NYC Scene Report – Blind Benny, Cheena, & more

This week's NYC Scene Report features four returning favorites, as we have the latest from indie pop duo Blind Benny, some classic sounding punk rock from Cheena, the unique musical stylings of J Hacha De Zola, and a little bit of metal from Fear Is Dead.

* If you've read this column for any amount of time you already know all about stand out NYC indie pop duo Blind Benny. A longtime column favorite, the twosome have been hard at work this year, hitting numerous stages throughout NYC, and giving listeners new singles.

Blind Benny's latest is "Hide & Seek," and while I'd like to make some sort of reference to how it's something you'll want to find, I've made the finding easy for you. Just click play, and enjoy this fantastic song.


* Looking for a quick dose of some classic sounding NYC punk rock? Cheena are here to provide you with just that!

The band recently released a video for their latest single, "Stupor," which is off of their upcoming debut LP, Spend The Night With..., due out August 5th on Sacred Bones Records. The clip features back alleys, beaches, and subway platforms. Maybe not the best locals for a date night, but they sure make for a great rock video.


* New Jersey's J Hacha De Zola wanted a change of scenery for recording his second album of 2016, so he made his way across the country, to a small studio built in an old boiler room in Portland, Oregon. With a host of influences, including Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, and Tom Waits, the music he created in that boiler room recording studio will be on display on Picaro Obscuro, due out August 12th.

The lead single off of Picaro Obscuro is "Bubble Gum," which J Hacha De Zola describes as “a song about distractions, escapism, confusion, and detaching from reality in pursuit of confections. The world might be burning while we’re caught up in our trivialities. Ultimately, it’s not a criticism; it’s just an observation, as I’m right in it, too.”

Chew on J Hacha De Zola’s “Bubble Gum,” right here.


* Politically motivated, and socially conscious, heavy metal may sound like a pretty radical concept, but for fans of NYC's Fear Is Dead, it's what they've been embracing for years. The band recently released a video for "Miranda," the fourth single off of their Eleutherophobia EP, and the Miranda in question is a reference to the rights read to a person when they're arrested by the police.

The message of the song, and the visuals of the video, are both jarring, and thought provoking. The music is head banging. That's a pretty dope combination.


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