NYC Scene Report – Strange Neighbors, Kendra Morris, & Bambara

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Strange Neighbors taking on “Influencer” culture, Kendra Morris inviting us into her house, and Bambara seeing the “Face of Love.”

* If you’re on social media at all, chances are you’ve been confronted with the dreaded evil that is influencer culture. Designed to make you feel like you either don’t have enough, or even worse, simply aren’t enough, it’s created celebrities out of those engaging in rampant consumerism. NYC’s favorite power pop band, Strange Neighbors, have had enough of it all, and are taking on influencer culture with their recently released single, “Influencer.”

There are A LOT of killer lines in this song, with one of my personal faves being, “If you have the money ‘link in bio’ has the cure.”

Speaking of a link in bio, Strange Neighbors are currently raising funds for their next music video, which will be for the single “Hate Me Less,” off their upcoming album People Pleasers Pleasing People (release date TBA). Unlike the influencers, they just want to spread some good tunes.

So give “Influencer” a spin, and then check out their fundraising efforts.

* Soulful singer-songwriter, and longtime Adam’s World fave, Kendra Morris is giving us all an invite into her house with her latest single, “In My House.”

For Morris, however, the house she’s singing about is both literal, and metaphorical. “It’s an overlap of my messy little New York apartment, and the clutter that’s constantly evolving in my own head,” she explained in a statement, “They both can get pretty messy. However, they’re all my own, and I get to take a step back, see them for what they are, and then clean up, and move forward. I can’t really find peace until my messes are cleaned up, but they are necessary to me being the person that I am.”

I know some people say cleanliness is next to godliness, but one listen to what Kendra’s mess has inspired will have you rethinking that notion, because her house sounds so damned good.

* Bambara released their fifth album, titled Birthmarks, earlier this month, one of the singles off of which is the ridiculously cool “Face of Love.”

Featuring dark indie pop production, the band’s Reid Bateh described the song in a statement, saying, “The story begins when a server at a diner reminds a man of a woman from his past. Inspiration for the music came from listening to Cocteau Twins songs reversed and slowed down. It features guest lead vocals from Madeline Johnston (Midwife), backing vocals by Jen Monroe, and harp played by Marilu Donovan (LEYA).”

The result of those collaborations, and inspirations is something that mixes Lou Reed and Mazzy Star, and warrants repeat listens.

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