Category: Regions

Andrew Thomases’ Reminiscence of His Past In NY Inspires New Song “Suburban Void”

Andrew Thomases, reflects on his adolescence from the point of view of suburban life within the busy streets of New York. This past Friday, January 21, Thomases released a new single, “Suburban Void”, sharing his experiences.

Thomases discusses life as a teenager and all the boredom-driven antics he pursued during that time. “Suburban Void” is a catchy upbeat rock song listeners can dance to. He highlights some activities pursued that were “so pathetic”, which is a feeling people may share in remembrance of their immaturity as a teen. Thomases looks back into what was deemed important to adolescents, like getting drunk or preparing for a sweet sixteen. Ultimately, his views have changed since then, resulting from seeing the world differently as he grew up.

Looking back, it seems so pathetic. We were just living in a suburban void, we didn’t know all we could’ve enjoyed. We were just living in a suburban void, that explains why we were oh so annoyed.
Andrew Thomases

All within his first year of being an established artist, Thomases’ fan base spread across 35 countries, 388 streams, and 235 listeners through Spotify. Considering Thomases takes his audience on an emotional and thoughtful journey through his music, he presents himself as relatable to the masses.

For more information on Andrew Thomases’ music visit his website.

January 31, 2022
Bowery Ballroom hosts Space Bacon, Escaper and Microcave on Feb. 5

On Saturday, two of New York City’s hottest rising bands, Space Bacon and Escaper, will take the stage at Bowery Ballroom along with Microcave, for one of the hottest shows of this frigid winter snap that has engulfed the Northeast.

Space Bacon’s relationship with New York City has been well documented over the years. The city sunk its claws into their sound many moons ago. The energy of the Big Apple carved itself into the bedrock of their foundation. Their personality reflects their humble beginnings in beer- stained basements and all that’s taken place since that fateful night in The Bronx. As they travel across the country and gain new fans in new cities, they’ll always carry the palpable tenacity and unwavering hustle of the city that never sleeps.

It’s been two years since they sold out The Mercury Lounge and now, they make their long-awaited return to NYC. It’s finally happening. Although 2021 presented some unavoidable issues for the live music world, Space Bacon was able to rally and finish the year strong with big shows in Denver, Philly, and Chicago.

Their sound has continued to evolve, and they’re excited to bring it back home to the core of their fanbase. Whether you’ve been following them from the beginning, or you just hopped the turnstile and sprinted onto the train, this will undoubtedly be a monumental night for Bacon and their fans as Space Bacon takes over the Bowery.

Escaper is another well-known band in NYC and the northeast festival circuit. Known for thoughtful songwriting and danceable psychedelic jams. Signed to Ropeadope Records, they have released three studio albums which have been met with critical acclaim.

Escaper will be featuring Luke Bemand (lespecial) as a special guest bassist and will also have Johnny Butler (Beyonce, Sister Sparrow) joining them on sax. Escaper has welcomed past guests from members of The Disco Biscuits, Thievery Corporation, Turkuaz, Cabinet, Rubblebucket, and have shared bills with the likes of Karl Denson, Jon Fishman and many others.

Space Bacon and Escaper will be joind by Microcave, a four-piece improvisational electronica powerhouse based out of the NYC area. The band excels in blending electronic music with a wide array of genres including rock, funk, classical, and more, and features members of Tractorbear: A Tribute To The Disco Biscuits, and Horizon Wireless.

Don’t miss Space Bacon, Escaper and Microcave at Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, February 5th. Get tickets here.

January 31, 2022
Interview: Snake Anthony and the Wood Brothers Shed Across New York State

The Wood Brothers started 2022 in the Empire State with dates in Rochester’s Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater, Albany’s Palace Theater and Plattsburgh’s Strand Center for the Arts. It marks the Wood Brothers first time at Kodak since Feb 2020, and bassist Chris Wood took some time after the gig for a quick chat with NYS Music.

Matthew Romano: Good to have the Wood Brothers back at Kodak Theater for the first time since Feb 2020. Eastman School of Music Steve Gadd’s quote comes to mind from your performance. “When you get it musically to a level where everyone on the bandstand is having fun and can hear each other and you can trust the audience is hearing it the way you are it gets to a spiritual level. In Japan or wherever you are. That’s the goal.” How did last night’s energy feel at Kodak?

Chris Wood: Yea last night was the first show we had since the holiday break. Combination of excitement to be back and playing with band mates and touring with our crew we love. But also the feeling of being a little bit rusty. Got to get my sound right. Ya know?

MR: Well the vibe you guys gave off on the bandstand looked like a lot of fun. The dynamics alone. You jumping from the Hofner to the stand up. Jano jumping from the kit to shitar. Handheld keyboards. Oliver switched acoustic and electric with rip snorting slide guitar.

CW: We want sonic variety. As well as musical variety and of course dynamics. Some songs are like a rock band and then some stripped down. For us that’s what makes the show interesting. It’s not just one thing all night. There’s a real shape to the set. Different moments that have a completely different vibe. The tone pallet ya know?

MR: Well your going back to The Palace Theater in Albany where MMW in December 2000 had Trey Anastasio come sit in for an improvisational Partido Alto. Then a “We are rolling” second set jam. Any memories of that pallet?

CW: Trey has sat in with us a bunch. I didn’t realize that it was in Albany too. Before we knew Phish was when we were in our downtown New York City music scene. We had no concept of the jam band scene. We lived in a different musical universe. Phish started playing us during their set breaks and then their fans showed up almost overnight in our crowd . But as far as musical memories that go back to 2000…I had no idea that tape was out there (laughter)

MR: MMW’s “Your Name is Snake Anthony” has helped coin the term for the Capital Region for cats on the road, “Shedding up and down the Hudson River”

CW: Well you can thank Col. Bruce Hampton for that.

MR: That was the Colonel?

CW: That’s Bruce. Yea we just sent that track to him and we’re like do something over this and he just improvised that over it. Right. Like “we lived in a shed.” That’s all Bruce.

MR: Seeing “Atlas” get played differently again last night keeps that song with a fun on the road vibe, stopping on a dime. What’s behind the scenes on “Atlas” that keeps it fresh?

CW: It was on our first wood bros record. It was a song that existed before the wood bros in Oliver’s band King Johnson. He wrote it for them in the 90s. The live arrangement is always morphing. It’s gotten really fast and sometimes it’s stripped down with the Rix on shitar and then electric loud and rocking. That’s what’s fun. A song like that can arrange it in completely different ways. Real, versatile and playful.

MR: Hopefully “Snake Anthony” will help you realize that you’re the best on the road in 2022.

Photo Gallery by Brian Ferguson: The Wood Brothers, Richie Stearns and Aaron Lipp from Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Tuesday, January 25, 2022.

January 30, 2022
Miles Francis Brings You Back to Your Childhood with new single ‘Let Me Cry’

NYC singer-songwriter Miles Francis is here to bring back old memories with their new single, ‘Let Me Cry,’ from their upcoming album Good Man, out March 4th. The album covers the topics of masculinity and Francis’s own struggles with identity.

Produced by Francis over quarantine and recorded in the basement of their Greenwich Village building, the single plays into emotions we’ve all had at one point or another. During the creation of the album, Francis came out as non-binary, which resulted in a deeper dive into the ideas of masculinity and all it entails.

Along with this self revelation came the desire to help others, with Francis assisting organizers during the height of NYC’s Black Lives Matter protests. They played the drums during marches as a way to help organizers keep beat and also helped to found New York-Based collective Musicians United. They plan on continuing their activism efforts by organizing a benefit concert for Trans housing in April.

“Everyone starts from the same place, regardless of gender. As children, we let our emotions go, uninhibited and in touch with our vulnerabilities. As we age, we go through a ‘boxing in’ by family or society – unless we can break out.”
Miles Francis

The one-shot music video utilizes the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the method of improvisation to perfectly mirror Francis’s inner feelings. Inspiration for the project was drawn from greats like Prince, David Bowie and the early 2000’s boy bands Francis had listened to in their childhood. Actor Jim Carrey and artist Marcel Duchamp have also impacted Francis’s work.

Good Man Album Cover

The single is available on all streaming platforms and the music video is available to watch on the Miles Francis youtube channel. Pre-order for Good Man as well as its’ vinyl and cassette forms are available here. Check out photos from Miles’ show at Baby’s All Right in October 2021.

January 30, 2022
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Announce New Album ‘Perspective’, Show At Terminal 5 this Spring

Jam/funk quartet Pigeons Playing Ping Pong announced the release of their new album, Perspective, and winter/spring tour dates, with a stop at Terminal 5 in NYC on April 9.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Tour Dates.

The group —Greg Ormont [vocals, guitar], Jeremy Schon [guitar, vocals], Ben Carrey [bass, vocals], and Alex “Gator” Petropulos [drums, vocals]- will celebrate their sixth LP with a big tour and a few festival appearances.

The album is another milestone in the band’s impressive history, having played countless sold-out shows, acquired millions of streams, and developed a loyal fan base known as “The Flock.”

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at Westville Bowl. Photo by Vic Brazen

Ormont spoke about the album and spoke of how the pandemic sparked it.

The album title speaks to the perspective of the pandemic as well as our growth over the years. During this turbulent time, everyone in the world has been forced to look in the mirror and ask what’s truly important. If there’s anything we’ve all gained from this, it’s perspective, and a recurring theme from our band is to not waste time. Now more than ever, we recognize that you only get one life, so you might as well live it to the fullest and lift people up in the process.

PPPP will be going on tour in the spring, and have a stop at Terminal 5 in NYC. Their new album Perspective will be released on April 8, and tickets for their tour can be found here.

The group has also debuted a never-before-heard single from their forthcoming studio project, Perspective with “Elephante,” an infectious dance groove ad the first single off of the album. Combining PPPP’s signature catchy songwriting and flair for jocularity, the hard-hitting groove features a jumbo horn line from Nashville funk collective Here Come The Mummies, who previously appeared on PPPP’s 2020 single “King Kong.”

Accompanying the release is a zany, fairy tale themed video, captured at Clark’s Elioak Farm in Ellicott City, MD, current home of the once revered local attraction, The Enchanted Forest. Directed by Don Cherel, the video is a charming snippet of enchanting lore, featuring the band dressed as kings and swashbuckling heroes on a quest to save a princess.

“As soon as I heard the first demo of Elephante, I was overwhelmed with excitement and just let it rip vocally,” smiles singer “Scrambled Greg” Ormont. “Musically, it knocks you off your chair. Lyrically, it’s about living life to the fullest. As for the music video, we just let our imaginations run wild on this one.”

January 30, 2022
Katy Perry Shows She’s Never Really Over On SNL

Katy Perry has returned to Studio 8H. Joined by host Willem Dafoe, this is her fourth time as a musical guest on SNL and her first since 2017.

Katy Perry performing “When I’m Gone” on Saturday Night Live.

A lot has happened since Perry’s last SNL appearance five years ago: motherhood, a new album, a judging spot on American Idol, and most recently, a residency in Las Vegas. Titled Play, the show began at the tail end of 2021 and will run through the end of summer 2022. While Perry hasn’t seen as much chart success lately, she seems more confident and self-assured in a post-Witness world.

The episode began with a cold open, featuring James Austin Johnson as President Biden dealing with the Russia-Ukraine situation. Pete Davidson appeared as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who refuses to get vaccinated for COVID.

Rodgers wasn’t the only NFL player to appear tonight. Peyton Manning made a surprise appearance during Weekend Update, where he gushed about Emily in Paris whenever Colin Jost asked him about football news.

Katy Perry’s first song of the night was “When I’m Gone,” her new collaboration with Swedish DJ Alesso. With set pieces ripped straight from Super Mario’s Mushroom Kingdom, it’s clear that she hasn’t lost her signature camp. The song’s lyrics are about a previous romance, but they could easily be about Perry’s relationship with fame and stardom. Around the time of her last SNL appearance, everything from her music to her blonde pixie cut was criticized after a seemingly unstoppable run throughout the 2010s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCUzL7iHV7E

Perry closed out the night with an acoustic rendition of “Never Really Over,” her 2019 comeback single. Originally an upbeat dance-pop song, the new version has more in common with her ballads like “Thinking of You.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksMzWT40U24

SNL takes a break during the Winter Olympics, then returns on February 26 with host John Mulaney and musical guest LCD Soundsystem.

January 30, 2022
Kid Rock Scraps New York Stop on Tour due to COVID-19 Restrictions

Kid Rock has canceled one of his New York stops on his upcoming tour due to COVID-19 restrictions. Shows in both Buffalo and Toronto, Ontario, have been scrapped from the tour due to COVID-19 restrictions, with Kid Rock threatening to scrap more dates if venues try to place further restrictions that would apply to his shows.

On January 27, 2022 Kid Rock made this announcement on his Facebook page saying he won’t perform anywhere on his 2022 “Bad Reputation Tour” if there are COVID-19 protocols in place. The video was made ahead of tickets going on sale to his tour going at 10AM on January 28, 2022.

The tour will stop in 24 cities and will kick off on April 6, 2022 in Evansville, Indiana before wrapping up at Pine Knob, Michigan in September of 2022. The dates may dwindle down though if attendees are asked to wear masks and show proof of vaccinations.

“You’re going to be getting your money back because I won’t be showing up, either,” Rock said on his Facebook page. “If you think I’m going to sit out there and say don’t tell me how to live, “We The People,” while people are holding up their f-ing vaccine cards and wearing masks, that s— ain’t happening.”

“We actually scratched Buffalo, NY off the list because of that and Toronto, Canada and several other cities we were looking at. I don’t want to deal with that s— either and I know you don’t.”

The tour now has no stops in New York due to mask mandate and vaccination requirements for attending most venues, particularly in NYC. No word if other towns in New York or elsewhere are planning new mask and/or vaccination requirements that prevent Kid Rock from coming to town.

For more information visit on the “Bad Reputation Tour” visit Kid Rock’s website.

January 30, 2022
Emo Conquers COVID: Thursday and Cursive At Irving Plaza
In light of the fact that COVID-19 and its variants are going to be with us for the foreseeable future, bands and concert venues are trying to adapt in order to keep the curtains raised. One particular challenge was on clear display Wednesday night for the Thursday and Cursive show at Irving Plaza, when positive COVID tests amongst three of the four bands on the bill threatened to cancel the show. Instead of making the easier (yet painful) decision to cancel dates on the tour for a second time, the bands came together to put on a truly memorable night at Irving Plaza for the veteran emo bands.

Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

The tour was originally announced back in November 2021 and was set to feature Thursday as the headliner with Cursive, Jeremy Enigk and The Appleseed Cast providing the support. Cursive have toured with Thursday on and off since the 00’s; the two bands’ stage presence complement each other quite well and one could find an equal number of Cursive and Thursday T-ees throughout Irving. The first show was scheduled for 1/6 in Virginia but the Omicron surge late in 2021 forced the postponement of the first couple weeks of shows, leading to an opening night on 1/19 in Detroit. As a result, Jeremy Enigk was forced to drop off the bill but was replaced by Nate Bergman (solo) from Lionize.

Tim Kasher of Cursive. Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Cursive was the only band to be spared from any positive COVID tests and were thus the only band to play a full set with all their members. Bergman performed solo and The Appleseed cast was whittled down to mostly a solo set from frontman Chris Crisci. Chris admitted on one song that he roughly recorded a backing drum track right before the show and was later joined by Bergman on guitar and Cursive frontman Tim Kasher on drums for a noisy jam to end the set. At this point in the show, even though it was clear all aspects were being put together on the fly, the two opening acts had done it so successfully that had you been unfamiliar with the music you would have never known.

Cursive took the stage to an enormously warm welcome from the Irving Plaza crowd. Not many bands from the emo/hardcore heyday of the 2000s are still touring (let’s call the upcoming When We Were Young festival an outlier for the time being) but Cursive have released two solid LPs in recent years and still garner support from fans all over the world. Their blend of horns and strings with emo and hardcore was unique back in the 2000s and remains to be so today. Featuring an electric cello, brass horns, keys, and Tim Kasher’s eclectic vocal delivery all blend together to create an infectious “baroque-emo-core.” Cursive played a career-spanning set featuring Ugly Organ tracks “Art is Hard” and “Gentleman Caller” as well as personal favorite “The Martyr” from 2003’s Domestica.
Cursive at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photos by Buscar Photo
Right before Thursday kicked off their set, frontman Geoff Rickly came out on stage to let the crowd know what was going on. He explained that guitarist Norman Brannon had tested positive and that instead of cancelling the show they decided to “play a basement hardcore show at Irving Plaza.” Several of the touring guitar techs were tasked with learning as many of the guitar tracks as they could and they filled in throughout the show, including on the opener with War All The Time’s “For The Workforce, Drowning.” Thursday made their name in the NJ/NYC DIY hardcore scene so the band was channeling their roots to come through for the fans who came out.

Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

Thursday closed the main set at Irving Plaza with their emo anthem “Understanding In A Car Crash” and while a very recognizable guitar track was missing, the void was filled by a guest vocal appearance from Wax Idols singer, Heather Fortune. This show had every reason and excuse to be cancelled, but the will to make it work created one of the more memorable shows NYSM has seen in quite some time. Nate Bergman showed off his vocal prowess, Chris Crisci stripped down The Appleseed cast to its bare songwriting genius and jammed out with Tim Kasher, Cursive held down the fort with a perfect dose of nostalgia, and Thursday sounded as heavy and emotional as ever even if our ears were tingling with missing guitar notes. The crowd provided all the energy needed to overcome COVID in a very typical 2000’s way.

Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photo by Buscar Photo

The tour is continuing on as planned with a couple shows in New England before the bands return to New York for a show at The Paramount in Huntington. A big hometown show for Thursday is planned at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ for 2/27. Nate Bergman will continue to open the shows until Jeremy Enigk rejoins the bill in February. Find the full itinerary HERE and check out our full photo gallery below.
Cursive at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photos by Buscar Photo
Thursday at Irving Plaza, 1/26/22. Photos by Buscar Photo
January 29, 2022
Interpol Announce Tour With Two Dates At Kings Theatre

Interpol has just finished working on their seventh album, and in addition to teasing new music, has announced a new spring tour, with two dates at Kings Theatre in NYC.

Interpol

The band began playing in 1997 in New York, when guitarist Daniel Kessler recruited the bassist Carlos Dengler and the singer Paul Banks. The band signed to Matador Records in 2002 and released Turn On The Bright Lights which made it to the 10th position on NME’s list of 2002’s top releases.

Over the years, they have acquired multiple high charting records on the Billboard Top 200, earned reviews in Rolling Stone and Time Magazines, performed on many late-night TV specials, and played festivals like Coachella and Glastonbury.

Interpol will be heading on tour in the spring and will make two tour stops at Kings Theatre in NYC, and tickets for those shows can be found here.

Interpol Tour Dates

04-25 Dallas, TX – The Factory in Deep Ellum *!
04-26 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater *!
04-28 Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre *!
04-29 San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre *!
04-30 Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre *!
05-02 Salt Lake City, UT – The Union *!
05-03 Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom !
05-05 St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre *!
05-06 Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom *!
05-07 Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit *!
05-08 Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre *!
05-10 Washington, D.C. – The Anthem *!
05-11 Boston, MA – Roadrunner *!
05-13 Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia *!
05-14 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre *!
05-15 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre *!
05-21 Los Angeles, CA – Rose Bowl, Pasadena (Just Like Heaven)
05-28 Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio De Los Deportes &
06-08 Barcelona, Spain – Sala Apolo
06-09 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound
06-11 Porto, Portugal – NOS Primavera Sound
06-12 Berlin, Germany – Templehof Sounds Festival
06-14 London, England – The Roundhouse
06-15 London, England – The Roundhouse
06-16 Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
06-18 Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
06-19 Landgraaf, Netherlands – Pinkpop Festival

* with Tycho
! with Matthew Dear
& with Dry Cleaning

January 29, 2022
This Week’s EQXposure Features Adequate Phil, Joe DeFelice, grape juice! And More

Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into EQX this Sunday night to hear new music from Adequate Phil, Joe DeFelice, grape juice! and many more!

WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.

Adequate Phil

Psychedelic folk band Adequate Phil has released a double single, “Baby Leeches/Vessel,” featured on EQX this week. Both sides are experimental pieces, especially “Vessel,” which is more of an audio atmosphere than a traditional song. “Baby Leeches” almost follows in its footsteps, until vocals and a recurring melody jump in at the halfway part. With its background whispers about spirit guides and crystal caves, “Vessel” feels like a window to another world. The Troy freak-folk group’s Spotify bio cites Animal Collective, The Beatles, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Radiohead as major influences.
<a href="https://adequatephil.bandcamp.com/album/baby-leeches-vessel">Baby Leeches/Vessel by Adequate Phil</a>
Joe DeFelice

Singer-songwriter Joe DeFelice has released his debut EP, Outside Looking In. Originally from New Hampshire, DeFelice has been a live music fixture ever since relocating to the upstate New York area. The penultimate song on Outside Looking In, “We Fell Apart,” is upbeat and anthemic despite its bittersweet lyrics:

grape juice!

Albany alt-rock band grape juice! is back with another song, “Goodbyes Suck.” Like their previous single, “Sad Songs,” its title is deceptive: the narrator sounds more than happy to be moving on with his life after a breakup.

January 29, 2022