Brooklyn alt-rock duo Locations has dropped “Moves,” a jovial dance rock track which is the band’s first release in over two years.
The track is centered around a bright, melodic guitar rhythm and the band’s falsetto vocal harmonies in this ode to optimism and getting up to dance. “Dance if you wanna dance, move if you wanna move, you have got to do it for you,” they sing on the chorus.
(left to right) Niko Rummell (lead guitarist/vocalist) and Thomas Whidden (drummer/vocalist) of Locations. (photo by Hannah Turner Harts)
While simple, the hook is catchy and succinctly expresses the song’s straightforward ideas. It provides a solid contrast from the track’s verses, which build towards something a little more hyper in the chorus. This is especially the case in the song’s final minute, as muted guitar creates a light tension which is released in satisfying fashion for the outro.
The song is also part of an impassioned campaign from the band, with them using the single to promote universal healthcare. Looking to raise funds for Campaign for NY Health, Locations is selling limited edition t-shirts to support the organization which seeks to pass a single payer healthcare system in New York State.
Also as part of this campaign, the group will be performing at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan on Monday, September 5 along with ALIENS, Witch Slap, Nuclear Family Fantasy, and Lumberob. Tickets can be found here.
Not only is “Moves” the band’s first single in over two years, but it was also the first written after a “major medical event” involving one of the members put activities on hold for several months.
“Moves” by Locations is a vibrantly optimistic song that looks to build optimism for a cause of passion, and it does so in an easily listenable way.
In 2021, veteran rock writer Frank Mastropolo gave us a mega-informative book about the history of one of New York’s most legendary performance venues in Fillmore East, The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever. Now he’s back with New York Groove (Edgar Street Books), a sort of half guidebook/half history to the sites, stars, shows and songs that made the Big Apple a mighty rock metropolis, from its dawning days in the 1950s to today.
The generously-illustrated 224-page book divides the city’s rock landmarks and stories into three chapters: Downtown, Midtown and Uptown, with the first being the arena of most of the action. All the classic venues of the past are here, from the well-trodden like The Fillmore East, MSG, The Apollo Theater and CBGB to more temporal ones, like The Dom, Club 82, Player’s Theater, Mercer Arts Center and The Garrick Theater, which played a role in launching acts like The Velvet Underground, The New York Dolls, The Fugs and Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. After these venues are introduced, the author gives the history of some of the most famous shows at each. One important one was James Brown’s 1962 live show at the Apollo. This incendiary performance gave birth to not only one of his most lasting albums but provided proof positive that a live performance of previously released tunes could sell as an LP. Mastropolos’ book also unearths lots a cool factoids about the many ratty apartments, cheap hotels and, and later, the palatial brownstones where stars like Dylan, Lennon, Sting and Patti Smith lived. Also covered are where they penned, and the studios at which they recorded, some of their most well-known songs like The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ever-enduring steamy weather staple, “Summer In The City.” There’s more than 200 archival and performance photos, posters, albums, buttons and memorabilia included, arcania that truly brings nearly 70 years of NYC rock history to life.
The book is a bit of a personal blast from the past for me as it’s a trip back to my recently former life, when I ran a PR company that created, among other weird things, rock and roll landmark bus tours for Tanqueray Gin, first in Los Angeles and later in New York City. In New York, our tour guide/researcher was the amazing Danny Fields, the man who did PR for The Doors and discovered and managed folks like Iggy Pop and The Ramones, subject of the Ramones song and later documentary “Danny Says.” Fields shared some of the same weird facts that Mastropolo does here. My favorite? That Paul Simon’s song “Mother and Child Reunion” was inspired by a chicken and egg dish he ate at a Chinatown restaurant.
A look at NYS Music’s reviewer as a younger man giving Japanese TV viewers an inside look at Electric Lady Studios and other NY Rock landmarks, ones covered in this new book.
Mastropolo’s book is a must for anyone who wants to head to the streets, or just couch-potato it, and take a comprehensive, first-rate tour of the whole history of rock music in New York.
New York Public Radio will host its annual fundraising event at Brooklyn Bowl on Sept. 21 to celebrate 40 years of “New Sounds” with John Schaefer.
Starting at 7 P.M, the event will celebrate the radio host’s career on WNYC and his contributions to the city’s music scene.
John Schaefer. (credit: Daniel Randall)
The night will feature performances by Brooklyn bhangra fusion group Red Baraat and tropical futurism band Combo Chimbita, as well as a DJ set by Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley. The fundraiser will support New York Public Radio brands such as WNYC, WQXR, Gothamist, and WNYC Studios, and tickets can be found online.
Schaefer has been cited by New York Magazine as one of “the people whose ideas, power, and sheer will are changing New York” and was honored in 2003 with the American Music Center’s prestigious Letter of Distinction for his “substantial contributions to advancing the field of contemporary American music in the United States and abroad.”
Airing every night at 11 P.M. on 93.9 FM and wnyc.org, “New Sounds” was first brought onto the airwaves in 1982. After John Schaefer was brought to WNYC the year prior to read newscasts and introduce classical music, he found his calling at the station by engaging with the city’s music scene through his now renowned radio show.
“New Sounds” was expanded to include the New Sounds Live Concert Series in 1986 and the Soundcheck Podcast in 2002, having included prolific guests such as Mavis Staples, Mark Ronson, Norah Jones, and Danger Mouse, among others.
It has been three long years since Local Natives have toured and the wait was worth it. The Inside An Hourglass Tour started late-July with Jordana and made it’s second to last stop at New York’s Pier 17 on a beautiful summer night.
Local Natives’ Kelcey Ayer on keyboard playing a sold out show at New York’s Pier 17.
Jordana opened the show with “Pressure Point”, the first song off their latest album, Face The Wall, which was released in May. The singer-songwriter had a comedic way of addressing the crowd throughout the set with her trusty Gumby on the mic stand. Before closing with “Why”, Jordana exclaimed “I love you dude!” to her new friend in the crowd, Kenny, who she briefly chatted with earlier in the set. Lastly she went on to say “This one…you know what’s funny is that we started the set with the first song on the album I just released in May…and now we’re ending it with the last song on the album, so it’s kind of artistic in that way…you know what I mean? Kind of meta, artsy, any way it’s about not giving a damn.”
Sing-songwriter Jordana and Gumby playing a sold out show at New York’s Pier 17.
Local Natives took the stage shortly after sunset, kicking off with “Statues in The Garden (Arras)” which has a dreamy, psychedelic music video to accompany it. After a few songs, vocalist and guitarist Taylor Rice remarked that it has been three years since they have toured and “we missed you very, very, very much!” Taylor continued to share that their tour bus caught fire two weeks prior and they weren’t sure they were going to make it to New York, proudly stating “…but we are here! We didn’t cancel anything!”
Overall the group’s mix of songs off their full discography along with newer tracks “Desert Snow” and “Hourglass”. During the encore, Kelcey commented “…this is such an amazing night, and I just think about the first time we ever played New York City was at Pianos…this little place somewhere over there⦔ as he gestured off into the distance. “It feels fucking great! And this song is dedicated to New York.”
Local Natives at Pier 17, Friday, August 26
Setlist: Statues in the Garden (Arras), Megaton Mile, I Saw You Close Your Eyes, Coins, Ceilings, Desert Snow, Past Lives, Wide Eyes, Sun Hands, Wooly Mammoth, Heavy Feet, Fountain of Youth, Colombia, Lemon (with Jordana), Dark Days, Who Knows, Who Cares
Encore: Hourglass, Airplanes, When Am I Gonna Lose You
Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Jordana at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Taylor Rice at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Kelcey Ayer at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Ryan Hahn at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Nik Ewing at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Matt Frazier at New York’s Pier17Local Natives’ Taylor Rice at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives Nik Ewing at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives’ Ryan Hahn at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives’ Kelcey Ayer at New York’s Pier 17Local Natives’ Taylor Rice at New York’s Pier 17
Five-piece improvisatory group, QWANQWA is making their debut in North America this fall; travelling on their first tour in the U.S. in over 20 states. Their performance locations feature a variety of memorable places, including Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, Flushing Town of Hall in Queens, Beacon’s Howland Cultural Center, Saratoga’s Caffe Lena, Buffalo’s Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Centre, and more.
QWANQWA, based in Ethiopia’s capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, are dedicated to furthering the country’s unique musical tradition rooted in string – classical music blended with new styles influenced by new compositions. Having recruited some of the most prominent names in the country’s music scene, they’ve created room for exploration of new sounds while implementing traditional and region-based beats and moods.
QWANQWA’s released works include three critically-acclaimed albums, Volume One (2014) and Volume Two (2015); and Volume Three (2020). The group has performed at two major European tours with knockout shows at the Roskilde and WOMEX festivals in 2016 and 2017 and members of QWANQWA have performed with some of the biggest names in Ethiopian music and beyond: Getachew Mekuria, Mahmoud Ahmed, Mulatu Astatke, The EX, Thurston Moore, Fred Frith, Butch Morris, and more.
Accessible Festivals officially launched its Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program this week, providing a limited number of free access tickets to recreational experiences like concerts, festivals, and conventions for disabled music fans and their loved ones. This marks a huge step forward towards accessibility for all throughout major events across the U.S.
Pictured: Past recipient Cindy Navarro at Escape Festival
Accessible Festivals is partnering with the largest festivals in the country, such as Austin City Limits Music Festival, BottleRock Napa Valley, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza, Rolling Loud NY, Stagecoach and more. The idea was born out of the organization’s founder, Austin Whitney’s own personal experience. In 2007, Whitney was injured in a car accident that severed his spinal cord and paralyzed him from the waist down. He became consumed with depression and anxiety about his new life living with a disability.
Photo credit: Abbey Madrid Stagecoach
After some time, Whitney attended his first music festival, Coachella. For the first time since his injury, he was able to simply enjoy life. With the realization of the importance of festival accessibility, he decided to devote his life to ensuring people of all abilities can have an equal opportunity to experience live music and recreational activities to the fullest extent possible.
Photo credit: TJ Hayes Lollapalooza
Dan Grover was born on December 6, 1962, in rural New Jersey. At an early age, he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic condition that deteriorates muscular strength over time, and began using a wheelchair for mobility at the age of 21.
Dan was responsible for implementing and improving ADA operations at some of the nation’s largest music festivals including Electric Forest, Outside Lands, Life is Beautiful, and many more. He helped ensure thousands of disabled guests were able to see the show safely and comfortably and was a fierce advocate for greater inclusion and accessibility for all.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Dan passed away on July 27, 2022. This program is intended to keep Dan’s legacy alive and honor him by sharing his passion for music and continuing to help other people with disabilities see the show.
Long Island singer/rapper Tim Eletto has released his fifth 2022 single “For a Second,” an ode to positivity and personal honesty while dealing with anxiety and depression.
It’s a bright and poppy song that reflects the Hofstra University student’s life experience through the construction of two conversations with fictional people across the song’s pair of verses. “I took all of the patterns that I see in people that struggle with this stuff (mental illness) and combined them to make two characters that I think everyone is very familiar with,” says Eletto of “For a Second.”
Artwork in promotion of the single.
Citing AJR has a major influence, Eletto’s musings about his emotional ups and downs are cast over a light piano melody that keeps the song feeling hopeful even when he drops his moodier lines in the track. The highlight of “For a Second” though is the chorus with its very catchy melody. “I been in the left lane with my eyes closed, ’cause life is too fast but I see it too slow,” he sings.
Eletto’s other four singles released this year also can be found on Spotify.
In this song, Tim Eletto has no qualms about letting the listener see his full self. His lyrics are straightforward, his melody is optimistic, and the track’s themes are genuine and personal. “For a Second” is a successful exercise in using music as a therapeutic outlet.
Sci-fi Middle Eastern fusion prog rockers Consider the Source announced their fall “Maxx Power Tour” and released a cover video of Opeth’s “Death Whispered a Lullaby”.
Maxx Power Tour
Consider the Source is a Sci-fi fusion trio blends progressive rock and improvisatory jazz, soaked in Indian and Middle Eastern styles. Their latest electric album, You Are Literally a Metaphor, reaches a peak of their fifteen-year musical journey. It includes he same fury and dazzling virtuosity of their previous work, Metaphor is also a portrait of three musicians reaching new levels of maturity.
Consider the Source
The “Maxx Power Tour” will be their return to a fully electric performance since they performed a hybrid acoustic electric tour with their “Hybrid Vol. 1: Such As A Mule”. From the bluesy swing of “When You’ve Loved and Lost Like Frankie Has” to the ethereal electro-synths of “Sketches From a Blind Man”, they continue to infuse minimalist pop, progressive metal, and freewheeling improvisation in their omnivorous musicality.
Three of Metaphor’s nine songs are Eastern European traditionals. Bassist John Ferrara’s new Taurus bass pedals and guitarist Gabriel Marin’s new custom Vigier double-neck guitar add new dimensions to the band’s already diverse sound.
As for their new cover music video, Opeth is one of the few bands who influenced the three of Consider the Source individually during our adolescent years and later collectively as a group.
They write extended compositions that are emotionally dark and brilliantly tie together sections of extreme heaviness with mellow acoustic passages. Their top-notch production, tight rhythms and catchy melodies have become something we strive for in our own original music. We’ve wanted to cover one of their songs for a long time but couldn’t pick just one favorite. We hope you enjoy our interpretation of “Death Whispered A Lullaby” with a couple of our favorite riffs added in at the end from “Closure” and “Deliverance”.
Consider the Source
FULL SCHEDULE:
09.02 Millersville, PA – Phantom Power * 09.03 Stuart, VA – Front Porch Fest 10.13 Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 ** 10.14 Abingdon, VA – Between the Vines 10.15 Pamplin, VA – Fly High CROPtober Fest 11.04 Portland, ME – Bayside Bowl 11.05 Hartford, CT – Arch Street Tavern *** 11.10 Saratoga Springs, NY – Putnam Place 11.11 Burlington, VT – Nectar’s 11.12 Asbury Park, NJ – Wonder Bar **** 11.17 Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater * 11.18 Pembroke, MA – Soundcheck Studios ***** 11.19 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Made **** 12.01 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern 12.02 Asheville, NC – Asheville Music Hall 12.03 Charlotte, NC – Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts 12.08 Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar 12.09 Raleigh, NC – The Pour House Music Hall * w/ Chestnut Grove ** w/ Seven Teller *** w/ The Mushroom Cloud **** w/ Baked Shrimp ***** w/ Bella’s Bartok
Twenty One Pilots stopped at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday August 23, the fourth stop of the group’s “The Icy Tour.” Along with performing songs from their 2021 album Scaled and Icy, the duo performed many of their old hits including “Ride” and “Stressed Out.” The show proved why they are considered as one of the most successful bands in the last decade.
Twenty One Pilots – Photo By: Lucas Kurzweil
Setlist: Good Day, No Chances, Guns for Hands, Morph, Holding on to You, The Outside, Message Man, Lane Boy, Chlorine, Mulberry Street, Addict With a Pen / Forest / Ode to Sleep / Hometown / Bandito / Choker, The Judge, Migrane, The Hype / Nico and the Niners / Tear in My Heart, Halo Theme (Martin O’Donnell Cover), Jumpsuit, Heavydirtysoul, My Blood / Saturday, Level of Concern, Ride, Shy Away, Car Radio, Stressed Out
Indie legends Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker joined together for The Wild Hearts Tour, a mostly outdoor-focused concert series. Angel and Sharon released the cathartic and joyful song, “Like I Used To” together last year, to critical acclaim. Julien Baker’s latest album, Little Oblivions also received widespread praise when it was released last year. Given the triple-headliner lineup on The Wild Hearts Tour, it quickly became one of the most highly anticipated acts in the indie music scene. After hitting roughly 20 stops in the United States, the tour concluded with two incredible nights at Central Park SummerStage during the weekend of August 21, with support from Quinn Christopherson.
Sharon Van Etten performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
The final night at Central Park’s SummerStage began with light cloud cover and mild heat. Fans lounged on picnic blankets and enjoyed the afternoon sun with a beer or a snack. Quinn Christopherson opened the show with driving guitar progressions and passionate vocals. His set also included a handful of tear-jerking and quieter moments. The crowd was well warmed up by the time Quinn’s set finished, and the onstage crew turned over for Julien’s set in what seemed like just a few minutes.
Quinn Christopherson performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
Julien Baker took the stage as the sun began to dip and the air cooled. The crowd swelled as she began playing her hard rock set. Julien leapt up and down the stage, flipped her hair, and held her guitar above her head at moments. She also sprinkled in a number of quiet and sorrowful moments throughout her set, displaying the great range her musical catalog is known for. Julien thanked the audience and joked with them occasionally between songs. She mentioned how special this tour had been. As her set neared an hour in length as the sun entered into golden hour, she thanked the crowd one last time before walking off to great applause.
Julien Baker performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
Angel Olsen’s set began at the very last moments of daylight. The stage lights took over as the atmosphere in the venue turned stark and dramatic. She walked onstage under a glowing orange spotlight and thanked the crowd. She played a number of tracks from her latest full-length record, Big Time as well as a number of deep cuts and fan favorites. She ended her set with the rousing lead single, “All The Good Times.” Angel thanked the audience one last time, told them how special this tour had been, and walked off as the crowd’s excitement peaked in anticipation of the final set of the evening and the tour.
Angel Olsen performing at Central Park SummerStage, photography by David Reichmann
Sharon Van Etten took the stage as the final headliner in The Wild Hearts Tour. Her latest album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, was released earlier this year and was a smash hit. Her performance featured intimidating and powerful vocalizations and dancing. She frequently singled out audience members to lock eyes with and single directly towards. Sharon’s dynamic movements and passionate vocals created an all-encompassing stage presence which took over the crowd.
Sharon Van Etten performing at Central Park SummerStage for The Wild Hearts Tour, photography by David Reichmann
Sharon paused occasionally between songs to share sentimental moments with the audience. She said towards the end of her set, “I came up in New York City,” and mentioned how great it was to be able to end this tour “where it all started.” She talked briefly about the 40 or so people working on the tour, the hardships of touring in a post-pandemic world, and urged the New York City crowd to embrace kindness and acceptance. She also shared a few anecdotes of her first times meeting Julien, Angel, and later Quinn. “These people have become my family…Thank you so much for coming out.”
Sharon closed out her main set with her hit track “Seventeen.” She walked off stage briefly, only to return a few moments to answer the cheers demanding an encore. She began her encore with a solo rendition of “Darkish.” For the final track of her set, Sharon invited Angel Olsen onstage to perform their sensational single, “Like I Used To.” She talked about writing this track of Angel, saying how she had been a fan of hers and wanted to work on something together. Then she invited Julien, her bandmates, and Angel’s bandmates to join Sharon onstage for the final song of The Wild Hearts Tour. Sharon thanked the crowd one last time and the band played as the artists slowly walked off.
Now concluded, The Wild Hearts Tour was surely a one-of-a-kind event. You can follow Sharon Van Etten’s ongoing world tour here, and listen to her music here. Angel Olsen’s tour has a few remaining stops in the US before she heads overseas, and her catalog can be found here. Julien Baker has one upcoming show scheduled for November in Atlanta, and her catalog can be found here. Quinn Christopherson’s music can be streamed here.
