NYS Music 2024

Tag: alternative

  • Holly Humberstone Brings Unmatched Energy to the Brooklyn Steel

    This past Saturday, May 11, English singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone did not disappoint as she graciously took the stage at the Brooklyn Steel for one of two NY shows.

    She is scheduled to tour until the end of May as part of “The Holly Humberstone (This Feels Like the Truman) Show” North American leg. Her tour, which makes lyrical reference to her song, “Ghost Me,” included many tracks off of her latest album, Paint My Bedroom Black.

    Holly Humberstone, photographed by Sarah Hyun

    The pop-rock artist gained popularity after releasing her debut EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel. Fans resonated deeply with her heartfelt lyrics, as she sang candidly about the difficulties of navigating familial and romantic relationships, addiction, breakups, and growing up. “Falling Asleep at the Wheel,” one of her most popular songs, includes lyrics like “Oh, you never smoked this much before we / Light up, light up another cigarette / I can tell you’re drinking only to forget / Don’t know how I got you in such a mess.” Holly never fails to cut right to the heart with her words. 

    Holly Humberstone, photographed by Sarah Hyun

    Currently, Humberstone has eighteen tour dates left. She previously played at Webster Hall in 2022, and also toured during Girl in Red’s “Make It Go Quiet” tour and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” tour.

    Holly Humberstone, photographed by Sarah Hyun

    Holly started the night off strong with her song, “Paint My Bedroom Back,” of which her latest album is named after. Each band member took the stage one at a time, triggering a round of screams from fans who had been camping out hours ahead to make it to the front of the barricade. The energy swelled in the room as Holly’s guitarist, bassist, and drummer built up the opening track seamlessly. 

    Holly Humberstone, photographed by Sarah Hyun

    Upon Holly’s entrance, the crowd made a deafening sound, and she scaled the stage freely, singing her heart out while swishing her hair to the beat. During “Elvis Impersonators,” she recounted her experience in Tokyo, and how she was surrounded by people “dressing up like Michael Jackson.” In the song, she sang lyrics like, “And the Elvis impersonators / Crowding at the elevators / Reminds you of a private joke we had.” The crowd stayed silent during this song, soaking in Humberstone’s beautifully raspy vocals.

    Holly Humberstone, photographed by Sarah Hyun

    Holly ended the night with “Ghost Me,” before singing “Friendly Fire” and “Scarlett” during the encore. Fans, feeling bittersweet that the show was over, exited the venue with satisfied smiles on their faces. 

    Setlist: Paint My Bedroom Black, Into Your Room, The Walls Are Way Too Thin, Overkill, Kissing In Swimming Pools, Cocoon, Dive, Deep End, Can You Afford To Lose Me?, Antichrist, Down Swinging, Lauren, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, Elvis Impersonators, Flatlining, Girl, Sleep Tight, Ghost Me

    Encore: Friendly Fire, Scarlett

  • Bad Mary Release “Better Days”, Announce 3 Shows in New York

    Long Island alternative/punk band Bad Mary has announced the release of their re-recorded mix of “Better Days” on April 23. The band also announced six live dates, three of which in New York.

    bad mary better days

    The song is the second release from their Better(er) Days EP, which is a collection of re-recorded and remixed versions of the songs from their first album Better Days. The re-release celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the debut album.

    The group is composed of Mike Staub, Amanda Mac, Bill Mac, and David Henderson. Together, Bad Mary brings the heat with their alt-punk attitude. The group showcases nasty basslines, strong, catchy riffs, and a frontwoman with an uplifting yet seductive vocal style.

    The track is released with a new music video, and a few live shows to celebrate the drop. Bad Mary sees three dates in New York on April 26, June 8, and July 5. The band performs two shows at Mr. Beery’s in Bethpage, Long Island followed by a stop at Arlene’s Grocery in Manhattan.

    bad mary better days

    The single, “Better Days” is a tune about the shortcomings, the setbacks, and the misfortunes in life. It is a theme every individual can get behind. The song is hopeful and encourages you to keep your head up and look forward to those better days.

    “’Better Days’ is a song about trying your hardest and just feeling like nothing is working out. We’ve all been there. We as people… we overthink, we feel paralyzed, we can feel like nothing is going our way – but the only thing to do is keep moving forward and hope that there are better (or maybe even betterER) days ahead. This song continues to mean more to me every day, and I love that it’s been with us since the beginning,”

    Vocalist Amanda Mac

    Better(er) Days will be released in the summer of 2024. The band is currently writing and recording new songs to be released later this year. Along with this, Bad Mary is still adding live dates to their list of shows this year.

    bad mary better days

    See them live:

    April 26 at Mr. Beery’s in Bethpage, NY

    May 17 at SpiFest in Windsor, CT

    May 23 at The Fire in Philadelphia, PA

    June 8 at Mr. Beery’s in Bethpage, NY

    July 5 at Arlene’s Grocery in New York, NY

    July 24 at The Middle East in Boston, MA

    For more information on Bad Mary, their upcoming music and dates, click here. Make sure to stay up to date on the band’s upcoming album Better(er) Days, releasing this Spring.

  • Rebecca Karpen Finds Closure In Her New Single “23”

    Indie artist Rebecca Karpen has released a new single “23” that deals with finding closure and moving on, streaming now. 

    NYC-based singer and songwriter Rebecca Karpen has been making music for the past 10 years that blends her outstanding vocals and distinctive songwriting. In her new acoustic, sentimental and melancholy single “23”, Rebecca shared that her song is a means of finding closure after being psychologically abused by her mentor during college, the effects of which almost cost her life as she inadvertently neglected her health. “I have never felt as free as I did after completing this song,  and I hope that you find something of meaning for yourselves in it.”

    “23” can be interpreted as a genuinely personal piece of work about a traumatizing experience. Rebecca added that “grief is a really weird thing because we never entirely stop grieving, we just gradually stop letting it control us and allow it to disappear, piece by piece, into the recesses of our minds. It doesn’t leave, so occasionally, something will be a bit of a jump scare and drag this fear and pain up again suddenly and it makes it incredibly difficult to live your life outside of the fear of encountering this horrible sense of dread again”. 

    After not being able to cope for a while, she found the best and only way to cope and move on was to speak about her isolating and overwhelming experience hence she wrote “23”. “I was fighting a war against someone who wasn’t there any longer and it still felt like I was losing. I was angry and frustrated because it felt like this other person who had caused so much destruction and ruined my life, had caused me to neglect my own health out of stress, was able to steal away without any consequence for what they had inflicted, while I just needed to deal with it alone as the people closest to me struggled to understand if my rage was warranted or just me speaking from a place of anger and vilifying someone none of them had ever met.” Rebecca added.

    It usually takes a while for someone to get the clarity that they need, as it took Rebecca about 3 years to finish writing “23”, a song reflecting on still being haunted by someone who couldn’t be more physically absent in their world, yet mentally and emotionally ubiquitous. Although her single might sound dark and appear tragic, in a weird way, “23” gave Rebecca peace. “I think it allowed me to get the closure  I needed and find the words to describe something I had been incapable of processing or articulating for years and now that I could tell this story, I didn’t feel chained to it anymore. It actually freed me from this person’s hold in recording it.” The newly released single was a moment of triumph for the singer and she doesn’t think she’s ever been so nervous and so passionate about any song she’s ever released. 

    Accompanied with the new single, Rebecca also teased to her fans that she’s working on her debut album “Edelweiss, Or Soundtrack to a Nervous Breakdown”, that could potentially release next year, and fans should be on lookout for new singles coming out later this year.

    “23” from Rebecca Karopen is available to stream everywhere. And for more information about the singer, fans can visit here.

  • Brooklyn Alt-Rockers Castle Black Release Single “Heart Can’t Feel”

    Brooklyn-based alternative/post-punk group Castle Black recently released their latest single titled, “Heart Can’t Feel.” The single is off of the band’s upcoming album, The Highway at Night.

    castle black "Heart Can't Feel"

    Castle Black is an ever-evolving thunderstorm of sound on a backdrop of captivating hooks and edgy soundscapes. Castle Black draws elements from punk, post-punk, grunge, alternative and new-wave music. The band sees the release of their first full length album, The Highway at Night in June.

    The single, “Heart Can’t Feel” is the second released single off the album. The group has released six EPs since 2015. Castle Black hopes to reach new heights with the release of their first full-length album.

    “Heart Can’t Feel” begins with captivating chords, vocal tones, and immediate action. The song has strong influence from a band like Hole. The fierceness of the vocals, the upbeat yet grungy sound, and the song structure are very reminiscent of Hole and other alternative bands from that era.

    The riffs throughout the song catch the listener right away and refuse to stay static. The track is certainly very post-punk in its vocals, grunge in its tone, alternative in its pace and instruments, with a bit of a new-wave aura to it. Castle Black does an excellent job here of crafting a catchy, punchy, and fun piece of music.

    To give “Heart Can’t Feel” a listen and to learn more about the minds behind the music, click here.

  • Weezer Announces Their Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour

    May 10, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Weezer’s self-titled debut album, better known as the Blue Album. To celebrate the milestone, Weezer announced their Voyage to the Blue Planet Tour on March 11. The tour will consist of opening acts The Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr. along with a setlist comprising the entirety of the Blue Album. 

    While Weezer has gone on recent back-to-back tours (The Hella Mega Tour in 2021-2022 followed by The Indie Rock Road Trip in 2023), the setlists focused on Weezer’s more recent albums. Since the pandemic, Weezer released two albums, OK Human (2021) and Van Weezer (2021), along with four EPs in 2022. With this added material, Weezer has a vast array of source material to choose from, spanning 15 studio albums and 37 singles. So while Weezer has made sure to almost always play their Blue Album’s singles along with their hit “Surf Wax America ” during their concerts, it has been near impossible to play the entirety of the Blue Album at one concert. But now, fans have the chance to listen live to the entirety of perhaps Weezer’s most iconic and influential album. 

    Weezer released their critically-acclaimed self-debut album back in 1994. With three hit singles – “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Say It Ain’t So” – it’s no surprise the album peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum under eight months later on January 13, 1995. Not only have the songs developed into pop culture staples but so has the album cover, which is now a global meme. The album’s humor, geekiness, and musicality cemented Weezer as the band for outcasts and alternative rock enthusiasts alike. 

    Weezer will be kicking off the tour with a special performance at The Lodge Room in Los Angeles on March 15. The performance harkens back to Weezer’s very first performance on March 19, 1992 when they closed for Keanue Reeves’ band Dogstar. Now almost exactly 30 years later, Dogstar will be opening for Weezer! There are rumors of other surprise guests as well. 

    The tour will then begin on September 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Weezer will be in New York at Madison Square Garden on September 11. Weezer will be in the surrounding tristate area on September 13 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. As the band stated, “Get ready, because you’re about to be feeling Blue all year round.” 

    Presale for Weezer’s fan club members and their mailing list starts Wednesday, March 13. General on sale tickets will be available on Friday, March 15. For more information and to get tickets, click here. 

  • Selett Releases Breathtaking Self-Titled EP

    NYC-based songwriter Selett just released her new EP on January 26, Selett. The EP features a total of four tracks and comes across just under 15 minutes that showcase the artist’s potential and the power of self-discovery.

    Selett has been creating music and performing consistently, thrusting her sound into the spotlight and solidifying her mark in the NYC music scene. In the four track EP Sellet, the songs work together to create a message and the feeling of dread, worldly unknowns that lie ahead, and scars and memories from the past that one would prefer to forget. For instance in “Mourning Dove”, the theme takes form in the context of people’s relationships– both healthy and unhealthy– with one another and with themselves, intense vocals, and overwhelming yet amazing instrumentals backing each message.

    Each song on the EP takes the artist and the audience in a striking direction while also staying consistent in theme and tone. In “Wheels Within Wheels”, the anachronistic tune starts a very lifting piano before the singer’s vocal introduce the track’s dizzying themes of infinite regression, while in the beginning moments on “Hey Hey”, Selett immediately grasps the listeners with an intoxicating beat that builds in each measure as the singer adds in one instrument after another. 

    In celebration of her self-titled EP release, the singer also released the visualizer for the subtly magnificent single. In the visually pleasing visualizer for “Hey Hey”, the artist notes the delving  deep into the human quest for dignity and meaning. “It’s like a dance, intimate moments unfolding, kissing away fog, and passion expanding into the cosmos. There’s a lot of metaphorical guidance and searching. It’s a poetic journey, inviting you into this shared mystery, where each heart finds echoes of its own history. It’s emotional, it’s transformative, and it’s all about resonating with the messy, beautiful human experience.” Selett states. 

    In the self-titled EP, Selett shows a testament to the power of vulnerability, self-discovery, and just a taste of what the songwriter’s creative being is about. The singer/songwriter is known for working with artists like David Terranova who has been producing emotive and immersive voice, Charley Drayton, Parker Kindred and others whose artistry has enriched her layers of sound and meaning within each track. 

    Selett has been on a run which has given the singer various reasons to celebrate. Not only will the artist have new songs to perform to and share with her fans, but she will also be performing on February 16 at the Connolly’s Klub 45 in NY. Tickets and more information about the artist can be found here.

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