Remember when Williamsburg was just a collection of warehouses? Longtime Brooklyn dwellers Sam Brumbaugh and Bronwyn Keenan sure do. Brumbaugh, writer of Goodbye, Goodness, and Keenan, the Guggenheim’s Director of Special Events, recognize how far Brooklyn has come in its artistic development in the past decade, going so far as to dub it a “renaissance.” To commemorate the borough’s achievements and celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary, they’ve co-produced a new concert series called “It Came From Brooklyn,” to take place in Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous rotunda. Read More »

Julian Plenti is the alter ego of Interpol frontman Paul Banks, who releases his debut solo album this week.

While there’s no mistaking the inimitable singer’s ominously captivating vocals, as Julian Plenti, Banks is free to explore wider territory than with his suited-for-brooding band. In fact, Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper sounds downright uplifting at times (most notably on the Polyphonic Spree-esque “Unwind”); at others, it relaxes into string-laced acoustic melancholy.
Read More »