Fusilier: NY Slice Session 2025

The debut album from Brooklyn-based guitarist and songwriter Fusilier, 2025's Ambush, is so good that it had me shaking my head in happy disbelief on first listen. The Atlanta-born Blake Fusilier has actually been releasing bangers for a while now — when he headed to Boston for school, he joined a great band called RIBS and opened for bands like Queens of the Stone Age and The Joy Formidable.

Fusilier's Ambush blends '90s alternative rock, soul music, funk and punk in a beautifully artful way — and also includes a couple of guests too: Bartees Strange and Teeny Lieberson. Songs like "Birds" and "Nightmare Muscle" are great examples of the power of Fusilier's sharp writing chops on the album.

Joined by his band —  guitarist Chris Connors (who also appears on Ambush), drummer Mauricio Escamilla, bassist Jozelle Anderson, and guitarist/synth player Alex Desimine — Fusilier performed two songs from that debut, "Hello" and "Nightmare Muscle."

Watch videos of those performance — plus Blake took the "NY Slice" pop quiz too.

[Recorded: 5/27/25; Engineered by Jim O'Hara with Erin Merriman and Holden Buckley. Produced by Meghan Suma. Videographers: Olivia Iannaccone, Nikki Phillips, and Alena Godas.]