We love dancing, we love clubs and we certainly love drinks, but the real reason we spend so many nights out is because we really, really love bands. Living in New York, it’s easy to take for granted that every single night, dozens—if not hundreds—of groups are playing all over town, and most of them are hometown acts. We’re certainly lucky to live in a city that the world’s best bands come through on a regular basis, but we’re even luckier to have local talent of the caliber that we do.
We decided to check in with some, but by no means all, of our favorite local groups to get their thoughts on the current state of the New York rock scene, its best bands, greatest venues, most underrated acts and more.
Whether you’re devoted to twee indie rock, passionate about punk or obsessed with metal, there’s a New York band just waiting for you to be obsessed with it. Here are a few of the groups that get other bands excited.
The Walkmen—Mike Fadem, New Numbers
Battles—Noel Heroux, Hooray For Earth
Woods—Cassie Ramone, Vivian Girls
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings—Sohrab Habibion, Obits
Crystal Stilts—Jed Smith, My Teenage Stride
Dark Vibe—Zachary Lipez, Freshkills
The National—Dylan Von Wagner, Linfinity
Boogie Boarder—Jonathan Edelstein, Fiasco
Sisters—Oliver Ackermann, A Place To Bury Strangers
Your Nature—David Dargahi, The Postelles
Yeah Yeah Yeahs—Mark Allen, Fugitive Souls
The National—Brad Bennett, Intermissions/Bling Kong/Red Impact
A Place to Bury Strangers—Steven Matrick, Kepler Events
The Subjects—Brian Betancourt, Hospitality/Frances/White Rabbits
Krallice or Boogie Boarder—Lucian Buscemi, Fiasco
Pearl and the Beard—Emma Firth, Team Genius
Dirty Projectors—Erik Gundel, Motel Motel
The Subjects—Matthew Clark, White Rabbits
Callers—Autry Fulbright, Midnight Masses
Grizzly Bear—Dylan Rau, Bear Hands
No matter if it was purchased under the watchful eye of the staff at a record store, stolen from the Internet or passed along by friends, good albums were everywhere this year.
Soft Black The Earth is Black—Shilpa Ray, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
Glass Ghost Idol Omen—Matthew Clark, White Rabbits
The Silent League But You’ve Always Been the Caretaker—Emma Firth, Team Genius
Harlem Shakes Technicolor Health—David Dargahi, The Postelles
Plushgun Pins and Panzers—Mark Allen, Fugitive Souls
A Place to Bury Strangers Exploding Head—Steven Matrick, Kepler Events
Cymbals Eat Guitars Why There Are Mountains—Paul Schalda, Pablo
Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca—Alex Tween, The Forms
Grooms Rejoicer—Oliver Ackermann, A Place to Bury Strangers
St. Vincent Actor—Sam Tyndall, ArpLine
White Rabbits It’s Frightening—Asher Lack, Ravens & Chimes
Asobi Seksu Hush—Michael Jurin, stellastarr*
Hopewell Good Good Desperation—Justin Russo, The Silent League
Amazing Baby Rewild—Josh Abbott, New Numbers
Sharon Van Etten Because I Was in Love—
Erik Gundel, Motel Motel
Hamsoken Foul Harvest— Zachary Lipez, Freshkills
Oneida Rated O—Sohrab Habibion, Obits
Electric Tickle Machine Blew It Again—Lyndon Roeller, Hopewell
Knight School Revenger—Jed Smith, My Teenage Stride
The Beets Spit in the Face of People Who Don’t Want to be Cool—Cassie Ramone, Vivian Girls
Paul & The Patients To The Lions—Noel Heroux, Hooray For Earth
Grizzly Bear Veckatimest—Dylan Rau, Bear Hands
While audience members judge a venue by the price of drinks, proximity to subway (and pizza parlors) and a slew of other factors, bands have completely different criteria for choosing their favorite places to play.
The Bell House—Mike Sniper, Blank Dogs
McKibbin Lofts Rooftop—Body Language
Glasslands wins for the third year, although Cameo was fun the other night—Lyndon Roeller, Hopewell
Union Hall—Brian Betancourt, Hospitality/Frances/White Rabbits
The Studio at Webster Hall—Mark Allen, Fugitive Souls
Music Hall of Williamsburg—Elizabeth & The Catapult
Monkeytown—Emma Firth, Team Genius
Loft Parties—Shilpa Ray, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
Death by Audio or Market Hotel—Jonathan Edelstein, Fiasco
Music Hall of Williamsburg... Best sound system anywhere—Eric Zeiler, Xylos
Cake Shop, Bruar Falls, Silent Barn, Dead Herring—Jed Smith, My Teenage Stride
Coco66 even thought they’re cheapskates—Thomas Laplaige, Electric Tickle Machine
Cake Shop. Because it’s very close to Motor City— Zachary Lipez, Freshkills
(le) Poisson Rouge! So classy… so air-conditioned—Miracles of Modern Science
It always feels special at The Bowery Ballroom—Asher Lack, Ravens & Chimes
Union Pool—Shannon Fields, Stars Like Fleas/The Silent League/Helado Negro/Miho Hatori’s New Still Life
Death By Audio—Oliver Ackermann, A Place to Bury Strangers
Some groups sound great on record but fall apart when they take the stage, others have a live energy that can’t be captured. Being consistently impressive live, especially to people who play music themselves, is indeed a feat.
Amazing Baby—Josh Abbott, New Numbers
Dirty Projectors—Erik Gundel, Motel Motel
The Walkmen—Mike Fadem, New Numbers
The Homosexuals—Miracles of Modern Science
None. They all play too long—Zachary Lipez, Freshkills
Lycaon Pictus—Sohrab Habibion, Obits
Action Painters—Project Jenny, Project Jan
Golden Triangle shows are fun—Thomas Laplaige, Electric Tickle Machine
Annie & The Beekeepers—Tim Williams
Crystal Stilts and The Beets—Jed Smith, My Teenage Stride
Dirty Projectors—Matthew Clark, White Rabbits
Woods—Mike Sniper, Blank Dogs
Cause Co-Motion!—Cassie Ramone, Vivian Girls
TV On The Radio—Autry Fulbright, Midnight Masses
Yeasayer, Grizzly Bear—Kyle Wilson, Milagres
Battles—Noel Heroux, Hooray For Earth
Das Racist—Dylan Rau, Bear Hands
Yeah Yeah Yeahs—David Dargahi, The Postelles
Semi-Precious Weapons simply for the all out, balls out glam—Coyle Girelli, Your Vegas
Bear in Heaven—Justin Russo, The Silent League
LCD Soundsystem—Mark Allen, Fugitive Souls
Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers—Steven Matrick, Kepler Events
Beastie Boys—Dylan Von Wagner, Linfinity
Ching Chong Song, Heavy Trash, Sharon Van Etten—Shilpa Ray, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
No One and the Somebodies—Jonathan Edelstien, Fiasco
These Are Powers—Alex Tween, The Forms
Dead Combo—Oliver Ackermann, A Place To Bury Strangers
Gang Gang Dance—Sam Tyndall, ArpLine
The Hold Steady, but only when I’m drunk—Liz Schroeter, Diehard/Bling Kong
The Giraffes—Americans
These Are Powers— Shannon Fields, Stars Like Fleas/The Silent League/Helado Negro/Miho Hatori’s New Still Life
Aa (Big A little a)—Julian Bennett Holmes, Fiasco
I was recently blown away by a show we did with White Rabbits—Asher Lack, Ravens & Chimes
The Kiss Off—Michael Jurin, stellastarr*
Motel Motel—Drew Hermiller, Team Genius
Looking to find your favorite group after a show, or looking for a place to blow off steam after your own set? Here’s where some of our favorites go…
On the couch with my cat, Magnus— Kyle Wilson, Milagres
Cabin Down Below—Coyle Girelli, Your Vegas
Brooklyn Bowl with DJ Aarnio—Body Language
Stoned in my room—Shilpa Ray, Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers
The bar at the venue where you are hopefully drinking for free, duh—Liz Schroeter, Diehard/Bling Kong
A practice space—Paul Holmes, Paul & The Patients
Mars Bar. In theory—Zachary Lipez, Freshkills
Clem’s—Dylan Rau, Bear Hands
Taco Chulo, Williamsburg—Justin Russo, The Silent League
Marlow & Sons—Autry Fulbright, Midnight Masses
Sometimes things just don’t work out…
Does High Places moving to L.A. count?—Julian Bennett Holmes, Fiasco
Usaisamonster—Alex Tween, The Forms
It Lives—Chris Pacifico, Solid PR
I’m not sure myself but a friend of mine was devastated for Apes & Androids—Noel Heroux, Hooray For Earth
Dirty on Purpose—Mark Allen, Fugitive Souls
Oxford Collapse—Liz Schroeter, Diehard/Bling Kong
Hunchback—Cassie Ramone, Vivian Girls
In a town where bands that have played one or two well attended shows can become blog superstars, it’s refreshing to know there are still some groups flying below the radar—for now.
Sleigh Bells. Today your house party, tomorrow the world—Autry Fulbright, Midnight Masses
Snuffy—Jonathan Edelstein, Fiasco
Torpedo—Dylan Von Wagner, Linfinity
The Bloodsugars—Project Jenny, Project Jan
Ambergris—Sohrab Habibion, Obits
Ludlow Lions—Mike Fadem, New Numbers
Bottle Up and Go—Dylan Rau, Bear Hands
Movement—David Dargahi, The Postelles
Grand Mal—Justin Russo, The Silent League
Hank and Cupcakes—Eric Zeiler, Xylos
Music can drive people to do crazy things.
Lots of people showed up—Dylan Von Wagner, Linfinity
Someone stole my underwear out of my bag backstage while we were playing—Asher Lack, Ravens & Chimes
We dressed up as the Nativity Scene for Christmas—Emma Firth, Team Genius
We blew up a PA at Rooftop Films. It actually caught on fire while we were playing—Miracles of Modern Science
Mayor Bloomberg came—Dylan Rau, Bear Hands
Previous bands smoke machines caused firemen to show up—David Dargahi, The Postelles
A mid-set argument from the stage with Anton from The Brian Jonestown Massacre about the correct pronunciation of the word ‘aluminium’—Coyle Girelli, Your Vegas
—compiled & photos by Jonny Leather
