Category: Funk/Soul/R&B

Restless World Music Releases “Bridges Are Collapsing”

Restless World has released their new single called, “Bridges Are Collapsing.” The NYC band is no stranger to melodic beats and emotionally driven lyrics, assets that this new single include as well.

Described as “smartly crafted”, Restless World have been praised for their ability to mesh between genres, like with the drop of their singles “I No Go Play” and “Cyclone”

Restless World’s cover art.

The song is perfectly crafted as it conveys the emotion of previously stable things in your life as they fall down. The lyrics, “Bridges are collapsing/there goes everything” accurately explain the feeling when things are not working out, and you’ve given up.

Speaking of the song, Restless World summarized the song itself.

Bridges connect people, places, cultures…and sometimes hearts. So what happens when that connection starts breaking down? That’s the story “Bridges are Collapsing” tells.

This song is important in the new life with the pandemic, as everything around us is collapsing, but we do have one thing to keep us grounded, the art of music.

Featuring JOSEPH on vocals, “Bridges Are Collapsing” is hauntingly beautiful, and makes it no surprise that Restless Music has won several songwriting awards, notably from The Great American Song Contest five years in a row.

January 17, 2022
Peter Stone’s Debut EP “Unlabeled” Delivers Eminently Listenable Artistic Vision

Peter Stone’s debut EP, “Unlabeled“, delivers an eminently listenable and creatively integral album. It’s a work whose influences are clear—R&B vocals, 80’s synthesizers, pop beats—but who’s originality and creative vision are even more evident.

Stone’s work features a knack for melodies that are sonically complex and rich with texture but that are, nonetheless, earworms that stick with you as you listen. Even though he recorded the album in 2020 during lockdown in his native Italy “when he couldn’t have any contact with anyone [which] was a really tough time” his ability to guarantee head-bobbing tunes belies the conditions under which the EP was recorded.

Although his ability to do so appears effortless the quality of the music suggests it likely wasn’t. Rather it was the product of a detailed process of intentional musical choices from his myriad influences. On “Cold,” the album’s likely hit, his mix of R&B crooning and 80’s synthesizers combine to make what is ultimately a pop song of the highest order.

Stone doesn’t have an aversion to pop music. Even if we admits that it’s not one of the guiding inspirations of his musical process.

“Pop is one of the genres I’m up to put myself in even though [I’m not] mainly inspired by it when it comes to the writing and the production of my songs,” acknowledged Stone.

Even if it isn’t his main inspiration there’s no denying that it’s the outcome. On “Lead Me”, the first song on Peter Stone’s debut EP, he sings “She’s dancing on the floor/She’s moving on the floor” over pulsating synths and basses.

His obvious talent for creating uniquely creative, yet accessible music is on delves into new spaces with “Save Me” and “Trust.” The first is an emotional piano ballad, with Stone playing the keys, that while still feeling slightly like a young artist’s imitation of what they think an emotional song should sound like; has lyrics that effectively portray a person that’s fractured and realizing that they have to put themselves back together.

On “Trust” Stone exhibits a mature understanding of song composition that is reflexive of a clear creative vision, executed with purpose. The song is a three-parter but to say more would spoil the mix of delight and intrigue one feels at its transitions. All of which are unlike both each other and the rest of the songs on Unlabeled offering a glimpse into Stone’s multidimensionality as an artist.

His multitude of influences might have created a genre blending debut but ultimately all that matters is that once you listen to Peter Stone’s debut EP…you’ll want to listen to it again.

January 15, 2022
The Harlem Gospel Choir will Celebrate MLK day at Sony Hall on January 17

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day on January 17, the Harlem Gospel Choir will perform a matinee concert at Sony Hall.

The Harlem Gospel Choir perform contemporary gospel with a touch of jazz and blues, and have become synonymous with power vocals, glorious sound and infectious energy. For over two decades they have been America’s premier gospel choir and have toured the globe, sharing the inspirational power of black gospel music.

Deeply rooted in the history of the African-American slave trade, black gospel music can be traced back to the 1700s when African slaves brought their unique African musical heritage to America and combined it with their new faith – Christianity. Out of the hardship and the trials of slavery, this unique musical tradition came to be, and forever changed music as we know it. Blues, Soul, and Rock-and-Roll…they all have origins in black gospel music. Harlem Gospel Choir presents modern gospel classics as performed in the black churches of Harlem today.

Born out of an MLK Jr. day celebration in 1986, the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir is an enchanting display of only the finest choir singers and musicians from Black churches around New York’s Harlem. With 40 members, the group has solidified themselves as one of the most prominent gospel choirs in the United States, having performed on Good Morning America, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and even for figures like Pope John Paul II and President Obama.

Join the Harlem Gospel Choir for a special matinee performance to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. at Sony Hall on January 17th, with doors at 11am and the show beginning at 12:30pm. Tickets are $25 Advance / $30 Day of Show. For more info, visit the event page.

January 14, 2022
Anderson .Paak surprises Blue Note Audience at DJ Logic and Friends Show

This past Saturday in New York City, Grammy Award-winning artists Anderson .Paak and Maurice “Mobetta” Brown surprised the Blue Note audience with an unannounced special performance at DJ Logic‘s headline show.

.Paak took a seat behind the drum set, showing off his impeccable skills and creating the perfect foundation for Brown to lay down some funky trumpet improvisation.

Julie Greenhouse attended the show, and shared her first hand take on the surprise performance:

Last night’s Blue Note shows were absolutely incredible. The core crew for the first and second set included Logic, Deitch, Karl D, MonoNeon, Fred Wesley, Jay Rodriguez, Marcus Muchado and James Hurt. They tore it up on their own – Fred Wesley is still amazing and all the musicians were so excited to be playing with him.
Jojo Hermann (WSP keys) came out for a song towards the end of the set, which was awesome! But it was really the second set that took it up a notch, with Anderson .Paak and Maurice Brown sitting in for a couple songs, as well as JSwiss and Kosha Dillz. The energy at the Blue Note was fantastic and it just felt like a special NYC moment that we were lucky to be a part of.

Throughout the weekend, the four-night DJ Logic and Friends run featured performances from Karl Denson, MonoNeon, Adam Deitch, Fred Wesley, Marcus Machado, James Hurt, and Angie Swan from David Byrne’s American Utopia.

The all-star lineup via DJ Logic Instagram

Upcoming January shows at Blue Note include GZA with Live Band (1/11-1/12), Bobby Rush (1/17), Walter Wolfman Washington & The Roadmasters, Ron Artis II & The Truth (1/18-1/19), Veronica Swift (1/20-1/23), Talib Kweli with Live Band + Special Guests Bob James & Slick Rick (1/24), and Bob James Trio (1/25-1/30).

January 11, 2022
Todd Nelson and NEQ Release “Threshold,” Perform at The Hollow in February

Capital District native Todd Nelson has been creating music for a long time, and his band called the Nelson Esposito Quintana (NEQ for short) released their new single, “Threshold.” Accompanying the single and release of their new album Nevertheless, the NEQ will be playing at the Hollow Bar in Albany on February 18.

NEQ’s vision is to redefine the art of rock instrumental, with a post-modern approach. Utilizing the traditional makings of a band, with guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion, NEQ rock out.

The most important thing is that the music connects with the listener emotionally, using the full range of emotions.
Todd Nelson

Nelson studied music theory at UAlbany in the 70s and while in college he played with a plethora of bands. He has shared the stage with the Police, Squeeze, the B-52s, XTC, and REM, and more.

His band, Fear of Strangers, was key to the Punk/New Wave scene in the Capital District in the 80s and held a reunion show with over 300 people in attendance.

Todd Nelson

Nelson has played in many more bands, and when asked if playing in a lot of bands affected him, he said not really.

It usually isn’t too difficult to juggle working in several bands…You just have to learn the material and review it before the gig. Having good musical ears and technique helps.

Nelson plays many different types of music, from jazz to rock to electronica. He doesn’t keep himself into one box but prefers to play one specific thing- his compositions.

The music I prefer to concentrate on is my own compositions, or music I’ve collaborated with someone on, or original music of someone else’s that I can contribute to. But as you may know it can be harder to find bookings playing original music, and I like to keep busy playing.

Nelson and his NEQ make rock instrumental music. Their new single “Threshold” is a nod to the 70s classic rock scene, with all things groovy and nice.

The band consists of guitarist Kyle Esposito and drummer Manual Quintana, who both work in other bands while devoting time to NEQ.

NEQ

Todd Nelson and NEQ will be playing at the Hollow Bar on February 18 to play their new album, a place that Nelson says he has played many times in the past. Tickets can be found here.

January 5, 2022