Pennsylvania natives Ceramic Animal are gearing up to release their fourth LP, Sweet Unknown, and the band previewed the record at Bushwick’s The Sultan Room this Wednesday, February 16. The show marked the band’s first return to the live stage since the beginning of the pandemic, beginning a short tour with stops in the Northeast, Midwest and South. The show was supported by Brooklyn locals Glom.
Ceramic Animal at The Sultan Room, 2/16/22. Photo by Buscar Photo
Sweet Unknown is the band’s first effort on Easy Eye Sound Records and was produced by The Black Keys front man Dan Auerbach. Prior to signing to the label, Ceramic Animal wrote, produced, and self-released all three of their previous albums. The band has gained a solid footing throughout their young career and they are poised to reach a much wider audience with their major label debut. The title track was released as the lead single along with the music video below.
“Sweet Unknown” by Ceramic Animal. Via YouTube
The five-piece band consists of three brothers and childhood friends; relationships that bleed chemistry, especially on such a small stage. Dressed in all white suits, and surrounded by friends and family in the intimate Sultan Room, Ceramic Animal performed with an overt love for their music. Head over to the band’s website to preorder the record and check out the rest of the tour itinerary. Find our full photo gallery from the show at The Sultan Room below.
The Pine Boys are an electric combination of alternative rock, funk and hip-hop from Albany releasing their new album Vacationland today, February 18th.
These artists provide such a unique musical interpretation with a blend of character-driven storytelling and memorable guitar riffs. The group was founded by multi-instrumentalists, Brett Maney and Andrew Cerone, in 2016. When they started playing live in 2019, they added their longtime friend Sam Lasky on the instrument, the keytar, since they have been together, they have released 6 albums and played all over Upstate NY, anywhere from basements to bars.
The Pine Boys Live
Many of their songs are part of an interconnected universe set in the fictional town of “Vacationland,” this is the groups hometown and place of origin. This is also the mindset that you need to have when you see them live. Seeing a live Pine show should serve as a time to take a vacation from your normal reality and temporarily venture into their world.
The Pine Boys “Vacationland”
Their top song on Spotify, “Electric Minnow,” provide a mixture of funky guitar riffs along with a catchy rhythm throughout the song. By blending a hip hop style of lyrics with indie sounds, the band creates a unique blend of music.
Other songs like “Fat Al” are melancholy but have a funny twist. Throughout listening to the song, the guitar has a shadowy feeling yet satisfying because of how beautiful it is played. “If Walls Could Talk,” “Enter the Sauce,” and “Duneman” have made their top 5 despite being all on different albums. Each provides different genre mash which they include throughout their peruana of “Vacationland.”
In mid-March 1992, Greg Bell and Dale Metzger set up the first of many shows at Victory Café in downtown Albany with a band that would soon name themselves MotherJudge and the Urban Holiness Society. No one remembers the exact date of that show, but a few weeks later Bell and Metzger, calling themselves “Two Fools Present,“ put on another show at the Masons Hall on lower Madison Ave. on April 2, 1992.
Greg Bell
The bands that performed that night were The Sharks, Hard Times, MotherJudge, and Brian Kenny and Friends. Those two shows kicked off a career in music promotion that has now entered its 30th year. In 1993, Bell joined forces with Jeff Guthrie and formed Guthrie/Bell Productions. Guthrie left the business after a few years but Bell continues to use the name today. As of January 2022, Bell took on Kim Neaton as his partner.
Three shows announced this week feature a range of acts that have been important to both Greg Bell and the local music scene over the last three decades.
Eastbound Jesus
March 25th
Three bands that encapsulate the greater Albany jam sound features ‘Northern Rock‘ group Eastbound Jesus, rising jam band Glass Pony, and jam rock band Wreckloose – The Cohoes Music Hall – Doors at 7pm, Music at 7:30pm
April 9th
For the first time in 33 years, The Sharks will reunite with 6 of the 7 original members (Tom D’Ambrose passed away in 2019) and the first time in 21 years since the remaining 5 members played together for a show. Johnny Rabb and The Jailhouse Rockers with special guests will open the show.
The Sharks w/ Johnny Rabb and the Jailhouse Rockers – The Hollow – Doors at 7pm, Music at 8pm .
Vinnie Amico, Rob Derhak, Al Schnier
April 23rd
On this night fans will be treated to a show they might have stumbled across at Valentine’s in the early-mid 90s. DAS Trio (featuring Rob Derhak, Vinnie Amico, and Al Schnier), The Seapods, Conehead Buddha, Dr. Jah and the Love Prophets – Empire Live – Doors at 6:30pm, Music at 7pm
Marco Benevento has shared his newest single “Winter Rose,” one that will make you want to get up and dance and is a breath of fresh air, something listeners can tune into while commuting, dancing, or just relaxing. This song is not age or gender specific, but rather provides a joyful essence for everyone. This single has five minutes of psychedelic soul that brings about a beacon of hope, celebration, Summer and more.
Winter Rose is not the only music MArco Benevento will provide for his listeners this year. He is currently finishing a studio album that will be ready for release this summer. Considering his latest single is a reminder of better times, the upcoming album may have the same vibe.
In the meantime, Benevento and his band members, bassist Karina Rykman and drummer Dave “DB” Butler, are set for tour, beginning this month. They will first stop in Philadelphia’s Ardmore Music Hall and end in Quincy, California’s High Sierra Music Festival in July.
Winter Rose is co-written by lyricist and poet Al Howard, who also played a role in Benevento’s single, “At The End Or The Beginning.” As of today, Winter Rose is now available through a variety of streaming platforms which can be found here.
Marco Benevento Tour Dates
February 25 – Ardmore, PA – Ardmore Music Hall February 26 – Washington, DC – Union Stage April 7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair April 8 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground April 9 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One June 26 – Rothbury, MI – Electric Forest Festival July 1 – Scranton, PA – Peach Music Festival July 3 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
New York-based songwriter and artist Kevin Devine announced a Spring tour that has multiple NY dates with Kayleigh Goldsworthy and his new single “How Can I Help You?”
Kevin Devine, photo by Erik Tanner.
Devine spoke about the new single:
[The single] is a dance song for wallflowers, body music for the brain, a gently caffeinated disco gallop arpeggiating through the last aspirational sliver separating a relationship from its end.
The single is thoughtful and drum-backed as he sings “How can I help you push through yourself to me? / How I can help you tell me what you need?” He speaks about the castles of love, and how he has been entranced in them.
Kevin Devine will be going on tour this Spring with Kayleigh Goldsworthy and will be hitting Buffalo and Brooklyn, tickets can be found here.
Kevin Devine Tour Dates Spring 2022 With Kayleigh Goldsworthy
Wednesday, April 6th – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar Thursday, April 7th – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s Friday, April 8th – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place Saturday, April 9th – Toronto, ON – Velvet Sunday, April 10th – Detroit, MI – Shelter Tuesday, April 12th – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry Wednesday, April 13th – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall Friday, April 15th – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg Saturday, April 16th – Boston, MA – Sinclair Friday, April 29th – Philadelphia, PA – FU Church Saturday, April 30th – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar Sunday, May 1st – Nashville, TN – Mercury Lounge Tuesday, May 3rd – Dallas, TX – Tulips Wednesday, May 4th – Austin, TX – Antone’s Friday, May 6th – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom Saturday, May 7th – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy Sunday, May 8th – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar Monday, May 9th – San Francisco, CA – Great American Wednesday, May 11th – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Thursday, May 12th – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey Saturday, May 14th – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Sunday, May 15th – Denver, CO – Bluebird Tuesday, May 17th – St. Louis, MO – Off-Broadway Thursday, May 19th – Orlando, FL – Soundbar Friday, May 20th – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
Continuing her 2022 North American Tour, Waxahatchee played a sold out night at Brooklyn Steel last week (February 10, 2022) with support from Madi Diaz. Waxahatchee released the critically-acclaimed record, “Saint Cloud” in 2020, topping number 2 on Billboard’s US Folk chart, and number 6 on US Alternative Albums.
Waxahatchee at Brooklyn Steel, Photographed by David Reichmann
Madi Diaz opened the evening to an already-packed venue. She belted out songs from her great 2021 album, “History of a Feeling.” “Crying in Public,” which was recently remixed by MUNA, was a highlight of her performance.
Madi briefly interrupted her set when she noticed a few fans struggling with finding something on the floor, asking if everything was alright. A fan shouted, “I dropped my phone,” which received a big laugh from the audience – and Madi. “Okay, good, so we don’t need a stretcher?” she replied, getting another big laugh before continuing her set.
Waxahatchee’s band mates took the stage to big applause. The lighting was dark and intimate as frontwoman Katie took the stage, and the cheers grew and then hushed once she started her set with “Oxbow” from her last record. Her set included many fan favorites and most of the tracks from her latest record. Madi Diaz joined her onstage to perform the song “Resentment (New Feelings Version),” which they released together in 2021. Waxahatchee closed out the show with fan (and my personal) favorite, her Dolly Parton cover of “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”
You can listen to Waxahtachee’s 2020 record, Saint Cloud here, follow her ongoing North American tour with support from Madi Diaz here.
Blending funk, soul, and indie, Brooklyn band Pimps of Joytime showcases their unique artistry on their new single, “Are You Gonna?” The release comes in anticipation of their new album Reachin’ Up, set to release Friday, April 15th. Accompanying this release, the band will be performing at Brooklyn Made with additional shows throughout the country.
Pimps of Joytime
Forming in 2005, Pimps of Joytime embellished the unique Brooklyn culture of the 2000s. After four studio albums, the band has found a unique sound encompassing a multitude of genres. They are unique, and their next album release is set to demonstrate the magnitude of this talent.
The Brooklyn band is no stranger to the soul and funk scenes, and “Are You Gonna?” showcases their experience. Combining Cuban blue rhythms, blues guitar progressions, and a vocal delivery akin to Bob Marley, the band beautifully demonstrates their ability to encompass multiple genres with grace and poise.
Their prior release, “Lesson,” also set to be on the album, further highlights their unique artistry. Pulsating drums and hypnotizing blues guitar capture the immediate attention of the listener. Most prominently, however, Brian Jay displays masterful and unique vocals that give the band its respective personality and flavor. His voice sensationally bounces over the instrumentation in a way that exhibits experience and confidence.
The latest single “Reachin’ Up” features Antibalas‘ shekere player and vocalist Marcus Farrar and singer Carol C (Si*Sé) for a funk and soul track sure to put smiles on people’s faces all spring long. Brian J comments, “‘Reachin’ Up’ originated from a batch of instrumentals I created in a two-week studio bender in 2019. I hit up old friend and early PJT collaborator Marcus Farrar to come work on one of the tracks. Marcus pretty quickly came up with great melody and lyric ideas. I had the lyric ‘Reachin’ Up’ kickin’ around for a few years and it fit perfectly. I hit record and Marcus did his thing with a stellar vocal performance. Carol C of Si*Sé and Pete Shand of New Mastersounds were the missing puzzle pieces who graced this track with an incredible vibe.”
Pimps of Joytime Winter 2022 Tour Dates:
Saturday, February 19 – The Fillmore – Denver, CO
Thursday, March 24 – Starline Social Club – Oakland, CA
Friday, March 25 – The Venice West – Venice, CA
Saturday, March 26 – Mustache Bash – San Diego, CA
Friday, April 15 – Brooklyn Made – Brooklyn, NY
Saturday, April 16 – Park City Music Hall – Bridgeport, CT
Saturday, Apr 30 – The Parish – House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
Saturday, May 28 – Denver Day of Rock – Denver, CO
Saturday, June 11 – Hog Farm Hideaway – Laytonville, CA
The Mommyheads’ Swiss Army Knife has never had a proper release. Trapped in obscurity, the long-awaited album will be out February 11th, 2022, for fans to enjoy.
The Mommyheads (Adam Elk, Michael Holt, Dan Fisherman, Jason McNair) are an indie pop band from Brooklyn, who played from around 1987 through 1998. They disbanded for a decade, and then reformed in 2008. After the death of original drummer, Jan Kotik, The Mommyheads re-united for a tribute show in New York City. Shortly after, they decided to reform and record a new album, “You’re Not A Dream.” In 2021, Big Takeover Magazine dubbed Adam Elk and Michael Holt, “two of the best songwriters currently active.”
“Four decades later and the Mommyheads are still undisputed godfathers of Baroque Prog Pop.”
Relix
Swiss Army Knife displays vocals from the wild creativity of Mommyheads songwriter, Adam Elk, who independently recorded these tunes on four-track during his teen years in Brooklyn. The album is striking in it’s eccentricity: schizophrenic wordplay, mind-bending chord structures, acoustic mayhem, and DIY experimentalism all meld together within these colorful song fragments.
Swiss Army Knife, The Mommyheads
When listening to the album, the manic creative energy is infectious throughout. There is an unrelenting playfulness to this set that makes it so enjoyable to listen to. Tracks such as “They Call it Accident,” have a playful, plucking bassline paired with sublime vocals that overall make the track a fun one to listen to.
“If you wanna do music, you have to have a really thick skin. You have to really wanna take the abuse of not making money for years and years.”
says Adam Elk
That most unique aspects of this album are its use of unusual use of instruments and vocals that make the album feel so raw featured in songs like “Freak Out Jam,” “I Won’t Eat Anymore,” and “They’ve Finally Landed.” Other tracks like “Lemon Merengue People” have fun melodies of guitar and vocals that pair with each other.
Another song, “We Are Intertwined,” can be described as having a waltz, up-beat and psychedelic sound. “Canoe Driver” is also another gorgeous piece of baroque pop with glorious melody. The Mommyheads Swiss Army Knife is a masterpiece of 90s-sounding baroque progressive pop.
Swiss Army Knife is available to listen to on Soundcloud.
NY singer-songwriter Sam Kogon has announced a four-track self-titled EP, and the release of his new single “Barbed Wire.”
Kogon describes his new approach to songwriting as an “Upstate country rockabilly crooner,” as he spends his time in the Hudson Valley. He has always been an old soul as he is a big fan of The Beatles, and even worked with Al Jardine of The Beach Boys.
Sam Kogan.
Sam Kogon had a lot to say about the new single.
‘Barbed Wire’ is a song about accepting love, denying love, unrequited love, infatuation, and coming out of the closet. It’s inspired by two friends exchanging songs they write as coded love letters. One friend wants their love to come off the page and the other friend can only express their true feelings in song. Running away with or from someone who isn’t emotionally available can get you tangled in the barbed wire fences they put up at the first signs of vulnerability, so I chose that as the title of the song. The one friend trying to move forward is asking (rhetorically) ‘Is this love? Is this love? I need to know right now…and could you even tell me right now.’ They already know the answer: Sometimes there isn’t a happy ending or closure; sometimes we get burnt like tires, and that’s ok.
“Barbed Wire” is a pop, rock, and country ballad, and makes the listener want to get up and dance. It was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile) and mastered by Steve Fallone (Arcade Fire, Angel Olsen, Big Thieif).
The song is available to stream here, and Sam Kogan’s new self-titled EP will be out in April.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Glass Pony, Victory Soul Orchestra,W.Y. Huang and many more!
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. 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.
Glass Pony from Albany released “Day Dream” this past fall. Don’t miss their show with Organ Fairchild at Lark Hall on February 19.
Watch “Northbound” from Glass Pony at Cohoes Music Hall in December, 2021.
Victory Soul Orchestra “Shoot Your Shot” can be heard on EQXposure. The band along with JB threw a party in Foster House Studios and recorded some songs, “Shoot Your Shot” being the first in a series of live recordings.
From Singaporean singer-songwriter W. Y. Huang is his latest, ‘Living With Ghosts.” Writing on Instagram, Huang said “It’s about growing older, dealing with pain, regret and letting go of the past, of fear. “I’ve not written something so personal in a long time… maybe ever. When I wasn’t in a good place, writing this song helped me [through] it.”
