Alli's Articles
INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, CULTURE PIECES, MUSICAL RAMBLINGS.
One flaw in my New Paltz musical investigative journalism career, if you’d be so polite as to even refer to it as such, is that I thought I became aware of the existence of The Field Service too late. The first time I saw them perform was the spring of this year, when live music finally started making its way back to this town, their headliner performance at The Parlor’s 4/20 show being the gleam in the nighttime I needed to see to have faith in this scene after the disheartening pandemic year it faced. Much to my previous belief, I now realize I discovered them at the foot of the elevator, and I grabbed onto their jacket sleeves to witness a pretty successful stream of opportunity. Previously named SpaceShack, the jam band has been present in the New Paltz scene since 2017. The three original members, Devin Devine, Marshal Radulov and Chuck Crover, along with Alyssa Spiegl, are present today to tell the tale of their journey amongst a series of lineup and name changes. However, contrary to what their timeline suggests, they haven’t always felt like they fit the New Paltz bill. “We had a lot of trouble getting any gigs in New Paltz, because we weren't in the scene,” Crover said. “We weren't playing that kind of music. And at that time, we weren't even really centralized around here. But we were coming here because that's where the music was happening, and there were all these house shows and venues. But I think we only ever got booked at one place.” When the pandemic rendered musical performances to be outside in Fall 2020, a noticeable shift of sound overtook the DIY scene in New Paltz. For a class this semester, I wrote an assignment about it where I tried to line up all of the reasons for this change. Pre-pandemic DIY was primarily set in basements, which made for a very pop punk-type of blanket to coat the town, the genre most associated with those types of shows. When the setting changed to backyards and storefronts, the jam-wave followed. It’s no secret that COVID-19 deeply infected the way the scene operated. House venues fell apart. Organizers moved away. The music scene in New Paltz was very much nonexistent to the naked eye. Of course, it really wasn’t; the passionate musicians were still around. It demanded to be reconstructed again from the very bottom, and several musicians and other organizations such as Parlor braved the leap in the past year. “I think a big reason for that change is the conglomerate of organizers [falling apart,]” said Radulov. “Since COVID, all the house show stuff basically is nothing. It fell apart. There’s a lot more different kinds of events; it feels like a lot more other things are happening.” The Service went on to play several residencies at the Groovy Blueberry storefront throughout the Fall 2020-Spring 2021 year, most of the time accompanied by the Blueberry pioneers themselves, Man’s Mother. The original lineup is no stranger to the outdoor performance, however. Through a mutual friend and his backyard venue, Behind a House, located in Warwick, the band was able to get comfortable with playing to crowds in a cozy setting in 2018. “Behind the house was kind of our starting point for live music,” Crover said. “It turned into something bigger when a bunch of other bands came in. It was the kind of thing where whoever wanted to play could play there. It was really popular like this one summer when it first started, but come next year, everybody either went away to college or moved out of that area and there wasn't as much of that specific scene there.” Before starting off at Behind a House, the band didn’t even know how to go through the booking process. Despite this, the core trio of Devine, Radulov and Crover, all friends since high school, and the energy that they project off of each other has always been present in their live aspects.
The Field Service is spun together by a web of influences from all directions of the members; Crover’s Tony Hawk soundtrack and screamo favorites, Devine’s blues knowledge inherited from his jazz drummer father and Radulov’s dabbling in 1930s and 40s American acoustics all find a happy medium in the upbeat and funky sound the band presents nowadays, diving deep past what constitutes as your average jam band. “There's certainly less than that traditional aspect, now, in terms of jam bands,” said Radulov, who also makes music under the name Marshal Grey. “I mean, mostly what that stuff is trying to get stylistically, is kind of more like a late 70s disco. And because of some of the stuff we listened to, we have more of that inner sound than we used to, coming from the background of jazz and country which is what a lot of those bands at the time were coming from anyways. I feel it's pretty easy for us to get into that disco style stuff just because of our roots. It's an easy progression because it's natural. Even if you were unaware of their wonderfully blended musical chemistry, catching the Service live will give you a glimpse into the extensive bond the musicians share with each other. Improvisational flows, impromptu deflections and musical inside jokes run through their sets, showing the way they are all in tune with each other on and off the stage. “It's a language. It really is,” reflected Devine. “You can convey things through music that you really can't through words. You play guitar in a way that nobody else would, or you play drums in a way nobody else would. You learn how to communicate and make an effective thing out of it. It's just really cool to be able to do that and just watching it develop over time because it's never stagnant. It can be for short periods of time, but in the long run, it's always developing.” “I know how Devin plays and I know how Marshall plays,” Crover said. “I understand their language that they're speaking, and they understand mine, and we can kind of go off that. I have an idea of where that conversation, so to speak, is going and then I can react meaningfully. And, you know, that's cool.” As The Field Service gained more exposure from the New Paltz venues, they managed to land a couple of gigs in Manhattan, at venues such as Arlene’s Grocery and Connolly’s. For many musicians, getting gigs in the city is a peak, where they witness the most lively audiences and truly discover the notion of “making it,” but the band still feels their strongest connection towards their loving New Paltz crowd. That love comes with no surprise. During the summer months, the fields across from the Blueberry were flooded with people, moving to the music in their own way and cheering as the improvisations got faster. This bounces off the performers themselves, who feel as though they play better when they are supported by a crowd who not only understands their vibe and passion, but embraces them for it. “I think that the best thing [about New Paltz] is just that there's a very receptive audience to music here,” Crover said. “That's probably the best part about it, because if the crowd is digging you, then you're going to play better and you're going to play more in tune to the crowd.” “The whole thing together feels like it's from a different time,” Radulov added. “It feels good that the stuff that we were doing before everybody was kind of doing it is something that is a lot more acceptable, and a lot more people are okay with that.” Follow @thefieldservice on Instagram to stay updated on any upcoming news or gigs.
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For most of the bands I’ve interviewed in my newborn career, the general origin story has to do with someone befriending the other members in some sort of way. Going to college, or moving, and finding people that have the same goals and ideas as you, and, as the friendship builds, so does the musical project. On the rare occasion that someone in the family shares these same musical ideas and interests as an artist, the band that comes from that partnership has a special kind of chemistry that comes immediately and naturally. It makes for an amazing sound that would take years to reach otherwise. For cousins Gregory Gove and George Gildersleeve, this is exactly the case. The two Long Island natives have always gone through phases at the same time. When they were younger, it was simple things such as scootering, but now, as college students, it’s the collaboration of Gove on drums and Gildersleeve making music on Logic. The duo’s inspirations draw back to Stony Brook University, where their uncle was a college radio DJ. “We grew up listening to his mixes, and he was always into gothic dream pop, shoegaze, post-punk, all that type of underground stuff,” said Gildersleeve. Other inspirations listed were My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Big Black, Broadcast and Cocteau Twins. Even though both cousins have some background of playing music, this is their first official and original project. They released their first single, “Carp,” on July 16. The track is a nearly-three-minute-long energetic noise adventure, full of thrash-y clash-y vibes that perfectly capture the garage rock sound with elevated drum and bass that seem to be capturing the rock world by storm lately.
The songwriting process was an experiment with the different electronic effects offered in Logic, according to Gildersleeve. “The one specifically that we use is the arpeggiator,” he explained. “You just hold the note down and it’s like dun dun dun dun, just a straight, 16 note rhythm.” To even further enhance their drum and bass sound, drummer Gove also played around with some effects. He played a real-life drum track, and then added a digital track for a crazy layered sound. “I'll record my drums and then you key it to different drums, so it's almost like fake drums over it, but the fake drums are playing exactly what I'm doing, because it's keyed,” he explained. There was a music video for “Carp” filmed by a friend of the band for his portfolio. A screen grab from the video is posted on their Instagram, and the process behind it was filled with multiple ambitious ideas from the band. “George had the idea of burning a synthesizer while playing it,” Gove added. “But he found a broken organ on the side of the road, and then we lit a fire.” The cousins played a show at a Long Island venue called Monster House earlier this August. Since then, Diamond Disguise has played a number of shows in the New Paltz area and beyond, including venues such Taliaferro Farms and Finnegan’s in Highland Mills. Ever since Gildersleeve’s move to Brooklyn for school, the band has gotten shows booked in venues all across the borough. Their next show will be on Oct. 16 at Hart Bar. Diamond Disguise's Spotify Diamond Disguise's Instagram I’m very excited about Diamond Disguise’s sound. I think they will bring a new edgy and sonic sound to the New Paltz music scene that’s different, crazy and all around a fun time. They plan on having a lot of shows in New Paltz this semester, so if you have the chance, I highly encourage you to check them out! Also, I know it’s been a long time. I’ve actually been so painfully super busy. I’m still here. I’m still writing and listening. More to come soon. Xoxo. This past semester at SUNY New Paltz brought out a live music renaissance that the students and residents have been thirsting for since March 2020. However, for the new kids in town who just started their university experience in the fall, it was their first glance into the wonderful world of New Paltz DIY and all of the experiences that come with it. This was exactly the case for Crimson Crush, a band made up of first and second year students that began their formation at the start of the Fall 2020 semester. The band is made up of lead vocalist Gabbi Bush, guitarist and vocalist John Roy, pianist and vocalist Jimmy Purr, drummer Taylor Setterstrom, bassist Sarah Hock and guitarist Matt Florio. When I Facetime called them, the band was sitting around in John’s room, in the middle of one of their practice days. The members hail from both Long Island and the Hudson Valley. They described their sound as “a combination between progressive rock and classic rock.” “I have a friend of mine who saw us at the Blueberry Fields and he said, ''It’s like Robert Plant and Joan Jett played together,” Roy said. Florio brought up Nile Rodgers, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, Corey Wall and Audioslave as inspirations as well. Even though it plays a huge part, it’s not just classic rock that inspires the original music of Crimson Crush. Purr cited theatre as a huge influence on his live performance. “We want to incorporate more showmanship,” he said. “We're gonna [play] some different songs next semester, and it'll get to be more interactive.” With multiple members of the band having done theatre in high school, the band values audience engagement and putting on a performance that is more than just the music. They’ve been very active on their Instagram account, @crimsoncrushband, posting introductions of the band members and clips from their live performances. They even have a Spotify playlist, “The Weekly Crush,” where the band adds the songs they’ve been listening to that given week. “I definitely think what sets us apart is that we're very multi-genre,” Bush said. “We try to just do what we want to do and I think that makes us a little bit more unique.” As the lead vocalist, Bush brings a special talent to the playing field, since she is classically trained and has been doing opera her entire life. “I think my relationship with music is a little bit different than what's probably expected on a surface level,” she reflected. “I like things that are vocally complicated for me to do because I'm classically trained, but I really do aspire to have that level of expertise when it comes to heavier rock.” Crimson Crush is working on a slew of original songs, but likes to include covers into their setlists as well. In 2021, the band performed at a couple of campus talent shows, but their first big gig was on May 9, opening up for Moonuitt at the Blueberry Fields. “It went well and I also think it set us up for a lot of things we needed to get better at after running a show,” Florio said. “It’s a learning series, but it went well.”
“It was just so great because we had all been waiting for so long to get to perform again,” Hock added. “It has been like over a year for a bunch of us so just being able to perform was such a good feeling, regardless of how well we did.” The band had friends and family come up to support them during their first big gig, and it definitely made all of the difference. “Just seeing all those people, it was just all of this excitement, and I’m still taking in a lot of emotions,” said Florio. The band has a long and productive summer ahead of them, but could not be more ecstatic for the promising series of shows that awaits. “I’m very excited, and it's really good that we got our first performance in before the tail end [of the semester,”] said Purr. “When we start the next semester, it's kind of a different story because they already know us.” “It's exciting, to be able to go up there and see this almost every day,” Setterstrom said. She is an incoming freshman, and next semester will be her first semester living and playing in New Paltz full-time. “We’ve got a lot of plans.” Check out @crimsoncrushband on Instagram for more information about the band! I would like to start off by apologizing for my infrequent posting this semester and year in general. Sophomore year of college was the hardest academic year of my life, because of what I can only assume was the burnout of ‘rona learning finally catching up to me after three whole semesters. I was taking 5 classes --two of which were IN PERSON -- and a lieu of new extracurricular activities fell into my lap. I was apartment searching, reporting for the Oracle, trying my best to socialize as I felt my social battery plummet...so I had no time or energy for Twilight. It was killing me. Especially because at the end of this semester, as the flowers began to bloom and the sun peeked out after a particularly harsh Upstate Winter, New Paltz saw its biggest musical renaissance ever since COVID put live music and house shows to a halt in the spring of 2020. This movement was starting to seep through the cracks just weeks before the end of the Fall 2020 semester, with an outdoor performance at the new outdoor venue Bauhaus that occurred in November. Before this, all that was known was none other than the legacy of Man’s Mother performances in front of the Groovy Blueberry storefront that started happening in September 2020. Since then, Bauhaus has led a number of residential backyard venues to blossom in the spring air. Shortly after the weather turned nice, the Groovy Blueberry created an Instagram account, @blueberry.field, and announced that their gig season was officially starting in May. Weeks before the opening, on every stoner’s favorite holiday, a quaint and almost hidden record/book shop tucked away on S Chestnut street held a massive all-day festival. Bands, performers, and even an improv group took the stage in front of the entrance all afternoon to the very late night. This was the Parlor’s 4/20 Show, and it completely made all of the hardship of the semester worth it. I saw so many people that I haven’t seen in months. Especially freshmen. I was so happy that they were getting to experience something as fun as this. I was blanket-hopping, talking to all of my friends, something I haven’t been able to do in months. I was standing up and dancing to the music, cheering on my performer friends, feeling the sun beat down on me as I went for snack runs at Chestnut Mobil. Feeling all of these feelings again was overwhelming, but on top of it all, I felt alive. I wrote an article about the show for the Oracle and even got to sit in at the Happenstancery Improv troupe’s practice session to write it. Sitting in for that practice and listening to the wise words of troupe leader Joe Davis made me super optimistic. It made me realize that there are still passionate people in the live performance arts up here, and that they were just buried under the snow for the most of this semester, waiting for it to melt. The article hasn’t been published in the online archives, but one of my favorite lines is a quote from Joe himself. “It felt like it was swelling in the air for so long,” he explained. “I haven't seen music with other people for so long. I can't believe how much I rely on it for spiritual growth.” I did too, Joe. The last month of school, following the largely successful 4/20 gig, saw an immediate explosion of outdoor shows happening in new venues all across New Paltz. Another Parlor gig, a stacked lineup of Blueberry shows, more at Bauhaus, Space Station (hosted by New Paltz funk specialty Moonunitt themselves), The Grotto, Rat City….and probably more to follow. I went home for the summer, so I will be out of the loop for a bit. This new explosion also led to the explosion of new and returning bands, taking this amazing opportunity to play as many shows as possible. I mentioned the amazing Moonunitt, who have been killing it with talent and consistency everywhere they play, but beloved acts such as Mono Neko, Kablamo, What?, and Man’s Mother have also smoothly found their way back into rotation. What? has always been amazing with their rail trail jam sessions, but it’s great to see them back on a stage. Kablamo, made up of Bby Carrots members Santi and Julia, just released their first official single, “Crusin’,” and even played a show the day Julia graduated from New Paltz. (I wasn’t there but it was entertaining to see her Instagram story of her running back from The Grotto with her gown on.) Talk about dedication!!! Two bands that I’m very excited about and that I’d like to highlight are newcomers Crimson Crush and a polished version of an 845 classic The Field Service. I’ve been aware of Crimson for a while, because three out of their five freshman members are in the New Paltz Music Collective club, and two of them are involved with our radio station, WFNP. I’ve had a little sneak peek into the fact that they make music for a while, and I couldn’t wait to see it in full effect. They’ve had some campus performances before, for the Esopus Hall talent show, but they had their first big show on May 9 in front of the Blueberry, and I must say, those kids are naturals. All dressed in amazingly fashionable outfits, they delivered a number of classic rock covers flawlessly. They are all so musically inclined and dedicated, and I’m not just saying that because their guitarist, John, might be my assistant on the WFNP E-board next semester. If there’s an up-and-coming band to keep an eye on in New Paltz next year, it’s them. Previously known as Spaceshack, The Field Service has been in the game for a while. They’ve welcomed Man’s Mother member Jack into the mix, and have been the perfect ending-the-night-with-a-bang act for the past month. Their jam band, trippy-psychedelic sound mirrors the personality of New Paltz as a whole, but unfortunately, not everyone seems to appreciate that. Despite the pleas of Facebook Karens to stay away and stay silent, The Field Service has been keeping pace with a slew of original music with covers thrown out there every once in a while. They’ve quickly become a fan favorite, and have laughed off the controversy by incorporating it into posters for their shows. Never stop rockin’ on, dudes!
As I get accustomed to life at home again, I’ve been seeing clips of all of the summer performances that have been happening, and I’m suffering from major FOMO because of it. After my lease starts in June, I hope to be able to chill up there for a couple of weeks before the semester starts. I might have missed home a lot, but I will always miss the magic that these New Paltz outdoor shows have given me. With vaccines and the warm weather to accompany it, the return of live music and band activity gave me a sense of hope to finish out this rough semester. To all of the venue hosts, thank you. To all of the friends that I dragged to shows and made them stay even when the sun set and it got toe-freezing cold, I REALLY thank you. And to all of the bands and performers, I will appreciate you forever. I hope to see you (and interview you, muah ha ha) all so soon. Happy summer folks! Thanks for reading. More summer blog content will follow, I promise. Alli Dempsey :) Hello, Twilight! It's been quite a bit and for that, I deeply apologize. I've been all over the place this semester; writing for the New Paltz Oracle which I joined this semester after a year of debating if I should, trying to juggle all of my classes and apartment searching like the adult I am, and getting interviewed to be in a documentary.
Wait...what was that last one? In January, I received an Instagram DM from Hudson Valley-based filmmaker Noelle Janasiewicz asking me if I would like to be featured in her upcoming project about the wonderful world of New Paltz DIY, "Doors at Seven," for my efforts on the blog. After the initial shock faded away of someone being actually interested in what I do, let alone wanting to feature me in a whole visual production, I accepted. Then, in February, I met Noelle and the rest of the crew (production assistant Katie Dudek, assistant director and camera operator Kacie Kiersted and videographer Dylan Degasperis) to film my interview. I was sent a list of the questions beforehand so I tried to script some of them, but I was slightly intimidated by the bright lights and multiple cameras. (I was starting into solely one at the beginning, and then was told that I was allowed to look elsewhere. If you see me staring into your soul at any point once the doc comes out, I'm sorry.) I talked about what Twilight Collective is, my experiences interviewing artists and what the DIY community has done for me. I also answered some fun fact questions about my favorite venue and show memories, but that's all I'll spoil for you. As we wrapped up, I got into their car so they could kindly drive me back to campus so I didn't have to walk back in the 20 degree weather. During the ride, the tables turned and I interviewed the interviewers about the process behind "Doors at Seven" and what production has been like. Alli: Noelle, what inspired you to make this documentary? Noelle: I had the idea back in May when the pandemic was first starting up. I remember I had posted a thing on my finsta, and I was like 'Should I just make a documentary about the DIY music scene or should I scrap it?' because I I didn't know a lot of people in the community and I was fairly new to the scene once it had ended. I was just afraid people weren't gonna want to do it, because I was this unheard of filmmaker in the area. My best friend plays in No Momentum and I just remember being at the shows and I was like, 'This is just something so important and I feel like so many more people should like know that these spaces exist,' because it's very word of mouth. You could easily be missing out on it. Alli: What types of people are you interviewing for this documentary? Noelle: We have covered musicians to tattoo artists, regular artists who do visual art, ceramics, jewelry makers and stuff like that. The people who run the open mics, people who ran the shows, because I knew that this was something way bigger than just musicians. I knew it benefited so many other people so I wanted to include as many artists and creatives in like every like platform that were that the shows as possible. Alli: Do you think people in the arts like me are important for the music scene, specifically the New Paltz scene? Noelle: Oh, for sure. I think like having the written format as well, like reporting the shows and interviewing people really helps not only the people that are being written about, but even people like yourself who write these pieces. What I've gathered from this community with everything I've done is that everyone just wants to uplift one another and it's never about someone getting ahead of someone else. It's basically like this community that wants to rise above everything together as one, so I think it's very important to have those. Alli: In regards for creating and releasing this documentary, why now? I know you had the idea a couple months ago, but we're in a pandemic, so do you think that it's important to get this documentary out now more than ever, regarding the state of the world? Noelle: I really wanted to push it out because we want to submit this to the Woodstock Film Festival. It's a prestigious film festival in the area, and I figured having people see this community was just so important to me because I really want these spaces and these creators to be showcased. I figured now is the most important time because the shows aren't taking place right now and you can tell everyone just misses it so much. It was a big factor of everyone's daily lives, mine included. Hundreds of people would show up to these shows every weekend. It gave you that sense of community and I think now, more than ever, because of COVID, we just need to feel that again and remember that what we have here is so special so it can come back even stronger when it's safe to do so. Alli: Final question! What is the best show you have ever been to? Noelle: I was at the Crossroads one year show and I ran into Casey and now a year later we're tight as ever. And then, I think I would have to say, looking back on all the shows I've been to my favorite one would have to have been either the last show Crossroads had ever done or the Valentine's Day show that No Momentum had played at because I had met my best friend down there for the first time that show. It was so good, we had such a good time and I just remember I was like, 'This is a place where I belong and this is a community that I feel I fit in.' Follow the "Doors At Seven" Instagram page for more updates about the documentary! How lucky I am to go to a school where the magic doesn’t end when you step foot off on campus. I’ve only been to a select few college towns, but I can confidently say that the town of New Paltz is one like no other. Locals and students have a strong community bond between them that is tightly-knit and warm. It’s a privilege that going into town is never a hassle, and will always be something I look forward to, just for the energy and excitement of walking into something new every time. It’s no question that the town has its own vibe, making it distinguishable from the rest of the Hudson Valley. We have an amazing local music scene that, as I have proven time and time again, I can talk for eons about. I even have certain non-local bands and songs that I will forever associate with my college experience, whether they were covered at a house show, introduced to me at a New Paltz Music Collective meeting, or just heard around campus. I wondered if my friends and other students experienced this, so I put out an Instagram poll asking, “Do you have certain bands/artists that will always remind you of the town of New Paltz?” I put the songs, and songs by the artists suggested, in a Spotify playlist so I could get to work. What similar sounds and genres define New Paltz according to its student body? First off, very chill and upbeat type songs run the mix. The closest thing to a sad song I had to put on the playlist was probably “Circles” by Mac Miller or anything Midwest emo. Of these chill and upbeat songs, a lot of them were of the dream-pop realm, with ethereal and spacey undertones. Beach House, Khruangbin, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Alvvays are just four examples of bands people sent. Of course, hippie essentials such as Hendrix and the Dead were expected and received. I also was happy to see lots of guitar-heavy sunny indie artists like Dominic Fike, Greer, Beach Bunny, and Soccer Mommy. Besides all of the expectations, it was nice to see my peers send in songs or bands that held certain memories to them, or didn’t mean anything until they came to New Paltz. I tried to give each of those suggestions meanings to myself, as well. As I listened to the playlist for the first time after making it, I came to the realization that at New Paltz I truly feel like I am living these songs. New or classic, all of the songs just have the most dreamy and down-to-earth vibes that fit the people and the setting. Listening to the mix just makes me think of those people, how every time I walk on campus or in town I see someone I know and smile at. I think of community events, parties, shows, and the feeling of finding a home that comes with each one. Many students at New Paltz come from middle of nowhere towns, hillbilly centrals, and areas that simply don’t have the crowd that New Paltz caters to. When we’re all together there, we all have the freedom to be our artsy selves. Listening to indie staple artists like Alex G, the 1975, Mac Demarco, and Father John Misty on the mix reminds me of this. Some people included smaller indie and alternative artists that I haven’t heard of beforehand, which reminded me of our wonderful local scene here. Many of the artists had the same sound and genres as many of the local bands that call the Paltz home. There are few college towns in the world that I think are able to be defined by music as easily as naturally as mine. Even so, there are still some things about the magic of New Paltz that you can’t put into words, let alone music. I’ve been writing about this town for over a year, and I still find it hard at times to fully express how I feel about it. I feel like I truly brought a piece of the community together with this mix, and I feel a strong sense of pride and like I’m surrounded by the family I made here when I listen to it. I hope this collection of songs, accompanied by the cover of the sun setting over the Groovy Blueberry makes any student who listens to it feel the same way. Listen to the playlist! Have more song ideas? Suggest them in the comments! With all of this talk about New Paltz outdoor shows coming back, I’ve been taking the past couple of weeks to reflect on the best and most memorable house show experiences, and what the bands that rocked the basement those nights are doing now. One band that comes to mind is Run For The Whales, a Long Island-based Pop Punk band that dominated the Skatehouse lineups last Fall.
Active since 2017, the band is made up of Shawn Brennan, Nick Carson, Matt Chiarelli, and Aidan Tweedy. 2018 saw the release of their first full-length album, Home, a catchy and unique west-coast-emo-inspired work that will definitely stand out to you in the crowded, crowded world of DIY scene projects. With the energetic instrumentals, and the distinctive vocals of Brennan and Chiarelli, you’ll just want to keep on listening. Luckily for you, the band released their second album, Better Every Day, on October 23rd. In my first ever interview conducted on Zoom, I talked to the band about their writing processes and their connection to the New Paltz DIY community. Here at New Paltz, there are some bands that are simply..legends. Hometown heroes, household (or dorm-hold) names, ones that are already staples and whose names are always thrown around. Whispers in Snugs, flyers up Main Street, it seems that everybody knows this band, no matter what circle they’re in! To me, the band that captures this exciting feeling as of recent is Bby Carrots. Even if you haven’t heard their songs, you’ve definitely heard something that they have their fingerprints over. With members in other classic New Paltz acts such as What? and the booyah kids!, the influence of Bby Carrots goes far past the 4 singles and 1 EP they have released on their Spotify. They are a supergroup of six super-talented musicians: Julia Bellontine, Santiago Coto Segnini, Elizabeth Heh, Aidan Ludlam, Ryan Perrone, and Alex Endres. On top of being the main event for countless house shows over the past 2 years, the band has also been playing multiple outdoor concerts during the age of COVID. I’ve been meaning to talk to them forever, but now was the perfect time for me to have a conversation with them about being a band in New Paltz, playing during a pandemic and a strange, nearly-remote semester. I joined them around a socially-distant campfire and talked to them about their thoughts. How does it feel to finally be back playing music together again?
Santi: I wouldn’t say we’re 100% back...we haven’t played a show for probably a year, so I was nervous. They’ve (add) been playing shows with What? At least for me, it was awesome and exciting but I was nervous which was weird...but I liked it. I liked being nervous. I stopped being nervous a while ago, so I was like “Ooo! What are these jitters?” Ryan: For me it’s a bittersweet thing, because, like, yeah we’re back to playing music, but it’s not the same as it was before. There’s all these restrictions and guidelines that everyone has to follow no matter what business or event you’re doing. It’s like we’re getting that fix of playing somewhere for an audience, but it’s missing all those great aspects that a normal show might usually have, like people dancing. Everyone has to kinda stay seated in masks, apart. I think the energies could be a little strange now. Liz: I mean, there’s other aspects to being back, not just live shows. Just getting to jam together and rehearse, and even getting back to working on and creating new things. For me, that’s a great aspect of doing music. Santi: When COVID was at its peak, we would have to wear a mask when we saw each other, and our housemates wouldn’t be comfortable if everyone was here, which is understandable. But thankfully, at least we can meet up now in the same circle, and we can maximize making music without postponing shows. Liz: I feel like a lot of things went online after this crisis. I would like to create more content for that. We’re working on getting more content for Instagram, like videos. You guys have kinda been answering this question, but what is it like to be a musician during a pandemic? Are there any main thoughts or fears that you guys have had? Ryan: It’s...not...good. I used to do 1 gig a week on average, but that was all suddenly gone. It was like “This is cancelled. Oh, you have this thing in two months? Also cancelled. Things in the winter, no that’s cancelled.” It was scary. Like you make do, and as starving artists we’re used to that already. As a mostly-performing musician, it was kinda life-changing. Liz: Blaine (our manager) said something about one of his artists being “self-sustained” through his music, but mainly through live performances. I would assume that this made a huge change for him. Julie: One thing that we’ve been grappling with as Bby Carrots is that we’ve had an EP that we’ve been working on for a while. Ever since this hit, we’ve been like “When do we release this?” We want people to get together with their friends and listen to it, see it live, and really just grow a personal love for it from seeing it. Then we were like “Okay, let’s release our chiller song first, since everybody’s gonna be home and just chilling, so let’s save the fun ones for when everyone’s back out again.” It’s a lot of strategizing that goes into it that’s been really interesting. Santi: I thought it was going to be a lot of working on music and releasing and having a dialogue about that. Then the Black Lives Matter movement dominated social media, which was awesome and a very great thing to have happened. It felt so wrong to be promoting ourselves when that’s not what the platform was for. With that and COVID and everything, we didn’t know the right time to release anything. We were like “If we do it now, are we even going to get any listeners?” We will release it, obviously, at some point, but there’s just so much more going into it. It’s hard when your main thing is music and all of your avenues are blocked right now. Liz: I was wondering, when it gets colder, if this whole thing will persist. Ryan: I think this thing will get pushed until people get too cold. But then after winter, as soon as it gets warmer, it’ll bounce right back. Julie: Summer 2021...is about to be a movie. Ryan: The 21st century turns 21. Where does the name ‘Bby Carrots” come from? Santi: It’s…. Ryan: It’s trendy, bro. Liz: So many people have told me they love it. Santi: I mean...do you like it? *laughs* Alli: I like it! It’s cute! And I just feel like it fits. Santi: So me and Aidan were in a band called MICHELLE that’s now doing very well. We wanted to play their music at Fall Fest 2018, but we also wanted to play some of our stuff. So we were like, alright, let’s sign up, and just throwing names back and forth, and I just said “Bby Carrots,” and he was like, “I like it.” We hit up Julia and our friend Joe from On Pink, and then Ryan joined. Aidan was studying abroad, and so Alex joined also. Julie: Yeah, he doesn’t like carrots. Santi: I hate carrots! It’s like a Batman thing...he hates bats but he uses it. Ryan: It’s like a marketing strategy. I know you started telling the origin, but how did you guys really come together and start making music? Santi: So, I saw Liz sing once at a jazz ensemble performance, and I was like, about to cry, and I told her “We gotta make music together.” Liz: And then he sent me a love letter...nah, he basically just hit me up after that. Santi: Yeah, I made a group chat and sent a big paragraph to everybody. Aidan and I were writing a lot of music and we wanted to perform it, and then it turned into all of us making a lot of music together. Liz: I remember just doing it in your dorm, that’s how it started out. He had this whole setup, like amazing recording, all of these great mics, and it started out in College Hall. It was lit that you guys had these great speakers, but I just remember writing and recording music in there. Julie: We really were just performing for that one time, at Fall Fest, but then we just had that chemistry, so we were like let’s write more! Liz: I knew Ryan from a couple of music classes we had together. Ryan: They were already so set, and then I was like, “I wanna come vibe with you guys,” and..they let me vibe. Julie: And vibed we did. I really love the dream pop sound that you guys, as well as the booyah kids have. I feel like it really fits this community. It’s New Paltz, personified into music, if I had to describe it. Who are some of your biggest musical influences? Julie: Tame Impala. *laughs* Santi: I feel like especially now the best part is that we all have a very diverse taste, but we’re connected in key aspects of what we want to make. Julie and I are both into psychedelic rock. I’m into King Gizzard and Tame Impala. I’m also really into R&B, too. Like Solange.. Liz: Moonchild, jazzy R&B type stuff. Santi: Crumb. We love Crumb. Liz: Hiatus Kaiyote is also a big one, we cover them a lot. But that’s more prog-rock or jazz-fusion, but I love them. They’re really great. Santi: We’re going for a little Tom Misch-y vibe right now, too. I also want to do more brass track stuff. You guys have been in this scene for a while. I usually ask this question to newcomers, but what is your opinion on the New Paltz music scene right now, and even before everyone got sent home? Ryan: When I first came here four years ago, there were so many house shows and bar shows, doing multiple shows a night, and there were options galore to go and see live music as a college student. A little bit down the line, a group came together and made something very organized and admirable, but I think they took it in a direction where it was more about the musicians gigging rather than the people who wanted to go and see live music. It’s pretty much natural again, with everything going on. It’s up in the air right now, and doing what it wants. I feel like most of the bands in New Paltz are connected personally, and we’ll communicate with each other well to make things happen. I think that’s a great thing. Alex: Before the pandemic, for us, it was like Snug’s, Bacchus, and the occasional house show. When people didn’t have to distance, and you’d be *this* close to each other. There’d be 50-100 people in a basement, just surrounding the band, and the energy would be ridiculous. So, that was cool. The house scene was decent, until now. Everyone’s playing outside and fending for themselves, and we’re not even allowed to advertise our gigs. We have to be low-key. It’s just weird. Liz: Like when we had a yard sale/house show, that was good, because we had something else besides a show in case, God forbid, anything happened. Julie: I don’t know...I just love the scene. It’s just so much fun. One thing that’s for sure is that last year all the freshmen came in excited for the scene and it was just a couple of houses. The year before that, we definitely had more of a variety of shows to play at. But even then, it still wasn’t that much. That spring semester, we played this one show and because there wasn’t a show in so long the entire town pulled up. And that’s what I’m expecting when this whole thing ends. Santi: It was so good for my mental health to play shows. Julie: I feel like everyone in the scene is relatively friendly with one another. It could be so much worse. We’re definitely one of the better scenes out of the colleges. Liz: From my experience, I thought it was very welcoming. I was surprised by the amount of people wanting and willing to play music. It gives people something to do. Our first bar show, Moonunit, another band, just asked us to open for them and I thought that was so sweet. Bands help out each other here. Santi: That’s my favorite thing about here, we all help each other out. I’m into recording, so a lot of people ask me to record for them and I love that. I want to help all of my friends bands, we promote and support each other, and having a great group of talented people that are working to bring each other up is the ideal place to be. It’s a real...community, beyond all of the bullshit that gets in the way. Has the pandemic/quarantine affected the way you’ve written and play music? Ryan: As a horn player, I can’t wear a mask, and sometimes people are upset about that. I’ve heard of putting pantyhose over the bill, but...I don’t think I’m gonna try that. Otherwise, I don’t think it’s physically affected my playing; I just have more time to practice. And I don’t. *laughs* Santi: My problem now is that it seems a little bit conceited to write about my little love stories when the whole world is going to shit, but then I can’t really write about COVID or anything because I’m in a pretty privileged position, and I guess that’s a pretty privileged problem to have while writing music. It’s easy to be numb about the world in your own feelings, and so you don’t have that same inspiration to be genuine about your writing. You have all of the time in the world, but you can’t force yourself to write. I feel like now more than ever people are looking to hear songs about little love stories. Liz: It’s not like I’m even looking to write about that topic, it’s just what comes out. The words slur together nicely. Maybe that’s because it’s what I’ve been mostly exposed to. Santi: I feel like we all relate to it and it’s such a driving force in everyone’s life. Liz: This time has given me the opportunity to listen to more types of music. I’ve been listening to a lot of foreign stuff. You don’t even understand what they’re saying, but that just turns their voice into another instrument. Julie: When you’re always running around and doing things, it’s harder to get that motivation. The time has just given us so much leeway to learn and actually really have time and know that there’s no excuse not to make things. I think the product is different when you write songs during this time. There’s something not missing, but different, a different side of ourselves that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise, and that’s awesome. *** Thank you to Bby Carrots for agreeing to talk to me! Listen to their newest single, "Like No Other!" Follow them on Instagram! After nearly 6 long, empty months of quarantine, online learning, and suffering of boredom in good ol’ Staten Island, I have finally returned to the heart of it all, my cozy little dorm room at SUNY New Paltz. Both everything and nothing is the same; It’s nice to recognize the same faces I did last semester (even though it takes a minute because of the masks), and to hop right back into exploring the beautiful town and its surroundings. Obviously, a huge gaping hole in my sophomore year experience so far is the lack of house shows and live music events. There have been a couple of outdoor, socially-distanced concerts scattered throughout town, but it’s hard to have anything on campus without having to go through the 7 layers of Student Activities approval. Despite the depletion of live events, there are still local bands trying to put something out there for the community to grab onto.
Grampfather, to me, can’t be defined by one genre. They are punk, alternative, surf rock, and multiple variants of in-between titles. They are based out of Kingston, NY but have played a huge role in the New Paltz DIY community for the past year, playing at venues such as Crossroads and the Grove. The band consists of songwriter James Kwapisz, drummer Tony DiMauro, bassist Freddy Deltor, and guitarist Andrew Blot. Friday, September 4th, saw the release of their newest album, Magnum Grampus, after dropping two singles from it during the last 8 months. I’ve definitely witnessed Grampfather live a couple of times, and know friends that adore them and truly treasured their sets. After listening to MG, I can confirm my true hype for them, and the unique shadow they cast over the DIY scene. The album kicks off with a strong, energized track with a storytelling tone and layered guitar solos. “Bad Taxidermy” reminded me of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard during their Nonagon Infinity era with its mythological and cryptic energy. The clash of the instruments; the drums with their brazing symbols, the undertoned bass lines, and even some synths sprinkled onto certain tracks, truly made for a complex and well-made and produced album. Once you get deep into your listen, you will truly understand why I say they are multi-genre. You will see a good mix of a punk attitude with hints of psychedelica and garage rock, along with a perfect blend of classic and modern metal themes. The shocking titles of songs may jump out at you (ex. “Eat Shit and Die”), but that’s part of the punky charm that Grampfather possesses. The tempos of the songs range from heavy and fast-paced to a more pop-punk type beat with upbeat rhythms. The bottom line, though: No song sounds the same. Grampfather shows multitudes of talent at playing in multiple genres and styles -- with the way they play their instruments and even the way Kwapisz sings. There’s a good contrast of heavy and soft sounding songs, the switch from “Preorder” to upbeat “End Times (Major)” is impressive, and kept my first listen interesting. Out of all of the songs, I think my favorite is “Girtha.” I listened to it before I looked on their Instagram, so I wasn’t aware that there was a deeper meaning behind this pop-punk inspired banger. The song was inspired by an unfortunate experience Kwapisz had when he got arrested because a friend had parsley in his car. They had to do some community service at an adult day care center, and that is where he met the subject of the song. I loved the happy sound of the song, and it meant a lot more once I learned that it was inspired by bringing joy and dancing to the members of the center. I was a big fan of this album. It had a strong beginning and ending track, which kept the hearty middle tracks in touch like a delicious, jammin’ sandwich. In the New Paltz DIY community, I feel like we have our distinct sounds. A lot of the bands up here are pop-punk focused, with indie rock and emo themes. Magnum Grampus had these elements, but the majority of the album was a never-heard-before sound for me. That’s why I wish everything was back to normal and shows were allowed to be held in person; Grampfather and their new album would be able to continue to take audiences by surprise. In the meantime, I think that everyone in the New Paltz community should listen to this album, because this is a work that shouldn’t be forgotten or swept under the rug because of the lack of house shows. We need to support our local artists more than ever during this time, because artists are still making music at home. You have to show up for them, even though you can’t get high in a basement to their music anymore. Listening and getting the chance to review this album as the first article back at New Paltz has given me hope. I hope this amazing album can instill that same feeling of hope in you as well. Jam out, stay safe, and wear your mask when you’re around others on campus, please. Listen to Magnum Grampus on Bandcamp, Spotify, and most streaming services! Special thank you to James for reaching out to me! ** Trigger Warning: This article discusses mentions of abuse, assault, and other uncomfortable subjects related to those themes. If you are not in the state to read about these topics, you do not have to read this article. It’s old news that being a woman, in pretty much any profession, comes with automatic risks and hardships. Actually, let me revise that - being a woman AT ALL comes with automatic risks and hardships. It’s unfortunate, but I, along with the many other young girls in my life, are strangely desensitized to it now. Shouts from creepy men on the side of the street, unwelcome advances at parties, and in extreme cases, pure assault, are normalities at college. As the #MeToo articles and celebrity exposures continue to pile up, I came to the realization that this problem won’t go away once I graduate, and will possibly only get worse as I enter a male-dominated industry. Earlier in the month of July, surf rock group The Growlers put out a statement denying multiple assault allegations, including one that claimed singer Brooks Nielsen “touched a female journalist on her breast during an interview that happened ten years ago.” According to the thread on Twitter documenting the allegation, the band also made cruel jokes at the woman, such as saying that they would only do the interview if she was topless. There were a number of other actions and comments the user recalled coming from members of the group, but the apology statement that was posted to their Instagram page seemed to only bring up that one specific incident regarding her situation. As a result of this, many fans were unhappy with the statement. The Growlers were just one of many bands associated with the record company Burger Records with a history of predatory behavior towards women, many of whom were minors. Many of these experiences were documented on an Instagram account named @lured_by_burger_records, and the overwhelming submissions and evidence eventually led to the company shutdown on July 22nd. As I was skimming through the account, all of the posts made me feel angry and sick to my stomach, but the case of The Growlers especially caused my head to spin. As an aspiring female journalist, I’d say that one of the biggest fears I have is something terrible happening to me if I am interviewing a male, or group of men, alone. I am so lucky that I’ve had 100% safe and kind experiences with all of the men I’ve interviewed, but sadly, it isn’t that way for some women in the music industry. When I plan in-person interviews, I always make sure they take place in a public setting, a place that’s quiet enough to record but with other people present at all times. If this isn’t possible, I share my location with my roommate or other friends so they know where I’m going to be at all times. While reading through this journalist’s experience, I thought about the anxiety and fear she must have felt being put on the spot the way she was in front of a group of powerful men. Women in the music industry come with a default set of stereotypes in the eyes of the scene. We are thought to know less about music. We are accused of only being in the field to get with the band members. We are reduced to “fangirls” or “groupies.” Last year Liah and I talked to ex-fanfiction writer Schuyler Dade about how women in the music field aren’t taken as professionally as they should be, given the magnitude that they’ve contributed to the industry. Hurtful beliefs like those are what contribute to the culture of men feeling comfortable enough to belittle and take advantage of female interviewers, journalists, and even their own fans. One female journalist in particular that I truly look up to is Alicia Atout, referred to as “The Interview Queen” across YouTube. She is known for creating A Music Blog, Yea? and primarily interviews musicians and wrestlers. Her easy-going personality, her engaging questions, and her prolific channel with thousands of interviews has made her a huge name in the industry and has given her countless awards. Whenever she posts something to Twitter or Instagram, a trip to the comments makes something extremely apparent: a noticeable portion of her fanbase are men significantly older than her. I was watching a video where a fellow wrestling journalist brought up the topic of creepy DMs to Alicia, and she immediately cringed. “I try to delete them on Instagram, but it’s hard to keep up with.” she said. The other journalist then asked, “How many times have you interviewed a wrestler or musician that has tried to slide into your DMs in a non-conversational way?” to which she responded, “Like, 85% of the time.” She further explained that she was confused at that high percentage, considering that her boyfriend is a well-known wrestler and it is very apparent on her social media that they are together. The other journalist brought up the constant misconception that kindness can sometimes equal flirtatiousness when it is coming from a woman, and Alicia agreed. I figured that since Alicia has been in the music industry for years, she would definitely have a couple stories to tell about creepy interviewees, since that seems to be the norm for female journalists nowadays. I was shocked at the fact that she feels 85% of the time, the men she interviews have tried to flirt or get with her to some extent, because that is a statistic that you truly don’t see with male reporters. To picture how disproportionate it really is, I try to imagine if Nardwuar ever talked about all of the times female artists crossed a line with him. It definitely isn’t impossible, he could possibly have some stories, and I won’t invalidate them if they exist. But, I think I can confidently say that the rate that it happens is way below Alicia's, purely based on the evidence that she is a young woman. Alicia laughed the topic off, but I found it disheartening that she talked so breezily about the possibility of wrestlers being less engaged in the interview if she conducted the interview in a less kind and “flirtatious” manner. Women shouldn’t have to dim their bubbly personalities down during an interview for a male musician to realize that she is not interested in a romantic relationship with them. Furthermore, flirting with the musician, or having their personal space invaded should not be “requirements” a female journalist should have to go through to conduct a good interview. That is never their fault. A couple days after I started writing this article, The Growlers deleted their original post and Brooks put out a more personal statement apologizing for what he and the band has done and promising to reflect and make a difference in the way they operate. He also announced that he will start raising money for a variety of charities for women that have experienced abuse, and concluded the post stating that he will “come out of this experience as a better person.” Their Instagram account disabled the comment section on this post, which, to me, goes directly against what he is preaching. He even claimed that he would be contacting “a range of peers and collaborators'' to have them “share their feelings and advice.” How are we, public, supposed to believe that he will listen to his peers when he won’t even listen to the comment section? The problem of bands posting these apologies after allegations make a national stir, instead of realizing earlier on that what they are doing is not acceptable, exists because it is strangely normalized in the music world to think a certain way about the women employed in it. This is largely due to the “groupie” stereotype, the idea that women know less about music, and the way male musicians could feel that they could take advantage of females interviewing them. As seen with Alicia Atout’s DM story, many musicians frequently assume the interviewers are being flirtatious or trying to get with them, so they feel that it is okay to make off-color comments or invade their personal space. This is how it seems the members of The Growlers thought, and I hope they realize that this apology means nothing without affirmative action following it. With all of the male indie musicians being outed as creeps, it makes me nervous about further pursuing this already dangerous career choice. However, with the way the community has been coming together to hold the bands and record companies accountable, I have hope that it will get better by the time I’m in the professional world. Sadly, it will take a long time (if it's even possible) to completely abolish these harmful thoughts about women in the music industry, but I believe that one day there will exist a scene of bands who know how to treat their audience, and the people they work with, with complete respect. This will only happen if we, the public, continue to use our platforms to speculate the causes of the ideologies, and how to stop them from infecting our world. To all of the fans holding their favorite bands to a higher scale, I see you and I resonate with you. It’s not easy to accept when someone you admire has done something wrong, but it's necessary to stop defending them and to realize what they have done. It’s time to dethrone famous people from our imaginary pedestals and value accountability over perfection. We’ve already been off to a great start, and we can’t lose steam here until every fan is safe. If you or someone you know is struggling with the topics discussed in this article, here is a link to some numbers and resources you can get help from. |