NYC Scene Report - Stroamata, Diet Cig, & more


This week’s NYC Scene Report features the triumphant return of Brooklyn rockers Stroamata, a new single from alt-rock duo Diet Cig, and the column debuts of pop-rock band Last Good Tooth, and singer-songwriter Jesse Malin.

* A band I'd been wanting to hear something new from for quite some time is Brooklyn-based rock act Stroamata. One of my favorite bands to see live, Stroamata spent the better part of 2013 and 2014 releasing singles, but this year, while lead singer Dara Eagle released a solo EP, Stroamata wasn’t on enough stages for my liking. That, however, is about to change with the release of “Social.”

“Social” is off of Stroamata’s upcoming full length album, which is due out this fall, and with a kick-ass guitar intro leading into Eagle's powerful rock vocals, the song re-announces the band’s presence with a bang.

Stroamata clearly hasn't missed a beat, which is great news, because I'd certainly missed them. Listen to “Social,” and hear why.


* Back in July I came across a band hailing from New Paltz, NY, named Diet Cig. I was immediately drawn to their 90s alt-rock vibe, especially singer Alex Luciano's voice, which sounds like it was tailor made for the era.

The duo, which also includes instrumentalist Noah Bowman, kicked off a national tour yesterday, and midway through that tour they’ll be releasing a double A-side 7'', "Sleep Talk" / "Dinner Date." The 7'' will be limited to 1,000 copies, and will be available September 18th.

I posted "Sleep Talk" in a previous column, and now you can check out "Dinner Date" to get another dose of Diet Cig.


* Last Good Tooth isn’t just an accurate way to describe a hockey player's smile, it's also the name of an NYC/Providence indie pop-rock foursome consisting of Penn Sultan, Arthur Kapp, Kevin Sullivan, and Alex Spoto.

The band members actually have quite a few good teeth, and quite a few good songs. Their latest is "Our Little Machine," and after hearing Sultan's baritone vocals, and storytelling style, one might draw a slight comparison to Crash Test Dummies, and their memorable frontman, Brad Roberts (apologies if you now have "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" going through your head).

"Our Little Machine" is off of Last Good Tooth's upcoming album, And All Things On The Scales, which is due out October 2nd on Supply & Demand Records. Check it out, and see if their “machine” moves you.


* NYC singer-songwriter Jesse Malin is a little bit folk, a little bit pop, and a whole lotta interesting. His latest single is "You Know It's Dark When Atheists Start to Pray," and it’s just as compelling as the title would lead one to believe.

The song is off of Malin's upcoming album, Outsiders, which is due out October 9th on One Little Indian / Velvet Elk Records. In a statement, Malin described the album, saying it's "a record built out of optimism and disgust – one for the leavers, the believers, the hustlers, and the chicken hawks who could never catch us."

You'll want to catch Malin, and the official lyric video for "You Know It's Dark When Atheists Start to Pray," which I have for you right here.


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

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