music

September 16, 2012 - 6:34pm
Hundreds attended the Water Is Life music festival on Saturday Sept. 15, where performers and speakers stressed the importance of unifying as a community to fight hydraulic fracturing.

At the Water Is Life music festival on Saturday, Sept. 15, the event's energy didn’t just come from the musicians’ and speaker’s anti-hydofracking messages; it also came from the feeling of community that the event generated. 

September 12, 2012 - 1:32pm
Native American flute player Rob Benedict lets his passion for music guide him through his complicated life.

The cellphone rang. And rang. And rang. Suddenly and abruptly, the gentle melodic whistle of a flute began playing before being cut off by a generic voice mail greeting.

“That, that right there is Rob,” Matt Simmons, a man in his early 20s, said.

It was a cool Friday night in August as four men met at a table on the outdoor patio of Dorian’s Gourmet Pizza & Deli on Westcott Street. There was a breeze, just strong enough to carry a Native American tune through the open door and into the restaurant.

September 6, 2012 - 9:40pm
Review: Despite some lengthy tracks, the band's latest release is worth your time.

There’s a cinematic quality woven throughout The Seer, Swans’ newest album. Over the course of its 119 minutes, you can feel the solipsistic stoicism of Kubrick, the industrial dystopia of Lang, the ephemeral spirituality of Malick, the grueling suspense of Leone.

July 30, 2012 - 11:33am
Review: Local music fans treated to a gutsy and powerful performance Sunday night at Paper Mill Island.

Instant applause broke out as Brittany Howard strapped on her guitar and took to the stage at Paper Mill Island in Baldwinsville.

The lead singer of Alabama Shakes led her band to a speedy start without an introduction on the breezy Sunday night. It became clearer that an intro was unnecessary as the crowd began to sing every word along with Howard during the opener, "Goin' to the Party."

March 29, 2012 - 1:37am
Review: The indie-rock band riles the crowd at Schine Underground Wednesday night

It’s always a tough crowd at the Schine Underground. Students tend to stand steadfast as they watch the evening’s entertainment, perhaps due to their sober-minded hesitance to let loose in front of their peers. But pockets of fans in attendance Wednesday night quickly succumbed to the charm of the indie rock five-piece, Real Estate.

December 15, 2011 - 4:49pm
With spiked hair and a hint of Mississippi mellow in his voice, grad student Brian Brister snagged second place and the crowd’s affection in the SU Idol competition.

Brian Brister hails from Mississippi where he attended William Carey University for mass communication and music. When he’s done at Newhouse, Brister says on his website he will pursue a career in fashion photography. The NewsHouse caught up with Brian to get an insider’s look at where he got those pipes.

December 7, 2011 - 5:17pm
Josh Breeden and Leah Harrison team up again to bring you their mix of classical and popular Christmas tunes

According to Walgreens it’s been Christmastime since mid-October. These two writers think this is stupid. In protest we held out on writing a holiday playlist so we could give the pilgrims our undivided attention. Well, the turkey’s been devoured and as I type, Scrooged is on TV –– Santa’s time has come. We’ve compiled the ultimate mix of popular and classical tunes to put you in the credit card-swiping mood.

 

November 22, 2011 - 5:19pm
The perfect playlist for you and your family this Thanksgiving

It's not yet December and already Christmas lights adorn porches and radio stations throughout Central New York are playing nonstop Christmas music. While the unstoppable Christmas machine may already be in motion, it's never too late to stop and remember a holliday that doesn't get many decorations or FM air time: Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving may not boast the same volume of topical music allotted to Christmas or Halloween, but here are some key songs that should be a part of everyone’s celebration:

October 8, 2011 - 2:00pm
Review: Keller Williams put on a show Friday, literally. His creative and diverse one-man jam band had the crowd on their feet, craving for more.

Remember that kid in elementary school who was the first one to figure out that he could make a farting noise with his armpit? He was probably the same kid who was figuring out how to make strange sounds with his mouth and imitate animal calls instead of learning his multiplication tables.

Keller Williams was, with almost no shadow of a doubt, that kid and he has perfected making it work to his advantage.

July 22, 2011 - 2:47pm
Syracuse University lent a hand in hosting the city’s first Air Guitar Competition on April 22.

The Event

The Department of Art and Music Histories at Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences teamed with The Red House Arts Center and the national U.S. Air Guitar Competition to host Syracuse’s first annual Air Guitar Competition on April 22. Performer Paul Martino of Syracuse, known as Math Romancer, won the contest and gained a free trip to New York City and a spot in the US Air Guitar Regional Championship held on June 15.