In these uncertain times, we’re seeing an influx in live streams and album releases as bands try to find ways to entertain their fans and make the most of this strange situation. Cycles, a psychedelic-rock-fusion power-trio from Denver, released their new EP, Summer Dress, on March 27th and also joined the nugs.net family that week, a move that ensures they’ll find plenty of new fans despite having to postpone their Spring Tour for safety reasons. These five tracks are the bands first release in three years and were all produced by Josh Fairman of SunSquabi, who helped encapsulate the tremendous skill that all three band members share into a record with a great live sound.
The opening track starts with a peek at Colin O’Brien’s incredible drum work before the lyrics offer a well-timed reminder that just because we may be stuck at home doesn’t mean we have to be stuck staring at the countless screens around us. Tucker McClung’s flittering bass plays wonderfully underneath Patrick Harvey’s guitar licks and jam at the end of “Robot’s Breath” put an instant smile on my face.
Next up is “The Key,” an instrumental that really highlights what this band is capable of. The first half of this gem is a composed masterpiece that each member shines on before they all let loose in the funkier, psychedelic second half. Patrick’s soaring guitar is what grabs your attention during the first listen of this track, but the intricate bass playing and the intense drums will be all that you focus on when you relisten to it.
The title track, “Summer Dress,” start with a twisting, airy introduction and after a stratospheric guitar solo, gets punched up in a blast of funk. After another jam that is sure to be incredible live, it ends in a flowing send off with Tucker’s bass powering through to the very end. This band has such a fresh sound and are able to bring new and unique takes to each of these tracks.
“The Clock” starts off like a sports car and Colin’s drumming takes a front seat during this offering. This track has so many levels to it and it’s an exciting ride. The first jam has a psychedelic Deep Purple vibe which makes it way into a slower, blissful jam a third of the way though the song. This transitions into a grimey groove that morphs into a rocket ship of a guitar solo. Each member really shows what they’re made of before this one finishes up.
Cycles‘ EP finishes with “Sunrise,” a beautiful piece that musically showcases that specific time each morning. Starting off with a dreamy first half, it boils up into a sendoff as joyful as the rising sun. Summer Dress can be found on all streaming services and you can also find more information about the band and their current streaming plans on their Facebook page.
The Wu-Tang Clan is one of the most celebrated and impactful musical groups in history. In our era of transparency, it is only fitting that a biopic of sorts would materialize itself. Telling the complete story of a group as large as the Clan isn’t feasible (not to mention any adjacent characters) in 90 minutes (the pre-requisite for big-screen biopics). Therefore, enter Wu-Tang: An American Saga.
In 2019, the Emmy-nominated Hulu original series rehashed the rise of the legendary hip-hop group. Written by Alex Tse and RZA and executive produced by Tse, RZA, Method Man, Brian Grazer, Michael Rosenberg and Francie Calfo, the series debuted on Wednesday, September 4 with three episodes and followed with an ensuing episode each week, in honor of #WuTang Wednesday.
https://youtu.be/kBy9umOnhZw
Inspired by RZA’s guide to the clan, The Wu-Tang Manual and its follow-up, Toa of Wu, the series is set in the early in 1990s Staten Island, New York during the peak of the crack epidemic. It follows the formation of the clan through the lens of RZA. Bobby Diggs’ (RZA) love for music and producing gives him hope for making it out of the inner-cities of Staten Island. His ambitions also include formulating a super-group highlighting the borough’s talent, hoping to harness their untapped potential. What stands in their way are the allures of the street life, the drug trade and vices that have ruined many a dream for young minorities.
The series format resembles that of The Get Down— a Netflix original series that gave a fictionalized chronology of hip hop’s birth — yet, Wu-Tang: An American Saga has intensity and realism (felt from the opening scene and onward) that outpaces the former. While the screenplay is captivating on its own (who doesn’t want to have some semblance of an idea of how the most unique rap group ever was formed?), the acting makes it that much more enjoyable. Rappers Dave East and Joey Badass each embody their respective roles. Dave East, who had the challenge of portraying the Clan’s most mainstream member in Method Man and in his first real acting gig, does an honorable job of representing the hip hop legend. Moonlight actor Ashton Sanders’ portrayal of RZA is award-worthy, from his speech to his mannerisms; the production value is very high.
Although based in the 1990s, issues tackled are those that are still prevalent in present-day black inner-cities. Obstacles such as poverty, crime, the inner workings of the drug trade as well as the corruption that follows, are all issues the main characters have to bypass on their way to success.
In that same vein of realism, characters are also seen hitting rock-bottom and having to reinvent themselves to ascend to greater heights. Young black males are forced to be the man of the house at young ages (seen with RZA’s brother Divine, who was the family’s main provider through his drug dealings). With illegal affairs such a big part of the series, the consequences of the street life and the dangers that it invites are also highlighted. The inevitable run-ins with the law, prison sentences, prison life, the pain of a mother losing a son and the gut-wrenching feeling of wanting to change your environment and the helplessness one feels in those moments are all captivating themes that the series explores. The destitution of the “hood” leads many of the Clan members to follow the five percent teachings and philosophies they’ve gone on to (along with many other notable hip hop acts) popularize in their music.
Even though many of the accounts have been dramatized/fictionalized, it is still really fun to get insight on the influences that made the Clan unique. For example, RZA’s creativity and genius comes from his quick thinking and ability to solve problems and applying those abilities into his production. We also get an idea as to how he became the group’s de facto leader, as he was playing peacemaker between members long before platinum records.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga is must-watch television. Not only is it informative, the cast – which ranges from Shameik Moore, Ashton Sanders, to Dave East and Joey Badass. do an exemplary job of portraying each respective pioneer of the Clan. With no big-screen release date to rush storylines, writers can take ample time to figure out the best cross between dramatic/entertaining television and re-counting the tales of some of the most important figures in rap history.
Brooklyn-based Folk duo, Gawain & The Green Knight, are delighted to share their new single “Doctor”. The song continues the two’s exploration of universal aches as told by history’s ghosts- a path first started down on their debut EP, Ghosties.
Written by Alexia Antoniou and arranged by Mike O’Malley, the song considers the strangeness of one’s anxieties manifesting physically in the body and expresses it through a doctor struggling to locate their own particular pain. Featuring the duo’s usual latticework of guitar, bouzouki, and close harmony, the song is worked into a grand panic by a cinematic string section.
The group has been playing across the city at prominent NYC venues, and even in the midst of global chaos, the two folk architects are bringing their music right to your computer with their live streams every Monday at 3pm on their Facebook page. Stay tuned into their social media for news and music updates.
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete hail from Guadalajara, Mexico and have been releasing psychedelic post-punk since their debut, On Welfare, back in 2011. The band consists of primary members Lorena Quintanilla and Alberto González who come together to create walls of dystopian noise they dub “pattern music.”
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The band came through Rough Trade NYC this past Monday for the first show of a tour supporting Berlin goth-rockers The Underground Youth. The tour was supposed to be centered around various appearances at the now cancelled SXSW festival in Austin, but will continue into April with stops all across North America.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
The show started with the opening track “Ana” from LMTO’s fantastic 2019 release De Facto. The song starts from nothing and slowly builds into haunting vocal mantras and waves of heavily distorted guitars. It’s a dark, brooding track the set an ominous mood for the rest of the show. The band would play about half of the new record and also included other tracks such as “Waves Over Shadows” and “Eco Echo” from 2016s Balance. The band delivered a dense 9-track set filled with extended psych jams and lengthy outros that the showed the group feeding off each other’s energy.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete at Rough Trade NYC – Photo: Joseph Buscarello
Last October, LMTO released a remix of the De Facto track “Unificado” by Pye Corner Audio – check that out HERE. Catch them on tour throughout March and early April and be on the lookout for more remix singles.
There’s something amazing about the music of the Grateful Dead; it is a catalog of songs that has spoken to music fans for generations. It’s a collection of music that, since the 2015 Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago, has exploded, ushering in a new generation of musicians that are carrying the torch of the Grateful Dead Family. These songs are the only collection of music in the world that has a whole scene based around it. One that is growing around the next generation of musicians covering, experimenting and paying tribute to this amazing catalog. Since its formation, The Terrapin Family Band is one of the top bands doing this and has brought a new and fun sound to this music that has new and old Deadheads alike excited for whats new and what’s next.
Thursday night this remarkably talented group of musicians brought their take on The Dead catalog to the intimate Brooklyn Bowl. The band, led by Grahame Lesh, also includes Ross James, Alex Koford, Jason Crosby, Elliot Peck, and Nathan Grahame, treated Deadheads to two sets of classics like “Bertha,” “New Minglewood Blues,” “Sugar Magnolia,” and “The Other One.” But It was the addition of the TAB horns of James Casey and Natalie Cressman on songs like “Dancing in the Street” and “Brokedown Palace” that show why this music is thriving again – it’s moments like this when the next generation of musicians are taking these classic songs and throwing their vision and musical style into the mix. It’s moments like this that show the magic of the Grateful Dead and why the Terrapin Family Band is so much more than a cover band, they are the leaders in this movement that’s reminding all music fans that family is what the Grateful Dead community is all about.
Keep an eye out for more upcoming dates, and hopefully some festival appearances from the band this summer. And don’t be surprised if most of this band will be at The Capitol Theatre next weekend joining in the celebration at Phil Lesh’s 80th Birthday Party.
SpaceStation AM500 is the debut album from Timothy Alice & the Dead Star Band, a trio hailing from Buffalo, NY. Timothy Alice (stage name for Timothy Patrick Henderson) displays an astonishing number of influences in both his writing and singing styles throughout this record. With the help of Matt DiStasio on bass and Bub Crumlish on drums, Alice’s lyrics paint incredible pictures of an America we can all recognize today. You could be on the Great Lakes, in a sprawling metropolis, or the last bar on the highway between this state and that; each of these locations share a tale that Timothy Alice invokes with each track.
The opening track, “2 Am,” paints a picture that many may find familiar. The promise and elation of this song invokes the feeling of many 2 am’s we’ve all felt while bar-hopping around New York State – still full of energy and grit, while openly wondering where the night is going to take you. “It’s 2 AM and this place is jumping. I’m just trying not to lose my head again.” The song feels like a packed bar with 2 hours left before last call, full of vigor and hope.
SpaceStation AM500 mixes soul, blues, R&B and folk roots into a delightful set of songs with so much heart and movement in them. The band excels at feeling like you’re on the road with signs flying by in the darkness during “Just Take My Hand.” “Shadow on My Tail,” the longest track on the album, really showcases the soul in Timothy’s voice and also features a ripping solo from guest guitarist Andrew Kothen. The album also features a love song to the Windy City. The soul in Timothy’s voice while singing “Oh, Chicago” makes me long for a city I’ve only ever been to twice.
As the night grows longer and we get further into the album, “Honeypie” provides a tale of distorted love, building up to a cacophony that would be exception to see live. “4 Am,” the final track on the album, really highlights the difference two hours can make in a night. It tells a somber and sobering tale that we’ve all experienced in our lives, regardless of what time the clock is showing. With the help of an amazing band, Timothy Alice’s lyrics paint pictures of an America we can all recognize today. Whether he’s a in a league of his own or the product of a new generation of storyteller, he shows us all that we have a lot of great music and art coming our way in this next decade.
It seems like not even jail cells can keep Juelz Santana away from what has been his life’s true passion. On March 3, the veteran emcee released the 9thfull-length project of his career, #FREESANTANA. Santana – born LaRon Louis James – was arrested in March 2018 after he fled the scene when TSA found a gun in his bag at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Seemingly counting down the days until his rumored summer 2020 release, the rapper’s Twitter page recently posted on behalf of the incarcerated artist, acknowledging the one year anniversary of his incarceration.
The surprisingly cohesive mixtape is packed with star power, featuring the likes of Lil Wayne, 2Chainz, Jeremih, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Dipset cohort Jim Jones, and younger Harlem native Dave East, along with samples of Drake’s number 1 record, “God’s Plan.”
Juelz Santana uses the 36-minute project to touch on a myriad of topics. On records like “23 & 1,” “Do You Believe” and “In My Life,” he raps introspectively about past friendships and relationships, while reflecting on his incarceration. On “Pink Eagle” and “Ez Work,” he spends time reminding listeners that he’s a respected hustler, with plenty of street tales. The project’s outro record is a sample of Jay – Z’s classic record “Dead Presidents.” Titled “The Get Back,” with a feature from A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Santana reflects with a mixture of street tales, lessons and hope for his future post-release.
At just 23, singer, songwriter, and producer Chelsea Cutler has achieved more than most of us can dream of. Starting off by simply uploading covers from the comfort of her bedroom, Cutler has amassed over 750 million streams across platforms in just two years. Her relatable lyrics and catchy lo-fi beats have positioned her as a rising pop star. Her two sold-out gigs at Terminal 5 in New York City, however, have cemented her there.
Cutler is well-known for her dedicated fan base; her fans don’t just sing along. The crowd at Terminal 5 was no exception. They sang each word, to each song—so much so that Cutler held out her mic on numerous occasions to listen to her chorus.
In a moment of vulnerability, Chelsea Cutler addressed her hometown crowd. “I told my team that maybe we could do Terminal 5, but I didn’t think it would sell out. I was scared…but New York City…you sold this sh*t out in like 10 minutes!”
The audience erupted in cheers, and Cutler continued, “So we added a second show, and I was like we are definitely not selling this one out. And then you guys sold that one out even faster. I love you so much New York City!”
In the spirit of the Allman Brothers, fellow Georgia peaches Widespread Panic graced the Upper West Side with a multi-night run of shows at The Beacon Theatre as a prelude to spring. Southern accents and charm were prevalent throughout the crowd, as many fans made the trek for the noteworthy occasion. Included in the shows was a Leap Day show on February 29, which brought together a “time” theme in the second set of the show.
The music was complimented by a stunning light rig, with vertical rows of lights in the center and left, and a circle of lights on the right. A beacon of rainbow light was often radiating just above Duane Trucks and Domingo Ortiz on their raised drum stands behind the rest of the band. The stage floor contained powerful rotating lights that often embellished the iconic Egyptian-themed ceiling.
Bust-outs were found throughout the run, including “Vicious” by Lou Reed, which hadn’t been played in over 1000 shows, dating back to the band’s Halloween run at Madison Square Garden in 2003, and the rare “E on a G,” which had only been played eleven times prior.
On Friday, the band did not let up in set one, and came out firing as they had the night before. The show started out strong with early Panic classics “Wondering,” “C. Brown” and “Can’t Get High.” Jimmy Herring got loose on “All Time Low,” which followed for the first big jam of the night. Fans were treated to the rare “Dark Day Program,“ last played on in July 2011. To close out this high energy first set, Dave Schools asked the crowd if they wanted to dance and the band unleashed a monster cover of Robert Johnson’s “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues.”
A heavy “Sleeping Man” opened the second set, followed by a pair of covers from The Band, “Ophelia” and “The Shape I’m In.” And while it felt like they were about to dive into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” just out of “Driving Song,” the band treated the crowd to the twelfth ever version of the instrumental “E on a G.” Herring kept his foot on the gas during the set closer of “Chilly Water,” while the crowd sprayed their water and added a visceral soaking sensation. The night wrapped up with a delicious double encore of “Blue Indian” and “Climb to Safety.”
But how would the band commemorate the quadrennial Leap Day that followed? There are few songs with ‘Leap’ in the title, so a reflection on time was in order, and found throughout much of the second set, in both obvious and subtle ways. Set 1 started with classic Panic numbers “Space Wrangler” and “Walkin’ (For Your Love),” and the newly minted jam-vehicle “Up All Night” which never fails to deliver. A rare “Tortured Artist” followed, along with the fresh “Sundown Betty.” The first set closed with a trio of high energy numbers in “Machine,” “Barstools and Dreamers” and the apropos for Saturday NRBQ cover “Flat Foot Flewzy.”
The second set played off of a ‘time’ theme with references throughout, starting with “Blackout Blues” (in the middle of the night), a tease of the theme to Norman Lear’s All in the Family “Those were the days” (which is set in nearby Queens), “Airplane” (must have been a year ago), “Holden Oversoul” (one last time), “Henry Parsons Died” (6 o’clock on Saturday). A trio of ‘time’ songs followed – “Time Zones,” Los Lobos’ “Somewhere in Time” and The Dillards “There is a Time” – but the time references didn’t end there. J.J. Cale’s “Ride me High” (this mornin’) and the first half of the encore “This Part of Town” (the other day) tossed in some subtle but notable references to time on this extra day of 2020.
Also notable, there were numerous references to Southern USA, including “Up All Night” (Savannah), “Henry Parsons Died” (Georgia), “Blackout Blues” (Mississippi) and the show closing “Red Hot Mama” (Louisiana). For the second half of the encore, the timeless Neil Young classic “Mr. Soul” wrapped the night up with high energy, and the audience holding out for a rare second encore that did not come to pass. As fans made their way into the brisk night, Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time” serenaded an audience who caught a show of rarities on a rare day in a classic venue.
With five sold out shows at The Beacon this year, and three sold out shows last year at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, one can only hope that Widespread Panic will follow in the tradition of another southern rock band, The Allman Brothers Band, and have an annual residency at The Beacon Theatre for years to come.
Setlists – Widespread Panic, The Beacon Theatre, NY, NY
Thursday, February 27
Set 1: Porch Song, Rebirtha > Greta > Jam > Stop/Go > Little Lilly, Proving Ground > Bust it Big > Proving Ground > Action Man
Set 2: Steven’s Cat > Jam > Walk On > Blight > Help Me Somebody > Jam > Fishwater > Drums > Fishwater >Pilgrims, Pusherman > Conrad
Encore: You Wreck Me > Tall Boy
Friday, February 28
Set 1: Wondering, C.Brown, Can’t Get High, All Time Low> Jam> Junior, 1 x 1, Dark Day Program, You Got Yours, Stop Breakin’ Down Blues
Set 2: Sleeping Man, Ophelia > The Shape I’m In, Surprise Valley > Bear’s Gone Fishin’ > Surprise Valley > Driving Song > E on a G > Driving Song, Don’t Wanna Lose You, Chilly Water
Encore: Blue Indian, Climb to Safety
Saturday, February 29
Set 1: Space Wrangler, Walkin’, Up All Night, Tortured Artist > Sundown Betty, I’m Not Alone, Machine > Barstools and Dreamers > Flat Foot Flewzy
Set 2: Blackout Blues -> Jam in C* -> Airplane -> Holden Oversoul -> Henry Parsons Died > Time Zones, Somewhere in Time, There is a Time, Ride Me High -> Drums-> Ride me High, Red Hot Mama
Encore: This Part of Town > Mr. Soul
*All in the Family theme tease
Sunday, March 1
Set 1: From The Cradle > One-Arm Steve > Let’s Get The Show On The Road > Ribs And Whiskey, Bowlegged Woman, Honky Red, Trouble, Hope In A Hopeless World > Postcard
Set 2: Let’s Get Down To Business, Little Kin, Disco, Diner > No Sugar Tonight > New Mother Nature, Papa’s Home > Drum Solo > Cease Fire > Protein Drink > Sewing Machine Encore: Vicious, Ain’t Life Grand
Monday, March 2
Set 1: I Wanna Be Sedated, Travelin’ Light, Old Neighborhood, Imitation Leather Shoes, The Last Straw > Pleas, Rock, Jack > Love Tractor
Set 2: The Waker, Pigeons, Hatfield > Impossible^ > Saint Ex^^ > Tie Your Shoes > Jam, Nobody’s Loss, North
Encore: City of Dreams, Life During Wartime
^The Other One tease ^^Won’t Get Fooled Again tease
Bubbling up on the Brooklyn DIY underground scene for the past three years with regular gigs at Bushwick’s Alphaville, The Wants are set to release their debut album, Container, March 13 on Council Records. Madison Velding-VanDam (vocals/guitar/synth), Jason Gates (drums/electronics), and Heather Elle (vocals./bass/synth) put their years of experience together to good use on a solid debut that has all the earmarks of a veteran band hitting their stride.
The set opens with a quickened heartbeat pace and an arresting cacophony of noise. It’s at once danceable and pensive, and perfectly sets the table for what comes next. 80’s style post-punk finds present-day relevance in “Container” and “Fear My Society.” Industrial instrumental vignettes with starkly appropriate names like “Machine Room,” “Aluminum,” and “Waiting Room” nudge themselves in between the more traditional songs, tying together the whole into what feels almost soundtrack-ish.
When the two concepts blend into one, the album hits on all cylinders. “The Motor” hints at this potential in the first half, but the late run of “Clearly a Crisis,” “Nuclear Party,” and “Hydra” shine brightest. Their unhurried punk aesthetic gets drenched in danceable grooves around an accessible rocking core, all without losing the industrial sound fragments introduced previously. Container builds to a satisfying finish, begging you to flip it over for another go round.
Perhaps it would be deemed uncool to flash a broad smile while bobbing your head to these tunes, but it’s tough not to while thinking about the band recording in their all-too-appropriate studio space: a repurposed shipping container sitting in the middle of a dumpling factory parking lot in Brooklyn.
Key tracks: Clearly a Crisis, Nuclear Party, Hydra
