NYC Scene Report – VISTA, Blackout, & more


This week’s NYC Scene Report features rockers VISTA fighting the good fight, a trippy clip from metal band Blackout, a country tune from Zephaniah OHora, and producer/musician Loveskills asking to “Stay.”

* VISTA, which is the Long Island duo of Hope Vista and Greg Almeida, have already accomplished a heck of a lot for an independent band. They’ve supported Against The Current at Irving Plaza, sold out their own headlining shows, and are currently readying a headlining tour for this August. That tour will be in support of the band’s sophomore EP, Long Live, which will be released on July 21st.

According to VISTA, the theme of the EP is that of forming an allegiance, and finding an oasis, in a dystopian society.

After one listen it’s clear VISTA is a band that will end up – much like their former tour-mates Against The Current – on the main stage of Warped Tour sooner, rather than later. Give the single “Henchmen” a spin, and hear what I mean.


* No, you aren’t tripping balls from accidentally putting psychedelic mushrooms on your pizza (actually, I can’t know that for sure), but it’s understandable if NYC metal band Blackout’s video for their new single, “Graves,” may make you wonder just that.

The insanely trippy clip is like something out of one of Frank Zappa’s dreams, but what else would you expect from a band that describes their new album, The Horse, as, “A messy plate of meat, slathered in weird sauces. A haunted steak from from Centaurus A to sink your dirty fangs into.”

Click play, and enjoy the ride.


* You don’t hear a lot of country music coming out of New York City, but Brooklyn’s Zephaniah OHora is an NYC-meets-Nashville artist who brings an old school country feel to a city where cowboy boots are only worn as a fashion statement.

OHora’s latest is “Take Your Love Out of Town,” and he describes the song, saying, “(It) paints the picture of living in the aftermath of a love gone bad. It's easy to decide who takes the couch, who gets the records, but what about all your old favorite places? It's amazing how a place as big as New York City can feel so small when you're trying to move on, and avoid all of the subtle reminders of someone that come with the places you go, and the people you might see. Sometimes, you wish they'd just leave town."

“Take Your Love Out of Town” is off of OHora’s recently released album, This Highway, and you can see the video for the song right here.


* How does one describe NYC-based producer, and musician, Loveskills? Perhaps it’s best to let the man speak for himself, as his bio states, “In the state of multiplicity, we will find Loveskills. Producing textures of therapeutic synth, low frequency bass, and a balance of melodic heart speak.”

His latest creation of synth, bass, and emotion is the song “Stay,” which features Matthew Ernest.

Melodic, and heartfelt, it’s not quite singer-songwriter fare, and not quite electronic music fare, it is Loveskills, an artist who occupies the small overlapping section of the Venn diagram that features both.

Give the song a spin, and “Stay” with Loveskills.


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

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