Sensual pop experimentalists Body Language have been developing their genre-blend tone for some years now. Beginning in 2008, the band (Angelica Bess, Grant Wheeler, Matt Young, and Ian Chang) has added a future-shocked mixture of soul and R&B to their sound. These Brooklyn-based musicians have even received praise from NPR, The New York Times, and The Guardian. As a matter of fact, Body Language and their new music video for “Start It Up” doesn’t stray away from this amount of appraisal.
Photo Credit: Nat Magliore
With an introduction of glamorous dancers and a pulsating beat, “Start It Up” gives viewers nostalgia of packed dancefloors. The combination of the smooth vocals from the front-woman Bess, the glitzy outfits, and an electric flow makes anyone want to get up off their seat. The video travels through a fisheye lens creating a greater sense of funk to the already bouncy instrumental and harmonic hook.
Bess characterizes the video as a “Dreamlike mirage of glamour and shimmering movement. It’s a tribute to our favorite videos of the 90’s and early 00’s. An ode to the New Roaring 20’s: a little old and a lot new. ‘Start It Up’ represents the new age of loving yourself, expressing yourself, and having a good f*cking time.”
“Start It Up” is featured on Body Language’s latest LP Travel Guide. As described as their most collaborative effort yet, Travel Guide consists of ten tracks of genre-bent psychedelic. Check out the LP below for an escapism of the realities of day to day life. Also, look out for Body Language’s remixes for “Start It Up,” coming soon.
PEAK announces parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ series. The series features full sets from the band and will be free and open to the public.
PEAK is a Brooklyn based band that formed in 2016 with frontman and guitarist, Jeremy Hilliard, who originally went under the name before members Kito Bovenschulte (Particle) on drums, Josh T. Carter (Hayley Jane and The Primates) on bass, and newcomer-extraordinaire Johnny Young on keys joined in 2019. PEAK released their critically acclaimed debut album Electric Bouquet,produced by Dave Brandwein (Turkuaz) in 2018. The band has spent a decent amount of 2020 writing, rehearsing and recording an album in their Brooklyn studio, with hints of their sophomore album being in the works.
The first of PEAK’s ‘Live From The Studio Series’ started back on November 14, 2020. The second session took place on December 5, 2020. Both sessions were available on their YouTube Channel and on Jamcast. Each of the performances was a little over an hour in length and featured lots of original music from fan favorites to some straight jams.
The third session will take place on February 27, at 8 pm. The fourth session will take place on March 20, at 8 pm. The sets will be streamed live and for free on PEAK’s YouTube Channel and their Facebook.
They will be accepting donations though to their virtual tip jar through Venmo @jeremy-hilliard1. People can also support the band and their efforts by visiting their Bandcamp page and checking out their audio releases. Head to their online store and pick out some PEAK merch, including new pins and T-shirts designed by the formidable Dave Vertino.
The shows are being supported by MKDevo, Michelle Young, and Matt Calabrese who are going to be bringing the audience a pro-shot video, multitrack audio, and light shows.
For more information on PEAK and their upcoming parts 3 and 4 of their ‘Live From The Studio’ series visit their website.
Arlene’s Grocery, located on the Lower East Side, has seen many young and well known acts get their start, including Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey and Jim Carrey. You may also recognize Arlene’s Grocery from the #SaveOurStages movement, where now Senate Majority Leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, was seen on the street showing his support for the venue.
Due to the unfortunate circumstances that COVID-19 has left indie music venues in, without the support of live music crowds, Arlene’s Grocery is in need of funds to remain open.
Fortunately, up and coming indie R&B/Hip-Hop artist, Versa the Band, is putting on a livestream concert benefit on February 9 at 7 PM EST to raise money for the venue. Tickets are $10 with all proceeds going to Arlene’s Grocery.
Arlene’s Grocery was indeed a grocery, and opened its doors in 1995 in the, then treacherous, Lower East Side. The venue’s history begins with upcoming bands that flocked to the neighborhood to experience sounds emanating from the 150-capacity room, which played host to garage rock, punk, and bohemian newcomers, including Jeff Buckley. In the late 1990s, the club branched out into the butcher shop next door and became two rooms under one roof.
As the neighborhood gentrified around them, the Lower East Side became the hub of NYC rock. The club hired a Live Rock n’ Roll Karaoke band who became an instant hit in the city, attracting New Yorkers and tourists from all over the globe to catch a glimpse of celebrities, such as Moby, belting out AC/DC. As a handful of live music clubs pop up (and down) around the area, Arlene’s holds fast to its intention of nurturing unsigned bands; its attention to the highest quality sound; and remaining an institution in the NYC rock scene.
Originating from Long Island, New York, Versa the Band got its start in 2019 and made it a priority to create music that was genreless; a discography for anyone to listen to, not defined in any one box. The band — which isn’t much of a band at all — describes itself as a “Music Collective” of artists who come together to collaborate with founder Ethan Felizzari.
Versa the Band blends alternative and hip hop with traditional pop, elements of jazz, soft rock & more. Influences include artists like Bon Iver, James Blake, Rosalía, and soul legend Sam Cooke. Sharing why this live stream benefit is important to them, and what viewers can expect from their performance, Ethan Felizzari of Versa the Band said:
This event means the world to me. Arlene’s Grocery is by far my favorite independent music venue. It’s everything NYC underground is about. To perform here and headline our very own event all in benefit for the classic venue is just insane. The fact that we get to help out a small business during this difficult time. That’s always been so important to me coming from a family of entrepreneurs. It all starts with small business and indie venues are often forgotten.
The Livestream is going to be unlike any other VTB performance. I am honored to be performing with three other amazing artists who are just going to elevate this thing to a whole new level. We’ll be performing a bunch of originals and some crazy covers. Harry Styles. Ariana Grande. It’s gonna be nuts I can’t wait.
Ethan Felizzari of Versa the Band
Get tickets to the Tuesday, February 9 livestream, 7pm, HERE.
Originally premiered on the Bonnaroo Virtual Roo-ality, Turkuaz played a set of Remain in Light alongside two Talking Heads members, Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew. Although the album came out in 1980, the legacy of the band and passion of the existing band members continues to carry on well into 2021.
Turkuaz Announce “Remain in Light” Shows with Talking Heads
Based in Brooklyn, Turkuaz is a band of nine members that strive to combine and perfectly balance harmonies of powerful voices, a variety of instrumentals, and an intense consonance incorporating elements from multiple genres.
Remain in Light and Talking Heads have been part of the soundtrack of our lives, and a huge inspiration to us as a band since day one. It was definitely unlike anything I had ever seen and is still unlike anything I have ever seen. It was right about the time we were starting this band. We wanted to cover their material as much as we could so we could get inside the arrangements and figure out what was going on—what made it feel that way and sound that way.
Dave Brandwein [ Turkuaz’s guitar/vocalist] on the collaboration with Talking Heads
Originally set to tour alongside Harrison and Belew in the summer of 2020, COVID-19 unfortunately interrupted their plans and derailed live music for the foreseeable future. Turkuaz’s “Ophidiophobia” had garnered a lot of excitement, having yet to be performed live, so it was added alongside the Remain in Light tour. As live concerts seem unlikely anytime soon and the band was itching to perform, Bonnaroo Virtual Roo-Ality offered them a chance to perform several setlists together to an adoring virtual audience.
The setlist consisted of “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads, “Houses in Motion” by Talking Heads, “Ophidiophobia” by Turkuaz, followed by the final “Crosseyed and Painless” by Talking Heads. The chemistry between the band and Talking Heads members is evident in their performance and how perfectly they bounce off of each other’s vibe.
What a joy it is to be playing music with Adrian Belew again. Having recently produced music for Turkuaz, it was like I was introducing close friends who had never met. We all left the rehearsal very excited.
Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads on performing alongside the band
“Autumn,” the new single from T@NE, is a pop song of sensual proportions conveying the feeling of fresh kisses on your lips, romantic nights, and ecstasy. Autumn is sure to highlight what love is and can be.
Composed by T@NE and Be Steadwell and produced solely by T@NE, Autumn went through many musical stages. From the time T@NE and Be sat down at the piano and laid out its foundations, to the point of its completion where it became an epic pop song, one thing that stayed consistent throughout the writing process was the feeling and the vibe of the composition.
Album design by Fishman Art 89
“Autumn” is a step in a new direction for T@NE. The track exemplifies the diversity of T@NE’s sound, incorporating different pop elements to create the sensual vibe the song brings. While the sound of “Autumn” may stray away from the intricate jazz and rock heavy tones of T@NE’s debut single, “Rock Joint,” the quality of the track shows T@NE’s progression as an artist and producer.
T@NE – a musician, saxophonist, composer, producer, rapper, and vocalist – hails from Brooklyn. Growing up in a musical environment influenced T@NE’s deep love and passion for what he does. T@NE, along with his bandmates Taber Gable on keyboard, Andrew Renfroe on guitar, Dan Pappalardo on bass, and Peter Manheim on drums, are making music for the future. Incorporating elements from all genres of music and fostering a real sense of unity and teamwork allows T@NE’s music to be enjoyable, inspiring, and energizing to listen to.
The Weeknd announced his After Hours World Tour, a 104-date global tour beginning at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on January 14th, 2022.
He will be playing in New York on February 11th and 12th in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, and will be back in early April on the 4th and 5th at Madison Square Garden. He will then be playing at the new UBS Arena in Belmont on April 7th.
The worldwide tour announcement comes just days ahead of the multi-platinum singer’s headlining Super Bowl performance, and also includes a handful of rescheduled dates shifting from 2021 to be a part of the After Hours World Tour in 2022.
With the addition of 39 new tour dates, The Weeknd will also release The Highlights on Friday, February 5th. The Highlights is a way to present some of The Weeknd’s most notable works in one place. While this isn’t a “Greatest Hits” album it does provide a new listener a rich foray into some of the iconic artist’s best and favorite work. Fans can pre-save and pre-order the album on theweeknd.co/thehighlights.
Tickets for the tour will be available following The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance starting Monday, February 8th at 10 A.M. local time on TheWeeknd.com/Tour.
AFTER HOURS WORLD TOUR 2022 DATES: * New Show Jan 14 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena Jan 15 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena Jan 17 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place Jan 19 – Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS Place Jan 21 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center Jan 23 – Chicago, IL – United Center Jan 24 – Chicago, IL – United Center* Jan 26 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum* Jan 27 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena Jan 29 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena Jan 30 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Feb 01 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Feb 02 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Feb 03 – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell Feb 05 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center Feb 06 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Feb 08 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Feb 09 – Boston, MA – TD Garden* Feb 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center Feb 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center* Feb 13 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena Feb 15 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center Feb 16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena Feb 19 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center* Feb 20 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center Feb 22 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center* Feb 24 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center Feb 25 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center Feb 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena Mar 01 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena Mar 03 – Portland, OR – Moda Center Mar 04 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena* Mar 06 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center Mar 08 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena Mar 09 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center Mar 11 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum* Mar 13 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena Mar 15 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center Mar 16 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center* Mar 18 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Mar 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Mar 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center Mar 22 – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena Mar 25 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena Mar 28 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center Mar 29 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena Mar 30 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena Apr 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena Apr 03 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center* Apr 04 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Apr 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden* Apr 07 – Elmont, NY – UBS Arena* Apr 08 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center Apr 10 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena Apr 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena* Apr 14 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center Apr 16 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha Apr 18 – Austin, TX – Moody Center* Apr 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center Apr 23 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena* Apr 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Phoenix Suns Arena* Apr 27 – Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center* Apr 30 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena* May 01 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome Sept 10 – Helsinki, Finland – Hartwall Arena* Sep 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Ericsson Globe Sep 15 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Sep 16 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena* Sep 18 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Sep 20 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclaycard Arena Sep 21 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Sep 23 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle Sep 24 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena Sep 26 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle* Sep 28 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis Sep 29 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis* Oct 01 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena* Oct 03 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome Oct 04 – Amsterdam, Holland – Ziggo Dome* Oct 06 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 07 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 08 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 10 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena Oct 11 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Oct 13 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena* Oct 15 – Newcastle, UK – Utilita Arena Oct 16 – London, UK – The O2 Oct 18 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Oct 19 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Oct 20 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Oct 22 – Bordeaux, France – Arkea Arena* Oct 24 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Center* Oct 25 – Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena* Oct 28 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi* Oct 29 – Montpellier, France – Sud de France Arena* Nov 01 – Milan, Italy – Mediolanum Forum* Nov 02 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion* Nov 04 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena* Nov 05 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena Nov 07 – Krakow, Poland – Tauron Arena* Nov 10 – Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena* Nov 12 – Lyon, France – Halle Tony Garnier* Nov 13 – Paris, France – Accor Arena* Nov 15 – Glasgow, Scotland – The SSE Hyrdro* Nov 16 – London, UK – The O2*
East Williamsburg based singer/songwriter, Sam Rappaport, released his debut single today, “Till the Morning Comes.” The song is an intimate and emotional piano-driven ballad with a paced delivery that recalls Norah Jones and Randy Newman.
For most of his life, Sam believed he was headed for a career in the NBA. But after a clarifying stint as a shooting guard on the Vassar College Men’s Basketball team, he decided to turn his aspirations toward his first love: music.
I have to be honest–I was a mediocre D3 college basketball player. I held onto the NBA dreams as long as I could, but once I hit college it was pretty clear that those dreams were out of reach. Still, I spent the first three years of college thinking that I’d end up overseas playing in some Euro league. I remember finishing a practice my senior year, running to the bathroom, heaving all the liquid in my body into a trash can, and thinking–I don’t want to do this anymore. So I quit. And it was quite liberating, until I realized there was a great void in my life that I now had to fill.
Sam cut his teeth as a keyboardist in Chicago, playing for two years with R&B singer Brandon James at venues across the city. At Brooklyn open mics, house parties and comedy shows, he started to gain his footing as a songwriter with the ability to pull from folk, rock, and soul to craft intimate, understated arrangements.
Rappaport is also a member of indie-rock band Gooseberry, and began writing “Till the Morning Comes” early in the pandemic, knowing that it would be geared for his solo work.
I’ve been playing piano since I was five. It’s always been there. But frankly, I’ve never felt that I was good enough to put it front and center. I mean, I still don’t. There were a lot of mental blocks I had to find my way around before I was able to share the things I was writing.
“Till the Morning Comes” is a song that I wrote toward the beginning of the pandemic. It just seems to flow better as a piano-driven ballad, as opposed to something that needs a drum kit, electric guitar, etc. I wanted to open an avenue to release solo material that might not fit with Gooseberry, which leans a little more toward indie-rock.
With a style that reflects the aforementioned Jones and Newman, his song writing style is still in development. Rappaport teamed up with East Williamsburg based producer Lorenzo Wolff. A stripped down piano ballad soars into a second chorus with the help of ethereal synths and the twang of a lap steel. It is there that Sam’s knack for poignant storytelling and tasteful melodies is on full display.
If I do have a songwriting style, I don’t know what it is. I’d rather others decide. I have, over the past year, spent a lot of time listening to Tom Waits and Randy Newman, and I’m sure those influences show up in “Till the Morning Comes.” I’m interested in storytelling, loneliness, intimacy, the sounds of an old upright piano–I hope some of that comes across in the song. I’m still finding my footing.
The vocals, both melancholic and hopeful, float delicately above the instruments. “Till the Morning Comes” is a song that rises from the stillness of the night, yearning for some way to steel itself against the uncertainty of tomorrow.
Singing-songwriting couple, Katya Diaz and Chris Hierro, combine artistic forces and sound to form Break Out the Crazy, their soulful band that prides itself on breaking genres and blurring the lines between them. The worldly couple is released their newest single, “Fool For You,” on January 29, a song that explores the theme of risking everything for love.
Katya Diaz has a lengthy background of touring internationally, both a singing and dancing background, for artists such as Passion Pit, Beyoncé, Alejandro Sanz, and Thalia. She worked as a vocalist for Snarky Puppy‘s Family Dinner DVD in which she sang background for Lalah Hathaway’s Grammy-winning live performance of “Something.” For the past five years, she’s shifted her sights onto songwriting, even writing the national commercial for JC Penny’s 2015 spring campaign and getting to work alongside acclaimed writers Itaal Shur and Stewart Matthewman.
Writing and producing Latin music from a young age, Chris Hierro has worked with many popular artists such as Leslie Grace, Eli Jas, and Prince Royce. He toured as a keyboardist and backup vocalist for some of Latin music’s most popular artists, including Jerry Rivera, Obie Bermudez, and Alejandro Sanz. One of his most noteworthy songwriting and producing achievements is reaching the #1 position of the Billboard Tropical Airplay Charts with the hit, “We Never Looking Back” featuring Toby Love.
Together, the recently married duo has composed singles in multiple genres and themes, ranging from soulful love songs to tropical pop songs made to dance to. Their newest single, “Fool For You” is accompanied by a powerful and hypnotic music video showcasing the couple’s passion for both their music and each other.
On Jan. 28, Elsewhere, an independent music venue in Brooklyn is airing a new live comedic and musical variety show called Elsewhere Sound Space on Twitch.
Elsewhere Sound Stage Press Photo
Along with many other venues, Elsewhere closed due to COVID-19. As a place founded on innovation, Elsewhere Studios in Brooklyn was made to allow their community to keep creating. The series is among Elsewhere’s attempts to keep live performancesalive during this time. In November, the East Williamsburg venue created a Twitch channel, ElsewhereTv, which streams performances on some Wednesdays along with music sessions on Fridays and Saturdays from their venue.
The show is based on a musical deity’s journey back to Earth after being trapped in space. Live from the Astral Spa and Sound Bath the host, trans comedian Peter Smith, has a goal to bring live music to the isolated citizens on Earth.
Elsewhere Sound Stage Host Peter Smith Press Photo
Each episode filled with comedic skits, out of this world performances, raw interviews and holistic wellness treatments, will air monthly. Elsewhere co-founder, Jake Rosenthal, says the new series “combines the spirit of Space Ghost with the liveness of an SNL musical performance.” Twitch’s API is bringing the visions to life through original 2D and 3D animations and face-tracked video effects. The virtual production software, Aximmetry, makes the tracked-camera performances possible. Elsewhere Sound Space receives its art direction from Dark Igloo and creative direction from Hard Work Party.
Princess Nokia is the musical guest for the debut episode launching on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. Musical guests from New York City’s underground music world are set to do live performances in upcoming episodes. Alternative artist Starchild & The New Romantic and rapper Paperboy Prince are the next two performers appearing on the show. Announcements of future performers are being made soon. Elsewhere Sound Space is airing every fourth Tuesday after its premiere on Thursday.
On Jan. 19 Rough Trade NYC announced that they are closing and moving from their location in Williamsburg this spring to a different place in New York later this year.
Rough Trade is a mainstream vinyl store as well as a venue for concerts. They are the only location for the company outside of the UK. The store opened in Brooklyn in 2013 and the venue was in partnership with the Bowery Presents. This was an essential place for music lovers from all over to gather and enjoy the art. It was more than a record store, it was a place to enjoy performances from artists of different genres. Artists such as Sza, Halsey, Tinashe, and several others performed there. There weren’t just individual performances, many annual events took place as well.
These gigs and events will no longer occur due to the relocation. Rough Trade’s concert venue will not be reopening due to this change. The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for this decision since it has limited the ability of people to gather at live music shows. While the store reopened in June last year, the pandemic caused cancellations of scheduled and upcoming concerts at Rough Trade. Refunds will be made automatically to people who have purchased tickets online or by phone, and the box office will be open certain days for those who purchased them in person.
The future of the store will be dependent on selling vinyl due to the increased demand for them during this time. The switch to a virtual world is also a factor in the decision as it is a new reality and is causing online sales to boost. When Rough Trade NYC closes its doors before relocating, all sales will be made on its website. The announcement for the new location is happening in the summer.
