NYS Music 202​2

Category: New York Singles

  • False Pockets Are Ready to Experiment With Their Future

    Rochester trio False Pockets have returned with their new single ‘Quarter Life Crisis Diapers’, off their upcoming album, Selfish Prophecies. The album, out February 18th, features more of the math rock sound their fans love, along with some new elements.

    False Pockets

    After celebrating the release, Ben Chesnes and Erik Happ are here to share some behind the scenes of how it all came together. 

    Kamra Wint : So, the new single just came out, congrats! How do you guys feel about it? 

    Ben Chesnes : We’ve been listening to these for a while, so it’s nice that others can hear it, for sure.

    Erik Happ : It’s nice that it’s finally out, we don’t have to be in the processing stage anymore. 

    KW: When did the band start writing and coming up with the idea for ‘Quarter Life Crisis Diapers’?

    EH : Almost two years ago. During quarantine, we all got together and started making music.

    BC : I think one of the riffs in this song was one of the first things [Erik] sent me for the new album.

    KW : What made you guys want to release ‘Quarter Life Crisis Diapers’ as your first single?

    EH : I think, as a band, we all mutually agreed that it was the best one. 

    BC : There’s a bunch of catchy parts in it, and some of the other songs on the album are a little more long winded.

    False Pockets

    KW : How did you guys get together? How did you all find each other?

    BC : Erik and I originally met at FLCC because we were both studying audio technology, but we didn’t start playing music until years after. 

    EH : I think it was Fall 2018, I was wearing a Caddywhompus shirt and Ben was like “yo, nice shirt!”. I was like “we should really play some music together sometime.” I had just moved out here, and had nobody to play with so I was down.

    KW : Zach is your third member right? How did you guys meet him? 

    EH : We were looking for a bassist, so I asked my friend, who was an Eastman Kid [Eastman School of Music], if he knew anyone and he suggested Zach. I just got lucky finding the right people.

    KW : So what do you guys have in mind for the future? What are you thinking of?

    BC : Well, I feel like our writing process is generally more like Erik coming up with the starting points and then we get together and kind of work it out. We honestly don’t have much written for our next leap, I feel like we wanted to sit with this one for a little bit.

    EH : We have a bunch of stuff actually. We have like three songs in form and then a bunch of little ideas. I’m hoping to stray away from writing every single thing, and have us just like get into a room and just come up with ideas collectively.

    BC : I think this album definitely has a lot more of that though. Our first EP that we came out with in 2019 was more older stuff that Erik had written and this album that we’re coming out with soon is more collective.

    The math rock group has even more in store for their fans, with an upcoming New Paltz show in March and another show in Brooklyn. The future is very bright for False Pockets.

    ‘Quarter Life Crisis Diapers’ is available on all streaming platforms and more information can be found on the band’s website.

  • Post-Punk Band Catcher release single ‘Behind a Bleeding Heart’

    Brooklyn-based post-punk band Catcher have released their newest single ‘Behind A Bleeding Heart’ off their upcoming debut album, The Fat Of A Broken Heart, set to release on February 18th.

    Catcher

    Diving into a successful career in their first year as a band in 2021, Catcher released five singles ‘Yesterday’s Favorite,’ ‘The Skin,’ ‘Only Advice,’ ‘Fallen Stones,’ and ‘Comparing Saviors and Friends.’ The band had their first headline tour with Been Stellar across the U.S. and sold-out numerous shows across the city.

    The band is still early in their career but some have been childhood friends like bassist and drummer Cameron McRae and Wilson Chestney. The vocalist of the band, Austin Eichler draws the fans in with his lyrical performance of emotion, powerful screams, chaotic presence, and the ability to create a world of their own.

    Catcher’s newest single is a wailing and anticipative treat, fit to soundtrack a dramatic scene on your favourite crime drama. The NYC five-piece have delivered a moody, grungy track that will make your hair stand on end. The track ends in a cacophony of percussion, planned to perfection.

    Safe and Sound

    Catcher’s newest single is the first song the band has written that sinks into the root of the band. Wanting to shake things up with their sound the band went in the direction of listening to music that was distinct from theres. The directions went from noisy chaos of Due Mary and T.P. Orchestra Poly-Rhythm, free jazz, and back to the bands southern roots with Johnny Cash.

  • Brooklyn Band Endearments Share Video For Coldplay-Inspired “Delicate”

    Brooklyn synth-pop project Endearments have released a Coldplay-inspired music video for their original song “Delicate,” off their debut EP Father of Wands.

    Endearments and the video for “Delicate.”

    The video for “Delicate” is directly influenced by Coldplay’s video for their song “Yellow.” Speaking of the video, singer Kevin Marksson spoke about the influence.

    When we decided to make a music video for ‘Delicate’ I knew immediately that I wanted it to be an homage to Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’ video. It’s one of my all-time favorite music videos: beautiful, earnest, simple. Thematically ‘Delicate’ is really the opposite of ‘Yellow’ though. It’s a song about walking away from a bad relationship, so setting the video on an idyllic beach didn’t feel right. Filming on the street in Bushwick felt like the perfect way to pay tribute to the original while still being true to this song.

    Kevin Marksson, Endearments.

    Marksson recently began writing and composing for himself for the first time in over a decade, after his previous band ended. He chose the name for this project because he wanted to convey a sense of affection, though the music he makes is sad.

    Father of Wands uses brilliant basslines and dream-pop aesthetics to tell the story of Marksson’s own heartbreak and healing. The title of the EP comes from tarot cards, as the Father (or King) is the ultimate card in the suit of Wands, which lets Marksson be guided to a place of healing.

    endearments delicate
    Endearments.

    Endearment’s Coldplay-inspired video for the new song “Delicate” is out now. Descrived as “irresistible and gratifyingly groovy” by Bands Do Brooklyn, your ears will transcend to a place of wonder.

  • Andrew Thomases’ Reminiscence of His Past In NY Inspires New Song “Suburban Void”

    Andrew Thomases, reflects on his adolescence from the point of view of suburban life within the busy streets of New York. This past Friday, January 21, Thomases released a new single, “Suburban Void”, sharing his experiences.

    Andrew Thomases

    Thomases discusses life as a teenager and all the boredom-driven antics he pursued during that time. “Suburban Void” is a catchy upbeat rock song listeners can dance to. He highlights some activities pursued that were “so pathetic”, which is a feeling people may share in remembrance of their immaturity as a teen. Thomases looks back into what was deemed important to adolescents, like getting drunk or preparing for a sweet sixteen. Ultimately, his views have changed since then, resulting from seeing the world differently as he grew up.

    Looking back, it seems so pathetic. We were just living in a suburban void, we didn’t know all we could’ve enjoyed. We were just living in a suburban void, that explains why we were oh so annoyed.

    Andrew Thomases

    All within his first year of being an established artist, Thomases’ fan base spread across 35 countries, 388 streams, and 235 listeners through Spotify. Considering Thomases takes his audience on an emotional and thoughtful journey through his music, he presents himself as relatable to the masses.

    For more information on Andrew Thomases’ music visit his website.

  • Miles Francis Brings You Back to Your Childhood with new single ‘Let Me Cry’

    NYC singer-songwriter Miles Francis is here to bring back old memories with their new single, ‘Let Me Cry,’ from their upcoming album Good Man, out March 4th. The album covers the topics of masculinity and Francis’s own struggles with identity.

    Produced by Francis over quarantine and recorded in the basement of their Greenwich Village building, the single plays into emotions we’ve all had at one point or another. During the creation of the album, Francis came out as non-binary, which resulted in a deeper dive into the ideas of masculinity and all it entails.

    Along with this self revelation came the desire to help others, with Francis assisting organizers during the height of NYC’s Black Lives Matter protests. They played the drums during marches as a way to help organizers keep beat and also helped to found New York-Based collective Musicians United. They plan on continuing their activism efforts by organizing a benefit concert for Trans housing in April.

    “Everyone starts from the same place, regardless of gender. As children, we let our emotions go, uninhibited and in touch with our vulnerabilities. As we age, we go through a ‘boxing in’ by family or society – unless we can break out.”

    Miles Francis

    The one-shot music video utilizes the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the method of improvisation to perfectly mirror Francis’s inner feelings. Inspiration for the project was drawn from greats like Prince, David Bowie and the early 2000’s boy bands Francis had listened to in their childhood. Actor Jim Carrey and artist Marcel Duchamp have also impacted Francis’s work.

    Good Man Album Cover

    The single is available on all streaming platforms and the music video is available to watch on the Miles Francis youtube channel. Pre-order for Good Man as well as its’ vinyl and cassette forms are available here. Check out photos from Miles’ show at Baby’s All Right in October 2021.

  • Alexa Dark finds herself on new single “Ungrateful”

    NYC-based artist Alexa Dark owns up to her mistakes in her new dreamy alt-country single and video for “Ungrateful.”

    Alexa Dark

    Raised between Barcelona, Munich, and London, Dark began writing songs at an early age, influenced by a wide range of artists, from Jack White to Patsy Kline.

    Alexa Dark’s new single, “Ungrateful.”

    Dark lived on both the west and east coasts and uses her experiences on both coasts to write her music. Dark explores the depth of her music, offering new singles like “Fade to Black and Blue” and “Blind Faith.” The song is produced by Matt Chiaravalle and mastered by Grammy-award winner Emily Lazar who has worked with the likes of Beck and Haim.

    Through the single, she admits to mistakes as she navigates the highs and lows of growing up, through her dreamy vocals and relaxed guitar.

    “Ungrateful” started off as a voice memo of me strumming the guitar. I wanted to bottle up the feelings brewing inside of me – feeling unsteady and unsure in my life, yet feeling like I had to figure it all out perfectly. Simultaneously navigating a night out and sifting through my past, “Ungrateful” became a kind of reclamation, an anti-apology, telling the world (and more importantly, myself) to accept my mistakes, because I’m never going to grow if I’m too scared to make them.

    Alexa Dark

    The new single “Ungrateful” by NYC-based artist Alexa Dark is out now and can be streamed here.

  • NYC Horror Punk outfit Cut Like This drop catchy new single “The Boogeyman”

    NYC is a melting pot of musical genres, and is the breeding ground for some of the most creative acts that our country has to offer. There’s everything from horror punk, thrash, doom, stoner, and much, much more. One of those genres is called horror punk, and within that genre tag is Cut Like This, a band who have recently released a single for their incredibly catchy song, “The Boogeyman.”

    Cut Like This

    Cut Like This features Rose Blood on vocals, guitarist Thorn Black, and Corey Carver on bass guitar; together they take influence from artists like Wednesday 13, Shulla, Phantasmagoria, In This Moment, Dir En Grey, Korn, Nothingface, Jack Off Jill, and many more.  

    When asked about this new song, Rose Blood says:

    “The Boogeyman” was really fun to write and we tried a lot of new things with this track, including adding synths to it, as well as collaborating with our friend Xian Murder of the Amatory Murder, who helped us record it and helped produce it. It was inspired by my real life issues with insomnia, with mythologies and films centered around the idea of the Boogeyman, especially our favorite Boogeyman of all, Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm street.

    Rose Blood, Cut Like This

    The synth work is something that fans of their self titled first album will consider new, but their addition helps to give Cut Like This a fuller sound, and is a perfect compliment to what they are doing in “The Boogeyman.” 

    Aside from the addition of synth, one of the most notable influences stems from Wednesday 13, whose work with Joey Jordison in the Murderdolls, and as a solo artist, helps to fuel “The Boogeyman;” it’s difficult to not hear that influence on the vocals and guitar riffs.

    “The Boogeyman” is a cool horror punk song, and if you like the original you should also check out the remix done by Angelspit. You can find the original here, and the remix link is also available for viewing below. So get on it, and show Cut Like This some love by liking and following them on all of their social media accounts.

  • The Bogie Band, featuring Joe Russo, Release New Album

    A new collaboration release from The Bogie Band features Joe Russo on their newest single ‘The Prophets In The City’ with old friend Stuart Bogie. The upcoming album is named after their latest new single and is set to release March 25th.

    The Bogie Band

    The nine songs within the new album ‘The Prophets In The City’ paints an image to the listeners from crowded streets to characters that carry mysteries and truths in their hearts. Joe Russo’s dynamic drumming and Stuart Bogie’s tenor saxophone playing are joined together to showcase only wind and percussion instruments on the album that push the boundaries of wind music.

    Stuart Bogie & Joe Russo

    Beloved bands such as Antibalas, The Dap-Kings, Red Barat, Budos Band, St. Vincent and David Byrne’s American Utopia from New York City come together to become the supporting cast of musicians.

    The Bogie Band debut was at the Winter Jazzfest back in 2020. The summer of 2021 the group performed at their most beloved club, NuBlu where they sold out the entire show just before the Newport Jazz Festival. The JazzTimes praised the mesmerizing waves of harmony and rhythm that was shown throughout the performance.

    “The music we’ve created here revels in the human mysteries that unfold in New York City, basking in its connections, ironies, and myths,” explains Bogie. “Through observing its humanity, we hope to invoke the underlying world of the spirits.”

    Off the upcoming album will follow two release shows on March 24th at Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia and March 26th at Brooklyn Bowl Williamsburg. Tickets go on sale this Friday January 21st at 12pm ET.

  • From Budapest to Brooklyn, The Hellfreaks stun with cover of Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’

    Hungarian Punk-Metal band The Hellfreaks are here to prove themselves with their cover of ‘Sabotage’ by NYC legends, the Beastie Boys. 

    cover art

    Following their recent signing to Napalm Records and the release of their single ‘Old Tomorrow,’ the group have focused on finding ways to showcase their full potential. ‘Sabotage’ serves as the kickstart to their upcoming full-length album.

    The four members of the group worked hard to find a sound that would work for all of them and they struck gold after agreeing to do a Beastie Boys cover. The song perfectly encapsulates each member’s musical prowess while allowing them to incorporate their own special twist.

    We love to challenge ourselves and see this mindset as the oil for our engine, that is why we decided to do something we never did before – to cover a song that represents a legendary piece of rock music history. 

    The Hellfreaks

    Instead of recording each part of the song instrument by instrument or section by section, it was recorded with all the members together. The method of live recording ensured that they would keep the essence of the Beastie Boys without making an exact replica of their hit song. As homage to the rap icons’ hometown pride, The Hellfreaks recorded the music video in their hometown of Budapest.

    ‘Sabotage’ is now available on youtube, all streaming platforms and at Napalm Records.

  • Restless World Music Releases “Bridges Are Collapsing”

    Restless World has released their new single called, “Bridges Are Collapsing.” The NYC band is no stranger to melodic beats and emotionally driven lyrics, assets that this new single include as well.

    Described as “smartly crafted”, Restless World have been praised for their ability to mesh between genres, like with the drop of their singles “I No Go Play” and “Cyclone”

    restless world bridges are collapsing
    Restless World’s cover art.

    The song is perfectly crafted as it conveys the emotion of previously stable things in your life as they fall down. The lyrics, “Bridges are collapsing/there goes everything” accurately explain the feeling when things are not working out, and you’ve given up.

    Speaking of the song, Restless World summarized the song itself.

    Bridges connect people, places, cultures…and sometimes hearts. So what happens when that connection starts breaking down? That’s the story “Bridges are Collapsing” tells.

    This song is important in the new life with the pandemic, as everything around us is collapsing, but we do have one thing to keep us grounded, the art of music.

    Featuring JOSEPH on vocals, “Bridges Are Collapsing” is hauntingly beautiful, and makes it no surprise that Restless Music has won several songwriting awards, notably from The Great American Song Contest five years in a row.

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