NYC Scene Report - Diet Cig, Stranger Cat, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features the alt-rock of Diet Cig, electro art-pop from longtime column faves Stranger Cat, something soulful from The Seal Breakers, and a the hip-hop infused reggae of Oogee Wawa.

* It's tough to win me over instantly, but that's exactly what New Paltz, NY, duo Diet Cig did as soon as I heard their latest single, "Sleep Talk."

Singer Alex Luciano's voice would have fit in perfectly in the alt-rock scene from the 90s, and the song's opening line of "I can't play instruments very well and I'll eat all of your cereal" is so beautifully honest, and real, that by the time you get to Noah Bowman's drumming you're completely ready to fully embrace the band.

"Sleep Talk" follows up Diet Cig's debut EP, Over Easy, and is set to be released as a 7'' this September with the song "Dinner Date." The record will be limited to 1000 copies on white frosted clear vinyl. There’s no limit on downloads, however, and "Sleep Talk" is available right now. Check it out.


* I've written about Brooklyn based electro art pop act Stranger Cat a number of times for this column, and I'm going to keep writing about Cat Martino’s musical project until she no longer qualifies as an indie act.

Stranger Cat has an incredible live show that creates an amazing vibe, as Martino's voice, and the production, have an atmospheric quality to them. There's a distinct beauty to every aspect of Stranger Cat's sound, which pulls you in, and really makes you feel what she's singing about.

Martino is currently midway through a tour that will wrap up on July 31st with a hometown show at Baby's All Right in Brooklyn. Before she hit the road, however, she hit the world off with the video for her latest single, "Sirens," which is off of her recently released full length album Into The Wilderness. Much like her music, the video is beautiful, artsy, and will capitvate you.


* If you're in the mood for something soulful, Brooklyn seven piece outfit The Seal Breakers have what you're looking for. The band was formed back in 2001 (originally named the Eagles Brass Band) when founder Craig Williams wanted to combine the music he heard in church with classic acts like The Ohio Players, Sly and the Family Stone, and Chicago.

Williams enlisted the help of some local teenagers, whom he took under his wing, having already had experience in the music industry. He taught them how to play brass instruments, and perform. The result of all of their hard work is a feel good sound that's equal parts uplifiting, and cool.

The Seal Breakers' latest is titled "Is It Possible?" Is it possible you'll like the song? I'd say it's not just possible, it's probable. Give it a listen, and hear for yourself.


* Coming straight outta Long Island we have Oogee Wawa, a hybrid band that combines elements of reggae, hip-hop, and soul, to create music that can best defined as really dope.

Oogee Wawa, which officially came to be in 2008, consists of longtime friends Jesse Lee Roenbeck, who is the band's emcee, JP Aceto on guitar and vocals, Chad Chadwick on bass, and Nick Loiodic on drums and vocals, and they're currently two full length albums, and a whole lot of live dates, into their career.

Speaking of their live show, Oogee Wawa opened for 311, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones this past Friday, and have a plethora of local dates lined up this summer, all the way through September 19th. For a taste of the Oogee Wawa experience, check out their latest single, "Jump Off," the video for which is below.


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