NYC Scene Report – Stringer, A Deer A Horse, & more

This week’s NYC Scene Report features a nostalgic song by indie rockers Stringer, hard rock outfit A Deer A Horse giving us the “Cold Shoulder,” a diamond studded single from indie pop newcomer Syrena, and electro-soul-pop artist KYOSi flipping the calendar to “Mid July.”

* Brooklyn-based indie rockers Stringer have signed with LA-based label, Wiretap Records, but all it takes is just one listen to their latest single, “Ghosts,” to know they’re still 100% pure NYC.

“Ghosts” – which is the lead single off of the band’s upcoming debut LP, due out this summer – is all about growing up in NYC, and being nostalgic for the past, while also being resentful of all the complaints about the present. It presents NYC nostalgia from all angles, and as an added bonus, it includes a killer guitar solo.

Click play, and rock out with Stringer.


* A Deer A Horse are one of the hardest working bands in Brooklyn’s indie scene. The hard rock trio performed nearly 100 shows in 2017, and will be touring throughout the remainder of 2018.

Their current road warrior status is in support of their upcoming album (release date TBA), the first single off of which is “Cold Shoulder.”

The band explained the inspiration for “Cold Shoulder,” and the video for the song, in a statement, saying, “The video was shot and edited by Brett Sullivan, who shot the entire thing with an iPhone. The song itself grapples with the feeling of loss of control. It describes a world where the dog walks you, the cards cheat you, the job kills you, the mouth feeds you. We wanted the video to convey this same feeling as viscerally as possible, and Brett's editing, effects work, and direction serve to bombard the viewer moment by moment, as it pushes faster and faster towards the breaking point.”

Don’t give A Deer A Horse the cold shoulder, click play on the video, and prepare yourself for some heavy music.


* Twenty year old indie pop artist Syrena is a newcomer to the scene, but she’s no newbie when it comes to performing. Her resume includes everything from being a world-class belly dancer, a fire eater, and a snake charmer, to doing singing telegrams.

The daughter of a top belly dancer who runs a belly dancing school, Syrena grew up in the East Village, graduated from arts magnet La Guardia High, and studied briefly at the Manhattan School Of Music before embarking on her music career.

Syrena’s first single is “Diamonds In My Head,” which she describes, saying, “‘Diamonds In My Head’ is about being bold, and having confidence in your own ideas and opinions. What’s inside your head is valuable.” She adds, “Power and confidence are big themes in my music. Maybe it comes from being a New Yorker, or maybe it comes from performing live since I was 3. If you doubt yourself, this city will eat you alive.”

Check out the video for “Diamonds In My Head” and experience the power and confidence of Syrena.


* With her latest single, NYC-based electro-soul-pop artist KYOSi has ripped a few pages off of her calendar and gone straight to “Mid July.”

A great song that features her fantastic production work, and trademark gorgeous vocals, KYOSi describes “Mid July,” saying, “It's about being blindsided by loss and grief, and realizing you have no control over whatever is causing that. It’s also a prayer for, and meditation on, acceptance.”

“Mid July” will be on KYOSi’s upcoming EP (release date TBA), and you can listen to the song 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.