NYC Scene Report – Sam Himself, Stalking Gia, & Spoiler NYC

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Sam Himself requesting “Never Let Me Go,” Stalking Gia dealing with the anxiety of new romance on “obviously…,” and Spoiler NYC raucously enjoying being “Banned in 38 States.”

* Sam Himself – who describes his sound as “Fondue Western” – already has something to be excited about for the new year, as he’ll be releasing his second album, titled Never Let Me Go, on January 27th, 2023.

It’s apropos that the album is being released at the beginning of the year, as Never Let Me Go was inspired by new beginnings.

Coming out of a pandemic has felt like a new beginning for many, including Sam Himself, who says, “The last couple of years took their toll on me like they did on all of us, but they also gave me a lot to be thankful for. It still feels like a small miracle that anyone cared about my music while we were all going through this pretty bleak time.”

When you create music that people relate to, people are going to care, and after a listen to the title track of Never Let Me Go, it’s easy to see why so many care about the music of Sam Himself.

* A new romance can feel awesome, but it can also fill a person with anxiety. The latter is what Stalking Gia is singing about on her recently released single “obviously…”

The NYC-based alt-pop singer-songwriter explained the song in a statement, saying, “(It’s) about the dreaded talking phase during the first few weeks of seeing someone new. From grand gestures to radio silence, and all the speculation in-between.”

She added that “obviously…” is essentially the phrases, “If they wanted to they would,” and “He’s just not that into you” in song form.

With Stalking Gia’s breathy vocal delivery, that kind of news is much easier to take.

* NYC-based punk rock band Spoiler NYC released their latest album last month, and they’re already Banned in 38 States.

Banned in 38 States, which was released via Brookvale Records, is an album with a firm foundation in the roots of the genre. Frontman Alan Robert explains, “I grew up on punk rock when it was dangerous. When burned out buildings lined Hell’s Kitchen instead of these shiny, billion-dollar, high-rise condos. We’re bringing back that raw, old-school angst with Spoiler NYC … The feeling that chaos can break out at any given moment.”

The title track features gravelly vocals, blistering drums, and a guitar solo thrown in for good measure, so I sure hope your state isn’t one Spoiler NYC is banned in, because you’re gonna want to crank this one up.

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