12-31-22 Year End New Music

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Today, I’m looking back down the mountain that was 2022. What’s happened this past year? What was bad, what was good, what did I learn?

Here is a list of the some of the most inspiring new music I found in 2022. I think these tracks demonstrate good new music still continues to be released! I hope you hear at least one track you haven’t heard before.

Have a wonderful 2023!

3-27-15 Big Data Sells Out The Bowery Ballroom 3/24/15

Alan Wilkis of Big Data Rocks The Bowery Ballroom 3-24-15
Alan Wilkis of Big Data plays The Bowery Ballroom on 3-24-15

Big Data were energized when they hit the sold out Bowery Ballroom Tuesday night in support of their new album “Big Data 2.0”. After opening band On An On played a pretty Shoegaze inspired set, Alan Wilkis (aka “Mr. Big Data”) and his band set up their own equipment: that’s pretty cool to see from a popular band! Then a feminine robotic voice (a la SIRI) came on the loudspeaker and said it would now take all our smartphones and sell our personal data back to us at the merch table. Big Data’s social satire was great!

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3-19-15 Whiskey-Sipping ElectroGoth Torch Singer Hannah Cohen Melts The Standard East Penthouse on 3-16-15

Hannah Cohen performing at The Standard East Village 3-16-15
Hannah Cohen performs at The Standard East Village Penthouse in NYC on 3-16-15

If you liked Lana Del Rey’s first album, you’re going to love Hannah Cohen! There was suspense and expectation in the air Monday night at The Standard: East Village Penthouse. Surrounded by a nearly 360 degree outside terrace, it was an awesome space! The room soon packed and I was lucky enough to be in the front row. Ms. Cohen was there to sing songs in support of her new album “PLEASURE BOY” which will be on sale from label Bella Union on March 31st. Here’s a link to the first single from the album: “Keepsake”.

[Photos of the show after the fold]

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11-14-14 Big Data seduces Terminal 5 in NYC, November 12th, 2014

Alan Wilkis and Liz Ryan (the Siren) of Big Data perform at Terminal 5 on 11-12-14

 

When Warner Brothers Records PR hooked me up with a ticket and photo pass to the Big Data show I was totally psyched! I posted about them in July so I already knew I liked their music. But now I was going to see them live, at a sold out show, opening for Fitz and the Tantrums.

 

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9-30-14 Lights plays Pinktober at Hard Rock Cafe for Breast Cancer Awareness

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If Llana Del Rey is the Queen of Darkness and Robyn is the European Queen of Ice, Lights is the Princess of Day! As soon as Lights was onstage at Hard Rock Cafe (I didn’t realize they had a nice stage) it was “Muscle Memory” and we got energized. Next, there was “Running with the Boys” and right after Lights told us “That’s the first time I’ve heard people singing along to one of my songs.” I can see why they’re doing it. Her music is bubbly synth dance pop that makes you feel good. It’s like a happy combination of Llana Del Rey, Robyn, Ellie Goulding and cool synth pop/rock with a touch of M83. Lights’ wide toothy smile, while reminding me of a Disney TV star, is also… well, friendly and charming. And her performance tonight was done with love. And that always means something. You can’t help but like her.

*Be sure to check out my photos at the end of the review…

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GOOD SINGLES: Big Data

I heard this electro band BIG DATA this past week and dig them. I’m guessing the band’s name is a nod to gigantic data sets (Big Data). Cool. There are four tracks on their debut EP and the vocals are fun, sung with relish by Daniel Armbruster (JOYWAVE) on the track “Dangerous”. “Dangerous” sounds like a bass slapping convergence of Peter Gabriel, MGMT, and Discovery. By the way, I dig the fact that BIG DATA is from Brooklyn (where I live). And from what I understand, the band is the brainchild of producer Alan Wilkis.

The track “Big Dater” adds MUSE’s sound and a touch of 90s boyband aesthetic. Dig that old school modem near the middle. Nice touch.

Next, in “The Stroke of Return” the MUSE influence is present as well as GIORGIO MORODER’s sound – an interesting combination. It’s like the Neverending Story soundtrack meets MUSE!?! And the lyrics explore how we’re all giving our personal data up willy nilly to the cloud. And that is not good. Pretty relevant paranoia!

Shoot, they just played last night at the Brooklyn Bowl! Looks like this band is starting to get big, check out their debut EP ‘1.0’ released by Wilcassettes LLC on 19 August 2013.

Big Data – “Dangerous (feat. Joywave):

Big Data – “Big Dater”

Big Data – “The Stroke of Return”

The BIG DATA Facebook page