Real Journalism written by people
With the world – and the arts world with it – shuttering its doors amid COVID-19’s havoc, life as we know it has sputtered to a standstill. That doesn’t erase the months or years that bands and musicians had poured into preparing albums slated for a release whose timing turned out to be impeccably poor. But that also doesn’t discount […]
Few industries are immune to the financial and structural chaos that COVID-19 has wrought. The music business, though, is particularly vulnerable. Essentially made up of dozens of patchwork business models, with the majority of workers being self-employed, there is little relief for the majority of musicians. Broadway is shuttered, bars are closed, weddings are postponed, international tours are canceled, and […]
John Zorn has been more than just a staple on New York’s creative musical landscape: he’s been a defining factor. Like an institution, flowing from one decade to the next, unchanging, yet always updating, he has been here. Flowing seamlessly between genres, linking half a dozen scenes together in a musical cauldron, he is also an artist defined by his […]
As all eyes, ears, and hearts prepare for the wild months ahead leading up to November, everyone everywhere is keenly aware of the political climate (hurricane?) that we’re living through. It’s often hard to know how to act, what to do, or how best to be helpful. Gone is the 24-7 in-the-streets mobilization from 2017, as everyone has been forced […]
When you think of Cuban music, what comes to mind? Perhaps the slow, emotional son and danzon music represented by the Buena Vista Social Club; or the fiery singing from Celia Cruz; or the energetic mambos of Perez Prado; or, if you happen to be the type that digs a little deeper, the Afro-Cuban rumba tradition featuring thick, dense rhythms […]
Help! I’m being swallowed by an avalanche of needless reply-alls! A cascading torrent of “sound’s good’s and “right on”s have squeezed the air out of me. Endless streams of emojis and GIFs berate me from day into night into day again. Needless questions directed at anybody on the thread but me… the “gig economy” (aka freelancing) has taken the form […]
On September 14th and 15th, Zum Schneider will celebrate 20 years in Alphabet City. Known to have some of the most authentic Bavarian food in New York, alongside an extraordinarily curated beer selection, the restaurant will, sadly, be observing its final Oktoberfest this year (at least, in its current location). For their anniversary, they will feature the house polka band, […]
A bright new venue has blessed the shores of Brooklyn this summer. The Sultan Room, (associated with The Turk’s Inn) is the newest exploration in creative venues to open in Bushwick. The multi-room space features takeaway doner kebab, a sit-down restaurant (The Turk’s Inn), and a beautiful music room, The Sultan Room. It’s impeccably thought-out, well-designed for both sit-down shows […]
On March 29th and 30th, the Live Composition Festival was held at the Gemini & Scorpio loft in DUMBO. Over two days, 11 groups presented varying sets that presenting different approaches to “live composition” (also known as “sound painting” or “conduction”), which is a method of signs and signals communicated to a group of performers by a conductor in the […]
Drummer Kenny Wollesen is as in-demand as a drummers gets. He’s recorded extensively with Tom Waits, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Sex Mob, Norah Jones, Sean Lennon, to name just a few. His unending depth in feel, groove, and intuitive response is what sets him apart, and gives him the versatility to feel at home in almost any genre of music. […]
On June 30, Los Cumpleaños will be playing at Bembé. Known as “Rhythm Section Sundays”, a weekly series that has been consistently voted the best late-night Sunday dance spot for years, this is one of the city’s hidden gems. Co-hosted by in-demand singer Mariella Price Brooklyn and mainstay DJ Mickey Perez, the party features some of the city’s best Latin […]
On June 12, Pamelia Stickney (formerly Kurstin) and Brian Dewan will be playing at Barbes, in Park Slope, at 8pm. This duo, collectively listed as Night Pollution, promises to give a unique performance, to say the least. Stickney is one of the world’s leading performers on the Theremin, the bizarre and otherworldly electronic instrument known for its schticky use in […]
On May 15th, John Carlson’s “Buzz” will be performing at Public Records. One of the newer and more promising rooms in a city that continually refuses to be put down by the exploding real estate development, it’s a room that fuses experimental and progressive programming with a love of, well, records and recorded music. Long ago, in another time, the […]
