EMILY RASULO
Special to The Leader
The music industry has taken a hard hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the current age of the industry, bands both big and small rely on the business of live music to make their living and grow in popularity.
With the absence of live shows happening for the indefinite future, the local music scene in Fredonia misses seeing their favorite bands play at BJ’s and house shows.
However, some local favorites have made good use of their time off, releasing new music.
If you are in need of some new music in your rotation and want to support some local musicians, here are some suggestions for you.
Eerie Shores: “Cover Me”
The Fredonia alumni in Eerie Shores just put out a new single titled “Cover Me” in late August.
This new single was a heavily anticipated return for the band after the release of their debut EP, “Wicked Disposal” last fall. The growth and maturity of the band and their sound is evident in this most recent release.
While the band says that “Cover Me” was written well before the current state of the world as we know it, the raw, emotive lyrics of the song can be applied now more than ever.
According to the band, the song is about “living and trying to grow in an unforgiving world, and not knowing where or who to turn to when you’re overwhelmed with life’s curveballs.”
I think that many listeners can relate to this overall sensation of feeling hopeless when you feel as if you have lost all control, especially during a global pandemic.
In true Eerie Shores fashion, this song is filled with heavy guitars and instrumentation that will keep you interested until the very end.
“Cover Me” as well as the rest of Eerie Shore’s discography can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
Ghostpool: “Tripped Up” and “Look at the Mess We Made”
Punk is not dead.
Another favorite among the Buffalo and Fredonia scenes has blessed us with two new singles after not releasing any material since early 2019.
While many avid fans of Ghostpool have heard these hard-hitting songs at live shows for quite some time, it is certainly exciting to now be able to stream these songs at their leisure.
“Tripped Up” was released July 31, and was accompanied by a music video with footage from Ghostpool’s show at BJ’s last December.
This song has the potential to be stuck in your head for days, while also giving you the dose of modern punk music you have been craving — one of my favorite aspects of Ghospool’s music.
The band released another single, “Look at the Mess We Made” two weeks later on Aug. 14.
Both tracks reflect Ghostpool’s heavy punk influences and movement toward a heavier sound overall.
HAIL! Fredonia Records will be working with Ghostpool this year to assist in promoting the band’s latest projects, including these new singles.
“Tripped Up,” “Look at the Mess We Made” and the rest of Ghostpool’s discography can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
Beach Tower: “A Beach Tower EP”
Calling all indie and alternative fans for this one.
Beach Tower is one of the newer bands to the Fredonia scene, after participating in Music Industry Club’s Battle of the New Bands last fall.
While the band did not win the competition, these guys have wasted no time establishing themselves among the local scene, and have already released a debut EP that has been well-received by their Fredonia peers.
The EP consists of four songs, and each of the tracks display Beach Tower’s dreamier indie-pop sound that is very enjoyable and easy to listen to.
The instrumentation and harmonies on the first track, “In My Bed” immediately drew me in, and these impressive aspects of Beach Tower’s sound remained consistent throughout the whole EP.
Beach Tower is made up of Fredonia sophomores Cascio Fonseca, Jonathan Zareski, Ryan Terry, Evan Donnelly, Patrick O’Brocta and their manager, Connor Bessey-Nolan.
I am really excited to see where this band goes throughout their next few years as students at Fredonia, as they have gotten off to an incredible start.
“A Beach Tower EP” is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.