+The Scene is Now- formed in 1983 and remains active to the present day. While one critic described them as “NYC’s most criminally neglected band,” certainly they have not been denied critical praise. The New York Times extolled “the sort of zany humor one might expect to find in some netherworld between Tristan Tzara and Spike Jones. The instrumental juxtapositions are consistently surprising, often hilarious, but there is no novelty for novelty’s sake. Every sound has its place.” Their current lineup is Chris Nelson, vocals and guitar; Greg Peterson, guitar; Steven Levi, cornet; Cheryl Kingan, baritone sax; Bob Bannister, bass; and Blake Lindberg, drums.  Their forthcoming vinyl LP After Cadmus will be released this year.

+Corset Lore- Corset Lore serves up a cutting vision of dance-minded humanity hijacked and controlled by extraterrestrials on an asteroid. The songs themselves are infectiously hook-laden and give me earned body aches from hard dancing. Essential listening for anyone who digs synthpop, chiptune, artrock, or electronic dance music with dystopian subtext and depth. Imagine an alternate version of early Depeche Mode fronted by Kate Bush performing on the set of the 90s Total Recall but as a Nintendo game.

+Voodini- a spiked punchbowl of sonic oddities, blending high-octane surf, sleazy blues, and garage rock with a dash of Black Magic. A distorted love letter to vintage jukebox tunes... they’re your mother’s favorite rock ’n’ roll band.