Catching up on two months of Local Waves submissions and that means we are jam packed with some great new releases, and more is definitely on the way for Sept and October, so be sure to check this newsletter in the coming months!

Have to start with Hudson indie-twee-rockers Babehoven, who have a new LP out next month on Double Double Whammy, they just dropped the video for “Lasagna” which plays like a road trip through the Hudson Valley, and ends on stage at the legendary local venue Avalon Lounge (where they’ll be celebrating with a release show Oct 8th). Another local fave Kendra McKinley just dropped a new track “The Reins”, a collab with Nikhil Yerawadekar of Antibalas, and its a perfect late summer funky neo-soul jammer. Another track that really caught my attention is “Angel Food” from Kingston’s Kissing Well, a very unique concoction of alt country with strains emo and late 90s hip-hop, it ends up somewhere between Everlast and 16 Horsepower. Other exciting new projections are emerging with Red Hook’s La Mirage (check out the synth-wave first single “Company Man”), Hudson’s Cut Chord (their psych-folk debut ep Demolition Music) and new Catskill based project Miyaxx (made up Lea Thomas and John Thayer) dropped their dreamy, slightly dissonant first single “Blue Cloud White Sky” last month. 

On a more atmospheric tip, ‘mutanttrumpet’ downtown jazz stalwart Ben Neill, based in Beacon for many years now, released new LP XIX with new-age vibes and a guest vocal on excellent lead off track “Laudanum” from frequent collaborator Mimi Goese. Kingston based, Israeli Oud player Omer Shemesh released a beautifully minimalist “Tiz Al Nabi” along with a remix by neighbor Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, and the Woodstock-Melbourne collaborative new project Rabbitsss sent in their debut EP with lovely minimal electronic pieces, my favorite track being the chiming “Adrift.” We also just added the 2024 release Tape Head by Kingston’s Larry Legend, an interesting guy who went from the bluegrass scene into making ambient soundscapes that evolve and expand in unique ways. He bandcamp also has the release Dailies which is 365 tracks, one created every day in 2025. Wallkill’s Mossy Undertones makes hazy tape loop pieces and sent in new track “Blue Dasher”, not to be confused with Albany area slowcore group Blue Ranger, who I have been loving lately, check their 2024 release Close Your Eyes and look for new stuff from them soon. Another gem from Red Hook, the duo Caves Tonight sent in two recent tracks that blend field recordings and waves of synth beds, in what they call #NatureCore. That should be the official genre of the Hudson Valley. 

But wait there’s rock! Kingston’s Orangutwins, long time band that just relocated from southern Vermont, sent in their EP We Are A Genius with its surf and garage rock influences, and light hearted approach. Plus, two new tracks from psych-shoegazers The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, check out the lush “Love, Light, Beauty & Truth”.

-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.