NYC Scene Report – Shinobi Ninja, Gnarly Karma, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features a creepy clip from rockers Shinobi Ninja, a boisterous jam from Gnarly Karma, punk rockers Wyldlife taking a turn as bad cops, and some smooth R&B from Chris McClenney.

* Brooklyn’s Shinobi Ninja are well established as one of the loudest, and most energetic hip-soul-rock bands around. They aren’t always about a party, however, and with their latest single, “Dancing In The Crowd,” they dial it back a bit for song that provides a more slowed down vibe.

Speaking of vibes, the video for “Dancing In The Crowd” is ridiculously creepy, as it features a hotel I don’t think anyone will be interested in accruing rewards points for staying at multiple times.

“Dancing In The Crowd” is off of Shinobi Ninja’s upcoming album, Bless Up, due out later this year, and you can check out the video right here.


* Some people have good karma, some people have bad karma, but one band out on Long Island has Gnarly Karma.

Gnarly Karma, with a plethora of instruments, plays straight up good time music, and while they’re often compared to the likes of Sublime, Dave Matthews Band, and Mumford & Sons, they are their own unique entity.

Check out their latest single, “Back Around,” which tells the story of an unfaithful lover who realizes the error of her ways just in time. After just one listen I’ve put the band on my “must see live” list.


* NYC punk rockers Wyldlife have a new album coming out on January 20th, titled Out on Your Block, and they just released a fantastic video for the album’s lead single, “Contraband.”

In the clip the band are police officers, but just because they don the uniform doesn’t mean they’re a law abiding group. Lead singer Dave Feldman explained the concept for the bad cop video in a statement, saying, "I have a weird fascination with cops. Growing up as a skate rat, I've always had, shall we say, 'issue,’ with the police, but I have definitely been fascinated with their total power. Law and Order: SVU is my favorite show. Bad Lieutenant is one of my favorite films. So this idea came about with all that in mind."

Check out Wyldlife gleefully ignoring the law they’re dressed to uphold in “Contraband.”


* If you love R&B, specifically the kind of R&B we used to hear in the ‘90s and early millennium, you’re going to want to click play on Chris McClenney’s latest, “What You Mean to Me.”

Off of McClenney’s just released full length solo debut, Portrait In Two, the song is a smooth jam that sets the mood, and even features an extended piano solo.

This is the kind of R&B jam that could result in clothes being shed, and random acts of adulation, so if you play it in your office the results may include some copy room copulation (do offices still have copy rooms? I’ve had a home office for 15 years, I don’t know these things anymore!). Enjoy!


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