NYC Scene Report – Cool Company, Homeboy Sandman, & Peach Fuzz

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Cool Company with a live performance that will have you “Floatin’,” Homeboy Sandman going global and feeling “Omnipresent,” and a new indie supergroup that’s so fresh it still has Peach Fuzz.

* It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from one of NYC’s smoothest outfits, Cool Company, but the duo recently started releasing videos from a live session they had at the beginning of the year.

“January snow storm be damned,” they said in a statement, “we got together to capture live performances of a handful of songs off our latest album Bless You. We bring these to you because we love you. We hope you enjoy these live performance, and we look forward to playing live somewhere near you soon.”

The way this super smooth performance of “Floatin’” turned out, Cool Company are definitely a group worth braving a storm for … but let’s get some summer, and fall dates on the schedule, yo!

* Homeboy Sandman has been featured on this site more than just about any other artist, and there’s a damned good reason for that – he’s damned good!

His latest project is titled I Can’t Sell These, and that title is literal. He explained it in a statement, saying, “I rap because it’s magic, not because I can sell it. It so happens that lots of times I can sell it, and that’s cool, and thanks those of y’all who buy it, but when I hear a Paquito D’Rivera song just crying to be rapped over I’m not going to fight the feeling just because I don’t know how to reach out to Paquito to get the clearance. Turns out there’s enough people I don’t know how to reach out to for a mixtape. Thrown in there are a couple of songs produced by folks I do know, but still can’t sell because art and money make for strange bedfellows. One is the realest thing in existence, and the other is the fakest. That being the case, I’m not at all upset that I can’t sell these songs. I’m just very happy that you can still listen to them.”

The first video from the project is for the song “Omnipresent,” and thanks to the power of Homeboy Sandman’s email list, the clip includes fans, and scenes from all over the world. The video was directed by Steven Miosku, and is an absolute must-see.

Speaking of must-see, Homeboy Sandman’s live show is a must-see, and he’ll be on tour August 3rd through September 3rd. So check out “Omnipresent,” and then be present when he hits a stage near you.

* What happens when you bring together four dope indie artists – Raffaella, Samia, Sara L’Abriola (aka Hank), and Victoria Zaro (aka Ryann)? You get an indie pop Voltron named Peach Fuzz. (Yes, I know Voltron was FIVE lions, but the metaphor still works)

The foursome just released their debut EP, Can Mary Dood the Moon?, this past Friday, the lead single off of which is “Hey Dood.”

“Hey Dood” isn’t an ode to the classic Nickelodeon show Hey Dude, but it’s an indie pop gem. Of course, you wouldn’t expect anything less from this foursome.

Check out “Hey Dood,” and feel the Fuzz!

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