Toubab Krewe is making four stops in NYS this week, with a fifth stop next month. They will be hitting Buffalo, Albany, and Ithaca, with an appearance in Port Washington in November.
Toubab Krewe is an instrumental powerhouse from Asheville, NC that fuses west-African traditional music with elements of rock, jam, and Appalachian styles. Formed in 2005, the group is made up of Justin Perkins (Kora, Kamelngoni, guitar, percussion), Terrence Houston (drumset), Drew Heller (guitar, organ), Justin Kimmel (bass, keys), and Luke Quaranta (Djembe, Congas, Dundun, Sangban, Kinkini).
The group takes inspiration from African greats like Ali Farka Toure, Orchestra Baobab, and Salif Keita but remains true to themselves. They have also gone on many trips to learn more about African music, traveling to places like Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and Mali.
This short tour stops in numerous places in NYS. On October 4, they will stop at Buffalo Iron Works, a venue they have toured before. They will head to Albany on October 5, playing at Lark Hall. The next day they will go to Ithaca and play at Deep Dive. They’ll be in Brooklyn at Industry City on Saturday, October 8th. For tickets to the tour, go here.
In November and December, LCD Soundsystem will return to Brooklyn Steel for a month-long residency. “We’re not aware that we’re getting older and somehow think that 20 shows is a good idea,” said bandleader James Murphy in a social media announcement.
Murphy wearing a Halloween mask with the face of his friend/collaborator/former bandmate Steve Nebesney.
The band’s concert dates at the venue are as follows: Nov. 18-22, 26, 27, 29, 30, and Dec. 2-4, 6, 7, 9-11, 13, 14, 16, and 17. For Nov. 27, 29, and 30, only American Express card members can purchase tickets.
Amex card members will also get early access to tickets from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 10 p.m. Thursday before the general sale starts the following morning at 10 a.m. Customers can also request “fan presale access” for the opportunity to purchase seats between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Thursday.
The announcement also came with the single release of “New Body Rhumba,” the group’s first song in five years. The track was made for the Noah Baumbach movie “White Noise” which debuted on Netflix in August.
This fall, Secret Machines heads out their first US tour in 12 years, starting on September 24th in Asheville, NC and wrapping up with two nights at Brooklyn Steel over October 27-28. They’ll be joined by Metric for all 24 shows of the tour.
In 2007, co-founding guitarist Benjamin Curtis (who passed away from a rare form of lymphoma in 2013) left his brother Brandon and Secret Machines’ stellar drummer Josh Garza behind to focus on his new project School of Seven Bells. The saving grace of Benjamin’s departure from Secret Machines despite two buzz-worthy albums and years of electrifying live shows together, however, was guitarist Phil Karnats. A fellow Dallas native who played alongside Brandon and Benjamin in the psych-pop band Tripping Daisy, he wasted no time falling into place alongside Josh’s lead-footed rhythms and Brandon’s sinewy, rip-roaring hooks.
Secret Machines’ original label (the Frank Sinatra-founded Reprise Records) never quite got the group. Warner Brothers’ way of supporting the trio’s powerful sound in the four years between their breakout debut (2004’s Now Here is Nowhere) and the Secret Machines sessions wasn’t to try and wrap their heads around it. They’d rather boost the band’s studio budget until it burst and hope a hit would emerge from the ether.
That is until they heard Secret Machines’ third album. Reprise was so perplexed by the bold LP they immediately hit the brakes and refused to promote it. “One particular guy epitomized the vibe,” explains Brandon. “He was obviously unhappy with the record, but the way he communicated his feelings was so convoluted. He asked us to make changes, and as I expressed our willingness to discuss any ideas he may have, he just kept saying ‘no.’ I’m not sure what he was even saying ‘no’ to!”
“At that point,” adds Josh, “the writing was on the wall. They felt like they’d given us a chance and were really upfront. So we asked them to give us the album and they were like, ‘Sure, take the album; no harm, no foul.’”
Reprise’s eagerness to cut their ties from Secret Machines led to a rushed, ill-fated deal with World’s Fair Label Group. While it had already worked with such reputable artists and imprints as Rough Trade, Jarvis Cocker, and Daptone, the part-time PR company shuttered its own label right in the middle of a Canadian tour that was supposed to support the band’s self-titled record. A record it hadn’t bothered to officially release, mind you.
People didn’t even know the album was out. Things got really bad from there and started leaving a bad taste in our mouth. Our problem was never with the music, though; it was with the business itself.
Josh Garza
The good news about Secret Machines’ DOA status is that it’s finally being released as it was originally intended. Much like a long overdue director’s cut, it now features a dynamic sequence that makes far more sense in the long run than the original and boasts the added benefit of hindsight and a renewed sense of purpose within the group’s widescreen back catalog.
Rather than spark the record’s proceedings with the candy-laced chords and immediate hooks of “Atomic Heels,” the power trio now knocks our jowls back like a Maxwell ad with the jarring opening of “The Fire is Waiting.” It’s as if they’re daring us to step one foot closer, only to reward our patience with a subtle recorder pattern from glam-rock demigod Tony Visconti and a windswept, 11-minute sequence Phil rightfully describes as “like being swallowed up by an indomitable, mountainous wave, bated breath and an inevitable end.”
Bringing the record into full relief are crisp remastered recordings by Slowdive drummer Simon Scott, and tracks that have taken on a new life in 2022 — from the torn space-time continuum of “The Walls are Starting to Crack” to the simmering intro and gleaming, rigid groove of “Have I Run Out.”
Tickets are on sale on now and can be purchased here.
UK prog-rock band Porcupine Tree came to the historic Radio City Music Hall on Friday September 16, their first show back in NYC following the band’s 12-year hiatus. In fact, it was almost twelve years since they last played the NYC area at Radio City on Sept. 24, 2010. Given Porcupine Tree’s long hiatus and new music being teased during the pandemic, a great deal of anticipation was built up among the crowd going into the show.
Porcupine Tree began as a solo project of Steven Wilson who eventually moved it to a full band setting in the early 90s. After touring in support of the band’s 10th studio album The Incident in 2010, Wilson shifted gears to work on solo recordings, leaving the band’s future in question. The June 2022 release of Closure/Continuation excited fans with the chance to see Porcupine Tree on this current summer/fall tour, though there is still uncertainty if this is the band wrapping up on a high note, or a sign of more great things to come.
The band’s long two-set show was filled with fan favorites with the entirety of their new album scattered throughout both sets. Set one kicked off with a favorite, “Blackest Eyes,” before diving into three from Closure/Continuation which Wilson joked afterward about being the challenging part of the set. The second set featured the title track off the band’s 2006 album Fear of a Blank Planet and the extended “Anesthetize,” which unfortunately for the many folks donning Rush shirts did not feature Alex Lifeson on stage (Lifeson had contributed guitar lines on the studio recording). The show wrapped up with a pleasantly long encore ending with “Trains,” which Wilson commented that he had wished that would have been the single from In Absentia even though it wound up becoming one of Porcupine Tree’s most popular songs.
The core of Porcupine Tree is Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, and Gavin Harrison, with original bass player Colin Edwin not returning. For the Closure/Continuation tour Porcupine tree enlisted touring band members Randy McStine from NYC and Nate Navarro from Boston.
From start to finish, there were no lulls in the band’s performance. Compared to Porcupine Tree’s live shows in the late 2000s the band was just as engaged with each other, the music, and the audience as back then.There seemed to be a collective electricity among the audience fueled by the legacy that Porcupine Tree left for themselves before their hiatus. With the band’s future still unclear, hopefully it will fall on the “Continuation” part of the Closure/Continuation album title.
Porcupine Tree Setlist
Set 1: Blackest Eyes, Harridan, Of the New Day, Rats Return, Even Less, Drown With Me, Dignity, The Sound of Muzak, Last Chance to Evacuate Planet Earth Before It Is Recycled, Chimera’s Wreck Set 2: Fear of a Blank Planet, Buying New Soul, Walk the Plank, Sentimental, Herd Culling, Anesthetize, Sleep Together Encore: Collapse the Light Into Earth, Halo, Trains
Happy Birthday to one of Harlem’s most influential public figures, A$AP Rocky. The Grammy nominee was born on October 3, 1988 and since has made his mark globally as a fashion icon, trendsetter as well as a versatile rapper. Before reaching double digits, he began rapping, however it was not until 2007 when Rocky’s professional career took off as a member of A$AP Mob. In the years to come, he cemented himself within the music and fashion industries forever.
In 2011, Rocky released his first mixtape LIVE.LOVE.A$AP and from then on out, the sky was the limit. If people did not know of the talent within Rocky’s words and his delivery, then they knew from that very moment. His psychedelic album changed the game as he broke away from traditional New York rap. His hit songs “Peso” and “Purple Swag” had everyone talking about who Rocky is and wondering what’s next on his agenda.
In 2012, he made his first guest appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show, to reveal his talents to an ever-growing fanbase, where he performed his newly released top single “Goldie”. All within the same year, he extended his discography with another hit song, featuring the legendary Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar, on “F**kin’ Problems”. There was no surprise when both topped the charts and went platinum.
As his debut studio album, LONG.LIVE.A$AP dropped, Rocky, was accoladed with being an essential component of today’s rap game. On this album, he released the record “Fashion Killa”, which accentuated his capability to intertwine rap with fashion so effortlessly. His debut, along with his sophomore album AT. LONG. LASt. A$AP, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts.
Although Rocky stayed true to himself, he undoubtedly improved throughout the longevity of his career. Unlike others within the music industry, Rocky allocated his time to maintaining his status as a fashion muse, alongside his rapping career. In 2014 he appeared in the DKNY Spring campaign, as well as the Dior Homme’s fall campaign in 2016. Additionally, collaborations with Guess, Under Amour, J.W. Anderson, Calvin Klein and more revolutionized the way rappers, especially from New York were perceived. His cultural influence on the music and fashion industries were nothing less than monumental.
As for now, Rocky is cherishing a new beginning with his iconic girlfriend, legendary artist, businesswoman and creative genius, Rihanna, a description which only scratches the surface of how powerful she is. The two first collaborated together in 2012 on her single “Cockiness”, whereas he later joined her during Rihanna’s Diamonds World Tour. In Rocky’s hit song “Fashion Killa”, Rihanna was featured as the “It girl” and the rest was history. Today, Rocky welcomes his first child with whom he describes as the “love of my life.” He recently released his debut directional video called “D.M.B.” featuring Rihanna, which showcases “a ghetto love tale”.
Although Rocky is a new father, his career is from over. In fact, his upcoming album is almost ready to be introduced to the world, as he wraps up his visuals for it. Back in 2018, Rocky released his third studio album Testing, but now he has declared to be pushing himself to the limit with his latest masterpiece.
Going from that industrial, subversive sound from Testing and then graduating with a more polished sound…I just like where it is.
Asap Rocky
As a significant representative of this generation’s hip hop artists, his elevated style will always live on. His creative ability to synthesize rap history, while staying true to his own unique sound is what led him to the success he has today. Once again Happy Birthday to A$AP Rocky, and may his impact forever live on.
Saturday Night Live returned for Season 48 at Studio 8H of Rockefeller Center, bringing in four new SNL featured cast members, along with host Miles Teller and musical guest, Kendrick Lamar.
Opening with a deeply self-referential Manningcast sketch, featuring host Miles Teller as Peyton Manning and repertory player Andrew Dismukes as Eli Manning, the pair began to break down the upcoming changes to SNL this season, with a cameo from actor Jon Hamm as well. Referencing cast members who departed and facing criticism during a transition year head on, the breakdown of the cold open as the cold open was underway was a fresh idea for SNL and a bellwether for the season to come.
With a fresh SNL font and new cast intros segment, the start of Season 48 also marked the 20th season for Kenan Thompson, as well as the 20th season for the Grand Central Terminal set, each debuting during Season 29 in 2003. Teller, star of this summer’s Top Gun: Maverick, shared his excitement for making it to the SNL stage, having been a fan since he was a kid. Teller shared childhood videos of he and his sister as Spartan Cheerleaders – with Teller as Cheri Oteri and his sister as Will Ferrell. This is a trend seen among hosts recently as they celebrate making it the long transition from SNL fan to SNL host, such as Oscar Isaaclast season.
Miles Teller SNL monologue
For the first performance on the night, Kendrick Lamar performed two songs – “Rich Spirit” and “N95” – from his fourth album, Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers. Using a minimalist approach to the performance, Lamar performed alone in a blue-hued box room with a single pedestal fan facing him, while his shadow was prominently featured to his right. After a minute, the shadow began dancing as he shifted into the speedier “N95” with spotlight and strobes highlighting the solo artist confined to this white room, similar to his stage set up on his recently ended North American leg of his ‘Big Steppers” tour.
A stunning performance, text flashing on the white walls during “N95” included “Lil L got his passport,” “4 peez Kee riches,” “The homie Jason Keaton wrote two books in prison,” “The Edges Envy in the Eyes,” and “Yea we still playing industry politics.”
These referenced, respectively, Compton rapper and friend of Lamar, Lil L; 4 Peez who grew up on Piru Street, two streets down from the location of the Good kid Maad city house; rapper Kee Riches who was shot and killed last week; and Jason Keaton, who earned college degrees and wrote two books while incarcerated for 15 years, and who is also referenced in the 2009 K.Dot song “Jason Keaton and Uncle Bobby.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ursSZ0NCw
For his second performance, Kendrick was once again in a white box, this time with a bed, lamp, table and chair, where British rapper Sampha was rocking. Lamar dove in with Sampha joining in on “Early mornin’ wake ups, practicin’ on day-offs. Tough love, bottled up, no chaser, neat, no chaser.” Throughout the performance, the walls closed in on Kendrick and Sampha, as they rapped and reflected upon an upbringing with limited emotional outlets amid home invasions and daddy issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04qA4krEub8
Tonight also marked the fifth appearance on SNL for Kendrick Lamar, starting with his 2013 debut where he performed “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “Poetic Justice,” then returned in 2014 to play “i” and “Pay For It” off To Pimp a Butterfly, alongside Jay Rock and Chantal Kreviazuk. Lamar has also joined other musicians on SNL, including Imagine Dragons on “Radioactive” in 2014 and Anderson .Paak in 2018 on “Tints”.
Closing out the night, Teller wore an NYU shirt, celebrating his roots at the NYU Tisch School of Arts where he received a BFA in Drama in 2009.
Not seen this evening was longtime cast member Cecily Strong, who is in Los Angeles performing in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life. Expect Strong to return to SNL in November.
Next week, SNL will be hosted by Irish actor Brendan Gleeson, star of The Banshees of Inisherin, with musical guest is Willow, daughter of Will Smith.
Westchester rock trio, Shining Faces, released their debut single, “Worthless” on Wednesday, September 28. The music group with origins in the Upper Westchester County area transitioned their involvement in the rock scene in New York City.
Shining Faces
A unique feature of the band’s start-up counts their spawnage from the upstate-based Pow! Burger joint. The collaboration between the burger restaurant and the rock band helps to carry the representation of the DIY cultural aspect of the Upper Westchester community.
‘Worthless’ debut single cover art
The members comprising the band are vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Clinton Meekel, bass player Kevin Giachetto, drummer Austin Flynn and guitarist Nick Trujillo. The artists opened about their experience working at the independently-established Pow! Burger joint, their music career and the connection between the workplace they were previously employed at and the punk and surf rock performances made in the Metropolitan area that are supported by former co-workers from the Pow! Burger.
Heather Occhino: How did the band meet?
Clinton Meekel: So, Austin, Nick, and I met while working at Pow! Burger. Nick and Austin actually had a project together called “Block Tape”, and the three of us had a project together called “Anklebiterz”. Kevin and I had played drums a lot together growing up with Kevin’s brother, Justin. I had put out some stuff solo during COVID, but I really wanted to be able to play live. I put together a trio with Austin and our other friend, Sean. When we moved to the city, Austin moved over to drums, we added Kevin on bass, and Nick is our newest addition on a second guitar.
HO: What inspired the band members to pursue making music?
CM: I always grew up around music. My dad repairs guitars and collects records and just has a really extensive knowledge on all kinds of eclectic rock and punk music. I started playing when I was five years old and haven’t stopped since.
HO: What was the group’s reason for relocating to New York City?
CM: Basically, I moved here to finish college. It’s new and there’s a lot of awesome stuff happening down here musically. I used to drive down here all the time to go to shows and it’s really cool to be living in the midst of all of it.
HO: What influenced Shining Faces to add more contemporary-based punk-rock influences to traditional songs, such as Joe Cocker’s “The Letter” and Hound Dog Taylor’s “Give Me Back My Wig”?
CM: I had listened to those songs a lot growing up, and I wanted to pay homage to those musicians. There’s something timeless about those songs in particular, and I love being able to take something old and mess around with it and make it fresh. Those songs translate really well live too, because people recognize the songs but maybe have forgotten about them. Then it creates an opportunity to bond with people over those songs too. People come up to us after shows and bring up The Letter, and it’s just really great to get to talk with new people about songs that we all love.
HO: When Pow! Burger was established, did the then-employees plan on choosing a direction toward music?
CM: It was totally by chance that so many of the people who work there, who I now consider very close friends, were also interested in making music. But it definitely became a commonality for all of us there. There aren’t really any venues in Yorktown or record stores, so it’s hard to find any sort of musical community. I’m lucky that all my time at work could be spent with guys who do care about music and have a taste that aligns with mine.
My friend from Pow! Leapfrog Jones actually opened for us a few weeks ago at the Bowery Electric, and I just saw him play the other day at another venue. We all just kind of had bands on the side, but everyone is really supportive. Even the owner Dave, he comes to our shows. And Yorktown isn’t close, but he’s invested in our success. It’s honestly not very often you see a business owner who actually cares about the success and security of their employees beyond the workplace, so we’re all really lucky. And just to have this community of people who have our backs and are rooting for us.
HO: What was the transition like leaving Pow! Burger and moving to the city?
CM: It’s a little bit crazy actually. We’re all friends, so I see the guys from Pow! all the time. They all make their way down to the city for our shows. I think some more of them might even move out here too, and I love having them on bills with us or vice versa. I remember overhearing someone after a show say, “What is this restaurant they all work at?” Because basically the entire staff was in the audience. It’s pretty awesome to see.
HO: As mentioned in the biography about Shining Faces, their aim is to find “authenticity in a world in a world where our lives are becoming increasingly commodified”. In which ways is this sentiment expressed in their musical work/artistic expression?
CM: Punk has always been about rebellion. I’m really inspired by guys like Iggy Pop, the Sex Pistols. Punk has always been a vessel for counterculture. I think we and most other people in our generation feel like we’re getting screwed. We’re losing faith in our institutions. There’s so much pressure, especially with social media to make yourself marketable. To make every bit of yourself something that can become profitable. It’s easy to feel helpless. And we’re angry. So our aim is really just to create and give a raw reaction to what is happening in the world. We’re young and people want to dismiss us but we’re the ones who will grow up in the world that policies being passed right now are shaping.
HO: What ultimate message/(s) does the band want to spread to their listening base?
CM: I think what we wanna get out there, especially with “Worthless” is just to not let the world get you down and cling to your passions. What we kind of pose in this song is am I worthless? In a world where everyone is supposed to be doing a million things at once, how valuable am I beyond what profit I can produce? Or is all of that worthless and the bits of the humanity within us are what is actually significant? We’re kind of grappling with things like “what is all of this for?” It’s a question that only yields more questions, but we’re going to keep asking.
New York Public Radio will host its annual gala on Nov. 9 to honor Brooke Gladstone, the host of WNYC’s On The Media.
The evening will be hosted by comedian Samantha Bee, a former correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the former host of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee who was named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in 2017.
Samantha Bee is hosting this year’s New York Public Radio Gala. (Photo credit: James Macari)
The event also includes Kronos Quartet as a musical guest, a Grammy-winning collective whose nearly 50-year history includes thousands of concerts, over 70 recordings, and over 1,000 works from composers worldwide. The night will take place at Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel.
Brook Gladstone, the host of WNYC’s On The Media. (Photo credit: Matthew Septimus)
Gladstone examines the worldly impact of media with On The Media, a weekly production. She started her career in public broadcast at National Public Radio in 1987 as senior editor of Scott Simon’s Weekend Edition, later working on the station’s flagship news program All Things Considered.
She joined WNYC in 2000 to host On The Media, and during her tenure, the program has won two Peabody awards, became the first national public radio show to be offered as a podcast, and now airs on 425 public radio stations.
Information regarding tickets and more can be found here.
Europe-native and New York City-based musical artist and busker, Robert Leslie, had his alternative folk debut recently released during last month on August 5th. Compiled are 12 tracks produced by Perry Margouleff (who also worked with Maroon 5 and Paul Rogers) that express the beautiful moments captured in day-to-day life through bridging the gap between current changes and a reflection of the past, as phrased by Leslie, speaking about the album.
Album Cover [Credit: Emmanuel Rosario]
The LP features names behind the instrumental elements of the music, who’ve worked with established names in the music industry, such as Tony Garnier behind bass who collaborated with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Tom Waits, Jake Sinclair, behind the Wurlitzer, Mellotron piano, who’s worked with Weezer! and Panic at the Disco, and Scarlet Rivera, who played the violin and has worked with Bob Dylan.
Artist Studio Shoot
The record rings of soothing tunes conveyed with slow guitar notes paired with bass booms and overlapping looming synths which carve echoes resonating with the vibration of rings spreading from a rock thrown in still water. Taking an approach using a poetic lens in his lyricism, Robert Leslie divulges on takes about aspects of life and love, carrying emotional overtones of nostalgia blended with wonderance on this debut influenced with sounds from UK psychedelic folk.
NYC‘s Baby Got Back Talk, one of AfroPunk’s “Top 8 Punkest Bands on the Planet,” have just announced their new debut EP Existential Shred. The EP will be dropping later this Summer 2022 on Wiretap Records. They have been named one of Alternative Press’s ’17 black alternative bands leading the next generation.
Photo: Kate Hoos
Formed back in 2017, Baby Got Back Talk initially consisted of vocalist/bassist G’Ra Asim, synth op/vocalist Rhiana Hernandez, and lead guitarist/vocalist Jake Lazaroff. After years of sharing bills with local compatriots like Choked Up, Universe Ignore Her, and Gibbons (acts that were all anchored by the propulsive stick work of drummer Wes Ruiz) Baby Got Back Talk welcomed Ruiz into the fold. Now, they are an inseparable pair named one of The Utah Daily Chronicle’s top 5 Black Alternative Bands You Need to Know in 2021.
“We’re what punk looks like in the 2020s: driven by a DIY ethic, conversant with social issues–especially as they pertain to gender and race, enabled by inter-web, bankrolled by day jobs, powered by a rad likeminded community, resonant with the most venerable iterations of rock ‘n’ roll but firmly committed to injecting some new flavor into the mold.”
“On their upcoming EP Existential Shred New York pop punk band Baby Got Back Talk delve into the very nature of human existence. They tackle death, life changes, and the state of the world with excellent literary lyrics, plenty of synths, and a healthy dose of hope.”
– Punk News
Baby Got Back Talk is a D-I-why?-because-we-gotta punk party from New York City. The band teamed with producer John Naclerio (Just Surrender, The Audition) at Nada Recording Studios for their latest EP, ‘Existential Shred’ due out later this Summer 2022 on Wiretap Records.
“A catchy pop punk hook-fest that throws the middle finger to anyone claiming that being marginalized is “in” these days. “Model Minority” could become an anthem of importance for queer folks and POC in the punk scene today.”
– Tuned Up
The band has released a pair of EPs in 2017’s Take This The Wrong Way and 2018’s Up In Open Arms. Their full-length debut, 2020’s Genre Reveal Party, was mixed by Paul Leavitt (All Time Low, Senses Fail, Yellowcard).
