WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience and showcases new music on EQXposure. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Teddy Bear Savage-“Me and My Friends.”
Teddy Bear Savage is an indie rock band from Balston Spa, formed in 2019. The group is composed of bassist and singer Paul Lambert, lead guitarist Zak Westbrook, guitarist Ryan Halpin, and drummer Mike Atwood. One of their newest singles “Me and My Friends” will be played on EQXposure on Sunday night.
Elephant Back-“Kiss the Sky”
Elephant Back describes itself as “triumphant, original, magnificent, unique, and creatively logical.” They are playing a show at Pauly’s Hotel in Albany on Aug. 20, and their song “Kiss the Sky” will be on EQXposure on Sunday.
Northeast, Ohio natives, The Vindys, continue on their upwards trajectory with a Stage 3 performance at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall on Monday, August 22. Having recently performed on the West Coast for the very first time, the band is brimming with confidence.
“We are so excited to be returning to New York City for the fourth time,” says the band.
The Vindys West Coast expedition saw them play a series of shows with a full band plus a horn section (trumpet, saxophone, trombone) in Oceanside, L.A., San Francisco and Carson City, where they performed in front of well over 3,000 people.
The Vindys have been touring the West Coast.
The Ohio natives are led by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Jackie Popovec, while John Anthony serves as lead guitarist, with Rick Deak on rhythm guitar. All are classically trained musicians who combine their skills, Popovec as the primary songwriter, while collaborating on musical arrangements, resulting in an in-depth and intricate sound that is mature, yet relatable.
The Vindys Rockwood Music Hall performance comes as they continue to tour off their latest album, Bugs, which has garnered rave reviews. They released a series of singles ahead of their album including the title track “Bugs,” with its mesmerizing and throbbing beat, mixed by Ryan West. Other tracks include the tempting groove “Want Your Heart,” the sweltering ballad “Morning Light,” and the anthemic “Are You Ready.
Northeast, Ohio radio station WKSU called the album “a 10-track rock ‘n’ roll triumph that fuses the group’s vintage jazz aesthetic with a more straightforward blues-rock sound.”
Brad Savage, program director of The Summit 91.3 FM (OH), explains, “They’ve got depth and substance and are instantly likable. Their songs get stuck in your head after one listen.”
Rockwood Music Hall has been such a wonderful place to play. The energy that the club brings every time is so amazing!
The 7 p.m. performance will see The Vindys share the stage with singer-songwriter, Claire Vandiver. Tickets for the performance can be found here.
The Trey Anastasio Band and Goose are teaming up for an eight-show tour in November, with stops in Syracuse and Glens Falls. Fans can expect a full set from each band, as well as unique collaborations.
Goose is currently traveling on their biggest North America tour thus far after the success of their acclaimed new album Dripfield. They have many sold-out shows coming up as well as a few festival stops including Charleston, SC’s Resonance Music & Arts Festival, and Austin, TX’s Austin City Limits Music Festival. Goose is a four-piece indie groove band from Norwalk, Connecticut made up of members Peter Anspach, Jeff Arevalo, Ben Atkind, Rick Mitarotonda, and Trevor Weekz.
The Trey Anastasio Band is composed of the lead guitarist and founding member of the famous rock band Phish, for whom he has acquired several Grammy nominations for his work. In the summer of 2017, Phish completed a residency at the world-renowned Madison Square Garden in New York – an unprecedented 13-night run known as The Baker’s Dozen. They return to the road in September with a headline run before teaming up with Goose on the eight-run tour.
The tour will be stopping in Glens Falls at The Cool Insuring Arena on Nov. 13 and in Syracuse at the War Memorial Center on Nov. 18. re-sale tickets for the tour begin Aug. 17 at Noon ET. General public tickets will go on sale on Aug. 19 beginning at 10 A.M. (local). To purchase tickets, go here.
Indie rock veterans Fleet Foxes wrapped up the North American leg of the Shore Tour on Saturday, August 13th, at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens. Shore was released almost two years ago in September, 2020 and the band was finally able to kick off the lengthy tour earlier this summer with a hometown show at Seattle’s Moore Theater. Support for the show came from Nigerian-born and North Carolina-raised Uwade, who also joined Fleet Foxes for several songs and covers. Check out the full photo gallery below.
Fleet Foxes at Forest Hills Stadium, 8/13/22. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
Fleet Foxes played a lengthy, 27-song setlist in Queens, including several covers and some songs performed solo by frontman Robin Pecknold. During the main set, the band covered “Phoenix” by Big Red Machine and “The Kiss” by Judee Sill. During the encore, Uwade rejoined the band for a rendition of The Strokes’ “Under Control”. For the encore, the band dressed the part and sported all white, custom tennis whites; a classic look for the long-standing tennis club of Forest Hills.
The show in Queens was the last in the US for Fleet Foxes. The band heads to Europe at the end of August for a short leg of dates in the UK and across Europe. Head over to the band’s website for the full tour schedule.
Alternative rock band, The Lemonheads, have announced North American tour dates to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their acclaimed album, It’s a Shame About Ray. The tour’s lone stop in NY at the Le Poisson Rouge will occur on Dec. 15.
The anniversary tour kicks off in Lititz, PA, in mid-November and includes stops in cities such as Cleveland, Omaha, Seattle, San Francisco, before ending in Boston, Massachusetts, in December. The Lemonheads will perform the entire album during the nights in concert, and multiple special guests will join them on specific nights on the road.
The Lemonheads’ album It’s a Shame About Ray was released in 1992 and is the group’s fifth studio album. Produced by The Robb Brothers, the album was a breakthrough for the band and its reissue and addition of the band’s cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” brought much attention.
For the NY show at LPR in December, former band member Juliana Hatfield will return as support. Hatfield as the bassist and backing vocalist contributed to the band’s album, It’s a Shame About Ray, before starting her own band and solo career. Other guests expected on the tour include Rusty, The Nils, Bass Drum of Death, and On Being An Angel.
Tickets are on sale Aug. 12 via Ticketmaster. Before their North American run, The Lemonheads will play shows across Ireland and the UK. For the full list of North American tour dates, see below.
It’s a Shame About Ray Anniversary Tour Dates:
11.17 Lititz, PA Mickey’s Black Box
11.18 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Theatre
11.19 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
11.20 – Bloomington, IN – The Castle Theater
11.21 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
11.23 – Billings, MT – Pub Station
11.25 – Seattle, WA – Showbox
11.26 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
11.28 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
The evening of August 9 will certainly be one for the books as hundreds of fans wait eagerly to enter Glass Animals’ Dreamland. The Brooklyn Mirage is known for hosting big events but nothing compared to what the Glass Animals put on.
Glass Animals have come a long way since forming in Oxford in 2010 by childhood friends Dave Bayley, Joe Seaward, Ed Irwin-Singer, and Drew MacFarlane. In their live shows, they play re-worked, dance-heavy versions of their songs. Their song “Heat Waves” reached number one in Australia in February 2021 and was voted number one on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020. The song surpassed one billion streams on Spotify and eventually reached number one in the US Billboard Hot 100 and five on the UK Singles Chart. Recently, they received their first Grammy nomination in the Best New Artist category at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of their album, Dreamland.IRL, the band brought a one-of-a-kind celebration to Brooklyn Mirage. Dreamland is the album that brought us the global smash hit “Heat Waves.” The band now has over 5 billion global streams and 38 million monthly listeners, but it’s live events where Glass Animals come alive.
As soon as guests entered the venue one can immediately tell this show would be like none other. Decorations, electronic displays, and a Pac-man game room were all part of the band’s numerous activations. As the band’s set time approached all patience was lost when the stage brought out pineapples. Fans have started bringing them to gigs and even dressing as them at shows – due to the lyric, “pineapples in my head” from the song “Pork Soda”. The detail and precision that went into the show’s visual displays were nothing short of astonishing.
The band performed most of their set off their album Dreamland.IRL but also included fan favorites including “Life Itself” & “Youth”. As the sun set and night approached, fans refused to lower their energy level. Demanding 1 more song after the band wrapped up, Glass Animals couldn’t resist performing the staple song “Heat Waves”. Unfortunately, the band mentioned they won’t be in America for a while but the good news is they do not plan to slow down with live shows. Heading overseas, the band looks forward to several festivals including Mad Cool Sunset headlined by Rage Against The Machine.
Setlist: Dreamland, Life Itself, Tangerine, Black Mambo/ Hot Sugar, The Other Side of Paradise, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth, It’s All So Incredibly Loud, Your Love (Deja Vu), I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance), Youth, Helium, Gooey, Pork Soda
The 2022 PearlPalooza lineup for Sept. 17 has been announced, taking place on North Pearl Street in downtown Albany, and featuring a variety of artists.
Photo by Pete Mason.
WEQX Director Jeff Morad is excited to bring in a lot of new and old talent to the stage.
We are thrilled to be able to partner with the Downtown Albany BID and all of the incredible sponsors once again this year to bring some free live music to Pearl Street in downtown Albany! There is so much talent in this area, it’s tough to decide who to put on the stage, but we think our local picks for this year will blow you away, plus the national acts and the return of Phantogram to the PearlPalooza stage will be something very special.
The day starts out will YogaPalooza, the Capital Region’s only street-wide mass yoga gathering, at 11 A.M. After that, the music begins with BattleaXXX [battle ax], a hard-working trio of all-female rockers from Albany, starting at 12 P.M. At 1:30 P.M. comes Precious Metals, a solo project by Troy singer-songwriter J Lee White. The band’s sound pulls from the early 2000s emo explosion and 2010s indie rock revival.
At 3 P.M. Arizona newcomer The Kaleidoscope Kid is playing. He blends counter-culture music with his broad musical and personal appeal. At 4:30 P.M., Los Angeles band Whole Damn Mess is playing. Made up of Don Miggs, C. Todd Nielsen, Lawrence Katz, and Greg Hansen, they bring a new perspective on reality and an understanding of the challenges to maintain a piece of yourself in the face of mounting responsibilities.
The featured artist this year is Phantogram at 6 P.M. Comprised of lifelong friends Josh Carter and Sarah Barthel, they amassed over a billion streams, achieved one platinum-certified single, two gold-certified singles, and have played at top festivals with artists like Arcade Fire and Miley Cyrus.
The 2022 PearlPalooza will be happening on Sept. 17 from 11 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. on North Pearl Street in Albany. This free event will feature lots of local and national acts, as well as great food and beverage vendors.
Chicago indie rock band, Beach Bunny, played two spectacular shows at Brooklyn Steel the weekend of August 7, 2022. The dates had originally been scheduled for May, but were postponed due to Covid. Initially a solo project by Lili Trifilio, Beach Bunny came into popularity when the song “Prom Queen” went viral on TikTok in 2019. The song has since gained more than a quarter billion streams, and Lili now tours with her four-person band. Ky Voss and Sidney Gish opened for Beach Bunny both nights.
Beach Bunny plays Brooklyn Steel, photograph by David Reichmann
Multi-instrumentalist Ky Voss opened the shows with synth-pop beats, moody lyrics, and a textured industrial sound. Her third full-length record, “The After,” released earlier this year. During her set, Ky mentioned she had lived in New York for a year or so, but this was her first time performing in New York. The crowd basked in her performance, the pristine lighting, and the crisp sound Brooklyn Steel is most known for. She thanked Beach Bunny for having her, and left after an excellent set to wild applause.
Ky Voss opens for Beach Bunny, photograph by David Reichmann
Sidney Gish took the stage next, quipping with the crowd as she tuned her guitar and got settled on stage. Her performance was unaccompanied, but she used layers of looping pedals to fill the room with acoustic guitar riffs and drum loops. Sidney’s trademark charm and wit were present at all times. She joked between tracks, thanked Beach Bunny, and praised Ky Voss’s set. She played a number of hits from her catalog, including some tracks off her breakout record, “No Dogs Allowed.” After closing her set, she thanked the audience and left the stage to a burst of applause.
Sidney Gish opens for Beach Bunny, photograph by David Reichmann
Anticipation rose among the crowd as they waited for the headlining set. The venue was abuzz with energy as the house lights dimmed. Suddenly the stage was backlit by shining beams of blue and white light. After a brief pause, Beach Bunny walked onstage to massive applause. They opened their intense 90-minute set with “Oxygen,” the first single off their latest record, “Emotional Creature,” which was released in July 2022.
Sidney Gish plays Brooklyn Steel, photograph by David Reichmann
After the second track, Lili told the crowd to crouch down and spring up when they started the next track, “Six Weeks.” By the time Beach Bunny finished the third track, the crowd had been worked into a frenzy by drummer Jon Alvarado’s driving beats, guitarist Matt Henkels’s energetic riffs, bassist Anthony Vaccaro’s pumping bass lines, and frontwoman Lili Trifilio’s catchy fan-favorite lyrics. Several times throughout the show, Lili encouraged fans to open up mosh pits, crowdsurf, jump, and dance. At one point, Lili even drew a tattoo on a fan’s homemade sign. She joked, “This is too much pressure!” to laughter and applause.
Beach Bunny’s setlist included a number of hit tracks like “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used),” “Sports,” and their breakout viral singles, “Prom Queen” and “Cloud 9.” Towards the end of the band’s set, Lili told the audience, “I wrote this song about New York,” before playing “Fire Escape.”
Beach Bunny jumps onstage at Brooklyn Steel, photograph by David Reichmann
They closed out the show by instructing the crowd to separate down the middle, and rush together at the start of their final track, “Painkiller.” The crowd gleefully obliged, and sang along every word as they moshed and jumped until the last notes played. Beach Bunny took their bows, thanked the audience, and walked offstage to one final swell of cheers.
Beach Bunny is slated to play several more shows in the US before heading overseas for their tour. You can listen to their catalog here. Listen to Ky Voss here and Sidney Gish here.
Crowd surfing during Beach Bunny’s set at Brooklyn Steel, photograph by David ReichmannPhotography by David ReichmannBeach Bunny parts Brooklyn Steel crowd for final song, photograph by David Reichmann
On Thursday, August 4, an electric and explosive night to remember, ROT$ Worldwide, Inc. hosted their very own INTERN$ 22 RAGER underground artist showcase in Manhattan. These individuals, all relatively young, received the opportunity to present their artistry to one of the most musically creative and diverse cities in the world.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
According to Tiffany Swiney, Cofounder of ROT$ Worldwide, Inc., a communications agency with a focus on creative thinking free from socio-economic barriers, the company’s five summer interns brainstormed on a collective project, which in the end became the INTERN$ 22 RAGER event. Their challenge was to fulfill the behind-the-scenes tasks in preparation for the showcase. More specifically, the given instructions were to find a venue and several underground upcoming artists. After intense research, the location chosen was 404 Broadway New York, NY and those selected to perform were Arson, INDiGO, NuuDetta!, Fasquiat, Tenahoni, Hendo, Ka$hKenni, Vas, SANDWCH BOI, Daytona Levell, and Slick2x, along with a few others who were guests on different sets.
ROT$ is all about bringing young NYC creatives together in a safe space to sharpen their skills. It was so great to see everyone working together to hype the performers, get their content in, network, and to just be free.
Tiffany Swiney
Arson, one of the performers of the night and the show’s MC, shed light on how the theme came to be. What worked best for everyone was “nightclub rager,” a show with music to last a lifetime. According to Arson, the main genres of the night were rap, emo, trap, and alternative. The intention of this event was to show the diversity of and bring back the great energy from the NYC underground artist scene. After three weeks of preparation for the show, each performer developed an unwavering supportive family bond with one another.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
Although this was Arson’s first opportunity as an MC, the sky was the limit, as she so effortlessly captivated the crowd with her magnetic energy. Her brand began in a middle school parent-teacher conference, in which she was told she has a fire in her. The name Arson began to encapsulate who she is, as she grew up more secure and self-confident. Regardless of Thursday being her second musical performance, her fiery stage presence left her audience in awe.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
I’m in love with who I was because she bled and fought for me today. I try to inspire as many people as I can and lend a warm safe space for people wherever I go. I have high energy, a fire burning bright in my soul and I feel like it comes out in my music. I will always be Elizabeth, but I’m also Arson.
Arson
Similarly to Arson, melodic, trap, and plugg rapper Ka$hKenni discovered their name as a result of their past. Since they were younger, their luck of finding random amounts of cash has yet to cease. Considering Ka$hKenni is perceived to be high class as well, they thought money should be incorporated into their rap name, with the meaning of luck and good fortune.
Ka$hKenni has been creating music for almost two years now, with her first performance at the INTERN$ 22 RAGER event. Ka$hKenni’s favorite song to perform on Thursday was “Find Me,” because of how suspenseful and intriguing the buildup of the 808s are. Nonetheless, it holds a special place in their heart because it was produced with their brother. After discovering the beat for the song, Ka$hKenni was not too fond of it at first, but their brother encouraged them to record to it, in case of a change of heart.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
I didn’t know what kind of flow I wanted to have over the track, and I was stuck. I started thinking more and writing and that’s when I got the hang of it. It reminds me of something old Chief Keef would hop on and that inspired me to keep writing. I wanted the chorus to be very simple and I wanted to sing a little and that’s exactly what I did. We made that song in less than 30 minutes. The next day we played it on the speaker, and we honestly were shocked. I couldn’t believe I could make something like that. I played it for my friends and my brother played it for his and they couldn’t believe we made such a hit.
Ka$hKenni
Sometimes people have to step outside of their comfort zone to reach a new level in their life, and Ka$hKenni is a prime example of this. Ultimately, they want to be remembered as the one who never gave up.
Although the last to showcase their music, Slick2x’s artistry was nothing less than emotional, powerful, and moving. He said music means everything to him, which was undoubtedly noticeable. His performance is yet another step in the right direction, towards success and fulfilling the promise he made to his brother to always follow his dreams three days before his passing.
Photo credit: Courtney Griffin
Every artist has a different journey and personal motivation for fulfilling their music dreams. For Daytona Levell, developing as an artist was a challenge. Nonetheless, nothing deterred him from moving forward and pushing himself against all odds, even 100 to 1.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
I have had a tough journey and at one point did not know what my image and brand should be. However, I decided to do what I love, and it came natural to me.
Daytona Levell
Artist, actor, and creative visionary SANDWCH BOI, chose his name as a joke in high school, during a rap battle and held onto it ever since. His artistry and persona differ exponentially from the average person, which is why his rap name falls under the same concept.
Even though Thursday night was SANDWCH BOI’s first time performing his own music, he’s been grasping his audience since 10-years-old, as an actor within the theater community. Therefore, his self-confidence only grew as the INTERN$ 22 RAGER event neared, especially with the support of his brother and friends, of whom the majority are fellow creatives.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
I had time to watch my friends grow in their craft and when it was my time to shine, they were nothing but supportive. We were just feeding off of each other’s energy it was amazing.
SANDWCH BOI
Out of SANDWCH BOI’s discography, “Saturn” was his favorite to perform at the showcase because of its amped up energy that gets the crowd jumping. Interestingly enough, “Saturn” is a freestyle that was made in just one take, a skill that usually takes years to master, because of how raw it is.
Photo Credit: Courtney Griffin
Considering how his performance created a shift in the night, with multiple mosh pits, everyone’s full attention and endless smiles to go around the room, SANDWCH BOI’s wish to have people “remember seeing this dude in an orange mask going crazy and turning the whole spot up” will undeniably be granted.
INTERN$ 22 RAGER will forever be a night of great nostalgia and euphoria for everyone in attendance, especially for the performers. This was an unforgettable learning experience for the artists involved and will help each one of them grow not only within their craft, but with their audience as well. August 4th, 2022 will forever be a raging night full of immeasurable vibes and timeless music.
After teasing their first new album in over a decade with two new songs, The Mars Volta have made it official: The Mars Volta will be released on September 16th via Clouds Hill Records. Pre-orders for the album, along with standard and “Kinetic Edition” vinyls packages are live on the band’s website.
‘The Mars Volta’ Cover Art
Back in June, The Mars Volta teased their return from a 10 year hiatus with an audio-visual installation dubbed L’YTOME HODORXÍ TELESTERION. The exhibit was an immersive cube you could enter and hear the lead single (and album opener) “Blacklight Shine”. The following month in July, the band shared a second new song “Graveyard Love” and both songs were accompanied by videos depicting various aspects of music and culture on the island of Puerto Rico. Last Friday, The Mars Volta shared the latest single and music video for “Vigil” – check it out below.
“Vigil” by The Mars Volta. Via YouTube.
These new songs are a noticeable departure from the band’s signature frenetic prog-rock sound. Fans online are praising the new style as the band successfully adopting an accessible pop sound, but it goes much further than that. All of these songs contain various elements of The Mars Volta’s entire catalog, just packaged in a much more cohesive (and concise) way. “Blacklight Shine” is driven by bongo-dominant Caribbean percussions and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s lustful Spanish vocals. “Graveyard Love” starts off with ominous pulsing synths and punchy bass notes, building up to a climax where Cedric’s vocals are battling a swirling synth and scattered drum hits.
Cedric Bixler-Zavala (left) and Omar Rodríguez-López (right). Shot by Fat Bob on Leica M11.
At first, “Vigil” is a jarring juxtaposition to any song The Mars Volta has ever written, but put together with the previous singles, the song is a visceral and cohesive part of the new approach the band is taking. The song kicks off with a sporadic but steady drum beat and Cedric singing a dark ballad about the weight and deceit of lost love before the song structure breaks down into swirling vocal and drum loops. Cedric also notes about the song “And the obits wait for a perfect name.”
Diving into the vocals of the band’s catalog is a tough exercise in deciphering broken “Pynchon-esque” passages. On The Mars Volta the band has endeavored to streamline all aspects of the music including the theme. While the vocals are still mysteriously dark, they tell the most cohesive stories the band has ever told all while circling back to the central theme of Puerto Rican culture and the endless colonial rule implemented by the United States over the island.
The Mars Volta 2022 Tour Dates
According to a press release, “The new album shakes loose some of band’s long-standing shibboleths, with only two tracks lasting longer than four minutes, and the dizzying, abrasive prog stylings of earlier albums absent. The Mars Volta pulses with subtle brilliance, Caribbean rhythms underpinning sophisticated, turbulent song craft.” The album rounds out at 14 tracks, and if the first three are the foundation for this new evolution, the record is going to be a shining example of what a band can be, 10 years after many thought there would be no more.
The US tour kicks off one week after the album is released, on September 22nd in Dallas, Texas. The tour stops at NYC’s Terminal 5 for two shows on September 29th and 30th (both are sold out). Head over to the band’s website to see the full tour details, and to pre-order the new album.
