music

October 23, 2009 - 10:20am
Review: Annie Clark rewards Ithaca’s surprising turnout with a legendary performance.

Hoards of college students and locals pressed the stage at local dive bar Castaways in Ithaca to get a glimpse of St. Vincent and lead singer, Annie Clark. Clark approached the microphone with her soft eyes and her innocently sweet voice, and as the band opened up with their hit single, “Strangers,” Clark let out her silky voice.

October 19, 2009 - 1:13pm
Two Otto-Tune writers debate what acts you should be paying more attention to in 2009.

After blogger Jett Wells offerred his most overrated acts for 2009, it was time to switch focus to bands everyone should be paying more attention to. Wells and fellow blogger Nathan Mattise debated the most underrated acts of 2009 on the first Otto-Tune Podcast.

October 12, 2009 - 1:31pm
Canada is quickly becoming the next great country for hot music, like Sweden has proven over the years, and Parlovr is Canada's latest contender.

With gust-busting drumming, seismic crashing hooks and addictive melodies, Parlovr is my latest Canadian crush.

So many great bands are bursting out of Canada now and have been for years, like Tokyo Police Club, Crystal Castles and Metric, just to name a few. It's also no wonder Parlovr sounds a lot like the next coming of Canada-great, Arcade Fire...

October 10, 2009 - 2:13am
Only in the world of music blogs can you find Christopher Cross side-by-side with Animal Collective.

Does it get any better than beginning a week of blog material with Christopher Cross performing "Ride Like The Wind" while backed by the Roots? Jimmy Fallon developed his Monday Yacht Party just for me and my Time Life Soft Rock Classics obsession (over/under on how many times I've viewed the entire infomercial? Eight? It's more than just a collection of songs, it's a collection of emotions).

October 9, 2009 - 9:04am
Rick Dobbis spoke to students at the School of Management yesterday about how the music industry is changing.

It is no secret that the music industry is no longer a record business. Nor is it very profitable for the same people anymore. Simon Cowell and the owners of Live Nation may be rubbing their hands together, but long-time execs are wondering how to keep themselves afloat.

Rick Dobbis was anything but idealistic in the face of these global changes. Currently Chairman of R-DOG LLC, a multi-dimensional entertainment company that serves clients such as the Rolling Stones and Yanni, Dobbis challenged to students to wonder what the industry would be like in five years.

October 1, 2009 - 2:36pm
CNY Jazz Central and Rarely Done Productions are teaming up to raise money for the Jazz Central facilities.

CNY Jazz Central is celebrating its 14th season in operation with a “Broadway Cabaret” season opener planned for this Sunday, October 4. The event is a fundraiser to maintain the Jazz Central facility, which has been home to the foundation for four years.


September 24, 2009 - 11:44pm
Brooklyn-based Neon Indian is poised to release the electro-pop debut "Psychic Chasms."

Alan Palomo, the electronic maestro behind Brooklyn-based Neon Indian, is catching fire in indie-rock circles. But what people don’t realize is he’s been in the game for a while now with his disco-house DJ act, VEGA, and he’s still only 21 years old. His young but already prolific career is impressive to say the least, and if Neon Indian’s upcoming debut, Psychic Chasms, is any indication of Palomo’s future, the sky is the limit.

September 22, 2009 - 10:07pm
Phantogram, a band based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., delivers tons of energy and electro beats.

I was in Geneva, N.Y., last February solely to see Ra Ra Riot. It was a literal homecoming for CNY’s indie darlings, since guitarist Milo Bonacci is originally from Geneva.  And, as usual, their set didn’t disappoint. But yet another Ra Ra Riot triumph isn’t what I left raving about.

Instead, I was introduced that night to a duo from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., called Phantogram. They were the opener’s opener and, since it was held in the local opera house...

September 11, 2009 - 7:14am
Review: Syracuse's indie rocker plays an intimate and energetic show at Castaways in Ithaca.

It felt like they never left, but no one was complaining about musical deja vu.

Lead singer Wes Miles called it their, "first show of their last tour of the first album" throughout the night, and Ra Ra Riot reminded fans and friends why they became nearly instant campus heroes at SU not long ago. 

April 28, 2009 - 3:59pm
The Icon and The Axe bring some "Propaganda" to Aux Records

Aux Records' fifth anniversary show was more than just a party - it was a release show for  the debut album for local band The Icon and The Axe. "Propaganda" is the result of more than a year of hard work for the band, and the show is a sort of homecoming. 

The album has been in the works for 14 months, and both Ulf Oesterle, manager and owner of Aux Records, and the band members said they were excited to see the release.