A few of my favorite things: Rio Romeo
Marisa Whitaker
April 9, 2026
Portraits by Marc Giuffre It’s already a feat to be a touring musician who travels via van with all that big, heavy gear in tow.
Portraits by Marc Giuffre It’s already a feat to be a touring musician who travels via van with all that big, heavy gear in tow.
COOL KIDS #11: MIKE BRANDON of The Mystery Lights and Fast Kids ★★★★★★★ To be empowered – to be free, to be unlimited, to be creative,
It was an honor to be asked by one of the NYC music scene’s most respected and beloved artists to tour manage her band at
Alongside tour managing NYC’s own Torture and The Desert Spiders, I abused my official music pass to do some unofficial press for Alt Citizen at
COOL KIDS #10: THE DUTCH KILLS ★★★★★★★ The duende is a power, not a work. It is a struggle, not a thought … The duende
Photos by Marc Giuffre and Jade Greene, Words by Marisa Whitaker Photo credit: All by Greene in collage, besides top right of Diva Smith by
NYC-based jazz/folk/pop priestess and singer-songwriter Joelle Bensaïd, who most recently released her debut album Dry Spells, has curated an inspiration-laden playlist, filled with the soothing
COOL KIDS #9: THE BREAKS INC. ★★★★★★★ Being in this band and being in a band that people have heard of doesn’t change the fact
Crisis Public Relations – a NYC-based band that’s playing the Ali Forney Benefit show co-hosted by AC this Friday, 1/30, at Baby’s All Right –
Photographer/finance bro/AC columnist/friend to many Marc Giuffre has provided our ears with an inside listen into his Long-Island-emo-bred music taste. If you follow anyone in
Drummer extraordinaire of “9 local bands” and your favorite afters-participant funny guy, Harry Smith, has provided us with a heat string of songs. Harry has
We’ve been invited to partner with the firm/band Crisis Public Relations and host the “Biggest Indie Pop Bash of 2026.” Taking place on 1/30 at
COOL KIDS #8: ALEXA DARK ★★★★★★★ Fate, I respect a lot. I never regret anything. – Anita Pallenberg When I show up late Make the
COOL KIDS #7: TROPHY WIFE ★★★★★★★ Find out who you are and do it on purpose. – Dolly Parton And I guess life’s full of
COOL KIDS #6: GNARCISSISTS ★★★★★★★ Punk rock is a word used by dilettantes and heartless manipulators about music that takes up the energies and the
COOL KIDS #5: CHALK ★★★★★★★ And these children that you spit on As they try to change their worlds Are immune to your consultations They’re
COOL KIDS #4: NIKITA LEV ★★★★★★★ This world is bullshit. You shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is cool and
COOL KIDS #3: SKORTS ★★★★★★★ The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the
COOL KIDS #2: LAVEDA ★★★★★★★ I could taste the peach and feel the soft air blowing from a subway grating on my legs and I
COOL KIDS #1: NATIVE SUN ★★★★★★★ Welcome to COOL KIDS. I was curious about all these new people I was meeting who could stay up
New York City and Liverpool-bred post-punk-rock trio Torture and The Desert Spiders have released a new single, “Working On Myself.” The pop-laced, garage-rock track is
The Shangri-Las are back in 2025 and have taken over the bodies and 60s-dream-girl souls of Tchotchke! The New York-based trio has released its newest
New York City-bred post-hardcore rockers Show Me The Body have released a new single, “One Train,” accompanied by a blistering music video. The two-minute-and-a-half-long track
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Truman Flyer has released her debut solo single, “True Love.” The glittering and eloquently layered production sounds like a lost track out of
Photos by Kate Cassise, Words by Marisa Whitaker Local photographer Kate Cassise was out late and nightcrawling two weeks ago, when she photographed two of
In celebration of our 15th anniversary, we are hosting back to back shows throughout the week of 9/9 to 9/14 in music venues across New
Music Discovery is Everything. For 15 years, ALT CITIZEN, the independent music publication, live show promoter, and zine, has been a pioneer in uplifting, inspiring,
Words by Marisa Whitaker, Photo by Nico Daniels and photo edited by Hamish McCallion Oklahoma-bred and Brooklyn-based electro-pop artist Pisha has unveiled her latest single,
Photos by Kate Cassise, Words by Marisa Whitaker New York City-bred and globe-trottin’ rock band The Thing closed its three-night Nightclub 101 residency on July
Photos by Marc Giuffre, Words by Marisa Whitaker I sat down with frontman, namesake, and mind of Brooklyn-based rockers Dead Tooth, Zach Ellis, on the
Photo by Matt Weinberger, Words by Marisa Whitaker Mexico City-bred singer-songwriter Americo of rock ‘n’ roll band The Americojones Experience sat down with Alt
New York-based theatre company Utopia for Losers will debut its newest production by María Irene Fornés, “MUD,” on June 26 at the American Theatre of