Six Brooklyn Artists Who Lit Up Our Radar in 2018

December 8, 2018 by David K. Moseder

Brooklyn Roads interviewed a variety of multi-talented local artists this year. They come from diverse backgrounds and play their own unique brand of music, from rock, folk and R&B to jazz-influenced tunes and quirky pop. All of them told us the various ways in which Brooklyn has helped shape their musical vision.

Neha Jiwrajka at Lizard Lounge/photo courtesy of the artist

IMAGINATIVE ‘DREAMER’: Neha Jiwrajka was one of the many standouts who performed at the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival’s Women’s Archway Stage event. She told Brooklyn Roads that living in Dumbo for the past five years helped fuel her creativity because, “there is an undercurrent and energy” unique to Brooklyn, as well as “a sense of community that really nurtures each artist.” Neha has a solo album out, The Dreamer, and more recently teamed with Bryan Weber and Kyle Weber to form Everything Turned to Color and release Life Imagined.

“SOLID” PERFORMER: Jonathan Coulton, who teamed with Neko Case for one of Celebrate Brooklyn!’s more memorable concerts this year, told us that when he was starting out, he found himself “in a ‘scene’ of people doing different creative things” in Brooklyn, and that “there was something essential about seeing my friends and cohorts … putting themselves out there and making people laugh and feel.” It made him think, “Huh, I could maybe do that too,” he said. Coulton’s most recent album, Solid State, reached #4 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart.

Adrian Daniel / photo by Keaton Matusich / courtesy of WMA Agency

RISING STAR: Adrian Daniel — whose March 2018 release, FLAWD, was recorded mostly at Greenpoint’s Shifted Recording Studios — grew up in East Flatbush and Brownsville and hasn’t strayed far from his roots. “I live in a community surrounded by music and rhythm,” he told Brooklyn Roads. “I live near Eastern Parkway where … I am exposed to a variety of Caribbean music practically every day.” At the summer music concerts at Wingate Park, he adds, “You hear R&B, gospel, funk and soul music. Then there’s BAM DanceAfrica [and] rap blasting from cars. This ongoing exposure has helped shape my creativity.”

LIVING LEGEND: Carolyne Mas, a pioneer of women’s music who now calls Arizona home, recalled that in 1981, “My rent was $550 for the entire floor of a brownstone walk-up on Henry Street, which was a bargain compared to the rents in the West Village.” To this day, she told us, “it is the only building I have ever lived in where I knew all of my neighbors.” A crush on the guy downstairs proved futile, “but I did get a good song out of it,” Mas said. You can discover — or get reacquainted — with her wealth of music on her website and at CD Baby.

Ellia Bisker - Charming Disaster duo (photo credit - Florence Montmare)

Ellia Bisker – Charming Disaster Duo / photo by Florence Montmare

BROOKLYN LIFER: Ellia Bisker told Brooklyn Roads that, after living here for 15 years, “I’m a lifer. No other city compares to this one for me. My community is here [including] my main musical collaborators, people I work with on various other projects.” Those projects include Charming Disaster, a collaboration with songwriter Jeff Morris featuring tragicomic duets about love, death, crime and the paranormal. They have a January 12 gig at Coney Island Baby (ironically located in the East Village).

INSPIRED TUNESMITH: Since moving to Brooklyn four years ago, singer-songwriter Mikhal has found inspiration in the people she meets here. “I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with all kinds of artists on videos, exhibitions, events, concerts, and more,” she told us. “Just being around this much communal and creative energy is inspiring.” Her debut album, Daughter of the Sea, is, in her own words, “very text based, but full of folky acoustic guitar lines.”