Blue Note New York has partnered with The Basie Presents for the Pat Metheny Side-Eye Show at the Beacon Theatre on Saturday, June 24.
The 20-time GRAMMY Award winning guitarist and composer will perform during the 2023 Blue Note Jazz Festival, marking the first time Metheny has played in New York since his Sony Hall run in 2019.
Side-Eye is Metheny’s trio project that features the guitarist performing alongside a rotating cast of young, envelope-pushing players. This edition of Side-Eye features Chris Fishman (keyboards, piano) and drummer Joe Dyson.
Pat Metheny’s Side Eye project embodies the very best in jazz, so it’s fitting that this show at the Beacon Theatre next June will be part of the storied Blue Note Jazz Festival. By virtue of its namesake, the Count Basie Center for the Arts and its off site promotion arm, The Basie Presents, is honored to be working with the Blue Note team and Mr. Metheny himself in bringing this concert to another one of our region’s storied performance venues.
Izzy Sackowitz, COO, Count Basie Center for the Arts
Pat Metheny’s versatility is almost without peer on any instrument. Over the years, he has performed with artists as diverse as Steve Reich to Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock to Jim Hall to Milton Nascimento to David Bowie. Metheny’s body of work includes compositions for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras, and ballet pieces, with settings ranging from modern jazz to rock to classical. As well as being an accomplished musician, Metheny has also participated in the academic arena as a music educator. He has also been a true musical pioneer in the realm of electronic music, and was one of the very first jazz musicians to treat the synthesizer as a serious musical instrument. It is one thing to attain popularity as a musician, but it is another to receive the kind of acclaim Metheny has garnered from critics and peers.
Blue Note New York will announce their annual New York City jazz festival in Spring 2023. Tickets for Pat Metheny at the Beacon Theatre are now on sale.
Nearing the end of the 2022 leg of their world tour that commenced six months ago in Croatia, East London heavy metal legends Iron Maiden landed at the Prudential Center (affectionately known as “The Rock,” a reference to the Rock of Gibraltar corporate logo) in Newark, NJ this past Friday night, October 21.
The Rock | Photo by Michael Dinger
Iron Maiden’s Legacy of the Beast Tour, inspired by the 2017 video game of the same name, is an all-encompassing retrospective of their history, complete with a visually stunning stage design featuring jaw-dropping, thematic backdrops and stage props. Dating to the first leg of the tour consisting of European dates in 2018, Iron Maiden have played nearly 150 shows to more than 3 million fans, their biggest world tour since their formation on Christmas Day 1975.
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael Dinger
Taking over support duties from Trivium, who departed the tour at the end of September after opening eleven shows for the heavy metal icons, Within Temptation took the stage promptly at 7:30 pm. Formed in 1996 in the Netherlands, the symphonic metal band are led by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. The Dutch sextet is rounded out by Ruud Jolie (lead guitar), Jeroen van Veen (bass), Mike Coolen (drums), Stefan Helleblad (rhythm guitar) and Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards).
Within Temptation performed three tracks (“Raise Your Banner,” “Supernova” and “The Reckoning”) from the latest of their seven studio albums, 2019’s Resist (Spinefarm Records), which found the band exploring new genres such as industrial and electronic dance music. The remainder of their 8-song set included single offerings from their discography, albeit their 1997 debut album (Enter) and their third studio album, 2004’s The Silent Force. Nearing the end of their set, Within Temptation presented “Don’t Pray for Me,” the fourth and most recent independently-released single in a series that is a precursor to their next studio album – expected for release in 2023.
Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerRobert Westerholt of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerRuud Jolie of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerMike Coolen of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerJeroen van Veen of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael DingerMartijn Spierenburg of Within Temptation | Photo by Michael Dinger
At approximately 8:45 pm, as “Doctor Doctor” by UFO played over the house PA, the lights went dark and it was game on! To thunderous applause from the 20,000 capacity crowd, the heavy metal icons appeared before us – the 64-year old Bruce Dickinson known for his legendary, operatic-style vocals, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain and the trio of guitarists comprised of Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Dave Murray.
Maiden’s 15-song, nearly two hour set kicked-off with the three lead tracks from their most recent studio album and 17th overall, Senjutsu, including the title track, “Stratego” and “The Writing on the Wall.” The opening trifecta of songs was accompanied by a magnificent stage production that matched the Japanese theme of the record’s visual graphics, including an early appearance by their mascot Eddie as a samurai warrior. Eddie would make another appearance later in the night as “The Trooper” to do battle with Dickinson.
Eddie | Photo by Michael Dinger
The setlist was a retrospective of their voluminous, four decade discography celebrating their biggest hits (“The Trooper,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” and “Fear Of The Dark”), while also including some deeper cuts such as “Revelations” (Piece of Mind, 1983), “Blood Brothers” (Brave New World, 2000) and “Sign of the Cross” (The X Factor, 1995). Maiden played two encores consisting of “The Trooper,” “The Clansman,” “Run To The Hills” and the closing number of the night, “Aces High,” as a life-size replica Spitfire plane swayed high overhead.
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerJanick Gers of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerSteve Harris of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerDave Murray of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael DingerAdrian Smith of Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael Dinger
In the closing moments of the show, before Monty Python’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” Dickinson addressed his audience for the last time of the night:
We’d like to take you home with us, but you won’t fit through the front door. Have a great weekend, have a great week, have a great month, have a great year. In fact, have a great fucking life, because you only get one. Live every fucking day you can of it. We’ll see you again, thank you everybody.
Maiden’s 24-date journey across North America culminates at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on October 27, followed by a much-needed rest for this band on the cusp of their golden years. Lord knows they sure haven’t wasted any, especially with 2023 dates already announced for The Future Past Tour that will launch at the Sweden Rock Festival in early-June. And hopefully, by then, these metal behemoths will finally be on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s list of new inductees.
Iron Maiden | Photo by Michael Dinger
Within Temptation Setlist: The Reckoning > Paradise (What About Us?) > In the Middle of the Night > What Have You Done > Supernova > Don’t Pray for Me > Raise Your Banner > Mother Earth
Iron Maiden Setlist: Senjutsu > Stratego > The Writing on the Wall > Revelations > Blood Brothers > Sign of the Cross > Flight of Icarus > Fear of the Dark > Hallowed Be Thy Name > The Number of the Beast > Iron Maiden > Encore: The Trooper > The Clansman > Run to the Hills > Encore 2: Aces High
How To Find Yourself is a new film produced by rapper Dylan Owen and directed by Brian Petchers. In it, the two try to answer that very question by following teens through those familiar coming of age film tropes: traipsing through wheat fields, impromptu fight clubs, screaming for joy on a roof in slow motion, motorcyling through back alleys. The characters speak over those portraits of adolescence in interviews — airing the regrets, joys and discoveries their juvenile years brought them.
And playing underneath it all is a heartfelt acoustic score by Dylan Owen, of the same name, made for the film and featured on the artist’s upcoming EP, Take Care Of Yourself.
Dylan Owen found himself moving all around Upstate NY as he grew up. He’s from Orange County, NY, and has lived in Goshen, Middletown, Circleville and Chester; Owen now calls himself proudly a “nowhere kid from a nowhere town.” Now living in NYC, Dylan Owen’s poetic songwriting and sensitive style has found him a wider audience and prompted comparisons to icons such as Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa. How to Find Yourself is Owen’s foray into film making, and fans who know of Topaz Jones’ short film – that paired with his album Don’t Go Tellin Your Momma which looks at Jones’ own upbringing in Montclair, NJ – will connect with Owen’s film.
Through the testimonies from the film’s characters and the emotionally evoking scenes of innocence juxtaposed with violence and sudden danger, the film creates a space for people to openly share their stories of growing up, with an emphasis on those working through mental health problems. How to Find Yourself focuses on the harrowing journey to love and know other people and yourself while working through obstacles of anxiety and depression.
The short film will be released on October 25, and Owen’s album will be out in November.
They say there is no such thing as coincidence, well that was before Artificial Intelligence was deployed in our browser searches. In the case of Rock Voices and Tony Lechner, its founder, I’m grateful either way.
The Collision of AI & Coincidence
The impact of harmony cannot be denied when you discover a new ways to connect in community with Rock Music. I spied the Rock Voices advertisement on Facebook, combing the Internet for potential guests on my podcast The Long Island Sound. Intrigued by the YouTube video of various people singing a choral arrangement of Rock songs, I am reminded of the Playing for Change, Songs Around the World videos, which began on the web during the Covid quarantine. Leave it to the musician community, who will not be deterred from delivering their art to the masses, while endeavoring to draw communities together. Ever amazed at the seeds of creativity, I am drawn to unpack Rock Voices, an amazing program. Taking a stab at an invitation and reaching out to Tony Lechner, we were drilling down on the particulars after a couple of days for an interview.
Follow the full conversation with Tony Lechner, a music professor turned entrepreneurial rock coral arranger on The Long Island Sound Podcast.
Professor Tony planted the seeds of a rock coral group ten years ago in Hadley, MA. Our cousins across the pond in England had flushed out the idea and Mr. Lechner knew the time was right to start a no-audition Rock chorus in America. He was so amazed with the early impact and results, he told the pioneers of Rock Voices that he’d quit his full-time job as music teacher and pursue the dream of bringing a Rock-based choral group to life.
Recalling the many Zoom calls we all engaged in during quarantine, and recognizing the need to stay connected to the community, Rock Voices is well worth investigating. The program seems to be a prescription to allow singers of every skill level re-enter the local collective and have some fun along the way.
I don’t even like to call it a choir, I’d like to call it a Rock Band with a ton of singers
Tony Lechner
Communities Making Connections
Today, Rock Voices has chapters in six states, and there is a waiting list for new locations as the vetting process for directors continues. New York State has chorus’ in Albany, Brooklyn Heights, Saratoga Springs, Syosset, and Syracuse. They perform concerts in the Spring, Summer and Autumn seasons.
The various Rock Voices Choral Groups have performed selections from the Beatles, James Taylor and the Foo Fighters to name a few.
I was amazed at the arrangements, in particular, the cover of “Somebody to Love ” by Queen, raised the hair on my arms and pulled at my heartstrings.
A choral group is a great place to hide and learn in a no judgment zone
Tony Lechner
Healing Harmony
Tony spoke about the various studies which highlight the mental health benefits for the participants who engage in harmony singing. The positive feedback from the choral group members is an endorsement of the healing powers that music can bring to a community. Rock Voices flings the door wide open and provides an easy entry point for everyone to participate in a fun-loving learning experience. So if you’re ready to Rock, this just might be the therapy you need.
All in-person activities have resumed for the Celebrate Mexico Now festival in New York City for the first time in three years. The inclusive and groundbreaking festival features Mexican and Mexican American innovators and will happen from Nov. 14-22.
Celebrate Mexico Now was founded in 2004 by award-winning curator and producer Claudia Norman of CN Management. It is NYC’s first and only independent arts festival spotlighting contemporary Mexican culture. Norman has brought hundreds of native Mexican artists – sculptors, musicians, poets, chefs, filmmakers, actors, dancers, painters, and directors – to perform and show at venues across the city.
The festival will start on Nov. 14, with a book presentation by American-Mexican writer Jennifer Clement on her book Prayers for the Stolen. She writes about some of the most dangerous states in Mexico, where adolescent girls and young women are abducted from bus stops and schoolyards. This is the horrific truth, and her books talk about these things through the lens of fiction. The event will be on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Center for Fiction.
On Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. there will be an art gallery showcase of Contemporary Mexican Photography with Mexican photographer and visual artist Martha Naranjo Sandova. She will talk about Mexican photography and its impact of it on the art circuit of New York City and the world.
The Celebrate Mexico Now festival will have performance art on Nov. 19 at 9:30 p.m. for $20 a ticket. NYC-based artist Carlos A. Cruz Velazquez will be performing with the group Psychedelic Spectacular. The performance invites the audience into a journey of self-acceptance through music, dance, costume reveals, and dramatic stupidity.
There will be storytelling and musical performances as well. Storyteller Valentina Ortiz will share stories of Quetzalcoatl and the essence of life and wisdom. Storytelling will be followed by Mariachi Angeles de New York, music from the hearts of young people, who from childhood gathered in the community to learn the musical traditions of their ancestors and preserve the art form for future generations. These will happen on Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. and Nov. 20 at 3 p.m.
To celebrate Mexican Revolution Day on Nov. 20 at 8 p.m., there will be a special event at Sobre Masa Tortilleria & Restaurant. Mexican chef Zack Wangeman and his wife Diana Wangerman created a special three-course menu for the occasion.
Celebrate Mexico Now presents a special musical performance by the chamber group Mexamorphosis. Led by Guadalupe Peraza, the group performs cross-cultural concerts with different musical elements with traditional African, Turkish, and Mexican instrumentation. They will perform on Nov. 21 from 7-8 p.m.
On the final day of the festival, there will be a closing cocktail reception and screening of Los Guardianes del Maíz (The Keepers of Corn), directed by Gustavo Vazquez and produced by Jonathan Barbieri. The film tells the story of native corn by the indigenous farmers, artisans, and cooks in Mexico whose ancestors brought life to the seeds since the agricultural revolution. This will take place on Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.
For more information about the Celebrate Mexico Now 2022 festival in NYC, and to buy tickets to select events, go here.
Over November 1-6, Birdland will be alive with “Hot Gypsy Jazz,” featuring the Django Festival Allstars. True virtuosos of Django’s style, The Allstars swing like crazy and will break your heart with a ballad, while carrying on Django’s legacy.
Called the “Hardest swinging band at The Newport Jazz Festival” by Downbeat Magazine, the lineup for the upcoming tour is a true family affair. Samson Schmitt (lead guitar) and part of the famous Schmitt French ‘gypsy’ Manouche musical family brings his 2 daughters Stefi (vocals), and Stenli (guitar/vocals). They’ll be joind by Ludovic Beier (accordion), Pierre Blanchard (violin), Antonio Licusati (bass), and Michael Harris (guitar).
The Django Reinhardt Festival carries on the legacy of gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt with top players from Europe combined with America’s great jazz stars to bring joy to the public with its swinging sound, virtuosity, romantic melodies, and camaraderie amongst the musicians.
The Django Reinhardt NY Festival was launched in 2000 and was the first-ever festival of its kind in America and established a home at the legendary club, Birdland, in New York City. 2022 will mark its 22nd anniversary, and it’s still going strong. The Festival is produced by Pat Philips, and founded by Pat Philips & Ettore Stratta.
Django Festival Allstars shows at Birdland will be held on November 1-3 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm, while on November 4- 6, shows will start at 8:30pm and 10:30pm. More info on the Birdland shows can be found here.
Django Festival AllstarsTour Dates
October 30: Rosen Performing Arts Center, Wayne, NJ
November 1-6: Birdland, NYC
November 8: Boca Black Box, Boca Raton, Florida
November 9: Faena Theatre, Miami, Florida
November 12: Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild , Pittsburgh, PA
November 13: Bach Dynamite & Dancing, Half Moon Bay, CA
A shining beacon in the Williamsburg neighborhood since it opened in 2017, the 1800-capacity structure originally occupied as a steel manufacturing plant, Brooklyn Steel, welcomed post-punk rockers Viagra Boys and Shame for their only New York show on Tuesday evening, October 18.
Brooklyn Steel | Photo by Michael Dinger
Viagra Boys, who hail from Sweden, are touring in support of their third studio album, Cave World, released by Year0001 this past July. Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded last winter at Silence Studio and RMV Studio, the album was produced by Pelle Gunnerfeldt and DJ Haydn.
Sebastian Murphy of Viagra Boys | Photo by Michael Dinger
Joining Viagra Boys on the bill as a co-headliner was Shame, an English band from South London. Their debut album (Songs of Praise) was released in 2018, followed by Drunk Tank Pink in 2021 – both to critical acclaim via Dead Oceans, an independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana.
Charlie Steen of Shame | Photo by Michael Dinger
In support of the co-headliners were Kills Birds, a trio of talented young rockers based in Los Angeles who are fronted by Nina Ljeti (born in Bosnia and whose family escaped to Canada soon after the Bosnian War began), along with guitarist Jacob Loeb and bassist Fielder Thomas. Formed in 2017, they released their debut self-titled album in 2019 on KRO Records. Their second album, Married, was recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 (by invitation from the man himself) and was released last year.
Taking the stage promptly at 7:30 pm, Kills Birds played an unrelenting, electric set for a little more than 30 minutes. Performing songs embodying a hybrid style of new wave punk and grunge – such as “Jesus Did,” Volcano,” “Natalie,” “Cough Up Cherries” and “Offside” – Kills Birds grabbed our collective attention with a visceral intensity spearheaded by Ljet’s energetic stage presence. Combined with Loeb’s scorching riffs and Thomas’ thumping basslines, Kills Birds has an undeniable chemistry that is sure to lead them down the path to a bright future.
Nina Ljeti of Kills Birds | Photo by Michael Dinger
Formed in 2015 and with three studio albums under their collective belt – Street Worms (2018), Welfare Jazz (2021) and the aforementioned Cave World – Viagra Boys have already gained a reputation as being an unapologetically raw live act. Led by frontman Sebastian Murphy (originally from California), whose debauched stage persona has led to comparisons with iconic performers Iggy Pop and Nick Cave, the sextet is rounded out by Henrik Höckert (bass), Tor Sjödén (drums), Oskar Carls (saxophone), Elias Jungqvist (keyboards) and Linus Hillborg (guitar).
With Viagra Boys and Shame flip-flopping their set order each night of the tour, it was the boys from Stockholm who were up first. Possessingan atypical vocal style to that of the everyday punk frontman, with yelling and screaming kept at a minimum, Murphy delivered the night’s first offering (“Ain’t No Thief” from Cave World) in his monotone, deadpan fashion. His lyrics are both cerebral and surreal, often drawing on themes of drug addiction that are laced with satire. Viagra Boys songs often invoke crude imagery, as embodied in the newly christened fan favorites also performed this night from Cave World, including “Troglodyte” and “Punk Rock Loser.”
Viagra Boys | Photo by Michael Dinger
As per usual, Murphy performed most of the hour long set shoeless and shirtless, displaying his tattoo-covered (he is also a tattoo artist by-day) and bloated beer belly. The driving force of the band, Murphy addressed the fervent crowd on more than one humorous occasion:
Listen up folks. It’s fucking beautiful to be up here. I literally felt like I was an olive marinating in some horrible alcohol this morning when I woke up. And I thought that I was gonna cry before the show. I was like, I can’t fucking do this man! I don’t got it in me anymore! But then I come out here, and I see all your beautiful fucking faces, it gives me reason to live one more day and make it back to Switzerland where I’ve got seven beautiful dogs and a fiancé. [I’ve also got] a couple of gerbils. One of them disappeared recently, I’m not gonna say where.
It’s probably a bit confusing for some of you that are here tonight that were at the last show in Brooklyn. Because, back then, I was incredibly good looking [with] the perfect specimen of a body. It was then, on the US tour, where I sampled some deep fried food every now and then, and I had some candy, and the occasional beer. And, I have become somewhat of a big boy. But I am proud of myself.
Viagra Boys’ 12-song set closed with the absurdly hilarious “Sports” and “Shrimp Shack” (a Swedish idiom for someone who hasn’t had to work hard to get where they are), both from their debut release (Street Worms) in 2018. In just a few short years since that time, Viagra Boys have created a brazen palette of heavily intoxicating punk melodies which often feature frantic guitar shredding, hefty drumbeats, meaty basslines, jazz-style keyboards and saxophone solos.
A perfect pairing with Viagra Boys, Shame are the British quintet of Charlie Steen (vocals), Sean Coyle-Smith (guitar), Eddie Green (guitar), Charlie Forbes (drums) and Josh Finerty (bass). Formed in 2014, around the same time as their tour mates, Shame took the stage at approximately 9:45 pm to Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” playing over the house PA.
Charlie Steen of Shame | Photo by Michael Dinger
In keeping with tradition of his homeland’s post-punk predecessors (the original wave formed in the late-1970s), Steen exudes a magnetic stage presence that demands your attention. Tuesday night, when he was not smoking a cigarette mid-song, instigating the mosh pit or crowd surfing, Steen was lurking along the stage apron with sweat streaked along his cheeks or smirking at bandmate Finerty after he successfully completed another of his signature, one-handed flips (while still holding his bass!).
Shame played their entire, 14-song distortion-filled set with an unbridled emotion that could only be accomplished by a band who has risen to success amid a grueling, relentless tour itinerary. Highlights of Shame’s night included back-to-back presentations of tracks from 2018’s Songs of Praise – “One Rizla” (introduced by Steen as “the first song [they] ever wrote”) and “Angie” for the first time on the current tour. With the emergence of post-punk peers IDLES and Fontaines D.C. in recent memory, it’s now time for Shame to breakthrough with their own brand of loud and abrasive punk anthems.
At the conclusion of their U.S. tour in Dallas, TX at the end of the month, Viagra Boys will head oversees with a slew of dates that will take them to Primarvera Sound in São Paulo, Brazil (November 6), followed by stopovers in Mexico, Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Denmark and finally, Norway (March 30, 2023). Up next for Shame will be a much-needed break, before embarking on a journey to Mexico City for the Hipnosis Festival on November 5.
Viagra Boys Setlist: Ain’t No Thief > Ain’t Nice > Troglodyte > Punk Rock Loser > Return to Monke > Secret Canine Agent > Slow Learner > Worms > Big Boy > Cold Play > Sports > Shrimp Shack
Shame Setlist: Dust on Trial > Alphabet > Fingers of Steel > Concrete > The Lick > Six Pack > Tasteless > Adderall > Born in Luton > Burning By Design > One Rizla > Angie > Water in the Well > Snow Day
It wasn’t long ago that classical composer, Michael Vincent Waller, first forayed into the hip hop world. On his debut LP CLASSIC$, the Staten Island native merged elements of classical and trap music, bringing about an unheard of sub-genre. What made for a sometimes awkward fit was overshadowed by MVW’s nuanced production and his chemistry with Valee — who occupied the album’s starring role. CLASSIC$ was experimental in its nature, while his latest album, Connections, sees MVW harness his vision.
Connections tracklist
With this intention, MVW’s progression came from putting his classical side on the back burner, allowing it to play a more subtle role. On his prior album, the two genres shared equal footing, while on Connections the classical sound plays a complimentary role to the hip hop rhythms. The result makes for an energetic, yet nuanced body of work, with enjoyable contemporary melodies.
The attention to the melody and nuance of the texture stands out. It’s about taking you on the journey from minimal to maximal — going through the ebbs and flows of layers, lyricism, and transitions between those two aesthetics.
– MVW on the making of Connections
Connections Review
Amidst hip hop’s growing stagnation, Connectionsfeels like a breath of fresh air and a leap into the future. The album is laden with features from both veteran and new artists alike. Past collaborators (Valee, Lil Gotit, Lex Luger) and new voices (Matt Ox, Desiigner, TiaCorine, Zelooperz, Xavier Wulf, Warhol.SS) lent their voices and verses. Moreover, it’s a project which fully expands and elegantly distills the vision MVW forged on CLASSIC$, while showcasing his versatility.
The composer-turned-producer has released two one-of-a-kind projects.
After all, it is a testament to MVW’s abilities that he can curate his minimal-expressionist approach for a song with Valee and his laid-back delivery, Matt OX‘s energetic howls, while channeling the enigma that is Desiigner. Yet, that was the goal of Connections. The album is about urging the listener to reckon with the ties between unexpected things; minimalism and maximalism. A juxtaposition that MVW has been keen to express in his music since crossing over from the formal, controlled landscape of classical music to the braggadocios and expressive hip hop world. The album’s sequencing reflects MVW’s experiences, as it ranges from delicate vocal placements (“Oscar,” “7 Bandz,” “Bali”) to high-octane controlled chaos (“Check In,” “Mobb Ties,” “Never That”).
The music was unlike anything else I’d heard. No one is rapping over that kinda stuff so I wanted to try something different. It was a challenge and definitely had a spooky element to it. I like that.
– Valee on working with MVW
Valee and MVW’s Connection is undeniable.
Album Highlights
Valee once again takes center stage on an MVW project. The duo’s chemistry is undeniable, as Valee’s own minimal, yet luxurious flows make for a perfect jump-off point creatively. For his part, MVW’s own vision for his music’s direction allows him to recruit effectively. “Mobb Ties” sees Desiigner at his best, using his overpowering voice to create a melodic banger, free of incoherent shouts. Concurrently, Valee and Matt OX serve as the contrasting hues on MVW’s musical canvas, as he uses their contrasting styles to fulfill his musical ethos.
Notably, MVW’s use of classical instrumentation to capture Matt Ox’s spirited delivery pushes the limitations of both genres. Songs like “Check In” and “Epiphany,” are laced with adequately placed cello and violin riffs that compliment OX’s energy. Conversely, MVW and Valee fit like two peas-in-a-pod. Their comparable styles means that there is no need for a smoothing out period. Records like “Bali,” feel as though the two have been recording together for years.
“Working with Valee is always special, but this is one of those tracks where I think Valee and I are working on a higher intuitive level,”
Other standout tracks include “TikTok,” “Right Back” and “7 Bandz”, on a project which ultimately saw MVW’s vision come full-circle. In doing so, the Los Angeles based producer has managed to carve out a lane all to himself.
Spoiler NYC frontman, Life of Agony bassist, and graphic artist Alan Robert was recently caught on video being arrested with his bandmates from Spoiler at Brooklyn’s Lucky 13 Saloon.
Well, not really. The group’s music video for “Banned in 38 States,” released this past Thursday, October 18, showed the band being carried out of the heavy metal-themed bar in handcuffs and performing from behind bars in a skit-like approach.
Produced by Ken Lewis, a producer whose repertoire includes work with the Wu-Tang Clan, Eminem, and countless other hip-hop icons, it’s a quick, pounding punk rock track which just crosses the two minute mark. Robert proclaims the band’s infamy as inciters of punk-infused chaos, yelling on the first verse, “no where left to play, lots of hell to raise, pour me another bourbon, whiskey or wine.”
“Banned in 38 States” is one of two new tracks from their August-released album of the same name. It’s a 15th anniversary edition of their debut album Grease Fire in Hell’s Kitchen, featuring remastered versions of the record’s original 12 songs.
Spoiler NYC band members from left to right: Chris “Junkyard” Silletti (guitar), Alan Robert (lead vocals/bass), Tommy “The Kid” Clayton (drums).
The other new addition is the slower, more melodic “Damaged Goods,” an ode to Robert’s tumultuous upbringing with an abusive father. “People say I will never amount to nothing, and then they’ll wait ’till I kill myself or something, then they’ll say ‘oh what a shame, he was damaged goods,” he sings on the chorus.
The song received a Taxi Driver-themed music video back in August when the remastered album dropped.
Spoiler NYC is also promoting Banned in 38 States with three upcoming shows: one in November in a return to the Lucky 13 Saloon, and two in December, with appearances at Coney Island USA and Bowery Electric.
Information regarding tickets, Banned in 38 States’ limited vinyl release on Halloween, and more can be found on the Spoiler NYC website.
For a college band from University of Connecticut, making it to the point where you can finally move to NYC is cause for celebration — and what better way to celebrate than with a new single dedicated to the whole experience. “High Line,” released today, October 21, is Kids That Fly doing just that. “High Line” is a song for the proud transplant: listen to it on your first couple Subway rides, blast it with windows open when you first drive over the Brooklyn Bridge. “You made it,” the song promises, “you’re really here.”
Kids That Fly is a pop band bridging on indie, composed of four friends from college: Nick Smeriglio on vocals and guitar, Blake Henry on guitar and synth, Braden Frandino on bass and Ryan Hendry on drums. The four started out just playing live shows in and around their school in Connecticut, but soon started commuting in and out of New York for gigs. Finally, the band’s front man, Smeriglio, moved into the city, prompting their optimistic new single.
The song evokes a more technical The 1975, a less sad Backseat Lovers. It’s pop with enticing guitar chords and a synth that fits right in.
For the older crowd, the synth keyboard conjures 80’s nostalgia, to neon-soaked teenage years. But for the younger generation, Kids That Fly’s newest feels nostalgic, too, for different reasons. Because it’s so much like The 1975, the synth-y beat and fast drums brought me back immediately to the yearning that defined being a teenage girl between 2013-2016. I remembered how I spent hours on my computer scrolling Pinterest and Tumblr, daydreaming about NYC, imagining my apartment, the parties I’d go to, the friends I’d make, even romanticizing my morning commute. It’s a universal phase for the American teen, the day dream about moving to the city, the bright days, the long nights. “High Line,” captures all that fantasy and its long-awaited fruition in one clean sweep.
Though the song calls out the High Line, a revamped New York Central Railroad track that was turned into an elevated park to overlook the westside of Manhattan, the “High Line” music video is filmed deep in the ground, in Subway stations and even on the train. Complete with vintage filter overlays the video sees the foursome walk into the station, set up their drums, guitars, mics and bass and play the single, while tourists watch from the MTA machines; you can almost hear them thinking: “Only in New York.” Listen to the song here, and see the video below.
