Indie label Trash Casual, hosts Showcase in NYC
all Photos via Tori McGraw (@afterr.hourrs)
As the sun went down among the warehouses in Williamsburg, the club named Our Wicked Lady was hosting a special showcase event. The evening was put on by Trash Casual, an indie record label out of New York City. Self described from their Instagram as “a label comprised of many talented socialites,” Trash Casual signs and manages a multitude of bands, majority punk rock. Along with running the label, they produce monthly showcases in order to highlight their different bands in the New York city scene at varying levels of popularity.
The bill for this night in particular featured Faire Osciller, Two-Man Giant Squid, Shark Swimmer, Namesake and Native Sun.
Faire Osciller started out the night, setting it off on the right foot. The people in the crowd were enticed by the music and began to shuffle up front to take their spots. The audience was a sea of black and leather as they began listening. Faire Osciller played a high energy rock set with 90s grunge and punk undertones. The clean, distinct sound seemed to have a diverse background of influences.
The next two bands on the bill were Two-Man Giant Squid and Shark Swimmer. The first one took a fresh take on the alternative genre with an electronic-driven twist: a synth player. The synth was somewhat subtle in the best way possible, and complimented the rest of the classically structured rock band. The group seemed to lean into a more experimental style, which was impossible to dance to with lyrics coded in a powerful message. Shark Swimmer, on the other hand, began their set with the drummer tapping a few beats and the rest of the band kicking in with no introduction or announcement beforehand. The band had an incredible stage presence and easily captivated the audience’s attention, the way they moved while playing during the tempo changes, choruses, or solos was always seeped in passion.
all Photos via Tori McGraw (@afterr.hourrs)
The next ones to take to the stage were Namesake. A highlight from their set was the intricate bass lines that were noticeable above all the instruments, as they were impressive and made the songs. Under the rock umbrella, Namesake has notes of indie and punk wrapped in the songs, their music provided a reckless energy that immediately hooked the audience in.
Lastly, Native Sun closed the show and brought the house down with their perfectly executed punk set. As the first song was just a few notes in, the rowdy front half of the crowd began moshing and using their full force to push and ram into each other, and they were all loving it. The band has a larger-than-life stage presence. Collectively, their bold movements passionately spoke to the crowd.
In short, Trash Casual facilitated a night with a diverse bill of bands in order to attract music lovers to come together in support. The goal was not only to promote their label, but to generate buzz in the city and use their audience and resources to fuel the local scene. As the night of yet another showcase closed, Trash Casual was able to highlight the best emerging punk and rock talent coming out of New York City right now.
Keep up with Trash Casual on Instagram and their website here for more information on their label and upcoming showcases.
