NYC Scene Report – Halycine, Bueno, & more

This week's NYC Scene Report features an indie rock "Elixir" from Halycine, something "Blown Out" from alt-pop band Bueno, a few pages of the Strange Diary of psychedelic electro-pop artist Psychic Twin, and a two-part music video mini-film from indie rockers Psychic Ills.

* Last month I wrote about how Brooklyn rocker Chloe Raynes, of Blue & Gold fame, has a new musical endeavor titled Halycine. This past Friday, Halycine released their first EP, In The Salt.

A five track effort, the latest single off of In The Salt is "Elixir," which Raynes describes, saying, "'Elixir' is the only love song on the EP, and it's about a precarious kind of infatuation. The song title represents the altered state that comes with falling in love, and the potentially crushing come-down after it wears off."

Fall in love with Halycine. I promise it's a love that won't wear off.


* Hailing from Staten Island, Bueno is another band I wrote about recently, and they've returned with a new single, "Blown Out," which is off of their upcoming sophomore album, Illuminate Your Room, due out August 19th.

One part ‘90s alt-pop, one part modern indie pop, the band's frontman, Luke Chiaruttini, says “Blown Out” is about "the pain of nostalgia and what comes from a sensory overload when a too-strong sun, or decrepit American infrastructure, triggers oppressive memories to come flooding back. The memories don't come back intact but as disjointed glimpses of the past that we reconstruct as narrative later."

Thankfully, the only memories Bueno are bringing back are of bands music lovers appreciated back in the day.


* Brooklyn psychedelic electro-pop artist Psychic Twin, aka Erin Fein, won't be releasing her Strange Diary until September 9th, but the lead single, "Lose Myself," provides listeners with a few pages to enjoy.

The video for "Lose Myself" was directed by Adam Weinberg, and according to Fein, creating the clip was no easy task. "In the making of the video for 'Lose Myself,' I realized that something very personal was emerging," Fein explains, "Adam described to me the process of being wrapped in yarn completely, a cocoon, and I would be slowly breaking out of it. Before the shoot, I thought so much about the experience and how I hoped for it to be an act that would signify growth and forgiveness, a turning point. I didn't tell Adam, but I had a panic attack while underneath the yarn and had to get up and take a break. It was very intense, it was harder than I thought it would be, to be wrapped up completely without being able to see or breath easily. It ended up being a valuable experience that pushed me and I felt very connected to my emotions during the shoot.”

Lose yourself in "Lose Myself," and experience Psychic Twin.


* The NYC Scene Report is doubling down on psychic bands this week, as next up are indie rockers Psychic Ills, who have not only released two new songs, "Baby" and "Another Change," they've created a two part mini-film for them.

The songs are off of the band's recently released album, Inner Journey Out, and the videos were directed by NY based filmmaker Jason Evan. Shot in New York, and at Cowtown Rodeo in New Jersey, Evan says of the mini-film, "There's a real feeling of longing to the album, not just for love, but a longing to be understood and accepted. The story I built out is about a kid who's a bit of an outsider, someone out of synch with his environment. (Lead actor) Johnny (Reddy) was perfect in the role, so much of how he communicates is non-verbal."

You can check out both parts of the mini-film below.



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