Brijitte West and NFA Promotions announce a long-overdue collection from one of the ’90s underground’s best-kept secrets. The newly remastered NY Loose – Monolith Kids LP & CD will be released on 16th September 2026.
This remastered collection features the complete Loosen Up! EP along with fan favourites from the band’s sought-after independent release Born to Loose. As a special bonus, the album concludes with NY Loose’s electrifying cover of ‘Cheap Tragedies’ by the iconic punk band The Avengers.
The collection highlights include ‘James’, co-written with Gary Sunshine of Circus of Power, and ‘The Late 20th Century Blues’, co-written with Richard Bacchus of D Generation.
*Please note – this acoustic (video) version of ‘The Luckiest Girl’ is not included on the album
More than three decades after its original release, Monolith Kids captures the raw energy, fearless songwriting, and attitude that made NY Loose one of alternative rock’s best-kept secrets.
‘James’ showcases Brijitte West’s gift for telling deeply human stories: vulnerable, powerful, and wrapped in the gritty, guitar-driven sound that made NY Loose stand out in the New York underground scene. Gary Sunshine’s collaboration adds another layer of authentic New York rock credibility to an already exceptional track.
‘The Late 20th Century Blues’ is a love letter and a farewell to the final days of twentieth-century rock culture, crackling with swagger, attitude, and razor-sharp guitars. It captures the excitement, uncertainty, and beautiful chaos of a generation living for the next great band and the next late-night club. It’s New York rock and roll distilled into four electrifying minutes.
One of the band’s most heartfelt performances, ‘The Luckiest Girl’ reveals the emotional depth behind NY Loose’s hard-edged exterior. Brijitte delivers one of her most captivating vocal performances, balancing tenderness with quiet strength in a song that lingers long after the final note. It’s a reminder that the band’s greatest weapon was never just volume—it was honesty.
‘The Desperate Hopeful’ explores the determination to keep believing when life keeps testing you, pairing introspective lyrics with soaring melodies and the band’s signature blend of grit and beauty.
Monolith Kids stands as the definitive collection of NY Loose’s independent years. This is a release for longtime fans, vinyl collectors, and anyone who appreciates discovering the artists that true music lovers have treasured for years.
The remastering breathes new life into performances that have lost none of their urgency, reminding listeners why the band earned such a passionate following and why so many still consider them one of rock’s finest secret treasures.
About NY Loose
Brijitte West first gained national attention as the frontwoman of the New York-based rock band NY Loose. Through a series of indie-label 7-inch singles, the band quickly built a devoted underground following. In late 1995, NY Loose released the critically acclaimed five-song EP Loosen Up! on Flipside Records, earning rave reviews from critics across the United States. Shortly afterward, the band signed with Hollywood Records and released their debut full-length album, Year of the Rat, in 1996.
NY Loose is best known for its signature song, “Spit,” which appeared on the platinum-selling soundtrack to The Crow: City of Angels. The song’s music video received rotation on MTV, helping establish the band as one of the era’s most exciting underground rock acts.
Another fan favorite, “Pretty Suicide,” was inspired by the famous Life magazine photograph Death at an Early Age. West explained: “A young New York office worker committed suicide by jumping off the Empire State Building and landed on the roof of a car. She landed in the most angelic, graceful final pose. No blood or splatter—just this beautiful state of relaxation. It seemed like the ultimate example of the collision between violence, tragedy, and beauty.”
NY Loose also toured with Marilyn Manson during the legendary Antichrist Superstar tour. Unsure how Manson’s devoted “Spooky Kids” fan base would react, West famously chugged a bottle of Jack Daniel’s onstage and sprayed it into the crowd during the opening night. By the following show, fans had made homemade shirts reading, “Spit On Me Brijitte.” What began as a club tour eventually expanded into theaters, arenas, and stadiums.
The eleventh of twelve children, West describes herself as “really shy and quiet” until she picked up a guitar: “That changed as soon as I plugged into an amp. I felt powerful for the first time.”
Inspired by pioneers like The Stooges and Ramones, she began writing songs as a form of self-expression and therapy, developing the honest, uncompromising style that has defined her career.
Beyond NY Loose, West has continued to evolve as an artist. During the COVID lockdowns, she connected with fans by posting intimate iPhone performances of songs that influenced her career, along with acoustic versions of her own material. Her moving renditions of “Pale Blue Eyes,” “Lie To Me,” and especially “Pretty Suicide” led to the release of the LOCKDOWN EP.
Never one to be confined by genre, West surprised listeners in 2013 with the Americana-inspired San Dusky – The Americana Dream. The album’s song “Purpose Built Girl” was featured in the film Cowboys and Angels, directed by David Gleeson.
West continues to be an active force in rock music. Most recently, she was featured on background vocals for Ryan Roxie’s latest single and official video, “Fight Another Day.” Roxie—best known as the longtime guitarist for Alice Cooper—invited West to lend her distinctive voice to the track, further highlighting the respect she continues to earn from fellow musicians and collaborators.
