NYC Scene Report – Janet LaBelle, Occurrence, & Ryan-O’Neil

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Janet LeBelle requesting “Don’t Take Me Back,” Occurrence bringing some “Boy Joy,” and Ryan-O’Neil feeling “Blue.”

* Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Janet LaBelle has a wonderful old school vibe about her. This is due, in part, to her deep affection for the classic love song format. That affection is on full display on her latest project, Suddenly, a three track mini EP that was released in July via her own label, Wild Violet Records.

Both the title track of the EP, and the song “Don’t Take Me Back,” were originally recorded to a digital 8-track, which adds an additional layer to the classic feel of the music.

Click play on “Don’t Take Me Back,” and let yourself feel like you’ve been taken back in time by Janet LaBelle.

* Looking for a little sexy fun? Indie electro pop-rock band Occurrence is here to provide the soundtrack.

Consisting of Johnny Hager, Cat Hollyer, and Ken Urban, the trio are actually spread out over the U.S. with Hager living in NYC, Hollyer living in Kansas, and Urban teaching at MIT. The band tries to get as much done as possible when they’re actually in the same place at the same time, and that’s how their latest album, I Have So Much Love To Give, and the sexy single “Boy Joy,” were born.

Discussing the song in a statement, Urban said, “I remember Cat kept asking me if the lyrics were too much, but I thought they were perfect. It felt like a horny song.”

With the album being about the joy of falling in love, and then the pain of, “when it all goes to shit,” “Boy Joy” is part of the falling in love process. Check it out.

* When I sat down with Ryan-O’Neil for a Stacking The Deck interview at the start of the year, one of the things he discussed was his upcoming EP, Love in Three Acts. Now the EP is out, and in celebration of hitting the 200 follower mark on Spotify, he’s released a video for the song “Blue.”

Discussing the clip in a statement, Ryan-O’Neil said, “I teamed up with a new creative partner, Peter Willsin of Willsin Studios, to shoot and edit this video. Peter lives in Rockaway, not too far from where I grew up. It was cold, but still a great experience shooting at the beach. Rockaway is amazing for cool, abandoned structures, if you're ever in need.”

So there you have it, if you need an abandoned structure, head on over to Rockaway. That said, if what you need is a great song from one of NYC’s most dynamic artists, click play on “Blue.”

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