NYC Scene Report – Psymon Spine, Hennessey, & Zaliza

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Psymon Spine teaming up with Barrie to pour us some “Milk,” Hennessey declaring “We Will Not Be Lovers,” and Zaliza taking us “Below.”

* Brooklyn psych/dance group Psymon Spine are back after a three year hiatus with a new single, “Milk,” and a new home, Northern Spy Records.

At the time of the writing of “Milk,” Psymon Spine members Noah Prebish and Sabine Holler were also playing in the dream-pop band Barrie, and they asked Barrie frontwoman Barrie Lindsay to contribute vocals and lyrics to the then-instrumental track. Talk about a great decision! The result is a fun, funky song that has some serious Tom Tom Club vibes.

This is one you’ll have on repeat.


* Speaking of bands with classic vibes, Hennessey first caught my attention back in June when they released “Let’s Pretend (It’s The ‘80s),” and they’re taking us back to that decade again with their latest single, a cover of Celtic folk-rock band The Waterboys’ 1988 song “We Will Not Be Lovers.”

With a wonderful mix of ‘80s nostalgia and modern indie rock, Hennessey knocked this one out of the park. The video for the song, which was directed by band member E.J. O’Hara, and created in quarantine, shows that even in lock down, you can’t cage creativity.

Look for an EP from the band later this year via Velvet Elk Records, and check out “We Will Not Be Lovers” for a nice shot of Hennessey.


* When I first heard Zaliza’s new single, “Below,” I was immediately drawn to the unorthodox mix of downtempo vibes working alongside indie pop sensibilities. I know when you read that description you might think, “Combining sounds that are downtempo, and uptempo? There’s no way that could possibly work,” but Zaliza pulls it off, and it sounds great.

“Below” is one half of Zaliza’s recently released double A-side, which also features the song “Little Raptures,” and with this as an introduction to her music, I can’t wait to hear more.

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