Passive Aggressives Anonymous “Not so Long Songs of Longing” Self-released paaband.bandcamp.com I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to find out that deconstruction and introspection don’t necessarily equate to self-flagellation and shoegaze. Rochester quartet Passive Aggressives Anonymous plays deceptively simple and all the way brilliant tunes on its new EP, “Not so Long Songs […]
Rochester music
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ALBUM REVIEW: “The Dan Eaton Band”
The Dan Eaton Band “The Dan Eaton Band” Self-released facebook.com/daneatonband From its red velvet cake cover, to its blue collar endurance, The Dan Eaton Band’s new self-titled release is a powerful and sweet affair. The album kicks off rough and tumble with “Happy Man,” a tune that has the guitar scratching the sky while trading […]
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Viva Metalachi!
The name brings to mind two things, yet not necessarily in the order you would think. Metalachi, doesn’t take traditional mariachi music, plug it in and turn it up for maximum kerrang. No, rather the band takes classic metal songs and strips them down, interpreting them with traditional mariachi instruments. What remains in this mashed-up, […]
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Bob Bunce
Bob Bunce’s casual singing style belies the electricity coursing through the man and his music. Whether it’s the country blues, bossa nova, rock, or reggae, the bearded Bunce bounces boldly nonchalant and super-cool. His latest CD, “Rural Delivery,” is a fine collection of tunes full of wry humor and classic old-time boogie. And he’s a […]
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ALBUM REVIEW: “Beggar’s Flesh”
Goodbye Ronnie “Beggar’s Flesh” Self-released reverbnation.com/goodbyeronnie I suppose if Ronnie Lickers didn’t bang three albums out as quickly as he has, his head would explode like a piñata full of broken hearts and candy. It’s perhaps easier to look at his rapid three-CD output — culminating with his new “Beggar’s Flesh” — as more of […]
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Teressa Wilcox
All those self-appointed divas, overwrought soul sisters, affected caterwaulers, and auto-tuned tarts ain’t got nothin’ on Rochester’s Teressa Wilcox. It would seem everyone who parks themselves in front of a mic with a dream in their heart and a song on their lips tries for honesty, raw emotion, and energy. But it’s that effort — […]
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Gary Holt
Gary Holt Because I Can Self-released Regional nob-twiddler, studio hot shot, recording guru par excellence, and all-around swell egg, Gary Holt has pulled the Padre Pio act on this CD. That’s not to say the cat has received the stigmata, but he’s managed to be on both sides of the mic to produce “Because I […]
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The Younger Gang
Despite its members converging from stylistically far reaching bands like Roots Collider, Blackened Blues, Sparx and Yarms, and Poetry For Thieves, The Younger Gang’s focus is kept intact and nailed to its roots by the plunka-plunka plink and twang of its namesake’s banjo. That’s not to say the band has individually abandoned their roots or deny where […]
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Better By Morning
An endorsement from Roy Stein, I’m telling you, it ain’t no hype. The always black-clad Stein has his fingers on rock music’s loud and proud pulse and in a lot of pies as a drummer, producer, engineer, teacher, sensei, consigliore, etc. So when Stein pulls on your coat about Better By Morning, a band he […]
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Ocupanther
Ocupanther is bold; a brash and brilliant example of ethereal pursuit with organic tools. Emerging from the ashes of Pia Mater, Ocupanther is guitars in space, rock ‘n’ roll on the dance floor — a tug-o-war that hammers your head and hits your hips. The big, big sound out of this three-year-old Rochester quartet — […]
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From sound chip to stage
There’s a special connection that video gamers have to the music used in the games they play. A lot of it is iconic, recognizable by many who’ve never touched a console because it has worked its way into popular culture: the “Super Mario Bros.” theme, for instance, and the perilous “Space Invaders” song. Even Pac-Man’s […]
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Amanda Lee Peers
With a voice akin to a plaintive purr or a growl, singer-songwriter Amanda Lee Peers is a compelling force of nature. The permeating pulchritude of her scrambled hair and vibrant smile doesn’t hurt either. But I’m telling you, it’s that voice and it’s dangerous, yet honeyed toned. Peers is the perfect blend of pop hook […]
