Fresh off the streets of New York City, newcomer Troy Ramey released his latest single, “Pick Up Truck,” on June 28.
Known for his soulful voice and emotionally driven songs, Troy Ramey celebrates life’s simple pleasures; summer drives, and the joy of music.
Originally hailing from Vermont, Ramey grew up in a household of musicians, turning to music as a way to heal after the tragic loss of his father. Since then, his music has reflected his intense passion, producing authentic, emotionally driven songs and connecting deeply with his audience.
In 2017, Ramey competed on season 12 of NBC’s The Voice, garnering immense praise from audiences and celebrity judges Alicia Keys and Celine Dion alike. After his appearance, he moved to New York City and began to write and produce his own music, including his newest single, “Pick Up Truck.” At first, the song concept was a running joke between Troy and his longtime friend and co-writer Johnny Gates, mostly about the recurring themes within the country music genre. But after his landmark performance on The Voice, Troy continued to work with the concept, developing it into one of his favorite songs he’s recorded thus far.
“But as I messed around on the guitar, the lyrics ‘when you hear my song, turn it up, sounds better in a pickup truck’ came to mind,” Ramey says about the track. “The song immediately was no longer a joke. It really became a song about one of my favorite things to do.”
After the release of his first singles from his debut LP, All I Had, the excitement for the full album only began to grow. With the full album set to release in the fall of 2024, the anticipation only grows stronger with each day. The release of “Pick Up Truck” will certainly have to do in the meantime. If the artistry and creativity behind this one single is only a preview of the full album, there is certainly a bright future ahead of Troy Ramey.
Fans can listen to “Pick Up Truck” here, and in anticipation of Troy Ramey’s newest release, Ramey is set to play a few shows in the Northeast, starting with a stop in Patchogue, Long Island, at the 89 North.
July 19, Friday – 89 North – Patchogue, NY.
July 25, Thursday – The Maso Studio at The Huntington Theatre – Boston, MA.
July 26, Friday – Next Stage Arts – Putney, VTets.
July 27, Saturday – Newport Playhouse – Newport, RI.
On June 21, NYC-based punk rock band WYLDLIFE released their newest single, “Fast Dreams.” The new single is the band’s first release since their 2020 album, “Year of the Snake.” Complete with fast-paced guitar riffs, a moving bassline, and exciting, gritty vocals, “Fast Dreams,” WYLDLIFE makes headbanging-worthy rock and roll music fun again.
For over the last decade, WYLDLIFE has brought the 70s rock and roll style back to New York City’s music scene. Their fun-filled single and music video are the latest thing to come out of their label, Wicked Cool Records. WYLDLIFE has four members: Dave Feldman (vocals), Sam Allen (guitar), Spencer Alexander (bass), and Russ Barrnett (drums), each committed to bringing back the classic sounds of the 70s like Blondie and Ramones. Since 2009, WYLDLIFE has released 4 full studio albums and were nominated for an Independent Music Award for Best Rock/Hard Rock Song.
Their newest single, however, is a captivating mix of sounds from different eras. The 70s inspiration is absolutely prevalent, but upon first listen, it feels like a 2000s power anthem. The fast-moving bassline, combined with Feldman’s vocals, is reminiscent of alt-rock outfits like Palaye Royale, Arcade Fire, and The White Stripes. Amidst the current ever-popular trap and indie-pop scene, WYLDLIFE’s newest single is a fantastic juxtaposition that has all the right elements of nostalgia, yet still manages to sound fresh, original, and new.
The lyrics of “Fast Dreams” tell an incredibly relatable story about someone excited for their dreams to come true while having to wrestle with the mundane parts of life. “Fast Dreams” brings us a familiar narrative about someone trying to make their dreams come true as fast as possible because they are simply too excited for success. “Fast Dreams” feels like a song that would belong on the soundtrack of a coming-of-age movie, with the narrator’s contradictory feelings of angst and excitement.
Along with their newest single, the music video for “Fast Dreams” is also out for consumption. Animated in the style of a 2-bit arcade game, the music video features WYLDLIFE as video game characters, racing against reality and time to achieve their goal. The message of the single is executed perfectly, and it is obvious that the group had a blast when creating the video together. “Fast Dreams” was the best thing to come out of their four-year-long hiatus.
“Fast Dreams” is available on all streaming platforms. To watch their music video or check out any of WYLDLIFE’s other powerhouse anthems, check them out on Bandcamp. For any touring information, follow their Facebook page.
Sarah McLachlan brought her Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 30th Anniversary Tour to a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall on Monday, June 24.
Opening for her was Feist, who will also be joining McLachlan for additional North American tour dates this summer. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy received critical acclaim at the time of its release and has garnered a cult following in the years since. The crowd at Radio City was filled with a buzzing energy: equal parts nostalgic and anticipation.
Throughout her career, McLachlan has provided foundational support to the communities she has been a part of. For each ticket sale on this tour, $1 goes towards Sarah McLachlan School of Music, a non-profit started by McLachlan in 2002. With locations around Canada, the schools provide free music education and mentorship to students in under-served communities.
There was also Lilith Fair, the revolutionary all-female traveling music festival founded by McLachlan. Lilith Fair made stops in New York at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh every year it ran- 1997, 1997, and 1999. Fumbling Towards Ecstasy was released just a few years prior and helped bring McLachlan’s music to further international audiences.
McLachlan entered the Radio City stage to a roar of applause before the spotlight even had its chance to shine on her. She opened the show with a few songs off of her other albums before diving into the Fumbling setlist. 30 years later, the songs of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy have proven to be both a time capsule and present day cache. A reminder of the difficulties life can present us at unaccepted moments and a celebration of making it through it. The album is a timeless classic that prevails decades, the audience’s enchantment throughout the evening was proof of that.
Currently working on a new album, McLachlan has performed a new song, “Gravity,” on a few stops of this tour. McLachlan will be playing next in Columbia, Maryland at Merriweather Post Pavilion on June 27. The Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Tour will be making additional stops in North America through the end of the year.
Sarah McLachlan – Radio City Music Hall – Monday, June 24, 2024
Set One – Greatest Hits: Sweet Surrender, Building a Mystery, I Will Remember You, Drifting, Song for My Father, World on Fire, Adia, Beautiful Girl, Answer, Witness
Set Two – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy: Possession, Wait, Plenty, Good Enough, Mary, Elsewhere, Circle, Ice, Hold On, Ice Cream, Fear, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Encore: Gravity, Angel
Feist playing at Radio City on June 24Sarah McLachlan playing Radio City on June 24
On Friday, June 21, Wilco performed the first night of a string of three shows at the Beacon Theatre.
Opening for Wilco at the sold-out show was Brooklyn-based Cut Worms. This summer tour supports Wilco’s latest album, Cousin, released in September 2023.
The art deco interior of Beacon Theatre felt like the perfect venue for the band hailing from Chicago, a city known for its extravagant architecture. “I always remember this place because the exit signs have the Black Flag font,” frontman Jeff Tweedy joked to the crowd. “That’s how I know where I am.” The band has a new EP, Hot Sun Cool Shroud, set for release on June 28. The EP release coincides with Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, MA.
Wilco performed songs spanning 30 years of the band’s discography. There were many celebrations throughout the night, including the 20th anniversary of A Ghost Is Born and a “Happy Birthday” crowd sing-a-long for the band’s multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. The crowd maintained high energy throughout the night, with many standing ovations and encouragement from the band along the way. “Were you singing? It sounded good.” Tweedy quipped after “Passenger Side.”
The band performed a four song encore before ending night one of their NYC run. Wilco performs again at Beacon Theatre in NYC on June 24. Their Solid Sound Festival in Massachusetts runs from June 28-30, followed by a few more summer tour dates across North America.
Wilco – Beacon Theatre, NYC – Friday, June 21, 2024
Setlist: Misunderstood, Forget the Flowers, Handshake Drugs, Pittsburgh, I Am My Mother, Cruel Country, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Meant to Be, If I Ever Was a Child, Summer Teeth, Hummingbird, Bird Without a Tail/Base of My Skull, Passenger Side, Evicted, Impossible Germany, Jesus, Etc., Whole Love, The Late Greats, Heavy Metal Drummer, I’m the Man Who Loves You
Encore: Falling Apart (Right Now), California Stars, Via Chicago, Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Up-and-coming artist MacInizby made her debut on May 24 with the release of her new single “Closet.” The song chronicles a queer coming-of-age love story. With its lyrics balancing between vulnerability and raging catharsis, MacInizby commands the spotlight as she advances in the indie-rock scene with her debut single.
MacInizby’s debut single “Closet,” released May 24, 2024.
MacInizby is the passion project of Maggie Bishop, a recent graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. While Bishop released an album and an EP under her own name in high school, she wanted to separate herself from her old acoustic, bubbly rock sound. Her music, along with herself, matured throughout her four years of college. It was this evolution that transformed Maggie Bishop into MacInizby.
MacInizby is the surname of Bishop’s Scottish grandparents. Not only does the name harken back to Bishop’s heritage but it’s also a reminder of her days as a drummer in Scottish marching bands. MacInizby continued to play in a variety of bands throughout college. However, unlike the traditional Scottish marching bands of her youth, MacInizby now played with New York City’s indie rock bands, including Bec Lauder and The Noise, Breaker, and Rose Paradise.
Through collaborating with multiple NYC bands, MacInizby learned the art of collaboration. MacInizby recalled how she lacked this joint effort in her early high school years, crafting her songs in isolation. It was an isolation that slowly disintegrated the more she stepped behind the drum kit, working with various bands. She came to value other’s insights and perspectives on her music. It was this maturation as an artist that would help to inform her latest release, “Closet.”
Photo Credit: Hellen Elizondo
“Closet” was co-produced by MacInizby’s college friend Jacob Geoffery, who also played lead guitar on the track. The addition of Geoffery’s rhythmic guitar riffs helped transform “Closet” from an acoustic demo that MacInizby created early on in 2023 as a school assignment into an energetic, hypnotic, indie-rock single. MacInizby nurtured her acoustic demo 24/7 to make this metamorphosis complete. She recorded takes after takes of guitar, bass, vocals, and backing vocals, later editing them all together in her room. So every sound you hear on the track, excluding the lead guitar, is made and produced by MacInizby.
MacInizby admitted the numerous takes and recordings were due to her perfectionism, which she struggled with. “It’s hard to reconcile what you think something should sound like and what something does sound like, because it’s never going to be exactly what you hear in your head,” MacInizby stated. “But I think that’s the beauty of music production. Weird things and mistakes happen, but there’s beauty in it. I’m trying to allow myself to create without always being an editor or critic in my head.”
MacInizby’s dedication paid-off as the result is a single reminiscent of the late ‘90s and early 2000s with heartfelt lyrics that reach one’s core. MacInizby best summed-up her creation herself. When creating the song, she said, “I try to explore like, What would Phoebe Bridgers sound like if she were writing to an Avril Lavigne track?” Inspiration from Phoebe Bridgers is clearly visible in MacInizby’s debut single. Take Bridgers’ track “I Know The End.” Bridgers’ mellow beat that’s interrupted by her screaming is mimicked in MacInizby’s quiet vulnerability and raging catharsis. The two seemingly contradicting natures are blended together so beautifully that tears will well up all the way from the pit of the listener’s stomach.
MacInizby’s cover of Phoebe Bridgers’ “Halloween.”
MacInizby’s passion and meaningful lyrics also hit the listener’s heart. The lyrics highlight the struggles of a queer relationship. It tells the story of a first love, falling in love with someone, who isn’t ready to share that love with the rest of the world. While MacInizby has written love stories in the past, she has never expressed the queerness of those relationships until now. “I’ve never really been in touch with my emotions or able to explain that to people, especially as a young queer kid growing up, who didn’t always feel like I could talk about how I was feeling,” MacInizby said. “Songwriting is a place for me to allow myself to be introspective and feel things to their full extent.” She hopes to provide this place for others through her music.
That place will only continue to expand as MacInizby writes more music in the upcoming year. With talk of another single release later this year and a potential EP release next year, fans eagerly await to see this new artist carve out a space for herself in NYC’s indie rock scene.
MacInizby / Maggie Bishops will perform at the Song Suffragettes on June 25, 2024 at Pink Frog Cafe.
But fans don’t need to wait for the release of more singles. If you’re in the New York area, MacInizby will be performing this Monday, June 24 at the Map Room at Bowery Electric located at 327 Bowery Street. She’ll be performing alongside Lillian F**king Jones and Emily Patt. Doors open at 7:00 pm for a night of high energy melodies.
She’ll also be performing the following day, Tuesday, June 25 at Pink Frog Cafe located at 221 North 9th Street in Brooklyn, as part of the Song Suffragettes, an event highlighting the best women singer-songwriters in NYC. This event will be a change of pace from the night before. MacInizby will forgo her energetic persona for that of the acoustic, melodic Maggie Bishops. To hear MacInizby’s older music, head to the Pink Frog Cafe on June 25 at 8:00 pm.
Grammy award winning artist, Asake announced his “Lunga Boy World Tour” with a pit stop at Madison Square Garden.
The Afrobeat Nigerian artist is touring all across North America and Europe on his 14-date tour. He’ll perform in NYC on Aug 30 and tickets go on sale on June 14 on asaketour.com.
Asake attended Theatre and Dramatic Arts at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and got his start with his first single, “Mr. Money” in 2017. His first album Mr. Money With The Vibe came out in 2022. He collaborated with fellow Afrobeat star Burna Boy with “Sungba.” In 2023 his sophomore album Work of Art got on Billboards #4 on the World Albums chart and also got him his first grammy nomination. Since then he has appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon and The Late Night Show With Stephen Colbert.
In addition to TV performances, Asake has headlined venues around the world like London’s O2 Arena and New York’s Barclays Center. He’s performed at Afronation Miami and Broccoli City in Washington D.C.
The Presale for his tour starts on June 12 at 10 a.m.
Lounge Studios in New York City, located on 39th Street and owned by Walt Randall, has been operating for over 20 years and remains one of the most popular recording studios among upcoming and established artists. In an interview with New York State Music, Randall opened up a little about his journey to becoming the owner of one of the most successful recording studios in Manhattan.
Owner and CEO Walt Randall mixing in the Solaris Room at Lounge Studios. Credit: Hummingbird Media
We previously featured Lounge over the summer, on our list of recording studios in New York City, one in a series of articles.
The interview took place in the Brown Sugar Lounge, the first room Randall built for the studio after graduating from Northern Iowa State University in 2001 and moving to New York City with $50 to his name.
The first room Owner and CEO Walt Randall ever built for Lounge Studios, titled Brown Sugar. Credit: Lounge Studios.
Established in 2003, Lounge Studios is an 11-room professional multimedia studio that houses some of the finest equipment in the music industry. Each of the eleven lounges has been meticulously designed and built by Randall himself to create the most comfortable atmosphere and highest quality. From 2013 – 2016, Lounge Studios served as the East Coast Recording Studio Headquarters for Atlantic Records and Warner Chappelle.
Of the various reasons an up-and-coming artist should aspire to record at Lounge, the number one selling point would be, Randall says, “The engineers and the environment.”
Randall continues, “Those things sort of go hand and hand because the engineers help create the environment. Like I said we’ve worked with a lot of big people, but we’re made to do independent artists. That’s where the bread and butter comes from and I’ve always kept our prices low to do that.”
Randall finishes, “That being said, we get a lot of first-time people in the studio. They’ve never been, they’re a little nervous, and you need to create a good environment for them. So our engineers are some of the best and fastest but, outside of being the best and the fastest, they’re very personable. They know how to make you relax, they can read the room, for a first-timer.”
In all his over 20 years of operating Lounge, Randall says his favorite artist to work with throughout his career is Solange Knowles.
“A Seat at the Table, the first time I ever heard the album front to back, I was like ‘Oh, this is a cultural shift album,” Randall said.
Randall continued, “At the time I was with Atlantic Records, and I used to always tell them ‘This album is going to be the album.’ Not only was it critically acclaimed, it got Album of the Decade with Noisy Magazine, she got a Grammy, that album was at the top of the Obama’s playlist. It was just a cultural thing.”
Solange Knowles worked on her groundbreaking third studio album, A Seat at the Table, at the Live Lounge in Brown Sugar at Lounge Studios.
“To me it was spiritual, we’ve had a lot of artists here but I have yet to hear an album that moved me like that immediately,” Randall finished.
Randall says he isn’t surprised by Lounge’s success, but, “Believing it’s coming, and then living the reality of not being able to pay rent sometimes, not knowing if you’re even going to be in business next year, just the struggle to make it and survive in the landscape that we were in, and trying to build a name for myself as a studio. I always had a belief that this was going to be big, and I took joy, I was in shock and awe every time there was a big artist here, but it never made me feel like I was ‘above it.”
Before opening Lounge in the early 2000s, Randall was headed towards a career as an athlete, although his passion for music was always there. After suffering injuries that prevented him from continuing to play Football, Randall leaned in fully towards this passion, a turn of events that worked out for the better in his view.
“I think music was my destination from the beginning,” Randall said.
Randall feels, that while football was a craft he was skilled at, it was never the end goal. “I was an athlete, and I was always competitive, but I never loved football.”
Despite suffering intense physical injuries in his athletic career, nothing compares to the struggles he overcame during his journey to opening Lounge.
“I’ve had three ACL tears, I’ve had all types of injuries in football, all types of adversity. None of that was even a fraction of what I’ve been through building this studio, this business, this enterprise. Not even close,” Randall said.
In a way, Randall’s injuries were an unexpected twist of fate.
“I think I got injured on purpose,” Randall said.
Randall continued, “I’m not the type of person that ever looks back and regrets anything, but specifically in this situation, I can look back and say, ‘That ended for this to start.’”
Randall concluded his interview with NYS Music by offering words of advice to anyone trying to make their dreams a reality, in the face of the curveballs life can throw at you.
“I needed to understand, personally, that there was something bigger than me,” Randall said.
“It gets so hard on this journey, that I’m not strong enough to do it on my own. There have been so many days where I’ve stepped on this floor while I was building it, and just cried, and said ‘I want to go home,” Randall said.
“It was taking forever, I didn’t have any money, I was falling behind on rent, and stuff was falling on my head in the middle of me trying to put it up. I wasn’t strong enough by myself,” Randall continued.
Randall finished, “When those insurmountable things happen, those insurmountable obstacles happen, the thing that has gotten me through is understanding that it’s not just me. I can lean on something else, I can lean on something bigger than me, that is pushing me through this when I’m tired when I don’t feel like it will ever end, I feel like a lot of times, I’ve done the work but I’ve been partially carried through those times. I get to the other side and I’m like, ‘I have no idea how I just did that.’ and I understand it wasn’t just because of me. It was because I had faith that there was something bigger than me that I could depend on.â
In an upcoming interview with NYS Music, owner and CEO of Lounge Studios in Manhattan Walt Randall revealed that he is starting a new surround sound company for his studio called Spatio. The company will launch during the first week of June and allow independent artists to record their music in Atmos Spatial Audio. This new surround-sound format allows for a more realistic and immersive recording experience.
The Dolby-Certified Solaris Room is the latest addition to Lounge Studios where artists will record their music in Atmos Spatial Audio. Credit: Walt Randall.
However, this new format is pricey and creates roadblocks for independent artists.
“All major labels make it mandatory to release Atmos, but it’s too expensive for independent artists. The going rate is between $500-$1500/song. This makes it impossible for independent musicians to get their songs done in Atmos Spatial Audio,” Randall said.
Randall realized what an obstacle this posed for independent artists, and decided to do something about it at Lounge.
“When I realized that this amazing format would pose insurmountable obstacles to independent artists, it became my mission to even the playing field”, Randall said.
Randall described the process of making Atmos Spatial Audio more accessible to independent artists.
“I started by building one of only three Dolby Certified, Atmos Studios in Manhattan. I then developed proprietary software systems that would help speed up the mixing process. Lastly, I trained some of Lounge Studios’ best engineers to work with Spatio,” Randall said.
Randall added, “To date, we have done Atmos mixes for every major record label and have done some of the biggest stars in every genre of music, including The Wallows and Lil Baby.”
Randall emphasized what a big deal Spatio will be for rising musicians.
“It’s going to be huge for independent artists and will change the playing field.”
Indie-rock band juicer released their long awaited debut album Retire The Fences on May 10. The band formed in 2023 and have been blossoming in the NYC area.
Vocalist and Guitarist, James Watson moved to NYC in 2021 and he was inspired by his own personal journey as well as the new sounds of the city. Since 2023, the band including, Donovan Edelstein (drums), Carlo DiBiaggio (bass) and Greg Crotty (guitar) have performed in Boston and Philadelphia along with NYC venues. They released their third single “let go” earlier this year which got great feedback from fans.
Retire The Fences is a reference to lyrics off the Beach Boys song “feel flows,” a song from a more complex era of Beach Boys music, something that Watson was inspired by when recording this album. The harmony in the chorus of the track “Strawberry Life” resembles a Beach Boys song with its harmony and rolling effect of the rhythm.
Despite repetitive, plain lyrics the whole album overall has a great sound. It’s a perfect album for a summer drive, a walk outside or a chill dinner party.
Listening to Retire The Fences takes the listener straight to a classic inspiring Brooklyn show in a small intimate venue. One great aspect of the album is that it doesn’t feel over-produced or watered down with its editing. Fans will be able to imagine hearing these songs live.
One song that sticks out as a darker track is “Let Go.” It opens with grungy instrumentals with reminiscent lyrics. The song explains how changes in your life force you to reflect on your past.
“Trickin” which starts the album and “Dream” which is the last song, both invoke a carefree, light feeling that introduce and tie off the album nicely.
You can check out Retire the Fences here on Spotify.
