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ALBANY
CD party will bring Hyatt full circle
Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012
To be clear — Alex “Brasi” Hyatt’s new compilation album, “Brasi: Covered in Dirt 1999-2012,” is not a greatest hits package.
Dave Fisk uses his father’s sax to build playing, teaching career
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012
Fisk is primarily a bebop player, and that’s what his quartet leans toward in their performances. He’ll lead his quartet at 9 Maple Avenue on Friday night.
Wild Adriatic believes in being friendly
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wild Adriatic drummer Mateo Vosganian has a simple explanation for why his band has been so successful in only a little over a year and a half of existence — they’re friendly.
Live in the Clubs: Rebellion band members settling down
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Jed Davis has been playing with the members of Hanslick Rebellion — the four-piece garage-y punk band he first formed in Albany with bassist Mike Keaney in 1995 — in various permutations for the past two decades. For the present, the band plays Valentine’s on Friday.
Live in the Clubs: The Earaches are a family that plays together
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Being bandmates and members of the same family — as all three members of Staten Island’s The Earaches are — has its advantages. For one thing, it has helped the band stay together for five years now.
Instrumental trio Yoma planning EP
Thursday, July 5, 2012
For 12 years now, guitarist Baird Buchanan and bassist Brendan Hoyt have played in bands together, first in the Orange County area and then in Albany. In April of last year, the two decided to simplify their approach, hooking up with drummer Seth Maset to form the heavy instrumental trio Yoma.
Headband Jack pushes past tradition
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The members of Saratoga Springs’ Headband Jack proudly consider their music “a throwback.” Don’t take this the wrong way though. The roots rock septet plays all-original music that blends country, folk and classic rock with modern touches and strong storytelling elements that push the music beyond traditional sounds.
Grainbelt’s CD release show marks rare Albany appearance
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Local audiences don’t get many chances to catch Albany country rockers Grainbelt live. The band has its reasons. All five members have family obligations and day jobs — most notably, in the music world anyway, lead vocalist and guitarist Howard Glassman owns Valentine’s in downtown Albany. Even with this venue at the band’s disposal, they’ve played, at most, four shows there every year since forming in 2008.
Street Corner Holler focuses on blues
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Like some of the earliest Delta blues singers, Mark Tolstruphas spent most of his musical career playing solo, utilizing a National resonator guitar. That began to change with the release of his 2005 solo album “Root Magic,” which he recorded with drummer Dale Haskell and bassist (and Trey Anastasio Band member) Tony Markellis. Soon, Haskell was playing with Tolstrup on gigs, and eventually the two began writing together.
Vicious Jimmy to release first CD
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The members of Albany-based funk rock group Vicious Jimmy are unsure exactly when this band first came together. What makes Vicious Jimmy different is the album of all original music, “Relatively Dangerous,” that the band is preparing to drop at a release show at Red Square on Saturday night.
Live in the Clubs: Kim and Clyde enjoy simpler performance style
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Both Kim Kilby and Steven Clyde are accomplished songwriters, as their previous projects have shown, and original songs will most likely make their way into Kim and Clyde sets in the future. Eventually, the duo is hoping to record an album featuring both originals and their covers of country classics.
Live in the Clubs: Nine Votes Short shows diverse roots
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Nine Votes Short plays loud and fast, as most punk rock bands do. With their spiked-up hair, jeans and band T-shirts, members of the young Westerlo quartet also have the expected look down when they hit the stage. But their image isn’t something the group takes too seriously.
Live in the Clubs: Talent show loss gave rapper impetus
Thursday, May 17, 2012
When Gregory A. Caldwell — better known to Capital Region hip-hop fans as Fitted — lost his high school’s talent show as a sophomore, he knew he needed to step up his game. “After losing I felt like I had something to prove. Not to mention, I think I got a few boos, too. And I think that’ll motivate anybody to be better the next time they get on the main stage,” he said.
Live in the Clubs: Songfest helps musicians connect
Thursday, May 10, 2012
When Capital Region musician and producer Sandy McKnight and his Columbia Arts Team organization first began hosting the Hudson Valley Songfest in 2006, Internet radio was just starting to take off, digital distribution was beginning to overtake physical music sales, and Myspace was at the forefront of online music promotion. Today, there are myriad options for online radio and promotion, from Spotify to ReverbNation, and the market has continued its gradual shift away from albums to single-song downloads.
Live in the Clubs: Lessard is still singing solo, for now
Thursday, April 26, 2012
After a decade of playing mostly solo gigs in and around the Capital Region, siner-songwriter Frankie Lessard is ready to take the next step. In the past couple of years, Lessard has begun focusing more on his songwriting.
