New York City’s live music circuit is thriving again, with more than 100 clubs featuring local talent regularly. Unlike most American cities, where cover bands abound, the majority of New York's clubs instead specialize in showcasing lesser-known musicians playing original music. For the price of one concert by a major artist in a large venue, a music lover can enjoy discovering a dozen equally-talented local musicians up close in a small venue.
The first “Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC” list was published in The Aquarian Weekly in the late 1970s. The purpose of the annual list has always been to honor and celebrate hard-working local musicians who deserve accolades for their contributions to the live music circuit and to help advance their regional profile. The criteria for this annual list has always been that the artists must be rooted in the New York City club circuit, play mostly original compositions, and perform before live audiences locally throughout the year as opposed to just a single tour stop.
Before looking at the 2024 list, note that most of the bands named in recent years are still working the club circuit and are making outstanding live music. They are not listed in the 2024 list in order to allow more music acts to be listed. They are all very much worth catching in 2024.
2023
Bush Tetras
The Emily Duff Band
Fantastic Cat
“King” Solomon Hicks
Hazmat Modine
Eugene Hütz/Gogol Bordello
Murphy’s Law
Tash Neal & MJT
Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum
Trixie Whitley
2022
Jill Fiore
The Hipp Pipps
Seth Kessel
Robert Leslie
Jesse Malin
Adam Masterson
Willie Nile
Oz Noy
Rachael & Vilray
Strange Majik
2021
Cancion Franklin
Diane Gentile
James Maddock
Rob Mastrianni
Pinc Louds
Rebelmatic
Dina Regine
Michelle Shocked
SoulCake
Leni Stern
Almost all of the above artists will continue to perform outstanding shows into 2024 but, in an effort to spotlight more musicians, the 2024 list highlights other locals who are deserving of greater public acclaim. “The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2024” again lists in alphabetical order some of the best music acts currently performing within the New York City live music circuit. Whether or not these musicians achieve widespread success in 2024, they merit a rousing round of applause and support simply for relentlessly playing good music live.
The Top 10 Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2024
Breakfast Special (bluegrass)
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| Breakfast Special at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2, on October 11, 2023 |
In the 1970s, Breakfast Special was a pioneering alt-bluegrass band, helping to launch the careers of Kenny Kosek on fiddle, Andy Statman on mandolin and Tony Trischka on banjo. Vocalist/guitarist Michael Daves recently reunited the musicians and joined the ensemble to bring Breakfast Special to a new and younger audience. The band plays frequently at Rockwood Music Hall.
The Christine Santelli Trio (Americana, blues)
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| The Christine Santelli Trio at the Ear Inn on May 10, 2023 |
Christine Santelli sings and plays acoustic guitar, accompanied by a lead guitarist and bassist. The stripped-down arrangements recall various forms of Americana, yet her vocals are all blues. One of her compositions, “Step Away,” was recorded by Bettye LaVette and received a nomination in the 2016 Grammy Awards. Santelli has been part of the local music circuit for three decades and most often performs at the Ear Inn.
Kelley Swindall (country, folk)
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| Kelley Swindall at the 11th St. Bar on December 12, 2023 |
Born in Georgia and based in New York City, Kelley Swindall brings an urban tenacity to her southern country-folk songs. She performs solo, singing her original songs and playing acoustic guitar. She even wrote a murder ballad, which perhaps seals her identity as a country performer. She performs at the 11th St. Bar, the Bowery Electric and other local venues.
Man on Man (experimental, indie-rock)
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| Man on Man at the Bowery Ballroom on July 1, 2023 |
Roddy Bottum of Faith No More and his life partner Joey Holman make angular music that is purposely left of center and not designed for mainstream outlets. Many of the songs celebrate LGBT love and culture with both advocacy and humor. The band has performed at the Bowery Ballroom, Union Pool and Saint Vitus Bar.
Model/Actriz (post punk, noise rock)
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| Model/Actriz at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on December 13, 2023 |
Model/Actriz formed in 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts, and currently is based in Brooklyn. The band's post-punk and noise rock is brought to life on stage with energetic flair and drama. The band has played Mercury Lounge, the Music Hall of Williamsburg and other local venues.
The Phil Gammage Quartet (roots rock, Americana)
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| The Phil Gammage Quartet at the 11th St. Bar on June 22, 2022 |
Phil Gammage played in several indie-rock bands in the downtown club circuit before focusing on his first love. He is a singer-songwriter with a rich voice and leans all his current music on historic roots including blues, country, folk, and even rockabilly. He plays frequently at the 11th St. Bar, Cowgirl Seahorse, the Shrine World Music Venue and other venues.
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. (rockabilly, western swing)
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| Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. at Otto's Shrunken Head on December 21, 2023 |
The three members of Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. (aka SIT & Die Co.) dress in matching western and cowboy-inspired suits and play old-time mostly-acoustic music. The music is low-fidelity and the performance plays like an off-Broadway show. The band has a monthly gig at Otto’s Shrunken Head.
The TarantinosNYC (surf, twang, instrumental)
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| The TarantinosNYC at the Parkside Lounge on May 27, 2023 |
Telescreens (rock)
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| Telescreens at Mercury Lounge on March 11, 2023 |
Telescreens formed in late 2016 and play intense in-your-face indie-rock originals. Pop melodies are blasted with power chords and a wall of sound. Telescreens has performed at Mercury Lounge and the Bitter End, and will headline the Bowery Ballroom again in February 2024.
Water from Your Eyes (art rock, electro-pop)
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| Water from Your Eyes at SummerStage Central Park on July 20, 2023 |
Formed in 2016 in Chicago, Illinois, Water from Your Eyes is a Brooklyn-based duo (recently a trio) playing abrasive, avant garde rock music that can be as chaotic as a hurricane. The band has served as a support act at local theatres and also headlines at various Brooklyn clubs.
Under the Radar: 40 More Must-See NYC Music Acts in 2024
Apollo Flowerchild (folk, rhythm & blues)
Blackout Shoppers (hardcore punk)
Brian Mitchell (New Orleans)
Cumgirl8 (indie-rock)
Denmark (indie-rock)
DensityBlackCat (rock & roll)
Faith NYC (indie-rock)
Free Whenever (jam, instrumental)
Frida Kill (indie-rock)
Galdort Gumbo & His Righteous Cats (New Orleans)
The Greg Humphreys Electric Trio (blues rock)
Heat Death (psychedelic)
Howlin’ Hurd (blues, Americana)
Hudson City Rats (rock and roll)
The Hugh Pool Band (blues rock)
InCircles (alt-rock)
Killcode (hard rock)
Kolker (blues rock)
The Kyle Lacy Band (rhythm & blues, pop)
Leah Tash (singer-songwriter)
Lizzie & the Makers (blues rock)
Magic Forest (folk, psychedelic)
Milo Z. (funk, rhythm & blues)
Miranda and the Beat (indie-rock)
The National Reserve (country-rock)
paris_monster (alt-rock)
Puma, Joe & Dave (poetry, experimental)
Rebecca Haviland & Whiskey Heart (Americana)
Recreational Outrage (punk)
Ricky Stein (singer-songwriter)
The Ritualists (glam rock)
Rogers & Butler (singer-songwriter, pop)
The Rover Boys Trio (Americana)
Saddlemen (rock, country-rock)
Sasha Dobson (singer-songwriter, jazz)
Steve Krebs & the Maynard G’s (punk)
Strange Majik (rock)
Ten Ton Mojo (hard rock)
Tilden (indie-pop)
Tits Dick Ass (indie-rock)
Click on these related articles
The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2023
The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2022
The Top Original Music Acts to Catch Live in NYC in 2021
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The Manhattan Beat covers New York City's live music circuit. All articles are written by Everynight Charley Crespo. All photographs are taken by Everynight Charley Crespo, except when noted otherwise.
For a list of Manhattan venues that are presenting live music regularly, swing the desktop cursor to the right of the home page and click on the pop-up tab "Where to Find Live Music."
For a listing of upcoming concerts for live audiences, visit The Manhattan Beat's January calendar.
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