NYC Scene Report – The Dives, Best Behavior, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the authentic rock n roll of The Dives, the blissful pop of Best Behavior, electro-pop from The Tablets, and some psych rock from BIRDS.

* Some of my favorite venues in New York City could be classified as dives, so perhaps it makes sense that one of the hottest bands in the city’s rock scene right now is named The Dives.

The foursome’s brand of rock n roll is equal parts fun, and infectious, and it can be heard on their debut EP, Everybody’s Talkin’, which was released earlier this summer.

In addition to the release of their EP, 2017 has seen The Dives tour with rock legends KISS, and play a bevy hometown shows in NYC hotspots such as Bowery Electric, and Mercury Lounge.

To hear what the city, and now the nation, is buzzing about, check out the lyric video for The Dives’ latest single, “Make It Like The Movies,” then grab your significant other and do as the song says!


* What’s wrong with loving pop music? That’s a question Best Behavior’s Alex Gruenburg asked himself, and then answered with a resounding – absolutely nothing!

“I love pop music,” Gruenburg said in a statement, “For a long time I tried to write music that was ‘cool,’ but, to be honest, I've never really been in with the cool kids. ‘Say’ is me giving in to my guilty pleasures, and giving the strange kids something to dance to. Life is more fun when you do what you want, and ignore the haters.”

Best Behavior just completed a monthlong tour, and you can check out the Brooklyn-based band’s latest single, “Say” – which is off of their upcoming sophomore album – right here.


* Electro-pop duo The Tablets have some “New Lines” to try out on you. No, they aren’t pickup lines, “New Lines” is the name of the Brooklyn twosome’s latest single.

In a statement, The Tablets said of “New Lines,” “It's an upbeat approach to try to encourage people to part ways with the archaic beliefs, and overused excuses, they’ve long used as the acceptable basis for harming, or abusing others. It’s trying to say we should all be equals, and should get along, but you still need to get your shit together and start understanding differently.”

“New Lines” is the third single off The Tablets’ flexi-disc series with Mon Amie Records, and you can give the song a spin right here.


* Brooklyn psych rock band BIRDS took flight last week with the release of their full length debut, Everything All At Once.

The album features a musical melange of psych, pop, and rock, with hints of other eras thrown in as seasoning.

Sound like a potentially tasty dish? Sample it for yourself by taking a listen to the single “Seen It All.”


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