Utica-born and Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Nick Vanderwood has released his latest single “Shimmy”, a song preceding the recent EP entitled ‘Reload‘ released on September 29th.
Nick Vanderwood encapsulates alternative indie in new single “Shimmy” using a blend of guitar and bass creating a mysterious sci-fi world that is brought to life in the music video. The short film is fun and cinematic which cultivates an imaginative visual experience, showcasing Vanderwood’s artistic vision.
While “Shimmy” excludes a vocal aspect, the song in itself does more than enough without relying on vocals to make it complete. The build up of bass and guitar offers a blend of funk, syrupy and track mixed with an upbeat attitude, and recorded at Big Blue North Studio in Utica.
Following the release of his single and music video “Shimmy”, Nick’s EP Reload became the sum of many years as Nick labored to overcome a chronic neck injury that impeded his ability to sing. Nick was kept at a distance from the microphone, as the EP title suggests, he is more than ready to come back with a bang.
Vanderwood is not just a vocalist but writes and performs all instruments included in his solo projects. Over the course of the year, he took this period of silence and healing seriously while creating a silent short film/music video for “Shimmy” included in the EP. His collaboration with monomaniac studios allowed Nick to lean back into acting and sound design.
Follow Nick Vanderwood on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram for more information on all-things such as future releases and music videos.
Karina Rykman has just released her debut album JOYRIDE for all to stream and enjoy. The nine-track project comes just ahead of her 2023 tour, beginning September 20 with multiple festival appearances before hand.
In light, Rykman’s debut album has been highly anticipated since its announcement, due to the singer’s uniqueness and ability to captivate an audience. Moreover, she brings an original style to fans as the album thoroughly captures Rykman’s jubilant brand of sonic exploration. Additionally bridging an array of genres to arrive at her own take on psychedelic indie rock. With this intention, the album includes the artist’s newest single “All That You Wanted” which features vocal accompaniment from Veronica Stewart-Frommer of Melt, as well as guitars from Melt guitarist Marlo Shankweiler and Phish’s Trey Anastasio.
About the Album
Equally important is that JOYRIDE features Trey Anastasio as co-producer and featured musician, contributing guitar on five of the album’s nine tracks. In turn, Anastasio has taken a profound interest in being a part of Rykman’s debut album, since encountering each other at 2021’s Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA. As well as the Phish frontman offering the use of his storied Vermont studio, The Barn, along with the suggestion to work with renowned mixer Bryce Goggin, the collaboration was set right from the start.
Moreover, in celebration of the release, Rykman will finish up her summer schedule and head out on her largest headlined tour yet, visiting New York nooks with a sold out show in Brooklyn and a performance in Lake George.
Although her headline tour truly begins September 20th, the artist will perform in select music festivals all over the states including Thornville, OH’s Secret Dreams Music & Arts Festival, Cockeysville, MD’s Hot August Music Festival, Lake George, NY’s Adirondack Independence Music Festival, and many more. Meanwhile fans can catch the artist at the shows shown below or can simply meander to any streaming service to listen to JOYRIDE.
JOYRIDE TOUR 2023
August 18th – Thornville, OH – Secret Dreams Music & Arts Festival *
August 19th – Cockeysville, MD – Hot August Music Festival *
September 1st -3rd – Lake George, NY – Adirondack Independence Music Festival *
September 9th – Indianapolis, IN – All In Music & Arts Festival *
September 10th – Mundelein, IL – The Miracle In Mundelein *
September 15th – Fredericton, NB – Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival *
September 16th – Greenfield, MA – Wormtown Music Festival
September 17th – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music Festival *
September 20th – Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right (SOLD OUT)
September 21st – Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar †
September 22nd – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 †
September 23rd – Richmond, VA – The Camel †
September 25th – Raleigh, NC – The Pour House Music Hall †
September 26th – Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall †
September 28th – Charleston, SC – The Charleston Pour House †
September 29th – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 †
September 30th – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room at Third Man Records †
October 27th – San Diego, CA – Winstons Beach Club †
October 28th – Los Angeles, CA – Venice West †
October 29th – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel †
November 1st – Cave Junction, OR – Bruno’s Cavern †
November 2nd – Bend, OR – Volcanic Theatre Pub †
November 3rd – Portland, OR – Polaris Hall †
November 4th – Seattle, WA – High Dive †
December 1st – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s
December 2nd – Burlington, VT – Nectar’s
December 3rd – Portland, ME – Portland House of Music and Events
NYC‘s indie band Rebounder just released their newest lush single “Disco Ball Soul,” the first song off of their upcoming EP Sundress Songs, out August 25th. They have also announced a run of East Coast tour dates including stops in New York, DC, Philadelphia and Toronto.
The single is a widescreen, lush track that frontman Dylan Chenfeld explains was “initially about the frustrations of being a Knicks fan. Funny enough, the evening we shot the video, we were watching the Knicks lose in the playoffs. The song wound up being about the anxieties of living in a city at night, though the anxiety of being a Knicks fan casts a long shadow.”
Over the last few years, Rebounder has quietly become one of New York’s most successful young indie exports, supporting everyone from MUNA to Twin Shadow to the How Long Gone podcast. Their 2020 debut “Japanese Posters” has racked up over 14 million streams alone, a testament to the band’s work ethic and crisply-realized, overwhelmingly hooky indie-rock.
A winsome, wistful portrait of modern millennial life, their forthcoming EP Sundress Songs resembles a lot of classic 2000s indie-pop. Yet, the album feels like it exists miles away from the current of revivalism that’s in the air right now.
Led by stalwart songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dylan Chenfeld, Rebounder makes crisply-realized, overwhelmingly hooky indie-rock, sharpened to a fine point by years of touring. Sundress Songs is a set of preened, poised pop songs that speak volumes of Dylan and his bandmates’ stadium-level ambitions and enviable taste.
“This project is the culmination of a lot of the hard work we’ve done in the past year, in the studio and on the road,” says Dylan. “It feels overdue – but we wanted to make something that sounds really exciting and unique, because we’ve been writing songs and making demos our whole lives.”
Rebounder started as a high school band. Dylan, his brother Noah, and a handful of their friends were often recruited as hired gun musicians for small projects looking to tour locally. Being genuinely skilled musicians has been key to Rebounder’s success; they play with the tautness and tension of a rubber band pulled to its limits, despite the (on its surface) breeziness of their songwriting.
Dylan has omnivorous tastes and pays sharp attention-to-detail: Sundress dips into rakish funk (“Disco Ball Soul”), bedroom pop (“Second Serve Ace”) and skittish dance-rock (“Dreamland”). Produced entirely by Dylan, Sundress Songs is rich with production quirks and asides that speak to his years spent going on YouTube rabbit holes and tinkering in ProTools.
“There’s a lot of people who are doing, like, Greta Van Fleet for the 2000s,” says Dylan. “What’s the point of that? I’m not gonna do it better than those guys. But maybe we can do something new.”
Listen to “Disco Ball Soul” by clicking the link here.
Tickets for the upcoming tour are available for purchase here.
On Sunday, May 14th, The Academic stopped at the Bowery Ballroom. On their “Sitting Pretty Tour,” the young four-man band from Ireland brought their alternative Irish flair to New York City. An intimate crowd dotted the Bowery floor to swallow up any standing space. The venue selection ensured the audience was in for a treat, for the ballroom sound system holds the power of electric guitars and bass incredibly. This deemed important, because The Academic are proven rock revivalists.
Photograph by Tharynn Olson
Alternative/indie band, Summerdrive, opened for The Academic. Their set was short but effective, for their performance livened up the waiting crowd. With intriguing synths and intentional drumming, Summerdrive gave a tasteful while all the same riveting show. They heavily created a similar listening experience that the Bleachers or COIN would.
Not long after Summerdrive left the stage and the instruments were swapped, The Academic made their way onto the stage. Hoots and hollers elevated the band’s excitement as they gazed upon the crowd. Bassist, Matthew Murtagh, and guitarist, Stephen Murtagh sauntered onto stage followed by drummer, Dean Gavin. Lead vocalist, Craig Fitzgerald amped the energy when he approached the mic with an electric guitar slung over his shoulders. “How are you doing New York? It’s been a while!”
Photograph by Tharynn Olson
The setlist rolled by too easily, sewn together by impressive guitar solos and conversation with the audience. They emanated a wildly unique sound that seemed to be in conversation with different decades of alternative music. Accents from melodies of The Talking Heads, guitar riffs from Led Zeppelin, and more modern personal lyricism like that of Cage The Elephant or The Neighbourhood were present in their performance.
Classic-rock married to indie, The Academic has mastered the art of the guitar. Their Irish origin gifted them with the ever presence of rock and roll, and since the U.K. never parted ways with the music genre like America did for a while, they had continuous exposure to the evolution of rock. I look like a million when I play my rock n’ roll.
Photograph by Tharynn Olson
At the end of a drum-heavy song, the guitarists and singer circled around the drumset. They surrendered their instruments’ sound to Gavin while he masterfully annihilated his drum solo and bowed down to him on his throne. The Bowery lights synced up with his percussion, creating a strobed visual. Gavin’s solo was absorbed by the audience as were the multiple guitar solos throughout the evening.
After playing some songs from their new album, “Sitting Pretty,” released February 10th, Fitzgerald took a moment to give thanks to the crowd. He asked if anyone in the audience attended their show last year at Mercury Lounge in the city, and pockets of shouts volleyed amongst the crowd. In this interlude of crowd engagement, he complimented the high energy and inquired, “Any Irish in the crowd tonight?” A strong majority of the hands shot up. He grinned.
Photograph by Tharynn Olson
The Academic hosted a very engaging show. With dramatic dancing and conversational interactions with fans, the atmosphere was endearing. Towards the end of their set, lead vocalist Fitzgerald got onto the floor to be level with the crowd. While he sang, the crowd enveloped him. Phones shot up above heads to capture the moment, and fans sang excitedly around him.
He returned to the stage to finish out the rest of their set. The vivacity was contagious. Small groups of friends merged with strangers. By the end of the show, there were no strangers in the room, only people with a mutual affinity for rock and four Irish musicians. Fitzgerald and his bandmates showered thanks to everyone for attending, and even more gratitude to the staff at Bowery Ballroom. “Give it up for everyone working in this beautiful venue tonight!”
Photograph by Tharynn Olson
The Academic put on a grand show in a small but iconic venue. Their musical future brightened on Sunday, for they collected many new fans. The “Sitting Pretty Tour” is only the beginning for this refreshingly genuine rock-band.
Brooklyn’s 4-piece indie band Tennis Courts have just released their latest single “Am I Not Talking Enough” on May 3rd. The song is about the realization of how it feels to be not young anymore, but also not old either.
Consisting of the singer/songwriter duo of Pat Walsh and Andrew Clarke, lead guitarist Brian McKenna and bassist Spencer Brigman, the band started writing songs together in college in Charleston, SC before moving to Brooklyn in 2022. Tennis Courts’ sound overall offers a delicate mix of indie, folk, and power pop.
Of the new single, Walsh says, “This song is probably the most personal song we’ve ever put out. It’s about a lot of things, but I think it’s mostly just about how I have felt over the last year. I’ve spent a lot of time coming to terms with myself, how I fit in the world, and how I fit into other people’s lives. I spend a lot of time examining my relationship with myself, family, friends, and partners. And at the end of the day, maybe I am just thinking too much.”
“Pensive and gorgeous, opening with acoustic strums accompanying subdued vocals, swelling with atmospheric treatments until the full band kicks in for a stunning final movement.”
– Tuned Up
The band has played countless shows with Dogwood Tales, Sun Room, Hotel Fiction, Sonic Blume, Mo Lowda + The Humble, Wakelee, Daddy’s Beemer, Teenage Halloween, Easy Honey and many more. Tennis Courts forthcoming LP, which will come out later this year, was produced by Erik Kase Romero (The Front Bottoms, Lorde, Dogwood Tales).
Tennis Courts will also be accompanying Charlie & Margot on June 22nd at the Bond Street Basement in Asbury Park, NJ. For more information on this upcoming event, click the link here.
To listen to “Am I Not Talking Enough,” click the link here.
For more music by Tennis Courts and more information on upcoming shows, click the link here.
On Friday, April 28th, the line of eager Valley fans spilled from the doors of Irving Plaza to wrap around the block. Despite the misting rain, the energy pulsing in the camped-out line was warm.
Photograph by Emma Dowd
On their “Lost In Translation Tour,” Valley sold out their New York City show. As the venue filled, it became increasingly undeniable that Valley deserved to be at a larger venue. They had performed at the lovely Irving Plaza a year prior, and since then it was clear they’ve collected a larger fanbase.
Photograph by Emma Dowd
The opener for Valley , Aidan Bisset, kicked off the night with his pop-grunge music. The crowd immediately received Bisset’s stage presence and relatable lyrics. He sang of toxic romances, new love, and break-ups. With two electric guitars and a drum set, he commanded a fast rhythm and infectious persona of youthful fun and passionate intensity. Bisset performed some of his hits, three unreleased songs, and even took on the vocally renowned cover, Kings of Leon’s, “Sex On Fire.” Bisset engaged with the crowd, taking their BeReals, getting level to level with them to chat, and wooing over new fans. Before leaving the stage, he graciously thanked Valley for having him on their tour.
Photograph by Emma Dowd
The set change was fascinating. Usually, microphones are changed and some of the instruments are shifted around. Valley’s upcoming set brought on multiple box-screen televisions to be stacked on top of each other, an ambiguous rectangular frame of notable size with drapes hanging over it, and countless additional lights. Valley’s pre-show setlist had the crowd belting familiar songs in each other’s embrace. Fog began to roll down from the balcony level and off the stage. This grabbed hold of the crowd’s attention. When the lights suddenly shut off and Irving was pitch black, the curious murmur rolled into an uproar of excitement.
Photograph by Emma Dowd
The TVs stacked on top of each other switched on. Their screens matched the static sound emanating overhead. Flashes of the band members’ faces and old television clips emerged sporadically through the static. The lights slowly faded from a hint of color to a bright broadcast of a Valley inspired color palette. Bass vibrated the floor, and the crowd stood in awe.
Eventually the band ran onto the stage. Drummer, Karah James, took her throne behind the drums. Guitarist, Michael Brandolino, and bassist, Alex Dimauro ran to their instruments. They played an adrenaline inducing intro for their lead singer, Rob Laska. Laska ran onto the stage, with an electric guitar slung around his shoulders. The crowd’s response was deafening.
Photograph by Emma DowdPhotograph by Emma Dowd
Valley opened with one of their most popular songs, “There’s Still A Light In The House.” The song is a tribute to love and the endless possibilities of finding one’s self in New York City. The lyric on the bridge that goes Is it New York? Or Heaven? I can’t think twice now, was sung proudly by the New York City crowd. Laska, infatuated with the crowd’s energy, encouraged their singing. The audience sang back to the band with one collective voice that shared an affinity for their conversational lyrics.
As the show went on, the performance became more personal. Laska jumped into the pit that separated him from the crowd to sing with some fans. In between songs, he conversed and told stories about band memories in New York City. Laska reminisced, “New York City is special to us, we wrote our first record in this damn city! We’ll be coming back forever.” This led to Valley announcement of their new record Lost In Translation, set to release on June 23rd.
Photograph by Emma Dowd
The draped frame that was brought onto the stage during set transitions became a crucial filament of the show. Over half way through the concert, the TVs turned back on and the lights dimmed. Laska approached the frame and tore the drape off to reveal a reflective mirror surface with strobe lights hanging from it. A phone began to ring, and Laska tugged a landline phone from the structure. He sang one of their hits, “A Phone Call In Amsterdam,” into the phone. The entire show was an artistic performance, rather than a band just performing on stage. The appreciation for the theatrics and the attention to detail resembled The 1975’s “At Their Very Best Tour.”
As Valley trailed towards the end of their setlist, Laska emphasized his gratitude for everyone choosing to be at their show. “There’s a lot of cool shit going on in New York City on a Friday night, so I’m happy we all found each other in this vortex.” Underneath the twirling Irving disco ball, the fans really unified in their fandom. He invited everyone to join them in a state of appreciative awareness for the last couple of songs. Without a clear goodbye, Valley left the stage. The crowd was not going to leave without an encore.
Photograph by Emma Dowd
Heads turned in a whiplash from the front of the stage to the back of the venue. A murmur of eager confusion echoed throughout the venue. Suddenly, a spotlight shone on the back of the crowd. Laska began to make his way through the crowd towards the stage, singing “Paper Cup (sorry for myself).” The audience parted like the red sea for him to make his way towards the front of the crowd, where he sang for the remainder of the song. The rest of the band took to the stage, and Laska joined them to finish out their set with their popular song, “hiccup.”
Photograph by Emma Dowd
The encore applause was impressive. The sounds of cheers and screams took over Laska’s volume as he thanked the crowd. All the band members joined him at center stage to take their hard-earned bow. Karah James tossed her drumsticks, kisses were blown, and hands clasped in praise for New York City. Laska closed out the night with a sweet send off, “Take care of each other, love one another, and we’ll see you very soon!”
New York-based alternative indie band Evil Sweet has just debuted their newest EP Queen Victoria, on April 28th. According to the band, the album evokes a different she of love at various stages in a relationship.
Evil Sweet is an up-and-coming pop-rock band based in Long Island founded by members Scotty O’Brien-Curcie and Zachary Castro. Thus, having achieved over 100K streams on the singles for the EP and playing legendary venues like The Bowery Electric. Their energy is familiar to indie artists like The Neighborhood, Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys.
Zach is the guitarist and rapper for the group with Scotty on lead vocals, both having heavy roles in the songwriting. Evil Sweet blends multiple genres like rock, pop, blues, folk, and hip-hop. The two have been creating music together since their early high school years.
When listening to the album, keep in mind that each song is supposed to represent a different stage of love in a relationship. Queen Victoria is a unique album for Evil Sweet to release, it has sweet and delicate songs like “Long Live The Queen,” where the lyrics are quite meaningful. Almost very similar to Panic! At The Dico’s 2008 release Pretty Odd.
The intro song “Something” also hits differently, having sounded straight out of an 80’s soundboard, flowy and bubbly. Songs like “Queen Victoria” and “Out of Nowhere” are energetic and high-strung, the vocalist reminiscent of The Kooks. “How To Love You” was a favorite on the album, having meaningful lyrics and an upbeat tempo.
The band has also had an amazing start to 2023 with the two singles “Something” and “Out of Nowhere” achieving over 100,000 streams on Spotify being interviewed by underground indie-blog “Girl at the Rock Shows.” Evil Sweet prepare for the release of their debut EP Queen Victoria on April 28th.
Long Island’s Family Dinner have just served the release their newest single “Revenge Dress,” a empowering/spicy break-up track. The band has also announced a few shows with The Dirty Nil this July and will head out on a short run with Only Sibling this week.
“Revenge Dress” is a total breakup anthem and with lines like “This pretty face is gonna raise some hell tonight,” it’s hard not to get stuck in your head. The song rides from floaty to fierce, with chiming riffs and upbeat drums complementing Natalie O’Keeffe’s cool and collected vocals. Along with this release, the music video for the song encapsulates the mood of the lyrics.
Speaking on the song, Natalie expands by stating, “‘Revenge Dress’, put very simply is a breakup ‘fuck you’ song about realizing your worth and no longer letting yourself get taken for granted. The best revenge is success and nothing gets you over some loser more than looking good and raising hell with your friends.”
Formed in 2017, Family Dinner are friends first and a band second. Living just a few miles apart, the group formed naturally when drummer Nick Amalfitano was jamming out with guitarist Michael O’Keeffe as Natalie hummed melodies while making dinner, and thus the band name came to be.
The members of Family Dinner are almost as carefree as the beach town they reside in. The band has created a unique alternative rock sound that makes you want to dance, paired with lyrics that take a dark twist.
Rounded out by bassist Sam Weiss, Family Dinner began crafting songs, released a few singles, and started playing shows at DIY spots within the tight-knit Long Island music scene. In 2021 the band released the EP, You’re So Cool, four melodic tracks that pull from 90’s alternative rock and punk ethos.
Following the EP, the band knew they had something special on their hands and soon found themselves opening for acts like The Lemonheads, Grouplove, Bayside and Iron Chic. Entering the studio with Brett Romnes and Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche) last year, Family Dinner is currently putting the finishing touches on their debut full-length.
Tour Dates:
w/ Only Sibling
4/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Kingsland
4/21 – Westfield, MA @ Hutghi’s
4/22 – Providence, RI @ Alchemy
w/ The Dirty Nil
7/12 – Boston, MA @ Sonia
7/13 – Syracuse, NY @ Song and Dance
7/14 – Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
Listen to “Revenge Dress” by clicking the link here.
Brooklyn-based alt-band Citrus Maxima has dived headfirst into the indie-rock genre with their newest release “I Don’t Wanna Die,” the first single from their upcoming record. With hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams and years of local gigging experience around New York, the band is looking forward to releasing their upcoming debut album this spring.
The new single “I Don’t Wanna Die” is a song that cuts through the dirge of washed-out, lazy indie rock and instantly jolts the listener with its infectious chorus. The band captures this by combining wailing feedback, crunchy guitars, and driving drums with instantly catchy vocals and heartfelt melodies.
Formed in Albany, but now based in Brooklyn, Citrus Maxima offers up a fresh take on indie rock, anchored by strong songwriting, raw energetic rhythms, and melodic guitars. Citrus Maxima was originally formed in 2014 with Shawn Majeed on drums and Lucas Rinaldi on guitar and vocals. The band added members Wyatt Kirschner on lead guitar in 2018, and Max Gucinski on bass and backup vocals in 2021.
Citrus Maxima has built up a strong online presence with a string of successful releases. In December 2020, the band released “1970”, their most played song with over 250k Spotify streams, and followed up with “Sprouts” a small collection of songs including “Seeds Don’t Bleed”, which incorporates a 90s alternative rock influence.
Their “live session” videos uploaded to YouTube further solidified their online buzz, as their cover of Pavement song “Harness Your Hopes” even grabbed the attention of Pavement member Bob Nastanovich, who praised the cover on social media. Devotees of the DIY ethos, all releases, social media growth, and touring was planned and executed by the band alone without the assistance of a label or management.
Listen to “I Don’t Wanna Die” by clicking the link here.
Brooklyn’s Romi O has just released her second ever single “M2M” on Friday, March 24th, a ballad you won’t want to miss. The single is brilliant, having a truly one-of-a-kind musical journey feel to it; retaining more immediate elements from punk and alternative music.
Understanding the flow of “M2M” requires a bit of a backstory about the artist. This is the second single from her upcoming debut album, which is expected to be released later in 2023. Hailing from Tel Aviv, Israel, Romi O has been making music ever since she can remember. She continued to develop her songwriting chips, eventually switching from singing and writing in Hebrew to performing in English.
Romi O’s sound is unique because of the juxtaposition of understated textures, relatable lyrics, and hard-hitting grooves. By the time she turned 22, the artist had relocated to Brooklyn, where she had sought a fresh start in music. She co-founded the band “PowerSnap” to pursue high-octane punk and garage aesthetics.
Eventually, Romi O circled back to her initial fondness for ballads. The resulting sound she made is truly one-of-a-kind, still retaining more immediate elements from punk and alternative music. But this time, in “M2M,” she comes to light in a soothing, softer way that makes her sound more intriguing and dynamic.
Her chosen stage name comes from the beloved figure of “Romeo,” from Shakespeare’s timeless “Romeo and Juliette” play. Being a huge fan of Shakespeare herself, Rome O felt a truly special connection to the character.
The single stands out as an example of her art and musical craft. The song deals with the idea of always being ready to question life choices and decisions and approaching everything without the fear of taking things too seriously. It’s important to find a balance, and the song is a very poignant observation of the fleeting nature of the path we carve for ourselves in life with our choices.
The song’s music video feels like another layer. In a way, it is another approach to telling the story, and it offers a visual representation of the core concept that drives this release. Overall, it features some punchy electronic sounds, as well as organic elements such as vocals and guitars to round up the wide palette of sonic colors on this song.
To listen and watch the music video for “M2M,” click the link here.
To listen to more music by Romi O, click the link here.
