Acid Dad have shared their new track “BBQ” off their sophomore album Take It From The Dead, due out on June 11, 2021
“BBQ” Single Artwork
The rock band hails from Bushwick and is composed of singer-guitarists Vaughn Hunt and Sean Fahey, and drummer Trevor Mustoe. Vaughn first started recording the band in his Bushwick apartment. Playing live in the New York City rock scene in 2016, Acid Dad quickly moved to a world stage with their self-titled debut album, released by Greenway Records in 2018.
Over 2020, Acid Dad rented studio time in Queens as well as built their own guitars. They also independently produce their music. This creativity and innovation led to their second LP Take It From The Dead. The record features a variety of influences ranging from 90’s neo-psych, modern post-punk, and 70’s rock. Their sound meanders the perfect musical boundary of brand-new and nostalgic.
The new album is accompanied by psychedelic and glitchy art videos in a collaboration with video artist Webb Hunt, adding an otherworldly visual counterpart to their dreamy music.
Artwork in collaboration with artist Webb Hunt
Listen to Acid Dad and their new track “BBQ” here. Watch the visualizer for the single here. Find out more information about Acid Dad at their website.
NYC-based artistBobby Páraknightreveals his musical creativity with his upbeat debut single titled “The Prelude,” releasing today, March 30.
Bobby Páraknight
Páraknight is 21-years-old and a jack of all trades with experience in many different art forms. His current endeavor is music but he has performed in other ways within his artistic journey. He is an actor who was trained in theatre and has been on television and film. He also is a dancer specializing in contemporary, jazz and ballet.
Páraknight’s professional music career is influenced by The Beatles, who are his heroes. Since his early teens he has been performing, writing songs and composing music. He performed with other musicians and played live shows at some popular venues, pubs and theatres in New York.
I felt capable, more than ever really being able to express my artistic vision, be it fabled story-telling, a call to action or simply an excuse for a good time! I have abundant words to say, art to create & limits to test as a young person, music seems to abide beautifully. You become choice-less and the venturing is the only obvious path. It’s a controlled and crafted sonic force I believe, a rare visceral element that moves us so effortlessly.
Bobby Páraknight
Páraknight describes his creative process when producing and writing his music as experimental and expansive. The sound he creates is dependent on the moment and his feeling during that time and it reflects through the instrument he plays. It can also depend on the vision that he has and is going for and his creative and imaginative thinking lays out a thematic outline. After figuring out the outline of the song, Páraknight fills the rest of the song up with a melody and lyrics that are either sensible or playful.
“The Prelude” is one of the many songs that Páraknight curated and it is his debut single. It begins as an upbeat pop song and transitions into a ballad. Páraknight produced the song on his piano during a private jam session and received inspiration from the late 70s’ motown and disco sound while infusing it with a modern pop beat.
I have been writing songs for years now and it does become tricky, deciding on the debut track as you want to express your true self while not drifting. I have a lot of selected material lined up for production with early mixes in the studio, The Prelude comparatively is a recent song which I composed in a spur of the moment on a piano during a private jam session, I believe it’s an apt launching point, in displaying my roots in music while complimenting the zeitgeist, simply being a great, upbeat and unique song.
Bobby Páraknight
Páraknight is available today on all platforms. “The Prelude” is his first release with more to come later.
Coney Island Baby is an album of love songs. In 1975, Lou Reed was recording it as a follow-up to the bafflingMetal Machine Music. Coming from that formless and seemingly random experiment in noise exploration—which he did because he felt like it—this record was Reed’s response to some industry pressure, along with his reminder that he was talented as they come. It was borne from necessity as Reed found himself in a difficult position at the time. His career was in jeopardy for lack of new, accessible music, and his finances were suffering.
RCA/RCA • 1976/2021
So, Coney Island Baby was the rock record he needed. The title track, also titled “Coney Island Baby,” is a breezy, stroll of a song. Thematically, the lyrics muse about the power of love to wash away insecurity and provide a sense of stability in life’s unpredictable moments. The “glory of love” is Reed’s religion. It’s been said that his muse for much of the album was his girlfriend at the time, a trans woman named Rachel Humphreys, whom he mentions by name along with his local childhood school.
“You know, man, when I was a young man in high school, you believe in or not—I wanted to play football for the coach.” Reed is right, his listeners would probably not believe it. But, he drives this memory home by mentioning it a few times. Football stars were supposedly strong, brave and popular. No one is immune to wanting to feel that way in high school, even Reed. He repeats this, giving listeners an insight into one of his main desires growing up: to be noticed.
Reed and Rachel Humphreys Mick Rock
This entire monologue is backed by a steady 4/4 beat with only a few chord changes and a couple of members of Reed’s rotating band for the record. After each verse in which he describes feeling trapped or oppressed by his environment, the song opens into a chorus with Reed repeating “glory of love.” Whereas the verses describe different situations in which he’s felt uncomfortable emotions, even hate, during life—it’s love that saves him from falling. It’s also the promise of love from a “princess on the hill” that fills his desire for acceptance.
Lou Reed may have wanted to be on his high school football team. Or maybe not. But what is true, and fascinating, is that from this song we can imagine that Reed has faced the struggle to be embraced at points in his life, and has consistently found answers in love—a deeply human experience that unites us all.
“Coney Island Baby” lyrics
You know, man, when I was a young man in high school You believe in or not I wanted to play football for the coach And all those older guys They said he was mean and cruel, but you know Wanted to play football for the coach They said I was to little too light weight to play line-backer So I say I’m playing right-end Wanted to play football for the coach Cause, you know some day, man You gotta stand up straight unless you’re gonna fall Then you’re gone to die And the straightest dude I ever knew was standing right for me all the time So I had to play football for the coach And I wanted to play football for the coach
When you’re all alone and lonely In your midnight hour And you find that your soul It’s been up for sale
And you begin to think ’bout All the things that you’ve done And you begin to hate Just ’bout everything
But remember the princess who lived on the hill Who loved you even though she knew you was wrong And right now she just might come shining through
And the -Glory of love, glory of love Glory of love, just might come through
And all your two-bit friends Have gone and ripped you off They’re talking behind your back saying, man You’re never going to be no human being And you start thinking again ’bout all those things that you’ve done And who it was and what it was And all the different things you made every different scene
Ahhh, but remember that the city is a funny place Something like a circus or a sewer And just remember different people have peculiar tastes And the –
Glory of love, the glory of love The glory of love, might see you through Yeah, but now, now Glory of love, the glory of love The glory of love, might see you through Glory of love, ah, huh, huh, the glory of love Glory of love, glory of love Glory of love, now, glory of love, now Glory of love, now, now, now, glory of love Glory of love, give it to me now, glory of love see you through Oh, my Coney Island baby, now (I’m a Coney Island baby, now) I’d like to send this one out for Lou and Rachel And all the kids at P.S. 192 Coney Island baby Man, I’d swear, I’d give the whole thing up for you
What the f*ck is up Denny’s? The Finals are here. NYS Music’s March Madness is about to get rowdy. One on one with Baked Shrimp, Long Island against Organ Fairchild, Buffalo – These bands are ready, and hungry, for the NYS March Madness crown.
Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness bracket delving into the musical harbors of our great state. As fans and musicians ourselves, we spotlight the great talent across New York in friendly competition and discovery. Its fury never loses sight of the underdog, a headliner’s humble beginnings, new musical discovery and rolling with the punches in our ever-changing industry.
JamCast is a streaming platform that provides a unique experience using live, pre-recorded, archived audio & video performances, podcasting, vlogs, blogs, and more. JamCast has been centered around creating a digital network for musicians, promoters, and venues. It was designed to serve as a resource for all facets of the music industry. By offering weekly series, digital events, festivals, podcasts, archives, and more. An online resource and database for all music industry professionals.
Jared Cowen – Guitar/Vox – Scott Reill – Bass/Vox – Jager Soss – Drums/Vox
“An impressive musical and technical feat from start to finish. The opening track, “The Vision That I Can See,” is a jaw-dropping epic that really showcases the prowess of this band” – Baked Shrimp ‘Bubble Suit’
“Pig Hearts and Mechanical Parts” was released March 12, and is the single off of Baked Shrimp‘s second studio album Conscious, set for release on March 26th, 2021. The new single features Nick Rufolo on saxophone, trumpet, and keyboards. The track also features Jager Soss on percussion.
Chuck DeFilippo: What does New York State Music mean to you?
Baked Shrimp:
New York is home to us, always has been and always will be.
When we’re not playing Long Island we’re in Albany or Syracuse or New Paltz, and all around the state. We’ve met so many amazing musicians and people from all over this state that have a real passion for what they’re doing. Anytime we revisit a city in New York we always know we can count on seeing a bunch of familiar faces who we’ve met on the road and have become friends with over time. We’re lucky enough to be able to host our first multi night, multi-band outdoor music event in our home state this Summer (LonCon), and we just can’t wait to see so many of our close friends come from their individual parts of the state and meet in one central location. It’s going to be two incredible nights for the New York Music community.
CD: Any bands or new listening discovered from NYS Music March Madness series?
Oh man well we have to give a shout out to all of our friends in Glass Pony,Specialists, Hilltop, and Ampevene, all who we’ve played with and wish all of them could have won the competition. Check each one of these out if you haven’t yet.
CD: Favorite COVID activity, hobby. Since you have all this free time not gigging?
Baked Shrimp actually had a busy COVID year. When things were really bad and locked down from March through June of last year, we recorded and released “Bubble Suit,” which was all done from our own individual bedrooms and cars. Self-recorded, produced, everything, so that was a huge undertaking. Then when were able to get back in the studio we finished up the Conscious sessions from Summer through Fall.
And mid-December through mid-January we did some intense practices 20+ hours per week just working on listening exercises, new material, vocal warmups, and also preparing for the Live for Lon stream, which was probably the biggest task as a band we ever took on by ourselves. So we found ways through all the mayhem going on to still play music together whether if it’s in the same room with masks on or sending files back and forth to one another over Google Drive.
March Madness 2021 Lark Hall Region: Albany’s mid-size music venue.
Organ Fairchild – Buffalo, New York.
Welcome to the Finals.
Joe Bellanti – organ, keys – Corey Kertzie – drums – Dave Ruch – guitar
Organ Fairchild is a musical party that won’t quit. Take your old-school organ trio (organ, guitar and drums), add dance-heavy grooves and adventurous jamming, and shake vigorously. Enjoy all night long.
“Jan. 2021 marks the release of single, “Seepin’,” from long-time Buffalo jam band veterans Organ Fairchild. Members have a history on the jam scene dating back 40 years.”
Chuck DeFilippo: What does New York State Music mean to you?
Joe Bellanti: NYS Music – the Buffalo scene in particular – means the world to me – some of my greatest moments have come from being a part of it – certainly my very best friends. Too many incredible moments to even try to pick out one or 2 of the best.
Interesting question, as one of the other “hats” I wear as a full-time musician and performer is researching and performing old 19th-century traditional music from New York State! So NYS Music means a lot of different things to me, but in terms of the current music community, we are very fortunate here in Buffalo to have a rabid fan base of live music lovers who always come out to support our shows. The level of musicianship here if off the charts as well, and pretty much everyone involved in the local music scene is really supportive of each other. It’s a great place to be.
Dave Ruch – Guitar
LISTEN to Organ Fairchild’s debut single below, from the forthcoming May 2021 album release! Mastered by Alan Evans of Soulive.
CD: Anything in the works for the band?
Two CDs in 2021 and hopefully a summer and fall of outdoor shows
Also – we will probably hit Denny’s at some point – I’m pretty sure we are the only band in the competition where all the members would qualify for the senior discount
Central New York promotersCreative Concerts bring fans together in the final four
March Madness would not be possible without our sponsors:
Central New York promoters Creative Concertsbring together fans at venues, stretching from Albany to Rochester and Syracuse to Utica. Lark Hall is the soon to open mid-sized venue in Albany that will host bands of all sizes, events and more. If you need to market your show, event, band or brand, Rochester’s Balbert Marketing has you covered. Need merchandise?
Homegrown Eastern New York’s 518 Prints makes quality goods for local, regional and national bands or tours. High Peaks Event Production is a team with years of experience, aiding in all your stage, lighting and sound demands.JamCast proves high quality streams for bands, podcasts and much more. Between these companies, bands will find a great deal of what they need, and support businesses from across New York and the Northeast.
Polls are now closed! Check back on Tuesday, March 30 to find out the winner of NYS Music’s 2021 March Madness!
Syracuse’s Vaporeyes has released the video for “Donye Wump,” off their recently released album Cantrips. Having premiered on Friday, March 19th, the video was shot in the Salt City, as well as in and around band practice spaces.
With a goal of creating a video that their fans and others used to their shenanigans wouldn’t expect, band member Jonas Reddy-Nicholson, shared insight on the video:
We had an idea of a conflict happening in this video. The lyrics I wrote very much came from a place of inner conflict, wanting change, and “killing the past,” so Shannon (bass) wanted to play with the conflict idea as much as possible. But we kept the fight between ourselves and our “other” selves, or inner demons in the video so people didn’t think it was some statement or something. It’s not. We just had fun with it. The name of the song actually has nothing to do with anything. Sometimes we just really try to blur the line between goofy and serious/heartfelt.
Jonas Reddy-Nicholson
“Donye Wump” was directed by Thomas Calandra of Synthesis Films (also a member of metal band Bleak), with Director of Photography Mark Kelley, both of whom entertained the band’s wacky ideas and kept Vaporeyes on track to finish the shoot in four days.
When we came to them with the idea of a fight scene VS ourselves for the end of the song, we thought they would turn it down. But not only were they into it and knew how to make it work, they had some ideas of their own. Thomas asked how we felt about drawing inspiration from the goofy gang fight in Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange.”
We were into it, so we all sat on the couch and watched the fight together the day before the fight scene shoot. We are so glad they were into the fight, and they really did a great job. That’s even Thomas getting the glass broken on his head in the beginning, per his insistence. (Movie prop bottle, don’t worry).
Jonas Reddy-Nicholson
Vaporeyes recently made it to the Elite 8 of NYS Music’s March Madness. Check out more on them here and watch the video for “Donye Wump” below.
Power trio from the Hudson Valley, The Restless Age, has just released their inspiring song “Take It.” The band’s modern yet nostalgic feel pulls listeners in instantly, weaving between genres effortlessly while also mastering three-part harmony.
Composed of Will Bryant, Lee Falco, and Brandon Morrison, The Restless Age uses various instruments and have no limits on what they incorporate in their music. The constant change from developing an electric sound with keys to bass and drums to even three acoustic guitarists around one microphone. The Restless Age is always exploring new ways to tell stories and spread their enthusiastic spirits.
The “Take It” music video premiered on Saturday, March 20. The video gives tribute to camp and yacht rock. With Bryant on the keyboard, Falco on drums, and Morrison on bass, the musicians maintain a tight sound. The trios shared vocals also deliver a collective precision.
When it came to the songwriting, the performance and the retro wardrobe, we just didn’t hold back. We’ve never made a point of taking ourselves too seriously, and this video makes that abundantly clear.
Will Bryant
“Take It” is just the beginning of new releases of The Restless Age. The band has additional singles set to release in the coming weeks, as well as a new album. Until then, make sure to check out “Take It” available on major platforms.
Brooklyn based musician, Dräger, released his new single “Light Years” on March 11 and announced his debut album Goths à la Discothèque comes out May 7.
Dräger Credit: Andrew Segreti
Spencer Draeger founded Dräger as the essence of his modern dystopian era. “Light Years” is an upbeat song with a message about choosing the road less traveled and following the unknown. According to Under the Radar this is the perfect example of his “synthedelic pop” sound. Synthedelic pop is a mixture of modern pop, ‘80s new wave and the underground dance scene. The single explores the excitement of chasing thrills on the journey to the future.
Goths à la Discothèque delves into the many universal themes of modern times including technology, love and society, and makes it his own. His album was inspired by 2020 and the effect it had on the world as it switched to a digital reality and caused people to forge new ideas. He portrays the present-day issues and fuses it with a party sound.
The album consists of 11 songs which were all produced, written, recorded and mixed by Dräger in his home studio. “Light Years” is now available for streaming and the lyric video is on Youtube. The album Goths à la Discothèque drops in May under Trash Casual.
New York State’s Final Four all sit on the free-throw line in dead silence. All eyes are on them. As the bead of sweat rolls down their faces, before the first notes strike, there is pure silence.
A wise man, and musician, once told me about the space between the notes; good music should start and end in silence. When there is silence, there are people listening. One breath before it all begins. I would like to take this time to highlight the spaces in-between, where all of our NYS Music March Madness bands deserve a tip of the hat. And, for the Final Four, the pressure is on. Go Vote. Enjoy the upcoming special Jamcast BOTB between the Final Four.
Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness bracket delving into the musical harbors of our great state. As fans and musicians ourselves, we spotlight the great talent across New York in friendly competition and discovery. Its fury never loses sight of the underdog, a headliner’s humble beginnings, new musical discovery and rolling with the punches in our ever-changing industry.
VOTE FOR THE FINAL FOUR BELOW
Final four voting is now closed. Stay tuned for the Finals, starting Friday, March 26!
Stay tuned with Jamcast for a virtual Battle Of The Bands between our March Madness Final Four musicians: Albany’s Glass Pony, Buffalo’s Organ Fairchild, Rochester’s The Dirty Pennies and Long Island’s Baked Shrimp.
JamCast is a streaming platform that provides a unique experience using live, pre-recorded, archived audio & video performances, podcasting, vlogs, blogs, and more. JamCast has been centered around creating a digital network for musicians, promoters, and venues. It was designed to serve as a resource for all facets of the music industry. By offering weekly series, digital events, festivals, podcasts, archives, and more. An online resource and database for all music industry professionals.
Central New York promotersCreative Concerts bring fans together in the final four
Glass Pony – Albany, New York.
Chanda Dewey – drums* – Eddie Hotaling – Guitar* – Jeff Picarazzi – bass* – Greg Pittz – lead guitar* (*vocals)
If you aren’t into long songs, Glass Pony might not be the band for you; about half of their songs hit in the 8-10 minute mark and take their time to get in the groove with long intros and outros. Their second song on the album, “Swing That Maximus,” has a full two-minute instrumental intro.
With tempo changes up the wazoo throwing the listener from dance beats that make you want to get up and boogie, to slow sections you would barely move your body, they are definitely the type of band you can let loose to live or shamelessly-groove-to on your daily commute. Glass Pony brings you out of the mundane with some chaotic, yet systematic rhythms and beats that make Glass Pony one of a kind.
“The gritty song features staple driving guitar riffs that the Pennies are known and loved for. It’s a more aggressive song…fueled by the times in which we are living. The video gives fans an opportunity to follow along to the lyrics. Learn those words, because when live music resumes and The Dirty Pennies can play live, this is an anthem we’ll want to sing along to.” Video Premiere: ‘I’m Your Man’
You’ve been a live band for so long, what was it like when you finally got into the studio?
RK: It’s strange because people think of us as a live band, but we did an EP that took the course of three years. I was up at school, living in the Adirondacks, and I would come back and just play a show every once in a while, not really knowing where all of this was going. But what I will say is Kick Out The Rocks was the first time I’ve felt like going into the studio and hammering something out.
JM: For me it was return-to-my-roots. When I lived in Geneva, my hometown, I was in another band, my friend and I, and we were setting up a studio. It was a very grassroots thing in a basement. I think we played four shows total, so all the time we were playing it was in the studio setting. So it was nice to go back to that. But it was a completely different experience because Blue Brick Recordings is a legitimate studio with different rooms and things set up. It was really fun to have the professional setting.
Jared Cowen – Guitar/Vox – Scott Reill – Bass/Vox – Jager Soss – Drums/Vox
“An impressive musical and technical feat from start to finish. The opening track, “The Vision That I Can See,” is a jaw-dropping epic that really showcases the prowess of this band” – Baked Shrimp ‘Bubble Suit’
“Pig Hearts and Mechanical Parts” was released March 12, and is the single off of Baked Shrimp‘s second studio album Conscious, set for release on March 26th, 2021. The new single features Nick Rufolo on saxophone, trumpet, and keyboards. The track also features Jager Soss on percussion.
March Madness 2021 Lark Hall Region: Albany’s mid-size music venue.
Organ Fairchild – Buffalo, New York.
Joe Bellanti – organ, keys – Corey Kertzie – drums – Dave Ruch – guitar
Organ Fairchild is a musical party that won’t quit. Take your old-school organ trio (organ, guitar and drums), add dance-heavy grooves and adventurous jamming, and shake vigorously. Enjoy all night long.
“Jan. 2021 marks the release of single, “Seepin’,” from long-time Buffalo jam band veterans Organ Fairchild. Members have a history on the jam scene dating back 40 years.”
LISTEN to Organ Fairchild’s debut single below, from the forthcoming May 2021 album release! Mastered by Alan Evans of Soulive.
Don’t forget about our amazing sponsors:
Central New York promoters Creative Concertsbring together fans at venues, stretching from Albany to Rochester and Syracuse to Utica. Lark Hall is the soon to open mid-sized venue in Albany that will host bands of all sizes, events and more. If you need to market your show, event, band or brand, Rochester’s Balbert Marketing has you covered. Need merchandise? Homegrown Eastern New York’s 518 Prints makes quality goods for local, regional and national bands or tours. High Peaks Event Production is a team with years of experience, aiding in all your stage, lighting and sound demands.JamCast proves high quality streams for bands, podcasts and much more. Between these companies, bands will find a great deal of what they need, and support businesses from across New York and the Northeast.
Like many musicians, Jason Pariseau has been writing a lot of music over the past year. And as some artists discover, what they write may not fit with their current group and they branch out from there. For Pariseau, this meant that while some songs fit the mold for his group Periodic Table of Elephants (PToE), some had an alternative/indie rock sound. Thus, The Ribbon Project was born.
Pariseau wrote songs that were inspired by artists like The National, Bear’s Den, Novo Amor, and others, with “Medicine” the first of the new batch. Since the process to record these songs took a while due to the collaborative process, he decided to release these one-by-one, instead of waiting for an all at once EP release.
With a small pile of acoustic folk songs and a great deal of potential for them, Pariseau took the idea to Josh Pettinger at Wicked Squid Studios. They talked about the best way to approach the project, and instead of trying to synthesize everything in the studio, Pettinger encouraged him to lean on the local music scene in Rochester. When Pariseau started reaching out, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
As an indie-acoustic project featuring various musicians from the Rochester area, The Ribbon Project features PToE drummer Sean Scanlon on all tracks. For “Medicine,” Jason and Sean are joined by Joel Boyer (banjo), Arjun Baxter (upright bass), Ian Downey (cello), and Darren DeWispelaere (trumpet).
With the feedback received from the first song, Pariseau is looking to bring The Ribbon Project to a live audience sometime later this summer. Still, the group of musicians have not played together in person just yet.
The way the first song came together far exceeded my expectations. And, what has been an interesting approach is that at no time have all of these musicians been together to play the song. Everything was done digitally by sharing tracks and ideas, then having each person come into the studio one-by-one to record their parts. Once one person was done, I’d send the track to the next person, and they would add on their layers. Each person building on the previous person’s track. It’s been a fantastic project. The next song is about 50% done, and will include a different group of musicians.
While the next evolution of PToE will be a step back from 90s punk, and pay homage to other 90s bands like Hum, Failure and Our Lady Peace, The Ribbon Project will set forth on an indie route, adding to the rich music scene waiting to burst open once again in the Flower City.
Catch Pariseau perform virtually at “Homegrown Presents: Going Green Party” streamed from Lovin’ Cup in Rochester. The stream kicks off at 2pm on Saturday, March 20th.
Love, New York, a virtual concert fundraiser will take place on the one year anniversary of New York City declaring a shelter in place for the COVID-19 pandemic. Featured musicians include Rich Medina, Paris Monster, and James Casey. It will stream live on March 20th, 2020 at 7 PM EST.
A year later, the end of pandemic is far closer, yet music still needs relief and artistic outlet. Love, New York is comprised of creatives, visionaries, musicians, street performers, dancers, Broadway artists, and lovers from New York.
The festival is organized by Sound Mind Collective, a Brooklyn based community organization founded in 2017 by Katherine Powell (KP Artist Management), Chris St. Hilaire (musician, The London Souls, Sinkane, Doyle Bramhall II) and Nikhil P. Yerawadekar (musician, Nikhil P. Yerawadekar & Low Mentality). Sound Mind Collective’s goal is to connect independent artists with local communities to encourage growth through social justice advocacy, policy change, and much more.
The proceeds from Love, New York will be allocated amongst the performers and independent music venues that are at risk of closing indefinitely as the virus continues to keep doors closed.
