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Read More2014 Album: Between the Snowflakes
Here it is. “between the Snowflakes” is our latest collection of holiday-tinged and winter-themed songs. This year, we’ve got ten songs based on ten short stories. Download the record and the e-book here (all proceeds go to the Food Bank of WNY) DOWNLOAD “BETWEEN THE SNOWFLAKES
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Read MoreAlex Lynne Interview
Note: This is the third in a series profiling members of Buffalo’s original, nontraditional holiday music collective Robot Holiday, which returns to the stage to headline the second annual Holiday Live at Larkin presented by First Niagara on Friday, December 6th, in Larkin Square (745 Seneca St., Larkinville, 5-8pm, free admission, proceeds from CD sales & vendors donated to Food Bank of WNY). Enjoy the first interview with Dee Adams here, and the second with David Mussen here. By Seamus Gallivan Alex Lynne made her mark on Buffalo’s music scene around the turn of the millennium as a sharp songwriter with a sweet voice and sarcastic sense of humor. Once a fixture among celebrations of song from Nietzsche’s to Mohawk Place, she keeps a lower profile musically these days, preferring supporting roles in Robot Holiday and Michael Oliver’s Sacred Band, and otherwise describing her current musical output as, “Alex sometimes tunes her guitar before putting it back in the case.” Alex’s contribution to Robot Holiday, however, is seminal and still significant in the present – as she explains below, she recorded the song that started it all, wrote an annual setlist staple, and remains a charter member of the “Women of Robot Holiday,” who will stand stage center on Friday, December 6th, at the second annual Holiday Live at Larkin presented by First Niagara! How did you first get involved with RH? Jonathan Hughes and I had recently become friends and, in 2001, we decided to do a recording of “Christmas Time is Here” from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. We did a limited run of CDs as an alternative to a Christmas card just to give to our friends and family members. That’s how it all started and turned into what would eventually become Robot Holiday. Has your work with RH influenced your overall approach to making music? To some degree – I definitely enjoy sort of passing pieces of songs back and forth between friends and other songwriters/bandmates I’ve worked with. I haven’t had much space to work on my own music these days, for various reasons, but I’m forever hoping to get back to doing some more of that soon. Alex Lynne stands center with the Women of Robot Holiday, including (L-R) Dee Adams, Jim Whitford, Joelle Labert, Katy Miner, Jonathan Hughes and Cathy Carfagna – photo by Seamus Gallivan What’s your favorite RH song – of your own as well as that of another member? This is a REALLY tough one because there are TONS that...
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Read MoreDavid Mussen Interview
By Seamus Gallivan of The Good Neighborhood David Mussen might be the most prolific Robot Holiday songwriter – he’s developed a knack for serving songs of varied styles that he often doesn’t even perform on himself, able a multi-instrumentalist as he is. Sometimes peculiar, others profound, always poetic, Dave’s songs capture the spirits of so many characters, relationships and moments that define the holiday season.Get to know Dave below, and join us on Friday, December 6th, as Robot Holiday headlines the second annual Holiday Live at Larkin presented by First Niagara! How did you first get involved with RH? According to my copy of the police record, Jonathan asked me if I wanted to write something on October 19th, 2005. He showed up at my house at three in the morning, smelling of paint thinner, threatening that if I didn’t write a song he would kill my cat. I didn’t even have a cat, but I wrote “North Star of My Soul” and “Lonely Christmas Eve” anyway. Click here to listen to and download for free the original 2005 version of David’s “Lonely Christmas Eve” “Lonely Christmas Eve” was the first song that I wrote for Robot Holiday, and maybe my favorite. I think the acid test for a good song is if it can be played as a bossa nova. I had been carrying around the image of sculptures made by the wind since I was sixteen years old, so I was glad to find it a home. Click here to listen to and download for free the rearranged 2012 version of David’s “North Star of My Soul” “North Star of My Soul” was the second song I wrote for Robot Holiday [the original version was recorded in 2005]. The lyrics were originally written for an entirely different song. When Jonathan asked (berated) me to try to come up with something for 2005 I went back to this song, but couldn’t find the music, so I took the lyrics and re-wrote the song. Dave Mussen, Joelle Labert & Dee Adams perform during Robot Holiday Live 2011 at the Sportsmens Tavern Has your work with RH influenced your overall approach to making music? I like writing songs so I’d be doing that anyway, but Robot Holiday provides a thematic challenge that I enjoy. Because there are so many talented people involved, as a songwriter it’s been great because I feel like I can try my hand at various styles of music without worrying whether or not it...
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Read MoreDee Adams Interview
By Seamus Gallivan of The Good Neighborhood Dee Adams’ delightfully disciplined voice commands a wide range of the Robot Holiday canon over the past five years – her own songs are certain standouts for their distinct structures and subjects, and her harmonizing ability makes her a go-to member of the crew when others are solidifying their songs. On a personal note, it was Dee who came to me in 2010 when the group decided to take these songs to the stage for the first time, and with our mutual love of and loyalty to the Sportsmens Tavern that’s shared by most members of Robot Holiday, it was the perfect place to bring this show to life. While we’re all thrilled that Larkin Square has since emerged as a much larger and no-less welcoming home for this event, Dee and I are in turn working together on another holiday-themed event at the Sportsmens, to be announced soon… …In the meantime, get to know Dee below, and join us on Friday, December 6th, as Robot Holiday headlines the second annual Holiday Live at Larkin presented by First Niagara! How did you first get involved with Robot Holiday? I had met Jonathan Hughes while singing harmonies for the Rob Falgiano Band in 2009, and told him if he ever needed a backing vocalist for any of his projects that I’d love to work with him. He took me up on it. That year, 2009, was the first time I was involved with Robot Holiday. Has your work with RH influenced your overall approach to making music? There are a couple of ways my approach to making music has been broadened working with these folks, having mostly to do with recording. Here’s a secret – I don’t love the recording process; I’m much more comfortable performing live shows. Being able to sing and produce a nice tone is where recording vocals starts, but you have to be consistent, flexible, and not waste anyone’s time when you are in a studio environment. I’m still sort of customizing my method of learning, practicing, and recording a vocal part, and being given the opportunity to create parts or solidify existing parts means I’m always honing my craft. I’m continuing to learn how to be a better session vocalist because I get the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned, thanks to Robot Holiday. What’s your favorite RH song – of your own as well as that of another member? I’m...
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Read MoreFeature: Writing Holiday Songs
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to write a Christmas/holiday song, here’s one of the biggest tips: START IN JULY. It can be difficult to think about snowballs and peppermint coffee and fuzzy scarves while you’re on a summer bike ride, but the only way to get a holiday song written and recorded in time for early December is to write it in the heat of summer. In my few years being part of Robot Holiday, I’ve learned to embrace thoughts of winter on a hot and sunny afternoon. Sometimes writing about something that seems so distant gives me a clarity I might not have when I’m in the thick of that something. Images of big fat fluffy feather flakes, or boy scouts trimming boughs off of a tree, or pretty green boxes with pretty red ribbons, become so vivid while I’m dipping my bare feet in a stream and swatting away mosquitoes. A thousand memories of laughter around the dinner table with bellies full of some delicious, extravagant meal, while playing whatever new game we opened earlier that morning, come flooding through, and it’s easy to reconnect with that joy and peace. It also reminds me that as much as I love summer in Buffalo, my very favorite time of the year is just a few months away. It gives me something more to look forward to. I love the change of seasons in Western New York, and do things to embrace what spring, summer, and fall offer us here, but I LOVE Christmas time. It’s my favorite. So, if you’re an aspiring songwriter hoping to write a holiday classic this year, time’s a-wastin’, set pen to paper and get that song done! Sometimes writing about something that seems so distant gives me a clarity I might not have when I’m in the thick of that something....
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Read MoreFeature: Helping the Food Bank
With the help of Larkin Square, First Niagara Bank, and all of our fans, Robot Holiday has raised over $13,000 for the Food Bank of Western NY.
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Read MoreFeature: Rob Lynch
By Seamus Gallivan A true renaissance man, Rob Lynch might be the busiest musician in Western New York – the list of running gigs he lists at the bottom of this piece is exhaustive, but proven not quite exhausting by a simple search of his name on this site, which reveals even more places he’s played of late. Amazingly, music is not even his full-time gig – Lynch is an art teacher at Niagara Falls High School by day. Lynch’s expansive drumming abilities alone endear him to a wide range of musicians in need of a backbeat; his status as an extraordinary gentleman seals the deal. His work with Robot Holiday takes it further, as he’s not only the main man behind the drums but also a singer/songwriter of much of their robot-themed material, often employing an electro-lounge vibe that’s at once weird and warm – such songs might seem creepy if we didn’t know Lynch better…or do we? Get to know Lynch below, and join us on Friday, December 6th, as he and his Robot Holiday bandmates leave the robots at home in favor of an all-human, two-hour set at the second annual Holiday Live at Larkin presented by First Niagara! How did you first get involved with RH? Well over a decade ago, Jonathan used to design the most spectacular holiday cards. Getting one in the mail was like receiving a very special gift. I found it very inspiring; I wanted to be involved. Designing cards turned to designing music, which turned into Robot Holiday; at first, I was simply called in as a friend to play some drums. Now it has became a yearly ritual of sorts, beginning in August with writing songs and recording them well into November, followed by the December show. Rob Lynch decorates his drum set accordingly for Holiday Live at Larkin 2013 – photo from Robot Holiday Has your work with RH influenced your overall approach to making music? It is a much appreciated creative outlet. The “rules” are so open that we approach the recording process in terms of, “Let’s see what happens when we…” I’ve worked on various projects with Jonathan over the years, and each one is very fulfilling. With Robot Holiday, I’ll show up with instruments that I can’t play very well in order to use the technology of the studio to get interesting results. You can imagine how much fun that is – it’s like a mad scientist’s lab! What’s your favorite RH song –...
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Read MoreFeature: Robot Holiday Live!
Robot Holiday will be performing at Larkin Square on Friday, December 5th, 2014. http://www.larkinsquare.com/things-to-do/events/
About Robot Holiday
Random Songs
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Rob Lynch
An award winning teacher, Rob has taught both Fine Art and Music at Niagara Falls High School, Buffalo Arts Studio, The Albright Knox Art Gallery, Artpark, The Burchfield Penney Art Center, Alder Creek Music, Lewiston Porter High School, and various Buffalo Public Schools as a teaching artist with the Arts In Education Institute of WNY. His combined years of teaching nearly equal his years on the planet. Always looking to wear more hats, Rob has worked as a contributing reviewer for the Buffalo News and a hat model for Buffalo Spree Magazine. He kids you not.
Rob’s Multidisciplinary background has found a home in various places: He has produced four solo recordings of “bittersweet art pop”, one of which was proclaimed by Buffalo News music critic Jeff Miers as, “One of the best releases of the year, period. Stunning.” His discography as an award winning session musician is long and varied. Highlights include work with national artists Peter Case, Ani Difranco, Rex Hobart, Michael Tarbox and 10,000 Maniacs founders John and Mary. Some of the more interesting musical paths taken include a weekly bluegrass gig with guitarist Doug Yeomans, a soul jazz matinee with organist Ronnie Davis and a yearly recording project of non-traditional Christmas songs known as Robot Holiday. In the early 90’s Rob’s band placed first in the Late Night with Conan O’Brien College Music Search, narrowly missing the grand prize of appearing on the show but gaining a fantastic NBC sweatshirt (now lost). Working heavily in a variety of styles lead to his induction in the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame in 2011 as one of the organization’s youngest members.
Rob has worked as a commercial artist for Media Play Inc, Buffalo Spree, The Hard Rock Café, and The Aquarium of Niagara Falls. Public art exhibitions include Herd about Buffalo, Papergirl (Berlin, Germany), The Hard Rock Café New Years Eve Guitar Drop, and the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation. Rob’s paintings are held in numerous private and public collections nationwide and exhibited in Western New York and beyond through solo and group shows. For more information, visit www.welcometosound.com .
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Alex Lynne
Alex Lynne is an award-winning singer/songwriter who, with Jonathan Hughes, co-founded what was to become Robot Holiday. In 2003, Lynne, Hughes, and David Mussen recorded “Ghosts of Dust and Tar” with Opaline, to critical acclaim. Over the past two decades, she has received top honors as a vocalist and songwriter, with recognition from Artvoice, Buffalo Spree, WBNY, and Nightlife’s Buffalo Music Awards. Alex currently performs with Michael Oliver and the Sacred Band, alongside fellow robots Jim Whitford and Rob Lynch. Alex sometimes tunes her guitar before putting it back in the case. She likes cats, her son Freddy, and maintains that there are two servings, and not seven, in a bag of Stacy’s cinnamon pita chips. Alex was once named WBNY’s Sexiest Female Musician, but at the dark side of 40, her best years are surely behind her.
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Katy Miner
Vocalist and songwriter, Katy Miner, has had the privilege of working with several recording professionals in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Buffalo, including GRAMMY multi-nominee, James Gardiner (Touch-Tone Productions and Pajama Recording Studios), GRAMMY winner, Kevin Irving (Kirv Entertainment), Zakiya Hooker, daughter of the legendary John Lee Hooker, and Buffalo’s Rob Falgiano. Residing now in Buffalo, Katy has been featured in several Buffalo theater productions and with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. She currently works as a background and session vocalist and occasionally sings with the Phil Sims Jazz Quartet. For more information, visit www.katyminer.com .
Read MoreDavid Mussen
David Mussen is a songwriter and musician in Buffalo, New York. He has been a proud member of the Robot Holiday Collective since 2005.
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Naryan Padmanabha
Born into a family with roots extending from India to Ireland, Naryan’s interests in music started at the early age of 8. He started playing Western instruments like drum set and guitar. On these instruments, Naryan created music ranging from punk rock to folk and many places in between.
During his teen years, Naryan began exploring his roots by traveling to India and soon learned the styles of Classical Indian music. Through his travels, he learned to borrow concepts and styles from many world traditions. His main instruments are hammered dulcimer (santoor), sitar, and hand percussion. Naryan has performed with and/or shared bills with Max Creek, Rob Wasserman, Toubab Krewe, The Heavy Pets, Consider the Source, Michael Kang (String Cheese Incident), Steve Molitz (Particle), andFamily FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams. He has also recorded with the world renowned North Indian Classical vocalists V.J. Kichlu and South Indian percussionist T.S. Nandakumar. Naryan has performed on over 15 independently released recordings and has toured the United States and Canada as a performer.
Naryan is also the founder of epochmusic, located in Western New York. The label is dedicated to refined sounds and celebrates diversity through world traditions, electronics and all things unique. For more information, visit www.epochmusic.com and www.sitarjams.com.
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Joe Rozler
Joe Rozler is a singer/instrumentalist in Buffalo, NY who is unaccustomed to referring to himself in the third person.
Grew up listening to The Beatles and Stockhausen. Went to music school.
Performed with many ensembles and artists; some famous, some not-so-famous, and a couple fictitious.
Written/arranged/recorded a couple truckloads of music for hire: advertising jingles, industrial videos, music for video games, and a couple soap opera themes.
Will most likely keep doing the same.