Iman Lababedi

Founding Editor of Rock NYC. Iman Lababedi was a freelance rock critic in the 1980s, took a break of 20 years, and has been writing and editing the music blog rocknyc.live since 2009. He considers this to be in many ways a golden age for pop music and hopes you are enjoying it too.

rock nyc

Sneak Peaks: New Album Releases Week Of February 18th, 2013

The Major Lazer album looks like fun but who is kidding who? This is Nick Cave’s week and the Bad Seeds is one of the biggest of, at least, the season. I was listening to Dig Lazarus Dig earlier today and I simply prefer Bad Seeds to Grinderman and I’ve listened to the new one a few times and it is gonna be a biggie.

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-19-13

Young Adult Friction – The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Shoegaze? I dunno, the vocals are way way up and the jingle jangle is resembles Belle And Sebastian circa “Seeing Other People”. Maybe the band didn’t want this, but that’s a shame because this was the sound they should’ve pursued – Grade: A

rock nyc

UK Top 10 Singles, February 23rd, 2013

One killer song here, the new Avicii is really hot and smart house pop (if you see what I mean) and gives Calvin Harris a run for his money. And Alpin’s singer songwriter song is pretty catchy stuff. Emili has ANOTHER hit off her album?

rock nyc

Loser And Winner Week of February 11th, 2013: Lady Gaga And Bon Jovi

Yes, I did have a ticket to the Lady Gaga concert at MSG next Friday, and yes, I was very disappointed at her cancelling (the third time she has cancelled a gig on me pop pickers) but more alarmed at the reason for her cancelling her ENTIRE TOUR, for a hip replacement. At the age of 26 years old, for a singer who does so much dancing to have hip replacement surgery? That isn’t a positive sign. Though, glass half full Stef?, nothing else would have slowed her down after years of touring and, it is not as though she lost her voice

rock nyc

Active Viewin': Concert Picks For The Week Of February 18th, 2013

I haven’t seen Tomas Doncker on stage since last summer but I have heard the rough mixes of Power Of The Trinitty… A Slight Return, a powerful consolidation of his Global Soul and am very excited to have the opportunity to catch him opening for Teddy Afro -an Ethiopian superstar, who doesn’t sound like you think he might,, but rather he plays out with jams and repetitions. Tomas hits the stage at 1115pm. so get to BB Kings early (or is that late?) Friday night.

rock nyc

rock nyc Top 10 Songs Week Of February 11th, 2013

The Normal Living did themselves nothing but favors with a terrific show at Fontana last week, Modern Hut don’t have a release date for their long awaited album so “History”, as important as Regina’s “Ink Stains”, will have to wait to be heard, Tomas’ “Rise Above” is completed and the album should be out soon.

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-16-13

Daylight – Maroon 5 – Sure, I’m psyched to be seeing em tonight. Wouldn’t you be? And this is their third off the latest album, and to my mind just about in the midle between the others. It is also a song where you can hear the song making by committe at work, that’s what all the oh hoos at the end are about – Grade: B+

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-15-13

Heaven’s Just A Sin Away – Kelly Willis – The Kendalls, a father and daughter duo had a hit with this, so, as Bruce Robison put it wednesday night, “Country right?” Early 1990s Kelly version doesn’t have the edge to her tone she does now but it is pretty awesome in an early Rosanne Cash way – Grade: A-

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-14-13

Retrograde – James Blake – Children grow up so fast these days? This electronic soul song is a leap forward after the sameyness of the debut album. Plus, Blake’s falsetto sounds great and meaningful,and the beats like handclaps are fun – Grade: A-

rock nyc

Hey, Michael Dorf: How About A Tribute To Talking Heads In 2014?

Llet’s look at 2014. Let’s look not at David Byrne but Talking Heads. Since Byrne flat out refuses to reform the band and since he only plays an occasional song in concert, we are gagging to hear these songs live. And since you need bucks to go to Carnegie Hall and catch one of these tributes, and since older New Yorkers are more likely to have money

rock nyc

Hear Ye: 2-13-13

Started From The Bottom – Drake – Drake is really unique, he can take what would be dreary by anybody else and spin gold. This is the most depressing song ever written about the joys of success. It can’t seem to drag itself out of the nightclub – Grade: B+

rock nyc

20 Minutes Of The Grammys 2013

Rock music is not movies and a Grammy is not an Oscar. It is an irrelevance when your job is changing lives a generation at a time (at least in theory). If I was a teenager in 2013 I would consider rock and roll to almost beyond redemption

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-12-13

Your Painted Smile – Bryan Ferry – I was really surprised to discover Ferry’s 1996 masterpiece Mamouna is not available on digital. Indeed, a chunk of his best albums are not around on digital. I saw Ferry in concert pushing this album and I have never seen him better and I have seen him a great deal. This is a glamorous thing of haunted beauty (and it is digitalized on the More Than This hits album) – Grade: A

rock nyc

Singles Going Steady: New Albums Reviewed Week Of February 4th, 2013

Lovesick Blues – Chris Stamey – Eleven slices of Stamey stamped power pop, from the at the very least difficult dB. Three of them, including the title track with a near perfect strings drenched coda and one with Andy Partridge arranging the strings, are as good as it gets when it comes to still Big Star still influenced pop music. And the rest? A little boring – Grade: B

rock nyc

UK Top 10 Albums, February 16th, 2013

I know you probably think the Courteeners are the sort of English rock band who pun on an obscure English car, and you are right of course, but they are probable the best band from Manchester around right this minute and Manchester being Manchester, that actually means something. I’ve streamed the album and on First listen Anna is the real thing, at least till the two thirds mark.

rock nyc

Uk Top 10 Singles, February 16th, 2013

The week belongs to Grime King Dizzee Rascal, and I gotta tell you, “Bassline Junkie” is absolutely great. It is about as funky and as bass heavy and as flat out funny as you thought it might be if you really thought about it. The video is fun as well. Hmm, Fall Out Boy and Tinie Tempah are here as well…

rock nyc

Sneak Peaks: New Releases Week Of February 11th, 2013

Kelly Willis is always excellent so I am thrilled she has a newbie, and Bryan Ferry? Still recycling his catalog but why not? But I am not the only one who has been waiting since November for the release of the new Pissed Jeans albums. I’ve only heard two tracks, one is a masterpiece and the other one isn’t.

rock nyc

rock nyc Top 10 Songs Week Of february 4th, 2013

MBV have one of the great songs of the year here, as does Gary Wilson and Scott Krokoff (Krokoff late 2012) and while I don’t much care for what Fall Out Boys I never really did and I don’t hear much rust on em. Absolutepunk loved them in L.A. a coupla days ago.

rock nyc

Active Viewin': Concert Picks Week Of February 11th, 2013

Actually, I have tix for Lulu at BB Kings and Maroon 5 at MSG, so I plan to stay with Lulu till around 915 and then dash like hell to MSG and miss the first half hour or so of Maroon 5. M5 are awesome live and Lulu is a legend and I just have to see the Shout-er whose personal life alone reads like a who-whos of 70s rock. Being married to Maurice Gibb is one thing, dating David Bowie something else entirely. And managing both in one life time… Any way, Saturday night. M5 is sold out so if you don’t have a tix choose Lulu.

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-10-12

The Right Chemistry – Goldenboy – Alyson Camus faves bury the vocals so low they are like shoegaze meets lo-fi so-cal and a bridge that goes from brown to blue and a pretty good back up singer adding ooohs and ahhhs. All it needs is a synth and darker lighting! – Grade: A-

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening To 2-9-13

Wide Lovely Eyes – Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds – We’ve been waiting for Push The Sky Away for year and upon year and to be honest, gaving streamed it maybe twice, I would dub it midseason Cave. Not bad, sure, but a little dowdy maybe. Except for this full bloodied piano ballad which is so beautiful it kinda stops your breathe. Prettiest song I’ve heard since Regina’s “How” – Grade: A

rock nyc

Hear Ye: What rock nyc Is Listening to 2-8-13

Make It With You – Bread – David Gates could sure write a terrific melody and this mainstream beauty of wimp rock stands as a seduction so sweet, he means both make it thru life and make out, it remains a memory of a kindre gentler world – Grade: A+

Scroll to Top