I suppose where it lacks a truly unified identity is a result of the distinct differences between the five boroughs.
Musically, I'd say that Hip Hop makes total sense in Brooklyn and the Bronx, but far less in, say, Manhattan. Equally, bands like Sonic Youth seem more exclusively tuned into some kind of a Manhattan 'thing'. And even then they're more of a Lower East Side rather than a Manhattan-in-total phenomenon.

It's the same as the way Grime may only have been able to come out of London, but not ANY part of London. It came from deprived multi-ethnic areas in East London, such as Stratford, Plaistow, Forest Gate and Bow - all of which are, needless to say, a whole world away from areas like Highgate, Chelsea or Belsize Park.

Both city's inter-musical-identities are defined primarily by their various ethnic breakdowns.

well there are famous rappers from every one of the city's 5 buroughs plus long island so i wouldn't say it's strictly a brooklyn/bronx thing at all, and grime isn't strictly an east end thing, there are notable crews from north and south london, don't know about west london though.

the last roller rink in the city (Empire?***)was closed down a few weeks ago in crown heights (brooklyn)there was weeping,limited --but nonetheless

def. disco was bigHUGE in the studio 54 daze and disco sucks not er because rick dees' duck demands it//
but that nile rogers is okay in my book(let), my pet

***writin Empire makes one (me) think of ANdy's WarHola static camera trained on the edif...building and how the film would have been more dramatic if it would have been shot in a thUnderstorm because the EmpireStateBldg is struck by lightning some 3,000 times/year and everyone likes to watch a good storm now&then...instead
all u get is some lights going on...

--what a waste--

I immediately associate NYC with:

Velvet Underground
New York Dolls
Patti Smith
Television
Talking Heads
Ramones
James Chance
Mars
DNA
Teenage Jesus

I don't know which is most tied to New York. That's probably too grand a judgment for one of limited knowledge like myself to make.

Me too...I'll join ya in remembering her well.

hear, hear! To the woman we know and remember that is New York City!

This board is so white.

Do you wanna be black or ru already a rock 'n' roll nigger?

B/c, ya know,Pookie sez "Chavs are the new blacks,"& you are a self-declared "Pookie fan."

A mind is a terrible thang to waste.

Explain. Because we're not into disco or hip hop?

"My dad was black but I look all white..."

New york always makes me think of shitty beatdown hardcore. Although there are some classic hardcore bands to come out of NY.

New York makes me think of Bohemian Junkies, and Socialites, and Rappers, and Avant Garde music, all intertwined into one big colossal party.

Yes.

Would this count?

There's disco on here. Hot Stuff. I sometimes think of 70s Stones as a kind of NYC band.

For fuck's sake!

Oh oh. Tantrum time.

fuck the stones

Well, thank you for that intelligent contribution.

No, no, thanks for yours. Can someone put an end to Mick Jagger's life? He has out-lived his welcome on this planet by quite a number of years. Then again, whatever, you've just dared posting his existence on this thread, insightful man.