Headcount and Fort Williams Artist Management have teamed up to present Vote Ready, a free online Concert for Voter Registration, taking place on Friday, August 14th at 7pm.
The online event features The War On Drugs, Robin Pecknold, Daniel Rossen (of Grizzly Bear), Christopher Bear (of Grizzly Bear/Fools), Kyp Malone (of TV On The Radio), Jaleel Bunton (of TV On The Radio), Kevin Morby, Waxahatchee, Tarriona Tank Ball, Hand Habits, Ciggy, Kam Franklin (of The Suffers), The Building, and Allison Russell & Leyla McCalla (of Our Native Daughters)
Leading up to the event, fans who check their voter registration status via HeadCount.org/VoteReady will receive a free eTicket to the stream. Anyone not currently registered will then easily be able to register to vote through an online form.
Headcount believes that voter registration is critical, especially this year with the deadlines for registration coming up fast. ” Vote Ready” is unique as the first online music event dedicated to raising awareness for voting registration guidelines.
This week, Headcount have announced a multi-year partnership with the International advocacy organization, Global Citizen, to further engage young Americans to check their status, register, and vote. Their partnership aims to mobilize support from artists along with entertainers, media, corporations, and nonprofit organizations, to give young Americans the tools to use their voice in the November 3, 2020 election and beyond.
Headcount have been promoting democracy via music, culture and digital media. Since 2004, the organization has recruited nearly 700,000 new voters while working with a long list of musicians including Ariana Grande, Jay-Z and Dave Matthews Band. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization was quick to switch their recruiting efforts to online. Headcount remains to be one of the most active grassroots organizations in the Country and continues to keep pushing their efforts.
On August 28, we’ll get our first look at Bill S. Preston, Esq., and Ted “Theodore” Logan in nearly 30 years. Bill & Ted Face the Music finds Bill and Ted as adults, each with daughters, but the life-long friends have yet to fulfill their rock and roll destiny.
They’ll run into a new batch of historical figures, as well as a few music legends, while they pursue the song that will set their world right and bring harmony in the universe. And every effort towards universal harmony needs a kickass soundtrack.
The star-studded soundtrack features previously unreleased original songs from other notable rock acts including Mastodon, Cold War Kids, FIDLAR, Big Black Delta, and Lamb of God as well as newcomers like POORSTACY, Alec Wigdahl, and more. The album releases on all digital platforms on August 28, the same day the film will be available on demand and in select cinemas.
Producer Grainge says of the soundtrack:
I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Orion Pictures on their iconic Bill & Ted film franchise for 10K Projects’ first venture into the soundtrack world. Bill & Ted Face The Music is an ode to music enthusiasts around the world and taps into the Gen Z audience, a generation championed by 10K. We are delighted to have our own innovative acts Alec Wigdahl and POORSTACY featured on the soundtrack, next to some of the greatest rock acts of all time including Weezer, Mastodon and Lamb of God, bringing together artists from across generations to celebrate our shared love of music.
– Bill & Ted Face the Music executive producer Elliot Grainge
There are only two weeks to go before Bill & Ted Face the Music, and the soundtrack gives some hints as to what we can expect from the movie. Tracks by classic metal rockers Mastadon and Lamb of God are standouts, and perhaps they’ll have a cameo in the movie if they stand out on the soundtrack. The final track though, “That Which Binds Us Through Time: The Chemical, Physical and Biological Nature of Love; an Exploration of The Meaning of Meaning, Part 1” is best read in the voice of Ted “Theodore” Logan, a unique if not rambling title that might hold the key to existence as Bill & Ted know it.
Bill & Ted Face The Music (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) tracklisting:
Big Black Delta – “Lost in Time”
Alec Wigdahl – “Big Red Balloon”
Weezer – “Beginning Of The End (Wyld Stallyns Edit)”
Cold War Kids – “Story Of Our Lives”
Mastodon – “Rufus Lives”
Big Black Delta – “Circuits Of Time”
POORSTACY – “Darkest Night”
Lamb Of God – “The Death Of Us”
FIDLAR – “Breaker”
Culture Wars – “Leave Me Alone”
Blame My Youth – “Right Where You Belong”
Wyld Stallyns (feat. Animals As Leaders, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah) – “Face the Music”
Wyld Stallyns – “That Which Binds Us Through Time: The Chemical, Physical and Biological Nature of Love; an Exploration of The Meaning of Meaning, Part 1”
Back in 2015 I took a closer look at Twiddle, who I had seen previously as a small-font band at music festivals around the Northeast. Nothing had stuck out just yet, beyond a surprise version of the “Duck Tales” theme song at The Big Up in 2010. But after seeing them in small rooms and grow to perform at The Palace in Albany and as far away as Lockn‘, my perspective of the band changed, for the better.
The recent Roots Tour was a rousing success, where Twiddle made stops at venues that served as notable points in Twiddle’s history in Vermont. The Roots Tour – featuring archival and recently recorded streams, band interviews, plus two live streams from Higher Ground – brought out the best of the band, collectively and individually.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDB5S_ahEx2/
The band interviews were the hidden gem of the Roots Tour, and worth the price of admission alone. Each band member spoke individually, and later collectively, providing insight into each of the venues they performed at during the tour, and how that little corner of Vermont (of which there are many) affected Twiddle’s growth over the last 15 years, especially those important formative years.
With three shows at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, VT taking place this weekend, NYS Music caught up with keyboardist Ryan Dempsey to talk about Roots Tour, how he has spent time during quarantine and where he would be had he not been a musician.
photo by Dave Decrescente
Behind the keys for 15 years, Ryan Dempsey doesn’t wonder where the time has gone.
“The time was well spent, and I really have no regrets. I’ve been having fun along the way. So sometimes it seems like a long time but other times I feel like it was just yesterday.“
Twiddle started out at Castleton State College and almost immediately met Mihali Savoulidis and would form Twiddle. And it does surprise him how this all got started.
The universe has a way of working itself out. I wouldn’t have imagined myself ever being a professional musician when I met Mihali. I was studying to go to L.A. and be a film director but I’m happy it worked out the way it did. I trusted Mihali’s leadership and his confidence in the fact that we would be a band one day and it would all work out.
photo by Dave Decrescente
The concept for Roots Tour, taking the viewer and band through the roots of Twiddle in Vermont, could have worked in a non-COVID-19 world. A tour, with exclusive tickets and chances to see the band at old haunts (The Perfect Wife, Nectar’s, and The Pickle Barrel, among others), would have been as well received as anything Twiddle has done in the last five years. But given the circumstances of no live music, the Roots Tour would be presented as a wholly online experience.
I think it was a collective and unanimous vote between the full band that it would be a good time to bring up old footage and a bunch of material that we’ve been collecting for 15 years and releasing it in a documentary kind of style. I think it was just the right time to do it. We have been talking about it for years and we always said, “Just hold off, let’s hold off, let’s hold off,” and then, when COVID became prevalent, we thought it was just the perfect time to get down and look at all of our material we had over the years and compile it all together and see what we had. And I think it was a successful venture.
There was of course the nostalgia that will evoke and tap emotions in the unexpected places. For Dempsey, that place was the Eaglerock Estate, also known as the ’Twiddle House’ where Mihali, Ryan and Brook Jordan lived, wrote, rehearsed and played shows, and later met Zdenek Gubb who officially joined the band.
Going there was very nostalgic and seeing my band there as adults and looking back and thinking back to when we were children or you know just out-in-the-world young adults and not having a clue what we were doing and scared to death on what we were doing, but always following our intuition. It was cool to go back to Eagle Rock and be with my brothers and have our own moment and go up to our rooms and have stories of years that we were there and how the music shaped itself in those early times. That was very cool.
Now with Roots Tour behind them, and three Drive-In shows in Vermont this weekend, Dempsey was asked what he was missing the most about playing live right now.
I miss the gathering of people. I’m a very social person, so playing live is important for me because obviously it’s great to see fans interacting and showing their love for the music as we play on stage, but I also miss going out after and before shows talking to every fan I can, in the front or the back, and shooting the shit with them. A lot of good family with our fan base that I have come to know and learn to love over the years and I miss being able to interact with those people personally.
photo by Dave Decrescente
One would suspect that musicians of any ilk are spending their time in quarantine these past five months staying productive and writing songs. That is true for Dempsey as well, but with the distractions that come from not having a typical routine to fall into.
So, my duck and my raccoon poop on me while I play so that’s affected my concentration; when I’m on the piano, I like to have one of the animals up there. But actually it hasn’t really affected it because I’ve been busy doing Cameos and we still practice with Twiddle, but it’s hard. It’s like when you work out, you get used to working out every day and then, when you stop, you kind of get out of your original routine. So I guess I’m not playing as much anymore even though I can still practice, but being able to be with Twiddle every day on the road, every day you wake up and you immediately go to soundcheck and you practice for hours. So without having that daily routine it’s kind of throwing me off. I still am trying to stay creative, but as far as practice, I should probably be a little bit more disciplined about practice.
Now with 15 years of Twiddle under his belt, when asked to look back and give Ryan Dempsey in 2010 advice, he turned to the last five years of his life with his wife for words of wisdom.
Watch out for that Alexandra girl, she’s coming for you. To relax a little bit more and not be so stressed out. To trust your intuition and just not listen to anyone, not family, friends or even haters – just do you and believe in your passion and your dream and not take shit from from anyone.
And what advice would he give his 2015 self? He thought of that Alexandra girl, simply saying “You’re about to meet the love of your life.”
Now, with Drive-In shows this weekend in Essex, Twiddle will hold their first public performance since their Winter Tour in March. What does Dempsey expect from the show?
“I expect us to be so nervous that we fall on our faces and make fools of ourselves. We will be so scared that we will start playing a song and we’re all gonna just forget the song! It is going to blow and the audience will say “you suck, I hate you Twiddle” and then I don’t know… I’d like to see people in bubbles… big plastic bubbles just rolling around while we play.”
We’re moving quickly through the ‘Summer of Home‘ and while live music is slowly making a comeback, we’re a ways off from having it back to what we remember as normal.
NYS Music looked back at the past decade and came up with a Spotify playlist of ‘Songs of Summer’ from bands across the Empire State. Looking for funk, jam, soul, rock, reggae or Americana? We’ve got an incredible sampling below. Give a spin and listen to born and bred New York artists.
Ed. Note – this private, socially distanced event in Central New Jersey is an example of how small scale live music can be done safely, for now. The property owner shares his experience putting together a second private event for a small crowd of friends, featuring Dogs in a Pile and Black Dog.
People like to gather. It’s part of the human condition, ingrained in the very core of our existence as social animals. Not to minimize death, sickness, financial devastation and/or uncertainty, but being unable to check the boxes next to our social desires has been perhaps the hardest part of these last five pandemic ridden months. As such, along with our inability to congregate, we’ve also, for the most part, sacrificed live music, comedy, theater, et al. This isn’t a piece about the pandemic, but it does point to the creativity and passion that have inspired whatever few events have sprung up in recent history.
I’ll switch to the first person now as I acknowledge the fire that has been burning in my belly, sparked by love and passion for live music and all that surrounds it, that has been the catalyst for a series of music festivals in my backyard. As I mourned the loss of live events (and the tangential camaraderie that is livemusic’s partner in crime), my brain was firing synapses that unleashed a business acumen and creativity that I didn’t know I possessed. Music unites in a way that little — dare I say, nothing — else, can or does. Share a show with a new friend and on the basis of that shared experience, you’ve got a friend for life. I missed that, so I set out to create it on my own. Enter #Marckomitoville. And, for what it’s worth, a host of new friends.
This past Saturday was the second of three (or more??? — #mywifesasaint) such events, an unintentional double bill of canine goodness, with Dogs In a Pile and Black Dog, an up and coming jam band and a seasoned Led Zeppelin tribute act, respectively. In full confession mode, Black Dog was an easy hire as their lead singer and I teach in the same high school, I’ve seen them numerous times, and am intimately familiar with how accurately they honor the best catalog in rock and roll history. Dogs In A Pile, on the other hand, was hired sight unseen (note unheard???) based on a direct message recommendation delivered via Instagram with the uncanniest of timing. I listened to about fifteen seconds of their stuff before reaching out to ask if they’d like to play a party in my backyard. Just to round out a nice small world story, their booking manager and I hit off, he having graduated from the same high school where Black Dog’s lead singer and I both teach. I explained what I was trying to do with social distance gatherings and live music and he, in turn, promised that Dogs In A Pile would “vaporize my backyard.” ‘Nuff said. Contract signed.
TL;DR: Hiroshima.
Dogs In A Pile
The day finally arrived and, with a trailer full of equipment and a mini-entourage taboot, so did Dogs In A Pile. I have to say this right up front (while also reserving the right to come back and repeat it every few paragraphs), these are good humans. Every person associated with Dogs is utterly kind and professional to a fault; the band, the crew, their families and friends, these are A+ folks and I’m so grateful for the friendships that were born this past weekend. Their equipment was a force all its own and there were times I couldn’t believe I was in my own backyard and not the Stone Pony Summer Stage. That being said, they forgot their rug (comfort first) and were about to drive home and back to get it. Fear you not, marckomitoville provides, so as my wife and I were literally days from replacing our bedroom rug, we saved them the trip and all the day’s sets were played from the comfort of the shag that was under our bed literally just moments before.
This is a jam band, make no mistake about it, and let’s cut the bullshit right now if there are any negative connotations associated with that moniker. Jam bands improvise and listen to each other as they play, revamping their organized structures on the fly and adapting not just to each other but the crowd and its vibe. But just as obvious as their jam band status is the classical training and musical education of these (three of five, actually) Berklee schooled musicians, their propensity for jazz on display just as much as the other musical influences for whom we share a love. On a related topic, let’s recognize the good parenting that made the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead and Phish part of these kids’ musical DNA and enabled them to effortlessly dangle teases and covers throughout their set, a display that spoke volumes about the musical homes in which they were raised. Speaking of which, enjoying this show alongside a couple of their dads was pretty damn cool, the musical version of a soccer sideline full of proud parents.
Jimmy Law, lead guitar and vocals, is the front man that every band needs. A local wunderkind, he’s the face of the band and with damn good reason. Though humble to a fault, he’s got it and plays with the confidence of someone who knows it. While it’s hard to take your eyes off Jimmy, let that not detract from the rest of this highly talented quintet. Stage right from Jimmy is guitarist and singer Brian Murray, probably the first member of the band to be overlooked, even if the Phred (Languedoc replica) that he plays is hard to miss. I implore you to give this kid the attention he deserves — Bob Weir stood next to Jerry Garcia his whole life, no easy task I’m sure, but he did it with grace and humility and along the way became the best number two of all time (don’t get caught up in the loftiness of the metaphor, just take it for what it is).
Sam Lucid, bass and vocals, stands stage left. His bass is funk and jazz in turn, exactly what I’d expect from a guy who lists Jaco Pastorius among his biggest influences. Joe Babick, drums, himself a four-year veteran of the Count Basie program for gifted young musicians, is a seasoned performer playing live shows since he’s nine years old — the rhythm section of he and Sam is a force to be reckoned with. I’m a teacher and a father so, as you know, I have no favorites. With that being said, allow me to introduce Jeremy Kaplan, keyboards, playing a red Nord with his right hand and a Hammond XK-3 that’s a dead ringer for the B3 with his left. Enrolled at Berklee on a scholarship from the Piano Man himself, Jeremy blew my mind time and again and again and again. And again. And then some more. Jazz, funk, rock, he checks all the boxes, not to mention running the band’s sound while he plays. Bravo, sir!
Saving the best for last, the love that these kids (the oldest among them is twenty-two) have for each other and the music they play is tangible. Having had a chance to chat and hang and spend the day with them (and hoping they read this!), I’m reminded of a quote I just read from (Sir) Joe Russo, “Ninety-eight percent of being in a band is hanging out, not playing.” I hope they continue to love and accept each other and weather the storm that is this global pandemic, because people need to see them. To a man, they had as much fun playing for me as I did listening and dancing with them. If you know me, that’s saying a lot. I shared every ounce of myself with them and they gave it all right back and then some. All the love.
Perhaps taking a cue from the bestselling book How To Win Friends and Influence People, Dogs In A Pile opened their first set with a cover of Phish’s “Free.” Just as I was thinking that they certainly nailed the formula to win over a crowd of Phish loving Deadheads, a buddy shouted from the pool, “They had me at hello.” No truer words had been spoken and they applied equally to all in attendance, from my dog Charlie (who had two songs played in her honor) to my sixty-nine year-old mother who doesn’t even like music.
In a set that, for the most part, alternated original material with well chosen covers, “Look Johnny” gave us the first taste of the Dogs catalog. Having already put them in a jam band box myself, I was so impressed with the range showcased by their originals … jazzy intros to rock and roll songs within psychedelic frameworks and funky-ass rhythms. They move in and out of genres and structures with an ease that not only illustrates the cohesion of their unit, but creates its own synergy from the roots of their varied influences. They’re a jam band to be sure, although that classification limits the scope of what they truly offer.
As DIAP were perhaps still feeling out their audience’s collective appetite for their originals, the Rascal’s pop hit that became a Grateful Dead staple, “Good Lovin’” was a safe choice for the three-hole. Their interpretation of these songs does them great service and dancing to Dead tunes is a tried and true formula. However, even in the early going, I just found the band to take more chances and showcase more of their musicality with their original work.
As if reading my mind, a friend yelled, “More originals” from the pool at that very moment. As such, “Blues for Brian” with its seriously sexy bass lines and “I Can’t Wait For Tonight” followed. I do love the covers, too, though — they are, after all, the soundtrack to my life. So even as our collective yen for more originals deepened, I was thrilled with the jubilant “The Music Never Stopped” that followed. Two more originals, “Snow Day” and “Go Set” preceded the set closing cover of “Mr. Charlie”, the first of two songs with my dog’s name in the title. Coincidence??? I think not.
“Rinky Dink Rag” opened the second set, a Nord-heavy tune that really foresaw the keyboard mastery that Jeremy Kaplan put on display for the duration. The name of the song kind of tells exactly what it sounded like, maybe except for the fake sneezes, “Bless you, Brians”, and “Thank you, Jeremys” that showed the bands’ propensity for silliness. Endearing in the very best way, I couldn’t help but think of a young Page McConnell and his silly little VT quartet as Jeremy tickled the black and whites. An original-ish cover of “Boogie On Reggae Woman” that really let that Hammon XK-3 shine melded with a Charlie Brown jam called “Linus and Lucy” that had shadows of the Allman Brother’s “Jessica”.
Hot damn that was some fun stuff! “Thomas Duncan Part 2” followed with teases of both “Shakedown St.” and “Character Zero” before segueing into “Bugle On the Shelf”, another Dogs original, though I was really hoping for the prequel to Thomas Duncan, ya know, Part 1. {I have no clue if this really exists but it was funny when I thought it since I have no clue what their catalog looks like!} “Untitled Bathroom Break for Sam” gave a little more insight into the fun that these guys have just being on stage together just as it showed their ability to keep it light and loose while playing. “Craig & Pat” was the penultimate number before the band thanked my poor wife for letting them play at our house and dedicated the final song to my dog, both named, “Charlie”. It was her birthday party, after all, as turend five {I remember holding her in one hand} the previous day.
Seven songs and an untitled improv filled the ninety minute set, the band never once straying or losing a danceable beat. To that end, it’s worth noting that I danced 23,571 steps, the rough equivalent of between 11.134 – 12.221 miles depending on the stride length of a six-foot male. I think everyone present can attest to every one of those, just as I’m thankful for the Moon Mat™ that saved me from feeling each one as I write this two days later (I only feel a third of them).
I truly believe that in a few years time, those of us here will look back on this afternoon and laugh at the “remember when” of seeing this incredibly tight and talented band in my backyard. Prove me wrong.
Andrew Rich
Music and comedy are a match made in heaven. I first experienced this magical pairing with Yo La Tengo and their annual Eight Nights of Hannukah at New York’s Bowery Ballroom, so in that spirit, Andrew Rich was called upon to perform standup between sets. Truth be told, he called upon me but who’s counting? An idea born when a close friend jokingly asked if a big promoter like me (tongue in cheek, I hope) would give a comic a chance to perform, Andy Rich gave a great set with his first live performance in five months. Tres cool, well done, and thanks for the laughs.
Black Dog
I love watching musicians watch other musicians. There’s something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on but just makes me really happy. Watching Black Dog arrive and seeing them take in their younger canine predecessors was a sight to behold. With lines of joy etched into their faces, it was easy to see their appreciation for the younger generation of talent. Equally enjoyable was the reverse, as Dogs In A Pile all stuck around for the master class in Led Zeppelin that is Black Dog.
Enjoying a run of great success over the months leading up to the pandemic, Black Dog was arguably at the high point of a long and successful career, recently playing on hallowed stages from Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre to the Fillmore Philly. A veteran tribute band, their homage to Led Zeppelin is authentic and awe inspiring. Getting your live Zep fix is no easy task, especially now, and I’m blessed to call these guys friends, even more so to have had them crush my backyard. Rob Malave, with an uncanny ability to match Robert Plant’s pitch, sings and plays harmonica as the band’s front man.
A coworker of mine who teaches language arts in high school english, I’d love to sit in his class and see him dig into Beowulf. Dan Toto, guitarist, honors Jimmy Page with his play, his look, and his impressive guitar rack. Whoa. Jeff Mott, a la John Paul Jones, plays bass, keyboards, mandolin, and 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars. Ted Gori, drums, has the difficult task of rising to the challenge of Bonzo’s beats and fills, and he makes it look easy. Christ, he even had a gong which drew the occasional ire of his elbow. These are skilled and practiced musicians, channeling the skill and catalog of their musical heroes with aplomb.
Playing a setlist straight out of my dreams (no, really, I kind of wrote it with the help of a good friend), they gave us two hours of the very best. Picking up on cues from the crowd response to the previous Dogs, they knew they had the audience to take a few tunes deep and they really went for it with “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” and “Lemon Song” being perhaps my two favorite tunes that they took the furthest. Black Dog really gave their all in addition to giving us a little bit of everything, from the keyboard songs to the acoustics and everything in between. The acoustic set was perfectly placed, the peaks and valleys expertly coordinated, and these pro’s pros took us on an almost two and a half hour ride through rock and roll’s finest playbook. Whoop.
As stated up front, music unites in a way like nothing else. I am truly humbled by the opportunity to have brought such good people together for an insanely fun (and safe!) time. Thanks for everything … dancing, singing, laughing, playing, eating, swimming, sharing in the joy, and reading these words. Thanks for being you! My heart is full.
Finally, for the woman who allows it all to happen, thank you, Diana! I love you. #mywifesasaint
44,942 steps. Whoop!
Dogs In A Pile
Set One: Free, Look Johnny*, Good Lovin’, Blues For Brian*, I Can’t Wait For Tonight*, The Music Never Stopped, Snow Day*, Go Set*, Mr. Charlie
Set Two: Rinky Dink Rag*, Boogie On Reggae Woman >Linus and Lucy, Thomas Duncan Part 2, Bugle On The Shelf, Untitled (bathroom break song for Sam), Craig & Pat, Charlie
Black Dog
Rock & Roll ->, Good Times, Wanton Song ->, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Over the Hills and Far Away -> Gallows Pole -> Ramble On, Going to California, That’s The Way, Back Country, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Kashmir, Dazed & Confused, Immigrant Song, Lemon Song, The Ocean, Black Dog
Music venues and theaters throughout the UK turned their lights red to support the many music industry workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Similar to America’s #SaveOurStages campaign, the UK has #WeMakeEvents to call upon support for the music industry across the pond.
Red lights shown at the Tate Modern and Millennium Bridge.
As a part of the Red Alert movement, a march in Manchester, England on Aug. 11 took place dubbed #WeMakeEvents. Among famous musicians who showed support for the movement were Leona Lewis, Doves and New Order.
Both the Red Alert movement and #WeMakeEvents focus on raising awareness to the live music industry falling apart. This was due to not having live shows during the pandemic. Although artists were hurt from the concert losses, so were the crew members.
According to BBC, “Producers, engineers, tour managers, security staff, truck drivers and cleaners also marched past some of Manchester’s closed venues.”
The Royal Albert Hall joined the Red Alert movement and tweeted about their support as well.
Our events rely on countless suppliers, manufacturers and freelancers and we will all need to work together to make the shows of the future.
The message that Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis’ is sending in their new single doesn’t mince words. “Everybody Wear They Mask” was composed by Marsalis and recorded at orchestra members’ homes in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, and Iowa during quarantine.
The song is the band’s call for everyone to do their civic duty and use face coverings in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And for those who don’t want to wear a mask, the song has a slightly more pointed message: “Why you gotta be like that?”
Some of jazz legend Mynton Marsalis’ best work of the last four decades has been influenced by socio-cultural and political issues. In 1985, his Black Codes (From the Underground) won a Grammy, in 1996, Blood on the Fields became the first jazz piece ever to win a Pultzier Prize, All Rise was performed by Symphonic Orchestras all across the world in 2002, and in 2007, From the Plantation to the Penitentiary was said to “[reveal] some important truth about this country with a lot of anger and heart.” It seems only fitting that now, during this historical time of national protest, Wynton Marsalis release a new work that reflects on these human rights issues.
“The Ever Fonky Lowdown” directly addresses the racism, deception, and greed that clouds the country’s chances of human rights for all and pushes us further away from democracy. It was written in 2018 to combat human suffering and exploitation on the universal scale, but is now, in 2020, more topical than ever. The album’s narrator, “Mr. Game,” says it himself: “We are here tonight, but this is an international hustle. It has played out many times across time and space and is not specific to any language or race. It takes on different flavors according to people’s taste, but always ends up in the same old place.” These issues have been happening to countless all throughout history, and it is time to strip away the distractions to attack the injustice’s sources directly.
“Christmas Spectacular” was cancelled this year for the first time ever since the show was introduced in 1933. The cancellation comes on the coattails of MSG Entertainment (Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation) who runs “Christmas Spectacular,” announcing plans to lay off 350 people due to the COVID-19.
The “Christmas Spectacular” stars the well known Radio City Rockettes who are an American precision dance company. The show takes place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City which is owned by MSG Entertainment and runs November 6 through January 3. MSG Entertainment decided to cancel the popular show this year due to the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic still raging throughout the world and the United States. The show hopes to be back for the 2021 production, which is on sale now. All tickets for the 2020 production will be automatically refunded at the point of purchase.
MSG Entertainment announced their plans to lay off 350 people, which is around a third of their workforce, due to the economic impact the coronavirus has had on their company. The sister company, MSG Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers is laying off people as well. They announced plans to lay off 50 people which is about 15 percent of its corporate staff.
A representative of MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports elaborated on the situation saying, “This was a difficult decision for both companies, as we know that our success rests on the strength of our people, who consistently set the industry standard for excellence and professionalism. While we believe this is a necessary step to protect the long-term future of our businesses, we continue to actively pursue solutions that will allow us to safely reopen our doors, so we’re able to bring as many employees back as quickly as we can, once a return date for live events is established.”
According to the New York Post’s article Laid-off employees for MSG Entertainment will receive severance and benefits packages, outplacement support, to help with their transition to being unemployed. MSG Entertainment had prior efforts before it’s layoffs of 350 employees. These attempts though included other layoffs of part time employees which included the layoffs of 4,000 employees of the MSG arena, home of the Knicks and Rangers, who averaged under 20 hours at the end of March. At the end of May, 1,900 MSG venue employees who averaged over 20 hours of work were also cut.
For more information on the cancellation of “Christmas Spectacular” and the MSG Entertainment layoffs read the New York Post’s article here
Brooklyn’s “nuke wave” dark synthpop band Monograms has come out with new single “Lines” to go along with their newest album, Only a Ceiling Can Stay Inside Forever.
Monograms started a Brooklyn bedroom recording experiment that evolved into a full band. The band features frontman Ian Jacobs (multiple instruments), Ali Yildiz (drums), Michelle Feliciano (synth), and Devan Davies-Wood (bass). The dark and moody tone to their music sets Monograms apart from other mainstream pop. Their sound manages to remain ambient and musically interesting without becoming chaotic or unharmonious. The combination of Jacobs’ songwriting talent–his artful and poignant lyrics, clear beats, and angular riffs–allows him to truly make each song its own unique world with a notable landscape.
The newest LP, Only a Ceiling Can Stay Inside Forever, was recorded in Jacobs’ home studio during these past months of the COVID-19 quarantine. The album is a culmination of his feelings towards the social justice issues which plague America today. “Everyone I know just feels really frustrated about the situation,” says Jacobs. “The politics, the sacrifices everyone is making, and the reality has been a very twilight zone-like kind of time for the entire world and the country.”
Jacobs expressed that in the midst of uncertainty and fear, he “just needed to do something creative to bob and weave with all these things, so [he] just started writing some words down and recording some ideas and experimenting.” Even though the songs were different, “after a few weeks, it all started to spiral into what felt like a cohesive thought” for Jacobs.
“Lines,” featuring Kat E., is a perfect representation of Monograms’ dark and brooding synth. Jacobs colors the song with what feels like melodic distortion that reminds the listener of the fear and uncertainty that has troubled all during these past few months. “Lines” is thoughtful and modern and showcases Monograms’ truly unique sound.
Only a Ceiling Can Stay Inside Forever is available on all streaming platforms, and can be purchased on Bandcamp. 50% of all Bandcamp sales will be donated to Know Your Rights Camp, an organization whose “mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”
Shadowboxing is defined as: “boxing with an imaginary opponent especially as a form of training.” One usually shadowboxes when preparing for a combat sport. Hence the metaphorical brilliance of the GZA — aka the Genius — on his classic album, Liquid Swords. On the LP’s eight track “Shadowboxin’,” GZA and Method Man come together to topple their metaphorical challengers, with Method Man’s verse in particular being considered one of the best of his career.
Released as the fourth and final single off of 1995’s Liquid Swords (as the B-side to the “4th Chamber” track featuring Ghostface Killah and Killah Priest.) “Shadowboxin’” was produced by cohort RZA, the record samples Ann Peebles “Trouble, Heartaches & Sadness” off of her 1972 album, Straight from The Heart, 1993 hit-record “Slam” from Queens hip hop group, Onyx. As well as, the popular fight scene “Shaolin Monk vs Shadow Boxing Kung Fu” from martial arts film, Shaolin vs Lama.
Along with the looping drum kit, RZA uses turntables and distorts the chopped-up sample for a more grimy and raw sound, a common theme within the Wu Tang Clan catalog.
By 1995, Method man had become one of the more popular and in-demand rappers of the time, and while his crossover-appeal would bring an additional audience, it was his performance on said records that would make him a talking point. He set the tone, spewing out “F**k that” within the first couple of seconds of the song, almost like an impatient fighter, who no longer wishes to wait for his turn:
“I breaks it down to bone gristle
Ill speaking scud missile heat seeking
Johnny Blazing, nightmares like Wes Craven
N*** gunning, my third eye seen it coming before it happened”
He begins his verse aggressively, with an urgency of a man who has no time to spare and came out firing, with his flow, wittiness and clever word play on full display.
“Rap insomniac, fiend to catch a n**** snoozing
Slip the cardiac arrest me, exorcist Hip-Hop possess me
Crunch a n**** like a Nestle, you know my STEEZ
Burning to the third degree, sneaky a** alley cat top pedigree
The head toucher, industry party bum rusher
You don’t like it? D*** up in ya, f*** ya!”
He calls himself a “Rap insomniac,” conveying that he doesn’t tire of hip hop, while also paraphrasing that he is not to be slept on. The next few words further demonstrate this, as he is so addicted to hip hop culture that he is now a “fiend” and his only fix is to prey on those who aren’t as good or as dedicated to rap as he is, or in his words are “snoozing.” Hip hop is a competitive art form and Method Man makes it clear that he is out to outperform the competition.
Rap Insomniac
While always razor sharp, GZA’s style varies from Method Man’s aggressive approach. Always one to drop knowledge, his delivery resembles that of a slam poet, although he is just as lethal with his pen and confident in his abilities.
“I slay MCs back in the rec room era
My style broke motherfucking backs like Ken Patera
Most rap n****s came loud but unheard
Once I pulled out, round ’em off to the nearest third
Check these non-visual n****s, with tapes and a portrait
Flood the seminar trying to orbit this corporate
Industry, but what them n****s can’t see
Must break through like the Wu, unexpectedly
Protect Ya Neck, my sword still remains imperial
Before I blast the mic, RZA scratch off the serial
We reign all year round from June to June
While n****s bite immediately if not soon
Set the lynching and form the execution date
As this two thousand beyond slang suffocate”
Da Genius
He begins his verse with a jab, as he claims to “slay emcees.” While we don’t know who he is referring to, the ambiguity of his and Method Man’s verses are part of the song’s theme. He rhymes as if his lyrical vigor is directed at one or multiple people, though neither he nor Method Man mention anyone in particular. Or just maybe, their only competition is themselves, and they are simply shadowboxing.
The Genius and the late ODB in action
Method Man gets the final word, with the last verse something of an exclamation point to their lyrical exercise.
“When my mind start to clicking and the strategy
Is mastered the plot thicken, this be that Wu shit
I don’t give a cotton-pickin’ f**k
Flying guillotines here they come, bloody bastards
Hard times and killer tactics, spitting words plus
Semi-automatic slurs, peep the graphic
Novel from the genie bottle,”
The people’s choice: Method Man
“Shadowboxin” is one of hip hop’s truly flawless records and helped further the legacies of two of the Clan’s most lyrically potent rappers. This song along with is B-side, “4th Chamber,” are part of the reasons why Liquid Swords is so highly regarded within hip hop circles.
It has been sampled by Gang Starr in their 1998 record, “You Know my STEEZ” (a play on one of the records iconic lines). It was also sampled by rapper/producer Tony Touch and fellow Clan member Inspectah Deck and clan affiliate, Killa Sin, on their collaborative “Killa Armee Freestyle.”
