NYC Scene Report – THICK, RVBY MY DEAR, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features a look into the "Green Eyes” of pop-punk trio THICK, the beautifully melancholy downtempo vibes of RVBY MY DEAR, indie rockers The Vaughns hitting the road, and the disco metal sounds of Makes My Blood Dance.

* Brooklyn-based pop-punk trio THICK are on the verge of becoming the next NYC band to hit it big, as they’ve inked a deal with Epitaph Records.

Guitarist/vocalist Nikki Sisti describes overarching sentiment of the band’s work, saying, “There’s always a hint of hopefulness in our music – like, whatever happens, we’ll push through it, and it’s all gonna be okay.”

Bassist/vocalist Kate Black adds, “Even if the world is caving in, you’ve gotta just take it day by day. It’s good to be angry, but just remember to keep your head up, and keep your friends close.”

The trio, which also includes drummer/vocalist Shari Page, released a speed-dating inspired video for their highly addictive single “Green Eyes.” After watching it, I just have to say that I think rockin’ a blink-182 shirt and Mets hat is a statement worth making, and the Juggalette deserves some love, too.


* If you’re looking to slow things down a bit, Brooklyn-based Aussie RVBY MY DEAR has some seriously dope Portishead vibes with her latest single, “Draw.”

In a statement, she discussed the inspiration for “Draw” – which is off her recently released EP, Remains – saying, “This song was written around the end of the summer of 2016, which was obviously a very tumultuous time both politically, and socially, around the world. That, coupled with a bit of stress-induced sleep paralysis, probably influenced the lyrics of the song most directly.”

She added that when it comes to the black and white music video for the song, “Director Frankie Turiano had the idea to focus on a battle against the elements rather than a literal interpretation of the lyrics. It’s very much inspired by the noir-ish vibe of the song, so we shot it in a black and white 4:3 aspect ratio as a tribute to the classic film noirs of the ‘40s and ‘50s, with a bit of ‘mother of dragons’-inspired stunt work at the end.”

I hope to be in attendance when RVBY MY DEAR hits the stage at The Bowery Electric on May 23rd. Until then, we can all keep listening to “Draw.”


* New Jersey-based indie rockers The Vaughns are hitting the road for a run of shows that kicks off April 26th at Brooklyn’s Gold Sounds, and wraps up back in NYC on May 23rd at Arlene’s Grocery.

In a statement, the band discussed what they were eagerly anticipating about the tour, and the new addition that will be helping them get through it all, saying, “We’ve got a new van – named Neil – and are excited to be back on the road promoting new music. We’ve never been out West, so we are looking forward to experiencing something new!”

Check out the raucous “Bring Your Kids To Work Day” – which is off the band's upcoming full length debut album, FOMO, due out May 10th – to get a taste to what to expect when The Vaughns come to your town.


* NYC’s indie music scene is about to get a blast of something face-meltingly awesome – disco metal.

What is disco metal? It’s the musical concoction of Brooklyn-based band Makes My Blood Dance. They describe their sound as “Rammstein meets the Bee Gees with a touch of symphonic greatness flooding the room with an orgy of head banging, dancing, and grinding.”

After listening to the band’s debut single, “Beaming Right Up,” I describe it as damned good time, and I can’t wait to hear more from them.


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