NYC Scene Report – Moonwalker, The Golden Grass, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the dance-rock sounds of Moonwalker, retro-rock from The Golden Grass, indie rocker Vlad Holiday going solo, and The Double A Blues Band proving you can find the blues on Long Island.

* NY-based rock trio Moonwalker – which was formed in January of 2017, and features two-fifths of former pop-punk outfit Reckless Serenade – has signed with Standby Records, and plans on releasing their full-length debut album this summer.

In a statement, vocalist Rob Crews said of the development of Moonwalker, “Over the year we’ve made a ton of musical changes, but the one I’m most proud of is our change in attitude. With every song on this new record, we are being very unapologetic with our choices sonically and lyrically. We aren’t pulling any punches this time around. There are going to be songs that are joyous as hell, heartbreaking as hell, romantic as hell, angry as hell, and sassy as hell. As a songwriter and performer, I have never felt more liberated and I can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been up to."

Crews continued, adding, “When people hear us, we want them to feel good. Maybe they can leave their baggage behind for a minute, be in the now, and enjoy the music.”

Click play on the video for “Serotonin,” and enjoy some Moonwalker.


* Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock trio The Golden Grass sound like they enter the stage via a time warp, and it’s a beautiful thing.

Their third full-length album, Absolutely, is due out in mid-May, and if the single “The Spell” is any indication, it’s going to be a heck of a retro-rock ride.

Speaking of rides, the band will be touring Europe from May 4th through May 12th with the Berlin-based band Heat.

If you’re in the US, and that sounds like a bit too far to travel for a show, don’t worry, you can catch The Golden Grass’ latest right here.


* Even if you don’t immediately recognize the name Vlad Holiday, you’re probably familiar with his old band, Born Cages, which rocked the city for the better part of a decade, and toured extensively, including being on the bill for 2015 edition of Warped Tour.

Holiday is now embarking on a solo career. For some this may seem like a scary proposition, but not for Holiday, who’s version of scary includes fleeing his birthplace of Bucharest, Romania after his family received death threats from their government.

With that in mind, working on a solo project doesn’t seem quite so daunting.

Holiday is currently putting in that work in his studio in Greenwich Village, and he recently released the first taste of his new music, a single titled “Children,” that you can listen to right here.


* Long Island isn’t exactly a traditional hub for blues music, but The Double A Blues Band are looking to change that. The Ahmad Ali led group released an album of plugged in blues earlier this year titled Standing on the Shoulders of the Blues, and you’d never know the foursome hail from the former, and future, home of the Islanders.

With a focus on paying tribute to the blues greats who paved the way, the band recently released the single “Riverhead,” which features fantastic guitar work, and soulful vocals.

Click play on the video, and check out some blues that are straight outta Long Island.


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