Seth Faergolzia “High Diver” Blang Records faergolzia.com Seth Faergolzia wrote 100 songs last year, put nine of them together on “High Diver,” and English label Blang Records put it out. You got to wonder what the editing process was in order to whittle it down this far — I mean 90 percent didn’t make the […]
Rochester music
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Album Review: ‘The Vision EP’
Distant View “The Vision EP” Self-released facebook.com/distantviewband The music on Byron, New York, rockers Distant View’s new five-song offering, “The Vision EP,” is reminiscent of the post-grunge melodic rock that came out of the 90’s, especially if the decade wet up to nineteen ninety-eleven. Just give a listen to the tenacious track “Good Day” and […]
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Dan Lilker stays sincere
Metal stalwart Dan Lilker is making some of the most intense music of his career right here in Rochester
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Lisa Winter fills her music with honesty
Lisa Winter’s songs are like little prayers sent up on gossamer wings. They’re lyrically impactful yet melodically gentle. The Rochester singer-songwriter is a compelling performer in her raw simplicity that’s seemingly couched in a pervading melancholy. The music shines regardless; you can blame it on her voice — a voice that comes off coquettish but […]
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Prime Time Funk pulverizes the pieces
This spring will mark 21 years since Prime Time Funk burst forth from Rochester to scintillate the scene with a big blast of brass. Although the band is steeped in R&B and soul, when PTF is playing, funk is king. It’s a big band — 10 cats in total, half of which are horns — […]
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Album Review: ‘Fresh Cut’
Grease Creepers “Fresh Cut” Self-released greasecreepers.bandcamp.com Here’s a slab of pure, badass, American psychobilly. The Grease Creepers keep up with the style’s reverb-drowning, bass-slappin,’ guitar-twangin,’ Bigsby-bangin,’ snare drum-bashin’ aesthetic. On “Fresh Cut,” Grease Creepers’ 13-track debut, the Rochester band sounds a lot like classic Cramps with its bravado and tight pants strut and preen. Now […]
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Album Review: ‘Lilac Drive’
Evan Meulemans “Lilac Drive” Self-released evansongs.bandcamp.com If Evan Meulemans’ excellent new album, “Lilac Drive,” only contained the opening track, “Wisconsin,” it would be great — it would leave you wanting more. But the song has a beautiful build-up that leads into the down-stroke guitar joy of the next cut, “Some of My Time,” a tune […]
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The Coffey achiever
Parked beneath an ever-present chapeau, mild-mannered Nate Coffey is a superhero without the cape and tights under his street clothes. Despite his encyclopedic knowledge of the guitar, bass, and more, this unassuming cat is steeped in modesty. He plays loud but isn’t what you’d call a boisterous person. He plays his own guitar but doesn’t […]
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Honest Folk shakes the concert up
A simple group of folk music lovers, Honest Folk, has started bringing touring acts to Rochester for intimate pop-up shows, like Tow’rs (pictured) playing The Metropolitan next Monday.
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Classical review: The RPO’s American Music Festival
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Festival of American Music this month looked good and paper, and in its two Kodak Hall concerts it sounded even better. This weekend’s final concert, in which Ward Stare leads a very entertaining recent concerto by Jennifer Higdon along with two terrific, not-quite-standard-repertoire scores by Barber and Copland, was a powerful […]
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Album review: ‘Follow’
Grand Canyon Rescue Episode “Follow” White Mule Records grandcanyonrescueepisode.com There’s a slight difference in how we enjoy hometown homeboys Grand Canyon Rescue Episode and how the Rochester quintet is actually playing. You’d think this band is easy going with its countrified barroom rock ‘n’ roll lope. But I’m here to tell you, beneath this calm […]
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Album review: ‘House of Healing’
Heather Taylor “House of Healing” Self-released heathertaylormusic.com Heather Taylor’s “House of Healing” opens like summer’s dawn with a dramatic, flashy flute flourish that hands off the baton to the woman’s mighty voice. It’s a voice that is full of smoky tone and magnetic, hypnotic vibrato. There’s just something fascinating about a voice like this that […]
