NYC Scene Report – Frankie Rose, Rivkah Reyes, & Inland Years

This week’s NYC Scene Report features Frankie Rose ready to “Manifest” her next album, Rivkah Reyes dealing with a “Debt Collector,” and Inland Years with some tunes for Nowadays.

* Frankie Rose will be releasing her next album, Hila, on September 18th, and the latest single from it is the supremely cool “Manifest.”

A combination of dark synths, and ethereal vocals highlight “Manifest,” which has a Depeche Mode meets Duran Duran musical vibe. If you ask me, that makes it downright phenomenal.

Rose says the album as a whole is, “A record about loss, and what persists beyond the range of ordinary perception.”

Only 300 copies of Hila will be pressed on vinyl, and based on “Manifest,” they’re going to go fast. Click play on this absolute gem to get a taste of what Frankie Rose has in store for us.

* Rivkah Reyes has found herself having to deal with a “Debt Collector.” This one, however, isn’t seeking money, its dealings are in emotions.

Written about a breakup, and then going to a concert with that ex shortly thereafter, Reyes said of “Debt Collector,” “The song isn’t about longing so much as it is about compulsion, like trying to re-enter something you already know isn’t stable, and convincing yourself you can do it better this time. The ‘debt collector’ idea is about emotional leverage, like I’ll give you whatever you want if it means I still get access to you.”

A breezy indie pop song, “Debt Collector” is the latest in a string of winners from Reyes. Click play on the video, which was filmed at Coney Island using a camcorder, giving it a wistful feel that nicely matches the song.

* Inland Years, which is the project of Brooklyn-based songwriter Ryan Daniels, released a new album titled Nowadays last month, and it features a bevy of concise lo-fi pop tunes that prove sometimes size doesn’t matter.

Take, for example the just barely one and a half minute “A Thousand Miles.” It’s a warm tune that creates a great vibe, and even as it leaves you after just 96 seconds, it leaves you feeling good, like you’ve had a quick hit of endorphins to get you through the next part of your day.

Plus, if you want to play it half a dozen times in a row, you can!

I can tell you it received quite a few repeated plays while I was writing this.

Give it a spin, I think you’ll find “A Thousand Miles” is a nice quick trip.

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