NYC Scene Report – Bernadette, Holy Golden, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the indie rock of Bernadette, indie pop duo Holy Golden finding a “Lost Island,” the epic weirdness of Guerilla Toss, and singer-songwriter duo The Como Brothers celebrating a “First Time.”

* I can’t tell you very much about Brooklyn-based indie rock trio Bernadette (I went on another one of those, ultimately fruitless, searches for info that leave me wondering if the internet actually works the way it’s supposed to), but what I can tell you is their debut EP, Shadow Paint, is due out September 7th, and if the single “Six Strands” is any indicator, it’s going to be a good time.

Check out the song. I think you’ll find Bernadette doesn’t peter out (kids love a good Bernadette Peters reference, right?).


* Indie pop duo Holy Golden may have spent the summer in Brooklyn, but the video for their latest single, “Lost Island,” was filmed at a unique historic location in Cape Cod, MA.

Filmed at a group of red cottages called Pleasant Forest Shores, the buildings were built by hand in 1949 by a family of Swedish Immigrants, and the family’s only son continues to maintain the cottages for summer visitors.

Wanting to fully embrace a retro vibe, the Holy Golden duo of Leslie Schott and Andrew Valenti flew director Madelynn De La Rosa to Cape Cod after seeing her work on YouTube, and brought in Ashley Kickliter, a photographer from Birmingham, AL who they connected with on Instagram. The result is a gorgeous clip that matches the vibe of the song.

“Lost Island” will be on Holy Golden’s upcoming EP, Sleepwalkers In The Milky Way, due out in October via Wallflower Records. The duo will be touring in support of the album this fall, and you can see the video for “Lost Island” right here.


* If you’re daring enough to bite into NYC-based indie band Guerilla Toss’ “Green Apple” the sensation you’ll feel will be the musical equivalent of being on a really interesting high.

A genre-less band, Guerilla Toss has elements of everything from experimental rock, to krautrock, to jazz. When you put it all together there’s a bit of a Frank Zappa type of feel to it, which means listeners should be be prepared for something musically daring.

“Green Apple” is off of Guerilla Toss’ upcoming album, Twisted Crystal, which is due out September 14th. The band will be hitting the road in support of the album starting September 17th, with the tour wrapping up with a special Halloween show in Brooklyn.


* In a world where everyone seems to be at each other’s throats, it’s nice to find something that can warm your heart. The story behind The Como Brothers’ latest single, “First Time,” will do just that.

The creation of the song goes all the way back to October of 2016, when Andrew Como – who is one half of The Como Brothers with his sibling, Matt – was busking with his guitar on the sidewalks of Buffalo, NY before a gig.

A wedding party stopped to listen and heard him play The Como Brothers’ original song “Magic.” The group of bridesmaids and groomsmen were so impressed they asked Andrew to sing the song to the bride and groom.

A little over a year later Andrew was contacted by the mother of the groom, who told him that the bride and groom were now expecting their first child. She wanted to see if Andrew and Matt could surprise the couple at their baby shower with a song for the occasion. The Long Island-based duo got to work, and “First Time” was born.

The video for “First Time” features home videos of The Como Brothers from when they were infants, all the way up to the present day, and you can check it out 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.