NYC Scene Report – Weird Owl, Handsome Ghost, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the psych rock of Weird Owl, an “Honest Mistake” from indie pop artist Handsome Ghost, Stolar pining after a girl in a “Kurt Cobain T-Shirt,” and Sav Killz hittin’ listeners with some true school NYC hip-hop.

* When your band is named Weird Owl, you immediately have my attention. When your band is named Weird Owl and you create kick ass psych rock like the song “Invisibility Cloak,” you keep my attention.

“Invisibility Cloak” is off of the Brooklyn-based band’s recently released sixth album, Bubblegum Brainwaves, the sound, and feel, of which is reminiscent of another era altogether.

Essentially, Bubblegum Brainwaves is one part psych rock album, one part time machine. Hey, is it really that far fetched a concept with a song titled “Invisibility Cloak?” A song you can give a spin, and transport back in time with, right here.


* Indie pop artist Handsome Ghost is giving listeners a peek into an NYC relationship, set against the backdrop of the city’s nightlife, with the video for his latest single, “Honest Mistake.”

The concept behind the song, and video, is that the romance of falling in love gets amplified in NYC – an undeniable fact for anyone who’s ever hooked up at a music venue at 2am. No, I’m not speaking about anyone in particular!

Check out “Honest Mistake,” as clicking play on this video isn’t a mistake at all. Honest.


* At one time, or another, everyone’s had someone they simply can’t get out of their head. This is the inspiration for NYC-based singer-songwriter Stolar’s song, “Kurt Cobain T-Shirt.”

”It's about wanting someone so much that you can't help but tell them,” he explains, “It's that moment when you realize that what you are feeling is not some bullshit emotion. It's real, and you have to do something about it."

The indie pop jam is part of Stolar’s ambitious Raw Emotions project, where he’ll be releasing two singles per month for an entire year as an exploration of his own songwriting process. Each month will focus on a different emotion (“Kurt Cobain T-Shirt” focuses on the emotion of desire).

The ultimate goal for Stolar is to redirect his struggles with bipolar disorder, and depression, into a creative channel, shedding a light on mental health.

Check out “Kurt Cobain T-Shirt,” and hear how Stolar is turning malady into music.


* It’s categorically impossible to be part of NYC’s indie hip-hop scene and not know Sav Killz. One of the hardest working artists on the planet, if he isn’t writing, or recording, he’s moving his albums and mixtapes … and not just online, but in person.

On his latest song, “Don’t Try To Tell Me,” he brags that he “still sells CDs,” while adding that he doesn’t care about “mumblin’ trap raps,” as he prefers to spit a true school, raw hip-hop style, with roots in the legacies of Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Nas, and Wu-Tang Clan.

“Don’t Try To Tell Me,” which features Bus Uno, and a beat produced by Apollo Brown, will be on Sav Killz’ upcoming mixtape, Bangers and B-Sides 2 hosted by DJ J-Ronin, 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.