A-Zal, a New York City-based acoustic pop artist has released his newest track, “Lonely Town,” a ballad to the quiet side of the city of New York. The release comes as a follow up to his most recent release, “Movie Script,” from August 2023.
Migrating to the US in 2018, A-Zal found a quiet, intimate side of the city through integrating with a new city and country.
When I first came to New York, the glamour and energy of Midtown NYC pulled me like a magnet. But, I eventually got refuge in the unexplored streets of the city which had an altogether different story. When I performed in the subway stations next to Times Square or Bryant Park, I had a large set of audience members who would listen to my music while they passed me. However, as I went to the quieter side of uptown, I had very few listeners. And, the magic happened when these handful of listeners grew in number and turned into my real fans.
A-Zal
“Lonely Town” is a heartfelt, acoustic ballad that follows A-Zal’s search for company in such a vast city environment. As he navigates the “lonely town,” an ironic title considering the gradiosity of the city, the crowds and skyscrapers escape his perspective, and the city becomes his true companion.
A-Zal’s latest track, “Movie Script,” released in August to great success, climbing to the Mediabase TOP 40 Activator Charts within just two weeks of its release. After working with Marvel Studios on the popular TV series, Loki and Ms. Marvel, A-Zal is expecting an upcoming album, 17 & 11 Nights, soon after his newest singles.
“Lonely Town” is now available alongside an official music video, capturing A-Zal’s journey from India to the United States in pursuit of the famed “american dream.” The video follows him as he reminisces on performances in New York City subway stations, before his most recent big break with Marvel Studios.
The Orchestra Now is set to begin their 2023-24 season at Carnegie Hall on November 7th with a program titled Exodus: Jewish Composers in Exile, directed by Leon Botstein. The performance marks TON’s first show in New York City this seasons, and features four works.
The night’s composers will be Alexandre Tansman, Josef Tal, Walter Kaufmann and Marcel Rubin, all of whom wrote their pieces while in exile from their homelands during World War II.
Tansman, a multi-genre composers as well as pianist, fled Europe for the United States in 1941. His piece to be performed, Polish Rhapsody, was inspired by the invasion of Poland and dedicated “to the defenders of Warsaw.”
Josef Tal’s Exodus is based on the Passover Haggadah, and debuted with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra after Tal’s emigration to Jerusalem in 1942. The Orchestra Now’s performance will be the NYC debut of Exodus.
Walter Kaufmann’s An Indian Symphony was inspired by his emigration to India, where he lived for 14 years in Bombay after exile. This performance will also be the NYC debut of An Indian Symphony.
Finally, Marcel Rubin’s Symphony No. 4, Dies irae, is a reflection of his experiences during World War II. As a winner of the Grand Austrian State Prize for Music and the Gold Medal of Vienna, Rubin spent time in France and Mexico after leaving Vienna.
Director Leon Botstein will lead The Orchestra Now in the performance of these four pieces. The show will take place on November 7 at 7PM at Carnegie Hall, New York City. Tickets are available now online at carnegiehall.org, by phone at 212.247.7800, or at the Carnegie Hall box office at 57th & Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.
Texas based post-rockers Explosions In The Sky just released End, their eighth studio LP and first in more than seven years. The band is currently on the road, making their way to Brooklyn’sKings Theatre on Thursday, October 5th to showcase the new record in a truly perfect setting. The historic theatre is just as cinematic as the band’s signature sprawling instrumentals, which effortlessly reverberated around the spacious theater.
Explosions In The Sky at Kings Theatre, 10/5/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
Explosions In The Sky have mastered the art of the cinematic soundtrack over their career, with End being no exception. Aside from eight studio records, the band soundtracked several films including the enormously successful Friday Night Lights. The quartet’s instrumentals are uniquely suitable for the big screen as well as a focused LP. Their three-guitar approach allows them to layer lush and complex loops that suck the listener into a meditative experience. The music swells to climactic crescendos surrounded by moments of minimal beauty that keep you engaged for the entire album.
Thursday night was an exciting draw for any fan of Explosions In The Sky. The band does not tour all that often to begin with, and Kings Theatre is the type of venue that would perfectly amplify the band’s instrumentals. The show started off with an opening set from the Jim White (drums) and Marisa Anderson (guitar). For thirty minutes, the duo bounced back and forth between complex drum passages and swirling guitar arpeggios, integrating with each other at times but also playing solo here and there. The entire set felt like a singular, continuous piece that was flushed out in the moment on stage. Kings was filled in early and the crowd cheered the duo on as the set continued to evolve.
Explosions In The Sky at Kings Theatre, 10/5/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
The opening duo set the tone for the night, hinting at the atmosphere that was about to take over the theater. Explosions In The Sky took to the stage to a thunderous ovation as they picked up their guitars and got ready for the show. As the first notes of “First Breath After Coma” rang out, from easily the crowd favorite 2003 LP The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place, the audience erupted into a joyous fervor. The band would play a couple more tracks from this album at Kings Theatre, but also added a last minute show at Bowery Ballroom on Sunday, October 8th where they would play the record in full.
The show rolled on, treating fans to a mix of songs from all over Explosions In The Sky’s catalog, blending the art of cinematic soundscapes with the live show setting to maximum effect. There is only one more stop in the U.S. on this tour, taking place on October 20th in Miami at the III Points Music Festival. After that, the band heads over to Europe for a run of shows throughout November. Head over to their website for the full itinerary and check out our photo gallery from Kings Theatre below.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra will hold its second Orchestral Series Concert of the 2023-24 season at Ithaca College this October. Called “Beethoven’s Eighth,” the program is led by Music Director Finalist Guillaume Pirard and features Cellist Guy Johnston.
The CCO was founded in 1976 and is officially designated “Ithaca’s Orchestra.” Each season for the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra includes an Orchestral Series, Chamber Music Series, a Holiday concert, free Family Concerts, and the long-standing Willard Daetsch Youth Outreach Program, which earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator award. In 2017, the CCO added a Youth Orchestra, which offers a high quality symphony orchestra experience for youth in Ithaca and the Finger Lakes region of New York State.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra’s concert will open with Arvo Pärt’s meditative In Spe, followed by Shostakovich’s haunting Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, and the evening will be closed with Beethoven’s jubilant Symphony No. 8. There is also a free Pre-concert chat with the conductor and soloist at 6:30 pm.
With a deep belief in the power of collaborative music making to create transformational experiences for musicians and audiences alike, Guillaume Pirard has become a highly respected artist and educator of his generation. Since making his debut with the Orlando Philharmonic, Pirard has conducted the New York University and Cornell University Orchestras, Ensemble X, Opus Ithaca, the Philharmonic of Moravia, the Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra, the Lviv Philharmonic, the Mannes School of Music Opera and the Mannes Orchestra, and served as Assistant Conductor for the Buffalo Philharmonic and Ensemble 21.
As co-concertmaster and founding member of The Knights, Pirard toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe with performances at the Tonhalle in Zurich, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Muziverein in Vienna, and major festival appearances at Tanglewood, Ravinia, Caramoor, Skaneateles, the Festival-de-Paques in Aix-en-Provence and the Salzburg Festpiele. Pirard is serving as Visiting Professor of Violin at Ithaca College for the 2023-24 academic year.
Guy Johnston is one of the most exciting British cellists of his generation. His early successes included winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year, and significant awards, notably the Shell London Symphony Orchestra Gerald MacDonald Award, Suggia Gift Award and a Young British Classical Performer Brit Award. He has performed with many leading international orchestras including the London Philharmonic, Ulster Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Britten Sinfonia, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Moscow Philharmonic and St Petersburg Symphony.
The concert will take place Saturday, October 21 at 7:30pm in Ford Hall at Ithaca College.
For more information and “late edition” subscriptions or single tickets, visit CCOithaca.org.
Well before the doors to Essex opened on Friday night, a line rounded the corner and the energy was palpable. Not only would Rochester be gaining its first glimpse of a much-anticipated brand-new live music venue, Essex, but the lucky ones with tickets would also bear witness the return to a local stage to their now internationally revered darling Danielle Ponder. It was the first night of a sold-out two-night stand for the blooming soul-singing star.
As for Essex itself, entry was easy and efficient. The main area is nearly square, with four load-bearing posts defining an ideal center viewing area. This middle area was fairly packed up until about three-quarters back, with plenty of room to be found on the outer edges. Two easily-accessible bars resided in the back corners, selling a variety of beer, wine and liquor. The walls were painted black brick, with black curtains lining the back wall. Subtle downlighting surrounded the posts and walls, keeping the area well enough lit without distracting from the stage. The stage was intimately low but high enough to see from the back, and was well-lit with a variety of LEDs behind and in front. Two large TVs flanked the stage about a quarter way back. With private individual bathrooms, no one of any sexual orientation will be waiting more than any other.
Ponder took the stage solo, sitting with an acoustic guitar, just as she did twenty years ago when she was first giving the solo musician thing a whirl down the road at Java’s Cafe. Harking back to her very beginnings, she sang one of the tunes she sang then, “The Passion” by Lauryn Hill. Contrasting that immediately, she gave the crowd a glimpse of the future, and a glimpse of her songwriting process, playing “Thoughts,” a song dedicated to those struggling with self doubt, for the first time live, raw and unfiltered.
From there, her band entered, and it was back to the material the world has been falling in love with, “Some of Us Are Brave,” “The Only Way Out,” “So Long,” and more from her breakout hit album, and others from further back like “Be Gentle,” and “Holding Me Down.”
During “Someone Like You,” another Rochester legend, Grammy-winning saxophonist Jimmy Highsmith Jr. came out to add some of his signature horn work. She didn’t let him leave the stage without letting everyone know how instrumental Highsmith was in nurturing her career. As a young artist she attended one of his shows and asked for his advice. He sat with her and her band for over an hour encouraging them and giving them hope that people from Rochester could definitely “make it.”
She closed with her show-stopping rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Thom Yorke may have abandoned it, but Ponder can now claim ownership with what must certainly be the best version of the song out there. She explained that she premiered the song years ago at the tiny UUU Art Gallery on State Street.
From Highsmith’s inspiration, to Java’s, to UUU Art Gallery, and now to Essex, Ponder connected the dots of her career and Rochester’s instrumental part in it. She explained that whenever she plays she always opens with, “I am Danielle Ponder from Rochester New York!” And after every show, no matter where she is, someone will invariably approach her to tell her that their friend from Rochester told them to see her.
Years from now, when the long-standing institution Essex is celebrating it’s own 50th anniversary, here’s a bit of trivia: the first artist to grace the stage was actually Chi the Realist, who opened the show. A local budding rap talent, he and his band also delved into history, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip hop with his own unique take on the form, amply warming up the stage for Ponder and providing a proper kick-off for the newest hot spot on the block.
Here’s what’s happening in Essex’s immediate future:
10/27 – Essex Halloween Pop Off with DJ Pepi
10/28 – Mothership (The Led Zeppelin Experience)
11/9 – Lucero, with Jason Boland and the Stragglers
Marco Benevento & Friends are standing up against the largest development in Woodstock history with The Trees Are Listening: Music for a Cause. The benefit concert for the Stop Woodstock National LLC Coalition is set to take place at Colony in Woodstock on Oct. 22 and feature Marco Benevento & Friends.
The Marco Benevento & Friends set will feature Simi Stone, Karina Rykman, Chris Corsico, Leslie Mendelson, Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls), Jeff Hill (Steve Earle), Bill Carbone (Max Creek) and Danny Blume.
According to JamBands, The Stop Woodstock National Coalition is a community-based group working with the Woodstock Land Conservancy, preparing to combat a plan proposed by Woodstock National LLC. The plan wants to wipe out 620+ acres of forest and wetlands—the largest forested tract along Sawkill Creek— and replace them with 191 housing units, a golf course, and a helipad.
“We have so many concerns,” said Andy Mossey, the director of the Woodstock Land Conservancy of the development that has been designated a “Critical Environmental Area” by the NYSDEC because of its importance to protecting “forest habitat, aquifer recharge zones, streams that feed into Sawkill Creek, wildlife habitats, and traffic.”
Marc Benevento photo by Seth Olenick.
Stop Woodstock National is putting the Town Board and agencies on notice with the stance that considering the negative environmental impact, the proposed project must be stopped. This project “has the potential to permanently change the Woodstock area, both in environmental quality and community character,” added Mossey. “It’s an utterly inappropriate project in the wrong location in the wrong community.”
Tickets for the Marco Benevento & Friends benefit show are on sale now.
MVW and Valee continue their dynamic association with the release of their new single, “Tailor Swift.” A play on the name of pop superstar Taylor Swift, this latest record arrives as MVW and Valee gear up for the release of their debut joint-album, Valeedation. Set for release on October 20, the slowed-down, classically inspired tune follows a similar formula as the pair’s prior collaborations on MVW’s last two albums, CLASSIC$ and Connections.
In similar fashion, MVW juxtaposes Valee’s nonchalant delivery with refined instrumentation blending into a sound coined as “museum rap.” On “Tailor Swift” Valee rides MVW’s choppy, slowed-down production while expounding on his luxury-filled wardrobe. In usual fashion, Valee song title are often a precursor to a witty metaphor. Rapping, “white Gucci pants same color Taylor Swift. Yeah, getting measured in Gucci b*tch my tailor swift.”
While Valee’s quick-witted one liners feel improvised, his meticulous approach to music and fashion has led to a cult-following, as he’s always provided a alternative sound and delivery to his contemporaries.
Throughout my career I’ve been known to tailor my own clothes because I like them to fit a certain way. They have to be precise. I approached making this song the same way. When MVW sent it to me I knew it was the one.
Valee on “Tailor Swift”
Meanwhile, with each record, MVW aims to transport the listener into a world of musical radicalism. In effect, the two idiosyncratic artists serve a similar musical purpose, albeit with different approaches.
The underlying sound and flow in Tailor Swift is essentially avant-garde, compounded by the depth of the entendres and visual metaphors, this track transports the listener into a world of radicalism.
MVW on “Tailor Swift”
The release of “Tailor Swift” arrives following the summer drops of “Could Be” and “Pistachio.” These two releases preluded the eventual collab-album from the frequent collaborators. While Valee remains a season vet of the hip hop world, Staten Island native MVW continues to build on a repertoire that has seen him work with other innovative rappers such as TiaCorine, Xavier Wulf, Lil Gotit, Matt Ox, Zelooperz and Anycia.
Yves Tumor and it’s band are having quite a busy year, starting off with releasing their stellar fifth LP back in March via Warp Records. Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is a wildly experimental creative expression from an artist who has been pushing the boundaries of modern pop music ever since their debut. On Wednesday, October 4th, Yves Tumor took over Terminal 5 to kick off the fall leg of the tour which started in back in early spring.
Yves Tumor first broke onto the scene in 2015 with their enigmatic debut record, When Man Fails You. Featuring swirling ambient loops, the record immerses the listener into a haunting yet meditative experience. Yves evolved their musical approach in 2018 with the vibrant Safe In The Hands Of Love. The album starts off with a bit of ambient soundscapes but flourishes of hip hop, house, industrial, and glam rock rotate in and out as the record progresses. The LP is loaded with musical twists and turns but seamlessly blends with a rich sound palate and vintage production style.
Safe In The Hands Of Love catapulted Yves Tumor into a new realm of artistry and fanbase. In a modern world where music is saturated with artists trying to stand out, Yves truly crafted a brand new approach using elements from all over the musical spectrum. Glam rock ballads fade into pulsing ambient sections before raging darkwave grooves take over on the next track. Funky bass lines flutter all over the background while swirling synths fluctuate between Radiohead-like psychedelia and heavy industrial noise reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. Neatly wrapped together with Yves deeply creative poetic verse, the music defies logic in the best way possible and remains surprisingly original.
Yves Tumor’s success with the goth and glam rock revival continued with a few more releases leading up to 2023. Heaven To A Tortured Mind in 2020 picked up right where Safe In The Hands Of Love left off while a shorter EP, The Asymptotical World in 2021, dove deeper into glam rock with a more forward guitar presence.
Fast forward to Wednesday night at Terminal 5; New York City was about to get their first taste of Yves Tumor’s latest record, which is a masterful culmination of the artist’s career to date. Fans flooded Terminal 5 with goth style, creating a palpable buzz in the room leading up to showtime. Once the houselights dropped, the pent up room erupted with a thunderous ovation to welcome the band on stage.
Chris Greatti of Yves Tumor at Terminal 5, 10/4/2023. Photo by Joseph Buscarello
Yves Tumor and it’s band wasted no time, playing three songs from Praise A Lord… to open things up. The album shines with the insatiable Chris Greatti’s guitar rock vibe but still surprises the listener with inventive experimental passages throughout. “God Is a Circle” got things started with a thick bass line as Yves’ chanted vocals bounced around the room, “Sometimes, it feels like/There’s places in my mind that I can’t go/There’s people in my life I still don’t know, yeah/Wander ‘round, I just feel like a ghost in a well.”
The energy in the room was immense, growing stronger as the night went on. Yves loves to engage with the crowd, spending several songs in the pit letting fans sing along on the mic, signing autographs, and posing for photos all while the show rages on.
The chemistry between Yves and the rest of the band is unmatched. At one point, Yves tossed an umbrella he was posing with over to Greatti who held it in his mouth while shredding the outro to “Secrecy Is Incredibly Important To The Both Of Them.” The two frequently embraced mid song, both clearly not wanting the show to end.
All shows however, must come to an end, and Yves Tumor closed Wednesday night at Terminal 5 with Praise A Lord… closing track “Ebony Eye”. The lush song builds to a climactic finish that left the entire crowd begging for more. If it was not for house security pushing fans towards the exits, I truly do not think this show would have ever ended.
The tour does continue, and the show does not have to end if you can catch any of the dates left on their busy schedule. Head over to the band’s website for the full list of tour dates and if you have not seen Yves Tumor live, do not miss an opportunity to catch one of the most creative artists and invigorating live bands out there today.
Rufus and Martha Wainwright will perform, “A Not So Silent Night” at The Town Hall on December 22, raising awareness for The Kate McGarrigle Fund for sarcoma research. The family-friendly holiday show features special guests including Emmylou Harris, Sean Lennon, Norah Jones, Loudon Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche.
“A Not So Silent Night” has become an annual family tradition for the Wainwrights. The two siblings will be joined by their immediate family members of the Wainwright and McGarrigle clans to share and celebrate the spirit of the holidays. This event will be held at The Town hall, a 1,500-seat, 501C3 non-profit national historic landmark venue in the heart of New York City, created by suffragists in 1921 and host to countless cultural and musical milestones.
“I am utterly excited to bring our holiday concert back to New York City after a hiatus of almost 5 years. These shows very much reflect who Martha and I are as artists and a family, slightly messy but incredibly powerful and emotional, festive, and fun. The Town Hall is one of my favorite venues to perform in. So many Greats have graced the stage, and it is a place that my mother Kate worshipped.”
– Rufus Wainwright
The annual holiday celebration has had its roots in the childhood home of Rufus and Martha’s mother, Kate McGarrigle. The tradition began in the living room of their wooden home in the Laurentian mountain town of St. Sauveur. Kate was tragically diagnosed with Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, and since has raised money and awareness for funding research into the disease as at the time there were no drugs available to treat it. Rufus and Martha continue Kate’s legacy with the Christmas shows, helping to raise awareness and money for the Kate McGarrigle Foundation for Sarcoma Research.
The holiday show will be supported by an outstanding band led by music director David Mansfield with Jon Cowherd on keys, Doug Wieselman on oboe and guitar, Shawn Pelton on drums, Armand Hirsch on guitar, and Tony Scherr on bass. Special merch items benefiting the Kate McGarrigle Fund will also be available the night of the show.
VIP Gold tickets also include the best seats in the house, attending part of the soundcheck, a group photo with Rufus and Martha, and a special signed merch item, are available. Also available is the opportunity to sing on the closing song of the first half, “Silent Night,” with Rufus, Martha, and family.
“These Christmas shows, conceived of over 25 years ago by our mum, have BECOME our Christmas! There’s always a slight annoyance (and dread?) as we start preparing in June but by the time the show starts all the holiday magic in the world shows up on stage and the importance (and wonderful ridiculousness) of the holiday season is revealed. Most apparent though is the love and music that reigns”
– Martha Wainwright
Tickets go on sale on Friday, October 6, for more information please visit here.
For more information about the Kate McGarrigle Fund please visit here.
People may not always remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel. With only 24 hours in a day – achieving greatness may prove difficult. Anything worthwhile takes time and nobody showcases the rollercoaster ride of life better than Elcamino from Buffalo, a man who believed in himself way before he reached the space he inhabits today.
How did he achieve these magnificent feats? Consistency, dedication to craft and learning from the great individuals that surround him.
Elcamino expresses his artistic license with artwork for, “They Spit on Jesus.”
Biblical Beginnings
Foundationally, his musical prowess stems from a religious background. During one week, he might have attended ten different types of rehearsals since his mother was the choir director. His ability to play bass guitar and the drums correlates mightily within his catalog. Subsequently, he meticulously places parts of a beat exactly where he wants them. Therefore, every song comes out with that type of sound that resonates and creates playback value.
We had a chance to sit down with Elcamino ahead of his Black Soprano Family Records debut album, They Spit on Jesus. Here are a few excerpts from the conversation which took place via Zoom.
Ian Romaker: If anyone listens to Elcamino’s music – they can hear the heart. They could hear the soul in it. No man should have to endure the things that Elcamino has had to endure but yet look at where he is – on the verge of a Black Soprano Family Records album debut.
Elcamino: It’s so crazy too. The album is ridiculous. This some of the best shit ever made by man.
IR: The album is titled, They Spit on Jesus. That’s a wild title in and of itself.
Elcamino: Yeah man it’s definitely wild. You know what’s crazy? You know where I got that name from? My barber gave me that album name while giving me an edge-up.
IR: Oh really?
Elcamino: I said something to him and he was like, “Well hey, they spit on Jesus.”
IR: It’s crazy to think that this is the debut. What goes into making this the debut? For me – a true listener – Don’t Eat the Fruitwas the debut and that thing charted at #13 on iTunes as the first tape you put out.
Elcamino: It did. You know what’s crazy? A lot of people don’t know that. It did. That’s fire that you know that.
IR: Many people have great aspirations. Many people also believe that things are just supposed to happen because they want them. Nothing just falls in your lap – you have to work.
Elcamino: You always wanna stay ambitious, man. Look inside. You have this shit already. Even if you gotta fight through. Find a way. Start a business. Get yourself something to do. If you just sittin’ around with free time – that’s time you could put toward a business or your craft. You always have to use all your time – take advantage of it. Because it’s somebody out there that is moving forward. I tell people all the time – I wake up early as hell. I feel like it’s somebody out there getting money before me. I like to get money first. All this shit – you got to learn from somebody. Unless you’re one of those people that just know it all. You can’t just be perfect and not willing to learn.
IR: You could never stop learning.
Elcamino: You got a chance at being perfect if you’re willing to learn. Greatness comes from greatness.
TSOJ might be some of the highest quality work that Elcamino has put out to date. Feel free to take a listen here and make sure you stay tuned for when he goes on tour around New York State and the rest of the country.
How great it is to hear these words of wisdom from Elcamino – the most versatile artist on the planet. His vocal range makes him quite the X factor. Anyone under the Griselda umbrella will give you a tough verse – that’s a given. Elcamino will give you the toughest verse, the hardest hook and the smoothest sounds.
