Brooklyn Voices – January 2014

January 6, 2014 by David K. Moseder

garland jeffreys

Ditmas Park-based rockers The National are curating a Grateful Dead tribute album to support the non-profit Red Hot Organization, an international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver are among the groups who have signed on so far. The album is due out in 2014…

Guitarist Bryce Dessner of The National has teamed with The Kronos Quartet to release Aheym, a new, classically themed album that also features the Brooklyn Youth Chorus…

”Give it a listen!” is Bruce Springsteen’s endorsement of Truth Serum, the new album from veteran rocker and Sheepshead Bay native Garland Jeffreys…Brooklyn in the Rain, a love-and-loss song we can all relate to, leads off Steel and Salt, the fine new album from Flatbush’s Carolann Solebello, who we profiled in Brooklyn Roads, Vol. 3, Issue 2…

The Soundtrack of My Life, music executive Clive Davis’ account of his five decades in the recording industry, is now available in paperback. Davis, who grew up in Crown Heights and attended Erasmus Hall High School, has signed, produced, championed or collaborated with a Who’s Who of rock and pop megastars, including fellow Brooklynites Barry Manilow, Lou Reed and Notorious B.I.G., as well as the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Santana, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys and countless others…

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Broadway. It features classic songs by Carole King and Gerry Goffin as well as another legendary Brooklyn songwriting duo, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill…

Speaking of songwriting legends, the critically acclaimeddocumentary AKA Doc Pomus is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Pomus, born Jerome Felder in Williamsburg in 1925,wrote more than 1,000 rock andpop songs (many in collaboration with Brighton Beach native Mort Shuman) for Elvis Presley, Dion, Ray Charles, B.B. King, The Drifters and many more…

rubble bucket

Eben Pariser, one-fifth of local band Roosevelt Dime, has teamed up with Molly Venter of Brooklyn “expatriates” Red Molly, for a side project blending pop, country and Americana. Pariser and Venter’s collaborative name, and that of their CD’s title track, isGoodnight Moonshine…

Rubblebucket has released the EP Save Charlie, along with a video of the title song, as a prelude to a full-length released slated for early 2014. Trout Recording in Park Slope is handling the production chores. Notable Quotes: “This [the music industry] was work, but it was the awakening to what was to become a life’s passion.” –Clive Davis

Artists on our Radar

Ricky Stein: Texas Roots in Brooklyn

Ricky Stein/ photo courtesy of the artist

If you’re looking for music inspired by New York City with a Texan flare, look no further than Ricky Stein, a Brooklyn-based artist originally from Austin, Texas. Stein is a singer-songwriter whose music is grounded by a combination of his upbringing in Texas and his present life in the bustling streets of New York City and Downtown Brooklyn. Stein has an impressive discography of singles and albums, and since moving to New York City in August 2016, he has released a full album, “Long Summer” and many singles. Stein’s music is best defined as Americana and roots, with folk-infused acoustic and electric guitars, and his lyrics paint vivid images of nature and life. The listener feels connected to Stein, as his musical stylings resemble talent from the likes of John Prine and Bonnie Raitt. His most recent single, “Passenger,” highlights Stein’s talents with a strong harmonica section. The song’s instrumentation and structure is built on one verse, which compliments the song’s message about the uncertainty and ominousness of being a passenger on a long journey. Another standout, “Street Lights,” is a lighthearted commentary on the comfort of hope, the street lights representing persistent light even in the dead of night. Stein’s live performances are carefully tailored, his sets performed at local venues in Brooklyn like Pete’s Candy Store and many other venues known to support live roots and country music. His talents are always showcased, whether performing a solo show with a guitar and harmonica or being supported by a full band. Stein’s upcoming months are packed with performances at many venues, including Saturday, January 11th at Skinny Dennis Bar in Williamsburg and Friday, March 7th at Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook. You won’t want to miss it!

... read article