Best of New York 2015Afternoon Men’s song and video for single “Parking Lots and Basements” (streaming) has an edge that screams “Manhattan”―you know, that borough offering the “bourgeois” kind of fun. (Oh yeah, you can say that about Williamsburg too!). Whoever wrote that song, certainly knows how to navigate that scene, where sophistication and charm can go farther than good looks―at least with the smart ladies who can support a broke musician! This (besides their obvious talent) is why this band may have a future. “GOOD AFTERNOON (MEN)”New Yorkers, feast your ears on the new kids (excuse me, men) on the block. They’re called the Afternoon Men, and they rock. They rock with a sound that is equal parts nostalgia and freshness. Their music bounces seamlessly between genres, touching on influences from Springsteen, The Hold Steady, Counting Crows, The Decemberists, Titus Andronicus, and more. Record of the DayRecord Of The Day: THE BOOKS IN HER CLOSET Score: A wall-of-ecstatic-guitar-euphoria intro, immediately followed by solid cool vocals and a big―I repeat, a big―chorus will blow you away before you can beg ‘who is this?’ with your mouth wide open. Only 40 seconds in and you know this is a striking cracker! Explosive stuff, richly colored! And some rousing hot vintage rock & roll riffs, in the middle, will hypnotize you completely. Don’t even try to resist this towering swagger. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have an instant knockout winner for the weekend. Hail hail… 2015 FinalistNick was awarded second place in his category for “Trying,” an AM live staple about Van Morrison and the stock market.
