Well, November sure went by quickly, didn’t it? Not only are we deep into the holiday season now, but apparently it’s also prime release season because SO. MUCH. awesome local music dropped this month. So stop reading this and go gobble up some of those sweet, sweet tunes below.

Reviews by TJ Foster

The Sugar Hold - “Ooh La La”
If there's one thing to know about the 518 music scene, it's that nobody has more fun than The Sugar Hold. "Ooh La La" is the first taste of their new EP, QUICKIE, and it is pure fun, through and through. Gimme gimme gimme some more of that sweet sweet surf-rock.

Girth Control - “Scottish Dave’s”
The raucous ska/punk rockers drop a Beastie Boys-tinged waltz in tribute to their favorite dive bar in CT. I've never been to Scottish Dave's, but Girth Control sure make it sound like a party. Cheers, dudes.

Cassandra Kubinski - “Comes Down To You”
There's something so comfortingly hazy about Cassandra Kubinski's latest single. It's beautiful songwriting with meticulously arranged harmonies, thoughtful chord progressions and well-produced instrumentals. Reminds me a bit of Grace Potter, actually.

grape juice! - “DRIVE YOU CRAZY”
Man, grape juice! just keep getting better. Leaning into indie-pop really suits them, and "DRIVE YOU CRAZY" honestly sounds like a radio tune from a major label band. (Is that even a thing anymore?) Calling it now, these guys are going to be the next 518 band to blow up.

Caity Gallagher - “Caught in the Middle”
It's no secret I'm a big fan of Caity's -- her knack for both songwriting and melody is something to marvel at. "Caught in the Middle" is her latest, a perfect tune for a wintry evening by the fire that's sure to put a smile on your face, much like the one you can almost hear when she sings, "dancing circles 'round my mind..."

Arrow Through Me - “Take Care”
These guys came out of nowhere (for me anyways). I may have done a double take when hearing Grace Schifferdecker open up in the chorus -- an uncanny likeness to a young Hayley Williams. "Take Care" is a big, bold debut single from a band that's sure to be rocking the Empire Live mainstage in no time. Crank it up.

E.R.I.E. - “burn out”
I can't really “review” my own band's song and sleep at night so I'll just say this: "burn out" is about feeling like you're falling out of love with the thing you've been passionately doing for the majority of your life. It was a strange feeling to cope with, and hope someone somewhere can relate to the sentiment.

Audigrafx - “Old Man Rap”
Audigrafx is AB the Audicrat, Xkwisit and Emcee Graffiti (get it?) and it's yet another example of how hot our local hip hop scene is. The raps are tight, the beats are interesting, and the whole thing just exudes swagger. AB is definitely a producer to keep an eye on.

Deanna Deluke - “Charlotte”
Let me be the first to say, it's so nice to have you back, Deanna. "Charlotte" is listed as a demo, which is astonishing because, ahem, it's really fucking good. Deanna's whispery voice sounds particularly confident here, gliding atop a minimalist acoustic guitar. Makes for a rather catchy song and I can't wait to hear what's next.

Millington - “RADIO (Sad Song)”
They call themselves "brass emo" and what a trip down memory lane this is. I feel like I'm back in high school, in a crowd at Warped Tour back before we were blissfully unaware at how problematic that festival was. But I digress. "RADIO" is a certified bop for fans of Less Than Jake and Cartel, and I'm real into it.

Lucid Street - “Potential Redemption”
The debut single from the always-hustling Lucid Street showcases some truly impressive ivory tickling. The vocal arrangements are also quite a feat. This quintet has set out to modernize classic rock around the Capital Region over the last few years, and that's certainly apparent on "Potential Redemption".

NOAH XO - “Friday”
I was first introduced to Noah XO with last month's Hot Singles. He's back already with another single, and my god this kid has a bright future. Earworms galore, and in case you're wondering, yes: it blows that Rebecca Black song out of the water.

YORT - “Mojave” (Live)
According to YORT's Bandcamp bio, they are "currently busy trying not to become a jam band" and if "Mojave" is any indication, I'd say they're succeeding. What really stood out to me about this one -- besides how tight these guys sound live -- is Seth Biskind's powerful vocals which have a certain emotional growl to them that really cuts like a knife. Certainly catch these guys live if you get the chance.

Watch Reggie Run - “Christmas Moon”
There was almost no Christmas music on this list, and I thought that would've been a travesty. Father-son duo Watch Reggie Run saved the day on that one. Acoustic guitar and some jingle bells form the back drop to this delightful children's-punk holiday song. Now put on a Santa hat and sing along, for elf's sake!

Spotify users can also check out November’s playlist right here.