NYS Music 202​1

Tag: New Single

  • Joe Russo and The Bogie Band Collide To Bring Fans New Single, “The Witnesses”

    Following an exhilarating sold-out show at Nublu in New York City earlier this month and performance at Newport Jazz Festival on Sunday, August 1, The Bogie Band, led by saxophonist Stuart Bogie has combined musical talents with the legendary Joe Russo, releasing their new single, “The Witnesses.”

    "The Witnesses"
    “The Witnesses” | Presented by Royal Potato Family

    Leaders and founders of the 10-piece ensemble are Bogie and drummer Joe Russo. Members of The Bogie Band hail from a litany of groups, including Antibalas, The Dap Kings, Red Barat, Arcade Fire, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, David Byrne’s American Utopia, St. Vincent, The Budos Band, and Superhuman Happiness. “The Witnesses” signifies a triumphant musical synergy. In a thrilling collaboration between old friends, Bogie’s horn arrangements meet Russo’s propulsive drumming to create an explosive combination of woodwind and brass instruments – reimagining wind music in bold and dynamic new ways.

    Stuart Bogie and Joe Russo
    Stuart Bogie and Joe Russo

    “‘The Witnesses’ speaks to the urgency of the times in a musical language that laid the groundwork for the Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo. The brass knocks you right and left, the saxophones scream, and the drums keeping you running for your life.”

    Stuart Bogie on “The Witnesses”

    This band is just getting starting and will surely bring more live music – like their jam-packed Nublu debut – as we head into the fall. Be sure to catch The Bogie Band featuring Stuart Bogie and Joe Russo as they hit the stage to perform live at the Newport Jazz Festival, it will be a performance fans will not want to miss. To stay updated on the band’s upcoming events, projects, and exciting new releases check out their Instagram HERE.

    Listen to “The Witnesses” via Spotify and YouTube Below:

  • Blind Boys Of Alabama And Béla Fleck Unite To Cover “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”

    The Blind Boys of Alabama and Béla Fleck have joined together on record for the first time to release a special 45RPM 7” on Alabama-based label Single Lock Records. The powerful and uplifting cover of Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” marks their first release of 2021, and it is one to remember.

    Blind Boys of Alabama
    Jimmy Carter (center) and the Blind Boys Of Alabama

    American Christian/Gospel icons Blind Boys of Alabama and banjoist extraordinaire Béla Fleck, have collectively earned 20 Grammy Awards and scores of other accolades. Now, they share the A-Side of this historic collaboration in, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free.” A Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas classic popularized by Nina Simone, it continues to serve as an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement to this day. The Blind Boys of Alabama and Béla Fleck revitalize the song in a masterful cover that fans around the world will not want to miss.

    Jimmy Carter (center) and The Blind Boys perform live at Nelsonville Music Festival | Photo by Rubato

    Leader and oldest member of the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jimmy Carter, has helped define American Gospel music over the past eighty years. The Blind Boys are not only five-time Grammy winners, but they are Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners. Carter sang with the original group, including Clarence Fountain in the 1940s while they attended the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind together. However, he was deemed too young to tour with them at that time. Following his time with the Dixieland Blind Boys and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Carter then joined the Blind Boys of Alabama. He has become a beloved member with the group for over forty years.

    We’ve crossed paths with Béla Fleck on stage and socially for many years. He’s an incredible talent. This is one of the most unique collaborations for the Blind Boys. I’m excited for the song and 45 to be shared with the fans.

    Blind Boys’ Jimmy Carter
    The Blind Boys of Alabama
    Eric “Ricky” McKinnie (center) and The Blind Boys of Alabama

    Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia Eric “Ricky” McKinnie began his musical career from a young age. His gospel roots propelled him to greatness after he, his mother, and his brother formed the Ricky McKinnie Singers in 1978. Later, In 1989, Clarence Fountain invited McKinnie to join the Blind Boys of Alabama as a drummer, vocalist, and tour manager. Since then, Ricky has been performing with the iconic group, leading them to awards while inspiring millions of fans across the nation. Learn more about the rest of the Blind Boys members HERE

    After sharing stages with Béla Fleck in the past years, I find it to be both exciting and a pleasure to sing on a track with him. Anyone that misses this collaboration is missing one of the best.

    Ricky McKinnie of the Blind Boys on Fleck and their latest release
    Béla Fleck performing live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

    Bluegrass artist and master banjo player, Béla Anton Leos Fleck is a true legend in his field. Born in New York City, Fleck discovered his love of music at a young age through TV, radio, and a newly bought banjo. Years later, his relocation to Kentucky instilled within him a uniquely majestic sound that not only helped revitalize modern bluegrass, but also great success over the years. Now, he teams up with the Blind Boys to once again bring even more life to the Civil Rights classic.

    I loved having the chance to work with the Blind Boys. I’ve dug their music since I first heard them, and it was such a thrill to be in the band!

    Béla Fleck
    bela fleck blind boys of alabama
    “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” | Single Lock Records

    Single Lock Records has released this special song on all major listening platforms. Check out the release YouTube below:

    For more from the Blind Boys and their legacy visit HERE along with their Spotify and YouTube. Also, be sure to listen to more of the iconic Béla Fleck via Spotify and YouTube:

  • Tony Glausi Promises Fans Everything At Once With New Single “The Ominous Blue” Off Upcoming Album

    Singer, songwriter, trumpeter, and producer Tony Glausi released his new single “The Ominous Blue,” featuring singer and saxophonist Braxton Cook. The track comes right off of Glausi’s upcoming album, Everything At Once out September 3 via Outside In Music.

    tony glausi
    Tony Glausi | Courtesy of Sofia Alvarez

    Raised in Portland, Oregon but currently based in New York City, Tony Glausi is widely known for his accomplishments as a trumpet player. Now, on Everything At Once, Glausi breaks free from simply being an instrumentalist and firmly establishes his prowess as a bandleader, producer, songwriter, and singer. The new full-length album features straight-to-the-gut pop jams and R&B-influenced tunes taking inspiration from a bevy of sources all while still remaining uniquely true to Glausi’s vision as an artist. The album was announced last month alongside his singles “Lot of Enough” and “Jada Jada.”

    “Writing Everything At Once I felt like the project wasn’t about me. It wasn’t about Tony, the trumpet player. I just wanted to make fucking songs… I sing on three of them, but I just wanted to produce the music and ultimately let my collaborators shine.”

    Tony Glausi
    tony glausi

    Everything At Once is a cinematic full-length production brimming with confidence, introducing Tony Glausi the polymath. It is an album of places, faces, and interactions. Simply put, Tony Glausi has created a mixtape to his life, thanks, in part, to his willingness to try anything. Along with Braxton Cook, guests on Everything At Once include Latin Grammy-nominated Nana Mendoza, Brooklyn-based singer Elysse, rapper Charlemagne the Goddess, and UK vocalist Max Milner.

    “Coming out of high school and studying music in college, I was pretty fixated on jazz trumpet playing, and my earlier releases were heavily oriented around improvisation and swing, but as I continue to write and explore new sounds, I feel like I get closer and closer to my true voice, one record at a time. The album is literally a two-year snapshot of my life. Each story is like a scene from a film, or I guess 10 different films”

    Glausi continuing on creating ‘Everything At Once’

    Everything At Once will be released on September 3 through Outside In Music. Until then, fans should listen to Glausi’s latest releases, including the masterfully written and recorded Lot of Enough and Jada Jada. These songs are just snippets of the eclectic and exhilarating sound Tony Glausi has uncovered for himself with his latest album, and show why he deserves the spotlight on today’s musical stage

    Stay up to date on Tony’s announcements and projects through his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify and YouTube featured below:

  • Hunter Blair Ambrose Teases Upcoming Album With New Hot Summer Hit, “Too Much”

    New York City’s Hunter Blair Ambrose has released her latest single, “Too Much,” off her upcoming album, Scorpio Season.

    Hunter Blair Ambrose | Too Much

    Hunter Blair Ambrose is a Pop/R&B artist and songwriter based in New York City. Inspired by dark, synth-pop, chilling Toronto R&B, and the melodic hip hop of the 2010s, Hunter has created a sound shaped by the music that has been the soundtrack to her life. By the age of 17, she had immersed herself in the company of industry giants, working alongside Grammy-award-winning musicians and producers such as Narada Michael Walden and working as an in-house songwriter and studio vocalist Tarpan Studios in San Francisco, CA.

    Shortly after the inception of her career, she enrolled in Boston’s Berklee College of Music and quickly emerged as one of the school’s many promising, young talents. Following her departure from Berklee, from 2017 through 2019, Hunter wrote and produced material with her core creative team for her debut EP, Scorpio Rising (April 2020). Her debut album, Scorpio Season, is a tribute to a fall-time “cuffing season” romance gone wrong, exploring themes of heartbreak, self-doubt, psychosis, and self-destruction – all inspired by Hunter’s life experiences.

    Hunter Blair Ambrose | Scorpio Season

    “Too Much” is a synth-pop summer track written by Hunter and produced by Jason Strong, with mixing and mastering done by Travis Bruce and Randy Merrill. It’s about acceptance in overindulging in your vices to avoid anxiety. It’s a track that highlights the struggles of drinking habits, obsessing over a love interest, the fear of being “too much” for someone, and the frustration with having too much anxiety over all of the above.

    I wrote this song to take accountability for my avoidance issues. For a long time, I would ignore my problems by indulging in partying and drinking until I realized it was getting to be too much. This song is about dancing and drinking to avoid your pain which can be a good and bad thing.

    Hunter Blair Ambrose

    Ambrose continues to steal the spotlight with her growing music presence and has already produced an extensive repertoire to her name. You can check out a timeline of her projects HERE. Also, be sure to catch the latest of Ambrose by following her on Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, and on Spotify and YouTube below:

  • Aubrey Haddard Shares New Single “National Tragedy”

    Hudson-Valley native and indie-pop singer-songwriter, Aubrey Haddard, shared her new single “National Tragedy” on June 23, along with a music video. “National Tragedy” is the latest of four singles released by Haddard over the course of the last year.

    Aubrey Haddard

    Inspired by singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, Haddard forged her own path in music with a confident spirit and bold art style. She released her debut album Blue Part in July 2018 to wide critical acclaim. The success of Blue Part resulted in seven nominations and several wins at the 2018 Boston Music Awards, including Vocalist of the Year and Singer/Songwriter of the Year.

    Following her debut, Haddard has made a name for herself at festivals across the country, including Firefly, Mountain Jam, and Waking Windows.

    This year, Haddard has released one other single besides “National Tragedy,” called “Red Portuguese.” In 2020, she released “Thin Line” and “Sweeter Than Honey,” that show the beginning of her shift to a more smoother, retro style.

    Aubrey Haddard

    Like reliving a childhood memory of witnessing something scary on the television, it was remembering Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales’ passing that inspired the song. “National Tragedy” provides a soundtrack to Haddard’s memory of the unwavering presence of the news in her childhood home, to the confusion of watching her mother crying on the couch, and the sorrow played out on TV.  

    One of my earliest memories is my mother watching Princess Di’s funeral on our old screened-in porch, the feelings of uncertainty and sadness. Throughout my life, each time tragedy struck and the world stopped to watch, the reality would sink into me a little deeper, but in September ‘97, my inability to understand was the perfect escape. “National Tragedy” is part memory, part sweet escape and an all too familiar feeling.

    Aubrey Haddard on “National Tragedy”

    Haddard takes on a different, more somber style for this release. Usually a passionate rocker similar to Tedeschi, “National Tragedy” has a tinge of 70s easy-listening. The guitar riffs are repetitive and the drums are simple, which complement Haddard’s controlled, yet strong voice. The instrumental break in the middle of the song can be best compared to late-60s experimental art-rock like Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

    According to Haddard, “National Tragedy” needed a music video to match the song’s “lighthearted, imaginative twist.” The result is an animated clip art utilizing ethereal scrapbook-like collages by collaborator Kaya Blaze Kelley.

    Narrating her own experiences in life and love, she holds space for dialogues of hardships as well as times of joy. Her goal is to encourage others by singing her truth, and her relatable topics and catchy lyrics are a great way to connect to listeners.

    Haddard will also be performing live at the Levitate Music Festival in Massachusetts on July 9, 2021.

    “National Tragedy” is now available for streaming on Youtube, Bandcamp, Spotify and Soundcloud. For more information on Aubrey Haddard, check out her website.

  • Hasty Page Fortifies Its Musical Repetoire With Latest Single, “The Wire”

    Alternative/indie rock super trio, Hasty Page, will release their latest single “The Wire” on Friday, June 25. The song is the Hasty Page’s first single of 2021 and fans’ first glimpse into the band’s upcoming EP. With a fresh song to fuel the summer, the trio continues to add to their arsenal of punchy, creative, and inspirational music releases.

    Formed in 2015 in Glens Falls, NY, Hasty Page has previously released one EP and two albums. Alt alternative/indie rock trip has built up a solid standing among popular groups with similar genres. They have opened for bands such as Smash Mouth, Colony House, Moriah Formica, and Madison Vandenburg. Hasty Page’s audience is no small feat as well, performing shows for upwards of 40,000 people at Schenectady Summer night, 20,000 at the Albany Tulip Festival, and 10,000 at the Times Union Center.

    The boys of Hasty Page – Josh Morris, Zane Agnew, and James Paolano –spent the past year recording the five tracks for their upcoming EP. The EP was recorded at Left Hand Studios in upstate New York, produced by Hasty Page themselves, and finally mixed and mastered by Scoops Dardaris (Prince Daddy, The Clay People, Girl Blue). Notably, Hasty Page has not only spent the past year recording new music, but they have also recently signed a sync licensing deal with Spirit Production Music.

    hasty page the wire

    “The Wire” is a fan favorite and highly anticipated, while the rest of the EP are new songs written over the past few years. The song’s instrumental track seamlessly fuses gritty yet clean guitar tracks and melodies, polished by bright, eclectic riffs and modulation. The vocals are warm yet powerful, espousing heartfelt momentum in a lyrical journey on the verge of bursting with pure emotion. Hasty Page has delivered a song to remember.

    The music video for “The Wire” will drops one week after the single’s release on June 25, followed by the release of the full EP late summer of 2021. Until then, stream some of Hasty Page‘s earlier album releases on Spotify, YouTube, and below.

  • Pop Artist Lexi Mariah Announces Her First Single of 2021, “Playlist”

    NYC-based pop artist Lexi Mariah is returning to the musical spotlight with her first release of 2021 titled “Playlist.” Her previous singles “Waterfall” and “SOURPATCH” received high praise and now the singer makes her mark on summer with her latest single.

    The exhilarating yet emotional track debuted on listening platforms on June 11, following a week of anticipation since the young talent announced it on social media. “Playlist” is written by Lexi Mariah herself, along with co-writers and producers Josh Frank, Joe Frank, and Ricky Frank. In an interview with NYS Music, Mariah opened up about the inspiration behind her music and what it represents: positivity for her fans. Clearly, the singer has carried that sentiment into this year.

    The new song is the addition that your favorite playlist needs. It will have you on your feet and dancing throughout summer 2021. The track embodies the perfect mix of both lighthearted and emotional lyrics. A melodious guitar line and resonant synth complement Mariah’s ethereal vocals. Additionally, a lively, electronic vibe within the chorus transforms the sound.

    Lexi Mariah announces her first single release of 2021.

    I have some playlists that I’ve made over the years that are now hard for me to listen to because the songs give me such vivid flashbacks of times I shared with people who are no longer in my life. On days where I’m able to bring myself to listen to them, all of the memories, good and bad, come rushing back. I always wonder if those songs make the other person think of me, too. When writing “Playlist”, I wanted it to be a track that my listeners could dance to, but also one that would tug on their heartstrings a bit, since it’s a concept that I feel so many people will be able to relate to.

    Lexi Mariah on “Playlist”

    Mariah’s new release follows her previous single, “Waterfall,” which dropped at the end of 2020. With “Playlist,” she seamlessly unites her traditionally heartfelt lyrics with a bright and lively supporting track. The singer-songwriter has, unsurprisingly, unearthed yet another layer of her music and sound.

    Stay updated on Lexi Mariah’s upcoming projects with us here, and on her Instagram and Twitter. Check out “Playlist” along with Mariah’s previous single “Waterfall” and more on her Spotify and Youtube now.

  • Premiere: Toshio Band Gets Led into Temptation with New Single

    Brooklyn-based rock group Toshio Band has released their new single “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear,” leading their second EP Lock Your Doors.

    Photo Credit: Sivan Miller

    Consisting of frontman Tim Lavigne on the vocals and bass, Daniel Imana on drums, Nick Valle on guitar, Ben Deixler on keyboards and Brandon Garcia on percussion, all members of Toshio Band contribute vocally with a style reminiscent of alt-rock from the 90s and early 2000s. Their central themes come from ominous and dream-like films and literature. The band is influenced by legendary rock artists David Bowie, Tom Waits, Charles Mingus and Roy Orbison.

    The new track “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear” is the lead single from their second and forthcoming EP, Lock Your Doors. The EP has a neo-noir concept exploring a hero’s journey through hysteria and gloom in an unforgiving world.  It presents themes of an anti-hero, prevalent in cinematic works from Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch and William Blake and with musical influences coming from The Pixies and Tom Waits. Lock Your Doors was mostly written and recorded during the pandemic and is a continuation of their debut EP A Splash of Blood that was released in 2019.  

    Toshio Band dives into temptation and dwells in devilish places in “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear.” The song starts with distorted guitar sounds, immediately creating a feeling of chaos and getting into trouble. The line “The devil is chatting in my ear” is anaphoric and straight-forward, every time you hear it, you can imagine reaching a point of giving into doing something you shouldn’t. The guitars settle and the beat becomes whimsical as Lavigne sings the line “What hath the night to do with sleep?” from the poem Comus by John Milton, which he added in to get a quote from the devil himself and to keep consistent the theme of mixing literature into the music. Then returning to chaos, the track leads you further into disturbance until it ironically ends back on the whimsical sound.

    “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear” will be self-released by the band on Friday, April 30. This is the first of many forthcoming releases for the band this year. Their second single “Cassandra” releases on June 4 by the label Spirit Charity. Lock Your Doors will be another self-release, coming out on June 25.

  • Serge Bulat Expands Mediums with New Single and Album

    Multi-disciplinary artist and musician Serge Bulat recently released his new single with Japanese artist Dai Sekiguchi. The new song “Possible Plausible Reversible” is off of his upcoming LP, released on April 30.

    Serge Bulat

    In 2009, Bulat immigrated to the USA from a town under the Soviet Union. He was determined to pursue his musical career and expand on numerous frameworks within media. Bulat’s work varies from audiovisual installations to sound design to experimental video and more.

    “Possible Plausible Reversible” is the artist’s most recent release off of his full-length album Similarities Between Fish And A Chair. Bulat experiments in this work to fuse genres, cultures, and media. He seeks to challenge traditional formats to develop this non-conforming project.

    The new album is a direct continuation of his 2020 release Wurmenai which also delivered an immersive video game. The project features notable collaborators from ten different countries. Some of these artists include Katie Buckley, OYME, and Pavel Vit.

    The new work deals with identity, normality, and personality; it questions reality and perception as well as imagines future.

    Serge Bulat
    Serge Bulat

    Similarities Between Fish And A Chair will release alongside an audiovisual installation, “Inkblot,” as well as an experiential video game “Isolomus.” Bulat’s take on the standard psychological test, “Inkblot,” seeks to expand on the senses and connect his albums.

    Five years in the making, Similarities Between Fish And A Chair, will finally be released later this month. Make sure to pre-order/pre-save the album here and stream “Possible Plausible Reversible” on major platforms until then.

  • Bobby Páraknight Releases Disco-Infused Debut Single

    NYC-based artist Bobby Páraknight reveals his musical creativity with his upbeat debut single titled “The Prelude,” releasing today, March 30.

    Bobby Páraknight
    Bobby Páraknight

    Páraknight is 21-years-old and a jack of all trades with experience in many different art forms. His current endeavor is music but he has performed in other ways within his artistic journey. He is an actor who was trained in theatre and has been on television and film. He also is a dancer specializing in contemporary, jazz and ballet.

    Páraknight’s professional music career is influenced by The Beatles, who are his heroes. Since his early teens he has been performing, writing songs and composing music. He performed with other musicians and played live shows at some popular venues, pubs and theatres in New York.  

    I felt capable, more than ever really being able to express my artistic vision, be it fabled story-telling, a call to action or simply an excuse for a good time! I have abundant words to say, art to create & limits to test as a young person, music seems to abide beautifully. You become choice-less and the venturing is the only obvious path. It’s a controlled and crafted sonic force I believe, a rare visceral element that moves us so effortlessly.

    Bobby Páraknight

    Páraknight describes his creative process when producing and writing his music as experimental and expansive. The sound he creates is dependent on the moment and his feeling during that time and it reflects through the instrument he plays. It can also depend on the vision that he has and is going for and his creative and imaginative thinking lays out a thematic outline. After figuring out the outline of the song, Páraknight fills the rest of the song up with a melody and lyrics that are either sensible or playful. 

    “The Prelude” is one of the many songs that Páraknight curated and it is his debut single. It begins as an upbeat pop song and transitions into a ballad. Páraknight produced the song on his piano during a private jam session and received inspiration from the late 70s’ motown and disco sound while infusing it with a modern pop beat. 

    I have been writing songs for years now and it does become tricky, deciding on the debut track as you want to express your true self while not drifting. I have a lot of selected material lined up for production with early mixes in the studio, The Prelude comparatively is a recent song which I composed in a spur of the moment on a piano during a private jam session, I believe it’s an apt launching point, in displaying my roots in music while complimenting the zeitgeist, simply being a great, upbeat and unique song.

    Bobby Páraknight

    Páraknight is available today on all platforms. “The Prelude” is his first release with more to come later.

    https://youtu.be/6K9fDBFISzs