NYC Scene Report - Jack + Eliza, Marcus Goldhaber, & more

This week’s edition of the NYC Scene Report features the indie pop of Jack + Eliza, something jazzy from Marcus Goldhaber, the hard rock of theSHIFT, and a video that’s way out there from punk rockers Soda Bomb.

* This past winter was a rough one in NYC. It was so rough, in fact, I think the last of the snow didn’t finish melting until earlier this month. OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but NYC indie pop duo, and longtime column favorite, Jack + Eliza, have some footage from that winter in the video for their latest single, “White Satin.”

In the clip, Jack + Eliza roam around a snow covered city, being extremely couple-y, and exhibiting what many would consider to be “relationship goals.”

“White Satin” is off of the duo’s upcoming full length debut, Gentle Warnings, which is due out August 7th on Yebo Music, and if you didn’t catch them on their recent tours, catch them touring their home city in this retro feeling clip.


* At one point in time NYC was an epicenter for great jazz, and while the genre may not be as popular as it used to be, you can still find some artists, and venues, that can provide a nice night out. Take, for instance, Marcus Goldhaber, who recently sold out Bar Thalia, which is Symphony Space’s newest home for jazz. The show went so well the venue launched “Mostly Marcus,” a Sunday night residency that will feature Goldhaber backed only by a top jazz guitarist, and a different guest artist each week.

Goldhaber’s “Mostly Marcus” residency will run through August 30th, and is designed to highlight his approach to the American Songbook.

To get a taste of what’s in store for a potentially very jazzy summer, check out this acoustic clip of Goldhaber singing “Losin’ Your Appeal,” the original version of which can be found on his 2014 album, A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening.


* NYC trio theSHIFT are all about taking rock ‘n roll back to its adventurous roots, which is why it’s no surprise that while many bands are writing songs in a rock-by-numbers format, theSHIFT’s latest single, “Dreams,” is over six minutes long, and features an extended guitar solo.

“Dreams” is off of the group’s debut album, 7th Direction, and the video for the song was shot on the other side of the country, in Los Angeles. The band’s frontman, John Shannon, says of the decision to shoot in LA, “We felt that LA would be a great place to build around the lyrics,” adding, “to film in the place where so many dreams of being a star are built, and also to be there as a band out of NYC, as visitors, or invaders, in a sense, was great. Plus, that special light and nature that exists in, and around, LA really seemed to ignite the force of the song.”

theSHIFT are on tour through August 8th, and you can check out their “Dreams” right here.


* Going from dreams to hallucinations, we have Long Island punk rockers Soda Bomb. I have to be honest here, I haven’t been able to find very much in the way of information about this band. On Facebook they list their genre as “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” (I assume they’re not including the awful edition that came with a board that didn’t work nearly as well as it was supposed to).

Here’s what I do know, Soda Bomb just released a video for their new single, “Fat Tom,” and it’s filled with a whole lot of green screen epic-ness, including a hallucinogenic journey through hell, and the Bill Murray scene from Space Jam.

“Fat Tom” is off of Soda Bomb’s 2015 album, Wanna Jam?, and if they keep making incredibly wild videos like this one, I’m going to keep writing about them.


For more of the best of NYC’s indie music scene, come back next Wednesday, and check out the archives for previous columns.