NYS Music 202​2

Tag: ithaca

  • Twiddle Announce Indefinite Hiatus, Final Tour Stops in Ithaca and Huntington next January

    Vermont-based jam band Twiddle has announced an indefinite hiatus starting in 2024 after 18 years of touring together. Coming with the announcement is probably their final tour as a band, called the Distance Makes The Heart Tour.

    Twiddle

    Twiddle is comprised of members Mihali Savoulidis [vocals, guitar], Ryan Dempsey [keys, organ, synth], Brook Jordan [drums], and Zdenek Gubb [bass]. They recently celebrated the release of their fifth full-length album Every Last Leaf. Over the past almost two decades, the group has performed many at notable places and started traditions of their own, including Tumbledown and their annual Frendsgiving celebration. They have also played the newer Memorial Meltdown festival in Lake George as well.

    Savoulidis spoke in a statement about the announcement, citing that change is important for creative growth and necessary for proper reflection.

    We are so blessed to have been able to live out our dreams because of you and your support. Without all of you, none of this would have been possible. I wouldn’t trade a second of this experience for anything. So from the bottom of my heart and with all my love, thank you so much for everything. The Twiddle community really feels like a big family and the amount of kindness and love that you have shown us and each other over the years has been nothing but inspiring. I am so proud to have been a part of it. 

    Mihali Savoulidis [vocals, guitar] of Twiddle

    Savoulidis went on to say that their new tour will be their last tour for a long time. More shows are to be announced soon, and they are excited to bring people together to celebrate the group’s music. He stressed it isn’t the end, but it is goodbye for now.

    The Distance Makes The Heart Tour will be find Twiddle stopping in Huntington and Ithaca in the winter of 2023, and newly added dates in Plattsburgh and Ithaca in March and April. There will be a limited amount of VIP packages available, with presale starting Nov. 30. You can purchase tickets here.

    Distance Makes The Heart Tour

    2/17 | Flagstaff, AZ ^
    2/18 | Tempe, AZ ^
     2/19 | Tucson, AZ ^
      2/22 | San Luis Obispo, CA ^
      2/23 | San Diego, CA ^ Tickets going fast! 
      2/24 | West Hollywood, CA ^ Tickets going fast! 
      2/25 | San Francisco, CA ^
       2/26 | Crystal Bay, NV ^
      3/1 | Portland, OR ^ Tickets going fast! 
      3/2 | Seattle, WA ^
      3/3 | Bend, OR ^
     3/4 | Boise, ID ^
     3/5 | Bozeman, MT ^
     3/7 | Jackson Hole, WY Tickets going fast! 
     3/8 | Salt Lake City, UT ^
     3/9 | Aspen, CO Tickets going fast! 
     3/10 | Denver, CO *
     3/11 | Denver, CO ^
     3/12 | Frisco, CO ^ Tickets going fast! 
     3/30 | Plattsburgh, NY ** NEW!
     3/31 | New Haven, CT ** NEW!
     4/1 | Boston, MA ** NEW!
     4/2 | Ithaca, NY + Rescheduled – Tickets going fast! 
     4/6 | New York, NY  NEW!
     4/7 | Baltimore, MD **  NEW!
     4/8 | Harrisburg, PA $ Rescheduled – Tickets going fast! 
     6/16-17 | Northlands Music & Arts Festival
    • 6/29-7/2 | Peach Music Festival
     10/5 | Providence, RI + Rescheduled – Tickets going fast! 

    ^ with Eggy
    + with Yam Yam
    ** with One Time Weekend
    * with Banshee Tree
    $ with Great Time

  • Hearing Aide: Harry Nichols Songs for the Rich and Beautiful

    From his earliest days of musical self-expression, Harry Nichols has had deep passion for music and an ear for melody. He has released music independently since 2010 and continues to do so with his upcoming LP, Songs for the Rich and Beautiful.

    Harry Nichols Songs for the Rich and Beautiful
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    Currently living and playing gigs around Ithaca, Harry Nichols announces his first full length album in 8 years, Songs for the Rich and Beautiful. The record, conceived during COVID lockdown 2020, is the result of a challenge with fellow Ithaca songwriter Samuel B. Lupowitz. 

    Harry Nichols Songs for the Rich and Beautiful

    Songs for the Rich and Beautiful came out an eclectic, beautiful meditation on friendship, and testament to the power of camaraderie in the face of great difficulties. Both agreed to create new records, song for song responses, to each other’s efforts from 2012. 

    Songs on the album like “What’s Eternity?” have deep meaning and a nostalgic vibe when listening to the lyrics. Nichols pours his heart out to his audience about his past experience of nostalgia of his childhood growing up. 

    Harry Nichols Songs for the Rich and Beautiful

    The song “Mecca” has an upbeat vibe that is incredibly catchy, yet the lyrics are more hitting to the heart. When trying to find the meaning in life, there are a ton of ups and downs. Nichols sings, “nothing goes as planned,” throughout the chorus.  

    Harry Nichols Songs for the Rich and Beautiful

    Others songs like “Breathstroke” and portray a lighter side to the album, Harry Nichols gives us heavenly vocals and bright guitar chords. The song “Space Girl” also has amazing vocals and meaningful lyrics paired with Nichols guitar melody. Likewise, “Heteromasculine Lovegame” is quite the opposite, giving us a more fun indie/alternative upbeat song about how love and relationships can be such a game. 

    To check out more of Harry Nichols music, click on the link here to find more of his music on Bandcamp.

  • Trauma Cat’s “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here” Album Release

    Local to Syracuse, the band Trauma Cat has recently just dropped their newest album The Truth Doesn’t Live Here, which we released on Friday, October 7th. Award-winning indie alternative band making a name for themselves by stating that they are “America’s sorriest power trio.” Along with this, they will be playing at The Range in Ithaca on October 22nd. 

    The Truth Doesn't Live Here" Album Release

    This LP marks the Syracuse-based band’s second full-length collaboration weighing in at a whopping 19 tracks. The unauthorized double album features six singles previously released in 2022: “Better Questions,” “Tsai Shen,” “Bunnyhole,” “Popcorn Machine,” “Get It All Out (Online),” and “The Reporter.” 

    Trauma Cat's "The Truth Doesn't Live Here" Album Release

    Songs like “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here” arrive also on the heels of a five-part online “dox-u-series” called “The Truth About Trauma Cat,” a cheeky satire of internet culture, deepfake technology, and simulation theory that teases a definitive identity reveal of the band’s members (known as Ralph Kojig, Roman Pando, and Rutger DiBoyere). 

    “When we say ‘the truth doesn’t live here,’ we mean that we are all inhabiting a post-truth world,” says guitarist Kojig, who shares primary songwriting and frontman duties with bassist Pando. “While it’s possible that the majority of our society once recognized an objective truth, it’s pretty clear now — in the face of so many false or dubious claims — that we never had a monopoly on reality anyway, I’m sorry to say.” 

    “And there’s something hilarious and freeing about that,” adds Pando. “That strange liberation is what provoked Ralph and I to write the songs that would end up on this record. The result is something deeply inquisitive, and yet, with apologies to our audience, we still have no answers — except, obnoxiously, that there are no answers. Sorry!” 

    The songs on the album that I recommend are “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here,” which doubles down on Trauma Cat’s signature blend of music taste. The song combines a progressive rock with shades of post-punk, shoegaze, and power-pop. Similarly, “Better Questions” and “Pray the Gay Away” are another two amazing blend of alternative genres that speak to the chaos of the record’s core theme. 

    “The Truth Doesn’t Live Here” is available now on all streaming platforms. To listen to their newest hits, click the link here.

  • Toubab Krewe is Making 4 Stops in NYS This Week

    Toubab Krewe is making four stops in NYS this week, with a fifth stop next month. They will be hitting Buffalo, Albany, and Ithaca, with an appearance in Port Washington in November.

    Toubab Krewe

    Toubab Krewe is an instrumental powerhouse from Asheville, NC that fuses west-African traditional music with elements of rock, jam, and Appalachian styles. Formed in 2005, the group is made up of Justin Perkins (Kora, Kamelngoni, guitar, percussion), Terrence Houston (drumset), Drew Heller (guitar, organ), Justin Kimmel (bass, keys), and Luke Quaranta (Djembe, Congas, Dundun, Sangban, Kinkini).

    The group takes inspiration from African greats like Ali Farka Toure, Orchestra Baobab, and Salif Keita but remains true to themselves. They have also gone on many trips to learn more about African music, traveling to places like Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and Mali.

    This short tour stops in numerous places in NYS. On October 4, they will stop at Buffalo Iron Works, a venue they have toured before. They will head to Albany on October 5, playing at Lark Hall. The next day they will go to Ithaca and play at Deep Dive. They’ll be in Brooklyn at Industry City on Saturday, October 8th. For tickets to the tour, go here.

    Tour Dates

    10/4 Buffalo NY – Buffalo Iron Works

    10/5 Albany NY – Lark Hall

    10/6 Ithaca NY – Deep Dive

    10/7 Bridgeport CT – Park City Music Hall

    10/8 Brooklyn NY – Industry City

    10/30 Live Oak FL – Hulaween 

    11/12 Port Washington NY – Landmark on Main

  • Sweats Release “Lose My Mind” Off of Upcoming Album

    On Aug. 26, rock band Sweats released their latest single, “Lose My Mind,” off of their forthcoming album, I End Where You Begin, due for release in the coming weeks.

    the sweats

    Different in theme from their previous single release earlier this summer, Sweats grapples with a sense of anger at the state of America today. Of the track, the band shares, “the song is born to a nation where patriotism has become pantomime and division dominates compromise.”

    The political stance of the single is clear to listeners of “Lose My Mind.” With intense rock instrumentation, the emotional turmoil of the track envelops you. Electric guitar riffs, upbeat percussion, and vocals from Travis Durfee along with lyrics pull you in.

    Durfee passionately sings, “He’s got an open carry and closed mind / He’s at the rally / He’s feeling fine.” The lyricism paints a vivid message true to the theme of the song. The single also varies in sound and creative choices on vocals and synth to keep audiences guessing at what may be next.

    From the Finger Lakes region, Sweats consists of Travis Durfee (vocals, guitar), JM Sincock (drums), Rob Kurcoba (bass), Tony DeLuca (keys), and Nick D’Aloisio (guitar). The band channeled the ethos of Rage Against the Machine and Queens of the Stone Age for “Lose My Mind” which was produced in collaboration with Mike Capporizzo of Pyramid Sound in Ithaca. 

    “Lose My Mind,” as the newest release from the Sweats, is a must-listen. The track is available now on all streaming services. The upcoming album, I End Where You Begin, is also available for pre-order here.

  • Ithaca Reggae Fest Features Full Day of Art and Music

    Ithaca Reggae Fest returns to Stewart Park on June 17th and 18th, 2022, with full day of reggae, yoga, water education, skateboarding, art, food, dance and more. Dedicated to the protection of Cayuga Lake through a conscious celebration of Ithaca’s legendary reggae community and its history, this festival returns after three years of being apart. 

    Ithaca Reggae Fest 2022

    This year’s festival is culminating with headlining performances from internationally renowned Ithaca-based roots reggae & dub masters. Featuring revolutionary artists like 10 Ft. Ganja Plant mixed by legendary Jamaican producer Scientist and Kabaka Pyramid, both making their Ithaca debuts. Saturday’s lineup includes some of the best reggae bands from throughout New York State. 

    65634651_2303558356425026_3075628687710748672_o.jpg

    Dedicated to protecting Cayuga Lake, throughout the day Ithaca Reggae Fest features Education Village, which will showcase numerous water protectors from throughout New York and the United States including the Audubon Society, Community Science Institute, Cayuga Nature Center, and many others with interactive exhibits for all. 

    KJ6A7833.jpg

    Youth Village presented by the Childhood Development Council will feature youth programming throughout Saturday from family yoga and storytelling to drum circles and a special performance by Hangar Theatre’s “Three Little Birds.” 

    20170624-142407.jpg

    And focusing on art, Ithaca Reggae Fest is excited to partner with the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) and famous artist Jay Stooks to host its Art Village featuring numerous local, regional and national artists creating art throughout the day Saturday raising proceeds to benefit the 50th Anniversary of GIAC. 

    Throughout all of this, in collaboration with USA Skateboarding and Etnies shoes, Ithaca Reggae Fest presents Skateboard Village hosting the 1st Annual Flat Attack US Pro/Am Championships of Flatland Freestyle Skateboarding. Free to attend and open to all to register, Qualifying Rounds take place on Friday, June 17 from 11 AM to 5 PM before the Championships on Saturday, June 18 from 2pm to 7pm at the Tennis Courts in Stewart Park. 

    Bringing the community together, tickets to the triumphant return of the 4th Annual Ithaca Reggae Fest is on sale now with children under 16 admitted free of charge with a parent or guardian. Tickets and more information linked here.

  • Jimkata Opens Ithaca Night Bazaar Summer Festival Series

    Ithaca Night Bazaar kicked off their summer festival series on Thursday evening, May 19, with hometown favorite, Jimkata. The captivating trio returned to the stage in Ithaca for the first time in six years. Jimkata fans were engaged and elevated as the 90 minute set of mesmerizing synths included fifteen years of hits plus “Wanna Go” and “Wait for You” from Bonfires, the bands most recent album.

    Jimkata performs at the Ithaca Night Bazaar. Photo by Allison Marie.

    Harmonizing their talents since grade school, Evan Friedell, Aaron Gorsch and Packy Lunn have developed a paradise for their fans to get lost in with a visual and lyrical approach like no other band out there. Their distinctive sound and catchy hooks will be sure to take you on a moving wild ride.

    Evan Friedell of Jimkata. Photo by Allison Marie.

    Learn more about Jimkata on their website.

    Jimkata – Thursday, May 19 – Ithaca

    Setlist: Die Digital, Wild Ride, Wait For You, Wanna Go, Writing On The Wall, Feel In Light, Jumping Out of Airplanes, Blessings in Disguise, Bonfires, Innocence, Ride the Wave, Weight of Paradise, Release. Encore: Won’t Let You Down, Nightshade.

    Packy Lunn of Jimkata. Photo by Allison Marie.

    Jimkata Tour Dates

    May 27 – Pueblo, CO – ARISE Festival 2022
    May 29 – Chillicothe, IL – Summer Camp Music Festival
    June 16 – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar
    June 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
    June 18 – Beach Haven, NJ – HopSauce Fest 2022
    Aug 19 – Sherman, NY – Beyond The Blue 2022

  • London’s Ithaca Unleashes Furious New Single, “They Fear Us”

    Ithaca is a town in New York State, and was originally a place in Greece. However, the Ithaca that we’re here to discuss is a music group from London, whose new album, They Fear Us, will be out July 29th.

    So now that we all know why we have gathered here today, let’s talk about the first single from that album, which is also the title track for They Fear Us.

    ithaca

    The genre tags for this album are a mix of metal and hardcore, with the sub-genres listed as melodic hardcore and emotional hardcore. If you fine readers are aware of hardcore, you’ll know that it is usually based off of slamming riffs, screamed vocals, attitude, and a no holds barred use of power. 

    As the track begins you’ll hear some intense vocal work, and they have a lot of the hardcore sound. The guitar riff is rooted in that genre as well, and has a cool, bouncy feel going on. 

    As things progress there is a heavy Killswitch Engage influence, and that holds through the chorus section too, while the vocals remind me more of the cleans from Miss May I; both of those bands are amazing, so hearing their influence here is a reminder of that, and of how much they really inspired other bands. 

    While the full They Fear Us album won’t be released for another 5 months, we feel that you should go check out the single on Bandcamp today. They may not be breaking much new ground in terms of the genre, but what Ithaca put together is quite good, and we eagerly anticipate their next release.