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10 years ago
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Yes, we’re almost two weeks into 2015, so please forgive the lateness of this list—we’re just now recovering from a great New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day spent with the Bunker and 718 Sessions crews. But it’s never too late to support the home team, right? In the underground-clubbing realm, the fact that there’s been so much great music created by Gotham artists and/or released on local labels over the past twelve months is another sign of the scene’s strength—and really, we would could have made this a Forty Fave NYC Tracks list without breaking a sweat. But, for now, let’s go with the five below—click on the images to hear the tracks. Enjoy!
Siren
“Gauntlet”
Compost
There’s a windswept feel to “Gauntlet, ”the long-awaited first fruits of a studio partnership between Metro Area’s Darshan Jesrani and the Disques Sinthomme label’s Dennis Kane. It might be the majestic guitar chords, or the wailing vocals (from Apollo Heights’ Daniel Chavis), or the cut’s spacious arrangement and willingness to take its time to get wherever it’s going. Whatever it is, the song is something of an overlooked modern classic. And holy crap, does that pumping bassline hit the spot! There’s a fine remix from London groove machine Ray Mang that tightens up the song’s feel a bit—he basically houses it up, toughening up the rhythm and accentuating the acid bleep, giving it an added sense of urgency. But for our money, the sprawling original does the trick just fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?[...]
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10 years ago
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For some of us, historical dramas – when done well – are endlessly fascinating, both educational and escapist. Part of the allure is the seductive aspect of losing oneself in another time (and often, place), complete with noble sentiments, picturesque settings and lush period costumes that were undoubtedly uncomfortable as hell but look fabulous on screen. Bringing history and historical figures to life is no easy feat – how to create a compelling and (yes) entertaining film without completely distorting the facts? Throw in a passionate romance and it can all easily become overblown.
Prolific German film and television director Dominik Graf has done a very good job with Beloved Sisters (Die geliebten Schwestern), which uses both fact and liberal conjecture to tell the story of celebrated German poet/playwright/philosopher Friedrich Schiller (Florian Stetter) and his relationship with the film’s titular siblings, Caroline von Beulwitz (Hannah Herszsprung) and Charlotte von Lengefeld (Henriette Confurius). Along with the evolution of the trio’s complicated ménage a trois, the film depicts an era when poets like Schiller (and his pal Goethe) were the equivalent of critically-acclaimed, convention-flouting rock stars; at a time when flouting convention was truly scandalous. From the moment the penniless Schiller meets shy, intelligent Charlotte and, a bit later, outgoing, equally astute Caroline, he is smitten – as are they – both physically and intellectually. The aristoc[...]
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10 years ago
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Singer-songwriter Nick Santino has blossomed into quite the solo artist since leaving A Rocket to the Moon in 2013. Where his former band had only hints of the midwest and barely a twinge of country to it, his newest EP is decidedly country. It bears more resemblance to Santino’s short lived sort-of-solo act Nick Santino & The Northern Wind. Under that moniker, Santino released Going Home EP and The Ones You Meet Along the Way: A Collection of Stories from the Road EP in 2013. The records are more electric than his newest EP, but they provide a good transition between his career as a frontman to his career as a solo musician.
Compared to his past alt rock efforts, Savannah is completely stripped back, populated by little more than Santino’s slow strum. The EP is built almost entirely by acoustic guitar and gentle piano, a backdrop which fits Santino’s voice perfectly. Savannah sounds like Santino has cemented himself in whatever sub-genre of country he’s cornering. It isn’t anything like what Brad Paisley or Luke Bryan play, but rather something resembling an acoustic session. The slide guitar and various other instruments of Santino’s 2014 release Big Skies are nowhere to be found. Instead these six quick tracks, which follow up Live in Sao Paulo, a split EP he recorded with The Maine, make a science out simplicity.
The opening track “Rio” is a bright point. The storyline is sweet. Santino paints a picture of eating breakfast in bed and running away to Mexico t[...]
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10 years ago
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Happy New Year from Los Angeles, California! This month, I'll be featuring fashion stories from the "Golden State," kicking it off with 20 year old L.A. songstress, Layne Putnam, otherwise known as LAYNE. Recently, I met Ms. Putnam at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) to chat about her three favorite fashion items. I was greatly impressed with her bright spirit and ambition. Raised in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Putnam released her first album entitled Better Than Me at 15. "Growing up in the Black Hills gave me the desire to want to explore and invent,” says Putnam. One of her biggest influences has been her father, Kenny Putnam, a musician who spent many years touring with Roy Clark. There were always instruments around the house, and those seemed to fascinate Putnam more than conventional toys. Unlike most teens, she was playing almost every weekend at different venues throughout South Dakota, and was featured twice on public radio and multiple times in the newspaper. By age 18, she already dropped a second release called Mind Games, and moved to L.A at to pursue her dreams.
On January 2nd, LAYNE will release her new EP called Warrior. The young indie-popper has a very clear idea of the album's overall sound: “I want people to see the production we’ve spent so much time creating come to life, and to hear the huge wall of sound---even if there are only two or three players on stage.” You can check it out on iTunes, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud, and her first [...]
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10 years ago
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“Bound and Unbound” which is currently on right now at the Brooklyn Museum is the first ever retrospective of artist Judith Scott. The show is curated by Catherine J. Morris of the Sackler Gallery and Matthew Higgs director of White Columns Gallery. Drawing from her seventeen-year art making practice, the show features over forty sculptures and drawings that span Scott’s career. Many of the works in the show are objects that have been wrapped with various pieces of yarn, fabric and other materials that Scott worked with. The bundled package-like-sculptures sit on low display structures throughout the two rooms of the gallery’s space.
Born in 1943, with Down Syndrome, Judith Scott would go onto become an internationally recognized fibers artist. Scott spent the first thirty-five years of her life living in a institution geared towards individuals with disabilities. In 1987, she was introduced to the through her twin sister and legal guardian, Joyce Scott which helped to put her on a creative path. The CGAC was founded in 1974 in Oakland, California by artist Florence Ludnis-Katz and her husband psychologists Elias Katz. CGAC is still active today and offers art based programs and residencies to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. The time that Scott spent at CGAC would not only greatly change the way in which she would be able to communicate but also allowed her to grow as a person and artist. Scott was also famously featured on the cover of academic writer a[...]
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10 years ago
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Though it’s ubiquitous this time of year, you probably never thought too hard about Christmas music. For people like Mitchell Kezin, however, it’s practically all they think about, all year long. Kezin is the filmmaker behind the documentary Jingle Bell Rocks!, which delves into the world of holiday music aficionados, guys like himself (all of the movie's subjects are male) who obsessively collect holiday-themed songs and albums, the weirder and/or more obscure, the better. At the end of each year they put together a compilation mix of their best finds. It’s safe to say that the general public have never heard most of these songs (“Santa Claus is a Black Man,” “Séance with Santa”).
As the film shows, it all started for Kezin at the age of five, when he first hears Nat King Cole’s melancholy “The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot,” which includes “The laddie didn’t have a daddy” among its depressing lyrics. The young Kezin, whose parents were in the process of getting divorced, became fascinated with the song. Another revelation occurs in his teens upon first hearing Miles Davis and Bob Dorough’s caustic “Blue Xmas (To Whom It May Concern),” from the Jingle Bell Jazz compilation LP. Thus began the filmmaker’s obsession with alternative, not necessarily upbeat, Christmas tunes.
Ashamed of his unusual hobby, Kezin initially thought he was alone in his Christmas music fixation, but to his joy it turns out that there are others as fanatical as he. Several of these fello[...]
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10 years ago
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The AFP Holiday Celebration, which starred Chris Hurd from the NYC alt rock band Tucker Woods, rock/funk group Shelley Nicole's blaKbüshe, southern rockers Kurtz, singer-songwriter Lachi and Barry Komitor of Bad Faces, took place this past Wednesday at the Bowery Electric. With the walls decked in strands of tinsel and string lights, the last show of this year's Homegrown series brought everything from Southern-tinged rock to soulful funk to the stage.
Chris Hurd, who usually plays guitar and sings for the band Tucker Woods, took to the mic without his bandmates drummer Donald Pusateri and bassist Devang Baheti. To open the evening, he played an acoustic set of both Tucker Woods tunes and original work as well as an unexpected cover. Hurd's set included a stripped back version of the new Tucker Woods single "Sleepwalker" and "Alright" off of their debut EP Tucker Woods. He played through the cheers and shouts for "Freebird!" from his friends and fellow musicians. Hurd's own song "Light It Up" was a strong point in the set, as was his cover of "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis.
The next act up was Shelley Nicole's blaKbüshe. They opened with "I Am American" and brought a well-informed political edge to the evening. The band's second song "Punanny Politixxx," added gender politics and reproductive rights to the conversation. To a backdrop of funky bass, saxophone and drums, leading lady Shelley Nicole belted her way through the equally uplifting "Box," losing her Sa[...]
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10 years ago
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Recently, a publicist at CLD PR in Los Angeles sent me information about Nicoli, an upmarket accessories label based in United Arab Emirates that is expanding their international reach from Singapore to Hollywood red carpets. I liked the beautiful, intricate designs and wanted to introduce you, dear reader, to one of their creations, The Snake Clutch.
As the company describes: The world of Nicoli is not just exclusive, it is elegant, unique with a touch whimsical. Created as the perfect accessory to life's most beautiful, luxurious and memorable moments, Hollywood glamour and Italian styling is behind, and can be seen in everything we do; from our exquisite handcrafted evening handbags, purses and clutches to our glamorous diamanté embellished shoes.
The Nicoli brand was founded in 2004 by Khurram Rafique and is proud to be an integral part of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision for the U.A.E. to lead the world in the global luxury goods market.
Discover more about Nicoli Shoes and find out more about the creation of The Snake Clutch after the jump.
Jacqueline Colette Prosper, @yummicoco
Inspiration:
As you may know, new and refreshing takes on animal prints have been spotted all over the Fall catwalks and you could say that it is a go-to style that can forever live in a woman’s wardrobe.
Our team always endeavors to keep up with and stay ahead of the latest trends, colours and styles [...]
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10 years ago
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As part of the "Homegrown" series, AFP will host a special night of great music at The Bowery Electric.
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10 years ago
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If you’re like us, you’re dreading New Year’s Eve – the night when you are practically forced into trying to have a good time. But experiencing a fun night can be difficult when you are concentrating on getting out of the way of drunken-bro packs or avoiding puke puddles. We wouldn’t blame you if you decided to stay home and cuddle up with a bottle of champers, watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in your jammies and bunny slippers. However, if you really want to hit the town—and if dancing all night in the clubs is your thing—here are a few options that might be a bit more bearable than say, heading to Madison Square Garden for a fist-pump session with Skrillex and Diplo, the idea of which haunts our nightmares.
Resolute and Blkmarket Present New Year’s Eve at Output
Output. 74 Wythe Ave at North 12st St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 10pm; $80–$100. Advance tickets available through outputclub.com.
With its warehouse feel and strict no-photos policy—not to mention its emphasis on the serious side of deep house and techno—Williamsburg’s Output is loosely based on Berlin clubs like the famed Berghain. So it makes sense that this party has scored one of Germany’s best, DJ Koze, to headline the affair with one of his oft-surreal sets of house, techno and various sonic oddities. And there’s about a billion other DJs spinning in the club’s two rooms as well—but the party stretches into the following Friday, so there’s plenty of time to squeeze ’em all in.
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10 years ago
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“Beauty is intimately engaged with darkness, with chaos, with destruction. From the depths of darkness, beauty transforms and transcends.”
Thus Lily Yeh explains the philosophy of her art, through which she has engaged denizens of traumatized communities and impoverished areas all over the world for nearly three decades. The Chinese-born, Philadelphia-based artist runs the nonprofit Barefoot Artists (“recognizing that creativity and beauty are powerful agents for healing and change”) and is the subject of new film The Barefoot Artist, co-directed by documentarian Glenn Holsten and her son, Daniel Traub, a photographer and cinematographer. (The two previously collaborated on OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger’s Movie, among other projects.)
The film combines two threads: first, it’s the story of Yeh’s development as an artist and her work with various communities. There’s footage of the Village of Arts and Humanities in North Philadelphia, which Yeh created out of an abandoned lot; her transformation of a garbage/hospital dump in Korogocho, Kenya, into a vibrant environment of communally-produced murals and sculptures; and, most poignant, scenes of a genocide survivors camp in Rugerero, Rwanda. There we witness deadened souls who have suffered unbearable loss come alive by telling their stories through drawing and painting, under Lily’s tutelage.
The film’s second thread is Yeh’s exploration of her family, including a hidden side. Her desi[...]
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