Category: News Desk

  • Acid Dad Announce June Album, ‘Take It From The Dead’

    Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock bank, Acid Dad, are excited to announce their sophomore album – Take It From The Dead. The album is due out June 11, 2021 via Greenway Records / The Reverberation Appreciation Society.

    acid dad

    In preparation for the new album, the band has released visuals for the albums first single – “RC Driver.” The video debuted on FLOOD Magazine. Singer-guitarist Vaughn Hunt comments on his inspiration behind the song:

    RC Driver is about how I wish I raced cars for a living. All I wanna do is go fast and do stunts. I grew up near a lake, so jet skis are the next closest thing. Ain’t nothing like rippin’ a supercharged Sea-Doo going 90mph on pure glass, baby. 

    Vaughn Hunt, Singer-guitarist

    Acid Dad consists of Trevor Mustoe on drums, Vaughn Hunt and Sean Fahey on vocals and guitar. The band was started in Hunt’s basement in Bushwick, NY – releasing their first single “Brain Body” and EP Let’s Plan a Robbery. Acid Dad quickly rose up through the ranks in the New York rock scene, releasing their debut album to widespread acclaim.

    The band spent much of 2020 creating a new studio space in Queens, while building their own guitars and continuing to independently produce their new music. With a new space and vision, the band produced their second LP, Take It From The Dead, set to be co-released in June 2021 by Brooklyn’s Greenway Records and psych powerhouse LEVITATION’s label, The Reverberation Appreciation Society.

    Take It From The Dead’s influences range from the likes of 90’s neo-psych, modern post-punk and 70’s rock-n-roll. Acid Dad’s album is innovation, but still shows love for its roots. In contrast to their earlier work, they make use of slower tempos and expand their sound to include songs that are both more intricate and more hypnotic. To accompany the new record, the band spent the last year collaborating with video artist Webb Hunt, producing psych and glitch art videos that form a visual counterpart to the dreamy distortions of their sound.

  • D’Angelo Announces Verzuz DJ Battle at Apollo Theater

    D’Angelo will hold a Verzuz DJ battle against unnamed “friends,” taking place on February 27 at 8 pm EST, at the historical Apollo Theater in Harlem.

    d'angelo
    (Photo by Cheryl Gerber/Invision/AP, File)

    He announced another episode of Verzuz, an online DJ-battle series, in which artists face off their contemporaries. The competition is fun, friendly, and fans cheer on artists as they DJ hit songs against each other. Previous sets have included Alicia Keys vs. John Legend. Beginning during lockdown, Verzuz has become a staple respite for music fans everywhere. The notoriously reclusive artist, D’Angelo, who champions quality over quantity will take the stage at the Apollo Theater for the first time since 2014.

    D’Angelo will be challenging several guests at his performance, which expands the online show to a larger spectacle. Due to his sparse public performances, rumors have arisen of new music, although the artist has released one album in 21 years.

    In the early 1990s, D’Angelo exploded onto the “new retro soul” scene with artists such as Erykah Badu. His 2000 hit album, Voodoo, catapulted him into the spotlight, and he retracted, rarely playing shows. The next D’Angelo album did not come to fruition until 2014, and he vanished from the public eye quickly after a supporting tour. On that tour, it was the last time D’Angelo played the Apollo Theater. This return is long anticipated, and you can stream it on February 27 at 8pm EST through Verzuz.

    On Soundcloud, Mick Brooklyn has created Re/Angelo, featuring rarities and D’Angelo remixes from The Roots, Common, Erykah Badu, and J. Dilla.

  • Electronica Duo Daft Punk Announce Break Up

    Electronica pioneers Daft Punk, who are responsible for some of the most well known dance and pop songs of the past two decades, announced their break up. Their retirement was announced to the world in a video titled “Epilogue,” posted on the morning of February 22. 

    Daft Punk

    Daft Punk is an electronic due that started back in Paris in 1993. The duo consists of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter; they are known for being influential members of the electronic dance genre helping create the French touch style of house music. Their sound combines elements of house music with funk, techno, disco, rock and synth pop. They are known for wearing their ornate helmets and gloves to assume robot personas for most of their public appearances. Some of their most known songs include “One More Time,” “Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger,” “Get Lucky,” and “Around the World.” 

    https://youtu.be/udvYSd2TIkg

    Their announcement video “Epilogue,” was an excerpt from their 2006 film Electroma and was posted to their website and social media accounts. The video is eight minutes long and features the two in full costume silently walking away from each other in a vast sandy landscape with one of them blowing up and then sliding into music with the caption saying 1993-2021 with a setting sun on the horizon. 

    Kathryn Frazier, who was the duo’s long time publicist, has officially confirmed the split to Variety. Frazier declined to provide further details behind the duo’s disbandment and retirement at this time. 

    https://youtu.be/LYuD9ydQr3w

    It is still unknown if the duo will be working together under different names or whether other new projects are in the works. Considering the group’s history of popping back out of the woodworks, fans hope they will continue to release music, videos and whatever other projects strike their fancy. We hope the era isn’t truly over. Some wonder if this announcement is in fact the beginning of a new project.

    For the time being, Daft Punk has called it quits. For more information on it visit the duo’s website.

  • The National Jazz Museum in Harlem Announces Online Museum Access Through Google Arts and Culture

    Beginning on February 18, 2021, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem is available for anybody in the world to visit virtually on the Google Arts and Culture platform.

    Google Arts and Culture harlem
    The National Jazz Museum in Harlem

    The free, virtual tour allows viewers to experience videos and high-resolution pictures of jazz artifacts from the Museum’s collections as a part of the Google Arts & Culture Black History Month project.

    “Jazz was born in New Orleans but spent a lot of time growing up in Harlem,” says award winning bandleader Christian McBride who, with award winning bandleader Jon Batiste, serves as National Jazz Museum in Harlem (NJMH) Artistic Director. The Black History and Culture project celebrates and recognizes Black creatives. NJMH joins over 80 partners on the platform with their own expertise and storytelling about Black history and jazz.

    “Jazz music is a centerpiece of Black history, culture and art,” said Simon Delacroix, US Lead for Google Arts & Culture. “During Black History Month, we’re proud to welcome the National Jazz Museum in Harlem to the Google Arts and Culture platform. Now everyone can experience the magic of the genre and the artists who created it.”

    The Museum wishes to reopen its doors to the public for the indelible, energetic performances and captivating history contained in its walls. Executive Director Tracey Hyter-Suffern says that “During the pandemic we have seen the effect on the jazz community and vital role this music and the arts, in general, play in anchoring us. We are a gathering space for jazz artists, educators, scholars and the community. Jazz engages us with each other. Jazz is history you can feel. It’s physical. The Museum is physical. It’s a place, in Harlem, where the community can connect, renew and celebrate.”

    Google Arts and Culture harlem
    Outside the National Jazz Museum in Harlem

    The pandemic has had a severe, disastrous impact on Black and other communities of color. Black, Latino, and senior jazz artists and performers are among the highest risk categories, and many have sadly passed away during this time. This makes it especially critical to share and celebrate the history and legacy of jazz, the uniquely American art form. The Museum serves as a force to keep jazz and its message alive and its artists working, never letting the passion and importance of it fade.

    Inspired by news of the Museum’s partnership with Google Arts & Culture, the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation has offered to match every dollar contributed to the National Jazz Museum in Harlem during Black History Month up to $5,000. To contribute, visit .

  • Check Your Head with Mari Fong’s Podcast

    Music journalist and life coach, Mari Fong, advocates for artists’ mental health through the podcast Check Your Head.

    The podcast aired in 2019 and is hosted by Fong who worked within the industry for years. Her fuel for starting the podcast was the news of Chris Cornell of the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave and Linkin Park’s vocalist Chester Bennington’s suicides in 2017. Fong felt like she had to do something which led her to executive produce and present Check Your Head. It features candid and transparent conversations about mental health, wellbeing and recovery with musicians and experts. 

    While musicians tend to express their emotions through the lyrics of their songs, most times there are no further actions to help them. “Musicians can often find it easier to express their emotions through music, with lyrics and melodies guiding the way. Therefore, one-on-one conversations about their feelings may be more difficult for them, making ‘going to therapy’ not a natural first choice when experiencing a mood disorder,” said Fong. She noticed that with the deaths of Cornell and Bennington that while they sang about their emotional turmoil, people perceived that they were happy due to their success. Their internal battles with depression were overlooked by the perceptions of their external appearance.

    We’ve been losing artists for decades to mood disorders (which can include addiction) like Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse. The focus of the industry has been more toward profits than the welfare of musicians causing mental health to be overlooked. To improve this, wellness should be prioritized to include regular visits with therapists, psychiatrists, life coaches and doctors.

    Mari Fong

    The taboo of artist’s mental health pushed Fong to create a platform for artists to speak openly about their mental health. Each episode consists of a conversation paired with mental health experts and a musician. The goal is to find solutions for these issues through discussion. Some of the notable musician guests include Gilby Clarke, Emilio Castillo, Fred Armisen and most recently, Linda Ronstadt. Some of the top experts that have visited the show are Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Michael Friedman Ph.D., Dr. Ish Major and more.

    Check Your Head currently has 19 episodes out and is continuing to raise awareness each time it airs. The podcast streams on its self-titled website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music.

  • Watch Bad Bunny Perform on Saturday Night Live

    Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny took to the stage at Studio 8H for this week’s episode of Saturday Night Live. This marked Bad Bunny’s first time as SNL’s musical guest, although he did appear in a sketch last season when the show was shooting remotely. Hosting this evening was Regé-Jean Page, from Netflix’s Bridgerton.

    bad bunny

    Bad Bunny is nominated for multiple Grammy Awards this year, including Best Latin Pop Album for YHLQMDLG, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Un Dia (One Day)” with J Balvin, Dua Lipa, and Tainy. At the 2020 Latin Grammy Awards, Bad Bunny took home the award for Best Reggaeton performance and in 2019 won for Best Urban Music Album.

    For the first performance of the night, Bad Bunny sang “La Noche de Anoche,” joined by nuevo flamenco singer Rosalía. The music video for the song off 2020’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo dropped last week, an album which made history for Bad Bunny as the first all-Spanish-language album to hit #1 on Billboard’s Top 200.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yb4HX5gwqI

    Bad Bunny also made an appearance in the musical sketch “Loco,” serving as a hallucination for stir crazy cast member Ego Nwodim as she revisits how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her life.

    Bad Bunny’s second song of the night was “Te Deseo lo Mejor,” also off 2020’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo. Translated as “I Wish You the Best,” Bad Bunny performed the track on The Late Show with James Cordon this past December.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPEwYnAQQOg

    Saturday Night Live returns on February 27 with host and musical guest, Nick Jonas.

  • Prince Markie Dee of The Fat Boys Passes Away at 52

    Mark Morales, known as Prince Markie Dee and a founding member of hip-hop/ rap group The Fat Boys, passed away at 52 years old, just one day before his birthday, on February 18, 2021. AllHipHop reported Prince Markie Dee had died from congestive heart failure after suffering “distressing” health issues. 

    Mark Anthony Morales also hosted “The Prince Markie Dee Show” on LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells channel on SiriusXM radio.Credit…Robin Marchant/Getty Images

    Mark Morales was born on February 19, 1968 in Brooklyn. He formed the band called ‘Disco 3′ with Darren Robinson and Damon Wimbley in the early 1980s. After they won a talent contest at Radio City Music Hall in 1983 the group signed a contract with the show’s promoter. They eventually ended up rename themselves the Fat Boys in reference to their weight under their promoter at the time’s recommendation. 

    The Fat Boys went on to release seven albums, three of which were gold certified and one reaching platinum status. They had hit songs like “Jail House Rap,” “Can You Feel It,” and “The Fat Boys Are Back” and brought beatboxing into the spotlight. The trio even appeared in a few films including “Disorderlies” “Krush Groove” and “Knights of the City.” They ended up breaking up in the early 1990s. Band member Darren Robinson died in 1995 at age 28 after falling off of a chair while rapping for friends and lost consciousness.

    Morales started work as a songwriter and producer for Uptown Records, collaborating with Father MC and Mary J. Blige after the group disbanded.  According to The New York Times article “He helped write and produce Ms. Blige’s 1992 breakout hit “Real Love” and worked on her debut album, What’s the 411? He also worked on songs and remixes for Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey and others.” Later in his life, Morales became a radio personality based in Florida.  He started back in 2008 to 2010, serving as the afternoon drive radio host/DJ at 103.5 The Beat WMIB radio in Miami, Florida. He also ended up working at WEDR 99.1 FM and the Rock the Bells station of Sirius XM which he hosted his show The Prince Markie Dee Show.

    https://youtu.be/cvqxIDmEw_c

    Prince Markie Dee aka Mark Morales will be missed by the music community. We mourn his loss and send our condolences to his family and friends.

  • Phish returns to Mexico for February Dinner and a Movie

    Phish revisits their February 22, 2019 show from Barceló Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico for the February installment of Dinner and a Movie stream series. Tune in on Tuesday, February 22, 2021, at webcast.livephish.com at 8:30pm ET.

    The all-inclusive event was a must-attend for die-hard fans, especially those looking to combine a tropical getaway with six sets of the Vermont quartet. Mexico also serves special distinction as the location of the most recent Phish shows, held over February 20-23, 2020, just prior to the music industry shutdown.

    mexico dinner and a movie

    On the dinner menu this evening are Classic Chile and Cheese Tamales and Black Bean Soup. Full recipes can be found here. Don’t forget to tag your dinner photos #phishdinnerandamovie.

    The charity for the webcast will be the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), as our beneficiary for this webcast. All donations made via The WaterWheel Foundation will go to them.

    phish mexico

    Established in 1979, the NILC is the leading national legal advocacy org in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights and opportunities of the most vulnerable immigrants and their loved ones. Believing that everyone living in the U.S. should have equal access to justice, resources, and economic opportunities that allow them to achieve their full human potential, NILC advances its mission through a racial, economic, and gender justice and equity lens, and works to challenge laws and policies that contribute to systemic inequities.

    mexico Dinner and a Movie

    Tune in Tuesday, February 22 at 8:30PM ET at webcast.livephish.com for the latest Dinner and a Movie with fingers crossed for Phish returning to Mexico in 2022.

    Setlist via Phish.net

    Phish, February 22, 2019, Barceló Maya Beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico

    Set 1: You Enjoy Myself, Turtle in the Clouds, 46 Days, No Men In No Man’s Land > Emotional Rescue, Tube > Shade, Saw It Again

    Set 2: Set Your Soul Free > Mercury > Slave to the Traffic Light > Possum > Sanity > Walk Away

    Encore: More

    Emotional Rescue was played for the first time since August 31, 2012 (233 shows). Page teased I’m a Man (Spencer Davis Group) in Set Your Soul Free and She Said She Said in Mercury.

  • Mt. Joy To Play Silver Lake Drive-In On May 8

    On Saturday, May 8, indie rock band Mt. Joy is coming to Silver Lake Drive-In in Perry, NY. Presented by Twenty6 Productions, the show begins at 4:00 p.m. EST with special guests to be announced.

    Mt. Joy

    Tickets are available in seven tiers, ranging from front-of-stage VIP pods ($275) to car seating (starting at $125). Each ticket purchase includes admission for five people, with VIP ticket holders receiving show posters. Individual tickets are also available for concertgoers in cars occupying more than five. The snack bar and restrooms are open at limited capacity, and guests must wear a face mask to use them.

    Mt. Joy formed in 2016, when former high school classmates Matt Quinn (vocals, guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar) met again on the opposite side of the country in Los Angeles. They linked up with bassist Michael Byrnes through a Craigslist ad, and named the band after Mount Joy, a mountain in Valley Forge National Historical Park near their hometown of Philadelphia, PA. The band’s first song, “Astrovan” was an instant success, receiving over two million Spotify streams in its first month of release and over 36 million to date. Other hits soon followed, such as “Sheep” and “Silver Lining.” Mt. Joy is rounded out by drummer Sotiris Eliopoulos and keyboardist Jackie Miclau.

    Mt. Joy’s second album, Rearrange Us, was released on June 5, 2020, coinciding with the murder of George Floyd. The band was unable to delay the album, so they instead donated 100% of profits to the police reform nonprofit Campaign Zero. Rearrange Us marked the band’s debut on the Billboard 200, with the single “Strangers” also reaching #5 on the Adult Alternative chart. While their dates were cut short due to the pandemic, Mt. Joy toured with the Lumineers throughout early 2020. Most recently, they released “New President” in October, ahead of Joe Biden’s victory:

    For more information on Mt. Joy’s Silver Lake Drive-In show, view the event details here.

  • Netflix Announces The Notorious B.I.G. Docu-Series

    Netflix is gearing up for the premiere of their newly announced documentary, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, which will be released on March 1, 2021. The documentary will take a deep dive into the personal life and career of The Notorious B.I.G. with commentary from fellow rappers and close friends. The streaming platform teased the series’ first trailer Tuesday, February 16.



    The documentary will provide in-depth content on the deceased mega-star, Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. Produced by Volleta Wallace, The rapper’s mother, the series will feature interviews from friend and collaborator, Diddy.

    “Biggie blew up overnight, You have no origins from what rap planet this guy came from,” you can hear Diddy say over the series trailer which features archived snapshots detailing The Notorious B.I.G.’s quick rise to fame.

    Notorious B.I.G.

    Snippets of the series also shared in the teaser include Biggie’s mother talking about his Brooklyn childhood, reflecting on memories of a young Christopher Wallace writing and reciting songs at a young age.

    “This will be the first documentary to focus on the experiences of my son’s life rather than the circumstances of his death. It is a celebration of who he was and where he came from. This is how he would have wanted to be remembered,” says Volleta, explaining the need for a different narrative surrounding the rapper, who died March 9, 1997 at the age of 24.

    The Notorious B.I.G. remains to be just that, even 20 years after his death, he remains prevalent in in rap culture. His contributions to the genre along with never before seen blend of wordplay, delivery and songwriting ability have contributed to keeping his legacy alive.