NYC Scene Report – Michael Mayo, Kira Metcalf, & Jamel Rocwell


This week’s NYC Scene Report features Michael Mayo seeing “20/20,” Kira Metcalf revealing a “Hoax,” and Jamel Rocwell totally “Killin’ It.”

* Just because someone has parents who are musicians doesn’t necessarily mean that person will turn out to have musical talent. That said, I dare anyone to listen to Michael Mayo’s “20/20” and not be totally blown away by his voice.

The autobiographical song is off Mayo’s upcoming debut album, Bones, which is due out this Friday via Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Records. All the songs on Bones were recorded live with Mayo’s band, and were produced by veteran Grammy-winning producer Eli Wolf (Al Green, Norah Jones, The Roots).

As alluded to earlier, Mayo’s musical roots run deep, as both of his parents are lifelong musicians. His father is Scott Mayo, who is the musical director for Sergio Mendes, and was previously a saxophonist for Earth, Wind & Fire. His mother is Valerie Pinkston, who is a backup vocalist for Diana Ross, and has also sang with Beyonce, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, and Whitney Houston.

Getting back to Bones, Mayo discussed the album in a statement, saying, “In many ways, this album is a letter to myself. I was in the closet for years, lying about who I truly was, and felt. This album affirms you can live authentically, and not be afraid to express it. Bisexuality is still not taken seriously by a lot of the LGBTQ community. I had no black bisexual role models growing up, so maybe I can be that person for someone now. The eventual goal is to not have to come out, for everyone to just coexist with our differences.”

Click play, and check out “20/20.”

* Brooklyn-based artist Kira Metcalf has a voice you’ll remember, and with her latest single, “Hoax,” and accompanying video, she proves that isn’t the only way in which she’s unforgettable.

Metcalf discussed the big, bold, theatrical, rock song in a statement, saying, “I wrote ‘Hoax’ about 8 years ago after a pretty terrible breakup. I wanted to channel all that pain and anger into something fun and empowering. ‘Hoax’ is really about finding your power after someone, or something, continuously, and methodically, tries to put you down.”

With “Hoax” everyone should recognize Kira Metcalf is the real deal.

* Jamel Rockwell (formerly known as Sav Killz) is an emcee who reminds you of why you love hip-hop. Whenever he spits, he never fails to kill it, which is why it’s apropos that his latest single is titled “Killin’ It.”

Flowin’ over a classic Madlib beat, Rocwell’s true school hip-hop vibe truly shines through.

“Killin’ It” is off The Absence of Time – The Chronology Mixtape, which was just released this past week, and features unreleased remixes, songs, and freestyles, as well better mixes of classic songs.

Click play on the video for “Killin’ It” to get a taste.

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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