NYS Music 202​0

Tag: NYC

  • MTV Moves VMA Performances Outdoors Due to COVID-19

    MTV announced plans to move the Video Music Awards(VMA) outdoors instead of indoors as per its original plan due to COVID-19.  The VMA’s will be spread throughout New York City on August 30 instead of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. 

    Governor Andrew Cuomo announced back in June that VMA’s would take place despite COVID-19 sweeping across the country. He had announced they would take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in hopes the city’s turnaround in its fight against the virus would make it possible to be held indoors by August. Unfortunately, holding a show indoors currently wouldn’t be difficult to do safely so MTV opted to follow the guidance of state and local officials urging them to move the VMA’s outside.

    The VMA shows plan to return to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for its 2021 edition. Until then MTV and the Barclays Center promised the show would “pay homage to the incredible resiliency of New York with several outdoor performances around the City with limited or no audience” within their statement.

    The 2020 VMA’s will be hosted by Keke Palmer. The VMA’s will host performances by BTS, Doja Cat and J Balvin among others. Nominated music videos Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted,” Eminem and Juice WRLD’s “Godzilla,” Future and Drake’s “Life Is Good,” Gaga and Grande’s “Rain on Me,” Taylor Swift’s “The Man,” and The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.” Nominated artists for the year DaBaby, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion, Post Malone, and The Weeknd. Nominated for PUSH Best New Artist are Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Lewis Capaldi, Roddy Ricch, Tate McRae, and Yungblud. Song of the Year nominations are Billie Eilish: “Everything I Wanted,” Doja Cat: “Say So,” Lady Gaga with Ariana Grande: “Rain On Me,” Megan Thee Stallion: “Savage,” Post Malone: “Circles,” and Roddy Ricch: “The Box.” The rest of the categories and nominations can be found on MTV’s website.

    For more information on the VMA’s visit MTV’s website.

  • BOMBZR Bring Funk Back to Life with “Butterscotch Baby”

    BOMBZR, one of New York City’s many exciting up and coming musical acts, is here to share some groovy tunes. Born out of the City’s underground funk and jazz scene, BOMBZR are the perfect accompaniment to any Friday night club scene.

    BOMBRZ

    “Butterscotch Baby” is one of the groups highlights featuring a slick, infectious hook and a indisputable groove. This track showcases the wide range of talent BOMBZR bring together as a group.

    Rich Bomzer, leader of the group says “For me, Butterscotch Baby is a soul driven love song with a little bit of everything that makes up a good R&B song- with horns, strong vocals, talkbox and a great hook.”

    “Butterscotch Baby” features Ramon Jackson on vocals, a friend of Bomzer. The two met working with Valerie Simpson at the Sugar Bar in NYC.

    Comprised of musicians with working alongside artists such as Elton John, Kanye West, Valerie Simpson and Roy Ayers, BOMBZR have their own original music that mixes retro throwback soul with the new music of today.

    To find out more about the band and keep up with what they have going on, follow them on ReverbNation.

  • Council Release Internally Charged EP “Haunts Me”

    A trio of brothers came together to form the band, Council. Now, they have a powerful new EP under their belt, Haunts Me.

    Council
    Cover art for Council’s new EP Haunts Me.

    From Farm Life to Musical Talent

    Pat, Doug and Andy Reeves hail from Baldwinsville, just outside of Syracuse, where they worked the fields on their family farm. While they worked during the day, they had time to practice at night.

    The three musically educated themselves by listening to their father’s record collection. They say they were athletes growing up, so they never performed as kids. They decided to perform together nine years ago at a local library.

    “We were so nervous we asked them to not record us, as we were expecting the worst,” says the band.

    Council band members Pat, Doug and Andy Reeves.

    Family Knows Best

    The idea of working and playing music with family might mean fun all the time, but that’s not what the guys say. In their experience it could be very difficult at times.

    “We have 3 different opinions about everything and have no issue with arguing over everything. We often times find two of us huddled together creating secret pacts against the third so an idea gets passed or someone catches more of the blame than the others,” They say.

    That doesn’t mean a family band is bad, though. The trust between the three of them is strong and they all grew up with the same musical past. They say if anyone tries to join the trio, it never ends up well.

    The First Council Release was a Success

    The Reeves brothers continued to work on their musical career over the years, with their first release of, “Rust to Gold,” that both American Idol and the Winter Olympics featured.

    Haunts Me Empowers Internal Battles

    While “Rust to Gold,” symbolized an introduction to their band, they say Haunts Me is “internally based”. One of the tracks, “Born Ready,” came out of their personal struggles they were dealing with at the time. It embodies the idea of being able to handle whatever life throws at you because you are born ready.

    The current state of the world made many feel a bit detached from society. Haunts Me guides not only the listener, but also the mind to a more powerful outlook on how life has become.

    Council expanded their live streaming from their website to BOSE, Twitch and Sessionslive. Because of the global pandemic they are currently on tour, so live streaming will be their outlet to perform and connect with fans. Haunts Me is set to release on Aug. 4.

    https://youtu.be/6e_k5w6V5OE
    Get Numb is on Council’s latest EP, Haunts Me.

  • Karolina Rose Releases Music Video for Power Anthem “Runaway Angels”

    NYC-based alt-pop artist Karolina Rose has released the music video to her new single “Runaway Angels,” a deeply personal place of experience from the nomadic artist, split between NYC, Los Angeles, and Europe.   

    Karolina Rose

    Rose’s previous singles include the glittery upbeat rhythms of “Greytopia” and the dusky grooves in “Objection.” “Runaway Angels” is the latest installment of Karolina’s versatile brand of ‘noir rose pop’ and step three in her visual EP project.

    Speaking about “Runaway Angles,” Karolina explains: 

    Runaway Angels is more ballet-inspired with a graceful, haunting feeling. It balances between this place of healing and a place of hell—running from a dark, painful abyss of memories that mostly only come up while you’re dreaming. I started releasing the EP last year and these last two songs were quite personal to me. I took some months off on a sort of spiritual journey to look within and do some healing; Runaway Angels helped me process a part of my life that was really difficult for me. It’s euphoric to exercise this part of me out and share it. The chorus was written in my apartment and the rest of it was finished on a vacation during the thick of the #metoo movement. I wrote parts in the middle of the night and tweaked it on the beach with a mini Taylor I had with me and my laptop.      

    Karolina Rose’s compelling track inspires listeners in an empowering way while on their own journeys of finding love and healing.

    https://soundcloud.com/karolinarose/

  • Hallie Spoor Releases Inspirational New Music Video for “City Angels”

    Brooklyn based folk/rock singer-songwriter, Hallie Spoor releases her newest music video which inspires joy, youthfulness and unity despite the global shutdown.

    Cover art for Spoor’s newest album, “New Ground.”

    Spoor’s song “City Angels,” promotes a feel good attitude, during a time that many of us are struggling emotionally because of the pandemic.

    “The idea I had was that during this time of isolation and separation, I thought we could use more joy,” Spoor said.

    Growing up in Denver, the young musician is now based out of Brooklyn. She has played at several famous music venues like, Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook and Rockwood Music Hall.

    Spoor completed her first national tour last fall through playing small performances in unique locations with the well known music events start-up, Sofar Sounds.

    Spoor’s website describes her as an “old soul,” who possesses similar sounds to Joni Mitchell. That part of her personality comes out in the music video where she created a collage of pictures and video clips sent to her by friends and family. The collage promotes memories and a cheerful outlook on life in the city.

    According to her Youtube page, Spoor wrote “City Angels,” after experiencing a lonely day in NYC. Her mood changed after running into a few, “New York characters.”

    “All these very human moments made me feel like I might belong after all. So, this video is dedicated to them- the city angels that make us feel like we’re home in this exciting, scary, beautiful place called New York,” Spoor wrote.

    Hallie Spoor asked her friends and family to send her nostalgic pictures and video clips.

  • Broadway Buskers Concert Series Returns Virtually

    The Times Square Alliance’s annual Broadway Buskers concert series will pick up again virtually this year starting on July 21 and stream every Tuesday at 7pm until October 27. 

    broadway buskers

    Since its start in 2018, Broadway Buskers has brought Broadway actors and composers’ original work to NYC by hosting live performances in Times Square times so that audience members and Broadway workers could watch before heading to a show. While in-person concerts are out, theatre fans can still watch these weekly concerts to experience the talent the Broadway community has to offer. 

    Tons of familiar faces will be featured over the coming weeks: Rachel Potter (The Addams Family, Evita, Wicked) and Heath Saunders (The Great Comet, Alice By Heart, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert) on July 21, Melissa Li & Kit Yan (Interstate, MISS STEP, Cancelled) and Ben Wexler (Washington Square, 2019 Jonathan Larson Grant Winner) on July 28, Lauren Elder (Mary and Max, Hair, Side Show) and James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Chicago) on August 4, Joey Contreras (Love Me, Love Me Not, Break from the Line, Joyride) and Tamika Lawrence (Caroline, or Change, If/Then, Come From Away) on August 11, and additional performers to be announced. The concerts will be streamed every Tuesday at 7PM until October 27. 

    Ben Cameron returns as the curator and host, and for the second year, the Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) co-curates with queer, trans, and BIPOC artists from the MTF community. While the concerts are free, viewers are encouraged to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund and the Broadway Advocacy Coalition. 

    Watch the Broadway Buskers concerts on Tuesdays at 7PM from July 21-October 27 at TSQ.org/BroadwayBuskers or on Facebook.

    Broadway Buskers

    Tune in on August 4th at 7pm ET for Lauren Elder (Mary and Max, Hair, Side Show) James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Chicago) and Nathan Salstone (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child OBC)

    and on August 11th at 7pm ET for Joey Contreras (Love Me, Love Me Not, Break from the Line, Joyride), and Tamika Lawrence (Caroline, or Change, If/Then, Come From Away).

    The August 18th performance will feature a Next to Normal  mini-reunion with performances from both Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer.

    Looking ahead to September, Adam Pascal, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist‘s Alice Lee, and more, will take the virtual stage in September.

    Broadway Buskers continues Tuesday evenings at 7pm ET through October 27 at Additional performers will be announced at a later date.

  • NYC Indie Outfit Longwave release video for “It’s Not Impossible,” share Bowery Ballroom concert footage

    Acclaimed NYC indie rock band Longwave have teamed up with filmmaker Bill Moldt to debut a music video for their song, “It’s Not Impossible,” from their latest album If We Ever Live Forever.

    The idea was to create a unique experience by presenting a choose-your-own-adventure style video for the song. “It’s Not Impossible” is the band’s first debut single off an album in 10 years making the release of If We Ever Live Forever a big deal.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEvH1Y7Ybdg&feature=youtu.be

    The music video was constructed through a series of bi-weekly Instagram story posts, each depicting a possible scene painted in watercolor. Each post contained a video of the scene being created, a caption, and a question prompting the band’s Instagram followers to determine the direction of the next scene. The video used the “poll” feature on Instagram Stories to tally the audiences choices. The process left director Moldt with 10 scenes that were ultimately created and assembled into what become Longwave’s official music video for “It’s Not Impossible.”

    Additionally this week, Longwave have shared full concert video of their November 2018 performance at The Bowery Ballroom. The performance was filmed by Erik Braund at Braund Studios.

    Connect with Longwave on Facebook, Instagram, and stream their music on Spotify.

  • Rich Girls Defy with New Single, “The Fighter”

    NYC-based art punks, Rich Girls, released their single “The Fighter,” an anthem of low-key defiance. Frontwoman Luisa Black shares her thoughts on what the song means.

    “Fuck bigots, it’s all I thought about this year. If it’s about anything, it’s about that.”

    Photo Cred: L. Black

    Rich Girls combine British art rock polish with primitive energy of American garage. Black started the band as the solo recording project after the breakup of her San Fran garage band The Blacks. It evolved from series of dark pop demos Black wrote while living in London.

    A steady stream of EPs cemented the Rich Girls high/low sound and found a small following in unexpected outposts across the UK and Europe. Rich Girls live create a big, urgent sound out of minimal elements. All proceeds from Bandcamp digital purchases of the single will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

  • The Next Great American Novelist Release New Single “Drag”

    The Next Great American Novelist, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, released the new single “Drag” from their upcoming album Careless Moon. 

    “Drag” was written before the countless changes of the past few months. The song explores the pre-pandemic ‘normal,’ but doesn’t paint it as being perfect. It looks into the monotony of life.

    “I love New York City, though, some days it feels like a dysfunctional landscape of ill-routine. Living here, you realize you’re functionally necessary but of small significance or importance within the larger enterprise. I’m immersed in a series of habits: standing in line, getting on a train, heading to work, buying coffee, buying booze… Are these choices I want to make or am I just keeping the machine going?” 

    Sean Cahill, Songwriter.

    This will be the band’s second album after I’ll See You in the Art You Love, released three years ago. The Next Great American Novelist, or NGAN for short, wanted their music to be something that could be enjoyed best live, by all sorts of people. Art You Love delves into depression with an emo-folk sound. Careless Moon includes songs that will “make sense live.” Atwood Magazine, who debuted the album’s first song “Blackberry,” notes that that the band’s new songs have “a heavy alternative sound that simply wasn’t present in NGAN’s previous repertoire — and yet, this growth feels natural and exciting.” 

    The upcoming album comes from a place of joy rather than sadness and is marked by their new sound. Despite the band’s evolution, fans will still be able to recognize NGAN in Careless Moon from their three-part harmonies and meaningful, storytelling lyrics. It explores the relationship between romance and indifference. The two can coexist at the same time within one symbol.

    Watch The Music Video for “Drag” Below:

    Cahill has gone through ups and downs with his relationship with music. Yet he realized that it is his calling. “For a while I felt guilty about playing music, playing shows, as if it was a shameful or self-serving pursuit,” he tells Atwood. “After some reflection, I’m realizing that music is the best way I can spend my time, as it brings more light into the darkness and opens up an avenue for sharing joy.” Cahill eventually met Helm and Cummings through a “chance encounter,” and the three then formed NGAN through a shared music taste and interest in becoming creative collaborators. 

    Atwood reports that Careless Moon is “bigger, edgier, and more alternative; an unabashed outpouring of raw dynamism. The Next Great American Novelist are ready to be your Next Favorite American Band.” “Drag,” along with “Kubler,” “Baby Duck Song,” and “Blackberry,” are available for streaming now.

  • Broadway Shutdown Extended to January 3, 2021

    On June 29, The Broadway League announced that the Coronavirus shutdown would remain effective for Broadway theaters for the remainder of 2020. 

    Photo by Kate Glicksberg

    On March 12, The Broadway League closed NYC’s shows after Governor Cuomo placed restrictions on mass gatherings. The theaters were supposed to only stay closed for a month. However, due to the ever-present threat of COVID-19, the date was pushed back several times. Now, shows will not be opening until January 3, 2021. 

    Broadway has gone dark before. Shows have been closed many times for strikes in 1919, 1964, and 1975, and all shows were closed for several days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This hurt shows financially so much that several were not able to reopen after the shutdown ended. However, Broadway has never been closed this long before.

    Much like the 9/11 shutdown, Broadway shows are being deeply hurt by this inactivity today. Hangmen and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf? will not be able to open in 2021. 31 productions were running in March, with 8 new shows in previews that were scheduled to officially open later this year. The Minutes, American Buffalo, and the long anticipated revival of The Music Man starring Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman announced that their opening dates would be postponed. The Lincoln Center Theater and the Roundabout Theatre Company have released new Spring dates for their upcoming works. 

    Via gaylesbroadwayrose.com

    “The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal,” says Chairman of the Board of The Broadway League Thomas Schumacher. “Every single member of our community is eager to get back to work sharing stories that inspire our audience through the transformative power of a shared live experience. The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it’s safe to do so. One thing is for sure, when we return we will be stronger and more needed than ever.”

    The theaters are expected to open with rolling dates starting on January 3, 2021. All tickets before this date are being refunded or exchanged. In the meantime, Broadway fans can watch the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton on Disney+, which will be available for streaming on July 3.