Welcome!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the Brooklyn Eagle’s new music blog! As you probably know, Brooklyn has eclipsed Manhattan as the nation’s undisputed center of musical activity over the past decade. From electro to hip-hop to indie rock, from bar bands that play Springsteen songs better than the Boss to our very own symphony orchestra – the historic Brooklyn Philharmonic – to some of the best mariachi ensembles this side of the Rio Grande, your taste, no matter how obscure, will be sated in Brooklyn.

Why a music blog when there is a dime for every dozen these days? Well, the answer is pretty simple. The Eagle has been covering Brooklyn in various permutations since 1841. You can say what you will about the old media/new media divide, but there’s a lot of history there. Moreover, while a number of fashionable indie news outlets are either based in Brooklyn or have bureaus here, none deign to cover the borough’s scenes in the holistic manner that is arguably warranted. From the beginnings of my semi-defunct column Music Junkie in the print edition, I have always strove to cover a wide array of artists, irrespective of genre or perceived demographic. If Jerry Garcia could go on record with his appreciation the Ramones and Jane’s Addiction, if Eminem crony Proof could admit his love for the Dead… well, almost anything is possible. There will be many collisions and collusions like that here, so if you can’t fathom to read about Grizzly Bear and Frankie Marra on the same blog, this might not be the right place for you. But if your taste for Brooklyn music is omnivorous, think of this as your second home!

Some recurring features that may be of interest…

• A weekly show calendar – Tired of thumbing through L, scanning through all the Le Passion Rouge/Mercury Lounge listings on Brooklyn Vegan, and sifting through the rubble on Todd P’s website (no offense!) just to figure out what’s going on in Brooklyn on any given night? Want to check out a new scene beyond your neighborhood? The weekly show calendar, which is already pretty comprehensive in its embryonic form, will eventually feature every club night, classical performance, salsa shindig, and rock show that you would ever want to attend. Look no further.

• BrooklynBios – Did you know that Iggy Pop briefly lived in Brooklyn? Or that Harry Nilsson of “Everybody’s Talkin’” fame was born in Bushwick? Take a stroll down memory lane with the obvious & not-so-obvious and perhaps discover a new talent or two in BrooklynBios.

• Pugnacious album reviews a la Music Junkie! – It seems that every other album released these days is hyped as the new “[insert classic 60s album title here]”. As in any era, some indeed are. Most are pretty good efforts that will hold their own in twenty to forty years. And a few are just simply wretched. If you enjoyed my contrarian record reviews in Music Junkie, look forward to a new slate of thoughtful musings on the masterpieces – and trashterpieces – of 2009 in the coming months.

• Photos! – Need a new desktop wallpaper? Once again, look no further.

Once again, thank you for checking out this new cranny of cyberspace! Come back over the next few days for more news and features as we take this blog on its shakedown cruise.

Best,
Sean Murphy