Category: Rock

NY Band Bad Mary Release Punk-Rock Song And Video “It’s All Trash”

NY’s Bad Mary have just released their newest music video for their upcoming song “It’s All Trash,” which was released on November 8^th. Bad Mary is made up of lead vocalist Amanda Mac, with her husband Mike Staub on bass, her dad Bill Mac on drums, and her Hofstra University professor David Henderson on guitar. This four multi-generational equal parts which continue to inspire each other with their musical prowess and distinct skill sets.

When asked about the song bassist Staub explains, “This song is a sort of realization that despite a fancy label or how we dress up a lot of what we consume, much of it is still just… trash. I wanted to still convey this message in our own, cheeky, and bratty way, hence the 80s glam metal “oh yeahs” in the chorus. In the end, even Trash can be a lot of fun. This is also, to me, one of our heaviest songs, which I like as it encapsulates a fun-yet-aggressive vibe” shares bassist Mike Staub.

Guitarist David Henderson explains the video was shot in an abandoned psychiatric center creating the perfect aesthetic for the song. “We shot the video in an abandoned psychiatric center. We had to get a guide, Krispy DeRato, who knew their way around to help us find a good place to shoot. We had to walk through partly flooded dark tunnels full of white mud and dripping water to get there, it was pretty gross honestly, and if Krispy had not been guiding us, we definitely would have got lost down there. Once situated, I just played the song on my phone and said, “OK, just do the Amanda dance around the building.” Amanda took off and owned the space, I pretty much just followed her around making sure I got everything. It had rained the night before, so all of the dripping water and mud were just part of the natural atmosphere of the place.”

Around the middle of December, the band plans to bring some holiday cheer with the release of their holiday EP “A Very Bad Christmas.” You won’t want to miss their edgy rock n’ punk versions of Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard High, and Little Drummer Boy. Bad Mary’s songs have been a staple in rotation on SiriusXM’s Underground Garage, but “It’s All Trash” really perked up their ears.

“Bad Mary just seems to constantly provide an endless stream of entertaining content. They’re an incredible band, and it looks like they just have so much fun with everything they do”
Folk N Rock

Bad Mary is originally from Long Island, but they rehearse in Kings Park. Band members Amanda and Bill are originally from Massapequa, Mike is from Hicksville. Currently, David lives in Kings Park, Mike and Amanda are local to Huntington.

Their newest EP Trash And Glamour will be out in early 2023. You can catch their weekly live stream on Twitch on Tuesday nights at 8 pm EST. To watch, click the link here.

To check out Bad Mary’s newest video for “It’s All Trash,” below.

November 14, 2022
Como Brothers Emote Passion and Persistance, Delivering Sweet Harmonies

The recipe for success in the music business starts with honing your craft. Add the right ingredients rooted in passion and persistence, rightaway top it off with a consistent social media presence and you’ve got a winning combination. To put it mildly, the Como Brothers Band is cook’n.

It’s Kismet

It was Kismet that I discovered the Como Brothers when they performed in Bay Shore. While at Fire Island Vines, a relatively new wine and craft beer bar that profiles original music, I was approached by the owner. This particular evening I came to hear Gene Casey, another one of the fantastic guests on The Long Island Sound podcast. I was greeted by Antonio, who said if you like Gene Casey, you’re gonna love the Como Brothers!

Harken the Harmonies

What caught my ear were brothers Andrew and Matt’s vocal harmonies. The music had a familiar rock/pop sound. When they were four to five songs into the set, I realized these guys were pumping out some great original music. As fate would have it, I “checked in” on Facebook, and soon, my daughter Fatih recognized the brothers as the sons of her math teacher, Mr. Como in High School. Como the senior would play his son’s music on occasion in class a decade earlier.

Curiosity Clinches

Curious about the artists behind the music and this kismet connection with my daughter, this had to be some sort of sign to investigate. A quick Google search of the Como Brothers, increased my curiosity as a plethora of songs and collaborative music videos appeared.

After a short conversation the Brothers Como agreed to be on The Long Island Sound podcast. The famous broadcaster Paul Harvey would opine, “And now the rest of the story” can be found in the latest episode of the podcast.

Content is King Backed up by a Queen

Fascinated by the wellspring of music that comes from Long Island, I am intrigued by the exposure artists receive or lack in the marketplace. The Como Brothers seem to have the success recipe nailed down. Maybe it is the Social Media generational divide that is the disadvantage for many artists. For the Como Brothers Band, Social Media is their superpower.

If you take a look at their website, you’d be amazed at the exposure they’ve gained in the marketplace surprisingly in a relatively short period of time. Whether it was being featured in a Canon trade show commercial, or having their music featured on Keeping up with the Kardashian’s, and MTV”s Real World, these guys seem unstoppable.

Secret Ingredient

When I asked about their social media presence, both Matt and Andrew heaped praise on Matt’s fiance Tatiana.

Tatiana is super, she’s actually super involved in what we do not from a songwriting perspective, but she films all of our music videos, helped set up on our website, our online shop. So she has type A, and she’s a band member’s dream. She’s like the Anti Yoko Ono!
Andrew Como

In promoting any artist or creative on the web, I’m intrigued at what seems to be successful. Whether it is deciphering the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or understanding what a particular platform’s algorithm likes to see, I’m happy to integrate and learn something new.

Collaboration is Key

The common denominator with the video on the band’s site seems to be like-minded collaboration. Sam Woolf, one of the contestants on American Idol, joins the Como Brothers in several videos. Sam’s pop sound blends well with the band, accentuated by Andrew’s creative guitar licks. The humility of the brothers is by their willingness to explore and share their talent with other artists. The collaborators behind the scenes read as a Who’s Who of industry professionals backing up the production of the band’s endeavors. Industry legends grace various tracks. There’s drummer Steve Jordan (John Mayer, Saturday Night Live band, Late Night with David Letterman), keyboardist Andy Burton (Little Stephen & the Disciples of Soul), Aaron Sterling (Taylor Swift), and many others.

How can two young brothers make the industry connections that lead to collaborative projects? I asked them how do you do it? How were you able to connect with Sam Woolf or Kayla Stokert or the many other notables on your tracks? The simple answer I surmise, is that they’ve worked hard traveling and gigging around and they just seem to be nice guys. Artists willing to take the collaborative leap and say, “let’s give it a go”.

The two words that came to my mind when I encountered the Como’s was passion and persistence. As full time musicians with a creative need, they pump out content with Tatiana’s helping hand. Together they package it up into video and social media posts, ever increasing their growing list of fans. I can see their consistent creative content calling me back to discover what they’ve been up to each week.

You can find more on their YouTube Channel, Instagram site and Spotify playlist. Call it Kismet, by looking into my crystal ball, I can see the day when I’ll recount, “you know I knew them way back when.”

November 12, 2022
King Buffalo 2023 Tour Includes Stop at Empire Underground

On Friday, February 17, 2023, rock-trio King Buffalo, will be performing at Empire Underground on their just announced tour, along with an appearance by special guests, Swell the Fellas. The group is returning from their tour with Clutch, and more recently with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, from their spring tour in North America.

King Buffalo

Members of the Rochester-based group are vocalist and guitarist, Sean McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds, and drummer Scott Donaldson. The band has released a total of four full-length EPs, “Acheron”, “The Burden of Restlessness”, “Dead Star”, “Longing to Be the Mountain” and “Orion”, since their formation in 2013 and most recently had their fifth full-length EP called “Regenerator” released on Sept. 2, 2022.

Empire Underground Performance of King Buffalo Poster

The album “Regenerator” is a pinnacle piece demonstrating a modern psychedelic sound production, while containing elements which stretch the stylistic boundaries of the underground rock genre. The band’s self release in North America and through the Europe-based company, Stickman Records, serves as a leading thematical counterpart to their prior projects, such as the 2016’s “Orion” debut, 2018’s “Longing to Be the Mountain”, as well as other EPs.

Drummer Scott Donaldson, discussed with NYS Music about King Buffalo and their most recently released album, Regenerator.

Heather Occhino: How did your band come together and what made you decide to be drummer?

Scott Donaldson: We formed from 2 bands from the Rochester area. As my band was breaking, so was Sean’s and Dan’s. I approached them about doing some stuff together and we had a natural chemistry, and have been rolling since then.

HO: How do you manage all the aspects of being in a band and still find time to make music?

SD: Being a musician and managing the day to day is a full time job. Fortunately, I’m able to handle the business side of things. When it comes to making music, we all jam together and form new some ideas. At this point, Sean will take the recordings and rearrange the ideas to form a more cohesive structure. Then we work through those ideas together until the song is complete.

HO: How you would you describe your music?

SD: We’re basically a new age classic rock band. We can be grouped into sub genres like psychedelic rock, stoner, metal, prog and so forth but we don’t really tie ourselves to any specific category.

HO: How were prior tour performances both in and outside of the U.S? Have you seen a growth in your listening base since then?

SD: We have seen significant growth since the pandemic in both Europe and North America. It’s nice to have some recognition since next year will be ten years as a band, but there is plenty more still to accomplish.

HO: Are there any artists who influence your sound or inspire you creatively?

SD: I think each of us are inspired daily by numerous influences. It’s impossible to pick any because anything can have a placebo that you might not even realize.

Tickets for the performance at Empire Underground can be bought here.

King Buffalo North America Tour Dates:

11/8 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic

11/9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

11/11 – Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre

11/12 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre

11/14 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Front Room

11/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line

11/16 – Madison, WI @ High Noon

11/17 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village

11/18 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village

11/19 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache

12/10 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall

1/3 – Cleveland @ Grog Shop

1/14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-fi

1/15 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway

1/17 – Iowa City, IA @ Gabe’s

1/18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo

1/19 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig

1/20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Cafe Club

1/21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Cafe Club

2/16 – Brattleboro, VT @ Stone Church

2/17 – Albany, NY @ Empire Underground

2/18 – Lancaster, PA @ Tellus 360

2/19 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall

2/21 – Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor

2/23 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub

2/24 – Miami, FL @ Gramps

2/25 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar

2/26 – St. Augustine, FL @ Cafe 11

2/28 – Athens, GA @ Hendershots

3/1 – Ashville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall

3/3 – Huntington, WV @ The Load

2023 European Tour Dates:

5/19 – 5/21 – Desertfest Berlin

6/8 – 6/10 – Freak Valley Festival

Official Music Video for King Buffalo’s “Mammoth”

November 10, 2022
In Focus: The Last Waltz at Proctors Theatre

The Last Waltz 2022 concert tour with Warren Haynes kicked-off with two excellent shows on November 3rd & 4th at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. I was determined to see at least one show on the tour. Looking at the schedule, that show had to be at Proctors Theatre on Saturday, November 5 in Schenectady.

Proctors is one of the nicest theatres I have been to in New York State and may even be one of the nicest theatres in the US. The architecture, the history, the restoration, the sound quality, the staff, everything about Proctors Theatre makes it a special venue to see a performance such as The Last Waltz.

Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson were The Band. Their Thanksgiving concert 1976 was filmed live at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco and the concert became a celebration. The film became The Last Waltz. If you’re a fan of The Band, if you want to see & hear great timeless music, you just know, the music & songs from The Last Waltz, it’s going to be special.

The Last Waltz 2022 at Proctors Theatre included Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kathleen Edwards,
Anders Osborne, Dave Malone, John Medeski, Cyril Neville, Terence Higgins, Bob Margolin and Mark
Mullins & the Levee Horns. The band will be joined by Taj Mahal & Don Was and other musicians at
future dates. The song selections and arrangements were both familiar and unique.

My friend mentioned that he thought the 2022 horn arrangements closely followed the original 1976 Last Waltz horn charts arranged by Allen Toussaint. The Levee Horns played true to the New Orleans sound. The set lists will vary slightly from show to show. The concert highlights are far too many to count. Terence Higgins on drums is extraordinary. For me, Jamey Johnson’s vocals, especially on ‘Georgia’, Kathleen Edwards multi-instrumental musicianship & and her vocals on Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’ were heart felt and everyone together on Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Released’, that was excellent.

The tour continues November 9 the at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, CT and wraps-up on December 4 the at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Along the way, there will be performances in Boston, DC, Richmond, Atlanta, Florida and Oakland, CA. This is one of those must-see 2022 concert performances. If you’re local or within travelling distance, this concert should not be missed. Find more on the Last Waltz 2022 concert series here.

November 9, 2022
In Focus: The Machine performs Pink Floyd at Homer Center for the Arts

The Center of The Arts in Homer hosted an astounding show on Saturday, November 5 with well known tribute band The Machine performing Pink Floyd. With a 30+ year legacy of extending the voice of Pink Floyd, The Machine continues to carry on the reputation of the British rock band that began in 1965.

Perri Sage Photography

The Machine is a New York based group of four, expanding the Floyd reputation of the 1970’s. The band consists of drummer Tahrah Cohen, electric guitarist Ryan Ball, pianist Scott Chasolen and lead singer and guitarist Chris Deanglis. The group performs in memory of Joe Pascarell, who founded the band back in 1988.

Perri Sage Photography

The Machine put on a show and performed some of Pink Floyd’s top hits, “Comfortably Numb,” “Wish You Were Here,” and many others from album Dark Side of The Moon, released in 1973. The album was conceived as a concept of mental health regarding former original band member Syd Barrett who left the group in 1968.

Perri Sage Photography

Overall The Machine performs Pink Floyd plays with such accuracy, it’s truly outstanding the band has been able to continue the legacy and importance of Pink Floyd which has greatly impacted the music community. Playing all around the world, sold out shows and growing their audience. The Machine has truly become a tribute phenomenon.

November 9, 2022
An Interview with NYC Artist Craig Greenberg

Native to New York City, Craig Greenberg has been heavily involved in the region’s music scene for over a decade and a half. Greenberg has channeled the spirit of classic alternative and soul musicians, such as Billy Joel, Ben Folds and Randy Newman, while blending their influences with new narratives concomitant to his experiences, in his music.

Craig Greenberg

While his performances on stage in New York City-based venues have harnessed crowds of music fans in the Metro area, the timeline of his works begins in 2007, after the release of his rock debut EP The World and Back. Three years later, his second debut EP Spinning in Time receiving national airplay helps to conjure momentum to his career, following his third release (as well as his first full length album) The Grand Loss & Legacy being covered by Huffington Post and ranking the top of RELIX’s Top 30 Radio albums chart.

2015 “The Grand Loss & Legacy” Album Cover

His 2020 album Phantom Life carries tracks conveying a blend of sounds derived from pop and rock, and lyrical sentiments wielding an axis on life obstacles and opportunities. The Between the Sea and the Sky EP is set to be released on December 16, 2022.

Greenberg’s most recent piece is his single “Quarantine Queen” from September, 2022, which emerged from the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and touches on the frustrations he experienced in his dating life, living in NYC. Craig sat down with NYS Music to discuss his discography and upcoming release of Between the Sea and the Sky.

Heather Occhino: I came across your website and I was reading your bio just to find out more about your background as an artist, so I wanted to ask you, what made you initially pursue a career in music?

Craig Greenberg: Well I actually feel the path chose me.. When I graduated from college and I was mainly just a guitar player I didn’t think I was up for the lifestyle of being a musician. I tried out other creative areas (including comedy writing) and also considered studying creativity for a graduate degree in psychology. It wasn’t until I finished my first few full songs that it started to click in my head that I could actually do it. And then a couple years later when I got my first gig singing in bars (while living abroad in South America), that was my no turning back point.

HO: I read in your bio that your independent work of pop/Americana music started with your ‘The World and Back’ EP back in 2007. What drove you to make music within that genre (were you involved in that music scene growing up?)

CG: I didn’t set out to make music in that genre.. I just got labeled that way. I actually think “Americana” is used as a default when there isn’t a more apt description or if the reviewer is lazy (lol). As far as the “pop” description, I think I’ve always had a good sense of writing hooky melodies, so maybe that’s where that came from.

HO: Going more into your biography on your website, I also saw that your debut album, “The Grand Loss & Legacy” was included in a publication by the Huffington Post and received national airplay and was ranked in another publication as being in the Top 30 Radio albums. (Congratulations) How did that momentum impact you and what did it mean for your career, moving forward from that point?

CG: Well it certainly put me on the map in terms ofindustry recognition.. especially from the singles “That Girl is Wrong for You”, and “Death on the Liberty Line” that got praise from the HuffPost and Relix magazine and received airplay around the country. And that album also gave me confidence to move closer to what my band sounds like live, a more raw and rocking sound. That was rewarding and liberating!

HO: Your latest single that came out last month on the 30th is called “Quarantine Queen”. Is it intended to be about anyone in particular, perhaps someone dear to you in your life?

CG: Well, sometimes my songs are true stories, sometimes they’re based on a true story, and sometimes they’re complete fiction. Quarantine Queen would fall in the last category. It came out of a lonely period during the early days of the pandemic in NYC. I was frustrated with the reality of dating during those weird times and wrote a song about my dream companion to spend lockdown with.
<a href="https://craiggreenberg.bandcamp.com/track/quarantine-queen">Quarantine Queen by craig greenberg</a>
HO: Is this song set to be part of your upcoming EP to be released in December?

CG: Yes

HO: I read that your music reflects the experiences you are going through. That leads me into my next question, which is, do you find that the emotional tones you inject in your music are part of a more spontaneous creative process or do you usually plan prior on what type of energy a project is going to deliver?

CG: I find that the emotional feeling in my songs can come out of my experience, but also could be just a mood I’m in, but for sure it’s never planned in advance–I never sit down and say I want to write a song about this or that topic. Generally I sit at the piano (or guitar) and just see where the feeling in the moment takes me. Though when making an album, the songs I choose to record may be based on wanting to have a variety of mood and energy to give it range.

HO: When and where do you plan on performing next?

CG: Rockwood Music Hall, Dec 21st – it will be the EP release show!

HO: In the last part of your bio, I read that you performed with prominent musicians such as Mike Gordon of Phish, Jackson Browne and Victor DeLorenzo from Violent Femmes. Do you plan on working with musicians like the ones just mentioned again and what has the experience of performing with big names given you?

CG: Well, I would jump at the chance to perform with any of them again. Aside from Jackson Browne, who I’ve had the extreme privilege of getting to know a bit and performing with a few times over the years, the others were more random occurrences. Victor DeLorenzo was at a songwriting event I attended for many years in the mid-west, and we have many musical friends in common, so there’s a decent chance our paths will cross again.

November 8, 2022
moe. Announces The Return Of Chuck Garvey For New Year’s Eve

Fans of moe. got a dose of good news about beloved guitarist Chuck Garvey the other night at the band’s show at The Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO. In his customary pre-encore “Al.nouncements,” guitarist Al Schnier read a note from Chuck, who suffered a stroke last November, proclaiming that he would sit-in as a “special guest” for a portion of the band’s NYE performance at the Fillmore Philadelphia for the first time in over a year. As expected, the news was met with much delight.

The announcement came exactly one year to the day since Chuck Garvey suffered his stroke, and his return appearance with moe. is also significant since the Fillmore Philadelphia was the last venue he performed at on Halloween 2022. The band has yet to announce plans for Chuck to return to the band on a full-time basis.

Thank you for your well-wishes and your donations, without which my recovery would not have happened. This year has been a really long, difficult one for me, but a rewarding one, in that I learned what a person needs to do to achieve goals.
~ Chuck Garvey

The NYE performance will include an opening set by the New Haven, CT based 4-piece Eggy, and also feature The Horn Section, a 3-piece horn group featuring former members of Turkuaz, who will be performing with moe. throughout the night. The concert will follow moe.’s appearance at the North Beach Music Festival in Miami Beach, and a handful of Rob & Vinnie shows with BlueStar Radiation through the remainder of 2022.

For ticketing and show info, please visit https://moe.org/tour

November 8, 2022
Steve Vai rolls through Rochester on his Inviolate Tour

The Kodak Center in Rochester on Friday, November 4th hosted the legendary Steve Vai. Playing this small city for the first time since he played at the same venue on the “Generation Axe” tour in 2018, this show was in support of his 2022 Inviolate album.

Steve Vai- Photo credit- Mike Miller

The band behind the sixty two year old Steve Vai hasn’t changed at all within the last nine years or so. Jeremy Colson on drums, Dave Weiner on guitar/sitar/acoustic has now added keys to his arsenal on the side of the stage, and rounded up by Philip Bynoe on six string bass guitar.

The beautiful venue had some tickets for sale at the door many fans were seen purchasing last minute. The lights dimmed down at the scheduled start time of 8pm, with a little call and response part while Steve was standing off to the side of the stage. He was getting the crowd to howl and sing along to the noises he was making with his trusty Ibanez Jem guitar, much like the start of the David Lee Roth classic
“Yankee Rose” with the talking guitar or like his mentor Joe Satriani’s crowd chant.

Jeremy Colson

Steve finally walks onto the stage and after a little improv jam with the band then they immediately launch into a track called “Avalancha” from his new album. This is an upbeat number to kick off the show, lots of double bass drumming in this one with Jeremy attacking his Tama Starclassic drum set on this very melody driven song despite the rhythm shifts.

During the show Steve explained to the crowd he had to reschedule his tour due to an accident. He told the crowd he was making pizza in his pizza oven and injured his shoulder in the process. He thanked the crowd many times for attending as this venue was different than the originally scheduled one.

Dave Weiner

In total Steve played twenty songs for about a two hour set time. Each band member was given a solo spot thought the show. Drummer Jeremy started his drum solo with a didgeridoo which the crowd did not expect, but welcomed.

During the song, “Teeth of the Hydra”, Vai played a three-necked Ibanez guitar. Which is a twelve string neck, a seven string neck, and a bass neck. During “For the Love of God” Vai brought out his audio monitor engineer Danny G who sang opera for the first verse and chorus. Vai is currently on tour for another month.

Setlist: Avalanche, Giant Balls of Gold, Little Pretty, Tender Surrender, Lights Are On, Candlepower, Bass solo, Building the Church, Guitar solo, Greenish Blues, Bad Horsie, I’m Becoming, Whisper a Prayer, Dyin’ Day, Drum solo, Teeth of the Hydra, Zeus in Chains, Liberty, For the Love of God
Encore: Fire Garden Suite I- Bull Whip

November 7, 2022
The Dust Devil Band and CNY Musicians To Hold All-Star Benefit at Unity Hall in Barneveld

Unity Hall in Barneveld will host blues-rock Blueprints, roots and country-based The Dust Devil Band, and blues/psychedelic folk-rock Brian Mulkerne Band, plus special guests, at the CNY All-Star Benefit Concert on Sunday, November 20 from 3 to 6 p.m. The concert at the Oneida County venue is to support Nicole Deveny Gaines-Parker, who is battling cancer.

Full Auditorium at Dust Devil Band Show

Proceeds will be for the benefit of Nicole, Malcom and the rest of the Gaines-Parker family.

I am blessed to have made many great musical friends over the years, and many of them will be appearing at the show at historic Unity Hall. Most of the performers have known Nicole since she was a little girl. For them to come to play at this event is very special and meaningful to Nicole and Malcolm and to all our family. Unity Hall is my favorite concert venue – aesthetically beautiful, acoustically perfect, and thoroughly magical! This is going to be a very memorable show for all involved!
George Deveny, Dust Devil Band and NYS Blues Hall of Fame member

Having been formed in 1988, the Blueprints have debuted shows for prominent artists, such as the legendary blues and roots rock band, Nighthawks and the Red Hot Louisiana Band. The group is comprised of vocalist and guitarist George Deveny, vocalist and pianist Dave Liddy, drummer Oscar Crandall and bassist Ken McConnell Jr., who were all inducted in the NY Blues Hall of Fame. The other CNY-based bands also hold remarkable stances, as The Dust Devil Band emerged in popularity during the 1980s, while the Brian Mulkerne Band is known for bringing musical favorites in the Mohawk Valley music scene.

Blueprints Band

The Dust Devil Band consists of members, vocalist, guitarist and harmonicist Ed Rosenburg, pedal steel guitarist George Newton, drummer Darryl Mattison, bassist and vocalist Dane Porter and vocalist and guitarist George Deveny. Having been favored by music fans during the 1980’s, the band has re-established their presence in the Central New York music scene, bringing multiple sold-performances at Unity Hall.

The Dust Devil Band

Brian Mulkerne Band, a prominent band in the music scene of Mohawk Valley, is made up of leading member behind the vocals and guitar, Brian Mulkerne, other vocalist and guitarist Tim Baldwin, drummer Oscar Crandall, bassist Ken McConnell Jr., and slide guitarist Deveny. They have garnered a reputation for delivering what is considered to be musical favorites by fans.

Brian Mulkerne Band

Special guests in the performance include Mal P Entertainment drummer and producer Malcolm Gaines-Parker, harmonicist Skip Murphy from SAMMY Hall of Fame, Out of the Blue and Merry Pranksters, vocalists Rebecca Miner of Rebecca Miner Trio and Fabulous Mojos, Sydney Pinto of Walrus and Paul Case Band, Sharon Allen of Merry Pranksters and Better Than Bowling, drummer Bob Holz of Bob Holz and a Vision Forward, drummer Carl Marucci of Clean Street, vocalist and guitarist John Savage along with producer George Deveny, bassist John Handzel of Drivin’ Sideways and Rebecca Miner Trio and bassist Ari Marucci of Lower Tolpa. Included at the show will be a silent auction and baked goods for sale at the concert.

Tickets to the benefit at Unity Hall in Barneveld are $30 each and can be purchased here.

The Dust Devil Band Performance at Unity Hall in 2020

November 5, 2022
Hearing Aide: The Haunted Youth “Dawn of the Freak”

Covering a band from Belgium is a first for NYS Music, and not without good reason. The Haunted Youth have been indie darlings in Belgium and The Netherlands since the 2021 release of their first single “Teen Rebel,” and in attending Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany this past September, The Haunted Youth were one of the finalists for the ANCHOR Award, given out on the final day of the festival.

While The Haunted Youth did not win the ANCHOR Award (congrats to Cassia), they performed later that night at Angie’s to an industry crowd that saw lightning in a bottle. Seeing a band of this caliber perform in a club, having just played a main stage, who brought more energy to the room at the former, showed the nascent nature and the great potential for this Belgian band, who released their debut album Dawn of the Freak on November 4.

With hints of Australian indie rock band Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, recurring themes on Dawn of The Freak reflect the lives of a band who first connected during the COVID lockdowns in Europe and persevered through the loneliness and disruption to their lives. Frontman Joachim Liebens put his heart and soul into Dawn Of The Freak, writing all the songs and producing the album. The group’s sound ties together influences including The Cure, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine, with shoegaze and dream pop laying the foundation of the album’s tone. Balancing out the highs the group has experienced in the past two years, the lows from Lieben are deftly channeled into the music.

It’s therapy, a way of dealing with my existence. And I hope this album will be universal and accessible enough for others to enjoy it in the same way.
Joachim Liebens

Whether live or studio, The Haunted Youth have a ‘sound of a generation’ quality about them, one that is heard clearly on the second and third tracks, “Teen Rebel” and “Stranger.” The former is an excellent post teen-angst song for the ’20s, with a dream pop beat that reflects on wanting more, creating a sweet dilemna. “Stranger” has hints of lonelieness that soldiers along thanks to The Cure and Culture Club, with tastes of new wave channeled through Gen Z.

A steady bass tone spreads into melanchoic synth rock on the longest track of the album, “Gone,” with “Broken” having the catchiest guitar riff and full band sound among the whole album, and that’s saying something. Lieben’s voice adds subtle emotion in his intonations, making “I Feel Like Shit and I Wanna Die” more upbeat than the title might suggest, offering a ray of light amid the burden of his life.

The airy and dreamy “House Arrest” repeats the lines “In the night I was falling down” and “take me away,” a stark view of what lockdowns must have felt like in Europe, as opposed to America where they varied in response and success. The properly upbeat penultimate track “Coming Home” gives a feeling of redemption and hope as the album draws to a close.

“Fist in my Pocket,” the final track and only acoustic number, channels the repressed anger of a generation, angry but unable to rise up against the gravity of the world left for them. Again, a melancholic glimmer of hope is shared, with Liebens singing, “It’ll all be over someday soon, I promise you.” As dark as the lyrics can be, the message gives the listener a fair reminder and feeling that it’s okay to feel like shit sometimes.

After performances at Reeperbahn, Rock Werchter, Best Kept Secret, Pukkelpop, and Tomavistas, the group not only has the ANCHOR Awards nomination under their belt, but also have been nominated for the Music Moves Europe Awards.

The Haunted Youth will be playing sold-out album release shows in The Netherlands and the Main Hall of legendary Brussels venue Ancienne Belgique, followed by an extensive string of release and festival shows all over Europe in 2023. Here’s to hoping they can make their way State-side for shows in the near future.

Dawn of the Freak is now available on all streaming services and Bandcamp

November 5, 2022