Rock The Bells, AfroFuture, AfroVerse and Sixthman festivals have announced the first-ever AfroCruise which will sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas. The cruise will depart on March 29, 2024 and will arrive on April 1. The multi-day event will feature performances from some of the biggest African artists and will also showcase African and diasporic culture through food and fashion.
Linking together travel, live music, and a cultural celebration, the AfroCruise is one of the first events of its kind. Hosted on the Norwegian Pearl, the celebration still possesses all of the amenities and elements normal to an extravagant cruise ship. Attendees will have access to the boat’s fully stocked bars, dining options, pools, casino, spa, fitness center, and more.
Amongst the hustle and bustle of a standard cruise, the event also boasts an impressive roster of performing artists. Headlined by Nigeria’s Adekunle Gold and Ayra Starr, AfroCruise gives guests the opportunity to experience some of the best music from all over the world. The aim is to fully immerse attendees into the sounds and sensibilities of Afrobeats and Amapiano music.
Ayra Starr
AfroCruise will also feature multiple different cultural events and workshops. In addition to traditional cruise ship tournaments and activities, there will also be an event focused on the African rice dish Jollof, a West African BBQ, and several different themed parties.
Rock The Bells was founded in 2018 by acclaimed rapper LL Cool J and Geoff Yang. The organization creates content and experiences within hip-hop culture. Together, with their partners Afrofuture, AfroVerse and Sixthman festivals, the collective looks to create an event that celebrates and encapsulates contemporary African and Disaporic culture. Click here for reservations and more details
Hip hop pioneer Slick Rick has announced he will make his New York State Fair debut on Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. as part of the statewide I Love NYSummer of Hip Hop celebration.
With his British accent, witty lyrics spoken through a leisurely cadence, and nasally voice, Slick Rick has one of the most recognizable voices in hip-hop. Featuring legendary lyrics and note-worthy fashion, he has inspired many artists including JAY-Z, Eminem, and Idris Elba. Dubbed “the most sampled hip-hop artist in history,” it all started in 1984 when Slick Rick – who went by “Ricky D” at the time – joined Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh crew to record the breakout hit, “La-Di-Da-Di.” He then signed to Def Jam Records and had several multi-platinum albums, including The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988) and The Art of Storytelling (1999), his highest-charting album to date.
Not just an inspiring artist, he also is active in the New York City real estate community, providing affordable housing to communities in the Bronx. As a philanthropist, he supports efforts to fight youth incarceration and poverty, and works to raise awareness about homelessness, food insecurity, and children’s literacy. In 2020, Slick Rick and his wife co-founded the Victory Patch Foundation, which empowers underserved and overlooked communities by partnering with FreshDirect, City Harvest, and the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development.
I Love NYSummer of Hip Hop is a statewide celebration held in partnership with cultural organizations around the state – including Lincoln Center in New York City, The Plaza in Albany, and The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester. “Since The Fair is a showcase of New York State, we also appreciate Slick Rick’s connections to New York. Hip hop was founded in The Bronx, which is where Slick Rick settled when he moved to this country at age 11, and where he spends time advocating for community causes today. It’s always great when we can highlight New Yorkers in our musical line-up!” said Sean Hennessey, Interim Fair Director.
New York State Fair Lineup
Chevy Court
Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.- Chubby Checker
Aug. 23 at 6 p.m.- Salt-N-Pepa
Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.- Quiet Riot
Aug. 26 at 1 p.m.- Peppa Pig Live! Peppa Pig’s Adventure
Aug. 26 at 6 p.m.- Julio Iglesias Jr.
Aug. 27 at 1 p.m.- The Prodigals
Aug. 27 at 6 p.m.- Matt Stell
Aug. 28 at 1 p.m.- Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
Aug. 28 at 6 p.m.- Anne Wilson
Aug. 29 at 1 p.m.- Tommy James and the Shondells
Aug. 29 at 6 p.m.- Bret Michaels
Aug. 30 at 1 p.m.- Danielle Ponder
Aug. 30 at 6 p.m.- Chapel Hart
Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.- The Fray
Sept. 2 at 12-9:45 p.m.- JAMS Funk Fest Featuring: Brick (6:45 p.m.) & Dazz Band (8:15 p.m.)
Sun. Sept. 3 at 1 p.m.- Disney Junior Live On tour: Costume Palooza
Sept. 4 at 12 p.m.- The High Kings
Suburban Park
Aug. 23 at 2 p.m.- Steven Page
Aug. 23 at 8 p.m.- Lainey Wilson
Aug. 24 at 8 p.m.- Theory of a Deadman
Aug. 26 at 2 p.m.- Slick Rick
Aug. 26 at 8 p.m.- George Thorogood and the Destroyers
New York organist trio Organ Fairchild release a second lead single ahead of their new album Leisure Suit, this time around a groovy cover of the Grateful Dead’s track “He’s Gone.”
The funky, upbeat instrumental rendition of the well-known song will come out Friday, July 21, 2023, serving as a taste of what’s to come from their second album coming this September.
Recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Grammy-winning engineer Justin Guip (HotTuna, Levon Helm) and mastered by Alan Evans (Soulive), the song additionally showcases the band’s love for the Grateful Dead, a group that has meant a lot to them throughout their journey.
Group members Dave Ruch, Joe Bellanti, and Corey Kertzie originally met and started off as the Wild Knights in 1983, a cover group for the Grateful Dead, incorporating some of their older cover styles with fresh, new funk sounds into the single.
The three of us grew up playing Grateful Dead music together, so how fun to take our organ-trio format (with no singing and no bass player!) and reinterpret this song.”
– Dave Ruch
Coming together as Organ Fairchild in 2020, the trio began writing their first original music together, while also earning the title of New York’s number-one emerging band in 2021.
Photo via the Organ Fairchild website
Organ Fairchild is no stranger to large festivals either, playing shows and festivals with Goose, Trey Anastasio Band, Melvin Seals, moe., and many more.
The lead single drops just one week before Organ Fairchild heads on their “Dead of Summer” Tour. Their tour expects to feature a full set of Grateful Dead covers, organ-trio style, along with a set of their award-winning original material.
New York City’s soundscape was on full display at the second annual Bronx Summer Jam this past Saturday, July 15. Local Bronx artists encapsulated the Bronx’s vast musical environment, performing everything from rock and hip hop to reggae and soul.
Bronx Summer Jam participants and audience members ’23. Photo courtesy of Michael Nickerson.
This wide array of genres not only reflects the Bronx’s sound but the individuals that create it. Take Emelia Vero for example, who performed on the Kings Stage from 1:30-2:30 pm under her stage name Bombii. In between her silky-smooth songs, she explained why her lyrics switched from English to Spanish. She said by singing in both languages, her music was able to fully represent herself. As such, she loves when people call her by her stage name. If they know her music, they know her. The notes bind audience and singer together, creating a family.
Audience member Francesca echoes Bombii’s sentiments. “I remember being a teenager, and a lot of people from different high schools would all go to these concerts. These would be people whose real names I didn’t even know. But when we were there, we were best friends. We were family.”
For some, it truly is family. From 4:30-5:00 pm, DJ F1rst Class performed. His wife Alina and daughter were front and center to watch him. Alina said the reason they are together is because of their passion for music.
Alina was glad she was able to bring her daughter to relish in the music as well. Most of the time, it isn’t easy to bring children to concerts. But the Bronx Summer Jam was outside at a local park, making it easily accessible for everyone.
“Usually they have it at places where there’s alcohol or it’s indoors. I couldn’t always bring my daughter,” Alina said. “But the Bronx Summer Jam is for all ages.”
Wastewood performing for the crowd at Bronx Summer Jam ’23. Photo courtesy of Michael Nickerson.
Bronx Summer Jam was produced by Sirens & Kings, a co-production company made of two Bronx music collectives, Sounds & Sirens and The Fox & King. They hoped that by locating the festival at a park, it would allow everyone to be able to participate. It was a hope that was achieved.
“I live right across the street, and I came out for just a few minutes to sit on the park bench. Then I started hearing the music and walked right over here,” said Ivecte Lopez.
Despite the scorching heat, the crowd grew throughout the day. Those walking through the park stopped by to enjoy the music. Some set up hammocks or chairs under the trees’ shade and within hearing distance of the festival. Others took on the sun’s beating rays, standing within feet from the stage.
With a bigger crowd, the musicians began to engage with the crowd. Bombii did a call-and-answer. Everytime she said “Para,” the audience sang back “Siempre.” Later in the day, artists Ray Pearson, Ki Storii, WIN, Kony Brooks, and July Quinn left the confines of the stage. They moved across the park’s lawn to the beats of their rap and hip-hop songs.
Their performances were contrasted with the full rock sounds of Wastewood and Balcony Talk. The bands’ sounds were then further contrasted by the acoustic sounds of Drew Torres.
Drew Torres performs at Bronx Summer Jam ’23. Photo courtesy of Michael Nickerson.
During his set, Torres sang an original upbeat song titled “Minus 4,” named for his glasses prescription. He later ended his set with tapping, a technique that involves tapping one’s hands on the guitar’s body.
“This is not just a hobby for me,” Torres said. “This is my therapy. This is the way I personally express myself. I just want to inspire others.”
Audience member and devoted member of the Bronx music scene, Mocha said it was concerts like the Bronx Summer Jam that inspired him to play music. “I was inspired to pick up an instrument at a local show back in 2004. I saw bands and immediately was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ I was sixteen then. Without that concert, I don’t have any clue who I would have been now.”
Perhaps this festival inspired someone in the audience to learn an instrument or to start singing. The festival’s music definitely reached a number of people ranging from those who knew about the festival to those in the park who happened upon it.
To see more of what Sirens & Kings will produce, click here and here.
The upcoming Zamna Festival on Saturday, August 5th at The Brooklyn Mirage is where the jungle meets lasers, and raves meet paradise. A one-of-a-kind outdoor venue in East Williamsburg, The Brooklyn Mirage will be transformed into an immersive experience, Zamna’s signature oasis of electronic music, art, and culture.
Since its beginnings in 2017, Zamna Festival has since become an epicenter of electronic music. What EDM.com called “Tulum’s premier dance music experience,” Zamna draws tens of thousands of attendees from more than 110 countries around the world every year. Now, Zamna will debut their bears for their very first New York City, bringing the spirit of Tulum to Brooklyn with a complete venue takeover of The Brooklyn Mirage.
The Brooklyn Mirage prominently boasts a state-of-the-art KV2 sound system in addition to stellar three-dimensional video projection mapping technology. Part of the Avant Gardner complex, the multifaceted events space was nominated for ‘Best Club’ in the 2019 International Dance Music Awards. Forbes says “World-renowned venue The Brooklyn Mirage delivers some of the world’s hottest talent such as Kaskade, Zedd, Alesso, Charlotte de Witte, Dillon Francis, Tae of Us, Adam Beyer, Excision and Fisher.”
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Maya Donovan has just released her latest single “Lenox,” a contained ballad that recounts the residual emotions created through trauma. This track sees Donovan embrace rich bass lines, complex vocal harmonies, and a uniquely electric piano tone to establish her signature sonic environment.
Following her 2018 debut EP and her new successful single “We Should Get Dinner,” Maya Donovan is hopeful to bring her mellow compositions to audiences through a string of upcoming single releases. Her music is beautifully made, blended with her heartfeltly modern lyricism.
Maya Donovan is a 24-year-old singer-songwriter raised and based in Brooklyn whose style draws on a host of genres: folk, soul, pop, and jazz. A masterful storyteller, Donovan writes of the most painful parts of life with unflinching honesty, empathy, and humor. Her rich voice, armed with delicate control, will pull you into her music and keep you there.
Since almost as early as she could talk, Maya Donovan has been writing tunes to express her innermost feelings. Most recently, Donovan continues to utilize songwriting to chronicle her battles with anxiety and her constant re-discovery of herself through adolescence and young adulthood.
A graduate of New York City’s prestigious LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts (the “Fame” school), Donovan has been making music for as long as she can remember. Some of her first songs she wrote before the age of 10, hunched over a first-generation iMac computer. Donovan comes from a long line of creatives: daughter of Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Vanessa Roth, and granddaughter of screenwriter Eric Roth, whose prolific work includes the Forrest Gump screenplay.
To enjoy Maya Donovan’s charismatic presence live, you can find her as a resident artist at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, which has been graced by some of her biggest musical influences, such as Carole King, Billy Joel, and Lady Gaga. Additional inspiration for her art comes from fellow contemporary singer-songwriters such as Fiona Apple, Sara Bareilles, and Julia Jacklin.
The Pleasantville Music Festival 2023 was held on July 8th at Parkway Field, in Pleasantville. This year’s lineup featured many New York State based performers; including headliners, They Might Be Giants.
They Might Be Giants
Curating a one-day event with 18 musical acts, on three stages, is a daunting task. Aiding in the selection process, The Garage at Lucy’s. The Garage, a Pleasantville music club, hosted a series of battle of the band competitions. Victors were given the opportunity to open the day on one of the three stages.
Allison Ponthier
With the lineup complete, the festival was good to go. First up on the Pamnation Party Stage, Hunter Road. This Valhalla based group set the bar high for the following acts, with their rocking opening set. On the Party Line Chill Tent Stage, singer songwriter Ursula Hansberry performed solo, sharing her bluesy jazz style with the early attendees. On the main stage, overall battle of the band winner Summer Fling welcomed everyone with a distinctive funk, rock, pop sound.
Summer Fling
Kudos to the festival for their music traffic management allowing people to move from stage to stage without missing acts they would like to see. From Chill, to Party, to Main, the groove of each stage matched its description. The sequencing of bands was also spot on. When one band finished, the next one picked up where the last one left off, talking it to the next level.
Hunter Road
Mother nature made a special appearance at Pleasentville Music Festival 2023, bringing with her two rounds of pouring rain and lightning. This required the stoppage of music and the need for people to leave the park grounds till the storms passed. Even with two delays, many stayed through the end. In retrospect, instead of being a deterrent, the rain acted like a cleansing of the pallet, as if to prepare oneself for the next musical course.
Allman Betts Band
In addition to some of New York State’s finest musicians, there were notable national acts on the bill. Sophie B. Hawkins took to the Chill tent stage in bare feet, closing out that performance space. People were spilling out beyond the sides of the tent to get an earful of her music. On the main stage The Allman Betts Band shared originals while slipping in a few Allman Brothers tunes, to the crowd’s pleasure. Allison Ponthier was a glow with her indie pop sound, sharing a new unreleased song as part of her set.
Sophie B. Hawkins
Multi Grammy Award winners John Flansburgh and John Linnel, aka They Might Be Giants, brought the night to a close. With forty years of performing under their belt, they did not hold back. Backed by a full band (including The Horns), TMBG bestowed on the crowd their surreal, humorous, experimental style of music, jamming on tunes till it was time to go.
Main Stage
They Might Be GiantsAllman Betts BandAllison PonthierBlac RabbitSmooch w/Matt CrossettSummer Fling
Pamnation Party Stage
The CriticalsStrange NeighborsMoonunittSunDubSocial CreaturesHunter Road
Party Line Chill Tent Stage
Sophie B. HawkinsPete FrancisBrandi & The AlexandersThe Moonrise CartelDave Casale w/Petey HopUrsula Hansberry
New York State is home to a great deal of recording studios, and Central New York certainly has their fair share. These studios are found from Ithaca to Syracuse and Utica, with many of these studios having a long and rich history, while others have only been around for a few years.
Cooperstown, NY
Rep Studio in the heart of downtown Ithaca provides recording artists with a spacious, comfortable environment in which to create and hone a first-rate product, whether it be a music CD, a radio spot, custom music for any application, sound to picture, or anything else audio.
Pyramid Sound Studios in Ithaca is a state-of-the-art recording facility that has worked with both major label and independent artists worldwide for the past 30 years. The studio offers music production services for the entire album-making process including writing, recording, mixing, and mastering. Pyramid Sound is equipped with a live room that features three iso booths built with acoustic production in mind. Both the live room and the control room are built on sand and separated from one another to avoid excessive bleeding and vibrations, and both spaces are patchable to any other room via both instrument and speaker cables.
Subcat Studios was originally founded in 2001 in Skaneateles before moving to Syracuse. The SAG-AFTRA-approved studio offers music recording and production, professional video production, and other educational services for recording artists. Mastering Engineer and Principal Owner Ron Keck had been working with digital recording since 1989. Because of his experience and skillset, SubCat quickly gained a reputation for high-quality audio recording. Today, SubCat prides itself on high-quality studio recording, remote recording, audio mixing and mastering, videography and photography, graphic design, CD and DVD duplication, printing, and much more.
Studio A in Subcat Studios is equipped with a drum set.
Big Blue North Recording Studio in Utica has a rich and extensive history. It was initially a wooden church erected in 1920, and on October 9, 1927, the current brick church building opened to the public with an auditorium filled. Big Blue North was purchased by its current owners, Audio Engineer Jeff Aderman and Studio Manager Pamela Jardieu in 2000 and underwent two and a half years of renovation under the supervision of audio industry icon John Storyk. The facility opened as Castle Recording Studio in 2003, and continued until the owner’s retirement 10 years later, reopening as Big Blue North Recording Studio in 2013.
Big Blue North Recording Studio comes equipped with 5,000 square foot residence, a.k.a The Fort, with a large kitchen and dining room to self-cater your meals, a living room with a big TV to veg out, a practice room to work out your parts, a library to check your email, a private outdoor courtyard to get some fresh air, four bedrooms and an attached garage to securely park the band van and free wireless internet. Weekly cleaning service is included. Available free of charge for out-of-town residents.
There are several recording studios throughout New York State and Central New York where aspiring musicians can produce music in their pursuit of making their musical dreams come true. If you know of another we missed, reach out to editors@nysmusic.com!
NYC-band Baby Got Back Talk released their new single and music video “I’m Sorry I’m a Moron, But Also, Help.” The song precedes the release of their EP Wince, Repeat, due out July 21.
G’Ra, Baby Got Back Talk’s vocalist and bassist, told the story of the single’s title. The phrase resulted from a text G’Ra sent after mistakenly eating marijuana infused cookies.
“As a result I became painfully, unbearably high for the first time in my overwhelmingly straight-edge life,” G’Ra said. When I realized my mistake, I texted the band group chat I’m sorry I’m a moron, but also, help. We thought the immortal phrase was a fitting title for our new single, which is about hoping for compassion even when you know your problems are your fault.”
Additionally, G’Ra explained that they executed the music video for the song in a single shot.”The action takes place in one long, unbroken, choreographed shot that we rehearsed for a couple of hours the day of filming. Because of schedule constraints at the set we rented, we only had time to shoot 4 complete takes. Working with my bandmates and director Ross Louis Klein to nail one of those takes before the clock ran out was like a higher-stakes version of one of those recreational escape rooms: nerve-wracking and intense but also super fun.”
Birthh, a Brooklyn-based alternative pop artist, has released her third single, “Hyperdrive,” from her upcoming studio album Moonlanded. The song is a futurist declaration of queer love with energetic lyrics that drift through time and space.
Alice Bisi, better known as Birthh, was born and raised in Tuscany, Italy. Starting with music at age six, Birthh released her first album, Born in the Woods, at only 19. In March 2020, Birthh traveled to Brooklyn, meeting her now-life partner, Storm Higgins, where two weeks quickly turned into two and a half years during the pandemic. It was here that the Moonlanded album first got its start.
We feel so much and so deeply. We feel the triumph of being alive as much as we feel the struggle that comes with it. All at once.
Birthh
Lead vocals, beats, guitars, and keys were recorded by Birthh in her bedroom recording studio fittingly named the Moonbase. Strings were captured by Grammy-winning sound engineer Tommaso Colliva, and the album was mixed by Robert “LB” Dorsey, another Grammy winner.
The song “Hyperdrive” itself connects science fiction imagery and romantic feelings in the lyrics to create the sensation of drifting among the stars. It also ties the grandeur of the grand vistas it describes with the love story embedded in the song. The vocals themselves cut through the rest of “Hyperdrive,” with an experimental and unique sound.
A personal favorite touch happens near the end of the piece, where “Hyperdrive” uses both sides of earbuds or headphones to have the name of the song almost “rotate” around the listener. It adds to the futurist stylings of the song and feels like Birthh’s victory lap before the song closes out.
It was really important for Storm and I to show the evolution of our love through a sweet, dreamy lens because that’s what it felt like to us. Sapphic love is often either hypersexualized or dismissed. Coming from a more conservative culture like Italy, it hasn’t always been easy to express my queerness fearlessly. But we’re here, we’re proud, and representation really does matter.
Birthh
The full Moonlanded studio album will release on Sept. 1, 2023, and is currently available for pre-order. “Hyperdrive” is available everywhere, and can be found on various platforms here.
