Reviews

Ivan Julian # 2/ photo by Sam Chen/ courtesy of Howlin' Wuelf Media

Ivan Julian’s “Swing Your Lanterns” Has Edge and Excitement

February 23, 2023 by Michela Arlia

Ivan Julian is a guitarist, bassist, and founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids , who brings layers from his world travels into the... read article

“Drive My Car” Re-Release Makes You Want to Cruise

February 5, 2023 by Michela Arlia

After over 40 years, Left for Dead Reords has re-released Brooklyn-based teen-punk band NastyFacts 1980 hit EP, Drive My Car. While they had more than... read article

Charming Disaster photo by Krys Fox

Charming Disaster Brings Wilderness to the City

February 3, 2023 by Michela Arlia

Brooklyn-based musical duo Charming Disaster will be releasing their fifth studio album Super Natural History this coming March, following the successful release of their previous album,... read article

Dar Williams On The Bell House Stage photo by Chris Chin

Dar Williams Rings in the Holidays With Return to Bell House

January 5, 2023 by David K. Moseder

After a two-year COVID-induced hiatus, Dar Williams returned to The Bell House for her annual post-Christmas gift to Brooklyn on Dec. 29, 2022. (The tradition... read article

A Pensive Aoife O'Donovan © photo by Omar Cruz / courtesy of Yeproc Music Group

Aoife O’Donovan’s “Age of Apathy” Inspires Empathy

December 23, 2022 by David K. Moseder

Aoife O’Donovan, who won a Grammy as a member of I’m With Her in 2019, is in contention for her first such award as a... read article

Adrian Daniel photo by Keaton Matusich

Adrian Daniel’s “Requiem” Adds Brooklyn Twist to R&B

December 7, 2022 by Michela Arlia

Singer, songwriter, and producer Adrian Daniel, a native of Brooklyn, is making a name for himself once again, following the release of his latest album,... read article

Brooklyn Americana Fest: A Great Number Eight

October 7, 2022 by David K. Moseder

The Dumbo Archway under the Manhattan Bridge was once again a prime venue for the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival (year eight), with late afternoon and... read article

“Bands do BK” and Tell Us All About It

September 23, 2022 by David K. Moseder

Do you have a favorite local band with which you are on the same wavelength? Then you may wish to know where they go to... read article

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band/ photo by Kyra Kverno

Lyle Lovett: Large and in Charge at City Winery

May 29, 2022 by Kyra Kverno

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band kicked off their 2022 tour with a four-day, sold-out run at City Winery in New York City. The four-time... read article

Sizzling Summer Sounds: The Return of Celebrate Brooklyn!

May 23, 2022 by David K. Moseder

The 44th annual Celebrate Brooklyn! summer concert series is set to kick off in Prospect Park on June 8. More than three dozen artists representing... 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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