics to the songs that we sing, but we edit with each other and with other members of the band. Usually, it will either be one of the two of us will start a song and then bring it to the band. It evolves into a completely different direction from there. For this EP, since we were all together and couldn’t perform live, we wound up focusing a lot more on the production side of things as a band. Our bass player Lucas is really skilled at recording and in engineering production. He played a huge role in creating the foundation for the songs on the EP. We experimented a lot on this record this time around.

    EG: This time around we started with Josh the drummer literally laying down songs, sometime just on his own. Then we would add the bass track and then that leads us into the guitar and usually vocals at the end.  We really just build it up. 

    VS-F:  We don’t know which way we like better.  Maybe in the future we will go back in and play everything as if we are playing live. I think part of the beauty of Melt is that we are so young, so we don’t feel tied to any of our ways and we like to try out new things and see how it goes. 

    melt band

    TB:  How long did it take a band like Melt to complete the West Side Highway EP? 

    VS-F:  Start to finish it was like two months. We were really lucky to be able to record the EP at the Bunker Studios in Brooklyn.  We had a really wonderful producer and engineer named Aaron Nevezie who mixed some of the tracks as well.  

    EG:  Some songs were written earlier, like Hours I wrote about a year ago.

    TB:  What does the future have in store for Melt?       

    Eric:  We cannot wait to start playing shows again. We are really looking forward to playing out.  The last real show Melt played was at the Sinclair in Cambridge last February.  It felt like that at that show we all came together and we were fully on it.  Our trumpet player Aaron even stage dived at the end of the “Sour Candy” solo that night.

    VS-F:  That show was awesome.  It wasn’t the biggest room we have played, but just the layout of the place was great.  It went straight back so you could see everyone and there was great energy that night.  I also think the Knitting Factory show we played in Brooklyn.  That was the first time we played “Waves.” Before a show we are always saying to the band don’t go too fast let’s keep the energy contained. Once we get out there it is just like an explosion and we are always playing at 100%.  We don’t have many moments during a set where we just drop back and take a moment to breathe.  In the bridge in “Waves” there is a moment where everyone drops out and it is just me and Eric. That was really a special moment. I always think about that moment when I picture live music coming back. It was the first time that we had ever played the song and I think the audience was psyched to hear a new song and it was kind of a sentimental little moment. It was really cool.     

    Key Tracks: Don’t Want Me, West Side Highway, Waves

  • Flashback: Bad Religion Frontman Greg Graffin Plays 3 Shows at Rockwood Music Hall

    Greg Graffin is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Bad Religion, which he co founded in 1979. Graffin has also earned a PhD from Cornell and teaches natural science courses at UCLA.  He has written several books on the topics of evolution and religion.  In 2017, he released his third solo album, Millport. 

    In support of the album he played 3 sold out shows at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side of Manhattan on February 27th, 28th and March 1st in 2017. The album was released on March 10th of the same year.

    bad religion greg graffin

    Ken Rockwood opened the venue in 2005.  It is a very small and intimate venue that has 3 stages, a bar and a record label of the same name.  Usually Graffin plays on bigger stages with his main band Bad Religion, so to see him perform these new songs up close and personal was a real treat for me.  I have been a huge fan for over 20 years.  

    The small stage was packed with instruments you would not see at a BR show such as a banjo, fiddle and a madalin. The band featured Guitarist Tommy Andrews, Drummer Jamie Miller and David Bragger who played multiple instruments.  

    The first song they performed was “Backroads of my Mind” which happened to be one of the first singles off the album.  After the song, Greg noted that these were the first shows he has ever played guitar in front of a group of people while standing up.  You can tell he wasn’t lying because he was using an actual shoelace as a guitar strap which was somehow perfect for matching the Country Rock/Folk genre. 

    The band then went into several more songs off the album including “Too Many Virtues”, “Time of Need” and the electric guitar driver “Lincoln’s Funeral Train”.  One of the highlights of the night was the harmony filled Bluegrass track “Echo on the Hill”.  The song was a great showcase of the band’s skills, particularly Bragger’s mandolin playing. 

    Before the last song, Greg Graffin jokes “for everyone who waited all night for a Bad Religion song” as they went into an rearranged version of “Sorrow” from BR’s 2002 Process of Belief album.  The new version sounded awesome in the tiny room as the whole crowd sang along. It was really a great moment for any Bad Religion fan.  It was a perfect night and the audience really felt connected with the band.  I enjoyed it so much that I went back the following night which was just as amazing.  After the shows Greg even stuck around to take pictures and sign autographs for the fans.  It was a truly magnificent experience.

    • bad religion greg graffin
    • bad religion greg graffin

  • Kyle Tuttle Releases High-Energy Live EP ‘Kyle Tuttle Live in 2020’

    Today, Kyle Tuttle releases his live EP, Kyle Tuttle Live in 2020, almost a year to date when the album was recorded.

    The album features songs recorded live two different nights, at The Mill & Mine in Knoxville, TN on February 26, 2020 and The Hunt House in Atlanta, Georgia on February 28 2020, opening for Railroad Earth.

    At the time of recording, no one knew what the next year would bring. It was Kyle Tuttle Band’s (KTB) first tour of the year, and subsequently also the last before COVID-19 hit.

    kyle tuttle

    The live EP starts with “Mystery Train,” an exhilarating track that exemplifies Kyle Tuttle’s rock and bluegrass influences and first released as a single on February 12th. While a cover of a song originally by Junior Parker, Tuttle and his band make it their own. Tuttle on banjo and fiddler Julian Pinelli each take an incredible solo that flows great with the song and matches its energy.

    “Birdie Strut” is another great track and more laid back compared to the first song, but still grooves. The band is tight throughout the whole EP, but this track is a prime example of their togetherness and chemistry with one another. Julian Pinelli rips another awesome fiddle solo as well.

    Kyle Tuttle is a Berklee College of Music graduate who has toured across New York with a number of bands, including the late Jeff Austin. His band consists of James Kittleman on drums, Julian Pinelli on fiddle, and Ben DeBerry on bass.

    Now that this live EP is out, we can look forward to the days when Kyle Tuttle can get back out on stage and wow the crowds as he and his band did in these performances.

    Key tracks: Mystery Man, Birdie Strut

  • King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Take a Microtonal Dive on ‘LW’

    King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard are back with another new album, LW. The band’s 17th studio album is the follow up to 2020’s KG and also the third installment in their series of microtonal explorations (which also includes 2017’s Flying Microtonal Banana). The record comes right on the heels of the recently released live-studio music video “Pleura,” directed by John Angus Stewart.

    King Gizzard LW

    King Gizzard intended LW to be a seamless continuation of 2020’s KG as all of the songs were recorded together with the same stylistic and experimental tendencies. The double album is bookended by separate but similarly titled tracks “KGLW.” The first, being the opening track on KG, is a one-and-a-half-minute melody reminiscent of medieval minstrel music while the second version of “KGLW,” the closing track on LW, is a slow burning thrash metal epic. Even the noisy outro of KG closing track “The Hungry Wolf of Fate” extends into the opening minute of LW opener “If Not Now, Then When?” before abruptly switching into a slinky funk jam.

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    On LW, King Gizzard continue their dive into “microtonal tunings,” a unique musical style that comes from using instrumentation designed to give distinct tones between those found on western, indexed instruments. Frontman Stu Mackenzie described the effort by saying “we wanted to make new music that was somehow more colorful this time around, and which maybe reflected the many new things that we have learned along the way.” The band relies heavily on the bağlama, a Turkish stringed instrument, to create layers of psychedelic and mystical microtonal passages that transports the listener right to the deserts of the Far East. Mixed with Stu’s unique metal-tinged vocals and garage rock guitar structure, the band delivers a truly innovative experience on LW.

    King Gizzard LW
    King Gizzard at Central Park Summerstage, 8/28/2019 – Photo by Buscar Photo

    However, King Gizzard do not just stick to one sound here. In fact, the band fine tune many of the different stylistic directions from their back catalog in the theme of Eastern microtonal tuning. On both KG and LW there are tracks with a disco/funk rhythm, heavy thrash metal tracks that could fit right on Infest the Rats’ Nest, and prog-folk odysseys. The Melbourne based band have dedicated entire albums to these influences over their career, but on KG and LW they all come together in a whole new way. The result is as if you threw 70s era prog and folk rock, Revolver era Beatles, and early Black Sabbath into the Gizzard song machine.

    King Gizzard LW
    King Gizzard at Central Park Summerstage, 8/28/2019 – Photo by Buscar Photo

    Standout tracks include the lead single “Pleura,” a driving garage rock song with a stringy folk passage in the back half, “Static Electricity” which features layers of swirling woodwinds and acoustic guitar arpeggios, and closing track “KGLW” which is a sprawling 8-minute thrash metal banger with a creepy “K-G-L-W” vocal mantra buried into the mix. You can find both albums to download right on King Gizzard’s own site (HERE) where $1 from every download of LW is being donated to Greenfleet, a charity aimed at replanting biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand.

    If one thing is certain, given the extra time from not being able to tour, this is only the beginning of another rabid burst of musical output from King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

    Check out more photos from King Gizzard’s headline show at Central Park Summerstage back in August 2019 below.

    • King Gizzard LW
    • King Gizzard LW

  • Hearing Aide: Reliably Bad ‘Space Girl’

    Eight-piece funk-pop band Reliably Bad is set to release Space Girl, their first full length album, on February 26th.

    Based out of Greensboro, North Carolina, Reliably Bad’s sound draws influences from funk, soul, and R&B greats like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and many others. While Reliably Bad pays tribute to these influences, they bring their own unique, modern sound as well.

    The album starts off with the title track, “Space Girl.” This first track channels that distinct 70’s funk sound that bands like CHIC made famous. A funky, wah-heavy guitar strumming propels Reliably Bad into the first energetic track of the album. Taking after the name of the track, the chorus exemplifies the spacey feel of the composition. But while it is spacey, the band is super tight rhythmically.

    “Phone” is another catchy song that tells a story of miscommunication between two lovers. While all of the songs on the album exemplify lead singer Jessica Schnieder’s vocal capabilities, “Phone” is one track where she really shines. Her smooth vocals carry the laid-back, jazzy vibe of the track.

    The album ends with “All The Time,” a track of epic proportions that features a host of additional musicians and is a perfect finale to the album. It is Stevie Wonder-esque, and culminates with a high-energy chorus that opens up, bringing in additional vocalists, horns, and strings.

    Space Girl features production and mixing from recent Grammy Nominee Gabe Fox-Peck (Young Bull and Harriet), and was partially mixed by Caleb Parker (Vulfpeck, Scary Pockets, and Pomplamoose).

    Key Tracks: Space Girl, Phone, All The Time