moe. and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country
Tie-dye shirts, vibrant bandanas, flowing skirts, and the glow of golden sunshine blessing an East River rooftop. This was the scene attracting an eclectic collection of country buffs and deadheads alike on a summer’s afternoon at New York’s infamous Pier 17 Rooftop stage. With the Brooklyn Bridge peaking through the backdrop, the vibes fit the music perfectly. moe. and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country channeled the rhythm, the excitement, and of course, the groove.
Scotch Mist
Prepare to dive into a world of funky bass lines, dreamy synths, and nostalgic vocals with Scotch Mist. The New York-based group is known for combining psychedelic, disco, funk, and indie-rock elements to create a full and unique sound that we got to experience at the Elsewhere rooftop last week, where they opened for acclaimed R&B dance fusion project 79.5.
Pomme
Last week, French folk-pop singer, Pomme, brought the crowd at Webster Hall to tears with her raw delivery of gorgeous melodies and ethereal vocals. The multi-instrumentalist performed completely alone, her command of six instruments lending a genuine and authentic feel to her straight-from-the-heart performance. Born and raised in France, Pomme’s songs are mostly in her native language, but she made sure to cater to the audience by speaking English between songs, and her interactions with the crowd were inviting, humorous, and welcoming.
Glass Beams
Glass Beams, a Melbourne-based trio, have quickly garnered attention for their distinctive blend of psychedelic, funk, and world music influences – however, they continue to remain somewhat of an enigma. Not only does the band perform in masks, but the members have remained anonymous (save for founding member, Rajan Silva), letting their music and performances speak louder than any personal fame could. This choice to hide their identities adds a layer of intrigue to the band’s persona, and invites listeners to focus on the sonic adventure rather than the personalities behind it.
Yaya Bey
Last week at Elsewhere, Yaya Bey (and her opener Saint Mela) brought the good vibes and got the crowd groovin’, blending her R&B set together with elements of funk, house music, neo-soul, and even a couple rap verses. The recent Tiny Desk performer kept us all captive for her entire time on stage. Despite admitting she has been battling the symptoms of long Covid and needing to stop momentarily at times, she gave an incredible performance that gave us chills long after we had left the venue.
Big Something
From uncharted backroads to the urban pulse of NYC, there’s nothing quite like multi-genre rock bands from the south bringing new sounds to the ole’ Brooklyn homestead to charge up the northern herd. Friday nights during the summer at Brooklyn Made just hit different. Fans came from all over to groove to the six-headed jam beast from North Carolina, Big Something, as they neared the end of their unbelievable 60 show tour with The Reis Brothers. The Headspace Tour, promoting their latest album Headspace, has been going on since December and has featured a musically cataclysmic reawakening of exploration that dives into untouched genres and shifts focus from outer space to inner space, touching on topics like mental health and more.
Maddy O’Neal + Late Night Radio
Typically, when a room shakes as you enter it, you might think something’s wrong. Maybe it’s an aftershock of the infamous NYC earthquake that happened a few weeks ago. Maybe it’s construction or the subway. Or maybe, it’s just the weekend bassheads lifting their existential anxiety with a thunderous live sonic melee attack from Late Night Radio and Maddy O’Neal.
Motet and lespecial
The groove was strong at Brooklyn Bowl on April 27, where The Motet and lespecial delivered a night of mesmerizing music that catered to a diverse audience. The evening began with lespecial, a trio known for their genre-bending approach which melds elements of rock, electronica, and funk into a cohesive performance. Their set included tracks like “Snells Fleet,” “Repeater,” and a notable cover of Boards of Canada’s “Chromakey Dreamcoat,” showcasing their dynamic range and ability to captivate the crowd with their exploratory sounds and theatrical flair.
Kitchen Dwellers
In a musician’s world, years of different genre iterations make originality difficult to achieve, but through authentic self-expression, embracing imperfections, exploring diverse influences, and experimentation, artists come alive and bring brand new styles and spirit to songs. This is exactly what Kitchen Dwellers brought to Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night as they continued their North American Tour to promote their new album, Seven Devils. The EP toggles between the current human experience and the trajectory of self-realization, acceptance, and accountability found within the story of Dante’s Inferno, making for some enlightening interpretation and incredible live performances.
Judith Hill
If you’re not familiar with Judith Hill’s name, you’ll certainly recognize her voice. Before she became a standout favorite on “The Voice” in 2013, she had already solidified her reputation as one of the most iconic backing vocalists of our time, collaborating with legends like Michael Jackson, Prince, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. She was also prominently featured in the acclaimed documentary “20 Feet from Stardom,” which delved into the lives and careers of backup singers in the music industry. In the film, Judith talks about her aspirations for a solo career, aiming to use her vocals to convey her personal narrative. Her upcoming album accomplishes just that, crafting a biography that addresses the media scrutiny she has faced and her resilience in the face of it, while also celebrating moments of joy amidst the challenges.
