NYC Scene Report – Elizabeth and the Catapult, Washer, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features a video that takes look at the creative process of singer-songwriter Elizabeth and the Catapult, a grungy alt-rock gem from Washer, a soulful offering from Taxman, and a live EP from indie soul band Sinkane.

* If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall during a musician’s creative process, the latest video from Brooklyn singer-songwriter Elizabeth and the Catapult provides you with that exact eye view.

The clip is for her new single, “Underwater,” which is a unique song for her, as she notes, “I’ve written so many songs about learning to fall more gracefully, but not a lot of songs about actually daring myself to fall.”

“Underwater” will be on Elizabeth and the Catapult’s upcoming album, Keepsake, due out October 20th via Compass Records, and you can check out the video right here.


* Brooklyn indie alt-rock duo Washer released their latest album, All About, earlier this month, the latest single off of which is the addictive “Bass 2.”

Garage rock, grunge, and a dose of cynicism highlight the song, with vocals that sound like the lovechild of Rivers Cuomo and Kurt Cobain.

Give “Bass 2” a spin, and crank it up to 11.


* The phrase “Taxman” can send shivers up and down your spine if you owe the government money, or are late filling out the proper forms. If you see the phrase Taxman on a flyer in the NYC area, however, there is nothing to fear … well, unless you fear smooth soul music with a strong emotional backbone.

Brooklyn-based Taxman is putting her life on record for the world to hear on two upcoming EPs, the first of which, Chromatic, will be released on November 17th, and was written following a tough breakup. She’ll be following it up with a second, as-of-yet untitled EP, in 2018 that will flip the darkness of her post-breakup mood with upbeat tracks, illustrating hope shining through the pain.

Check out Chromatic’s lead single, “Pressure,” and vibe for a bit to the soulful sounds of Taxman.


* A notorious news broadcaster once famously bellowed “We’ll do it live!” Of course, this is something musicians have been doing for, well, ever, and NYC-based indie soul band Sinkane loves doing it live so much that they’ve put together a live EP titled The Berlin Sessions EP.

Sinkane’s Ahmed Gallab described the inspiration for the album – 100% of the proceeds from which will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center – saying, “With every record I've been able to add a new element to the live show. Now, as a six piece, we are better than ever. This past June we had a few days off in Berlin with the opportunity to get into the local Red Bull Music studio and mess around. We set up and played just as we do live. It was a lot of fun.”

Gallab continued, adding, “Beyond the musicianship I am proud to say that our collective cultures, experiences and identities shine brightly in these recordings. Sinkane is comprised of six people from different walks of life. We are a colorful band that believes in peace, love, and hope. As citizens of the USA we are here to show the world that our country is a welcoming and accepting one, where people take pride in diversity and learn from each other's differences. As citizens of the world we are here to promote unity.”

A beautiful message from folks who create beautiful music (and are on tour through November 18th). You can give The Berlin Sessions EP a spin right here.


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