NYC Scene Report – theSHIFT, Wild Americans, & more

This week's NYC Scene Report features rock trio theSHIFT looking to find a way to get to Peru, some Wild Americans wanting to "Take You Home," singer-songwriter beccs looking for some "Therapy," and my latest fantastic indie rock discovery, Alex Carr.

* NYC rockers theSHIFT are hoping to find a way to get to Peru. Why, you may ask? Well, a handful of months after they released their debut EP, 7th Direction, they began receiving comments in Spanish on their video for "Dreams." The band did some investigating, and found out that Lima's Radio Doble Nueve 99.1 had put the song into heavy rotation, and people were requesting it non-stop.

“Dreams” ended up topping the charts in Lima, and was voted one of the top five songs of 2015. Now, theSHIFT have been invited to play in Lima. The band needs to raise some funds to get there, however, which is why they've launched an Indiegogo campaign.

Help out theSHIFT (there are 11 days left in the campaign), and help Lima see one of the best live rock bands around. I've seen theSHIFT multiple times, including an incredible set opening for Third Eye Blind earlier this summer (which is where I took the above photo), and lemme tell ya, if you like epic guitar solos, you'll love theSHIFT.


* Currently residing in New Jersey, Wild Americans is a band that describes their sound as "sleepy funk / mid-tempo space music." What exactly is that? If “I Wanna Take You Home” is any indicator, it’s something really cool.

When it comes to the band’s lyrical content, they say their goal is to convey “the acceptance of defeat, without the satisfaction of acceptance.” Wild Americans may be in for big changes, however, once everyone hears "I Wanna Take You Home," as plenty of people will be calling the band victorious.

The single is off of the band's just released album, Lighten Up. Give the song a listen, and let Wild Americans take you home... musically speaking, of course!


* Brooklyn based singer-songwriter beccs is looking for some "Therapy," singing on her latest single that she's in an abusive relationship with herself.

I think many of us can relate to this idea, as we've all beat ourselves up over something, or been too hard on ourselves. There are also the extreme cases of people harming themselves (if you're doing this, be it physically, or emotionally, please seek out the proper help).

"Therapy" is off of beccs' upcoming debut EP, Unfound Beauty, due out September 21st. The album’s title track was featured in the short film Yellow Heart, which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

If you're into big, soaring, vocals, and music with a message that can be related to on a number of levels, check out beccs, and enjoy her "Therapy."


* As all of you know, I'm a huge proponent of going out and seeing live music. Some of my favorite musical discoveries happen when I pay $5 to $10 to see a bunch of acts, the majority of whom I'm unfamiliar with. This was the case yet again a few weeks ago when I went to see my friends The Production at Fat Baby. Three other acts performed that night, including Alex Carr, who immediately caught my, and everyone else's, ear.

The indie rocker, who counts everyone from The Beatles and Bob Dylan, to Pavement and Kurt Vile, as influences, performed in celebration of the release of his debut EP, Empty Rooms. He and his band sounded so good that my first thought was to feature his music in the NYC Scene Report.

Check out Empty Rooms, and hear why the very full room at Fat Baby loved Alex Carr.


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