NYC Scene Report – Rachael Sage, Saniyé, & more

This week's NYC Scene Report features singer-songwriter Rachael Sage succeeding with every “Try Try Try,” the sultry Saniyé looking to make a "Man Outta You," a political pop tune from Kiirstin Marilyn that’s taken directly from the “Headlines,” and a "Tragedy" from Clarence Bucaro.

* NYC singer-songwriter Rachael Sage is a force of nature, touring the entire world, and performing over 100 shows per year. Honestly, I have no idea how she finds the time to record, but I know she does, because she has a new album, titled Choreographic, due out May 20th.

The lead single off of Choreographic is "Try Try Try," and Sage says of the pop song, "I wrote ("Try Try Try") from a place of pure anticipation, in that moment where you've connected with someone immediately and all you feel is endless possibility, just being in each other's presence."

The track features a host of seasoned pros, as the backing musicians include members of Coldplay, as well as Adele's, Esperanza Spalding's, and Brandi Carlile's bands. Check it out, and give Rachael Sage a "Try Try Try."


* Last summer I featured the sultry sounds of Saniyé in this column. This summer she’s going to make a "Man Outta You."

Saniyé says of the jazzy, soulful, effort, "'Man Outta You' is about a woman playing with the idea of getting close with a stranger the very night she meets him. She craves the game. The song has that mysterious, modern TV drama, story-line. There is something mystical about this that is enticing to someone who is playing with love, as well as (the) luck of the moment.

Check out "Man Outta You," which will be on Saniyé's upcoming album, Let's Play, due out this June.


* Who says pop music can't be political? Kiirstin Marilyn certainly doesn't subscribe to that notion, as the video for her latest single, "Headlines," features imagery from the current presidential race, as well as many other topics that dominate our headlines.

As she whacks a pinata that dons Donald Trump's face, Marilyn sings of the nation’s headline obsession, "It's all for ratings, and I can't believe my mind." Is the fact that the pinata is a donkey, even though Trump is a republican, a representation of Trump being an ass, or is it an even bigger political statement that there's no difference between the parties? Check out the video, and decide for yourself.


* Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Clarence Bucaro has seen quite a lot during his international travels, which have included stops in Jerusalem, Cuba, Morocco, and Russia. Those experiences, combined with the influences of first time fatherhood, and the writings of Orhan Pamuk, and Asne Seierstad, has led to the creation of Bucaro's upcoming album, Pendulum.

Due out May 20th, via 2020 Records, Pendulum features a folk sound with pop and rock influences, and if you’re in the city you’ll be able to hear Bucaro perform it live at his album release show at Rockwood Music Hall on May 18th. If you aren’t in the city, you can still give the lead single, "Tragedy," a listen right here. It's full of worldly experience, and local heart.


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