Brooklyn-based salamander has announced their forthcoming debut LP, [container],set for release on October 18, but keeps their fans occupied with their newest single, “the label.”
salamander, currently made up of Leo Frampton, PJ Hunter, and Ben Verde (percussion), began when songwriters PJ Hunter and Leo Frampton decided to play a last-minute experimental pop show during the last week of their spring semester SUNY Purchase in 2019. The show included a flute, a loop pedal, pre-set casio beats, heavy distortion, and, under all of it, melodies. In the winter of 2021, drummer Ben Verde joined the group, solidifying the three-piece setup of the current-day band. salamander’s songwriting process is fluid and highly collaborative, with contributions coming from multiple, sometimes all, members of the band.
While some songs, such as “wildfire” and “xylem,” have lyrics and chords written mostly by one of the band members of salamander (the former PJ and the latter Leo), other songs such as “ride” and “” were written in full collaboration. Leo and Ben currently live in Brooklyn, and PJ lives in upstate New York near New Paltz.
Following the previous release of the record’s first few singles, among them “xylem,” “wildfire,” as well as “ride,” salamander returns with its newest cut, “the label.” With a distorted yet melodic bite, the track propels forward with sludgy verses and a guitar-driven backbone.
“I woke up one morning with the melody to the label in my head, and immediately made a guitar demo on my computer. PJ’s ableton beat on this really gives me chills. I have a verse about loneliness and alienation, PJ later sings about surviving the apocalypse, and in an emotional ending, we bring it all together. ‘the label’ is what people see from the outside, it is what they choose to look at or away from.”
Leo Frampton
The intro of “label” opens with a cool syncopation between the percussion and backup vocals. About 20 seconds in, the lead vocals begin– raspy and supported by melodic harmonies that calmly fade into the background. The middle portion of this song is especially captivating due to an encapsulating electric guitar solo backed with some percussion and synths.
Israeli-American rapper Kosha Dillz has released a new song, “Bring The Family Home,” written following the news of Hamas’ recent attack on Israel. The song came alongside a video shot in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, featuring the famous Yonah Schimmel’s Knishery and the new Beastie Boys Square.
Kosha Dillz, also known as Rami Even-Esh, was born to Israeli parents, and has been an outspoken advocate against anti-semitism in the US. After hearing the news of his friends and relatives experiencing the recent violence in Israel, Dillz felt called to speak out against the violence as an Israeli-American.
“Bring The Family Home” is an honest reflection of Dillz’ experience with antisemitism and his family experiences as an Israeli-American. A native of New Jersey, he spoke out against Kanye West’s antisemitic comments, and continues to be a voice for his community advocating for peace. Kosha Dillz has made a successful career touring with artists such as SZA and Matisyahu.
The music video for “Bring The Family Home” released on October 12, featuring Kosha Dillz in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The video shows the famous Yonah Schimmel’s Knishery and the new Beastie Boys Square, as Dillz speaks out against antisemitism, calling for peace.
At midnight on Thursday, October 12, Ken Carson released his highly anticipated album A Great Chaos. At the same time of the release, Ken performed the new album at Silo in Brooklyn, sponsored by Spotify.
The show was announced just the day before but that did not stop it from being filled to capacity. The rage started with a DJ set around 11pm and continued until Ken got in his car and rolled away from the venue at around 1:30am.
Just a couple of songs into the new album, Ken Carson brought out Destroy Lonely to perform “Singapore” and “Paranoid” off of Ken’s new project as well as some of their old hits like “MDMA” and “money & sex.” Ken and Lonely then left the stage for a couple of minutes, and then Ken came back and hopped on the DJ set. Shortly after, Ken brought out Opium founder Playboi Carti. Carti performed hit after hit, including: “Stop Breathing,” “Rockstar Made,” and “FE!N.”
(Left to Right) Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, Playboi Carti at Silo, Brooklyn. Photo by: Lucas Kurzweil.
Ken Carson will join Playboi Carti on his Antagonist tour early next year. Until then, you can listen to Ken’s new album A Great Chaos on all platforms.
NYC-based alt-rock group Black Rose Burning released “Ad Astra,” the title track from their brand new album alongside a sci-fi inspired official music video. Following singles, “Fight!”, “Night Terrors,” and “Sing to Me,” the group’s new album released in September, inspired by the Latin phrase “Ad Astra Per Aspera.”
“Ad Astra,” the new record’s title track, sports a sci-fi inspired video, featuring stylized digital graphics showing space travel and all things outer space. The song’s high energy matches well with the graphics, and showcases the group’s growing synergy. Inspired by the Latin phrase “Ad Astra Per Aspera,” meaning “through hardships to the stars,” the song carries themes of reaching beyond Earth towards the stars.
Sonically it’s a major leap forward in the ever-growing sound of Black Rose Burning in every way. Letting experts do what they do has resulted in – a lush soundscape that’s better than I could have ever hoped for. And even though I again wrote all the material, having partners who understand my vision is both invaluable and awe inspiring.
George Grant
Formed in 2018, Black Rose Burning began with instrumentalist, producer, and engineer George Grant, joined by guitarist Frank Morin and drummer Luis Infantas. Ad Astra was recorded in Grant’s own studio, PV Recording Company, where the full band recorded the album alongside Grant’s production skills.
Black Rose Burning released their previous album, The Wheel, in December 2021. Since then, the group released three new singles, “Fight!”, “Night Terrors,” and “Sing to Me,” leading up to their third full length album, Ad Astra. The new album is available on streaming platforms, and available for purchase on BandCamp.
NYC’s celebrated folk singer-songwriter Dan Rauchwerk has released his brand new single, “Only January Knows.” After a decade as part of the folk duo The Lords of Liechtenstein, Rauchwerk has made a name for himself as a solo artist since 2018.
“Only January Knows” is a meditative ballad to the winter months, with Rauchwerk diving deeper into his introspective realms. With skillful guitar picking and his emotive voice, Rauchwerk injects hope into the seeming dreariness of winter in the city.
I live on the Upper West Side near Central Park, so I spend a lot of time in nature. I use my daily runs and walks in the park as a way to recharge my body and mind. It’s so easy to get completely cut off from the natural world in New York City and to get stuck in the “always on” mindset, so it’s helpful for me to see the seasons change in the park and acknowledge and appreciate the passing of time.
“Only January Knows” speaks to the significance of seasonal change and the unexpected joy I find on wintry walks in the park on snowy days when very few people are around.
Dan Rauchwerk
Dan Rauchwerk takes great inspiration from the nature found in the beloved Central Park, which serves as a sanctuary for New Yorkers looking for a quiet moment. His new track both addresses that in vocals, and with it’s slow, swaying tempo which creates that meditative moment itself. “Only January Knows” follows his signature style of strong, clear vocals, and a heartwarmingly familiar folk tune.
Rauchwerk’s new single comes as a follow up to his 2018 debut solo album, We Are More Than What We Leave Behind.
“Only January Knows” is available on all streaming services on October 13.
Metric is one of those bands I had heard so much about over the last 20 years, yet never got to see live, that is until Tuesday, October 10 at New York’s intimate Bowery Ballroom.
Fresh off the Gargage/Noel Gallagher tour this summer, the band has often been comfortable as an opening act, even opening up for Paramore at Madison Square Garden. To Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their first album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? they set out on a short run of small intimate clubs.
The Canadian synthpop four-piece (though this night they were nothing short of high energy rock show) really held nothing back last night as they strolled out in style onto the stage at the Bowery. No fluff, not even an opening act booked, just doors at 8pm, Metric at 9pm, as the sign at the door stated. Front woman Emily Haines came out with nothing to prove as the room erupted and the band plowed through a few songs before she addressed the crowd.
It’s hard to keep your eyes off her on stage, the band was really tight and energetic, a crammed stage full of keyboards facing pretty much every direction, rotating between rock, pop and some acoustic numbers. Half the set was of course songs off Old World, followed by 5 off Formentera, a few covers and one song off the new Album out Today, Formentera II.
Metric – Bowery Ballroom, NYC – Tuesday, October 10
Setlist: IOU, The List, False Dichotomy, What Feels Like Eternity, Succexy, Dead Disco, Who Would You Be for Me, Love Is a Place, Formentera, Just the Once, All Comes Crashing, Calculation Theme, On a Slow Night, Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl, Doomscroller, Hustle Rose, Combat Baby, Nothing Is Perfect
In performances incorporating not only his musicianship, but also his photography, writing and storytelling, Andy Summers performed at the Hart Theatre at the Egg in Albany on Wednesday, October 11. He will also be performing Saturday night, October 14, at the Patchogue Theatre in Patchogue, Long Island, with these marking the only two New York shows during his current Cracked Lens + Missing String Tour.
The tour’s title is a metaphor for vulnerability and life’s imperfections, Summers has explained.
Andy Summers with his band mates in The Police, would make history becoming the best band of their day, with “Every Breath You Take” still being the most played song on radio in history, making Andy Summers the most listened to guitarist of his time.
This tour is a long way from his first time on the East Coast playing with The Police at The Chance in Poughkeepsie with only four people in attendance, their first tour of the U.S. before becoming a phenomenon.
In a phone interview we did last week, he spoke of it fondly, recalling how grateful they all were to get the gig and to be touring America at the time. “What it signified was how we had to maintain our spirit and do a raging show despite a small audience possibly due to a snowstorm at the time.”
With his photography show looming large behind him on stage, the performance is a multi-sensory emotional experience for audience members, taking them along on his creative journey with The Police and as a solo musician having toured the world.
The audience will be treated to a set list that includes both his Police and solo work as one of music’s most prolific artists and the most listened to guitarist.
“I’m matching my ideas – my music and assembled images; you get a broader view of my guitar work, a fuller show than when I started out,” Summers said in the interview. He mentioned some of the songs he incorporates into the shows. “Bring On The Night” will take some back to decades ago upon first hearing the classically inspired guitar arpeggio.
“Roxanne” may not be putting on the red light, refined now in the instrumental way Andy Summers has chosen to portray her: still sprightly, still sultry. His recent flamenco flavored instrumental version of “Roxanne” portrays this classic which fans describe as masterful musical visual storytelling.
“Tea in the Sahara” is a song, he stated in the interview, that he enjoys putting in this show as “it sits very well on the guitar to be played beautifully and I add to it. And I went to the Sahara, took a lot of pictures there and feel very lucky to have done that.”
Andy Summers has stayed with his fans for decades since his history-making time with The Police.
His photography is still being exhibited in galleries world wide; he is still writing fiction and non fiction best selling books. His plans to write The Trouble with Guitars is already in the works, as is a plan to make a film of this tour.
You can see him next here in New York on Saturday night, October 14 at the Patchogue Theatre.
Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg will host a special memorial concert on Monday, Nov. 6 to honor the life and music of late saxophonist James Casey who passed away in August at age 40, following a two-year battle with colon cancer.
Born in metro Washington, D.C. and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Casey grew up in a musical family. His passion for music led him to pursue a degree in music business at Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, Casey made lifelong bonds of friendship with fellow students and musicians such as Igmar Thomas, Louis Cato and Eric Krasno, performing at Wally’s jazz club before he made the jump to become a full-time musician in New York City. A serendipitous 2012 sit-in with Krasno’s band Soulive at Brooklyn Bowl introduced Casey to trumpeter Jennifer Hartswick, who became the catalyst for him to join the notable Trey Anastasio Band horn section, comprised of Casey, Hartswick and Natalie Cressman. He became an in-demand session player and toured the world many times over with many different artists. When not on the road, Casey dedicated time in the studio as a producer and performed with his own band, Animus Rexx.
Casey was an accomplished saxophonist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, musical director, solo artist and colorectal cancer awareness advocate. A longtime member of Trey Anastasio Band and regular guest with Grateful Dead ensembles Billy and the Kids and Phil Lesh and Friends, his influence and collaborations extended across many genres and musical circles.
Recording credits included J.Cole, Jesse McCartney, Chromeo, Talib Kweli, Lettuce, Phish, Danger Mouse and Michael Kiwanuka. Casey was a featured vocalist and bandmember on Meghan Trainor’s 2016 Untouchable Tour, directed Shawn Mendes’ late night TV musical debut on the Late Show with David Letterman, performed with the Jonas Brothers and Busta Rhymes, and guested with Dave Matthews Band, Soulive along with many others.
Following a 2021 performance at Red Rocks with Bill Kreutzmann, he was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer at just 38 years old – well under the recommended age of 45 for first-time colonoscopy screenings. After surgery and rigorous chemotherapy, Casey stayed devoted to his music and continued to perform. Furthermore, he went public with his cancer diagnosis in the hopes of bringing awareness to a disease that is increasingly affecting young people at alarming rates.
Unfortunately, Black Americans are 30% more likely to develop young-onset colorectal cancer, and one in four is diagnosed in the later stages. In addition, the Black community has the second-highest mortality and incidence rates in the U.S., and is 35% more likely to die from the disease. Casey appeared on the Today Show in March 2023 to share his story and discuss the importance of knowing your family history and getting tested early.
As Casey’s cancer progressed, he was inspired to finally record and release music under his own name. In November 2022, he announced his first solo work, a holiday EP titled A Little Something For Everyone, which garnered praise among NPR staff picks for the Best Songs of 2022 and raised thousands of dollars for the cancer community. Come March 2023, he dropped New Bloom, his standout single as a solo artist on his forthcoming album, The Kaua’i Project. In the months that followed, and with nothing promised for the future, Casey dripped out two more singles, “E.J.B.M.” and “Outside,” as he was able.
Following Casey’s passing on August 28, 2023, musicians and friends shared words of reverence for Casey’s elegant play, kind personality and enduring spirit. He was also honored by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance with the creation of the James Casey Memorial Fund to raise money and awareness for colon cancer prevention.
James Casey passed away in the early morning surrounded by his wife and family. Following his passing, musicians and friends shared words of reverence for Casey’s elegent play, kind personality, and enduring spirit. He was also honored by the Colectoral Cancer Alliance with the creation of the James Casey Memorial Fund to raise money and awareness for colon cancer prevention.
To honor his life, rather than a traditional memorial service, he wanted his loved ones to throw a party– a celebration of life.
The public concert will feature musical performances curated by Louis Cato, with Radar Ellis spinning some of Casey’s favorite songs throughout the night. Casey had a unique ability to bridge a wide range of musical worlds and artists, and they’ll all be represented onstage.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Oct. 13, with proceeds benefitting the Colorectal Cancer Alliance (CCA) and Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH) – two organizations dear to his fight against colon cancer.
Comedians John Oliver and Seth Meyers have announced a six-show, one-a-month residency at the Beacon Theatre, starting in January of 2024.
John Oliver, the Emmy and Writer’s Guild Award-winning writer and comedian, and Seth Meyers, Emmy Award-winning writer, New York Times bestselling author, and host of Late Night with Seth Meyers, graced the Beacon Theatre stage for a sold-out, three-night engagement in the summer of 2023. The two comedians are back for six performances, set for January 14, February 25, March 10, April 14, May 19, and June 16, 2024.
Oliver is the host and producer of the HBO show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which has been the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including 23 Primetime Emmys, five Writer’s Guild Awards, two Critics’ Choice Television Awards, four Television Critics Association Awards, and two Peabodys. From 2006-2013, he was a correspondent on The Daily Show and won three Primetime Emmys for his writing. Up until 2015, he also co-hosted the hugely popular weekly satirical podcast, The Bugle, with Andy Zaltzman.
He hosted his own stand-up series for Comedy Central, John Oliver’s New York Stand-Up Show (2010-2013), and starred in the stand-up special John Oliver: Terrifying Times (2008). He has various film and television credits, including Community, Big Mouth, Paramount’s Wonder Park, The Detour, Bob’s Burgers, Danger Mouse, The Smurfs, The Smurfs 2, and Rick & Morty.
Seth Meyers, since 2014, has hosted NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, receiving two Emmy nominations in 2022 and 2023 for Outstanding Talk Series. He and his staff have been nominated five times for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, and Meyers also received back-to-back Emmy nominations in 2021-22 for “Late Night’s” digital series, “Corrections.” “Late Night” won back-to-back Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Talk Show in 2020-21. Overall, he has been nominated for 31 Emmys.
He began his TV career with Saturday Night Live in 2001, writing for nine seasons and being a “Weekend Update” anchor for eight. He has executive-produced a variety of shows, hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and ESPY Awards, and headlined the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Assn. dinner to rave reviews.
Tickets will be available starting on Friday, October 13 at 11 a.m.
TANSU, a NYC-based singer-songwriter, has released her brand new track titled “Got 2 Me,” sparked from a collaboration with American Authors’ Dave Rublin. “Got 2 Me” is a soul-pop ballad that shines a spotlight on the singer’s talented vocal ability.
TANSU takes her name from the Turkish term for the sun’s radiant touch on ocean waters just before sunrise. With roots in both Turkey and Ireland and a background in fashion, the singer has been based in New York City for 13 years after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
“Got 2 Me” is a dreamy pop ballad, punctuated by a strong synth bass line. With echoing backtrack vocals and sounds of water flowing, TANSU shows a strong grasp of the path laid by legends like Whitney Houston, from whom she cites her inspiration.
‘Got 2 Me’ is a very vulnerable song about trusting someone to love you the right way. After falling in love the wrong way, it’s all the more difficult to fall in love again, correctly. This song is about that path.
TANSU
Last month, TANSU released “DOWNTOWN,” her first single alongside Dave Rublin of American Authors. The two met in college and formed a strong duo, combining their talents in the musical arts to form hits like “DOWNTOWN” and “Got 2 Me.”
TANSU continues to integrate herself into the New York City scene, having played a residency at Lafolia Restaurant in Manhattan, and lending her vocals to NYC indie hip-hop artist Lars Viola’s 2018 EP The Wash Up. She is co-producing her debut EP, set to release this summer. Stream “Downtown” and “Got 2 Me” on all platforms.
