In December, Long Island-based alternative acoustic rock band, Phil Firetog Trio & Co. will close out the holiday season with a festive and heartwarming set at Beach Brewing Co. in Westhampton Beach, NY. Their first show at the brewery is on December 30, the perfect way to end the year. The show follows their newest holiday single, released today, that speaks directly to their home community, “Long Island Christmas Eve.”
Thanks to the musical talents of Phil Firetog Trio & Co — Firetog on lead vocals and guitar, Johnny “Pots” Potocnik on drums and Liam Gordon on bass — anyone can fulfill a secret desire to be from Long Island for the duration of the song. The tune is catchy, as most Christmas songs are engineered to be, so I’ve been singing it while home in Washington, D.C. for the holidays. This has been confusing, I’m sure, for family and friends.
Phil Firetog Trio & Co. have an indie-pop take on rock and roll, that feels nostalgic for decades past and, overall, spreads positive messages through chords. Their upcoming gigs come as they arrange and prepare material for 2023, so there is much to look forward to in the next year from the band, including two more shows at Westhampton beach Brewing Co. on January 21 and February 4.
Tickets to their show at Westhampton Beach Brewing Co. are on sale now on their site.
NY’s Bad Mary have just released their newest music video for their upcoming song “It’s All Trash,” which was released on November 8th. 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 Staubexplains, “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.
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.”
Eight-time Grammy Award-winning superstar Anita Baker has announced performance dates for 2023. The Songstress’ tour will tour 15 different cities, and even making a stop at the UBS Arena in Elmont, on Friday May 12th, 2023.
The tour celebrates Baker’s 40 years as a music icon in the industry since the release of her debut album, The Songstress, which released in 1983. These dates mark the first time she has been on a full tour since 1995 and it is also the first time The Songstress will be performing her classic hits live since winning back the rights to her masters.
“Looking forward to some crazy, lovely, hang time with my fans, on tour in 2023!! ….Gonna, bring some new music & some special guests, too.”
-ABXO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUSddpvB4X0
Anitia Baker, originally born in Toledo, OH, and raised in Detroit, MI, is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career in the late 1970s with the funk band Chapter 8, Baker released her first solo album, The Songstress, in 1983.
In 1986, Baker rose to stardom following the release of her Platinum-selling second album, Rapture, which included the Grammy-winning single “Sweet Love.” Baker has won eight Grammy Awards and has four Platinum albums. Baker is a contralto, with a vocal range that extends her register to at least three octaves.
Anita Baker’s The Songstress Tour Dates:
Sat Feb 11 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live*
Tue Feb 14 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Fri Feb 17 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Wed May 10 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
Fri May 12 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
Sun May 14 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Fri Jun 30 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Sun Jul 02 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sat Nov 18 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Wed Nov 22 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum
Fri Nov 24 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena*
Fri Dec 15 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sun Dec 17 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Fri Dec 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
Sat Dec 23 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
Tickets go on sale starting on Thursday, November 17th at 10 AM. Click the link here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Long Island singer/rapper Tim Eletto has released his fifth 2022 single “For a Second,” an ode to positivity and personal honesty while dealing with anxiety and depression.
It’s a bright and poppy song that reflects the Hofstra University student’s life experience through the construction of two conversations with fictional people across the song’s pair of verses. “I took all of the patterns that I see in people that struggle with this stuff (mental illness) and combined them to make two characters that I think everyone is very familiar with,” says Eletto of “For a Second.”
Artwork in promotion of the single.
Citing AJR has a major influence, Eletto’s musings about his emotional ups and downs are cast over a light piano melody that keeps the song feeling hopeful even when he drops his moodier lines in the track. The highlight of “For a Second” though is the chorus with its very catchy melody. “I been in the left lane with my eyes closed, ’cause life is too fast but I see it too slow,” he sings.
Eletto’s other four singles released this year also can be found on Spotify.
In this song, Tim Eletto has no qualms about letting the listener see his full self. His lyrics are straightforward, his melody is optimistic, and the track’s themes are genuine and personal. “For a Second” is a successful exercise in using music as a therapeutic outlet.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame has announced its 2022 Music Scholarship Winners: four Long Island high school graduating seniors from Dix Hills, Manhasset, and Woodbury. These distinction in Music Award Scholarships were awarded to graduating high school seniors who has college plan in music study and further career pursuing.
This year’s winners are Gioianna DiGiorgio and Andrew Arloro, both from Half Hollow Hills High School; Emily Wei from Great Neck North High School; and Stephanie Massimo from Syosset High School.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is honored to have the opportunity to support and acknowledge accomplished high school seniors who are pursuing a future in music. The talent that exists on Long Island is something we at LIMHoF want to celebrate. In addition to following their own dreams, we believe these students will encourage and inspire others.
Tom Needham, LIMHoF Education Chairman
Gioianna DiGiorgio from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills High School West)
Gioianna DiGiorgio (credit to Long Island Music Hall of Fame)
Gioianna found her passion in music since a young age. She believes that music is a connection to nature and other people and a beautiful way to tell a story and to express yourself and your emotions.
“As soon as I was old enough to understand the concept of theater, I was enamored with the idea of being on stage, and wanted to be a part of that world. My life-long passion for theater inspires me to push through the challenges so that I can pursue my passion.
– Gioianna DiGiorgio
Gioianna raised her career aspiration from her perform experience in local community theater productions. She became interested in being a soprano singer in musical theater and later a performer for the stage and screen.
As for the further plan, Gioianna DiGiorgio will be attending Baldwin Wallace University. She is intend to gain the BFA in their Acting program and a music minor. She is expecting to learn music theory and strong skillset to aid her professional life after college with the scholarship from LIMHoF.
Andrew Arloro from Dix Hills (Half Hollow Hills High School East)
Andrew Arloro (credit to Long Island Music Hall of Fame)
Andrew Arloro is a 17-year-old musician who lives on Long Island, New York. He is a recent graduate of Juilliard Pre-College and a current student at Half Hollow Hills High School East.
He has studied the French Horn under fanmous French Horn musicians such as Jen Montone and Jeff Lang, Principal Horn and Associate Principal Horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra; and currently studies with Erik Ralske and Brad Gemeinhardt, Principal Horn and Acting Principal Horn of the Metropolitan Opera.
Andrew is recognized by the Discovery Competition for Children’s Orchestra Society. He also has extensive performing experience from a dozen times’ solos at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center and tours in China, Spain, and Italy. He has been awarded the title of Principal Horn in various ensembles, including Juilliard Pre-College, All-State, SCMEA, Children’s Orchestra Society, Gemini Youth Orchestras’ Festival Winds and Symphony, and Cross Campus Wind Ensemble.
Next year, he will continue his studies with Erik Ralske at The Juilliard School, pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance on the French Horn.
I would like to thank the Long Island Music Hall of Fame for the amazing opportunity to work with them, create with them, and share with the world the Joy of Music.
Andrew
Tiantian “Emily” Wei from Manhasset (Great Neck North High School)
Tiantian “Emily” Wei (credit to Long Island Music Hall of Fame)
Emily Wei, also called Tiantian Wei, is a graduating Senior at Great Neck North High School. She has been playing both the piano and violin since age 5. In 2021 she went to the Fete De L’ Alto LaSalle Summer Festival (France) and had master classes with Christophe Giovaninetti.
As the German poet E.T.A. Hoffmann said: ‘Where the language stops, the music begins.’ Music has no boundaries. It has unlimited possibilities and tremendous potential to be created and performed to express one’s unique understanding of music and sentiments, and to be shared with other people who may relate and empathize. I think that is the soul, and one of the missions of music is that it inspires and attracts people. It is an honor to be a LIMHoF recipient, I appreciate the recognition from Long Island Music Hall of Fame.
Emily Wei
Emily has won numerous awards for her music talents and has participated in a wide range of performances with various music organizations, including the New Jersey Youth Symphony Orchestra, NYSSMA, All County and All State Symphony Orchestras and more. Her most recent performances are with Great Neck North High School Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and also violin recitals at Oprea America Music Hall and Episcopal Church.
In this fall, Emily will attend Mannes School of Music. She explained her expectation of future that entering the New York Symphony Orchestra or forming her own chamber music group, performing in concert halls all over the world to show the beauty of music and expressing my unique understanding of music.
Stephanie Massimo from Woodbury (Syosset High School)
Stephanie Massimo (credit to Long Island Music Hall of Fame)
Stephanie Massimo, a Trombonist graduating from Syosset High School. She started playing the Trombone in second grade. She also plays the bass trombone and baritone horn. Throughout the years, she gained rich ensemble experience in Syosset, Nassau Suffolk, All-County, All-State, All National, and various summer camps.
I genuinely loved performing with these groups and meeting new people. Music has always been an important part of my life. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I decided to study music in college.
– Stephanie Massimo
In the fall, Stephanie plans to attend the Trombone major in University of Tampa (UT) to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Music. She hopes to further advance her skills in both music and performance with the scholarship from the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Her plans in college is to participate in some UT bands/ensembles then eventually return to NY. She hope to work in a Broadway pit orchestra which allows her to use everything she learn in college while enjoying the music she likes best.
Long Island-based emo-pop duo poptropicaslutz! released their debut EP, just in case the world ends on May 6.
poptropicaslutz formed during the pandemic. Credit Eli Rae.
Composed of Nick Crawford and Christian Cicillia, the group’s seven-track project explores their inspiration with a no holds barred approach to making music.
Just In Case The World Ends is a project that started during the global pandemic, as poptropicaslutz! was forming, and the “end of the world” didn’t seem so farfetched,” the duo explained. “We thought about what album we’d make if it was our last chance to make one.”
The cover art for the debut EP, “just in case the world ends”, from poptropicasltuz!
The EP is released under Epitaph Records and is mixed by Matt Malpass, who previously worked with Blink 182 and MGK.
Most of the songs on just in case the world ends have a traditional pop punk song structure and content—self-aware lyrics and romantic themes. But poptropicaslutz! modernizes them with sparkly synths in their production. The combination of which makes for a fresh take on the hyper-punk genre.
poptropicaslutz! also released a music video for their lead track “this might be our last december” featuring Canadian artist 8485. According to the duo, this collaboration is the embodiment of the intersection of pop-punk and hyper-pop that they’re known for.
Throughout the EP the Gen Z duo showcase their interests in experimentation. Particularly with the track “lackluster at best, masterpiece at worst” which features an acoustic guitar as opposed to their usual hard hitting electric guitars of pop punk.
On “hysteria is impossible without an audience” they offer up some classic emo music before closing out the track with some impassioned screamo.
just in case the world ends is accompanied by a series of animated music videos from Rob Fidel. The 3-part cartoon series follows the mishaps of a group of evil genius pigs with mohawks who desperately search for a way to fly.
The Great South Bay Music Festival presented by Blue Point Brewing Co. in Long Island has announced its lineup after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. It is set to return at Shorefront Park in Patchogue Village from Thursday, July 7 through Sunday, July 10. The festival is set to feature a lot of familiar bands and highlighting some local NY bands too.
The festival is celebrating its 14 year anniversary, and because of that there will be 55 performers across three stages all supporting a wide array of genres. To kick off the festival on July 7, indie-rockers Grouplove and Manchester Orchestra will co-headline, and Long Island local’s Bayside will support.
On July 8, reggae band Rebelution will be headlining, with supports Steel Pulse and Sublime tribute band Badfish. Other supports include Bumpin Uglies and Long Island band Oogee Wawa. On July 9, which is typically “Jam Day”, performing is one of the Grateful Dead’s most proud and popular tributes: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Returning is also rock band moe., and jazz band Galactic. Also joining the main stage is Long Island guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, who has shared the stage with Lady Gaga, Gregg Allman, and more. Also joining the stage is Weight Band and rockers Aqueous.
On the final day, July 10, The Tedeschi Trucks Band and the “Wheels of Soul” Tour will be performing, featuring the full 13pc. Tedeschi Trucks Band who are playing a two-hour set in their only metro NY appearance this summer. Also, appearing on the Main Stage will be Los Lobos and Gabe Dixon and his Band.
The Great South Bay Music Festival 2022 in Long Island will be happening July 7-July 10, and will have a mix of familiar bands and a great deal of light shone on local bands. Tickets to the festival can be found here.
Long Island Pop Punk band Card Reader have released a new music video called Reminder. The music video consists of Card Reader experiencing the city in their most enjoyable way and contains some footage from their first show performed at the Caribou Room back on Sept 23rd, 2021.
The band is carrying into the new year with some momentum from last year. Card Reader participated in the championship of the Interstate Music Awards in 2021. From there on, Interstate Music made card reader an official brand ambassador.
Tom Petito, Card Reader’s guitarist/vocalist weighed in on the Interstate Music artist experience:
This video is a reflection of Interstate Music’s commitment to helping artists like us. We played our concert right before the shoot. The next day their film crew took us all over MKE. We really enjoyed ourselves in the process. The folks at IM introduced us to an incredible music scene. They fully embraced our band and made us feel at home. Thanks to Interstate Music we are a band with more tools, more confidence and unlimited optimism moving forward. We can proudly say we have two home bases now! Long Island AND Milwaukee.
Interstate Music directed and produced the video in Milwaukee, WI. Along with their new music video, the Pop Punk Band are going a weekend Northeastern Tour next month, and here are the dates:
3/4 – Ram’s American Pub – Holbrook NY
3/5 – The Mosh Pit – Philadelphia PA
3/6 – The Church – Lebanon PA
To catch more of Card Reader, you can find their music on DSP’s such as Apple Music , Spotify, Amazon music, and more.
Long Island singer Carly X has released her new project called A Dark Frequency, featuring two songs “Lowkey” and “Don’t Mind Me.”
Growing up, she was influenced by a variety of artists, from SugarHill to McFadden & Whitehead, and also Marvin Gaye. She started writing music at age six, and once she discovered female rappers like Nicki Minaj and Queen Latifah, she started writing her own rap verses.
Carly X.
After being hand-selected by Doritos and Busta Rhymes to complete a rap competition, she was the youngest and only female to touch the stage, when she was only 19. She opened for Wiz Khalifa and was featured in Billboard Magazine.
Her newest piece of music, A Dark Frequency is about the silent battles she faces alone in the dark.
No matter how bright a light may seem to shine, it’s only a matter of time until darkness arrives. Sometimes we pretend everything is ok, sometimes we let the darkness consume us, and sometimes we fight to see the light again.
Carly X
The two songs featured in the project, “Lowkey” and “Don’t Mind Me” both encompass strong beats and melodic backing tracks as she spits verses down. The songs are reminiscent of older rappers, like Biggie or Tupac, but also give a modern rap feel. These are songs that everyone could add to their playlists and be able to vibe with.
Carly X is taking names and is here to stay and make her mark in the industry. She officially started releasing music in 2020 and has no plans to stop. Her new project A Dark Frequency is available to stream here.
