NYS Music 202​1

Category: Genres

  • Rock Hall and Goodyear Announce ‘From Garage to Glory’ Talent Search

    Some great news for all musicians who are looking for a way to win some extra cash while also getting some amazing exposure! The Rock & Roll of Fame has partnered with Goodyear to create a talent search “From Garage to Glory,” where the winner will be granted $10,000 and an opportunity to perform at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Fest.

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    Now through May 16, solo artists and bands can submit an original song on FromGarageToGlory.com and tell the story behind the lyrics and the music. Following the submission period, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a panel of select judges will choose three finalists, giving music fans the chance to vote online for their favorite entry from June 21 through July 16. 

    Remarkable things emerge when people have the passion, determination and vision to make their dreams a reality. That’s why we’re excited to introduce From Garage to Glory, a platform for aspiring artists to be recognized for their talent and creativity.

    Karen Maroli, Goodyear vice president of marketing

    The contest will conclude in October 2021, when the winning entrant performs live on stage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Fest in Cleveland.

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    Every city has great local bands and solo musicians who work relentlessly to get discovered. We’re excited to celebrate and reward that drive by providing aspiring musicians with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    Greg Harris, president and CEO, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

    To learn more about the contest and view the official terms and conditions, visit FromGarageToGlory.com. Follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #fromgaragetoglory. 

    Good luck and we hope to see NY artists represent!

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features The Wufs, Red Light Rivals 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 The Wufs, Red Light Rivals and many more!

    The Wufs

    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.

    The Wufs of Hollis, New Hampshire are debuting new music on Sunday, May 9. Their 2020 single, “Naked In Line,” is an earworm thanks to its simple yet arresting guitar riff. More recently, the Wufs released the groovy “Searchlight” last March.

    With gravelly vocals and a gritty country feel, the verses to Red Light Rivals’ “There Ain’t Enough Time” sound like an updated Johnny Cash. The chorus and bridge are much poppier, closer to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, but Red Light Rivals is able to navigate both territories with ease. Rather than succumbing to whiplash, it showcases their versatility.

    “Daycare Dropout” is the first song off the Pine Boys’ EP, Electric Minnow. A quirky rock ballad about a rebellious toddler, it evokes “Another Brick in the Wall” and Frenchy from Grease equally. Where Alice Cooper would protest pencils and books, this song’s protagonist is more concerned with Crayola and naptime. Deceptively simple, repeat listens show the song is more sonically interesting than it has any right to be. The Pine Boys are a trio from Albany, NY, consisting of Andrew Cerone, Brett Maney and Sam Laskey.

  • Some Kind of Jam 15 Kicks Off Northeast Festival Season

    Some Kind of Jam 15 went down in Schuylkill Haven, PA from April 29th until May 2nd, 2021. While patrons started showing up Thursday, the main festivities began on Friday and despite unrelenting winds the festival went off in a well oiled fashion. Headlining Friday was Lespecial, eager to play tracks from their latest album, Ancient Homies, in front of a dance happy crowd. Saturday culminated with Colorado jam stalwarts the Magic Beans taking the main stage also with plenty of new material to play with their latest album, Slice of Life, dropping the day prior.

    In between mainstage acts, the indoor stage kept revelers entertained and out of the wind. Lee Ross might have been the busiest man on site with no less than five sets throughout the weekend. Other sets of note were the psychedelic stylings of the Iceman Special and a latenight set by up and coming Neighbor that balanced catchy songs and deep jams to the delight of those in attendance.

    While many aspects of the live music and festival landscape are still up in the air for 2021, the smiles and revelry of those in attendance at Some Kind of Jam 15 showed that a return to something close to normal is possible in these uncertain times.

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  • Dani Doucette Drops Captivating New Single, “Craved”

    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.

    dani doucette

    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.

    Dani Doucette

     “Craved” is now available to stream and download on digital platforms worldwide. 

  • Spring Jubilee Festival features Karl Denson, Dogs in a Pile, The New Motif and more

    Spring Jubilee Festival in East Durham, NY has announced the lineup for the inaugural festival, taking place on May 21 and May 22.

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    Spring Jubilee is a new music festival and will be a two day event this year hosted at the Blackthorne Resort. The first day is Friday, May 21 with performances from Capital Region based and tribute band The Wheel and The Deadbeats, and performances from  The Lousy Sloughters, Groovestick. Day 2, Saturday May 22, includes performances from Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, and two sets from both Dogs in A Pile and The New Motif. 

    Tickets are currently on sale for both one day and two day passes. The event has limited capacity due to the pandemic with only 200 tickets available for each day. While camping and lodging is available through Blackthorne Resort, it is not included with the ticket. Spring Jubilee will be following protocols such as mask wearing to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 

  • South of Eden Takes Jacksonville by Storm

    South of Eden rolled into a steaming hot Jacksonville, FL aboard their school bus, “Bluebird,” only minutes before storms hit the town. The band has ventured far south from their Columbus, OH residence to share new music with a growing fan base before an album release. Their EP, The Talk, was released August 2020 (Lava Records) and received positive reviews in the press, including a video review in Rolling Stone. They plan to tour the entire country as soon as possible.

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    Reminding of rock and roll cowboys, the band stepped on stage and was immediately welcomed at the 1904 Music Hall, where they played on May 2. The small but supportive Sunday-night audience cheered them on from their first song to their last. One person remarked: “Now, that is rock and roll!” The venue felt welcoming, unfancy, beloved by locals, and had excellent lights and sound.

    The band’s performance rose true to their declared dream: “We aren’t looking to bring anything back, but instead to remind people what rock n roll means.” They transmitted exactly this impression as they blasted off with “The Talk” and maintained a fast pace throughout their set. The very first catchy guitar riffs, along with Tom McCullough’s drums, pulled the audience into a world that was equally nostalgic and current.  

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    The band, in their present line-up, formed only in 2018, but their sound gives the feeling that they had played all the larger stages for a decade. Their remarkable stage presence, confident sound, and Ehab Omran’s soaring voice, are reminding of early Sabbath, blousy southern vibes, and gritty garage rock.

    South of Eden also put on a party! They interacted with the audience, taunting them to guess how many guitar solos Justin Young would insert into any one of the songs, or if Nick Frantianne (bass) would play the correct intro to “Hurricane.” The melodies were catchy and the rhythms fast paced, perfect for dancing and signing along. Their setlist was much longer than the music already released. Seeing this band live is by far a more entertaining experience than just listening online. 

    Setlist: The Talk, Monica, Hurricane, Mr. Brownstone (Guns N’Roses), Solo, Touch the Ground, Thunder, Lone Riders, Stranglehold, Loaded Bong, Pindrop, Sister, Dancing With Fire

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  • Brooklyn Rapper Jellz Looks to Put a Scare in the Rap Game With “Ghost”

    The drill music scene has a certain connotation attached to it. The kind the public is accustomed to is violence laden, with expectations of braggadocious laced money talk. It’s been that way from the beginning and while we have seen success stories, there have been far more casualties of the antagonizing and deadly sub-genre. 

    Enter Jellz, the Brooklyn-bred emcee who embarked on his musical journey just over a year ago. 

    I don’t think drill has to be just violence. There’s a different part of the streets that isn’t tied to violence and that’s fast money. That’s more my speed. I think that it may deter some people, but not everyone. As an artist, I’m just trying to get the fans that like my style and aren’t looking for me to be someone else. Plus, I wouldn’t even consider myself a drill artist, I have so many vibes that I’m waiting to show, drill is just the outlet.

    Shot while on vacation in Los Santos, Colombia, the music video for “Ghost (Freestyle)” sees the up-and-coming rapper bring much more flair than the drill scene is accustomed to. Drill rap music videos are often shot on location, in the neighborhoods where the artists have familiarized themselves with. Of course, many of those records are diss tracks or namedrop gangs who operate out of those areas. With no such ties, the Bedstuy-bred Jellz sees this as an opportunity to showcase his own vision as an artist. 

    I think that like everything else, anything that’s over done [or] repetitive gets boring. So, I wanted to switch up the scenery. How many up-and-coming artists are traveling on vacations to rollout a single  and make videos there? Not too many. In order to separate yourself, you have to be a little different.

    The “Bulls**t” rapper presents himself with a Jefe-like persona, as he spends the music video surrounded by local women in bathing suits and ski masks, insinuating promiscuity and danger. Jellz then proceeds to list the avenues in which he makes money, possibly making history as the first drill record where the artist admits to having worked a job. 

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    Stuff like 20 in a box, did a like 30 on the stocks, don’t forget I had a job, if I make a M off rap I’m movin’ wock.

    He accentuates his fast-money style of drill rap several times during the 1:48 video, rapping,

    I really get to the money but hang with some demons, lurking, scheming, searching, fiending, they’ll do you for no reason.

    And 

    We ain’t gotta hug a block, we ain’t gotta touch a rock.

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    If Jellz’s style of rap doesn’t put him at an advantage, his quality of work and transparency might just do the trick. 

    For the videos I shot in Colombia, I actually just went on a trip and decided to record a video there honestly. I just needed a vacation at that point, and I wanted to mix business and fun, so I did 2 videos out there. I don’t think it puts me at a crazy advantage, but visuals are important , so I do want to give the best quality that I can.

    As much as violence and warfare sell, so too do tales of frivolous expenditures, when mixed with Jellz’s showmanship and earnestness, it may result in a very promising future. 

  • Allman Betts Band to perform at Apple Valley Park in Lafayette

    Creative Concerts has announced yet another show at Apple Valley Park in Lafayette, NY, with Southern rock on tap on June 19, 2021 with The Allman Betts Band performing and special guest, St. Louis based duo River Kittens opening the show.

    Allman Betts Band Lafayette

    Like previous events announced in this outdoor series, events will be socially distanced, with fans being able to purchase tickets in roped-off PODS for parties of 2, 4 or 6. In an effort to create a safe experience for guests, a carefully throughout site plan has been developed allowing for temperature screenings and surveys to be conducted upon entering the event grounds. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, all PODS are spaced a minimum of six feet apart. A variety of food and beverage options will be available for purchase. Site map and FAQ for the venue can be found at applevalleypark.com/faq

    Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 7th at 10am at applevalleypark.com

    The Allman Betts Band includes Devon Allman & Duane Betts on guitars and vocals, Berry Oakley Jr. on bass, Johnny Stachela on slide guitar, John Ginty on Hammond B3 (Robert Randolph/Dixie Chicks) and Devon Allman Project percussionists R. Scott Bryan (Sheryl Crow) and John Lum.  The show features original music from their two recent BMG albums, songs from their solo projects as well as classic songs by The Allman Brothers Band, the legendary group founded by Devon and Duane’s fathers, Gregg Allman & Dickey Betts.

    Their sophomore album, Bless Your Heart, was released on August 28, 2020.  Like their debut album, Bless Your Heart was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price, John Prine and Elvis Presley).

    Apple Valley Park is located in beautiful LaFayette, NY. With its rural atmosphere, rolling hills, and expansive fall foliage, it has proven to be a wonderful home to the annual LaFayette Apple Festival since 1973. More recently it has expanded to host other live entertainment events, including a few successful drive-in concerts in the fall of 2020. 

  • Marcus Rezak recruits TAB members for “Truth in Sound”

    Guitarist Marcus Rezak has teamed up with members of Trey Anastasio Band for his latest EP, Truth in Sound. Approaching the album with a songwriter and story-telling mindset, Rezak wrote, recorded, and produced Truth in Sound over the course of 2020, in the hopes of creating an album that has the power to heal through both music and lyric, hence, Truth in Sound.

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    After a Shred is Dead show at Nectar’s in November 2019, Rezak discovered a newfound musical chemistry with Russ Lawton that needed to escalate beyond the one-off performance. Rezak invited Lawton and his TAB colleagues to record new material that he had been writing, and they enthusiastically obliged.

    I first met the Trey Band guys at a Shred is Dead show I played in Burlington and was thrilled that they enthusiastically obliged my invitation to be a part of this record. It was a very natural feeling coming together and playing in the studio, almost as if we had been playing together for years. All the guys are unique in their style when together which creates a one-of-a-kind synergy, plus they are super warm and kind humans.

    Marcus Rezak

    Truth in Sound was recorded at Tank Recording Studio in Burlington, VT and engineered by studio owner/operator Ben Collette, who has served as an audio engineer for Trey Anastasio and Phish since 2004. The band took the energy sparked by the initial Shred is Dead performance and transferred it into four tracks with Rezak’s preparation and eloquent compositions. All of the guitar tracks and mixing were done by Joe Hettinga of Third Coast Recording Company.

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    While the album displays the same fierce jams and guitar shredding that his debut Gateway to the Galaxy emitted into the universe, Rezak’s focus on Truth in Sound is showcasing heartfelt lyrics and musical healing to mirror his experiences since his initial release. During the challenges of COVID-19, he felt compelled to uplift and fill in where depression and confusion had become a part of so many people’s everyday lives. In those initial lockdown months, renegade-style drive-up concerts were some of the only ways to keep music present for both musicians and music lovers alike. He saw a new purpose while observing his music keep those isolated in good company and helping release some endorphins.

    The final outcome of this record truly encapsulates a time in my life, through a sound, that I hope brings healing, joy, and excitement to those with open ears.

    Marcus Rezak

    Truth in Sound features Russ Lawton, Tony Markellis, and Ray Paczkowski from the Trey Anastasio Band, plus Kalyan Pathak on world percussion and tabla. The album’s first single “Light of the Moon” is a true story about people of the night connecting through their love of music, celebrating cathartically in the light of the moon reveling in dance, joy, and memories. The late Tony Markellis lays down a one-of-a-kind strut on the bass and Pathak’s percussion work adds an element of global music flavors with his tabla work during the solo section and expressive nuance on chimes, congas, shekere.

    “Borderline” is another true story about modern love and the primal connection humans can have with one another, drawing inspiration from the compassion humans uncontrollably have to want to heal the unfortunate trauma of others. “Leaving” details traveling musicians’ life on the road, with a psychedelic jam accompanying the journey. The instrumental track “Glitter Pillow” is a magnum opus of progressive rock, funk, and jazz, with a ’70s harmonic vibe propelling into a mystical minor improv section that builds and compounds into fierce energy from the entire band. Visit Rezak’s Bandcamp to pick up the album.

  • Curtains Up: Broadway will Reopen this September

    Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced exciting news about the return of Broadway. As of now, Broadway shows can reopen at 100% capacity starting September 14, with some ticket sales starting today, May 6.

    Even though Broadway theaters will open later this month, none of the regular shows can start until mid-September. Mayor de Blasio hopes for NYC to open on July 1, but Broadway curtains won’t rise again until the Fall.

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    NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 12: A view of the “Hamilton” marquee at The Richard Rogers Theater during the “We Will Be Back” Broadway Celebration in Times Square on March 12, 2021 in New York City. “We Will BeBack” was a special pop-up performance and commemoration of Broadway’s “lost year.” One year ago, on March 12, 2020, Broadway was shut down in an effort to slow thespread of the coronavirus and has not reopened. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

    Unlike other industries, Broadway can’t afford to open with social distancing. With the amount of cast and crew required to work on a show plus time for rehearsals and marketing, it isn’t possible for Broadway to open this Summer. COVID-19 is already hurting Broadway financially, and opening at limited capacity would do even more damage.

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    Even though Gov. Cuomo said Broadway can reopen on September 14, some shows will not. Shows open on a rolling basis, and most have not released their schedules. The longest-running show in Broadway’s history, Phantom of the Opera, opens October 22nd and will start selling tickets this Friday (5/7) at 9AM ET. The three highest-grossing shows, Hamilton, Wicked, and The Lion King, will release their plans sometime next week.

    Reopening will be easier for popular shows – like these and Chicago, Aladdin, and Come From Away – than newer shows like Mrs. Doubtfire and Six, which were only in previews when the pandemic began.

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    Cuomo also announced that ticket sales start today, but not every show has its schedule released. Still, some shows have tickets available today. Check each show for its availability, and check broadway.org for more updates.

    “We are thrilled that Governor Cuomo clearly recognizes the impact of Broadway’s return on the city and state’s economy and the complexity of restarting an entire industry that has been dormant for over a year. Nothing beats Broadway. The theatre owners, producers, and other League members will continue to work with the NY State Department of Health and the Governor to coordinate the industry’s return and the related health and safety protocols required to do so. We remain cautiously optimistic about Broadway’s ability to resume performances this fall and are happy that fans can start buying tickets again.”

    Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League

    Everything still isn’t certain, but Broadway’s being confident enough to sell tickets is a great sign. We don’t know all the plans, but the return of theatre to NYC will likely be done in the safest way possible. Masks will probably be required at first, and although Gov. Cuomo said that he wants 100% vaccinated audiences, but that will be up to the theatre industry. Still, the return of Broadway is closer than ever!

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