NYC Scene Report – Endearments, Rivkah Reyes, & Sid Seth

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Endearments with an “Open Hand,” Rivkah Reyes not needing “another vice,” and Sid Seth wanting to make your body “Wave.”

* Brooklyn-based dream pop trio Endearments recently released a video for their song “Open Hand,” which is off the band’s It Can Be Like This EP.

What I love most about this – other than how great the song sounds with it’s combination of modern indie rock, and ‘80s influences – is that Endearments are embodying my long-held notion that an indie band’s promotional timeline is infinite.

You see, It Can Be Like This came out a full year ago, but if someone hasn’t heard it yet, it’s brand new to that person. Also, with limited edition vinyl copies now available, why not make a video, and continue to promote the project?

I guess what I’m saying is, when it comes to Endearments, I find both their music, and their ideology, quite endearing. Check out “Open Hand,” and hear why It Can Be Like This is well worth talking about a year after its release.

* Many folks know the name Rivkah Reyes because of the roles she’s played in movies, and on stage – she was Katie, the bassist in School of Rock, and starred in multiple productions of Spamilton. She’s also an artist in NYC’s indie music scene, playing bass in the band Never Sorry, and releasing music as a solo artist, with her most recent solo single being “another vice.”

Discussing “another vice” in a statement, Rivkah said, “People are the best drug there is. This song is about limerence, lust, and being so into someone that it feels like withdrawal when they’re not around.”

Click play on “another vice,” and maybe the music of Rivkah Reyes will become the drug you can’t live without.

* In a prime example of why you should go to indie music venues even if you’re unfamiliar with the artists on the bill, way back in March I was at Rockwood Music Hall when I discovered the music of Sid Seth.

I really liked the positive, feel-good vibe of much of his set, and recently he released a single titled “Wave” that perfectly encapsulates that vibe.

When I asked him about the inspiration for the body moving song, he said, “I love Afrobeats, but I didn’t know how it would blend with my artistry. I was speaking with a friend of mine, Arnav, who’s an amazing Indian classical vocalist, and we were discussing the new ragas he’s working on. Having studied Indian classical music myself, I asked him if he understood Afrobeats, and I spat out an idea about mixing Taal Kaharva with Afrobeats, as it’s just 8 beat rhythm pattern. He agreed it should work.”

Seth continued, “I didn’t have a tabla around me in NY, or would know of anyone who’d play it, so I literally searched on Splice, lol. I found an improv on the 8 beat tabla pattern. I put an Afrobeat and tabla together. I bounced a rough draft, and played it for my friends and all of them smiled and started bopping. We instantly knew it worked.”

On the song he sings, “Wave your body like you do,” and he really does want listeners to get into the groove. “One thing I’d love to see is people dance to the track. To be honest, what gave me the confidence is when I saw (my) mom and dad start to move. I was so happy, but kinda shocked.”

Click play on the video, and move your body to Sid Seth’s “Wave.”

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