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.

Slideshow

Let's Active: rock nyc Concert Picks w-o 9-22-14

I had tickets to see No Doubt at Roseland years ago and blew it off to check out Nustrat Ali Khan, not a bad trade off, but it is one I don’t need to make Saturday at Central Park for the Global Citizen Festival where they headline along with the likes of Jay Z, Carrie Underwood, fun., The Roots and Tiesto

Slideshow

10 Songs: Sunday, September 21st, 2014

Imagine if Jefferson Starship were really, really Jefferson Airplane, and you will get close to this anthem. “This is for the wild ones, this is for the hearts that never quit” Viv sings, and recently signed to Republic Records, it has apparently paid off big – B+

Slideshow

Iranian Kids Get Happy

Suddenly, you couldn’t dance, couldn’t drink, the maniacs drained all life out of life. Or at least they certainly tried. Of course, much like Saudi, which is something in the nature of a 24 hour a day rave behind locked doors, nothing can stop people from living their lives.

Opinion, Slideshow

ISIS Wants You

It is like following a band on twitter: the information comes through the same way, hip, jargoned, cool slash With a mix of hi tech hi jinx, Yankee armor, and a creative department who act like a specialty advertising agency, they spread the word in appealing coatings of dread and last gang of town

Slideshow

10 Songs: Saturday, September 9th, 2014

A strange conglom of trip hop inspired (but not trip hop beats), modern r&b and… Keane? It shouldn’t and it sure shouldn’t work this well, but the song is a crafty smart beauty, catchy as hell, and while the f bomb means it ain’t gonna break pop, it should do – A

Slideshow

Scotch Musicians Listed (For Obvious Reasons)

Now it’s all over and we wipe away our tears and turn to face a new day for Scotland and the rest of the world, let’s take a break from Scotch Whiskey, Golf, Haggis, and making fun of the Scotcish accent, ach aye, I dannae can… and take a look at Scottish musicians as listed by Wikipedia

Slideshow

What NYU Students Are Listening To

We stole this one off brooklynvegan but we are happy to credit the wise cut and pasters for a great great idea: viz taking from Spotify NYU’s listening habits. So what have we learnt: nothing very surprisingly. There is much much worse musicians to patronize then James Blake.

Lists, Slideshow

The A+ List: 9-19-14

The Heart That Time Forgot – Kelly Willis – MCA Nashville made her a star but not on the Bang Bang album, her sophomore effort and still a masterful 80s country album with strong countrypop songs including this one by Nashville pro Kostas Lazarides. Willis aches through the melody and the guitar break is simple and understated.

Slideshow

10 Songs: Friday, September 19th, 2014

Speaking of blueprint, off Kanye’s first alum this sounds like his manifesto, west worries about politics but he can’t get out of the way of Jay Z’s stampeding ego, connected by a self made manual: “we are all here for a particular path”. Good to know – A

Slideshow, Television

Barbra Streisand And Jimmy Fallon And Lieing

With Barbra Streisand, he skipped the game but otherwise he was Rolling Stone reviewing a Springsteen album. You can’t trust him, you really really can’t. Fallon has no sense of proportion and it is like it is cute for him to lie about what his real feelings are and it isn’t cute at all.

Slideshow, US Top 10 Singles

US Top 10 Singles 9-27-14

Meet the new week, same as the old week. I guess the shocker here, if it can be called a shocker any more, is how completely dominated this chart is by women. Six of the top seven positions, seven of the top ten, everywhere you turn, women! Also: pop women, not soul, not rock, but the modern form of pure pop for nw women is completely dominated by women.

Slideshow, US Top 10 Albums

US Top 10 Albums 9-27-14

You want some numbers, right? That’s why you’re here. OK, Christian rapper Lecrae shifted 88,000 units, Ryan Adams, 45,000, Interpol 31,000 and Robert Plant, 29,000? Impressed? Led Zeppelin sold 37 million copies, and despite not being available on streaming services and despite being a really good album, look what Plant sold? Any questions? Then go about your business.

Slideshow, Upcoming Releases

Lowell On Tour With Icona Pop

Taking a cue from the rebellious, feminist-punk contemporaries that her messaging has often been compared to (Kathleen Hanna, Beth Ditto), Lowell’s brand of pop conveys the urgency of her subject matter, but her melodies keep songs accessible, optimistic and fun

Slideshow, Upcoming Concerts

A Decision Has Been Made: Skrillex For New Year's Eve 2014

I got a ticket for Skrillex and Diplo at MSG. Why? I caught some of Skillex’s set at Governors Ball this June and he was terrific and I wanted a closer look and really a MSG is the best place to see a rave and I can’t resist it. I might add that I started listening to recess again, which I kinda dismissed in March but I am beginning to really dig now… so yeah, rave to 2015 folks.

Album Reviews, Slideshow

Lera Lynn "The Avenue" Reviewed

A step sideways and while still good enough to be worth a longer look, it is a strange hybrid new country (or is that Americana?) mood music. If you listen to new r&b, folks like the Weeknd, the sound here would be less Bristol in the 1990s, or George Jones any time, and more moody sounded deep sounds that sink your soul down.

Opinion, Slideshow

Head In The Clouds With U2

The only time the invasion of your privacy is important is when your privacy is most neccessary to you: so, yeah, nobody cares until they do and when they do care your lifes safeguards, your privacy and I am not even suggesting illegality at all here, is common knowledge. then you are screwed.

Slideshow, Television

Dr. Who's "Listen" Reviewed

What’s so cool about a middle aged, grumpy, Scottish Dr. Who? Not much is my claim, I am still going through withdrawal from the leaving of the only Doctor to ever go to Coachella. The Who who broke Who in the US. The only Who who matters. Matt Smith.

Slideshow

10 Songs: Tuesday, June 16th, 2014

Rich Kids – Judah And The Lion – It sounds like folk psychedelia, a dream of a rich soul and having no money melted together, but the complications sick it and stick it as time drifts by and your dreams misguided. Wise stuff – B+

Album Reviews, Slideshow

Meghan Trainor's "Title" Reviewed

The difference lyrically isn’t the difference between love and indifference towards men but about her sense of physicality: her self image. Which has improved vastly. Now she can spend her time worrying about which guys only want her because she’s famous.

Slideshow, UK Top 10 Albums

UK Top 10 Albums 9-19-14

I didn’t much care for the first single “Rainbow” and didn’t pursue the new Robert Plant album but I have heard it now and it is a very strong. Incidentally, I just read about ten reviews and nobody knows how to describe the sound. Let me help: the words are folk rock. Sam Smith at the top of the charts again!

Slideshow, UK Top 10 Singles

UK Top 10 Singles 9-19-14

Wait a second, Brown, Usher and Ross? Personally, I am amazed Ross is still kicking but he really is a great rapper and this is a soulful, more Usher than Brown track. Personally, I was disappointed by “Blame” -relatively speaking of course. I’m guessing John Newman gave it the magic juice.

Slideshow

10 Songs: Monday, September 15th, 2014

“I take a trip to Gaza, it’s really love I’m after” might be the point but “She’s got a giggle when she talks, she’s close to God, I treat her like a a dog” is the money shot. With air raid sirens as the hook, this is one of the most lovely songs and strange songs you’ll hear this year. Is he being ironic? Unlikely – A

Slideshow

10 Songs, Sunday, September 14th, 2014

Childhood’s End – Majick Cloudz – I am catching em opening for one Lorde on Monday and so here is a taste of the Canadian electronic duo and I can’t say I am thrilled at the prospect: they sound like the Drums without the surf and with plenty of electronics and deep piddle paddle drums – B-

Slideshow

One Direction's "Fireproof" Reviewed

One Direction should have been and gone. A manufactured boy band who hit it big and should have disappeared just as fast but are releasing their fourth album this year and if “Fireproof” -their best song since “Kiss You” is anything to go by, are not going to disappear any time soon either.

Lists, Slideshow

Ryan Adams Setlist 2014, Spotified

So what do we make of the setlist? Quite a bit from the new one, a handful of oldies, some obscurities, tons of stuff I want to hear but he won’t be playing. Tracks off that double that wasn’t a double with Cardinals. “Oh My Sweet Carolina” as close to a must play as there is. Personal fave “Crossed Out Name”.

Opinion, Slideshow

So Much Music, So Little Time

Time is always a valuable commodity but now it is an impossible commidy in the heart of a week with so much great music all around me that I don’t even know what to tell you. I can’t find the time to hear everything I want to, I do’t have enough ears to keep up with this week

Movies, Slideshow

Bjork Live On Film

There is an interconnection between everything that is going on stage and while it is only as good or bad as the music on stage, it is a mirror image of the songs concerns. If the music didn’t work, the conceits wouldn’t matter. But the music is wonderful and therefore everything work

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