FaithNYC

The emergence of Felice Rosser’s FaithNYC reveals another facet of the seemingly infinite diamond of Black American music. Born in Detroit, she experienced Motown, the 1967 riots, Funkadelic, The MC5, The Stooges and The New York Dolls before moving to New York City for college. Blown away by Television at CBGB’s, she became part of the scene, befriending Samo— Jean Michel Basquiat’s tag at that time—and starting to write songs and play bass. Inspired by punk’s DIY attitude, Rock & Roll, Funk, Free Jazz, Dub, Reggae and the new Hip Hop scene all became part of her musical language. She was the bass player in Brooklyn’s all-female reggae band Sistren before she formed FaithNYC, which became part of Vernon Reid’s Black Rock Coalition. Her new album, Love Is a Wish Away, was produced by Justin Adams, the Robert Plant, Tinariwen and Sinead O’Connor collaborator, who also plays guitar on the album. The nine tracks on Love Is a Wish Away are a reminder of how the bold and vital Post Punk spirit is so relevant to today’s music scene, where Afrobeats meet punk attitudes. In Felice’s songs, underpinned by her muscular bass lines, underground New York and its wayward spirits are a constant presence.