Articles by David K. Moseder

Brooklyn Voices: There’s No Place Like Here for the Holidays

November 1, 2017 by David K. Moseder

The holiday season will soon be in full swing, and we’re thankful to be living in a borough with such bountiful music choices. In the... read article

BK Americana 1 (© Alexa Hoyer)-courtesy of Go Go PR

M Shanghai String Band Performs at the 2017 Brooklyn Americana Folk Festival Stage At Brooklyn Bridge Park photo by Alexa Hoyer

Variety and Authenticity Highlight Brooklyn Americana Music Festival

October 12, 2017 by David K. Moseder

There were many standout performances at this year’s Brooklyn Americana Music Festival (September 22-24). Festival Founder Jan Bell, whose own band, The Maybelles, played at... read article

Jan Bell photo courtesy of Dumbo Business Improvement District

Jan Bell Leads Brooklyn’s Americana Music Renaissance

October 12, 2017 by David K. Moseder

It’s been a long journey, geographically and culturally, for Jan Bell, founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival. She grew up in... read article

50 Cent photo by Al Pereira

Musical Treats for Halloween — and Beyond

October 12, 2017 by David K. Moseder

In the heart of autumn, with Halloween approaching and Thanksgiving not far off, Brooklyn’s musical cornucopia is overflowing. The following sampling of what’s coming up... read article

aul McCartney 070514-Al Pereira for BR (1)-cropped

Sir Paul McCartney photo by Al Pereira

The Talent Rises as We Head Into Fall

September 10, 2017 by David K. Moseder

The temperatures will start to cool down soon, but Brooklyn’s music scene remains as hot as ever. Our borough continues to spawn and nurture new... read article

Shinobi Ninja photo by Sergmatick / courtesy of Shinobi Ninja

Shinobi Ninja: Eclectic Musical Warriors Pool Their Talents

September 10, 2017 by David K. Moseder

Duke Sims of Shinobi Ninja tells Brooklyn Roads that he never made a conscious decision to play music for a living; rather, “It’s the journey,” he... read article

Willie Nile’s ‘Positively Bob’ Is Positively Brilliant

July 23, 2017 by David K. Moseder

Before the catch-all term “Americana” was coined, there was a thing called “folk-rock.” Willie Nile helped keep that genre alive, adding a dash of punk... read article

Third World at BAM R & B Festival-Summer 2014 photo by Danny Kapilian

Danny Kapilian: The Art of Presenting Live Music

July 13, 2017 by David K. Moseder

Not all artists on the music scene perform on stage. Some work their magic behind the scenes – flying under the radar, as it were.... read article

Dougmore banjo-5275-photo by Lauren Desberg

Dougmore With His Banjo photo by Lauren Desberg

Digging Dougmore, From Brooklyn to the ‘Outerboros’

June 7, 2017 by David K. Moseder

“The bluegrass scene in Brooklyn has been in my family since I was a teenager,” innovative musician Dougmore tells Brooklyn Roads. “I’m always awestruck by... read article

Northside Festival McCarren Park Stage photo courtesy of B.L.Howard Productions

Brooklyn Basks in June Is “NY Music Month” Spotlight

June 1, 2017 by David K. Moseder

Music has always been at the core of New York culture. Indeed, the city’s iconic nickname, The Big Apple, was popularized by jazz musicians in... read article

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Artists on our Radar

Brayden Baird Is Asking the Big Questions – And Making You Laugh Through the Pain

Brayden Baird -photo courtesy of Mix-Tape Media

After decades of producing and releasing music under various aliases, Brooklyn’s own Brayden Baird is stepping into the spotlight with his most raw and refined work yet. Backed by the Once in a Lifetime Band, Baird’s upcoming LP Lord, why do you do these things to me? is a heartfelt and even satirical exploration of grief, identity, and faith that refuses to follow conventional sounds before its time. Across the ten-track album, Baird weaves catchy humor with emotional vulnerability, building a soundscape that feels intimate and extravagant all at once. His lyrics are clever without being cynical and full of sincerity; this delicate balance places him alongside emerging alt-folk figures like Cameron Winter and Nate Amos. The album kicks off with its title track, a sharp, stomping folk-rock number that wrestles with clever anecdotes and the chaos of unanswered prayers. From there, the songs unravel like chapters in a personal essay. The blending of stories of loss, family, addiction, and self-discovery comes about in just about every track. “Light in the Tunnel” turns a daily subway ride into an anthem of personal awakening. At the same time, “When Will the Sun Rise Again?” delivers a haunting, piano-led meditation on mourning and artistic authenticity. Other tracks showcase Baird’s gift for finding light in unlikely places. “Blue for the Body” is a lively reflection on coping mechanisms based on Gatorade flavors, which Baird says “is intended as a fun jam that people can sing and play along to and make light of the weight of addictions.”. “Pelican” draws on childhood lore amid his father’s mythical stories that untangle complex family bonds. With the accompanying music video for this track, Baird draws on whimsical elements of his father’s storytelling, saying, “In life, it is so easy to hate somebody based on the things they’ve done and so hard to forgive. After all, we are just working with the things we’ve got.” One of the album’s most affecting moments, which comes halfway through “It Kills Me to See You Sick,” channels rage and helplessness into a hushed piano ballad that’s both deeply personal and widely relatable, with Baird recounting the pain and sadness behind the song’s creation as his mom was diagnosed with Cancer as other family members were simultaneously hospitalized. On the last track of the album, “When You Were Castrated,” Baird confronts mortality and estrangement with brutal honesty about his father’s passing, delivering a final note that is at once heartbreaking and cathartic. Baird’s musical world is one of contradictions: funny and tragic, sarcastic and sincere, spiritual and grounded. With Lord, why do you do these things to me?* he’s created an album that doesn’t just tell stories but invites listeners to sit with them, question them, and sing along anyway. Catch Brayden Baird and the Once in a Lifetime Band at their album release show at The Rabbit Hole in Brooklyn on June 26 and stream the whole record on June 20.

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