With the “end” of COVID-19, the live music scene has been busier than it has been in years. It would be understandable to forget that when it comes to creating and recording new songs, local musicians have been just as active. Across virtually every genre, there’s been a wealth of quality LPs, EPs and singles available for your listening pleasure.
The McKrells – Still Pickin’ 2022 The legendary local folk-bluegrass group return with their first album of material since 2018, and they sound as vital as ever. Album opener “Sunshine” repurposes the standard “You Are My Sunshine” into something both referential and fresh. “On that Northbound Train” is highlighted by some nifty banjo and fiddle solos from Scott Hopkins and Frank Orsini, respectively, and the track’s hard-charging rhythm pairs beautifully with Kevin McKrell’s lyrical content. Of all 10 tracks on the LP, this reviewer is partial to the charming whimsy of “A Boat Named Love and Happiness.” If you’ve seen the McKrells at one of the group’s many live shows this year, chances are you’ve heard some of these songs and enjoyed them. “Still Pickin’ 2022” lets you dig into their studio incarnations from the comfort of your CD player or favorite streaming app. To watch “Still Pickin’ 2022,” check out your favorite streaming platform or visit themckrells.com
Madeline Darby: Not This Universe: The Origins of Madeline Darby Madeline Darby has been making a name for herself on the experimental music circuit. Last spring, he performed at Hudson Basilica’s Temple of Sound. Over the past year, Darby has hosted a monthly live experimental music series through the Super Dark Collective and has hosted his own music and movement painting concerts. “Not this Universe” serves two purposes. It’s part compilation of unreleased material from 2018-2021 and part collaboration with other local talent. Darby and Nxnes team up for the haunting darkwave track ‘Nxmad’. “Winter Feels Robotic,” a team-up with Zero Lee and 100 Psychic Dreams” is a hypnotic noise collage. The key track on this is Darby’s solo effort, “The Joyous Sounds of America.” It provides a nice snapshot of her unique blend of darkwave and experimental electronic music.To hear “Not this Universe: The Origins of Madeline Darby,” visit madelinedarby.bandcamp.com/
Male Patterns and Under Attack: Split EP Albany punk rockers Male Patterns have followed up their 2020 split EP with New Jersey’s Executors with a new EP alongside Richmond, Virginia’s Under Attack. Both bands hit hard, fast, and hard on this six-song, eight-minute effort. Male Patterns’ “Out of the Box” is a brutal rejection of society’s expectations and being pigeonholed into the status quo, while “Greek Life” is a scathing rebuke of privileged, frat youth culture. Under Attack’s contribution is no less relentless. Their “I Suffer” harkens back to early ’80s Black Flag in its brooding angst, and the band concludes the EP on a fitting note with the brutal aggression of “End It.” Musically and aesthetically, Male Patterns and Under Attack come together very well, making this a great use of the split EP format and a project sure to please hardcore punk fans. Stream the split EP or purchase the 7″ vinyl at malepatterns.bandcamp.com
Top Beamin’ (the rapper formerly known as Velli Vell) – “Vol. 1…How to Lust” and “Pied A Terre (A Home Away From Home)”Albany MC Velli Vell is now Top Beamin.’ To familiarize listeners with his new handle, he’s released a pair of EPs just two weeks apart each. other “Vol. 1…How to Lust” finds Beamin’ teaming up with a few different producers. The project’s most fruitful collaborations are with Deborah’s Son. The well-known tracks “Till we Learn” (also featuring Rhakim Ali) and “Easy to Find” are two of the prolific artist’s best songs to date. “Pied A Terre” is, save for a brief guest spot by Barry Marz, a Beamin’s-only affair. He delivers some dirty beats to the rap is over and the results are strong. The EP is rounded off with his two best songs, “Super Venture” and “Dragon Meets Tiger.” The latter evokes feelings of the classic Wu Tang Clan. Whether it’s Velli Vel or Top Beamin, these projects show him as a skilled rapper with an eclectic sonic palette. Stream or purchase Top Beamin’s EPs at topbeamin.bandcamp.com
B. Chaps – Sweet, Precious, Short As the drummer for hard rockers Bad Mothers and rapper/producer B. Chaps, Brian Chiappinelli may be able to lay claim to the status of the hardest working man in local music. “Sweet, Precious, Short” is his first full-length project as B. Chaps in three years and he takes the opportunity to highlight his own skills and those of a wealth of talent in the area. Singer/rapper Freedom Stratton features prominently, appearing on more than half the album. The two have been working together for several years and share an easy creative chemistry, and their tracks “We Outside” and “First Place” are fun summer jams. Elsewhere, BG the Boy Genius shines on “Shoot Your Shot” and Ohzhe cements his status as one of the capital region’s top MCs on “Up Now.” Track by track, if you’re looking for a solid hip-hop record to get you through this heat wave, “Sweet, Precious, Short” will heal what ails you. “Sweet, Precious, Short” by B. Chaps is available on all major streaming platforms.
