NYC Scene Report – BAILEN, Sharkmuffin, & more


This week’s NYC Scene Report features family trio BAILEN gearing up to release their debut LP, indie rock band Sharkmuffin getting inspired by a trip to AutoZone (yes, really), Rare DM giving listeners a dark electronic dance song that has some distinct ‘90s vibes, and Garcia Peoples engaging in some “High Noon Violence.”

* Last month I was turned on to the fantastic harmonies of NYC-based family trio BAILEN when they released their single “I Was Wrong.”

Consisting of fraternal twins Daniel and David Bailen, and their younger sister Julia, BAILEN recently released a video for “I Was Wrong,” which is off their upcoming debut LP, Thrilled To Be Here.

In a statement, Julia discussed the upcoming album – which is due out April 26th via Fantasy Records – saying, “First records are special because you’ve spent your whole life writing them. Recording our album in a month, at the same studio, with one producer meant that we kept the creativity, but also found the cohesiveness.”

BAILEN will be on tour through April 23rd, and you can watch the video for “I Was Wrong” right here.


* Before we get to the actual music of this next band, can we just take a minute to be happy that there’s a band in New York City’s indie music scene named Sharkmuffin. I mean, seriously, I need that t-shirt.

Moving to the music – which is great – Sharkmuffin is a rock trio that mixes elements of a bevy of rock subgenres to create a sound that will appeal to a wide array of listeners. Their latest single is “Serpentina,” which is off their upcoming album, Gamma Gardening, due out April 5th via Exploding In Sound Records.

Speaking about the song, Sharkmuffin guitarist/vocalist Tarra Thiessen said, “This was the first song that inspired the character and story of the EP. I wrote the bass line and lyrics to this song when I had to get the serpentine belt replaced in my 1995 Dodge Caravan. I got an oil change, and the dude there told me the belt looked like it was about to snap and if it did then I would lose control of the whole car and die. So after I bought a new Serpentine Belt at AutoZone, I, for some reason, started to personify my minivan as a sexy dominatrix named Serpentina that could kill me with her belt. To take control of this weird paranoid thought I changed the story so that Serpentina kills herself with the belt.”

I’m not sure anyone’s gotten more out of a trip to AutoZone. Check out “Serpentina,” and rock out with Sharkmuffin.


* If you’re a fan of dark ‘90s dance music, you’re going to love Rare DM’s “Caracal.”

With “Caracal,” Rare DM (formerly known as Errmine) has created an impressive bridge between decades of dance music, and a song that’s fitting for any late night soundtrack. To put it succinctly, “Caracal” is 2am in sonic form.

“Caracal” is off Rare DM’s upcoming debut album, Vanta Black, which is due out April 12th, and you can check out the video for the song right here.


* NJ-based indie rock jam band Garcia Peoples are engaging in some “High Noon Violence,” but don’t worry, this is not about violence towards ESPN’s High Noon duo of Bomani Jones and Pablo Torre (that said, I guess we’re about to find out if either of them have Google alerts set up for their own name).

Rather, “High Noon Violence” is the band’s latest single, and it’s the type of song that sets the mood for sunshine, which is Garcia Peoples’ modus operandi when creating music.

“High Noon Violence” is off the band’s upcoming album, Natural Facts, which will be released this Friday, and should be so sunny it could have the ability to melt any snow that may be left in your area. Check out the song and hear what I mean.


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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