NYS Music 202​1

Category: Regions

  • Woodstock 50 Wins Damages from Main Investor who Pulled Funding After Safety Concerns in Lawsuit

    Woodstock 50 organizers won damages in a settlement from their main investor who pulled funding for the festival due to safety concerns in a lawsuit. The festival was officially cancelled back in July of 2019 after months of turmoil in its feasibility, especially after the main investor withdrew. 

    Woodstock 50

    Dentsu, a Japanese-owned advertising firm, was the main investor in the festival. They breached their contract in April of 2019 when they pulled their investment. Dentsu ended up settling their lawsuit with the Woodstock 50 organizers according to court documents obtained by Billboard on January 31, 2021. The documents showed the damages that were awarded to Woodstock 50 in October were “significantly less than what [Woodstock 50] purported to spend on attorneys’ fees.” It’s unclear exactly how much was won in the settlement. The lawsuit also accused Dentsu of tortious interference, defamation, business disparagement and conspiracy on top of breaching the contract they signed when pulling out of the investment. 

    The original dates for the festival were scheduled for August 16-18, 2019 in Watkins Glen, New York. The organizers of the festival had originally hoped for 150,000 people to attend but Watkins Glen’s capacity was reduced to 75,000 people. Dentsu withdrew $18 million of the $49 million they had already agreed to pay and pulled out over concerns with Woodstock 50’s issues behind the scenes, health/safety concerns and disputes about the capacity of the festivities. The headliners included big names like Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Santana, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, John Fogerty, Chance the Rapper, The Raconteurs, Janelle Monae, Halsey and Imagine Dragons. All of the performers were paid in advance a sum of $30 million according to Syracuse.com.

    Woodstock 50 festival ended up entirely losing it’s site at Watkins Glen after they missed their final payment of $150,000. They then attempted a pile of different things to save the festival. They tried to move the festival to Vernon Downs, but the Town of Vernon denied the festival’s requests multiple times due to safety concerns and incomplete permit applications. The organizers then tried one last attempt to have the festival in Maryland but that also ended up falling through.

    One of the main concerns with Woodstock 50 across the board seemed to be with it’s lack of realistic safety guidelines and plans. Co-founder of Woodstock 50 Michael Lang accused Dentsu of sabotaging the Woodstock anniversary event and spreading misinformation to prevent them from holding it at a different site. It’s unclear how much of the events’ misfortunate cancellation was due to Dentsu sabotaging it and how much might be due to poor organizational skills from it’s organizers. Hopefully it will serve as a warning to future event organizers to vet their investors and to address safety concerns early on in the process of putting together a festival. 

  • Hearing Aide: Mr. Days “Infinitus”

    On January 22, 1977 Johnny Cash brought his band to Upstate New York to the Onondaga County War Memorial to promote his 56th album The Rambler. A concept album about traveling, the songs interspersed with dialogue between Cash and hitchhikers he picked up or other people he met during the album’s cross-country trip. It truly is an American roots album where Cash shares various county road tales about the lost love of women and family anecdotes about his grandfather’s preaching days in North Carolina.

    Outlaw country outfit Mr.Days from Albany have adopted a similar alt-country/jam/Americana sound concept for their first album, Infinitus. Released on January 1, 2021 is influenced by the same America as Cash was. Mr. Days is a trio consisting of James Matlock on guitar and vocals, his father Rick Matlock on guitar and vocals and Jacob Karker on drums and vocals. The father-son duo have been writing these songs and performing them in Capital Region saloons for a couple years now.

    Mr. Days

    The Matlocks wrote a song called “Bill and Ed,” a story about their great-great-great grandfather who made a living in part by traveling the country selling Christmas trees by train in the winter. There was a family legend that he had died when looking out the window of a moving train during one of these endeavors, being decapitated by a light pole. Genealogical research indicated that it was actually just a train crash that resulted in his passing, but it still holds roots for a great ballad, with drums echoing the train rolling down the tracks. The Matlocks sing, “Riding out toward Toledo, got four cars of spruce, that Christmas pine, the train keeps rolling and a winter storm is blowing.”

    Rick Matlock’s travels in America are also reflected in the tune “Carolina Bound,” a musical memoir of his trips down south to visit family, singing, “Pack my bag and leave the valley, say goodbye to Mohawk cold … I’m moving on to the southern plains where I belong.” Another great track that reflects America’s history is “Appalachian Bloodstone.” This song travels to the hillsides of West Virginia where the Buffalo Creek Flood occurred in February 1972. The Pittston Coal Company impoundment dam in Logan County had burst four days after having been declared “ satisfactory” by a federal mine inspector. The accident that was referred to as “an act of god” and displaced the 5,000 people who lived along Buffalo Creek Hollow. The Matlocks praise, “we all sink the same … that’s the price they pay for taking all that blood stone”

    Mr. Days
    Rick Matlock, Jacob Karker, James Matlock

    Mr. Days started their own history in 2021 with the release of their debut record. Hopefully it will bring them across the vast American landscape that they sing heartily about. Much like Johnny Cash on The Rambler, the journey of Mr. Days takes place on the open road. Cash preaches “Life out on the interstate is very much alive, there’s magic in the mountains and music in the valley down below, and my song ain’t through playing yet so I believe I’ll hit the road and go”.

    Key Tracks: Bill and Ed, Carolina Bound, Appalachian Bloodstone






  • Rufus Wainwright adds Zach Galifianakis and James Corden to Live Show Audience

    Grammy Award winning pop artist, Rufus Wainwright, announced Zach Galifianakis and James Corden as audience members to his acclaimed virtual live stream tour through all nine of his albums, Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective!

    Rufus Wainwright

    Galifianakis will be the guest for the two performances Out of The Game livestreaming on February 5 and 12 with Corden joining for Take All My Loves: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets and a special Rufus at the Movies show. Past guests have included Jamie Lee Curtis and husband Christopher Guest, Joel McHale, Darren Criss, Marius de Vries, Rain Phoenix, and Scott Dunn. More guests will be announced for the remaining shows. The live streams proceeds go to help raise money for charities with the virtual audience donating to a cause chosen by the at-home guest during the shows.

    I am so excited to be playing some of my songs for Zach and James, both of whom I have known and admired for a very long time. Normally when doing a show I have to do all the talking in between songs so it is nice to actually have a chat with someone you like and probably will make you crack up quite a bit.

    Rufus Wainwright, Musician

    Rufus Wainwright was on the forefront of live-streaming with his IGTV Quarantunes Robe Recital series where each day he performed a song a day while playing in his bathrobe at his home. Now with Rufus-Retro-Wainwright-Spective he takes a step further playing 45-minute concerts highlighting albums from his illustrious catalogue. Guitarist Brian Green and keyboardist/pianist Jacob Mann will accompany Wainwright in these concerts and fans will be treated to songs he has not played in many years with exciting new arrangements. On top of the songs from the albums, Wainwright will sprinkle in cover songs that fans can vote from over 100 that he has performed in the past, or has wanted to perform in concert.  

    Tickets for individual shows are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 day of show, and 4 show bundles are also available. Bundles come with the opportunity for fans to participate in intimate Q&A’s with Wainwright and other surprises. Go here to purchase tickets.

  • The Weeknd Announces 2022 After Hours World Tour, with Stops at MSG, Barclay’s and UBS Arena

    The Weeknd announced his After Hours World Tour, a 104-date global tour beginning at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on January 14th, 2022.

    He will be playing in New York on February 11th and 12th in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, and will be back in early April on the 4th and 5th at Madison Square Garden. He will then be playing at the new UBS Arena in Belmont on April 7th.


    The worldwide tour announcement comes just days ahead of the multi-platinum singer’s headlining Super Bowl performance, and also includes a handful of rescheduled dates shifting from 2021 to be a part of the After Hours World Tour in 2022.

    With the addition of 39 new tour dates, The Weeknd will also release The Highlights on Friday, February 5th. The Highlights is a way to present some of The Weeknd’s most notable works in one place. While this isn’t a “Greatest Hits” album it does provide a new listener a rich foray into some of the iconic artist’s best and favorite work. Fans can pre-save and pre-order the album on theweeknd.co/thehighlights.

    Tickets for the tour will be available following The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance starting Monday, February 8th at 10 A.M. local time on TheWeeknd.com/Tour.

    AFTER HOURS WORLD TOUR 2022 DATES:
    * New Show
    Jan 14 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
    Jan 15 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
    Jan 17 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
    Jan 19 – Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS Place
    Jan 21 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
    Jan 23 – Chicago, IL – United Center
    Jan 24 – Chicago, IL – United Center*
    Jan 26 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum*
    Jan 27 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
    Jan 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
    Jan 30 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
    Feb 01 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
    Feb 02 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
    Feb 03 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell
    Feb 05 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
    Feb 06 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun
    Feb 08 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
    Feb 09 – Boston, MA – TD Garden*
    Feb 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
    Feb 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center*
    Feb 13 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
    Feb 15 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
    Feb 16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
    Feb 19 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center*
    Feb 20 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
    Feb 22 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center*
    Feb 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
    Feb 25 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
    Feb 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
    Mar 01 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena
    Mar 03 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
    Mar 04 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena*
    Mar 06 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
    Mar 08 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
    Mar 09 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
    Mar 11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum*
    Mar 13 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
    Mar 15 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
    Mar 16 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center*
    Mar 18 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
    Mar 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
    Mar 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
    Mar 22 – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena
    Mar 25 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
    Mar 28 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
    Mar 29 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
    Mar 30 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
    Apr 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
    Apr 03 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center*
    Apr 04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
    Apr 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
    Apr 07 – Elmont, NY – UBS Arena*
    Apr 08 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
    Apr 10 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
    Apr 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena*
    Apr 14 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
    Apr 16 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha
    Apr 18 – Austin, TX – Moody Center*
    Apr 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
    Apr 23 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena*
    Apr 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Suns Arena*
    Apr 27 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center*
    Apr 30 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena*
    May 01 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
    Sept 10 – Helsinki, Finland – Hartwall Arena*
    Sep 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Ericsson Globe
    Sep 15 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
    Sep 16 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena*
    Sep 18 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena
    Sep 20 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena
    Sep 21 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
    Sep 23 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
    Sep 24 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena
    Sep 26 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle*
    Sep 28 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis
    Sep 29 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis*
    Oct 01 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena*
    Oct 03 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome
    Oct 04 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome*
    Oct 06 – London, UK – The O2
    Oct 07 – London, UK – The O2
    Oct 08 – London, UK – The O2
    Oct 10 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena
    Oct 11 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
    Oct 13 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena*
    Oct 15 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena
    Oct 16 – London, UK – The O2
    Oct 18 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
    Oct 19 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
    Oct 20 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
    Oct 22 – Bordeaux, France – Arkea Arena*
    Oct 24 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Center*
    Oct 25 – Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena*
    Oct 28 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi*
    Oct 29 – Montpellier, France – Sud de France Arena*
    Nov 01 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum*
    Nov 02 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion*
    Nov 04 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena*
    Nov 05 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
    Nov 07 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena*
    Nov 10 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena*
    Nov 12 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier*
    Nov 13 – Paris, France – Accor Arena*
    Nov 15 – Glasgow, Scotland – The SSE Hyrdro*
    Nov 16 – London, UK – The O2*

  • Hearing Aide: Evil Key “The Host”

    Syracuse based rapper Evil Key (Jonas Nicholson) follows his 2020 release SAVE FACE//ESCAPE FATE with his newest concept album The Host. Nicolson is also member of fellow Syracuse psychedelic jam rock band Vaporeyes. The Host is a brave departure from any of Nicholson’s previous work done with Vaporeyes, opting for a bold lo-fi rap concept album that explores becoming a new person, possibly without your control.

    About a decade ago, I had a particular experience that changed my life. I made positive changes and stopped being overall self-destructive. Looking back at it now, it feels like a lifetime ago. Like a different person. What if I am? What if I’ve been taken over? What if I’ve been someone else all these years? Would I know? Am I in here?

    Evil Key, Rapper
    Evil Key

    Meeting at the crossroad between the moody emo rap ruling the mainstream and the nerdy backpack rap of the early 2000s, Evil Key finds a unique niche to fill. While Evil Key’s influences from the likes of Aesop Rock to Eminem are abundantly clear, he operates in a unique enough lane that it does not take much out of the overall experience. The Host offers a stellar mix of beats from upbeat synth driven songs like “The Host”, to more spaced out cloud rap tracks like “Happy”, to noisy sample heavy tracks like “Concords”; all containing a particular lo-fi edge. “Hear It Still” has a particular vocal sample that meshes perfectly with the tracks chilled-out hook.

    Evil Key’s amateurish lunch room battle rap approach to rapping is endearing at first, but quickly becomes the records biggest flaw. Evil Key will often go off on tangent-like flows, such as on “FYPM,” that only serve the purpose of flexing his ability to rap fast rather than add an appealing sonic element to the songs. This tactic comes across awkward and can kill the mood of the multitude of somber and reflective songs on the album. With the beat being as subdued and laid back as they are, this hyper-aggressive approach to rap does not mesh well. On songs like “Hear it Still,” Evil Key is able to find a much more measured flow that shows he is capable of a more relaxed approach.

    Evil Key

    While The Host’s core concept is vague and hard to follow, the basic themes of depression, reinvention and paranoia are easy to identify with and ring throughout each track. As a whole, the album is a cohesive experience with each track sonically and lyrically meshing well together. The general mood of the album is oppressively gloomy and with pockets of light such as on songs like “The Host.” Each track being as versatile as they are adds to the engaging seamless listening sequence.

    The overwhelming highlight of The Host is Evil Key’s impressive lyrical ability; Evil Key is able to create incredibly verbose bars seemingly effortlessly. Creating impressive rhyme schemes such as on songs like “Usurper.” Evil Key offers an endless stream of impressive rhymes that refuse to let up at any point throughout the album. While the nonstop rhymes are undoubtedly impressive, just like with the aggressive flows, they often act directly against some of the more subdued moments on the albums such as “Good Morning.”

    Overall, The Host is an ambitious sophomore effort from Evil Key. An array of diverse beats do wonders in crafting the album’s depressing mood, some even being produced by Evil Key himself. Lyrically, Evil Key proves he is a force to be reckoned with on the mic, dropping one clever and emotional bar after another. What sets Evil Key apart from his obvious influences is his ability to craft unique and focused song concepts along with his dictionary-like lyrical arsenal. Even if Evil Key’s flows set the mood of certain songs off-kilter, what this album shows more that anything is serious potential in the budding artist.

    The Host is available for purchase physically on CD and Bandcamp as well as streaming on all platforms.

    Key Tracks: The Host, No Exorcism, Hear it Still

  • SAMMYS Announces Nominees for 2021 Season

    Syracuse Area Music Awards, or more commonly known as the SAMMYS, announce their nominated Syracuse area musicians are for the 2021 season during their virtual press conference. The press conference took place on February 3, 2021 at 10AM on the SAMMYS Facebook page

    SAMMYS

    The Syracuse Area Music Awards show celebrities local music to the Syracuse area in particular. Over time it has become a beloved staple to Syracuse and the surrounding areas.

    The people’s Choice Awards is moving into its fourth round after the virtual press release. People vote on their favorite artist or band, live-stream event or series, academic or musical organization, and venue in the people’s choice award categories. It all comes down to who has the best fans who are the most passionate. The press conference announced the nominees who advanced to the top 16 in every category of the people’s choice awards. To check out the nominees and to vote in each of the categories click here.

    On top of the people’s choice awards categories there is also many other categories where local musicians were nominated in. The other categories include Best Alternative Recording, Best Americana Recording, Best Blues Recording, Best Country Recording, Best Electric Recording, Best Hard Rock Recording, Best Rap/ Hip Hop Recording, Best Jam Band Recording, Best Jazz Recording, Best Other Style Recording, Best Pop Recording, Best R&B Recording, Best Rock Recording, and Best Singer-Songwriter Recording.

    The actual 2021 SAMMYS will take place on March 5, 2021 and will be streamed live for free and live from SubCat Studios. The awards show will include musical performances by area artists/bands. Awards will be presented in 12 recording categories, in addition to the People’s Choice awards in four categories, Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist, Jack O Bocchino Spirit of the SAMMYS Award, and our Community Spirit Award.

    The “SAMMY Spotlight Series”at Bridge Street on Newschannel 9 kicked off on January 28, 2021 with a performance from Nancy Kelly who is a multi-time winner of the SAMMYS and was inducted into the SAMMYs Hall-of-Fame in 2006. The upcoming spotlighted shows on Newschannel 9 include Chris Merkley on February 4, Sydney Irving on February 11, Bob Holz on February 18, Ghost Town Ramblers on February 25, Doyle/Whiting on March 4. All the performances will take place at 10AM and will build excitement for the upcoming SAMMYS. 

    For more information on the SAMMYS visit their website.

    Full List on SAMMYS 2021 Nominees:

    BEST ALTERNATIVE RECORDING

    Chuck Schiele with Love Letters

    Major Player with Upset City

    Mattydale Music Collective with No Thief, However Skillful

    The Exploding Flowers with Strangers

    Zach Blaszak with Homebrew

    BEST AMERICANA RECORDING

    Chocolate BonBon with Book of Names

    Harmonic Dirt with Live At The Ridge

    J. Schnitt with A Compass of Stars (the
    Quarantine Singles)

    Kid Roscoe with …And The Horse You Rode In On

    The Dart Brothers with Strangest Wavelength

    BEST BLUES RECORDING

    JunioR with This’ll Hurt

    Tas Cru with DRIVE ON

    BEST COUNTRY RECORDING

    Brandon Scott with North Country

    Tink Bennett & Tailor with Made Hate The Game

    Whiskey Hollow Rush with Life, Love, Whiskey

    BEST ELECTRONIC RECORDING

    Asael with We Believed

    Empires in Orbit with Rave of the Damned

    Mazedude with MazeQuest 3 Original Soundtrack

    Shitnuts with Final Frontier

    The Stranger with Soundtrack for a Movie Not Yet Written

    BEST HARD ROCK RECORDING

    Brand New Sin with Live At The Lost

    Caustic Method with No Retribution

    Cleansed In Embers with Misery

    Junexa with Lifeless

    MOTORLORD with Motorlord

    BEST HIP-HOP/RAP RECORDING

    Big Nate MG with The Story of MG

    Christenelle Diroc with Christenelle Diroc

    Def One with 04/20 Vision

    MBK Richy with Throwaways

    Young Dellz with Riana’s Father

    BEST JAM BAND RECORDING

    Ben Blujus with Believe In Music

    Chiggin with THXGVNG

    The Z-Bones with Sweet Misery

    Vaporeyes with Cantrips

    BEST JAZZ RECORDING

    London McDaniel with Anatural Aphrodisiaca

    Stan Colella Orchestra with Just For Fun

    BEST OTHER STYLE RECORDING

    Amanda Rogers with Winter Butterfly

    DiCosimo/Pagán with Con Moto

    Letizia with YOU ARE NOT ALONE

    Lonnie Park and The Earth Band with My Earth Songs

    Redeemer Church Worship with Be Enthroned

    BEST POP RECORDING

    Coughlin with Unlatch Diary

    DESTYNEE with Love&Art

    Jess Novak Band with Standing Now

    Nick + Noah with Fall

    Pat Tato with Good Grief

    BEST R&B RECORDING

    Chels with After Midnight

    Jaquiel with Summer Nights in the Southward

    Liam Alone with Liam Alone Live

    Sean McLeod with Freedom (Sean McLeod’s “A
    Soundtrack for Harriet Tubman”)

    Wavy Vibez with Only One (The Ep)

    BEST ROCK RECORDING

    Atkins Riot with Couch Potato

    Krix Wiechmann and the Pallbearers with 3 Hits From Hell

    Otherworldly Entity with Cataclysm

    Posted with Fantastic Invasion

    The Kiwis with Still Life – EP

    BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER RECORDING

    Amanda Rogers with The Hallow

    Colleen Kattau with Besos Kisses

    Just Joe with Breakdown

    Sydney Irving with Relax With Fiends

  • Black Suit Youth Release Acoustic Single, “Survivor’s Guilt”

    New York City based band, Black Suit Youth, released a new single off their upcoming album, The World Is Almost Over, due out this spring. The group began work on the album in late 2019 following the release of groups 2017 project False South. The 9-song LP navigates the harsh reality that the worst may be yet to come.

    Black Suit Youth

    “Survivor’s Guilt” is the second single off the bands upcoming new album. Bryan Maher, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, comments on the song’s meaning:

    It’s a song about two buddies of mine, Mark and Mike (who was Black Suit Youth’s original bassist). I miss Mark and Mike the most out all of those I’ve lost. The first verse is a reflection about Mark when we were teenagers, and the second verse is about Mike and I growing apart before his untimely death and the total shock of it.

    Bryan Maher, Guitar and Vocals

    Formed in 2005, NYC’s Black Suit Youth remain a relentless 4-piece outfit that blend elements of punk rock, classic rock, and indie rock. Two-thousand and ten saw the release of the LP, Meet Me in Death Valley, from which Black Suit Youth managed to secure opening gigs for Story of the Year, Alien Ant Farm, The Undead, and more.

    After a few DIY tours, the album was re-released on vinyl. In 2016, the band signed with 59 X Records and released 2017’s False South which saw the band take a new direction while maintaining their DIY punk rock ethos. Black Suit Youth is comprised of Bryan Maher (Vocals/Guitar), Fed Canalos (Guitar), Juan Orellana (Bass), and Ray Mazza (Drums).

  • Premiere: Sam Rappaport steps out with “Till the Morning Comes”

    East Williamsburg based singer/songwriter, Sam Rappaport, released his debut single today, “Till the Morning Comes.” The song is an intimate and emotional piano-driven ballad with a paced delivery that recalls Norah Jones and Randy Newman.

    sam rappaport

    For most of his life, Sam believed he was headed for a career in the NBA. But after a clarifying stint as a shooting guard on the Vassar College Men’s Basketball team, he decided to turn his aspirations toward his first love: music.

    I have to be honest–I was a mediocre D3 college basketball player. I held onto the NBA dreams as long as I could, but once I hit college it was pretty clear that those dreams were out of reach. Still, I spent the first three years of college thinking that I’d end up overseas playing in some Euro league. I remember finishing a practice my senior year, running to the bathroom, heaving all the liquid in my body into a trash can, and thinking–I don’t want to do this anymore. So I quit. And it was quite liberating, until I realized there was a great void in my life that I now had to fill.

    Sam cut his teeth as a keyboardist in Chicago, playing for two years with R&B singer Brandon James at venues across the city. At Brooklyn open mics, house parties and comedy shows, he started to gain his footing as a songwriter with the ability to pull from folk, rock, and soul to craft intimate, understated arrangements. 

    Rappaport is also a member of indie-rock band Gooseberry, and began writing “Till the Morning Comes” early in the pandemic, knowing that it would be geared for his solo work.

    I’ve been playing piano since I was five. It’s always been there. But frankly, I’ve never felt that I was good enough to put it front and center. I mean, I still don’t. There were a lot of mental blocks I had to find my way around before I was able to share the things I was writing.

    “Till the Morning Comes” is a song that I wrote toward the beginning of the pandemic. It just seems to flow better as a piano-driven ballad, as opposed to something that needs a drum kit, electric guitar, etc. I wanted to open an avenue to release solo material that might not fit with Gooseberry, which leans a little more toward indie-rock.

    With a style that reflects the aforementioned Jones and Newman, his song writing style is still in development. Rappaport teamed up with East Williamsburg based producer Lorenzo Wolff. A stripped down piano ballad soars into a second chorus with the help of ethereal synths and the twang of a lap steel. It is there that Sam’s knack for poignant storytelling and tasteful melodies is on full display.

    If I do have a songwriting style, I don’t know what it is. I’d rather others decide. I have, over the past year, spent a lot of time listening to Tom Waits and Randy Newman, and I’m sure those influences show up in “Till the Morning Comes.” I’m interested in storytelling, loneliness, intimacy, the sounds of an old upright piano–I hope some of that comes across in the song. I’m still finding my footing.

    The vocals, both melancholic and hopeful, float delicately above the instruments. “Till the Morning Comes” is a song that rises from the stillness of the night, yearning for some way to steel itself against the uncertainty of tomorrow. 

    For more from Sam Rappaport, visit his Bandcamp and Instagram.

  • Dynamic Duo Break Out the Crazy Drop Newest Single, “Fool For You”

    Singing-songwriting couple, Katya Diaz and Chris Hierro, combine artistic forces and sound to form Break Out the Crazy, their soulful band that prides itself on breaking genres and blurring the lines between them. The worldly couple is released their newest single, “Fool For You,” on January 29, a song that explores the theme of risking everything for love.

    break out the crazy

    Katya Diaz has a lengthy background of touring internationally, both a singing and dancing background, for artists such as Passion Pit, Beyoncé, Alejandro Sanz, and Thalia. She worked as a vocalist for Snarky Puppy‘s Family Dinner DVD in which she sang background for Lalah Hathaway’s Grammy-winning live performance of “Something.” For the past five years, she’s shifted her sights onto songwriting, even writing the national commercial for JC Penny’s 2015 spring campaign and getting to work alongside acclaimed writers Itaal Shur and Stewart Matthewman.

    Writing and producing Latin music from a young age, Chris Hierro has worked with many popular artists such as Leslie Grace, Eli Jas, and Prince Royce. He toured as a keyboardist and backup vocalist for some of Latin music’s most popular artists, including Jerry Rivera, Obie Bermudez, and Alejandro Sanz. One of his most noteworthy songwriting and producing achievements is reaching the #1 position of the Billboard Tropical Airplay Charts with the hit, “We Never Looking Back” featuring Toby Love.

    Together, the recently married duo has composed singles in multiple genres and themes, ranging from soulful love songs to tropical pop songs made to dance to. Their newest single, “Fool For You” is accompanied by a powerful and hypnotic music video showcasing the couple’s passion for both their music and each other.

  • Hudson Valley Musicians Tag Team for D.I.Y. Album, The Seed Project

    While the COVID-19 quarantine has pretty much killed the live music business, it has only served to radically stimulate every idle musician’s appetite to record.  One of the more interesting ventures to come out of this deluge, in concept and sound, is a Hudson Valley-birthed one, The Seed Project. 

    The Seed Project was initiated by Kingston drummer/songwriter, Sammi Niss, as a way to stay musically and socially engaged through the COVID-19 lockdown. Last winter, Niss landed a coveted gig as the new touring drummer for indie darlings Real Estate. But by early spring, their entire year of booked shows had been cancelled and, like musicians everywhere, she had lost her livelihood, purpose and primary mode of human contact.

    the seed project

    With too much time on her hands and a multitude of beats and melodies dancing in her head, Niss recruited five bandmates and friends—all veteran songwriters,  multi-instrumentalists and home-recordists— for a new D.I.Y. project. Her musical partners came from area bands including Frankie and His Fingers, Battle Ave., The Sweet Clementines and Hiding Behind Sound, most of which are associated with SubFamily Records. This label is a tiny but critically-mighty Hudson Valley collective founded by Niss, Frank McGinnis and John Burdick, one that has issued 10 long players since 2017. 

    The idea was to generate new songs and audio works collaboratively and serially, in the vein of the drawing game Exquisite Corpse. One person would begin a “seed,” which could be anything from a drum beat or guitar riff to a complete song demo. The seed would then advance, by random selection, through all six home studios, before returning to the seeder for mixing and finalization.

    the seed project

    Sometimes the projects progressed predictably. A song lacking bass would get a bass part and a conventional rock arrangement would fall into place. At other times, incongruous elements derail the expected path, with choirs, full-on electro-meltdowns and audio manipulations performed by one member upon the contribution of the another. 

    “The whole thing turned out super interesting, more so than I might’ve expected,” said Niss. “There are some real classic good songs here, of no one genre really. There’s also some experimental art-splats and some really weird shit!”  

    To me, it sounds a little like each of us, but not a lot like any of us,” added John Burdick, guitarist with The Sweet Clementines and Old 97’s frontman and fellow New Paltzer Rhett Miller. “The process took on a life of its own, a new songwriting voice in which we were all kind of equally powerless.”

    “The year 2021 will probably go down as a kind of baby boom for new music and records,” continued Burdick. “Our SubFamily Records family is kicking it off with this huge pile of curiosities, soon to be followed by great new records from Frankie and His Fingers and Battle Ave.”

    the seed project

    The Seed Project is a sprawling audio adventure serving up 24 tracks, spanning a host of moods and styles. It was written, performed, and recorded by Sammi Niss, Frank McGinnis, Adam Stoutenburgh, Jesse Alexander, Pete Naddeo and John Burdick.

    The album kicks off with the Elliot Smith-like “Needle in the Hen’s Teeth.” This is a Naddeo-seeded track that typifies the pure pop sensibility that runs through most of the tunes here, even when they dress them in a little Apples, in Stereo-like low-fi weirdness. 

    Things get more experimental on the following number, by Burdick, “That’s A Very Fine Example of a Metaphor, Child.” It begins with ghostly vocal humming, leading into a whirl of reverb-free distorted guitars, analog synth swirls and a burbling bass sequence. This is all before getting to the actual meat of the song, its delightfully detuned vocals that enter about two-thirds of the way in.

    Most of the grooves provided here by drummer Niss, on tunes like “Backhand Slice” and “Double Swish,” are reminiscent of her new band, Real Estate. They are light, sleepy and strangely peaceful for something born during these crazy quarantine times. All the songs here are complemented with smart arrangements and instrumentation, especially the wonderful guitar textures provided by Naddeo, Alexander, Stoutenburgh, Burdick and Niss herself.

    One of my faves is “Michigan.” It unfolds with some backwards acoustic guitar, which jump-cuts to some furious strumming and offbeat drum accents for the main body of the song. The track’s highlight is Naddeo’s Robert Fripp toned lead guitar, which dances a bit like Fripp’s own on Brian Eno’s “St. Elmo’s Fire.”

    There are some straight-ahead radio-friendly tunes like “CompliKate” and “Rough Quotation,” which owe a bit to the Velvets and Luna. Also radio-friendly, in a decidedly alternative rock way, is “Seedling 1,” a reverb-laden, glacial-paced entry that sounds like a Mazzy Star outtake. On the McGinnis- inspired “State Seltzer,” we get a disco beat and electro percussion, all dressed with some sweet noise guitar, as Niss recites Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs & Ham. And, far more bizarre, the main riff/refrain is strangely reminiscent of the theme song to The Cosby Show!

    The Alexander-led “Richard, Lost in a Long Song” is a bit of waltz time weirdness, a spoken word fable of some otherworldly sort, with dulcimer, toy piano and “synthy stuff.” It’s something that kind of brings to mind the playful weirdness of “Mount Vernon and Fairway,” the Brian Wilson fable from the Beach Boy’s classic Holland album. Another standout is “Mary Heart in a Martha World,” one of the more fully realized and arranged tracks here, a stately ballad with some lovely harmony guitars and vocals from Burdick.

    The collective even dips into pure instrumental textures with the somnambulant, Stoutenburgh-seeded “Nadir,” the driving “Pop Discreet” and the electronica noise and rhythmic breakdowns of the album closer, “Oby Award.”

    The Seed Project is a strangely unified creation for one crafted by six different minds and musical sensibilities, working in six different locations.  What’s most delightful is its looseness, the pure sense of play in it, the alchemy when musicians are closely listening to and complementing each other.  It’s an album chockful of memorable melodies, killer hooks and textured detours, where the experimentations always complements and never overtakes the song.