NYS Music 202​1

Category: Special

  • Janani Shankar Releases Deeply Personal And Emotional New Single “I Wanna Know”

    Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Janani Shankar is set to release her new single, “I Wanna Know.”

    In this track, Shankar speaks about deeply emotional issues such as abandonment, and pays tribute to her late grandmother Viji Shankar who she never met, and her late great grandmother Lakshmi Shankar.

    Janani’s “I Wanna Know” touches on personal issues she has faced in her life. Shankar attributes these issues, such as loss and estrangement from close family members, to greed, jealousy, and death.

    “I Wanna Know” is written from the perspective of a little girl longing for her family, asking why they left. By the end, the track speaks to a less empathic, more emotional feeling, driven by the accelerated drumbeat.

    A singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Shankar started learning classical Indian vocals and violin at the age of three. Later on she picked up guitar, bass, and keys.

    She began gigging in New York at the age of sixteen and went on to play in London, Los Angeles, and other cities around the world. Her style combines the nineties with folk, jazz, and indie influences.

    Janani’s songs “Wanderer,” “Forgettable,” and “Get Up” have been played on BBC Radio: The Asian Network. Her most recent single, “The World is on Fire,” has been featured on radio stations and music blogs worldwide.

    The track features Gingger Shankar on the double violin, Patrick Adams on trumpet, Mike Frazier (Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Escarioka) on drums, Nataliya Zaytseva on keys, Trevor Brown on bass, and Michael “Bull” LoBue on electric guitar.

    Janani Shankar released “I Wanna Know” on February 9th, the day her grandmother Viji passed away, in her honor. Visit her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

  • Vast Aire and COSMIQ deliver some “Good Fuel”

    In anticipation of a new album, Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox, has released a brand-new record in collaboration with producer COSMIQ. With the duo’s collaborative effort set to be released soon, the hip hop veterans are hoping “Good Fuel,” will be just the song to give the album a push. 

    A gritty old-school New York record, “Good Fuel” sees Vast Aire continue a trend that has defined hip hop itself. In “Good Fuel” he descriptively conveys a proper image of the tough inner-city neighborhoods that Black people have inhabited for decades. The record begins with Vast Aire shouting out where he is from (Washington Heights, Harlem, New York City), with these locations also representing the setting for the story-like “Good Fuel.”

    Vast Aire COSMIQ

    “Good Fuel” resembles other inner-city themed rap songs. Humble beginning, “we used to be shoulder to shoulder like ‘someone push me.’ Holes in your sucks, you got no p****.”  To taking an interest in the street life in search of a better life for self and family, “I’m talking sky pagers with the fly beepers, all the drug dealers had the fly sneakers.” To eventual questioning of the political regime whose job it is to help the disenfranchised, “my commander-in-chief is running amuck. These right-winged lobbyists could care less, it’s settle for this evil or settle for less.” 

    “This track is important for our times right now,” says Vast Aire.  “We all are coping with the chaos of COVID-19 and also the shock and trauma of Trump’s political coup. ‘Good Fuel’ reminds the youth and elders to remain righteous, while standing up in the face of oppression.” 

     “This song represents what Hip-Hop has always stood for, being the voice of the streets; from the lost criminal to the struggling and hard-working blue-collar workers. My late parents are those very people– and so am I!”

  • Peter Matthew Bauer Drops “Mountains on Mountains,” Hints to Future 2021 Releases

    Peter Matthew Bauer, solo alternative/indie recording artist and founder of New York art-rock band, the Walkmen, shared his newest track “Mountains On Mountains” with Brooklyn Vegan to hype up and premiere. Also known for his solo tracks “Liberation! (Mexican Summer)” and “Mount Qaf (Divine Love),” Bauer founded his own record label/artist management company, Fortune Tellers, representing names such as Starcrawler, Liily, Matt Costa, Lushlife, Caveman, and Caroline Kingsbury.

    This is the first track of my own that I’ve recorded and decided to release in a long time. I’m not entirely sure how to explain it: it’s a pretty dark song about certain types of people and memories fading away. But it also has this feeling of no expectations, so it leaves me with a sense of optimism and presence in the end. Nick Stumpf and I started recording it for a fundraiser for Fairfight around the elections. Later we decided to take this barebones live recording and make it into something more proper and special.

    Peter Matthew Bauer on “Mountains on Mountains”

    The track draws inspiration from his unconventional upbringing in a yoga cult. Also, it captures elements of Sufi mysticism and ideologies of western phenomenologist and Islamic scholar Henry Corbin, while simultaneously crediting nostalgia of the late 90s and early 00’s music age in New York City. This song is the first of many singles anticipated from Bauer. Originally it was written and organized to perform at festivals benefitting Fairfight, an organization that works to promote voting rights and equality in Georgia.

    Peter Matthew Bauer

    Stripped-back but also cinematic, perhaps referencing the mid-’00s NYC scene and where it stands now.

    Brooklyn Vegan on “Mountains On Mountains”

  • Pop Rock Band Powerlines Announce Debut Album with Lead Single “Sober”

    New Brunswick, NJ based, expressive pop rock band, Powerlines, announced their debut album with the release of their lead single “Sober,” on January 28. Powerlines is composed of Deanna DiLandro as lead vocalist, Tyler Anderson as guitarist, and Nick Winship on bass.

    Powerlines
    Photo Credit: Zoe Nystrom

    The lead single “Sober” delves into the entanglement of multiple fixations and the emotional struggle behind breaking away from them. With the work of deep bass and fuzzy guitar sounds, the track gives a sense of grooviness. In addition, DiLandro’s powerful vocals make an energetic theme in a rather serious subject.

    “Sober” was the first track to be shared off of the band’s upcoming LP, all of this is temporary. Look out for Powerlines new album to be released in due time, on April 9. In today’s climate of constant chaos, it can be difficult to sit back and be appreciative of the small things, especially in terms of life experiences that seem to occur in a blink of an eye. In an optimistic way, all of this is temporary highlights the difficulty, pain, love and acceptance of confronting ephemerality.

    A Deep Dive Into Powerlines Album

    Following “Sober,” the second track, “Outside My Mind,” builds an upbeat anthem. Both of these tracks utilize funk baselines, driving drums, and textual guitars. All of which create a high energy introductions to concepts of growth and never-ending change.

    The album’s emotional center, “Temporary,” is a tribute to DiLandro’s late mother. In contrast to lively opening tracks, Powerlines builds this sentimental piece with the use of a luscious guitar and a string ballad. This serves as a reminder to listeners that although loss and grief are inevitable, the knowledge that everything eventually transforms into something new can hopefully provide some comfort.

    Powerlines
    Artwork Credit: Jacqueline Brockel

    As all of this is temporary moves forward through its various auditory snapshots, a consistent yet electric tone is constructed. This can be heard on the track “Water,” which contains flute and trumpet solos over a blues-rock guitar. Then, the pace begins to slow down again as the build of “Frames” deliberate the past and decay over time. Progressing with a mellow pace, “Being Is Strange” strips everything down to just an acoustic guitar. As the album is coming to a close, “Morris Street” brings the bands roots back with bouncing rock. Powerlines apply ongoing shifts from track to track to exemplify the wariness of the unknown.

    Bringing up the tail end of the album is the liberating climax “Jet Planes” which gives off sounds of 90s alt-rock. This track serves as DiLandro’s acceptance of “opening up to the unknown.” Finally, a piano reprise of “Sober” closes all of this is temporary as it acts as a reiteration of the obstacles dealt with throughout each track. As Powerlines share this collection of stories, listeners can take away feelings of triumph, shared love, and a new embracement to the inevitable changes of life.

    Listen to the lead single “Sober” on various major platforms here.

  • A Look at Shuttered Music Venues Across New York State

    We’re coming up on one year without live music. Venues across New York State, and the country, are shuttered with no option for music beyond streaming. Our venues are the lifeblood of so many towns and cities across this great state, and these independent music venues still need our help, as they struggle to stay afloat until we’re in the clear.

    In June, NYS Music photographers, having no live music to shoot, began looking at these music venues across the state. Over the summer and fall we saw venues closed for the foreseeable future, including The Jazz Standard in Manhattan. Venues are rallying their supporters to help as best they can at this time, including Arlene’s Grocery on February 9.

    Music Venues New York State
    Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, Peekskill, NY – photo by Steve Malinski

    Venues in New York and beyond are stuck in limbo, but they aren’t gone – not for good – so long as we can find resolution and relief at the state and national levels. The Heroes Act has passed in the House of Representatives, and the upcoming relief bill looks poised to jump-start the economy and provide a much needed lifeline to venues.

    Winter has arrived, and across the state, venues still shine through the snowy nights. We start this month’s photo series of music venues across New York State in New York City, courtesy of Joseph Buscarello.

    Visit NIVA to find out how you can help venues across New York, and the country. We need to #saveourstages and preserve live music now, for when this is over.

    New York City – photos by Joseph Buscarello

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    Ithaca – photo by Casey Martin

    Manhattan and Hudson Valley – photos by Steve Malinski

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    Geneva – photos by Joseph Booth

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    Saranac Lake – photo by Neil Sedlak

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    Buffalo – photos by Derek Hosken

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    Plattsburgh – photos by Jerry Cadieux

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    Albany – photos by Zach Culver

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    Long Island – photos by Rob Tellerman

    The Hudson Valley – photos by Mickey Deneher

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    Utica – photo courtesy of The Stanley Theatre

    Music Venues New York State

  • T@NE Releases Sensual Pop ‘Autumn’

    “Autumn,” the new single from T@NE, is a pop song of sensual proportions conveying the feeling of fresh kisses on your lips, romantic nights, and ecstasy. Autumn is sure to highlight what love is and can be.

    Composed by T@NE and Be Steadwell and produced solely by T@NE, Autumn went through many musical stages. From the time T@NE and Be sat down at the piano and laid out its foundations, to the point of its completion where it became an epic pop song, one thing that stayed consistent throughout the writing process was the feeling and the vibe of the composition.

    t@ne
    Album design by Fishman Art 89

    “Autumn” is a step in a new direction for T@NE. The track exemplifies the diversity of T@NE’s sound, incorporating different pop elements to create the sensual vibe the song brings. While the sound of “Autumn” may stray away from the intricate jazz and rock heavy tones of T@NE’s debut single, “Rock Joint,” the quality of the track shows T@NE’s progression as an artist and producer.

    T@NE – a musician, saxophonist, composer, producer, rapper, and vocalist – hails from Brooklyn. Growing up in a musical environment influenced T@NE’s deep love and passion for what he does. T@NE, along with his bandmates Taber Gable on keyboard, Andrew Renfroe on guitar, Dan Pappalardo on bass, and Peter Manheim on drums, are making music for the future. Incorporating elements from all genres of music and fostering a real sense of unity and teamwork allows T@NE’s music to be enjoyable, inspiring, and energizing to listen to.

  • Black Suit Youth Release Acoustic Single, “Survivor’s Guilt”

    New York City based band, Black Suit Youth, released a new single off their upcoming album, The World Is Almost Over, due out this spring. The group began work on the album in late 2019 following the release of groups 2017 project False South. The 9-song LP navigates the harsh reality that the worst may be yet to come.

    Black Suit Youth

    “Survivor’s Guilt” is the second single off the bands upcoming new album. Bryan Maher, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, comments on the song’s meaning:

    It’s a song about two buddies of mine, Mark and Mike (who was Black Suit Youth’s original bassist). I miss Mark and Mike the most out all of those I’ve lost. The first verse is a reflection about Mark when we were teenagers, and the second verse is about Mike and I growing apart before his untimely death and the total shock of it.

    Bryan Maher, Guitar and Vocals

    Formed in 2005, NYC’s Black Suit Youth remain a relentless 4-piece outfit that blend elements of punk rock, classic rock, and indie rock. Two-thousand and ten saw the release of the LP, Meet Me in Death Valley, from which Black Suit Youth managed to secure opening gigs for Story of the Year, Alien Ant Farm, The Undead, and more.

    After a few DIY tours, the album was re-released on vinyl. In 2016, the band signed with 59 X Records and released 2017’s False South which saw the band take a new direction while maintaining their DIY punk rock ethos. Black Suit Youth is comprised of Bryan Maher (Vocals/Guitar), Fed Canalos (Guitar), Juan Orellana (Bass), and Ray Mazza (Drums).

  • Premiere: Sam Rappaport steps out with “Till the Morning Comes”

    East Williamsburg based singer/songwriter, Sam Rappaport, released his debut single today, “Till the Morning Comes.” The song is an intimate and emotional piano-driven ballad with a paced delivery that recalls Norah Jones and Randy Newman.

    sam rappaport

    For most of his life, Sam believed he was headed for a career in the NBA. But after a clarifying stint as a shooting guard on the Vassar College Men’s Basketball team, he decided to turn his aspirations toward his first love: music.

    I have to be honest–I was a mediocre D3 college basketball player. I held onto the NBA dreams as long as I could, but once I hit college it was pretty clear that those dreams were out of reach. Still, I spent the first three years of college thinking that I’d end up overseas playing in some Euro league. I remember finishing a practice my senior year, running to the bathroom, heaving all the liquid in my body into a trash can, and thinking–I don’t want to do this anymore. So I quit. And it was quite liberating, until I realized there was a great void in my life that I now had to fill.

    Sam cut his teeth as a keyboardist in Chicago, playing for two years with R&B singer Brandon James at venues across the city. At Brooklyn open mics, house parties and comedy shows, he started to gain his footing as a songwriter with the ability to pull from folk, rock, and soul to craft intimate, understated arrangements. 

    Rappaport is also a member of indie-rock band Gooseberry, and began writing “Till the Morning Comes” early in the pandemic, knowing that it would be geared for his solo work.

    I’ve been playing piano since I was five. It’s always been there. But frankly, I’ve never felt that I was good enough to put it front and center. I mean, I still don’t. There were a lot of mental blocks I had to find my way around before I was able to share the things I was writing.

    “Till the Morning Comes” is a song that I wrote toward the beginning of the pandemic. It just seems to flow better as a piano-driven ballad, as opposed to something that needs a drum kit, electric guitar, etc. I wanted to open an avenue to release solo material that might not fit with Gooseberry, which leans a little more toward indie-rock.

    With a style that reflects the aforementioned Jones and Newman, his song writing style is still in development. Rappaport teamed up with East Williamsburg based producer Lorenzo Wolff. A stripped down piano ballad soars into a second chorus with the help of ethereal synths and the twang of a lap steel. It is there that Sam’s knack for poignant storytelling and tasteful melodies is on full display.

    If I do have a songwriting style, I don’t know what it is. I’d rather others decide. I have, over the past year, spent a lot of time listening to Tom Waits and Randy Newman, and I’m sure those influences show up in “Till the Morning Comes.” I’m interested in storytelling, loneliness, intimacy, the sounds of an old upright piano–I hope some of that comes across in the song. I’m still finding my footing.

    The vocals, both melancholic and hopeful, float delicately above the instruments. “Till the Morning Comes” is a song that rises from the stillness of the night, yearning for some way to steel itself against the uncertainty of tomorrow. 

    For more from Sam Rappaport, visit his Bandcamp and Instagram.

  • White Cliffs Journey of Self-Discovery in “Just Like You”

    Brooklyn-based psych/electronic-rock artist White Cliffs (aka Rafe Cohan) just released his latest single “Just Like You” on January 29. The single commences the first release off of his upcoming EP Stockholm. After spending years experimenting with a variety of instruments, genres and vocal styles, White Cliffs made his first ever EP. Keep an eye out for Stockholm available shortly on major platforms February 19.

    White Cliffs maintains the fine balance between being a musical purist and an unconventional creator. His mastery of instruments and entrancement in the art of producing can be seen as a curse to his canvas. Nevertheless, his complexity and dedication to his craft allow him to gain reason within the collage of sound he puts together.

    “Just Like You” illuminates an ambience of summertime through the layering of a psychedelic tone, conversational lyricism, and guitar effects. An effortless blend of indie rock, soul and electronic creates a unique yet dynamic anthem. The hypnotic sound he is able to make gives off feelings of late night car drives where time seems to stand still. White Cliffs reminds everyone of the constant struggle of self-acceptance and learning to celebrate our individuality.

    White Cliffs Songwriting Process:

    I wrote the song about our playful and hypocritical struggle with accepting our true selves. And that struggle is just a part of pursuing a career as a musician… You’re constantly drawing this attention to your project, and in the process, you end up learning quite a bit about yourself, both good and bad.  Usually, you experience some denial or imposter syndrome, but after time passes, you are left with acceptance.

    Look for the claymation “Just Like You” music video that Cohan directed, produced, and edited himself. Soon to be released tomorrow, February 3.

    White Cliffs career is just beginning and on the rise. Previously, he held performances at Panorama Festival in New York City and at CRSSD Festival in San Diego, which leaves the future looking bright for the upcoming artist. He even toured with acts like Big Wild, Elderbrook, and STS9.

    White Cliffs limitless potential becomes more evident with each new project he releases. His latest double single release “Six Cylinder Run”/”On My Mind” demonstrates that exact captivation he can hold the listener in. His ability to produce hypnotic layers of sound yet still make each single unique exemplifies his artistry.

    “Just Like You” is available on major platforms

    Apple Music, Spotify, and Soundcloud

  • Dynamic Duo Break Out the Crazy Drop Newest Single, “Fool For You”

    Singing-songwriting couple, Katya Diaz and Chris Hierro, combine artistic forces and sound to form Break Out the Crazy, their soulful band that prides itself on breaking genres and blurring the lines between them. The worldly couple is released their newest single, “Fool For You,” on January 29, a song that explores the theme of risking everything for love.

    break out the crazy

    Katya Diaz has a lengthy background of touring internationally, both a singing and dancing background, for artists such as Passion Pit, Beyoncé, Alejandro Sanz, and Thalia. She worked as a vocalist for Snarky Puppy‘s Family Dinner DVD in which she sang background for Lalah Hathaway’s Grammy-winning live performance of “Something.” For the past five years, she’s shifted her sights onto songwriting, even writing the national commercial for JC Penny’s 2015 spring campaign and getting to work alongside acclaimed writers Itaal Shur and Stewart Matthewman.

    Writing and producing Latin music from a young age, Chris Hierro has worked with many popular artists such as Leslie Grace, Eli Jas, and Prince Royce. He toured as a keyboardist and backup vocalist for some of Latin music’s most popular artists, including Jerry Rivera, Obie Bermudez, and Alejandro Sanz. One of his most noteworthy songwriting and producing achievements is reaching the #1 position of the Billboard Tropical Airplay Charts with the hit, “We Never Looking Back” featuring Toby Love.

    Together, the recently married duo has composed singles in multiple genres and themes, ranging from soulful love songs to tropical pop songs made to dance to. Their newest single, “Fool For You” is accompanied by a powerful and hypnotic music video showcasing the couple’s passion for both their music and each other.