NYC Scene Report – CLAVVS, Dan Miraldi, & Rachael Sage

This week’s NYC Scene Report features indie pop duo CLAVVS gazing at a “Half Moon,” singer-songwriter Dan Miraldi performing Mood Music For Introverts, and scene veteran Rachael Sage showing plenty of “Character.”

* At the end of February, Brooklyn-based indie pop duo CLAVVS released an extended version of their No Saviors EP, the latest single off of which, “Half Moon,” now has a stunning music video.

Explaining the song, and video, in a statement, CLAVVS’ Amber Renee said, “‘Half Moon’ is about the hope of returning to lost love, and the cycle of that never-ending dance. In the same way that the moon disappears just to reappear, this song is about that perpetual movement of feeling – joy into pain, loss into love. For the video, we wanted to express that circular pattern through a dance narrative.”

Amber added there’s an especially personal touch to the clip, saying, “I’m bisexual, and since that part of my identity often gets erased, I chose to feature two female dancers as a way to make space for that part of myself. This song and its story also have a strong feminine quality to me, and the dancers – Matilda Sakamoto and Eloise Deluca – captured that feeling with such tenderness and urgency. It’s a story about forgiveness and redemption. Ultimately, love is a dance we all do over and over again, whether with our partners, or with ourselves.”

Dance away with CLAVVS’ “Half Moon.”


* The resume of Cleveland-born, New York City-based singer-songwriter Dan Miraldi is as impressive as they come. A two-time John Lennon Songwriting Contest Finalist, Miraldi has five full-length albums, and six EPs to his name. His most recent EP, Mood Music For Introverts was released this past Friday.

In an impressive feat, Miraldi wrote, played, and sang every note on the album save for one cameo from slide guitar player Jay Nemeyer, who is featured on the EP’s first single, “Kingdom Come.”

I may not be an introvert, but “Kingdom Come” is mood music that sure sounds good to me. Check it out.


* NYC indie veteran Rachael Sage has joined the survivor’s club, having battled, and recovered from, endometrial cancer (welcome to the club! We’re happy to have you!). During her recovery she continued composing music, including the title track to her just released album, Character.

“I don’t think I understood the full meaning of the word ‘character’ until I was suddenly required to redefine my own,” Sage said in a statement, “I had to decide very quickly what kind of patient I wanted to be, and in the process I learned how resolute I could become.”

With its breathy vocals, and introspective lyrics, “Character” is yet another winner from Sage. Click play, and give it a listen.


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