NYS Music 202​1

Category: Bluegrass/Country

  • Luminous Crush, Girl Blue and more are Featured on this week’s EQXposure

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Luminous Crush, Girl Blue, and many more.

    luminous crush

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    This week’s featured artist is Luminous Crush, celebrating the release of their new creative album Luminous Inc.  The duo of Laura Molinelli and Ben Campbell create music defined by Ben as “original bluegrass outlaw country post-punk psychedelic fusion indie dream pop.”  Each song is a sonic journey into electric glitch and layers upon layers of instrumental treatment making for some unbelievably interesting music. 

    Tonight, Pearson will be playing “Stagg,” “Radio Kills Zombies,” “One That Got Away” and “Dragons.” Listen below for a preview of the album.

    As we shared yesterday, Girl Blue has released a brand new single called, “Heaven.” A bright acoustic foot tapper describing the dangers of cell-phone addiction. Here is what she says in her own words:

    “Heaven” is a light, grooving, harmony-drenched pop track juxtaposed by dark, introspective and sometimes scathing lyrics about cellphone addiction. It makes a statement about how our relationship with technology has come to replace deep connection with spirituality, other people, the earth, and ourselves. The song does this while using very natural and organic instrumentation and production that make you want to bop your head and dance along in spite of yourself. 

  • 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

  • Sarah King, Skeletons and many more are featured on this week’s EQXposure

    Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Joe Mansmen and the Midnight Revival Band, Sarah King and many more.

    sarah king

    WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

    Sarah King has just released a new single ahead of her debut solo EP The Hour, due out in March. “Not Worth the Whiskey” is a gritty, bluesy, stomp-and-holler murder ballad that is raw and authentic with devil-may-care whistling, and atmospheric blues-rock guitar. King stands up to the idea that women should just smile and be quiet, exploring how righteous anger, revenge, and fear can actually lead to empowerment.

    Joe Mansmen and the Midnight Revival Band have unleashed a new single from their forthcoming album Renegade called “Wild Woman” that will be played at the top of Sunday night’s EQXposure show at 7pm. Raw visceral rock and roll at its finest, and EQXPosure is the only place you can hear this jam.

    You’ll also catch “Grape Juice,” the latest single from Skeletons; Red Light Rivals from Mayfield, NY with their latest “Ghost Town,” and “Turn to Dust,” the title cut off Son of a Gun’s newly released EP of the same name which will make it’s EQX debut on EQXposure. Read our profile of Son of a Gun here.

  • 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.

    Mr. Days

    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”

    Mr. Days
    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






  • String Cheese Incident Pay Homage to Tony Rice with “Old Train” Cover

    On January 14th, 2021, The String Cheese Incident released a heartwarming cover of the Tony Rice classic “Old Train,” paying homage to the bluegrass legend and his untimely death. The tribute begins with a short and sweet message thanking Tony Rice for his “incredible gift of music,” and acts as a promise to carry Rice’s legacy onwards.

    tony rice old train
    The String Cheese Incident performing

    David Anthony Rice was born in Danville, Virginia, on June 8th, 1951, before moving across the country to Los Angelos, first introducing Rice to the concept of bluegrass. Through this move, he discovered his first big influences, guitarists Clarence White and the Kentucky Colonels, and his immense passion for music only grew stronger throughout his upbringing.

    Tony Rice’s guitar playing shaped a generation of musicians. His impeccable tone, taste and timing were unmatched and highly regarded by players and listeners alike. We are very fortunate to have so many great recordings of his life’s work. If you haven’t had the pleasure of hearing him perform, check out the Tony Rice Unit and David Grisman Quintet albums. I recommend you start with the album “Manzanita.” We’ll never forget you, Tony!

    Bill Nershi

    He experienced his first big break when he moved back East to pursue playing professionally, joining iconic banjo player J.D. Crowe’s band, the New South, and releasing an album together in 1975; J.D. Crowe and the New South. This album was endlessly praised for its progressive sound in the bluegrass era, becoming so well-known among fans to where it was lovingly referred to as Rounder 0044, its record label catalogue number.

    The young guitarist seemed to only get bigger and better, breaking boundaries in the music business. Joining Grisman’s Quintet in San Francisco allowed him to embrace experimentalism within his music, and establish himself as an iconic household name and a legendary guitarist.

    New opportunities of collaborating with John Carlini, Ricky Skaggs, Norman Blake, and Bela Fleck ensured his growing success and recognition, tackling all sorts of musical boundaries before he was unfortunately required to stop singing in the mid-1990s due to muscle tension dysphonia, a condition which constricted the muscles around his voice box. Rice continued to play the guitar with unbridled passion and energy until 2013, when he developed lateral epicondylitis and played his iconic Martin D-28 for the last time to a public audience at the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

    Tony Rice passed away on Christmas morning at the age of 69, his death first being announced by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The String Cheese Incident shortly followed up with a cover of his song, “Old Train” as a heartfelt goodbye to an inspiring guitarist.

    It is with a heavy heart we say goodbye to one of the most iconic voices and musicians in bluegrass. David Anthony “Tony” Rice passed away, Dec. 25, at his home in Reidsville, NC. Few will ever match his skill and influence. Rest in Peace, Tony.

    @IntlBluegrass on Twitter, 12/26/20

  • Billy Strings channels Grateful Dead ESP shows with Deja Vu Experiment

    In 1971, the Grateful Dead performed at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester over six nights – February 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, and 24. Billy Strings will present The Deja Vu Experience on FANS and The Relix Channel on those same nights, 50 years later, with a six-night livestream.

    billy strings deja vu experiement

    With a nod to those historic shows, Billy Strings will perform on these same dates as the Grateful Dead did, adding an aire of deja vu to the run of streams, in hopes of tapping into the musicianship and fearlessness that the Dead did 50 years ago.

    Much like the Dead, Billy Strings has the potential to unlock the improvisational boundaries of music and psychedelia in a familiar yet unique way.

    During the 1971 shows, the Grateful Dead conducted ESP Experiments, prompting Deadheads in the audience to focus on imagery shown by the band and telepathically send the imagery to a test subject.

    The Deja Vu Experiment is aiming to similarly tap into a sense of clairvoyance and togetherness by asking the streaming audience to use their minds to collectively “see” and send imagery to special guest receivers.

    Concerts in the age of streaming beg fans to transport their mind; to feel connected to a live performance when we cannot physically be together. This experiment is not scientifically backed, rather, a hypothesis that the collective mind has the power to tap into extrasensory perception and manifest connection.

    Tickets to February 19, 20, 21, and 23 are on sale now. February 18 + 24 are FREE on The Relix Channel, exclusively on Twitch. A portion of proceeds will benefit The Rex Foundation and Backline.