After a pair of hometown shows this past weekend, Twiddle has announced a pair of socially distant outdoor pod shows in New England in May. On Friday, May 14th, the band will visit Northlands in Swanzey, NH and on Saturday, May 15th they’ll perform at Westville Music Bowl in New Haven, CT. Attendees at both shows will be seated in pre-selected, socially distant pods.
Twiddle visited Northlands (formerly Drive-In Live) in Swanzey last fall while the venue was set up as a Drive-In theatre. The owners have transformed the scenic, mountainside location into a thriving, pod-style concert field. Northlands also expanded the operation, promising food trucks, beer and wine, improved sound and lights, and much more.
Twiddle will also be one of the first few bands to perform at Westville Music Bowl, formerly home of the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament. Both shows will adhere to all state and local guidelines regarding masks and social distancing.
This past weekend, Vermont jam quartet Twiddle returned to the stage for the first time in 2021 for a pair of special hometown live stream shows from The Double E in Essex, VT.
Hosted in partnership with Fiddlehead Brewing, the virtual events featured carefully curated setlists, highlighting individual chapters of the band’s sixteen-year history. Performing a few short miles from Castleton, the rustic college town where the band started, the shows were a masterful depiction of the evolution of the signature sound Twiddle continues to refine.
photo by Dave Decresente
The band kicked off night one (3/11/21) with a first set comprised of fan-favorite tracks from their 2017 release Plump Chapter One. After weaving together the first four songs of set one with a series of seamless segues, viewers were treated to an acoustic rendition of catalog rarity, “Dusk ’til Dawn,” led by drummer Brook Jordan on acoustic guitar and lead vocals. The opening set was highlighted by the debut of “Lost in the Rain,” a reggae mashup of originals “Lost in the Cold” and “When it Rains it Poors.”
Set two featured fresh takes on deep cuts from Twiddle’s early days, with all of the music coming from the band’s 2007 release, Natural Evolution of Consciousness. The nonstop six-song marathon provided a glimpse at Twiddle’s precise, genre-bending composition, contrasted by their unbridled, exploratory improvisation. The 75+ minute set was performed without a break.
Night two incorporated similar thematic elements to the previous show, with set one focusing on songs from Plump Chapter Two. For the second consecutive set, Twiddle performed without a pause, sandwiching multiple songs between distinct parts of “Orlando’s,” most notably an extended “Nicodemus Portulay,” complete with a “Find Frankenfoote” transmission.
Night two, set two contained some of Twiddle’s most recognizable tunes, focusing on music written for the 2011 release, Somewhere on the Mountain. The improv-heavy set included subtle odes to influential musical counterparts, including Papadosio and Phish teases in “Daydream Farmer” and “Frend’s Theme.” Twiddle closed the hometown run of shows with an extended take on Tears For Fears’ 1982 hit, “Mad World.”
photo by Dave Decresente
Setlist – March 11, 2021
Set One: Syncopated Healing> Every Soul> River Drift> Every Soul, Dusk Til Dawn$, Distance Makes The Heart^, Lost In The Rain&, Zazu’s Flight
Set Two: Frankenfoote > Grandpa Fox > Tiberius> Brown Chicken Brown Cow> Tiberius> Subconscious Prelude
Encore: Caterpillar % > Frankenfoote
$ Brook on Acoustic Guitar ^ Mihali on Acoustic Guitar & Mashup of Lost in The Cold and a reggae version of When It Rains It Poors % With A Go Go by John Scofield teases
Setlist – March 12, 2021
Set One: Enter > Orlando’s > Dinner Fork > Nicodemus Portulay $ > The Fantastic Tale of Ricky Snickle > Slippin’ In the Kitchen > Orlando’s
Set Two: Daydream Farmer ^> Frends Theme & > Apples # > Doinkinbonk> Apples, Earth Mama
Encore: Mad World+
$ With a “find Frankenfoote” Transmission ^ With Find Your Cloud by Papadosio Teases & With Divided Sky Teases # With Ghostbusters Theme tease + Tears for Fears
The Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra was originally written for Kim Kashkashian. She sent Theofanidis a collection of Navajo poems that were wildly different in character, but had in common a supernatural sense of nature and an extremely evocative vocabulary. Each of the four movements is serious in sentiment, in turns lyrical and dramatic. Theofanidis wrote this work during the tragedy and turmoil of 9/11, starting the piece before and finishing it afterward, and was influenced by being in midtown Manhattan that day.
Portrait of Theofanidis
This is the second GRAMMY win for the Albany Symphony. The first came in 2013 for John Corigliano’s Conjurer with world-famous percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie
For a full list of winners of the 63 Annual GRAMMY Awards visit their website.
When you think of great funk soul bands that have come out of Buffalo, New York only two names come to mind, Rick James and Soulive. Alan Evans, drummer and founding member of Soulive took time to talk about his musical journey that started in Western New York to around the world with the best.
Buffalo, NY native Alan Evans at “Bowlive”
“It just kind of happened, To be honest I’m surprised I’m actually doing this, some people can point to… “ Oh I saw this, I heard this” Then all of a sudden I wanted to play music , but man music for me is like breathing, like literally ya know?, “ Its always been ingrained”
He has been playing gigs in Buffalo since he was eleven years old.” “For Neal and I it started like one day we were playing music, the next day basketball, then football, maybe skateboarding, then some times all that in the same day” Alan first started out with a band called The Groove and then Moonboot Lover that prompted him to touchdown outside Buffalo in Brooklyn’s pre-developed 1992 Park Slope. “At 7th between 8th and Prospect right at the park “ “Park Slope was a completely different world then ”.
He went on to form Soulive with his brother Neal Evans and Eric Krasno in 1999 that has gone through the past two decades culminating in their own Seven time residency at the historic Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. Dubbed as “Bowlive”, it brings all of the best musicians on the scene today to collaborate with Alan and his Buddy Miles like vocals and drumming on “Them Changes” for each one over the years.
NYS Music had some time to talk with Alan Evans about his musical experiences over the career, Here is the Conversation:
Matthew Romano: Where was your first collaboration with Sam Kininger who became an instrumental part of Soulive?
Alan Evans: So… Soulive started in 1999 and Sam came and was part of the Lettuce crew at Berklee at the time, So literally all of our early gigs were with Sam, I remember the first time we played with Sam was at House of Blues in Cambridge, Mass in 99’ and Kraz was like “Oh my boy Sam is gonna come through and play” “and we were like all right cool whatever” Then we recorded on from there with two great records in Woodstock with him
Alan Evans, Sam Kininger
MR: Jumping from House of Blues on the East Coast with Sam K to the House of Blues in Los Angeles on the West Coast in 2005 where Stevie Wonder was in the crowd for your set and then joined for the encore on “Jesus Children of America” Did you know he was in attendance and was gonna close the show out with you?
AE: We had no idea he was there that night, we finished our last song and left the stage he was there and wanted to sit in with us, so um when we went to play as usual, the funny thing is at that point and time we played Jesus Children a lot. Especially for an encore ,we played it to get into a groove in the set list on tour so we were probably gonna do that any way. They said his driver had to get his harmonica out of the car, so basically we went on and were just stalling and started playing and I look over and saw him on the side stage and the people gave me the thumbs up and I introduced him, and he came out so yea it was pretty wild.
The funny thing it was the first time I ever saw Stevie Wonder live and they set him up right next to me. I thought he was gonna come on and play harmonica and leave , he’s not gonna sing and split, he comes out and the first thing he does is start to blow the harp, ok just as expected and then we got in to it and were grooving pretty hard, his solo came to and end and then started singing!
MR: In 1972 Stevie Wonder opened for the Rolling Stones, Soulive opened for the Stones on a couple different occasions, In Philadelphia you did for an intimate Tower Theater performance at a three thousand capacity venue . Any cool takeaways from that infamous backstage scene with them?
AE: A lot of funny stuff happened with the Philly show, like some Planes, Trains and Automobiles kind of stuff, So this is pre uber days and we landed at the airport and were cutting it close for soundcheck, a car pulls up that can finally brings us but we had gear and needed a van but couldn’t get one…the catch is that he has like a bag of trash that he ended up strapping to to the hood so we can all fit in and brings us to the venue where we tried to keep a low profile to get dropped off away from the Stones tailgate around the corner
So we got inside and did a soundcheck and hung out downstairs and was used to the typical go back to the hotel to chill before playing, that wasn’t the case the with Stones since it was such a mob scene they couldn’t leave either so we were all just hanging out
Backstage: Soulive and The Rolling Stones
We couldn’t leave, we were just there hanging out in our green room which had catering and a cavernous hallway leading to it. I remember Kraz and I were sitting by the door and ah Neal and I were on the couch too. But anyway Kraz is in this other chair by the door , all of a sudden someone kicks in the door , and the it flies open and BAM! I mean it was loud as hell , I mean what the fuck is going on? And in comes Keith Richards who just kicks the door down and walks in and goes I heard one of you is from Connecticut ?! So Kraz was from CT and Keith lives in Connecticut and they talked for a while and then Keith just splits
So we opened and were just up there doing our thing , some people in the crowd were checking it out, the other were just rolling their eyes and the thing is I looked to my right and all of them were hanging out like listening. All the Stones were posted up the whole set, they were digging the shit out of it, so um that was fine, we came off on time and they were like just like damn we got to work tonight, and i’m like OK cool
MR: After seven Brooklyn Bowl Residencies, is it even possible to pick a stand out moment with all those collaborations with every great artist over the years ?
Bowlive Poster & Setlist
AE: Man that’s a really good question, so much of it is , it seems like every year there is a moment like wow I can’t believe this is happening
I remember the set with Bernie Worrell and we did a like whole P Funk thing, I wasn’t even playing drums on that, it was me Kraz and Shmeeans playing guitar, I remember soundcheck and were running through the tunes with him, and were like damn this is Bernie, and we knew him for years but this is the first time we’ve played him, but it the was also the ideal time to realize this dude is a living legend, that was one experience I remember being insane
I grew up listening to P Funk, our older brother was way in to to them , hes 65, so he literally experienced them in 1977 when they were touring and saw them live landing the Mother Ship
MR: I’ve seen you play at Madison Square Garden, that being every artist’s dream venue in the State to play, are there any other venues in New York you have fond memories of?
AE: Its tough to beat the Garden, but ya know SPAC right? Yea man i have a sweet spot in my heart for that place man, Peter Prince my band mate in Moon Boot Lover back in the day is from from Saratoga Springs, His father is a really great artist, so for Jazz Fest we’d always get his dad’s vendors pass there. I saw some great shows and actually Soulive got to play there one year for the festival. There’s definitely something special about that place and I’d love to perform there again actually
MR: It was last Valentines Day at the Tralf in Buffalo seeing you perform with Soulive, it’s been almost a year since you were able to play live in front of sold out crowds pre pandemic, what is the expectation on live music for yourself in 2021 during these new times?
AE: That was my last run. We did the The Tralf, Pittsburgh ,The Capitol Theater and Boston. We had the most Soulive shows lined up till August for the first time in years. People have hit me up since, but I’m in no rush. I have been doing a lot of recording at my studio in the meantime. But I reflected in the beginning of the pandemic while my wife and I were out for a walk. I thought this would be a thing possibly for a while. I remember saying I don’t know how long this would last but at the end of it when things open back up that I didn’t want to not do anything or wish I did more. During this time I’ve looked at my life if I never would do a live show again. I’m not gonna sit around and be bummed out’ about it
MR: My final question to Alan was drummer to drummer, relating to the same concept , that there is a silver lining to be had during these times, for me I was able to collaborate with musicians that would normally be on the road or with other projects who are now available to jam and Alan’s reply was much obliged.
AE: Exactly man, yea for me you’re so right, it’s just how you look at it. My Father said it the best, its simple there’s two ways to looking at things, you can be positive or be negative, and so of course we all know the negative of the pandemic so we don’t have to talk about it, but its like with in that though I think good. I’ve been really positive. I’ve been making music and can spend time with my family. For me its like a cleanse, to really look at my life, I can’t just do any old gig , I just take everything away and have time to step back and feel what’s really important. What do i want my life to be about? Thats what been a positive for me and I hope it’s like that for a lot of people.
MR: I just scooped Rick James and Stone City Band “Bustin out of L Seven” on Vinyl, are there any recordings from your fellow Buffalo native that stick out?
AE: Man…that’s a really tough one. I mean this really does, you kinda cant go wrong. That’s a dope record
Check Out Soulive’s last home show on Valentines Day in Buffalo, New York on February 14, 2020.
The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards announced winners on March 14, 2021, including many artists who hail from the state of New York, among them Fiona Apple, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, The Strokes, Nas, and many more.
This year’s GRAMMY Awards were hosted by Trevor Noah for the first time. It also hosted performances from Bad Bunny, Black Pumas, Cardi B, BTS, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Mickey Guyton, HAIM, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Tamika D. Mallory, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Megan Thee Stallion, Maren Morris, Post Malone, Roddy Ricch, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift.
Some of the most anticipated categories are in the General Field. The 63rd GRAMMY Awards Record Of The Year was won by Billie Eilish for “Everything I Wanted.” Album Of The Year was won by Tayor Swift for her album FOLKLORE. Song Of The Year was won by Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas for “I Can’t Breathe.” Best New Artist was won by Megan Thee Stallion – watch her perform on Saturday Night Live earlier this season.
New York had a couple of big wins in this year’s award show. Some of those big wins included Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Rain On Me. Fiona Apple won two Grammys, one for Best Rock Performance for “SHAMEIKA” and for Best Alternative Music Album for her album Fetch The Bolt Cutters. The Strokes won Best Rock Album for The New Abnormal.
Nas won Best Rap Album for King’s Disease. Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra by Richard O’Neill and David Alan Miller, conductor for the Albany Symphony Orchestra won the Best Classical Instrumental Solo for THEOFANIDIS. Song Of The Year honors went to Dernst Emile II, H.E.R. & Tiara Thomas, songwriters (H.E.R.) for “I Can’t Breathe.”
For a full list of winners of the 63 Annual GRAMMY Awards visit their website.
On March 5th, South African-born, Brooklyn-based artist Sulene released her new EP, he•don•ic, on Trash Casual.
The five songs on the EP dive deep into her struggles with alcohol addiction, depression, and hedonic pleasures, and finding a way out of these destructive cycles.
Sulene’s dark lyricism is juxtaposed by dancey, sexy beats strewn with synth and guitar that she describes as a “gothic disco party.”
This vulnerable-meets-underground club aesthetic is found on songs like “identity crisis” and “photo booth”, both questioning bad habits she’s encountered in her life.
Written at the start of the pandemic, “diner coffee” brings a more slowed down, sullen moment to the record as Sulene states “I promise to be useful” – a nod towards needing to create while blocking out depression.
For Sulene, writing he•don•ic was a painful and difficult process, but also one that allowed her to experiment with music in a new way.
Exploring a darker side of her character and production, Sulene wrote, recorded, and produced the entire EP out of her apartment in Brooklyn, NY. She also delved into filming and editing her own music videos and artwork, giving a full 360-degree view of her newest art.
Speaking on the release, Sulene stated:
he•don•ic explores my relationship with hedonism and addiction. Lyrically it speaks an uncomfortable truth and sonically it makes me wanna be in the club; a contradiction I find intriguing.
This is definitely a fair overview or the EP. Each song is introspective in its own way, with Sulene analyzing her habits and tendencies, as well as her mental state. Sulene is heavily critical of her relationships with others, and her indulgences and dependencies.
At the same time, the pounding, synth-heavy beats remind the listener of going out at night and partying with friends at clubs. It is a truly interesting contradiction, especially now in a time when clubs have been completely empty for almost a year.
With the release of the he•don•ic EP, Sulene has broken new ground as an artist, bringing an experimental and refreshing take on pop music. You can stream he•don•ic here now and purchase the EP on vinyl here.
New York City-based singer-songwriter Amsi releases the second single of 2021 today, “Cry” being an outlet for listeners to be vulnerable and express their grief on matters pandemic and beyond. The artist prides herself on her culturally diverse background and unique sound, whilst also addressing experiences that are all too universal and relatable.
There were many instances where I was told I was too sensitive or too emotional, but now especially in this past year, I realized that crying doesn’t mean I am weak, it means that I am processing & growing. I hope people find comfort in knowing that it’s okay to cry too.
Amsi, on “Cry”
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic and quarantine on the mental health of today’s society is one that cannot possibly be looked over, with the yearning for things to return to normal and the fears that someone you love could possibly be affected. These fears became a reality for Amsi, who was quarantined with her father, sick with COVID-19, ten days after her last live performance.
You can stream her newest single here, as well as check out the rest of her works on her Spotify.
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 Under the Den, Jade Relics, 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’s EQXposure starts with a four-song feature from Under the Den, a group that hopes to capture the positive essence and momentum of the progress which has become symbolic of the Upstate NY area.
Under The Den formed in the autumn of 2017 as a collaborative effort in Upstate New York of four people trying to make good music. Madison Lewis, the group’s lead vocalist from Orange County, CA, pours her soul into live performances, understanding the need for connection and reciprocation with an audience large or small. Benjamin “Ideas” Zoleski, a music major from Berklee, brings a great range to the guitar following a recent outing as the Musical Director for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “School of Rock” (2018-2019) theatre production, as well as the guitarist for the European hologram tour of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison (2019). The rhythm section is comprised of identical twin brothers John Nowak (on bass) and drummer Jason “J NO” Nowak. Both have a long musical history in the 518 and abroad, with bands on indie and major labels.
They are performing on March 27 at Albany’s oldest bar, Pauly’s Hotel. The show is supported by Kid Vicious with live sound by Lyons Den Productions. Doors open at 7pm and shows start at 8pm.
Jade Relics from Vermont is a trio of IamE, Rico James, and Elder Orange. The music floats along a hip hop feel with emo heartfelt singing, excellent production and instrumentation creating a head bobbing yet smart piece of music.
Jade Relics recently released “Start Over” a massive sounding intoxicating grooed out jam about pushing the rest button or at least being forced to do so.
After preparing a massive arsenal of puns in preparation for a ten year tour of stand-up punning in pun-friendly venues worldwide, Troy, NY’s DayBloom packed a van and set out, only to get a flat tire in the driveway. Plans dashed and bored, they started playing music.
‘Till the Sky” is a deep roots style track with enriching harmony and clever twists and turns. The acoustic instrumentation which implies a laid back sense does not cover up the rumbling intensity and dark turns of this rather well put together piece of music.
Record Heat, formerly known as Spirit Animal, is back with a new 3-song EP titled 1 out on March 12. “Nathan” and “Just Hits” are previously released tracks, with brand-new closer “Networks.” Produced by Nolan Lambroza, 1 has an industrial, ground-shattering, alternative-rock sound.
Record Heat’s NST Album Art
The opening track “Nathan” booms into headphones with a huge grimey bass sound and commanding, catchy vocals. The beats are redolent of “Believer” by Imagine Dragons and “Black Skinhead” by Kanye West, delivering a powerful energy that is cinematic and danceable. One could imagine a live show with pyrotechnics and a zealous crowd. “Couldn’t really say that I’m the patient type,” lyrically encompasses the strength of this song.
“Just Hits” opens with a mysterious synth line and a techno beat that kicks in with a groove. Steve’s vocals are confident, almost rapped, giving the song a quick, invigorating aura. There is a spoken-word prechorus that induces reflection about nature: “We came from the sky / We came from the trees.” The song morphs into a bravado-filled chorus, with idiosyncratic production. The manipulated vocals, sirens blaring, and synth motif coat the song in a bold color palette. Record Heat knows that they are hot stuff.
The newest track on the EP is the closer “Networks.” It opens with a jangly percussive bar and instantly adds groovy guitars. The energy is infectious immediately. The song criticizes networking and its inherent artifice; Record Heat are not in search of fortune and fame – even stating “The music industry sucks” as an ad-lib – they are artists, here for music, not commerciality. “Networks” is an anger-tinged indie dance track. It’s a powerful track in less that 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Record Heat’s new EP “1” is a whirlwind of confident, experimental, industrial rock. Their sound is refreshing, and you can listen to it on March 12th on all streaming services. You can find more about Record Heat on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Upstate New York join forces in the latest single by burgeoning rapper, Baddnews. The Syracuse native has recruited Griselda and Buffalo’s own, Benny The Butcher for this catchy, up-tempo record about pushing through the treacheries of the street life, in pursuit of more prosperous times.
After all, adversity is nothing new to the rising rap star, after facing a barrage of drug trafficking charges, the former Rhythm + Flow contestant has made a triumphant return to music with this latest release. His recruit? One of the faces of the Upstate New York rap scene responsible for bringing the city of Buffalo to prominence, along with his fellow Griselda cohorts.
The duo shares similar backgrounds, growing up in rough, urban neighborhoods, mired in violence and drug use. Their attempts at financial prosperity landed them in trouble with the law, before deciding to hone their craft and use that as their golden ticket out. With Baddnews gaining traction as an artist, he can always look to his counterpart and know that there is a future beyond the streets.
Our visions weren’t equally aligned, to chase my dreams I had to leave the streets behind.
Baddnews
Baddnews
Known for his detailed recounts of his time in the streets, Benny The Butcher is the perfect opposite to Baddnews on this record. While the song sees the latter look towards a more promising future, the former spends his verse poignantly recounting the roads traveled that made him a successful rapper.
Drop elbows like Randy Savage to count up Andrew Jackson’s.
Benny The Butcher
Benny the Butcher
“This record with Benny holds a different level of importance, because not only is he one of the hardest lyricists in the game right now, but he’s also from upstate NY just like me” Baddnews commented. “This is just the beginning and I can’t wait to show the world what else I have in store this year.”
On March 1st, Brooklyn based singer-songwriter and poet Lowhency Pierre unveiled a new single and visual for his latest single “Losing.”
The genre-bending crooner delivers a strong and passionate vocal performance that details not measuring up to gain the attention and affection of a partner.
The somber cut is his most vulnerable and emotional track to date – with its thrumming heartbeat and bassline that grow more pronounced with time, over theatrical strings and overlapping vocals.
In “Losing,” Lowhency Pierre turns grappling with self identity and worth into moments of clarity, security and liberation.
Lowhency shares, “Lyrically, I’m saying that it’s really hurtful, and exhausting trying to exceed your expectations to win your love; and, recognizing my value and self worth enough to set myself free from that negative and toxic space.”
Inspired by the art form of dance and natural human body movements, Lowhency says, “After discovering choreo-cinema films by Maya Deren (Study In Choreography for Camera), and Robyn Brentano and Andrew Horn (Cloud Dance), I really wanted to challenge and explore new areas of my body to express myself beyond writing and singing for the visual.”
Pierre teamed up with longtime collaborator, choreographer and director, Barby Beauvais, to share his vision, and began training for two months on steps and movements that conveyed the concept of the song.
Barby created the choreography piece-by-piece to showcase reflection, frustration, vulnerability and peacefulness.
The new release is a taste of what’s to come on Lowhency’s forthcoming (yet-to-be-titled) project. Pierre’s last single “Crew Love” received and generated support from Grandma Sophia’s Cookies, Music and Other Drugs, Bands Do Brooklyn and more!
