NYS Music 202​2

Author: Jacob L. Pitts

  • Katy Perry Shows She’s Never Really Over On SNL

    Katy Perry has returned to Studio 8H. Joined by host Willem Dafoe, this is her fourth time as a musical guest on SNL and her first since 2017. 

    Katy Perry performing “When I’m Gone” on Saturday Night Live.

    A lot has happened since Perry’s last SNL appearance five years ago: motherhood, a new album, a judging spot on American Idol, and most recently, a residency in Las Vegas. Titled Play, the show began at the tail end of 2021 and will run through the end of summer 2022. While Perry hasn’t seen as much chart success lately, she seems more confident and self-assured in a post-Witness world.

    The episode began with a cold open, featuring James Austin Johnson as President Biden dealing with the Russia-Ukraine situation. Pete Davidson appeared as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who refuses to get vaccinated for COVID. 

    Rodgers wasn’t the only NFL player to appear tonight. Peyton Manning made a surprise appearance during Weekend Update, where he gushed about Emily in Paris whenever Colin Jost asked him about football news.

    Katy Perry’s first song of the night was “When I’m Gone,” her new collaboration with Swedish DJ Alesso. With set pieces ripped straight from Super Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom, it’s clear that she hasn’t lost her signature camp. The song’s lyrics are about a previous romance, but they could easily be about Perry’s relationship with fame and stardom. Around the time of her last SNL appearance, everything from her music to her blonde pixie cut was criticized after a seemingly unstoppable run throughout the 2010s.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCUzL7iHV7E

    Perry closed out the night with an acoustic rendition of “Never Really Over,” her 2019 comeback single. Originally an upbeat dance-pop song, the new version has more in common with her ballads like “Thinking of You.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksMzWT40U24

    SNL takes a break during the Winter Olympics, then returns on February 26 with host John Mulaney and musical guest LCD Soundsystem.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features Adequate Phil, Joe DeFelice, grape juice! And More

    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 EQX this Sunday night to hear new music from Adequate Phil, Joe DeFelice, grape juice! and many more!

    Adequate Phil

    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.

    Adequate Phil

    Psychedelic folk band Adequate Phil has released a double single, “Baby Leeches/Vessel,” featured on EQX this week. Both sides are experimental pieces, especially “Vessel,” which is more of an audio atmosphere than a traditional song. “Baby Leeches” almost follows in its footsteps, until vocals and a recurring melody jump in at the halfway part. With its background whispers about spirit guides and crystal caves, “Vessel” feels like a window to another world. The Troy freak-folk group’s Spotify bio cites Animal Collective, The Beatles, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Radiohead as major influences.

    Joe DeFelice

    Singer-songwriter Joe DeFelice has released his debut EP, Outside Looking In. Originally from New Hampshire, DeFelice has been a live music fixture ever since relocating to the upstate New York area. The penultimate song on Outside Looking In, “We Fell Apart,” is upbeat and anthemic despite its bittersweet lyrics:

    grape juice!

    Albany alt-rock band grape juice! is back with another song, “Goodbyes Suck.” Like their previous single, “Sad Songs,” its title is deceptive: the narrator sounds more than happy to be moving on with his life after a breakup.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features North Side Sound, The Grandstand Jockeys, River Costa And More

    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 North Side Sound, The Grandstand Jockeys, River Costa, and many more!

    North Side Sound

    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.

    North Side Sound

    Four-piece Albany band North Side Sound is gearing up to release their EP, Take My Time, on January 28. It’s unclear whether they’ll be on the project, but in 2021 they released singles “Five” and “Dive Deep.” The former centers around an upbeat guitar riff, with hints of reggae not unlike No Doubt. The latter is mellow for most of its runtime, before exploding in its final third.

    The Grandstand Jockeys

    Hailing from Waterford, the Grandstand Jockeys are preparing for their upcoming album Place, out February 12. “Now You Do,” the first track off their 2021 debut EP WIN, is expected to make the cut. The band has described their sound as a “Tom Petty joining Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age.”

    River Costa

    Independent singer-songwriter River Costa has released her EP, Mallely’s Lonely Time on Makeout Point. The first song, “Tumultuous,” is about a relationship she has trouble defining. Even though she’s excited about what the future holds, she also has doubts, fears, and even occasional apathy. Costa has also performed as a backup singer for the band Niksen.

  • This Week’s EQXposure Features ShortWave RadioBand, Paul Moody And Many More

    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 Shortwave RadioBand, Paul Moody, Hanzolo, and many more!

    shortwave radioband

    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.

    ShortWave RadioBand

    Last week, ShortWave RadioBand released their newest single, “SomeDay.” An upbeat rock song about looking ahead to brighter days, the accompanying music video is on its way.  “SomeDay” follows the Schuylerville trio’s debut single, “Don’t Care,” which previously featured on EQXposure in November 2021. Listeners can expect the band to release their first EP later this year.

    Paul Moody

    Continuing this week’s theme of positivity, singer-songwriter Paul Moody has released “Letting Light In.” The calming folk song is about being receptive to new connections and relationships, particularly with one special person: “I was king of the lonesome, but I gave up the throne / For what good is a kingdom, when you rule all alone?”. While its melody is simple, the song crescendos into a sweeping instrumental halfway, almost mimicking the blooming of sunflowers.

    Hanzolo

    “Goldmine,” the opening song on Hanzolo’s self-titled album, expertly blends soul, funk and pop. There’s rarely a dull moment on the four-minute track, which smoothly glides along and promises plenty of replay value. Hanzolo, a seven-piece alt-funk band, sounds current and clean while still drawing upon retro influences like Motown.

  • Ronnie Spector, Lead Singer Of The Ronettes, Dead At 78

    Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the Ronettes, has died at 78 after a battle with cancer. 

    Ronnie Spector (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

    Our beloved earth angel, Ronnie, peacefully left this world today. She was with family and in the arms of her husband, Jonathan. Ronnie lived her life with a twinkle in her eye, a spunky attitude, a wicked sense of humor and a smile on her face. She was filled with love and gratitude. Her joyful sound, playful nature and magical presence will live on in all who knew, heard or saw her.

    Family statement on the passing of Ronnie Spector

    Spector, along with her older sister Estelle Bennett and their cousin Nedra Talley, began performing in the late 1950s. In 1963, they attracted the attention of producer Phil Spector, who would become heavily involved with their music. Their song “Be My Baby” was a smash hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Today, many consider it one of the greatest pop songs ever, including Brian Wilson, who borrowed its Wall of Sound production technique for several of the Beach Boys’ records.

    The Ronettes also have several songs on Phil Spector’s famous compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You. They would go on to open for the Beatles on their 1996 U.S. tour, and once the group broke up, Ronnie married Phil Spector in 1968. Their marriage was extremely abusive, with Spector forbidding Ronnie from performing, holding her against her will in their house, and repeatedly threatening her.

    They divorced in 1974, and Spector scored another hit in 1986 by featuring on Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight.” When Money sings “Just like Ronnie sang…” on the chorus, she finishes the line with “Be my little baby,” a homage to the Ronettes’ 60s hit. As of 2020, actress Zendaya was in talks to portray Spector in a biopic.

    Spector is survived by her second husband, Jonathan Greenfield, and her sons, Jason and Austin.

  • Jason Flashner Wants You To Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

    Long Island singer-songwriter Jason Flashner is gearing up to release his third studio album, Rocks and Roots, on March 11, 2022. The new LP ends an almost eight-year gap between his last effort, 2014’s Indie Tale, and falls on the tenth anniversary of his first album, Acoustics and Stones.

    Jason Flashner

    Rocks and Roots comprises two parts: one with a full band (although Flashner plays every instrument), and the other with acoustic versions of the same songs. Flashner debuted the first song, “Alive, Awake!” at the tail end of November, and has more waiting in the wings. The album’s second single, “Like Nobody’s Watching,” premieres today.

    “Like Nobody’s Watching” is an upbeat, breezy guitar tune perfect for warming our hearts in the dead of winter. The lyrics are about taking a bad day and turning it around, using dance and music as a remedy. Accompanying the song is a homemade music video, with clips of children dancing happily. Before the release of Rocks and Roots in March, Flashner plans to release one more single, “This Wave,” in February. 

    Jason Flashner, who also goes by Jay, is an independent artist through and through. He’s learned the business side of music by himself, watching tutorials to learn how to promote and pitch his work. He recalls an incident earlier in his career when his hard drive stopped working and he lost an album’s worth of music, and didn’t have it backed up. Going forward, Flashner used the experience as a learning opportunity:

    If we learn from our mistakes, we minimize that from happening, so whenever something like this does occur, I try to remain as patient as possible and know that there will be something to learn from it. It is all a marathon rather than a sprint, and we can all get there with patience.

    Jason Flashner

    While he never lost an album again, Flashner re-recorded Rocks and Roots multiple times until he felt confident in his work. Given his patience and perfectionism this time around, it might be his best yet. Listen to it on March 11, 2022, on all major streaming platforms.

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