Check out our performance of "Mercedes", the first release of the 'Sinful Things Acoustic Series' via the lovely folks at @sofarnyc.
Sidenote: that shirt looked hella good, huh? 🌷🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼🏵💐
It's not over yet... Fight To Save Net Neutrality!
Fight to protect your own rights. Petition to have Congress step in and save net neutrality. Paying one price for internet and getting it at a fair speed should not be offered at different price points to the haves and have nots. Stop the FCC from choosing big businesses over YOU. The moment they privatize the internet is the moment they control ALL THE INFORMATION IN THE WORLD. That includes not only yesterday or today, bu beyond. Sign in and help the ACLU keep the future of news, communication, and justice fair, for the people, and by the people.
SIGN HERE: https://action.aclu.org/secure/save-net-neutrality
Jeff Buckley Tribute Concert + Me (Updated)
This Sunday is probably going to be the most intense, stressful, magical, important show that I've ever played. Anyone who knows me well enough can tell you the impact Jeff Buckley has had on my life. It was only a few years ago that I was watching Gary Lucas perform at a Jeff Buckley tribute show. It was one of the most moving shows I've ever been to in my life. Now I'm on the other side of the stage, and on the same bill as him. That's so weird...
Here is photographic evidence of that time I totally invaded Gary Lucas' personal space for a picture (on a very old phone, obviously)
You see, Jeff's music found me at an interesting time. I was experiencing and feeling things that I perhaps should not have been feeling. Without getting into any specific details (so as to avoid hurting anyone's feelings), I was feeling so many contradictory things that you'd never think I'd feel on the outside looking in. It all stemmed from not feeling understood and having limitations. That stifles people in a big way, I feel. Long story short, finding his music was a purifying wave that completely swept me away. You know that scene in the Justice League trailer where Aquaman is being splashed by waves? Yea, like that only more colorful. Here was a guy who made whatever kind of music he wanted, light or heavy, and did it with so much honesty that you couldn't help but fall in love with him. I became obsessed with the guy to the point where I knew a lot of very odd points of trivia about him. I never saw him perform live, but seeing a tribute show that featured nothing but his music was so incredible. It was the closest thing I coulda gotten, and it did not disappoint.
Believe it or not, I had a vision board. Yes, your read correctly. I had a vision board, and on that vision board was a picture I took of a performance from that night. It was one of those performances were you can totally feel something in the air. You can feel a thickness that permeated throughout the space, that it almost warped space and time in such a manner that you can't help but fall under a trance. For a moment, you coulda swore Jeff himself was in the room, or to the side of the stage at least. It was such a powerful night of emotions for me. Everyone there was amplified on the same frequency, and were all there with the common purpose of celebrating the life and work of this true artist. It was only 2 months ago after showing someone new my vision board, that it was pointed out to me that I had achieved yet another goal from said board. I was so caught up in the hurricane of events that comes with being in a band that I didn't even have time to notice it myself. It was at this moment that I stopped and realized the gravity of the situation, and the importance of this moment for me.
I can't begin to tell you how seriously this is being taken. Not just by me, but everyone in the band. This Sunday, 7pm at Arlene's Grocery, I'm gonna do what I've basically been doing in my bedroom since 2010; play some of the most healing music I've ever come across in my life. All to thank the guy who wrote them. All to thank him for giving me the courage and the license to create how and what I wanted to create. Drop by if you can 😇
- theRave
GET TICKETS HERE: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1572698
UPDATE:
How's this for a story book moment?
From being in the audience to sharing the same stage. Yowza...
Lyrics Added to Site!
After many requests, I've finally given in! All of the song lyrics to our songs are now made available via our site (this VERY site right here, actually)! Check up on our toolbar/menu, select the "Lyrics" tab, and then select whichever song from whichever album your heart fancies!
Announcing the SINFUL THINGS TOUR!
We enjoy keeping busy and the rest of 2017 is no exception! We've got new tunes, gizmos, and gadgets all ready for when we come see YOU! So buckle-up if you're in the TriState area, because we plan on taking you for a ride!!
LIVE Interview with All Around Music
As you may have already heard, we're keeping quite busy these days. One of the many things we have coming up is a LIVE interview happening over the interwebZ this Friday @ 7:30pm with the All Around Music Podcast! We'll be talking all things Spells and Curses so drop by, listen in, ask a question, and get a little reckless with us ;D
FRIDAY, September 1st @ 7:30 pm
https://www.twitch.tv/allaroundmusicpodcast
UPDATE (9/4/17)
Watch The Full Episode:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/172212273
Listen in as we discuss our live shows, the power of meditation, the pros and cons of music streaming, the mentality behind writing and performing, dinner plans, being a musician in the 21st Century, and more!
Interview with Territorial Noise
Listen in as Territorial Noise's very own @isadamonfire travels all the way to New York to talk shop with theRave! Hear them discuss Spells and Curses' newest album Sinful Things, it's purpose + meaning + story, the band’s unique genre-bending style, live shows, the story of both albums, how to cover songs the right way, and make a bid for a collaboration with Kanye West!
Don’t forget to tweet #KanyeAndCurses!
LISTEN:
http://www.sparklivestream.com/territorial-noise/episode-2-spells-and-curses/
Interview with Aquarian Magazine
We recently were interviewed by New Jersey's very own Aquarian Magazine! You can click that link for the internet friendly version, *OR* you can scroll down and see what it actually looks like IN THE MAGAZINE! Ugh, that layout is so damn fine, if I do say so myself (and yes this is how we really speak):
Pick it up in newstands now! #CollectorsItem
Ain't Talking Bout Pop INTERVIEWS TheRave
Hear theRave have a nice chat with the boys over at Ain't Talking Bout Pop to discuss his earliest memories of his musicianship, singers who've influenced his approach, guitar gear geekdom, favorite music videos, the collaborating nature he has with theProfessor, live show memories (as both performer and fan), lessons he learned from Prince (obviously), the creation of Sinful Things, and more...
Catch our latest interview on The Balance Room
Listen in as theRave sat down with Ingrid Wood over at The Balance Room Podcast to discuss the new album, Sinful Things, it's creation, his best piece of advice, the meaning behind the band name, the controversy surrounding it, his favorite gizmos+gadgets, his first recordings, Amy Winehouse's influence on Blackbird, his undying love of Prince, and more...
SINFUL THINGS: In Stores Now
A narrative prequel to their debut album SUADADE, Sinful Things is Spells and Curses creating a sonic representation of their live sound, with a twist of lemon. The result is a rock album, full of unabashedly epic intentions. The perfect companion for floating through space.
credits
theRave: Vocals, Guitars, Synths & Bass
theProfessor: Drums & Percussion
Ben Schigel: Mixing
Mitchell De Koning: Editing
Calvin Edwards (FY Agency): Front Cover Photo
New Facelift? Long overdue...
Oh Dorothy, sweet Dorothy,
Did you truly think I'd leave you?
Simply put, I was merely getting a hold of my bearings. It's a new age my dear, and with it comes a new sense of purpose on my part. I've learned so much in the past few months; both about myself and about the world I wish to leave behind. All I can say for now is this is only the beginning...
I've developed quite a storm coming your way. Forecasts says you'll be dripping wet, but knowing you, you won't mind much. That's good. It's good that at least some things haven't changed. Everything else seemingly has. That's not a bad thing, though. I feel there's a great liberating feeling that occurs when one sheds away the past and embraces new skin. I think you of all people will come to appreciate this most of all.
New spells and curses.
More questions and answers.
ALL
IN
Time
Love and nothing but,
theRave
"Mercedes" Official Music Video
This is the first single off our newest Sinful Things (In Stores June 2nd).
It's a compilation of live footage from a handful of shows from our first tour.
When we were wee wittle guppies. #AhMemories
You could also listen to it via:
\\ Spotify //
\\ iTunes //
\\ Google Play //
\\ Apple Music //
and EVERYWHERE ELSE music is sold + streamed.
How many moons? How many stars?
Hello Dorothy,
How many moons? How many stars? It’s been quite a while, but here we are.
I find myself once again at a point where I have to explain myself to you. It seems that’s all I ever really do, but I don’t mind. I owe you that much for everything you continue to do for me.
What to address first? Perhaps the absence between correspondences? Yes, lets…
2015 was a magical year. The boys and I were just getting our footing into the world of live performance. We hit the ground running in our attempts to bring the music of SUADADE to the masses. There were no expectations, just the task itself and our undying will to best it. From our first show in April to our last in December, we noticed a steady increase in not only our turnouts per show, but our tightness as a group, as well as our overall effectiveness at conveying the message. That message was simply the musical portrayal of the emotions displayed throughout the story of SUADADE. We even ventured outside NY, playing shows in New Jersey and Connecticut. By the end of the year, our progress and ascent was at an all-time high.
We rang 2016 in with an epilogical performance of sorts for our run of SUADADE. It was held in none other than the legendary Bitter End. That show in many ways was the zenith of everything we were working towards for all of 2015. The crowd, the room, the energy, the sound; everything was on point. It may have been cold outside, but we warmed everyone up real nice in that room, and I can honestly say that it was a wonderful night that will remain with me for the rest of my life.
After that show, we went into recording mode for the new EP. Without getting into specifics, it was around this time that new methods were being experimented with. Methods not only for recording, but for planning and delegating a large part of the recording duties. Simply put, none of it bore the results I was expected. Before I knew it, it was April and the opportunity to play to an audience of 10,000 people fell onto my lap. Still being without any finished recordings, and perhaps due to some sense of frustration, I accepted the offer and lined up a few more shows for the year. I figured I’d be able to perform the shows and handle my recording duties in between. This turned out to be easier said than done.
I realized that our live shows, while being excellent, haven’t evolved to a point where I’d like for them to be quite yet. It’s one thing to be able to perform on stage with a band and hold an audience’s emotions in the palm of your hands, but it’s another to toss those very emotions all the way up through the heavens. I wasn’t satisfied with our shows just being great, I need for them to be the best. However I was unable to fully focus my time and attention on improving them the way I saw fit due to my recording responsibilities. That’s when it dawned on me that I’ve reached something of an impasse; essentially, I’d be unable to re-tweak any aspect of my live performances if I’m also operating in a frame of mind for songwriting/producing. These are two very different neural pathways that I access, and with both duties on my plate, I'd be unable to give one the attention it deserved without having it take away something from the other. Now I think those same improvements we made in our live performances were further improved upon this year, but again, that’s not enough for me.
So with that said, I can confidently say that I’ll be going back into recording mode 100%. There are too many songs on the queue waiting to be recorded and released (because while performance + recording need to take precedence over one another, songwriting is a light that’s never turned off). This means there most likely won’t be any big show to announce until we have an EP release party. There are other implications as a result of this; I might be a bit more radio-silent on our social media than usual. If you’ve been following Spells and Curses on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., you’ve probably noticed how there has been at least one post a day pretty regularly. This won’t stop entirely, but it will slow down significantly in order to focus + expedite the recording process a bit more.
Additionally, there will be more content coming out than simply music recordings + music videos. There is more being worked on than simply improving our stage shows + live sound. There will be major restructuring within Spells and Curses dealing addressing a range of topics from the music, to live shows, to the business side of things, and more. All will be revealed in due time, but just know that the next time you will see Spells and Curses, it will be a v2 upgrade. While I anticipate us being offered a show here and there (one that we might even accept if the price is right), know this: YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU SEE VERSION 2 INITIATED. #TheV2Initiative
2017 will be a new year and a new start for Spells and Curses. Everything will either fruitfully multiply, or fail + die miserably in a pathetic, burning wreck of a grave, and I have no intention of letting the latter happen. On this journey there are chances to take, and those chances have significant risk. Yet I take those chances not only to improve on my craft, but to deliver to you the experience of a better class of art from a further realized artist that you deserve. But again, all in due time…
I shall maintain correspondence with you on a regularly basis once again.
I shall remain,
theRave
Spells and Curses cover Maxwell
Like most of the CYAF tracks, this cover is an experiment of sorts. It's more or less an indicator of what I'm trying to do with regards to the vocal production for some of the tracks on the upcoming EP (particularly the vocal harmoniessss!). It was also really fun going crazy with the guitar to get some the "out there" sounds you hear on this track (yea, that's not an orchestra sample I got there, tehe!)
Initially, this cover was only going to be vocals and guitar. But then it gave me "Little Wing"-vibes and I decided to throw on a mallet instrument too. After that came the guitar solo and all the crazy aural experimentation that comes along with it. Everything sounded great, but then I figured it could use some drums to make it more trap-soul-ish. I didn't even want bass on it to be honest, but after some more experimentation, I figured why not and VOILA:
We Missed You...
Things have been kinda quiet here, haven't they?
Well I assure you, that's perfectly normal.
This is what's to be expected when new music is being made 😉
Though we're recording our next batch of EP's, we still can't seem but miss playing live for you. That's why back in April we made our (somewhat) surprise announcement that we'd be playing the opening night of the 2016 Queens Night Market (which had 10,000 PEOPLE in attendance! YIKES!).
A few months of recording later and we're still getting that itch.
So here's the scratch:
We'll be returning to Desmond's Tavern's to introduce you to some of the new songs! So drop by and join the party as we set forth a night filled with new melodies, riotous jollity, and tasty libations.
Desmond's Tavern 433 Park Ave S, New York, New York 10016
Sat. Aug 6th / $8 / 7:30pm / 21+
cya then
"Sexual Healing" [LIVE at The Bitter End]
Here's a clip of us "putting on the lotion" at our show The Bitter End.
Special thanks to Marsin Digital for capturing this beautiful moment!
Join Spells and Curses on YouTube ► http://goo.gl/gG53G2
End of Tour, New Recordings on the Way
Dearest Dorothy,
2015 has been one hell of year! For starters, the winter leg of the SUADADE Tri-State Tour has come to an end.
Just of a few of the things we did on this tour:
Successfully invaded and occupied Manhattan's Lower East Side from September to December!
Held secret shows all over NY! (sign-up for the newsletter + be the 1st to hear about any in the future)
SUADADE got it's very 1st official review by an online magazine!
Set imaginations ablaze at Arlene's Grocery, The Bowery Electric, Pianos, and Rockwood Music Hall!
Ventured out to New Jersey and Connecticut for the first time, and were welcomed by great crowds!
Capped the tour off and rang in the New Year with a SOLD-OUT show at The LEGENDARY Bitter End!
Not too shabby considering we've only been playing live since last April! That's only 10 months! HOLY COW.
Truly, it was a learning experience for us in many ways. Best of all, it brought us even closer together as friends. We've already begun honing in on our strengths, so that we can focus our best efforts into making the next batch of recordings something truly special.
Speaking of which... NEW RECORDINGS!!! That's right, baby!
If you were lucky enough to catch us on this tour, then you most likely heard some of the new songs that are going to be on the next release. This isn't the time nor place to go into further detail but rest assured, the work has already begun! All I can say is that you haven't heard nothing yet.
Alas, this is where I must leave you. These songs won't record themselves ;D
Yours Always,
theRave
Announcing the SUADADE Tour
At long last, here we are.
After almost 6 months of playing, we're about to embark on the most defining moments any artist or band can ever go through. We are very proud to announce that we're taking the show on the road, but will first take baby steps. In addition to playing New York, we're hitting up Connecticut and New Jersey for the first time!
Also, if you haven't noticed... we're ending the show at the ever legendary Bitter End. So you can bet your bottom dollar that we'll cap it all off with a bang. Mark your calendars and get your tickets!
*Any additionally added dates will be included in our live section*
Be sure to follow up on our facebook, twitter, instagram, and newsletter to keep up to date on any additional (and secret) shows!
Acoustic Series Video 3/3 – If Only You Knew
To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album. Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.
The third and final video of the series, features "If Only You Knew".
Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying