Critically acclaimed saxophonist James Casey has released the first single “New Bloom” of his forthcoming solo debut, The Kaua’i Project. With excited anticipation,accompanying the release is a music video dropping March 21stduring Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
“New Bloom” and its video share a meaningful message of manifesting positivity to overcome obstacles. It’s a remarkable example of how music can be medicine, encapsulating how he refused to let a stark colon cancer diagnosis prevents him from making his mark on the world. Wrapped in inspiration from a year of self-discovery on a remote Hawaiian island, the song brings to light a mantra of soulful jazz, smooth beats and earnest emotion.
The music video for “New Bloom” tells a visual story of hope alongside fellow New York City creatives who are all living through, and beyond, cancer as a community. Each person featured in the video is persevering against cancer in their own intimate and personal ways.
James Casey is an outspoken advocate for colon cancer awareness, especially among his more vulnerable Black community. Casey first melded music and advocacy in 2022 when he released a holiday EP, A Little Something For Everyone, which garnered praise among NPR staff picks for the Best Songs of 2022.
Today, while undergoing regular chemotherapy treatments, Casey is preparing for the April-May 2023 roll out of his debut LP, The Kaua’i Project. This album was developed over the past two years following a somewhat serendipitous sequence of events. Releasing his own music was never a priority for Casey, but that perception changed abruptly when he was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer at just 38 years of age.
This shocking news in August 2021 served as an awakening in so many ways. Casey decided to make the most of his time, for both for himself and his loved ones. He let go of all limits to his musical career and, for the first time, began writing and recording music under his own name.
To listen to “New Bloom” by James Casey, click the link here. For more information about James Casey, visit the link here.
Brooklyn-based melodic punks Warn The Duke are back with a new album titled All That’s Solid, out on Friday, March 17th. The band will celebrate that night with a show at Brooklyn’s Our Wicked Lady.
The new LP All That’s Solid is a window into the ebbs and flows of recovery. Songwriter and lead singer Dan McCool (former River City Rebels) leads us through cycles of despair, renewal, and self-forgiveness that emerge after trauma and loss.
This is Warn The Duke’s first album in eight years, being written on the heels of lockdowns, divorce, and addiction. By layering harmonies and the combo of male/female vocals, the band emphasizes the record’s bittersweet atmosphere.
There are some far-ranging influences bringing the listeners through All That’s Solid. For instance, the warmth of Mike Ness’s vocals, the wry defiance of Against Me!, the dense, dark guitar tone of Nothing. Also, the earworms and hooks of The Replacements, early 2000s math rock-inspired lead guitar lines, and the hard-hitting punk grit of Hot Water Music.
“These guys play that brand of punk rock and post-hardcore that bands like Hot Water Music perfected.”
-Nerdist
Joining McCool on the album are drummer Derek Davis (former Big D and The Kids Table/The Toasters), bassist/vocalist Chris Marciniak, lead guitarist Chris Ferreria, and guitarist/vocalist Dori Cameron.
The album features the songs “Sometimes,” “The Middle” and the single “Anniversaries” (the latter of which is now streaming). Watch the music video for “Anniversaries” below and pre-save the album on Spotify. “All That’s Solid” arrives on 12” LP vinyl and digital on Friday, March 17th. The band will celebrate that night with a show at Brooklyn’s Our Wicked Lady.
All songs on All That’s Solid were written, performed, and produced by Dan McCool and Warn The Duke. Furthermore, some were recorded and mixed by Jeff Berner at Studio G (Brooklyn). Additional record recording and co-production was done by Chris Duggan at Blue Banshee Studio (Brewster, MA), and mastered by Jon Markson.
As part of Vevo’s footnotes series, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, Queens group Salt-N-Pepa have revisited their iconic “Shoop” video, The rap icons shared insights into their creative process, the inspiration behind the song and their fight to make “Shoop” the lead single on the group’s fourth album, 1993’s Very Necessary.
During the episode, Pepa delves into the story behind the song and her verse, as well as the challenges the group faced in convincing their label to release “Shoop” as the lead single from their album ‘Very Necessary.’ She also recounts the excitement they felt when the song became a massive hit and solidified the group’s position in hip-hop.
Meanwhile, Salt discusses how the song helped her to step away from her boyfriend and manager, Hurby [Luv Bug] and how “Shoop” empowered not only her but other women. She also shares her favorite moment from the music video shoot and reveals that she recorded her verse while holding her daughter Corin.
Below is a complete outline of “Shoop”” I Vevo Footnotes:
00:15 – The concept for “Shoop” started with me chillin’ in Queens, riding around in the car and I’m telling the story of how “I saw a brother, I had to kick it to, I’m not shy so I asked for the digits and that does not make me a hoe.” This story became the song and the inspiration for the first verse. – Pepa
00:35 – My favorite moment in the video is when Salt, Spin and I step out of the car and my niece is with me. Also, the guys on the corner shooting dice are playing Silo 456…it’s a New York thing. – Pepa
01:02 – When shooting “Shoop” I was a bit self conscious. It was hard being in a bathing suit and my booty kept falling out of my shorts when we were dancing on stage. – Salt
01:28 – The objective was to turn the tables on men – make them the objects. When writing my verses, I was thinking of tongue in cheek ways to objectify men. When you really like a song, it’s easy to record. Fun fact: I had my daughter Corin in my arms while recording “Shoop.” – Salt
02:04 – I was going through producer Mark Spark’s crates of records and there was the sound I was looking for “I’m Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)” by the Ikettes. Once I wrote the second verse I knew I wanted to add Captain Sky’s “Super Sperm.” Which was one of the best breakbeat songs out! I added it right after the line “not falling in love but I’m falling for your…” – Pepa
02:33 – My favorite detail was being in Coney Island, such an important part of my childhood. I used to go there with my family then my friends as a teen, so shooting my own video in Coney Island was a full circle moment for me. – Salt
02:55 – I had to jump through hoops for “Shoop” to be the first single off the ‘Very Necessary’ album. The label gave me a lot of push back since Hurby [Luv Bug] didn’t produce or write the song. Ultimately, it was an undeniable hit that took Salt-N-Pepa to the next level, and solidified our worth to hip-hop. Such a dope feeling. – Pepa
03:23 – I was ready to be emancipated from Hurby not only as my boyfriend and manager, but also as a creative. We wanted to be free to express ourselves on our own. “Shoop” was empowering for women. Fans always tell us it’s their go-to karaoke song. – Salt
03:40 – When we were planning the video, I wasn’t in the best shape. Luckily, we ended up being scheduled to shoot after our trip to Russia. I was a little culture shocked and couldn’t get used to the white nights and food, by the time we got back I had lost a lot of weight and I was ready to Shoop! – Pepa
Jenna Ortega, best known for her role as Wednesday Addams in the Netflix special show Wednesday and for the new rendition of the Scream franchise, hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time at the age of 20. The musical guest on March 11 was The 1975, a British indie group that is gaining popularity through expansive tours and social media virality.
The cold open features hosts on the red carpet for Access Hollywood at the Oscars. They made fun of carpet shows, including awkward pan-downs of women’s bodies, and the famous Oscar slap. They bring in Kenan Thompson as Mike Tyson, who does a scarily accurate impression, and Chloe Fineman comes in as Jamie Lee Curtis, bringing up the fact that she came out in a statement about going to bed early. There was also a sketch about betting odds for the Oscars, speaking more about Chris Rock and politicians. They brought in a few more guests, like George Santos pretending to be Tom Cruise, played by Bowen Yang.
Jenna Ortega’s monologue featured a discussion about how she isn’t dark and scary despite the characters she plays and she showcases a clip of her first commercial when she was a little girl talking about germs and toothpaste. She talks to actor Fred Armisen, who played Uncle Fester in Wednesday alongside Ortega. She has been the youngest host this season and says how excited she is to be on.
The first sketch features a school versus school game show, with Kenan Thompson as the host. One of the schools is for normal people, but the second one titled Professor Zander’s Academy for Extraordinary Children has children with special gifts, including mutations and more. Ortega plays the character Zena, who keeps trying to rebel because she can’t use her powers, and people think she is a freak. Other students and teachers include Mikey Day, Michael Longfellow, Molly Kearney, and Marcello Hernández. She eventually uses her “electric wind” powers and hurts the teacher (Punkie Johnson) on the other team.
Please Don’t Destroy followed with a video featuring Ortega, with the team going on a road trip, break out in a song about the fact they are going out on a road trip, subsequently missing the exit multiple times. Following that is a sketch about Ortega filming Parent Trap, with Fred Armisen playing the body double. They don’t film the scenes correctly, with Armisen messing up and saying lines off the script until he finally does it correctly.
Continuing on is a spoof of the popular MTV show Ridiculousness, with host Rob Dyrdek (Mikey Day), Steelo Brim (Kenan Thompson), and Chanel West Coast (Chloe Fineman). Jenna Ortega plays a popular TikToker, telling gory stories after each video is shown. Preceding that is a pre-filmed sketch about Ortega talking to her boyfriend about moving away for school at a Waffle House while a physical fight happens in the background, as well as other chaos, including a guy getting tased.
The 1975, an English pop rock band formed in 2002 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and now based in Manchester, consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matty Healy, lead guitarist Adam Hann, bassist Ross MacDonald, and drummer George Daniel. Healy was nominated for Grammy for the group’s song “Give Yourself A Try,” and in the Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package for I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It (Box Set). They have garnered billions of streams, releasing their newest record Beign Funny In A Foreign Language last year, featuring songs “About You,” and “I’m In Love With You.”
For the first song, The 1975 perform “I’m In Love With You,” dressed in suits but with a more laidback, chill vibe. Healy did his signature dance moves between breaths and sings in his unique voice, smiling cheek to cheek at the honor of being on Saturday Night Live. The group does a coordinated side step at the end of the song as there is a prolonged period of instrumentation, receiving a big round of applause.
https://youtu.be/JiPPvXRDUjI
Weekend Update featuring Michael Che and Colin Jost focused on speaking about Tucker Carlson and his newfound hatred for Donald Trump, the new bans on Drag Shows, and the fact that Walgreens is going to stop selling abortion pills in certain states. Special guest Molly Kearney, in their first Weekend Update appearance, was followed by James Austin Johnson filling in the last minute by doing random impressions, including Adam Driver, Batman reading Where’s Waldo, and more. A sketch playing off Exorcist movies had Ortega playing the girl being exorcised, featuring Ego Nwodim as a comedic character telling making comments downplaying the possession. Other guests include Kenan Thompson performing as the vessel for Ortega’s demon, ending with his head being swung around.
The second performance by The 1975 was “Oh Caroline” featuring more of that laidback vibe, with Healy switching his guitar out for a striking red one. The song is very groovy as he sings “Oh, Caroline/I wanna get it right this time/’Cause you’re always on my mind,” featuring an extended guitar solo at the end.
The crowd cheered loudly again, very happy that The 1975 had returned for an SNL appearance.
Important note: due to a stall in contracts between NBCU and Saturday Night Liveeditors, there will be a historic strike planned for on April 1. Negotiations started back in October, with union members focusing on healthcare benefits and pay inequity. Without a viable decision reached months later, 12 to 20 SNL editing team members are threatening to halt their work entirely. “Strikes are not funny, and it’s also not funny that NBCU is driving us to take this step to guarantee fair pay and benefits for our members,” says Alan Heim, president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, in an official statement.
The April 1 episode features host Quinta Brunson and musical guest Lil Yachty.
Emotions ran high over the weekend as Buffalo jam band Aqueous made their final Albany appearance before setting off on indefinite hiatus. Braving snowy weather and treacherous travel conditions, there was no turning back for the plethora of die-hard AQ fans who made their way to The Hollow on Friday, March 3rd with Litz opening the night.
Selling out the venue one last time, Guthrie-Bell Productions has been bringing the acclaimed band to town for many years, however it was their first time back to this room since a memorable pre-Halloween show with Mungion back in 2018.
Aqueous performing for the final time in Albany before going on hiatus; 3/3/2023
Opening the show with about at much gear on stage as The Hollow could handle was high-octane funk rockers LITZ from Frederick, Maryland. Consisting of brothers Austin (vocals, keyboards, saxophone) and Logan Litz (bass) as well as guitarist Pat Shine and drummer Nick Thrasher, the hybrid party band has been around for almost a decade now.
Prior to their set, they expressed gratitude to the guys in Aqueous for the years of friendship and for having them out on this last run. Building momentum with long, trancey EDM-type grooves on songs like “Sunrise” and “New God”, the colorfully dressed Austin would spend the set going back and forth between his stack of keyboards, talk box and a large saxophone that remained anchored to the center of the stage. Trading off huge sax solos with guitarist Pat Shrine, it was bass player Logan Litz who would garner the biggest cheers of the set with his dynamic slap style bass playing and general sense of “cool.”
After working through a “Fifth Element”> “Straight to the Moon” sandwich, LITZ would play one of their most popular songs, “Morning Dew” off their 2016 album Illusion of Time before hitting us with a “Japanese Love Affair.” Perhaps pulling our fingers a bit, things would get a little weird before playing their final song of the set, announcing to the crowd that someone had spilled beer on Shine’s pedal board and that it had shorted out. As is the nature of improv music, LITZ rolled with the punches and somehow managed to bypass the problem and launch directly into their hip-shaking party anthem “Funkin’ Problem” to close out the fun filled opening set.
Brothers Austin and Logan of LITZ got the crowd fried up early at the Hollow on 3/3/2023.
Packed in like sardines, Aqueous’ most dedicated fans used the set break as an opportunity to push forward and claim a better spot for the main event. Many of these fans have been following the band since their infancy and have organically formed one of the most positive musical communities in the scene. Affectionately known as “AQuaintances,” the hugs were flowing all night long, as anyone “in the know” knew this could perhaps be one of the final shows they’d get to see of their beloved band from Buffalo. If you were an outsider trying to push closer to the stage, forget it. The territoriality here was fierce and it just wasn’t happening.
All tuned up and ready to rock, the band seemed to be in good spirits from the start. Consisting of Dave Loss and Mike Gantzer on guitars and vocals, Evan McPhaden on bass, and drummer Rob Houk, the guys joked they had each picked a song out and were all going to play it at the same time, hoping to be on the same page. They weren’t, at first, but they quickly settled in nicely on “Dave’s Song.” One of the founding members of the band, Dave Loss had taken much of the previous year off to focus on the birth of his first child. Too integral to simply replace, the band opted to recruit a revolving door of high-profile guests to help round out their sound while fulfilling remaining bookings in the beginning. Dubbing themselves AQ and Friends, it just simply wasn’t the same without Dave. Now back and with just the right touch, the contributions from Loss could be heard immediately.
Dave Loss performing with Aqueous in Albany on 3/3/2023
“Weight of the Word” would be played next before fan favorite and one of the biggest jam vehicles of the night, “Triangle,” landed in the three hole. The 2019 pop/punk singalong “Burn It Down” came next, complete with a heady “Shakedown Street” tease for good measure. Aqueous then segued into one of their most popular songs “Kitty Chaser (Explosions)” to bring the show to it’s halfway point.
As the snow continued falling outside, things were just starting to heat up inside. After a brief intermission, the guys returned to the stage as Chatty Cathy’s. Drummer Rob Houk was doing most of the talking as he lobbied his bandmates to cover the 1990’s smash hit “Hunger Strike” from the legendary grunge supergroup Temple of the Dog (Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder). While Houk even began singing it, the rest of the guys pulled a fast one on him going into a tease of Collective Soul’s “December.”
All joking now aside, things got straight up funky as Aqueous then launched into the fan favorite “Mosquito Valley pt 1” which after about 12 minutes, transitioned into the hard charging “Eon Don” in silky smooth segue. During this standout version of the song, one of the most memorable moments of the night came when the band worked in a well-placed Metallica “Enter Sandman” tease before segueing into another homage to one of their biggest influences in Steely Dan’s “Josi.” The uninterrupted frame of music continued on as the band then landed on “Second Sight” which received a huge pop from the Albany crowd. You can check out fan shot video of that below:
Fan shot footage of Aqueous performing at The Hollow on 3/3/2023
Cooling down for a bit of tuning and some priceless banter, an impromptu cover of “Sweet Home Alabama” emerged, before Gantzer finally pulled the rip cord. What we got next had some fans calling it an “all time” rendition of “They’re Calling For You,“ which went the full distance and would return us back to an “Eon Don” reprise.
Fan shot footage of Aqueous performing at The Hollow on 3/3/2023
Already approaching 2am and the heavy wet snow now 4 inches deep, the band opted to skip the usual encore theatrics of leaving the stage. Perhaps disagreeing with the song choice, Houk would break the fourth wall a bit, peering out from behind his kit to ask the crowd ‘what’s the most depressing song [they] could play?’ An intriguing question that immediately sparked a dozen different responses, it was here when the ‘beginning of the end’ feeling suddenly became too difficult to ignore.
You see, until this point in the evening, there was never really any acknowledgement by the band that we were closing in on an end of Era, at least not during the show. Instead, they let their music do the talking and chose to send us home with “Realize Your Light,” a song that features some of Dave Loss’ most heartfelt crooning and one of Mike Gantzer’s most emotive and expressive guitar solos.
And we can see where this can go
Around the corner still unknown
And we can see where this will go
In chilling snow, the thrill can still grow
And all the time that slips away
Will come back to you someday
Be anything. Not just anything. Realize your light like a spark in the night
Lyrics from ‘Realize Your Light’
As the pseudo-balled reached its epic conclusion, you could just feel the band digging into it with a different level of purpose. They were making a statement. They were going out on their terms and while still at the top of their game. No one ever called this ‘goodbye,’ but looking around the room, you could feel the emotion and see it in peoples eyes. Aqueous was their band. Real, hardworking, blue-collar nice guys with a propensity for dank, groovy improv music, who at one time seemed poised for major mainstream success.
Why it didn’t happen for them we may never know, but it certainly wasn’t for lack of talent. Maybe the masses just weren’t ready for this type of greatness? After all, the biggest whale in the sea got that way by never getting caught. Leaving behind a treasure trove of spectacular soundboards to tide us over until the 2.0 era door optimistically opens, we can only consider ourselves lucky to have been a small part of this amazing journey with Aqueous, one of New York’s best and most underappreciated bands.
Up next before hiatus officially begins, Aqueous will head to Erie, Pa for a gig at Kings Rook on March 11th. After a few weeks off, they’ll be in Baltimore on April 7th and Ardmore, PA on April 8th. The last scheduled Aqueous appearance is set to take place at the Summer Camp Music Festival in late May 2023.
Aqueous | March 3, 2023 | The Hollow | Albany, NY
Set 1: Dave’s Song¹, Weight of the Word > Triangle¹, Burn It Down² > Kitty Chaser (Explosions)
Set 2: Mosquito Valley pt 1 > Eon Don³⁴ > Josie⁵ > Second Sight, Sweet Home Alabama⁶, They’re Calling For You > Eon Don
Encore: Realize Your Light
1) with ending 2) Shakedown Street tease 3) Enter Sandman full band quote 4) Second Sight tease 5) Steely Dan 6) Lynyrd Skynyrd
LITZ | March 3, 2023 | The Hollow | Albany, NY
Setlist: Sunrise > New God, Fifth Element > Straight to the Moon > Fifth Element > Kali, Eye of the Pyramid, Morning Dew, Japanese Love Affair, Funkin’ Problem
Athletes have a long history of being great hosts on Saturday Night Live, and two-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce added his name to the list when he hosted this week’s episode, with musical guest Kelsea Ballerini.
Following a Fox News Morning Show spoof as the cold open, Kelce presented himself on stage, fitting in naturally from the start. With his mom, dad and brother Jason (a Center for the Philadelphia Eagles) sitting in the front row, he poked fun at himself and his reality show Catching Kelce, as well as the awkwardness in beating your brother in the Super Bowl.
After Travis Kelce showed his range in “American Girl Diner” and “Mama’s Funeral,” Kelce played it straight (literally) to Bowen Yang in “Straight Male Friend,” an instant classic of commercial parodies, this one doubling as a medication ad.
For Kelsea Ballerini’s first performance, the pop singer performed “Blindsided,” from Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, released on Valentines Day 2023. With a six-piece band backing Ballerini with three off to each side of her, the singer, clad in a skin tight black outfit with a silhouetted dancer mirroring her performance behind a changing blue and white screen.
During the song, the recent divorcee added in a jab at ex Morgan Evans, adding in a new line that referenced Evans’ new breakup single “Over for You.” As “Blindsided” ended, Ballerini sang, “Now you’re singin’ it loud on the radio like you’re the only heart that breaks / You would’ve searched the whole world over? Yeah, sure, OK.” Overall, an assertive and impressive performance by Ballerini.
For Ballerini’s second song of the night, she performed in a white floor-length gown with only a pianist on stage for a rendition of “Penthouse,” also off Rolling Up the Welcome Mat. Ballerini sang, “Kissed someone new last night / But now I don’t know where you’re sleeping, baby / We got along real nice, until I wanted out, now I know you hate me.”
Hudson Valley-based multimedia artist Cyote has just released her single “none the wise,” a gentle and driving ode to isolation. Accompanying the track is a self-produced music video, offering viewers a peek inside McElroy’s creative process and moments of vulnerability.
After 12 years of working behind the scenes for artists such as Tori Amos, Thurston Moore, Meshell Ndegecello, Kaki King, and more, Cyote returns to the scene. By using her own musical roots, she proudly shares her newest single titled “none the wish.” The track is a wintery ode to isolation and has a similar vibe to Cat Power or Weyes Blood.
…seductive but not without risk– treading the line between hope and truth.
BUST
“This song is a poem that speaks to the ability each one of us has to disconnect at any moment..‘none the wise’ to the world around you,” says Cyote.
Accompanying the song is a self-produced music video by Cyote herself, which acts almost as a diary. Doing so by inviting viewers to witness McElroy’s creative process with moments of vulnerable and solitude.
Catch Cyote’s live performance this Saturday (February 25th) at Sarah Gray Miller’s new upstate honky tonk Ravish Liquors. The show will begin at 7pm featuring an intimate performance by Cyote, alongside a screening of the music video, with a side of Miller’s famous Frito Chili Pie.
“A creative genius and a mesmerizing performer, Cyote has the soul of an artist and the voice of an angel—albeit a highly seductive angel with a dirty-South drawl and a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She also happens to be incredibly kind, warm, generous, and down-to-earth. If my new bar could be a person, I’d want it to be Carter Lou McElroy. So, I couldn’t believe my good fortune when she agreed to become the house musician at Ravish Liquors.” – Sarah Gray Miller of Ravish Liquors
To listen to “none the wise,” click the link here. For more music by Cyote, click the link here.
On Saturday, February 25, Jack White returned to the stage of Studio 8H for the fifth time as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, alongside host and new fellow five-timer, Woody Harrelson.
Jack White joins only 10 other musicians who have performed on Saturday Night Live 5 or more times, including Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Arcade Fire, Randy Newman, Beck, Maroon 5, Kanye West, Eminem, Rihanna and Coldplay.
White and his band – Dominic Davis (bass), Daru Jones (drums), and Quincy McCrary (keyboards) – performed a towering medly of “Taking me Back” and “Fear of Dawn,” two tracks that notably are the opening tracks from his 2022 solo album, Fear of the Dawn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJUDoB0errI
Later in the show, Jack White performed “A Tip From You to Me” from his other 2022 solo album, Entering Heaven Alive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHp_h7RLfAU
The last time Jack White performed on Saturday Night Live, he filled in for Morgan Wallen, and gave a subtle nod to Eddie Van Halen during “Lazaretto.” White used a model of guitar similar to Van Halen’s, and played a finger tapping solo mid-song, a signature move of Van Halen’s. Watch below.
Saturday Night Live returns on March 4th with host Travis Kelce and musical guest Kelsea Ballerini.
Brooklyn‘s indie-dance band Underground System have just announced their new EP Looking In, out on April 17th. Along with this, they have also released an iconic music video for their song “Sleazy” which embodies NYC in a psychedelic nutshell.
The band’s EP Looking In is the second in a series of two. Of the song inspiration, Domenica explains to Northern Transmissions, “This song is about having a spontaneous night with strangers. Doesn’t necessarily mean in the romantic sense. Just a night where you’re out on the town feeling alone (not lonely just alone) in a big ass city, but then meeting one or two people, instantly hitting it off, and next thing you know, you’re having a nocturnal adventure until sunrise.”
“The music video we made for ‘Sleazy’ with our friend Chris Egan is the cherry on top,” says the group’s co-leader Peter Matson. “…We ran around the city for many nights in a row filming at golden hour, and the crown jewel of the whole shoot… when we finally got a hold of a very elusive party limo that once returned me and several passed out friends from a DJ gig at the nightclub LeBain to our homes in BK… It just all made sense for “Sleazy.”
Underground System is one of the most dynamic bands to emerge from New York City in recent years, continuously innovating a brand of global dance music that is uniquely their own. Domenica Fossati, headman of the group, cites “A true New York eclecticism” running through the band’s core. If you’ve crossed paths with Underground System, then you’ve witnessed the group’s larger than life presence.
The band had described “a natural synthesis of styles” being born out of their journey from humble beginnings performing rare grooves and DJing bars around Brooklyn, to the development of an authentically original, internationally touring indie-dance band.
Whether political philosopher Emma Goldman actually said, “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution,” or not is still up for debate, there’s no doubt that New York City’s Underground System wholly embodies that vibe”
– Remezcla
To watch the video for “Sleazy,” click the link here. For more of Underground System, click the link here.
Brooklyn’s Hello Mary have just dropped a new single “Special Treat,” right before the release of their self-titled debut album on March 3rd. The song opens with disarming harmonies that might recall a schoolyard taunt, or something more sinister, like the summoning of a coven.
The band explains that, “‘Special Treat’ is pretty much about indulgence of any kind, and doing things for pure momentary pleasure. For the music video, we just wanted to be crazy, eat dope food, and take out our deep resentment towards each other through a food fight.”
Hello Mary will also play a record-release party at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere Zone One on March 24. Their first ever tour kicks off on March 23rd in Hamden, CT and concludes in Providence, RI on April 6th. Tickets for all shows are on-sale now and all dates are listed below.
Hello Mary is made up of Helena Straight (guitar, vox), Mikaela Oppenheimer (bass), and Stella Wave (drums, vox). Mikaela started Hello Mary with Helena as freshmen in high school. When they met Stella by happenstance the three became an inseparable unit, as good of friends as they are bandmates.
The album Hello Mary references alternative rock of the nineties alongside Elliott Smith and Jeff Buckley as influences. For sound, the band tends to meld elements of 90s shoegaze with indie rock and grunge, making a unique sound of their own.
The album’s song “Looking Right Into the Sun,” is most honestly described as “delightful,” driven by a tight and dynamic rhythm section that gives way to Straight’s crystalline and confident falsetto.
Hello Mary Tour Dates:
3/23 – Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT
3/24 – Elsewhere Zone One – Brooklyn, NY
3/25 – Songbyrd – Washington, DC
4/5 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA*
4/6 – Columbus Theatre – Providence, RI*
*Denotes Dates with Deerhoof
Pre-order Hello Mary by clicking the link here. Listen/share “Special Treat” by clicking the link here.
