Category: Genres

  • Tennis announce ‘Swimmer Tour’ with Molly Burch, new album due in February 2020

    Acclaimed indie-pop duo Tennis has announced a major North American headline tour heralding their highly anticipated fifth studio album SWIMMER, due out on Feb.14.

    The first single from the album, and first new music in nearly three years, “Runner,” was released with news of the tour, along with a colorful companion video, directed by longtime collaborator Luca Venter and inspired by singer Alaina Moore’s love of “old musicals and all things Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Bob Fosse.”

    “Runner” was called an “incandescent taste of Tennis’s upcoming fifth LP,” by Australia’s Happy, and Cool Hunting hailed the “Runner” video with advice to “Bliss out in technicolor. The visual treatment is full of sequins, night skies and satin—the ideal accompaniment for Moore’s falsetto, crescendoing synths, and lush production.”

    Known as a captivating and charismatic live act, Tennis will celebrate the recent premiere of “Runner” with a much-anticipated headline performance at Atlanta, GA’s Over/Under Music Fest on Saturday, Nov. 23. The duo has spent much of its existence on the road, including sold-out headline runs, festival sets, tours alongside such like-minded artists as Father John Misty, Spoon, The Decemberists, and The Shins, and most recently, a sold-out summer double bill with Mumford & Sons at Englewood, CO’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre.

    Produced by Tennis and mixed by four-time GRAMMY® Award-nominee Claudius Mittendorfer (Panic! At The Disco, Parquet Courts), SWIMMER sees the Denver, CO-based husband and wife duo of Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore elevating their distinctive pop approach to heretofore unexplored new heights, experimenting with atypical instrumentation, complex time changes, and an increased focus on lyrical storytelling fueled in part by a series of life-changing experiences that only served to strengthen their already powerful personal and creative bond.

    “’Runner’ is the first song we wrote for our fifth record,” says Moore. “It began as a guitar riff Patrick recorded while we were living off-grid, anchored in a fisherman’s cove called San Juanico. The only instruments we had on board were an acoustic guitar and a drum sequencer, but the limitations seemed to work in our favor. Until that point, we had no clear vision for our writing. The demo Patrick recorded that day outlined our future, the first contours of our next record.”

    In addition to their frequent live activity, Tennis has made a number of high profile media appearances, spanning NPR to NBC, while also collaborating on campaigns for top brands like Gucci, Madewell, and Vinyl Me, Please.

    Tennis Swimmer Tour dates

    November 2019
    23 – Over/Under Music Fest – Atlanta, GA

    February 2020
    25 – Madrid Theatre & Cafe – Kansas City, MO
    27 – Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
    28 – Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
    29 – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q – Austin, TX

    March 2020
    2 – White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX
    4 – Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, NM 
    26 – Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
    28 – Top Hat Lounge – Missoula, MT
    30 – Venue Nightclub – Vancouver, BC
    31 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA

    April 2020
    1 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
    3 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
    4 – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
    5 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
    8 – Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
    10 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO 
    16 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE 
    17 – Cedar Cultural Center – Minneapolis, MN 
    18 – The Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL
    20 – Majestic Theatre Center – Detroit, MI
    21 – Deluxe at Old National Centre – Indianapolis, IN
    22 – The Opera House – Toronto, ON
    24 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT
    25 – Royale – Boston, MA
    26 – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME
    28 – Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
    29 – The 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
    30 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA

    May 2020
    1- Haw River Ballroom – Saxapahaw, NC
    4 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL
    6 – Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN
    8 – Headliners Music Hall – Louisville, KY
    9 – Delmar Hall – Saint Louis, MO

    All headline dates with Molly Burch

  • Bushwick Public House to host screening of ‘Brooklyn’s Last Waltz’ featuring Mrs. Henry and Garcia Peoples

    At Bushwick Public House on November 20, the east-coast debut screening of Mrs. Henry Presents the Last Waltz will be accompanied by performances from Mrs. Henry and Brooklyn favorites Garcia Peoples.

    The evening includes a documentary film featuring Mrs. Henry from their Last Waltz show two years ago, with both bands playing originals as well as a mix of songs from the Last Waltz. In the spirit of the Last Waltz, the bands will collaborate and invite special guests to the stage throughout the night.

    On November 26, 2017 the Blind Owl Records band Mrs. Henry led by Dan Cervantes (guitar, Howlin Rain) performed the Last Waltz in its entirety with a wonderful community of San Diego artists with guest performances Pat Beers of The Schitzophonics, Brenden Dellar of Sacri Monti, Jesse Lee of The Paragraphs, Clinton Davis, Noah C Lekas and more. The film premiered at the Oceanside Film Festival and will be a part of the International Shorts Film Festival.  

    This screening on November 20 at Bushwick Public House will be the film’s first on the east coast, and joining the musical festivities at Bushwick Public House are Mrs. Henry’s musical comrades, and a favorite in the New York live music scene, cosmic indie jam band Garcia Peoples.

    A celebration of life, love, and great working class music, fittingly performed in working class Brooklyn. For more info visit the event page.

  • Drug Couple shares: debut EP ‘Little Hits;’ release show at The Broadway November 18 in Brooklyn.

    Brooklyn indie rock fix Drug Couple will celebrate their recent debut EP, Little Hits, tomorrow Monday, November 18, released via PaperCup Music. Self-Titled described the EP as “a collection of songs about finding someone special to share the end times with” – referencing everyone from the Gin Blossoms to Shania Twain… ” 

    The EP release show will be held at The Broadway starting at 8pm.

    drug couple little hits

    Drug Couple is a musical duo bonded by Miles and Becca. The pair met in November 2015, when Miles produced a record for Becca’s previous band at The CRC, the Brooklyn studio where he has recorded artists including Chairlift, MGMT, Public Access Television, Buscabulla, Kelsey Lu and more. 

    The duo fell in love in with making music together, and then each other. Since, they’ve been microdosing LSD, considered getting a dog and recorded a collection of songs about finding someone special to share with.

    Drug Couple’s music attempts to showcase a dialogue between genders—as opposed to one sided soliloquies that define popular music. Little Hits is a compilation of tunes to get you high, under-influenced by Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr., and the musical partnership of Mutt Lange and Shania Twain.

    With Miles on vocals, guitar, keyboard, percussion, and production, Becca owns vocals, bass and keyboard; Pastor Greg finishes on drums and percussion. Will Berman played drums on “U Made A Sound,” mastered by Heba Kadry, and produced, engineered, and mixed by Miles. 

    Drug Couple’s writing process is different for every song, but the throughline is a spirit of deep collaboration. They wrote Little Hits at home in Brooklyn, and on trips to Vermont and California. The Couple recorded the EP at the The CRC, where they first met. 

    Drug Couple Tour Dates

    Nov. 18 – The Broadway (EP Release Show) – Brooklyn, NY

  • In Focus: Disco Biscuits Kick Off Tour In Pittsburgh

    Set break is over! With those four words Disco Biscuits fans rejoiced and prepared for the first tour from the Philly based jamtronica veterans in nearly a decade, with the first stop was at the beautiful Roxian Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA for two nights with 7 Biscuits’ originals spread out over the shows.

    They continue their tour in Richmond, VA, then head north to Burlington, VT and Syracuse, NY next weekend.

    Setlist: Disco Biscuits, Roxian Theatre in Pittsburgh – Thursday, November 14, 2019

    Set 1: Little Betty Boop-> Pimp Blue Rikki-> Little Betty Boop-> Hero*-> Little Betty Boop, Bernstein & Chasnoff-> Miracles (inverted)-> Rocket Science*-> Bernstein & Chasnoff

    Set 2: Spaga, Stars in the Sky*, Spraypaint Victory-> Anthem*-> Spraypaint Victory

    * debut

    Setlist: Disco Biscuits, Roxian Theatre in Pittsburgh – Friday, November 15, 2019

    Set 1: Morph Dusseldorf, King Of The World> We Like To Party> King Of The World, Freebis Slinky*, Above The Waves

    Set 2: Electric Slinky*, 42> The Great Abyss^> 42, Station*, House Dog Party Favor

    Encore: Portal To An Empty Head

    *debut

    ^inverted version; includes jam around Strandbar and Delorean Dynamite by Todd Terje, previously played as Tractorbeam

  • Hearing Aide: Ian McCuen ‘Songs of Fleeting Permanence, Vol. III’

    Curl up, get warm and fall into a world of self discovery, an introspection that Ian McCuen has created. McCuen of Buffalo will release the third installment of his album, Songs of Fleeting Permanence, on November 22, once again capturing a daunting but beautiful atmosphere that anyone can relate to – the feeling of confusion and self exploration that we have all felt at some point in our lives. 

    McCuen has created these last three albums virtually by himself, in his bedroom using using only a laptop, two microphones, and every instrument he could find in his house. His ability to create such an impressive and professional sound under these conditions is jaw-dropping. Yes, technology can give anyone with a computer an opportunity  to reach stardom, but it takes a certain level of creativity, wisdom and soul to do what McCuen has done. He created feelings and sensations that people can relate to lyrically, but most impressively, instrumentally. The timbre of every instrument is ideal for the melancholy mood devised; it brings the whole thing home. 

    A genre like this, with such small orchestration of instruments, can become redundant. But each of the 11 tracks are truly unique, despite using minimalist chord exploration. Defining each track is a well balanced use of major and minor sounds, a colorful use of picking and strumming styles as well as unique percussion choices. The oscillation between these stylistic choices result in an album you can listen to all the way through. There is one thing that could use some balancing; the instrumentation can over power McCuen’s voice at times. When the lyrics are this deep, it’s important to embellish them with a bit more annunciation. 

    When McCuen composed a song as enthralling as “Buried At Sea,” filled with immersive instrumentation and builds, it overpowers his voice. But when you hear McCuen’s deep lyrics, “..bury me at sea, there’s nothing left for me,” it sucks listeners into the storyline, searching for more. In less complex tracks like

    “Don’t,” you hear his wispy, spine-tingling voice speak:  “Don’t want your pity, don’t want sympathy, don’t want your advice on how I’m supposed to be. Don’t need constant scrutiny, don’t you know this is all just chemistry.”

    “Don’t,” – Songs of Fleeting Permanence, Vol. III

    We hear more very honest lyricism in “Giving Up.” “I give up so easily. I can’t seem to follow through with what’s required of me. When I quit on everything else. It’s only a matter of time before I quit on myself.” It takes courage to listen to. These lyrics are revealing and personal, another reason why this album merits respect and attention. 

    This style of music is hard to swallow sometimes. Listeners will need to be in a similar mindset of McCuen’s trials, relating to being twenty-something. If not, the album will draw you to that space. But, we could all use a little self reflection, and listening to someone else’s troubles can bring us some peace, knowing that this was McCuen’s creative outlet that allowed him to work towards a place of homeostasis.

    Key Tracks: Buried At Sea, Don’t, Love Lost, No. VI

    Give Songs of Fleeting Performance a try on November 22 with Soundcloud, Spotify and Bandcamp. In the mean time, listen to the single off the album “Love Lost, No. VI” on his Bandcamp page.

  • NY Solo artists Nick Granelle and Evan Lesoule collaborate on ‘Transform’

    Nick Granelle, a vocalist from Long Island, gathered Bronx rapper Evan Lesoule and NYC based singer/songwriter Lillimure together in order to create his new single “Transformation.” Released on Friday, November 1, the track starts as a beat created by Jade Aubertin, utilizing a kalimba in place of a hi hat, and various unconventional percussion instruments, as well as 808 to make the track fall into amorphous categories. From there, Granelle created a multifaceted track with recorded vocals by Lesoule.

    Nick Granelle Evan Lesoule
    Evan Lesoule

    Some flavors that come to mind when listening to the track are world, pop, and hip-hop, all mixed together with ethereal female vocals, and features an uptempo ambience packed with many elements. The music video is dark, industrial and hectic, using both vintage and modern contrasting shots.

  • Metropolis Ensemble adds New Performances to 13th Season

    Grammy-nominated Metropolis Ensemble is a dynamically evolving 21st century orchestra with a dedication to creating a future for classical music both of and for the times we live in. Founder and conductor Andrew Cyr, who has been called “a prominent influence in the world of newly emerging music,” by the Washington Post). Metropolis Ensemble exists to support ascending contemporary classical performers and composers, often engaging them with other bleeding-edge cultural innovators and artists through its unique collaborative process.

    This season’s performances reflect Metropolis Ensemble’s ongoing process of forming highly collaborative and nurturing relationships with artists to make and present large-scale projects. Past partnerships include major live presentations and studio recordings with artists such as Avi Avital, Timo Andres, Questlove, William Britelle with Wye Oak and Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and Emily Wells.

    The collective has announced additional performances for their already underway 2019-2020 season. New events will find collaborations with the collective 37d03d at Eaux Claires Hiver in Wisconsin, as well as pop up shows in New York City.

    Several of this season’s events in New York City are being held at Metropolis Ensemble’s pop-up venue called 1 Rivington, which Metropolis launched in 2017 to provide a place for new projects and collaborations to take shape in a supported framework. It has since presented more than 75 performances and commissioned dozens of new works in the loft space. Through these various forms of support and collaboration, Metropolis Ensemble works to re-imagine what a classical music ensemble and community can be in the 21st century. For more information on events, visit their website for details.

    Metropolis Ensemble 2019-2020 season upcoming performances

    11/22-23/19 — Eaux Claires Hiver – Eau Claire, WI (various locations)
    Members of the Metropolis Ensemble community will join the collective 37d03d (“People”) for an immersive weekend of performance and improvisation featuring Ani DiFranco, Aaron Dessner, Justin Vernon, Pieta Brown, Jon Hopkins, Willam Brittelle, and more.

    11/23/19 — Oak and the Ghost: Music of Nathan Schram – NY, NY at 1 Rivington 
    The album release performance for violist Nathan Schram’s Oak and the Ghost (New Amsterdam Records), featuring the Attacca Quartet. Schram’s music meshes the acoustic world of the classical string quartet with the bumps, bruises, and richness of modern electronica.

    12/02/19 — Ecstatic Music: Gaby Moreno, LADAMA and Metropolis Ensemble present ¡Spangled! – NY, NY at Kaufman Music Center
    Guatemalan-born singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno is joined by the women of Latin Alternative quartet LADAMA and the Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra Metropolis Ensemble (Andrew Cyr, conductor) to perform music from ¡Spangled!—her new collaborative album with American musician, songwriter, arranger and producer Van Dyke Parks (Nonesuch Records).

    12/09/19 — JACK Quartet Studio Readings – NY, NY at 1 Rivington
    In partnership with Metropolis Ensemble, JACK Quartet will read and record existing works by artists who may not otherwise have access to professional ensembles and performance space. 

    1/03/20 — Fiona Gillespie and Elliot Cole: Tam Lin – NY, NY at 1 Rivington
    A modern adaptation of the 16th-century Scottish ballad “Tam Lin” — a story of transformation and love to life in a musical drama weaving traditional Celtic, medieval, and modern musical threads.

    4/02/20 — Ecstatic Music: Metropolis Ensemble and Bell Orchestra
    NY, NY at Kaufman Music Center
    A sonorous trip into the energetic abysses and meditative heights of orchestral music from Bell Orchestre’s upcoming third album, House Music, in a large ensemble arrangement by multi-instrumentalist and composer Owen Pallett, featuring Metropolis Ensemble. Bell Orchestre consists of six musical mavericks including Arcade Fire members Sarah Neufeld and Richard Reed Parry. The evening will also feature the world premiere of a new piece, more details to be announced soon.

  • Ani DiFranco Interacts with truth in Homer

    Speaking your truth through music is what it is all about and Ani DiFranco does it well, both in her songs and interactions with an audience. DiFranco sold out the Homer Center for the Arts on November 5, 2019. Before Executive Director Ty Marshal introduced Ani, he said that ‘he had the dream of booking her there since he started five years ago.’ It was the fastest a show has ever sold out at the theater.

    Ani’s tour is simply a must see for not only her performance but also for opening act, Gracie and Rachel. Their mellow yet striking sound is unique because of their piano and violin mix. Gracie’s piano and Rachel’s violin compliment each other which felt like a musical conversation as they performed. They joked about their anxiety-driven lyrics, but in reality their music is quite calming and serene. It’s as if they let their listeners know that they aren’t alone in their troubles and let the music soothe them.

    Once Ani DiFranco took the stage she dove right into “Not a Pretty Girl” and the crowd roared in excitement. Ani was all smiles and equally as excited to be playing the very intimate theater as much as the audience was excited to see her.

    Ani’s ability to play guitar is nothing but awe inspiring. She has a fearless fire within her and it pours out with every note. Her unique style of playing goes hand-in-hand with how she holds her own on stage. Her power and inspiration truly touched everyone in the theater that night. Ani is such a strong woman to look up to because of how brave she is. To speak her truth not only in her songs, but in between her songs. And the audience listened with respect.

    It was election day and she had to pause when she found out that a Democrat governor was elected in Kentucky. It was a win close to her heart which she got to share with Homer, NY.

    Ani broke up her performance with a few covers “Why We Build the Wall” by Anaïs Mitchell and “Skinny Love,” by Bon Iver, whom she will be performing with after the end of this tour on November 21 in Eau Claire, WI.

    Setlist: Not a Pretty Girl, Dilate, As Is, Fire Door, Anticipate, Allergic to Water, Genie, Why We Build the Wall (Anaïs Mitchell cover), Woe Be Gone, If He Tries Anything, Reckoning, Skinny Love (Bon Iver cover), Save Me Jesus, Alrighty, Play God, Alla This, E: Which Side Are You On?, Joyful Girl

  • Amy Helm Celebrates the Holidays with Train Concerts through the Catskills

    Amy Helm will celebrate the holiday season with two picturesque train journeys through New York’s Catskill Mountains on Dec. 15. Fans are encouraged to ‘Take in the beauty and majesty of winter in the Catskills aboard Delaware & Ulster Railroad’s Rip Van Winkle Flyer featuring a special intimate holiday performance from Amy Helm.’

    Located in the Middletown hamlet of Arkville, NY, Amy Helm’s holiday express will have two trips, one early, boarding at 1pm, and a late trip boarding at 4 pm. More information can be found here.

  • Flushing Town Hall Presents DDAT: Native American Hip Hop Jazz Fusion on November 16

    On Saturday, November 16, hip hop, jazz, funk, and soul will merge together as DDAT brings an original southwestern feel, energy and excitement to Flushing Town Hall in Queens. The band was named by NPR as one of the top 10 bands in the United States.

    Preceding the 2:15 PM family performance will be a panel discussion, led by Delbert Anderson and Chris Bidtah, both Navajo, on incorporating Navajo Culture in art-making and music as medicine.

    DDAT

    Trumpeter Delbert Anderson says of DDAT’s upcoming panel discussion and performance:

    “We hope to help people understand the importance of preserving our cultural music. During the panel we will educate and expose everyone to the idea of preserving cultural music through contemporary collaboration. There are many ways to preserve cultural music, but we also want to explain the struggles one might face when dealing with fusing cultural music.”

    The funky, poetic and forward-thinking DDAT features Chris Bidtah on vocals, Delbert Anderson on trumpet, Nicholas Lucero on drums, and Mike McCluhan on bass.

    Music from the quartet has been heard all over the world with features on NPR, Sirius XM, Indian Country Today, SAY Magazine, Weekly Alibi and many more. DDAT tours include several West Coast Tours, Canada’s Music is Medicine Tour, Aboriginal Music Week Tour in Canada, and Van’s Warped Tour – USA. Their first album DDAT was released in 2017.

    “All audiences should be excited because there will be something everyone can relate to whether it’s the suspense of the improvisational solos or high energy music,” Anderson says. “MC Def-i will put on an electrifying show backed up by one of the funkiest, hip hop sounding bands. Those who are brave, expect to engage with Def-i while he shows his improvisation skills by rapping about what you decide to hold up in your hands! Together we are DDAT – a music celebration sharing our positive message of hope and collaboration through music.” 

    DDAT

    Tickets to the family performance are $14/$10 Members/$8 Children/$6 Member Children/FREE for Teens, and the panel discussion is free (though online RSVP’s are required). To RSVP and purchase tickets, visit the venue website.

    Flushing Town Hall opens its doors to teenagers, and for free! Under the “Teen Access Program,” all 13- to 19-year-old teens (whether a member or not) will be welcomed to attend any performance for free. The program is designed to appeal to students and help foster a greater love for arts and culture.

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