Blog | Music/Arts: Long Island Sound & Beyond

Waiting for a sign
To fall out of the sky that makes me wonder
Baby, are we running out of time
Before they grab our hope and drag us under?
—From “This Town” by Gambit

Former venture capitalist Lyle Kamesaki got a sign one day, “in some random cubicle, at some random office,” that he needed to escape the nine-to-five office grind and pursue his passion.

“I was falling asleep at my desk as I was typing something,” recalls Kamesaki, “and I had this dream where I received the email I was actually typing. This moment was the inspiration for [the song] ‘Maybe’: ‘Memo to myself: Wake up, run like hell.’ And run I did.”

The Harvard grad longed for the excitement of his adolescence, growing up on Long Island, when he would listen to Tool, Notorious B.I.G., and Ani DiFranco. He began writing music and also learned how to record with the help of producer Ido Zmishlany, whom he compares to Obi-Wan Kenobi. But Kamesaki calls Gambit a “collective,” and when Gambit play live, the lead vocalist will be joined by fellow Long-Islanders Jeff Ballantyne on guitar, Peter Anselmo on keys/synths, Dave Kaplan on bass, and Ben Marshall on drums.

Creators of “sincere electronic pop,” in the vein of Postal Service and Owl City, Gambit released an eponymous EP in April, and the arty video for “This Town,” filmed in Rocky Point—featuring everything from convenience stores, Rocky Point High, and bonfires, to “The Anarchist Cookbook,” fireworks, and the beach— will be appearing in four film festivals this month. (In case you haven’t already scanned a QR code in a Levi’s ad that led you to this visceral video, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QddJ6yHak-U)

Kamesaki, who is heavily influenced by film, sees the video for “This Town” in his head no matter where he’s playing:

“The lyrics and video for ‘This Town’ are literally every summer my friends and I had as kids. It’s amazing to me that back in the day, I hung out with all my friends every single day, all day long, and we had nothing to do but get in trouble. Long Island is not the city, but we had fun. Lots of it.”

Catch the sincere collective at their September shows: The CFX Festival, called a “Mini Bonnaroo,” benefits Cancer, Human Rights, and the 9-11 Memorial Museum this weekend at the Chelsea Mansion in Muttontown. Gambit will take the stage Sunday at noon. http://cfxfestival.eventbrite.com/

Then, on September 20th, the band plays Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan, and the 29th brings Gambit back to the island for a benefit show at Adelphi University. Check out: http://www.gambitofficial.com/ ; http://www.facebook.com/gambitofficial

So baby, this is freedom
And finally you’re out on your own
And you left in such a hurry,
But you’ll never get away from this home
—From “Turncoat” by The Narrative

When singer/keyboardist Suzie Zeldin responded to singer/guitarist Jesse Gabriel’s three-page ad for a band member on Craigslist,  they had no idea that they grew up a few minutes away from each other in Bellmore, NY.

“At the time, I was living on the Upper East Side in Manhattan and Jesse was commuting from Long Island on a daily basis for work,” recalls Zeldin. “We spent a lot of time writing together and started playing open mics and small shows around town just to get comfortable. Neither of us had been in a serious band before… And when we decided to record some songs we had written, our producer, Bryan Russell, recommended drummer Charlie Seich, who’s from East Meadow, just 15 minutes away from us.”

This serendipitous meeting led to the creation of their dynamic, indie pop-rock band, The Narrative, named after the Narrative Paradigm theory of storytelling, which is appropriate for their candid tales that range from the cheery (“You Will Be Mine,” “Cherry Red”) to the melancholic (“Trains,” “Winter’s Coming”). After listening to their eponymous full-length which came out in July, it’s clear the Narrative’s diverse, layered sound will take them far. Comparisons have been made to Deathcab for Cutie and, fellow LIer’s, Straylight Run (also known for their dueling male-female lead vocals). While influences include Deathcab, No Doubt, Band of Horses and famed locals Brand New, art and film also inspire the trio.
“I think art and film make their way into our writing both in the form of melody and lyrics, as well as band image,” notes Zeldin. “The album art is a pretty good example of that. We worked with artist Karen Preston to construct a little story that plays out in the lyric booklet, while the outside packaging sets up the landscape.”

To hear sonic soundscapes off their latest 13-track CD, head to the Vibe Lounge in Rockville Centre on Tuesday, August 31st, where The Narrative will be joined by their tour mates The Scarlet Ending (from Syracuse, NY) as well as their friends Statespeed, who are also from the Island. http://www.thenarrativemusic.com/; http://www.myspace.com/thenarrative

Their music has been described as the love child of the Black Crowes and the Counting Crows, but Sunrise Skyline has an eclectic sound which can be heard on their latest full-length, “Hey Friend…” The LI natives have been together for nearly three years, and rhythm guitarist Nick Petrillo says their name reflects their roots—“as the sunrise comes from the east, and the skyline of the city is to the west.”

Influenced by Pearl Jam and the Dave Matthews Band, the quintet also includes Anthony Pravata on lead guitar, Rob Caniglia on drums, Ken Cavallero on bass, and the Caleb Followill-esque sounding lead vocalist, Jon March. The band’s 11-track disc was recorded locally at On Track Recording Studios, and includes rockers like “High” and “Us,” along with some more melancholic songs like “Sunrise” and the cello-laden stand-out track, “Gone,” featuring Jon Preddice from local acoustic-folk-rock band Miles to Dayton on the cello.

Known for their captivating live performances,  Sunrise Skyline is excited to play a sold-out show at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, August, 14th, for their CD release party.  If you don’t have a ticket to the Boulton, you can still head across the street for the after party at TJ Finley’s, where CD’s will be available for $10. And if you’re interested in the top shelf open bar from 10:30pm-1:30am, there will be a $35 cover at the door.  So get ready to sit back and enjoy the Sunrise, because Petrillo says they’re ready to put LI bands and music back in the forefront: “The goal is to have someone be able to put our album on at a back yard party and just let it play all the way through and keep the mood flowing.” For more info check out: http://www.sunriseskyline.com

“One of the great players,” according to B.B. King, blues guitarist Duke Robillard is also a singer, songwriter and producer who has worked with the likes of Ruth Brown, John Hammond, B.B. King, and Bob Dylan. The RI-based bluesman founded Roomful of Blues in 1967, and became a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds (1990-1992) before fronting the Duke Robillard Band. And with a catalog of over 120 songs and numerous Grammy noms and Blues Foundation Awards, the legend shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Having tackled everything from Chicago blues and R&B, to jazz and swing, Robillard decided to return to his gritty roots, of “dirty… finger-bustin,’ down-in-the-bottom git-tar blues” on his latest CD, Passport to the Blues, out August 24th. The 12-track disc is full of Duke originals, with the exception of “Make it Rain,” which was written by Tom Waits, whom Robillard accompanied on Waits’ 2006 tour. While the band won’t start their “Passport” tour until later in the year, you can catch Duke with Bruce Bears on Keys, Brad Hallen on bass, and Mark Teixeira on drums on Sunday, the 25th, on the picturesque Green at Gosman’s Dock in Montauk.

“’Passport’ is mostly original songs with a tougher edge,” says Robillard. “We will be doing some tunes from ‘Passport,’ but also a wide variety of material from my entire career that covers blues, jazz, swing, funk and roots rock and roll…. Early country and mountain music is something I may dabble in yet!” For more info go to: http://www.dukerobillard.com/

Voted one of Long Island’s Best Bands of 2010 by The Long Island Press, Testing for Echo took their name from the subject-line of an email received by singer/guitarist Rich Albergo. The rock quartet—with Eric Mazurkewitz on keys, Pete Koronios on drums and Mike Gaudiello on bass—released their EP “Resolution,” including six songs and three instrumental segue tracks, earlier this month.

“For the writing and recording of ‘The Resolution’ we listened to a lot of the Dear Hunter, Dredg, Muse, and Coldplay’s last album is also a high-water-mark in music for us,” notes Koronios. “I’d love to see us achieve that level of innovation, comfort and artistry, all while making pop songs. It’s a challenge to make that formula consistently fresh and interesting, and we don’t want to be the type of band that makes a record and then says, ‘Okay, we’re done for a while.’ We’re constantly jamming and writing.”

The band has a diverse sound that spans from alt-rock to experimental, with songs like “Epiphany” showcasing their heavier Tool meets Pantera side, and “Over(dramatic)” having more of a pop rock sensibility.  They’ve been invited to play the Vans Warped Tour at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday, July 17th, and will also be playing the Great South Bay Music Festival on Sunday, July 11th. The GSB Music Festival, which runs from July 9th-11th, has been compared to Woodstock. Koronios elaborates:

“After traveling around outside of New York, you realize Long Island is sort of like its own country. [It has a] very distinct and unique, yet broad, culture. The GSB Music Festival celebrates that culture for three days and supports our local arts and music scene. In that sense, it’s much more than just a concert—plus, it’s a wild time.” http://www.myspace.com/testingforecho