Mar 27, 2016
I'm very excited to be a part of the very first Indie Shuffle Showcase at Our Wicked Lady. This week, we assembled in Brooklyn's Bushwick area, to celebrate the discovery of new music from an array of genres, from folk to indie pop and alternative.
After severely underestimating the amount of time needed to navigate the New York Subway system, I arrived halfway through Janet LaBelle's set. Regardless, I immediately noticed that she has a fantastic stage presence, and used vocal inflection to communicate stories through her music. Both sweet and commanding, her voice soared over poppy piano chords and her confidence could be felt throughout the audience. I managed to catch her final few songs, the very last of which she performed solo with a ukulele. It was a vulnerable performance in which she captivated the audience with her charm and passion. For fans of Ingrid Michaelson, I suggest you give this girl a listen.
Secret Crush graced the stage next. Their set was full of energetic guitars and insistent percussion. Switching back and forth between two lead singers, they showed two separate sides of their music. One representing the more upbeat side of their sound, complete with shaky dance moves and punk flourishes, while the other was more laid back and relaxed, exhibiting a more traditional indie-alternative rock sound. The band performed well together, maintaining tight rhythms driven by guitar riffs, but seemed to be lacking that final emphatic push to breach the barrier from good to great.
Finally, Michael Nau's project Cotton Jones ended the night. I have to admit, after talking to fellow attendees and listening to his tracks on Soundcloud, I was very excited for this set. On recordings Nau's got a brash voice similar to that of The Tallest Man On Earth, and the band delivers slow jams in the style of Allen Stone.
In a live setting, Cotton Jones is a musical project of warm melodies and dreamy reverberant guitars punctuated by chilled, ethereal keys and subtle drums. The set was very well-built, beginning with a slowly blooming narrative track before breaking into an all-inclusive gang groove. I was impressed with the band's refined sound, leaving space for each respective musical element and emphasizing the folk artist's songwriting talents.
Overall, it was a highly successful night full of fantastic new music. We thank the artists for joining us for our very first showcase and look forward to many more music filled evenings to come.
Do you live in the New York area? Would you like to join us? You can find more information on future shows at the OWL events page.