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

Be Here Now: New Album Releases Snapshot Review 11-26-13

The greatest playwright of the 20th century writes a radio play incorporating elements of Dark Side Of The Moon. Voices by the likes of Bill Nighy and Rufus Selwell who act out thought experiments (like the sort you learnt in ethics class back at college, over the album played with most of the vocals removed in celebration of its 40th Anniversary. So where’s “Money”, eh? – B+

Television

Dr. Who's "The Day Of The Doctor" Reviewed

Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor and David Tennant as the 10th Doctor meet up with John Hurt as… well, I don’t know what number Dr. Who it is, a War Doctor, finds the trio ready and willing and has done in the past, kill off a planet before going back to the future via a doomsday machine with a conscience, to not kill off the Daleks and the Time Lords in one fell swoop.

rock nyc

The Annotated Elton John Setlist

With 9 songs off Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and the first three nearly mirroring the first three on the classic double album, not only did Jack Phillips get it right here but my own anticipation level for the December 4th, 2013 is through the roof if not further.

rock nyc

Kanye West: To Behave Or To Be Free

Yeezus isn’t what Kanye thinks it is, the move from “On Sight” -not giving a fuck to “Bound 2” -his emotional resurrection, to giving a fuck, through love. He doesn’t recover, he hasn’t recovered, even with Jesus in his sights

rock nyc

UK Top 10 Albums 12-1-13

I can’t say I’m bothered by Robbie one way or the other, I am a big fan but this is awful thin gruel, otherwise this is all over the place and very English in many ways. Still, is EDM gonna lose its grip in 2014?

rock nyc

Active Viewin': rock nyc Concert Picks Week Of 11-25-13

Though he was so great that time, performing Astral Weeks, performing a “Slim Slow Slider” for the ages that it might very well keep you satiated for years. Just not five years. So his show at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Monday is more than a giving thanks, it is a benediction. Rumor has it, this may be his farewell tour. You have to hope not.

rock nyc

Cat Stevens 2013 Setlist Straight From Sao Paulo

This is a different set from the one we posted, though it has similarities. What stands out is “All You Need Is Love” and “The Foreigner Suite (I doubt he performed the full version). The 16th is better than the 17th. The first three songs on the Saturday gig are essentially devastating. Even the third, “Midday” is his best Yusuf track.

rock nyc

"The Pitchfork Review" Return To Print

I’ve disliked Pitchfork for its insulated arrogance and lousy taste in music for years now And really, who on earth needs a Van Morrison retrospective? Tied to what? That’s something people with zero resources do -I wrote one two years ago, do, not fat bullies like Pitchfork.

rock nyc

Brand New And An Offer You Can't Refuse

“Straight female is ready to bj a guy/possibly sex a guy up for Brand New tickets.” Funnily enough, this is hardly new, last year women were offering sex for Stone tickets, but cmon Brand New ain’t the Stones, and the entire tone of the ad is pretty wild. I mean, what is “Sex a guy up” exactly?

rock nyc

Don Giovanni Fest This February 2014

Any way there is always something and I plan to go on February 7th, the more mainstream of the three nights. Why? because Shellshag are playing and Shellshag are the proud owners of one of the best albums of 2013, the awesome Shellshag Forever.

Lists

Two Musicians Per decade Define It!

1950s – Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley – the American songbook and the King Of Rock and Roll, and really, if there is a changing of the guards in 1956 it is between these two men. Incidentally, a sign of the time but neither wrote their own material.

rock nyc

US Top 10 Singles 11-30-13

Hand it to Ke$ha on this one, she handles the chorus with complete confidence and smartiness and the song is a sweet nothing but Pitbull always mixes pop smarts with Latin American savvy.

rock nyc

Gross Ghost's "Public Housing" Reviewed

Written in the aftermath of singer Matt Dillon’s break up with a girlfriend, the follow up to their debut album Brer Rabbit, the duo of Dillon and bassist Tre Acklin added drummer Chris Riddle and second guitarist Rob Dipatri., and came up with Public Housing, album # 2.

rock nyc

Madonna At A Glance

As last years controversy swirls this year, let us be clear: for all of Lady Gaga’s many gifts, and despite Gaga’s last four albums being vastly superior to Madonna’s last four albums, Gaga is no Madonna. In the 1980s Madonna was pop music and until the 21st century she very seldom faltered. Here is a refresher course:

rock nyc

UK Top 10 Albums 11-23-13

Celine Dion: she might well be a working class phenom but she still is the most overblown singer on the planet; I can’t take her. She can’t express an emotion without drawing you a diagram

Scroll to Top