Citywide Blackout

Crema comic brings a story of love, ghosts, and coffee

In the newest episode, comic creator Johnnie Christmas joins me to talk about his newest title, “Crema,” available on ComiXology Originals. The story focuses on Esme, who works as a barista at a Brooklyn coffee shop and knows everything there is to know about the stuff. But when she drinks too much, she can actually see . . . and talk to . . . ghosts.

We talk a lot about the multi-leveled story which blends romance, a haunting legend, and a slice of life tale. Johnnie also shares how the pandemic has impacted his own plans for 2020 and the comic industry as a whole.

Planet DIVOC-91 takes an in-depth look at life in a pandemic

Planet DIVOC-91, a nine-part series from Webtoon, is an offbeat sci-fi satire about a pandemic outbreak in the far reaches of outer space. But the story goes way beyond that. Each chapter features the work of a different creative team and cover artist and is interspersed with short articles, links to videos, and other pieces of art by young adults about issues related to COVID-19, and mixes from world renowned DJs and Producers.

Writer Sara Kenney (who wrote the first part and laid the groundwork for the series) and artist Nick Brokenshire (who drew the second part) join me to talk about the creative process and the different directions aspects of the pandemic that get examined.

 

New single “Revelación” challenges racism and white supremacy

In this episode, I'm joined by Boston-based artists Genie Santiago and ALGO to talk about “Revelación,” a single they collaborated on and released on July 24. “Revelación” marks a shift in Santiago’s work towards protest music with a social justice message. We talk about that message and how to continue the conversation that recent events have started. Genie and ALGO reminisce on how they met and formed a partnership that has led to multiple creative projects.

Following the interview, enjoy the new single, “Revelación.” Proceeds from the Bandcamp release will go towards Border Angels, a California-based nonprofit aimed at assisting migrants traveling across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Horror author travels through time in her debut novel

Author Cheryl Alleyne's new book, “Belle Vue,” gives us a unique take on the haunted house genre. In this tale, we see the origins of Belle Vue Manor, formerly a Victorian lunatic asylum. In the present day, history student Alex Palmer is thrilled when his girlfriend, Claire Ryan, buys an apartment in Belle Vue. But as Alex begins to discover the dark truth about the asylum’s past, he, Claire, and their friend Marianne find themselves on a nightmarish journey.

We take a look at the research that went into this story and Cheryl's fascination with these kinds of stories. She talks about the challenges of doing your own marketing and the great time she's had working with Crystal Lake Publishing. The book will be released on August 25 with a print, e-book, and audiobook version.

Three At Home talk about live Friday shows and monthly releases

Joining me from their deck, Dann Russo and Mary Casiello of Three At Home talk about their new project, "playlist. #notarecord," which has been released one song at a time since June. Since the pandemic put a halt to live performances, they've run weekly livestreams called SpotiFriday, which has featured dozens of covers as well as some of their work. We even get into their origin, which has a few different versions.

 

After the interview, enjoy two songs from the new project, “Fill It Up,” followed by “We Were There.”

Virtually Yours--The first dating app that has nothing to do with actually dating

In this episode, writer Jeremy Holt and artist Elizabeth Beals talk about the new comic, “Virtually Yours,” which you can get exclusively on ComiXology Originals. We talk all about the amazing characters and the many changes the title went through to become what it is today, as well as the message behind the story.

 

Career-minded Eva Estrella is tired of her family asking when she’s going to settle down. Why won’t they stop nagging her? New York City is a big place! Sure it’s easy to meet people, but you try finding "the one" in a city of 8 million! Besides, Eva doesn’t want a distraction from her goal of finding a dream job in journalism. So Eva joins Virtually Yours, a virtual dating app that provides all the proof of being in a relationship—without actually being in one.

 

And then there’s Max Kittridge. He might be a former child star, but right now he’s in the middle of a divorce and going through the motions. Max takes a gig at Virtually Yours creating, what becomes, a highly sought-after profile, making him a top performer at the company. As they navigate their current circumstances, both Eva and Max find that sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you.

Nadia Vaeh reminds us to take a breath in her new single, “RiSE”

In this episode, LA-based pop artist Nadia Vaeh and I dive into her latest single, “RiSE,” a positive song about slowing down and being in the present moment. This includes the amazing team she worked with—EGDABEAST, Tyler Spratt, and Hazel Rose. She also talks about what led to her moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles in early 2019 and her experiences there.

 

Following this, I've got three of her songs for you—“1,000 Cuts,” “Boomerang,” and “RiSE.”

Daniel Promotes shares the launch of OMT Records

Daniel Promotes has been a longtime part of Citywide, and I'm happy to share all the news about his career. Case in point—the launch of OMT Records, something that has been years in the making. We talk about the artists they'll be working with, including Prezidential Grown, and what they're looking for in new talent.

 

Following this, enjoy three of Daniel's new songs—“Crown Me,” “Mamba,” and “Sip.”

The Grownup Noise strike out in new directions with "Lonely Days"

I've been a longtime fan of The Grownup Noise, so I was really happy to welcome back Paul Hansen (vocals, synth, guitar) to talk about the new album, “Lonely Days,” available in physical and digital formats. The band tries some new sounds in this album, and Paul goes into the different direction and what the end result was. He also talks about newcomer Max Weinstein and how the band befitted from his style.

 

Following this, I've got three songs from the new album—“I Get It Now,” “Lonely Days,” and “Tracing Back.”

All Legends Incorporated talk about their new album and upcoming book

The husband and wife rap duo All Legends Incorporated Gang just released their new album, “Undefeated,” and the stories contained in these tracks speak to a lot of personal experiences, such as “Haterz,” where the two show that to all those that doubted to talked down to them, they have never given up. They also share their times behind the mics and how they came to make music together and the many talented people they've had the chance to work with.

Following this, enjoy three of their songs, “Haterz,” followed by “Gang Shit,” and “Holy Sin.”