NYS Music 2024

Category: Album Reviews

  • Hearing Aide: PEAK “Hot Clips Volume 3”

    PEAK has dropped the third installment in their ongoing live series, with Hot Clips Volume 3, released on January 5.

    Culled from performances in 2023, Hot Clips Volume 3 features some of the band’s favorite recent performances. Specifically, this album shows what the band – Jeremy Hilliard (guitar and vocals), Johnny Young (keys and vocals), Josh T. Carter (bass and vocals), Kito Bovenschulte (drums), Nate Searing (drums on “Idyllwild Flower”) – are looking for in a jam of group interaction, transcendent moments that come naturally and without force, and happen organically.

    Mixed and Mastered by Johnny Young and Jeremy Hilliard and engineered by Michelle Young, the songs range from older PEAK staples to unreleased tracks appearing on the next studio album. Covers on the album include a reimagined version of Woody Guthrie’s “Pastures of Plenty,” and a stretched-out take on the Led Zeppelin classic “The Song Remains the Same.” 

    Hot Clips Volume 3 Tracklist:

    Vanishing Skies, 5.17.23, Nectar’s, Burlington, VT
    One Lifetime Isn’t Enough, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY
    Little Miss Mary Merry-Go-Round, 5.17.23, Nectar’s, Burlington, VT
    It’s Easy To Give Up (Don’t Give Up Too Easy), 7.16.23, Park City Music Hall, Bridgeport, CT
    Run Me Down, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY
    Pastures Of Plenty, 5.17.23, Nectar’s, Burlington, VT
    The Song Remains the Same, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY
    Idyllwild Flower, 8.11.23, Yasgur Road Reunion, Bethel, NY
    It Ain’t Over ’til the Credits Roll, 9.8.23, The Wescott Theatre, Syracuse, NY

    PEAK Spring 2024 Tour Dates

    1.28.24  Amherst, MA, The Drake, supporting Midnight North TICKETS

    2.1.24  Hartford, CT, Infinity Hall, supporting Midnight North TICKETS

    2.2.24  Fairfield, CT, Stage One at FTC, supporting Midnight North TICKETS

    2.29.24  Burlington, VT, Nectar’s, supporting Midnight North TICKETS

    3.8.24  Baltimore, MD, 8 x10, supporting Unkle Kunkel’s Big Gram Band

    4.4.24  Syracuse, NY, Funk and Waffles, w/ Spunj and Small Batch

    Stream Hot Clips Volume 3 from PEAK below.

  • Hearing Aid: Elephant Back, “The Black Album” and “The White Album”

    If there’s one thing musicians should have in order to appeal to a large audience, it is musical diversity. Elephant Back maintains their own unique sounds whilst having dynamic, ranging styles. The two latest albums by the duo showcase exactly that. The Black Album and The White Album have their own categories of sound, and one is not like the other.

    Dave and Sarah of Elephant Back in 2023

    Starting with The White Album, the initial track “Home,” is reminiscent of an Appalachian Folk song, mixed with Lumineers-esque soaring indie vocals. The opening track sets the tone and vibe of this album, preparing the listener for folky, indie, emotional odes to love and life-changes. The song “W.T.F.I.C.??” has a spunky indie-pop feel, but simultaneously shows clear Beatles influence in the chords and bass licks.

    A great way to describe some of the songs on The White Album would be campfire-song. Songs you can gather around with your friends. Songs where you can pull out a guitar and sing, sitting on some grass just vibing together. The album’s closing track, “Move Me” is quite touching and did, in fact, move me to tears. With the album consisting of six main tracks and one hidden track, the record comes out to less than a half hour of music, yet in these 25 minutes, the band achieves great range and emotional depth.

    Continuing onto Elephant Back’s The Black Album, it is a blatantly stark contrast from The White Album. This album’s opening track, “A Lot To Do” immediately grasps the listener with its 60s-style surf rock. The next song, “Bad Love” rings with clear indie-rock/alternative sound, reminiscent of bands like The White Stripes or Arctic Monkeys.

    Each track on the album has its own distinct sound, while still tying in a common style. With elements of grunge, indie-rock, surf-rock, and pop-punk, this album is dynamic in its sound and its influences. Upon listening, you can really hear specific influences in each song. For some, Nirvana or Soundgarden can be heard, for others you can hear The Smashing Pumpkins or Blink-182.

    To listen to the two latest Elephant Back albums The White Album and The Black Album, check them out on Spotify or YouTube, also be sure to visit their website at ElephantBackMusic.com.

  • Hearing Aide: Alex Northrup “Turning Point”

    Discover the spunky world of Turning Point, an imaginative album by Alex Northrup, released on January 13.

    Alex Northrup is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in the wonderful and friendly Rochester. Instead of creating songs on the guitar or piano from start to finish as he usually did, Alex decided to go on a spontaneous recording journey for Turning Point by aimlessly recording tracks. “My usual process is to write the song start to finish either on guitar or piano, with a complete lyric/melody/chord change, then work out the arrangement. This time, I was creating songs out of bits and pieces of recorded tracks. The arrangements and productions were coming before the actual songs!” added Alex.

    Alex Northrup

    Turning Point was created over the span of three years, creating songs out of bits and pieces of recorded tracks. To Alex, it was important to experiment with different sounds and colors. However, he discovered about a dozen of these “songs” that were largely finished and appeared to belong together. He spent a lot of time perfecting those, and the result was the album.

    It’s definitely the most diverse sounding project I’ve done, but there are enough threads that tie the whole thing together – some chord changes, an old Univox drum machine, and a Mellotron that was at our house for a couple months. These songs would never have existed without that process – they’re just not things I would have thought up on an acoustic guitar.

    Alex Northrup

    Turning Point features members of Big Nobody, Overhand Sam & Bad Weapon, Pleistocene, Ginger Faye Bakers. The release party for Turning Point will be held at Three Heads Brewing in Rochester on Saturday, January 13. Expect to see exciting special guests such as The Bat Sisters (Katie Morey & Cammy Enaharo) and light show by Rainbow Full of Sound (Brian Blatt & Pat Doyle).

    Pre-order “Turning Point” here.