Indie artist awfultune has released her newest album, Eden, along with a trio of singles including ‘Sweet Talk’, ‘Wild Tune’ and ‘Sad Love Song’. Eden is the artist’s fifth studio album.
PC : Shervin Lainez
Released on April 29th, Eden is a project that dives deep into awfultune’s personal life and past heartbreaks in a way that many can relate to. The low-key, but engaging composition of songs like ‘picking up’ and ‘sweet talk’ makes listeners reminisce on the shy excitement that comes from a new love interest while ‘shut up!!!’ and ‘soda’ deal with the fall out of a relationship as well as underlying trauma and complications.
Along with an album, awfultune also released an accompanying illustrated storybook. Showcased on her Instagram, each chapter focuses on a different song from the album. The bright and bold illustrations perfectly depict each individual message.
PC : Shervin Lainez
Awfultune, also known as Layla Eden, is an indie pop artist from Upstate NY. As a trans woman, her music is heavily intertwined with her personal journey and adapting identity. She stands as an advocate for anyone who has ever felt alone or at odds with themselves.
The coronation of Fivio Foreign has long been in the works. Since the death Pop Smoke over two-years ago, there has been a void within the New York music landscape and it seems as though Fivio Foreign has been handpicked to carry the torch.
This spring, his debut studio-album, B.I.B.LE., was delivered to the public as an inauguration of sorts. Executive produced by Kanye West, the album’s lead single — the West and Alicia Keys assisted — “City of Gods” attempts to create a moment in New York time. Similar to Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” also featuring Keys. Despite the records contrived feel, it charted at number 46 on the Billboard charts. However “Magic City,” the second single featuring Quavo, failed to do so.
Since the release of his viral hit — Big Drip— in 2019, Fivio has maintained cultural and musical relevance and is the latest bridge in the inevitable marriage between the drill music sub-culture and mainstream hip hop. His debut EP — 800 B.C.— was released in 2020 with features from Meek Mill, Lil Baby and Quavo. There was his guest-spot on Drake’s 2020 hit “Demons,” which charted at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that summer, he teamed with Lil Tjay for the anthemic “Zoo York,” peaking at number 65 on the Hot 100. A year later, he was heralded as having the best feature on Kanye West’s star-studded, Donda, album.
While not the most technically proficient rapper, Fivio has gotten to this point by wholeheartedly personifying New York. His charisma, flow and contagious dialect have made him the preeminent representative of New York hip hop culture.
The results? Well, it depends on what scale is being used. B.I.B.L.E. reportedly sold 29 thousand equivalent album units its first week. Not bad, but low enough for Fivi to remind detractors of his humble beginnings.
My Debut Album is #9 onna Billboards That’s in the whole world.. From where I came from that’s a Win 🏆 pic.twitter.com/W2vCcbMEnY
Nonetheless, it’s easy to see why he was next up on the mantle for New York supremacy. With Pop Smoke gone and Kay Flock in prison, he remains one of the few pioneers and recognizable faces of the drill scene and can steer the genre through its makeover.
This watered down version of drill that is B.I.B.L.E. shows upside as “What’s My Name” and “World Watching” are inviting records but leaves the project lacking an overall grimy-ness. Fivio’s captivating flow is enough to carry him on most songs (“Whoever,” “For Nothin“) but, his lack of variance in his lyrics leave him badly exposed on others (“On God,” “Through the Fire”). Did DJ Khaled need a nearly 2-minute interlude?
With the New York hip hop landscape lacking a leading-man, is Fivio Foreign was tasked with leading the charge for hip hop’s mecca? Are there now reservations after his heavily backed debut failed to make a dent on the Billboard charts?
Despite all of this, B.I.B.L.E. remains a personal success for Fivio. If the King of New York goes to the city’s most visible rapper, then Fivio holds the crown. With features from some of the music indsutry’s biggest names, he has now completed a shedding of the skin. While B.I.B.L.E. will be recognized as a drill album for those not familiar with the sound, Fivio has managed to outgrow that label and has become more of a gatekeeper than an active participant. If a rapper wants to get that New York City drill co-sign, they can go through Fivio.
Remove all context and this is a fine debut. But, just two years ago, Pop Smoke took over the world with the Woo movement. Prior to that, Tekashi 6ix9ine ran riot throughout the industry. There are certain expectations of grandeur that come with being King of New York that Fivio has yet to meet and if he wants that respect then it starts with the music.
On Friday, April 29th, Consider the Source brought their eclectic instruments and extreme talents to Lark Hall in Albany during the last leg of their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour to celebrate the release of their album Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule. Lark Hall was the perfect space to enjoy a slightly toned-down version of this hard-rocking band. To kick off what was one of the most musically interesting night’s of my life was delightful duo Cosmal.
Cosmal
Ryan Coyle and Alison Lazarus are two delightfully well-rounded and multi-talented individuals and they created an amazing group called Cosmal. While Ryan creates incredible electronica jams with his midi-controller, chaos pad, and guitar, Alison live-paints and sings. This band is made of two truly unique individuals with an incredible idea — you should check them out as soon as you get the chance.
Consider the Source
Consider the Source is easily one of the most unique bands I have ever had the pleasure to listen to. They call their sound “Sci-fi Middle Eastern Prog Fusion” and if you think that sounds interesting you should hear what they actually sound like. If you’re looking for something different from the usual stuff, this is your band.
Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule
John Ferrara (bass), Jeff Mann (percussion), and Gabriel Marin (guitar, etc) have truly created a unique, eclectic, and delightful sound. Friday night’s show was a rare treat — fans of the band had never seen them play in such an environment before. They played their new album in its entirety and threw a couple of older songs in there too. They used instruments many of us had never seen or heard before as well including a Banjo Bass, Dombra, Uzbek/Tajik Dutar, Doumbek, a Ukulele Bass, and many more. The set was certainly a departure from what we were used to, but it was killer nonetheless.
The Interview: A Surprise Announcement
I sat down with Ferrara, Mann, and Marin before their set. They told me that they had finished recording Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule right before the pandemic hit. They used the lockdown to finish mastering the album. However, and here is the big surprise: they also spent that time recording a second album — keep your eyes on their social media to find out when you can check it out. And from what I am told, it will be their hardest-hitting album yet.
Tour inspiration
Consider the Source has such a ground-breaking sound, they could just call it a day and continue to tour for as long as they can handle it. However, they continually want to change it up for their fans. And that was the whole idea behind their most recent album as well as the tour they just completed to celebrate the release. The venues they visited for this tour were the type where you sit down, which is a huge departure from the dancehalls they usually frequent. In short, they wanted to change things up for their fans, and wow — they delivered.
Future Plans
If you weren’t able to catch them on their “Acoustic-Electric Hybrid” tour, don’t fret. Consider the Source has several tour dates coming in the following months in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Check out the gallery below.
Ashe played two sold out nights at Webster Hall this past week on April 25th and April 26th with support from the band Brooks & the Bluff. Her energy was contagious as she danced across the stage, often interacting with her fans who were just as energetic as she was. Listen to Ashe’s latest album from 2021 here.
Setlist: Me Without You, I’m Fine, Kansas / Someone to Lose, Save Myself, Not Mad Anymore, Love Is Not Enough, Taylor, When I’m Older, Another Man’s Jeans, Somebody to Love (Queen cover), Hope You’re Not Happy, Always, ‘Till Forever Falls Apart, Moral of the Story
Photo by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika VermaPhoto by Ambika Verma
Another Michael returned to the Capital District for the first time in a long time to perform live with Bread Boy at No Fun! in Troy. The now Philly-based indie rock band was formed in Albany by lead singer and guitarist Michael Doherty, guitarist and vocalist Alenni Davis, and bassist Nick Sebastiano.
Another Michael has also featured Noah Dardaris on drums for close to two years. The group has also worked with Jacob Crofoot and Red Cumpston of Bread Boy. This connection and shared influences were evident on Monday night when the two bands took the stage. Bread Boy started the show with a 45 minute set that was well received by the No Fun! crowd, and which for many, was their introduction to Jacob’s music.
The band took the stage and started their set with a brand new single titled ‘Water Pressure‘ that was officially released just a few hours before the start of the show at No Fun! Another Michael performed another new song later in the night, ‘Seafood,’ and both new songs fit well into the group’s discography. As of late, and the band seems to have found a real groove in their songwriting, and are making consistently fun and upbeat indie rock tracks. For those unfamiliar, Another Michael’s music has a sound that is truly their own, and is best experienced by listening.
In the clip below, from Run For Cover Records YouTube Channel, you can watch and listen to Another Michael perform a number of songs from New Music and Big Pop which were played on Monday night.
Another Michael played a number of tracks from their first full-length album, which you can stream and purchase on Another Michael’s Bandcamp. Their set included ‘Row,’ ‘New Music,’ ‘I Know You’re Wrong,’ ‘What The Hell is Going On?’ and ‘Big Pop.’ These tracks all build upon Michael Doherty’s melodic and friendly falsetto at their core. Seemingly every Another Michael song has a fun and optimistic sound that fans gravitate toward. The full band behind Michael only added to these qualities, and the group bounced around and shared their enjoyment of the music with the Troy crowd.
Monday’s No Fun! show built up to a reunion on stage when Another Michael brought Jacob and Red of Bread Boy back on stage to play guitar. Both musicians have spent time playing with Another Michael in the past, and the Bread Boy duo looked right at home on stage with them. The energy from the packed stage spread throughout the room, and fans began to move around as the band rocked their way into the final songs. The night eventually came to an end with Another Michael playing two of their biggest crowd favorites: ‘Big Pop’ and ‘About.’
Another Michael have been writing new music lately, to keep up to date with their latest releases and to help support the band, visit their Bandcamp page. Another Michael’s music is also available to stream wherever you listen to music, and you can listen now on their Spotify artist page. You can also listen to and support Bread Boy on Bandcamp and Spotify. No Fun! has shows almost every night, every week, and admission is free for many of them. To see all of their upcoming events, be sure to check out No Fun!’s website.
Setlist(partial): Water Pressure, Row, New Music, I Know You’re Wrong, Seafood, What The Hell is Going On?, Big Pop, About
The Motet came into Brooklyn Bowl like a funk train on Friday, April 15, inviting everyone aboard to boogie. With Eggy as a perfect opener for the dance formula that is Motet, the two bands blended perfectly together for a show the fans would never forget.
Eggy has grown tremendously taking the jam scene by storm with their crisp vocals, fun lyrics and type two jam capability. It has been my distinct pleasure to watch this band grow and I am so excited for what their future music will bring.
Motet welcomed Mike Dillon aboard the funk train as the conductor of percussion and boy did he get that engine grooving! Without lead singer Lyle Divinsky, Motet steered closer to their original jam roots and took the fans on an excursion of funk.
The Motet at Brooklyn Bowl Setlists
April 15
Set: Evil Twin, Cloak and Dagger, Can’t Fool Me, Kneebone, Rippin’ Herb, All Day, ‘79, Draccus, Contraband, Sunshine, Fountain, Dance Floor#, Wearing it Out%, Nemesis Encore: Drumz > Cheap Shit #Zappa cover %Ramsey Lewis cover, whole show with Mike Dillon on percussion
April 16
Set: Cretan, Sunshine, Nemesis, Speed of Light, Evil Twin, Back Seat, Fearless, Take Control#, Shade, Drumz, All Day, Funky Weekend%, Keep On Don’t Stoppin’ Encore: Evil Wicked Bad & Nasty^ #Juno What cover %Mint Condition cover ^Manzel cover
Saturday, April 23rd marked the fourth and final night of the rescheduled New Year’s Eve run for Phish at their unofficial East Coast headquarters, Madison Square Garden. The band left nothing to chance and delighted fans with one last show before Summer Tour commences in a few months.
The first set had a decidedly old school flavor to it, with a dash of music from the future thanks to a new Sci-Fi Soldier wrinkle that was brought into play. A classic “Fluffhead” opener went off without a hitch and was greeted loudly by the Garden crowd. Next, Phish brought out another signature tune in “Mike’s Song” and delivered a proper “Mike’s Groove” with the mesmerizing “I Am Hydrogen” placed in the middle.
In keeping with the old school flavor, “Simple” came out next, no doubt spurred on by the new mayor of New York CIty’s Twitter usage. As the “Simple” jam stretched out and started to become anything but that, vocals emerged from the band and a distinct “Egg In A Hole” jam developed, the first time it’s been played since the Vegas Halloween run of last year where it was first spawned. A late set “Divided Sky” was perfectly placed before the set closed out in raucous fashion with the arena rocker that is “First Tube.”
Phish’s last set of the run began with a scintillating “No Men’s In No Man’s Land” that spawned a sprawling jam. The set also featured a memorable “Piper” that once again seemed perfectly dropped into place and contained a discernable “Dave’s Energy Guide” jam or tease, depending on who you talk to. Page McConnell and Trey Anastasio each also got to feature some of their personal material as well thanks to the pulsating “I Always Wanted It This Way” and the introspective “Lonely Trip.” An unexpected encore pairing of “Wilson” > “David Bowie” brought one last taste of magic to the Garden before a euphoric “More” officially closed out the run.
Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Fluffhead, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Simple -> Egg in a Hole Jam -> Simple, Divided Sky, First Tube
Set 2: No Men In No Man’s Land -> Prince Caspian > Piper > Gotta Jibboo, I Always Wanted It This Way > Lonely Trip, Walls of the Cave
Encore: Wilson > David Bowie, More
This was the the rescheduled date for the show that had been postponed due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surge in New York City in December of 2021. Trey teased San-Ho-Zay in No Men in No Man’s Land, Dave’s Energy Guide in Piper, and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed in David Bowie.
Saturday April 9th, the University at Albany’s student run radio station, WCDB 90.9FM, hosted their 2022 WCDB Fest at the Albany Barn. The day’s events featured local artists, businesses and bands, while celebrating the efforts and accomplishments of all those involved. The student organized event lasted late into the night and included an art fair, eight live performances and an award show.
WCDB Fest 2022
Throughout the night, bands rotated on the stage, each playing 15-minute sets. The music for the evening kicked off with WCDB’s own DJ Riddick who played an electronic set before Jack Lynch took the stage for his own solo performance. The bassist played a seven string bass and had an arc of pedalboards and electronics before him while he looped some out of this world sounds.
The first band to take the stage was Grampfather. The Kingston based eclectic rock band’s album Gramppappieswas nominated for WCDB Fest’s Best Album of the Year. Their set included ‘Poppies’ from the new album, which recently broke through 1,000 streams on Spotify. Canella followed Grampfather and were nominated for Rising Artist of the Year, as well Song of the Year with ‘Quiet Love.’ You can watch the music video for the single on Canella’s YouTube channel.
Canella
Canella were followed by Safety Meeting, who were nominated for Best Alt Rock/Indie Artist. The Saratoga band often play around Albany, and have an EP available to stream on Spotify. Following Safety Meeting, Mr. Every Day kicked off the first of two hip-hop performances. He opened his set with a passionate speech about his life, his family, and what music means to him. The intimate moment was followed by a high energy performance, priming the audience for a performance by Laveda.
The young shoe gaze band took the stage and immediately took control of the room. Their music had a beautiful blend of ethereal melodies over driving back beats, orchestrateed by familiar faces; Joe Taurone and Dan Carr of Canella. It was his second appearance on the night as he swapped between drums and bass (Dan would also appear on stage a third time, playing drums with Stella and the Reptilians). Laveda’s catalogue on Spotify includes a 6 track EP from their 2020 session with Audiotree. After Laveda, WCDB Fest’s Best Hip-Hop Artist, Scrambled performed a unique set. The Boston-based rapper began rhyming a-cappella while walking throughout the Albany Barn, projecting her voice throughout the room without any help from a microphone.
Ladybyrd
The evening ended on a high, with Stella and the Reptilians taking the stage right after taking home the Best Artist of the Year award. Everyone in the Barn was up on their feet for the final songs of the night, as bands and students alike were jumping and shouting along in celebration of not just Stella and the Reptilians, but in celebration of the WCDB community as a whole.
Stella and the Reptilians
Everyone present found themselves in the embrace of a tight-knit community of music lovers. WCDB Fest would not have been possible without the dedicated students who run the station, the musicians who are constantly creating and performing and the fans who create the demand for such an ecosystem to exist. Albany’s underground music scene is something to behold, and those who find themselves in a dirty, dusty basement will be glad they did. Every weekend you can catch a show whose music, energy, and excitement challenge those found at any mainstream venue in Albany. And with entry usually costing around $5, what’s the downside of checking out a basement show?
Rachel Freeman WCDB / Byrdhouse
If you are a music lover in Albany, or anywhere else for that matter, be sure to follow WCDB, the featured bands, and the music venues that are helping make Albany’s underground music scene flourish. You can find shows every weekend around the Capital District at The Byrdhouse, The Laundromat, Makeout Reef, Troy Speakeasy, Caesar’s Palace, and likely many more in the semesters and years to come. Also be sure to check out the gallery below for a full recap of WCDB Fest 2022.
WCDB Fest 2022 Award Winners
Best Punk/Hardcore Artist: Dirtybandaid
Best Country/Folk Artist: Beargrass
Best Electronic Artist: Soo Do Koo
Best Jazz Artist: Colleen Pratt
Best RnB/Funk Artist: The E-Block
Best Hip-Hop/Rap Artist: Scrambled
Best Alt Rock Artist: Senior Living
Rising Artist Award: Ladybyrd
Best Song: Quiet Love by Canella
Best Album/EP: Anniversaries by Senior Living
Best WCDB DJ: DJ Shmit
Music Scene MVP: Rachel Freeman
Best Artist of the Year: Stella and the Reptilians
Indigo De Souza played two sold out nights at Music Hall of Williamsburg last week on Thursday, April 21 and Sunday, April 24. Originally scheduled for January, the shows were postponed due to the pandemic surging in New York City at the time. She played with support from Friendship and Horse Jumper of Love.
Indigo De Souza at Music Hall of Williamsburg, photographed by David Reichmann
You can listen to Indigo De Souza’s latest full-length LP here, and follow Indigo’s ongoing North American Tour here. She will return to New York during her upcoming fall tour. You can listen to Horse Jumper of Love‘s music here and Friendship’s music here.
Night three of Phish at Madison Square Garden not only brought with it three sets of music, but a whale of a chance to do “New Year’s” all over again. Friday night represented the NYE celebration of the rescheduled end of 2021 shows and revelers took full advantage, dressing up to nines and all but signing “Auld Lang Syne” on the way in.
Photo by Jake Silco
An “Everything’s Right” opener did nothing to curb the pre-show enthusiasm and had the MSG crowd rocking in unison from the get-go. A smooth segue into “Tube” only further enhanced the early show vibes. Another first set pairing of “555” > “Back On The Train” went off without a hitch, with a “Train” jam that slowly increased in both tempo and emotion. The Page McConnell-penned “Army Of One” gave the crowd a chance to catch their breath before Phish welcomed back “Axilla (Part II)” to the live setting after being resurrected last year. A rowdy “Bathtub Gin” was met with open arms before “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S” closed out a raucous first set.
The second set was the “all gas, no brakes” portion of the evening with a string of segues that started with an ebullient “Set Your Soul Free” that made its way seamlessly into the “Light.” This was followed by a simmering “Fuego” before a quick trek into “What’s The Use?” gave the second stanza a chance to breathe. A “Backwards Down The Number Line” that Trey Anastasio dedicated to his daughter for her birthday brought yet another slow build and release jam in closing out the second set.
Prior to Set 3, the stage was cleared off entirely, and new, more compact drum and key rigs were brought to the stage, centered more than usual. The wide area around the stage that now surrounded the band was revealed to be a white sheet just prior to the 11:45pm start time. With the band’s return to the stage for “Free,” the stage lifted up, bringing with it the now-stretched sheet upon which projections would appear during an Earth Day-themed set. Five songs – “Free,” “A Wave of Hope,” “Waves,” “Sand” and “Split Open and Melt” – would play off their lyrics while water and laser projections lit up the stage from underneath.
Anastasio and company found themselves lifting up off the stage, with all found on the same level, so as to avoid a repeat of 2019 where Anastasio found himself stuck on his a platform, 30 feet above the stage. Much like in 2013 and 2015, the band moved the stage within the confines of The Garden, keeping the fans on their toes.
photo by Pete Mason
The Earth Day gag as a whole did not give a direct nod to this rescheduled New Year’s Eve show, but there were connections to the past that could be found within the production. The foam blowing during “Split Open and Melt” was a callback to 2002’s “Seven Below” foam party; the ‘rain’ during “Free” and “A Wave of Hope” was similar to 2016’s “Petrichor” production; the overall aquarium feel throwing back to 1993’s New Year’s Eve, and the overall water theme from 2017’s “Soul Planet.”
During “Waves,” drone-operated dolphins made an appearance, floating through the air, gyrating as they flipped and bounded through waves of smoke and fog. The famed Blue Whale from the Natural History Museum arose from Mike-side moments later, coasting through the water and providing a stunning visual effect for all 20,000 fans to behold. For 20-30 minutes, The Garden felt like The Ocean, with a blue hue accenting the stunning set.
As the stage descended at the end of “Split Open and Melt,” the sound of cracking ice could be heard, giving a subtle hint to the single song encore of “It’s Ice” that was yet to come. For the grand finale, a giant donut was raised behind the stage, reminding phans that even on Earth Day, the universe is a donut.
photo by Pete Mason
Setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Everything’s Right > Tube, 555 > Back on the Train, Army of One, Axilla (Part II) > Bathtub Gin > Say It To Me S.A.N.T.O.S.
Set 2: Set Your Soul Free > Light > Fuego > What’s the Use? > Backwards Down the Number Line
Set 3: Free, A Wave of Hope, Waves > Sand, Split Open and Melt
Encore: It’s Ice This was the rescheduled date for the show that had been postponed due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surge in New York City in December of 2021. Trey teased Happy Birthday in Set Your Soul Free and wished his daughter Bella a happy birthday in Backwards Down the Number Line. For the third set and encore, the stage was raised with a screen showing moving images in front of and below the band. During Waves, dolphins and a whale flew throughout the venue. Kelp descended from above the band during Split Open and Melt and fell to the stage after the song was over. Prior to It’s Ice, there was a prerecorded freezing sound as the image on the screen “froze.”
