NYS Music 202​2

Author: Christian Hince

  • New York Public Radio To Honor Brooke Gladstone at 2022 Gala

    New York Public Radio will host its annual gala on Nov. 9 to honor Brooke Gladstone, the host of WNYC’s On The Media.

    The evening will be hosted by comedian Samantha Bee, a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the former host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee who was named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in 2017.

    new york public radio gala
    Samantha Bee is hosting this year’s New York Public Radio Gala. (Photo credit: James Macari)

    The event also includes Kronos Quartet as a musical guest, a Grammy-winning collective whose nearly 50-year history includes thousands of concerts, over 70 recordings, and over 1,000 works from composers worldwide. The night will take place at Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel.

    new york public radio gala
    Brook Gladstone, the host of WNYC’s On The Media. (Photo credit: Matthew Septimus)

    Gladstone examines the worldly impact of media with On The Media, a weekly production. She started her career in public broadcast at National Public Radio in 1987 as senior editor of Scott Simon’s Weekend Edition, later working on the station’s flagship news program All Things Considered.

    She joined WNYC in 2000 to host On The Media, and during her tenure, the program has won two Peabody awards, became the first national public radio show to be offered as a podcast, and now airs on 425 public radio stations.

    Information regarding tickets and more can be found here.

  • Hudson West Folk Festival Announces 2022 Program

    The 2022 Hudson West Folk Festival, an annual Jersey City event, will run on Saturday, October 15. Taking place at the Nimbus Arts Center in the city’s downtown, the festival will span from noon to 10pm.

    hudson west folk festival
    Image from last year’s Hudson West Folk Festival. (photo found on festival website)

    The event will feature music ranging across americana, folk, bluegrass, hip-hop/funk/soul, jazz and Ukrainian folk music. Artists on the bill include Ebony Hillbillies, Leslie Mendelson, J Pope and the HearNow, Jaimee Harris, Cole Quest and the City Pickers, Ari Hest, Ukrainian Village Voices, and KJ Denhert.

    In addition to performances, the festival will involve free music workshops on improvisational singing, guidance in musical style, and Ukrainian folk songs.

    The Ukrainian Village Voices will be leading a workshop at this year’s event. (photo found on festival website)

    There will also be food and drink provided on site, as the festival is partnering with Welcome Home Jersey City to bring Afghan and Pakistani dishes from refugee chefs.

    Tickets can be bought for $35 in advance and $40 at the door on Saturday. Info regarding ticket purchases and more for the 2022 event can be found on the Hudson West Folk Festival website.

  • The Orchestra Now To Perform At Jazz At Lincoln Center

    The Orchestra Now (TŌN), an esteemed Bard College ensemble, will perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on Sunday, October 16.

    The concert will be guest conducted by JoAnn Falletta, the Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO), who is making her fourth appearance with TŌN.

    orchestra now lincoln center
    Joanne Falletta conducting TŌN during a previous performance.

    The five act concert will open with Fandangos, a Roberto Sierra piece inspired by Spanish dance. Next on the list are Ernest Chausson’s Poème and Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane, which will feature guest violin performances from Nikki Chooi, former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra concertmaster and current concertmaster of the BPO.

    Also on the program are Albert Roussel’s Bacchus and Ariane Suite No. 2 and Paul Hindemith’s “Metamorphosis” of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.

    TŌN is a graduate-level training orchestra comprising 62 musicians from 13 different countries. Students are sourced from conservatories such as Yale School of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Royal Academy of Music, and the New England Conservatory of Music. Bard College president Leon Botstein, who is also a conductor, educator, and music historian founded the orchestra in 2015.

    After Lincoln Center, The Orchestra Now will next perform at Carnegie Hall on November 3.

    Information regarding tickets and more for the event can be found here.

  • Enrose Release New Self-Conscious Single “Disease”

    NY-based pop band Enrose has dropped their new single “Disease,” the group’s first release since their debut EP Wait, Create in April.

    Led by saxophonist-songwriter Gabi Rose, the band’s genre-blurring aim brings together a track with impressive instrumental and tonal variation.

    enrose disease
    Promotional art for “Disease.”

    “Disease” features glossy production from the band’s Anthony Lopardo, with the song opening up with warm saxophone notes and watery guitar chords. The first verse touches on personal isolation, with lines such as “it all came knocking at my door, and now I’m medicating all alone.”

    Lyrics such as these come with current event context, with the single’s cover art being a video game depiction of Rose’s struggle through the Coronavirus pandemic, a period of unique difficulty for musicians.

    This connection is more explicit on the chorus, on which she sings “no don’t you touch me, I’ve got a disease.” This section displays “Disease” at its most explosive, with blown out drums and interesting EWI touches (electronic wind instrument) leading a catchy and infectious hook.

    The track’s vocal performance is just as strong as the instrumental one, as Rose sings smoothly and hits high notes when they come. Verse two shows off the R&B influences on “Disease,” with her adopting a sing/rap vocal delivery that reminisces of genre contemporaries such as SZA.

    Switches between musical approaches like these are found from front to back, with the outro featuring a “guitar-inspired” saxophone solo according to Rose.

    While relatively new, “Disease” isn’t a rookie effort from Enrose, and it shows. This track that displays a cohesive effort from a group of talented musicians, and it’s one that’s easily enjoyable too.

  • Elephant Back Does a Little Bit of Everything On Debut Record

    On Syracuse pop rock duo Elephant Back’s self-titled debut album, the group dabbles across genres in an impressive scale across a short period of time.

    The record, released on August 5, asserts its ever fluctuant musical identity from the start, with the quiet desert rock grooves and varied percussion of opener “Hier Kom Die Olifant” being directly followed by the loud drums and noisy guitars of the melodic “Kiss The Sky.” The album isn’t shy about its array of inspiration, with Jimi Hendrix’s famed “excuse me while I kiss the sky” line being interpolated at the center of the song.

    Cover art for Elephant Back’s debut album.

    “Shifting Gears” almost seems like a tribute to Sonic Youth, with abrasive guitar riffs complementing lustful, spoken word vocals that ring similar to Kim Gordon. “Come over here so I can annihilate you, violate you,” the song finishes with, adhering to the intimate aggression which characterized the indie rock legends. This is by far the most lyrically violent moment on the project however, with subject matter being quite optimistic and straightforward for the most part.

    The menacing guitar and frenetic drum playing of “Take My Stance” is underscored by optimistic lines such as “the truth will find what’s inside, one love to find” on its hook. The cheery, glittery piano rock of “Believe” complements claps of woodblock and cowbell with pristine imagery with its closing lyrics: “open your eyes, sunshine blue skies, no reason to hide, relax and unwind.”

    While Elephant Back displays strong musicianship across the record, the album’s percussion is a high mark in this department. The anxious blues rock of “Can’t Stop” is highlighted by its entertaining drum fills and hissing maracas. The infectious chorus of late album reggae track “Get It On Right” is enhanced by some impressively technical and subtly quick work on the drum set.

    With how diverse this album is, moments of intrigue are found all around. The delicate acoustic folk of “Amaranthine” doesn’t wait around for the subsequent contrast of the boisterous following track “Go To War” with its Led Zeppelin-adjacent vocals and arpeggiating guitar solo. The slow “I, Wonder” rings of Creedence Clearwater Revival in a romantic moment, with lines such as “you’re more than just a conversation, and I can see it in everything you do.”

    The record’s mixing has some rougher areas, with the vocals on certain tracks sounding either quiet or somewhat overpowered. It also ends on a bit of an odd note with “Holiday,” a strange 40-second hodge-podge of banjo and synth.

    In total though, the positives reign supreme. Elephant Back’s debut album is an incredibly wide-ranging project that showcases tight musicianship and plenty of experimentation.

    Upcoming Elephant Back Shows:

    October 1st – Green Jello Studios Los Angeles, CA

    October 6th – Funk N Waffles Syracuse, NY

    October 29th – The Downstairs Ithaca, NY

    December 11th – The Bowery Electric, NYC

    More info regarding the band can be found on the Elephant Back website.

  • Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers Schedule Tour With Three NY Dates

    Jon Spencer & the Hitmakers have announced a two-part tour which features dates covering October and the early part of 2023. This includes stops at Brooklyn Made on October 23, Rochester’s Bug Jar on January 29, and Albany’s Lark Hall on January 29.

    jon spencer hitmakers tour
    Jon Spencer. (photo credit: Michael Lavine)

    The tour is in promotion of Spencer’s first Hitmakers album, Spencer Gets It Lit, which was released in April. It was preceded by three singles, “Junk Man,” “Primary Baby,” and “Worm Town.” “This is the most uncompromising album I’ve ever made,” he said of the record.

    Spencer, who has also worked with Boss Hog, Heavy Trash, and Pussy Galore, assembled the group after disbanding his previous act of 25 years, Jon Spencer’s Blues Explosion, in 2016.

    In addition to Spencer, the band includes Bob Bert, a fellow former member of Pussy Galore and one of Sonic Youth’s early drummers, as well as Sam Coomes, one half of Portland indie duo Quasi and a bassist for Elliot Smith’s Heatmiser during the group’s final years.

    Information regarding tickets for Jon Spencer & The Hitmakers’ tour can be found online.

    TOUR DATES:

    10/06 Lancaster, PA Tellus 360

    10/07 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom *

    10/08 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe

    10/09 Columbus, OH Rumba Cafe

    10/10 Newport, KY The Southgate House Revival

    10/11 Lexington, KY The Burl

    10/12 Nashville, TN The Blue Room at Third Man Records

    10/13 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Cafe

    10/14 Clarksville, MS Deep Blues Festival 

    10/15 Jackson, MS Martin’s

    10/17 Atlanta, GA The Earl

    10/18 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club

    10/19 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern

    10/20 Charlotte, NC Snug Harbor

    10/21 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle

    10/22 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar

    10/23 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Made

    * w/ Southern Culture On The Skids

    2023:

    01/24 Cambridge, MA Middle East

    01/25 Portland, ME One Longfellow Square

    01/26 Burlington, VT Higher Ground Lounge

    01/27 Montreal, QC Bar Le Ritz PDB

    01/28 Ottawa, ON Club SAW

    01/29 Rochester, NY Bug Jar

    01/31 Albany, NY Lark Hall

    02/01 Hamden, CT Space Ballroom

    02/02 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s

    02/03 Atlantic City, NJ Anchor Rock Club

    02/04 TBA

  • Elvis Costello Announces “100 Songs and More” Concert Series at Gramercy Theatre

    Famed English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello has revealed “100 Songs and More,” a concert series featuring 10 performances at Gramercy Theatre from February 9 to 22.

    costello concert series
    Promotional poster for the concert series.

    Each night will have a completely distinct 10-song setlist, along with “at least ten more” different unprogrammed tracks from Costello’s discography. He’ll perform the first five nights solo, with longtime backing pianist Steve Nieve joining the series for the last five. Tickets go on sale September 23.

    Costello wrote a sonnet in promotion of the production:

    For ten nights at the Gramercy Theatre
    I’ll name ten songs to set the scene
    I’ll play those ten and then ten more
    Shake off the old routine
    Each night will tell a different tale
    So come to one or come to all
    “100 Songs” is what I promise 
    But twice that number is quite a haul
    I will start this stand alone, that’s fine
    Nights One to Five, the Feast Day of St. Valentine
    Steve Nieve will join me for Nights Six, Seven, Eight & Nine 
    But what else may happen is a secret of mine
    Let’s just set up the chair or two and play
    In case some friends turn up along the way

    A London native, Costello’s decorated career includes 23 different albums over more than 40 years, including those with his backing bands the Attractions, the Costello Show, and the Imposters. His 1977 solo record My Aim is True has sold platinum in the US, and his most recent album work is his Elvis Costello and the Imposters album The Boy Named If, released in January.

    Information regarding tickets and more for Elvis Costello at Gramercy Theatre can be found here.

  • Ian McCuen Introspects on New Single “Lonesome Homesteader”

    Buffalo singer-songwriter Ian McCuen has returned with their first song in almost nine months, “Lonesome Homesteader,” a melancholy and quiet folk track that spans five minutes. The song was released in promotion of their upcoming fifth album Westward, to Nowhere, slated for November 11 release.

    ian mccuen lonesome homesteader
    Cover art for “Lonesome Homesteader.”

    “Lonesome Homesteader” starts at its loudest point, with a noisy organ intro which stands in contrast from the rest of the subtle track. The song orients itself around a soft, melodic guitar melody and McCuen’s withdrawn falsetto.

    Musicianship-wise it’s not perfect, with a number of muted guitar notes here and there, but nothing bothersome enough to hold back the emotional display of Ian McCuen. The lyrics are vulnerable and clear to the listener, with them flashing an isolated and distressed side to the listener. “I’m trying so hard to prove my self worth, make something from nothing on this God-forsaken earth,” they plead on the second verse.

    The instrumentation on “Lonesome Homesteader” is sparse but not empty, with a small string section adding a bit of character in between the verses. The song demonstrates a significant change-up here on the final chorus, where it transforms into a swinging banjo rhythm that makes McCuen’s words feel a little closer to home.

    For someone with experience writing and creating music about difficult emotions, McCuen demonstrated it here. “Lonesome Homesteader” by Ian McCuen is a vulnerable and down-to-earth song that shows how difficult being human is sometimes.

  • Dio Documentary “Dreamers Never Die” Hitting Select Theaters Sept 28 and Oct 3

    “Dio: Dreamers Never Die,” a documentary about the life and career of heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio is getting one time showings at select theaters across the tri-state area on September 28 and October 2.

    The movie about the late singer of Black Sabbath, Rainbow, his eponymous band Dio and more follows up the July release of his posthumous autobiography Rainbow in the Dark, co-written by British journalist Mick Wall and edited by the vocalist’s widow and longtime manager Wendy Dio.

    Movie poster for “Dio: Dreamers Never Die”

    This special showing series of “Dreamers Never Die” is far from Ronnie James Dio’s first connection to New York State. Having lived in Portsmouth, NH until age five, his family moved back to his parents’ hometown of Cortland, where Dio grew up, graduated from high school, and became a musician.

    Information regarding tickets and more can be found on the “Dreamers Never Die” website. See below for all theaters in New York State as well as New Jersey and Connecticut where you can see “Dreamers Never Die.”

    Alamo Drafthouse Manhattan        28 Liberty St  NEW YORK

    Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn   445 Gold St. 4th Floor         BROOKLYN

    AMC Empire 25         234 W 42nd St  NYC

    AMC Clifton Commons  16  405 ROUTE 3 E       CLIFTON, NJ                       

    AMC Danbury 16      4 INTERNATIONAL DR      DANBURY, CT                    

    AMC Garden State 16          1 GARDEN STATE PLAZA (RT 4 & 17)  PARAMUS, NJ        

    AMC Monmouth Mall 15      180 STATE ROUTE 35       EATONTOWN, NJ              

    Reading Manville 12            180 N. Main St.         MANVILLE, NJ    

    Village East Cinema             181-189 2nd Avenue          NEW YORK

    Cinemark        Hazlet 12       2821 Highway 35     HAZLET, NJ

    Cinepolis Chelsea    260 W 23rd St , NYC               

    Nitehawk Cinema     136 Metropolitan Ave   BROOKLYN

    Showcase City Centre  City Center 15  WHITE PLAINS

    Showcase Farmingdale       1001 Broad Hollow Road   FARMINGDALE

    Showcase Island 16   185 Morris Avenue  HOLTSVILLE

    Showcase Broadway           Broadway Mall, HICKSVILLE

    US Regal        Ithaca Mall Stm 14   40 Catherwood Road  ITHACA

    US Regal Union Square Stm  17 850 Broadway NEW YORK

    US Regal Crossgates Stm 18 & IMAX          120 B Washington Avenue Extension ALBANY

    US Regal Destiny USA Stm 19 IMAX & RPX   9586 Destiny USA Drive SYRACUSE          

    US Regal Staten Island Stm 16 & RPX.   2474 Forest Avenue STATEN ISLAND

    US Regal Kaufman Astoria Stm 14 & RPX 35-30 38th St LONG ISLAND CITY

    US Regal Transit Center Stm 18 & IMAX      6707 Transit Road   WILLIAMSVILLE

    US Regal Walden Galleria Stm 16 & RPX     Walden Galleria    BUFFALO

    Cinemark Tinseltown 16 + IMAX    2291 Buffalo Rd       ROCHESTER

  • Sam Rappaport Pops Back Up with “Easy to Love”

    Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sam Rappaport has returned with his third single, “Easy to Love,” a candid, romantic soft rock song.

    It’s the lead single off his upcoming debut EP “Get Me Away From Myself,” and follows “Till the Morning Comes” and “Journeyman’s Ballet,” released in February & November of 2021. With this track he also continues to supplement his work with Gooseberry, an indie-rock band for which he sings and plays keyboards.

    Promotional art for “Easy to Love.”

    It follows a simple pop song structure and includes jazzy instrumentation, with saxophone and watery keys leading the way. The song’s slow tempo and simple rhythm section make for a relaxed tone along with Rappaport’s soft vocals, as he muses about being enveloped in an enamoring feeling of love. “The way you laugh makes me tingle,” he sings on the chorus, nicely supplemented by female background vocals. “The way you touch me makes me cry.”

    Produced by Lorenzo Wolff, subtle touches such as the gurgle of a baritone sax distantly in the background give the song an added element of depth, and make the rise in energy during the louder, more outgoing chorus even more satisfying.

    “Easy to Love” by Sam Rappaport doesn’t take any serious risks musically, but given the song’s romantic themes, maybe that’s okay. Sometimes love is simple, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

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