NYC Scene Report – Dropper, Alexa Dark, & Homeboy Sandman

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Dropper trying to be “Ok Ok Ok,” Alexa Dark embracing mistakes, and Homeboy Sandman giving us some energy.

* Dropper will be releasing their debut album, Don’t Talk To Me, this Friday, and the latest single off it is the incredibly relatable “Ok Ok Ok.”

An indie rock song with a bit of a retro feel to it, Dropper’s Andrea Scanniello discussed the inspiration for “Ok Ok Ok,” saying, “I think most people have gone through at least one breakup, or had a friendship end, that pretty much wrecked them for a little while. ‘Ok Ok Ok’ is about going to a party, and being hyper-aware of that other person’s presence. It’s about trying to overcome discomfort but in the process overcompensating, and being – maybe just a little – petty. It’s about that desire to prove to that other person, and to yourself, that you’re okay, when maybe the truth is you’re not.”

Click play on the video for “Ok Ok Ok,” and I think you’ll be more than OK with hearing more from this Brooklyn-based band.

* “Ungrateful” may be the name of the latest single by Alexa Dark, but after hearing it you’ll be more than grateful to have made her acquaintance.

The NYC-based singer-songwriter who was raised in Spain, Germany, and London, said the following about the creation of the song, “‘Ungrateful’ started off as a voice memo of me strumming the guitar. I wanted to bottle up the feelings brewing inside of me – feeling unsteady, and unsure in my life, yet feeling like I had to figure it all out perfectly. Simultaneously navigating a night out, and sifting through my past, ‘Ungrateful’ became a kind of reclamation, an anti-apology, telling the world – and more importantly, myself – to accept my mistakes, because I’m never going to grow if I’m too scared to make them.”

Check out the video for “Ungrateful,” which – thanks to being shot on Super 8 film, and 35mm – perfectly matches the timeless feel of the song.

* Longtime column favorite Homeboy Sandman (check out our most recent interview here) will be releasing a new EP titled There In Spirit on February 25th, and with the lead single, “Keep That Same Energy,” the indie hip-hop legend is ready to go toe-to-toe with a certain breed of loudmouth.

Dedicated to those who like to talk smack on the internet, Sandman requests that those who picture themselves as tough when they type “Keep That Same Energy” if they see him in real life.

While Sandman recently announced the creation of his own label, Dirty Looks, the EP, which was produced by Illingsworth, will be released via Mello Music Group. For a live preview, check out Homeboy Sandman at The Brooklyn Speakeasy Show on February 11th (get tickets here). The lineup also includes Deuce Ellis, Gam, and Wavy Bagels, and you can be sure the night will be filled with (good) energy.

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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