Greeting and salutations, let’s have a little fun with this.
I don’t think there is anything more mystifying in music through the ages as the concept of the “One Hit Wonder.”
It’s those special times where a solo artist, duo or group release a song as a single that SO captivates the world they are forever linked to that song, due to the content, the lyrics, the feeling, or just a simple hook that makes it irresistible.
Then the next release stiffs, maybe because it is not the same feel as the original hit, or perhaps main (favorite) members of the original group change, or egos arise in the group, or someone in the group dies (the total bummer, but now that song is even MORE immortalized).
There is NO better example of this than the 1996 film “That Thing You Do,” a fictionalized tale of such a band, “The Wonders”.
And there IS a “One Hit Wonder” connection to the actual musicians who recorded as “The Wonders” too, more on that later.
The song is itself is the best Beatles song ever recorded since Yoko broke up the group.
That’s the prelude to today, this past September 25th (and celebrated every year) was “National One Hit Wonder Day,” a time to salute those great songs in history, and the acts who unfortunately couldn’t get it done after chart success.
Art Fredette and I had a chat about the day, so this time, I’ll post random songs from the Fifties to today to sample how these songs held us captive for some reason or another.
The SOLE appeal of this was to have non-performing idiots upload videos of their friends and co workers “dancing” to this song, one of the greatest low point in the country’s history, for the record, we did a version in out radio station news room, you can probably find it on You Tube but I wouldn’t suggest it.
This is SO FAR from a complete list, and in truth there are so many other One Hit Wonders missing. What are yours? Pass them along to me, maybe in a future edition we can do this again.
Johnny Clifford is well-known in the area. He has ties in the Queensbury and Hudson Falls area, as well as Saratoga and Troy. He has been referred to as ‘that Tom Petty Dude’ and rightfully so. If you have ever caught The BrokenHearted- Tom Petty Tribute Band, you will understand why. When people speak of tribute artists, they usually say something like, “If you close your eyes, you can almost see the star”, but in Johnny’s’ case, you open your eyes and it is as if you were standing in front of Tom himself. Johnny has been very busy this summer, belting out the Petty tunes all over the capital region. His fan base is growing in leaps and bounds, packing venues with excited fans.
But this isn’t about the Tom Petty Dude, this is about Johnny Clifford. The real man.
It was after his first concert trying out his original songs that I got a chance to sit and talk with him about his first CD release of his songs. We’re meeting for a cup of coffee after his show- I wanted to hear more about the “Johnny Clifford” story. What brought him to the CD release? Where it all began and how he got to this moment .
As he walks in, heads turn. Johnny has a very relaxed way about him- friendly, smiling, and down to earth.
After he greeted some well wishers, we sipped our coffee and I began my questions:
RRX: What drew you to the music industry?
JC: My Dad was a fabulous jazz piano player, so there was his playing and he had all the great jazz records of the 50s. But what got me was seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Watching John Lennon with the Rickenbacker guitar and all those screaming fans was all I needed to see.
RRX: Who are you inspired by?
JC: For the most part late ‘60s and early ‘70s pop rock. I loved the Partridge Family and The Monkees. It was all about singles in those days, so there were a lot of one hit wonders. But that’s what I liked. It took a while for me to into groups like Led Zeppelin and the Stones. But when I did, I became a big Doobie Brothers as well as a Rolling Stones fan.
RRX: You have kept your toes in the music business for quite some time- why now? As in why are you releasing this CD at this point, and not before?
Johnny Clifford’s Release, ‘Happy.’
JC: I always wanted to do an album. But I felt if I was going to do one I’d like to have a reason for it. I also thought it would be nice to get into a recording studio and put a bunch on songs down that I have not recorded yet.
One day, Jonathan Newell from The Strand, in Hudson Falls, asked me if I wanted to be part of their Monday Coffee Shop Concert series. I jumped at the chance but didn’t want to play what I usually play so I thought maybe I’d do originals. But it would be a lot better if I had an album to release. I said, “I’m going to do the album now”. I already had the songs recorded and within two weeks I had the CDs in hand.
RRX: How long has this project been in the works?
JC: It’s my first CD/Album, so really I’ve been planning this my whole life. Right from the very beginning when I was first teaching myself guitar, I wrote a song. I only knew parts of two chords but that’s rock & roll for ya. I’ve always intended to do albums, whether it was a band or just myself. Unfortunately it never worked out that way. Until now. So I got some friends together who helped me and within a week my new CD was ordered.
RRX: Briefly, what is your creative process?
JC: Well, I don’t do briefly but that’s a great question. And I’d like to hear other songwriter’s answer to that. For me, they start as a thought. Often when I’m driving or doing some other idle task. Usually it starts with a vocal line and hopefully some musical context. It doesn’t take much. This next part will sound weird but. then I sit with my guitar and wait for it to come to me. I don’t so much “write” as I “write down” what flows out of the initial thought. I don’t try to force lyrics or musical parts. I just hope they come. Good songs don’t take long either. Some have been written in a very short amount of time. If it doesn’t come to me fairly quickly they tend to not get completed. I have catalogs of parts of songs that have no hope of being completed. I should hand them over to another writer, see if they can get something out of them.
RRX: How do you interact with and respond to fans?
JC: With a boatload of gratitude!. Any real confidence I have vanishes when I walk off the stage, so I don’t talk much. But I make it a point to greet people and say thank you. I listen a lot more than talk to people at the shows. I let them talk. I’m pretty shy really so social interaction can be awkward.
RRX: Have you ever dealt with performance anxiety?
JC: Yes, and I love that part. I do drive myself and anyone who plays with me nuts over details because I want everything perfect. But I love that anxiousness you get before a show. I don’t worry about the songs or playing the right notes. I worry about the audience, will they like us/me. I worry about tripping over the million chords that run all over the stage. But once you start that all goes away and it’s great. Off you go…
RRX: What obstacles have you dealt with to get you to this point?
JC: The biggest obstacle is knowing what to do. There’s no textbook. I’ve tried to watch successful people and learn from what they do. I’m am brutally honest with myself because I don’t want to convince myself how wonderful I am and fall flat on my face. I always look for ways to do things better. I want to be as good as I can be.
RRX: Have you always had a dream of being big?
JC: Honestly, I always thought it was a possibility. Big stars are just like us little guys. Get us in a room chatting it would be hard to tell us apart. You never know, people get “discovered” every day. Being a ‘big’ star is a combination of skill, luck, timing, who you know, etc. Anything can happen, always dream big, why not…
RRX: What do you feel is the best song you have ever written and why?
JC: I generally don’t think of them that way. I like the ones other people like. If pressed I’d say “That’s Why” off the new album “Happy” because it’s written from the heart and I really like the recording exactly how it came out. It’s a cute simple love song. Just the way they should be..
RRX: What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? Why?
JC: I love being on stage. There’s is no better feeling in the world. Writing songs is a wonderful experience but it’s a lot of work to write and record a song. The best part is editing after all the tracks are done. That’s fun. Recording tracks is tricky. You want it to sound natural, but you can’t have mistakes, so you have find a good spot and hope you don’t make a mistake while recording the parts. My least favorite part is when there is a long time between shows. I only play part time now and sometimes it’s months between shows. I’m not happy if I don’t have a show pending soon.
RRX: This has certainly not been the case this year. 2019 has been a very busy year for you, So, I will run with you are “HAPPY”. Which, coincidentally enough, is the name of your CD. Tell me about your favorite performance venues.
JC: I like the ones that feature music. For The BrokenHearted Tom Petty Tribute gigs The Strand Theater in Hudson Falls is awesome. Rustic Barn in Troy is great. It’s all about music there. Dinosaur BBQ is great too, very intimate yet rocks like crazy. We were fortunate to play some big shows too like Rockin on The River and Powers Park in Troy. Putnam Place in Saratoga is a gas too. I mean, we have had a ton of help along the way. It’s a blast to be able to play at venues at this level. I feel honored indeed.
RRX: If you can have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
JC:I will always bring my A game to every show I play. I may not be great or even good but you’re getting my best that day. To me there are no “small” gigs. I will never give you a lame experience. I promise.
RRX: What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
JC: Another great question. Learn. Learn everything. Pay attention to what works and why. Get vocal lessons, it’s an instrument too. Some people can naturally sing but everyone can learn from someone. No one is perfect, never stop learning.
RRX: Do you see yourself releasing another? If so, is there anything different you would do?
JC: I don’t know if I will do another one. If the interest is there yes. I have plenty of songs and new ones are only a thought away. I’d love to work in a studio. This one I recorded in my home. But I don’t know going forward what form that future CD would take. Hard to say at this point.
RRX: Your turn, is there anything else you want to ‘get out there’ at this point?
JC: Just to say thank you to all of you that support me continuously. It’s really incredible how much help I get from so many people. I’m a very lucky guy. For a more spiritual comment: Never stop believing in yourself and never stop learning. Keep pushing. Like they say “It’s the journey man, not the destination” Peace…
On Monday night, September 30, in The Coffee Shop at The Strand theater in Hudson Falls, additional chairs had to be put into the hall to accommodate the crowd.
The setting was intimate, almost as if you were sitting in a living room with friends. There were flickering candles placed around the room. People were milling about as Johnny was autographing HAPPY, his fresh-from-the-box CD.
As show time approached, Johnny was introduced by Marc Clayton.
Johnny whizzed by heading up to the single stool and side table, flashing a huge grin to anyone who noticed.
Before each song, he told a bit about what the audience would hear; the inspiration, a little story which connected the fans to the lyrics.
This made it feel more one-on-one. It added an interest you don’t get from a larger venue with the performer just playing the set list. The man, the guitar, the song- simple ingredients made for a great night.
The show ran about 2 hours, without a break. He interacted with the audience again, low key, friendly atmosphere.
Set list:
Here With You, That’s Why, Been a Long Time, Boys in the Band, World, It’s All a Dream, Oh Sara, More Than This, Happy, In The Moment, Livin’ in Doubt, There He Goes Again
You can catch Johnny with The BrokenHearted- Tom Petty tribute:
November 2, 2019 Petty Solo acoustic Opening for The Otherside at Unihog in Hoosick Falls, 8PM
November 18, 2019 Heritage Hall @Cool Insuring Agency, Glens Falls (Come celebrate Tom Petty’s birthday with us!)
November 29, 2019 The BrokenHearted-Tom Petty Tribute Band Nanola, Ballston Spa
New York City and Upstate Join Forces By Ralph Renna
Between 1985 and 1995 the metal & hardcore crossover genre was thriving, which catapulted the underground hardcore scene to the forefront. Over 35 years later 2 very well known New York Hardcore metal crossover acts are about to embark on a US Fall Tour. Merauder, who is no stranger to Troy and Albany hardcore scenes, also was a major factor in connecting the NYHC scene with Troy-Core heavy weights Stigmata. 10 years prior and early bridge was connected, also by Stigmata, with the now legendary Leeway. Over the years both Leeway and Merauder made frequent stops in Troy & Albany. Contributing to help secure unity in the scene that put the 518 on the map with venues like QE2, Bogies and Saratoga Winners in the 90’s and early 2000’s.
Both bands have had a long hard road, but were given the respect, with many high points, tours and sold out shows. At the Same time negligent record labels, a rotating door of changing members, and Leeway re-releases of records without prior knowledge of? Eddie Sutton vocalist of Leeway and Merauder’s front man Jorge Rosado are also fighting a similar battle. The Hardcore scene can be real hard on its bands, lines are drawn, fans sometimes take sides and this can be a bands doom. But for over 10 years now both Sutton and Rosado have taken their music all over the world by traveling “The higher road”, with younger hungry talented musicians who share the passion to get these guys on the stage front where they belong, carrying their torch.
“The Escape From New York Tour’ kicks off this Sunday October 20 at The Fuze Box formerly QE2 in Albany. “It all has come full circle” says frontman Eddie ”Leeway” Sutton and adds “I met Gordon Ancis a long time ago as he was Leeway’s original lead guitarist. Gordon now co-manages Leeway and Merauder with Laz Pina from Ill Nino. Jorge at one point was also in Ill Nino. It was the right time for all of us, most of all we all see through the bullshit”
Sutton is a very focused man, pissed off into positivity about his music, with regular life events, everyday issues and matters to deal with. Sutton adds “No matter what anyone says, I will sing these songs, they are my life stories, my struggles, my lessons learned and hardships earned, and if people want to think we’re a tribute band then fuck ’em, I know where my heart is. Out of respect for Leeway, we will now go by the name Leeway N.Y.C.”
Leeway’s 1989 ground breaking debut “Born To Expire” took them to new heights in and even bigger with their sophomore release in 1991 with“Desperate Meaures” . These recordings became two most influential metal crossover records, to metal and hardcore musicians at the time, and still is. In 1996 Merauder’s gargantuan “Master Killer” is released. Merauder took the metal crossover genre, sharpened its sword, stiffened its punch and aimed to kill with accuracy. Jorge Rosado brought a most ferocious vocal style to the front line at the time and the message was being recieved loud and clear. Like Leeway, Merauder influenced yet another generation. So the light at the end of this beautiful nightmare is? Another bridge was connected. “Mike Valente knew what I was trying to do, suggested that I check out. Upstate Records and I am glad I did” Sutton tells us.
“I introduced Eddie to Mario from upstate records. Mario really cares about music. He’s not just some company that is looking to make a buck. Eddie has been through the ringer with record labels. I thought of upstate records because they are family oriented and transparent” says Mike Valente of Upstate Black N Blue Productions. Upstate Records founder Mario Cangemi was very eager to have this meeting and states ”Leeway is easily in my top ten list for favorite bands of all time. It is an honor to work with Eddie and bring back a fresh new Leeway sound, reminiscent of Born to Expire and Desperate Measures. Being able to work with Eddie at this point in his career for us.” this all led to the release of Leeway NYC song “I’m your pusher” this past summer!
Eddie Sutton has carried on the tradition and bridge building process as he has just recruited two young guns from 518. “These kids have the spirit, they will do this music justice, keep me on my toes, and be the strong band we need to do this the right way” says Sutton. First up Reuben Ginsburg of the band Ghostwalker, who didn’t hesitate to call axeman Nick Stamas of Frozen Sun and Moriah Formica. “Reuben called me up after getting asked to play and said that they needed a bass player. I quickly told him I would do it and after they said yes, I told him to call them back and see if they would like to have two guitarists- that’s my passion, here we are and I am psyched”. Says Stamas.
“This is the trial run for what may leads us to a longer tour or Europe and a new record” Sutton adds about what “The Escape for New York tour could bring to the table for both bands. Let’s not forget about the new guys, who get to share the stage with Leeway and Merauder this Sunday! Nick Leannain of Hate The Adversary says “we are Incredibly excited and honored to be sharing the same stage as both of them. Having been in the metal hardcore scene for 20+ years with legends such as Merauder and Leeway”.
This Sunday October 20 5:00pm Merauder , Leeway NYC, Concrete, Close to Nothing, Violent By Design, Hate The Adversary at the FuzeBox(QE2) 12 Central Ave Albany NY
Click below to read October 2019 interview with Violent By Design
HOT LIPS:Karli had been seeking out to pursue a project of her own after years of drumming for various indie metal, industrial and punk projects. After hearing a demo that Karli put out, Keith, a touring and working drummer, immediately met with Karli and they began jamming. Shortly thereafter, Alex came along adding the necessary bass and grit and the band was formed.
RRX:We are all curious on where the name hotlips originated?
HOTLIPS:It came to us after a night of Goldschlager and tabasco. I guess you had to be there.
RRX:What inspires and influences the musical writing process?
RRX:Karli is the principal songwriter. She draws inspiration from a lot of darker themes which surround our daily existence; themes that seem more relevant every day. Some influences of ours that inspire us are IAMX, Wolf Alice, Nine Inch Nails and Killing Joke to name a few.
RRX:What do you bring to your live shows that’s unique?
HOTLIPS:We are a three piece that sounds like a much bigger band. Our sounds are exclusively produced by synths, bass guitar and drums. We’re an engaging live band that brings a lot of energy both visually and sonically
RRX:What does 2020 hold for hotlips?
HOTLIPS:We’re currently planning on touring more extensively in the US and Europe in addition to continually releasing new material.
RRX: What would be a dream tour for the band ?
HOTLIPS: One that hits every continent.
See Toronto’s (Hot Lips)- Live at Unihog Hoosick Falls NY Saturday October 26, 2019
The Fleshtones have been rocking the music scene since 1976. I recently had the good fortune of asking Ken Fox a few questions. Ken has been holding down the bass position with the band for almost 30 years and is, in my opinion, half of one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock and roll.
RRX: You have been with The Fleshtones since 1990. What was it like coming into a group that already had a long history? And what bands had you been in before joining The Fleshtones?
Ken Fox, bassist of The Flestones
KF: I came into the Fleshtones in 1990 as a fan, so not only did I know what they were about and what to expect, but I had specific ideas of what I wanted to bring to the band.
Or bring BACK to the band as the case may be; I was a fan of their original bassist Jan Marek Pakulski and wanted to bring back some of the elements of his style that I felt had been missing from The Fleshtones. Plus, Pakulski was one of many influences on my style so it was pretty easy to step into his shoes fairly quickly, although there are still aspects of his playing that I’ll never figure out or be able to play. Zaremba will tell you that’s a blessing.
Before The Fleshtones, I played in a Toronto, Canada band, Raving Mojos, moved to New York and gigged around the East Side with a pre-fame Joan Osborne, then to Nashville to tour and record one LP with Jason and The Scorchers.
RRX: How does touring differ now than when you first started out?
KF: Touring has changed quite a lot since my joining the band, but the biggest changes have been internal; we’re in our 60’s now, not in our 20’s. And we still hit the stage as hard as ever. But when I think back on our offstage and pre/post show antics, I quite honestly don’t know how we did it! And I joined the band after they had supposedly left their wildest years behind them! Ah, youth. So the biggest change to touring is that we take better care of ourselves. And the invention of the GPS!
RRX: To most people around this, area you are known as a bass player but I have heard that actually you are also a master carpenter. How do you make the two jive?
KF: Ha! Master carpenter I will never be. More like a do-it-all, master of nothing! A handyman, basically. And it works perfectly with music. I’m self – employed and have no crew that depends on me; I work until it’s time to hit the road and then I put the tools down and get on the plane! And at the end of a tour, the best therapy is to come home and get a little dirt under my fingernails!
RRX: I myself am a KISS fan and I know you have an affinity for them also. My favorite song by them is “Strutter”. What is your favorite?
Ken Fox Middle East
KF: I have a weird relationship with KISS. They were technically the first band I ever saw live. I saw them opening for The New York Dolls in 1973. I was 12 years old. That concert solidified what it was that I wanted to waste the rest of my life on.
But as with with a lot of childhood passions, I look back on Kiss with nostalgia more than anything, much like remembering the Hardy Boys books as exciting, Vincent Price movies as terrifying, and ingesting boatloads of sugar satisfying. I do still enjoy the first 4 lps to varying degrees, although as an adult songwriter and musician I realize they sound terrible, the songs are ridiculous and the playing grooveless… but I love it! In fact, answering this question makes me want to listen to Kiss right now! I think I’ll start with “Going Blind” off of the Hotter Than Hell LP.
RRX: Final question. People are saying that newer music doesn’t stand up. Do you agree? Is there a current band that excites you?
KF: It’s hard to say if new music “stands up”, because new music is not aimed at me. It’s aimed at the youth, so obviously it seems as if I’ve heard it all before because I HAVE heard it all before! I find it much more interesting to dive back into our musical past and exhume rather than listen to a current 25 year old sing to a 15 year old about text messaging and selfies.
That being said, I’ve been listening to Weyes Blood a lot these days, particularly her new LP. Titanic Rising. Khruangbin is an instrumental-ish band from Texas that I’ve been chilling out to and enjoying quite a bit.
Come see Ken and The Fleshtones, October 13th at the Hangar on the Hudson, 675 River Street in Troy ,4pm doors. You will not be disappointed.
“Knocking The World Down To Size” – Violent By Design By Ralph Renna
In 1981 the band Fear was scheduled to perform on the tv show Saturday Night Live. Although no one in the audience knew what to expect,when Fear hit the stage the audience wasn’t ready for what had just happened. Street people, punks and whatever other unacceptable forms of life flooded the dance floor and looked to the normal eye, a riot incited by music. This moment marked a historic date in television and for what the future would hold for current music. Shortly after New York Hard Core was in its birthing stage. The same was happening on the west coast ,cities in between ,and eventually world wide! These days it’s accepted (sort of) and Over the past 30 or more years a million bands have come and go, but the hardcore scene rejuvenates itself every year and new bands are born. Heavier guitar riffs and breakdowns and even more brutal in their vocal attack, all the while still trying to carry on the tradition of our founding fathers of this genre.
Chris Sober and company came on to the Troy and Albany music scene almost 3 years ago and were ready to bring their audio assault and message to the masses. (Violent By Design) are making their mark quick and getting to the point quicker!
RRX: Tell us about the beginning of Violent By Design, when you all got together and started making noise?
CHRIS: We have all been going to shows in this area since we were young bucks. In 2016 a mutual friend of all of ours, Shaun Badger, who was drumming for War Time manner at the time got us together to start jamming. We all clicked immediately and we started writing songs and forming what we are today.
RRX: I know personally you had to go to Japan to save your dogs life, tell us about that I think it needs to be shared. Your trip connected you with the Japanese hardcore scene ,let’s talk about that?
CHRIS: In the beginning of 2018 my wife and I found out our dog was diagnosed with Mitral Valve Disease and had 12-18 months to live. There was only one Doctor in the world with a greater than 90% success rate on that specific surgery and he’s in Japan. So we flew out there, the doctor successfully performed the surgery, and our pup is alive and well to this day. Before leaving for Japan I reached out to a couple friends that knew some of the guys in the HC scene over there. Buddy Armstrong of Stigmata/Unbeaten Records and Mario Cangemi of Upstate Records both suggested I go and visit Hiroyuki Kohama at a record store in Shibuya Tokyo. Hiro owns NERDS records, a label called Retribution 178 and plays guitar in an international HC band called Loyal To the Grave. I was told he was a fan of our local music scene, especially Troy Core! As soon as I walked into his store he immediately recognized my War Time Manner shirt and he said “War Time Manner from Troy, NY?” needless to say we hit it off immediately. We chatted hardcore and cultures for a couple hours, traded some CDs and merch. He told me when VBD finished the full length he would like to distribute it along with some merch in his store which he did end up doing. He then he brought me to a local artists store called Greed Tokyo to meet his friend Manabu Enda aka Endflyer. End showed me his portfolio which was full of amazing flyer art he did for legendary hardcore bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Agnostic Front, Murphy’s Law etc. We talked about him creating a design for VBD and he was exited to do it. We had his design printed on T-shirt’s that we have available for sale now. Hiro, End and i continue to keep in contact, We are honored to have these guys as friends and hopefully VBD can get over there and play someday.
RRX:The band has seem to been moving quickly and the momentum building .Do you see yourself going on the road US TOUR? or possibly making it to Europe or Japan?
CHRIS: Its been surreal to see the support and reactions that have been building up the way it has in our local scene. We’d love to head out and play anywhere we can and hopefully we’ll play across the pond soon.
RRX: What does 2020 have in store for Violent by design?
CHRIS: We’re currently writing new music and we’ll be releasing our second album in 2020. As for the end of 2019, we’re happy to give Radio Radio X the exclusive that we are adding Joe Bockis jr to our lineup as second guitar. Joe is a great addition to VBD as he brings many years of experience playing in bands such as Cutthroat/DeadEffect/Built For Battle etc. We’re very happy to have him on board.
RRX: Are there any bands you want to give recognition to locally? nationally?mark help spread the word to the Hardcore community?
CHRIS: Locally there is alot of great music, if you haven’t already, make sure to check out our friends in Balor, Remains Of Rage, Concrete, From Within, Tyranize, Incontinence, Buried and all the 518 bands that have been playing past and present.
Nationally, go get the new Death Before Dishonor record called Unfinished Business then check out Buried Dreams, Laid 2 Rest, Burden and if you want to check out a variety of hardcore and metal from around the world, go grab all three volumes of the Upstate Records compilations. See Violent By Design live with Merauder, Leeway, Concrete, Close to Nothing, Hate the Adversary at Fuze Box, Albany October 20.
“Fierce Commotion From Ocean To Ocean”- JJ SAVAGE by Ralph Renna
When we are children we dream of being many things. But when I was younger I wanted to be an elevator operator. I was only five years old what did I know? It seemed like a real important job at the time. It really doesn’t matter now it was a dream and I blew that opportunity! We are easily influenced at a young age and we may not realize our true potential. Some of us see the bigger picture and know that there’s a pot of gold waiting for us! Sometimes it seems only the ones who start out with nothing becomes something.
JJ Savage knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life at a young age and before he could walk, he was running with a guitar in his hand. Already making his mark on the East Coast, now on the West Coast, with only one thing in mind and that’s world domination!
RRX: OK was it true that you wanted to be a professional wrestler before musician?
JJ: I did actually! I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do before I picked up the six string beast.
RRX: Take us back to when you got your first guitar when did you begin this journey?
JJ: Well, I started on drums around the age of 7 before I realized I was destined to shred. I got a guitar for my 9th birthday and got hooked up with some lessons. The rest is history.
RRX: Let’s talk about the years prior to you making it to California? Was it a struggle?
JJ: I moved out when I was 15 to take on the road. I have to say, those years were the most difficult. I’ve learned a lot about myself and went through a lot of rough times. I left New York after a bad breakup and the sudden clash with my original band mates. I saw this as the one opportunity to put all my cards on the table and risk everything like I never have before. A year later I am very grateful, happy, healthy & don’t plan on looking back.
RRX: Before even finding a band you shared the stage with many legendary guitar players and musicians. Lets talk about some of those times and how that has helped you get to where you are?
JJ: Yeah, I’ve been fortunate enough to share the stage with some really great names in the biz. I remember watching Johnny Morse rock when I was a little guy, I’d never thought he’d be my best friend and a member of his band since I was 12. That really opened a lot of doors and allowed me to express myself as a musician and a person as well as gathering a much larger audience. A few others that have helped me to get where I am now are Michael Angelo Batio, Richie Scarlet, Frank Hannon, Andrew Freeman, Jason Hartless and Brad Lang, which I’ve been honored to share the stage with. Really cool guys too.
RRX: Fast forward to present , you’ve made it to California and in just a year you’ve made some pretty big steps explain what happened?
JJ: The first step was getting my health and head in the right place before I was able to take on anything. I was hit pretty hard by trauma and negativity before I left New York. But once I did that it was time to buckle down and get to work. I hooked up with a old buddy of mine who grew up in Albany, NY that I’ve known for a while as a kid who put me up to get started. Around the same time I met up with civil rights activist & rock n roll vet Turmoil, who ended up signing me to his management company. He’s been amazing and definitely one of the greatest human beings on earth. We got together with a few lineups and did some touring, song writing and promotion before we ended up scoring a deal with GoG/Mi5 Recordings/Universal Music Group in 2019, releasing a single titled “Junkyard Dogs” which has really been getting great reviews from the rock/metal community. I look forward to many years to come working next to Turmoil and creating some more rock n roll tracks.
RRX: What has been your biggest inspiration to motivate you musically , heaviest influences?
JJ: As a kid I remember Zakk Wylde just leaving me speechless. I’d say Zakk and Ronnie Montrose have been the two players who I’ve modeled my playing after. I get my aggression and speed from Zakk and my tasty “crying guitar” leads from Ronnie. Blended together creates a sound that just leaves the heart throbbing and the head banging.
RRX: You I have recently made some big announcements is there any special news you can share with us that hasn’t been announced yet?
JJ: I can definitely at least say to keep an eye open for some really cool and fun stuff coming up. I’m always grateful and thankful for the fans who make this all possible. There are constant updates on my social media and website, so make sure to check in there daily!
RRX: What is the plan for 2020?
JJ: 2020 is going to be a great year. We have lots planned! I look forward to hitting the road and releasing more tracks. But yeah, 2020 I think will be a really big push in the right direction. I’m looking forward to it!
Art is the currency of meaning. The great thing about such a currency is that you don’t need to hoard it, because just one work can grow in meaning, or change meaning over time, and all you have to do is listen, or take a look in that special frame of mind. It is dug up at the crossroads of our thinking mind and our feeling mind, and we pull it up as a unique, indivisible form.
Sarah Holub Schrom is an ethereal pianist and a painter, among other things. Her work taps into the primordial, to a time when old languages still lived and we fashioned our gods from the stories we told. Her struggles have sent her to that crossroads enough that she keeps a bag packed.
I sit down with Sarah, and we talk ancient megalithic resorts and casinos.
RRX: You are multi-talented. Your art and your music are pretty transcendent, which is more the best word for it than any compliment. You have pictures of your house, which looks like an ongoing work. Surrounding yourself in that, again, transcendent visual imagery, is it more a help to escape or a travelogue of past escapes?
“The Messenger,” by Sarah Holub Schrom.
SHS: I think it is really both. My art is both my catharsis and my creative expression, my voice and my pain, my journey and my escape. It takes me into the depths of my mind and soul and also away from them as well. It’s really a paradox, as most things in life are.
RRX: On to music; I saw your piano playing categorized as New Age/Neoclassical. And maybe? I don’t think they have enough categories to fit everyone exactly. So let’s play a game. Let’s say you can create a category for your music, and the name of the category can be as long as a Tweet. What’s the category name, and tell us a little about it.
SHS: My music definitely doesn’t fit neatly into the box of New Age/Neoclassical music, but I’m not really sure how to define it. Many of my fans use it to help soothe their soul and comfort their physical and mental pain. There is something very spiritual about it; I’m a very spiritual person. I think that is reflected in my music…but my music also has deep emotion in it as well…such a tough question, to categorize my music in just a few words. I guess I can only say that it is the sounds of my soul. #SpiritualSoulSounds
RRX: We have tons of guitar players on here, and I’m a guitar player, so I can launch into a War and Peace describing strings and pickups. But, while we have had pianists in these pages, the actual, physical sensation of playing piano is not given much attention. How would you describe the physical act of playing?
SHS: Playing piano is like making love to your soul. When you are in the moment, really one with the music, it’s a whole body experience, really electrifying, almost orgasmic. It’s truly intense.
RRX: You have been what you call a “Bipolar 1 Warrior,” by which the fight is against the stigma as much as it is against the illness. Now, from Jimi Hendrix, we know two things: manic depression is a frustrating mess, and, manic depression (bipolar) can count among its ranks Jimi freakin’ Hendrix. How do you feel the illness affects your work?
SHS: My bipolar disorder has given me a unique perspective on the world. It has given me an intensity of emotions that most people will never experience. It has taken me from the highest mountain top to the darkest abyss, from heaven to hell. This has played an integral part in the creation of my art and music. As they say, it is both a blessing and curse to feel things so very deeply.
RRX: One of the cool things about being multi-talented is that you can not only push the bounds of the medium of a chosen ‘art,’ but you can push the more different bounds that exist between completely different mediums. Do you ever find yourself integrating the art forms you take part in?
SHS: All my visual art is mixed media. I am always searching for new mediums to integrate into my art. Literally anything is fair game, electrical tape, broken light bulbs, nail polish, you name it, I’ll use it! I’m always pushing the boundaries to see what new and exciting combinations I can create art with. I haven’t had the opportunity to combine my art and my music yet, but that will definitely happen one of these days.
Sarah Holun Schrom is multitalented, both an artist and a musician.
RRX: Artists and musicians have to eat, and if their lucky, their work might buy them dinner (or a kid’s fries, whatever.) How do you handle the business end of your work? Do you find it as exhausting as a lot of artists do? Are there any opportunities you’ve had to be creative in the selling end?
SHS: I have to confess that I am the stereotypical starving artist. I don’t sell much art, although that is largely due to the fact that I don’t like selling it. I love sharing it with others through shows and love donating art to good causes, but once I sell a piece I feel like it is gone forever. I’m not a big fan of money and would rather be able to continue to share my art than receive financial compensation for it. I’m hoping my music will support me and my art one of these days.
RRX: This is where you get to answer the question I did not ask. Does the Mars Rover feel lonely on its birthday? Does the grass grow greener on the other side, or is the sun just screwing with us? Enlighten, educate, emote – the floor is yours.
SHS: Hmmm….well, the Mars Rover is quite technologically advanced, but probably not enough to be lonely on its birthday. The grass is only greener if you are unhappy with your own lawn. You have to be grateful for what you have and always count your blessings.
As for educating, we need to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Mental health is just as important as physical health, but so many people are afraid to get help because of how society views mental illnesses. Some of the most amazing people I have met are also bipolar. It’s time we starting embracing the strengths and gifts that mental illnesses can give someone instead of focusing on the broken parts. If you get up every day to fight a battle in your mind, you are a warrior.
Much love and light to you all and may your lives be filled with art and music.
Sarah’s work and music can be found on www.facebook.com/SarahHolubSchromArtMusic/
There’s a quality to a band, an unspoken quality that tells you you’re listening to music and not windchimes coincidentally keeping time to a busted trash can lid flapping in the wind. Yes, it’s unspoken… but I pay for ink by the barrel, so let me try. It’s solidity. The whole of a song can’t be broken down. As the rhythm wraps around the drums and the melodies and harmonies slither through it all like veins and capillaries, you wind up with a solid thing that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
Pony in the Pancake is a solid band with some solid songs. They’re in touch with what it means to be musicians, and they get their crowds going because they’re just like the crowd, only facing a different way on the stage.
I sit down with the band and we talk about the breeze on a bygone summer day.
RRX: I’m listening to “Dead Inside” and was just watching on YouTube. It’s a great song, something I could relax and kick back to. And the video is very what you see is what you get. It’s refreshing. I don’t think everybody that’s in music gets that at it’s core, it’s people. Was there any overall way you wanted to go when you recorded “Dead Inside”?
(l – r) Rob Flynn, Dan Prockup, Ben Garrett, and Bob Forget.
PIP: We approach music with the philosophy of The Uncarved Block. We believe that killer tunes exist in nature and it is our job to uncover them. All of our songs are written at the moment we record them. We believe that we need to meet nature half way in order to uncover a universal hit. We take our own experiences/influences, and try to tap into the collective unconsciousness. Through this process, a hit song can be brought into existence. We don’t necessarily write songs, we channel them. For the song “Dead Inside” we tried to capture that feeling when your lover completely and totally has no feeling for you anymore. It is a crushing feeling, one of the worst that a living creature can experience. When this happens, you may look normal and healthy to anyone passing by. But inside, you are dead. It’s called being Dead Inside. You look at the world through your window, and it passes by. You just sit by you window. Dead Inside. We have all been there. The song almost wrote itself.
RRX: Your music has a real solid, driving feel to it. I’m obviously not talking distortion and full “gods of rock” overdriven thing. I mean it seems like it has the purpose of getting people to get off their asses and move. When you all go out and play, do you favor places with a good dance floor, or are you not that picky?
PIP: We are not that picky. We feel it is privilege to play music for anyone, anytime. If people dance, it is a bonus. We definitely feed off their energy, and they, ours. It creates a space in eternity that echos through time and space. When a band and an audience can “merge” together the sun smiles. We play for the sun and the moon and the sky and the air. If any of those things are present, we will play. And rejoice in the glory of existence.
RRX: I like to listen to a band before I come up with questions; in fact I need to – it’s a part of my own jam. And I did find “Dead Inside” and an MP3 on your website, but I’ll always go the extra mile and buy the album. Did I just not see one, or are you either putting an album together or talking about it?
PIP: All of our proper albums are on Bandcamp. I believe we have over 100 or songs currently on it. Listeners can download most of our music for free. We released a greatest hits collection called Cordial Greens through the Canadian label Chuchabta Records. We have really enjoyed our partnership with them and have enjoyed playing concerts in the Montreal area. On September 20th of this year we will be releasing an album, Summer Sun, with the Albany based Five-Kill Records. We re-recorded some of our all time greatest hits. Rick Spataro of Onlyness produced the album and it sounds fantastic. We are really excited to have it see the light of day this fall. We also have live shows posted on The Pony in the Pancake Blog, as well as numerous videos and concerts on YouTube.
RRX: So now you guys do the holiday show, which, incidentally, is what I’m listening to right now, your set at the 2018 show. There were a lot of cool bands at that show, including many I’ve never heard of, a few that will probably find these pages in the near future. Can you tell us a little bit about this?
PIP: We have been putting on an annual holiday for 15 years now. This began at Valentines around 2003. We got our start as a band at Valentines. One day we walked in to Jim Lanthrop’s Open Mic on our friend’s Dave’s birthday, looking have a beer. We walked back to our apartments and got our guitars. We put on a show without any preparation. It was our first show. At this point it was just two of us on acoustic guitar. (Cousin’s Robert Flynn and Dan Prockup) With the support of Jim, Mike McGrath, and Barry Muscatello we became a staple of the open mic. Howard started booking us to play shows. We added members, and the rest is history. We are forever grateful to Valentines and the people who supported us. Howard really gave us a chance to mature as a band. Our Holiday Show is our celebration of Valentines and our beginnings. Our first Holiday Shows would be on Wednesday nights. Dan and I would play for 4-5 hours. It was epic. We eventually moved to Friday/Saturday nights and started to invite other local bands that we were friends with. Bands that have played are Brother T, Bear Grass, Abyssmals, Rechorduroys, Haley Moley, Onlyness, Christina Abbott, Los Espejos, Neversink, Better Pills, Great Mutations, Sea of Trees, Sinkcharmer…There are probably over 100 bands that have played our holiday shows over the years. We will continue this year at the Low Beat on Saturday, December 21st. We are working on the line-up now. It is always a magical evening full of love and surprises. The Birth of the New Sun is something we take very seriously.
RRX: I mentioned in an above question that, at its heart, music is people. And that’s something I definitely pick up off of listening to Pony In the Pancake, is that it’s a family feel, not necessarily the blood kind, though I’m sure that too. Are there any bands, or venues, or “nodes” of the Capital Region musical experience that you’re up to sharing?
PIP: We believe that everything is connected. And as musicians, we try to ride that connectedness. There are different genres and styles, but the kind of music we play is intwined and rooted in the Sun and the Spirits of the North East of America and Outer Space and Time. We do not make up songs. We uncover them. If you open yourself to the magic of the universe, it will flow through you. We just try to channel existence and joy through our playing. Play is at the root of our music. Improvisation in our live shows is just as important as our pop songs. We love to play as a band. We love to dance in the whirlwinds of eternity, riding the Sun’s waves with our instruments and our smiles.
RRX: I noticed Pony In the Pancake is very “earthy.” Very to the roots, to nature. You guys alluded to that in your influences on social media – “the ocean and the clouds and outer space” (outer space counts.) How does nature, or the great outdoors (or the great outer space) affect your songs, your playing, the gear you use?
PIP: We are currently part of the Swordpaw Collective Studio in Troy. It is a studio practice space in the basement of the Oak Wood Church. There are a number of bands that belong, write, and rehearse there. (Bear Grass, Great Mutations, The Elements, Haley Moley, Front Biz, and Paint Brush Charlie). We share instruments, ideas, and play on each other’s albums. It is an awesome collective to be a part of.
Through the local music scene we also met the other members of our band. Bob Forget is a member of the psych rock band the Abysmals. He plays the smoothest bass in town for Pony and has a voice like an angel. Ben Garret of Party Boat and Rherodorys plays guitar and has the pop sensibilities of Neil Young and Brian Wilson. They are both indispensable members of our band. We met through playing local shows. The Capital District has a great music scene. We’ve played shows with so many bands and have played with so many killer musicians over the years.
As a band we hope to keep communicating and merging with nature to uncover more hits. We love what we do and do it for the joy it brings. We would love to share it with the whole world. We feel honored to live under this sun. Pony in the Pancake is our love letter to the wonders of being alive.
RRX: This is where you get to answer the question I didn’t ask. Does a pontoon boat in the middle of a lake have good acoustics? Do they rent pontoon boats to bands? Enlighten, educate, emote – the floor is yours.
PIP:Pony had the opportunity to play on a Tom Sawyer like raft a few years ago. It was put together by some friends. We floated on Saratoga Lake and played. We had a generator on the raft and speakers to blasts our sounds out over the water. We must have passed 100 boats that day, each sharing smiles and waves. Our friends also hooked up speakers under the water so they could listen while SCUBA Diving. We have always pictured ourselves as a band with an awesome underwater sound. That day, our dream became a reality. I can remember at the height of our jams the water began to eddy and swirl all around the raft. I think our sound even lifted the raft a bit towards the heavens. It was one of the greatest concerts we ever played. We hope to do it again someday. We would like to take our sound to the ocean in a submarine or play Howe Caverns.
Performing is a power. When you have an instrument that you know how to wield, or a voice you know how to elicit a sweet tone from, you’re a superhero. You may be a mutant of natural talent, or an equipped super-soldier, but you don’t go to the bars or the clubs or the dance halls – you descend upon them. And in a city like the ones we call home, or in the bigger cities that we can spot in the distance, an epic comic battle occurs every weekend in 4/4 time.
Alycia Mayhew may not have picked out a superheroine name, but she has the power to lull the audience into a blissful embrace, all the while taking them on a journey of her inner fancy. She cruises the streets of the Big Apple, looking for her chance to avenge the deprivation of the dull and the blight of the boring.
We sit down with Alycia to talk about which Famous Original Ray’s is the legit one.
You can check out Alycia Mayhew on Soundcloud.
RRX: When I first met you, you were studying under the late Yacub Addy, renown Ghanaian performer and leader of the group Odadaa! Over the years, you’ve really struck out on your own, developed a great sound, and you’re claiming New York by the night. Was there anything that stayed with you from your time with Yacub?
AM: One of the biggest privileges you can have other than enjoying someone else’s music is understanding who they are as a person which feeds into their music. I appreciated Yacub’s kind soul and positive spirit. That absolutely stayed with me. Whether you’re performing on a stage in front of a crowd or simply speaking one-on-one with someone else, to be genuine and true to yourself with others speaks volumes, and people see it and feel it. Yacub really embodied this and it’s probably one of the most valuable lessons anyone who crossed paths with him would agree with. Yacub’s style of music is also something I had never really been exposed to, especially not in a live setting. I think it’s so important to explore other veins of music to spark fresh life into your own.
RRX: Your latest album that I could find is called Letting Go. The piano movements are very story-like, and you find the right spots to throw the power switch in your voice, or place an overarching vocal melody over a steady rhythm. You’re classically trained. Are there points where you have to throw out the rule book to pull something fresh?
AM: Absolutely! From the start of writing songs and especially with Letting Go, I’ve always let my intuition guide me. Being classically trained, I’ve honed technique, theory and progressions among other necessary basic skills I’ve learned, but your intuition is everyone’s ‘X’ factor. It’s what makes your special. You have to listen to yourself to bring your ‘special sauce’ to the table. You can study other songwriters and artists, but if you don’t listen to yourself and what your soul wants to scream from the rooftops, then you’ll sound like everyone else. I can’t help but simply listen to where the music wants to take me when I’m writing a song, and then I find a way to connect the dots into a story. Sometimes it’s very linear start to finish and other times I know exactly what I want to say and build around it, but don’t always follow a formula to get there either way.
RRX: Playing as a solo artist, I imagine, can be tough. Sure, it’s you and your name on the album art, but there’s the camaraderie that exists when you have to bail the bass player out of the drunk tank for expressing her Pastafarian religion in a restaurant at 3 a.m. How do you get the ‘band’ feel as a solo performer?
AM: Ha! I think as a solo artist it’s about your network. I feel very fortunate that I’ve cultivated other artist friends who I admire and love, and we genuinely support and inspire each other. I’ve had so many opportunities to book shows with other artist friends which allows us to work on the shows together in terms of marketing and communications leading up to the event and even working the room at the show and then post-show comms. We’re constantly in touch bouncing ideas off one another. We give each other a place to crash when one of us is in town for a gig, do photoshoots together for content or even attend business meetings and events together. The industry can get so competitive, but if you have the right network, it means you are never alone – instead you can choose how colorful your world can be at any point in time.
RRX: When I knew you before, you were getting an internship at a pretty big name in the recording industry. It was a major opportunity early in your career. You got to see how the groovy vinyl sausage was made, so-to-speak. Obviously, you’re still in music. So what went in your mental gig bag from that experience?
Alycia Mayhew
AM: To be honest it was hugely depressing! But let me explain – at the time I was a college student and an artist completely consumed with creating music, creating my brand and soaking up everything I could possibly learn from my mentors. It was such a fluid time and it all worked together seamlessly as I was growing as a young artist. Suddenly I received this incredible opportunity to work in the marketing department at an iconic record label in NYC – everyone told me how lucky I was. I had this fantasy-vision of working with A&R reps to discover new artists and learn how artist development worked in the ‘real world’. Instead, I found myself behind a desk for eight hours a day answering phones and stuffing envelopes. This isn’t to say the experience wasn’t valuable – quite the opposite – I quickly learned that music is a business and there are a lot of men in suits who run things that don’t have an artistic bone in their body. I felt jaded post-internship, but it also left me even more determined to keep my music at the center of my priority list and make sure I wasn’t only an artist, but an informed artist and business woman. Sometimes you need a dose of reality to understand how to leverage what you bring to the table. I’m forever grateful for the experience and the lesson.
RRX: You have a perspective on music, both from having a window into the workings of the industry, and being a solo performer in one of the toughest cities to make it in, that someone starting out right now could benefit from. A new musician can invest money and time in so many things – what would you recommend before anything else?
AM: Invest in yourself. As an artist, no matter where you reside, no matter what your craft is, your most valuable asset is your product. If you have a great product, people will want more and more of it and it will drive your career. There’s no road map for this – I think that’s what I struggled with the most as a young artist, I just didn’t know what the ‘right next step’ was. What I kept hearing from seasoned professionals was ‘just keep doing what you’re doing’. If you’re a performer, go to open mic nights and give everything you have to that stage, people will notice. Collaborate with musicians, find out who the best in the business is and get their attention and learn from them. Always seek out others who are better than you because they will make you better. Stay inspired, always learn, grow and make your product stronger, get your product out there for others to connect to, whether it’s YouTube, Instagram, music conferences, showcases, anything. Stay consistent, learn from others, build your network and your product and you will see a return on your investment.
RRX: New York City. I hear your playing, I’m picturing fancy places with baby grands, scenic skylines and marble floors. Of course, I get paid to make stuff up. What’s the truth? A singer/pianist in such a massive and varied metropolis – how far do imaginings have to fall for them to be true? Or is my imagination on the money sometimes?
Alycia Mayhew
AM: New York City is all of those things, but it’s all about perspective. New York is shiny, glamorous and inspiring – and it’s also gritty, dark and unforgiving. I think what you’re describing is the ‘Instagram’ vs. reality dynamic. As a NYC artist, I’m well aware that what everyone sees is a romantic, glossy version of the truth most of the time. As an artist, it’s not that we’re trying to deceive our audience in any way whatsoever, but it’s important to remember that we are not only musicians, we are creators. We are selling you a feeling. You feel when you listen to our music or when you see a beautiful photo that represents our art with a lyric or anecdote attached to it. We want you to feel. Behind the scenes there are plenty of outtakes, politics and stressful shows in dark clubs, with staff who are total jerks and get under your skin before you’re about to step onto a stage by yourself to command an entire crowd – and it’s simply up to you to put on a brave face. I love the quote, “darling, life is tough, but you are too”. The truth is that NYC is what you make of it, and the nightlife scene can be dark and grimy, or it can be a place to shine and bring your light to and otherwise dark room.
