Superheroes, spinning records, and beer

Hello Sourcers!

I must confess I had an “is summer over?” moment this week and was happy to notice that July still has another week of kicking around.

So what’s good this week? We’ve got

💥 Crash landings & Endless summers

⚫ Spinning records at the "cool" end of the WSKG Studios

🍺 Beer & snacks

Now I normally keep my hard-core nerdery out of these emails (at least I think I do? I suppose opinions might vary), but it happens that this week my nerdism has a local connection. This summer is, happily for me, chock full of superhero movies, and this week is the premiere of The Fantastic Four. But did you know that in the very first issue of the Fantastic Four, back in 1963, the superpowered quartet crashed their spaceship somewhere just north of Ithaca?

Apologies for the grainy image. I just wanted to establish that I had proof and was not making up things about made-up things.

Does this mean I can go to the movies this weekend and count it as “work?” No, it does not.

Does it mean that Ithaca should declare a Fantastic Four day?

Yes, yes it does.

As for what’s going on beyond summer blockbusters, I’ve got my eye on the Endless Summer Festival this Saturday in downtown Binghamton. New kid on the festival scene, going all the way back to 2024. A full slate of bands and a whole bunch of food vendors sounds like the perfect way to expand my Binghamton knowledge beyond spiedies. Okay, I have also familiarized myself with Garage Taco Bar. On multiple occasions. Not to mention two nifty little comic book stores, Fat Cat Comics in Johnson City and Sound Go Round in Vestal. But I promised to keep the nerding to a minimum.

Also apparently the Endless Summer Fest will feature a food truck called The Donut Lab. I wholeheartedly support donut-related science.

I want to cue up our new feature here at Locally Sourced: Record Swap. This one requires a little bit of backstory. See, the WSKG Studios here in Vestal are a bit of a sprawling office layout (we’re actually in an old school). And the folks at the far end of the building from my office, over where engineering and content production live, have declared themselves the “cool side of the building.” They even got themselves a turntable set up.

(my side of the building has a little espresso machine, because some of us are working)

So we thought it’d be fun to have staffers swap records and let us know what they think. Adam and Sharon decided to kick it off with a couple that have local connections, including at least one WSKG staffer in the band.

What’s on your turntable—or, I dunno, in your tape deck?—in these waning days of July? And what other Binghamton recs (that's recommendations, not records) have you got for me?

See you in the funny pages, Sourcers.

Bob Proehl

Locally Sourced Editor

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Tom Jolu’s Live at Abandoned Studios delivers a powerful punch of punk and indie rock, fronted by wholehearted vocals and layered with horns, guitars, and sometimes synths. This live EP stands out not only for its big presence and dynamic sound, but also for its physical presentation. The record is pressed on clear vinyl with a purple splatter and packaged between two photos of a warmly lit and cozy studio, where it was mixed and mastered locally. The care taken to create this special Record Store Day release is an excellent indicator of all the talent and energy captured inside the physical media. It is a product of immense local talent and collaborative passion, culminating in a lively record with great replay value.

This is my very first listen to anything from Tom Jolu, and it makes for a great introduction. Vinyl records are my favorite medium for live recordings, second to being there in person. This EP feels like both, thanks to its loud yet balanced sound that fills the room, which is the best part of any live session recording. The softest track, “Daylight,” is given just as big a stage as its loudest, “Can’t Get Enough.” With that, the EP pivots from a rich and dreamy guitar-centric ballad at the end of its A-side into a punk-rockabilly eruption kicking off the B-side.

The lyrics and vocals are equally intriguing. Tom writes about personal growth and affection for a community that has supported him through ups and downs.The band honors past hardships with this track and pledges to continue ahead together.

Live at Abandoned Studios runs for a little over 20 minutes, just enough time to brew and drink a cup of coffee. I like this EP how I like my coffee: full-bodied and very energizing.

—Adam Striley

Amber Rubarth's Wildflowers in the Graveyard. What a wonderful metaphor for the conceptual theme that runs throughout this album: life, death, rebirth in nature and relationships. This LP resonated with me right away and drew me in for a real treat. Amber connects the listener with the natural order of the cycle of life in a rewarding way. She sings with a silky, characteristic voice, echoing a sweet lullaby’s assurance.

I found Wildflowers in the Graveyard soothing, reflective, and quite uplifting. I could feel stress fade away as I settled into the groove, vibe and theme of thIs album.

Wishing Song, “…and I wish our love was a song so when anything went wrong, we'd just cross it out and try another rhyme.".

"Best I Can", Captivating!

"The Mystery of Light", triggered my Siri command to turn on a grouping of smart lights in my listening room to adaptive lighting mode. This song is energizing, and it was a technical mystery of light. Phenomenal, an unanticipated and illuminating listening experience!

This album was a real treat to listen to on vinyl, but although the vinyl is out of print,it’s available on CD and music streaming platforms.

You can also check out a performance by Amber on WSKG’s Expressions, and on an upcoming episode of Expressions, recorded earlier this month and premiering in September!

—Sharon Gould

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Hey everyone, this week, it's just me (Peter). This time I kept it local with the largest brewery in the Binghamton area, Beer Tree. I went to the Farm location with my wife Jocelyn, so I had some assistant tastebuds.

My first choice was Photosphere, a very creamy IPA, but not as far as to be a “smoothie” beer. The mouth feel was soft, and the hop profile leaned to the bitter side, giving a detailed balance of flavors. Coming in at 4% it’s an amazingly drinkable beer and one you’d enjoy having by the pool.

Jocelyn had the Pollinated Paradise, a fruited sour that came in at 5.2%. While she normally leans towards a much more tart sour (she wants to pucker from a sip) she still enjoyed this easy drinker. Fruit forward and velvety, this would be the perfect beer for a boat ride or as a refreshing hit on a really hot day.

By this time, our food came, a pork bahn mi and a pulled pork sandwich, both upgraded to the Foxy Fries for the side (highly recommended). We sat outside with the beautiful weather, they had hot air balloon rides from Brothers Over Broome in the large field, and it was packed! Luckily, Beer Tree has done very well at spacing things out: it was busy but never crowded, plenty of space for families to enjoy.

I ended the night with Campfire Tales, a 9.1% stout that comes in a 10oz glass, it pours pitch black with little head. The name is accurate for this beer, I sip it and I cannot help but want to sit for a few more hours until the sun goes down, the fire pit gets going and a s’mores in hand. Malty, marshmallow sweet, and boozy enough to be a treat in itself, it’s a perfect end to a great night at Beer Tree Farm.