Category: Brooklyn

  • Antibalas introduces new single “Fight Am Finish,” plan two nights at Brooklyn Bowl in March

    Afrobeat legends Antibalas, fresh off celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2019, have just released their newest single, “Fight Am Finish.” The group will release their upcoming album Fu Chronicles on Daptone Records on February 7.

    antibalas fight am finish

    Singer Duke Amayo says of the track to Brooklyn Vegan:

    We have arrived at a time when we must be ‘Seshat in Red Gloves’ and punch throw the sand curtain of Lies and deceit.
    We must fight for the Truth.
    We must fight for Sustainability.
    We must fight for Peace.
    We must Fight for our Dreams.
    We must Fight am finish and never ever give up the good fight, for the Destiny of Truth is Exposure.

    Triple triple triple exposure!

    Antibalas will head out on an extensive winter/spring tour in 2020, with two shows at Brooklyn Bowl on March 20 and 21. Tickets are on sale Friday, November 22 at 12noon. Check out NYS Music’s gallery of their 20th anniversary performance at Brooklyn Bowl this past March.

    Antibalas 2020 Tour Dates

    Tuesday, February 11 — The Siren — San Luis Obispo, CA
    Wednesday, February 12 — Moe’s Alley — Santa Cruz, CA
    Thursday, February 13 — The Regent — Los Angeles, CA
    Friday, February 14 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA
    Saturday, February 15 — The New Parish — Oakland, CA
    Sunday, February 16 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA
    Thursday, February 20 — Neptune Theatre — Seattle, WA
    Friday, February 21 — Rickshaw Theater — Vancouver, BC
    Saturday, February 22 — PDX Jazz — Portland, OR
    Sunday, February 23 — The Olympic — Boise, ID
    Wednesday, February 26 — Knotty Pine — Victor ID
    Thursday, February 27 — The Commonwealth Room — Salt Lake City, UT
    Friday, February 28 — Washington’s — Fort Collins, CO
    Thursday, March 19 — The Sinclair — Boston, MA
    Friday, March 20 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY
    Saturday, March 21 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY
    Thursday, March 26 — Terminal West — Atlanta, GA
    Friday, March 27 — The Grey Eagle — Asheville, NC
    Saturday, March 28 — Cat’s Cradle — Carrboro, NC
    Friday, April 3 — Sleeping Village — Chicago, IL
    Saturday, April 4 — SPACE — Evanston, IL
    Friday, April 10 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON
    Saturday, April 11 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON
    Friday, April 17 — Theatre of The Living Arts — Philadelphia, PA

  • More than a dozen Jam for Tots shows planned across New York State this holiday season

    NYS Music is proud to announce 15 Jam for Tots shows around the Empire State this holiday season. Kicking off on November 27, each show will have a Toys for Tots box set up for patrons to donate gifts to kids in need.

    With a wide variety of artists, including Consider the Source, Runaway Gin, Annie in the Water, Tim Herron Corporation, Strange Machines, and Swedish metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, this annual series will connect live music fans with those most in need in their local communities.

    jam for tots

    Support kids in need this holiday season by bringing an unwrapped toy to any of the following shows. Jam for Tots is brought to you by NYS Music.

    Regional shows include:

    Mid-Hudson Valley

    Nov 27 Open Jam – Main Street Public House, Philmont

    Dec 5 Open Jam – The Stewart House, Athens

    Dec 7 Yngwie Malmsteen – The Chance, Poughkeepsie

    Dec 14 IS – Hilltop Bar and Tavern, Tannersville

    Westchester

    Dec 4 The Spadtastics – Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester

    North Country

    Dec 6 Hunter – The Monopole, Plattsburgh

    Western New York

    Dec 14 Strange Machines w/s/g Haewa- Flour City Station, Rochester

    Dec 20 PA Line “Chrismukkah Show” w/ Special Guests – Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo

    Capital Region

    Dec 14 Annie In The Water, The Deadbeats – Putnam Place, Saratoga Springs

    Dec 14 Consider the Source w/s/g Swimmer – The Hollow, Albany

    Central New York

    Dec 8 The Old Main – Woods Valley, Rome

    Dec 19 The Action! – Copper City Brewing Company, Rome

    Dec 28 Tim Herron Corporation – Funk n Waffles, Syracuse

    New York City

    Dec 26 Runaway Gin – Knitting Factory, Brooklyn

    Massachusetts

    Nov 30 Fennario – Electric Haze, Worcester, MA

  • Joe Russo’s Almost Dead announce 2020 tour dates, including Artpark performance in June

    including a three-night run at The Capitol Theatre in February and Artpark in June, Almost Dead fans around the country will be treated to the supergroup performing the music of the Grateful Dead with their own signature style.

    almost dead artpark

    Tickets are available via Facebook presale for these newly announced shows starting Wednesday, November 20 in three groups, beginning at 11 AM and continues at 12PM and 1PM. Passwords for these on sales will be announced via the JRAD Facebook page. General onsale will start Friday, Nov. 22 in three groups at 11am, 12pm and 1pm.

    More dates will be announced in coming weeks.

    Joe Russo’s Almost Dead 2020 Tour

    Nov. 25 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl (Headcount benefit)
    Feb. 21 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
    Feb. 22 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
    Feb. 23 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre

    Mar. 12 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live
    Mar. 13 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee
    Mar. 14 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
    Mar. 15 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
    Apr. 25 – Asheville, NC – Salvage Station
    Apr. 26 – Atlanta, GA – SweetWater 420 Fest
    May 1 – New Orleans, LA – Mardi Gras World Ballroom
    May 2 – New Orleans, LA – Mardi Gras World Ballroom
    June 5 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
    June 18 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
    June 19 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark almost dead
    June 20 – Boston, MA – Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
    July 9 – Eugene, OR – Cuthbert Amphitheater
    July 10 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
    July 11 – Bonner, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater
    Sept. 25 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater
    Sept. 26 – Montclair, NJ – The Wellmont Theater

  • 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

  • Hearing Aide: Acidhead ‘Distractions’

    Distractions, the debut album from the Brooklyn-based Acidhead coming out on November 15, is a moving opening statement. It’s an honest delivery of feelings and emotions that are often the very essence of being distracted.

    The brainchild of multi instrumentalist Patrick McGee, Acidhead doesn’t say outright that it’s about a breakup but the cues from Kanye West’s 808’s & Heartbreak combined with song titles like the opening narration “Everything Got So Distant” and the album’s single “Throw Away The Time” are obvious hints.

    Distractions lead single “Throw Away The Time.”

    Throughout the album, distorted auto-tuned vocals and 808 beats put McGee’s influence on full display. The second single, “Love Has Me Keep On Dying,” is chock full of the aforementioned effects while the lyrical content drives the emotion forward – “Everyone’s lonely, hearing her voice late in the morning.”

    While each track has strength in their own right, showcasing instrumental fluency and pulling from a variety of styles, the entire track list is cohesive and, ironically, not distracted at all. Each song sits just where it should and even as they are different in their composition, they feel like they all belong together on this album. On the fourth track, “Marciac Doney,” there’s a steadily building and lighthearted instrumental that crescendos into a hard-hitting drum and synth pad jam. Then, track five, “Hanover Rains,” features a straight up piano ballad. It’s nicely even-keeled

    Lending a hand throughout the album are Andrew Forman of Goodfight, Lou Rogai of Lewis & Clarke, and the Rat Trap Pack, McGee’s avant-garde horn ensemble. The closing track “Wrongright” brings the set to it’s conclusion with a manic, guitar-duo-solo but settles down as if to say, “That was a whirlwind. I’m tired, Time to relax”

    Key tracks: Hanover Rains, Throw Away The Time

    You can catch Acidhead on tour in New York and Pennsylvania through mid-December. Be sure to check out Distractions when it drops on November 15.

    11/22/19 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Karl Hall – w/ Lou Rogai, Chukwu

    11/27/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory w/ Jesse and Forever

    11/30/19 – Easton, PA – Connexions Gallery w/Chukwu

    12/7/19 – Beacon, NY – Quinn’s w Jesse and Forever

    12/8/19 – Cambridge, MA -The Lilypad w/ Mario Fabrizio/Phillip Gollub, Wendy Eisenberg, Crylophone

    12/14/19 – New York, NY – Con Artist Collective – w/Amani Fela

    12/15/19 – Ruba Club – Philadelphia, PA w/ Flanafi, Cheeky

  • Tool announce additional tour dates

    Tool, fresh off the release of their long-awaited studio album Fear Innocum, have kicked off their tour this week in Canada, and head to Brooklyn’s Barclay Center on Tuesday, November 19. And just as tour kicked off, Tool added 11 shows in January and February of 2020.

    Tickets are on sale this Friday, 10 AM. For more information visit Tool’s official website.

    Tool 2019-20 Tour Dates

    Nov. 11 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
    Nov. 12 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
    Nov. 14 – TD Garden – Boston, MA
    Nov. 16 – Prudential Center – Newark, NJ
    Nov. 18 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
    Nov. 19 – Barclay’s Center Brooklyn, NY
    Nov. 21 – Mohegan Sun Casino Arena – Uncasville, CT
    Nov. 22 – Boardwalk Hall – Atlantic City, NJ
    Nov. 24 – PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC
    Nov. 25 – Capitol One Arena – Washington, DC
    Jan. 10 & 12 – Viejas Arena – San Diego, CA
    Jan. 15 – Save Mart Center – Fresno, CA
    Jan. 17 – T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
    Jan. 18 – Gila River Arena – Glendale, AZ
    Jan. 21 – Frank Erwin Center – Austin, TX
    Jan. 22 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
    Jan. 28 – State Farm Arena – Atlanta, GA
    Jan. 29 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
    Jan. 31 – FedEx Forum – Memphis, TN
    Feb. 1 – Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA

  • Toro y Moi Unveils ‘Soul Trash’ for Sold Out Run at Brooklyn Steel

    Toro y Moi (aka Chaz Bundick) has been going strong ever since he broke onto the scene at the start of the decade, and 2019 has proven to be no exception. Back in January, Chaz released the excellent album Outer Peace and has been touring on and off since. Now, just as the fall tour was wrapping up with two sold out nights at Brooklyn Steel, Chaz dropped a surprise LP, Soul Trash.

    Toro y Moi at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    Support for the fall tour came from exciting newcomer Channel Tres. His infectious blend of hip-hop and deep house kept the packed Brooklyn Steel dance floor moving for the entire opening set. Flanked by two backup dancers and thunderous house beats, Channel Tres performed his entire 2019 release Black Moses, including the hit “Sexy Black Timberlake.” The set was rounded off with other singles like “Topdown” and “Jet Black.” The future is incredibly bright for Channel Tres, including much anticipation for a full length LP. He has several West Coast dates coming up, with a show at Elsewhere’s Zone One next May.

    Channel Tres at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
    Channel Tres at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    Toro y Moi has a very unique blend of styles. One of the few surviving bands from the chill-wave movement, Toro has maintained success by mixing elements of classic R&B and disco with more modern electronica and indie palettes. Each release takes a new approach to these sounds and keeps the ever growing Toro y Moi discography fresh and exciting.

    With so much material to draw from, including the new LP Soul Trash released just two weeks before, the set provided by Toro y Moi was truly representative of his entire discography. The title track “Soul Trash” opened the show, while tracks from Outer Peace included “Ordinary Pleasure” and “Freelance” (which closed out the show). A personal favorite, “Rose Quartz” from the incredible 2013 LP Anything in Return, echoed effortlessly around the room. The band glided through a 21-song set without a single dull moment.

    Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi at Brooklyn Steel – Photo: Joseph Buscarello

    Saturday night was the last show of the current tour, with a late night DJ set at Elsewhere just to top it all off. Chaz has some DJ sets scheduled out west in December, but for now, we just look forward to what he has in store for 2020.

  • Aria Wunderland brings the nostalgia with her music video for “In My Head”

    Alternative-pop singer/songwriter Aria Wunderland has released the music video to her newest single, “In My Head.” The track embodies the feeling of a first love with the music video providing an appropriate teenage atmosphere to go along with the tones of the song.

    The music video was filmed along the Coney Island boardwalk as well as in Luna Park, formerly known as Astroland, a staple of many New Yorker’s childhoods. The classic setting provides the viewer with a nostalgic ambiance to add to the feeling of young love represented. The juxtaposition of the location mixed with Aria’s wistful vocals generates the full message behind the single. 

    Aria Wunderland

    The Washington Heights born Wunderland now calls Brooklyn home, and Aria has been making her mark by releasing her own music, which has received high-profile placements on Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club. Regarding what she hopes fans get out of her music, she told Beyond the Stage magazine in 2018:

    “I hope my fans feel liberated and a sense that they’re not alone in their feelings. I was a lot younger than my siblings and the only girl. I spent a lot of time alone listening to music and would always identify with the lyrics. I hope my music and my overall themes in my artistry can do the same.”

    Watch Aria Wunderland’s recent music video for “Risk it All.”

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