Brooklyn-based artist Max ZT shared his new performance video for his single “Daybreak,” off of his solo debut album Daybreak, released on April 8.
Max ZT
Daybreak traces its roots to the darkest darks of the pandemic, with all the lockdowns. Max turned to music for healing and restoration at a time when society’s future was uncertain. He would send recorded improvisations to friends and family, who found them to be extraordinary sources of solace and relief.
The reaction was shocking. I know music has always been a balm for me, but to see the effect it had on others, on such a direct, one-to-one level, was honestly incredible.
Max ZT
NPR has described him as the “Jimi Hendrix of dulcimer.” He has scored an Emmy-winning ESPN documentary, co-wrote the music for his wife Priya Darshini’s GRAMMY-nominated debut Periphery, and shared the stage with the likes of Ravi Shankar and more.
His first lead single “In It” shows his unique ability to invite deep thought through his music as the track goes through different emotions to get to a resolution. The new single “Daybreak” is beautiful and heartbreaking as it takes you on a journey through deep melodies and strong conclusions.
Max ZT’s new album Daybreak will be out on April 8 and will be available on all streaming services.
Southern Blues Rocker Dana Fuchs will be releasing her 8th studio album, Borrowed Time, on 4/29. This is her fourth release with Ruf Records.
In contrast to Fuchs earlier work, Borrowed Time is centered around the stories of other people and what they’ve learned throughout their lives. By combining her southern rock upbringing with inspiration from legends like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, Fuchs has created a universal listening experience that many can relate to.
This marks the beginning of Chapter 2, in music as well as in life, I’m going out into the world and writing about the people who share it with me. My own story is always going to be in there, too, but this is the first album where other people’s stories are informing my own emotions.
Dana Fuchs
Songs on the album have themes ranging from love and companionship to political distrust and justice, with each inspired by different real world events and headlines. Producer Bobby Harlow lent his expertise to help Fuchs step away from her previous method of mixing influences and dive deeper into the rock and roll that first inspired her.
Fuch’s newest album was recorded in Michigan, with the help of a number of people including her bandmates, bassist Jack Daley and guitarist Jon Diamond, recording engineer Kenny Tudrick, drummer Todd Glass and keyboardist Jordan Champion. With recording completed in eight days, it’s safe to say that this was the perfect combination of people for the process.
When does a band stop being up and coming? When they get signed, when they headline a tour, when they become famous. That’s certainly part of “making it” in the music industry. I would suggest though, that a band stops being up and coming when they understand themselves as artists. That to go from promise to realization happens when you know who you are creatively. CHRMR might still be up and coming in industry terms, but they’re fully established artistically.
CHRMR’s second full length album, Low in the Glow, is hardcore rock that understands where it comes from and where it would like to go. Up and coming artists often only understand one of the two. They’re either so eager to shatter conventions they misunderstand the fundamentals of their genre or they’re ideas are so indebted to their inspirations they fail to deliver originality. CHRMR uses both the dark, occult conventions of doom rock and their own original songwriting to create an LP that elevates the band from aspiring musicians to creative thinkers.
On the classic rock guitar led, Rites, CHRMR offers the tropes of devilry and mysticism associated with doom rock. “The priestess calls the demon/ and the shaman does the dance,” they sing about some dark ritual. It’s not real, though. It’s a fantasy, just some wish fulfilment for fans of the genre. Like rappers with money, or singer songwriters with breakups we rarely interrogate ourselves about why they’re present in our music or even care that they are, but we expect them, which means they have value. To run away from these ideas doesn’t “bust” the genre, it mischaracterizes it.
By incorporating staples of the genre into their album CHRMR allows itself to push up against them as their own voice shines through their songwriting. On the album’s closing track “Grain Ark”, a young boy comes to terms with the solitude of growing up, he’s referred to as a “golden foal”. A deeply poetic line that evokes something fragile but precious, a precocious foal who may become a towering stallion. Its tenderness would be out of place were it not so confidently woven into the rapid guitar riffs and cacophonous energy of the drums on Grain Ark.
Throughout Low in the Glow CHRMR’s artistic intention keep the album cohesive, propelling the listener from one track to the next. It establishes the band as artistically mature because they don’t ask themselves if a certain lyric, or down tempo rhythm might work, they know it will. And when people use the cliché “find your sound” that’s what they mean.
New York City-based A Beacon School is back with his first single in three years, “Dot,” an immersive multi-instrumentalist dreampop track. In addition to the songs’ release, A Beacon School is having a release show at The Sultan in Brooklyn, featuring Creature of Doom and S.C.A.B on April 9th.
Photo Cred: Max Mellman
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Patrick J. Smith is the mastermind behind this dream pop project. Smith began making music as A Beacon School in 2009, releasing a home-recorded demo single was released in 2011, and a self-titled EP by a full-band lineup appeared near the end of 2012. He has played with bands such as Modern Rivals and Bluffing, additionally working with Parquet Courts’ Max Savage as part of Maxband.
In 2018, A Beacon School’s Cola was released by Grind Select. After receiving positive press and slowly gaining a worldwide following, an expanded vinyl edition of Cola was released in 2019 in conjunction with Fat Possum’s House Arrest imprint, amassing over 40 million streams.
Smith adds layers of soothing guitars and vocals with ease, reaching a build-up that feels natural, without ever fully peaking.
The Fader
“Dot” marks the first A Beacon School release in three years and coincides with a headlining performance at The Sultan Room in Brooklyn, signaling a long-awaited new full-length is on the horizon. On the track, A Beacon School says, “‘Dot’ is a song about seeing patterns in your life emerge but feeling helpless to change them. The song oscillates between these moments of unfiltered wonder and inspiration, and the immediate skepticism that follows them.”
“What he (Smith) shares is wisdom ahead of its time – acceptance of the inequities of
life as a path toward redemption. Destiny is preached as a set-in-stone limitation, but
soft tones and enchanting melody highlight our ability to adjust our sails in intractable
winds, holding that former philosophy to the fire with heavenly optimism.”
– PopMatters
Listen to A Beacon School’s new single “Dot” here.
Tickets to the release show at The Sultan can be purchased here.
The Swyer Theatre at The Egg played host to a sold out afternoon performance on Sunday, April 10 by Triveni, featuring three of the greatest musicians in Indian classical music – Zakir Hussain, Kala Ramnath, and Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh. The three musicians have been honored in India and abroad with numerous awards, and have collaborated for Triveni’s initial tour in North America.
The mixed crowd drew from the large South Asian population in the Capital Region, all captivated by the sonic experience the trio had to offer this afternoon.
All three performers walked out shortly after 3pm, taking their seats behind their respective instruments. Hussain wished the crowd a happy Palm Sunday, and said that they were all very glad to finally be performing, which was greeted by loud applause from the audience. Ramnath and Kumaresh – wearing traditional saris – flanked Hussain on each side, with Ramnath playing violin to Hussain’s right and Kumaresh the Saraswati Veena.
Hussain noted they would treat the performance as a train on a journey, stopping at different stations. Noting the North Indian raga tradition background of Ramnath, and the South Indian veena of Kumaresh, Hussain served as the bridge for the two to meet, culminating in hypnotic interplay between all three and, at times, duets between them.
The combination of sounds from each of the stringed instruments joined with the tabla made for a consistent musical conversation, one with no breaks in between, just a constant flow from song to song. With the group’s name of Triveni derived from the mythical site of the union of three sacred rivers in India, the name was on point as a perfect one for this concert of musicians.
In one segment, after 20 minutes of continuous interplay between Ramnath and Kumaresh, Zakir joined in after quietly observed the pair. As the collaboration progressed, Hussain used the rapid drumming of his fingers on the tabla to drive the tempo of the “train” quickly uphill. After taking a lengthy solo, Hussain was joined by once again by Ramnath and Kumaresh, bringing the performance to a ferocious close.
After a slightly more than 90-minute set, the trio went out in front of their instruments to bow in appreciation to the audience. At this time, Hussain stepped back, allowing the women to soak in the appreciation from the Swyer Theatre audience.
Triveni Tour Dates
4/12/2022 Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Pittsburgh, PA 4/14/2022 Sixth&i Washington, DC 4/17/2022 Global Arts Live Somerville, MA 4/19/2022 Davidson Theatre Columbus, OH 4/20/2022 Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH 4/23/2022 Indian Classical Music Circle Austin, TX 4/24/2022 Wortham Center Houston TX
The “Dead and Gone” podcast by Payne Lindsey and Jake Brennan returns for season two on April 6. The new season of the true crime podcast will investigate new unsolved murders relatedly to the Grateful Dead.
Season two will focus on four unsolved cases spanning from the 1980s-2000s, all of whom bear some connection to the Grateful Dead: Adam Katz, Jennifer Wilmer, Bridget Pendell-Williams, Jeremy Alex. Each of these cases was supposed to be featured in season one before until Payne and Brennan decided to dedicate a full season to these cases.
Season one discussed the investigation into the 1986 double murder of Mary Regina Gioia and Gregory Allen Kniffin. Through an “a mysterious tip from a fellow Deadhead” Payne had reason to the case’s ruling had led to a wrongful conviction.
Episode one of the new season, which will be avaialble on all podcast platforms will recap season one and introduce the case of Adam Katz. The 19-year-old who was killed outside of what is now Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford New Jersey after a Grateful Dead concert on Oct. 14, 1989. Subsequent episodes will detail the investigations of the remaining three cases.
Payne Lindsey is the co-founder of Tenderfoot TV. The company’s first podcast was the popular “Up and Vanished” true crime podcast series which has been downloaded 350 million times. He is also the creator and host of popular “Atlanta Monster, “ “Dead and Gone” and “Radio Rental”.
Jake Brennan is a music journalist who created the podcast series Disgraceland, a true crime podcast about notable cases in the music industry. In 2020 Disgraceland won the iHeartRadio Best Music Podcast award. It is the most downloaded music podcast in the world. Brennan is also the co-founder of podcasting company Double Elvis.
New episodes will be released every Wednesday starting April 6.
Heavy metal rockers Queensrÿche brought an extended show to Paramount Hudson Valley on April 3 in a one-off headlining set in between shows supporting Judas Priest’s North American tour. The night was packed full with opening sets from Black Dawn and Hittman.
Black Dawn
Formed in 1996 on Long Island, Black Dawn kicked off the night with songs from their five-album discography. NYC’s Hittman has an even longer history in the NY Metro area metal scene dating back to the mid 1980s. Their fast-paced set echoed some of the core sounds of their NYC scene neighbors Dream Theater, just without the higher degree of progressive metal elements.
Hittman
Queensrÿche landed on the Paramount’s stage with an off-night between supporting shows for Judas Priest in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The extended time afforded by their own headlining show allowed them to dust off some songs they weren’t able to fit in their supporting shows such as one of their latest songs “Man the Machine” (from The Verdict, 2019) and other steadfast favorites from the band’s four decade history.
With a long history Queensrÿche has had a few lineup changes over the years; most notably the departure of original singer Geoff Tate in 2012 whose vocals helped shape the band’s sound. The replacement by Todd La Torre has proven to drive the band forward with continuity in their sound and presence.
Queensrÿche Setlist: Queen of the Reich, Warning, En Force, NM 156, Breaking the Silence, I Don’t Believe in Love, Man the Machine, Walk in the Shadows, The Whisper, Silent Lucidity, Jet City Woman, Operation: Mindcrime, The Needle Lies, Eyes of a Stranger
Encore: Take Hold of the Flame, Screaming in Digital, Empire
Brooklyn-based two-time GRAMMY award winner Lucy Kalantari is an artist, composer, and producer passionate about creating children’s media. She is the frontwoman and bandleader for Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats. She just released a new music video for her song “Art” off of her EP What Kind Of World?
Lucy Kalantari.
Her album All the Sounds won the Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album and in 2020, Kalantari produced, recorded and arranged the Grammy award-winning album All the Ladies, by Joanie Leeds. Her latest EP, What Kind of World?, had the title track named Biggest Songs of 2021 by SiriusXM Kids Place Live. Her music promotes joy, and inspires community while highlighting the power of resilience.
She is a full time music creator and mother to an nine-year-old musician, and she still takes time to mentor, teaching high school and college students to pursue their passions.
The video for her song “Art” features handdrawn art by by seven-year-old Hannah, and directed by Matt Mayers. The song is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking song that addresses the evolution of self, growth, and how things don’t last very long.
To accompany the video, she created a worksheet for listeners to express themselves in response to the song’s message.
Camila Cabello performed on this week’s Saturday Night Live, and brought along Willow for a duet of her new song “Psychofreak.” The American-Cuban artist performed previously on SNL in 2019, performing “Cry For Me” and “Easy.”
The Jake Gyllenhaal-hosted episode opened with President Biden (James Austin Johnson) congratulating new Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (Ego Nwodim) on her Senate confirmation this past week. Jackson then met with fellow barrier-breakers Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Kate McKinnon), Thurgood Marshall (Kenan Thompson), Harriet Tubman (Punky Johnson) and Jackie Robinson (Chris Redd), before opening the show together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_qQwXRjqQ8
On Friday, April 8, Camila Cabello released her third studio album, Familia, and took her second time on the Studio 8H stage to perform a pair of songs featured on the album.
Introduced by Gyllenhaal (who wore a Ramona and Gloria shirt to give his nieces a subtle shout out), the GRAMMY-nominated Cabello performed the lead single off the album, “Bam Bam,” a song dealing with heartbreak and promises broken.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwnAuvofiEw
For her second song, Cabello was joined by Willow (Smith, daughter of Will and Jada), who performed “Psychofreak” together, one day after release of the music video, which featured both artists in a setting that calls back to Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity.”
Cabello wore a unique black latex outfit with red latex globes, with Willow wearing a red coat and playing guitar as they sang, “Feelin’ like a psychofreak sometimes, Tryna get connected, no Wi-Fi, Tell me that you love me, are you lying?, Give me lemonade, I give you limes, House in the hills is a house of cards, Blink and the fairytale falls apart, Sorry, didn’t mean to get so dark, Maybe I’m an alien, Earth is hard.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Vn78Fwrv4
Saturday Night Live returns next week on April 16 with musical guest and host Lizzo.
Touring in support of their debut studio album It Won’t Always Be Like This, released on July 9, 2021 (Polydor), the Irish sensation known as Inhaler performed the second of back-to-back shows in New York City on Monday, April 4.
True to their word as they neared the end of a 20-date North American tour that kicked off one month ago in Atlanta, the quartet of young lads were making up a date that was originally scheduled for March 10, but postponed due to a positive test for COVID-19 among the touring party.
Eli Hewson (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Inhaler’s rapidly growing legion of fans, many of which are comprised of a young female demographic, lined the sidewalks of two city blocks in the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan, all waiting for tonight’s venue to open its doors to them. Irving Plaza, more than a century and half old, was inhabited as a Polish-American community center in the late-1940s, prior to a conversion into a ballroom-style music hall in 1978. Having hosted legendary performers during its storied history, such as The Clash, Paul McCartney, The Ramones and Bob Dylan, the venue underwent an eight-month long, multi-million dollar renovation in 2019.
Irving Plaza marquee (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Upon entering the iconic venue, general admission fans blew right through the contemporary, revamped lobby and flew up the stairs to the second level stage, hoping to find themselves as close to the night’s performers as possible. Talking with dedicated fan Arianna Russell moments before Inhaler appeared on stage later in the night, I learned that she arrived to queue outside Irving Plaza more than 12 hours earlier! For her to be in the front row, leaning on the stage rail barricade, it was more than worth the effort.
Fans queue (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Having also opened for Inhaler the night before at Warsaw in Brooklyn, the up-and-coming indie-pop rockers known as Rebounder took to the stage at approximately 8:25 pm. These New Your City natives are led by the alluring Dylan Chenfield (singer-songwriter-guitarist), a self-proclaimed huge fan of Bruce Springsteen, who is already known for the nostalgic lyrics about the city that inspires him. The trio is rounded out with Dylan’s younger brother Noah (bass) and Cobey Arner (drums). The fourth offering from their seven song set included their newest single “Premium Fantasy,” a dreamy tune complete with a catchy hook combination of melody and lyrics.
Rebounder (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Noah Chenfield (Photo: Michael Dinger)
As their name suggests, Dylan is also a basketball fan, particularly that of Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks. A deeper meaning to their moniker, however, can be attributed to their DIY mentality and strive for success, bouncing higher with each new challenge.
Cobey Arner (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Nearing the end of their time onstage, Rebounder executed a shining example of 1970s electronic energy with their synth-dominant track “Swim Zone.” After graciously thanking the audience for their support and Inhaler for inviting them to perform, Rebounder exited house right.
Dylan Chenfield (Photo: Michael Dinger)
For those unfamiliar, Inhaler formed in 2012 at St. Andrews College in Dublin and are Elijah (Eli) Hewson (lead vocals, guitar), Robert Keating (bass), Josh Jenkinson (guitar) and Ryan McMahon (drums). Also joining them for live performances is Louis Lambert (keyboards/synthesizer).
Inhaler (Photo: Michael Dinger)
As a 50-year old Gen Xer, I admittedly discovered Inhaler through my passion of Eli’s father, Paul Hewson (a.k.a. Bono of U2), the legendary frontman himself. Notwithstanding, their infectious songs have completely won me over, dating back to their first single, “I Want You,” which the group self-released in 2017. With their debut album having topped the UK chart in its first week of release, this fast-rising band is “must see” entertainment.
Fans in the front row (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Immediately following two back-to-back shows in Los Angeles, and showing no signs of jet lag, Inhaler appeared on the Irving Plaza stage accompanied by flashing strobe lights that beamed throughout the intimate setting. While surveying the 1,200 souls in attendance, including VIP guests in the mezzanine that included Bono, Christy Turlington, Ed Burns and Helena Christiansen, I heard a fan say to her friend, “If I stop breathing, [just] slap me on the back.” Opening their 12-song set with the title track “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” Eli was dressed in a white t-shirt and head-to-toe in denim. The first words out of his mouth, which he addressed to the fervent audience who jam-packed the entire floor area like sardines in a tin, were, “A Monday night never felt so good, thank you for coming to see us.”
Crowd waiting for Inhaler to take the stage (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Ryan McMahon (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Equipped with a Fender Stratocaster that was complete with an Elvis Presley guitar strap, for the next hour, Eli and his bandmates would tear through fan favorites such as “We Have To Move On,” “Ice Cream Sundae,” “When It Breaks” and “Cheer Up Baby.”
Robert Keating (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Well on their way to becoming refined songsmiths, Inhaler songs are defined with a dizzying array of sonic textures, complete with a melodic chorus that grabs your immediate attention upon first listen. Their dynamic, intricate instrumentation is anchored by Jenkinson’s soaring guitar riffs, Keating’s rhythmic, thumping bass lines and McMahon’s dynamic drumming style reminiscent of Stewart Copeland, The Police drummer he has noted as one of his inspirations. The closing number, “My Honest Face,” is a coming-of-age song that Eli wrote about losing himself, and then finding himself again, figuring out the type of performer that he wanted to be onstage, in front of a live audience.
Josh Jenkinson (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Inhaler’s It Won’t Always Be Like This North American tour wrapped in Toronto, Canada on April 6th. The band’s next plans for world domination in 2022 include 60 plus shows spanning the globe that will take them to Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Scandinavia, The Balkans, United Kingdom, and of course, The Emerald Isle. Several stops along the way will also include major festival dates, such as PinkPop (June 19), Glastonbury (June 22), Rock Werchter (July 1) and Lollapalooza (July 28). Additional details can be found on their website here: https://www.inhaler.band/
Eli Hewson (Photo: Michael Dinger)
Rebounder Setlist: Change Shapes > Slow Angel > The Library > Premium Fantasy > Lovers > Swim Zone > Night Sports
Inhaler Setlist: It Won’t Always Be Like This > We Have to Move On > Slide Out the Window > Ice Cream Sundae > When It Breaks > A Night on the Floor > Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House) > My King Will Be Kind > Totally > In My Sleep > Cheer Up Baby > My Honest Face
