News Archive

Photo of BT and MotherJudge at Tess' Lark Tavern by Luanne Ferris appears courtesy the Times Union.

Albany soul rock singer-songwriter Bryan Thomas was one of nearly a dozen musicians selected by the Times Union to take part in the newspaper's challenge for a musical twist to the annual "Best of the Capital Region" issue, which posed the following question:

"What's your favorite thing about your community? And how would you set it to music?"

It didn't take long for Thomas to settle on singer-songwriter Caroline Isachsen, a.k.a. MotherJudge, and the community she's built around her "Best Damn Open Mic Night Ever" at Tess' Lark Tavern.


"For anyone else on the planet, being a singer and songwriter with as much talent and passion as MotherJudge would be enough. But the good mother (a.k.a. Caroline Isachsen) is also a passionate and tireless supporter of arts in the Capital Region, especially with her legendary open mic nights, which have existed in one form or another at practically every venue in Albany. I'm beyond grateful for her support, encouragement and inspiration over the years - and I'm grateful to be included in the community of misfit musicians and poets and artists she's nurtured with her open mics, which are indeed like open arms."

Learn more online - and see the video - at bryanthomas.com/motherjudge.

What is Sugar Cookie?

Sugar Cookie is a band by proxy; none of the musicians on this recording performed in the same room at the same time. Instead, each phase of the recording was transferred between contributors via the internet and US mail.

Album producer Dan Sorensen conceived of a unique way to make music with artists he admired but whose schedules did not allow for a more traditional collaboration. He recorded complete drum arrangements and passed them on to 4 songwriters: Bryan Thomas, Ben Karis, Martha Kronholm, and Troy Pohl. Each writer applied a unique treatment to their respective pieces and returned them to Sorensen. Olivia Nix then provided supporting vocals to both Karis tunes. From there, the tracks were passed on to Bob Buckley to record bass. Finally, Frank Moscowitz, (in addition to his duties as co-producer, engineer, and mixer) provided guitar, vocal, and keyboard tracks to complete each recording.

The result is a surprisingly cohesive record, and a warm representation of the vibrant Albany, NY music scene.

Soul rock singer-songwriter Thomas contributes two songs: the radio-friendly rocker "Anythang," a lament to the teeny-bopper singer-songwriter of the week, and the soulful "Jealous," which plays on his hesitations in participating in a project with so many talented musicians and songwriters - even calling them out by name.

Learn more at the official site. Stream the full tunes at MySpace. And enjoy.

From Metroland:

Saturday night (Sept. 24) at the Lark Tavern saw the blending of two worlds: the rockers and the fashionistas (we're guessing it made for one hell of an after-party). Local designers presented their clothing lines while Bryan Thomas soul-rocked-out wearing a Liability T-shirt (by local designer Tommy Watkins) in between models strutting their stuff on the catwalk.

For more pictures of this event (and the before-and-after craziness), check out www.thehiddencity.com.

Photo Credit: Chris Shields

Albany soul rock singer songwriter Bryan Thomas will officially release his new album, SPY LOVE BOX, Saturday, July 30, 2005.

The release will coincide with a party at Tess' Lark Tavern to celebrate the new music video for the song "Babylon," from the 2004 album of the same name.

SPY LOVE BOX is the sequel to the BABYLON record. It began as a short collection of solo-acoustic demos recorded live in Bryan's bedroom July 4, 2004, and grew over the next several months. The album picks up where BABYLON left off with more songs reflecting on bombs over Baghdad and the birth of a baby girl.

The "Babylon" music video was filmed over three days in the fall of 2004 on location at Tess' Lark Tavern on Madison Avenue in Albany. The video was directed by screenwriter and producer Carl W. Liss of Los Angeles in partnership with GoPicture Productions and Bionic Media of New York City.

Details on the release of SPY LOVE BOX and the party for the "Babylon" music video are forthcoming.

Overcoming a lethal cocktail of the common cold and cat allergies, Albany soul rocker Bryan Thomas recently completed vocal duties on nineteen songs being recorded for Rise and Shine, an epic new musical by New York City's Jed Davis and Arturo Vega. Contributors to the project include CJ Ramone, Kitty Kowalski of the Kowalskis, Maryann Fennimore of Crescent and Frost, and Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones - with more to be announced.

On one track, a "drunk" Thomas in character as "Jonah" accosts a yuppie played by Ramone, only to have Barrett's "Tank" character save his ass from a serious beatdown.

Updates on the progress of Rise and Shine are available online at jeddavis.net - as is Jed's must-read, tell-all memoir documenting the Albany music scene of the late nineties.