Forever Honey, a Brooklyn-based Indie Rock group is once again expanding their discography with the release of their newest single “Number One Fan.”
Forever Honey is composed of Liv Price (lead vocals, guitar), Aida Mekonnen (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Vannelli (drums, keys), and Jack McLoughlin (bass, production). They are known to blend different sounds, stories and emotions to relate to their fans.
Their newest song came to be from personal experiences and the title of it is meant to be literal. Forever Honey created a song that expresses the point of view of social media users scrolling through the various platform. The group focused on the everyday thoughts, anxieties, and pressures from using social media.
“Number One Fan,” in particular, is our least abstract/most literal song, lyrically. The entire thing is about scrolling through instagram and seeing the highlights reel from everyone’s life. You know people, deeply, in the least meaningful ways; you fall in love with the least accurate version of someone.
Forever Honey
The group also discussed, during the beginning of the pandemic everyone was focused on TikTok and Instagram, which is where the lyrics from “Number One Fan” originated from.
Despite enduring obstacles, as a result of the pandemic during the debut of their first EP Pre-Mortem High, Forever Honey still managed to grasp an audience and make a name for themselves within the music industry. Their first live show took place in the Summer of 2021, following the release of their single “Satellite” and ever since Forever Honey has continuously elevated their skill set.
To learn more about the band and their upcoming work visit their official website.
Caroga Arts in Caroga Lake, NY is one of two organizations receiving the $1 million grant from New York State Council for the Arts (NYSCA) that will be used to construct a new state-of-the-art amphitheater.
The Caroga Arts Amphitheater rendering plan.
Founder and artistic director Kyle Price spoke about the grant, and how exciting it is:
We are honored to receive this award and thrilled to be working with renowned historic preservation architect LTRW and Consigli Construction Co from the Capital district. The Amphitheater serves as the first phase of a larger master plan that includes the restoration and renovation of the existing Main Building, Carousel, Bumper Car Pavilion, and Ferris wheel. We look forward to sharing updated renderings and information about the capital campaign for the first phase of both Sherman’s and Myhill properties.
The Caroga Arts Collective plan to construct the amphitheater in Sherman Park, and it will be able to accommodate an 80-person orchestra and a stage house with backstage support, as well as having excellent acoustics. The construction is planned to have a warm, wood design that incorporates classical style elements.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York Sate Council on the Arts gave 116 Capital Grants out. These reflect the depth of New York State’s art sector and will help spur economic development, job growth, and better access to arts and culture experiences.
The 2022 Caroga Lake Music Festival summer season has also been announced, and will run from July 18 to August 21 and will feature over 30 performances by more than 120 artists. It will have a variety of genres, from pop to rock or folk to jazz.
Caroga Arts Music Festival 2022 poster.
Special guest performers include returning artists like Rushad Eggleston, along with new debuts and over 100 CLMF Resident Artists. The Caroga Arts Ensemble will present the iconic Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, the first major symphony to be performed in Caroga Lake, as well as other exciting orchestral and chamber works.
The 5th annual Caroga Arts Gala featuring renowned saxophonist Eddie Barbash will take place on July 22 at Sherman’s. The CLMF Lessons and Ensembles Program will take place every Monday during the festival, and will feature general music workshops and individual or small group lessons and is open to anyone.
In anticipation of their debut EP, Broken Dance, set to release on May 6th, Gooseberry has dropped the titular track of their forthcoming project. The Brooklyn band, consisting of Asa Daniels, Evin Rossington, Sam Rappaport, and Will Hammond, is slowly building an underground following.
Recently, the band placed in the Final Four in NYSMusic’s March Madness 2022 bracket, and their newest release continues to highlight their talent.
Gooseberry
Gooseberry’s music is a magnificent blend of soulful R&B and indie-pop. Their newest release continues to showcase this amalgamation. The titularly titled track, “Broken Dance,” features a happy yet inquisitive piano roll. Accompanied by a melancholic violin and intimate lyricism, the track wonderfully captures the antonymic feelings of intimacy and loss.
The four-piece talent will also be touring the American Northeast. In New York, they will return to the Bowery Electric on April 14th and to Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory on May 21st. Additionally, the band will also pass through the Finger Lakes region and will play at Grist Iron Brewing on June 11th.
TOUR DATES
04/13 – O’Brien’s – Boston, MA
04/14 – Bowery Electric – New York, NY
04/16 – Transparent Clinch Gallery – Asbury Park, NJ
05/21 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY
06/11 – Grist Iron Brewing – Burdett, NY
Gooseberry is set to have an exceptional 2022, for more information on the band and to pre-order Broken Dance, visit gooseberryband.com.
The City of Albany has announced the lineup for the 2022 Tulip Festival. It will take place on May 7 and 8 in Washington Park.
The Tulip Festival is Albany’s signature spring event. It features over one hundred artisans selling their homemade crafts, a fine arts show, food, two stages of live entertainment, and more than 187,000 tulips in over 150 varieties.
Albany Tulip Festival
The Tulip Festival 2022 lineup is going to be bringing in some great musical acts from across NYS.
SATURDAY, May 7
MAIN STAGE
Washington Park Parade Grounds 1:30p.m. – Bad Mothers: The dirty-rock band from Albany NY heralded for their consistently hard-hitting performances. Recently signed to Black Country Rock Media.
3:00p.m. – TBA
4:30p.m. – Parquet Courts: Parquet Courts’ music is filled with thought-provoking rock. They are experimenting with electronic and psychedelic music to tell a story, while also maintaining uniqueness. Their newest work Symphony For Life falls on groovy dance music, rather than rhythm. The band is built largely from improvised jams, inspired by New York clubs, Primal Scream and Pink Floyd.
LOCAL 518 STAGE
Washington Park Lakehouse Stage
1:00p.m. – Hanzolo: is a 7-piece band from Upstate New York, that have an explosive and emotional sound that mixes soul, jazz, rock, and funk. Their songs are danceable and fun, with thoughtful lyrics. They recently won NYS Music’s March Madness competition and have won the EQX Battle of Bands and opened Albany’s annual Pearlpalooza music festival.
2:15p.m. – Canella: Canella brings a Latin spice to her indie folk-rock style. With some pop influences, her songwriting is full of intricate melodies that tell stories of existentialism and share intimate thoughts. Born and raised in Colombia but listening to 70’s and 90’s rock, Canella dove deeper into her solo songwriting career, utilizing her influences from former Albany local band Waitress, and implementing these elements into her more personal sound.
3:30p.m. – B. Chaps and Freedom Stratton: Freedom Stratton does it all he’s a singer, dancer, actor and model! B. Chaps is from Albany, NY, and does hip hop/alternative music with jazz mixed in.
4:45p.m. – E.R.I.E: came on to the Albany, NY scene in 2020. What began as a passion project developed while singer/songwriter TJ Foster was unexpectedly laid up in a hospital bed for three days, has turned into a fully-formed quartet, winning over audiences with their catchy songs and energetic live performances.
SUNDAY, MAY 8
MAIN STAGE Media sponsors: 1023 Kiss FM 1:30p.m. – Taina Asili: Taína Asili is a New York-based Puerto Rican singer, filmmaker and activist who carries on the traditions of her ancestors, taking past and present struggles into her music with a soulful and strong voice. Her songs have themes of hope and liberation, fusing with Afro-Latin, reggae, and rock genres. Asili’s music spans continents, and inspires audience at venues across the globe- from Carnegie Hall to the Women’s March on Washington to the main stage of San Francisco Pride. With an energetic horn section and infectious rhythms, Asili’s music urges people to get on their feet and dance to the rhythm of rebellion.
3:00 p.m. – DJ TGIF
4:45p.m. – Powerhouse Funk Band: Combining R&B, neo soul, jazz, funk and everything in between, Powerhouse will have you dancing on your feet and feeling the good vibes deep in your soul. They play with a lot of emotion and soul, which gravitates fans to listen to them.
LOCAL 518 STAGE 1:00p.m. – Kyla Silk: R&B singer Kyla Silk has a soulful voice reminiscent of Carole King and Janis Joplin, as well as modern influences like Alicia Keys.
2:15p.m. – SIDE – B: Four-piece alternative rock band from Upstate New York consisting of drummer Dylan Travison, bassist Eric Mitchell, guitarist AJ Horton, and vocalist Ian Justino.
3:30p.m. – Kieran Rhodes: Kieran Rhodes is an accomplished performer, songwriter, pianist and vocalist. As a songwriter, he has released multiple songs under his name which can be found on all streaming platforms. Kieran also has experience writing songs for television. His most recent project being a co-writer on a song for The Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible.”
4:45p.m. – Playin’ with Fire: is a vibrant and powerful Performance Act capturing seamless tributes to every song that audiences love. Led by an irresistible, energetic female vocalist and dynamic male singer/guitarist, the band handles music from Rock, Pop, Country and Blues with astonishing accuracy. Crowd pleasing originals, harmonies and engaging personalities make the Playin’ with Fire Band a sure “fire” hit for any event. The 5 person band includes professional musicians (drums, bass, lead guitar) who have performed with major recording artists across the nation.
Queens based band, The Forms, released a cover of “Latch” the popular Disclosure song featuring Sam Smith.
Photo by Noah Kalina
“The core composition is so strong that the song would probably work in any format, but hopefully our un-electronic version will highlight what Disclosure and Sam Smith accomplished with their remarkable work,” said Alex Tween.
In The Forms cover they swapped out the electronic production for the physical instruments featured in the song.
Apart from Sam Smith’s voice and Disclosure’s harmonies, the original song was entirely composed of synthetic elements seemingly, so for our take we used all physical instruments (rhodes, hammond organ, piano, drums).”
The group tried to reverse engineer the song and draw out its “weirdness”.
“’Latch’ is definitely one of the weirdest and most complex songs ever to break through to the mainstream,” Tween said. “The chords are so strange and unique, the slow triplet rhythms virtually unheard of for a dance track, and the lyrics are so subtly subversive that it is truly an astonishing achievement that it made the Top 10.”
Photo by Noah Kalina
The Forms is a two-person band composed of Tween, who plays piano, guitar, and provides vocals, and Matt Walsh. The two have known each other since high school. They released their debut album together back in Feb. 2003. The Forms are currently work on an album that will be released in 2022 with Steve Albini of Electrical Audio.
The Cobblestone Live Music & Arts Festival is preparing for its 4th annual event with over 16 artists in Buffalo’s Historic Cobblestone District on July 15 and 16.
For this event there will be four stages: the main outdoor stage will be located on the corner of South Park Ave & Illinois Street, the second will be on Columbia Street, the third is located inside of Buffalo Iron Works, and the fourth stage is inside Lockhouse Distillery & Bar.
For the past 10 years the Historic Cobblestone District has been a neighborhood full of live music, entertainment and has paved the foundation of Cobblestone Live bars, restaurants and venues; with the goal being to grow each year until this festival is national-sized.
Following the events of the last two years, we are thrilled to announce that we are coming back bigger and better than ever this year. With the birth of Twenty6 Productions in 2020, we have resources that we haven’t had in previous years – which shows in the lineup and will certainly be evident at the festival itself for years to come.
Festival Director and Twenty6 Productions CEO Josh Holtzman
Advanced tickets are discounted: the two-day general access is $40, while the single-day general access is $25. There are also VIP tickets: the two-day access is $175 and the single-day access is $100. However, the day of the festival tickets are $50 for both days and $30 for one. Additionally, the VIP ticket for both days is $200 while the single-day ticket is $125. VIP passes consist of extra amenities such as private areas, front-of-stage viewing, a premium bar with craft beverages, lounge area and more.
Misterwives Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Andy Frasco & The UN The Hip Abduction Doom Flamingo Mihali of Twiddle Alanis Morissette Tribute ft. former members of Turkuaz Dirty Work [Steely Dan Tribute] ft. members of Aqueous & The Sideways Funktional Flow SE2 Silent Disco [Alt, Hip Hop, 2K Pop] Workingman’s Dead Grub Canetis Mom Said No The Sideways Grace Greenan
Later this year, Ween will head out on the road with a tour sponsored by the Brownest Brand around, UPS. The “Are You Down with the Brown?” Tour will see Ween heading from show to show in a fleet of iconic UPS delivery vans, which will be painted powder blue during the tour.
“We partnered with UPS in part for their professionalism and their overall commitment to deliver your packages, even if the weather is cold and wet,” said an enthusiastic Gene Ween.
UPS will serve as the delivery vehicle of choice when you need someone to carry that velvet sack full of pretty colored marbles to your Voodoo Lady. The tour will also guarantee that delivery of all roses will be free.
UPS drivers are excited about the collaboration. “We’re in the mood to move and do our thang,” said Big Jilm. ““People keep telling us to SLOW DOWN BOY, but we’re got packages to deliver!”
“I’ve been with Brown since the 90’s” said Fat Lenny, a UPS regional manager. “Frank over here, he and I will be your Johnny on the Spot this jawn.”
A special bonus feature of the UPS/Ween tour is in person delivery of packages by a member of Ween. This offer is only available for those living on Buckingham Green, Alcan Road, Up On the Hill or Joppa Road, and residents of Chocolate Town, Basom and Israel.
Ween “Are you Down with Brown?” Tour Dates will be announced on April 31st, 2022.
NYC indie band Morningsiders have returned to unveil their newest album I’ve Got a Song, along with the release of their new single ‘Hang the Cedar’, a song detailing the struggles of finding identity within a friend group.
The folk-pop trio recorded the single with the help of well-known producer Peter Katis, who has also worked with The National, Interpol and Sharon Van Etten. The song came together after the group realized that they had a piano pattern that would work perfectly as a verse. Building outward from the verse resulted in a cohesive story and smooth melodies.
‘Hang the Cedar’ captures the difficulty of developing a personality while navigating within a friend group. It can be an added challenge when you consider how those around you view you, but the Morningsiders are here to help you along.
PC : Shervin Lainez
“It’s like all of a sudden you have a chance to meet yourself, but also to reinvent and curate in a way that you couldn’t before.”
Morningsiders
Morningsiders is comprised of Magnus Ferguson (vocals/guitar), Reid Jenkins (fiddle/vocals) and Robert Frech (piano). After forming in 2012, the group has gone through a number of member rotations before landing on their current three man dynamic. They first gained national attention after their song ‘Empress’ was featured in a Starbucks commercial featuring Oprah Winfrey and have kept this momentum going with an ever changing musical sound and inventive approaches.
Fans can listen to ‘Hang the Cider’ on all streaming platforms.
After a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus, the BUKU Music and Art Project made it’s triumphant return to New Orleans this past weekend. The 2-day music festival and art project took place at it’s usual location outside of Mardi Gras World on the banks of the Mississippi river. The project’s 10th anniversary featured a stacked lineup of EDM and bass music, rap, hip-hop, and indie rock. Back in March of 2020, as the stages and grounds were being built, project organizer Winter Circle Productions made the tough decision to cancel BUKU Project just over a week out. Being the first cancelled festival in 2020, it was only fitting that in 2022, a few weeks after Mardi Gras celebrations returned to New Orleans, that BUKU would be the first festival to kick off the season.
The 2022 lineup featured several hold over names from the cancelled 2020 edition including headliner Tyler, the Creator, Glass Animals, Alison Wonderland, Taking Back Sunday, and 100 Gecs. Over the years BUKU has grown into a 20,000 attendees per day festival and the location has proven ideal. A 100 year old power plant with graffiti covered smoke stacks and a vintage riverboat anchored on the Mississippi overshadow the project, reflecting the rich history of New Orleans’ warehouse district.
BUKU Project attendees were treated to a perfect sunny 75 degrees in New Orleans, a city that was eager to welcome music lovers back into their arms. New Orleans’ famous culture center of Bourbon Street is once again buzzing with music and activity and this was mirrored into the design of BUKU. Organizers weaved the experience of discovering local music into the fabric of the project.
As you walk around the grounds, you find pop-up musical performances, many which were not featured on the lineup. In the fields of the main stage area, there is a small vendor market with bands playing DIY style shows in the center of the market. A mobile rickshaw draped in hundreds of Mardi Gras beads was seen riding around the festival with massive speakers and a DJ playing music off the back. Outside of the ‘Ballroom’ stage, there was a boxing ring where rappers, bands, and interpretative performers played intensely experimental music.
Rickshaw and Boxing Ring “Stages”
Aside from the music, BUKU is also an Art Project that celebrates New Orleans artists. Art installations were scattered around the festival grounds and vendors were selling art and custom clothing. Modern sculptures and lighting pieces were found around every corner of the grounds, provided interesting backdrops to the music and for photos. There were also “live art” areas where graffiti and mural artists spent the two days creating beautiful pieces in the shadows of the music stages. Some of these were sold or auctioned for charity, but many fans just spent time watching the art being created while listening to the music in the distance.
Live Art Gallery
Bass Music and Underground Rap
The backbone of the BUKU Project lineup are the dubstep and bass music artists, with the ‘Wharf’ stage dedicated entirely to the genre for both days. The stage production was top notch and all of the performers took full advantage of the system’s power. Lasers from the stage were projected onto the nearby warehouse and the Louis Armstrong riverboat anchored in the river, creating the feeling of an intimate outdoor club while still housing thousands of fans. Liquid Stranger and Lane 8 headlined the stage on Friday and Saturday respectively, with Svdden Death, Mersiv, Clozee, and Wreckno filling in the days.
The Wharf Stage at BUKU Music and Art Project
“Multimedia aggregate” Lab Group also played the Wharf stage, only three months after the tragic death of member and producer Charlesthefirst. The 25 year old’s death shocked the community, but surviving members Potions and Supertask are keeping the aggregate alive and still performing the music that the group created together. At one point in their set Lab Group paid tribute by playing “Old Ways” which features rap verses from Charlesthefirst.
Lab Group Performs on The Wharf Stage. Photo by Buscar Photo
Underground rap and hip-hop played a large role in the 2022 edition of the BUKU Project in New Orleans. Odd Future founding member and now international superstar and fashion designer Tyler, the Creator headlined the project on Saturday. Ever since his solo debut Goblin back in 2011, Tyler, the Creator has been putting a fresh spin on his sound with each new release. 2019’s IGOR was an ambitious blend of rap and experimental R&B which debuted at No. 1 on the charts. Tyler, the Creator followed this up with Call Me If You Get Lost in 2021 which continued to propel his commercial success.
Tyler, the Creator at the BUKU Music and Art Project. Photo by Buscar Photo
Aside from the big name headliner, the rap lineup for both days of BUKU was stacked with rising stars and veteran artists. Friday featured ShyGirl and Tierra Whack in the Ballroom with Trippie Redd delivering a fiery set mid-day on the main Skyline stage. On Saturday, fans were treated to a full day of Flo Milli, Vince Staples, Baby Keem, Maxo Kream, and Tyler, the Creator. Another major success of the BUKU Project was that these individual genre lineups had no conflicts and fans who were there for the rap did not have to make any hard decisions.
Flo Milli at the BUKU Music and Art Project. Photo by Buscar Photo
Indie Rock and The Undefined
What festival would be complete these days without the indie kids? The best thing about music today is that anyone can listen to anything at any time. This has cultivated a generation of music lovers with a very wide palate. This was on clear display when Taking Back Sunday took the Skyline stage for their mid-day set. The band is on tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their seminal 2002 LP Tell All Your Friends and they split their set between newer material and classic songs “Cute Without the ‘E’” and “MakeDamnSure.” The band drew a large crowd for an early festival set and the injection of nostalgia was a beautiful way to kick off the weekend.
Taking Back Sunday at the BUKU Music and Art Project. Photo by Buscar Photo
Friday headliners and Australian psych-rock titans Tame Impala were the highlight of the indie side of the festival. The band is on the second leg of The Slow Rush Tour which was partially postponed due to the pandemic but is back on the road in full force. Featuring a massive lighting rig suspended from the stage, the band’s live production overwhelms any audience they host. The lighting gives the unsettling yet beautiful feeling of coming face to face with a UFO.
Tame Impala at the BUKU Music and Art Project. Photo by Buscar Photo
The band cruised through reworked live versions of The Slow Rush songs “Breath Deeper” and “Borderline” while playing a driving, laser fueled rendition of fan favorite “Elephant.” Two extended releases of confetti during the last two songs “Let It Happen” and “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” felt like a celebration not only of Tame Impala or BUKU, but more of the return to live music in one of the richest musical cities in the world.
Tame Impala at the BUKU Music and Art Project. Photo by Buscar Photo
Given the seemingly endless creative outlets that exist today, there are so many artists out there that defy categorization and cannot fit within the typical genre classifications. 100 Gecs were an early highlight of the day on Friday. Described as “hyperpop,” the duo performs an aggressive and in your face punk-like pop music. Their chaotic style is a great show to see in a small club, but their gigantic sound reverberated across the main stage grounds as if that was their natural setting. Porter Robinson performed his Nurture live show and British indie rockers Glass Animals brought their iconic summer pool staging to same time slot on the main stage on Friday and Saturday respectively.
Glass Animals at the BUKU Music and Art Project. Photo by Buscar Photo
Our Impression
All in all, the return of the BUKU Music and Art Project to New Orleans was a major success. Organizers brought back some of the big names from the cancelled 2020 lineup and designed grounds that were well laid out and easy to navigate. Lines for food and drinks were never too long and there was plenty of free water and “BUKU Budz” throughout the festival supporting attendees. Most festivals with bass heavy electronic music suffer from sound bleed issues, but none of the stages interfered with each other at BUKU. The food lineup featured local mainstays and highlighted the signature creole cuisine of New Orleans.
NYS Music had a great time at the festival and we caught sets from so any different artists and styles throughout the weekend. We enjoyed seeing big names like Tame Impala in their prime, but also discovering new music that will become part of our rotation. Nothing is better than discovering new music live, looking over at your head-banging friends and asking “what song is this?” Moments like this are what we missed most during the pandemic and we are so happy to have back again.
Check out our artist galleries from the 10th edition of the BUKU Music and Art Project below, photographed by NYS Music photographer Buscar Photo.
New York’s entirely independent alt-pop, King Vagabond released their debut single on a platform that helps to build a kingdom for the queerdos with their brand new single “Rule The World” along with music video which premiered on March 27th.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic while the world seemed to be falling apart, King Vagabond looked thoroughly for a long time into a different path that could help them to create a natural flow of creative subconscious which led to the creation of their debut single.
“That’s what ‘Rule the World’ is all about. It asks listeners to unsheathe their swords—the ‘weapons’ they keep hidden—and lean into them hard. Only after you face, love, and own every part of yourself can you become the ruler of your world.”
-Joey Dean
The duo behind King Vagabond are familiar with the NY area since Joey Dean (vocalist) is from Hudson Valley and Niko Vaude (producer and guitarist) is from Queens. The inspiration to create the duo came after their previous band of seven years that ended at the start of the pandemic which as a result created King Vagabond. King Vagabond mission is to help build a kingdom for those wandering the shadows, searching for light. Before the creation of the group, they have performed with massive pop artists like Shawn Mendes, Charli XCX, and Todrick Hall, and festivals such as Vans Warped Tour.
The single, “Rule The World” comes from 80s-inspired synths with gritty guitar leads. A queer misfit and a catholic Egyptian-American became a turned rockstar tells a tale of poetic triumph with their songs to create an alternative sound introduced into pop and electronic.
