NYS Music 202​2

Category: New York Singles

  • Brooklyn-based zannie Releases Hopeful ‘get that star’ Ahead of Debut Album

    Zannie Owens, a Brooklyn-based artist, has released their title track “get that star” ahead of their upcoming debut album, out Aug. 19 via Kill Rock Stars. Under the moniker, zannie, the artist has crafted a space-inspired single with a captivating music video to accompany it. 

    zannie crafted their new single based on the inspiration from the Voyager One Golden Record which Carl Sagan and Lynn Margulis sent into outer space in 1977. The Brooklyn singer-songwriter lyrically explores an alien who is trying to return home, and intertwines that story with a message of hope about human connection.

    With warm guitars, layered vocals, and whimsical instrumentation, “get that star” carries over hard-hitting but hopeful truths and lyrics of the human experience. zannie’s beginning vocals and dictation slowly draw you in before the melody takes off as the song builds. Despite being recorded in zannie’s bedroom, the video’s unique lighting effects, and focus on zannie, transform listeners into another space as they ponder over the song’s message.

    The single is just a glimpse at what may be to come off of zannie’s upcoming album, How Do I Get That Star. Written over the course of four years, zannie explores the unknown, the mystical, and more. During the process, they listened to artists such as Judee Still and Prince, and the album reflects some of those inspirations.

    If the single is any hint for what is to come on How Do I Get That Star, then listeners are in for some great new music to add to playlists on Aug. 19. To keep up with zannie as an artist, follow them on social media here. Listen to another single, “for a while,” off of the artist’s upcoming album, available below.

  • Baby Got Back Talk Release “Season Premiere” Single and Video

    New York city-based punk band, Baby Got Back Talk, has released a single and music video, “Season Premiere,” off of their upcoming full-album, Existential Shred, out on Sept. 9.

    Photo: Kate Hoos

    The band’s previously released single, “Model Minority,” debuted back in June, and paid homage to the My Chemical Romance hit “I’m Not Okay (I Promise).” Baby Got Back Talk consists of four members: vocalist/bassist G’Ra Asim, synth op/vocalist Rhiana Hernandez, lead guitarist/vocalist Jake Lazaroff, and drummer Wes Ruiz and has been bringing listeners great music since 2017.

    Vocalist and bassist G’Ra Asim began working on the new single, “Season Premiere,”  during his office hours as an English professor. Some of the lyrics, “I was searching for a guide/in the pages of poets/But I’m still not bonafide/as a sage or a stoic” describe the idea that we must accept we cannot always find the answers. One must feel free to pursue them on their own.

    Baby Got Back Talk album cover

    I’d spent so much time studying literature in the hopes that the bards of old held the wisdom I could use to orient my own journey. Students were looking to me to share that wisdom, yet I was keenly aware that I had so much left to figure out myself. The eureka moment we sometimes think we’re pursuing doesn’t necessarily deliver. The closest you can actually get is accepting that there’s no grand design to uncover, which means you’re free to make your own. ‘Season Premiere’ is the sound of four weary but still wide-eyed weirdos doing exactly that, and inviting the listener to do so in their own right.

    – Vocalist and bassist G’Ra Asim

    “Season Premiere” highlights Baby Got Back Talk’s pop-punk sound, similar to the rhythms and electric guitars of the early 2000s. In the music video, catch the band jamming out with a full set of drums, electric guitar, and more, in addition to them exploring the streets and landmarks of the city. Fans of the band can keep up with them across all platforms with the username @babygotbacktalk.

  • Charlie Burg Releases “Ohh! Sumthin’ New” Ahead of Debut Album

    On Friday, July 29, indie and alternative R&B artist Charlie Burg released his newest single, “Ohh! Sumthin’ New” from his upcoming debut album, Infinitely Tall, out on August 19.

    Photo credit: Dannah Gottlieb

    The artist was born in Detroit, Michigan but previously studied at Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music, and is now based out of Brooklyn. His upcoming album, Infinitely Tall, takes place across three spaces: Burg’s childhood home in Detroit, his beloved college house in Syracuse, and finally his experiences in NYC. 

    In the single, “Ohh! Sumthin’ New,” Burg explores the story of a character yearning for fresh and authentic experiences. With upbeat instrumentation and lyrics which critically examine the world around him, the track entices while simultaneously offering deeper meaning.

    Of the track, Burg shares that it “celebrates and laments the rootlessness of youth … the world of social media makes the protagonist feel like a poser and a fraud, mostly because of how much they subscribe to and partake in its evils. The protagonist desperately wants a change of pace, which is ironic in the face of their desire for solid ground to stand on.”

    Painting: Charlie Burg / Editing: Corinne Ferman

    With soft vocals and acoustic guitar suddenly transformed by the sounds of electric guitar,”Ohh! Sumthin’ New” takes listeners through a whirlwind. Burg incorporates unexpected backing vocals, sounds, and lyrics to keep you guessing and embodies the phrase “a change of pace.”

    Burg’s previous releases, including “Channel Orange in Your Living Room” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Okay Without You,” garnered him much attention, but his upcoming release marks a new shift in sound and ambition for the artist. The young 25-year-old expands on his previous works and leaves nothing behind in this new record.

    Burg will hit the road this fall across the EU, UK, and North America in support of the upcoming release from September through November. Get tickets now via charlieburg.world. To see the complete list of U.S. tour dates, see below.

    Charlie Burg Fall Tour 2022 (U.S. Leg)

    Oct. 12 – Washington DC – Union Stage

    Oct. 14 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry

    Oct. 15 – Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater

    Oct. 18 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East

    Oct. 19 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade

    Oct. 21 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada

    Oct. 22 – Austin, TX – Empire Control Room & Garage

    Oct. 25 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Garage

    Oct. 26 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey

    Oct. 28 – Oakland, CA – The New Parish

    Nov. 1 – Portland, OR – Holocene

    Nov. 2 – Seattle, WA – Barboza

    Nov. 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court

    Nov. 5 – Denver, CO – Globe Hall

    Nov. 8 – Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck

    Nov. 10 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry

    Nov. 11 – Des Moines, IA – xBK Live

    Nov. 12 – Chicago, IL – Chop Shop

    Nov. 13 – Detroit, MI – El Club

    Nov. 15 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Lounge

    Nov. 17- New York, NY – Irving Plaza

    Nov. 21 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club

    https://youtu.be/Jl3tR4djMk4

  • Sweats Release Single “Whiskey Thursday” Ahead of Upcoming Album

    Hailing from the Finger Lakes region, rock & roll band the Sweats is set to release their upcoming single, “Whiskey Thursday,” out on streaming services on July 28. The single is the first off of their album, Summer Nights Begin, which will drop later this year.

    “Whiskey Thursday” is built on the foundation of dynamic drums, a great bass line, wonderful guitars, and synths, with a relatable storyline lyrically. Similar in sound to the Foo Fighters, Ted Leo, or Deer Tick, the track is the perfect hint at what to expect for the rest of the album.

    The song deals with the struggles of untruthful relationships and confronting dark times. Vocalist Travis Durfee sings passionately on the track, describing the confusion of a relationship as backing vocals and engaging beats carry you through the five-minute song. The rhythm, lyrics, and catchy beats keep you hooked and wanting more.

    Sweats, consisting of Travis Durfee (vocals, guitar), JM Sincock (drums), Rob Kurcoba (bass), Tony DeLuca (keys), and Nick D’Aloisio (guitar), released their first full-length album, Caught in Wave, in 2020. The album was well-received, but the band is looking forward to continuing to expand their live performances with this upcoming album, Summer Nights Begin.

    Audiences can find Sweats often playing at the wineries and breweries outside of Ithaca where they are committed to playing original music for fans to enjoy. Creating art and making their own tunes is how Sweats rolls, and “Whiskey Thursday,” is a prime example of this.

    It is like an underground network of sorts, this rural collective of DIY festivals and promoters. There are groups like Uncle Uku and the Guise and Technicolor Trailer Park and indie rockers like Jesse Bloodgood, punks like The Rooster, all supporting each other, playing shows together, and trying to make it work, pulling together festivals, such as Togetherness and Wonderland, bringing people out into the woods to hear the heartbeat of original music in rural Upstate New York. It takes a minute to find that heartbeat, but we’re on the pulse and the beat is pretty steady.

    -Travis Durfee on the Ithaca music scene

    Be sure to be on the lookout for when “Whiskey Thursday” drops on July 28. The single will not disappoint and stay tuned for the upcoming album, Summer Nights Begin, which was mixed by sound engineer Mike Capporizzo. Take a listen to more of Sweats’ music available below. 

  • Guards Release New “All I Have to Do is Dream” Cover

    Originating from NYC, indie-rock group Guards released “All I Have to Do is Dream,” a cover of The Everly Brothers’ 1958 hit. The revitalized track is the latest release off of the Guards’ upcoming covers album, More Cover Songs, out on August 23 via CGR.

    Guards takes the popular hit and makes it into a sound completely their own. Beginning with soft percussion before building with subdued vocals, and differing riffs, the band reimagines the track in a brand new way. 

    The group formed out of NYC in 2010, and consists of Richie Follin, Loren Humphrey, and Kaylie Church. The trio released their first single, “Resolution of One,” in December of 2010 and their first full-length album, In Guards We Trust, in 2013. Guards have been working on new music throughout the pandemic, including the forthcoming cover album, More Cover Songs.

    The Everly Brothers are one of our biggest inspirations for melody and straightforward songwriting. This song always seemed way ahead of its time while somehow being of that exact moment. I think the really special artists are the ones that inspire the artists that inspire even more artists to become artists…they are that kind of special artist. The slow songs are always harder to cover because you can’t hide behind the energy, but this cover felt natural and we were able to do some fun things on it.

    -Richie Follin

    Guards split time recording the album and their most recent single, “All I Have to Do is Dream,” in NY and LA. Adam Thein mixed the record in Austin, Texas. The upcoming album is sure to be a success if this newest release is any indication. 

    Previously, Guards opened for acts such as Queens of the Stone Age, MGMT, Two Door Cinema Club, Deertick, and played in festivals such as Coachella,  Lollapalooza, and Primavera Sound. Take a listen to more of their music, available below. 

  • Wilder Maker Release “Static” and “Against Numbers”

    Brooklyn‘s Wilder Maker have just released two of their latest singles, “Static” (ft. V.V. Lightbody) and “Against Numbers” (ft. Katie Von Schleicher). The band is also preparing to release their latest album Male Models on July 29, the album tells tales of unrequited love, drunkenness, and desperation, and more.  

    Following up on previous singles “A Professional” and “Letter of Apology,” “Static” is the third track from their upcoming album. Gabriel Birnbaum says, “it touches on how violence in our culture tends to simmer under the surface in subtle ways that we overlook until they explode into something really horrific. It’s loosely inspired by a friend I had who used to get drunk and bait people into fights that he meant to lose. It features my friend V.V. Lightbody on vocals, an amazing singer and multi-instrumentalist from Chicago whose solo work I’m a huge fan of.”

    Wilder Maker Releases "Static" and Upcoming Album July 29th
    Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz

    We all listen to playlists a lot, even us album diehards. I’ve been keeping an ever-expanding playlist of songs that I never want to skip, with all of these different voices back to back. I wanted to make a record that sounded like a playlist in this way; it became a kind of songwriting challenge for me.

    – Gabriel Birnbaum

    Male Models can be described as Birnbaum’s tales of unrequited love, drunkenness, and desperation. The album feels almost voyeuristic, as if you were sitting in a crowded cocktail bar, sneaking glances at nearby tables. 

    Wilder Maker features a dynamic roster of musicians that includes singer-songwriter Gabriel Birnbaum, Nick Jost and Sean Mullins as the core trio. Male Models also features guest lead vocal spots from Adam Duritz (of Counting Crows fame), Katie Von Schleicher, Felicia Douglass (Dirty Projectors, Ava Luna), Alex Schaaf (Yellow Ostrich), V.V. Lightbody, and Mutual Benefit. 

    Male Models succeeds in truly capturing the energy of a crowded party and its accompanying playlist. Musically, it also changes shape constantly. The album has an electrified soul, featuring heartfelt folk songs, indie rock, and searing barn burners, all of which are expertly tethered by Birnbaum’s sardonic and doom-laden storytelling.

    Wilder Maker Releases "Static" and Upcoming Album July 29th
    Male Models is due July 29th via Western Vinyl

  • Three Brooklyn-based Acts Release Collaborative Single “Straws”

    On July 1, Dogwood Last, Fysics, and Rose Porn – three acts from the Brooklyn area – released their single “Straws” on July 1 via Dogwood Last, Fysics, and Rose Porn

    The single was written and produced remotely over the last 12 months and combines the aesthetics of all three Brooklyn acts’ sounds. Dealing with some serious topics such as depression, a lost love, and more, the single combines a feel-good groove with hard-hitting lyricism.

    Kory Burrell, a member of the band Dogwood Last, developed “Straws” with signature drum programs and synthesizers as Zach Rosenberg of Rose Porn worked on the production. The outstanding lyrics and many of the vocals come from Josef Lamberti, of the band Fysics.

    Long before the groups worked on “Straws,” they were friends first and foremost. Of the track, the group shares, “We spent over a year crafting this song and the production, knowing we were getting at something greater than the sum of our parts. It was the dream quarantine collaboration.”

    And a dream quarantine collaboration it was. The “Straws” single will surely draw the attention of fans of popular artists such as Frank Ocean, Jim-E Stack, and Dijon. With a calming opening mixing in tech beats and warped vocals, the song continues to develop into a track meant for indie-pop playlists and your next emotional summer drive.

    Fysics

    We feel like it’s the summer banger Lil Peep would have made if he were a successful liberal arts undergrad.

    – Dogwood Last, Rose Porn, and Fysics on “Straws”

    If you are interested in hearing more of this music live, on stage, and right in the moment, catch one of the three acts off of the “Straws” single, Dogwood Last, on August 19 at Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn. To hear more music from some of these talents, see below.

  • Career Day Release Two Singles From Upcoming Debut Album

    NYC-based trio Career Day returns with new music off of their upcoming debut album, Where We’ve Always Been, which is set to release on August 12.

    The first single called, “No Problem,” was released earlier this summer and is currently available on all streaming services via Old Press Records. The highly energetic metal track relies on powerful vocals, intense drumming, and electric guitar. The quick tempo and extreme sound bring the song to life.

    Career Day consists of members Desmond Zantua (vocals), Jacob Cutler (guitar), and Andrew Grossane on bass. Billy Mannino mixed and mastered the record, contributing to the band’s intense sound.  The sonic influences for the trio include Motion City Soundtrack, The Get Up Kids, and Braid, while the lyrics and messages behind the music rely heavily on Zantua’s life as an advocate and a Filipino-American.

    Much of this first track, “No Problem,” speaks to Zantua’s experiences and the importance of actual representation and social change. Via Instagram, the band shared, “this song goes out to everyone who has felt tokenized for their identity.” The hard-hitting lyrics, “the anthem of model minorities, Don’t want me heard; just seen” exemplifies this message.

    The newest single release after “No Problem,” called “A New Title,” dropped on Friday, July 8. The inspiration for the song came from the process of accepting and building a lasting love in an era where relationships are often fleeting. Many of the songs off the upcoming album, Where We’ve Always Been, discuss inequalities, injustices, and prejudices present in American society but this recent track brings another level of emotion to the EP. “A New Title” reminds listeners that no matter what is occurring in the world, there is something or someone to push us forward.

    The writing of both singles and the upcoming record began back at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. The group spent a lot of time crafting the songs that eventually made up the anticipated 10-track album. Career Day’s previous 2021 work, Pride Was Somewhere Else, touched on some dark and intrusive thinking with strong lyrics and concepts. The band builds upon their strengths with this next release but returns with an even more explosive sound.

    Listen to the band’s new music, “No Problem,” below.

  • Lexi Mariah Returns with “Queen of Broken Hearts” this August

    NYC-based pop artist Lexi Mariah returns with her upcoming single, “Queen of Broken Hearts,” coming to streaming services on August 3. Her energetic sound and carefully crafted storytelling combine into a catchy track worthy of high praise.

    Lexi Mariah cover art for Queen of Broken Hearts

    Produced by Kenny Cash and written by Mariah, “Queen of Broken Hearts” explores the ups and downs of relationships – how the people one trusts are not always who they seem. The track opens with an enticing guitar riff and vocal harmonies that pull you in and keep you hooked.

    Influenced by artists such as Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift, Mariah explores her pop sound with engaging hooks and an upbeat and captivating chorus. The lyrics tell a story of a manipulative relationship, adding great depth to the underlying rhythm.

    Lately I just feel like relationships and even friendships are a gamble and you truly never know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Sometimes people in your life will ‘play fair’ and sometimes they won’t. They might try to avoid showing their true colors at first, but the truth eventually will always come through.

    – Lexi Mariah on “Queen of Broken Hearts”

    Over the course of the nearly three-minute track, Mariah builds her message with engaging drums, sassy and ethereal vocals, and the perfect mix of the pop and indie genres. If you are looking for a song to blast in the car with the windows down this summer, “Queen of Broken Hearts” is the perfect addition to your next mix.

    To anticipate the release of “Queen of Broken Hearts,” check out Mariah’s recent releases and take a look at her music video for her 2021 track, “Demons,” below. Fans of Mariah’s music can also find her on Instagram.

  • Upstate Shares New Single “Lovers & Friends”

    Hudson Valley-emerged band Upstate shared their new single “Lovers & Friends” after a time of profound exploration and self-discovery in the last few years. They are returning with tours in New York State in July, August and October.

    Upstate is a band guided by clear ambitions: to write honest songs, play rich music, and “leave it all” on the stage and in the studio. Melanie Glenn, Mary Kenney lead as singers and guitarists, while Harry D’Agostino plays bass with percussionist/drummer Dylan Mckinstry. The band weaves traces of Americana, Jazz, Gospel, and R&B with their eyes towards music that tells the truth above all.

    Great changes happened to Upstate since the last new music in summer 2020. There’s been babies, marriages, engagements, relocations, new career paths, band members changed. Upstate has been writing and recording a fresh collection of songs and lately shared the first single, “Lovers & Friends”, a delicate yet soaring indie folk gem that explores the subtle intricacies of cherished relationships.

    Photography by Genesis Baez

    This is a tune that reflects on the different kinds of stakes wrapped up in our romances and intimate friendships, the ways that we know each other, and the ways that we don’t. The kind of honesty that can flourish in a genuine friendship, and the kinds of lies that romance often begets.

    Harry D’Agostino

    “Lovers & Friends” hints at Upstate’s creative rebirth which may arrive with their forthcoming album in Spring 2023. In the meantime, Upstate scheduled dates for tour in the remainder of this summer as followed with additional Autumn shows to be added shortly.

    Upstate Tour Dates

    7/16 – Sherman, NY – Heron Farm & Event Center
    7/29 – Cortland, NY – Main Street Music Series
    8/17 – Katonah, NY – Caramoor Center for Music & Arts
    10/15 – Geneva, NY – Smith Center for the Arts