Electro pop singer Elle Exxe premieres her brand new music video ‘Catapult’ at Central London’s MAC Cosmetics on November 28th.
The Recording Academy has announced its 60th GRAMMY Awards nominees with JAY-Z leading the pack.
On this week’s Scoreboard Taylor Swift has the year’s biggest selling week; Eminem has a new single ft. Beyoncé
Leave it the Europeans to set the New York nightlife scene on fire with EDM. Vegas-favorite and Ibiza habitué Robin Schulz performed at Marquee last Friday night and delighted the fashionable New York crowd with his remixes of pop and dance songs.
At first glance, the Bowery Ballroom should have been a battleground: The United States vs. Canada (complete with a Canadian flag draped from the second floor) or Boston vs. New York (a rivalry referenced several times during the show). Consider for a moment world outside of this sacred space at the Bowery: politicians, athletes, world leaders, actors and more are ready to draw their swords at a moment’s notice.
It’s remarkable, then, that the Arkells stand out with a platform of kindness; their happy, endearing, and cute nature illuminated by their neon signs. It’s sugar and nice and absolutely no spice.
And it’s exactly what we needed.
Contrary to the aggressive, dangerous world, it felt like someone accidentally spilled maple syrup at the Bowery during the Arkells show on Friday November 17th. And with that in mind, may I present five exhibits to the judge that prove that the Arkells ar-kill it in the cute department.
Exhibit A: Slaughtering the guest list with kindness.
While in New York, the Arkells dined at The Butcher’s Daughter and decided to add their server to the guest list. They showed up to the show at the Bowery, and received a shout out on stage from the band.
Exhibit B: Swear words are used for gratitude.
In a show mostly devoid of expletives, the Arkells brought them back in prominent fashion: to silence the crowd and celebrate journalists. Singer Max Kerman swore to bring the audience quiet, and then shared ‘I don’t think there is a greater task than a public servant.” The thank you continued through an acoustic start to the next song as the riveting lyrics like “He’s making promises he can’t keep” felt even more like a reference to the world outside of the Bowery.
Exhibit C: Are we at a Christian rock show?
From the bathrooms to the bar stools, one question was asked the most: Are we at a Christian rock show? There’s a certain feel of Christian rock songs. The timing, the lyrics, the mixing, and ebb and flow of the song all seem to support the conclusion of “this song is promoting a message.” A quick Google search proved to curious patrons that the Arkells do not identify as a Christian rock group.
Exhibit D: Moving from pop rock to Pop Rocks.
Even as they referred to their performance as a “rock show,” there were a few moments during the Arkells’ set that felt more like rock candy than hard rock. At one point, the Arkells launched into a cover of “Great Balls of Fire,” a tune perhaps more appropriate at a Rock Back the Clock event than a rock show. The audience ate it up. In an even bigger surprise, the Arkells opened their encore with a cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.” This felt more Pop Rocks: a sweet exterior with a surprise. They were good guys gone bad, but just for three minutes.
Exhibit E: Propelling the career of our new favorite guitarist, Amanda.
Hoping to get a fan on stage, the Arkells inquired if there were any guitar players in the audience. What they received was Amanda: a hair flipping, hard rocking surprise guitarist that almost lit up the show more than the “Arkells Touring Band” light up sign that graced the stage. She was simply amazing. She walked off stage newly christed as “New York City’s finest Amanda” and now, she’s either the newest member of the Arkells, or someone’s brand new record deal. Get on it!
And with that, the prosecution rests.
On November 18th, singer songwriter Joshua Radin performed his second sold out show at Nell’s Jazz Club and Blues.
Following his debut album The Attractions of Youth, Barns Courtney gives an absorbingly brilliant show at American Beauty.
Barns Courtney is greeted by an enlivened crowd, consisting of a wide mixture of fans, all threaded with a common anticipation for Courtney. This is reminiscent of Courtney’s music, one filled with a heterogeneity of sounds and evolving tones, though all built on the foundation of skilled vocals and a booming band. The music seemed to reach every corner of the venue, the band commandeering every person in the room.
Before attending, I was curious to find what type of crowd Courtney will pull. To my surprise, the venue was packed with a conglomerate of different listeners, ranging in almost every way possible. For many, this is a hard feat. Though, with his wide ambit of music, his tracks all hit a different nerve, making him easy to connect with.
The driving force behind the entire performance was the energy given by Courtney. The never-ending stream of vitality ran through each song, and the rowdy performance kept fans dancing along to the booming sound of Courtney’s voice.
With his talent, explosive stage presence, and definite sex appeal, confirmed by screaming teenage girls, Barns Courtney demands your attention.
The debut album The Attractions of Youth is available now.
On this week’s Scoreboard, Sam Smith tops the Billboard 200, while Maroon 5 take #2 on the same chart
On Wednesday, Nov. 15th, The Knockturnal swayed to HAIM’s set along with DJ Kindness at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum’s after hours pre-party for the 2017 Guggenheim International Gala presented by Dior.
Lil Peep, born Gustav Åhr, known for blending an emo rock style with rap, died late Wednesday night before a show in Tucson, Arizona. He was 21.
Born November 1, 1996 in Pennsylvania, Åhr was raised by his mother in Long Island, New York. At age 15, Åhr dropped out of high school and earned his diploma online. Åhr remained extremely close to his mother throughout his life. At 17, he moved to Los Angeles with his friends.
For V Magazine. [photo by Mario Testino]
His first mixtape, released in 2015, was called Lil Peep Part One. Later in 2015, Åhr dropped Feelz and Live Forever. The following year was his breakout year, with two mixtapes entitled Crybaby and Hellboy, released in June and September, respectively. Come Over When You’re Sober (Part I) dropped August 15 of this year.
Throughout summer 2017, Åhr released a number of music videos for “Benz Truck”, “Awful Things”, “Backseat”, “Girls”, “White Wine”, “Gym Class”, “Beamerboy”, “Drugz”, “Live Forever”, “California World”, “Your Eyes”, and “White Tee”. “The Brightside”, the second single from Come Over When You’re Sober (Part I), dropped its music video in late July and can be watched below.
His Instagram and Twitter nameplates read GOTH ANGEL SINNER. Lil Peep maintained his image of a lovable, comical cynic. His music is fueled with angst, loss, and the incredible weight of sadness, but driven by hard-hitting mainstream beats, appealing to all tastes of music.
Åhr was vocal about his struggle with depression, anxiety, drug abuse, and suicidal tendencies in his music and in interviews. He regularly referred to his various usage of drugs, including LSD, cocaine, ecstasy, and anti-anxiety medication Xanax. In an interview with High Snobiety, he said, “I go through a lot…and [what] I write about in my music is real.” He became an image of someone struggling but prospering, creating music with his loyal “Gothboiclique” – his collective group of friends, including his closest, Lil Tracy, with whom he shares two tracks (Castles and Castles II).
Åhr utilized his Twitter to communicate with fans, drop music, and otherwise weigh in on popular issues. But he also used it to share his darker thoughts without hesitation. On his birthday, Nov 1, he tweeted:
On October 24:
On social issues:
And various retweets of dog videos sent by his fans. Lil B mentioned in his condolence tweet that Åhr was vocal against the “sexual abuse of women and people in the music industry,” and that Lil B would do his best to continue the awareness.
Åhr announced also through Twitter that he intended to drop his own clothing line, having shown his interest and dedication to fashion. He recently did a shoot for Vogue, which he tweeted this picture of:
Lil Peep walking for Vogue in Milan.
His death rocked even the most veteran of rappers, all of whom supported his craft and his uniqueness. Twitter flooded this morning with condolences from a range of celebrities, including Post Malone, Lil Yachty, Bella Thorne, Ty Dolla $ign, Charli XCX, Sam Smith, and Pete Wentz. He performed in New York City on October 31, and would have continued his Come Over When You’re Sober tour through December.
[via Edward Berthelot/Getty Images, GQ]
Åhr leaves behind a legacy of complete autonomy, presenting the truest version of himself through music and otherwise. His contributions to post-hardcore rock, lo-fi rap, and melodic hip hop are significant and pivotal for the future of music. Moreover, his upfront nature about his mental illnesses opened many doors for possible discussion and intellectual discourse about these issues that are often considered taboo. Our thoughts are with Åhr’s mother, his friends, and his fans at this difficult time, and we thank him for the art he shared with us in his short life.
[via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images, Insider]
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
- Half of Us
- Crisis Text Line: Text START to 741741
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- The Recovery Village: 1-844-229-2468
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
- Teen Line: 1-310-855-HOPE (4673) or 1-800-TLC-TEEN (852-8336)
A poster at a candlelight vigil for Åhr in Tompkins Square Park, Nov. 15. [photo by Carlos Doce]