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]
Detroit-based rapper Julian is sprinting through the music industry after the release of his single, “Got it on your own” featuring Jeremih. We spoke to the rapper to learn more about his inspirations and his drive to take the music industry by storm.
Julian hails from a global background. Having lived in Dubai and being of Iraqi-Chaldean descent, Julian was shuttled between two different worlds. “I wasn’t born there [in Iraq], but I did go there when I was around four or five. I was there for about two months. One month in Bagdad where my dad’s family lived and we went to Mosul…my mom’s side was from there.”
But it was at his father’s music school in Dubai, where he learned to play different instruments and picked up a love for writings. “Since we were babies my dad used to sit us by the piano. He would literally take out the baby carriage, sit it right next to the piano, and he’d play for us every night. Music has been in our family. I always say music is in our blood,” says Julian.
The 21-year-old rapper now writes and produces his own music, showcasing intimate lyrics inspired by his diverse background. His international background is the main foreground for his music and he hopes to be an inspirational figure for the Chaldean community.
“I do it more to be that guy who does it for them,” shares Julian. “ We’re a population of half a million in Michigan alone, there’s no Chaldean artist or actor, that’s made into this type of industry. I want to be that guy who did it first for them.”
When Julian first heard Eminem rap when he was eight years old, Julian knew that music was what he wanted to do as a career. “Growing up in Michigan, in Detroit, it’s Eminem city,” Julian said. “Eminem was the main key to me realizing this is what I wanted to do so I started writing around seven, eight years old.”
But Julian was quick to mention his ongoing love for artists like Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones as well. “They have a body of work that lives on forever. That’s what I want to do, I want to make music that lives on forever,” Julian shared.
The rapper describes his music as very melodic and deep. He’ll pay a lot of attention to the chorus and won’t just focus on only the rap itself. “I rap about things that are real to me and I think people will appreciate that,” Julian concluded.
Julian’s new single “Really Good” dropped this week and he calls it “one of the best songs he’s ever created.”
The Dublin based singer has been planning this radio moment all her life.
Zali has Ireland listeners streaming her songs hundreds of thousands of times, and across the globe, too. The songbird first became encouraged to pursue her passion as a youngster in her church choir. As year’s passed, she gained the confidence she needed through her adolescence, to create more than memorable solos, but instead… fan favorites. Today the local star is gearing up to spread her tuneful feminist anthems, and make you dance. Learn about ZALI‘s courageous climb in an exclusive one-on-one with The Knockurnal.
Your latest single “Girls Like Us,” describes wanting an uncommitted intimate relationship. What inspired this “don’t love, don’t trust” anthem?
“Girls Like Us” was a concept I had a while ago but could never really finish. Every time I would go back to it I would find that I couldn’t really connect to it. Well, not in a way that was real with my music. The sound [of my songs] has to be real or else what‘s the point? But that all changed when I got my heart broken. It was intense because it was my first true experience with romantic love.
For me, it doesn’t really reflect so much the desire for an uncommitted intimate relationship. It’s more of a disruption of patriarchy and how women are often confined to this role where you take what you’re given. Also, if we happen to veer from that standard we’re often looked at negatively. Even in the face of heartbreak, a lot of the time you find yourself being comforted with these words “You’ll find someone better, just be patient.” [Maybe you’re told,] “They didn’t deserve you”.
A breakup is always about [the other person]. So, coming from someone who typically did all the “right” things in finding love, it was sort of a wake-up call [to see] that it doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter how good you are, how bad you are, love and heartbreak do not discriminate.
I want this song to be an anthem to switch up the status quo. We can’t always be searching for love. And, for people who’ve been hurt by someone they loved, all those series of actions are bound to change how you feel and react to situations. I’ve felt the hurt. I’ve felt the pain, and instead of lashing out to try to hurt someone in a roundabout way to feel better, I’m just going put all that energy into being happy, however long the moments last.
And if I’m going to go through this… then I’m going to go through this on my terms. It was for me! This was a time (for once) to just do whatever I wanted. I did what made me feel good in that moment because sometimes it’s not always about pure happiness and contentment. I look at life sort of like divine chaos, and now more than ever… I grab every opportunity I can to indulge in things that make me smile, laugh, and bring me pleasure.
Those last lines of the chorus ‘‘Girls like us just want fun! All we want to do is just… “ leaves it up to the imagination but you can hear the hint of [the song] “Bad”. When I wrote this line I kept picturing that feeling of complete euphoria. I pictured the times you’re in the middle of a dancefloor with your eyes closed, just looking up, and feeling the lights on you. Those times where every beat vibrates through you are memorable. That feeling of freedom is what I wanted to communicate.
I’ve found that among girls who’ve heard the song, they immediately feel a connection of solidarity in a way because there’s always someone who’s once made you feel like you weren’t enough. [Men can] drain the life out of you. You might have known someone who’s been hurt in love. So, I find they’re either singing along because of their own emotions and experiences or they‘re singing along in support of every girl who’s been hurt that now is our time!
Your music is genre-bending. What is your favorite style to record?
To be honest, I grew up on soul music. I see myself as more of a soul singer. So, whether I’m recording a pop song or something leaning towards R&B, I try to sneak a little bit of that soul aspect into it. There’s just something so exhilarating in being able to capture emotion in that way. I’m working on a lot of new music and it reflects this side of me a bit more.
This week on Scoreboard Kelly Clarkson finds “The Meaning Of Life” and Camila Cabello moves up the Hot 100
G-SHOCK celebrated its 35th Anniversary on November 9th at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden.
SUR channels violence, love, and nature in his debut EP.