Tag: The Bowery Electric

News/Announcements by William Ruben Helms

Co-founded in 2019 by three New York music industry veterans and longtime friends, former Lorimer Beacon head Mike Bell, Kanine Records‘ founder and label head Lio Kanine and Kepler Events‘ founder and Dedstrange Records co-founder Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival has featured an eclectic collection of several hundred handpicked, emerging and buzz-worthy indie bands and artists from the US, Canada, the UK, the European Union, Australia, and elsewhere.

New Colossus by design has taken place about a week or so before SXSW with the idea that the festival would serve as a pre-SXSW stopover that would give the acts in each year’s lineup an opportunity to get exposure in the influential New York market, while filling a void in the city’s festival calendar.

The festival’s fourth edition will take place March 8, 2023 – March 12, 2023. And much like the preceding editions, showcases will take place in some of the Lower East Side’s most renowned independent venues, including Mercury Lounge, Berlin Under A, Arlene’s Grocery, Bowery Ballroom, The Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Piano’s, and a few others.

A couple of weeks ago, the festival made a couple of announcements: The last batch of acts added to the lineup, including JOVM favorite Absolutely Free (CA), ARADIA (US), Big Mountain County (IT), English Teacher (UK), LUMBEROB (US), Pleasure Pill, (US), Pure Adult (US), Sorry Mom (US), and Telescreens (US). Along with those bands, they shared the complete lineup for the festival which you’ll see with the flyer below:

They also announced the festival’s schedule, which you can check out here: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/schedule?utm_campaign=c2e5b084-de3f-4e9d-a3fb-d62daf1a06b0&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=ac466ae2-d0c6-4e01-845f-c3b1ed63bbda

New Colossus Festival also shared a playlist featuring a curated collection of songs from this year’s lineup. For attendees — and possible attendees — the playlist will be helpful in planning your festival experience in a sensible fashion.

You can check out the full schedule here.

The full festival lineup listing is here, which coincidentally features each act’s schedule can be found here.

Lastly, organizers announced that they’ve partnered with global music distributor Ditto Music. Ditto Music will bring Ditto X: NYC23 music conference to the festival this year. Taking place on March 9, 2023 at Piano’s from 12:00pm-7:00pm, Ditto Music will provide a full day of panels, discussions and networking opportunities with industry professionals and artists. The event will offer insights and advice for independent artists and labels, covering key topics including:

– Unlocking new music revenue

– Landing bigger and better shows

– Growing your fanbase

– Building a sustainable career in music

Festival badges are still available through Dice y’all. You can purchase here: https://dice.fm/event/ee7n6-new-colossus-festival-2023-all-access-badge-8th-mar-various-venues-nyc-new-york-tickets

News/Announcements 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. 

By design the festival has taken place about a week or so before SXSW with the idea that New Colossus would be a pre-SXSW stopover that will give the acts in each year’s lineup an opportunity to organically gain exposure while filling a critical void in the city’s festival calendar. 

New Colossus Festival’s third edition will take place March 8, 2023-March 12, 2023 and will take place 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.  New Colossus Festival closes out the calendar year with the announcement of its second wave of artists that will be playing at showcases across the Lower East Side. And much like the first wave of artists, it’s a highly curated collection of artists who hail from the US, Canada, the UK and elsewhere.

Some of the new additions including Bilk (UK), Demob Happy (UK), Grand Sun (Portugal), Low Island (UK), Yndling (Norway), Kamikaze Nurse (Canada) and A Place to Bury Strangers, who are returning to headline their Dedstrange label party after not being able to perform at the 2020 edition. Additionally, Beverly (US), Eternal Summers (US) and The Depreciation Guild (US) will be playing reunion shows for Kanine Records’ 20th Anniversary Party.

Of course, more details are coming.

SECOND WAVE ADDITIONS:

A Place to Bury Strangers (US)

Beverly (US)

BLACK MARACAS (ES)

Bloomsday (US)

Borito (IL)

Closebye (CA)

Demob Happy (UK)

Emmrose (US)

Eternal Summers (US)

First Crush (US)

GHUM (UK)

Gold Lake (ES)

Gossamer Blue (CA)

Grand Sun (PT)

HNRY FLWR (US)

jackie (CA)

Kacey Fifield (US)

Kamikaze Nurse (CA)

Kryxis (US)

layzi (US)

Low Island (UK)

MAUVEY (CA)

Miesha and The Spanks (CA)

Noah And The Loners (UK)

Nutrients (CA)

Paper Lady (US)

Percocet (US)

S.C.A.B. (US)

The Chairs (TW)

The Depreciation Guild (US)

The Down & Outs (US)

The Silver Lines (UK)

The Vices (NL)

to the wedding (US)

Totalement Sublime (CA)

VLURE (Scotland)

Yndling (NO)

Yo Diablo (ES)
 

Full list of showcasing artists and bands can be found here: https://www.newcolossusfestival.com/artists2023?utm_campaign=7965f0f8-b1ca-4719-96c9-c158666e5210&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail_lp&cid=ac466ae2-d0c6-4e01-845f-c3b1ed63bbda. Actual schedules and set times are forthcoming, so be on the lookout,

You can purchase a badge here: https://dice.fm/event/ee7n6-new-colossus-festival-2023-8th-mar-various-venues-nyc-new-york-tickets

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

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of their debut EP I Used to Love You, Now I Don’t, the rising Brighton-based dream pop act Hanya — Heather Sheret (vocal, guitar), Benjamin Varnes (guitar), Dylan Fanger (bass) and Jack Watkins (drums) — received attention nationally and across the blogosphere for a sound that meshes elements dream pop and shoegaze. 

Much like countless other bands across the globe, Hanya had plans to build upon a rapidly growing national and international profile: earlier this year,. they released their acclaimed sophomore EP Sea Shoes and they made their Stateside debut at New Colossus Festival last year. Sadly, their New Colossus Festival set at The Bowery Electric was among the last sets of live music I’ve seen since the pandemic hit. Of course, without the ability to tour or play shows, the rising Brighton JOVM mainstays have been rather busy writing and releasing new materail including:

  • “Texas,” a shimmering bit of dream pop that nods at 70s AM rock, and focuses on the longing and excitement of a new crush/new love/new situationship. 
  • “Monochrome,” which found the Brighton further establishing a gorgeous sound and approach that sets them apart in a crowded and talented field.

The JOVM mainstays’ latest single “Lydia” is a slow-burning and gorgeous track centered around shimmering guitars, Sheret’s ethereal yet plaintive vocals and a rousingly anthemic hook that continues the band’s winning mix of 70s AM rock and Beach House-like dream pop. And much like its immediate predecessors, “Lydia” is carefully crafted, introspective and hauntingly nostalgic.

“‘Lydia’ started as a sweet acoustic number but kept getting bigger the more we played it,” Hanya’s Heather Sheret explains in press notes. “I think that’s the nature of things right now: big gestures only. This past year has involved a lot of contemplation, and so ‘Lydia’ was written about a chance to dwell on our memories and see people, situations and relationships in new light as time progresses. The reminder that rights and wrongs are ever-evolving, perspectives shift and over time you shape your own memories.”