NYC Scene Report – N-A-R-C, MICKY, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the grown up pop of N-A-R-C, something “Sophisticated” from pop/rock/soul artist MICKY, Talay rocking out while singing about her love of a drummer, and a new video from synth-pop duo HEIRSOUND.

* Have an affinity for pop music, but feel most of what you hear is a little too immature for your taste? N-A-R-C is here to the rescue with “Forward Motion,” a song that can be best described as Carly Rae Jepsen for grown ups.

“Forward Motion” is off of N-A-R-C’s Infinite Mine, which was released this past week, and while N-A-R-C’s previous efforts were of the solo variety for musician Pepi Ginsberg, for this album she teamed up with composer/producer Martin Crane after the two worked together on the score of a film.

Ginsberg says of Infinite Mine, “Infinite Mine is an album about intimacy and the exploration of relationships, both to oneself and to others. To infinitely mine is the process of digging to one’s core, drilling for something valuable in the hopes of extracting something of worth. It embodies the idea that personhood and identity have no measurable end, and trying to know or possess oneself, or another, is both an endless pursuit, and an act of love.”

Check out “Forward Motion,” and enjoy some pop music aimed at an audience that’s more likely to chaperone, rather than attend, a high school dance.


* The NYC Scene Report is now going to slip you a MICKY. No, we aren’t dong something dastardly at your local watering hole, we’re introducing you to MICKY, which is the moniker of Michael Persall, a pop/rock/soul artist who has plenty to say with his new single, “Sophisticated.”

In a statement, MICKY said of the song, “I see a lot of people write long statuses on Facebook about politics whenever something controversial comes up, and then they're silent when it passes. Some people have great points, but the majority of them aren't really saying anything, (they’re) just restating things from whatever articles they read because for some reason they feel like they have to state their opinion publicly to prove to people they care, and are informed. ‘Sophisticated’ is for all those loud people on social media.”

So stop writing that Facebook post, and click play on “Sophisticated.” The soulful indie pop-rock jam will make you completely forget what you were so angry about … at least for the next four minutes.


* NYC-based rocker Talay has an incredible amount of fun with her music, and when listening to her songs that fun is infectious. Whether she’s singing about the pains of living at home on “Parent’s House,” or, in the case of her latest single, “Drummer Of The Band,” falling in love at a music venue, you can’t help but have a smile on your face while rocking out.

On “Drummer Of The Band” Talay finds herself in love with a man who’s all about the kicks, snares, and cymbals, but if Spinal Tap has taught us anything, it’s that drummers don’t necessarily last all that long, so Talay may end up needing a new love sooner, rather than later.

Check out “Drummer Of The Band,” which is off of Talay’s recently released self-titled EP. It’s a two and a half minute rockin’ good time.


* If you haven’t noticed, HEIRSOUND have become a column favorite over the past year. The latest from the dynamic duo of Alexa San Román and Dane Petersen is “Lacuna,” and it’s more synth-pop goodness with attitude, which is exactly what we love about them.

San Román describes “Lacuna,” saying, “Have you ever met someone who you felt like you knew in a past life? The second you started talking it was like you were picking up where you once left off? It felt like how I would imagine it would feel if you had someone erased from your memory and then met them again. 'Lacuna' provides a glimpse of familiarity, hope, and a distraction from a cloudy mindset.”

Check out the video for “Lacuna,” and dive into the mind of HEIRSOUND.


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