Justin Roeland “Between The Lakes” Self-released roeland.bandcamp.com Songwriter Justin Roeland’s music bridges the cracks between genres as if they were the proverbial lakes mentioned in the title of his new album. There is an overall beauty that runs throughout “Between The Lakes,” with the opening track thoughtfully assailing ears while sounding like The Byrds when […]
Rochester music
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Jazz Fest 2016: City’s Daily Jazz Blogs
The 2016 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival runs Friday, June 24, through Saturday, July 2, and City Newspaper will be out every night of the festival, covering multiple shows.
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Bandmates, fans, and friends remember Brandon Ferrell
Brandon Ferrell, a staple of the Rochester punk and metal scenes, passed away late last month. A prolific musician, Ferrell played drums, guitar, and sang in seemingly countless bands based out of both Rochester and his native Virginia. Fans of Ferrell’s tireless work-ethic remember him fondly for his tenure in bands such as — but […]
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Midnight turns darkness into passionate soul
The beauty of the electro-soul music project is how it captures the full range of emotions that creep out of the late-night hours: romantic vulnerability, unease, danger, anger, even sadness.
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The Mighty High and Dry keeps moving
As sort of a tip of the hat in the rearview mirror to The Band, The Mighty High and Dry pile on an extra helping of storied songs suitable for framing on its new CD, “The Next Waltz.” This is a true test of the time that goes into crafting a record. And with the […]
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ALBUM REVIEW: “Catharsis”
Jon Greeno “Catharsis” Self-released jongreeno.bandcamp.com Rochester guitarist Jon Greeno has assembled an all-star cast for this gentle foray into peace and reflection on his new CD, “Catharsis.” Greeno lays back to let the collective star power shine before picking up the brush to paint wide swatches of tonally astute guitar. Greeno’s dexterity is slick and […]
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ALBUM REVIEW: “Droplets”
Kind of Kind “Droplets” Self-released kindofkind.bandcamp.com What makes this three-piece indie outfit out of Rochester, and this record for that matter, so progressive is its hairpin stop and start dynamics. You can practically smell burning tires and brake pads. It’s as if the chord progression never repeats itself, and for Kind of Kind, this totally […]
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There’s no language barrier for Swamp Trotter
To dig a band or the song it’s laying down, you don’t necessarily need to understand the words. And in some cases, the lack of lyrical comprehension can better serve the song. The melody is more streamlined and unfettered by narrative. We’re not talking “na na hey hey” here, but rather a different language all […]
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Jackson Cavalier has a lo-fi fever
If Jackson Cavalier & The Fevertones were to turn it up and increase the speed, the band would just end up killing its volume and speed. You follow? It’s kind of hard to explain, but ramping up the topical aspects of the band would make it lose its intensity. Fortunately this minimalist, acoustic-driven Rochester band […]
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Ray Paul Brings The Power
Ray Paul is all about the snap and crackle of a pop song: its hook, its catchiness, its undeniable sing-along and finger-snap appeal. Want proof? Just dig Paul’s new CD, “Whimsicality,” on his own Permanent Press Records label. “Whimsicality” is a mighty fine 10-song collection of power pop goodness. (Power pop is like garage rock […]
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Playing outside the box
A little over a decade ago, Charlie Lindner was making a good living at Hasbro, the toy company in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was applying the knowledge from his college degree in Packaging Science, making the containers for G.I. Joes and Nerf Balls more cost-efficient. Lindner studied the subject at Rochester Institute of Technology, working […]
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King Buffalo sets into the groove
King Buffalo is a sonic trip that promises to use its multi-dimensional appeal to permeate the other senses that most bands leave alone. You can taste it; you can see it. The sound of this Rochester trio is thoughtful and thundering with creative interludes that leave other groups in its genre sounding one-sided, like a […]
