NYC Scene Report – The Como Brothers, Salt Cathedral, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features some “Magic” from indie singer-songwriter duo The Como Brothers, atmospheric electronic music from Salt Cathedral, tight indie rock from Loose Buttons, and a rock song by A Deer A Horse that was named after a bug.

* NYC indie singer-songwriter duo The Como Brothers want to hit listeners with a little bit of “Magic.” “Magic” being the first single off of their upcoming self-titled debut album, due out later this year.

Andrew Como says of the inspiration for the song, “‘Magic’ is about meeting someone who you had no idea would eventually mean everything to you. It's about the roller coaster feeling of falling in love without hesitation. I wrote ‘Magic’ about a girl who I couldn't stop thinking of, and didn't want to be without.”

That’s some “Magic” I think we’ve all felt at some point in time. Check out the song, and remember the first time you experienced the feeling.


* With a vibe that combines atmospheric electronic music, soul, and even a few Bjork-like elements, Salt Cathedral’s new single, “Fragments,” is an absolute gem.

Lead vocalist Juli Ronderos says of the song, “‘Fragments’ is the effect that conflict takes on us, making us crumble into small pieces as we hope to find balance and strength to reattach. Conflicts big and small, on an everyday personal basis, and those of humanity, all they do is break us. What I want to say with this song is that we can ‘calibrate’ our love. It takes an active, rather than a passive, attitude to tune into love, and tune into empathy, and not hurt others around us, to not argue in what I call ‘the wrong way,’ which is arguing with hatred and fear. We’ve all seen way too much of this lately. I believe we can calibrate our love.”

The NYC via Colombia duo will be releasing their debut album later this year (date TBD), and you can check out “Fragments” right here.


* Loose Buttons jokingly refer to themselves as “New York's first ever indie rock band” as an obvious nod to the plethora of indie rock bands in the city. That said, Loose Buttons, who list their likes as “Guacamole, (and) The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” stand out in the crowded scene not just for their humor, but because they’re a damned good band.

They released an EP titled Sundays at the end of February, the latest single off of which is “Between Brick Walls.”

Check out the song, and hear why they made some new fans at Pianos during their recent monthlong residency at the NYC indie music hotspot.


* Here’s one you don’t hear everyday. Brooklyn-based rock trio A Deer A Horse named their latest single, “Backswimmer,” which is inspired by the series Making A Murderer, after an insect that can see both above and below the surface of the water.

The band’s Angela Philips explains the creation of “Backswimmer,” saying, "The song itself came from a home recording Rebecca (Satellite) made with a very Devo-esque monotonous bass line. She brought it to rehearsal, but like most of our songs, we ripped it apart and put it back together. Rebecca penned the lyrics with the concept of someone constantly swimming against the tide, partially submerged, or stuck in an inescapable cycle. It’s that idea of taking two steps forward and one step back, unable to escape a system designed to work against you.”

Phillips continued, adding, “As a finishing touch, Dylan (Teggart) had the idea of adding in a series of grooving offbeat hits as a bridge. In a way, this mind-fuck of a bridge is reflective of the greater meaning of the song – just when you think you know what’s going to happen next, and you have it all planned out, the bottom drops out and you’re left reeling."

“Backswimmer” is the title track off of A Deer A Horse’s upcoming EP, due out March 10th, and you can currently catch the band on tour, as they’ll be on the road through April 20th.


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