Originally conceived for a surf-trip after-movie, “Choosing Myself” quickly became something far more personal. Too moody for the original project, the song could have been reshaped into something brighter. Instead, særa trusted its emotional truth, turning what initially seemed like a mismatch into the foundation of a new musical chapter.

Built around særa’s acoustic guitar performance, recorded in one continuous take, the track has an organic sense of movement. Producer and co-writer NYPE expands that foundation into a cinematic alternative rock soundscape, incorporating field recordings and ocean-inspired textures that evoke distant ships and whales. The result feels both expansive and intimate, like drifting through open water while simultaneously turning inward.

The lyrics are where the song’s message becomes especially striking. “What if I wanna stand down / What if I wanna sit / In the dark room / While the sun is lit?” Rather than offering another glossy version of self-love, særa makes space for contradiction. Choosing yourself might mean going out; it might mean staying in. It might even mean sitting in the dark while the world insists you should be enjoying the sunshine.

That emotional honesty gives the song its weight. Emerging from a difficult personal period, “Choosing Myself” reflects særa’s realization that constantly absorbing other people’s emotions and expectations can mean losing sight of yourself. Here, self-love becomes less about positivity and more about permission.

The single also marks a shift away from earlier breakup-focused material toward a broader, more rock-oriented direction. Influences from J.J. Cale, Pink Floyd, Funkadelic, Steppenwolf, and The Kinks can be felt in its spacious, earthy character, while a guest jazz-guitar solo adds another dimension.

Særa’s “Choosing Myself” is indeed a statement of artistic freedom; and a quietly powerful reminder that sometimes, choosing yourself is the boldest choice you can, and should make!

Hailing from the Hudson Valley, G-BRO is a powerhouse collective of seasoned professionals who came together during the pandemic lockdowns. The lineup features Cliff Mays (guitar and vocals), Mike Corn (keys and vocals), dual drummers Jim Weingast (drums and vocals) and Andy Ladue (drums and percussion), Jeff Reich (bass), and Mike Earnst (guitar). What began as impromptu parking-lot and backyard shows for music-starved audiences has grown into a formidable live act drawing from the traditions of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, Steely Dan, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. Rehearsals naturally evolved into writing sessions, producing original material that highlights the band’s unique chemistry—especially the syncopated dialogue between its two drummers.

“We Got A Song” celebrates music’s power to heal and uplift. With an immediately infectious chorus designed for audience participation, the track is a feel-good anthem that has already been resonating with growing crowds at the band’s increasingly popular summer performances. The song emerged organically as a full-band composition and was mixed by keyboardist Mike Corn. It forms part of a broader EP of original material, all recorded at 432Hz after the group found the tuning both pleasing and energizing in performance.

“Although we’re not authorities on 432Hz, we committed to the project because we felt good performing in it,” the band notes. “Consider this an experiment for all. How does it make you feel? Most everyone loves the EP so far, and our gigs keep getting bigger turnouts. 432Hz is part of the recipe. We do believe music is a great healer.”

Recording two drummers presented a challenge the band solved by tracking live, all together in the studio. This approach sacrificed some post-production flexibility but successfully captured the current sound and vibe of G-BRO—particularly the distinctive dual-drummer interplay that forms the backbone of their music.

The single arrives amid a busy summer of shows that continue to deliver “Music Rx” to audiences across the region. Highlights around the release include:

• Friday, July 17 – EP Release Party at Maureen’s Jazz Cellar, Nyack, NY (7 pm)
• Ongoing free outdoor performances at venues including Pierson Park (Tarrytown), Sousa Bandshell (Port Washington), Hudson Bandshell (New Rochelle), Cortlandt Waterfront Park (Verplanck), Kasschau Bandshell (Ridgewood, NJ), and more through August

G-BRO is also available for private events in full-band, acoustic duo, or trio formats. Bookings: 914-419-3610.

With “We Got A Song,” G-BRO invites listeners to experience music as medicine- catchy, communal, and tuned for good vibes. Stream the single now on all major platforms and catch the band live this summer.

About G-BRO (Grateful BRO)

G-BRO is a six-piece ensemble from the Hudson Valley whose members bring diverse professional backgrounds into a chemistry that is unique, fun, and deeply collaborative. Born in the parking lots and backyards of the pandemic era, the band has grown into a celebrated live act known for its dual-drummer drive, organic songwriting, and commitment to the healing power of music.

The song begins in an unexpected place. A Baglama, a traditional Greek string instrument, introduces a brief melodic passage that feels almost fragile before the guitars arrive and shift the mood entirely. What follows is a compelling mix of grunge, alternative rock, punk spirit, and psychedelic color, all stitched together by a riff that lingers long after the song ends.

The guitars are heavy and unapologetically rough around the edges, yet melody remains at the forefront. Moments of density give way to more spacious passages, creating a natural ebb and flow rather than a constant assault of sound. The result feels lived-in rather than manufactured, as though the song has been evolving for years before finally finding its final form.

Then there are the lyrics. “Since Emilia” doesn’t hand listeners a clear narrative; instead, it circles around its subject, offering fragments and suggestions. That sense of mystery becomes part of the appeal. The title character remains elusive, and the song is stronger for it, encouraging listeners to bring their own interpretations to the experience.

The band’s confidence and ability to follow its own instincts is remarkable. Drawing from grunge, stoner rock, and punk without becoming beholden to any one of them, YACOVELLI delivers a song that feels both familiar and forward-looking. With “Since Emilia,” the band proves that rock music can still surprise when it’s willing to take a few unexpected turns!

The song is a slow burn with a runtime of 8:31, and it ebbs and flows between spacey ambient sections and a rock-style chorus. Those ambient sections feel like they’re supposed to represent the loneliness of the nomad and the travel itself – almost like the musical interludes are when the traveling occurs, and the vocals come in when there’s a new chapter. It works brilliantly. The lyrics reinforce this: a figure moving through hazy desert landscapes, hearing sparrow songs through the wind, crawling toward the end of time with no real option to turn back. It’s heavy subject matter worn lightly, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.

For a debut single, “Nomad” is a confident and unhurried statement. The band describes their album as “the patient kind of loud”, and this track earns that description. “Sound of Stones” will be a continuation of a psychedelic journey, and one you shouldn’t bail on.

Production quality is strong throughout, and the sound sits comfortably in a space between Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, with that distinctly 90s weight and texture that’s hard to fake. But at the heart of the music is a narrative unique to their own experiences, and that’s what gives Rendered their own footing rather than just wearing their influences on their sleeve.

Lyrically, the track builds around the concept of the Slyder, a symbolic force that works its way into someone’s mind and causes emotional damage before eventually meeting its own downfall. It’s a dark angle, but it fits the tone of the music, and the band plays it straight rather than leaning into anything theatrical. Dale Ball’s vocals move between restrained melody and rawer, grittier outbursts, which keeps the track from sitting too comfortably in any one register.

“Breathe My Confession” is due to follow, and if “Slyder” is a reliable indicator of where the EP sits, it’s worth keeping an eye on. Rendered are doing something honest and heavy here, and the production backs them up.

As a theatrical EP meant to be listened to in sequence, like any good story, we start already in a predicament: lost in space at the event horizon, trying to find “A Course for Home.” With that first track, the band sets the atmosphere, and the key is in the production as much as it is in the writing and harmonic choices, because if that guitar doesn’t sound like a rocket engine, then we’re not in space anymore. It does, and so we’re launched into the atmosphere. The mood shifts in “Black Lights” towards something more nostalgic, though the cosmic elements remain; the melancholy cuts through the cosmic rays. “Neon Blood” sounds exactly as aggressive as its title and drives forward with explicit lyrics and syncopated beats. There is some experimentation with the production as the song progresses that keeps you hooked the whole way through.

The crown jewel of the EP is definitely “Anatomy of Letting Go.” This song delivers the message of the whole record: that even at the point of no return, at the event horizon itself, and in the face of certain death, we still dance and sing and love, because that’s what it means to be human. That message is accentuated by the creative choice of making the chorus more anthemic than anything else on the EP. It’s a brilliant closer that brings the whole thing together with a strong finish.

For a band only a year and a half into their existence, Dancing on the Event Horizon is a confident and cohesive statement. The concept holds, the sequencing works, and the production earns its own atmosphere. Worth watching.

 

First of all, props to whoever engineered this live session because all of the details are positively popping through. That level of clarity in a live room recording is harder to pull off than it sounds, and it pays off across the whole EP. “Fine Time” is a genuinely great anti-war song – the harmony and rhythm section do what’s needed, but the lyrics are the real story. They could easily be commenting on current events in 2026, when the song was actually written back in 2014. The live version sounds more mature for it, like a song that got to marinate with the band long enough that the performance has become more nuanced and settled.

“Desire” pops more in a live setting because, by design, it leans heavily on the lyrics, so when the instruments are naturally more present in a room recording, everything feels more balanced. Thematically, it sits with adult responsibilities pushing against what we actually want, and how difficult it is to break the pattern of routine long enough to explore our own instincts – getting out of the box is hard when the box is what keeps the lights on.

Musically, “Day After Day” is the most interesting track on the EP, with a lot more rhythmic variation than the other songs in the session. The bass riffs have a Primus-inspired quality, and the evolving synth sounds push it toward 70s prog rock territory – a combination that shouldn’t work as cleanly as it does. The band executes it live in a way that doesn’t just honor the original composition but takes it somewhere further.

A live EP from a band this deep into their catalog could easily feel like a stopgap, but Live From The Attic earns its place in the discography. The Wheel Workers have shared stages with The Flaming Lips and Phantogram, toured nationally, and spent time on the NACC charts with Harbor – they know how to perform. With the full-length still months away, this is a worthwhile entry point for anyone who hasn’t caught up with them yet.

Musically, the band delivers this stoner-rock style of grime and grit to create a true psychedelic atmosphere. Door d’Or achieves this with their choice of tones and texture: a fuzzy, hairy guitar tone and a wide bass sound, and sizzling hot drums that fill up every crevice of the vast stereo image of this huge-sounding song. The visuals on the music video deserve a special shoutout as well – they perfectly accompany the song’s themes and are in perfect sync with the music.

Geddes’ quote on the track is worth sitting with: “Fibre optics connect us at the speed of light, both unifying and redefining the economics of my generation.” A song written in 2001 about the internet age landing in 2026, mid-AI revolution is the kind of timing that makes a debut album feel like it was worth the wait. “The Exquisite Dream” is shaping up to be something to pay attention to.

The first thing that hits you in this song is the powerful, distorted bass sound right off the bat; it instantly sets a great, grimy mood. It’s so heavy in how it locks in with the drums and how it’s played and executed; it just sounds so big, which works in the song’s favor because the bass here is carrying all the harmonic information to support the vocals ,which I did not know on my first listen actually I thought there was a guitar on top of the bass parts, but nope there are no keyboards, no guitar, no additional layers. It’s just drums and bass with the vocals on top, and somehow it manages to sound like a huge wall of sound.

Anthony’s quote about the track is pretty straightforward: “This one gets us going.” Hard to argue with that. “Against All Odds” is a blunt, kinetic rock song that does exactly what it promises.