Category: News Desk

Anniversary of Mary J. Blige Album ‘My Life’ Recognized with Re-Release

As the anniversary draws near for My Life, the iconic sophomore album from Mary J. Blige, Geffen/Ume records will celebrate the November 29 anniversary with a re-release that features three physical forms.

The repackaged classic features 2CD’s, a standard weight black double vinyl, and a triple vinyl edition in translucent blue with a lenticular cover, including bonus tracks featuring rap icon LL Cool J, and underground cult-figures Smif ‘N Wessun. The 3LP edition will also be available digitally which will also feature commentary by Mary J. Blige on the original album tracks.

As one of the most celebrated R&B albums of all-time, My Life was the catapult towards the Bronx native’s placement as the queen of R&B. After a highly successful debut that featured records like “What’s the 411?” and “Real Love,” Mary J. Blige’s subsequent work showcased her songwriting abilities, going in depth about trials and tribulations and exploring topics such as; abuse, alcoholism and self-love. Her increased involvement in the songwriting process, along with her collaboration with Bad Boy Records and their much-heralded group of producers “The Hitmen,” resulted in a transcendent piece of work. Much more than that, records like “Mary’s Joint,” “No One Else,” helped her become a symbol for women’s strength, soulfulness, beauty and resiliency.

https://youtu.be/hI7GqHxr7EE

My Life was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 1995 Grammy-awards, and in ensuing years, Rolling Stone included the album on their 50 Essential Female Albums (#17), 100 Greatest Albums of the ’90s (#63) and 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (#279) lists. Blender Magazine ranked it #57 on its 100 Greatest American Albums list, and TIME deemed it one of their ALL-TIME 100 Albums.

In a showcase of the Legendary songstresses’ lasting relevance, Vice-president elect Kamala Harris’ celebratory walkout after clinching her seat in the White House was serenaded by Blige’s “Work That.”

https://youtu.be/5TZJyDGsYdM

November 25, 2020
Consider The Source Release “That’s What’s Up” Vinyl for 10th Anniversary

In honor of its 10-year anniversary, NYC band Consider The Source is selling a limited edition vinyl of their album That’s What’s Up.

CTS’s That’s Whats Up Album Art

On Friday, November 13, Consider The Source made a limited 250-copy vinyl pressing available for pre-order on their online store. The $30 record ships in April 2021. Besides the vinyl, the band’s store includes “Sourceror” shirts, the name for CTS’s fanbase. Their third effort, That’s What’s Up was their last studio album to feature former drummer Justin Ahiyon before he was replaced by Jeff Mann in 2012. On the day of the vinyl release, they did a Facebook and YouTube livestream concert, the first time they performed most of That’s What’s Up since Ahiyon left. In addition to the new vinyl, the eight-track album is available for streaming on Bandcamp.

Consider The Source formed back in 2004 as a jam band consisting of John Ferrara, Gabriel Marin and Justin Ahiyon. Their style is hard to pin down, but they’ve described it as “sci-fi Middle Eastern fusion.” They released their self-titled EP in 2005, and their debut album Esperanto in 2007. They’ve since toured internationally to Israel, Turkey, and Germany.

Read more Consider the Source News on NYS Music

Consider The Source released their most recent studio album last year, called You Are Literally a Metaphor, featuring the lead single “Enemies of magicK.” Back in July, they did a Radiohead-themed livestream with covers of “Paranoid Android” and “Reckoner.” In late October they did a short series of socially-distanced live shows spanning across Virginia and the Carolinas. Consider The Source also released F**k It! We’ll Do It Live, Vol. 3, their latest live album. Unlike the first two volumes, this release is 100-percent improvised.

For more information on the That’s What’s Up festivities, visit Consider The Source’s website.

November 25, 2020
Hannah Sumner Pays Homage to Brooklyn on “Only You”

Hannah Sumner released her new track, “Only You” on Friday, November 20. The song features over 10 NYC artists and attempts to pay homage to Brooklyn and the feelings of isolation during COVID-19.

Hannah Sumner is a Brooklyn based writer, producer and performer who is a mainly alternative artist. She has released two EP’s: To The Almost, containing five songs, and Guesthouse containing four songs. Sumner has been singing since she can remember, but came into producing after graduating from Berklee College of Music. She messed around with Logic, popular production software, and taught herself how to produce when she no longer had musicians to play with post college. This is when she found her voice.

Hannah Sumner photo provided by press release.

Every musician has a different writing process and for Sumner, she prefers to write songs by improvising over her own productions. Her single, “Only You,” came out of this process. The chorus of the song contains the original first improvised take. “I use my first take a lot, as the songs come out almost finished. They help me understand what I’m feeling, usually before I even understand myself,” she explained.

She uses her music as a way of journaling her feelings and experiences. “Only You” was written back in April of 2020 when she, like many people around the world, was missing connection. She poured these feelings into a creation that ended up featuring 10 New York City artists, that she considers to be her ‘music family.’

The song features: Steve Bone of VICE audio who mixed the track and performs guitar on it; Adam Neely, Youtube star playing bass; Ella Joy Meir of Iris Lune on vocals; Curtis J and Jackee Frome on vocals; Jacqueline Kerrod playing harp; Joey D’Alessio on vocals; and Markus Roessler on vocals.

The music video was shot on an iPhone, creating beautiful transportations, It is something Sumner aims for in her music, propelled by an underlying interest in film.

The song is somber and eerily-beautiful, which is perfectly mirrored within the music video. It starts with a simple chord progression on guitar with lyrics floating in subtly. Then the song builds up until the full lineup comes together to create a haunting melody. The different musicians featured on the song show up within the video in their own little screens chiming in on the chorus. It’s a song that’s very fitting and universal during these COVID-19 times and definitely worth listening to if you are feeling isolated or alone.

For more information on Hannah Sumner visit her Facebook.

November 23, 2020
Chaz Shepherd Pays Tribute to George Floyd in Powerful New Video

Philadelphia based actor/singer-songwriter, Chaz Shepherd, is well-versed in the arena of soulful, R&B music, but he has more to offer. The musician recently released a powerful tune about protest and standing up for one’s rights.

Music is an expression and I felt that this sound expressed the time and the movement that is happening now.
Chaz Lamar Shepherd

Chaz Lamar Shepherd

Shepherd reflects on his latest musical accomplishment, “We Will Breathe,” a song of protest.

The album that I’m currently working on is about love and and unity. It will be a representation of me. “We Will Breathe,” however, is about protest. It’s about being sick and tired and says, enough is enough.
Chaz Shepherd

Much like many artists, Chaz Shepherd is happy to use his platform to stand up for what he believes in. He says it’s not a musician’s job to create a political or social stance, but he knows that has always been him.

Growing up in Philadelphia, the actor/singer found his love for music in the upbeat, loud, soulful church he attended as a kid. There, he was able to expand his vocals and create the passion you can hear in his music today.

Along with his musical career, Shepherd had memorable roles in many different movies and shows over the years. From the early 2000s show, 7th Heaven, to the popular Netflix feature, Marvel’s Luke Cage, Shepherd has always seemed to flare the screen with his acting.

The global pandemic hit the music and film industries hard: venues shutting down, workers losing their jobs and live music stopping. In-person music events seem like a thing of the past. Shepherd looks at these isolation days as time to work on his music and better himself in every way.

I’ve been able to live very comfortably and work on my creativity. I am thankful every day that this virus hasn’t affected me the way that, unfortunately, half of the planet was affected.
Chaz Shepherd

George Floyd

The well-rounded artist says his inspiration for “We Will Breathe,” was provoked by the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. Throughout the year, Shepherd has been an activist and supporter of the Black Lives Matter Movement, along with other organizations that support equality. According to him, this song isn’t about love. It’s about standing up for human rights.

I became more than what I thought I was. I directed and produced a video I also performed in. I just want this video to become more popular and to contribute to, not only, the BLM movement, but also all over.
Chaz Shepherd

“We Will Breathe,” can be found on all platforms. The video itself is featured on Shepherd’s very own YouTube Channel, Chaz Shepherd Official. Soon to come, is an album featuring soul, R&B, gospel and more.

“We Will Breath” by Chaz Shepherd.

November 23, 2020
Isaac Mizrahi to host Virtual shows from Café Carlyle

Isaac Mizrahi will host four virtual shows from his special concert series, Isaac@CafeCarlyle. BroadwayWorld Events streaming platform will present each show performance full of stories and songs.

The first show of Isaac@CafeCarlyle will be released December 4, at 8 p.m. BroadwayWorld Events will share the next three shows on January 8, February 12, and March 19. Each show will feature a special chat with Mizrahi and will be available on-demand for 30 days.

By Gregg Richards

Ben Waltzer will accompany Mizrahi along with his six-piece with each show filmed at Café Carlyle in New York City. Before the pandemic, Café Carlyle delivered classic cabaret entertainment with New York elegance and style.

On March 19 at 8pm EST, Isaac will be joined by special guest Justin Vivian Bond, without an audience.

About performing with Bond, Mizrahi said, “Vivian is a talent who has directly inspired me. They embody the words ‘night club entertainer.’ I was lucky enough to see them perform numerous times and then luckier to meet them and work together. Now I feel like the luckiest person alive to be their friend.”

Café Carlyle has headlined many talents including Woody Allen, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, Rita Wilson, and Debbie Harry. With the increased restrictions caused by the pandemic, Café Carlyle is closed to guests. Since 2017 Isaac Mizrahi has been a frequent guest and received praise from the New York Times as “a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music, and stand-up comedy.”

I’ve been performing at Café Carlyle for the past four years, It feels like my home. This is my chance to continue the tradition and bring my show to even more people.
Isaac Mizrahi

In addition to making a name for himself with his performances at Café Carlyle, Mizrahi has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. He has numerous directorial credits for his productions, including A Little Night Music and The Magic Flute for the Opera theatre of St. Louis. Mizrahi has starred in his own productions, including his documentary Unzipped, which received an award from the Sundance Film Festival and hosting seven seasons of The Isaac Mizrahi Show. Several television, theatre, and literature projects are in development with his production company, Isaac Mizrahi Entertainment.

Click here to purchase tickets for the Isaac@CafeCarlyle concerts.

November 23, 2020
Barenaked Ladies Virtual Event on December 18 is Right in Time for the Holidays

Barenaked Ladies will host their streaming event called “Barenaked Ladies Presents: A Very Virtual Christmas” on December 18 at 9 p.m. ET. The virtual performance will include comedy sketches and holiday fan favorites from their popular Barenaked For The Holidays CD. Fans can purchase tickets for $15 along with seasonal merchandise on their website.

Just in time for the holiday season, the Barenaked Ladies holiday collection will include a Jigsaw Puzzle, Rubik’s Cube, Hat and Mask, Ugly Sweaters, Tree Ornaments, and the Barenaked For The Holidays CD. The 20^th Anniversary of Maroon vinyl will be available to pre-order and will include a bonus, alternative version of “Green Christmas.”

Even with the unpredictability of the pandemic, Barenaked Ladies have created Facebook Livestreams with #SelfieCamJam to perform deep cuts and fan favorites from their discography with the help of special guests. They have completed 23 shows with appearances from Sarah McLachlan, Tom Greene, KT Tunstall, The Count, and Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish who performed with the band in 2019. The full performances of the SelfieCamJam series are on the Barenaked Ladies’ YouTube page.

Barenaked Ladies already have written a variety of top 20 hits like “One Week,” “Pinch Me,” and “If I Had $1,00,000” along with receiving two Grammy nominations. This year, Barenaked Ladies teamed up with Michael Bublé and Sofia Reyes on “Gotta Be Patient” with proceeds from the single going to various charities. Proceeds for Barenaked Ladies will go to the Cultural Survival organization which provides indigenous communities rights and cultures worldwide. Looking ahead, BNL plans to postpone their extensive tour plans until 2021. Their tour will include 29 stops throughout North America, including performances in Lewiston, NY, and New York City along with 10 stops in the UK.

Click here to purchase tickets for the Barenaked Ladies Presents: A Very Virtual Christmas.

November 20, 2020
‘The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas’ Is The North Pole Punk Rock We Didn’t Know We Needed

Punk supergroup The Myrrhderers (as in, The Murderers) bring together prominent members of the North Pole underground scene for their debut album, The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas.

Al Frankincense (Dead Kringles), Elliott Gold (Prancid), and Bill Myrrhey (Sleigher) entered the studio in 2020 for an historic documentation of the North Pole underground Christmas culture.

Hard-hitting versions of classic carols like “Deck the Halls” and modern classics such as “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” pepper The Myrrhderers’ debut EP. The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas makes its worldwide debut November 20, and will be followed up by The Myrrhderers Sleigh Some More on December 11.

Discussing the first single, ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ Elliott Gold says,

Making Christmas punk music is a bit of a balancing act – you need to give the songs some kind of twist to make them work in a punk context, but you also don’t want to push a song so far that it loses its original Christmas ‘feeling.’ This is one of the heavier tracks on the record, but we wanted to put it out first because we feel like it captures both sides of that equation, without compromising one for the sake of the other.
Our scene isn’t gonna be around forever. Since Bezos came along, there’s been a lot less work up here, so most of our friends have moved south looking for a better life, and not to mention, less melty terrain. We figured if we don’t document this now, it might never happen.

The Myrrhderers Sleigh Christmas is produced by land-based producers Jamie Hilsden of Man Alive (The Militia Group), Corey Ben-Yehuda of Usless I.D. (Fat Wreck Chords), and mixed by Vince Ratti (Bouncing Souls, Brand New, The Wonder Years, Tiny Moving Parts, Circa Survive). Visit their Bandcamp to pre-order the album.

November 19, 2020
Flushing Town Hall Jazz Programming Swings into December

Flushing Town Hall announced a jazz lineup which started back on November 11 and will run through December 20. The program currently includes five different performances throughout both months. A sixth event will ‘spill over the bar-line’ into 2021. The first two programs have come and gone, but the jazzy fun is far from over.

The Town Hall is a Smithsonian affiliate and is located in Queens in New York City that presents multi-disciplinary global arts to engage and educate global communities. They are a member of the New York City’s Cultural Institutions Group (CIG). They have restored and managed the historic 1862 landmark on behalf of the City of New York. Specifically they try to embrace the history of Queens as the home of jazz, by presenting the finest in jazz performance. Although the historic venue’s doors have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19, Flushing Town Hall continues to pursue its mission of bringing people together by providing global arts for a global community through its online series, FTH at Home! Which will be presenting the November and December programming.

Town Hall. Picture from Wikimedia Commons.

Upcoming:

On Thursday, November 19, 7:30 p.m. EDT Flushing Town Hall will present “Lioness: Women in Jazz Concert Series Featuring Lauren Sevian’s LSQ” The series featured Lauren Sevian’s LSQ with Lauren Sevian (baritone saxophone), Helen Sung (piano), Christian McBride (bass) and E.J. Strickland (drums). Tune in to YouTube for a free pre-recorded streaming performance, taped just for this event, followed by a LIVE Q&A with the musicians.

On Wednesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. EDT the Virtual Jazz Jam “Holiday Party” will be taking the stage. This is the Flushing Town Hall’s free Virtual Jazz Jam: Celebrating the Legacy of Louis Armstrong. Open to amateur and professional musicians, including high school students, jammers are invited to perform their favorite holiday song, and recall any memory around their tune. Participants can also show-off their family’s traditional holiday treats and drinks, and toast the season.

The programming will wrap up on Sunday, December 20 at 5:30 PM EDT with “New Music Horizons – Collaborative Artists in Concert.” This will be part 2 of the Bruce Arnold & The Mark Wade Trio New Music Horizons Part II presents two more dynamic jazz composers Bruce Arnold and Mark Wade. Bruce Arnold will present a set of solo acoustic guitar featuring his style of lyrical melodies and raw dissonances. The Mark Wade Trio will follow with their brand of group interplay and expressive improvisation that has brought them an international following.

To participate, musicians should email education@flushingtownhall.org and identify a three- to four-minute tune they intend to play (live or pre-recorded). Only 15 musicians will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Anyone is invited to tune in to the LIVE VIRTUAL jam and listen on Facebook or Zoom.

The Lioness: Women in Jazz Concert Series Featuring the Lioness Ensemble was scheduled for Sunday, December 13 at 2:30 p.m. EDT but has been postponed until 2021. This women in Jazz Concert Series will feature the Lioness Ensemble with Alexa Tarantino (alto saxophone), Jenny Hill (tenor saxophone, flute), Lauren Sevian (baritone saxophone), Amanda Monaco (guitar), Akiko Tsuruga (organ) and Sylvia Cuenca (drums). Tune in to YouTube for a free pre-recorded streaming performance, taped just for this event, followed by a LIVE Q&A with the musicians.

Catch Up on Past Events:

On November 11, the Jazz Jam celebrated “November Gratitude.” This event celebrated the Legacy of Louis Armstrong invited musicians and jazz aficionados to participate or simply listen during its monthly jam session. In November, musicians will choose songs that fit into the theme “November Gratitude.”

The “New Music Horizons – Collaborative Artists in Concert” took place on Saturday, November 14, 7:00 p.m. EDT. It featured part-I of the David Shenton & The Mark Wade Trio who are two dynamic jazz composers. David Shenton is a classical composer and Mark Wade is a jazz composer.

To attend the programming or get more information on it visit Flushing Town Hall’s website.

November 17, 2020
Joe Walsh Announces VetsAid 2020 with Bon Jovi, Willie Nelson and More

Joe Walsh announced the initial lineup for the fourth annual fundraiser VetsAid, on Veteran’s Day. Branded “VetsAid 2020: Home for the Holidays,” the event is scheduled to stream online on December 12.

Joining the multi-Grammy winning Eagles guitarist online for the event will be Eddie Vedder, Jon Bon Jovi, Daryl Hall, James Hetfield, Alice Cooper, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Blake Shelton, Steven Van Zandt, Brandon Flowers, Gwen Stefani, and many more.

However, additional artists are to be announced soon. The charitable event will also feature previously unreleased footage from past VetsAid events.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday, November 18 at 12 p.m. EST on their website. Base pricing starts at $20, with discounts available for active duty military and veterans. Proceeds from the event go directly to selected veterans’ services charities. All selected charities have been screened beforehand by the non profit organization with assistance from the Combined Arms Institute.

Typically the star- studded fundraiser occurs around the Veteran’s Day holiday. Consequently though, back in August, a decision was made to make the 2020 edition different.

Joe Walsh said of the virtual event:

For the past three years we’ve held this glorious traveling circus in cities across the country with a day-long rock and roll festival and jobs fair to support our veterans and their families. Typically, we fill up an arena, play for five hours, and raise a bunch of money — nearly $1.5 million to date — to help our veterans get the care and support they deserve. But because of COVID this year, we’re going virtual as so many things are.

VetsAid launched on September 20, 2017 at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA according to the press release. VetsAid typically seeks to host the events in cities across the country with large veteran populations. Past performers include musicians James Taylor, Chris Stapleton, Don Henley, ZZ Top, Sheryl Crow, The Doobie Brothers, Zac Brown Band, Jason Isbell, Keith Urban, Haim, Gary Clark Jr. and Joe’s brother-in-law Ringo.

For more information, please visit VetsAid Website.

November 17, 2020
Twiddle Announces Two-Night Virtual Frendsgiving Stream – Live from The Capitol

Update: Twiddle’s Frendsgiving performance will now take place in Vermont this weekend. As reported by Relix, due to an abundance of caution for COVID-19, Twiddle have decided to switch locations for their annual Frendsgiving shows.

The crowdless livestreams performances were set to take place on Nov. 27 and 28 at Port Chester, N.Y.’s Capitol Theatre. They will now take place at an undisclosed location in Twiddle’s home state of Vermont. The shows will still be broadcast on FANS.

Original article follows below:

Every soul looking forward to Twiddle‘s annual Frendsgiving, which found a home at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester since 2017, bringing fans together for a celebration as the holiday season kicks off. Twiddle will continue the tradition over November 27 and 28, streaming a live performance from The Cap.

Pre-sale discounted passes and limited edition screenprint bundles are on sale now, with a general on-sale beginning Wednesday, November 18, at 10a.m. ET.

In the true Twiddle spirit of loving relentlessly, the band plans to donate a portion of each Frendsgiving ticket sale to the White Light Foundation in support of forthcoming winter initiatives. Fans also have an opportunity to win one of seventy-five Paul Kreizenbeck Screen Prints, seen below.

To win one of these prints, go to Twiddle’s Frendsgiving Facebook Post, tag three “frends,” and share your favorite memory of Twiddle at The Cap – extra points for photos, sharing, and making people happy – three winners will be chosen at Noon on Thanksgiving Day!

Order stream passes (pre-sale code: FRENDS). For more information, visit TwiddleMusic.com

November 16, 2020