Beneath her shaggy ‘do and proto-Amish duds, Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster positively guts her guitar in a pure rock ‘n’ roll spectacle. It isn’t so much a scream as a desperate, vibrato-drenched, and snotty howl from her pipes. The New Brunswick trio has seven albums in its short history, including its most recent, 2018’s […]
Music
Posted inMusic
Meredith Monk visits U of R for artist residency
Meredith Monk is a living legend in the world of contemporary classical music. Monk will bring her Vocal Ensemble to the University of Rochester for a residency entitled “Dancing Voice/Singing Body” from Sunday, October 20 through Wednesday, October 23.
Posted inMusic
The vinyl word
Once upon a time, from around 1975 to 1995, the Rochester music scene was stuck in analog limbo, with a dubious digital solution waiting in the wings. It was a growing scene that fed off itself: Local musicians put out records, which would inspire their peers to issue their own records to supplement their income and further express their art.
Posted inMusic
JAZZ | Velvet Gentlemen
At the age of 12, Dan Willis (pictured) was already playing his saxophone and oboe on the Buffalo jazz scene. After graduating from the Eastman School of Music, in 1992 he headed to New York, where he gained a reputation as an adventurous player on sax and EWI (Electric Wind Instrument). For over a decade, […]
Posted inMusic
HIP-HOP-FUNK | Sophistafunk
Sophistafunk promotes strength in unity, with thought-provoking lyrics about societal activism in a crisp rap delivery. Based in Syracuse, the established trio of vocalist Jack Brown, keyboardist-bassist Adam Gold, and drummer Emanuel Washington recently added a new member, saxophonist Tommy Weeks of the Funky Dawgz Brass Band. Sophistafunk takes you on a galactic space ride […]
Posted inMusic
AMERICANA | Driftwood
Sometimes music fans are eager to pigeonhole a band: These fans see musicians playing string band instruments and they figure, “OK, string band.” In the case of Binghamton’s Driftwood, they’d be right — but only to a certain extent. For all intents and purposes, Driftwood is a bluegrass band playing old-tyme instruments such as banjo, […]
Posted inMusic
JAZZ | Joe Policastro Trio
You might hear an occasional Thelonious Monk tune and an original composition or two, but what separates the Joe Policastro Trio from other jazz combos is the rest of its repertoire. You might hear pop tunes like “1999” by Prince, “More Than a Woman” by The Bee Gees, or “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young. Or, […]
Posted inMusic
CLASSICAL CROSSOVER| Time for Three
Time for Three plays refined chamber music covers of everything from Bach to pop music such as Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” and The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” Based in Philadelphia, the trio has inspired audiences across the globe with its viral anti-bullying YouTube video, “Stronger.” Violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang, along with double bassist […]
Posted inMusic
Album review: ‘One Time..’
Papa Herb and The Sol Vibration ‘One Time’ Self-released herbheins.com You might as well give into where Herb “Papa Herb” Heins is gonna take you with his new album with The Sol Vibration, “One Time..” It’s hard to keep it cohesive and not repeat yourself, but Heins offers eleven tracks with variety and some serious […]
Posted inMusic
Album review: ‘Arka’
The Moho Collective ‘Arka’ Self-released themohocollective.com The Moho Collective is back, baby, opening its new instrumental EP “Arka” with “I’m a Real Boy.” It’s all funky sledgehammer drums and guitar, giving the finger to the apocalypse as the music careens out of your preferred listening device. This record shows off the band’s staggering talent and […]
Posted inMusic
Interview: Amy Helm
Singer-songwriter Amy Helm — daughter of The Band’s late drummer Levon Helm — does little to keep a lid on her joy, even as she tosses plenty of bittersweet heartbreak into her lyrics. She’ll play Three Heads brewing on October 10.
Posted inMusic
JAZZ | Jon Batiste
Pianist, singer, and composer Jon Batiste was already bursting with talent when he emerged to lead Stay Human as the house band on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” On his latest studio album, “Hollywood Africans,” he brings his New Orleans roots to a variety of evocative compositions, whether originals or standards. The title of […]
