In an age of corporate mega shows and stratospheric ticket prices, it’s reassuring that there are so many opportunities to support independent music right here in our region.
One inspiring proponent of indie music is Kingston-based Dromedary Records who this weekend present their second installment of Dromfest, a showcase of awesome indie bands with fan-friendly ticket prices.
“Last year’s festival was a great time and a beautiful vibe with an afterglow that lasted for weeks,” says Dromedary’s Al Crisafulli. “Almost immediately after, people were reaching out and asking if I’d planned to do another one.”
This year’s festival will take place this Friday through Sunday at the Avalon in Catskill, featuring acts beloved in indie circles like King Missile, The Figgs, Scrawl, and plenty of others.
“Al at Dromedary is clearly a lover of music,” says Pete Donnelly of The Figgs. “He’s providing an opportunity for a wide range of artists to participate in something not just fun, but vital to our existence. I’m looking forward to playing a show where everyone involved is psyched to be there.”
Based up the river in Saratoga Springs with over a dozen albums under their belts, The Figgs have been pumping out well-respected power pop for over 35 years and have also backed other artists now and again, such as Tommy Stinson of the Replacements.
Scrawl, from Columbus, Ohio, have likewise been playing together continuously since the mid-1980s.
“It’s hard to ‘break up’ when you’re friends and enjoy hanging out and playing music together,” says bass guitarist Sue Harshe. “Marcy [Scrawl’s singer-guitarist] and I live less than a mile from each other and probably text each other every day.”
Being an all-female band provided some challenges back in the day, but Scrawl’s members always looked out for each other whenever studio engineers acted dismissive, or club owners tried to stiff them.
“I can’t honestly say how young women musicians are treated today, but there are a lot more women making music now and that’s awesome,” Harshe says. “Maybe one thing that levels the playing field is being able to record so easily at home. Technology is so much more approachable now. I know if we had had that capability as young musicians, it might have given us more confidence earlier on in the recording process.”
Some of Scrawl’s albums, like Velvet Hammer, were engineered by producer Steve Albini, who’s been much in the news lately since his passing two months ago.
“We worked with Steve a lot, it’s a huge loss to humanity that he died so young,” Harshe says, “and it’s a huge loss to Marcy and me because we loved him. He was a good and decent human being and, as Marcy has said, if it wasn’t for him entering our orbit when he did, we probably would not still be a band.”
In addition to presenting bands that have been playing together continuously for years, Dromfest is also proving to be somewhat of a lightning rod for reuniting bands. Cell, a New York band championed by Sonic Youth in the early 90s, is getting back together for the first time in 30 years, and are also producing a new single to be released on Dromedary.
“It feels really challenging to bring all the parts together to reform a band spread over two continents,” says Ian James of Cell, whose members now live in New York, Los Angeles, and Berlin. “If we were writing letters back-and-forth trying to get this done I doubt it would have happened, but I guess we could have picked up the phone!”
Cell was part of a moment, which seems hard to imagine now, when labels were scouring scenes and signing hundreds of indie bands at a time.
“When I first joined Cell none of us knew that within a few month’s time we’d be signed to DGC,” says James. “We were trying to figure out who we were, what our creative voice and goals would be. Suddenly Nirvana hit and record labels were flashing money to bands that never dreamed they would be in a position to make a living from their music.”
The upshot of the trend was that a lot of relatively unknown bands got a chance at a career. The downside was that many bands who didn’t hit quickly were either shelved or dropped just as randomly.
Babe the Blue Ox, who play Dromfest on Sunday, had already been playing together a few years when they signed with RCA for a few albums, so perhaps were better positioned to keep on playing when big label interest in indie acts began to fade.
“Babe the Blue Ox is a gang,” says singer Tim Thomas. “We’re still doing it because it’s fun. And because it’s an excuse to get together and gossip. Sometimes we talk as much as play. And make jokes. And talk about music. Some folks have bridge games that go on for decades. We’re bridge partners. I hope we’re still making recordings when we’re 80.”
Another secret to the band’s success is that they just play so well together.
“Any good musician is also a good listener,” says Thomas. “You’re looking for the perfect riff, or moment. If you do it a lot with the same people, you can get to the sweet stuff faster, then you hit record.”
Some of the acts at Dromfest are also signed to Dromedary, such as Cathedral Ceilings, who have a new album coming out this month. Drummer Nick D’Amore explains what makes his band tick.
“Ralph’s voice is the star of the show, he’s got a nice fat, loud, gnarly guitar tone and plays hard,” he says. “As a drummer in a trio, you have to have incredible chemistry with your bassist to achieve that power, it almost has to go beyond playing tight. It’s fun to explore dynamics and play off each other in a song that’s 100 mph and under two minutes.”
The members of Cathedral Ceilings have a good understanding of how to partner with a label in today’s environment to get your music out.
“We definitely share the responsibility of promotion,” he explains. “Dromedary will secure PR, help coordinate videos, figure out distribution, and get our record on left-of-the-dial radio. The band has to keep the content train rolling on social media. And, of course, we’re expected to get out there and rock.”
Al Crisafulli definitely does not think of the indie scene as something which has already peaked.
“I don’t know that there’s been a time when the label has been more fun and personally rewarding than right now,” he says. “Every person I talk to around here is doing something exciting and beautiful and interesting. What time could be better than right now?”
In addition to Dromedary Records and events like Dromfest, Crisafulli is a constant proponent of eclectic music via his Signal to Noise radio show which he’s been hosting for nearly ten years, currently broadcast Monday nights on WGXC.
“It’s a freeform show that delves into various sounds, with hints of punk, electronic, ambient, noise rock, experimental music and grooves from all over the world.”
Does Crisafulli have any advice for young bands just starting out?
“The most successful bands I know make music, not necessarily money. It’s not how many records you sell, it’s the creation of the art itself. My advice would be to focus on making music that brings you joy, that way you’re satisfied with it regardless of whether there’s a financial component to it. And also try to do things that enrich your community, support other artists, treat others well. We all do better when we lift each other up.”
For the complete list of bands and this weekend’s schedule, see Dromedary’s website at dromedary-records.com. You can buy tickets for a single day or a discount ticket for the whole weekend, which includes not only music but readings and a film screening as well. And, whenever your ears need a rest, the Avalon serves homestyle Korean food and has a vintage chill-out lounge upstairs from the performance space.
Join the family! 
