NYC Scene Report – Kendra Morris, Taylor and the Apes, & Monograms


This week’s NYC Scene Report features Kendra Morris singing about “This Life,” Taylor and the Apes heading to “Logan County,” and Monograms creating a sound they’re calling “nuke wave.”

* Adam’s World and NYC-based singer Kendra Morris go way back, and I mean waaaay back – she was first featured here as an Artist of the Week in 2006! Myspace was the social media site of choice at the time, and Taylor Swift had yet to weep a single teardrop on her guitar.

A lot changes in 14 years, but something that hasn’t changed is how phenomenal Kendra Morris sounds. Her latest single is titled “This Life,” and it’s a soulful, jazzy, funky jam that’s equal parts groove and mood.

Give it a spin, and hear why I’m always happy to hear new tunes from Kendra Morris.


* NYC-based band Taylor and the Apes like to describe their sound as “good ol’ fashioned, homegrown, American rock and roll,” and with their latest single, “Logan County,” they make good on that promise.

One part story, one part unabashed fun, “Logan County” is a damned good time, and if you’re anything like me it will make you want live music back as soon as possible so we can see the band in action.

Check out the video for “Logan County,” and go ape for Taylor and the Apes.


* Brooklyn-based musical project Monograms – which is the alias of front-man, and multi-instrumentalist, Ian Jacobs – just released their latest album, Only A Ceiling Can Stay Inside Forever, via PaperCup Music, and not only is Jacobs donating 50% of his Bandcamp album sales to Know Your Rights Camp, PaperCup Music is matching each donation made.

In a statement, Jacobs explained the inspiration for the album, saying – “These last few months just felt kind of surreal, a true ‘how did we get here?’ kinda moment, and I think, personally, I just needed to do something creative to bob and weave with all these things, so I just started writing some words down, and recording some ideas, and experimenting. Some songs were more electronic, and pulsing through the frustration of the time, and some are more downtempo and introspective. After a few weeks it all started to spiral into what felt like a cohesive thought, so it became an album in my mind.”

“Lines,” featuring Kat E., is the latest single off Only A Ceiling Can Stay Inside Forever. Give it a spin, and discover Monograms and their “nuke wave” sound.


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

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