New York, they’re comin home again. moe. will head out on their 2021 Fall Tour in October, making stops at four venues across their home state of New York.
After stopping Upstate at Apple Valley in early August, moe. heads out to Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL. They’ll headline ADK Independence Festival over Labor Day weekend, and the head to the rescheduled New Orleans Jazz Fest in early October.
Town Ballroom hosts moe. for three nights in the town where they started, followed by a three night run in Chicago. moe. performs on Long Island at The Paramount in Huntington in late October, with a Halloween-Eve show at The Fillmore in Philadelphia the next night.
In December, moe. will stop at Brooklyn Bowl for an intimate show, followed by two nights at The Capitol Theatre and four nights at The Sinclair in Boston.
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 16 at 10 AM ET – get tickets here.
moe. Fall Tour 2021
Oct. 8-9 – The Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA
Oct. 14 -16 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
Oct. 21-23 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
Oct. 28 – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT
Oct. 29 – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
Oct. 30 – The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
Dec. 9 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
Dec. 10-11 – The Capitol Theatre – Port Chester, NY
Brooklyn-based band Wild Yaks have shared a blistering live rendition of the fan-favorite track “Strawberry Wolf” from the upcoming Live At Rippers, their fifth LP and first live album, due July 16. Wild Yaks play an ecstatic fusion of punk rock and big-city folk reinforced with passionate vocals (often delivered in unison by the full membership).
Fittingly for a band that played the last show at Rippers before last year’s pandemic-related shutdown (at which this album was recorded), Wild Yaks are proud to be the first band back at the venue in 2021, setting a performance there for July 17th. In addition to this sure-to-be-wild night, the band has announced a record release party at Ridgewood, NY venue TV Eye on July 23rd.
The band was formed in the fall of 2007 in Brooklyn by singer/guitarist Rob Bryn and drummer/vocalist Martin Cartagena. While many players have made their way through the Yaks’ over the years, today’s lineup is Jose Aybar (bass), Patsy Carroll (guitar), Giovanni Kincade (Farfisa), Matt Walsh (guitar), plus Cartagena and Bryn.
The Yaks’ discography also includes the EP 10 Ships (Don’t die yet, 2009), and full-length albums Million Years (2012), Rejoice! God Loves Wild Yaks (2015), and Great Admirer (2019). The band’s music has been featured in numerous television shows and films, most notably their live performance in an episode of Law and Order SVU. They are hard at work writing new songs in Rockaway Beach and preparing for a summer of charged performances and communal magic.
After a successful return to the stage at Peach Music Festival, TAUK is set to hit the road and headline their own shows for the Chaos Companion Tour, as the world starts to open up again. Starting with the Resonance Fest, and BorderlandFest in September, fans can listen to the band’s new and old releases, including their newest single “Moon Dub,” out now.
With new music and new energy, the band can’t wait to return to live shows like never before. “We’ve been missing live music just like everybody else and are itching to get back on the road,” shares guitarist Matt Jalbert. “This whole experience gave us some time to step back and really gain a whole new perspective on just how lucky we are to do what we do and share it all with unreal fans.”
This first part of the country long tour kicks off with Resonance Music & Arts Festival in Masontown, WV over September 16th & 17th, followed by a performance at Borderland Music & Arts Festival in East Aurora on September 18th. TAUK will then hop along the east coast, hitting Pawtucket, RI, New Haven, CT, and Brooklyn, (the latter with Paris_Monster), before heading down south for plays in Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Indianapolis, IN, Covington, KY and more. The band will then make their State Theatre debut on Halloween in Falls.
Don’t miss out on TAUK on tour. An all-instrumental combination of progressive rock, hip-hop and jazz offers a unique blend and sound to their listeners. Inspired by classic sci-fi like Blade Runner and Ex Machina, TAUK’s ability to combine melodic fusion with pop sounds is sonically adventurous, and emotional. A full list of dates can be found below. Keep up with the band on their official Facebook & Instagram, and listen now on Spotify & Apple Music.
Their most recent studio album ShapeshifterII:Outbreak, offered an interesting look at artificial intelligence and its potential to upend our world. Containing a sense of tension and cinematic mood, it proved to be an album that’s both thought provoking and soothing.
Longtime friends and TAUK members Charlie Dolan, Matt Jalbert, and A.C. Carter formed their first band in seventh grade. After playing together in various projects, the three added Issac Teel to the band, creating the final lineup. Since then, TAUK has appeared at festivals like Electric Forest and Bonnaroo, and earned acclaim from major outlets like the Washington Post, who praised TAUK for “creating a hard-charging, often melodic fusion that—thanks to a penchant for improv—offers limitless possibilities.”
TAUKChaos Companion Tour Dates
Aug. 13 – Atlantic City, NJ – Sound Waves @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, featuring special guest Robert Randolph for a Beatles vs Hendrix set with BoomBox Sept. 16 & Sept. 17 – Masontown, WV – Resonance Music & Arts Festival Sept. 18 – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music & Arts Festival Sept. 30 – Pawtucket, RI – The Met Oct. 1 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place Oct. 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl (with Paris_Monster) Oct. 8 – Martinsville, VA – Rooster Walk Reunion Music Festival Oct. 9 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel Oct. 12 – Oxford, MS – The Lyric Oxford Oct. 13 – Little Rock, AR – Rev Room Oct. 19 – Jackson, MS – Duling Hall Oct. 20 – Huntsville, AL – Sidetracks Music Hall Oct. 21 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn Oct. 22 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Druid City Music Hall Oct. 23 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse Oct. 26 – Indianapolis, IN – HI-FI Oct. 27 – Covington, KY – Madison Theater Oct. 28 – Memphis, TN – Railgarten Oct. 29 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East Oct. 30 – Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theater Oct. 31 – Falls Church, VA – The State Theatre
Cassandra Jenkins is gearing up for an eventful year. Last week she released a KEXP At Home session. In September she’ll play at Pitchfork Music Festival, The Warhol’s Soundseries Block Party, Woodsist Festival, and accompany Andy Shauf on his tour in the US. In February 2020, Cassandra Jenkins will hit the road for a tour with The Weather Station.
Now she has announced a headline tour of Europe and the UK all November long, in clubs and at festivals like Pitchfork Paris and London. Jenkins begins her tour in Brooklyn, and returns the to US in February to finish up her US dates.
An Overview on Phenomenal Nature, Jenkins latest album released on Feb. 19 from Ba Da Bing Records, she worked with Josh Kaufman on the album and finished it within a week. It comes after her last album, Play Till You Win, which came out in 2017. Her previous work showcased her talent but the forthcoming work shows her adaptability. It has a theme of being optimistic and being open to change.
Responsible for one of the best albums of 2021, @CassFreshUSA plays live @yes_mcr on 14th Nov.
Cassandra Jenkins United Kingdom & Europe tour dates 2021
05/11/21 – The Hague, NL – Crossing Border Festival – tickets 09/11/21 – Brighton, UK – Green Door Store – tickets 10/11/21 – Bristol, UK – Louisiana – tickets 11/11/21 – London, UK – Pitchfork Festival 13/11/21 – Glasgow, UK – Great Western Festival – tickets 14/11/21 – Manchester, UK – YES – tickets 15/11/21 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club – tickets 16/11/21 – Birmingham, UK – Hare & Hounds – tickets 18/11/21 – Brussels, BE – Botanique Rotonde – tickets 19/11/21 – Paris, FR – Pitchfork Festival – tickets 25/11/21 – Copenhagen, DK – Hotel Cecil – tickets 26/11/21 – Stockholm, SE – Kristallen at Södra Teatern 27/11/21 – Oslo, NO – Ingensteds – tickets
American rapper, songwriter, actress, model, and reality TV personality Lil’ Kim (Kimberly Denise Jones) celebrates her 47th birthday today. Happy birthday to an icon who changed the female rap game!
Lil’ Kim went through many hardships in her early life. She grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and during high school, she was kicked out of her father’s home and had to live on the streets. When she bet Biggie Smalls as a teenager, her life changed forever. He quickly became her mentor as well as her lover, and he got her into the Brooklyn-based rap group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. which jumpstarted her musical career. Lil’ Kim’s popularity heightened as a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., and after their first album was released, she began working on her solo material.
A year before Biggie Small’s tragic death, she released her debut studio album, Hard Core, in 1996. Hard Core was certified double platinum and sold more than six million copies worldwide. The album’s debut was the most successful for a female rapper at that time. “No Time” was the leading single on the album, reaching the number one spot on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.
Her second and third albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003) were also certified platinum. Soon after The Notorious K.I.M. was released, she worked with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mya to create the hit single, “Lady Marmalade” for the Moulin Rouge! film soundtrack. The track was number one on the Billboard charts for five weeks straight. This song was out of Lil’ Kim’s comfort zone, and it led her to gain admiration from other fanbases, excelling her rap/R&B career even further. “Lady Marmalade” also won Lil’ Kim her first Grammy award.
La Bella Mafia included collaborations with Missy Elliott and 50 Cent, and was produced with help from Timbaland and Kanye West. At the time of its release, Missy Elliott was the only other female rapper with three platinum albums.
In 2005, Lil’ Kim was sentenced to a year and a day in jail, along with a $50,000 fine for perjury and conspiracy for lying to a federal grand jury after getting herself into a sticky situation involving her rival, Foxy Brown. Her time in jail was spent writing new music, and her fourth studio album, The Naked Truth, was released when she was still behind bars. Since she had no way of promoting her album, it did not sell quite as well as her first three albums, however critics know this vulnerable and hard-hitting album as the best female rap album to exist. It was also the first female rap album to receive a 5 mic rating from The Source.
After serving her time, Lil’ Kim decided to break off from Atlantic Records to release her music independently. She made appearances on Dancing With the Stars and produced two mixtapes, Ms. G.O.A.T. (2008) and Black Friday (2011). More recently, in 2019, Lil’ Kim released 9, a full-length studio album. During the first week of its release, it charted on the hip hop/R&B and rap album sales. It features artists such as City Girls, Rick Ross, O.T. Genesis, and Rich the Kid.
Lil’ Kim has earned her title of the Queen of Rap. Her aggressive lyrics have been transformative for the rap world as well as for inspiring all females to empower themselves and one another. Although she is now 47 years old, her career is far from over. She has said recently that she is continuing collaboration with artists such as Missy Elliott, City Girls, and Paris Hilton. The public can only imagine what epic content will come from her as she ages and gains knowledge and wisdom. Happy birthday to an incredibly important musician, Lil’ Kim!
New York avant-garde metal outfit Imperial Triumphant has just announced their Fall 2021 U.S. headline tour. The band will be joined by Pyrrhon starting October 15th in Boston and wrapping up on October 31st in Brooklyn. Imperial Triumphant will be touring in support of their most recent full-length album Alphaville, which came out Summer of 2020.
The album was produced and engineered at New York’s Menegroth Studio by Colin Marston and Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle). The album also features a number of special guests such as Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) on taiko drums, Phlegeton (Wormed) on guest vocals, Yoshiko Ohara (ex-Bloody Panda) as part of the choirs, RK Halvorson as part of the Barbershop quartet, Sarai Chrzanowski as part of the choirs, Andromeda Anarchia (Folterkammer, Dark Matters) as part of the choirs, J Walter Hawkes on the trombone, and Colin Marston on guitars.
Imperial Triumphant officially began in 2012 with their debut release Abominamentvm. The line-up consisted of Zachary Ilya Ezrin on guitar/vocals and the rhythm section of their NYC contemporaries: Pyrrhon. Soon they met with drummer Kenny Grohowski and began to feature him on their next two releases Goliath (EP) and Abyssal Gods (LP). In 2015, they introduced bassist Steven Blanco to their lineup. In 2016, they released another EP Inceste, which saw them tour heavily that year with temporary second guitarist Max Gorelick. 2018 brought about their magnum statement, Vile Luxury. The full-length album, written collectively by the trio (Ezrin, Grohowski, Blanco), was a homage to their hometown New York City that brought jazz elements to the avant-garde black metal style in a way never achieved before. Imperial Triumphant is looking forward to performing their newest full-length album, Alphaville, which catapulted them to national recognition.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame has announced the awarding of its 2021 student scholarships. This year LIMHOF acknowledged four students with the $500 Distinction in Music award for their accomplishments.
This year’s winners are Elias Giuliano of Northport; Emily Howell of Plainview; Lauren Enos of Riverhead; and Anthony Barone of Mastic.
“The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is honored to have the opportunity to support and acknowledge accomplished high school seniors who are pursuing a future in music… The talent that exists on Long Island is something we at LIMHoF want to celebrate. In addition to following their own dreams, we believe these students will encourage and inspire others.”
LIMHoF Education Chairman Tom Needham
Left to right, top to bottom: Elias Giuliano of Northport; Emily Howell of Plainview; Lauren Enos of Riverhead; and Anthony Barone of Mastic, were the recipients of the 2021 Long Island Music Hall of Fame Distinction in Music Award.
Here are the for LIMHoF award winners:
Elias Giuliano, who attends Northport High School, plays viola in the symphony orchestra and piano in the jazz ensemble. He received accolades for his original compositions of piano music. “Elias possesses the versatility of a first-rate composer, performer, and mentor to so many students. He is an outstanding musician and person,” said Dr. Frank Doyle — who was awarded by LIMHoF as Music Educator of Note in 2016.
“I am honored and thrilled to be a LIMHoF scholarship recipient,” Giuliano said. “As an aspiring music teacher who wants to make music a lasting part of my life — and hopefully the lives of many others — I am humbled to be recognized by some of Long Island’s most amazing talent.”
Giuliano plans to attend SUNY Fredonia this fall and major in Music Education.
Emily Howell, who attends Plainview Old Bethpage High School, plays the French horn. In addition to recognition as a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-Eastern Symphony Orchestra, she was also a member of the 2019 All-State Wind Ensemble and 2020 All-State Symphony Orchestra as a principal horn.
“Music provides a mode of expression and gives hope in a way that nothing else can; it truly enriches my life,” Howell said. “Music provides comfort and solace at all times — and especially in today’s unsettled times. Whether it might be at a funeral (where music truly heals), or a wedding (where music commemorates and celebrates), or simply in my living room or kitchen (where some type of live or recorded music is always going), music has an emotional role and influential presence. It is a vehicle for communication, an art of sound that expresses emotions, thoughts, and ideas through harmonies, rhythms and melody: The ultimate universal language that speaks to everyone.”
Howell plans to attend Julliard School of Music and major in performance on French horn.
Lauren Enos, who attends Riverhead High School, has been playing music since the third grade. She currently plays bass clarinet, and she participated in the All-State 2020 Wind Ensemble and was principal clarinet in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State 2019 Symphony Orchestra.
“It is a great honor to receive an award from the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and to be among some of the most distinguished musicians on Long Island,” Enos said. “I appreciate the generosity of this organization in their efforts to help musicians like me further their musical endeavors.”
Enos plans to attend Eastman School of Music in Rochester.
Anthony Barone, who attends William Floyd High School, plays double bass in the William Floyd High School Symphonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. He also participated in the All-State 2019 and 2020 Symphony Orchestra and the New York Youth Symphony. “Anthony is the real deal,” said William Floyd Symphonic Orchestra Director Christopher Shaughnessy about Barone, “…One of the hardest working students I have ever met.”
“Music has made me what I am now, and in my heart of hearts, music is who I am,” said Barone. “I will become a teacher to not only spread my appreciation of music, but to also help those, like me, through music.”
Barone plans to attend Ithaca College this fall and major in Bass Performance.
Students in Brooklyn, Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk counties are eligible to apply for the scholarships. This program is in addition to other education acknowledgments that the Long Island Music Hall of Fame sponsors, including the Music Educator of Note and the High School Recognition Awards. Learn more about LIMHoF’s scholarship program HERE.
Standing at only a mere 4 days old, “Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!” the new single from Arthur Moon has already amassed thousands of streams and landed on playlists alongside huge artists like The Japanese House, Sufjan Stevens, and St. Vincent. Before the mark of their one year anniversary, they earned themselves an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert.
It’s clear this band is praised for their excellence, and their new single hits the mark the very same.
The Brooklyn avant-pop group, led by composer and singer Lora-Faye Åshuvud with collaborators Cale Hawkins, Martin D. Fowler, Dave Palazola and Aviva Jaye, released the single while announcing their new album to be released in the fall under the same name: “Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!“
And that’s just what the single is: a beautiful and haunting chaotic musical masterpiece. Boarding on the genres of indie and electropop with elements from jazz and a choral influence, Arthur Moon is able to seamlessly meld these opposing musical soundscapes in a captivating and genius way.
“Avant-pop group Arthur Moon are more than happy to deconstruct the conventions of typical pop music”
-Billboard Music
Not a single time during my first time listening through to the single did I know where the next note would land. Against dissonant to resolving vocals and piano vamping that explored multiple keys sometimes within the same measures, there was a sense of peace in the chaos. The droning electronic sounds complimented rather than clashed with the more organic instruments.
The vocals evolved from melodic singing to speak-singing with a metallic overlay, creating chaos in the mix. But never did the chaos not resolve, paving the way for a beautiful jazz piano solo overtop the synth drone.
Rather than staying in the confines of one genre, Arthur Moon seems to reconceptualize boxing artists into one genre over another. They explore so many different soundscapes that at one point, I scrapped the idea of attempting to label them as alt or pop, instead praising their ability to operate outside of anything I’ve ever heard before.
“Dump the heteronormativity and get on Arthur Moon’s wavelength instead”
-Refinery 29
“Chaos! Chaos! Chaos!,” sung by lead Ashuvud who identifies as queer, was released for Pride Month. The music video captures two queer women dancing alone together in the purple light, expressing themselves and their love unequivocally. Their music shows the same queering of pop, electronic, and experimental music. Ashuvud is not afraid to defy traditionalism, bringing a unique approach to timbre, melody, and rhythm throughout all of her pieces.
The unpredictable nature of Arthur Moon’s music alludes to a rejection of heteronormativity within music and a huge step towards the acceptance of queer music which is so very crucially important, particularly in a month honoring our LBGTQIA ancestors. Following the accolades from monumental influences in the music industry, including Billboard and NPR Music, it’s clear Arthur Moon is on the verge of blowing up. If you want to secure bragging rights of knowing their name and following their music before they’re the household name they’re bound to become, stream their new song asap!
Brooklyn-native band Acid Dad has recently released “Searchin,’” which is the first track on their upcoming album Take It From The Dead, due out on July 16. The band has also announced an upcoming tour which includes a stop at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.
Acid Dad is an American alternative-rock band composed of singer-guitarists Vaughn Hunt, Sean Fahey and drummer Trevor Mustoe. The band released their first EP, Let’s Plan a Robbery, in 2016. Since then, they have independently produced and put out multiple singles and one live album.
Acid Dad shared two other songs in preparation for Take It From The Dead‘s release. Tracks two and three on the album, “BBQ” and “RC Driver” respectively, dropped earlier this year.
According to an interview with American Songwriter, “Searchin’” is inspired by bassist Phil Lesh’s book Searching for the Sound: My Life in the Grateful Dead and the Dead’s 1974 track “Unbroken Chain.” The two songs have similarities, looking for values and experiences of the past in a modern world.
Searchin’ Single Artwork
The music video for “Searchin”‘ pays homage to the Grateful Dead, with images of Jerry Garcia rippling in the background – calling reference to the era Acid Dad feels anemoia for, nostalgia for a time they didn’t experience.
Take It From The Dead features an array of different influences in contrast to their earlier work, allowing for more intricate and hypnotic sounds. Their goal with the upcoming record is to provide a modern spin to the feel of neo-psych, post-punk and ’70s rock-n-roll.
That’s one thing that I really like that the Grateful Dead always did with a song like ‘Friend of the Devil.’ When you listen to something like ‘[The Closing of] Winterland,’ they slow it down into this sultry jam and it has this intensity that just hits a lot harder. The song and the lyrics are the same, but it’s good for our own mental state to switch things up.
Sean Fahey, guitarist of Acid Dad, in an interview with American Songwriter
To accompany the new record’s dreamy distortion, the band has collaborated with artist Webb Hunt to produce kaleidoscopic art videos that add a visual counterpart to their sound. Green screened vaporwave backgrounds and VHS-like-quality graphics are commonly used to create this retro vibe.
Take It From The Dead Album Artwork
“Searchin’” can be streamed on Youtube, Spotify, and Soundcloud, (check out the full list here) Album pre-sales and pre-orders can be done on the Acid Dad record portal.
The band has also announced 2021 tour dates with fellow psychedelic rockers Frankie and the Witch Fingers, spanning much of the month of October. Ticket purchasing information is available on the Acid Dad website.
Check out the full list of currently-announced dates below:
The latest effort from Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo is now available for consumption. Released under Mello Music Group (which has released albums with the likes of: Ghostface Killah, Joel Ortiz, Pete Rock & Apollo Brown), the 14-track, 56-minute album is a reflection of the socio-economic impacts of modern-day gentrification within inner-city neighborhoods.
Skyzoo, born Gregory Skyler Taylor, brings a full-circle perspective to the listener. Growing up during one of the peaks for crime in New York City, he can reference the good and bad between the two eras. From the lawlessness and the heightened sense of self that the 1990’s brought, the changing of the guard in the mid-aughts where being “gangster” gave way to “backpack rap” and being openly nerdy, to present-day, where the culmination of the previous epochs have helped shape our current social-political climate.
My music has always been a combination of a few things: storytelling, motive, and reflection. I tell stories that speak on the motives of those I grew up with and why they’re such, and then reflect on how those things impacted us all, both my inner circle and subconsciously, the listener.
A long-serving and accomplished artist, Skyzoo has been releasing music since the early 2000s. Gaining notoriety for his solo work as well as collaborations with the likes of: 9th Wonder, Wale, Ghostface Killah, Pharoahe Monche, Black Thought, Dr. Dre, Spike Lee, amongst others. He gained further recognition after being featured on the soundtracks for basketball videos games NBA 2K11 and NBA 2K12.
Dr, Dre (Left) Skyzoo (Right)
All The Brilliant Things is the veteran emcee’s first project since his 2020 EP Milestones and his first album since 2019’s Retropolitan, but has been in the works for over three years.
The idea was to truly try and tackle the realities of gentrification, and this new era of cultural appropriation, commonly known as ‘culture vulturing.’ The way they intertwine with one another, parallel at times, and how us as the residents of our long standing homes and creatures of these cultures have been stripped of it, or at times let it happen, and even in some cases sadly helped it happen, all for what we assumed was our best interest. The irony of it all is, despite how it all makes us feel in hindsight, one would have to admit that the orchestration of it was truly brilliant. Brutal, and heinous, but somehow pretty brilliant. Hence the title of the album.
You can now purchase, add and favorite Skyzoo’s All The Brilliant Thingsat your preferred DSP.
