Brian Josephs

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Brian Josephs |Graham Dickie

On a recent Friday night at Paragon, a two-level dance club that sits under train tracks in Bushwick, Brooklyn, partygoers jerked their bodies to the thump of rave music. In the less roomy basement, silhouettes swayed as the flashes of blue from the ceiling's grid of LED lights revealed young faces. It was "def a good night for us," John Barclay, the owner of Paragon, said in a text message the next day.

Jan 10, 2025 | straitstimes.com | Brian Josephs

NEW YORK – One Friday evening, the conversation in the backroom of All Blues in Tribeca, where about two dozen people sat in leather chairs, was overtaken by the music streaming from three large, mid-20th century speakers. Behind a DJ booth, Mr Yuji Fukushima, 62, the owner of the bar, spun a set that included 1980s funk and late-career Dizzy Gillespie, which played from a pair of German-made turntables.

Dec 30, 2024 | nytimes.com | Brian Josephs

Over in Queens, Record Room has the energy of a bustling speakeasy. After walking past the entrance's cafe and shelves of vinyl records, the atmosphere is more like a dance party. The crowd joins together in full-volume singalongs and line dances to modern R&B hits. To Nia Bolling, a copywriter in Brooklyn who frequents Record Room and other listening bars, the vibe may have been great, but the sound system was the main appeal.

Dec 13, 2024 | nytimes.com | Brian Josephs

One of the most beloved holiday traditions that doesn't involve gift-giving is "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The 1965 animated special, depicting the trials of the titular sad sack and a crew of kids wearied beyond their years by commercialism, has inspired repeat viewings and countless appraisals, including in The New York Times.

Feb 13, 2024 | nytimes.com | Brian Josephs

The hip-hop star’s wit has long shone in his critically acclaimed music and on social media. Now, it is the center of his new Netflix sitcom.