Category: Genres

Jazz Artist José James Releases Original Holiday Song “Christmas in New York”
José James has released “Christmas in New York” ahead of his first Christmas album, Merry Christmas from José James, due out on November 19. The original Christmas track follows the single release of “My Favorite Things” featuring acclaimed saxophonist Marcus Strickland.

James is a Minneapolis native who spent most of his career in New York, and was discovered by Gilles Peterson in London before his major label debut with Blue Note Records. He has produced and written 11 albums covering the best of jazz, pop, hip-hop and R&B. In 2017, José made his screen debut with a performing role in Fifty Shades Darker. He now lives in Amsterdam with Talia Billig, his partner and Grammy nominated songwriter.

Co-written by James’ Grammy-nominated partner Talia Billig, “Christmas in New York” features the all-star trio of Aaron Parks (piano), Ben Williams (bass) and Jharis Yokley (drums).

I wrote ‘Christmas in New York’ for people like myself who aren’t able to see their families another year. That kind of picture-perfect scene of people throwing snowballs and making a snowman in Central Park and Wollman Rink and that whole beautiful Manhattan Christmas… It was my dream as a kid, and then I got to live it. There’s a lot of love in that.
José James

Merry Christmas from José James, from Rainbow Blonde Records, celebrates the holiday season while honoring classic jazz and pop records of the 1950s. Combining the classic jazz-crooner elegance of Frank Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole with the earthy sophistication of soul legends Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, the ten track album is an auditory holiday experience like no other.

A 13-date tour to support the album will launch at SF Jazz in San Francisco on November 27th and conclude at New York’s City Winery on December 14th.

Merry Christmas from José James Track Listing
1. Christmas in New York ****
2. This Christmas
3. The Christmas Song
4. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
5. The Christmas Waltz
6. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
7. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
8. Christmas Day ****
9. My Favorite Things (feat. Marcus Strickland)
10. White Christmas
  **** represents original recording
José James 2021 Tour Dates

November 27 – SF Jazz – San Francisco, CA
November 28 – SF Jazz – San Francisco, CA
November 30 – Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA
December 1 – Jazz Alley – Seattle, WA
December 2 – The Old Church – Portland, OR
December 4 – Kuumbwa – Santa Cruz
December 5 – Masonic Lodge – Los Angeles, CA
December 7– MIM – Phoenix, AZ
December 9 –The Lensic – Santa Fe,
December 11 – Dakota – Minneapolis, MN
December 12 – Dakota – Minneapolis, MN
December 13 – City Winery – Chicago, IL
December 14 – City Winery – New York, NY
November 1, 2021
Marco Benevento Releases Single “At The End Or The Beginning”

“At The End Or The Beginning” was released by Marco Benevento October 27, 2021 just before playing a two night run at Levon Helm Studio in Woodstock. The track opens with a satisfying bass hook and at first listen felt anthemic, yet atmospheric; much like stepping into the sun after a week of rain.

Single cover for Marco Benevento’s “At The End Or The Beginning”

It was only natural to want to listen to the song again and again. Repeatability is where the magic happened somewhere between the end or the beginning. After a few listens, the depth of the song began to present itself. While it would have been easy to write about all of the pain and suffering human kind has endured together, Marco chose a path less travelled.

Link to In Depth Interview below

“At The End Or The Beginning” presented an optimistic mindset for how to approach the world we are in today without ever touching a level of toxicity. It could be asserted that listening to a song like this could have real benefits to the mindset for anyone struggling to see tomorrow. The catchy groove that does not bombard could easily be on for quite a few cycles without noticing.

Marco Benevento has continuously demonstrated what it means to be an artist, not just a musician. His music, though seemingly fun, and out there, has never consisted of one layer in meaning. Zen master? Could be…

Does a photograph mark the end or the begining?

For more on Marco Benevento’s creative process, studio tour and thoughts on the Hudson Valley, check out NYSMusic exclusive in-depth interview by clicking here!

Marco Benevento Upcoming Tour Dates

November 11 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room (Sold Out)
November 12 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room (Sold Out)
November 13 – Portsmouth, NH – The Press Room (Sold Out)
November 27 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
December 11 – Miami, FL – North Beach Music Festival
February 25 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall
February 26 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
April 7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
April 8 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
April 9 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One

November 1, 2021
Yves Tumor Plays Two Sold-Out Shows At Webster Hall
Yves Tumor and It’s Band performed in New York City this past week for two sold-out shows at Webster Hall. Fresh off the heels of a new EP, The Asymptotical World, the band brought along 4 openers for both shows, presenting musical styles ranging from industrial techno to future pop. Opening artists included the enigmatic future-pop star ECCO2K, industrial and deep house duos Deli Girls and Club Eat and experimental electronic artist, No Bra.

Yves Tumor at Webster Hall, 10/28/2021. Photo by BuscarPhoto

Yves Tumor debuted in 2015 with the highly experimental and self-released album, When Man Fails You. The record is a kaleidoscopic journey through different passages of distorted, ambient electronics and bits of futuristic pop. The sophomore release, Serpent Music, saw Yves Tumor starting to mix in soul and Motown elements into the distorted haze of electronic elements. This style became a launching point for the band’s two major label releases on Warp Records: the breakthrough, Safe In The Hands of Love, in 2018 followed by, Heaven To A Tortured Mind in 2020.

Yves Tumor at Webster Hall, 10/28/2021. Photo by BuscarPhoto

Apart from the varying musical styles, The setup for the performance was also one-of-a-kind. The drummer and keyboardist were on very high elevated platforms in the back corners of the stage, situated right in line with the house lights in the rafters, creating interesting shadowy silhouettes that stood out within the light. Yves Tumor, along with guitarist Chris Greatti graced the front of the stage, as their energy and engagement with the fans remain unmatched. Venue personnel also added several platforms within the security pit, allowing Tumor and Greatti to maneuver in and out of the crowd, since Tumor spent a portion of each song singing along with the crowd, rather than singing to them from the stage. At one point, Greatti even made his way to the VIP balcony and played a guitar solo while hanging over the railing.

Yves Tumor at Webster Hall, 10/28/2021. Photo by BuscarPhoto

The setlist for both nights were similar, but featured essential tracks “Kerosene!” and “Dream Palette” from Heaven To A Tortured Mind, “Noid” and “Licking an Orchid” from Safe In The Hands Of Love, and “Jackie” and “Crushed Velvet” from the recent EP The Asymptotical World.

Yves Tumor at Webster Hall, 10/28/2021. Photo by BuscarPhoto

Yves Tumor will continue touring, with west coast dates scheduled throughout November and a European leg kicking off in February. This live show is not to be missed; with well written albums, intoxicating music and dedicated performers, as the band feeds off of the crowd’s energy.
October 31, 2021
Frazey Ford Soothes The Soul at Baby’s All Right
Canadian singer-songwriter Frazey Ford brought her calming presence to a sold-out crowd at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn on Oct. 28, 2021.

The folk-soul artist beautifully belted hits such as “One More Cup of Coffee” and “Blue Streak Mama” to the gleeful audience. While most of her setlist was relaxing and down-tempo, Ford made sure to intersperse some higher-tempo songs such as “Done” and “September Fields” to get the audience dancing.

In between songs, the mother of two shared stories, engaging with the crowd and making the performance even more intimate. Sharing her experiences from performing in L.A. the day prior and speaking on the cultural differences between Los Angeles and New York City. Most notably, she went on to divulge some information about her “hippie” parents, who named her Frazey Ford and allowed her brothers to choose her middle name. As she laughed off the memories, she continued, revealing that her brothers decided on the name Obadiah, who was their pet cat that had recently run away.

You can listen to Frazey Ford’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Check out Ana Medvedeva’s photo recap below.
October 31, 2021
This Week’s EQXposure Features Belle-Skinner, grape juice! And More

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 Belle-Skinner, grape juice! 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.

Belle-Skinner

Just in time for Halloween, singer-songwriter Belle-Skinner has released her love magic-themed EP, Love Spell. Each song is equal parts spooky and seductive, with siren-esque vocals and lyrics that charm and bewitch. Skinner created the concept after hearing similar songs written by her friends, and penned her own to accompany the covers. “Spellbound” follows Skinner as the target of a love spell, while the psychedelic “Love Witch” sees her as the perpetrator. Instruments like the organ and theremin set the mood perfectly, creating a haunting atmosphere.
<a href="https://belle-skinner.bandcamp.com/album/love-spell">Love Spell by Belle-Skinner</a> <a href="https://belle-skinner.bandcamp.com/album/love-spell">Love Spell by Belle-Skinner</a>
grape juice!

Albany alternative rock band grape juice! released their newest single “sad songs” in July. Despite the title and some of its lyrics like “Disappointment is my forte,” it’s an upbeat power pop song in the vein of Weezer and Fountains of Wayne.

October 30, 2021
Phish Travel Backwards Down the Number Line in Las Vegas Opener
Rolling into Las Vegas on a tour chock full of surprises and jaw-dropping jams, Phish took a stroll “Backwards Down the Number Line,” playing a series of numerical songs throughout the night.

Opening with “2001” (Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra”) for a spacy intro to the night, and the first such opening slot for “2001” since 1999, appropriately segued into Prince’s “1999.” Two songs in, both with numbers, might not give away the gag, but when “555” and “46 Days” followed, it became apparant to some what was unfolding on night one of Phish’s four night run.

An additional bustout of “Strawberry Letter 23” by Shuggie Otis followed, with “Twenty Years Later” wrapping up the set with an exclamation point. With setbreak upon the crowd, discussion revolved around “Seven Below” and “Character Zero” which ended up bookending the set – the songs in between were remarkable in their choice and execution.

Hendrix’s “If 6 Was 9” featured Trey Anastasio strapping on a Koa2 guitar, and as one Twitter user pointed out, detuned his guitar, in pure Hendrix style. If a spacy psychedelic bustout wasn’t enough, David Bowie’s “Five Years” followed, performed for only the second time, the first being performed in the same room, five years prior (almost to the day).

A jammed out “Two Versions of Me” fell into “NO2,” with its trippy dentist chair narration from Mike Gordon. A handful of “1” songs followed, with “Army of One,” “My Sweet One” and “First Tube,” followed by the expected and regular set closer, “Character Zero.”

To cap the set off, “Backwards Down the Number Line” was properly played, with Phish walking to stage right to sing a capella to sing “Grind,” but instead of adding up their age in days, they added up the song numbers, leading to the sum 4680. A mysterious tweet from Phish followed, leading fans to speculate what it means, if anything, leading into Sunday’s Halloween show, where speculation is both a trick and a treat.

Setlist via Phish.net

Phish – MGM Grand Garden Arena – Las Vegas, NV 10/28/21

Set 1: Also Sprach Zarathustra, 1999 > 555 > 46 Days, Strawberry Letter 23 > Twenty Years Later

Set 2: Seven Below > If 6 Was 9 > Five Years > Two Versions of Me->NO2, Army Of One, My Sweet One, First Tube > Character Zero

Encore: Backwards Down The Number Line, Grind
October 30, 2021
Dopapod Brings Heavy Jams and Energy to Buffalo
The room at Buffalo Iron Works filled in quickly and the energy was high for a mid-week stop for Dopapod on their 2021 Fall Tour. There was chatter and excitement from previous performances, with fans draped in the band’s merch and a general feeling that this tour felt special. The jams were unique, went harder, longer, with the Boston-bred jam-band utterly locked in. There’s been a sense of renewed energy in the jam scene after a long period of stagnation with many feeling like it’s a good time to be a jam fan.

After the intro music and the pink floyd-esque light show that have become standard to any Dopapod concert, the band walked on stage to a welcoming applause. Guitarist, Rob Compa, greeted the crowd, Keyboardist, Eli Winderman, commented on how beautiful the crowd looked, and bass player, Chuck Jones, sarcastically pointed out that “there were in fact people there.” After more amusing banter, the band kicked off the set with “Braindead.” Heads were banging, bodies were moving as fans sang along.

Aside from the pleasing aesthetics, the strobing lights are used to shift the mood as they went from dark to light, shifting to a more delicate records like “Mucho” and “Turnin’ Knobs,” as fans serenaded along. The emotion in the room could be summed up in a few images of everyone smiling. Some had their eyes closed, while others sang along with the band.

The concert ebbed and flowed, with each soaring high followed by another as the band followed with “Weird Charlie” into “Please Haalp”. The first set closed out with a sit in from Michelangelo Carubba, of Turkuaz. There was a smile on every band member’s face as Michelangelo provided a strong backbone to a rip-roaring “Freight Train.” As an older gentleman exclaimed “That was incredible! I really liked that a lot,” a seasoned younger veteran warned, “Just wait.”

A fat chunk of the second set was spent in one big jam over the other sandwiches of the show. The band flowed seamlessly from their dissonant, but catchy “Vol. 3 #86,” into “PLSS” and back and didn’t stop to let anyone pick their faces up off the floor.

It is worth noting that there were teases of “Kitty Chaser” by Aqueous, another legendary jam band that hails from Buffalo. Dopapod led the audience from the spark and zest of the moment into “Psycho Nature,” as the audience went from brooding to jazzy.

By this point, the audience had been going strong for a while, but the occasional exclamation of astonishment and amazement could be heard. The dynamic jam of “Psycho Nature” moved into an upbeat “8 Years Ended” which included “Wipeout” and “Johnny B. Good” teases. The sustained joy of this segment resulted in an uproar of cheers as the band returned to finished off “Psycho Nature”. After a short bit of banter, Dopapod cleanly finished the second set with the cerebral “Velcro” into fan favorite, “Nerds.”

Like any Dopapod show, the music featured varied sounds, rhythms and genres, as Eli spun beautiful tales from the piano or blasted the audience with sonic bliss from his synths and Rob twisted from a jazzy clean sound to a heavily distorted rock tone. Ever present at every Dopapod show is a respectful, fun-loving crowd that is even better to be around when the band plays with this kind of vigor.

Before signing off, the band came out for an encore and played their cover of Billy Eillish’s “Bad guy.” After ripping through the song, Eli commented on the audience and how great they had been. Hence, Buffalo was treated to ten more minutes of blistering beauty with “Bubble Brain.” The house lights came up and everyone was all smiles as they exited the venue.

Setlist – Dopapod – Buffalo Iron Works – Wednesday October 27, 2021

Set 1: Braindead, Mucho ->Turnin Knobs -> Mucho, Weird Charlie > Plaese Haalp, Freight Train*

Set 2: Vol. 3#86 -> PLSS^ -> Vol. 3 #86 > Psycho Nature -> 8 Years Ended% -> Psycho Nature, Velcro+ -> Nerds

Encore: Bad Guy=, Bubble Brain

*W/ Michelangelo Carubba from Turkuaz on drums

^contained teases of Kitty Chaser by Aqueous

%contained Wipeout and Johnny B Goode teases

+unfinished; contained 23 Forever teases

=Billie Eillish cover
October 29, 2021
Dumpstaphunk Grooves Brooklyn Bowl ahead of Madison Square Garden Debut

Dumpstaphunk last performed in the Empire State at the 2019 New York State Blues festival in downtown Syracuse. Later that evening, band members Tony Hall and Deven Trusclair kept the groove going at the Funk n Waffles club for a sit in on “Standing on Shaky Ground” by the Temptations that Funkadelic’s Eddie Hazel co wrote. A month later they opened for the Rolling Stones to 40,000 people in their hometown at the New Orleans Superdome.

Dumpstaphunk kicked off 2021 by releasing their first record in seven years, Where Do We Go From Here, which was just nominated in four Grammy categories. The band has been on the road promoting its sound this summer leading them up to a Labor Day Weekend of shows with Dave Matthews Band at Heavens Amphitheatre, The Gorge. All members of Dumpstaphunk sat in with DMB for Sly Stone’s “Thank You (Falletinme be mice elf again) and Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” to close the night.

Tony Hall sat in with the DMB as part of an alternate format the entire weekend on bass and vocals as well. He was reunited with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds on stage for the first time since their infamous Some Devil Tour in 2003. Dumpstaphunk will also be joining Dave Matthews Band at the World’s Most Famous Arena, Madison Square Garden, on November 12 and 13.

Dumpstaphunk @ Brooklyn Bowl, Photo by Russell Mangicaro III

All of this momentum could be felt on stage at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday, October 23. Rotem Sivan Band opened the show as Dumpstaphunk hit the stage at 9:45 p.m., crushing their entire set for the Williamsburg crowd. Brooklyn Bowl founder, Peter Shapiro, appeared behind the curtain dressed as a pilot while the band took off on stage. Shapiro gave them a quick fist bump of delight after their tune “Itchy Boo.”

Come on lets get at it Brooklyn! Get up, Get down, Keep it stepping, keep it moving. Every band member was fully engaged with the Brooklyn Bowl crowd the whole set. Tim Reynolds told
You know those guys when your playing a gig, he’ll look right at you? That’s him. He’ s a bad ass.

Tony Hall, Photo by Russell Mangicaro III

Everyone was dancing to the truth that this band lets out. Lucky nobody slipped onstage due to the greasy lane funk levels. Sly Stone’s words carry on through their take on his cut “In Time.” Well, well, there’s a feelin’, oh, so real in every human On time (About time) There’s a reelin’ when you don’t know what you’re doing, In time…

If there was a clip that examples their on stave vigor, it would be from their performance of “Justice” (that features Trombone Shorty on the new album). Tony Hall took the electric guitar for a ride down the adjacent lanes to end the jam. New Orleans cats Ivan Neville, Ian Neville and Nick Daniels hit hard on Tower of Power’s “Soul Vaccination,” resonating with the New York crowd. I’m talking bout soul (soul vaccination) Everybody get in line (soul vaccination) Horns!

During the final song horn players Alex Wasily and Ashlin Parker made their way through the Brooklyn Bowl crowd for “Street Parade” to close the set like the Saints go marching in.

For the encore, the band paid tribute to legendary drummer and singer Buddy Miles. as his song “United Nation Stomp,” featuring Marcus King was nominated for a Grammy Award for best American roots performance.

In recording a new album, Tony Hall shed some light with NYS Music about the group’s creative process.

We recorded a bunch of these songs and didn’t finish them lyric-wise. Vocal-wise we can always change. It goes kind of like vice versa. We’re all a band that can sing and play too, ya know?

Photos by Russell Mangicaro III: Dumpstaphunk – Brooklyn Bowl – October 23, 2021

October 28, 2021
Hearing Aide: Get Spooky with Surfbort’s “Happy Happy Halloween”

As Ghouls and Goblin Day (Halloween) approaches, Brooklyn punk outfit Surbort has shared a fittingly spooky new track aptly titled, “Happy Happy Halloween.” Released on October 21, the record is accompanied by a music video.

Halloween is our favorite holiday and we celebrate it everyday so we wanted to make an extra spooky song to celebrate the ghouls and ghosts,
front-woman Dani Miller said.

The track, originally imagined as a cover, morphed into a wacky original at manager and album producer Linda Perry’s encouragement.

Linda just started playing spooky Dracula noises on the keys and the rest is history,
Miller said.

The song is also a homage to Surbort’s favorite parts of Halloween. Based around the sinister children’s rhyme from Nightmare on Elm Street, each verse sees Surfbort celebrate pigskins, pumpkins, ghosts, and even “dead Santa Clause.” However, Surfbort also honors the sinister acts that inspire them, name-dropping goth icons like Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Sisters of Mercy.

Perry also directed the video for the track, featuring the band in outlandish, colorful Halloween costumes. With Miller morphing into a Harley-Quinn-meets-Joker character as the band-members appear in a rotation of costumes, with Bassist Nick Arnold as, Bob Ross, serving as a standout lookalike. The video employs every spooky trope in the book in a dramatic, tongue-in-cheek way, from grainy found-footage to severed limbs as drumsticks. Within all of the hooplah, what stands out is how much fun Surfbort is having. It’s not hard to believe Halloween is their favorite holiday.

“Happy Happy Halloween” is Surfbort’s first release since their latest album, Keep on Truckin, earlier this month. Guitarist Alex Kilgore described the album as encompassing

12 songs for a new world, a call to arms to blast love: a panacea to the corporate hellscape we live in.

Surfbort has two upcoming shows in the New York area, both in December. They will play TV Eye in Brooklyn on December 5th, followed by a show at The Mercury Lounge in NYC on December 6th.

October 28, 2021
Princess Nokia Brings the Energy to Irving Plaza
Harlem-based rapper Princess Nokia performed a vibrant set at Irving Plaza in New York City on October 24th for one of the last domestic stops on her tour. Known for her high-energy performances and colorful stage design, Princess Nokia lived up to her reputation by giving the crowd exactly that.

As one of the more prominent female rappers in today’s pop landscape, Princess Nokia had no shortage of hits to run through, from old favorites like “Tomboy” off the 2016 project 1992 Deluxe, to the extremely popular “I Like Him” off the 2020 project Everything Sucks. Backed up by some stage dancers, she exemplified why these songs have been popular for so long, moving the crowd to the rapid rhythm and maintaining a breakneck pace.

Princess Nokia oozed charisma and charm on the stage, always interacting with fans between songs and making jokes. Between the rapid-fire rapping, dancing, banter, and screaming crowd, this concert was an absolute spectacle. The spectators were one hundred percent into her the whole time and before the concert even started, she peaked her head out on the balcony and the crowd screamed with delight. There was no shortage of electricity the whole set.

Princess Nokia’s tour has one more stop in Boston at Paradise Rock Club on Wednesday, October 27 before hopping overseas to Europe. You can see the rest of the tour dates here. Be sure to check out the full photo gallery below!
October 27, 2021

Built in Breakdance