Acclaimed singer/songwriter Mike Younger has just released a new single just right for these carnivalesque political times, “Lord of the Fleas.” And while the lyrics for this tune were just penned to reflect today’s tumultuous climate, its rhythm track, an all-star powered slice of pure Americana, is a remarkable story of its own, one dating back 20 years, and featuring none other than Levon Helm.
In January 2001, Younger was working with producer Jim Dickinson (Big Star, The Replacements) on sessions for what was to be his second album, the follow-up to his Rodney Crowell-produced 1999 debut, “Somethin in the Air.” Dickinson conjured a powerhouse band including Muscle Shoals’ legends David Hood (bass) and Spooner Oldham (keyboards), North Mississippi All Stars’ Luther Dickinson (guitar) and Levon Helm, the heartbeat behind The Band (drums). Unfortunately for Younger, his record company folded while he was finishing the recording, and the rights to the tracks were tied up in a legal battle… until now.
“Lord of the Fleas” features a stately New Orleans style swing and funeral march horns, accenting Younger’s pungent lyrics about the culture wars, the war on refugees and so much more. Sounding much like a track one of the The Band’s classic era albums, Mike Younger has found memories of the session, and the contributions Levon Helm gave to them in sound and spirit.
“Working in the studio with Levon was one of the most important musical moments of my life,” says Younger. “I had been listening to his music since I was about 13 or 14. It was both thrilling and intimidating to me to get to work with someone I admired so much. But it was a real joy to strike up a friendship with him.”
“It was equally crushing to have the music swept away from me for almost 20 years, for reasons beyond my control,” laments Younger. “So it is immeasurably gratifying to have found and completed the project we started together, in spite of all the years and obstacles thrown in my path.”
The promotional video for new single emerges as an American news reel – illuminating the great contradiction of the modern patriot. “Lord of the Fleas” is the first single and video to be released from Nashville-based Younger’s highly-anticipated long-player, entitled “Burning the Bigtop Down,” slated for release in 2021.
Universal Preservation Hall will present a live-streamed concert of Misty Blues on February 12 at 8 p.m. This serves as a celebration of their 10th album, None More Blue, and over two decades together.
After the performance of their new album, the band will perform the “Queens of the Blues” soundtrack as a Black History Month celebration. The Queens of the Blues movie shows the lives of four African-American female blues artists: Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, and Koko Taylor. All four of these women made an undeniable impact on blues, jazz, and popular music throughout the twentieth century and beyond.
All compositions on None More Blue were written during the pandemic and show the connections the band was able to maintain despite a remote environment. The album release date is February 14.
Misty Blues, led by lead singer/band founder Gina Coleman, was a 2019 International Blues Challenge finalist. The band has performed original and traditional blues with hints of jazz, soul, funk and tent revival gospel since 1999. They have recorded and shared the stage with Charles Neville and opened for contemporary blues artists like Tab Benoit, John Primer, Albert Cummings and Michael Powers. The band recently earned an Independent Blues Music Award nomination for the best contemporary blues song. The band’s original recordings have wide radio airplay in the U.S. and U.K.
Thrash/hardcore band War Orphan, featuring guitarist Rich Cipriano formally of Sick Of it All and Reach fame, drummer Dante Renzi (Reach) and vocalist David Bason (Barfbag and Lords of the Drift), have released a new single titled “New Core,” which nostalgically looks back at the bands come up in the hardcore scene.
Guitarist Richie Cipriano elaborates further on the origins behind the song:
New Core is a song about growing up in the hardcore scene and making the decision not to leave it behind as you get older
Richie Cipriano, War Orphan
This song follows their recent explosive statement of a song “F*ck the NRA“, a tribute to fellow hardcore band The Exploited.
War Orphan released their debut in 2020, the politically charged trash punk EP Closer to Death Than Life. The EP delivers as a fearless protest record that doubles down on the angst which defines the hardcore scene with a particular focus on attacking rightwing extremists and the current presidential administration. Bason channels the seething dissatisfaction with the political establishment that has lead to unrest over the past few years, seeking to tackle systemic racism with “Autonomous Zone” and a deceitful president with “Prop up the Polls,” among other topics that have never been relevant and important.
War Orphan began when longtime friends Dante, Richie and David graduated from recording songs just to make each other laugh to taking it seriously. Singer David Bason is based in LA. Missing his New York friends, he would leave guitar player Richie Cipriano voicemails making fun of heavy metal. Richie and Dante would track record metal songs to the voicemails and send them back. Thus, was born Bloodbath and Beyond, what started a just a funny inside joke to kill time.
Afterwards, Richie called and said he had a song they should take seriously this time. Bason was on board and the EP was tracked, mixed and master in a matter of weeks. War Orphan came about organically and their music shows it.
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, Allyson Smith and many more!
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 EQXPosure puts a spotlight on a variety of local artists from across the 518 and Western New England.
The latest from Luminous Crush, “Radio Kills Zombies” has a haunting refrain with a smooth underlying groove, with imagery of the Cuba Gooding, Jr. film Radio attached. The Vermont band is fronted by Laura Molinelli and Ben Campbell. With Christian Heins (bass), Brad Waugaman (keyboard) and Paul Carroccio (drums), they form a quintet that focuses on original dreamlike pop and rock vignettes. Their music has been hailed as “fearless and original” by Dan Bolles, music editor at Seven Days.
Allyson Smith a singer-songwriter from Albany has recently released “The Waves.” Her songs weave together inner and outer worlds by juxtaposing emotional and spiritual experiences with keen environmental observations. The Collaborative Magazine boasts of Smith having “powerful songwriting, full of goose-bump raising lines and beautifully dark imagery.”
You’ll also catch brand new songs from Jade Relics’ freshly released collaboration between Elder Orange, Iame, and Rico James “With You,” United Crates/The Vinylcologist, Older Zealous AKA OJ, “Vodka and Polar,” and a new release from the Bathrobe Robots, “Alt-War.”
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.
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.
For their first live performances of 2021, the Disco Biscuits have announced a live, two-night run that will be livestreamed from Ardmore Music Hall.
Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6 will be the first live performances from the Philadelphia jam titans in 2021, and the first time the Disco Biscuits play the independent venue in Ardmore, PA.
Both live shows will be broadcast for free via Ardmore Music Hall’s YouTube channel & streaming partners nugs.tv. Tips for the band & venue staff are encouraged. Event merchandise and VIP ticketing are also available, which includes a signed custom foil poster, virtual soundcheck access, & both nights of audio recordings.
Ardmore Music Hall will welcome a very limited, socially-distanced & masked audience of 20 guests per night. Fans can enter the “Golden Ticket” Raffles & Silent Auctions for a chance to win tickets to each respective show. At the conclusion of each of the raffle drawings, a handful of winners will receive a pair of tickets per show, and an online silent auction for additional pairs of tickets will go live.
All guests will be required to produce negative COVID-19 test results before confirming their attendance. Additionally, the venue will uphold all safety guidelines and protocols mandated by local governance, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the CDC. More details can be found on the event page below.
January 15, 2021 marks the release of the single, “Seepin’,” from long-time Buffalo jam band veterans Organ Fairchild. While the members of the band have a history on the jam scene dating back 40 years, this is the first original music from the trio.
Organ Fairchild formed last winter and their debut performance came just before COVID-19 hit the world. Undeterred, the band performed outdoor shows, creating a buzz in Buffalo that was palpable. I caught wind of the band from Buffalo-area friends that saw them perform from a house while fans sat across the road in a socially distanced way. Whatever it takes to get the music out there.
Cited by The Buffalo News as “an incredibly hot new Buffalo band,” Organ Fairchild’s “Seepin’” precedes a full-length album tentatively scheduled for release in May of 2021. The single was mixed by Corey Kertzie (drums and percussion) and Dave Ruch (guitar) and mastered by Alan Evans of Soulive.
“Seepin’” features a groovy, funky feel that is right at home in the jam music genre. Joe Bellanti’s soaring organs and keyboard work are transportive. All three members of Organ Fairchild have such a great feel for each other, indicative of their many years experience that most new groups rarely find right away.
As the music industry recovers from the setbacks from Covid, keep your eyes out for Organ Fairchild. They’ll be jamming and you’ll be dancing and smiling.
On December 31st, 2020, it’s safe to say most of us had our guard down. After living through one of the most tragically eventful years in recent memory, we may have been operating under the false pretense that 2020 and all of the misfortunes that came with it were over. However, for the hip hop community, the final blow of 2020 had just been announced, and that was the passing of enigmatic, masked MC, MF DOOM.
Daniel Dumile, best known by the stage name MF Doom, was without a doubt, the most powerful voice in the underground rap scene. MF Doom spent nearly two decades dominating dusty- lo-fi beats, entangling complex rhymes, and his unexpected word choices. Releases such as Operation: Doomsday, MM…FOOD, and Born Like This cemented Dumile as a legend in the underground rap scene.
News has surfaced that may help us fans along with the grieving process. Stones Throw Records has received permission to release the long-awaited Madvillany 2. Madvillany, one of Dumile’s most notable releases, a collaborative project with legendary producer Madlib, may be receiving the public release of its long-awaited sequel, Madvillany 2.
The announcement of the pending posthumous release was first made during a recent episode of Pete Rosenberg and Cipha Sounds’ shared podcast, Juan Ep is Dead. Stones Throw Records founder, Peanut Butter Wolf, confirmed during the interview that MF DOOM was working on the highly-anticipated follow-up and, that Stones Throw had received the late MCs Family’s approval to release the project.
“DOOM was always telling me ‘It’s 85% done, it’s 85% done.,’ said Wolf during the interview. As of right now, Wolf and the label are unsure of what to do with the tracks, however, they do plan on releasing them as the long-awaited sequel, Madvillany 2.
Many bands have found it difficult to find ways to connect with fans in new and interesting ways during the COVID-19 pandemic but the alt-rock band PVRIS has found a way to do with it’s live performances of it’s albums in their entirety. They took to the virtual stage to perform AWKOHAWNOH on January 9, 2021 in its entirety for the first time including performing two songs off the album that had never been performed live before broadcasting live from Arizona.
PVRIS is an alternative rock band from Lowell, Massachusetts. The band formed back in 2012 under the name to Paris and eventually changed it to PVRIS for legal reasons. They got their big start in Warped Tour’s battle of the bands finalists in 2013 and have since grown into the the band that’s known today.
Before this virtual concert I personally have seen PVRIS perform twice in person and once virtually for their previous album White Noise. Every time they have killed it. As a big fan of listening to full albums in their entirety the bands decision to perform all of their albums in their live was extremely exciting and intriguing for me and the performances have lived up to the hype.
AWKOHAWNOH, also known as ‘All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell’ is PVRIS second album and was originally released on August 25, 2017 and included 10 tracks. The live-stream series is being presented by Pillar which is the platform that is hosting the series. PVRIS is selling tickets either for $15 for a one time ticket or a monthly subscription for $10 a month which gives special insights and allows the viewer to re-watch the live-streams. They are also selling merchandise specialize for each album and meet and greets with the band for each show. A part of the proceeds from the AWKOHAWNOH live-stream went to The Ally Coalition to benefit mutual aid organizations in the US.
The performance featured original members Lyndsey Gunnulfsen or more commonly known as Lynn Gunn and Brain McDonald and newcomer Denny Agosto Vega. Lynn Gunn is the powerhouse behind the band and is it’s lead singer, guitarist and is also known for playing keys, bass and being the main writer behind the bands discography. Brain McDonald is the bassist and is also known for his photography as well as his guitar and keys skills. Denny Agosto Vega has been standing in as the drummer and also performed with the band during their live version of their White Noise album back in November of 2020. The noticeably missing member was EX-guitarist Alex Babinski who parted ways with the band earlier this year after Sexual Misconduct Allegations were made against him and the band made a statement saying he would no longer be associated with the band.
The show was supposed to start at 8PM EST but as people waited on the stream to start as 8PM came and went. The anticipation grew in the group chat that accompanied the stream. Music videos from PVRIS’ newest album Use Me played and then eventually everything went dark. The stage appeared with a floor full of fog and iridescent lights. Lynn Gunn on Keys, Brain McDonald on Bass, and Denny Agosto Vega on drums opened with “Heaven, the first song on AWKOHAWNOH. It opened with Lynn’s Voice and keys for the first half of the first verse and then the rest of the band came in. Although it was just streaming onto my TV it felt just as strong of an entrance at any live show I have been to and brought the same adrenaline and excitement.
Throughout the album Lynn Gunn and Brain McDonald continually switched playing bass and guitar taking turns and highlighting their musical abilities. With Alex Babinski no longer playing lead Brian McDonald filled in that position for some of the songs which was different than the last stream. On the White Noise live stream Brian McDonald stuck to bass the entire time as well as playing on the keys occasionally with Lynn Gunn playing keys and guitar. Most of the lead guitar parts were pre recorded in the last live stream though so having a fuller live sound was great during this performance.
One of my favorite moments was when they performed “No Mercy” which is a fan favorite and Lynn Gunn introduced the song saying, “We got a one-way ticket to shred-ville, this is your captain speaking.” The band were really in their element with this song and just having a good time jumping around and playing and dancing together. Denny Agosto Vega was even standing while playing drums and Lynn Shredded on the guitar like her life depended on it.
Another one I really enjoyed was when Lynn Gunn performed “Separate” stripped with just her vocals and keys. Coming after all the hyper-ness of “No Mercy” it was the perfect way to follow up a song that would be hard to follow with another upbeat song. It slows everything down and brings the focus back to Lynn Gunn’s unique and powerful lyrics.
Maybe one of the biggest high points of the show was when they performed “Walk Alone” and “Nola 1” for the first time ever. Both songs have been heavily anticipated by the PVRIS fandom known as the CVLT. Both songs lived up to the hype of being performed live for the first time. “Walk Alone” was one of my favorite’s off the album so hearing it live was a dream come true. “Nola 1” closing out the show was perfectly fitting somehow being one of the most widely anticipated songs to be performed live to wrap up a great night. After the show the band came and “sniffed” everyone watching in their goofy joking way of trying to connect to the audience and said to stay safe and that they loved them. It was a great way to spend a night during COVID-19.
The last album Use Me’s live stream performance is yet to be announced but when it is will also be available to stream on Pillar. For more information visit PVRIS website or their Pillar page.
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.
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.
