Music
Pick of the Day 5/14: The Sea and Cake
The Sea and Cake is an indie band formed in the way back — 1992. They’re straight out of Chicago and they’re in Northampton tonight at the Iron Horse. Their sound is light and airy, a friendly flurry of melodies and hooks that are very hard to dislike....
Pick of the Day 5/11: The Wailers
The legendary Wailers band is at Hawks and Reed tonight. Yep, Bob Marley’s bandmates Aston “Familyman” Barrett, Julian Junior Marvin and Donald Kinsey are in Greenfield to carry on what Spin Magazine listed as #4 in the “50 Greatest Bands of All...
Amber Belle on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Amber Belle is a singer-songwriter with a honey toned voice who performs original folk and country music. (To watch Amber Belle’s performance click on the video below) Interview with Amber Belle:
VIDEO: Amber Belle on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Amber Belle is a singer-songwriter with honey toned vocals who performs folk and country songs. Check out a teaser video of her upcoming Advocate Sessions video to be released this Friday.
Staff Picks: The Invisibles, Mudbound, and Christa Joy and Scott Meyers
Mudbound MASS MoCA // SATURDAY, MAY 12 Mudbound has been on my list of things to see since it first started making waves at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. While it is available to watch online, MASS MoCA is bringing in the director of the film Dee Rees for a...
Pick of the Day 5/9: Brand X at the Iron Horse
Brand X has been on the music circuit off and on since 1975, and they’re coming to the Iron Horse tonight. They’re “a multi-national jazz fusion band formed in London by the great Phil Collins and a couple of other blokes. They’ve recently...
Pick of the Day 5/7: Bob Schneider at the Iron Horse
Bob Schneider is a bona fide artist. Not only is this guy an award winning singer/songwriter, he’s a terrific visual artist, as well. The Dallas Morning News says of his musical stylings: Bob Schneider is “a musical omnivore eager to devour any genre that...
Valley Advocate Q&A with YouTube star and political song parodist Randy Rainbow
Randy Rainbow achieved Internet stardom with his series of political spoofs and song parodies satirizing mainstream media and conservative leaders such as Donald Trump through green screened mock interviews and now he’s set to bring his unique brand of song comedy to...
The Gaslight Tinkers on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
The Gaslight Tinkers perform traditional Celtic fiddle music mixed with Afrobeat, funk, reggae, and Latin grooves. Check out the band’s Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with The Gaslight Tinkers:
VIDEO: The Gaslight Tinkers on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
The Gaslight Tinkers perform traditional Celtic fiddle music mixed with Afrobeat, funk, reggae, and Latin grooves. Check out a teaser video of the band’s Advocate Sessions performance, which will be online this Friday.
From the Palace to the Parlor Room: Celtic fiddler Jamie Laval on playing for Dave Matthews, Queen Elizabeth
American Celtic fiddler Jamie Laval is world renowned for his unique approach to traditional Scottish music by adding virtuosity and a contemporary ear to ancient reels or jigs. Laval will be performing in Western Massachusetts on Sunday, May 13 at the Parlor Room in...
Pick of the Day 4/28: OroborO, John Trudeau, Rebel Base, and Joy on Fire
Chris Goudreau is a music aficionado; he thinks this show at Hawks and Reed is a must see. He says, “It’s a night of awe inspiring, shredding, progressive bands this Saturday at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, including Amherst-based math...
Pick of the Day 4/29: Salt City Shakedown at the Stone Church in Brattleboro
Syracuse may be one of the dreariest cities in the union, but that doesn’t mean their music scene doesn’t have a few bright spots. Check out Salt City Shakedown, a three band tour featuring Sophistafunk, who combines spoken-word, old-school hip hop, and funky rhythms;...
Pick of the Day 4/27: Gaslight Tinkers at Hawks and Reed in Greenfield
This pick is like a nesting doll: My buddy and co-worker Meg Bantle gave the green light for The Gaslight Tinkers performing tonight at Hawks and Reed as her Staff Pick. Her pick is based on our buddy and co-worker Chris Goudreau’s description. Here’s how...
World Renowned Saxophonist and Valley resident Charles Neville dies at age 79
One of the brightest music stars in the Pioneer Valley and the world succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Saxophonist Charles Neville, age 79, passed away Thursday, April 26, at his home in Huntington. A member of the acclaimed Neville Brothers band, Charles...
Izzy Heltai on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Izzy Heltai is an indie folk singer-songwriter with a penchant for storytelling. Check out his full Valley Advocate Sessions performance in the video below. Interview with Izzy Heltai:
Local jazz legend Charles Neville dies at 79
Charles Neville, Grammy award winning saxophonist and member of R&B, soul, and funk group, The Neville Brothers, died on Thursday at the age of 79. He had been battling pancreatic cancer for the past several months. Aaron Neville, Charles’ brother and...
Valley Show Girl: Snacktime! Musical story time with a pirate from the Valley
Valley Advocate writer alum Tom Sturm has a new gig these days. Dressing like a pirate and singing the songs of pirate life for kids — but pleasantly appealing for adults as well. With the album glued in my CD player in my car for weeks, my 7-year-old son and I knew...
Basemental: Attention to detail sets new Taxidermists’ record ‘Tax’ apart
Tucked away in an old house in Hadley live two musicians named Sal and Cooper, who collectively make up the rock duo The Taxidermists. The band has nurtured something of a cult following from DIY persistence and their 2015 record Honesty Box. One showgoer recently...
VIDEO: Izzy Heltai on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Check out a teaser for video for Izzy Heltai, a North Adams-based indie folk songwriter with a penchant for storytelling. A full performance will be released this Friday.
Pick of the Day 4/23: Ana Popovic at the Iron Horse
“Raw power,” “emotional complexity,” and “vibrant,” are words that have been used to describe Ana Popovic’s sound. She’s a singer and guitar slinger and she’ll be at the Iron Horse tonight. Big Blues Bender says,...
Pick of the Day 4/22: After the Gig Fest in Easthampton
Have you ever heard of “a weekend-long DIY/punk fest full of bands, workshops, and skill shares?” Well you have now; After the Gig is at the Flywheel in Easthampton, and 100% of what you pay will be split between the Pioneer Valley Workers Center and...
Anders Warringer on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Anders Warringer performs eclectic acoustic originals with a side of absurdity. Interview with Anders Warringer:
The CDs You Gave Me: ‘Hush Money’ is pure catharsis
Last year, I reviewed psychedelic bluesy rock band, Old Flame, with their debut extended play (EP) “Wolf in the Heather.” Now, a year later the band has released a new six-song EP called “Hush Money” continuing to create political charged art rock that takes an...
VIDEO: Anders Warringer on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Anders Warringer performs eclectic acoustic originals with a side of absurdity. Check out a teaser for Anders’ upcoming Advocate Sessions video to be released this Friday.
Staff Picks: What Cheer? Brigade, Holyoke Innovation Week, Poor People’s Campaign
What Cheer? Brigade and Landowner at Hawks & Reed // SATURDAY, APRIL 21 Odds are you haven’t seen a band like What Cheer? Brigade. The 20-piece brass band from Providence, Rhode Island, is basically a dance party version of a marching band and returns to Hawks...
Pick of the Day 4/15: Fatai at the Parlor Room
Fatai is a big deal. She’s sold-out multiple headline tours in North America, Australia, and New Zealand, and is touring again internationally. She’s making stops at SXSW and The Parlor Room in Northampton! Check out this young phenom up close and personal tonight at...
Fuzz Puddle on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Fuzz Puddle is an alternative rock duo that mixes indie jazz influences with an experimental approach. Interview with Fuzz Puddle:
Staff picks: Ingmar Bergman, Katherine First, and Mtali Shaka Banda
Ingmar Bergman’s Persona // SUNDAY, APRIL 15 It’s tax time and to increase your psychological stressors, check out Ingmar Bergman’s film Persona. Amherst Cinema has been celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Swedish master’s birth. Hooray! Persona is another...
Pick of the Day 4/11: Jesse Cook at the Academy of Music
Guitarist Jesse Cook says, “I want to take people to places they haven’t been,” and he’s traveled the world looking for and mastering sounds that speak to him. His new album, Beyond Borders, is an expression of that world music combination his...
VIDEO: Fuzz Puddle on Advocate Sessions Friday
Fuzz Puddle is an alternative rock duo that mixes indie jazz influences with an experimental approach. Check out a teaser video for the band’s upcoming Advocate Sessions performance to be released this Friday.
Easthampton-based singer-songwriter Seth Glier takes home three Independent Music Awards
Easthampton-based folk pop multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Seth Glier won three Independent Music Awards on March 31 during the 16th annual awards ceremony at Lincoln Center in New York City. Glier, an Emmy nominated musician, took home awards for best...
Ginja Low Main on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Ginja Low Main mixes its blend of jazz fusion and funk with a side of psychedelic rock. Check out the band’s complete Advocate Sessions performance filmed by Northampton Community Television and recorded by Signature Sounds Recordings. (Click on the video below)...
VIDEO: Ginja Low Main on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Ginja Low Main mixes jazz fusion with funk and jammy psychedelic rock that doesn’t skimp on the groove. Check out a teaser for the band’s upcoming Valley Advocate Sessions video to be released this Friday.
Basemental: What happens ‘After the Gig’
What happens after the gig is over, the room is reset, and everyone goes home? This is the prompt being posed by a new collective that is organizing a festival later this month by the name, well, After the Gig Fest. “We wanted to use the phrase ‘After The Gig’ in...
Pick of the Day 3/30: Brooks Williams at the Parlor Room
The Advocate’s intern Sarah Heinonen made a wise staff pick a few days ago; Brooks Williams is performing tonight. This is what Sarah says: “Wind down your week with some good old fashioned blues at The Parlor Room. Georgia-born guitarist and songwriter...
Maurice Soulfighter Taylor on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor’s performances are slam poetry meets socially conscious hip hop. Check out his complete Valley Advocate Sessions performance. Interview with Maurice “Soulfighter” Taylor:
Drummer for ‘Black Panther’ soundtrack visits Pioneer Valley for first view of film
Black Panther smashed global box office records when it opened in February, and like any good action movie part of the magic of Black Panther is the soundtrack. While watching the movie, there’s one part of the soundtrack that you might not notice at first: the tama,...
Valley Show Girl: Friday the 23rd!!
Friday the 13th has become a horror franchise with 12 (and I’m sure there will be many more in the future) slasher films, television shows, comics, novels, video games and, of course, merchandise; take a look at the number of Jason’s masks roaming around on Halloween....
The CDs You Gave Me: Rob Maher’s ‘Man of Many Misses’ hits the mark
Northampton-based singer-songwriter Rob Maher’s debut 10-track album, “A Man of Many Misses,” is a an ode to the underdog and to overcoming life’s pains with a wry sense of humor and unshakable empathy. It’s a record that blends melancholy folk with haunting...
Pinedrop on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Pinedrop is a jammy bluegrass meets rocking Americana band from Brattleboro, VT. Check out the band’s complete Valley Advocate Sessions performance. (Click on the video below) Interview with Pinedrop:
Pick of the Day 3/23: Jeremy Turgeon Quintet at Rootstock
Jeremy Turgeon is a young guy, but man does he have chops and the Jeremy Turgeon Quintet, or “JTQ,” brings a fresh, new sound to modern jazz. As part of Rootstock tonight, they’ll be making magic, fusing the timeless combination of Jazz, R & B...
VIDEO: Pinedrop on Valley Advocate Sessions Friday
Pinedrop is jammy bluegrass meets rocking Americana. Check out a teaser video of the band’s upcoming Valley Advocate Sessions performance online this Friday.
Dar Williams Makes A Northampton Homecoming: a Q&A with the Pop Singer-Songwriter
Folk-pop super-group Cry Cry Cry, a trio consisting of acclaimed singer-songwriters Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplansky, and Richard Shindell, is heading to the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Saturday, March 31. The band made their debut in 1998 with a self-titled release...
Pick of the Day 3/21: Smiles of A Summer Night at Amherst Cinema
It took Ingmar Bergman fifteen films to attract an international following, and it was his 1955 erotic comedy Smiles of a Summer Night (Sommarnattens Leende) that did it. The black and white film follows 8 Swedes (four women and four men) through mating rituals and...
Three Decades of Music: Q&A with Cowboy Junkies vocalist Margo Timmins
Toronto-based alternative country, blues, and folk rockers, Cowboy Junkies, creates a melancholic feeling that’s combined with a mixture of genres and a collection of rock originals, cover tunes, and traditional songs. The band is best known for its critically...
Sunshine Brothers Inc. on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Sunshine Brothers Inc is a funky psychedelic pop group with waves of synth and surf. Interview with Sunshine Brothers Inc.
VIDEO: Sunshine Brothers Inc on Advocate Sessions Friday
Sunshine Brothers Inc plays funky psychedelic pop with waves of synth and surf. Check out a teaser video of the band’s upcoming Advocate Sessions video, which will be released this Friday.
Pick of the Day 3/16: Dustbowl Revival at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke
We made it! It’s Friday and it’s time to let it all hang out … in Holyoke. The Dust Bowl Revival is blowing into Gateway City Arts tonight. It’s a nine-piece juggernaut of super sonic jazz and folk-inspired music. You might be witness to a...
Pick of the Day 3/15: Pinedrop at Hawks & Reed in Greenfield
Beware the Ides of March … or not. But you might want to head up to Greenfield to check out Brattleboro’s Pinedrop band. In staff writer Chris Goudreau’s Staff Pick this week, he describes them as “folk and jammy bluegrass quartet.” Lexi...
Basemental: Tundrastomper Cleans It Up
Before writing this column, I stopped by Tundrastomper’s band house near the border of Easthampton and Southampton. Bassist Andrew Jones was getting surgical with a vacuum in the suburban home’s awkwardly large bathroom. He then offered me a bowl of black beans, which...
Stacy Waldman loves dick pics so much she published a book of them
Stacy Waldman loves Dick pics. “I’ve got big Dicks, little Dicks, Dick dates, Dick destinations, driving Dicks, friends play with Dick, lady Dicks….” Waldman lists a few other categories, but it’s abundantly clear that she’s sitting on a lot of Dicks. As a matter of...
Pick of the Day 3/11: Homeward Vets Music Fest at World War II Club
It’s the last day of the Homeward Vets Music Fest; it’s been a full weekend of local live music at the World War II Club in Northampton. Proceeds from this festival go to support previously homeless veterans transitioning into housing. Bands will wrap up...
Pick of the Day 3/9: Ray Mason at The Fort Hill Brewery
Pioneer Valley sonic road warrior and Advocate Sessions alum Ray Mason takes the stage early this evening at the Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton. The man who is frequently referred to as, “the Godfather of the local music scene,” will have a plethora of songs to...
The Wildcat O’Halloran Band on the Valley Advocate Sessions
Check out energetic blues and classic rock group, The Wildcat O’Halloran Band. Wildcat has been a Massachusetts staple in the local blues and rock scene for more than two decades and the band’s Sessions performance mixes original blues rock songs with classic rock...
Pick of the Day 3/8: Sunshine Brothers Inc. at the Iron Horse
What do you get when you take feel-good surfer boy vocal harmonies, Dick Dale-inspired guitar, some goodness and light, add a pinch of The Cure, fold in a lot of synth, and some bubble gum? You get the Sunshine Brothers Inc., an Amherst-grown trio of adorable young...
VIDEO: The Wildcat O’Halloran Band on Sessions Friday
Check out a teaser video for energetic blues and classic rock group, The Wildcat O’Halloran Band. Wildcat has been a Massachusetts staple in the local blues and rock scene for more than a decade and the band’s Sessions performance mixes original blues rock...
Valley Showgirl: Say Darling took me to Patsy-ville at Back Porch Festival
For over 25 years The Back Porch Radio Show has been airing Sunday mornings on The River 93.9 FM. Curated by radio host Jim Olsen, the selected sounds are a variation of American roots music including bluegrass, folk, classic country, blues, and more. Olsen is also...
Wishbone Zoe on the Valley Advocate Sessions Stage
Wishbone Zoe performs bass-driven experimental indie pop on Valley Advocate Sessions. Check out Wishbone Zoe’s full performance in the video below. Advocate Sessions is filmed by Northampton Community Television and recorded by Signature Sounds Recording.E-Edition
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