Category: Reviews

The Beatles Touchdown in New York City

On Friday, February 7, 1964, Beatlemania arrived in the United States, as John, Paul, George and Ringo touched down on Pan Am Flight 101 at JFK Airport in Queens. More than 3,000 screaming fans greeted the mod suit wearing Beatles on the tarmac, leading to a few injuries among the crowd.

AP photo

In Anthology, Paul McCartney shared his thoughts as the plane approached New York.

There were millions of kids at the airport, which nobody had expected. We heard about it in mid-air. There were journalists on the plane, and the pilot had rang ahead and said, ‘Tell the boys there’s a big crowd waiting for them.’ We thought, ‘Wow! God, we have really made it.’
Paul McCartney

At nearly 1:30 p.m., the plane taxied to the terminal and the aircraft door opened. Cheers and screams rang out from the crowd. The NY Daily News reported a 17-year-old June Clayton of Brooklyn saying “They’re so cute. And Ringo’s the cutest. Look at them comb their hair!”

In addition to the huge crowd carrying signs and placards, the press numbered 200, reporters, photographers and cameramen among them.

How did so many people arrive at JFK Airport on this Friday afternoon? It seems Seltaeb, who handled The Beatles’ merchandising in the States, offered a promotion that promised every one who showed up at the airport would receive a t-shirt and a dollar, or $8.40 in 2021 dollars. The idea was crafted by Nicky Byrne of Seltaeb, with direction from Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

Byrne made a deal with radio stations WMCA and 1010 WINS to promote the offer, but Capitol Records had a promotion of their own, arranging for posters and car stickers that read “The Beatles are Coming” being spread out across New York City. When fans called Capitol Records, receptionists would answer the phone, “Capitol Records, The Beatles are coming.” Between radio, print and offers of a free shirt and money, fans flocked to JFK to give the boys from Liverpool a proper welcome.

Murray the K, DJ at 1010 WINS, announced The Beatles’ flight number and time of arrival over the air, which was spread by larger stations WMCA and WABC, helping to build anticipation.

The band then held a press conference inside Kennedy Airport where they met Murray the K, and were asked by the press pool to say their names, as the were individually not well known to the press.

The playful press conference was nothing more than a slapstick routine for the foursome, mildly frustrating the straight-laced press. Just as the crowd was dissipating, Paul grabbed the microphone to say “We have a message.” As reporters got ready to take notes and photographers jockeyed for position, Paul would say, “Our message is: buy more Beatles records!”

The Fab Four would leave the airport in four separate limousines, with Cynthia Lennon accompanying John and the others riding solo. Epstein and others needed to hail a taxi to get into Manhattan. A play-by-play could be heard on the radio by McCartney, which culminated in a crowd of fans and reporters swarming the band at the Plaza Hotel, where the band was giving a 10-room suite on the 12th floor with a Central Park view.

In the days that followed, The Beatles would make music history in New York City and Washington, D.C. On Sunday, February 9 at 8pm, Ed Sullivan welcomed the band to his stage for five songs: “All My Loving,” Meredith Willson’s “Till There Was You,” “She Loves You,” “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” 73 million tuned in to watch The Ed Sullivan Show that night, roughly two-fifths of the population in America at that time. This would be the largest television audience at the time, according to Nielsen.

On February 11 at the Washington Coliseum, The Beatles performed their first American concert, with 8,000 lucky fans in attendance. They returned to the Big Apple the next day for performances at Carnegie Hall on the 12th and 13th, each of which were attended by 2,000.

From New York, The Beatles flew to Miami, making a second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 16, broadcast from the Napoleon Ballroom at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, bringing in another huge audience of 70 million viewers. Returning to England via Heathrow Airport on February 22, the band was met by 10,000 fans, leaving the beginnings of Beatlemania in their wake back in America.

February 7, 2021
‘Sounds from the Bardo Vol II’ Provides Jams To Help Find Inner-Peace

Meditation and mental well-being go hand in hand and there’s never been a period in time quite like the current that demands a positive mindset. Enter Sounds from the Bardo Volume II, presented by Psychedelic Sangha. This undertaking, an album-based series of immersive journeys into liminal states of consciousness, is the brainchild of Ethan Covey and Doc Kelley and a follow-up to Volume I which was released on Bandcamp this past December.

Spanning almost 90 minutes, this project was created to provide the means to meditate while immersing yourself into beautiful music as a means of finding inner-peace. It features Tony Leone on percussion, Scott Metzger on guitar and Jeff Hill on Bass and was recorded live in November at the Judson Memorial Church in NYC. The release consists of 4 tracks, which include a meditation and instrumental track, each containing the same jam performance with and without guided meditation, and 2 additional soundcheck jams from the same session. Additionally, this multi-media collection also includes a video of the full length original light show produced by Bubba Ayoub.

The meditation begins with Jessica Angima’s soothing voice helping to bring calm to your surroundings while Scott Metzger’s guitar begins to playfully dance around her words. As her words began to fade away, the trio begins their gentle improvisation into the soundscape. The journey they start is akin to a sunrise and sunset, slowly building and shining more light as the meditation progresses and flowing into ambient sounds as the hour reaches it end.

Sounds from the Bardo Vol. II – Teaser 1 from Psychedelic Sangha on Vimeo.

The delicate jamming begins to give way to delightful melodies halfway through journey and this continues to a beautiful crescendo before bringing the participant back to an ambient outro. The paths that this trio takes between each of Jessica’s guided meditations are a phenomenal example of what these three talented musicians are able to create together. This release is the first published recording of these three musical geniuses performing together and hopefully it’s not the last that we see of them collaborating together on something special.

Also included on this release are additional 2 soundcheck jams from Leone, Metzger and Hill. These bonus tracks continue the psychedelic energy that the trio brought to the meditation and show the trio stretching themselves and their abilities out, as you’d expect from any soundcheck. Both of these tracks flow between genres, tempos and energies while showcasing the themes and strengths that each of the artists would bring to their magnum opus. At the end of the second jam, you’ll find yourself agreeing with the band when you hear them exclaim, “We’re vibin’ so hard!”

Psychedelic Sangha’s Sounds from the Bardo Volume II will be released via Bandcamp on February 5th and can be purchased for a minimum of $12 USD. This release is a must-own for anyone who engages in or is considering dipping their toes into meditation, and certainly for everyone who is a fan of ambient jamming or improvisational soundchecks.
<a href="https://psychedelicsangha.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-from-the-bardo-vol-ii">Sounds from the Bardo Vol. II by Tony Leone, Scott Metzger, Jeff Hill</a>

February 5, 2021
Hearing Aide: Mr. Days “Infinitus”

On January 22, 1977 Johnny Cash brought his band to Upstate New York to the Onondaga County War Memorial to promote his 56th album The Rambler. A concept album about traveling, the songs interspersed with dialogue between Cash and hitchhikers he picked up or other people he met during the album’s cross-country trip. It truly is an American roots album where Cash shares various county road tales about the lost love of women and family anecdotes about his grandfather’s preaching days in North Carolina.

Outlaw country outfit Mr.Days from Albany have adopted a similar alt-country/jam/Americana sound concept for their first album, Infinitus. Released on January 1, 2021 is influenced by the same America as Cash was. Mr. Days is a trio consisting of James Matlock on guitar and vocals, his father Rick Matlock on guitar and vocals and Jacob Karker on drums and vocals. The father-son duo have been writing these songs and performing them in Capital Region saloons for a couple years now.

The Matlocks wrote a song called “Bill and Ed,” a story about their great-great-great grandfather who made a living in part by traveling the country selling Christmas trees by train in the winter. There was a family legend that he had died when looking out the window of a moving train during one of these endeavors, being decapitated by a light pole. Genealogical research indicated that it was actually just a train crash that resulted in his passing, but it still holds roots for a great ballad, with drums echoing the train rolling down the tracks. The Matlocks sing, “Riding out toward Toledo, got four cars of spruce, that Christmas pine, the train keeps rolling and a winter storm is blowing.”

Rick Matlock’s travels in America are also reflected in the tune “Carolina Bound,” a musical memoir of his trips down south to visit family, singing, “Pack my bag and leave the valley, say goodbye to Mohawk cold … I’m moving on to the southern plains where I belong.” Another great track that reflects America’s history is “Appalachian Bloodstone.” This song travels to the hillsides of West Virginia where the Buffalo Creek Flood occurred in February 1972. The Pittston Coal Company impoundment dam in Logan County had burst four days after having been declared “ satisfactory” by a federal mine inspector. The accident that was referred to as “an act of god” and displaced the 5,000 people who lived along Buffalo Creek Hollow. The Matlocks praise, “we all sink the same … that’s the price they pay for taking all that blood stone”

Rick Matlock, Jacob Karker, James Matlock

Mr. Days started their own history in 2021 with the release of their debut record. Hopefully it will bring them across the vast American landscape that they sing heartily about. Much like Johnny Cash on The Rambler, the journey of Mr. Days takes place on the open road. Cash preaches “Life out on the interstate is very much alive, there’s magic in the mountains and music in the valley down below, and my song ain’t through playing yet so I believe I’ll hit the road and go”.

Key Tracks: Bill and Ed, Carolina Bound, Appalachian Bloodstone
<a href="https://mrdays.bandcamp.com/album/infinitus">Infinitus by Mr. Days</a>

February 5, 2021
Hearing Aide: Evil Key “The Host”

Syracuse based rapper Evil Key (Jonas Nicholson) follows his 2020 release SAVE FACE//ESCAPE FATE with his newest concept album The Host. Nicolson is also member of fellow Syracuse psychedelic jam rock band Vaporeyes. The Host is a brave departure from any of Nicholson’s previous work done with Vaporeyes, opting for a bold lo-fi rap concept album that explores becoming a new person, possibly without your control.

About a decade ago, I had a particular experience that changed my life. I made positive changes and stopped being overall self-destructive. Looking back at it now, it feels like a lifetime ago. Like a different person. What if I am? What if I’ve been taken over? What if I’ve been someone else all these years? Would I know? Am I in here?
Evil Key, Rapper

Meeting at the crossroad between the moody emo rap ruling the mainstream and the nerdy backpack rap of the early 2000s, Evil Key finds a unique niche to fill. While Evil Key’s influences from the likes of Aesop Rock to Eminem are abundantly clear, he operates in a unique enough lane that it does not take much out of the overall experience. The Host offers a stellar mix of beats from upbeat synth driven songs like “The Host”, to more spaced out cloud rap tracks like “Happy”, to noisy sample heavy tracks like “Concords”; all containing a particular lo-fi edge. “Hear It Still” has a particular vocal sample that meshes perfectly with the tracks chilled-out hook.

Evil Key’s amateurish lunch room battle rap approach to rapping is endearing at first, but quickly becomes the records biggest flaw. Evil Key will often go off on tangent-like flows, such as on “FYPM,” that only serve the purpose of flexing his ability to rap fast rather than add an appealing sonic element to the songs. This tactic comes across awkward and can kill the mood of the multitude of somber and reflective songs on the album. With the beat being as subdued and laid back as they are, this hyper-aggressive approach to rap does not mesh well. On songs like “Hear it Still,” Evil Key is able to find a much more measured flow that shows he is capable of a more relaxed approach.

While The Host’s core concept is vague and hard to follow, the basic themes of depression, reinvention and paranoia are easy to identify with and ring throughout each track. As a whole, the album is a cohesive experience with each track sonically and lyrically meshing well together. The general mood of the album is oppressively gloomy and with pockets of light such as on songs like “The Host.” Each track being as versatile as they are adds to the engaging seamless listening sequence.

The overwhelming highlight of The Host is Evil Key’s impressive lyrical ability; Evil Key is able to create incredibly verbose bars seemingly effortlessly. Creating impressive rhyme schemes such as on songs like “Usurper.” Evil Key offers an endless stream of impressive rhymes that refuse to let up at any point throughout the album. While the nonstop rhymes are undoubtedly impressive, just like with the aggressive flows, they often act directly against some of the more subdued moments on the albums such as “Good Morning.”

Overall, The Host is an ambitious sophomore effort from Evil Key. An array of diverse beats do wonders in crafting the album’s depressing mood, some even being produced by Evil Key himself. Lyrically, Evil Key proves he is a force to be reckoned with on the mic, dropping one clever and emotional bar after another. What sets Evil Key apart from his obvious influences is his ability to craft unique and focused song concepts along with his dictionary-like lyrical arsenal. Even if Evil Key’s flows set the mood of certain songs off-kilter, what this album shows more that anything is serious potential in the budding artist.

The Host is available for purchase physically on CD and Bandcamp as well as streaming on all platforms.

Key Tracks: The Host, No Exorcism, Hear it Still

February 4, 2021
Hearing Aide: Velocihamster ‘Balls To The Wall’

Milwaukee, WI based lap steel guitarist, Sean Williamson, is back under his alter ego Velocihamster, with the release of his sophomore album Balls to the Wall. Williamson, who also plays guitar in R&B Milwaukee based bands Shonn Hinton & Shotgun and The Bryan Cherry Band, decided to make the best out of the pandemic induced time-out, from touring and live performances, by focusing his time wisely in the studio with his signature Morrell SW Custom 6 Lap Steel guitar.

With contributions from talented musicians like bassist Matt Turner and drummers Eric Kummer, Chris Oelke, Sean Smith, Terry Jeanes Jr., and Matt Rhyner the Balls to the Wall album was born. As Williamson notes himself:

With a raging pandemic putting all musicians in purgatory, my idle lap steel has proven to be the ‘devil’s playground,’ inspiring me to give this project the full attention it needed. The world needs more steel guitar superheroes and I hope this record can expose a new audience to its limitless potential.

Balls to The Wall is not representative of your Great Uncle Vern’s taste of Steel Guitar stylings in his Country and Western collection. Williamson, a devotee to both Heavy Metal and Prog Rock, has followed in the footsteps of fellow pickers like Robert Randolph and Ben Harper and took an instrument that is classically known for its deep country roots and made it rock. There are no fluffy ballads or love songs on this instrumental juggernaut, just straight up in your face high energy music that has been self-categorized by him as “slidecore.”

The glorious result is a nine track LP that is comprised mostly of original material penned and produced by Williamson, and additionally features two classic covers including a heavy metal interpretation of surf rock legend the Dick Dale’s “Misirlou” (made famous by Quentin Tarentino’s 90’s classic Pulp Fiction) and Phish’s jam band classic “First Tube,” which was featured on their ninth release Farmhouse back in May of 2000. Both renditions due justice to the originals and have been masterfully reimagined and given the “slidecore” treatment by Velocihamster.

Williamson’s lap steel is most definitely the star of the show on these tracks, but both tunes are additionally supported by some great musicians including Chris Oelke’s bombastic percussion on “Misirlou” and Paul Kneevers’ organ accompaniment on “First Tube” which elevates the jam track to the next level. It should be noted that even though there was a large roster of different players accompanying Williamson on Balls to the Wall, the record is still an exceptionally cohesive work that never suffers from a deficincy in musical talent or spotty production work.

Photo by Greg Vorobiov

This level of craftmanship is also evident on the album’s fourth track “Fall,” an original by Williamson, which highlights his playing and production skills. The layered and distinct guitar parts elicit a feeling of a musical melee between opposing forces, that clash and eventually crests to a natural climax by the end of the song. Another notable original by Velocihamster is “Bury,” the sixth track on the Balls to the Wall LP. Williamson jumps right into action with a psychotic sitar sounding intro which grace the beginning bars of the tune which will eventually transition into a middle eastern influenced sonic journey, featuring a heavy dose of fantastic percussion showcasing the double kick bass drum.

Although the recent pandemic has had an awful effect on the music industry in general, one silver lining in the whole COVID-19 nightmare is that the break from the grind of touring and performing has provided an opportunity for talented musicians like Sean Williamson to be able to concentrate on their craft and create some incredible music. Like Jeff Goldblum’s character Ian Malcome so aptly states in Steven Spielberg’s classic 1993 film Jurrasic Park, “Life finds a way.” Williamson, with his passion project Velocihamster, has been able to do just that by taking life’s lemons and creating heavy metal musical lemonade.

Velocihamster’s Balls to the Wall is now available on digital formats via Born Free, Then Caged Music & full length vinyl LP shortly thereafter.

Key Tracks: Fall, Bury, First Tube, Misirlou

February 2, 2021
Flashback: Phish performs at The Haunt in Ithaca, January 29, 1990

It was January 29, 1990 in Central New York and, yes, it was snowing. Fans who attended the Phish show that night at The (original) Haunt in Ithaca did so battling a blizzard and poor roads, which caused the band to arrive late, quickly set up and, after a live soundcheck, got the show on the road.

Phish has played sporadically in the Fingerlakes Region of New York throughout their career, most notably and recently, Superball IX, Magnaball and shows in Canandaigua at CMAC. Their early years in the college town of Ithaca proved to be formative, bringing the band to town multiple times between 1988-1992 before graduating to larger venues like Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center (now CMAC).

The Haunt in Ithaca c.1990 (photo is not from the 1/29/90 Phish show)

From Phish’s bar years, this is an early era show that captures the band when they played to their early fans, many seeing the Burlington group for the first time. After a three-night run in May 1988, Phish would return to The Haunt in Ithaca for a show on January 29, 1990, with a loud and rowdy 18-and-over audience.

The partial tape of the show starts in the middle of “The Lizards” and continues through a “Harpua” and “Fire” encore, a setlist that is culled together thanks to David Schanker’s and Todd Ahrens’ audience recording. Thus, there is no known first set for this show.

You can hear the audience from this show quite distinctly, elated when each song ends, and fans screaming out requests despite the band being barely six years old. You may even catch drunks screaming into the mic, which was set up on the bar. One patron this night can be heard saying “Nothing like this has ever been done at The Haunt, unbelieveable man!” Quite the frozen-in-time seal of approval.

Recording aside, this is a smoking show musically, particularly for the “Weekapaug Groove” and a “Harpua” that has a tough to discern narration but full of “Purple Haze” teases. That said, you’ll get a fair idea of what it was like to see Phish at the original Haunt in Ithaca.

Dan Smalls, Ithaca-area promoter and head of DSP Shows was at the January 29, 1990 show and shared his recollections with NYS Music:

It was about as classic a Phish set as you get from the very early days. I always loved how they chose popular and also odd songs to cover, teases in jams and the like. That was a part of who they are today and was a huge bit of fun at the festivals we produced where they would learn a song backstage between sets.

My recollection is also vague but the room was solidly crowded in this era (unlike 1988 when we had a handful for those first few shows) and the band was on the cusp of the next step at this point. I remember that the band was playing The Haunt at least once a semester and often 3-4 times a year in these days. It’s where I got to know them and these shows were always fun because Fish’s parents would come down from where they lived outside Syracuse.

Phish would go on to play The Haunt another four times in 1990, then move up to the State Theatre of Ithaca for two shows in 1991. They returned the next year to perform at Cornell University campus in November 1992, the last shows for the band in the city.

Download the show here, or stream it here and here.

Phish – The Haunt, Ithaca, NY – January 29, 1990

Setlist via Phish.net

Set 2: The Lizards, If I Only Had a Brain, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Jesus Just Left Chicago > Possum, Highway to Hell

Encore: Harpua, Fire

This setlist is incomplete. Harpua included a Purple Haze jam.

January 30, 2021
Ethnic & Electronic Artist Dawoud Unleashes 7 Albums Forged During Quarantine

Dawoud Kringle, aka The Renegade Sufi and God’s Unruly Friends, is one of the more forward-thinking, globally-centric and productive music-makers on the New York scene. The latest evidence is the remarkable cache of seven full-length albums he has just dropped on Bandcamp.

Dawoud’s music is a singular blend of East and West, acoustic and electronic, modern and ancient – sounds that transcend genre and time. Like the Sufi mystic/musician/author Inayat Khan, who inspired spiritually enlightened musicians like Coltrane, John McLaughlin and Dawoud, his primary interest is the psychoactive properties of music – the healing tenor that a sonic experience can bestow upon the listener.

The Milwaukee native/guitarist came to New York in 1983. On arrival, the 22-year old quickly secured a gig as a trainee engineer and studio musician at Shadow Sound, where he worked with artists like Kid Creole and the Coconuts. In New York, he also endeavored to deepen his guitar chops by taking private lessons with noted jazzman Kelvyn Bell (Ronald Shannon Jackson’s Decoding Society) and master classes with the legendary Pat Martino.

But it was the sitar, an instrument he purchased on his 18^th birthday but returned to in earnest in the mid-90s, with which he would make his mark.

Called “the Jimi Hendrix of the Sitar,” Dawoud boldly applied jazz technique and electronics to expand upon the Indian tradition of the instrument, as heard in releases like The Tao of Mystic Jaz (2000) and Renegade Sufi (2004). The latter is notable as it features a sitar synthesizer, something the crafty Kringle devised by modifying his guitar synth pickup and controller.

Dawoud would further his reputation by performing with notables like Lauryn Hill, Nona Hendryx, Brooklyn Massive Raga Orchestra, DJ Celt Islam and many others. In solo performance and with his ensembles, Renegade Sufi and later God’s Unruly Friends, he appeared across Europe, Asia and the U.S. In New York, he performed at top venues including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apollo Theater, Blue Note, Birdland and Town Hall. He has also kept busy playing at yoga and meditation events, and with dance and theatre companies.

Seventeen of Dawoud’s mind-expanding releases can be found at his Bandcamp page, including his newly-released trove of seven full-length albums.

Wonder, Love, & Power is my favorite among the new offerings – a diverse, pristinely recorded and engineered collection highlighted by its wonderfully mysterious and airy title track. It’s a jazzy, ambient, floaty things-that-go-bump-in-the-night vibe, where you are lulled into complete relaxation then brought back to attention by a periodic gong crash. “Awaiting Joy” is another bevy of sonic surprises – cinematic, spiritual and sort of sexy like all the tracks here. Strings and a pulsing hammered autoharp reminiscent of Brian Eno discovery Laraaji at first swell, then are flipped backwards. At times, this swirling backdrop sounds like the fade out of “I Am the Walrus.” It is perfectly furthered by the eerie vocals of Chennano Manno and a gorgeous modal flute improvisation by Duane McCarthy. Another standout track is “The Unveiling,” where Kringle shows his melodic mastery of the dilruba, a bowed string instrument played in Sikh devotional music, over a synth pulse.

Dawoud’s The SymphoSynth Improvisation Series is a collection of synthesizer improvisations based on templates taken from composers like Scriabin, Slominsky, Stravinsky, Messian and jazzer Yusef Lateef. Music of Another Mind is sound design for meditation, massage therapy sessions and the like, with long tracks the artist calls “deep explorations for altering states of consciousness.”

A New Beginning is a collection of six impressionistic pieces, a tour through the emotional catharsis and ultimate acceptance of the artist’s own divorce, with evocative titles like “Painful Clarity” and “Fighting Back the Tears.” A Mansion with Many Rooms is a selection of more vintage tracks that Dawoud had time to complete during the quarantine. Its closer, “For Yusef,” is one of my favorites, with gentle bells and strings bathing his melodic sitar (possibly synth sitar?) melodies.

The artist calls Tales from Isolation “a collection of very dark stuff I did in total isolation during the quarantine.” These are “guerilla recordings” according to Kringle, ones made during the long, lonely hours he spent on his radio engineering job during Spring 2020. This is a collection of 20 sound poems, from two- to nearly 10-minutes in length, where Dawoud seems to have caged his darkest musical impulses – scratchy sounds and effects, weird oscillations, jagged time signatures and robotic percussion. And they have killer titles too. What’s not to love about compositions with names like “What the Hell is Wrong with You?” and “Fighting Monsters in Nightmares!”

With The Legend of Sheikh Majnun, Dawoud returns with the second album from a fictitious character he first conjured in the Myspace days, his weird electronic artist alter ego, Sheikh Majnun.

Get your Burning Man supplies in order for this selection of 11 tracks ideal for your next rave. It’s a cornucopia of beats and sounds and samples designed for dancing, tribal not disco! There’s a Brazilian Carnival space futurism vibe here. It’s the reggae samba rhythms of the mighty Olodum crossed with the outer space weirdness of the BBC’s early synth wiz Delia Derbyshire, most evident in the album opener, “Dance of the Small Fuzzy Things.”

As if this wasn’t enough, Dawoud composed his first symphony, “Trees,” a demo of which can be found here on his YouTube channel.

With these new releases and those that have come before, Dawoud has created a musical world that unites the past, present and future of sound. For him, no borders seem to exist and the most distant of inspirations, the most seemingly warring thoughts can live in perfect harmony. This is music as a healing and calming force, something the world needs now more than ever.

Key Tracks: Wonder Power Love, The Unveiling, It’s Not the Destiny, It’s the Journey, The Dance of the Small Fuzzy Things

January 28, 2021
Moriah Formica steps out with All-Girl Rock Band PLUSH, Drops First Single “Hate”

PLUSH is an all-girl rock band comprised of four members, all under the age of 21, with a mission to embody the heart of rock and make a name for themselves in the music industry. With powerful vocals and a sound that holds true to the genre, the four girls set out to break the boring, repetitive mainstream culture and bring back classic rock.

If you’re a fan of The Voice, you might recognize the lead singer, Moriah Formica, a contestant back in 2017 who was affectionately referred to as “The Rock Goddess” by Miley Cyrus. Drummer Brooke Colucci, otherwise known as Rock Angel, is a well-established artist on social media, with acknowledgment from John Lennon, solidifying her talent and standing in the rock community.

Guitarist Bella Perron is a freshman at Berklee College of Music with an artsy presence on YouTube, regularly uploading impressive, drool-worthy guitar covers. Bassist Ashley Suppa ties the group together with beautiful bass backing, even being noticed by Ace Frehley of KISS.

The mission of PLUSH is to bring the heart of rock back to the mainstream with a new fresh spin on the sounds you already love. PLUSH hopes to inspire young women everywhere to follow their dreams, regardless of whatever challenges may lie in the way.
Moriah Formica

On January 18, 2021, PLUSH dropped a promo for their upcoming single, “Hate,” available to be pre-saved and expected to drop on Apple Music and Spotify. The excerpt shows how well the band flows together, as well as the emotion and passion each member brings to the table, leaving nothing to be desired. The song focuses on a topic relatable to many, wanting to hate someone who broke her heart. But being unable to forget the love she had for them, she hates that she still loves them.

January 26, 2021
Flashback: DMX Wins Back a Restless Club Crowd, Jan. 25, 2018
On January 25, 2018, Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, played BB King Blues Club in NYC shortly before the venue permanently closed its doors. Despite his late arrival, DMX managed to put on a great show and win back the restless crowd that waited hours for him to arrive.

The crowd went crazy when he finally came out, but many were skeptical if he was going to be able to perform due to his recent issues with substance abuse. DMX proved everyone wrong who doubted him as he started his set with the hard hitting “We Right Here.” He sounded like he did in ’98, the year his first album, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot came out.

He went on to perform more classics like “Who We Be,” “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” “Where the Hood At,” “Get At Me Dog,” “Party Up” and “Slippin.” Throughout the night he cracked jokes and showed his appreciation to the crowd. He ended the show like he always does, with a prayer.

The hour long set left fans wanting more. Hopefully there will be new music from DMX in the future for the club. B.B. King Blues Club NYC closed it doors for the final time after 18 years on April 29, 2018. So far the venue has not announced any plans to reopen.
January 25, 2021
Evan McPhaden goes Lofi with new solo project Fluffy Fingers

Evan McPhaden, bassist of Aqueous, spent 2020 staying productive amid limited live performances. He started early out in quarantine working on a solo side-project, Fluffy Fingers, and it’s one of the best albums you’ll hear in this nascent 2021.

If you’re looking for an album of soothing tracks that fit neatly into a Lo-fi beats playlist, Fluffy Fingers is for you. Six tracks of instrumental goodness are found in the vein of Poolside and a consistent groove that does not slack on any given track.

Compared to energetic Aqueous performances, McPhaden contrasts his typical comfort zone, bringing mellow yet engaging sounds to the listen for just under a half-hour. Evan invited fellow Aqueous bandmate Mike Gantzer to play on “Summer Pool 104” as well as Turkuaz‘ Craig Brodhead to join in on “Chai,” making this collaborative effort even deeper despite the distance between them.

McPhaden spoke to NYS Music about the album and revealed The Office connection to the project name.

Pete Mason: When did you start on the EP? Was this a project in works prior to pandemic or something that generated from the shutdown?

Evan McPhaden: I started working on this project about a month or two into the shutdown. I’ve always wanted to release my own personal music and it felt like it was a “now or never” moment. There’re so many memes about working on an EP and never putting it out, I had to do it. The shutdown was a unique time for everyone so it was nice to fill that time making music.

PM: What artists influence the style found on the album? I hear some Poolhouse and Tycho influence.

EM: That’s funny you mention Poolside because that was definitely an early influence on this project. The first song I wrote for this EP (coincidentally the first on the EP as well), which features Mike, totally has a Poolside influence. I also love Bonobo and was thinking of his vibe through this. Over the pandemic, I binged on instrumentals as well. I can put on the “lo-fi beats” or “jazz vibes” playlists on Spotify and listen to those for hours. So a lot of this EP has that vibe of influence over it.

PM: Where did the name Fluffy Fingers come from?

EM: Originally, I was thinking I would use something from Buffalo. I had the name “hoyt” because I live right next to Hoyt Lake. But it wasn’t sticking and I began to think about other things I love. I’m a huge fan of “The Office” and watch it way too much. I thought if I could find something from the show I’d love that. Micheal Scott goes to Darryl for some advice for what to do if someone disses you. Darryl uses the term fluffy fingers which he says “That’s when someone really gets in your face, you know you just, start ticklin’ ’em.” Part of putting out this music and creating it was to have fun with it, not over think it and just enjoy creating it. I thought the name and reference just reflected that and it felt right.

January 25, 2021