Tuesday, November 27, 2018

NOREiKA - Buffalo, NY









NOREiKA BIO:

Hailing from Akron, NY (suburb of Buffalo) Noreika began his career as a guitarist for a number of Heavy Metal & Thrash bands. Some gained regional notoriety and others never left the basement. Through the years, the daily band rehearsals turned into only twice a week, then to  once a week, then to once a month. It seems that life crept up and changed priorities for Noreika and the other band members. Eventually being in a band faded into memory. Playing guitar for the joy of it became the norm. Gone was its importance as a career - it had turned into a hobby. To Noreika, this alternate path wasn’t empty or hollow. Quite the opposite, it’s brought him love, a Wife, a Son, a reasonable pay check, and many things he wouldn’t have known otherwise. Still, he missed doing the job he loved - performing music. That being said, it was his, then 4 year old, son that keyed him into the fact that something was missing.

One morning Noreika was complaining under his breath about business attire, while ironing his clothes before work, when his Son said, “will you play with me?” Noreika tried to explain that he had to go to work and that he would play when he returned in the evening. His son looked up at him, slightly perplexed by the explanation, and said the words that changed everything, “Daddy, I wish you could be a songwriter so you could stay with me instead of going to work”. That was it (after Noreika wiped away some tears). That was the motivation he needed. The motivation he silently longed for. The giant kick in the pants that only a 4 year old could provide. That evening, after he tucked his son into bed, he began writing, composing, and practicing. He knew that being in a band was tricky and wrought with obstacles. So a decision to go solo was made.

Of significant importance was advice he received from his good friend and one time band-mate; Joe Goretti (drummer from AJR Brothers, Robyn, Ne-Yo, Moby, and many others), "Do it with no expectation of fame. Do it because you love it. Do it because it makes you happy. Do it because it's who you are. Do it solo and be in charge of your own destiny". With that as inspiration, it began. A three song EP, METACOUSTiFOLK was recorded and released to much acclaim.


Metacoustifolk weblinks:
itunes: http://apple.co/1Gsn7Gr
Apple Music: http://apple.co/1QUCnS9
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1hpYx2n
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1VilNBH
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/1LDeHDV

2016's follow up; Throw the Switch to Begin, hit the ground running with even more metal inspired, acoustic folk rock, with stirring melodies, thought provoking vocals and a certain vibe that only NOREiKA can provide.


Throw the Switch to Begin Weblinks:
itunes: http://apple.co/2b4Xeqo
Apple Music: http://apple.co/2b6npgw
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bVwpD1
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2bzMRsF
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2biq32P

2017 - Noreika presents: BoXaRoX. A departure from the full band recording of the previous EPs by stripping down the music to the bare essentials of guitar and vocals. A singer / songwriter approach with Noreika's twist of metal inspired acoustic rock.



BoXaRoX Weblinks:
itunes: http://apple.co/2uvg9k7
Apple Music: http://apple.co/2hzpOoN
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uWDrQf
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2vK1wiI
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2iuTkwc


2018 - New EP in the works. Back to the full orchestration of the first 2 EPs. Coming summer 2018.

NOREiKA LINKS:
www.peternoreika.com
www.metacoustifolk.com
https://peternoreika.bandcamp.com
www.soundcloud.com/peternoreika
www.facebook.com/noreika
www.youtube.com/peternoreika
www.instagram.com/peternoreika
www.twitter.com/peternoreika
http://peternoreika.tumblr.com
www.linkedin.com/in/peternoreika



Sunday, October 28, 2018

Great Lake Swimmers - Toronto, Canada


Great Lake Swimmers The Waves, The Wake album art



The Waves, The Wake music review by Joe Tell.

First off The Waves, The Wake contains many different sounds, all of the songs are brilliantly orchestrated with many different instruments. The roster of instruments includes the harp, lute, pipe organ, woodwinds, congas, marimbas, the banjo, piano, 12-string guitar and the natural reverb
from a 145 year old church in London, Ontario. Many of these songs sound like they could be from a movie soundtrack. These unique sounds define the sound of The Waves, The Wake, the band has a sound all their own which could be best described as Classical Americana.  

The first song, The Talking Wind, has a ethereal sound with it's breezy blend of instruments and harmony vocals. The song merges classical music and alternative rock sounds into a perfect blend.
In a Certain Light shows another side of the band with it's country feel and banjo picking. 
Alone but Not Alone lifts the tempo a bit with it's jangly rhythm and lead guitars. I can hear a early folk rock influence.
Falling Apart has a melancholy feel with it's brilliant string orchestration and sound swells. 
Side Effects is musically driven by some strong vocal melodies and some cool abstract vocal sounds take the song out.  
The Real Work is a piano based song that has a mellow melancholy sound.
Root Systems has a cool tango-like percussive groove along with some sweet vocal and string sounds.
Unmaking The Bed is also percussion driven with a relentless groove that is sure to have your hand or foot tapping along before the song is over. 
Visions Of A Different World is a mesmerizing song that uses vocal harmonies to transport the listener into a trance like state.


Website http://www.greatlakeswimmers.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/great_lake_swimmers/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/greatlakeswimmers
Twitter https://twitter.com/GreatLakeSwim
Listen to Great Lake Swimmers
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HcZuUtnktqMHm4H1R9gAR?si=LG8i7kBlS3KWCidHbMoLAA

Tour Dates
11/23 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall 

BIOGRAPHY
2018 marks the 15th anniversary of Great Lake Swimmers. Over seven albums, multiple EPs, live broadcasts, and reissues, the Toronto-based project led by singer-songwriter Tony Dekker has established itself as a beloved indie folk act in their native Canada and beyond. The CBC has called them “a national treasure” while their music has taken them around the world, sharing a sound that is at once familiar and distinct, using the tools of folk music as the starting point to delve deeper.

It’s this contrast and evolution that brings them to their latest release, The Waves, The Wake – a metaphor for the future ahead, and the past trailing behind. Abandoning the acoustic guitar, this new collection of songs sees the group branching out to include new sounds such as harp, lute, pipe organ, woodwinds, congas and marimbas, alongside the more familiar flecks and chimes of the banjo, piano, and 12-string electric guitar. The stunning acoustics of the historic, 145 year old Bishop Cronyn Memorial Church in London, Ontario lend the atmospheric touch to the album, under the guidance of co-producer Chris Stringer (Union Sound). This record is about the songs, first and foremost, and was made with many of Toronto’s most talented players, including arrangements by Drew Jurecka and electric guitar appearances both atmospheric and spirited by Kevin Kane (Grapes Of Wrath). Long time collaborators Erik Arnesen (banjo, guitar), Bret Higgins (bass), and Josh Van Tassel (percussion) also contribute their considerable musicianship.

“The Talking Wind” opens the album solely with woodwinds and vocals, setting the tone with its scaled back, minimalist approach. Similarly sparse arrangements on “Falling Apart” pair a meditative, layered piano with an appearance by renowned harpist Mary Lattimore alongside Dekker’s haunting, plaintive vocals. Bridging the album to the group’s past work, the lonely jangle of “Alone But Not Alone” is a study in song-craft; “Side Effects” matches lyrical substance to musical motifs with its expressive vibraphone, tempo variations, and vocal effects.

But perhaps the album’s centerpiece is the entirely a cappella “Visions Of A Different World” with its ghostly, longing vocals nakedly bearing its message.

Great Lake Swimmers have twice been nominated for Juno Awards, have been shortlisted for the prestigious Polaris Prize, and won a Canadian Indie Award for Favourite Folk/Roots Artist/Group. They have shared the stage as support for such musical luminaries as Robert Plant, Feist, and Calexico, and have appeared as headliners for many of Canada’s major Folk Music festivals. Their relentless touring schedule and countless live shows have helped them develop devoted fan bases across Canada, the US, Europe, the UK and many points beyond. Mojo dubbed them “Ambient Zen Americana” and Exclaim has described them as a “cherished blend of folk and orchestral indie pop.”


Tony Dekker: Vocals, Pianos, Guitars, Songwriter
Drew Jurecka: Guitars
Kevin Kane: Electric Guitars
Erik Arnesen: Banjo, Guitar
Brett Higgins: Bass
Josh Van Tassel: Percussion
Mary Lattimore: Harp

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Joe Bonamassa - Shea's Buffalo 10/27/18


Joe Bonamassa
10/27/18, Saturday at 8 PM
Shea's Performing Arts Center
646 Main St, Buffalo, New York 14202

Backed by a stellar band of legendary musicians including Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (piano/organ), and featuring background singers and horns to bring a whole new life to the show which will feature brand new songs alongside career-spanning favorites.




Friday, September 21, 2018

The Chairman Dances - Philadelphia, PA



Eric Krewson started The Chairman Dances in the fall of 2010. For five years the band quietly made albums – about one a year – and performed them in basements and bars as far from their homes in Philadelphia as the price of gasoline would allow and as often as they were beckoned. 

The summer of 2016 was slated to be like any other. The group had released an album called Time Without Measure and, as ever, sent it to every like-minded writer and DJ they knew. This time, though, their album stuck. Publications like Magnet and The Big Takeover wrote glowing reviews; the record made it onto CMJ’s Top 200 chart and, across the Atlantic, the BBC’s Tom Robinson hailed The Chairman Dances his “new favorite band.” In a few months, that band was opening for the Old 97s’ Rhett Miller.

For the next year and a half, Krewson did little else than work a day job, write, and assess and hone that writing. Every piece of every new composition had the freedom of changing into something better, and it often did. The band added a second keyboardist, which changed their sound dramatically, as did many guests musicians (including Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner of Magnolia Electric Company) who signed on to be part of a new album, one more complex and deliberate than anything the group had attempted previously. 

The band recorded the majority of Child of My Sorrow live, with engineer Daniel Smith (Sufjan Stevens, Danielson) at the helm. Following this, there were weeks of experimentation: recorded drum tracks were sent through a synthesizer to be manipulated; guest string players Ezgi and Maddie were asked to repeatedly strike their priceless instruments with the wood of their bows to get a percussive-sounding note. With the help of chairman-dancers Luke Pigott and Ashley Hartman, the group took the album on the road, recording overdubs in Philadelphia, Chattanooga and Galicia, Spain. 

Of the album and its release, Krewson says: “It’s a relief to give up something I’ve clung to and considered for so long. It’s a relief to pack a bag and climb into a car with my bandmates, Dan Comly, Kevin Walker, Dan Finn and Will Schwarz, to perform this album on tour. We’ll see you out there.” 


Event details: The Chairman Dances at Thin Man Brewery - 9/21
https://www.bandsintown.com/a/1205277-the-chairman-dances
Listen/Share:  https://soundcloud.com/the-chairman-dances
Watch/Share: The Chairman Dances - “Acme Parking Garage” https://youtu.be/BJjpwDYROEg


Friday, August 31, 2018

Beanpole's unreleased record 'All My Kin', out 8/31






Beanpole's (Primus' Les Claypool/Larry LaLonde & Spent Poets Adam Gates + Derek Greenberg) unreleased record 'All My Kin', out 8/31 on Sean Lennon's Chimera Music. 
https://www.chimeramusic.com/

All My Kin is the strange and somewhat unbelievable album by an artist called Beanpole. “Starving artist” must have been their mode of recording as stories of farming, eating, and disfigured animal-human hybrids course throughout the record. Very little is known about Beanpole, but it is widely recognized by collectors that most of the music originated from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some sources maintain Beanpole is still active, although evidence remains unsubstantiated. 

Primus’ Les Claypool claims he attempted to release a decade’s worth of Beanpole recordings on his Prawn Song label in the ‘90s. We’re told that the tracks were delivered to the mastering studio on worn-out cassette tapes and dusty DATs. As legend has it, when Claypool played the mastered tracks to his distributor, the response from company executives was poor. As a result, Claypool was summarily dismissed from his business relationship with the distribution company, effectively ending his label. For nearly 20 years thereafter, the tracks were to remain forgotten.

Fast forward to 2017 when Claypool was touring with Sean Lennon as The Claypool Lennon Delirium. Les played the old, neglected recordings to Sean, who decided that the world was finally ready for Beanpole! 

“Beanpole’s All My Kin is a concept album for post-modern America. It chronicles the epic tale of Chicken Boy and his dangerously interrelated family. Years of isolation have resulted in the birth of a child who is part man and part poultry. Despite obvious adoration for their uniquely feathered offspring, having fallen upon hard times they consider the unthinkable: will Chicken Boy be sacrificed to feed his hungry family?” — Sean Lennon

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Anonymous


Anonymous,
Please stop submitting negative comments to this blog.
Any negative comments submitted by anyone will be deleted.
Stop wasting your time and mine by revealing yourself so you can be blocked.

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Bleed The Freaks "All Is Lost"

Bleed The Freaks "All Is Lost" complete CD art. Kick ass art, Kik ass Muzik!!
Click on www.bleedthefreaks.com to get your copy today!



Will Rule aka "Angst" doin' the B.T.F. dance!






                                                              www.bleedthefreaks.com





Bill Gurgoz aka "Angst"



































www.reverbnation.com/bleedthefreaks


Define Devine



Define Devine 
"Offering eternal liberation
Eye survive to peel away
Uncovering your tunnel vision
God is alive
Define Devine"




Define Devine was another Metal project from '04 that was fronted by "Angst". This is great heavy stuff! Hopefully I'll get around to doing a CD review soon.
"Angst" aka Bill Gurgol recieves writing credits on all of these songs.
Mixed by James Peter Labonte.
All songs copyright 2004 RULE! Entertainment

CD art by David Skonberg www.shamaneyes.net

Thank You Bill!

Thursday, June 14, 2018

The Knight Crew - Buffalo, NY


The Knight Crew - Buffalo, NY


Summer Schedule:
June 23rd - The Shores
July 2nd - Fantasy Island 
July 6th - Santora's 
July 7th - Shamrock Pines
July 13th - Crazy Jake's
July 21st - Dwyers
August 3rd - Raintree
August 11th - The Shores
August 18th - KnightStock
August 25th - East/West Music Fest
September 1st - Dwyers
September 15th - Jack's Backyard Grill

Tom Bender Music - Buffalo, NY


Tom Bender Music - Buffalo NY


Summer Schedule:
June 21st - Niagara River Cruises Music Cruise
June 23rd - Public House on the Lake
June 24th - Chill 443/Wyndham Garden Hotel 
June 28th - Lazy Lakes Camping Resort
June 29th - Salvatore's
June 30th - G-Mac's Inn
www.tombendermusic.com

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Roger Daltrey


ROGER DALTREY RELEASES AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU


THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM 

Featuring ‘As Long As I Have You’, ‘How Far’, 
‘Get On Out Of The Rain’ and ‘Where Is A Man To Go?’

LP/CD/DOWNLOAD/STREAM 
AVAILABLE NOW
https://rogerdaltrey.lnk.to/ALAIHY

Brand new album featuring Pete Townshend 
Produced by Dave Eringa

“Roger Daltrey aces set of soulful covers, originals.” -AP

[Of “As Long As I Have You”] “A rollicking, gospel-flecked burner emboldened by squealing horns, jaunty piano, and a vibrant backing choir.” – Consequence of Sound

“Needless to say…Daltrey’s talents are everlasting and in many avenues go unmatched.” -Cryptic Rock

[Of “As Long As I Have You”]  “It's a return to his roots mixed with the wisdom that can only come with age.” – Ultimate Classic Rock

NEW YORK, NY (June 1, 2018)- As Long As I Have You the critically acclaimed new album from legendary Who frontman Roger Daltrey is released today.

During his career spanning five decade Daltrey has sold over 100 million records including 9 US & 10 UK top ten albums and 14 UK top ten singles. He’s played over well over 2000 gigs in a career spanning over 50 years including venues such as Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Glastonbury (twice), Hyde Park (four times), The Isle Of Wight (three times), Desert Trip, Shea Stadium, The Superbowl half time show and Live Aid to name but a very few.

Roger has raised tens of millions of pounds for charity all over the world and was awarded a CBE for his work with The Teenage Cancer Trust and is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the UK Music Hall Of Fame and has lifetime achievement awards from The Brits and from The Grammys

‘As Long As I Have You’ was produced by Dave Eringa, best known for his work with the Manic Street Preachers and on Roger and Wilko Johnson’s album ‘Going Back Home’ and features Pete Townshend’s inimitable guitar on seven tracks as well as guest performances from Mick Talbot on keyboards (Dexys, The Style Council) and Sean Genockey on lead guitar who has worked with Suede, Shame and The Proclaimers).

Work on ‘As Long As I Have You’ was started shortly after the top 5 gold selling ‘Going Back Home’ was released and continued during breaks on The Who’s record breaking 50th anniversary tour ‘The Who Hits 50’.

The album is a mixture of self-penned tracks such as Certified Rose and the soulful ballad ‘Always Heading Home’ along with songs that have inspired Daltrey over the years including Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’, ‘You Haven’t Done Nothing’ by Stevie Wonder, Stephen Stills’ ‘How Far’, ‘Where Is A Man To Go’ which is Daltrey’s variation on Dusty Springfield’s ‘Where is A Woman To Go.’ and the title track originally recorded by Garnet Mimms in 1964; the year that Daltrey, Townshend, Entwistle and Moon changed their name from The High Numbers and became The Who.

Roger Daltrey on ‘As Long As I Have You’ “This is a return to the very beginning, to the time before Pete [Townshend] started writing our songs, to a time when we were a teenage band playing soul music to small crowds in church halls. That's what we were, a soul band. For a long time, I've wanted to return to the simplicity of these songs, to show people my voice, a voice they won't have heard before. It felt like the right time. It's where I am, looking back to that time, looking across all those years but also being here, now, in the soulful moment”

ROGER DALTREY ‘AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU’
AVAILABLE NOW ON REPUBLIC
LP/CD/DOWNLOAD/STREAM 
As Long As I Have You
How Far
Where Is A Man To Go?
Get On Out Of The Rain
I’ve Got Your Love
Into My Arms
You Haven’t Done Nothing
Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
Certified Rose
The Love You Save
Always Heading Home
https://www.thewho.com
https://www.facebook.com/thewho
https://twitter.com/TheWho
https://www.instagram.com/officialthewho/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUtwj-3S97bj3lYDVxDKtlQ

Thursday, May 3, 2018

The Molice


The Molice will be playing Nietzche's on May 5th


The Molice are a modern Japanese band who draw inspiration from 70's punk's DIY spirit, 80's new wave, power pop and 90's unchained indies guitar rock. They have a similar vibe to CSS, and Fujiya & Miyagi, with Pixies-esque guitars and powerful 80's style vocals.

The Molice was formed in 2007 by the charismatic female singer/rhythm guitarist Rinko, high tension guitarist Yuzuru Takeda. After a year of polishing their material playing Tokyo's numerous rock venues, the band made their recorded debut in November 2008 with their album 'Doctor Ray'. In the wake of their debut album they also received their first offer to play abroad, and did a UK tour in late 2009.

Their sophomore effort 'Catalystrock' was released in March 2010 followed by their third release, 2012's 'Neugravity' .

In 2014 THE MOLICE returned with a new line up delivering another collection of Lo-Fi Sci-Fi Love with a new album called "Resonance Love" on Good Charamel Records as well as a CD only version released in 2015 including 2 exclusive remixes entitled Resonance Love + !

The MOLICE released their album "5" on  June 11th, 2016 worldwide. The first album the band recorded outside of Japan, The North American version of the album includes a bonus track, a cover of "Bring on the Night" by The Police.

In late 2016 THE MOLICE finished tracking an EP entitled "Signs" which was released digitally September 8, 2017 and visited the US for a string of dates across the Northeast promoting this new release. Signs will be released physically Worldwide December 1st. The band spent the Summer of 2017 recording a new album in the US for release in 2018. 

http://themolice.com/

Friday, April 20, 2018

Beams - Toronto, ON


Beams 



While Beams eagerly awaits their sophomore album record release tour across North America, the inspiration behind the album was not as such. During the writing of the album lead singer/ songwriter Anna Mernieks went down a mental spiral that wreaked havoc on her personal and artistic life. This spiral led to Anna cancelling her wedding with bandmate Mike Duffield, but the crisis encouraged her to deal with her depression while simultaneously sparking the concept of the next record. Two years in the making, teaming up with Ian Gomes (Hooded Fang, Odonis, Odonis), and Peter J. Moore (Neko Case, Cowboy Junkies), Beams will embark on a lengthy tour to Texas and back while showcasing their folk noir melodies from their latest release "Teach Me To Love."

“glorious harmonies and twang-filled acoustics perfectly combine the hustle and bustle of the city with the laid-back atmosphere of the countryside. ” Exclaim! Magazine

“Beams' strength is their restraint, employing just enough singing saw, just enough plucking, just enough mystery in whimsical lyrics.” Now Magazine (NNNN)

“offers such a dizzying array of bouncy arrangements that you'd be hard-pressed to classify it as folk in any strict sense, but it's a giddy, attention-worthy winner no matter what label you stamp on it.” No Depression (USA)





TORONTO, ON - “The lyrics are sad but the music is sweet,” sings Anna Mernieks on the final track of the new Beams album before co-front woman Heather Mazhar comes in for the chorus, their voices combining to strike exactly the bittersweet balance the lyrics describe. It’s a fitting line given that Beams is a band that’s embraced contrasts from the start—even their name has opposing connotations, calling up images of something both solid and permeable, light and dark. With Teach Me To Love, their second full-length album and follow-up to 2015 John McEntire (Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, Broken Social Scene) 7” The Gutters and the Glass, the band is in full command of their contradictions. Recorded at Toronto’s Union Sound Co by Ian Gomes (Hooded Fang, Odonis Odonis) Teach Me To Love’s ten songs are subtle and spacious in their arrangements, while at the same time Beams’ seven members bring a propulsive energy to everything they play. The results are catchy as hell and full of, not nostalgia, but a longing for something you know you can never have, like always wanting to be in the country when you’re in the city, and the other way around.

Toronto-based Beams have been winning over crowds across North America with their hard to classify sound for the last five years. Led by Mernieks and her banjo, the band is usually called some variation of country or bluegrass, (a natural conclusion to come to, considering there could be a mandolin, lap steel, singing saw and several band members wearing plaid on stage at any given time during a Beams set), but they have a certain Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom-like otherworldliness that’s made them impossible to fit neatly in one category.

Teach Me To Love finds Beams much more at home in the realm of psych folk, a genre whose dual nature manages to encompass the sprawling beauty of these new songs. Mining her experiences and her imagination in equal measure, Mernieks’ lyrics turn the everyday into the unbelievable, blurring reality, but only at its edges. “My Second Time At The Mountains” wonders if you can ever experience a “first” again, whether it’s the awe of seeing mountains for the first time, or the way you loved someone in the beginning. “Apartment In My Head” is a spiralling, sinister tune propelled by Mernieks’ banjo, which plucks prettily as ever but brings with it a sense of deep foreboding, calling to mind acts like fellow Torontonians Timber Timbre, who evoke a similar sonic atmosphere.

“Beams’ strength is their restraint, employing just enough singing saw, just enough plucking, just enough mystery in whimsical lyrics,” Julia LeConte wrote in her four-star review of their 2013 debut album Just Rivers. The arrangements on Teach Me To Love are truly accomplished, a testament to the musicianship of each band member, who are practiced at leaving elbow room for each other in the music, if not in the band van. Brothers Dave and Keith Hamilton on mandolin and singing saw/vibraphone respectively, bring texture and personality, Mike Duffield’s relentlessly excellent drumming, alongside Craig Moffatt on bass, acts as both backbone and pulse, supporting everything while driving it forward, and Martin Crawford’s guitars lift the songs just as high as Mernieks’ and Mazhar’s weightless harmonies.

This latest offering is a versatile, ambitious album that sounds right anywhere, whether it’s first thing in the morning on your subway ride to work, on a late night long distance drive, or live, in a bar, on the dance floor. Because, for all their subtleties and complexities, Beams is also a band that will make you want to dance. 

TOUR DATES:

05/07-13 CMW - Toronto, ON
06/09 Kelly’s - Bracebridge, ON



Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Gladshot


Gladshot 





New York-based Gladshot shared their latest single "Ride" via Northern Transmissions. The track is from their album These Are Vitamins, which is out now. 

Considering they’ve already worked on everything from a “dystopian rock musical” (Barcode) to songs that scored TV shows on TNT, ABC and MTV - and after wrapping up a live set on WFMU’s Goddamn Dave Hill show where they lit up Dave’s message board and then went on to headline a sold out NYC show - it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that Debbie Andrews and Mike Blaxill are at the peak of their creative powers on the new Gladshot album These Are Vitamins. Due out October 27th via the group’s own DIY imprint, it’s their second effort with super producer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, Waxahatchee) and the first to feature bassist Jesse Murphy alongside drummer Tony Mason and guitarist Tim Bright.

“We’re so happy with the way they sound on the record,” explains Gladshot’s core duo. “Jesse came out of the Nublu world music scene and plays with Brazilian Girls. Tony never does the song the exact same way twice—which we love—and has played with Norah Jones and Leo Nocentelli of The Meters. Tim’s a self-proclaimed ‘sonic explorer and music ninja nerd’; one of the sounds he used on the record is from a trip to China where he went in search of the most out-there effect box he could find.” (See: the hologram-dodging hooks and robust, psych-steeped riffs of “Simulation”.)

All three of ‘em will join Gladshot on the road this fall, adding to the push-and-pull dynamics Mike and Debb perfected on their last EP, Maxwell’s Cool Demon. It’s something they’ve been working on ever since the two met at a songwriter collective that performed and critiqued one another’s songs. At the time, Mike and his propulsive guitar were on more of a roots-rock tip, and Debb pulled in pop influences and the serious jazz skills that earned her a National Endowment for the Arts nod and lessons with the legendary pianist Joanne Brackeen (a session player and live performer for such esteemed musicians as Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey, and Stan Getz).

Now Gladshot can be best described as bold garage band, striking a perfect balance between pop and psychedelic music. Not to mention reflecting such varied influences as the Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond, AC/DC, Crowded House, Marvin Gaye, and the road-tested records of Cherry Glazerr, Langhorne Slim, and Cymbals Eat Guitars.

“We each generate our own musical ideas,” the pair explains, “then we get together to decide what will be a song. Once it’s written, one of Debb's favorite things is coming up with keyboard parts—cool ones that meld into the song, the way Nicky Hopkins does on ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ or ‘She's a Rainbow’. They inspire her to keep it all lo-fi and simple.”


And catchy; my how it’s all oh-so-catchy….

https://www.gladshot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/gladshot
https://twitter.com/gladshot
https://soundcloud.com/gladshot

Friday, March 23, 2018

Ty Segall and the Muggers


One of Ty Segall's musical projects, Emotional Mugger is truly underground rock music and needs to be heard and seen to be believed.
Check out their mind blowing and exciting performance on KEXP    https://youtu.be/GKmMf50IvHg
I have been a fan of Ty Segall since seeing him perform on the TV.


Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Nylon Otters - Buffalo, NY


Nylon Otters are a comfortably chapped indie band that would go great with your shoes.
Check their music out @ https://nylonotters.bandcamp.com/
Latest events @ http://facebook.com/nylonotters
Videos @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj8D_YBoRGU and
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d33TPN2-HMo



Tuesday, January 16, 2018

CALICO the band - California















The California band CALICO played to a packed house and dazzled everyone at The Sportmen's Tavern on the 14th. Outside the weather was cold but inside the music was hot! CALICO played their unique style of Americana music with plenty of pizzazz and polish. Any fan of folk, country, blues,  and rock and roll music will absolutely love CALICO. Their high energy performance was fantastic.
Singer and songwriter Manda Mosher was nice enough to write out their setlist for me to post.
Thank you Manda!
Here is a sample of the songs that CALICO is currently performing on their Cold Cold Love tour promoting their new album Under Blue Skies.
Fine Line
Cold Cold Love
The 405
-Youtube video https://youtu.be/3pxWHNwfxDE
Roll Away the Stone
The Leaving Kind
California Dreamin'
Free Man
Under Blue Skies
Love Gets In The Way
Come To Me
Into The Unknown
Ladies of the Canyon
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Fly Me Away
Fools Gold
High Road
Dead Reckoning
Runaway Cowgirl
-Youtube video https://youtu.be/FKw8t-jM7UY
Break Your Heart
-Youtube video https://youtu.be/voi-aQlvP68
San Andreas Shake
Folsom Prison




CALICO 2017 Under Blue Skies CD art 





CALICO 2014 Rancho California CD art



CALICO the band is a California band in the deepest, most natural sense of the term. Specifically, the moniker is shorthand for California country—as if that weren’t vividly apparent from the first moments of Under Blue Skies, the group’s resonant, accomplished sophomore album, with its musical intricacy, lyrical eloquence and timeless immediacy. The thought-provoking, tightly harmonized songs of founder/leaders Manda Mosher and Kirsten Proffit exist in a continuum with the seminal form Gram Parsons famously dubbed Cosmic American Music.

UNDER BLUE SKIES
Kirsten and Manda had finished the record to their satisfaction when they came up with the entirely fitting idea of covering the Mamas & the Papas classic “California Dreamin’.” Just before Christmas 2016, they headed to Scott’s PLYRZ Studio in Santa Clarita with their rhythm section of Ted Russell Kamp and drummer Matt Lucich, augmented by a crew of all-star players including Greg Leisz on pedal steel, Neal Casal on 12-string electric, Patrick Warren on keys and Kaitlin Wolfberg. The partners dueted on the lead vocals, and the entire band provided lush, spirited backing harmonies. The track’s inclusion turns out to be an inspired idea—the performance is ecstatic and suffused with communal spirit, and Scott captured it with characteristic verve and skillfulness.

"To be sure, this album is as flawless as they come. There is not a word, melody or harmony wasted. Each moment of the album holds its own gem with the shine that comes through from these carefully crafted songs. The musical skills that flows like a stream through the album helps bring the songs to a full realization of what they were brought into the world to be; glimpses of soul and spirit moving through an impermeant journey at a particular place and time." - Terry Paul Roland - NO DEPRESSION

“This album is absolutely possessing; the siren-esq. vocals of Proffit and Mosher blend beautifully with the twangy and steel guitars, while the drums truly pull the bass, mandolin and strings into an entrapping display of true Californian geniality.”—Guitar Girl Magazine

“The band’s name is short for California Country, and that’s appropriate, given that the Southern California milieu of Manda Mosher and Kirsten Proffit clearly informs their music…there’s a certain feel to the music—especially in the jangling guitars—that recalls The Eagles and Firefall.”—Downbeat Magazine

“(The duet) have created a firm uprooted American rock & roll album. Albeit all press referring to them as “Americana” is stagnating, as it tis’ for any rock band. To me, Americana means music that emanates from America. It’s their ethos of rock and roll (there’s nothing more Americana than rock and roll) is what makes “Under Blue Skies” a great album.”—Rock Bands of LA