NYC Scene Report – Taraka, The Ritualists, & Micky James

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Taraka welcoming us to paradise lost, The Ritualists working with one of their heroes, and Micky James with a song for those who are “Not Okay.”

* I’ve really been diggin’ the singles Taraka has been releasing this year, and the latest is the title track off her recently released solo debut, Welcome To Paradise Lost.

Discussing the song in a statement, Taraka, who some of you probably recognize from her time in the band Prince Rama, said, “(I) wrote ‘Welcome To Paradise Lost’ as a joke homage to Green Day, an anti-‘Welcome to Paradise.’ I wanted to make an anthem for innocence destroyed, a world turned upside down, an orgiastic celebration of ennui and disillusion. I wrote it for my inner teenager, so she would have a song to sing when she felt the absurd futility of pining for lost paradise, to whisper to her that perhaps paradise is nothing but another empty societal construction, a mirage-like prison of perfection, and the moment it is lost we are left with the remembrance of some inner forgotten freedom.”

Click play on “Welcome To Paradise Lost.” I guarantee that after you listen to it you won’t be able to forget Taraka, and you won’t want to!

* One of the coolest experiences a person can have is getting to work with someone they truly admire, and that’s exactly what happened for The Ritualists’ frontman Christian Dryden when the band linked up with producer Ed Buller (Pulp, Suede, White Lies).

The teaming of band and producer has given us “Baroque & Bleeding,” the lead single from the album of the same name, which is due out December 3rd via Suite 484 Music.

Dryden discussed the concept behind the song in a statement, saying, “(It’s) an exploration of the importance of being earnest, and the pitfalls of being ornate, in an atmosphere that seems to embrace the vapid, safe, and mediocre.”

He added, “Musically, I like to think of it as the glittery love child of Black Sabbath and Duran Duran.”

Personally, I also get some Orgy, and AFI vibes from the song, and those are two bands I really like. Click play, and check it out for yourself.

* Micky James knows that every one of us experiences times when we’re “Not Okay,” and his latest single is a warm hug for anyone who needs it.

“This song is a declaration to never give up,” James said in a statement, “I want people to know that they are not alone, and they’re not the first to go through it. Never be afraid to reach out and talk to someone.”

Musically, “Not Okay” is one part Neon Trees, one part Jimmy Eat World (“The Middle” was a helluva “don’t give up” song, as well), and if you’re going through anything, you’ll want it on repeat.

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