Tag Archives: Capital District

Politics/war

Hey Upstate NY… how about hiring Americans for jobs and not illegals?

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Awwwww poor babies. People in Upstate NY (in my area, where I live) are getting upset that the Trump administration are cracking down on illegal aliens everywhere in the United States. Even in small towns in my area: Upstate NY.

I just read this stupid blog and it’s pathetic. All of it. The Times Union is “FAKE NEWS” just like the MSM.

http://blog.timesunion.com/davidkalish/trump-crackdown-on-immigrants-shakes-upstate-new-york-economy/2826/

I’m so tired of this area trying to make illegal aliens look like they’re good people and I’m so tired of this area trying to make me feel sorry for illegals. Not happening. I could care less about illegals. They don’t deserve to live better lives then we do.

It’s hilarious how they claim that Trump cracking down on illegals is hurting the economy. LMAO… really? It’s actually a good thing that illegals are running and hiding ’cause that means more jobs for us US citizens. How about hiring Americans for these jobs, hey Upstate NY? I repeat, AMERICANS. Getting rid of illegals won’t have an affect on the economy in a negative way ’cause that’s actually helpful for the economy. All these claims that getting rid of illegals is gonna hurt the economy is pretty laughable. Have you forgotten that the dow jones have gone way up?

There are many Americans like myself who are still unemployed and struggling to find work. It’ll help the economy more if these businesses would start actually hiring real Americans.

Stop kissing ass to illegals so much. I’m so tired of that. I have no sympathy for businesses who hires illegals. There are illegals who work local jobs all over the place even in my hometown of Greenwich. They don’t deserve to live better than we do and it’s why I got on board to support Trump for the presidency.

If you’re scared of Trump cracking down on illegals, that’s good. There’s a new Sheriff in town so fucking deal with it, you crybabies.

I don’t care if illegals are violent people or not, they don’t belong here either way. It’s still a crime for them to live here and I’m glad the Trump admin. are actually taking action. Campaign promises kept. Now build the wall! DEPORT THEM ALL!

Kev

 

 

 

Local music

The Cammy’s cancelled which doesn’t surprise me at all, good riddance, though!!!

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https://www.facebook.com/events/347418755430021/347427765429120

“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Due to a lack of support from our music community, it is with a heavy heart that we announce this years 2014 Capital Area Music Awards, scheduled for January 25, 2015, has been cancelled. We truly appreciate the support of so many people in the development stage. It is our sincere hope that someday we may join together for a night of musical community and unite as one! If you have purchased advanced tickets, refunds are available where tickets were purchased. Thanks you.” – Greg Gamache

If you wanna know why these guys behind “The Cammy’s” have been silent, here ya go. It doesn’t surprise me that the show will get cancelled due to “lack of support”. Why for the “lack of support”? It’s because no one cares about award shows. That’s not what we play music for to begin with. Everybody knows that last year’s award show was such a disaster and we didn’t want to go through it again this year. Plus, most importantly everybody knows that Dan of Tier One Talent is an egotistical piece of shit who wasn’t to be trusted at all. Everybody knows that you guys behind this garbage setup an award show so you can win yourselves awards ’cause you were that desperate for attention.

I’m sure these idiots didn’t get too many bands/musicians sending in their submissions hoping for a nomination… that could be part of the reason for the cancellation and also, lack of ticket sales is another reason. As you can see in Greg’s post about the cancellation, people are replying blaming the area which is inappropriate and unprofessional. You have no one else to blame but yourselves.

Hopefully, this award show goes away and stays away forever. GOOD RIDDANCE!!!! Celebrate! Shows over for them!!!!

Thank you for ignoring this show, Capital District! That’s why you guys, rock!!! \m/

Kev

Local music

Once again, nobody cares about local award shows, the whole idea is silly…

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We understand what you’re trying to do, dude but nobody cares about awards.That’s why nobody supports this garbage. On top of that bands and music artists around here doesn’t have the time for it ’cause most of them are too busy making music and playing their gigs.  We’re not worried about awards. Everybody also knows that this show is all for your conflict of interest, we’re not stupid, dude.

The only people that DO care about this garbage event are your little gang of friends and those few who live under the delusion of supporting the “scene” positively.

You guys live under the delusion of this show “selling out” when I predict you probably will get like 10 people showing up or less.

How come you guys never showed photos of the awards? What do the trophies look like? I challenge you to post a photo of the award.

Kev

Local music

How to put on a successful award show that the Capital District will be more supportive to…

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In this post, I’m gonna give some advice to the organizers of “The Cammy Awards” (http://www.thecammys.net/) which I know they will never take but if they want this show to be taken seriously, they should listen up.

Here is a little step-by-step:

  1. Spend lesser time patting each other on the backs: If you want this show to be taken seriously spend less time jerking each other off and kissing each other’s asses. This turns a lot of people off. You know that old sayin’, “Leave your ego at the door”? You should treat the talent in this area with more respect instead of this show being all about yourselves.
  2. Make the nominations more fair: Instead of nominating all your friends and your sponsors, you should nominate bands & musicians that truly deserve it. Nominate people that this area likes, instead of nominating the people that you guys like.
  3. Be able to handle constructive criticism: When you guys want to put together an award show for the Capital District… one thing to keep in mind that this is a VERY public event that you guys are running. Which also means that this opens the doors for public criticism. You guys behind this award show… TierOneTalent and all those other idiots have been very defensive of any kind of criticism. You guys refuse to debate people about this. Instead of getting into an adult discussion with us about this show, you have to threaten us and censor us. My 2cents, if you can’t handle constructive criticism, then YOU don’t have what it takes to run a show like this. If you won’t let people speak their minds and be realistic, then people will be less supportive of this event. Act like professionals. Let people speak their minds and maybe people will be more supportive and caring.
  4. Make the winners go to the right people: People who are part of the voting panels should not be getting nominated or winning awards. We’re not dumb, we know how you guys have been doing the voting process in your anonymous panel. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how you guys do it. Anybody that wins an award is probably part of your anonymous panel. We don’t have to be at the show to see how you guys do it. If you guys knock it off and play more fair, then the Capital District might be more supportive and caring toward this show.

That’s about all I can I come up with. I know those guys will never take this advice ’cause they really are desperate for this kind of attention. I know this post might anger some and some guys from the organizers of this crap show will try to defend themselves but I don’t give a shit. I’m not backing down.

Some might say if you don’t like this show, just ignore it? Sure, I could if I wanted but I find it’s fun to pick on it and criticize it. I’m also a realist and all I’m pretty much doing is trying to warn the Capital District about this show. Just trying to warn people not to trust it and to tell the truth that this isn’t a legitimate award show. This show is being run by frauds and amateurs and I’m not afraid to say it. Just trying to save people from disappointment and to save people from getting hurt and destroyed by these assholes.

Kev

Local music

Why I don’t agree with a local music award show and why we don’t need to have one…

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I just wanted to talk about more of my thoughts on this local music award show that is happening in the Albany area:

http://www.thecammys.net/

Ya know, if this area wants to have an award show based on local bands and musicians, that’s fine by me. That’s their prerogative. Just leave me out of it. I’m not interested whatsoever. I don’t play music to win awards. I don’t care about some freakin’ trophy that means nothing. Winning awards is not what I play music for. I’m not desperate for that kind of attention and my ego is not that big, trust me. You don’t need to win awards to prove that you’re a talented musician.

On top of that, awards for musicians and bands are for the national industry. Local musicians aren’t famous people. We’re not celebrities or stars and that’s the problem with this area. A lot of musicians around here live under the delusion of being a “rock” star. Once again, we’re not local celebrities or rock stars. We’re just regular human beings playing music but of course, in this day and age… nobody sees music that way anymore. Everybody around here just wants to become locally well-known and popular. Everybody is obsessed with wanting to become that recognizable musician and become more established.

This award show that these guys are putting together “The Cammy’s” is just a “Do It Yourself” kind of event. It’s not being run by professional business people. It’s being run by amateurs putting their own money toward this thing. I’m willing to bet this award show costs them a lot. I’m sure those trophies are custom made from some shitty trophy company that anybody even myself can get.

If you want to know a few interesting facts about this show, here you go:

1) The winners of this award show are probably gonna be chosen by the nominees just like last year’s. So chances are, the nominees are going to be voting for themselves or their friends.

2) All the owner of this award show wants to do is to promote his shitty Alice In Chains tribute band, “Sludge Factory”. You’ve probably heard of them. This guy doesn’t care about us or the scene. All he cares about is shoving his shitty band, Sludge Factory in our faces and he just wants to make money off this award show. Chances are, this guy which shall be nameless at this time is gonna nominate his own band in a category or two and he’ll give himself an award this year.

3) The people running this show are all a bunch of douchebags. If you give these people any criticism of any kind about this show, they’ll become all defensive. They’re really unprofessional toward people. They have horrible attitudes, they’re very rude and they’re not to be trusted. I’m fine with this area having an award show, I just hate the people running this show. Trust me, they’re all pricks. These are the kind of people who shouldn’t be running shows like this. If there was a real award show in this area, they would be very friendly and courteous to others but the people organizing “The Cammy’s” are all assholes.

I understand this area wants to be “friendly” and “supportive” toward local music but they gotta stop being so naive about it. Watch out who and “what” they trust ’cause everybody is not your friend around here. If you actually go to this show, “The Cammy’s” all you’re going to see is disappointment.

The people running this show, “The Cammy’s” are egomaniacal and delusional. Just people trying to get more attention. That’s all I see it as.

If you’re a musician and if you’re willing enough to support this thing… chances are… you’re just hoping to get an award yourself even if you don’t wanna admit to it. I’m sure people are gonna accuse me of being the only one being against this show but trust me, I’m not alone. There are many others out there who are with me that this award show is garbage.

This is one of the reasons why I can’t stand this area’s music scene. Too many delusional people living in their own fantasy world.

Kev

movies

Do not support, the Cammy’s…

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*sigh*

Here we go with that damn local band award show thing again. They are doing it again this year but this time under a new name and new venue.

http://capitalareamusicawards.com/

The jackasses behind this thing are in obvious competition against the Grammy Awards show. Noticed how they made their website almost exactly the same as “The Grammy’s” website. “Cammy’s” is a dumb as hell name… I guess these losers couldn’t come up with anything else to rhyme with the “Grammy’s”. They’re trying to be bigger than the Grammy’s. Plus, noticed how they scheduled “The Cammy’s” the night before “The Grammy’s” are on TV.

I refuse to support this award show ’cause I’m not that naive. The people behind this thing are not to be trusted and they are a bunch of assholes.

Also, don’t believe in their claim that they are out to help us. The only reason they are doing this is to help themselves. The owner or “owners” behind “The Cammy’s” are just desperate for attention and they are doing this to pat themselves on the back. They are trying to become more well-known locally ’cause their music projects are absolute failures and they’ll do whatever they can to promote their bands.

The people (without naming names) behind “The Cammy’s” have serious delusions of grandeur. Once again, the local music scene does not need an award show. This is not what we should be playing music for. You don’t need awards to prove something about yourself.

If some of you get nominated out there, congratulations but don’t get too excited yet. You’ll only come to a disappointment when you go to the show. Chances are, the only people that will be winning so called “awards” are the people behind this stupid show and all their friends and supporters will be winning. This will be no different than the one last year. All you’re going to see at these shows are too much jerking off and patting themselves on the back.

Some of you may ask, “If Kev got nominated, he would support it too???”. No, not at all. If they nominated me, I would have told them to fuck off and shove it up their ass.

I refuse to support this award show and you shouldn’t either. Just wanted to give you a reality check on this.

Kev

Politics/war

To the people of Albany… vote for Jesse Calhoun as Mayor today…

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A Capital District local musician is running for Mayor and the voting is today. To those living in Albany… please vote for Jesse Calhoun and not that idiot liberal, Sheehan. Jesse’s political views is good stuff and he could change Albany around in a good way. 

If you know the local music scene well, Jesse is the main frontman for the band, the Ameros. You may  have heard of ’em. 

Kev

Local music

Album Review: Hard Soul, “Seize The Year”…

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HardSoul

The band Hard Soul is a band coming from the Capital District in Upstate, New York. The band’s lineup includes: Johnny Salka (lead vocals/guitar), Justin Cheever (drums), Nick Kossor (guitar), and Erin Grim (Keys/Piano). The band has got their start as an acoustic duo performing in bars, coffeehouses, and music venues across the Capital District. The band plays both acoustic and electric guitar-driven rock which defined their straight-forward rock n’ roll sound. “Seize The Year” is the band’s second EP, a follow-up to 2012’s, “Love Eats The Young”. Their latest EP “Seize The Year” has 5 tracks: the title track, “Conquered The World”, “Passes You By”, “Falling Faster” and “Not Alone”.

The album’s sounds is mostly straight-up-rock with one acoustic song, which is “Not Alone”; it has a folky feeling to it. As for the rock n’ roll songs, they can be catchy and they can easily be radio-friendly songs; something that you would here on EQX. Songwriting seems simplistic and easy to listen. That’s the way songs should be. You don’t have to be a technical musician or be a speed-demon shredder to make great rock n’ roll music. The guitar sounds on the album are good. Once a song starts, the songs get straight to the point, and you’re immediately hooked. Great rhythm chops, tasty guitar solos, and good sound over-all. The band’s sounds reminds me of other national bands such as Weezer, Silverchair, Oasis, The Beatles, and others. The band says they get most of their sound influences from Thin Lizzy, and I guess you can hear a little bit of that in their music as well.

Johnny’s singing is good and can easily catch a listener’s ear. He draws you to the music. His singing is real, heartfelt, and he doesn’t try so hard like most rock singers seem to do. He’s no classical singer or Robert Plant, but you don’t need to be to perform great rock n’ roll. All you need is to sing songs with passion and Johnny has that.

Even though this album has 5 tracks, this album is worth a listen. They’re a great rock n’ roll band and they have the potential for a big career in music in their future. I loved the album and hope they release a full-length album with even more songs in the near future. I’m a new fan.

For more information on Hard Soul visit these links:

http://thehardsoul.com/

http://facebook.com/thehardsoul

http://youtube.com/watchhardsoul

http://thehardsoul.bandcamp.com/

http://twitter.com/thehardsoul

Kev

Bands & Artists Reviews

Album Review: Go The Weasels “AARP”…

AARP

I got this album by a band called, the Weasels, in the mail, so I thought I would give this album a review.

The Weasels, are a rock band from the Albany area. The bands members include: Doctor Fun (lead singer, keyboardist, saxophonist, and he plays a variety of other instruments), Roy Weasell (electric, acoustic guitars, keyboards and other instruments), and Chris Graf (keyboards, bass, and other instruments). On this album, they also collaborated with other musicians such as guitarists Chuck D’Aloia, and Eric Finn. This album also has contributions from saxophonist, Brian Patneaude, and Sarah La Duke who provided some vocals.

This would be considered the band’s 6th album, and the album has a total of 15 tracks. The album has 60 minutes worth of music. As for what styles are on the album? Well, from what I’ve heard, there is a combination of different genres. It can have something for everybody. If you like tight rock songs with jamming riffs and blistering guitar solos, you will hear some of that. If you like folk, and bluegrass type of songs, you will hear a little bit of that — especially, a song like, “Invasion of the Body” — which is a great tune. You will also hear a lot of jazz, and jam band type of stuff.

Dr. Fun’s vocals — whatever his real name is — an be catchy to listen to. He also creates interesting vocal harmonies. The lyrics on the album can be pretty humorous, and you can sing along to a lot of these songs, pretty easily. The lyrics on the album seem to be telling a story. Each song tell a different story. Some of these songs can be politically-driven — specially, a song like “Do The Teabag” — which is one of my absolute favorite tracks. In my opinion, I think, “Do The Teabag”, is one of the best songs on the album; along with, “Invasion of the Body”. In fact, all songs on the album are great. The lyrics has some of the best lyric writing on an album, I’ve heard in a long time. These guys certainly know how to write them.

The album has pretty tasty guitar solos — which all guitar players should love. The guitar solos on the album, is one of the big things on it, that will keep you listening. The leads are pretty musical, and it seemed they were improvised. Who ever the lead guitarist is on the album, certainly knows his stuff.

While I do love every song on the album, the tracks to watch out for are: “Invasion of the Body”, “Do The Teabag”, and “The Wailing Song”. I think this is one of the best local albums, I’ve heard in a long time. I don’t know how often these guys perform live, but they need to play live a lot more often. If they get themselves out there more, they could become something, HUGE. There is something special in this band, and I’m a new fan. After hearing this album, makes me want to listen to their first 5 albums. I listened to, “AARP”, like 3 or 4 times. These guys are cool!

To learn more about the Weasels: visit the links and see the videos below. Enjoy!

http://www.theweasels.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Weasels/76014239967

https://twitter.com/TheWeasels

Kev

Local music

Brock gives two thumbs down to the new competition, “The Exit Factor”, and calls it a pay to play scheme…

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I have a pure dislike to band competitions and contests around this area. Competitions and various contests have always been a big part of the Capital District of local music, and I refuse to be a part of all of them for a few reasons. #1) You don’t need to prove yourself how great and talented you are by entering these things, when all you need is just make your music and play your gigs. That’s it. No need to take yourself seriously. #2) I don’t want to come off looking desperate or being pretentious. I don’t need that kind of attention, and I don’t want to be recognized like that with my music. It’s not that I know, I will never win these things, I know I won’t. It’s just all these competitions and contests are, a popularity contest. Most likely the voting is rigged, and broken, anyway. I’ll never be a part of SPAC’s Battle of the Bands, radio station contests or any other singer/songwriter competitions. I want to be able to see if I can get successful my own way without being a part of these things, know what I mean? Prove that you can get popularity and recognition on your own, ’cause I believe entering competitions and contests is cheating to get recognition. You can get recognition and become more established, just by making the good music alone. You don’t need to be a part of these things.

On with WEXT’s “Exit Factor” contest where a grand prize winner gets the opportunity to open for Capital Area Indie Fest at the Egg, sounds like a nice idea, but do you really want to pay $50, just to enter this thing? It’s a pay to play scheme for sure. I don’t think this competition will be getting that many well known bands entering this thing ’cause they would know this is a ripoff. The only bands I can see entering it are the young bands who are just starting out, so hopefully they don’t make that mistake, which is why I made this post, hoping they would change their mind and not enter this contest.

While, I’m no fan of SPAC’s “Battle of the Bands” either, I still give it credit that it doesn’t cost anything to enter.

I hope bands and solo artists would think twice before paying the $50, entering “The Exit Factor”, and I also think it’s lame naming a competition after a reality show, hoping that will get people excited.

NO OFFENSE, to WEXT or the Capital Area Indie Fest. I’m not knocking them. I’m only pointing my fingers at, “The Exit Factor” competition. I’m noticing that Crumbs didn’t even say the entry fee for musicians to enter, but when I went to the website to see for myself, for my own amusement, I was like, “Wow, really, $50 for entering?”

Not only that I want nothing to do with these contests or competitions, I’ll NEVER do pay to play events. If you want this to be successful either lower the entry fee or make it free. Don’t get me wrong, I think playing at the Egg would be a fantastic opportunity, I would want it myself, but when a pay to play scheme is involved here, no thank you.

Of course, some bands won’t take my advice. They would do just about anything to get recognition even if means paying money to get it. Hell, maybe most musicians around here, would totally agree with me. Playing music around the Capital District area, seems to be about making money these days, which is sad to see.

See the link, here, so you know what I’m talking about.

Kev