Real Journalism written by people
Making a living as a musician is hard enough in the USA. What’s it like in the UK? The Star got a report from anti-folk busking band Slack Mallard, who are from the region of Cornwall in southwestern England. The group consists of Aaron Barnes on Mandolin, Brian Dunbar on percussion, Ash on banjo, and Adam Whittaker on guitar. Together […]
Garland Jeffreys, the Brooklyn born rock and roll singer and songsmith, is hanging up his spurs. His retirement, hopefully an opportunity for him to relax with his family and enjoy the rest of his life, is our loss. I know Garland Jeffrey’s music very well, having stumbled upon his records perchance somewhat earlier on (for me at least) in his […]
BIG|BRAVE A Gaze Among Them (Southern Lord) Helium Horse Fly Hollowed (Dipole Experimental Records) It’s little wonder that the bone-crushing Montreal trio BIG|BRAVE attracted the attention of the dirge merchants at Southern Lord. Founded 21 years ago by Sunn O))) guitarist Greg Anderson, the label has become an emblem for the droney, doomy, stoner side of experimental metal. After […]
In 2008, a bearded and tatted up Alabama man named Jamey Hamm founded Roots Café in Brooklyn’s South Slope. The goal: bring back the grungy community center that was the typical indie coffeehouse of yesteryear. The shop still hides between a pharmacy and a cell phone store at the corner of 5th Ave and 18th street. An old-country rock’n’roller, Jamey […]
“Stanley John Mitchell And His Band of Buddies” might be a long band name but the man behind it has certainly had a deservedly long career. Originally from New Zealand, Mitchell arrived on the west coast of the US in the late ‘70s with his band Red Alert who had been backing the New Zealand theatre troupe Red Mole. After […]
In May, Record Union released the 73% Report, so named for the 73% of surveyed musicians who reported suffering from “…negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and/or depression in relation to…music creation.” Though this number would set off alarm bells in any other industry, it does not register the same shock in the music world. Sure, we grieve the untimely […]
A talented multihyphenate is accurately one way to describe Valentin. Lamar Stephens, known to his listeners and fans as Valentin Lamar, answers the phone at 9:30 pm. I can hear the sound of utensils tumbling around a plate, the chaotic rustling of bagged chips — he’s having dinner, and we begin our interview. Valentin is a Brooklyn based DJ, Producer […]
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. […]
I’ve never been to Africa And it’s your fault – Swamp Dogg In 1970, the black American rhythm and blues singer and songwriter Jerry Williams, originally from Virginia, changed his name to Swamp Dogg. Recalling this transformation, he wrote, ”I wanted to sing about everything and anything and not be pigeonholed by the industry. Since then I have sung about […]
Hot on the heels of their recent Folk Festival, this June Brooklyn’s Jalopy Theatre and School of Music host the Brooklyn International Music Festival. Now in its fourth year, this slightly more petite festival shines the spotlight on a wide variety of international sounds, all emanating from New York City. Unlike other festivals such as WOMAD where artists from around […]
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 […]
Three great bands for $5 in a beautiful, old-school venue in Brooklyn is almost unheard-of these days. However, that’s just what Jeannie Fry and the good folks of Red Hook Roxx offer every Friday night at Rocky Sullivan’s. Fry first set foot in Rocky’s about three years ago, when the bar was still at its old location, just a […]
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 […]
