Top local band of 2022: dblgoer!!

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Times Boredom

That’s right Capital Regioneers, our favorite band this year is a well known duo of hardcore scene vets called dblgoer! Though they’ve only been around a couple of years, they’ve played their way into our hearts and pants.

dblgoer in their natural state: performing at a Superdark show at Desperate Annie’s in Saratoga Springs

dblgoer (or doublebasslifegrowingbrighter as it’s pronounced in ancient algebraic where it they hail from) is made up of Matt Heuston (aka Matth also of Glitter of Cohoes, Che Guevara T-Shirt, Friends of the Library, Catacomb Gypsy Vagina, and Lack of) on guitar, highly processed vocals and pedals and John Olander (of the Sugar Hold, Handsome Faces, Che Guevara T-Shirt, and THE Latent) on percussion and various electronics and pedals. This super experienced post-rock duo has graced stages from Albany to Troy, from Saratoga Springs to… Troy!

While it’s true they haven’t been on tour yet and keep recording, mixing, rerecording, remixing, and unrecording their as yet to be released single/album… tracks? they’ve certainly made astonishing inroads with fans and readers of Times Boredomland, who have voted the newcomers to the top spot in the first year they’re eligible for the list!

An image as mysterious as the band and their highly original eclectic post music that came from their bandcamp page

Being new gives dblgoer an incredible opportunity to define and redefine themselves as they see fit, as all that anyone really knows is they’re a couple of gingers that’ve been in a dozen local bands that have now found their own unique voice as a highly popular highly anticipated duo showcasing both of their many idiosyncratic talents.

In addition to also, having won this honor surprised no one moreso than dblgoer themselves. While their shows have been well attended, they didn’t realize the dizzying heights of popularity they’d risen to within their brief period bombarding the scene with many gigs within a small period of time. To show their appreciation, they agreed not only to answer our survey questions but also to pose for glamor photos (below):

Interestingly enough this number one slot came with cash prize money. Unfortunately, Times Boredom required a professional electronic press kit (epk) to collect this prize. And although dblgoer did produce an epk, it did not contain any pictures of the band members without instruments staring blankly at the camera or looking away thoughfully. Since said photo is a requirement for a pro epk, dblgoer did not receive any of the cash. Here is the photo they submitted instead.

TimesBoredom: Congratulations on being in Times Boredom’s Top 10 local bands! Honestly, how much of an honor is this for you?

Matt Heuston aka matth: It’s the most we could’ve hoped for

TB: Did you release any music in 2022?

matth: No, but there were some live things on youtube. WE did some demos, but held off on doing anything with them.

TB: What was your favorite show that you played in 2022?

matth: Maybe our Desperate Annie’s show with sky furrows, because Sky Furrows is great. But all the DA shows were fun to play, owing to the sound of the room and the people that come out for Super DArk Mondays .

TB: Who was YOUR favorite local band in 2022?

matth: Ice Queen, hands down.

In case anyone is unaware, the whole purpose of this silly top ten list in the vast sea of unnecessary and useless lists of ‘best’ things (it used to be called the ‘worst’ list but then we found that people were using it in their press kits and we didn’t want them to have to write ‘worst’ and then explain the irony or whatever) is to promote and bring all viewers and readers to the music. So thanks to dblgoer, everyone that voted in our top local bands survey and not only all the terrific bands that made the list but every other band that we like, love, and hate in equal measure (some more so than others) that didn’t make the list but were voted for. Please go visit each and or all of them on bandcamp or better yet the next time they play live in a club near you:
dblgoer
100 Psychic Dreams
Haunted Cat
architrave
haley moley
sky furrows
the abyssmals (now with 2 S’s!)
the sugar hold
madeline darby
bruiser and bicycle
jason martin
sinkcharmer
lemon of choice
ice queen
merci van
william hale
brent gorton
Stephen Gaylord/Gay Tastee
Laveda
blood blood blood
prom sex
zombie giuliani
schenectavoidz
swamp baby
sime gezus
connor armbruster
battleaxxxx
broken links report broken links visit broken links tell us about your broken links have fun dancing without broken links

More fun with 100 Psychic Dreams

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Times Boredom

So in addition to all the ‘in addition to’ stuff we wrote about 100 Psychic Dreams in our earlier article, Superdark superstar of the Psychic Dream Waves Shane Sanchez responded to our survey questions.

…And here they are!

Times Boredom (TB): Congratulations on being in Times Boredom’s Top 10 local bands! Honestly, how much of an honor is this for you?

Here’s our man, 100 Psychic Dreams in the bricks behind him. Sometimes theyre red, sometimes they’re, um, brick.

100PsychicDreams — hereinafter referred to as ‘1PD’ and yes we think that’s funny /Shane Sanchez: It’s a real shocker!!

TB: Did you release any music in 2022?

1PD: Only a couple of collaborations. Mostly played shows and promoted my 2021 release Bronze Stroker

TB: What was your favorite show that you played in 2022?

1PD: The Sime Gezus album release for sure! Awesome producer showcase with Albany artists PJ Katz, Big Malk, Mitochi, Devin B & myself and killer performances by Sime, JB!!, Juice Mega and Grimewav. What a night!

TB: Who was YOUR favorite local band in 2022?

1PD: I’m gushing all over Prom Sex right now.

TB: Do you have any plans for 2023?

1PD: Lots of collaborations! Excited about my work with Jason Martin, a handful of hip hop artists, working on new Bloodx3 and my second album is almost complete!

And for extra fun (and extra super fucking awesome seriously here ppl you know this is THE SHIT) here’s the collaboration from the superspooky ‘Do the Fright Thing Volume 8’ with 100 Psychic Dreams and Jason ‘Wolfman’ Martin (take a listen… if you liked this article, 100 Psychic Dreams, or anything Times Boredom does in general you should absolutely have a listen to this mindblowingly cool collab between two of our favorite people in the local music scene!:

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 2: 100 Psychic Dreams

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Jessica Goldstein

Superdark supergenius behind 100 Psychic Dreams Shane Sanchez

Making their first appearance on our top ten chart this year is 100 Psychic Dreams, the experimental electronics project of our good buddy Superdark Shane Sanchez!

Most recent 100 Psychic Dreams album cover for ‘Bronze Stoker’, released May 2021

In addition to ruling the scene, Shane Sanchez has been making experimental electronic music for quite some time now. His latest project 100 Psychic Dreams seems to have struck a huge chord with the Capital Region superhip underground music scene (you know, the scene that we’re into and cover). Since 2021 100 Psychic Dreams has released about 2 albums’ worth of material and several singles, including idiosyncratic VHS mashup recordings, experimental illbient, innovative hip hop beats and backing tracks, and a groundbreaking cover of hip old Iggy Pop classic ‘Night Clubbing’

In addition, the electronist (electronicist? Synther? DJ? MC?!!!) has been playing live all over the Capital Region — especially in Troy at our favorite No Fun joint. 100 Pyschic Dreams has also been providing beats for local hip hop shows, playing the aforementioned cover of landmark Iggy Pop song ‘Nightclubbing’ live for the No Fun anniversary fest, improv sets, providing backup beats for various projects…

The cover that won MY heart for 100 Psychic Dreams, a project putting sick beats together with classic 80s horror movies called ‘VCR Vortex Vol. 1’. 100 Psychi Dreams does IT ALL

So is 100 Psychic dreams a DJ/MC? Is it an experimental electronic project? “Synth drenched grimy beat magick”? The beat machine for the entire 518 music machine? Hell yeah it is! It’s like, 100 different things in 1!

And it’s “PSYCHIC”!

(So I’m guessing they knew they’d be number 2 on our charts right out the gate and have been celebrating in advance, laying down those funky beats and noisey treats for all of us to dance dance dance…)

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 3: Haunted Cat

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Jessica Goldstein

Drew Benton/Haunted Cat in performance 2022

In third place for the greatest local band EVER… I mean for 2022.. is HAUNTED CAT! This live 4 piece is a testament and a tribute to the songwriting and presentation talents of Albany punk veteran Drew Benton. Benton writes the songs, plays most of the instruments on the recordings (the last album was performed entirely by Benton and the upcoming record will feature the full band), and dresses it up like no one else in Albany for what are half rock shows and half performance art pieces; anyone that’s seen Haunted Cat will never forget them. Love them or hate them (or start by liking them and end up loving them as most do) when it comes to Haunted Cat you must say — they present a memorable experience everytime they play.

Haunted Cat’s latest album ‘Third Degree Moonburns’

Not to mention that everytime you spin one of their albums you get a memorable experience. In addition to being one of the few performance artists in Albany to really do it ALL up when performing, Drew Benton’s songwriting and performing on the Haunted Cat albums present an entirely original, innovative style and substance that’s seldom if ever been seen before both in the Capital Region and beyond. Blending glam rock with snarling punk and virtuosic guitar pyrotechnics, the effect of listening to a Haunted Cat album is like being transported to a different world. One in which perhaps the seventies never ended, where the original NYC punk was given its due, and where chutzpah and flair still fucking matter!

Another image of an unforgettable performance piece by Drew Benton/Haunted Cat — sometimes planned and or/joined by Eric Jon Tasker (next to the half naked Drew, stage right)

There’s no doubt that Haunted Cat deserves a place on this countdown; we urge you to see any show you can catch them at and download their albums. They stand out like no one else around in terms of the eclectic yet original music they play and the overall transcendently idiosyncratic performance of Mr. Drew. Benton. Do not miss out on the experience that is… Haunted Cat!

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 4: Architrave

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Times Boredom

It’s no surprise that Architrave has once again made the Times Boredom top ten! The power couple duo of Jennifer Maher Coleman and Paul Coleman topped our chart in 2020 with their album ‘This Perfect Day’. In addition Architrave, like most of the other projects heralded by one or more of the Colemans, has a constant presence of laudation here at Times Boredom.

And since we’ve said pretty much everything we can about them, thankfully, they answered some of our questions for this award:

TB: Congratulations on being in Times Boredom’s Top 10 local bands! Honestly, how much of an honor is this for you?

Jennifer Maher Coleman: Always thrilled to be acknowledged by the TB. Please see the attached photo of us victoriously high-fiving upon hearing the news!

TB: Have you released any music in 2022?

JMC: We released a single and video for the song “Lorem Ipsum,” the first single from our forthcoming album (working title: “Out of My Mind and Into Yours”) and contributed a cover of the Fine Grain song “Missing Adult” to the locals-covering-locals compilation “Reproduce This.”

TB: What was your favorite show that you played in 2022?

JMC: Our favorite show was definitely a Halloween event at Radio Bean/The Lamp Shop in Burlington along with Roost.world and many other electronic artists. It featured several stages around the venue, allowing for a smooth, seamless transition between acts and escalated into a fantastic dance party.

TB: Who was YOUR favorite local band in 2022?

JMC: We were very inspired by 100 Psychic Dreams’ beat-making.

TB: Do you have any plans for 2023?

JC: Plans for 2023 – The album is finished, we just expect to be tweaking and mixing for a while longer and making a video to coincide with its release, hopefully this spring.

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 5: Haley Moley

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Jessica Goldstein

What can we say about Haley Moley that we haven’t already said? They’re way too professional to be mentioned on our fake site… (way old inside esoteric joke). Remember when that was true?

Old picture of Haley Moley from back when we first met them

We can certainly say that new for this year is they’re finally putting out a full length record. They’ve put out ep’s in the past that we’ve enjoyed some of which we’ve reviewed (or friends of ours have reviewed), and we’ve ‘heard’ good things about the new album as well (that was at least 2 jokes because we’ve heard so many of the songs off the new album played live already). At one point they were so comfortable with us making fun of them that they made fun of our head writer.

In addition to all the inside jokes we have with/about them (FFS, doesn’t TB have enough of those already?! Half the people that read this get 1% of the jokes! And they’re not even funny, they’re just references and winks and nods…), the songs we’ve heard Haley Moley playing live lately rock us just as hard as those they’ve been playing and recording for the 8 or so years we’ve been around (or is that how long they’ve been around? No, I think they’ve been around longer and we haven’t been around quite that long. They’re definitely older than we are. See, yet another joke that only I get. Not funny! Knock it off!)

Upcoming Haley Moley’s new full length record “Everybody Wins”

And despite their many years on the road and in the recording studio they haven’t slowed down one bit. Haley Moley is itself actually a supergroup; I’m not sure if we’re allowed to tell people this JUICY bit of gossip but their name comes from the combination of DJ Jennifer HALEY and Paul’s long running solo project Mount MOLEY… put those together with small groups from other groups including Andrea Kosek, Mike Broomhead, and Pat Thorpe and have all of them play multiple instruments to create an enormous sounding orchestra of sounds where someone’s always filling in whatever the sound requires for the specific song and you’ve got a super collective of a group (in fact, there were rumors that the Haley Moley supercollective was going to swallow or merge with the Superdark Collective in various guises over the years, neither of which actually came to fruition but all of which served to help the stock prices of both collectives skyrocket!). And even with the smaller groups that came together and have continued to exist alongside the Moley (as the hip kids don’t call them), other groups have even split off and formed more new acts on the side in the meantime. This is a group of prolific musicians to say the least. Do they ever rest? Do they ever sleep? Our sources say no.

Which is why it makes sense although it’s still entirely unfortunate that after this record release Haley Moley will be taking a hiatus (indefinite? Let’s not say that. It’ll make people think they’re taking a ‘Fugazi style nap’) Some of the members will be focusing on personal projects (do babies count as projects? we think so!), and others focusing more so on their other projects AND, knowing, them, probably even more additional projects. Architrave, the HONEY collective, Sinkcharmer, all the albums Paul Coleman has mixed and mastered… the list goes on and on and we can’t keep up with it. It really is amazing that they’ve been able to do all that all these years and maintain a top ten local band that puts out records and plays live more than half of the bands around, and of course, has yet to make a song that isn’t top quality or play a show that doesn’t sound great. Congratulations again to Haley Moley! We hope to see you again soon!

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 6: Sky Furrows

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Jessica Goldstein

Sky Furrows has the unbearable burden of being in the Times Boredom top ten more than any other band in the Capital District. But honestly, how could they not be? Times Boredom is indisputably the arbiter of everything that’s cool (and cool enough to not take itself too seriously) in the Capital Region and has been since 2015.

And is there any cooler band you can think of than this motley gang of 4 vets of the up (and sometimes down)state New York scenes? Every single member of Sky Furrows has carved a name for themself individually in a way that, if there were like a twenty year golden watch given out by the lord of the underground cool, they’d all have one. And NOW they’d all have 3 rings they could kiss (like those asshole Patriot fans — sorry our Editor’s a HUGE Yankees fan and will NOT hear of any story that doesn’t disparage the Bruins at any opportunity we can possibly get…)

And the truth is if ever there was a time for me to say my famously overused ‘Ah hell I done interduced them enough’ Big Lebowski quote it’d be now since Sky Furrows has won just about every award we put out, been reviewed and mocked and praised so many times by Times Boredom there’s nothing left to do but repeat myself… So this time I’m not gonna start going a hundred feet deep with Rambutan and Parashi and links to collaborations with Mike Watt and whatever else…

Instead, I’ll just tell you what they said to me when I asked them some interview questions like ‘how great is it to be in Times Boredom’s top ten YET AGAIN and how surprised are you…’

I’m even getting a lot of use out of this photo. I think I’ve posted it several times. Give someone else a chance to win will you Sky Furrows?!

Congratulations on being in Times Boredom’s Top 10 local bands! What was your favorite show that you played in 2022? Who was YOUR favorite local band in 2022?

Karen Schoemer (for Sky Furrows):
One of our favorite local bands is the Scurves! Love them Scurves!

TB: Do you have any plans for 2023?

KS: We did not release new material in 2022, but we did record a new album in Katonah NY and Easthampton MA and we’re hoping to get it out by the end of the year!

And that’s it. We done tell you all there is to tell. Seriously I really am tired of introducting them. I do this to promote local bands and if all I’m really doing is giving them awards every year and saying how great they are what does that really accomplish? I gotta rethink my choices bro. Seriously.

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 7: The Abyssmals

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Times Boredom

Seriously Idk who made this image (and I know I should as the ‘image caption guy’ but this is the history of rock and roll in a grain of sand. So fucking cool!

You would be hard-pressed to find a band with more style, swagger, and attitude than THE ONLY BAND THAT EVER MATTERED. If you were lucky enough to catch an Abyssmals show in 2022 or any of the previous 6 or 7 years they’ve been playing the Capital Region you were simultaneously jived, hipped, and made obsolete as they kidnapped you in their psychedelic time machine. This hypothetical time machine would make a quick stop during the 90s – but no time for Newcombe’s antics – forego the 80s, and straight back to the 60s, where they probably could have given the Stones a tip or two on how to stay cool.

The Abysmal’s full length “Gospels, Hymns and Other Trash!” released in 2019

While a local favorite these psychedelic ghouls have been expanding their reach internationally AND have had music featured on several TV shows on network TV and streaming platforms. Their debut full-band album, ‘Gospels, Hymns and Other Trash!’ was released in April 2019. They released their most recent single, “Let’s Forget”, in 2020.

Their next show is on Valentine’s Day at No Fun in Troy (presented by ‘Hey Greasy!’) with Vinyl Williams and Hospital Corners. More information on the band can be found on their website.

-Terry Chagrin

Top 10 local Capital Region of NY bands of 2022, Part 8:The Sugar Hold

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Times Boredom

The Sugar Hold burst onto the scene like a bat out of a volcano with a mug of beer in one hand and (of course) a cheeseburger in the other! The relatively new local band is known for their hard partying ways (https://timesboredom.com/2022/10/01/from-now-on-by-order-of-the-city-of-troy-chamber-of-commerce-the-sugar-hold-will-only-be-allowed-to-play-weddings-dances-quinceaneras-and-other-festive-occasions/), their indie surf rock brand of music, and their funny off the wall songs and lyrics. And although they’ve only been around for a few years, they’ve already made a big name for themselves.

The last 2 singles they’ve released have been the campy Halloween track ‘Werewolf, Baby!’ for the ‘Do the Fright Thing’ Halloween comp and, the song they’re most famous for; “Cheesburger”. Cheeseburger’s a danceable partying track that sounds like it comes from a lost age of innocence when rock and roll was super fun, before it got all serious and John Lenon was like ‘this is ART MAN!’. To exponentially increase the party vibe and show how intensely serious they are about the party and the fun they’re joined by local high harmony trio Hold on Honeys for backing vocals that remind you of the doo wops on Monster Mash. And the song is truly about how great, cheap, convenient and what a delicious snack a cheeseburger is. Get me one too!

In addition to being one of the top ten local bands in the area, The Sugar Hold were the first group on the top ten to respond to our request for an interview.

TB: Congratulations on being in Times Boredom’s Top 10 local bands! Honestly, how much of an honor is this for you?

Mikey Baish (for the Sugar Hold):
What an honor!

TB: Did you release any music in 2022?

Sugar Hold: We released our live special “DOPE” on 4/20. This was a full set recorded LIVE at the Jive Hive Live. We released our song “Cheeseburger” ft. Hold on Honeys from that session as a single. Then in October we wrote and recorded a song for the Super Dark Halloween compilation called “Werewolf, Baby!”

Right now we are working on our first real record. We are working with David Rockower aka The Duke Western and it’s been a pleasure so far. We hope to have that out on 4/20 (put it in your calendars) this year as a follow up to DOPE.

TB: What was your favorite show that you played in 2022?

Sugar Hold: For our favorite show it’s a tie between the set we did at Brown’s Brewing Malt Room for Bacchanalia (with our gals the Honeys, E-Block, and best bud/official Sugar Boy Rhoseway) and the Wild in the Trees Skate & Music Fest. WITT was cold as hell, but it was cool to see the “high ollie” contest going on during our set.

TB: Who was YOUR favorite local band in 2022?

MB: I (MIkey) am gonna have to ask the guys each of their favorite bands, but I ALWAYS say dblgoer and BIG Maybe. Dan says Brule County Bad Boys (how could I forget them?!), Matt says Battleaxe and Pencildive

TB: What was your favorite show that you played in 2022?

Sugar Hold: As far as gigs go, ideally we’d like to scale down to one per month. It’s just real tough to turn down some really awesome gigs that have been getting thrown our way. So far we have one of the bigger local festivals booked and look forward to being invited back to Bacchanalia and Wild in the Trees.

TB: Do you have any plans for 2023?

MB: We’re excited for 2023. I think it’s going to be a big year for The Sugar Hold!
Thanks for asking! I appreciate it!