NYC Scene Report – Quiet Luke, Frankie Rose, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features soul-pop artist Quiet Luke reminding you to visit your happy place, synthy goodness from Frankie Rose, brass band Lucky Chops getting their superhero on, and singer-songwriter Erin Durant showing listeners her “Old Soul.”

* Everyone has a happy place, and NYC soul-pop artist Quiet Luke hopes to inspire you to visit yours with his latest single, “YHP.”

“YHP” is the first release from Quiet Luke in quite some time, as he’d been abroad in Berlin for school. The concept for the song stemmed from his initial feelings of isolation while overseas, and having those feelings subsequently fade away as he became accustomed to his new environment.

Now back in the city, Quiet Luke has released a video for “YHP” that’s a collaborative effort with designer Santangelo Williams, and animator Derek Zheng.

Click play, and drift away to your happy place.


* Frankie Rose, a veteran of a number of NYC-based bands, including Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, and Beverly, released her fourth solo project titled Cage Tropical last month, and it’s largely inspired by her time spent in Los Angeles.

The Brooklynite made a go of it out West for the better part of a year and a half, but after some heartache and pain – because the universe seems to like to throw heaping doses of those things at artists – she realized her scene was back at home.

Rose says of Cage Tropical, “Misery turned into something good. The whole record to me is a redemption record, and it is the most positive one I’ve made.” She adds that when it comes to the sound of the album, “My references aren’t just music. I love old sci-fi. They Live is one of my favorite movies ever, same with Suspiria. ‘80s sci-fi movies with a John Carpenter soundtrack, with silly synths – that makes it into my file, to the point that I’ll write lyrics incorporating that kind of stuff. It’s in there.”

Check out the video for Rose’s “Dyson Sphere” to hear her synthy goodness.


* After watching the video for NYC-based brass band Lucky Chops’ latest single, “Walter Jam,” I am officially calling for “Walter Jam” cosplay at all Lucky Chops shows!

The crazy superhero, and supervillain, costumes are a DIY cosplayers dream come true, and the video itself perfectly matches the raucous good time feel of the band.

“Walter Jam” is off of Lucky Chops’ recently released Walter EP. Check out the video, and start getting your costumes ready for Lucky Chops’ next show.


* Brooklyn-via-New Orleans singer-songwriter Erin Durant recently released a video for her song “Old Soul,” and the beautiful vibe of the song is mirrored in the beautiful vibe of the video, which was filmed at Breezy Pines Farm in Connecticut, with additional footage filmed in Brooklyn, NY.

Musically, the simplicity of Durant’s “Old Soul,” which features just her piano and vocals, will inspire listeners to take their foot off of the metaphorical gas pedal in life, even if it’s just for the three-plus minutes of the song. In a way it reminds me a bit of the music of A Fine Frenzy, who has always been an artist that can mold your mental state with just her voice.

“Old Soul” is featured on Durant’s 2016 debut album, Blueberry Mountain, and you can check out the video 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.