As I listened my way through composer/guitarist/pianist Alex Nazaretski’s debut album, I was reminded of the old “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. There are several musical paths, and each can lead you in a very different direction. The nice part with this album: there’s really no wrong way to go. At the start, we enter […]
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Meet the band that opens for Jeff Tweedy of Wilco at RIT on 10/23
As the saying goes, you can’t go home again. Even if your childhood home is still physically intact, there comes a time when the place you once knew becomes irretrievable. For writer-turned-singer-songwriter Casey Gomez Walker, home is actually a place she returns to often in her prose and her music. The St. Louis exurb of […]
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Jake Taniguchi makes RPO debut as assistant conductor and RPYO music director
As a child in Hawaii, Jake Taniguchi would go to classical concerts with his grandfather. The first orchestra he saw in concert was the Honolulu Symphony, led by then-principal conductor Andreas Delfs, who is currently music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Taniguchi is now a conductor himself, and having a bit of a full […]
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REVIEW | ‘Vision of Exile’ by Great Klons
In the dream, you’ve crash-landed some kind of flying object into a billowy bed of lilacs somehow blooming out of season in October and, stranger still, unconnected to any trees. It’s dusk. Who knows where you’ve landed. Point is, you’re safe; you’ve survived. You emerge from the nonwreckage and decide to do a little gardening […]
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Statutory rape allegation preceded RPO youth orchestra conductor’s departure — now, he’s suing
Jherrard Hardeman was a promising young conductor heralded as a “child prodigy” and “rising star” when the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra hired the then-25-year-old in 2023.
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The Zombies’ Colin Blunstone brings psych-pop sounds of yesteryear to RIT
The 1960s produced an extraordinary number of records that seem to exist outside of time. Despite being together for only five years, English band The Zombies left an enduring mark on that era with just two albums and a handful of 45s. Colin Blunstone, the voice of The Zombies, has had a career spanning more […]
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Abilene Bar & Lounge to close in November
Abilene Bar & Lounge, the downtown Americana club known for its cozy vibes and robust live-music programming, is set to close in mid-November, owner Danny Deutsch announced today. In a Facebook post, Deutsch thanked the “pretty vibrant and caring community of music fans and friends” the venue has built for 18 years of “wonderful music […]
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REVIEW | ‘Siren’ by Delaney West
It’s almost autumn, and Delaney West has created a collection perfect for cozy days. Fans of indie folk should save the date for September 18, when West releases her intimate debut album, “Siren.” These eight thoughtful tracks were recorded locally at Submarine Sound Studio with Ben Morey manning production. The record is simple and spellbinding, […]
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REVIEW | ‘In Plain Sight: The Black Anthology’
Perhaps you are curious to experience the overlooked work of important Black American composers. There’s a chance that you are a fan of classical songs, or intrigued to hear the works of poets including Langston Hughes in musical form. If you’re someone with a bit of local Rochester pride, you might want to embrace achievements […]
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REVIEW | ‘Greatest Almosts’ by Dufus
In case we needed a reminder of the singular songwriting voice of long-time Rochesterian Seth Faergolzia, his former freak folk band Dufus’s retrospective album “Greatest Almosts” provides the necessary jolt. Faergolzia’s gymnastic melodies and zany use of group vocals take the fore in this 16-song set culled from the band’s 20-year run. But it’s the […]
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REVIEW | ‘Analog Dreams’ by Aloefi
“Analog Dreams,” the debut album from Rochester DJ/producer Aloefi, resides nicely within the catalog of Portland-based label Cold Busted Records. Like much of the independent label’s brand of warm lo-fi instrumental hip-hop, “Analog Dreams” is built around sample manipulation that is inventive but rarely flashy, hovering just beneath the audible surface at all times. Despite […]
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REVIEW | ‘Solo Street’ by Greg Townson
Homegrown favorite Greg Townson released his first collection of solo guitar instrumentals, “Solo Street,” in late May. The 10-song record showcases sweet fingerpicking and clean, articulate fretwork. It’s about dynamics, not gymnastics, and illustrates the work of a practiced craftsman. Townson is usually recognized for his work with Rochester’s Hi-Risers, his collaborations with Nick Lowe […]
