NYS Music 202​1

Category: New York Singles

  • Otto Botté new single “Dancing Company” ft. Emma Claye

    NYC-based Colombian producer, singer-songwriter, and sound engineer Otto Botté unleashed his vibrant new single, “Dancing Company,” featuring Emma Claye. The song is accompanied by a Pablo Morelo-directed lyric video and news that the rising artist will release his debut EP, Dancing Company Vol. I, on July 16. 

    Emma Claye and Otto Botté

    On the title offering of his forthcoming debut EP, Botté delivers a genre-defying track about passionate nights on the dancefloor while highlighting Claye’s dreamy vocals with an array of live instrumentation and house-leaning synths.

    With “Dancing Company,” the self-taught, multi-faceted sound engineer and artist demonstrates his ability to infuse traditional Colombian roots music and Latin pop with elements of house music. The dance influences he’s absorbed from a decade of immersing himself in NYC’s nightlife and music scene by working with a spectrum of rising and prominent musicians shine on this single. 

    The lyric video, which premiered via Bands Do Brooklyn, starred Botte himself and Emma Claye and displays both the Spanish and English translations of the song. The colorful background interposed with the black and white filtered shots highlights how well the video was color-graded. The high-energy cuts and continuous dancing replicate the clubbable vibe of the track.

    This song has freed me to express my unfiltered version through flirtiness and sensuality looking to portray the beauty in human connection, whether it’s instant and led by sounds or when it’s intimate and sensed through smells. I see God reflected in our ability to connect in community. There’s a line in the song that says, ‘I feel you watching me like if I got no clothes on’ and this takes place on the dance floor when I’m doing my thing, feeling watched by somebody else, desired, and vulnerable, yet comfortable in my skin.

    “This thought immediately made me draw a parallel in my relationship with God and how comfortable I can be when I feel naked or mess-up, when I dance or sing, just being my true self before God, knowing that he looks over and meets me no matter how lonely or fulfilled I may feel. It’s refreshing to feel his presence in my daily life, in and outside of music, on and off the dance floor,” he added.

    “Dancing Company” the third single released off of Botté’s debut EP after “Humbara,” which recently surpassed 100K global streams, received its first radio spin Wednesday on Los Angeles’s 88.5FM LatinAlt HD3. So far, this time around Botté has received support from Indie Criollo and EDM Nations. Previous support has come from NPR Music’s World Cafe, Acid Stag, Medium, Urban Latino, The Fox Magazine, and Kick Kick Snare, just to name a few.

    Tracklist for Otto’s debut EP, including unreleased remixes by Jacuzzi Jefferson:

    Dancing Company Vol.1

    Since arriving in NYC as a teenager from Bogotá, Botté has acquired a Best Remixed Recording – Non-Classical Grammy nomination in 2015 for his co-mastering of “Waves” by Mr. Probz, a remix of Robin Schulz. Credits on multi-platinum projects of Enrique Iglesias, Joey Bada$$, Trey Songz, Fedez, and more. Botté is also a member of the NYC-based electronic trio Pool Cosby, which most recently released its Day Breaks album in 2020 and has been featured on Billboard, Earmilk, GRUNGECAKE, and more.

    Stream or watch Dancing Company here. Follow Otto Botté on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Listen to Otto Botté on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

  • D’Arcy Releases Alt Rock Single “Bad Habit”

    New York City-based indie alternative act D’Arcy shared her newest single “Bad Habit” on May 28 in preparation for the release of her debut EP album and tour.

    D'Arcy

    D’Arcy’s debut single, “Crush,” was released in October 2020. “Crush” was followed by her single “Bad Girls” in December 2020 with a remix by producer Morgothbeatz, who has previously worked on tracks with rappers Lil Xan and Juice WRLD.

    “Bad Habit” stands in contrast to D’Arcy’s other tracks, which focus on upbeat young love, lust and wild nights. “Bad Habit,” with its buzzing bassline and low-spirited lyrics seems to reflect the aftermath of the “cocaine, head spin, pills and gin,” that D’Arcy sings about in “Bad Girls.”

    D’Arcy’s alternative style shines in “Bad Habit,” using original electronic tracks that add to the mysterious and grungy feel of the lyrics. The genre-bending singer sticks out in a similar way that Nine Inch Nails does, shifting from electronic, to art-pop, to more angsty alt-rock in each single. D’Arcy is one of those artists that simply can’t be kept within a genre label.

    Bad Habit centers on a struggle with addiction and the road to recovery, the song involves self-awareness about the reality of addiction.

    D’Arcy

    “Bad Habit” also evokes a similar vibe to popular singer Lorde’s alternative style, both discussing themes like addiction, nightlife, and settling into adulthood. D’Arcy’s developing style through her first three singles is a promising introduction for her upcoming album.

    D’Arcy’s “Hard to Kill” Summer Tour headlined by country singer Lee Dewyze will kick off on August 14 and make four stops in New York State in September. D’Arcy’s debut EP will be released in mid-August.

  • Wild Yaks Announces Live Album, Rockaway Beach show

    Brooklyn-based Wild Yaks have announced Live at Rippers, their fifth LP and first live album, due July 16, 2021. Alongside its digital release, Live At Rippers will be available in a run of 500 LPs with jackets hand-screened in Rockaway Beach, NY. Wild Yaks are proud to be the first band back at the venue in 2021, setting a performance there for July 17.

    For Wild Yaks, music is the ability to take the horrible parts of life, and elevate them into a sacred, firey riot.

    I think my chief interest is to transform despair into moments for celebration. What I’m trying to do is rejoice in what’s fragile, and rejoice in what’s already broken. The only thing that I will accept is being fully abandoned. It’s about moving and singing with no concern for the consequences.

    Wild Yaks’ frontman and songwriter Rob Bryn.

    Live at Rippers presents this vision and the band’s “sense-clobbering” performance better than any album to date. It was recorded at the Rockaway Beach punk-rock-beach-burger-joint Rippers in October of 2019. Bryn again:

    Almost all of the songs grew out of moments that happened in Rockaway. And to perform them at Rippers on the altar of blood from which so many of these things sprang is strange and amazing.

    Wild Yaks play an ecstatic fusion of punk rock and big-city folk reinforced with passionate vocals (often delivered in unison by the full membership). The band was formed in the fall of 2007 in Brooklyn, New York by singer/guitarist Rob Bryn and drummer/vocalist Martin Cartagena.

    While many players have made their way through the Yaks’ over the years, today’s lineup is Jose Aybar (bass), Patsy Carroll (guitar), Giovanni Kincade (Farfisa), Matt Walsh (guitar), plus Cartagena and Bryn. The Yaks’ discography also includes the EP 10 Ships (Don’t die yet, 2009), and full-length albums Million Years(2012), Rejoice! God Loves Wild Yaks (2015), and Great Admirer (2019). The band’s music has been featured in numerous television shows and films, most notably their live performance in an episode of Law and Order SVU.

  • Endearments Makes Debut With Catchy Low-Fi Single

    “Left Side” is the debut single from Endearments (a.k.a Kevin Marksson). The Brooklyn-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist began writing and composing by and for himself for the first time in fifteen years following the end of synth-pop duo Saint Marilyn in 2019. “Left Side” is definitely a way to start his single career strong.

    Endearments
    Album Cover

    The song itself is about how O.C.D. (Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder) affects Marksson and his relationships. The resulting track unspools unanswerable questions over mighty pulses from drummer Jonathan Schmidt and Marksson’s own multi-tracked vocals, which flicker, omnipresent and cool, around the edges of the song’s atmosphere. In this song the low-fi beat with his voice is one where you can just close your eyes and vibe out to.

    This single has Marksson leaning into his obsessive tendencies pouring over every sound and lyric, tweaking every riff and arpeggiation to convey the inner workings of his mind: disorder and parallelism.

    Endearments
    Photo Cred: Rita Iovine

    His chosen name, Endearments, is because “I wanted the name to convey affection, even though I knew the music would almost certainly be sad.”
    Taking inspiration from auteurs like Peter Gabriel and Justin Vernon, Endearments’ lush sonics and careful songcraft reflect Marksson’s avowed status as a hardware-focused composer. Marksson is a longstanding accomplice in the Brooklyn indie rock scene.

  • Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog Shares New Song “The Activist”, Woodstock and Brooklyn Tour Stops

    Guitarist and composer Marc Ribot has shared the first single, “The Activist,” off the upcoming album from Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, Hope, due out on June 25.

    marc ribot's ceramic dog
    album art for “Hope”

    Described by the Village Voice, Ceramic Dog’s bark is just about equal to its bite. The music snarls and snaps with self-awareness, righteous fury, and, inevitably, cynical detachment. The group also features bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Ches Smith of the avant-garde based group Secret Chiefs 3. With this ferocity in mind, Ribot speaks of the first single, “Hope.”

    I like to rant. Ranting is a kind of semi-involuntary spewing of something that seems to be very urgent. This particular rant came up after going to a lot of Activist meetings. Now, don’t get me wrong: some of my best friends are Activists. I’ve even been accused of being one myself (although after reading Astra Taylor’s  essay “Against Activism” I try to aspire to being an organizer, or at least a radical).

    Anyway— I got frustrated at a couple of meetings because of people trying to posture as the most super rad  instead of getting things done. Later, I was supposed to be working on a reasonable position paper of something: but stuff like this came out instead: “I don’t accept sidewalks, I walk on my hands in heavy traffic, and even that is a compromise. I don’t accept gravity, or teeth! I don’t accept you, or what the mainstream media refers to as your cute little (and I quote) “doggie.”  Shahzad and Ches (my Ceramic Dog comrades) thought it was funny, so we started doing it live/improvised— and eventually came up with this jam. Party!

    Marc Ribot

    Ribot as born in Newark, NJ and played guitar in various garage bands while studying under mentor, Haitian classical guitarist and composer Frantz Casseus. After moving to New York City in 1978, Ribot was a member of the soul/punk Realtones, and John Lurie’s Lounge Lizards (1984-89). Between 1979 and 1985, Ribot also worked as a side musician with Brother Jack McDuff, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Chuck Berry, and many others. Pre-order Hope here.

    marc ribot's ceramic dog

    Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Upcoming Shows
    June 6 – Co-presented Burlington Discover Jazz Fest @ The Backyard at Nectar’s, Burlington, VT – 

    June 6 – Co-presented Burlington Discover Jazz Fest @ The Backyard at Nectar’s, Burlington, VT – 

    June 8 @ Bearsville Theater – Woodstock, NY w/ Medeski & Martin –

    June 10 @ Sultan Room  – Brooklyn, NY –

    Watch Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, Live at St Ann’s Warehouse for Big Ears

  • Jxst J releases low-fi single “Alone” ahead of Fall Debut Album

    Lo-fi artist Jxst J , releases a new single “Alone” with a hilarious and entertaining music video. Teasing his debut album “How to Pronounce Jxst J.” After spending his formative years in. LA playing in bands and making music videos, the multi-talented artist is now. Brooklyn-based, where he continues his synesthetic approach to music.

    Jxst J

    The song “Alone” will have you closing your eyes and bopping your head back and forth as his soothing. voice goes perfectly over his low-fi beats.  Drawing from genres like dream pop, indie, and trip-hop, he seamlessly blends acoustic and. electronic elements for a sound that is as eclectic as it is catchy. He achieves a polychromatic sound that shows off his mix of stretched samples, acoustic instruments, analog synths, and his silky vocals.

    As for the music video somehow just goes perfectly with the song easily putting a smile on your face. Although a simple music video, Jxst J is able to make the most out of it making it seem to go flawless with the song. It is most definitely a video that will have you want to watch it every time you listen to the single “Alone.” Jxst J (aka James Pratley Watson.) is a visual artist just as much as he is a musician. Before Jxst J he was recognized for his lo-fi visuals with his band Pratley. Now he is bringing his visual literacy to Jxst J with a trippy, arthouse aesthetic shot primarily on super 8 film

    He plans to release a music video with each. song over the summer until the album “How to Pronounce Jxst J” full release this fall.

  • The FMs Release Two New Singles Highlighting Stigmas and Ignorance in Gender Experience

    The FMs have released two new singles highlighting the stigmas and ignorance in society’s gender experience. The double feature of “Song X” and “Bad Girl” dropped on April 30, 2021. 

    The FMs

    The FMs are an up and coming duo hailing originally from Brooklyn and are now Ithaca based. The duo is made up of Matte Namer (they/them) and Frankie Rex (they/them, he/him) and started officially making music together back in 2017. The two have been friends since high school and their music tackles topics such as sexuality, gender, and politics. 

    The FMs are not making music just for entertainment’s sake, but to call on society to change its historical ignorance. Music can be used as a foghorn for their unwavering support of anyone who remains steadfast in their truth and identity. They embrace androgyny and amplify the voices of “the other” through their music and their very existence is a statement and they are not backing down.

    The single “Song X” dropped with an accompanying video that featured both Namer and Rex. The song speaks to the confines of gender in society between it’s lyrics and visuals the release pulls the stereotypes and expectations of gender apart. The song stresses that gender should not be a box, but an act of self-expression. 

     “Bad Girl” was also released at the same time as “Song X” as a double-feature project. The track is funk-inspired with a sample beat from “It’s Raining Men” accompanied by the FMS signature brand of rock flare and covers similar topics about gender and gender expression that “Song X” does. 

    The duo also released merchandise that is available in conjunction with the release with all profits being donated to the Black Trans Travel Fund. For more information on The FMs visit their website.

  • Kabir Sehgal Collaborates With BIPOC Women On His New EP “Threshold”

    Multi-GRAMMY Award and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning producer/artist Kabir Sehgal collaborates with leading BIPOC and women artists on his latest EP, Threshold, set for release on Tiger Turn on Friday, August 27, 2021.

    kabir sehgal

    Sehgal is an Indian American producer with more than 70 album credits to his name, Kabir Sehgal has released four singles leading up to “Threshold” with each showcasing the complexities of finding love and discovering one’s individual identity.

    One of the singles, “Somewhere Between 5th and Madison”, has a uniquely New York centric approach to song writing – the song also features pop sensation Sonna Rele. Emotive vocals meet multi-synth arrangements for a DJ-ready track for NYC’s bars and clubs.

    Alyssa Raghu – a Top 8 contestant on American Idol – teams up with U.S. immigrant and DACA recipient Caliph on Wasted Pages. Sehgal remixes Emilio Solla’s Llegara, Llegara, Llegara from the Latin GRAMMY-winning album “Puertos” with special guest vocalists Manu Manzo and Danay Suarez. “Threshold” closes with a Pop/EDM track What’s Your Name? highlighting GRAMMY Award-nominated singer Thana Alexa.

    Sehgal remixed a beautiful, soulful jazz classic with pop sounds, without ripping it of its essence. I’m very grateful he thought of me to sing on this amazing song that brought me back to my jazz roots

    Emilio Solla, Artist

    As one of today’s leading producers, Sehgal’s award-winning recording catalog reflects a career spotlighting political and social issues voiced through the mediums of big band jazz and working with soul/R&B stars such as Jon Batiste (featured on Sehgal’s 2020 production, Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground). He has also made four albums as an artist with meditation pioneer Deepak Chopra, including Spiritual Warrior.

  • Premiere: Toshio Band Gets Led into Temptation with New Single

    Brooklyn-based rock group Toshio Band has released their new single “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear,” leading their second EP Lock Your Doors.

    Photo Credit: Sivan Miller

    Consisting of frontman Tim Lavigne on the vocals and bass, Daniel Imana on drums, Nick Valle on guitar, Ben Deixler on keyboards and Brandon Garcia on percussion, all members of Toshio Band contribute vocally with a style reminiscent of alt-rock from the 90s and early 2000s. Their central themes come from ominous and dream-like films and literature. The band is influenced by legendary rock artists David Bowie, Tom Waits, Charles Mingus and Roy Orbison.

    The new track “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear” is the lead single from their second and forthcoming EP, Lock Your Doors. The EP has a neo-noir concept exploring a hero’s journey through hysteria and gloom in an unforgiving world.  It presents themes of an anti-hero, prevalent in cinematic works from Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch and William Blake and with musical influences coming from The Pixies and Tom Waits. Lock Your Doors was mostly written and recorded during the pandemic and is a continuation of their debut EP A Splash of Blood that was released in 2019.  

    Toshio Band dives into temptation and dwells in devilish places in “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear.” The song starts with distorted guitar sounds, immediately creating a feeling of chaos and getting into trouble. The line “The devil is chatting in my ear” is anaphoric and straight-forward, every time you hear it, you can imagine reaching a point of giving into doing something you shouldn’t. The guitars settle and the beat becomes whimsical as Lavigne sings the line “What hath the night to do with sleep?” from the poem Comus by John Milton, which he added in to get a quote from the devil himself and to keep consistent the theme of mixing literature into the music. Then returning to chaos, the track leads you further into disturbance until it ironically ends back on the whimsical sound.

    “The Devil Is Chatting In My Ear” will be self-released by the band on Friday, April 30. This is the first of many forthcoming releases for the band this year. Their second single “Cassandra” releases on June 4 by the label Spirit Charity. Lock Your Doors will be another self-release, coming out on June 25.

  • Serge Bulat Expands Mediums with New Single and Album

    Multi-disciplinary artist and musician Serge Bulat recently released his new single with Japanese artist Dai Sekiguchi. The new song “Possible Plausible Reversible” is off of his upcoming LP, released on April 30.

    Serge Bulat

    In 2009, Bulat immigrated to the USA from a town under the Soviet Union. He was determined to pursue his musical career and expand on numerous frameworks within media. Bulat’s work varies from audiovisual installations to sound design to experimental video and more.

    “Possible Plausible Reversible” is the artist’s most recent release off of his full-length album Similarities Between Fish And A Chair. Bulat experiments in this work to fuse genres, cultures, and media. He seeks to challenge traditional formats to develop this non-conforming project.

    The new album is a direct continuation of his 2020 release Wurmenai which also delivered an immersive video game. The project features notable collaborators from ten different countries. Some of these artists include Katie Buckley, OYME, and Pavel Vit.

    The new work deals with identity, normality, and personality; it questions reality and perception as well as imagines future.

    Serge Bulat
    Serge Bulat

    Similarities Between Fish And A Chair will release alongside an audiovisual installation, “Inkblot,” as well as an experiential video game “Isolomus.” Bulat’s take on the standard psychological test, “Inkblot,” seeks to expand on the senses and connect his albums.

    Five years in the making, Similarities Between Fish And A Chair, will finally be released later this month. Make sure to pre-order/pre-save the album here and stream “Possible Plausible Reversible” on major platforms until then.