Neu York New York, Neu York: March 2019
Each month, we’ll be rounding up the best of NYC’s music scene in this column.
There are a few things that are always guaranteed in New York - there’ll always be something wrong with the subway, people will line up for hours just to be the first to try the latest new Instagram-friendly food trend, and the city will always be a haven for brilliant new music.
Transport solutions and 2018’s answer to the cronut might not be our areas of expertise but we’ll gladly point you in the right directions for that last point. Whether you’re after new tunes, news, or gigs to add to your diary, we’ve got you covered in the latest New York, Neu York.
After a brief sabbtical, New York, Neu York is back to provide your guide to the best bands, music, and related happenings in the NYC area. This month, new tracks from Barrie and Charly Bliss, news from the city’s live scene, and upcoming gigs you don’t want to miss.
YOU NEED TO HEAR…
Barrie - ‘Darjeeling’
The latest preview of Barrie’s ‘Darjeeling’ opens with a very New York kind of story - one that sparkles with the magic of seeing the city through fresh eyes. Get frostbite from stepping into a deceptively deep slush puddle? No problem, you’re in New York! Get woken up in the middle of the night by a cockroach crawling across your face? It’s just what happens to you now you’re a New Yorker! Or did you, like frontwoman Barrie Lindsay, get your car towed while you were busy partying at a Bushwick warehouse but not be the least bit fazed by it because you’d not yet been ground down by this incredible, tough city? ‘Darjeeling’ is soft, glittery, and bright, just like the wide-eyes of new transplants putting up with far more shit in the name of NYC than they would anywhere else.
Charly Bliss - ‘Capacity’
Charly Bliss are set to release their second album ‘Young Enough’ on May 10 and the first taste of it suggests it’s going to level up on debut ‘Guppy’. ‘Capacity’, about destroying your urge to please people, is quietly contagious, subtle synth melodies bubbling under Eva Hendricks’ sugar-coated hushes.
YOU NEED TO KNOW…
Webster Hall returns
It’s been nearly two years since the East Village’s Webster Hall closed its doors. If you’re looking for proof that you can’t keep a good thing down, look no further than this news - the venue’s reopening date has been confirmed, as well as a load of great shows that you can’t miss. It’s only right that living local legend Patti Smith is one of the first to kick things off with two shows on May 1 and 2, before passing on the baton to the likes of Sharon Van Etten, MGMT, Broken Social Scene, and The Japanese House in the weeks and months that follow. There’s also a special opening night event currently TBA for late April, where attendees will be the first to get a new glimpse at the new bathrooms, new mirror ball, and other minor changes reportedly added to the venue.
The Shed’s line-up revealed
Gentrification is, of course, a bad thing, but where in London redevelopments have seen music venues torn down, New York’s Hudson Yards regeneration brings with it a brand new arts space. The Shed opens on April 5 and you’ll be able to catch a variety of performances there, from Björk’s Cornucopia shows to a “kung-fu musical” called Dragon Spring Phoenix Rise, soundtracked by Sia, The Haxan Cloak, and Arca - an intriguing mix of artists if ever there was one - and a ton more.
New York festivals take a hit
Until last year, New Yorkers were spoilt with three big festivals crammed with heroes and rising acts to make summer that extra bit special. Then Queens-based The Meadows took a year off in 2018 and there’s still no word on whether it’ll return as hoped this year. Now, it’s been confirmed Panorama, which last year brought us the likes of The Killers, St Vincent, and David Byrne, will no longer be brightening up Randall’s Island Park in July. At least we still have Governors Ball, who confirmed in January that their line-up will feature NYers like King Princess, Sunflower Bean, and some band called The Strokes, plus The 1975, Brockhampton, SZA, Charli XCX, and loads more.
YOU NEED TO BE AT…
New Colossus @ various venues, 7th-9th March
Can’t make it to SXSW? You never need to leave New York to get your new music fix, but especially not this coming weekend when New Colossus takes over the Lower East Side. DIY will have our own stage at The Delancey on Saturday (9), featuring local punks Gnarcissists, synth-punks New Myths, Austin’s Jackie Venson, UK-reppers including Orchards, Penelope Isles, and Mysterious Visions, plus Aussie garage-rockers Body Type. Across the rest of the fest, you can also catch the likes of Hinds tour buddies Goodbye Honolulu, Fat Possum signing Ellis, and Glasgow’s Lucia.
For more details on and to get tickets for the DIY stage, head here.
Surfbort @ Market Hotel, 9th March
Fresh from supporting Wolf Alice on their ‘Visions Of A Life’-closing tour last December and their own UK tour earlier this year, everyone’s favourite wild punks Surfbort come home to the scuzzy surroundings of Market Hotel this month. There’ll be no room for wallflowers in the Bushwick DIY venue, which is just as well because singer Dani Miller could get even the shyest of gig-goers into the pit.
Dr. Danny @ Rockwood Music Hall, 14th March
You might recognise Danny Ayala as Sunflower Bean’s touring keyboardist or as a former member of The Lemon Twigs. He also makes music under the moniker Dr. Danny, as evidenced on the fun psych-pop of his 2017 debut album ‘Nothing But Love’. A second record is in the works and you might get a sneak preview at this rare show.
Got a New York tip for us? Let us know at [email protected]
Photo credit: Alexa Viscius.
With Bob Vylan, St Vincent, girl in red, Lizzy McAlpine and more.