Fall seems to be the time in the Hudson Valley for album releases, because September was another busy month of local releases! I mentioned Hudson NY’s Babehoven last month, their record I See Them I See Me is fully out now on Double Double Whammy, great record. Kingston based (or better yet Ruby based) singer-songwriter Andrew Weaver makes understated, slow-growing folk music as Ruby of Thanks, and just saw his 2nd LP Before You Turn Into A Dog released this month on the esteemed Woodsist Label. Coxsackie experimental artist New Orthodox absolutely blew me away at our most recent Local Waves at The Local free concert, and his new LP Plain Language is out now, thing is you gotta email him to get it details on his IG. The Catskill-centric Misery Mother Extended Universe released the hooky psych-pop of Steady Sun’s JOY this month, and similarly the Albany long time running project The Parlor put out a double album’s worth of lo-fi tinged ear candy (think Brian Jonestown Massacre meets The Dodos) with their LP Sun By Day Moon By Night. Clearly Carly Rae Jepsen took note.

Then the singles! The Bobby Lees returned in a big way this year, after a (now legendary) call from Jason Momoa to not disband in 2023, they have released their first LP with Epitaph Records (the full-tilt punk-pop-blues of New Skin) and just released the one-off track “HEY NA” which has a decidedly lo-fi hip hop influence reminiscent of 90s Beastie Boys. The Bobby Lees will celebrate their return October 10 at Bearsville Theater. Work Crush is a new project synth-pop influenced project from Stephen Blume, that see’s him teaming up with legendary bassist and songwriter Mike Watt on the first single “Emoitonal Plea”. Peekskill based songwriter Eric Mann sent in “Guanajuato” which humanizes the very real border crossings between the US and Mexico. Tap dancing singer-songwriter Liana Gabel released her first track in a couple years “Messages He Wants To Send” and hopefully that means a record is on the way. Newburgh area funk-soul singer Ralph M’Vore released a perfectly time Thriller indebted track “Into The Night” while New Paltz’s RoseAnn Fino dropped another excellent blue-collar folk track “Up In Smoke” from her forth-coming EP. 

Plus many more great releases were added to the Local Waves rotation this month:

FK - Kingston based ambient electronic music
WORLDSUCKS - classic punk, politically on-point
Spaghetti Eastern - cosmic prog-funk from the prolific Saugerites performer
Ciarra Fragale - The indie popper just dropped improvised ambient tracks, very cool
Hazy Rhythm Wonder Band - Maybe you’ve seen their signs?
Hush Woods - Kingston Indie Rockers with sneakily complex musical ideas
Laura Sumner - Laurel Canyon inspired tunes

-Mike Amari of Chosen Family Presents

Local Waves airs every Thursday at 10AM and Friday at 8PM. All local artists are encouraged to submit their music to be added to this ever growing library. Email music@wgxc.org with ‘‘Local Waves’ in subject, mp3s (320kps) or Bandcamp download codes are preferred.