On February 26th, singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist Marc Ribler released “Shattered,” a single from his upcoming solo album The Whole World Awaits You, set to release in June of this year.
Ribler’s unique ability to balance emotion and logic enables him to infuse his music with raw passion laced with a clear-headed understanding of the complexities of life.
“Shattered,” channels the heartbreak rock sound of Tom Petty, but has its own unique twist. Ribler’s guitar playing is outstanding on this track, as well as his vocals. The lyrics are catchy and will have you singing along by the end of the song.
Ribler, music director for Stevie Van Zandt, has written and produced over 40 songs for major label recording artists throughout the world and his songs have charted in Billboard’s Hot 100, with Top 10 hits in Canada and abroad.
He has played with many of the great over the years, including Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, Paul McCartney, Darlene Love, and Elvis Costello to name just a few.
Additionally, he’s written popular jingles for brands like Trojan Condoms, Office Dept, V8 Juices, Bell South, Activia Yogurt and Green Mountain Coffee.
Reflecting on the beginning of his love of music, Ribler recalls, “One of my first memories was at age 5 waking up to the radio alarm clock with WABC pouring out tunes like Donovan’s “Mellow Yellow,” Tommy James’ “Crimson and Clover,” The Beatles’ haunting “She’s Leaving Home” and The Byrds’ rendition of “Mr. Tambourine Man.”
“Those pop ditties melded deep into the fabric of my very being, with great hooks that the artists seemed to be singing straight to my soul.”
“Shattered” and The Whole World Awaits You is co-produced and arranged by Marc Ribler and Stevie Van Zandt and mixed by Ribler.
Lonnie Jordan is a singer-songwriter and a founding member of the American funk band WAR. The band is best known for hits such as “Spill the Wine,” “The World Is a Ghetto,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends” and “Lowrider.”
Over the years Lonnie had a number of roles in the band. Not only was he a vocalist, but also played guitar, piano, synthesizer and percussion. Jordan was one of the first three people to form the group even when they were known at the time as the Creators and Nightshift. Currently he is the only remaining original member.
On July 21 2019, NYS Music had an opportunity to ask the rock legend a few questions about his life and his 50-plus year career in the music industry at The Great South Bay Music Festival in Patchogue, Long Island. Lonnie Jordan was 70 years old at the time and looked great; he couldn’t have been nicer or more humble. With only minutes to spare for an interview, I dove right in.
Rob Tellerman: What drew you to the music industry?
Lonnie Jordan: Being young and watching other artists perform and saying “Aw man! That looks like fun! That’s what I want to do when I grow up!”
RT: Who were some of your influences?
LJ: You have to understand, I’m almost 71 years old so back in my time it was Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith, The Everly Brothers, of course Elvis, Wilson Pickett, James Brown and the list goes on. A lot of gospel, a lot of Latin. Later on, in my life Fania All-Stars came in with the soulful boogaloo and Latin boogaloo.
RT: Before it was WAR, it was The Creators? Am I correct?
LJ: Yes. We were called The Creators and then we changed it to Nightshift. Then when we were Nightshift, playing with Deacon Jones for a minute, I believe he was #49 on The Rams, Eric Burdon and Lee Oskar, by now producer, manager and engineer, came down to hear us play and the rest was history.
RT: Are you still friendly with Eric Burdon?
LJ: Yes of course. He’s busy and at his age and he has to stay busy otherwise he will get tired or as some people say “retired” (Laughs).
RT: Is it true Jimi Hendrix joined WAR on stage in London 1970 for what was to become his last performance?
LJ: Yea Jimmy and Eric (Burdon) were very good friends. A lot of people don’t know that Eric’s old band The Animals’ bass player Chas Chandler was the one who introduced Jimmy to his first album deal. He produced his first album so he introduced Jimmy to the music industry. Being that Eric, Jimmy and Chas were good friends, Eric got this weird band together, which happened to be us. But Jimmy was supporting Eric’s new journey.
RT: Was he ok at the show?
LJ: Well he came down Tuesday night and he was fine, but he didn’t bring his guitar. We said “Man you gotta bring your guitar tomorrow”. So, he brought his guitar and we were backstage talking. I believe the band Osibisa was playing downstairs, but all the smoke was coming up. So, he (Jimmy) jumped on stage. We gave him an amplifier. There were no gimmicks. We all played like we did back in the early days when we were playing holes’ in the wall. Ironically, we played “Mother Earth” by Memphis Slim and he wound up going back to “Mother Earth” the next morning.
RT: Is touring as fun now as it was in the 60’s and 70’s?
LJ: Well I wasn’t drinking coffee back then. It’s more fun because I have more knowledge now of my surroundings. I’m a vegan and my wife is a raw vegan chef so that helps me stay active at my old age. Also, my Rock and Roll Hall of Fans supports me and makes it more fun. My mind and heart are open and I’m not being swallowed by a cloud of smoke.
RT: Have you ever had performance anxiety?
LJ: Not yet.
RT: If you had 1 message to give your fans what would it be?
LJ: Come here us play! Every chance you get because our stage is always smokin’!
RT: Do you think it’s ridiculous that WAR is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
LJ: We’ve been nominated but you have to understand, there is no category for us. That’s why we haven’t won anything. I would say that may be a bad thing for people who think materialistically, but for me, my Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is my Rock and Roll Hall of Fans! I’m so honored that the people still have us here working. Our music has so many different genres. I never thought our music was even going to be played on the radio so I’m honored and blessed the people still support us.
Greg Graffin is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Bad Religion, which he co founded in 1979. Graffin has also earned a PhD from Cornell and teaches natural science courses at UCLA. He has written several books on the topics of evolution and religion. In 2017, he released his third solo album, Millport.
In support of the album he played 3 sold out shows at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side of Manhattan on February 27th, 28th and March 1st in 2017. The album was released on March 10th of the same year.
Ken Rockwood opened the venue in 2005. It is a very small and intimate venue that has 3 stages, a bar and a record label of the same name. Usually Graffin plays on bigger stages with his main band Bad Religion, so to see him perform these new songs up close and personal was a real treat for me. I have been a huge fan for over 20 years.
The small stage was packed with instruments you would not see at a BR show such as a banjo, fiddle and a madalin. The band featured Guitarist Tommy Andrews, Drummer Jamie Miller and David Bragger who played multiple instruments.
The first song they performed was “Backroads of my Mind” which happened to be one of the first singles off the album. After the song, Greg noted that these were the first shows he has ever played guitar in front of a group of people while standing up. You can tell he wasn’t lying because he was using an actual shoelace as a guitar strap which was somehow perfect for matching the Country Rock/Folk genre.
The band then went into several more songs off the album including “Too Many Virtues”, “Time of Need” and the electric guitar driver “Lincoln’s Funeral Train”. One of the highlights of the night was the harmony filled Bluegrass track “Echo on the Hill”. The song was a great showcase of the band’s skills, particularly Bragger’s mandolin playing.
Before the last song, Greg Graffin jokes “for everyone who waited all night for a Bad Religion song” as they went into an rearranged version of “Sorrow” from BR’s 2002 Process of Belief album. The new version sounded awesome in the tiny room as the whole crowd sang along. It was really a great moment for any Bad Religion fan. It was a perfect night and the audience really felt connected with the band. I enjoyed it so much that I went back the following night which was just as amazing. After the shows Greg even stuck around to take pictures and sign autographs for the fans. It was a truly magnificent experience.
Losers Club are making their label-debut on Substream Records with a new single called “Fux W/ Ur Head,” set for release on March 5th, 2021.
The duet’s emo-rock sound is crafted by frontman Nate Blasdell, known for his role as lead guitar and background vocals in the melodic hardcore band I Set My Friends on Fire, and backed by Andy Champion on guitar. Losers Club’s sound is poppier than Blasdell’s previous work, akin to The All-American Rejects. Their music is anthemic and tightly packed with melody.
On their instagram account, Losers Club recounted the past year, saying “This year was a rollercoaster to say the least. What started as four, turned to three, then three became two, and now here we are, stronger than ever with 2020 in the rearview and so much to look forward to in 2021. New sound. New look. New album. New era.”
With their new sound and formation, Losers Club is ready to take on the music world with their label-debut single, Fux W/ Ur Head. You can pre-order it here.
Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock bank, Acid Dad, are excited to announce their sophomore album – Take It From The Dead. The album is due out June 11, 2021 via Greenway Records / The Reverberation Appreciation Society.
In preparation for the new album, the band has released visuals for the albums first single – “RC Driver.” The video debuted on FLOOD Magazine. Singer-guitarist Vaughn Hunt comments on his inspiration behind the song:
RC Driver is about how I wish I raced cars for a living. All I wanna do is go fast and do stunts. I grew up near a lake, so jet skis are the next closest thing. Ain’t nothing like rippin’ a supercharged Sea-Doo going 90mph on pure glass, baby.
Vaughn Hunt, Singer-guitarist
Acid Dad consists of Trevor Mustoe on drums, Vaughn Hunt and Sean Fahey on vocals and guitar. The band was started in Hunt’s basement in Bushwick, NY – releasing their first single “Brain Body” and EP Let’s Plan a Robbery. Acid Dad quickly rose up through the ranks in the New York rock scene, releasing their debut album to widespread acclaim.
The band spent much of 2020 creating a new studio space in Queens, while building their own guitars and continuing to independently produce their new music. With a new space and vision, the band produced their second LP, Take It From The Dead, set to be co-released in June 2021 by Brooklyn’s Greenway Records and psych powerhouse LEVITATION’s label, The Reverberation Appreciation Society.
Take It From The Dead’s influences range from the likes of 90’s neo-psych, modern post-punk and 70’s rock-n-roll. Acid Dad’s album is innovation, but still shows love for its roots. In contrast to their earlier work, they make use of slower tempos and expand their sound to include songs that are both more intricate and more hypnotic. To accompany the new record, the band spent the last year collaborating with video artist Webb Hunt, producing psych and glitch art videos that form a visual counterpart to the dreamy distortions of their sound.
boys cruise has released “Room for Reason” as their first single off of their upcoming self-titled sophomore album.
Their new jangly, poppy, but also garage-rock song is the first taste of boys cruise’s music since their acclaimed 2019 debut record Jerry. Mastered by Felix Davis, who worked with artists such as Lana Del Rey, HMLTD, and Swim Deep, added extra flair to boys cruise’s unique, playful sound. Their musical style combines several genres, creating a colorful blend that could make anybody want to dance. Zach Bloomstein produced their upcoming album.
Drummer and bassist Jack Parker spoke about the newest single: “Johnny Clarke (lead vocals/guitar) and myself, Jack Parker (bass/drums), wrote the main ideas before linking up with Sammy Josh (guitar) to really flesh everything out. I wrote Room for Reason over the span of a few days this past summer when I fell terribly ill with 102 degree fever.”
He continues that “the song is about how I felt trapped in my mind palace and how I was longing for rest. This past summer was a generally manic and confusing time for all of us in boys cruise, and the lyrics are just sort of a reflection of that confusion and some of the weirdness that was simultaneously going on in my personal relationships.
Based in Burlington, VT, boys cruise had its genesis in 2018 in the Northeast DIY scene. Their wild stage presence and riveting shows made them a notorious and beloved name in the northeast underground circuit. From cutting the lead singer’s hair mid-set to boxing matches between members on stage, they began selling out Vermont venues.
Their sound has evolved on their upcoming record in a new artful and noisy direction, compared to the poppier 2019 LP Jerry. boys cruise is Johnny Clarke (lead vocals/guitar), Jack Parker (vocals/bass/drums), and Sammy Josh (vocals/guitar).
February of 2018 happened to be the warmest February on record in New York State, and part of the reason was probably due to the Tedeschi Trucks Band two sold out shows at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on the 20th and 21st. I was at the first show and, as usual, the band was on fire during their impressive set just shy of 20 songs, opening with a tight version of “Do I Look Worried” from the 2013 album Made Up Mind.
Much like Derek’s former band The Allman Brothers, TTB gets right down to business with very little talk directed to the audience, if any. Susan is an absolute powerhouse. She proved this once again during the epic “Until You Remember” from the 2011 album Revelator. The first set had a few covers such as Neil Young’s “Alabama” and Charles Segar’s “Key to the Highway.”
The set closed with an amazing “Idle Wind” jam from the group’s second album Made Up Mind. The second set started with “Statesboro Blues” which is actually a Blind Willie McTell song that was made famous by The Allman Brothers Band. The rest of the second set was very blues heavy and included some great covers like “Goin Down Slow” by St. Louis Jimmy Oden and “How Blue Can You Get” by Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers in which Susan played lead guitar and thanked their late friend B.B. King at the conclusion. The second set ended with a gospel song written by Bill Taylor called “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.”
The encore started with a fantastic cover of “You Don’t Know How It Feels” by Tom Petty who had passed away suddenly just 3 months earlier. The show ended with a extraordinary version of “Laugh About It.” During the chorus, Susan said, “Put your hands up for those kids,” referring to the tragedy at Parkland High School in Florida.
TTB was scheduled to tour in 2020, but due to Covid19, The Wheels of Soul Tour has been rescheduled to start in the summer of 2021. Starting on February 18th, the band is presenting a six-episode series of home performances called Fireside Sessions available on nugs.net. For more info visit the band’s website.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Capitol Theatre, February 20, 2018
Set 1: Do I Look Worried, Just as Strange, Until You Remember, Key To The Highway (Charles Segar cover), Don’t Miss Me (The Derek Trucks Band cover), Alabama (Neil Young cover), Talking About, Idle Wind
Set 2: Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell cover), Part of Me, It’s So Heavy, Let Me Get By, Right On Time, Goin Down Slow (St. Louis Jimmy Oden cover), Made Up Mind, How Blue Can You Get (Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers cover), I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (Bill Taylor cover)
Encore: You Don’t Know How It Feels (Tom Petty cover), Laugh About It
Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs will celebrate the life of Matt McCabe, owner of Saratoga Guitar and former Commissioner of Finance. The memorial will be livestreamed on Saturday. February 20th at 7pm.
Photo from Caffe Lena’s website
The event will be hosted by McCabe’s friend and fellow musician Rick Bolton. The online tribute will feature stories and musical performances by some of the community members who found McCabe’s shop to be a place of support and inspiration. The performances have been prerecorded and include: Leigh Gibson of the Gibson Brothers, Kate Taylor, Dan Berggren, Mark Tolstrup, Chuck Lamb, John Kribs, Michael Eck, Brian Melick, Ria Curley, Angelina Valente, Pete Pashoukas and many more.
Matt McCabe was an example of how a small business can have a huge impact. His goal was to raise the quality of life for everyone. That is why we’re celebrating him. He gave away instruments for fundraising raffles, he gave steep discounts to those in need, and he donated performances to make life a little brighter.
Sarah Craig, Caffe Lena Executive Director
Caffe Lena is a historic music venue located on downtown Saratoga Springs, opening up back in 1960. The café has seen a number of legendary act take it’s stage, from the likes of Bob Dylan in 1961 to recently Sawyer Fredricks in 2014. The Library of Congress has recognized Caffe Lena as “An American Treasure”; as well as being recognized by The Grammy Foundation for important contributions to the development of American music.
The Matt McCabe memorial will be streamed for free on all Caffe Lena social media channels. More information can be found at www.caffelena.org
The Hold Steady will be holding a live-streamed event, The Weekender , from Brooklyn Bowl on Friday, March 5th and Saturday, March 6th primarily for UK and European fans.
The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady is performing their annual multi-night Weekender event in an unprecedented way this year, bringing their European fans a virtual version of the recurring concert. Traditionally held in the renowned Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, this year it will be live-streamed from Brooklyn, New York. Both nights will commence at 8pm (20:00) GMT , 3pm EST (US).
At The Weekender, The Hold Steady will be performing two completely different sets, including fan favorites and new cuts from their upcoming album Open Door Policy, set for release on Friday, February 19th. Pre-order it here. Exclusive to The Weekender is a march bundle, unveiled in the weeks leading up to the main event. Following the final performance, The Weekender sets will be available on-demand for a limited time on March 6th.
Album Art For OPEN DOOR POLICY by The Hold Steady
OPEN DOOR POLICY arrives on the band’s Positive Jams label via Thirty Tigers on Friday, February 19th, 2021. It is currently up for pre-order digitally and physically, and with a pre-order one receives an instant-download of the recently released singles “Spices,” “Heavy Covenant,” and “Family Farm.” Their Bruce Springsteen and Hüsker Dü-influenced sound is something you should not miss!
Single-show tickets (£15.00/$20.00), two-night passes (£27.50/$35.00) and exclusive soundcheck tickets (£20.00/$25.oo) are on sale now exclusively on FANS.LIVE . The on-demand show, aired after the final performance, is also available on FANS.LIVE.
New York capital region Rock-trio, Son Of A Gun, is on the run with the release of their second EP, Turn To Dust, to be released Friday, Feb. 12.
While the band probably isn’t smuggling shine in their petina post-war Buick Roadmaster down the Hudson Valley, their stone-cold rock jams will take you on a wild ride. The proof: Turn To Dust corrodes Son Of A Gun and their Rock and Roll sheen with a wild-side, proving more raw than their former effort.
The title track to this EP, “Turn To Dust,” kicks up a washy hi-hat drum intro, instantaneously energising the band. The pages turn, like a storyline from their lyrics to musical motifs. The textured drum beat tightens up for the band’s versus and solo, but remains the driving constant. Son Of A Gun, leaves us trailing behind, right on their coattails. They throw you into a groove immediately, fronting as that under-assuming opener you never saw coming.
Their concise burst of talent, in the forum of yearly releases keeps us intrigued. Their familiar tones reminisce of The Black Keys “Tighten Up” on tracks like “Watch and Wait,” yet keep you dancing with the song’s moving bass-lines. The solos scream, each and every time.
Turn To Dust will feature their hip lick “Find the Seam,” as featured live at Albany’s Low Beat in Dec. 2019. These guys have claimed their spot in New York’s Rock arena. They are fuelled to roll through energising live performances as their fanbase multiplies, and venues re-open. As the band burst at the seams, hang on for the ride.
“Find the Seam,” live at Albany’s Low Beat in Dec. 2019.
Son Of A Gun formed late 2018 “bringing a jam sensibility to straight-ahead Rock & Roll.” Their 2020 self-titled debut aids to classic rock fans with a stout major chord mentality. Gritty guitars and loose-mix drums keep a humble garage-rock edge and live feel. The trio has a hearty sound that could fit the bill on any headline stage. Their tracks soar like a hand in the wind as you cruise down the HRE – a floating momentum that kicks off with momentum solos on “Down The Highway.”
“…the band’s musicality and their compositions were tight and developed. They were songs that you could certainly rock out to. What was interesting was that their sound didn’t specifically fit into any musical genre. Sometimes it would sound more like Pearl Jam (heard through the vocals of “Winds of Change”), or you could hear the country-rock vibe of “Hope & Heartache.” Listening to both “Down the Highway” and “Call of Days Past,” you can tell that it centered around blues-rock, even including little hints of “Call Me the Breeze” in the guitar & bass riffs and hearing the vocals one could listen from Sly Fox and The Hustlers.”
