Reviews

Mother Feather at The Knitting Factory: Totally Awesome

January 16, 2019 by David K. Moseder

The Knitting Factory presented an evening of three diverse Brooklyn bands in December , featuring glam-punk rockers Mother Feather, with openers Vaureen and Mutant Scum.... read article

Students of Little Kids Rock Perform photo by Mike Coppola -Getty Images / courtesy of BWR Public Relations

Little Kids Rock Hosts Concert to Support Music Education

December 7, 2018 by B.L. Howard

This past November , Little Kids Rock , hosted its 10th annual benefit concert to advance its mission of transforming lives by restoring, expanding and... read article

The Stars of New York Dance Shine In Brooklyn

December 6, 2018 by Azriel Wallace

Brooklyn is home to many professional dance artists whose lives are dedicated to gracing the stage. It is on that stage that the dancer usually... read article

Dana Fuchs’ Love….and Her Music… Lives On

November 5, 2018 by B.L. Howard

New York City’s Highline Ballroom played host to Dana Fuchs for a rousing two-hour set on November 2, 2018. This electrifying performance not only showcased her... read article

Death Cab for Cutie — A Magical Musical Adventure in Brooklyn

October 31, 2018 by B.L. Howard

As concert goers arrived, they streamed through the magical environs of the Kings Theatre, anticipating a memorable night from Death Cab for Cutie. This alternative... read article

SHN Experience/ ©photo by Sydney Gawlik / courtesy of Fresh Clean Media

Sea Hear Now Fest Experience © photo by Sydney Gawlik / courtesy of Fresh Clean Media

The First Sea.Hear.Now Festival — Music and Art at the Shore

October 18, 2018 by Monica V. Fuchs

The first Sea.Hear.Now Festival was held in Asbury Park, NJ, on September 29 and 30, 2018. This two-day music and art event, with surfing added... read article

Women Rule the Archway Stage at the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival

October 1, 2018 by David K. Moseder

The fourth annual edition of the three-day/four-night (Sept. 20-23), multi-venue Brooklyn Americana Music Festival included a new feature — the Women’s Archway Stage. Brooklyn Roads was... read article

Lion Babe at Afropunk photo by Kyra Kverno

Afropunk Brooklyn -Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu Shine

September 10, 2018 by Kyra Kverno

Afropunk‘s 2018 Brooklyn edition was another milestone in what has become a global celebration of music, art and culture. Afropunk Festivals now take place not... read article

American Nomads At ‘The Loft’: Showing ‘Em What They’re Made Of

September 7, 2018 by David K. Moseder

Brooklyn Roads ventured across the East River on August 16 to catch American Nomads at Manhattan’s new The Loft at City Winery. The Greenpoint-based octet... read article

Gary Clark Jr. Celebrates Brooklyn!

August 15, 2018 by Suzanne Cadgène

After an opening set from Fiona Silver and Little Thunder, Gary Clark Jr. rocked, socked and delivered the blues to a capacity crowd at Celebrate... read article

« Previous 1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 15 Next »

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.

... read article