On Sunday December 11th, the musical duo FRENSHIP sold out Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right for their “Big Boys in Small Rooms” tour. The members, Brett Hite and James Sunderland, and their lively drummer fortified a comforting atmosphere on stage. With soft synth sounds and lyrics paying an ode to friendship, love, and the sweetness of relaxing on the weekends, the band hosted an electric night full of dancing and new memories.
Members of FRENSHIP: James Sunderland (left) and Brett Hite (right).
Before the band formed, Hite and Sunderland met while working at sportswear store Lululemon in Los Angeles, CA. Their friendship developed as they shared their mutual affinity for music. They started producing together and uploading songs to the music platform SoundCloud. Their song “Knives” produced with Matoma in 2015 earned FRENSHIP a large following. Shortly after their growth spurt, they released their hit “Capsize” with singer/songwriter Emily Warren in June 2016. Their EP “Truce” followed suit in September 2016.
The opener for FRENSHIP, Kate The Dreamer, made a magical first impression on the crowd. Her lyrics spoke to the uncertainty that follows someone throughout their twenties into their thirties. Kate is crafting an insightful conversation with break-ups, career choices, and the youthful creativity she gracefully holds onto.
Kate The Dreamer.
Towards the end of the show, Kate came back onto stage to perform an acoustic version of FRENSHIP’s “Capsize” with Hite and Sunderland. Afterwards, Sunderland recalled Kate’s origin as a FRENSHIP fan who shared her work with them after a show she attended, which they took an immediate liking to. Hite then told the crowd to expect a single with Kate The Dreamer to come out during the new year.
After Kate’s short but dreamy set, FRENSHIP kicked off their performance with one of their eldest hits, “1000 Nights,” released in 2016. A perfect introduction to their sound with powerful percussion and soulful guitar riffs. The setlist rolled through with songs old and new: their newest single “Songs for The Weekend” seemed to be a crowd favorite, for the energy on the floor was contagious. The space was alive with electronic grooving and loving embraces. There was no choice but to dance with strangers, because FRENSHIP’s music undeniably surfaces a kindness within those listening.
James Sunderland (1:2 of FRENSHIP)
The band found it hard to leave the stage, as the crowd begged for more songs. Chants requesting their song “Swim,” released in 2019 on their album “Vacation,” echoed amongst the audience. Hite and Sunderland happily deviated from their setlist, and gave the song their all. When it came time for them to conclude the show, it felt like saying goodbye to dear friends. After all, their voice is founded on the intimacy of friendship.
Setlist: 1000 Nights, Carpet, Alright, Hurricanes and Sugar Highs, GMGB, Wide Open (acoustic), Anywhere but Here, Songs for The Weekend, Capsize, Remind You, How a Man Dies, Meet Again, Swim**
With his new documentary, INSIDE SCOFIELD, filmmaker Joerg Steineck has crafted one of the truest representations of the compulsively creative lifestyle of a “road dog” jazz master – in this case, the always superlative guitarist John Scofield.
Steineck makes the incredibly wise decision of letting Scofield tell his story in his own words. This comes via voiceover narration and on-camera interviews captured at his home in Katonah, his old stomping grounds in New York City and on tour in Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The documentary also boasts some wonderful conversations with longtime collaborators like saxman Joe Lovano, bassists Steve Swallow and Dave Holland and guitarists Pat Metheny and Mike Stern. There are also insights from other A-list musos including drummer Dennis Chambers, guitarist Bill Frisell and the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh.
Scofield’s musical journey begins in his still current hometown of Katonah, New York. For this typical suburban kid, the big treat would be to take the Metro North down to NYC to explore. As he hit his teens, Scofield come to take in jazz at the Village Vanguard, rock at Fillmore East and blues at Café A Go Go, where he witnesses the blues power of B.B. King. In the film, Scofield says: “The way B.B. King played guitar, it just blew my mind. The way he could get this vocal sound out of a guitar. That’s when I really got the bug for music.”
As for his turn to jazz, we may have Jimi Hendrix to thank. Scofield recalls: “I heard Hendrix play at a concert and he was so good at blues and rock that I thought I’m going play jazz because I could never do what he could.”
Jazz becomes his total lifestyle when he attends the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It’s where he meets folks like Lovano and begins collaborating, at the tender age of 20, with bass legend Steve Swallow. Word of this new guitar hotshot spreads to saxman Gerry Mulligan who invites Scofield to play a gig at Carnegie Hall with him and Chet Baker. The next month, he is recommended to replace John Abercrombie in drummer Billy Cobham’s band with George Duke and Alphonso Johnson. Shortly thereafter, he gets to play on an album with jazz icon Charles Mingus.
As Scofield tells of his move to the Big Apple in 1975, there are great scenes of him strolling by his old haunts. These include The Blue Note, the former site of “guitar shop row” on 48th Street, a namecheck for the cheap eats at Mamoun’s Falafels and Seventh Avenue South. It was at the latter where Miles Davis would first hear and then enlist Scofield into his band. After his performance at the club, Miles would say to him: “You sound good.” And when Scofield began effusing about Miles’ immense influence on him, the trumpeter would say: “Shut the fuck up!”
“That was the beginning of our relationship,” quips Scofield. “But just to be around him gave me the confidence that I was on the right path, that I should trust my instincts just like Miles did.”
Much of the action in the film takes place on the road with Scofield and his touring quartet, including keyboardist Gerald Clayton, bassist Vincente Archer and longtime drummer Billy Stewart. We see them traveling in van and airplanes, checking into hotels, sound checking, playing sets and killing time before gigs by visiting local guitar stores. One of the best musical moments in the film has Scofield jamming with bassist Archer on a resonator guitar at a guitar store in the Northwest.
“Since 1975, I’ve been on tour half the year, every year, so I’m what’s called ‘a road dog,’” says Scofield. “In the old days, guys didn’t have to leave New York to make a living, but we do.” In the film, Scofield laments the loss of America’s circuit of jazz clubs, where a musician could play for a week or longer versus flying and driving between one-nighters.
Scofield also provides some enlightening observations on the art of improvisation and the creative alchemy of bands.
“The jazz world is like humanity,” he says. “When your styles match and you can play together, it’s a beautiful thing. You might be different people, but you get along because the music is happening… It’s my band, but once the band starts to play I’m just another member.”
Scofield continues: “Improvisation is a natural human thing. The compositions are meant to be taken apart. They go hand in hand – composition and improvisation… Some people have huge vocabularies and it sounds good but there’s nothing happening. I would like to hope that I’m playing less notes but saying more with them.”
One thing I truly loved about Steineck’s film is that he leaves plenty of time to luxuriate in the fantastic live performances. Steineck’s clips of Scofield and his quartet playing live demonstrate that John remains one of the most original and hardest swinging guitarists in modern jazz. There are also great clips of him playing in duets and solo, demonstrating his deep knowledge of harmony and feel, with those bold arpeggiated lyrical solos and his unflagging blues sensibility. The one thing I did miss was mention of Scofield’s participation in the more mainstream “jam band scene” of the early aughts with his Uberjam band.
Steineck’s documentary concludes with Scofield at home in Katonah. Here he enjoys his “nice espresso machine” and does what he loves most of all – playing . “I need to play every day or I don’t play well,” says Scofield. “It’s my favorite part of the day.”
As Scofield wonders what it would be like if he couldn’t play, the documentary takes a turn, colored by some delightfully weird gong-flavored music. The film concludes with Scofield self-isolating during the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic. We see him commiserating with his longtime playing partner Steve Swallow via Zoom saying, “I feel like I’m in a dystopian situation.”
Luckily for us, Scofield returned to the road as COVID abated. And some of the works of the ensembles featured in the film, his 2018 quartet and duo work with Steve Swallow, can be enjoyed on Combo 66 (Verve, 2018) and Swallow Tales (ECM, 2020). Also, not to be missed is the 2017 album Hudson, a collection of covers he made with Hudson Valley-based musicians, Jack DeJohnette, Larry Grenadier and John Medeski.
INSIDE SCOFIELD is available on DVD and video on demand on Vimeo. It will be coming to other platforms in 2023.
After twenty-five years of anticipation, NYC indie-cult fan favorites the Van Pelt return with a new album titled “Artisans & Merchants” in 2023. The Van Pelt has returned to explore what was left behind with a new collection of hit songs, including the latest track, “Grid.”
For lovers of The Van Pelt, listening to “Artisans & Merchants” is like hearing the voice of a dear friend you haven’t seen in years. This is a stand-alone album, incredible vital songwriting regardless of the long history this band has. Pitchfork even stated that, “The lines between post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo blurred on the two mid-’90s full-lengths from the Van Pelt.”
The Van Pelt is an American indie rock band from New York City that were active from 1993 to 1997, but have reformed briefly several times since then including now. The band formed around 1993 at New York University, with Chris Leo on vocals and guitar, David Baum on guitar, Barry London on bass, and Neil O’Brien on drums. In a reunion show, soundchecks revealed that the band has a voice that was prematurely muted by their inability to see clearly in the thick of their rise.
“New York City’s The Van Pelt are an influential, but too often overlooked indie rock band — cult favorites for many an emo-inclined crate digger.”
– Consequence
The Van Pelt’s newer album can be viewed as “a friend you used to share countless beers with over banter that went nowhere other than delivering a solid night. Your friend is older, they’ve changed. In some ways you’re worried for them, looks like they might be teetering on the brink of something. In other ways it’s the same old them, a nugget of a soul too unique to ever be altered.”
The chores of the single “Image of Health” describes the beautiful desperation of the album best, “And you never felt more alive / Than when the priest came to read you your rites!”
Stream The Van Pelt and their newest album coming in Spring 2023 by clicking the link here.
Listen to the latest track from The Van Pelt, “Grid,” below.
Whether you have spent the last week cheering on Morocco, Brazil or Argentina, Enisa caters to all World Cup fans in her latest single “Olè.” In the music video — which has already accrued over 20,000 views — Enisa dons the colors of three different teams, looking past rivalries in an ode to the camaraderie of the World Cup.
Enisa is a first generation American born and raised in Brooklyn. Her roots in NYC go deep, she attended Brooklyn College, where she honed in her sound: a beautiful combination of contemporary European and American pop, with some Balkan quirks. Her global approach to music in general is on display more illustratively than ever in “Olè,” which celebrates teams across continents and cultures.
Though “Olè” is an uplifting song, Enisa said she wrote it at a time when she was needing self-confidence and was looking for encouragement. When listening to lyrics, the song would be empowering to both the average person and a world-class soccer player, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders while lining up for a penalty kick. The song inspires coalition and support, a relief from the pressures of life in the city.
“I wrote this song with the World Cup in mind as well,” Enisa said. “When I closed my eyes, I pictured people all around the world singing the chorus and shouting ‘Olè’.”
This single closes out an exciting and productive year for Enisa, who released her first seven song EP, Fake Love and three other singles in 2022. Listen to “Olè” here, and see the video before.
The Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill is a big stage to fill for anyone. Over the decades, the historic theater has been graced by the music greats the likes of B.B. King, Toto and Patti LaBelle, as well as high-profile comedians such as Tracy Morgan and Sinbad. However on this particular night, the stage was shared not by star-studded celebrities but instead by four Westchester and NYC based bands, Platinum Moon, No Grudges, Lovehoney and The Bluechips.
Paulie Beladino guitarist and singer of The Bluechips, performing at the Paramount in 2019
The event, advertised simply as a “rock n’ roll show” was a definitive, but not unwelcome departure from the Paramount’s usual lineup. For local bands struggling to make it on the scene, this was a unique opportunity to transcend from dive bars to the big stage. For audience members, this was a chance to experience their favorite local bands in a new light or to discover brand new artists for themselves.
The show was put together by River Towns Music Group, a local music production and event company who has taken the live music scene by the storm over the past few years, hosting widely popular battle of the bands competitions as well as previous shows at the paramount.
First up was Platinum Moon, featuring vocalist Ava Anduze (21), lead guitarist Anton Klettner (19), keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Joseph Klettner (17), drummer Ethan Grosman (20) and bassist Toby Dorfman (18). The young band earned their spot on the Paramount stage by winning River Towns Music Group’s Battle of the Bands completion in the fall. Composed of members from Mt. Kiscoo, Lewisboro, Chappaqua and Putnam Valley, the group has played all throughout Westchester and built up an impressive resume opening for the band X Ambassadors at the Pleasantville Music Festival this summer and winning various other music competitions across the tri state.
Platinum Moon featuring Ava Anduze, Anton Klettner,Joseph Klettner, Ethan Grosman and Toby Dorfman
Platinum Moon came out with something to prove, jumping around stage amidst a flurry of power chords as they launched into their first song “Into A Minefield.” Anduze demanded the audience’s attention with growling vocals worthy of Axl Rose and a fiery swagger as she moved across the stage. The next number “Hey Beautiful,”- the band’s most popular song with over 100,000 streams on Spotify – showcased every member with a mix of funky bass solos, bright keys and searing guitar licks.
The young guns closed out the set with their newest single Lockdown NRG, a Black Keys-esque song with pounding kick drum, grungy guitars and a punchy chorus. Overall, the band brought an abundance of energy to the stage with incredible synchronicity rivaling that of veteran rock bands.
No Grudges featuring Crystalla Gonzalez and Gabriel Castellar
No Grudges, was next, a funk/punk duo influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Iggy Pop. The band brought maturity in sound and vocals to the stage, further rounded out by the addition of bass and drums. Frontwoman Crystalla Gonzalez dominated with charismatic vocal runs and a dramatic flair reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, while guitarist Gabriel Castellar echoed her vocals with wah-induced solos and screaming bends. The two had undeniable chemistry having performed together for over 10 years and having dated since high school. This connection was further highlighted with a vocal duet of their song “Put It Together,” that navigated funky guitar chords in the verse and a more metal hook in the chorus. The band’s cover of Jimi Hendrix’s Foxy Lady was another crowd pleaser that highlighted Gonzalez dynamic personality and raspy vocals along with Castellar’s distorted guitar solos..
Lovehoney, was the first of the two main acts composed of Aly Quinones on vocals, Tommy White on guitar, Tom Gelhaus on drums and Meghan Rose on bass. The band clearly took influences from 60’s psychedelic rock and blues. White’s guitar solos were reminiscent of a man possessed with face-melting distorted solos a la Hendrix. Meanwhile, Quinones kept the audience entertained with playful banter and strong, diverse vocals capable of smooth and soulful melodies as well as throaty growls.
Lovehoney featuring Aly Quinones, Tommy White, Tom Gelhaus and Meghan Rose (not pictured)
The band also stood out with its slower R&B and soul-inspired ballads like “Liquid,” which featured Quinones’ silky yet spicy vocals accented with splashy guitar, tight snare hits and smooth baselines. Still, the band could also pack a punch on songs like “Little Soldier” featuring a “voodoo child” style guitar intro and the catchy, “Feelin’ No Way” which recalled the likes of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man.
Still, If there was any doubt who the crowd was there to see, the Bluechips, dispelled all uncertainty. The Peekskill/HudsonValley based-band brought serious “hometown hero” energy to the show, with a devoted fan base that knew every word.
The Bluechips feautring Paulie “Pasta” Beladino, singer and drummer Jake Albi and bassist Tom Davis
Of all the bands on the bill, the Bluechips were the only ones to have rocked the Paramount previously, performing back in 2019. They’ve also performed at similar venues like Garcia’s at the Capitol Theater.
The trio, made up of singer and guitarist Paulie “Pasta” Beladino, singer and drummer Jake Albi and bassist Tom Davis, had a lush sound further filled out by two and sometimes three part vocal harmonies, highlighted on original tracks such as “Go Blind” and the fan favorite “San Diego” a catchy ballad with jazz, rock and pop influences melding into a infectious and playful chorus. In general, the band had the most memorable originals of the night, and the vocal interplay between Beladino’s high-pitched voice and Albi’s deeper, powerful vocals made for a refreshing combo.
The band also had some exciting covers like Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and their encore song, “Time” by Pink Floyd, fueled by vicious drum fills and guitar solos that cut like a knife. The band was also the only group that succeeded in rousing the audience from their seats, bringing nearly half the crowd to the front row, where fans moshed and chanted for the rest of the set, an impressive feat considering the typically reserved nature of the sit-down theater.
Altogether, it was an incredible night filled with diverse music, an extremely supportive audience and overwhelming talent. There’s also something to be said about the importance of highlighting local bands on a big stage such as the Paramount. The younger-than-average crowd for the venue goes to show how new bands can bring new fans to older venues in a mutually beneficial way. When all was said and done, the show lasted over 4 and a half hours, and for a ticket price of less than $20, it was well-worth the price of admission.
Lovejoy made a stop on Wednesday on December 7th at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. Selling out every one of their shows within minutes of announcing their US tour, the upbeat indie-rock band put on an amazing performance, full of jumping, head-banging, and enthusiastic crowd interaction. The UK-based band played various songs from their first EP Are You Alright, and their latest release, Pebble Brain.
Lead singer Wilbur Soot and bassist Ash Kabosu
Lovejoy, consisting of lead singer Will Gold—better known by his Youtube name, Wilbur Soot—guitarist Joe Goldsmith, bassist Ash Kabosu, and drummer Mark Boardman, played their second ever show in New York this past week. The band formed in 2020 when Wilbur Soot, with his already large fanbase of 6.35 million followers on Youtube and Twitch for video game streaming, uploaded his comedic yet catchy song, “Your New Boyfriend.” The song pushed Soot to pursue music on a more serious level. Already friends with guitarist Joe, Soot met bassist Ash Kabosu at a burger shop and drummer Mark Boardman through the freelance company Fiverr. After Soot and Goldsmith’s first day of recording music with their newly found instrumentalists, the four decided to form their band.
Lovejoy first entered the stage by pushing through the crowd, generating screams of excitement from the crazed fans, many of whom brought their parents with them to the packed venue. Given that Lovejoy had only four scheduled tour dates in the US, many dedicated followers traveled hours from far away states like Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and even Florida to see their favorite band play.
A teenager from the crowd handed guitarist Joe Goldsmith a black-and-white striped beanie, which he wore during the entire show. Prior to playing their song “Model Buses,” the crowd collectively booed Boris Johnson and sang along to lyrics like “We can barely see your hair receding..” and “Sound as good with slurred speech as I do when I’m sober…” After facing some technical difficulties during their performance of “Concrete,” the band replayed the song with the whole crowd screaming the lyrics and jumping eagerly to the beat.
Before their encore, the band members pretended to leave the stage and re-enter from behind the curtains, prompting the crowd to scream in excitement once again. Lovejoy is continuing their US tour with two last shows in California on December 9th and December 11th.
Setlist: Tomorrow, You’ll Understand When You’re Older; Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?; Taunt, Consequences, Model Buses, Cause for Concern, The Fall, It’s Golden Hour Somewhere (unreleased), One Day, Sex Sells
Encore: Perfume, It’s All Futile! It’s All Pointless!, Concrete
Crane School of Music graduate Josh Barkley will host a unique tour of North Country churches, performing organ and piano music at each stop this December. The tour is free to the public, and even with stops at these historic churches, the performances will not include a religious service.
A multi-instrumentalist, Josh Barkley has played the accordion for his high school production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” the saxophone in his high school marching band, electric bass in a local country music group, and the organ at church on Sunday. This man of many talents is best known as a jazz pianist who plays the piano on the fly, improvising music more than sticking strictly to sheet music.
Barkley, an SLC Arts musician, will begin the holiday music tour featuring organ and piano on December 11, with each performance beginning at 6:00PM and taking place at a different church in St. Lawrence County, with the final concert on December 22nd at SUNY Potsdam’s Hosmer Hall.
This week’s episode of Saturday Night Livefeatures SNL veterans Steve Martin and Martin Short co-hosting, with musical guest, singer-songwriter, Brandi Carlile.
The cold open features Kenan Thompson, Cecily Strong, Ego Nwodim, Bowen Yang, and Sarah Sherman sharing how they keep their cool during the holiday season. They sing a jingle about current events happening in the world, including Elon Musk buying Twitter, Kanye West’s antisemitic comments, and the unexpected album drop from convicted pedophile R. Kelly.
The monologue sawMartin Short and Steve Martin talking about how many times they have hosted in a montage video, with Martin hosting an incredible 16 times, and Short comically having hosted only three times, including this evening. They joked about how nostalgic it felt to be back and meet the new cast. Martin and Short are celebrating the third season of their Hulu show Only Murders in the Building as well. The two also jokingly read about what each other’s eulogies would be. Selena Gomez made a guest appearance at the end of the monologue.
The first sketch features Short and Martin premiering on a spin-off of a scientific PBS Kids TV show. The two use cast members Cecily Strong and Mikey Day as kids helping out in demonstrating different scientific scenarios, but they are comically unhelpful and make obscene jokes. Both Martin and Short become increasingly frustrated at the kids, and the segment cuts out.
The next sketch features the SNL writing room. They are making fun of a cast member’s ex and saying she smelled bad, and more. The funny joke is that they got back together, and she was in the room, with the family members seeing them talking badly about the ex. Martin and Short show up, and as the two cast members try to get themselves out of it, it keeps progressing.
Another holiday-themed sketch follows, taking place on a train ride. Martin Short and Steve Martin, along with Cecily Strong and Kenan Thompson are sitting in a booth together. They break out into a song and dance about snow, wanting to see it and be in it, having not experienced it before. The sketch takes a turn, where Strong, Martin, and Short turn into bears, hibernating through the snow.
The next sketch features Martin as Santa and Short as an elf named Sprinkles. He is short-tempered and yells at each child as they try to tell Santa what they want. Following is a sketch about A Christmas Carol, with Short being The Scrooge. He comically blinds an orphan trying to give him money. Martin, being the Spirit or Christmas Present, also blinds people when throwing coins, even accidentally stabbing someone.
Brandi Carlile recently released a deluxe record titled In The Canyon Haze. This isn’t Carlile’s first time performing on SNL, having been featured as a guest earlier in the year. She will be opening for P!nk at Citi Field on Aug. 3, and tickets are on sale here. She carried a lot of energy in her performance of her song “The Story” dressed in a festive suit. Her unique and powerful vocals shine as she smiles at the audience several times.
https://youtu.be/CpNqR-ff_TQ
Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che talked about the political race, including Herschel Walker losing the election, with the audience clapping. They made a lot of jokes about Brittney Griner being released from prison as well as talking about the World Cup finals.
The next sketch features Short as Minky Carmichael on a show, teaching women how to treat their men. It gets funny as Cecily Strong makes fun of him, and humiliates him on the show. Brandi Carlile came back out, in a different black and blue outfit. She is singing a much chiller song, “You and Me on the Rock ft. Lucius” with the same powerful and beautiful vocals.
https://youtu.be/-sEbBaXMImY
The final sketch is a Father of the Bride spinoff, featuring Martin and Heidi Gardner as his daughter, celebrating her eighth wedding, with Short being a wedding planner. Kieran Culkin makes a guest appearance, as he was in the original movie along with Martin and Short. Selena Gomez also makes an appearance as the wedding singer.
Next week’s Saturday Night Live show features Austin Butler hosting, with musical guest Lizzo.
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.
Sydney Worthley –“How Soon Is Now”
Sydney Worthley is an alternative artist from Albany. In 2017, she released her debut 14-track album titled Strong, followed by performances at Mountain Jam Music Festival, First Night Saratoga, and all over the Capital Region. In 2019, she became an independent artist at the age of 17. Her newest track “How Soon Is Now” is a glittery pop single that will be played on EQXposure.
ShortWave RadioBand – “So long the Hopeful”
ShortWave RadioBand resides in Schuylerville. Starting out as a semi-acoustic duo in late 2019, Lonny Eaton and Andy Scullin performed cover songs for a little more than a year before meeting drummer John Woods. They started writing their own songs at the end of Summer 2021 and then added Abby Stone on trumpet and Ryan Shaw on guitar.
Rhoseway – “Country Sunrise”
Rhoseway is the solo project of Albany-based songwriter Rob Fleming. All writing, arrangements, performances, and production are done by himself in a DIY fashion.
On November 18, Rochester recording artist Ryan Sutherland released his third album, Sutherland II. In the album art, by illustrator Sabrina Cintron, neon green smoke curls around a pumpkin-headed scarecrow. Set against “crimson skies” emanating out of a huge, looming full moon with black cats hanging around its crescent, you gain the perfect visual of Upstate New York, taken as the days get cold, the season of the witch, after the harvest.
Halloween’s spirits and spooks still hang in the air like old smoke as winter dramatically conquers fall; decreeing daylight cut-backs and strict sunlight curfews. While winter reigns, cold seeps through cracks in the once-grand, now dilapidated houses that line neighborhoods, the kind college students crowd into. Meanwhile, everyone dons kingly robes: trailing coats, vintage furs, cashmere socks, grandmother’s knits. Everyone’s digging things up, remembering, forgetting. Everyone’s just trying to get through another Upstate winter.
Through love affairs, drinks with the boys and a trip to the psych ward, Sutherland II documents how Sutherland himself gets through these days — with graceful vulnerability and powerful guitar chops. It nails down acutely the beautiful sadness of winter, its forced periods of intense introspection, its loneliness and its frustration. Sutherland validates all those emotions through shared experience and earnest vocals.
The sharp wind of winters can pull tears out the eye unwittingly, can flush cheeks artificially; the early sunsets can warp time — 6 p.m. starts to feel like midnight. Everything is not as it seems, but in the frigid sunlight you can see your own air when you breathe, it reminds you you’re alive, it reminds you where you are. “Take a deep breath / it’s the only thing that’s real,” Sutherland sings on “Breathe.”
Sutherland II is comprised of 11 tracks of psychedelic rock n’ roll. Sutherland is on guitar, vocals and bass, Alex Cote is on drums, and local legend Ben Morey played organ on “Breathe,” in addition to engineering and recording the album at his Submarine Sound Studios in Rochester. Ryan Sutherland notes his references as the likes of Kurt Vile, Bob Dylan and Sturgil Simpson, but there’s also a bit of Billy Bragg in his tone and chord progressions.
The album is perfect to listen to when walking through snowy streets at night, when they haven’t been plowed just yet, when the snow just fell, blanketing everything in eerie silence, stillness. You can listen through earbuds tucked into puffer jackets and hats and scarves, cold beer in a cold hand, frozen finger flicking a lighter, cracked knuckles, chapped lips. When it’s so quiet, too quiet, and you think you might go crazy, listen to track six, “Psych Ward Blues.” Sutherland shouts out the local Rochester staple: Strong Memorial Hospital, and bluntly recounts checking himself in, with smart timing and easy humor.
Driving Upstate in this season is surreal as well — all black trees, white lakes and red barnes. It’s depressing, but the depression of Upstate winters twists itself in the minds of those of us who have been here for the long haul, and it turns into a sense of pride, a game of “how much of this can I take?” “Everybody wants to leave Upstate NY,” Sutherland sings on “Everyone’s Leaving (Upstate NY)” Even Sutherland wants to leave sometimes, when the cold is bitter, when his boss calls him into his office, when the economies bad and he can’t save a dime. Still, Ryan Sutherland doesn’t leave, a mysterious force exists, holding him here, the beauty in the sadness: “I got a feeling this city needs me / or I need it / desperately.”
