Old Fame, an indie rock band from Rochester today release their long-awaited single “Act II.” With strong influences of psychedelic post-rock and emo, the band follows up previous singles “Short Cub” and “Cumberland” with “Act II,” all part of their EP Nowhere to Be, to be released in the next few months.
Old Fame is Ben Armes (vocals, guitar), Doug Kelley (drums), Evan Clark (guitar), Jay Asarese (bass) and they’ve been a part of projects including Like Vintage, Alberto Alaska, Emulet, and Heavy Lies the Crown.
Due to the chaos of 2020 and the COVID-19 restrictions that shut down the band’s studio, the second half of Old Fame’s EP that was originally meant to be released in 2020, was pushed back to February 2021. With fans eager for the long-awaited conclusion to Nowhere to Be, Old Fame today share their latest, “Act II.”
Given the challenge to describe the track in one word, nostalgic comes to mind first. “Act II” brings the listener back to the days of owning a myspace profile or listening to 92.7. It’s a song full of emotion and passion one can only suppose was strengthened by the hardships of 2020.
Writing new songs gave us time to refocus on the world around us and incorporate our feelings in response to current events into the songs. We spent many weeks file sharing home-recorded demos back and forth until covid restrictions were temporarily lifted allowing us to safely rehearse and head into Wicked Squid Studios to record with Ian Fait & Josh Pettinger.
Doug Kelley
The build-up and flow of the song are impressive given the band’s smaller presence in the alt-rock community. The EP in its entirety showcases the band’s journey, as well as shows what they’re capable of, paving the way for future works to crush the scene.
Below, you can find the link to their newest song as well as explore their music in its entirety. If you’re a fan of alternative rock, they might be right up your alley.
“Albums Revisited” streaming series hosted by Bardavon Presents has announced their upcoming tribute to Carole King, featuring her album Tapestry on February 10, 2021 at 8PM EST. The headliners of the performance are Annie Lennox and Carly Simon with an all-female lineup joining them.
Bardavon is a venue in Poughkeepsie, NY and was founded in 1869. It’s owned by the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. (the Bardavon) which was incorporated in 1976. It’s a New York State nonprofit corporation that owns and operates a 944-seat historic theater in Poughkeepsie and the region’s premiere orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic (the HVP). The Bardavon presents arts education programs, music, dance, theater, Live in HD broadcasts, classic films, and as of late, live stream performances. “Albums Revisited” streaming series is being curated by Bardavon Production Manager Stephen LaMarca with commentary by Bardavon Executive Director Chris Silva and others. These live stream shows are free and are being presented on Bardavon Presents YouTube channel.
Carole King is an american singer songwriter who has been an active member of the music community since the 1950’s. She is famous not only as a performer but as a writer having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Her most well known songs include “It’s Too Late” “You’ve Got a Friend” and “I Feel the Earth Move” all of which are off of her album Tapestry which was released in 1971.
https://youtu.be/sIMJBDj_JkE
Annie Lennox was named as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine. She is known for her work in the Eurythmics and The Tourists. In the early 90’s she went on to establish an acclaimed solo career and is known for songs like “I Put a Spell on You” “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” and “Walking on Broken Glass.”
Carly Simon rose to fame back in the 1970’s with back-to-back hit records. She started a band with her sister initially called The Simon Sisters’ but went solo in 1971 with her self-titled album ‘Carly Simon.’ She had 13 Top 40 U.S. hits. Her most well known songs include “You’re So Vain” “Coming Around Again” and “Nobody Does it Better.”
Although the live- stream performance is free, any donations made will have a portion of them benefit People’s Place in Kingston & Dutchess Outreach in Poughkeepsie. For more information visit Bardavon’s website.
Bardavon Presents these original performances of Carole King classics created especially for the Bardavon set list and performers are listed below:
Mikaela Davis has put the Flower City in Upstate New York on the map as a region where the harp and its sound has spread from Rochester to across the world. The last time we spoke to Mikaela was back in 2012 and was anticipating on what the future would bring for her. She took some time with us in the beginning of 2021 to talk about her past, present, and future music experiences in New York State.
The harp has been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa and Europe, dating back at least as early as 3000 BCE. The oldest description of a harp can be seen in the wall paintings of ancient Egyptian tombs in the Nile Valley. In the Americas, harps are widely but sparsely distributed, except in certain regions where harp traditions are very strong.
Matthew Romano: Who was involved in your musical education for the harp in New York State?
Mikaela Davis: Cynthia Andrews, who just retired this past year, she started me on the harp at Penfield School District in Rochester. I think Penfield is the only public school in Rochester that offers harp, then private lessons with Grace Wong who was the principal harpist in The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. I joined the Rochester Philharmonic Youth orchestra, that toured Canada and Europe. Then I went on to college at SUNY Potsdam to learn under Jessica Suchy-Pilalis at Crane School of Music.
MR: Are there any live music experiences in New York State during that time that stood out, that influenced you?
MD: Well, I remember in High School I used to ask for a Jazz pass for Christmas every year. Me and my high school buddies would go to every show at Rochester Jazz Festival we could, from 2007 to 2011. I’ve gone to so many concerts at this point they all blur together. At Mountain Jam 2016 where I sat in with Marco Benevento, Wilco played, after seeing them for the first time it confirmed that this is my favorite live band, it was the best live show I have ever seen.”
MR: Tell me about your history of the collaborations with Marco Benevento over the years?
MD: A friend of mine, who has a recording studio in the Catskills, where Marco lives, had passed my info along. Then he had me go open for him solo on the West Coast for some dates. That was where we met. My first time playing at Levon Helm Studios was with Marco. We’re really good friends, my band and his band and his family. We always play a couple shows together every year, I love hearing from Marco to play a show and it’s great, always a fun time. We joke about going to his studio to record a country record. It was his choice to cover David Bowie’s “Heroes” and to hang out at Mountain Jam to have me sing on it.
MR: How did your first collaborations with Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers come to fruition in Syracuse at The Landmark Theater and in Buffalo at Shea’s Performing Arts Center?
MD: Someone sent a live video of my band covering “Down by the River” by Neil Young in London to them and said, hey this harpist is cool she should guest with Bob. The Wolf Bros usually have friends sit in with them from around the world and they didn’t have anyone scheduled for Syracuse. That’s how it happened, being at the right place in the right time I suppose.
Mikaela Davis and Southern Star covering “Down By the River” in London
MR: How did you land on the song selections for the set?
MD: Bobby wanted me to play on “Birdsong,” I suggested “China Cat” into “I Know Your Rider,” and “Wharf Rat,” maybe. Yea, then last minute I suggested “Down by the River,” three days prior they said Bobby hasn’t done that before, let’s do it. So that was really magical, really fun. That was probably my favorite sit in, even though I was so nervous to play with these legends, Don Was, he’s incredible and Jay Lane
Jay Lane, Bob Weir, Mikaela Davis, Don Was
MR: Was the second encore at Landmark where you all did “Ripple” planned?
MD: No, he threw that one at me, “lets go do ‘Ripple,’ come on”, he does that every time I sit in with him. “Hey I want you to play on this too,” so I have to be ready. Cian McCarthy, my band mate, who’s a massive Dead fan, helped me learn all these songs inside out and assisted me in the back with the chord changes
MR: Hearing your harp on the song “Peggy O,” a cover of an old Scottish ballad from 1644 that the Dead made popular inside the Shea Theater in Buffalo,. really made that venue come alive with art and history
MD: That’s great, that was magical too, I forgot about singing “Peggy O” with them.
Mikaela Davis with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros at Shea Theater in Buffalo, NY
MR: Did these collaborations help influence you and Southern Star to cover the Live/Dead 69′ Album in October of 2019?
MD: Oh yea definitely, that’s why we chose to do it , learning Live Dead was really fun and difficult, we rehearsed like twice a week for a month because we really wanted to play through like the record with no stops. It gives me so much respect for that band, they were really innovative and incredible in what they were doing. I think “Feedback” was possibly my favorite.
MR: You and Southern Star stayed at Stone House Cottage on Oneida Lake in Summer of 2020 for a recording of “Cumberland Blues” How was that experience?
MD: There was five of us in this tiny house, we rented it and hung out on the lake, played music and did psychedelics. We just played that live with two microphones and recorded it for an Australian Radio Show for the 50th anniversary of Workingman’s Dead.
“I don’t know now, I just don’t know if coming back again” Oneida Lake 2020
MR: In Summer of 2019 you were in attendance for The Particle Kid, Lennon-Claypool Delirium, Flaming Lips Concert at Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY between Southern Star shows that also had Krist Novoselic from Nirvana in the crowd, any cool takeaways from that night on the town?
MD: That was honestly one of the most magical shows I’ve been to in a while, My friend Jake Engalls is in the Flaming Lips so we got to hang out, I’ve often collaborated with him for his solo band “Spaceface” A quick Hey thank you for being you was said to Krist Novoselic. Sean Lennon and I exchanged information and I was going to play with him for a residency he was planning at The Stone in New York City that unfortunately got postponed due to the pandemic
MR: You started 2021 with a show at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs where Bob Dylan played in 1960, isn’t your harp named Luna?
MD: Yea , I named her Luna when I was a teenager, I guess I named her that because she comes alive at night
MR: You debuted new material that night that came from a Seven day songwriting session with the band Rubblebucket, I think “The Pearl” was a standout as a musical analogy on what’s going on with the world inspired from a story by your Aunt Julia who referenced the dirty muck that we are all kind of stuck inside America right now
MD: Oh thank you, Yea that’s what I thought when my Aunt was talking to me about it , and she’s been wearing her pearl earrings a lot so, I truly believe ya know something great can come out of terribleness, I suppose if an oyster can make a pearl, so can we.
Caffe Luna January 9 2021
MR: At the end of the Caffe Lena Show you said “ I feel alive again, well see ya again soon, cheers” What’s on the horizon for 2021?
MD: I am hoping to make a record with my band, actually not hoping we’re going to do it. we’re going to make a record this year, we have enough songs and basically just trying to figure it out to do it remotely or safely gather and find a spot to record
MR: Marco Benevento or Sean Lennon’s studios in the Hudson Valley could be a great spot or maybe even with the virtual options you can gather a group of friends remotely for a cover of Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place”
MD: Yea great tune, well have to keep that in mind, yea well anything is possible that’s for sure, it’s a new age
Musicians Mickey Hart, Yo La Tengo and Bill Frisell are uniting to celebrate The Fall of America: Poems of These States 1965-1971, by beat poet Allen Ginsberg, musically interpreting all the poems from the book.
Cover art to Allen Ginsberg’s The Fall of America: Poems of These States 1965-1971.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the U.S. was involved in what’s often referred to as one of the worst, most pointless wars in history. The Vietnam War sparked hatred across the country, but inspired works of artistic and musical genius. The Fall of America is a collection of Allen Ginsberg poems from 1965 to 1971.
In 1965, Ginsberg began planning an ambitious project, a book of thematically connected poems, a collection that ‘discovered’ America in poetry similar to the way Kerouac’s On the Road had explored the country in prose. The Vietnam War would be a constant presence overhanging Ginsberg’s travel writings like a darkening shadow affecting daily life in the country. It would be a study of contrasts: natural beauty slammed up against an ugliness that rose out of the tensions of violence. The public’s polarized dialogue over Vietnam and, earlier in the decade, the civil rights movement, convinced Ginsberg that America was teetering on the precipice of a fall.
Michael Schumacher, The Fall of America Journals 1965-1971.
The fall of America is a phrase that can be used today because of the treachery our country has been put through in recent times. The racism, the riots, the pandemic and our political divide are all symptoms of a nation falling apart. The Fall of America – A 50th Anniversary Musical Tribute is not only a representation of our nation today, but also all of the proceeds from album sales go to HeadCount, an organization set to spread the importance of democracy and voter registration.
“While most people tend to reflect the brightness of the era, Ginsberg didn’t shy away from the darkness. He writes the scene in all its complexity, the busts of excitements and Dionysian excesses as well as darker images, such as the sculpture of the hanged man. He forces us to recognize the children sleeping in the bed and the police cars parked outside, red lights revolving in the trees,” said Hart.
The Allen Ginsberg tribute album is set to release digitally on Feb. 5 and on CD and LP on June 5.
Digital Track Listing:
1) Scanner – Elegy for Neal Cassidy 2) Handsome Family – Hiway Poesy Painted Desert into Albuquerque 3) Shintaro Sakamoto – Manhattan Thirties Flash 4) Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo – Hum Bom 5) Aliah Rosenthal – War Profit Litany 6) Ed Sanders (The Fugs) – Memory Gardens 7) Mickey Hart – Drones Du Jour (First Party at Ken Kesey’s with Hell’s Angels 8) ethereal_interface – An Open Window on Chicago 9) Howie B with Gavin Friday – Death on All Fronts (America is Falling) 10) Disco Pusher – A Prophecy 11) Kaya Project – Wales Visitation 12) Angelique Kidjo – Uluru Song 13) Bill Frisell – Over Laramie 14) Andrew Bird – Easter Sunday 15) Devendra Banhart – Milarepa Taste 16) Yo La Tengo – Bayonne into NYC 17) The Good Ones (Rwanda) – Falling Asleep in America 18) Steven Taylor – Continuation of a Long Poem in These States 19) Lang Lee – Pain on All Fronts 20) Social Animals – Falling Asleep In America (Roses Smell Sweet)
Vinyl Track Listing:
Side A:
1)Scanner – Elegy for Neal Cassidy 2) Shintaro Sakamoto – Manhattan Thirties Flash 3) Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo – Hum Bom 4) Ed Sanders (The Fugs) – Memory Gardens 5) Mickey Hart – Drones Du Jour (First Party at Ken Kesey’s) 6) Howie B with Gavin Friday – Death on All Fronts (America is Falling) 7) Disco Pusher – A Prophecy Side B: 1) Angelique Kidjo – Uluru Song 2) Bill Frisell – Over Laramie 3) Andrew Bird – Easter Sunday 4) Devendra Banhart – Milarepa Taste 5) Yo La Tengo – Bayonne into NYC 6) Lang Lee – Pain on All Fronts Bonus download:Youth – Iron Horse (An Epic 32 Minute Auditory Journey)
Atlanta-based artists Outkast and TLC received shout-outs during the ‘Blue Georgia’ sketch, and The Office theme song finally gained lyrics courtesy of John Krasinski.
For his first song, Machine Gun Kelly sang “My Ex’s Best Friend” The punk-lite track recalled Sum 41’s performance on October 6, 2001, the second episode after 9/11. Kelly channeled Gen Z’s muffled rage, throwing his guitar into the crowd at the end of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd7APH5XeFc
MGK performed “Lonely” for his second song, an emotional song about his father who passed away in July 2020. Both songs are from Machine Gun Kelly’s fifth album Tickets to My Downfall, released in September 2020.
Uproxx notes how fitting the second song is, “not just because of what he shared about watching the show being a family affair, but because these emotions of loss, grief, and loneliness are pervasive right now during the coronavirus pandemic that has been plaguing the world since last year.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_djsCw1iS8
To close the night, Machine Gun Kelly attempted to pick The Dirt co-star Pete Davidson, allowing hilarity to ensue.
Alternative duo Yo Kinky is in its nascent stage, with members Tom Unish and Laura Wight meeting in early 2020. The duo immediately felt a musical bond, and started crafting songs together.
Laura Wight and Tom Unish of Yo Kinky
Queens-based band Yo Kinky follows their first single “Somebody That I Used to Know,” with the second single, “Resistance.” The song is delicately created, yet exudes a confidence created by Tom Unish’s spaced-out guitar licks. The sonic landscape undulates with hypnotic layers of sound; the song yearns for the intimacy long lost by social isolation.
Laura Wight sings “Love is all we breathe,” and “Swing me off my feet,” transporting the listener to a beautiful place where love is all-surrounding. “Resistance” is an ode to the sanity one has during this time by finding delight in the small things in life.
“Resistance” follows their first single “Somebody That I Used to Know,” which, albeit its darker vocal passages, is playful, seductive and clever. It has received heavy play on WFMU’s radio station, as well as named as one of the best tracks of 2020 by Three Chord Monte. The band is beaming in their own path as they create and release more infectious music.
Over 2020, Yo Kinky self-produced and are releasing their first, self-titled EP. This collection of songs addresses trust, communication, love, loneliness, freedom, identity, and expectation. The group combines drum machines and bright, buzzing synths and guitars that shimmer with reverb and delay.
Yo Kinky’s music is reminiscent of Blondie, X, Mitksi, and Soccer Mommy, as they blend the pop and rock elements of indie into an incandescent artwork. When shows are possible again, Yo Kinky looks forward to playing locally, nationwide, and beyond.
Yo Kinky’s debut EP is due out on February 26, 2021.
The Kind is Garneau’s fifth studio album and resonates with the themes present in his debut album Music For Tourists. This album was written and recorded during a rough time in his life when his father passed away. Garneau goes through the motions and expresses grief and transparency. It serves as a release of emotions and explores his relationship with his father, setting boundaries, growing into and accepting self, and resilience. With every song, you feel the authenticity in his lyrics and empathize with his journey. The Gay Times presented the record and acclaimed it as “beautifully haunting.”
Along with Garneau’s candid lyrics was the production coming from versatile musician Patrick Higgins. Their creative collaboration thrived through patience and understanding. The album was carefully crafted and made with the intent of staying true. Higgins respected the time Garneau needed to tap into his most artistic self, leading to every song’s completion before entering the studio. His mellow instrumentals complemented the mood of the words in each track. The beats didn’t overpower the words, it helped bring them to life.
Garneau announced that he’s playing a live-streamed release show in New York’s oldest theater, Hudson Hall Opera House, on Feb. 14. Higgins will join him and play the drums, bass, synth, and programming. They are performing the whole album onstage. The show will be airing at 3 p.m and tickets can be found on Dreamstage.
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 Bendt, Rhoseway 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 featured artist on EQXPosure is Bendt. With gritty, dynamic, and atmospheric rip-roaring creative rock music, Bendt celebrate the release of their new single “January,” released on Friday January 29. On Sunday evening, we’ll also hear three from last year’s release, Brightness in The Barrnes.
Benddt – made up of Matt Plummer (singer and guitar player), John Longo (bass), Carl Blackwood (lead guitar) and Cody Bingham (drummer) came together 2015 with a mutual love of hard rock, metal, and sounds in-between. Bendt has a sound that is evocative, personal, as well as searingly loud and at times perfectly aggressive. Riffs that rumble are balanced by unique chord stacking and brilliant melodies and solid perfroamces of each song.
Also featured on EQXposure is new artist Rhoseway with a pre-release cut “Deep Valley,” which hits all streaming sites on February 5, 2021. Rhoseway is very creative and the music takes many interesting musical turns. This is a very exciting artist to keep an ear out for.
It was January 29, 1990 in Central New York and, yes, it was snowing. Fans who attended the Phish show that night at The (original) Haunt in Ithaca did so battling a blizzard and poor roads, which caused the band to arrive late, quickly set up and, after a live soundcheck, got the show on the road.
Phish has played sporadically in the Fingerlakes Region of New York throughout their career, most notably and recently, Superball IX, Magnaball and shows in Canandaigua at CMAC. Their early years in the college town of Ithaca proved to be formative, bringing the band to town multiple times between 1988-1992 before graduating to larger venues like Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center (now CMAC).
The Haunt in Ithaca c.1990 (photo is not from the 1/29/90 Phish show)
From Phish’s bar years, this is an early era show that captures the band when they played to their early fans, many seeing the Burlington group for the first time. After a three-night run in May 1988, Phish would return to The Haunt in Ithaca for a show on January 29, 1990, with a loud and rowdy 18-and-over audience.
The partial tape of the show starts in the middle of “The Lizards” and continues through a “Harpua” and “Fire” encore, a setlist that is culled together thanks to David Schanker’s and Todd Ahrens’ audience recording. Thus, there is no known first set for this show.
You can hear the audience from this show quite distinctly, elated when each song ends, and fans screaming out requests despite the band being barely six years old. You may even catch drunks screaming into the mic, which was set up on the bar. One patron this night can be heard saying “Nothing like this has ever been done at The Haunt, unbelieveable man!” Quite the frozen-in-time seal of approval.
Recording aside, this is a smoking show musically, particularly for the “Weekapaug Groove” and a “Harpua” that has a tough to discern narration but full of “Purple Haze” teases. That said, you’ll get a fair idea of what it was like to see Phish at the original Haunt in Ithaca.
Dan Smalls, Ithaca-area promoter and head of DSP Shows was at the January 29, 1990 show and shared his recollections with NYS Music:
It was about as classic a Phish set as you get from the very early days. I always loved how they chose popular and also odd songs to cover, teases in jams and the like. That was a part of who they are today and was a huge bit of fun at the festivals we produced where they would learn a song backstage between sets.
My recollection is also vague but the room was solidly crowded in this era (unlike 1988 when we had a handful for those first few shows) and the band was on the cusp of the next step at this point. I remember that the band was playing The Haunt at least once a semester and often 3-4 times a year in these days. It’s where I got to know them and these shows were always fun because Fish’s parents would come down from where they lived outside Syracuse.
Phish would go on to play The Haunt another four times in 1990, then move up to the State Theatre of Ithaca for two shows in 1991. They returned the next year to perform at Cornell University campus in November 1992, the last shows for the band in the city.
NYS Music today announces The Rochester Groovecast Podcast as a returning partner and will be publishing all the major episodes starting February 2021. Since releasing their first episode in 20016, Rochester Groovecast has published over 100 episodes and counting.
To get started, check out this playlist of their most popular episodes:
At Rochester Groovecast, the mantra “We’re Fans First!” harnasses the belief that the best businesses are built by fans. Rochester Groovecast is deeply dedicated to playing an active role in the culture of its local scene.
The brainchild of Rochester native Ben Albert, Ben created Rochester Groovecast in 2016 to serve as a portfolio of the city, and nowadays, the entire region.
Rochester Groovecast believes in the artistic brilliance abundant in Rochester, NY, and the surrounding regions. Ben seeks to play a pivotal role in our community by helping give Rochester a well-earned voice. Having seen first hand the abundance of talent, character, creativity, innovation, and beauty the Flower City has continuously offered. Albert is confident that the Rochester scene could be the next great music scene in America, akin to Austin, Chicago, New Orleans, or Nashville.
The Rochester Groovecast Podcast help bring this vision to life with interviews, reviews, previews, and audio journeys to good to ignore.
Siena: “Ben Albert at Rochester Groovecast is ambitious, kind, and community-oriented. He truly cares about the Rochester community and actively lifts up voices that add value and strength to our culture. Most of all, he cares about music and the people that create it. He’s the guy to go to if you’re looking for someone who understands both music AND business, creating AND marketing. He knows the right questions to ask you to dig deeper into what your brand is and who you are as a musician. I’m grateful to know Ben as a human and grateful to have had the opportunity to be on his Rochester Groovecast podcast, which makes me proud to live and work in Rochester.”
Amanda Ashley of The Amanda Ashley Trio, Afternoon Cocktail: “Ben is an amazing host and a true asset to the Rochester Music Community. His love, dedication, and support of creativity isbeyond apparent in his broadcast. He is a genuine soul, and that truly comes across in his interviews.”
Charlie Lindner of The Pickle Mafia: “Rochester Groovecast does an excellent job at buildingawareness for our brand! Using interactive multimedia we were able to obtain new customersand engage with them directly.”
Kevleb: “I have had the chance to work with the Rochester Groovecast for my album release. During the COVID confinement, it was a great relief to be able to share my music on this platform. Ben suggested a few strategies to widen my audience and make the content accessible on social media. It felt productive and well prepared and allowed me to share my vision in an ideal setting. It is great to have the Groovecast support the local scene.”
Once again, NYSMusic is excited to feature The Rochester Groovecast Podcast. Keep your eyes open for many more episodes to come.
