With the COVID-19 pandemic starting to dissipate, what’s a better way to celebrate than to attend live music at a historic venue (Smith Opera House) with a bold-sounding electric rock band Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, a fixture to the Finger Lakes music scene.
Photo: Whitney Nichols Photography
This performance on June 26th will be in high demand with only 100 tickets on sale (following NYS mandate). Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots have a rhythm that can’t be beat carried by the classic sounds of an electric guitar that pair perfectly with an upbeat electric keyboard. But the lead vocals, Maddy Walsh, perfectly co-exist with the band’s sounds as her fun lyrics and upbeat voice will have you singing along before you know it.
The Smith Center for Arts has been going strong for over 125 years and has no plan on slowing down. They constantly bring in great artists, such as Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, year-round in their historically rich amphitheater.
It is important to note that The Smith will not be filling orders over the phone or in-person at the Box Office. There will be no sales available at the door day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at thesmith.org.
From their hometown of Philadelphia, the Disco Biscuits will live stream a special show on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, from The Fillmore Auditorium in Philadelphia. The show will be limited to 42 lucky guests through the Disco Biscuits Facebook page. For those who can’t attend, streaming will be available via CouchTour.TV.
The Disco Biscuits will be returning to Philadelphia for a stream from The Fillmore, an iconic venue that has hosted more sold out Disco Biscuits shows than any other artist. The band will take the stage Tuesday, May 18 in the city of Brotherly Love, with an exclusive set streaming on Couchtour.tv starting at 7pm ET/4pm PT. This single-day virtual tour stop will be followed by a series of sold out shows at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre over May 28-30, 2021.
Couchtour.tv has been the virtual host for The Disco Biscuits’ tour as the streaming platform offers each of The Disco Biscuits shows from the 2021 tour for purchase through their website for single day tickets and weekend passes. Fans can log in on Couchtour.tv to watch the shows live in hi-definition audio and video in addition to having access to watch the shows on-demand.
The Disco Biscuits are deep in their 2021 tour that features an array of drive-in concerts and group pod events, in addition to livestreams via Sessions Live and Couchtour.tv. The band wrapped up two shows in Sussex County, New Jersey this past weekend, May 14-15.
The Disco Biscuits – May 14, 2021 – Sussex County Live, Augusta, N.J. Set 1: Mulberry’s Dream-> Jigsaw Earth (inverted)-> Mulberry’s Dream, Jam-> The Great Abyss-> 4th of July Set 2: Air Song-> Hero-> And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night-> Cyclone-> Orch Theme-> Rapture-> And the Ladies Were the Rest of the Night Encore: The Great Abyss (middle)-> Clocks
The Disco Biscuits – May 15, 2021 – Sussex County Live, Augusta, N.J. Set 1: Helicopters-> I-Man-> Bombs-> Voices Insane-> I-Man-> Helicopters Set 2: Reactor-> Anthem-> Lunar Pursuit-> Bernstein and Chasnoff (inverted)-> Little Shimmy in a Conga Line (ending only), Triumph-> Reactor, Run Like Hell-> Rock Candy (ending only) Encore: Confrontation
From the post-industrial hellscape of Syracuse, New York comes Trauma Cat, who have delivered to the world their first full length LP entitled Prepare to Apologize which was released in April 2021. This irreverent and ecclectic gem that was co-produced by the band and the elusive St. Julian P. Dingusand, sports 15 tracks (3 tracks including “Joshua,” “Fire in the Jail,” and “Freaks with Wings” are re-issued singles) that span rock genres that include pop, alternative, electronica, and prog rock.
The band has cheekily branded their special brand of musicial gumbo on their website, “Though critics speculate on the band’s true origin and the meaning of their existence, Trauma Cat are widely credited as the founders of “cuck rock,” an indeterminate school of music indebted to incessant apology and shameless cross-genre appropriation. Others have described Trauma Cat’s sound as “uncomfortable art rock,” and their politics as “alt-wrong.”
The Trauma Cat roster is comprised of the musically talented and fashion forward Ralph Kojig (guitar and vocals), Roman Pando (bass and vocals), and Rutger DiBoyere (drums). Together they comprise a wonderfully creative power trio that has been successful in creating a personau that is reminicent of a combination of punk pioneers Devo and Saturday morning cartoon favorites Josie and the Pussycats. The glorious result of this concoction is the band’s demonstrable irreverance and hilarious comedic take on the music biz, and yet despite this silliness, they have created an enjoyable record and that is fun, fresh and creative.
Trauma Cat has released the following “documentary” to introduce listener’s to their own distinct brand of “Cuck Rock” and to “apologize for their new LP.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7DSttG7mx8
The record starts off with title track “Prepare to Apologize,” which is initially a short verbal rant between members Kojig and Pando, that leads into a short but sonically pleasing acapella number. The track seamlessly transitions into the second song on the LP “Indivisible,” reminiscent in musical style to a mash up of Rage Against the Machine and Tool. Heavy on bass and sporting great vocals that are both provided by Kojig, “Indivisible” illustrates why Trauma Cat won the 2021 Syracuse Area Music Award for Best New Artist.
Prepare to Apologize’s third track is “Trauma Cat.” This is a fun and upbeat tune that has all the makings of the band’s offical theme song if they ever decide to create their own must see reality TV series (look out Kardashians). Kojig provides just the right amount of heavy guitar and along with DiBoyere percussion this track will get the listener’s blood pumping.
Another highlight on the record is fourth track “Joshua”, which was originally released as a single by the band back in November of 2020. Trauma Cat deftly released a remarkably professional music video for “Joshua” that was animated and directed by El Salvadorian sensation Lincktendo back in January 2021. Lyrically the song describes a daliance into bisexuality that ends up in a bad breakup which then ultimately ruins a friendship. “Joshua” is a strong tune with loads of pop sensibility which makes it ideal for radio play. It features songwriter Kojig’s hypnotic chorus, “It came over me like a wave”, which is a catchy and memorable hook that will stay with listeners.
“Fire In The Jail” is the eleventh song on Prepare To Apologize. This anti-social anthem promtoes dissent against the world’s demanding vapid conformity. Breaking out of the prision of these imposed expectations. Kojig sings, “I just can’t believe that these people…content to live like sheep following the crowd.” Living on your own terms without worrying about other people’s perceptions an expectations is the core message of this rebellious song, which utilizes a good amount of vibrato on guitar and reverb on Pando’s vocal to evoke a distopian landscape.
Although this trio of self-depricating muscians does not take itself too seriously, the musical craftsmanship and production value of Trauma Cat’s debute LP shows passion and commitment that these Jester’s of “Cuck Rock” have for their craft. Prepare To Apologize is a great album that hopefully will be the first of many that these denzians of musicial mayhem produce for an ever increasingly bleak world that is crying out for more mirth and humor.
Key Tracks: Joshua, Trauma Cat, Lob A Grenade, Fire In The Jail
Toronto pop artist Dani Doucette today brings forth the captivating, neon-hued single “Craved,” fusing elements of R&B, disco, and pop setting the scene for Doucette’s velvety vocals.
The narrative of “Crave” describes an entrancing feeling in a club when you lock eyes with someone across the room who may not be suitable for you, yet you gravitate towards them overwhelmed with mystery. With confidence, power, and sensuality, Dani Doucette displays how being craved is a superpower. The lyrics describe losing yourself to love but only enough to leave a craving for more, pairing with a vibrant backing track accompanying Doucette’s voice.
Doucette fell in love with music at the young age of four when her father brought to their Toronto home a baby grand piano spending days practicing in her family’s sun-soaked music room. Aside from being an artist, she is an accomplished model, adding the glamour and excitement of her world-traveling experiences to her music. An aspiring humanitarian, Doucette also uses her platform to work with young people on their journey of self-discovery.
Applying her own struggles with confidence and feeling unfulfilled in the modeling world as her inspiration, she hosts self-esteem and confidence-boosting workshops for young women. Consistent with her goal of bringing about positive change in the world, Doucette strives to help people overcome adversity by sharing her own life experiences openly.
Charged with an ethereal vision, Dani has developed an individual pop sound, with captivating songs that feature a strong autobiographical and rebellious quality. Doucette arrived on the scene in August 2020 with “GO,” and the R&B pop song “Selfish” in January 2021.
Co-written with Thomas McKay, Dani channeled some of her favorite pop idols and a sci-fi energy, bringing the ambiance of an interstellar party.
While writing this song and working on harmonies we had MJ and Britney vibes that we were feeling. I remember Thomas and I just knew we had made something special.
Multi-disciplinary artist and musician Serge Bulat recently released his new single with Japanese artist Dai Sekiguchi. The new song “Possible Plausible Reversible” is off of his upcoming LP, released on April 30.
In 2009, Bulat immigrated to the USA from a town under the Soviet Union. He was determined to pursue his musical career and expand on numerous frameworks within media. Bulat’s work varies from audiovisual installations to sound design to experimental video and more.
“Possible Plausible Reversible” is the artist’s most recent release off of his full-length album Similarities Between Fish And A Chair. Bulat experiments in this work to fuse genres, cultures, and media. He seeks to challenge traditional formats to develop this non-conforming project.
The new album is a direct continuation of his 2020 release Wurmenai which also delivered an immersive video game. The project features notable collaborators from ten different countries. Some of these artists include Katie Buckley, OYME, and Pavel Vit.
The new work deals with identity, normality, and personality; it questions reality and perception as well as imagines future.
Serge Bulat
Similarities Between Fish And A Chair will release alongside an audiovisual installation, “Inkblot,” as well as an experiential video game “Isolomus.” Bulat’s take on the standard psychological test, “Inkblot,” seeks to expand on the senses and connect his albums.
Five years in the making, Similarities Between Fish And A Chair, will finally be released later this month. Make sure to pre-order/pre-save the album here and stream “Possible Plausible Reversible” on major platforms until then.
Queens artist Greywolf debut album Operation Wolf has been hotly anticipated. In preparation for the album, Greywolf has released a new single – “Temple.”
Greywolf is a one man project masterminded by Jason Grey – lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. “Operation Wolf” see’s Grey dive into a lot of heavy themes with his unique blend of electronic, punk and indie. Operation Wolf is a culmination of a lifetime of fighting, dreaming and loving. The lyrics are fusion of poetry, journal entries and incantations — and at times a lucid journey into my own psyche.
Lead singles for the album include “Exit Key” and the newest release – “Temple,” which features Aya Nori. Grey is also the co-founder and bassist for the band Escaper. Escaper has had a solid career so far, sharing the stage with the likes of Aqueous and Karl Denson.
“Temple” touches on released, cutting of chains of everything that has weighted you down. Whether it be shame, adversity, betrayal – making a conscious choice to live your best life and project love even in times of peril.
Live For Live Music
Other songs on the album include “Arcade” and “End of Days.” “Arcade” is based on the notion that life can feel like a video game. People are constantly trying to get to the next level — at times not realizing there is a lesson to be learned. Survival is a key theme here and being able to grab the joystick and be your own hero. “End Of Days” touches on not only the idea of global apocalypse but of the personal apocalypse one may face in their own lives.
Phish keyboardist Page McConnell today announced the release of his new solo album, Maybe We’re the Visitors, arriving Friday, April 9 via Keyed Records. Written and recorded in Reykjavik, Iceland and Burlington, VT, the album’s first song “Radio Silence,” was released today with a visualizer. Rolling Stone writer David Fricke called in his album notes “an overture of slowly dawning arpeggios that dot the void like hopeful transmissions.”
David Fricke’s liner notes include the following details on the album:
In January 2020, shortly before the coronavirus shut down modern life, including travel, McConnell took a road trip that had nothing to do with his normal touring itinerary as the keyboard player in Phish: a holiday in Iceland. Inevitably, music got made there. But it was unlike anything McConnell had recorded before as a solo artist, for side projects or within the collaborative energies of Phish: fully electronic pieces created on location, in response to the epic landscapes, dramatic weather, and geologic fury that he experienced in Iceland. He also came back energized and determined to keep going amid, indeed despite, lockdown.MAYBE WE’RE THE VISITORS is the result: an imaginary voyage charged with eyewitness awe and intense, solitary reflection; expressed without lyrics, vocals or any sign of piano, organ or clavinet, McConnell’s signature armory with Phish.
The album is his third solo outing – following 2007’s song-based Page McConnell and a 2013 instrumental release, Unsung Cities and Movies Never Made – and a genuine breakthrough: the first McConnell has conceived and performed entirely with synthesizers. Maybe We’re the Visitors is also the most personal record he has ever made because it is an album that has been on his mind for a long time.
The narrative flow of MAYBE WE’RE THE VISITORS – exploration, colony and, finally warning; that, as Icelanders already know, we are only stewards here and nature always has the last word – did not present itself “until I was close to the end,” McConnell confesses. “But I always knew there was something alien about these pieces…”
McConnell’s side-project Vida Blue released Analog Delay in late 2019. Read an interview with McConnell with Relix.
This is the first article in the series “Made in New York,” a historical examination of the music history of each of New York’s 62 counties. First up – Orange County.
Welcome to Orange County, New York! This stretch of land is the first county in the United States to be named Orange and it shares this name with seven others throughout the country. Located between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers, this area which was first named in 1683 is full of natural and historical wonders.
The county’s highest elevation is located at Schunemunk Mountain and its lowest point is at the mighty Hudson River. The Wallkill River National Refuge is home to the smallest turtle in New York and this is just up the road from the Black Dirt Region in Southern Orange County, which accounts for half of the onions grown in New York State. Additionally, the black dirt here has an uncanny ability to preserve the past and more mastodon bones have been uncovered in this area than anywhere else on Earth.
Some of the history in this area is well-known by all, but this county has a surprising amount of it, some of which many people may not be aware. West Point Military Academy, which opened in 1802, is the oldest such school in the U.S. and the first section of the Appalachian Trail was created at Bear Mountain and opened in 1923. But interestingly, Orange County is home to the oldest tree and the oldest carbon-dated human settlement in America.
Orange County has its share of “firsts” as well. It has been home to the first cattle ranch and the first butter factory in America and also the world’s first homeopathic mental hospital. And who can forget America’s first liquid propelled airmail rocket flight which occurred at Greenwood Lake in 1936.
This county has a few more facts that just need to be shared. Stewart International Airport has a runway long enough to designate it as an emergency landing site for the now-defunct space shuttle. Brotherhood Winery is the oldest continuously operating winery in the country and Storm King Art Center is the largest sculpture park in the country. And finally, cream cheese was first mass-produced in Chester, NY and despite being made in New York, they named their product ‘Philadelphia Cream Cheese’ and through clever marketing, got its name because the Pennsylvania city was known for quality dairy farming.
But you didn’t come to NYS Music to learn about cheese and turtles; you’re here to learn about what Orange County has to offer to the music community.
The Ritz Theater in Newburgh is one of the most famous musical venues in the county and has been graced by performances from Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Prima and a then unknown singer named Frank Sinatra. It also, famously, is the venue where Lucille Ball made her on-stage debut and it was also the first time she performed with Desi Arnaz. On the other side of the county, Port Jarvis used to be the home of the State Theater. In its last year of operation, the venue featured both Anthrax and Metallica.
SONY DSC
In between these two cities, Middletown is home to the Paramount Theater which was added to the State & National Register of Historic Places in 2002. This venue has seen Johnny Cash, Joan Jett, Jefferson Starship and Blue Oyster Cult play for sold out audiences. And while we can’t touch on every venue in the county, one final notable haunt is the BSP Lounge in Kingston. This place was a featured location during King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s second U.S. Tour in 2014.
There are plenty of musicians who have called Orange County their home. Let’s take a look at the many bands and artists from the area.
Willie “The Lion” Smith
17th February 1939: American jazz musician Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith playing the piano and singing at a ‘Friday Club’ jam session, organized by Eddie Condon and ad-men P. Smith and E. Anderson, at the Park Lane Hotel, New York City. (Photo by Charles Peterson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Jazz music wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for one particular resident of Orange County. Willie “The Lion” Smith was born in Goshen, NY in 1893. In his younger years, he discovered his mothers broken down organ in the basement and she taught him all of the melodies she knew, despite the instrument missing most of its keys. He started playing music at local clubs as he got older and one day he discovered a newspaper advertisement for Marshall & Wendell’s piano store in Albany with a contest to guess how many dots were printed in their ad. After winning the contest, an upright piano was delivered to his house and he continued to play various rags that he learned in those clubs.
In his late teens, he was finally playing in NYC and Atlantic City before serving in World War 1 where his reported bravery as a gunner earned him the nickname “The Lion.” He was back playing clubs in NYC by 1919 and not only made his first record a year later but helped develop a new piano style that is now known as “stride.” That record in 1920, called Crazy Blues, recorded with a singer named Mamie Smith, is generally regarded as the first recording of the blues.
During this time, Smith became a mentor for many up-and-coming musicians, most notably Duke Ellington. Duke was once quoted saying, “Willie The Lion was the greatest influence of all the great jazz piano players who have come along. He has a beat that stays in the mind.”
Orange County celebrates Willie “The Lion” Smith Day on September 18.
The Kalin Twins
Hal and Herbie Kalin were born in Port Jervis on February 16, 1934. Although they wouldn’t become stars until their late 20’s, their first “performance” together was at the town’s Christmas party when they were both five years old. At the age of 18, Hal was drafted into the U.S. Army and he and his brother kept in contact during his service, sharing songs they had written and writing about future plans to make it big in the music industry.
The twins were signed to the Decca Records label after Hal’s return and although their first songs failed to chart, they did appear on the Milt Grant Show and performed live. It wasn’t until searching through a bunch of demo tapes from writers that they discovered the song “When,” which they thought would be a hit. Released as a B-side on their single “Three O’Clock Thrill,” “When” eventually peaked at #5 on the Hot 100 charts and made it to #1 on the UK Singles chart and also #1 on the US R&B chart. They weren’t one-hit-wonders though as they had a number of other charting tracks including “Forget Me Not,” which reached #12 on the Hot 100.
Pardison Fontaine
Jorden Thorpe, better known as Pardison Fontaine, was born in Newburgh, NY in 1989. At an early age, he started rapping on his Talkboy and decided during his college years to drop out and commit fully to his hip-hop aspirations. He first gained acclaim with his 2013 song, “Oyyy” from his debut mixtape titled ‘Not Supposed to Be Here’ and filmed the music video for the track in his hometown. This song caught the attention of Cardi B and Pardison has since contributed as a songwriter to her for numerous songs, most famously her single “Bodak Yellow.”
Cardi was also featured on Pardison’s breakout hit “Backin It Up,” which hit #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has garnered over 166 million views on YouTube. Pardi has co-wrote with Kanye West on more than half of the songs on Kanye’s 2018 album, Ye, including “Violent Crimes” and “Ghost Town.” In addition to these, Pardison co-wrote the track “South of the Border” on Ed Sheeran’s No.6 Collaborations Project.
Pardison still represents his roots in Newburgh and loves giving back to the community. He has donated jerseys to the local Newburgh Steelers football team, participated in a turkey drive and also a bookbag giveaway to help local school children. His new album, Under8ed, was released in November of 2019 which he has described as “the story of my city.”
pErFect ThYroID
Throughout the 90s, one band in particular made waves throughout the Hudson Valley with its new brand of musical fusion, fun live shows and of course, it’s infamous Skunk logo. Hailing from Orange and Ulster County, Perfect Thyroid was formed in 1991 and while its lineup changed throughout the years, the band originally consisted of brothers Chris and Bill Hanson, Chris Snykus, Jaf Farkas, Shawn Rice and Jen Polcari. Combining the ska, funk and punk, reggae and jazz genres into their musical stylings, Thyroid became well known for calling this new sound “Skunk”.
PT toured full-time for over 20 years and put out 5 albums during that time, including “Musical Barnacles,” which Alternative Press selected as a “Ska-Punk Essential Album.” They were also featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 Disney movie, Meet The Deedles. Throughout the tenure over the last 2 decades, they’ve had a plethora of incredible musicians join them in studio and on stage, including Dean Jones, Joe Cuchelo, Jason Foster, Mike Bove, Jon Stern, Sam Lapidus, Sean McLaughlin, Ben Acrish and Goshen’s own Shane Kirsch.
While the band has still played occasional shows throughout the last decade, most of the current lineup can also been seen in another area band called The Big Shoe. The members of Perfect Thyroid continue to call the Hudson Valley their home and will always be a shining example of what bands from New York State bring to live music scene.
William Fullerton Jr
William was born in Newburgh in 1854 and was the only son of William Fullerton, a famous New York lawyer. At age 17, he published‘Silver Strains’ which is now located in the Library of Congress. He left for Europe to study music in Germany and ended up living in London where he published a number of popular compositions that were dedicated to members of the Royal family. During his time in London, he lived with a famous painter and stage designer named Percy Anderson and these two would go on to have success with the opera named ‘Lady of the Locket.’ Following this, he set to work with Anderson on another light opera titled ‘Waldemar: Robber of the Rhine’ before succumbing to tuberculosis in 1888. While many of his works have been lost to history, ‘Spanish Serenade’ still exists online and can be heard below.
Dubois Alsdorf
Newburgh has a rich history of music and dance over the last century and a half, and that is thanks to the Alsdorf Dance Academy. Dubois Alsdorf was born in Wallkill, NY in 1827 to parents George and Catherine. At an early age, he showed a talent for music which he received from his father George and his parents sent him to New York City to begin an apprenticeship. Studying under famed orchestra leader and composer William Alpo, Dubois learned from Alpo’s musical experiences playing with Francis Johnson. Johnson was the first American musician to tour Europe and introduced the U.S. to the idea of open-air concerts, which had a lasting impression on Dubois. After his apprenticeship, Dubois formed one of the first regional brass bands, the Alsdorf Band, which according to the Historical Society of Newburgh Bay and the Highlands, made their debut on the Courthouse steps of Newburgh in 1849.
Alsdorf also began his own orchestra which played in prominent vacation spots like Lake George and Saratoga Springs and locally for dance classes, which gave him the opportunity to learn dance instruction. This set the stage for him to open the Alsdorf Dance Academy, whose first location was in Newburgh’s own United States Hotel. The school was soon teaching dance to the people of Newburgh and Orange County alike and this history of dance education continued as his three sons followed in his footsteps. Charles, Simon and Ulysses Alsdorf taught at the Dance Academy at 93 Liberty Street in Newburgh, which featured a grand ballroom and rooftop garden for public performances. The first soiree at the Alsdorf Academy took place in 1849, but the Dubois family continued this tradition for nearly a century, teaching Newburghers dance and music for generations.
The Heavy Pets
The Heavy Pets are considered a Florida-based band through and through, but their roots run deep in Orange County. Guitarists Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli as well as Bassist Joe Dupell became friends while going to high school in Goshen, NY and formed a band named Anthem before starting the first iteration of The Heavy Pets. College sadly got in the way of music, but once that was done, Dupell invited Lloyd down to visit him in Florida. Shortly after his arrival, Garulli came down as well, setting the stage for The Heavy Pets to reform.
Their first show in South Florida occurred in 2005 and the next few years were nothing short of exceptional for the band. In a 2006 contest to select a local band to play the Langerado Music Festival in Florida, The Heavy Pets beat out 350 other bands and were on the same lineup as The Flaming Lips, The Disco Biscuits and Robert Randolph. Two months later they were selected as the “Unsigned Band of the Week” by High Times Magazine. The following year, they put out their first album, Whale, and have released seven additional albums since then.
While the band’s lineup has changed slightly over the years, their love for playing live shows and especially music festivals has not. The Heavy Pets have played more than a dozen different festivals and over 1,000 live shows since 2005 and have even held their own fest, Pet Zoo, three times in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Corey Glover
Corey Glover, best known for his work with Living Colour and also for touring with Galactic wasn’t born in Orange County, but he re-located there in the last decade. While you may recognize his face from the movie Platoon, Glover’s voice is known the world over from Living Colour’s hit 1988 song “Cult of Personality.” Glover has also been in such bands as SKAndalous All-Stars and Vice and has even toured as a vocalist with the “A Bowie Celebration” Alumni Tour.
During the beginning of the last decade, Glover started playing with a number of jam bands. He sang with Robert Randolph as well as Soulive for a number of shows and also toured as a vocalist with Galactic from 2011-2014 after seeing them at Irving Plaza in NYC and joining them on stage at that show. He is still touring with Living Colour and most recently started two new bands. He started Ultraphonix with Dokken guitarist George Lynch and a metal project called Disciples of Verity with former members from Negative Sky and God Forbid.
So there you have it. Orange County has, without a doubt, a rich heritage of musicians and venues and an impressive amount of history surrounding it. From rock to hip-hop, the Hudson River to the Delaware River and the Philadelphia Cream Cheese company to the country’s first rocket-propelled airmail test. The contributions from the residents in this county can’t be glossed over and it’ll be a standard that you’ll find throughout our series on the Counties within New York State. Next up, CortlandCounty!
The Disco Biscuits’ upcoming Orlando performances from Dr. Phillips Center’s Frontyard Festival will be livestreamed on Couchtour.tv on Thursday, March 25 and Friday, March 26, starting at 7:30pm ET.
Couchtour.tv is a new concert streaming platform that gives artists the ability to create the highest quality concert livestreams available on the internet; filmed and delivered in 6k video and high def audio from anywhere on Earth – and all without the artist having to know a thing about livestreaming.
The Couchtour.tv team brings insight from many different facets of both the entertainment and tech industries. The senior team comes from leadership roles at companies The Disco Biscuits, JamBase, Splice, Gracenote, Full Circle Music Productions, Oracle and IBM. Still in it’s infant stages, fans and artists can expect to see advanced features and new artists, shows and festivals announced in the coming months.
Disco Biscuits founding member and lead guitarist, Jon Barber, is the founder of Couchtour.tv. Thus, it made perfect sense for his band to perform on the startup platform when it launched in October, 2020.
Couchtour.tv wasn’t a new idea, but time that would have otherwise been spent on the road opened up the space to finally bring Couchtour.tv to fruition. We’ve got a great team working on this, but it’s still gonna’ be a few months before we can roll this out in its complete form – bells, whistles and all – then it’ll be available wherever fans go to get their apps.
Jon Barber, Disco Biscuits guitarist and founder of CouchTour.Tv
Tickets for the Disco Biscuits Orlando streams are on sale now and available at Couchtour.tv.
Electronica pioneers Daft Punk, who are responsible for some of the most well known dance and pop songs of the past two decades, announced their break up. Their retirement was announced to the world in a video titled “Epilogue,” posted on the morning of February 22.
Daft Punk is an electronic due that started back in Paris in 1993. The duo consists of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter; they are known for being influential members of the electronic dance genre helping create the French touch style of house music. Their sound combines elements of house music with funk, techno, disco, rock and synth pop. They are known for wearing their ornate helmets and gloves to assume robot personas for most of their public appearances. Some of their most known songs include “One More Time,” “Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger,” “Get Lucky,” and “Around the World.”
https://youtu.be/udvYSd2TIkg
Their announcement video “Epilogue,” was an excerpt from their 2006 film Electroma and was posted to their website and social media accounts. The video is eight minutes long and features the two in full costume silently walking away from each other in a vast sandy landscape with one of them blowing up and then sliding into music with the caption saying 1993-2021 with a setting sun on the horizon.
Kathryn Frazier, who was the duo’s long time publicist, has officially confirmed the split to Variety. Frazier declined to provide further details behind the duo’s disbandment and retirement at this time.
https://youtu.be/LYuD9ydQr3w
It is still unknown if the duo will be working together under different names or whether other new projects are in the works. Considering the group’s history of popping back out of the woodworks, fans hope they will continue to release music, videos and whatever other projects strike their fancy. We hope the era isn’t truly over. Some wonder if this announcement is in fact the beginning of a new project.
For the time being, Daft Punk has called it quits. For more information on it visit the duo’s website.
