Laura Lee Ochoa has officially joined the Radio Woodstock family with the upcoming debut of her show, “Leezy’s Certified Bangers : Grooves Beyond Borders”. The Saturday night program will premiere on March 5 at 10 PM.
The show will explore sounds from around the globe while also taking notes from Lee’s middle eastern, R&B and funk musical influences. Listeners will be able to bop their heads to the beats of her hidden gems as Lee showcases everything she’s learned during her travels around the world.
Lee is a singer-songwriter, best known for her role as one of Khruangbin’s founding members and its bass guitarist. The Texas trio have released a number of projects, with their most recent EP, Texas Moon being released on the 18th of this month. Texas Moon serves as their second collaboration with Leon Bridges. The group draws inspiration from several sources including Thai rock, 70’s funk and surf rock.
With the addition of Laura Lee to Radio Woodstock’s line up, it’s easy to say that the Hudson Valley will have even more great music to listen to while they’re out and about. The station has been operating for over 40 years and hosts a number of award winning programs. Radio Woodstock is also responsible for a number of concerts and festivals, including Mountain Jam Festival.
“Leezy’s Certified Bangers” will air on the first Saturday of every month, 10-11 PM on Radio Woodstock 100.1. Listeners can also tune in online or on the iHeartRADIO app.
SNL opened with cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong introducing the choir, who then sang “Prayer for Ukraine” as a tribute to the ongoing crisis from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York on Saturday Night Live
“Prayer for Ukraine” was written by Oleksandr Konysky with music composed by Mykola Lysenko and first published in 1885, initially with a children’s choir in mind. The song became the regular closing hymn in services of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and other churches and gained national significance when it was performed by mass choirs during the Ukrainian War of Independence in 1917–1920. The hymn was intended to be an official spiritual anthem of Ukraine.
“Prayer for Ukraine” was notably performed in Kyiv in 2001 during a parade celebrating the 10th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. The lyrics can be found below.
Lord, oh the Great and Almighty,
protect our beloved Ukraine,
Bless her with freedom and light
of your holy rays.
With learning and knowledge enlighten us,
your children small,
in love pure and everlasting.
Let us, oh Lord, grow.
We pray, oh Lord Almighty,
protect our beloved Ukraine,
Grant our people and country
all your kindness and grace.
Bless us with freedom, bless us with wisdom,
guide into kind world,
bless us, oh Lord, with good fortune
for ever and evermore.
Once the song ended, McKinnon and Strong then returned to the stage and said the show’s signature catch phrase, “Live… From New York, it’s Saturday night.” The camera then cut to a table of candles, which spelled out “Kyiv,” the Ukrainian capital city.
The show as hosted by five-timer John Mulaney with musical guest LCD Soundsystem.
Organizers of DelFest in Cumberland, MD have announced new additions to their 14th annual festival lineup. They’ve added Travelin’ McCourys, Robert Earl Keen, the Jerry Douglas Band, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, and the Price Sisters to the annual bluegrass music showcase.
Previously Announced Delfest Lineup
Railroad Earth, Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Watchhouse, Anders Osborne and Jackie Greene, The California Honeydrops, Sierra Hull, Cabinet, The Lil Smokies, The Ghost of Paul Revere, Steve Poltz, Sister Sadie, Cris Jacobs, Della Mae, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Jacob Jolliff Band, The Hot Club Of Cowtown, Fireside Collective, Twisted Pine, Dré Anders, Pert Near Sandstone, The Broomestix, The Seldom Scene, Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers, The Lonesome River Band, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Birches Bend, The Price Sisters, and Emcee Joe Craven.
More Festival Information
4-day passes will increase in price on Monday, February 21 at midnight Eastern. Glamping packages and on site parking packages are also available for sale now. Three and two day passes will become available on Tuesday February 22nd.
In addition, attendees can again expect to witness one-of-a-kind collaborations, special guest sit-ins, various tributes to Del McCoury and his legacy, and intimate appearances from the aforementioned artists.
For information including camping, parking, partners, and more, please visit delfest.com and follow DelFest on all social platforms.
Caroga Arts Collective have recently announced their spring residency featuring KASA quartet and CLMF artists Brian Shank and Geoff Saunders. They will hold four concerts from March 24-27.
“KASA quartet : An Evening of Music and Friendship” will highlight chamber music’s ability to bring listeners together. The group will perform pieces from films and Broadway, as well popular arrangements from Frank Churchill, Jacob Collier and more.
Originally founded in 2016, KASA quartet uses multiple styles to create their unique performances. With members Andy Liang, Aaron Schwartz, Kyle Price and Stephanie Price-Wong, the quartet has taught and performed at a number of places including Ravinia Festival, SPAC and Chamber Music Connection.
Eddie Barbash
The KASA quartet will also do a special NYC showcase with Eddie Barbash on 3/22. Alongside performances, the group have been working on their debut album with a number of talented collaborators like Glenn Zaleski, WARP trio and Empire Wild.
Two concerts, 3/24 and 3/26, will have free attendance, but optional donations can be made. RSVP will be required for the 3/25 show and the 3/27 show will require a ticket purchase. Tickets can be found here. More information can be found on the Caroga Arts website.
The album for James Lapine’s Broadway musical “Flying Over Sunset” is now available on all streaming platforms. The recording features the original cast performing all 22 tracks from the Lincoln Center musical which ran from Dec. 13, 2021 to Jan. 16 of this year.
“Flying Over Sunset” is a fictional story about the lives of Aldous Huxley (Harry Hadden-Paton), Clare Boothe Luce (Carmen Cusack), and Cary Grant (Tony Yazbeck) who decide to take LSD together and confront the mysteries of their lives and their world.
It features a critically acclaimed production crew. Lapine, who also wrote the book, is a Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner. The album is scored by Tony, GRAMMY, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tom Kitt.
“Flying Over Sunset” was produced by GRAMMY-nominee Scott M. Riesett (Schmigadoon!, Ain’t Too Proud, The Prom). Recorded in New York, the album was co-produced by Tony Award nominee Michael Korie and Lapine and was executive produced by Scott Farthing and Adam Siegel.
Terry Teachout of The Wall Street Journal says of “Flying Over Sunset”: “An irresistible trip worth taking, brought off with supreme flair, I’d gladly see it again right away!”
As of today, only the digital version of the album is available. A hard copy is scheduled to be released on April 8.
Beginning February, Thursday the 24th and through February, Sunday the 27th, Shomyo Buddhist Ritual Chant: Spiral Mandala Ceremony will take place at Japan Society.
Japan Society was initially formed in 1907 to promote relations between the US and Japan. Since then, it has transformed into a metropolitan epicenter for the promotion of Japanese arts and culture throughout NYC. Due to social distancing guidelines, the event will take place over 12 different shows, with a maximum of 30 seats per show.
The event will be a deeply immersive theatrical experience. Audience members will sit on cushions placed on the stage floor and listen to shomyo, a ritual form of a Buddhist chant that is believed to have originated in India. After traveling through the Silk Road the ancient form made its way to Japan, where it has been practiced ever since.
Shomyo no Kai—Voices of a Thousand Years, a group of two dozen priests, will be performing Yu Kuwabara’s shomyo piece “Spiral Mandala Ceremony”. Alongside Shomyo no Kai, Brooklyn-based media designer Tei Blow will deliver stunningly hypnotizing visuals. The three parties in synthesis will create a sensory experience not worth missing.
Performance dates
Thursday, Thursday, February 24 – Shows at 6 pm and 8 pm
Friday, February 25 – Shows at 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 26 – Shows at 2 pm, 4 pm, 6:30 pm, and 8:30 pm
Sunday, February 27 – Shows at 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, and 7 pm
Tickets are priced at $15. For more information, visit here.
Norwalk, Connecticut rock group Goose announced their third studio album, Dripfield, coming out on June 24th. Over the past few years, this band has constantly flourished throughout the music community, emerging as one of the premier bands working today.
DRIPFIELD Album Art
Dripfield features a 10-track LP that explores the details of their incredible journey and unbridled creativity. Along with the album’s innovation, the song “Borne” has a music video directed by Dylan Hahn and was shot over the course of three days in the Mojave Desert.
The underlying idea of Dripfield is that of saturation. Imagine a piece of earth – it’s kind of like the water level rising and seeping up to the top. It’s a metaphor for the creativity we have inside of us. I’m not sure what pulls it out of us – maybe it’s our subconscious.
Rick Mitarotonda
To me, every music video project is a new task of understanding the artist, and finding what I think is the best visual interpretation for them and their music. Collaborating with Goose, learning their unique humor and energy, and involving it in the story narrative was a rewarding part of the process.
Dylan Hahn
Goose (L-R): Peter Anspach (guitar, keys, vocals), Ben Atkind (drums), Rick Mitarotonda (guitar, vocals), Jeff Arevalo (percussion, vocals), Trevor Weekz (bass)
In late May, Goose will embark on an unforgettable summer tour, marked by headlining appearances at several notable festivals and venues nationwide. This Saturday, February 26, they’ll host Goosemas at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
The tickets for all summer shows will be available through a lottery, paired with a ticket request period open from 12 PM ET on Tuesday, February 22nd through 5 PM ET Wednesday, February 23. A venue presale will run from 10 AM ET – 10 PM ET on Thursday, February 24. The general sale begins on Friday, February 25 at 10 AM ET.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit goosetheband.com.
On February 18th, 2022, Afghan girls’ music group, The Miraculous Love Kids, release their brand-new recording, “God Help Us All,” featuring artists Tom Morello, John Ondraski (Five for Fighting), Beth Hart, and more.
Afghan girls’ music group
When facing the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban on August 15th, 2021, many new challenges started to arise for the country’s people. The Miraculous Love Kids, being a non-profit organization, served as Afghanistan’s only school of music where guitar lessons were taught to war-torn, poverty-stricken girls who were greatly affected by this devastation.
The members issued the following statement: “Today, our lives are in great danger as the success we achieved in becoming part of an international cultural scene has now marked us for persecution.”
The group’s founder and director, Lanny Cordola, recorded multiple songs including “God Help Us All” weeks prior to this event, then all the group’s activities came to a halt. “It has been a hellish past six months trying to evacuate and relocate the girls and their families,” Cordola says. “Tom Morello’s soul hymn perfectly encapsulates this feeling.”
Lanny Cordola, the group’s founder and director
He adds, “The convergence of all these talents truly shows how music can unify artists from different idioms and cultures to lend their voices to the vulnerable, marginalized suffering souls of the Earth. I also feel this song reaches out to the inner ache that so many are feeling these days. Tom has been a Godsend to the girls and I on so many levels. He allowed us to rearrange his composition to fit the girls’ style of singing and playing, which was very generous of him. He also enlisted Serj Tankian and Nandi Bushell.”
When informed about the situation, both Tankian and Bushell were immediately on board.
While he prepares for future music, Cordola’s primary focus is to find safety for the girls and their families. Today, Afghan’s face famine and food insecurity, and one million children are at risk of starving to death unless international aid intervenes.
“We appeal to the international community, to diplomats, politicians, news media and art institutions as well as NGOs to respond to this dire situation,” he stresses.
By recognizing the urgency of the situation, Tom Morello is hopeful this song will help create more awareness for The Miraculous Love Kids and their current situation. “God Help Us All” is a song both for and with some incredibly special girls in Afghanistan who are in grave danger.
No Shenanigans here – Goose have postponed their long-standing tradition of Goosemas until February 26 after a touring party member tested positive for COVID-19. The show will still be held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CA as well as PhanArt Presents: The Hometown Flodown.
On Saturday, February 26th at8 PM ET a free live stream of Goosemas, the annual concert presented by emergent Connecticut rock quintet Goose, will broadcast on The Relix Channel Exclusively on Twitch. The band will take the stage at the Mohegan Sun Arena for the eighth annual iteration of their holiday show, a tradition that began with humble roots in the basement of a Connecticut recording studio. A defining achievement after years of explosive growth, Goose will celebrate their inaugural arena appearance with a massive three-set performance.
The band has expressed devestation, but remains commited to the safety of fans and crew first.
The Road Lies Ahead, So Tie Up Your Shoes
Rather than dwell on the unfortunate circumstance, it would be far more Ted to check out and awesome cover of an appropriate song from one of the faithful Goose rail-queens:
For those experiencing feelings,Tamara Sastow’s version of “Tumble” both soothes and uplifts while maintaining that Marta Goedde edit stlye.
Tamara is a woman of talent and values. This multi-instrumentalist and music therapist sets a prime example of what it means to be a present and empathetic lover of music. She too, values the safety of others by always attending shows certified with narcan and also carries test strips.
All in all, it seems that the reaction overall has been very understanding and fans are grateful for the Goosemas miracle that is the “Shenanigans Nite Club” virtual movie premiere.
Poster by James Flames
Shenanigans Nite Club: The Movie
This holiday season, Goose has done it again with their announcement of a Shenanigans Nite Club: The Movie 75-minute virtual premiere. The film, directed by Will Thresher creates a visual story inspired by Goose’s latest full length album of the same name. Shenanigans Night Club: The Movie pays homage to an iconic venue from the band’s hometown. Members of the band, and their nearest and dearest all contribute to create what looks like will be a time capsule within a time capsule.
Shenanigans night at Westville music bowl. Photo by @emwalis_glitznstone
There once was a time where holiday plans were not a second thought. We knew who and when. Some might call it a lifetime ago, and a little fuzzy in the details. Our most recent holiday season was flavored with uncertainty and confusion. Consequences weighed, zoom invites sent and moments to grieve all previous years taken for granted. New York City looked like a shell of itself, protected by a second layer of white lights draped over those existing. Missing was the soulful and bustling crowds. Time and time again, Goose has gifted the people, seemingly out of nowhere, exactly what they needed at exactly the right time.
Shenanigans night at Westville music bowl. Photo by @emwalis_glitznstone
While many of us sat at home, missing our families at levels we did not know possible, Goose performed on top of the iconic Rockefeller center, continuing the ‘Goosemas’ tradition, but this ttime, reinvented. The message was clear. Goose was here to bring hope and light, possesing power to help people to climb out of the darkest of times. The production value entranced viewers with a crystal clear high definition view of New York City looking its best. The quality of sound while bradcasting live gave many a glimpse of what resliance could look like.
Shenanigans night at Westville music bowl. Photo by @emwalis_glitznstone
More and more stories have emerged beginning with “Goose really helped me through…” It appears that in a lot of ways, the music, the culture and the beautiful personalities making up the community all embody the reprieve searched for throughout many of the songs. Goose resonantes because underneath the meticulously-crafted hooks and grooves, these songs have held true for many trying to nagivate life through hardship.
Empress
Sure, the outfits are fun. The cinametography looks to be top notch. There is more happening here than meets the eye. These 75 minutes could be the first 75 minutes that someone might not have to think about how their holiday will never be like it was before the pandemic. Goose could be the escape from work related dread. The forum post conversations could be the only time someone interacts with another about something they have in common. Or it could be their only interaction that day. At all. Some people out there might not say it, but they could literally have no one else checking in on them.
Shenanigans night at Westville music bowl. Photo by @emwalis_glitznstone
Seekers
When Marc C. puts out his memes, and Marc K. writes his reviews, we have someone reminding us that we are not alone. There are others that share this passion for more than the band. The willingness of Jon and Paige Caruso to put in endless hours developing the next edition of the El Goose Times, it is for the love of the community. When The Great Beyond podcast releases an episode, all of the positive emotions we get waiting on line, chatting with the person next to us about our favorite moments and which songs we would like to hear pour into our bloodstreams. The drive to work suddenly improved and we might walk in with brigher eyes and a little upturn in the corners of our mouthes resembling a smile.
Shenanigans night at Westville music bowl. Photo by @emwalis_glitznstone
Truth or Factory Fiction? Exclusive first look via Marc R. Chiavon at Memehuvan Entertainment
The biggest question that seems to have risen out of the movie trailer was unexpected. Message boards are filled with theories and conspiracies. When will the loved-by-all El Goose facebook group moderator Bruce Robinson finally release his widely anticipated hip-hop ablum? With Billboard top 10 material tracks like “My Sketchers” being dangled above us like a bundle of mistletoe, we can only hope. Greg Knight has called the album one of his top choices for morning motivation. Fortunately for BRobs, the community has proven to be patient, and respects the creative process and will love him all the same if the album remains speculative.
Shenanigans night at Westville music bowl. Photo by @emwalis_glitznstone
All passes will have access to a virtual Q&A with the band and director on December 28. Viewers will be able to connect through interactive digital rooms and video chatting. Tickets are $9.99 per screening with passes available through the website below.
The incredible singer Jon Spencer is back with the explosive band the HITmakers, and they’re releasing their hottest record yet. Starting off their tour, they will be playing at the Rec Room in Buffalo (April 11) and tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am.
Photo By Michael Lavine
Using otherworldly sounds, “Spencer Gets It Lit” by Jon Spencer and The HITmakers is described as, “electro-boogie, constructivist art pop, a psychedelic swamp of industrial sleaze and futurist elegance.” “Spencer Gets It Lit” delivers all the friction, excitement, and post-modern depravity one in one song.
Jon Spencer states, “This is the most uncompromising album I’ve ever made!”
Photo By Bob Coscarelli
The upcoming spring tour will feature many unique, amazing artists like Janet Weiss of Sleater Kinney, Quasi, Wild Flag, The Jicks, Slang, and more.
Jon Spencer is an American singer, composer and guitarist. Throughout his career, he has been involved in various bands such as Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Heavy Trash and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
