NYS Music 202​2

Category: New York Singles

  • New Single “Before You Go” from Lupopunk is Vintage Pop Punk

    On Jan. 14, Long Island pop punk band, Lupopunk, released its second single, “Before You Go,” from their upcoming untitled EP.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa9SudVKJG0
    Lupopunk’s previously released single, “Don’t Think I Forgot About You” from their upcoming EP.

    On “Before You Go,” Lupopunk delivers a vintage pop punk performance, one that was frozen in ice back in 2003 and made to be thawed out under the blazing studio lights of an MTV stage. Except that MTV doesn’t play music anymore and pop punk turned out to be a fad. Which complicates the whole ordeal. How do you judge a good single from an outdated genre that barely holds any cultural bearing? Or should it not even matter because art should exist for its own sake and not to please, serve, and/or be sold to an audience?

    Lupopunk's single "Before You Go'" released on Jan. 14 2022
    Lupopunk’s recorded their new single “Before You Go” with John Naclerio of Nada Recordings.

    If you’re a fan of pop punk Lupopunk’s new single, “Before You Go” is like a fond childhood memory that triggers a rush of emotions and a longing for a time when all the things you loved were at the center of your world. The powerful guitar riffs with the emphatic chords, the angst-ridden vocals, the drums which demand attention all combine to make for a true “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” performance.

    When I first started Lupopunk it was going to be just an acoustic project…[but] I started to record that and demo it and realized that I’m going to finally do my pop punk stuff.

    Matty Lupinacci, Lupopunk front man

    Lupopunk’s lead vocalist, Matty Lupinacci, a long-time staple of the Long Island punk scene, will perform live for the first time in 14 years on Saturday 1/15 at the Massapequa VFW Hall.

  • Kevin Devine Releases Powerful Single “Albatross”

    New York-based songwriter and artist Kevin Devine announced his new album titled Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong, as well as its first single “Albatross.”

    Kevin Devine’s new single, “Albatross.”

    Devine has been making music for a long time. In the early 2000s, he performed with Miracle Of 86, which moved him forward into his own solo career. In 2015, he started his Devinyl Splits 7″ series with a variety of artists. He has also been a touring musician with Frightened Rabbit, John K. Samson, Julien Baker, and more.

    Kevin Devine, photo by Erik Tanner.

    His new single “Albatross” is a symbolic set of what his new album will be. Heavy drums, synth, and bass accompany Devine as the chorus spews, “If you’re sinking, sing-along/Nothing’s real, so nothing’s wrong.”

    Devine decided the album will be titled Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong through this song, and speaking of the single itself, Devine had a few words to say.

    ‘Albatross’ is a hard reboot, a fragmented emptying-out for us strugglers whose life experience invalidates cookie-cutter solutions or miracle cures or 21st century coping mechanisms. Where do you turn for comfort when the generally-accepted value system and discourse is this degraded and grotesque?

    Kevin Devine is releasing his tenth full-length record titled Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong on March 25, and he invites listeners in to discover the journey or self-preservation and its meaning. The album is available for preorder here.

    Kevin Devine performing live.

  • The Super 20 Marks Their Debut With Single ‘The Good Life’

    New York hornsman Lee Hamilton recruited sensational artists to create the group The Super 20. The curation of this group is marked by the January 7 release of their debut single ‘The Good Life.’ Their debut album, Winds of Wareika, is scheduled to come out in the spring on Color Red.

    the super 20

    The group consists of performers that have worked along side artists like Chicago Jazz Underground,  Debo Band and Jeff Parker. While still having their own sound, inspiration is pulled from greats such as Rico Rodriguez, Tommy McCook and Quantic. Hamilton personally cites literature as another source of inspiration, with Paulo Coelho’s book “The Alchemist.”

    The album is a collaborative effort between Hamilton and renowned producer and engineer, Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studio in Boston. Welsch is cited as a “crucial piece of the puzzle” when it came down to exactly how the ideas of this single would come to fruition.

    The two started collaborating in the early days of John Brown’s Body with Hamilton forming the horn section and Welsh serving as the band’s sound engineer. The two share a common idea of what “feels good” about creating music.

    the super 20
    Lee Hamilton on tenor saxophone

    The Good Life’s sound is something that tries to transcend genres. The track’s ideas of optimism and positivity towards the future blend perfectly with the reggae and afrobeat inspiration, as the horns keep you captivated. 

    Hamilton’s saxophone provides a strong base for the entire song and it’s easy to see just how well his curation of this group worked out.

  • SAVAK Release Guitar Driven Single “Cold Ocean”

    Brooklyn post-punk band SAVAK release their new single “Cold Ocean,” with hints of a new album on the way.

    Savak and “Cold Ocean.”

    SAVAK is a two-headed machine led by Sohrab Habibion and Michael Jaworski, and Matt Shulz on drums. Jaworski and Habibion have been sharing the duties of singer and songwriter since the band’s creation in 2015.

    All the members of the band played in bands in the 90s-The Obits, Holy Fuck, and The Cops. Their prior experience in 90s rock bands helps reform the sound of SAVAK, as touches of the scene are heard in their music.

    savak
    SAVAK, photo by Taylor Sesselman.

    “Cold Ocean” comes off the A-side digital single with the accompanying B-side “Adolescence Obsolete.” The single is guitar-heavy, and there is a lot of emphasis leading up to the big hook. The song has deep and meaningful lyrics, like the line, “Cold, cold ocean/Gonna break my neck/A wave of deep regret/I know we’ve already met.”

    The video itself features SAVAK’s home of Brooklyn, with scenes occurring throughout the city. The video is funny and uses shifting colors from gray to light to emphasize mood shifts. The story follows “Walker Slim” and his hustle to hawk a ring to give to a lover that never shows.

  • 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.

  • Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys Prepare for “Hillbilly Rock n’ Roll” Album Release

    Albany’s Jim Gaudet is a folksinger, but mostly he’s a straight forward story teller, whether singing about a baseball hero, a favorite soup or a childhood love. With the Railroad Boys, Gaudet will release Hillbilly Rock n’ Roll on Saturday, January 15 with a performance at the Madison Theater in Albany.

    The first single from the album, “New Girl Now,” tells a story that brings hope, for regardless of how dark and hopeless things may seem, things can change just as quickly for the better.

    The journey for Gaudet began around 1988 when he went to open mics at Caffe Lena and Albany’s Eight Step Coffeehouse. Soon, covers made way for originals, among them, “The Basement of Willett Street” paying tribute to the latter’s stage crew. In time, Gaudet has become a regional favorite with a refreshing sound that resonates with listeners the first time they hear them.

    jim gaudet

    Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys combine together for a superb harmony in their vocals and pure musicianship throughout, leading to an up-tempo experience. The band features Jim Gaudet (guitar), Bobby Ristau (bass), Sten Isachsen (mandolin), Sara Milonovich (fiddle) and Tucker Callander (fiddle). 

    jim gaudet

    Their unique brand of “Hillbilly Rock and Roll” has a way that makes you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time into a Texas roadhouse.

    I feel that I have not succeeded if I walk off the stage and we haven’t connected. I love playing the songs and I love that it is my music that we are playing.

    Jim Gaudet

    The band has performed at the bluegrass festivals across the country, including Wintergrass (Seattle), High Mountain Bluegrass Festival (Colorado) and Music City Roots (Nashville) as well as 6 appearances at Grey Fox.  

    jim gaudet

    Stay up to date with Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys via their Website and Facebook.

    Jim Gaudet and The Railroad Boys Winter 2022 Dates

    1/09/2022 Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House Club (FREE)
    1/15/2022 Albany, NY – Madison Theater (Album release show)
    2/07/2022 Albany, NY – McGeary’s Irish Pub (FREE)
    2/20/2022 Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House Club (FREE)
    3/05/2022 Saratoga Springs, NY – Caffe Lena
    3/07/2022 Albany, NY – McGeary’s Irish Pub (FREE)

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