New York City-based indie alternative act D’Arcy shared her newest single “Bad Habit” on May 28 in preparation for the release of her debut EP album and tour.
D’Arcy’s debut single, “Crush,” was released in October 2020. “Crush” was followed by her single “Bad Girls” in December 2020 with a remix by producer Morgothbeatz, who has previously worked on tracks with rappers Lil Xan and Juice WRLD.
“Bad Habit” stands in contrast to D’Arcy’s other tracks, which focus on upbeat young love, lust and wild nights. “Bad Habit,” with its buzzing bassline and low-spirited lyrics seems to reflect the aftermath of the “cocaine, head spin, pills and gin,” that D’Arcy sings about in “Bad Girls.”
D’Arcy’s alternative style shines in “Bad Habit,” using original electronic tracks that add to the mysterious and grungy feel of the lyrics. The genre-bending singer sticks out in a similar way that Nine Inch Nails does, shifting from electronic, to art-pop, to more angsty alt-rock in each single. D’Arcy is one of those artists that simply can’t be kept within a genre label.
Bad Habit centers on a struggle with addiction and the road to recovery, the song involves self-awareness about the reality of addiction.
D’Arcy
“Bad Habit” also evokes a similar vibe to popular singer Lorde’s alternative style, both discussing themes like addiction, nightlife, and settling into adulthood. D’Arcy’s developing style through her first three singles is a promising introduction for her upcoming album.
D’Arcy’s “Hard to Kill” Summer Tour headlined by country singer Lee Dewyze will kick off on August 14 and make four stops in New York State in September. D’Arcy’s debut EP will be released in mid-August.
Joey Calfa of Cousin Earth drops his exhilarating new solo EP, Baby Kangaroo Baby Cow, Part II, bringing spring into summer with his vibrant sound.
Baby Kangaroo Baby Cow Part II Album Artwork
The EP opens with the track “Brain Lehrer” and is immediately funky with its building guitar grooves. This track can be easily imagined in a bar, feeding the room with its danceable beat. As a tribute to the legendary WNYC/NPR host, “Brian Lehrer” is an ebullient song that deserves a listen.
The second track “Double Whammy” opens with harmonic, virtuosic guitar lines. The shredding and the funky bassline intertwine for a sublime groove. Inspired by video game music, its technical prowess is shared with an ensemble put together by Calfa, including Frankie Coda and Ryan Liatsis (SchwizZ).
The third song on Baby Kangaroo Baby Cow Part II is “Small Hands,” which draws inspiration from Frank Zappa, as well as features an FDR snippet from 1941 that eerily parallels the politics of today. The guitar work is once again wildly funky, interspersed with 80s-inspired synths. Calfa’s vocals interacting with the vocal sample is creative and catchy.
Baby Kangaroo Baby Cow Part II is a solid EP, full of songs that become earworms after the first listen. Members included throughout the EP range from members of his main band Cousin Earth, as well as long time high school friends of Joey Calfa. The quirky, funky release is out now! You can listen here and find more information about Cousin Earth here.
Brooklyn-based neo-soul singer-songwriter Kristen Merritt is releasing her first single and music video off her debut self produced album Joi. The song, “I’m Done,” is available now on all streaming platforms.
Marked with a soft, mellow guitar opening, and playful “Check, one, two,” the track sets up a bright instrumental to a sad story. The layered vocals are a refined touch to the full sound of the track. The chorus then also sees the welcoming of a warm, fun drum that pushes the song forward.
Merritt doesn’t overload the listener, she simply lets her lyrics tell the story while the music sets a leisurely pace. It’s a great break up song, but it’s also a fantastic song to play in a small COVID safe gathering, or out back by a bonfire. The tempo and vocals are perfect to both belt out in your car on the way to pick up the rest of your belongings and slow dance alone in your room.
The music video, with it’s spilt screen style, gives a visual representation to Merritt’s anger and sadness. On one side, a yellow adorned Merritt laments a failed relationship and the other shows a red dressed Merritt divulging all her frustration over a less-than partner.
“I’m Done” is the beginning of a must-follow new era for the Detroit native that will demonstrate the breadth of her powerful artistry and ability to dissect and interpret our most intimate emotions from a relatable and personal perspective. Heartfelt and soulful, Merritt scorches with her poignant lyricism and passionate delivery. It’s vulnerable and cathartic, with each jazz-tinged inflection and mesmerizing line, she finds her voice and freedom.
Merritt has been inspired by Take 6 and neo-soul greats such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott and their soulful musical compositions and lyrical storytelling ability. Newer inspirations of hers include artists such as Daniel Caesar, Jacob Collier, Hope Tala, and H.E.R. These elements in her own sound have led to music with a nostalgic twist and modern warmth.
My hope is that “I’m Done” becomes the anthem of the person who has both feet out the door, and wants to leave their former partner with a memorable goodbye. I want it to serve as the Millennial/Gen Z equivalent of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone,” where the goodbye is short, direct, and permanent (and also a little humorous at points to cut the mounted tension).
Since emerging in 2019 with her debut EP, Spectrum, Kristen Merritt’s storytelling has been the clear driving force at the heart of her craft. Last year, Kristen unveiled three singles, “Thyme,” “Never Again,” and “Ending.” Having been featured on Spotify’s playlists, the songs have already accumulating over 32,000 streams, with more on the way, Kristen Merritt is an artist you can’t miss.
Starting her musical journey in NYC Merritt scooped up local performance slots and open mics, building her confidence on stage while developing her sound and voice. During which she worked in the background on things that felt more raw, intimate, and worth exploring. the culmination of those efforts will soon be shared.
Modest Mouse announced their return earlier this month with two new singles off their forthcoming album and an extensive US tour. The tour includes an August 7 show at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, and two stops at Brooklyn Steel on August 11 and 12. Tickets for the tour go on sale Wednesday, May 26 at 10 am local time.
Newly released is “Leave a Light On,” the second single off their anxiously awaited seventh full-length, The Golden Casket, out June 25 via Epic Records. The song finds Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock navigating the existential threat of losing our humanity – and the interconnectedness that comes with it – amidst a constant societal barrage of physical and digital materialism. “Leave A Light On” can be listened to here.
Earlier this month, the band shared the first single “We Are Between.” The song explores the faults that make up each person’s character as it pertains to the wider world. With a hook that will get stuck in your head all day, the band made a great first single choice. “We Are Between” can be listened to here.
Over the past 25 years, Brock has served as indie rock’s resident backwoods philosopher, pondering his infinitesimal place in the world at large and seeking balance in a universe governed by polar opposites. On Modest Mouse’s earliest records, he was surveying the changes in the world’s physical landscape from the windows of the tour van, lamenting the displacement of natural beauty with big-box blights.
The band’s seventh studio album, The Golden Casket, heralds another new chapter in the band’s unpredictable evolution. The albumexplores the degradation of America’s psychic landscape through the glass of the smartphone screen and invisible technology. Brock also touches on a new theme in his life, fatherhood.
Produced with Dave Sardy and Jacknife Lee in Los Angeles and in Modest Mouse’s studio in Portland, the album hovers in the liminal space between raw punk power and experimental studio science. Pre-order/Pre-save The Golden Casket here.
Brewery Ommegang is located on a 136-acre farmstead in Cooperstown, New York and offers tours, tastings, a 100-seat café, a well-stocked brewery store, and a calendar of public events including a summer concert series and a legendary beer festival, Belgium Comes to Cooperstown. For more information visitwww.ommegang.com. To stay up to date follow Brewery Ommehang’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
DSP Shows Presents: Modest Mouse Saturday, August 7, 2021 7:00pm (5:00pm doors). Tickets and a limited number of camping passes go on sale Wednesday, May 26 at 10am and will be available at dspshows.com. To stay up to date follow DSP’sFacebook, Instagram, and Twitter
New York City native Des Rocs has announced his first headline tour, Des Rocs Alive, consisting of more than 20 shows and kicking off on September 23 at Firefly Music Festival. The tour concludes on November 4 with a hometown show at the Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan.
Graphic from “This is our Life” Music Video
The tour will make stops at iconic venues around the country like Los Angeles’ The Troubadour, Minneapolis’ The Turf Club and Austin, TX’s Antone’s Nightclub. Des Rocs will also make stops at the Firefly Festival and the sold-out Aftershock Fest.
Des Rocs is a fourth-generation New Yorker as well as a rock-and-roll musician. He’s shared stages with The Rolling Stones, Muse, K Flay, Fall Out Boy, Weezer and Grandson.
“I feel like I was put on this earth to play shows,” Des Rocs said. “Since I was 13, I’ve played my guitar in basements and dive bars to anyone who’d listen.”
Des Rocs has released three EPs to date, including Let the Vultures In, Martyr Parade, and This Is Our Life, released in December 2020. The album’s title track hit top 20 at Active Rock radio and top 40 at Alternative radio. Fans can expect new music to be released later this year.
Des Rocs’ song “POS” from his album This is Our Life
“This tour is a lifetime in the making,” Des Rocs said. “I can’t wait to finally put all these songs on a stage after dreaming about it for a year in isolation.”
Tickets go on sale May 21, and can be purchased on Des Rocs’ website.
Des Rocs 2021 Tour Dates:
September 23-26 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
September 28 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
September 30 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
October 1 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
October 2 – St. Paul, MI @ Turf Club
October 5 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
October 8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
October 10 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
October 11 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
October 13 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
October 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
October 16 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
October 19 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s
October 20 – Dallas, TX @ Three Links
October 21 – Houston, TX @ The Secret Group
October 23 – Nashville, TN @ The End
October 25 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Backroom
October 26 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27
October 27 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
November 2 – Boston, MA @ The Middle East (upstairs)
The Windy City will see the return of Pitchfork Music Festival and Lollapalooza for engagements this summer. Grant Park will host Lollapalooza July 29-August 1, while Pitchfork Music Festival will return to the friendly confines of Union Park over September 10-12.
CHICAGO, IL – JULY 31: Recording artist Flume performs on the Samsung Stage at Lollapalooza 2016 – Day 4 at Grant Park on July 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Samsung)
Lollapalooza celebrates its 30th year as a world-class festival in 2021, and has been known since inception for its multi-genre, diverse lineups. More than 165 bands will perform on eight stages over four full days of music July 29-August 1 in Chicago’s crown jewel, Grant Park. 4-Day Tickets are on sale now at lollapalooza.com.
The all-star lineup for Lollapalooza includes Foo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler, The Creator, Miley Cyrus, DaBaby, Marshmello, Illenium, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, Alison Wonderland, Brittany Howard, LAUV, Kim Petras, Omar Apollo, Ashe, LP, Jacob Banks, Olivia O’Brien, Princess Nokia, Trevor Daniel, and more.
Launched by founder Perry Farrell in 1991 as a touring festival, Lollapalooza remains an innovator in festival culture over 25 years later. Lollapalooza was the first festival to bring together artists from a wide range of musical genres on one bill, it was also the first to travel, the first to expand to multiple days, the first to introduce a second stage, the first to blend art and activism, the first to offset its carbon emissions, the first to put electronic music artists on the main stage, the first to create family friendly programming, the first to make its home in an urban city center and the first to expand internationally.
In accordance with current local public health guidance, full COVID-19 vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results will be required to attend Lollapalooza 2021. For patrons who are not fully vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result must be obtained within 24 hours of attending Lollapalooza each day. Details on the festival entry process will be available in early July. Lollapalooza is excited to partner with the City of Chicago to encourage vaccination in Chicago in the weeks prior to the festival. If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccines or to find a vaccination location near you, please visit www.vaccinefinder.org.
For 15 years, the Pitchfork Music Festival has delivered an eclectic musical lineup, singular in its ability to place contemporary, cutting-edge acts alongside some of the most revered artists of our time. It’s this unique blend of discovery and tradition that makes the Pitchfork Music Festival stand out as one of the most celebrated weekends of the year.
Pitchfork Music Festival opens on Friday, September 10 with Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Animal Collective, Yaeji, The Fiery Furnaces (their first show in over a decade), black midi, Hop Along, Kelly Lee Owens, Ela Minus, DEHD, The Soft Pink Truth, DJ Nate, Dogleg, and Armand Hammer.
Saturday features St. Vincent, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon, Ty Segall & Freedom Band, Waxahatchee, Jay Electronica, Jamila Woods, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Faye Webster, Amaarae, Maxo Kream, Divino Niño, Bartees Strange, and Horsegirl.
On Sunday, the festival hosts Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Danny Brown, Cat Power, Andy Shauf, Caroline Polachek, Yves Tumor, The Weather Station, Mariah the Scientist, oso oso, KeiyaA, Special Interest, and Cassandra Jenkins.
Pitchfork Music Festival tickets are now on sale here. Three-day passes are $195 and single-day passes are $90. The Pitchfork PLUS upgrade, including a range of exclusive amenities, is $385 for a three-day pass and $185 for a single-day pass. If the festival is postponed or rescheduled due to COVID-19, ticket buyers can keep their passes for the new dates or request a refund. More details are available here.
To ensure the health and safety of guests, artists, and staff, the Pitchfork Music Festival will adhere to the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 protocol, and will keep attendees updated as federal, state, and local regulations evolve.
Lo-fi artist Jxst J , releases a new single “Alone” with a hilarious and entertaining music video. Teasing his debut album “How to Pronounce Jxst J.” After spending his formative years in. LA playing in bands and making music videos, the multi-talented artist is now. Brooklyn-based, where he continues his synesthetic approach to music.
Jxst J
The song “Alone” will have you closing your eyes and bopping your head back and forth as his soothing. voice goes perfectly over his low-fi beats. Drawing from genres like dream pop, indie, and trip-hop, he seamlessly blends acoustic and. electronic elements for a sound that is as eclectic as it is catchy. He achieves a polychromatic sound that shows off his mix of stretched samples, acoustic instruments, analog synths, and his silky vocals.
As for the music video somehow just goes perfectly with the song easily putting a smile on your face. Although a simple music video, Jxst J is able to make the most out of it making it seem to go flawless with the song. It is most definitely a video that will have you want to watch it every time you listen to the single “Alone.” Jxst J (aka James Pratley Watson.) is a visual artist just as much as he is a musician. Before Jxst J he was recognized for his lo-fi visuals with his band Pratley. Now he is bringing his visual literacy to Jxst J with a trippy, arthouse aesthetic shot primarily on super 8 film
He plans to release a music video with each. song over the summer until the album “How to Pronounce Jxst J” full release this fall.
UPDATE: Monday, August 23, 2021 – With Nine Inch Nails cancelling all 2021 tour dates, including this year’s Riot Fest, the festival has announced two major headliner additions.
Those who purchased a three-day or single-day Sunday ticket will now gain access to the festival’s Preview Party on Thursday, September 16, free of charge. Performing Thursday will be Morrissey, who will curate a selection of special guests to perform exclusively on Thursday. Plentiful vegetarian options will be offered by food vendors, following Morrissey’s tradition of no-meat at performances which will be honored across Douglass Park for the entire day on Thursday, September 16.
On Sunday, September 19, Slipknot will close the night out on the Riot Stage, bringing one of the most iconic metal acts ever to Riot Fest for the first time.
Riot Fest this fall returns to Douglass Park in Chicago over September 17–19, 2021 with their first in-person festival since 2019. In an unprecedented move, festival organizers revealed the lineup for 2021, along with tickets for 2022.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Nine Inch Nails will headline the festival’s 2021 edition, alongside The Smashing Pumpkins and Run the Jewels. New additions for this fall’s lineup include Faith No More, a recently reunited Mr. Bungle, DEVO, NOFX, Dinosaur Jr., The Ghost Inside, Motion City Soundtrack, along with many others.
After quickly selling out 3-day passes for 2021, Riot Fest announced that for next year’s festival The Original Misfits, including Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only, and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, will headline Riot Fest 2022. The band will be performing their first album Walk Among Us in full for its 40th anniversary.
My Chemical Romance will also return to headline the festival’s 2022 edition, a hotly-anticipated reunion, finally realized. The group initially announced their reunion in 2019, playing a single show at Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles before postponing their entire sold-out North American tour—including a slot at Riot Fest—to 2022.
After the Jersey band’s 2013 hiatus fans have been waiting for another chance to catch My Chemical Romance live. Considering their reunion tour is sold out, Riot Fest is a great opportunity to snag tickets for 2022.
3-day passes for this and next year’s festivals are on sale now; single-day passes to this year’s festival will go on sale this week, alongside more band announcements for 2021. Previous ticket holders can purchase 2022 passes at a special price for a limited time; ticket transfers to next year, as well as refunds, are now available.
Safety measures regarding COVID-19 will be frequently updated, as directed by local health and public safety officials.
More info and tickets are on sale through Riot Fest’s website.
Daily lineups have now been announced for Riot Fest 2021.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 MORRISSEY with Very Special Guests
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, COHEED AND CAMBRIA, LUPE FIASCO (performing The Cool), NOFX, DIRTY HEADS, SUBLIME WITH ROME, CIRCLE JERKS, DINOSAUR JR., MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, THRICE, CIRCA SURVIVE, MEG MYERS, THE LAWRENCE ARMS, BEACH BUNNY, ANTI-FLAG, LIVING COLOUR, FISHBONE, ENVY ON THE COAST, THE SOUNDS, AMIGO THE DEVIL, EYEDRESS, BEACH GOONS, MEET ME @ THE ALTAR, SERATONES, RADKEY, KISSISSIPPI, JACKIE HAYES, OXYMORRONS, GIRLPUPPY, SEŃOR KINO
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 RUN THE JEWELS, FAITH NO MORE, DROPKICK MURPHYS, RANCID, TAKING BACK SUNDAY, VIC MENSA, GOGOL BORDELLO, MAYDAY PARADE, BAYSIDE, STATE CHAMPS, THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES, ANDREW W.K., BEST COAST, BIG FREEDIA, GWAR, HEPCAT, LES SAVY FAV, THE BRONX, FOUR YEAR STRONG, CITIZEN, FUCKED UP, JOYWAVE, NIGHT MOVES, MAN ON MAN, HOLY FAWN, THE BOLLWEEVILS, GANSER, JUST FRIENDS, THE ORPHAN THE POET, BEARINGS, SPIDER, DEVON KAY & THE SOLUTIONS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 SLIPKNOT, MACHINE GUN KELLY, PIXIES, DEVO, MR. BUNGLE, NEW FOUND GLORY, THE GHOST INSIDE, BODY COUNT, THURSDAY, K.FLAY, KNUCKLE PUCK, HEALTH, THE BLED, MOTHER MOTHER, 3OH!3, FEVER 333, ALEX G, KENNYHOOPLA, BLEACHED, THE GORIES, FACS, RATBOYS, BLACKSTARKIDS, SKATING POLLY, PET SYMMETRY, MELKBELLY, GYMSHORTS, THE WEAK DAYS, AIRSTREAM FUTURES
On June 24, Riot Fest unveiled the first round of Late Night after shows to coincide with this year’s festival, held September 17–19, 2021. Tickets for the Late Night shows are now on sale via RiotFest.org.
RIOT FEST 2021 LATE NIGHT SHOWS On sale Friday, June 25 at 12:00 p.m. CDT
FRIDAY, SEPT. 17 more to be announced! MR. BUNGLE With Special Guests Radius 17+ | Doors: 10pm | TICKETS
SATURDAY, SEPT. 18 more to be announced! NEW FOUND GLORY and SIMPLE PLAN POP PUNK’S STILL NOT DEAD TOUR with Lolo Radius 17+ | Doors: 9pm | TICKETS
DINOSAUR JR. with Ryley Walker Bottom Lounge 17+ | Doors: 10pm | TICKETS
TOO MANY ZOOZ and BIG FREEDIA The Vic Theatre 18+ | Doors: 10pm | TICKETS
The FMs have released two new singles highlighting the stigmas and ignorance in society’s gender experience. The double feature of “Song X” and “Bad Girl” dropped on April 30, 2021.
The FMs are an up and coming duo hailing originally from Brooklyn and are now Ithaca based. The duo is made up of Matte Namer (they/them) and Frankie Rex (they/them, he/him) and started officially making music together back in 2017. The two have been friends since high school and their music tackles topics such as sexuality, gender, and politics.
The FMs are not making music just for entertainment’s sake, but to call on society to change its historical ignorance. Music can be used as a foghorn for their unwavering support of anyone who remains steadfast in their truth and identity. They embrace androgyny and amplify the voices of “the other” through their music and their very existence is a statement and they are not backing down.
The single “Song X” dropped with an accompanying video that featured both Namer and Rex. The song speaks to the confines of gender in society between it’s lyrics and visuals the release pulls the stereotypes and expectations of gender apart. The song stresses that gender should not be a box, but an act of self-expression.
“Bad Girl” was also released at the same time as “Song X” as a double-feature project. The track is funk-inspired with a sample beat from “It’s Raining Men” accompanied by the FMS signature brand of rock flare and covers similar topics about gender and gender expression that “Song X” does.
The duo also released merchandise that is available in conjunction with the release with all profits being donated to the Black Trans Travel Fund. For more information on The FMs visit their website.
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music fromHaley Moley, Architrave and many more!
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
Haley Moley
Haley Moley’s newest release, “Narcissus,” is equal parts rock and electronic. Sporting a silver spoon on the single cover, the song’s lyrics speak of a selfish lover. Jennifer Maher Coleman’s vocals fade in and out, acting as another instrument beside the pulsing guitar and synths. Based in Troy, NY, Haley Moley also features Paul Coleman on guitar, Andrea Kosek on keyboard and guitar, Pat Thorpe on bass and Mike Broomhead on drums.
Architrave
Architrave, another project from Jennifer Maher Coleman and Paul Coleman, channels the new wave of the early 80s. The title of their recent single, “Headcount,” is deceiving. Its opening lines say, “There’s safety in numbers, here’s the headcount / One, one, and another one, I’m the only one.” While equally moody as “Narcissus,” Coleman’s vocals take center stage here.
Anacortez
Anacortez harkens back to the alt rock sound of the early 2000s. Consisting of Jessie Comtois, husband Michael Comtois and drummer Kevin Couture, the band is named after a town in Washington. Their latest single, “Another Sad Song,” resides on the softer sound of 00s rock.
Danger! Ken
Lastly, multi-instrumentalist and composer Danger! Ken will be playing “Astral Traveler” off his new release, Up is Down.
