And here we are at Round 3 of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022. Below you’ll find 8 matchups between 16 bands and artists from across New York State, from numerous genres, all on the rise and ready to make a name for themselves.
Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness competition that spans all the musical harbors of the Empire State. As fans and musicians, the NYS Music team aims to spotlight the great talent found across New York in a friendly contest, bringing broader attention to the next generation of artists and bands on the rise. March Madness 2022 highlights 64 bands and artists you might not know, but should know, as these homegrown talents are making waves through the New York State. Check out Round 2 here.
Enter your email address, meet the bands and artists below, and vote for your favorites!
Bearsville Theater Region
Ampevene vs Thanks!
Ampevene from Albany are a fresh, experimental fusion of original Progressive Rock, Psychedelic, and other genres. Ampevene’s music represents an amalgam of the mayhem of Mars Volta, the psychedelic sounds of Pink Floyd, the hypnotic trance-like quality of Tool, and the funk of a Frusciante-Chili Pepper jam. Watch them perform “Valencia” at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs, below.
Thanks! is a six-piece rock outfit from Saratoga Springs, NY. Their style mixes influences of Blues, Alternative, Rock and Jazz together to create a unique and exciting sound. With melodic bass lines, jazz-infused drums, strong horn lines and roaring saxophone laced with deep, gritty vocals, Thanks! leaves audiences with a performance to remember each and every time they hit the stage. Check out their latest single, “I Choose You” and check out some of their other live performances on their website www.thebandthanks.com. You can also catch Thanks! live at Rockwood Music Hall on 3/24 and at Rare Form Brewing Co. in Troy on 3/26! Thanks! will also be hosting the Martin Family Benefit Concert on 4/3 at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs!
Fine Grain vs Frank Palangi
Red pill or blue pill? Fine Grain took both with a Genny and got banned from Trader Joe’s. The girthy tones of this gritty, shoegazy punk band from Albany will remind you of late nights on a stoop in September, your first beer after work, weird questions about your parents cephalopods, and of course, the crushing weight of capitalism. Listen to their 2021 album Missing Adult below.
Frank Palangi is an indie rock artist from Queensbury, with a fuel and passion that makes his deep and gritty rock a must listen. Combine his vibrato voice and charismatic charm, and you’ve got a rock legend in the making. Palangi’s mission statement is “I have no plan B in backing down on my dreams.” FRANK PALANGI EP V is out now out all major platforms.
Voting for Round 3 has closed. Stay tuned for Round 4 starting on Wednesday, March 16 at 10am!
Funk n Waffles Region
Glass Pony vs Sydney Irving and the Mojo
Glass Pony, a jam band out of Albany have developed a unique sound in the past few years, with a wide array of originals with danceable grooves, unique setlists and compelling improv. Check out their most recent single “Daydream” below.
Sydney Irving and the Mojo, based in Syracuse, features 18 year old Sydney Irving, who has been named the 2020 young adult artist of the year by the International Singer Songwriters Assocation, where she will perform this summer in Atlanta, GA. Her band ‘The Mojo’ includes Evan Tennant on drums, Luke Hart on Lead Guitar and Randy Tennant on Bass. They’ll be performing across New York and three other states this summer. Sydney received the Brian Bourke Award for Best New Artist at the 2022 Syracuse Area Music Awards. Catch the band at Turning Stone Casino “The Gig” on March 26 and Turning Stone Casino “Turquoise Tiger” on April 1. Watch “Seasons Change” below.
Gooseberry vs Logan Whaley Band
Gooseberry is a 4-piece band from Brooklyn, born during the Fall of 2019. Their combination of blues, R&B, and indie rock is a recipe for a unique sound that Gooseberry delivers in each song. Listen to their recently released single “Sleep” below.
Logan Whaley Band from Long Island is a culmination of the best material & musicians Logan has written & met over the last 8 years since graduating from Music School. His music can be best described as having old-school sensibilities with a new-school vibe. He released his debut album “On The Cusp” in 2021. Watch the video for their latest single “Funky Tonight” below.
Voting for Round 3 has closed. Stay tuned for Round 4 starting on Wednesday, March 16 at 10am!
DSP Shows Region
Josh Casano vs. Seize Atlantis
Josh Casano is a local acoustic artist who has been performing in the Capital Region for almost 8 years. Along with covers, Josh incorporates his own writing into each performance. He holds a degree in Music Education from The College of Saint Rose focused on classical guitar, voice, and piano. Josh is currently fronting the group Josh Casano & the Fam. Catch him at The Strand Theatre in Hudson Falls on April 21 at 7pm. Listen to “You Said Hi” below.
Fueled by punchy bass, hard-driving percussion, melodic lead guitar, and pronounced moody vocals with meaningful lyrics, a truly dynamic range of soft to heavy Alternative Rock defines the unique, tight sound of Seize Atlantis. Formed in 2019 out of Glens Falls in upstate New York, Seize Atlantis is a four-piece band most closely influenced by bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, providing their own spin on a variety of covers from classic rock to modern pop in addition to their own original music. Watch “The Unstoppable Groove” below.
Jess Novak vs All poets and heroes
Jess Novak takes no prisoners, performing with a fiddle on fire, powerful vocals and a fierce band behind her. The leader of a pop, rock, soul-pumped group from Syracuse brings passion to every performance, with energy, superb musicianship, engaging songwriting and ability to win any crowd. Coming up Jess Novak will be opening for The Aardvarks in Bethlehem, PA on Saturday, March 12 at the Steel Stacks and on Saturday, March 19 at ONCO Fermentations in Tully, NY. Watch her latest video “Shade” below.
In the summer of 2015, Rob McCall & Corey Jordan met and founded All Poets & Heroes out of their hometown of Syracuse. That summer, the duo began crafting a sound that explored resonating folk melodies with that of the sensible nostalgia that filled the 90s alternative music scene. Since then, the duo has grown into a full-fledged band developing towards an introspective project that aims to challenge listeners to feel, and to feel deeply. Listen to Occhiolism below.
Voting for Round 3 has closed. Stay tuned for Round 4 starting on Wednesday, March 16 at 10am!
The Helping Friendly Hemp Company Region
Jennie Angel vs HANZOLO
Jennie Angel is an actress in the Hudson Valley who recently rediscovered her love for music. Started playing the guitar when she was 16 and has been singing she was born, now performing popular country hits! Jennie has most recently been added as a member of the Academy of Country Music and will be attending the awards show in March. She’ll perform on April 9 at Karl Hall in Wilkes-Barre, PA, on May 14 at a benefit for St. Jude’s in Montgomery, NY, and on June 3 at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie. She also goes live in TikTok quite often. Listen to her new single “Move On” below.
HANZOLO is a 7-piece band from Upstate New York, toting an explosive and emotional sound that mixes soul, jazz, rock, and funk. Their songs are dance-ably fun with thoughtful lyrics, backed up by a bright horn section. The band’s website contains videos and upcoming tour dates. Watch the video for “Not Easy” below.
METASEQUOIA vs Big Time Kitty
METASEQUOIA sprouted in 2007, taking root in Ithaca and is getting set to release their new album In The Redwoods in April and partnered with their label, New Vine Records. Following the release, they will be trekking on an album tour, with dates set from April – August in CNY, Massachusetts, Connecticut and surrounding areas. Tour dates and cities to be announced soon! Listen to Trilling below.
Big Time Kitty (B.T.K.). Is a funky ass two man band based out of the Adirondacks. Their SoundCloud page gives you a taste of both their original hits and cover selections like “2001” and “Tubthumping.”
Voting for Round 3 has closed. Stay tuned for Round 4 starting on Wednesday, March 16 at 10am!
NYS Music has partnered with businesses across New York State to highlight these 64 up and coming bands. Regional sponsors include Funk n Waffles, a premiere music venue in Syracuse established in 2007 with a unique take on the culinary and entertainment industries, offering a wide variety of gourmet waffles and breakfast food, as well as offering live music every night! Bearsville Theater in Woodstock is where Americana was born – where Dylan took folk music and married it to Rock & Roll. where folk went electric, and where Janis took a breath and recuperated, before launching her hurricane energy and heart stopping songs out into the world. Renovated in 2019-2020, Bearsville Theater has an impressive calendar of shows for Hudson Valley music lovers.
DSP Shows based in Ithaca, NY and Northampton, MA, is one of the leading independent concert promoters in America, with shows at venues including State Theatre of Ithaca, Hangar Theatre, The Haunt, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Brewery Ommegang, Asbury Hall, The 9th Ward at Babeville, and Daryl’s House among others. The Helping Friendly Hemp Company offers a wide variety of industry leading products including tinctures, soft chews, and hemp flower, using only USA grown hemp extract.
The winners of each region will be rewarded with a collection of prizes worth $3000. Partners for NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 include Mirth Films from Albany, a music news/entertainment outlet that specializes in original video content and live streaming, with news coverage ranging across the whole country, who will provide a professional multi-camera recording session at a prestigious venue in Albany for the winning band, premiering exclusively on Mirth Films.
The XPerience Monthly is the greater Capital Region’s alt-monthly newspaper, bringing independent music and thought provoking articles to the area. The XPerience Monthly will feature the winning band in a newspaper profile and interview this summer.
Check out Past Years’ NYS Music March Madness Here
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