Category: Spotify Playlist

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms


Co-founded back in 2018 by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, former Lorimer Beacon founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events‘ and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival over the course of the past couple of years has featured several hundred handpicked, emerging indie bands and artists from Canada, the UK, the European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong and of course, the US. 

Since its founding, the festival has quickly established itself as the first stop in New York and in the US for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy international artists. Notable festival alumni include a number of JOVM mainstays including GIFT, Penelope Isles, The Orielles, Thus Love, as well as Pom Poko, Pom Pom Squad, Sid Simons, Sobs, Water From Your Eyes, Peel Dream Magazine, Kiwi Jr., and a growing list of others. 

The festival’s fifth — er fourth? — edition will take place March 6, 2024 – March 10, 2024 in some of the Lower East Side’s best and renowned independent venues including Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A, Arlene’s Grocery, Bowery Ballroom, The Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Pianos, and more.  

Over the past handful of months, the festival’s organizers have announced several waves of the artists playing this year’s edition. And much like previous editions, 2024 will feature an eclectic array of artists from across the US, Canada, the UK, the European Union and more. Just a little under a month out from the start of the fifth New Colossus Festival, its organizers have announced the festival’s final lineup and schedule. Parties will be presented by BandsdoBK, BrooklynVegan, Dedstrange Records, Exclaim!, FOCUS Wales, Groover, Joyzine, Maker Park Radio, M for Montréal, Planetary Group, Radio Free Brooklyn, The Spanish Wave and Tokyo Calling. You can check out the full lineup and official festival playlist below.

In addition to the festival schedule, New Colossus Festival’s organizers announced the return of their partnership with Ditto, who will present another series of music industry related panel discussions, which will feature representatives from Netflix, VEVO, Music Managers Forum, Chartmetric and more. And they’ll be a performance from Ditto artist min.a. More details on that will be coming soon.

Full 2024 Festival Lineup

  • airu (ES)
  • BackDrop Cinderella (JP)
  • BALACLAVA (US)
  • Bells Larsen (CA)
  • Big Bliss (US)
  • Bloody Knives (US)
  • Boy With Apple (SE)
  • Bruiser and Bicycle (US)
  • Canned Pineapple (UK)
  • Carinae (US)
  • CHAII (NZ)
  • Chavez Cartel (AU)
  • church crush (US)
  • Coral Moons (US)
  • Crystal Canyon (US)
  • Cucamaras (UK)
  • Currls (UK)
  • DD Island (US)
  • Diary (US)
  • Dirty Sound Magnet (CH)
  • Dream Nails (UK)
  • Dresser (CA)
  • Dropper (US)
  • Ducks Ltd. (CA)
  • Durian Silo (US)
  • DYE CRAP (FR)
  • Earth Dad (US)
  • Eclectic Charango Beats (US)
  • Empty Nesters (CA)
  • Factual Brains (US)
  • flirting. (UK)
  • Flowers for the Dead (US)
  • FRANKIIE (CA/US)
  • Friend of a Friend (US)
  • Georgie Boyd (UK)
  • GOKUMON (JP)
  • Hadda Be (UK)
  • Hause Plants (PT)
  • Head North (US)
  • Heffner (US)
  • Hiding Places (US)
  • High. (US)
  • Hippie Hourrah (CA)
  • Holiday Ghosts (UK)
  • Hollows (UK)
  • Hot Garbage (CA)
  • Hotel Lux (UK)
  • Hotel Mira (CA)
  • Housewife (CA)
  • HUGMYND (US)
  • Iceblynk (US)
  • Idle Hours (UK)
  • iskwē (CA)
  • Island Moons (US)
  • Jelly Kelly (US)
  • Keegan Powell (CA)
  • Keep (US)
  • King Bug (US)
  • Kingfisher (SE)
  • KT Laine (CA)
  • La Sécurité (CA)
  • Langkamer (UK)
  • Last Waltzon (CA)
  • Lavender Blush (US)
  • Los Premios (ES)
  • Love Language (CA)
  • Loveseat Pete (US)
  • LOW-RES (SE)
  • Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys (DE)
  • Luge (CA)
  • Mary Shelley (US)
  • Meagre Martin (DE)
  • Melody Fields (SE)
  • min.a (US)
  • MINAS (Wales)
  • Moon Walker (US) 
  • Mother Tongues (CA) 
  • Mr Floyd Larry (US)
  • MX Lonely (US) 
  • My Favorite (US)
  • Nara’s Room (US) 
  • Nicole Yun (US) 
  • Niño Disco (US) 
  • NOBRO (CA) 
  • O. Wake (US) 
  • Oceans (AU) 
  • Orange Doors (US) 
  • Orchestra Gold (US) 
  • OSKA (AT) Outer Shapes (US) 
  • P.H.0 (US) Palomino Blond (US) 
  • PANIK FLOWER (US) 
  • Paper Lady (US) 
  • PAPISA (BR)
  • partygirl (US) 
  • Petite League (US) 
  • Phantom Handshakes (US) 
  • Phantom Signals (US) Phantom Wave (US) 
  • poolblood (CA) 
  • Pop Music Fever Dream (US)
  • POSTDATA (CA) 
  • Prewn (US) 
  • Programmique (US) 
  • Radio Trapani (IT/NL) 
  • Reme (ES/UK) 
  • Retrofile (CA) 
  • RIP Dunes (US) 
  • Roost.World (US) 
  • Rosier (CA) 
  • Saloon Dion Sara Parigi (IT) 
  • Sarakiniko (FR) 
  • Sasha Cay (CA) 
  • Scrounge (UK) 
  • Sham Family (CA) 
  • Shelf Lives (UK) 
  • Shunk (CA) 
  • Sick Joy (UK) 
  • Silent Mass (US) 
  • Silver Liz (US) 
  • Slash Need (CA) 
  • Spyres (Scotland) 
  • Starcleaner Reunion (US) 
  • Stuck In The Sound (FR) 
  • Subsonic Eye (SG) 
  • Sugar For The Pill (GR) 
  • Sun Entire (CA) 
  • sunnsetter (CA) 
  • Swutscher (DE) 
  • Tagua Tagua (BR) 
  • Talking to Shadows (US) 
  • Teddy Hunter (Wales) 
  • Telula (US) 
  • Tennis Courts (US) 
  • The Band Cope (US) 
  • The Gulps (UK) 
  • The National Honor Society (US) 
  • The Wesleys (CA) 
  • Them Airs (US) 
  • Two-Man Giant Squid (US) 
  • Ultra Q (US) 
  • Vera Ellen (NZ) 
  • Vox Rea (CA) 
  • WAN (PE) 
  • William The Conqueror (UK) 
  • Wince (US) 
  • Winona Forever (CA) 
  • yael s. copeland (US) 
  • ZOLA (US)

Wednesday, March 6, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-6th-schedule

Thursday, March 7, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-7th-schedule

Friday, March 8, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-8th-schedule

Saturday, March 9, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/march-9th-schedule

Sunday, March 10, 2024: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/copy-of-march-9th-schedule

You can purchase a festival badge here.

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms

Co-founded back in 2018 by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, former Lorimer Beacon founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events‘ and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival over the course of the past couple of years has featured several hundred handpicked, emerging indie bands and artists from Canada, the UK, the European Union, Singapore, Hong Kong and of course, the US. 

Since its founding, the festival has quickly established itself as the first stop in New York and in the US for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy for a growing number of emerging and buzz worthy international artists. Notable festival alumni include a number of JOVM mainstays including GIFT, Penelope Isles, The Orielles, Thus Love, as well as Pom Poko, Pom Pom Squad, Sid Simons, Sobs, Water From Your Eyes, Peel Dream Magazine, Kiwi Jr., and a growing list of others.

The festival’s fifth — er fourth? — edition will take place March 6, 2024 – March 10, 2024 in some of the Lower East Side’s best and renowned independent venues including Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A, Arlene’s Grocery, Bowery Ballroom, The Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Pianos, and more.   The festival’s organizers announced the first wave of artists that will be playing at next year’s festival, a highly curated collection of artists and bands from across the world — and the first wave bands and artists are below, along with a playlist featuring songs from those artists:

AY WING & CHUUWEE (DE/CH/US)

Bells Larsen (CA)

Bruiser and Bicycle (US)

Canned Pineapple (UK)

CHAII (NZ)

Chavez Cartel (AU)

church crush (US)CLT DRP (UK)

Coral Moons (US)

Crows (UK)Crystal Canyon (US)

Cucamaras (UK)

Data Animal (DE)

DD Island (US)

Diary (US)

Dirty Sound Magnet (CH)

Durian Silo (US)

DYE CRAP (FR)

Factual Brains (US)

Family Jools (UK)

flirting. (UK)

Flowers for the Dead (US)

FRANKIIE (CA)

Getdown Services (UK)

Head North (US)

Heffner (US)

Hiding Places (US)

Holiday Ghosts (UK)

Hollows (UK)

HUGMYND (UK)

Housewife (CA)

Human Colonies (IT)

Iceblynk (US)

Idle Hours (UK)

iskwē (CA)

Jelly Kelly (US)

Keep (US)

King Bug (US)

Kingfisher (SE)

KT Laine (CA)

Langkamer (UK)

Last Waltzon (CA)

Lavender Blush (US)

Los Premios (ES)

Love Language (CA)

Loveseat Pete (US)

Loviet (CA)

LOW-RES (SE)

Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys (DE)

Luge (CA)

Moon Walker (US)

Nara’s Room (US)

Niño Disco (US) 

NOBRO (CA)

Oceans (AU)

Orange Doors (US)

Orchestra Gold (US)

OSKA (AT)

Palomino Blond (US)

PANIK FLOWER (US)

Petite League (US)

P.H.0 (US)

Phantom Handshakes (US)

Phantom Signals (US)

Phantom Wave (US)

Prewn (US)

Programmique (US)

Radio Trapani (IT/NL)

Raue (US)

Retrofile (CA)

Rip Pop Mutant (CA)

Roost.World (US)

Rosier (CA)

Ruby Tingle (UK)

Saloon Dion (UK)

Sasha Cay (CA)

Scrounge (UK)

Sham Family (CA)

Shelf Lives (UK)

Shunk (CA)

Silent Mass (US)

Silver Liz (US)

Slash Need (CA)

Spyres (UK)

Starcleaner Reunion (US)

Strawberry Launch (US)

Subsonic Eye (SG)

Sugar For The Pill (GR)

Sun Entire (CA)

sunnsetter (CA)

Swutscher (DE)

Talking to Shadows (US)

Teddy Hunter (UK)

Telula (US)

The Band Cope (US)

The National Honor Society (US)

The Tazers (ZA)

The Wesleys (CA)

Two-Man Giant Squid (US)

Ugly (UK)

Uninvited (UK)

Venus Grrrls (UK)

Vox Rea (CA)

WAN (PE)

Winona Forever (CA) 

MORE TBA!

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms

M for Montreal — M pour Montreal in French — is an annual conference and music festival which takes place over the course of four days in late November in Canada’s second largest city. Since the inaugural conference back in 2005, M for Montreal has expanded to feature a selection of over 100 emerging, buzz-worthy and/or breakout acts from across Québec, the rest of Canada and a handful of internationally-based acts playing on stages in some of Montréal’s top venues and clubs. 

The annual conference also welcomes over 300 music industry professionals to Montréal for professional programming and networking tailored specifically for folks in the industry. 

Last month, M for Montréal’s organizers announced the full lineup of artists in its 2023 Official Selection series. Following a nationwide call for submissions that drew a record number of over 600 applications, the conference’s organizers have selected 28 artists and bands as outstanding examples of emerging talents across all spectra of genre, sound and background. 

With a little over a month left until this year’s 18th — 18th! — edition, festival organizers announced the lineup for my favorite portion of the festival, M for Marathon. Organized by M for Montréal and presented by Sirius XM, M for Marathon runs across the festival’s four-day run and features 34 shows with 91 artists playing in 16 venues across the city.

This year’s M for Marathon will showcase a globe-spanning lineup with an eclectic array of emerging artists. The Francophone portion of the lineup will feature Quebec favorites Geneviève et Matthieu, pop artists Simon Kearney and Félix Dyotte and up-and-comers Les Lunatiques, Sorry Girls, Grand Eugène, Prince Amine, Ivytide, Vendou and a list of others.

The Anglophone portion of the lineup will feature Cartel Madres, who will be playing a showcase at one of my favorite rooms to catch a show in town, La Sala Rossa with Milk & Bone, dee holt and Virginie B. (I caught Virginie B at last year’s M for Montréal and she’s a superstar in the making.)

Much like previous editions of M for Marathon, this year’s Marathon will feature a number of international artists, some of whom will be making their first appearances in Québec. French artists include Al-Qasar, Blue Orchid and Suzanne Belaubre. Welsh artists include Bethan Lloyd and Mace The Great. The UK’s Otto Aday, Egypt’s Nadah El Shazly, C’ôte d’Ivoire’s Andy S., and Atlanta‘s CDSM are also on the bill.

M for Marathon will also feature the launch of two debut efforts, underscoring the festival’s mission to support emerging projects: Canailles‘ Alice will be releasing her solo debut EP, Du love à revendre with a November 18, 2023 showcase at the intimate, medieval castle-like Quai des Brumes alongside Billiane. That same night, Tango Golf Tango will launch Dark Tropical Express at Diving Bell Social Club with Otto Aday.

Festival organizers also created a curated playlist featuring the artists and bands on this year’s lineup. Check that out here:

There two badge tiers:

The M for Marathon Festival badge, which allows you to attend M for Marathon showcases: 30 shows over the course of four days. For more information and to purchase, go here.

The Pro Badge, which allows you to attend all the Official Selection showcases, opening and closing cocktails, all workshops and conferences, the curated networking activity M for Mixer, the purchase of complimentary networking options, access to a digital networking platform and all the M for Marathon showcases. For more information, and to purchase, go here. 

Full listing of bands and artists at M for Montréal’s 18th edition is below:

36?
Afternoon Bike Ride
Al-Qasar
Alex Nicol
Alice
Alix Fernz
Andy S
Atsuko Chiba
Banx & Ranx
Bethan Lloyd
Billianne
Blue Orchid
Boy Golden
Carlyn
Cartel Madras
CDSM
Charlie Houston
Choses Sauvages
Das Mörtal
dee holt
digital polyglot
DJ Clémence Giroux
DJ LaTerreur
DJ Pøptrt
DJ Silktits
DJ Trinidaddy
DVTR
Family Man
Félix Dyotte
Flower Face
Frais Dispo
 

Frieda Mari
Gawbé
Geneviève et Matthieu
Georgia Harmer
Grand Eugène
Grand Public
Hawa B
Heaven for Real
Hippie Hourrah
Ivytide
Katie Tupper
La Faune
La Niña Kiwi
La Sécurité
LaF
Les Lunatiques
Loviet
Mace the Great
Marie Davidson
Mattmac
Mélissa Fortin
Milk & Bone
Mirabelle
Nadah El Shazly
Niall Mutter
Night Lunch
Nodly
Nyssa
Ormiston
Otto Aday
Ouri

Patche
Peter Dreams
Philippe Brach
poolblood
Population II
Prince Amine
Ragers
Rip Pop Mutant
Robert Robert
Sasha Cay
Simon Daniel
Simon Kearney
Sorry Girls
Stoylov
Super Plage
Suzanne Belaubre
Sylvie
T Thomason
Tallandskiinny
Tango Golf Tango
Thanks, Honestly
Titelaine
Totalement Sublime
Vendou
VioleTT Pi
Virginie B
Willa Owen
Winona Forever
Yocto
Zouz

World Music by William Ruben Helms

Last night was my second ever real-life DJ set at my regular bar, Clem’s. I jokingly titled the set Clem’s Air because it’s an eclectic mix of Bollywood, dance punk, New Wave, post-punk, soul and boogaloo, including a handful of JOVM mainstays including Rene Lopez, L’Imperatice, and more.

singer/songwriters by William Ruben Helms

Last night, I DJ’ed for the first time at Clem’s. I was a little nervous at first — it was my first public DJ set in which regulars, friends, loved ones and strangers would be hearing what I selected. But it turned out to be a lot of fun.

I’m now sharing the set with y’all. Four + hours of soul, funk, house music and more. Put on your dancing shoes and get on down!

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms

Generally speaking, the music festival experience is pretty much the same — whether you’ve been to one or dozens of them, like myself. Reinvented last year, Pickathon redefines the music festival experience as an immersive choose-your-own-adventure experience, where attendees can discover music, arts and culture perfectly integrated into the natural wonders of Happy Valley, Oregon‘s Pendarvis Farm, located 16 miles outside of Portland.

Late last month, festival organizes announced that the 2023 edition will take place August 3, 2023-August 6, 2023, along with the festival’s music lineup. This year’s edition will continue the festival’s reputation for eclecticism and its ability to spot the next breakout band across a variety of genres while featuring: indie roots outfit Watchhouse, the legendary Lee Fields, alt-glam band Dehd, rising singer/songwriter Madison Cunningham, Zambian psych rockers W.I.T.C.H., Thee Sinseers, The Altons, the acclaimed Mailian artist Vieux Farka Touré, desert blues outfit Imarhan, rising bluegrass banjo and Venezuelan harp duo Larry & Joe, Bay Area African psych rock outfit Orchestra Gold, post-internet jazz project MonoNeon, the Native American powwow-meets-electroinc music-meets-Bon Ives-like soundscapes of Joe Rainey, Yot Club, Columbian psychedelic cumbia outfit Meridian Brothers, Peruvian electro pop group Novalima, Mexican punk rockers Sgt. Papers, acclaimed Canadian rapper TOBi, Tampa-based experimentalists They Hate Change and jazz funk outfit Butcher Brown.

As always country and honky tonk still holds a strong presence with acts like Nick Shoulders, The Kernal and Courtney Marie Andrews on the bill. Rising indie rock artists Wednesday, MJ Lenderman and Florist are also on the bill. The full lineup and festival playlist are below.

Pickathon 2023 Full Lineup

  • Watchouse
  • Lee Fields
  • Dehd
  • Madison Cunningham
  • Vieux Farka Touré
  • Florist
  • W.I.T.C.H.
  • Wednesday
  • MonoNeon
  • Ocie Elliott
  • Butcher Brown
  • Yot Club
  • Courtney Marie Andrews
  • Imarhan
  • Say She She
  • MJ Lenderman
  • Madison McFerrin
  • The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
  • They Hate Change
    Andrew Marlin
  • Pachyman
  • Wine Lips 
  • Nikki Nair
  • GA-20
  • Nick Shoulders
  • Wayne Graham
  • Mike Dillon’s Punkadelic!
  • Rich Ruth
  • The Altons
  • Thee Sinseers
  • Novalima
  • Logan Ledger
  • Meridian Brothers
  • TOBi
  • Emily Nenni
  • Mikaela Davis 
  • Joe Rainey
  • Riddy Arman
  • The Mountain Grass Unit
  • The Kernal
  • Larry & Joe
  • Hooveriii
  • Gel
  • Jackie Venson
  • Nat Myers 
  • Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
  • Sgt. Papers
  • Orchestra Gold
  • WHIMZ
  • Sprig of That
  • The Shivas
  • MØTRIK

“Reinventing Pickathon last year around the concept of integrating music, arts, and culture into the natural settings of Pendarvis Farm was an incredible endeavor,” Pickathon founder Dale Schoenborn says. “2023 not only presents our best lineup ever, but now we understand the new Pickathon Neighborhoods even better, and we’re excited to refine all the details to make this year our most immersive experience to date. I can’t wait for everyone to join us at Pendarvis Farm!”

Early bird tickets end today. Camping, parking, shuttles and everything else you need to get to the farm is on sale now, too. That information can be found here.


Spotify Playlist by William Ruben Helms

M for Montreal — M pour Montreal in French — is an annual conference, which takes place over the course of four days in late November in Canada’s second largest city. Since the inaugural conference back in 2005, M for Montreal has quickly expanded to feature a selection of over 100 emerging, buzz-worthy and/or breakout acts from across Quebec, the rest of Canada and internationally playing in showcases in Montreal’s top venues. 

The annual conference also welcomes over 300 music industry professionals from Canada and internationally to Montreal for professional programming and networking tailored specifically for folks in the industry. This year, conference delegates will be able to attend a full slate of panels and workshops that address some of the most pressing issues, trends and talking points in the music industry today, including copyright in the Metaverse, the impact of international A&R, and the industry’s relationship with mental health, among others. The conference will also feature keynote sessions led by some of the music industry’s major players. including a keynote led by Sub Pop Records‘ CEO Megan Jasper. 

The 17th edition also marks the return of additional activities and events for delegates to take part in throughout the conferences run. Past favorites like Music PEI Brunch Club, Artist Lab, co-presented by TuneCore and QUB musique and M for Marathon presented by SiriusXM all return this year. Of course networking is key, and there will be a variety of professional networking opportunities, including in-person mixers for delegates while in Montreal — and through the virtual M for Mixer platform. Additionally, partner delegates from Wales and the Czech Republic will be in town to present activities specifically for Pro badge holders.

Over the past few weeks, M for Montreal’s organizers announced the full lineup for the 17th edition, which will take place November 16, 2022-November 19, 2022. You might recall that back in September, the conference announced the lineup for its 2022 Official Selection series. The Official Selection series spotlights 29 of Canada’s most exciting, buzz-worthy acts. Up from last year’s total of 20 from last year’s lineup, this year’s Official Selection fully embraces the conference’s long-held values of equity and inclusivity, while featuring artists from a diverse spectrum of identities, backgrounds and genres.

M for Montreal recently shared the full lineup for its M for Marathon portion of its program, which will feature over 100 acts playing showcases in Montreal’s best — and most renowned — venues.

Your boy was invited back to cover the 17th edition of M for Montreal as a festival delegate. It’s my first international trip since the 15th edition of M for Montreal back in 2019. I’m honored and flattered by the opportunity. And understandably, I’m excited and looking forward to traveling again to meeting new people, networking, covering new, buzz-worthy acts — and most importantly poutine and smoked meat sandwiches.

Seriously though, I have to thank M for Montreal’s hardworking team, and their fantastic US publicity partner Marauder Group for the opportunity. Y’all best believe that I will take full advantage.

Caption: Me on M for Montreal’s delegate page. Photo Credit: Catherine Horath.
Caption: M for Montreal’s

,M for Montreal’s team also just shared a playlist featuring songs from the Official Selection artists. Out of the 29 artists, I’m looking forward to catching:

With M for Marathon, I think I’m looking extremely forward to catching:

Of course, you should expect to see lengthy coverage of the festival here on this site in the upcoming weeks. There will also be quite a bit of posts across all of my social media profiles detailing the entire trip. So if you haven’t been following me before, here’s a good chance now:

Badges for the 17th edition are on sale — and are still available in three tiers:

  • Pro badges, which gives you access to all the showcases, networking events, cocktails. workshops, keynotes and so on. Currently, only the late bird badge is available — and the late bird badge doesn’t give you access to the virtual M for Mixer.
  • Melomaniac, which gives you access all of the showcases of the Official Selection series and M for Montreal, as well as all of the conferences and workshops.
  • Edu, which is specifically for students and offers access to all of M for Montreal’s panels and workshops, and 50% off the Melomaniac badge. (All students have to present a valid student ID when they pick up their badge.)

Quantities are limited. But check out the following link for information and to purchase here: https://mpourmontreal.com/en/billetterie/

Music Festivals by William Ruben Helms

Co-founded by three New York music industry vets and longtime friends, Lorimer Beacon‘s founder and head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events‘ and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival over the course of the past couple of years have featured a few hundred handpicked, emerging indie bands and artists from across Canada, the UK, the European Union, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the States.

By design the festival normally takes place about a week or so before SXSW; the festival’s co-founders have long viewed New Colossus as a pre-SXSW stopover that will give its lineups an opportunity to organically gain exposure, while filling a critical void in the city’s festival circuit.

Obviously, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Colossus wasn’t able to happen as scheduled but last year, New Colossus and 18th Ward Brewing hosted a live, outdoor concert series featuring local and regional acts at the brewery’s Bushwick location.

Thankfully, COVID and its known variants have been on the wane for a while now, and we can have the live music experience fairly safely. So, New Colossus is back y’all! Over 100 bands playing in six venues across the Lower East Side — Piano’s, Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A East Berlin, Arlene’s Grocery and The Bowery Electric — over the course of four, breakneck days this week.

I’m looking forward to an insane four days of live music from a handful of JOVM mainstays and for some new discoveries. You can check out the lengthy New Colossus Spotify playlist, which features curated tracks by the artists performing this year. But personally, I’m looking forward to the following acts:

Badges are still available. And it’s truly a real bang for your buck. More information can be found here: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com

1980s by William Ruben Helms

JOVM turned 10 earlier this year and to celebrate the occasion I streamed a globe-spanning, genre-defying DJ set for a collection of dear friends and colleagues. A couple of months later, I did a second DJ set, which managed to simultaneously celebrate JOVM’s decade of existence and was a dance party for my mom’s 68th birthday.

The third DJ set, which I streamed last night is focused on the classic soul sound — by beloved classic artists, as well as contemporary artists. As I told the folks, who joined me: when I started to compile the tracks for Flight 777’s third journey, I was in a dark space: I couldn’t help feeling anxious and fearful that the country would re-elect a dangerous, racist moron for another four years. Obviously, as the results got increasingly better, I began to feel an exhausted sense of relief until Saturday morning, when CNN and the AP officially called the presidential race for Vice President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. (Correction: President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris!). Most of the songs of the set took on a very different vibe and tone — and I had to make two memorable last minute additions to cover the overall mood.

So here’s four hours of soul for your soul and for you heart. I hope you’ll enjoy as much I did streaming it for friends.

Also happy birthday, mom!

1980s by William Ruben Helms

Playlist: Flight 777: The Intergalactic Journey

JOVM turned 10 earlier this year and to celebrate the occasion, I streamed a globe-spanning, genre-defying DJ set for a collection of dear friends, colleagues and supporters.  After I had finished, I had promised those who joined me that I would stream another DJ set. Ideally, I was going to do it last month but unfortunately, I didn’t find the inspiration until around the middle of this month. But it came together and the set was both a continued celebration of JOVM’s decade of existence and a virtual dance party for my mom, whose 68th birthday birthday is today.

This has been a rather difficult year but hopefully, those who joined for the second DJ set had a great time because I had a fucking blast. Check out the playlist below.

Also happy birthday, mom!

Spotify Playlist by William Ruben Helms

Playlist: Flight 777: JOVM 10th Anniversary DJ Set

JOVM officially turned 10 last Tuesday and to celebrate the occasion, I hosted a globe spanning, genre-busting DJ set for a collection of dear friends, colleagues and supporters.  Unfortunately, because of time limits, I couldn’t play the full set — but it exists here. A nearly 6 hour journey through time, space and continents.

Sit back, ask the flight attendant for a drink or seven and enjoy the ride. And hopefully you’ll return to Flight 777 at some point. I think we may be flying again in about a month or so. Maybe you should join us for the ride?

In the meantime, check out the playlist, below.

 

 

Spotify Playlist by William Ruben Helms

I just spent the past four days and five nights in Montreal covering the 14th annual M for Montreal Festival. And while walking and taking public transpiration from the gorgeous Hotel Monville in Downtown Montreal to the various networking events, happy hours and showcases I listened to a bit of music — some things a bit more obsessively than others. Check out this mostly Montreal-inspired playlist that features The Beat Escape, Corridor, Leonard Cohen, Jef Barbara, BRAIDS and more. Check it out.

 

 

indie rock by William Ruben Helms

If you’ve been following me through my various social media platforms, you’d know that I’ve been in Chicago for the past few days for a conference related to my day job — and of course, while in town I’ve been running around to see friends, eat good food, drink good beers and catch as much live music as I could possibly take in. Naturally, while en route here and towards the bars, music venues and restaurants I’ve eaten in, I’ve spent it listening to a variety of music — especially Chicago blues, particularly my favorites, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and B.B. King. Check out this (mostly) Windy City-inspired playlist below. (Of course, there will likely be additions as I’m commuting to and fro for the next few days, so feel free to keep checking it.)

Spotify Playlist by William Ruben Helms

 

There’s still some outstanding business with 2017 that I must attend to before I can begin 2018 in earnest and in this case, check out some of what I think were the best singles of the past year. Although the music industry typically slows down during the holidays, I’m looking forward to what 2018 brings musically and creatively — and most importantly for new music that I’ll love and tell you about.

Spotify Playlist by William Ruben Helms

With the close of 2016 and the beginning of 2017, countless bloggers and others have spent the past few weeks retrospectively looking back at the previous year. Now yesterday, I had posted what I thought were some of the best albums of 2016 — and continuing on with that vein, I wanted to share what I thought were the best singles of 2016 with a Spotify playlist. Check it out below.