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A Musical Maelstrom of Funk in Brooklyn

April 11, 2019 by B.L. Howard

The throng at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg was anticipating a high-energy night of original home-grown funk music on a perfect spring night on Saturday,... read article

Jan Bell and The Maybelles photo courtesy of B.L.Howard Productions

Jan Bell and The Maybelles at Barbes: Americana That Rings True

March 16, 2019 by David K. Moseder

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Jan Bell, the driving force behind the annual Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, performed before an enthusiastic crowd at Barbès on February 28, accompanied by... read article

Bodega Band photo by Mert Gafuroglu / courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR

Bodega: Concrete, Caffeinated and Concise Music

January 28, 2019 by David K. Moseder

Bodega, a hit at 2018’s Northside festival, is often categorized as a “post-punk” band, but lead singer/guitarist Ben Hozie, aka Bodega Ben, sums up their... read article

Cheers! A Toast to a Vintage Brooklyn Music Year

December 6, 2018 by David K. Moseder

2018 has been a banner year for Brooklyn artists and local music venues, and the borough continues to be a magnet for top-name visiting singers... 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

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

BIG SOUNDS AT LITTLEFIELD: DEGRAW FEST PRESENTS ECLECTIC BROOKLYN ARTISTS

August 8, 2018 by Ray Fontaine

Brooklyn-based recording studio Degraw Sound organized the Degraw Fest 2018 at Littlefield on Saturday August 4, 2018 in Gowanus. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.,... read article

Aimee Mann On Stage at Celebrate Brooklyn! photo by Ray Fontaine

A Summer Music Mix With Aimee Mann and Superchunk

July 2, 2018 by Ray Fontaine

Celebrate Brooklyn! welcomed an eclectic group of musicians to the Prospect Park Bandshell stage on Thursday, June 21st, opening the evening long before sunset with... read article

Eli Paperboy Reed 042618-Al Pereira (52)

Eli Paperboy Reed at Brooklyn Bazaar photo by Al Pereira

Eli Paperboy Reed Meets the High & Mighty Brass Band in Brooklyn

May 7, 2018 by B.L. Howard

The energy level began to rise at Brooklyn Bazaar as the crowd converged toward the front of the stage, eager for a night of Brooklyn-style... 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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