StarBeat Music: rock

Before I head to work I wanted to let ya'll know about Control's new album. "Obsolete Through Automation" is the Jefferson, New Jersey band's debut full-length with 11-songs. It's available digitally for only $4. "Live Together, Die Alone" was the first song that stood out, though I still need to listen to the rest of this album.

http://controlisaband.bandcamp.com/album/obsolete-through-automation

Friday, March 4, 2011

Amy Klein: folk/ rock musician, feminist, & writer releases new album

For Day 4 of our Women's History Month homage to artists and bands, I present you Amy Klein. A musician, writer, friend, feminist, and all around beautiful being, Amy is a true inspiration. I first meet her in April 2010 outside of Maxwell's after seeing Los Campesinos and just before Titus Andronicus was loading into the venue to play a night show. She spent several minutes talking with me and was quite nice. Amy just self-released a digital solo album of folk tunes.

There's the rock and punk side of Amy Klein that comes in the form of Titus Andronicus and Hilly Eye and then there's the folk side of Amy Klein that comes in the form of Solanin. Then there's the folk and psychedelic rock side of Amy Klein that comes in the form a new solo release called, I Know What You Want. Her songs simply put are pleasant, poised, and pretty. With this release Amy gets more musically involved, stretching her playing to include not just guitar, but piano, organ, and percussion, which I was told from her includes tambourine playing. Accompanying her on drums is Nick Shuminsky of Free Energy, a band she toured with in Titus Andronicus' last summer. The lovely sounds coupled with the natural imagery of the lyrics make it easy to get lost in the music.She cites influences like Joanna Newsom, Stevie Nicks, and Nick Drack, but I'm not familiar with these musicians. I can only compare her music to what I know and what I've heard. And though this may be odd to compare a self-described folk artist to a Celtic artist I will say that Amy's music reminds me of Loreena McKennitt. The comparison is mostly in the vocals and how calm and happy I feel after listening to the music. Amy Klein has a strong, delicate, and controlled voice that is quite a surprise if you know her vocals from Titus Andronicus and Hilly Eye. I'm happy to say that I know this wonderful musician. A personal friend and fellow group member and founder of feminist group Permanent Wave, Amy is a true inspiration and I recommend checking out her awesome writings and posts here and familiarizing yourself with her musical work. On her blog she writes about her tour experiences with Titus Andronicus, thoughts on feminism, provides links to articles that touch on the human experience, and keeps you up-to-date on her music. One piece she wrote, which I found insightful and in-depth was on the Japanese punk band The Suzan, who play Santos Party House this coming Monday. Read it here. She writes about her own album here. I hope you enjoy.

Listen to Amy Klein here: http://amyklein.bandcamp.com/
Listen to Solanin here: http://solanin.bandcamp.com/
Listen to Hilly Eye here: http://hillyeye.bandcamp.com/
Listen to Titus Andronicus here: http://titusandronicus.net/videos

Album Review: The Defending Champions- ...of the legend convention

The Defending Champions- ...of the legend convention

Released August 2010

Verona, NJ

Home Front Records

for fans of RX Bandits, Gogol Bordello, Mad Caddies, ska, rock

Where are the good ska bands these days? I liked ska bands in college, but nowadays I'm hard pressed to hear much about any, especially in Jersey. Sure, there's Streetlight Manifesto, but they've been at it since 2002. I seek something refreshing. That's where The Defending Champions, a Verona, New Jersey 7-piece band, come in. Their album, ...Of the Legend Convention, whatever that means, is a refreshing 12-song ska, rock 'n roll punch with a soulful, smooth, yet dirty style. Lead vocals switch between trombonist Matt Ryan and Jenny Hoastson or at times the two sing together.

Some notable songs are "Plague on your house" and "The Reckless Legend." "Hot Fever" is also tight with some great guitar riffs at the end. "I Can't Wait" starts with your traditional reggae guitar hook. The lyrics are at times questionable. Like what the heck is this band talking about? Are they trying to be funny or what? Like "have you tried some of my head" on "Ode to the Working Girl" and simply the title on "Jesus Wants You to Dance." However questionable, this is no put down, the songs are great. "Say Goodbye to Me" reminds me of some '90s song I can't put my tongue on. Perhaps, The Defending Champions shining lyrical moment is on "Things To Do," where Ryan sings: "people ask me what are you doing? You're not making money playing that music. Well I got a news flash, fuck all the cash. Money comes and goes. And I don't care. Cause I got things to do." True indie, D.I.Y. attitude! What follows is some crazy good horns! My goodness. If there was a guitar shredding equivalent for horns, then what's happening at the end of this track would be just that! There's also some guitar riffage goodness in there too! This album is simply good.

The band blend reggae, ska, and rock together for a delicious, danceable sound that is undeniably groovy, funky, and jammy. The band know when to speed things up and when to slow it down. They know when to make you smile and when to make you laugh. When to sing and when to play our their instruments. I can imagine the energy the band puts out live. This is a fun album. So get your dancing shoes on and enjoy yourself some The Defending Champions.

The album features guest appearances from Nicole Scorsone of Waking Lights/ Bern & the Brights on two songs and Jason Gleason formerly of Further Seems Forever and now in Old Wives on gang vocals.

The cd is available on CDBaby here and iTunes here.

--By Star Morales

Introducing: Terrible Things (members of TBS, Coheed, and Hot Rod Circuit)

Nowadays it seems there is always a new "supergroup," members colliding with other members in bands to form a new band, to talk about. This time we introduce Terrible Things featuring Fred Mascherino formerly of Taking Back Sunday, Josh Eppard formerly of Coheed and Cambria, and Hot Rod Circuit guitarist Andy Jackson. The band released their new album last month, which is streaming on their MySpace.

The Punk Site says "The album’s concept is about the arson that ravaged Fred’s hometown of Coatesville, PA."

Terrible Things have made a concept album about a series of fires that haunted Fred’s former hometown, the depressed Pennsylvania steel-millburgh of Coatesville, PA, located 40-plus miles west of Philadelphia. A reign of arson terror scorched the more modest neighborhoods of Chester County from 2007-2009. “It’s not a political album,” says Fred. “I leave that to others. But growing up in Coatesville, the shock of these fires affected me in a way I was even surprised at.”

On the album, the band addresses such themes of fear and alienation in songs like “Revolution,” with the lyric – ‘This is not a revolution til we say it is…it seems we only want what we don’t have….’ Another song, the searing “Up At Night,” touches on the town’s fear and atrophy – ‘burning, burning bright, our eyes wide open; I bet you can see our town at night from space.’

The band is opening on MAE's Goodbye, Goodnight tour this fall. They'll performance at School of Rock on Oct. 17 with ...morning and Windsor Drive. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door. They're also at NYC's Gramercy Theatre on Oct. 20.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Giveaway: Talking to Walls @ Six Flags (Jackson, NJ) 7/3, Tickets & CD

Talking to Walls @ Bowery Poetry Club

Photo by Rozlyn Smith

Talking to Walls is performing at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ for the Live and Local Music Showcase this Saturday, July 3rd. Also performing is Long Island's An Evening With. What better way to celebrate the fourth of July weekend, then with some rides, music, and fireworks?

Even better, we have a pair of Park Passes and a copy of the band's new album 'We Were Not So Tall' up for grabs for one lucky winner. Simply fill out the form below and we'll select a winner. Talking to Walls hits the Festival Stage in the Lakefront at 4pm. So get ready to be rocked by this Connecticut 4-piece!

In May we interviewed the band. Here's a sample from the interview:

SBM: Some of your songs are about giving up hope, what advice would you give for those who are close to giving up hope?
TTW: (Jokingly) Buy our records! You have to own up to who you are, and sometimes you need to make a change to be the person who you want to be. Hope is having an open road, to find your own way and sometimes it takes longer than you’re comfortable with. But the first step is to accept help, to know it in your head is one thing, but to know it in your heart is another. (Read more here.)

Contest ends Thursday at 11:59pm. Winner will be contacted via e-mail soon after. Please respond by Friday morning if you are the winner, so we can confirm the details. Thanks and good luck!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Communication Redlight to release split w/ Your Favorite Trainwreck (details + release shows)

From one coast to another, New Jersey's Communication Redlight and California's Your Favorite Trainwreck come together to release a rockin' split 7''. It contains 2 songs from each band. 1 original, 1 cover. Your Favorite Tranwreck features members of Farside and Gameface and Communication Redlight features former Delft and Low End Theory members. The result is a quality release.

Communication Redlight jams out a great rock song with some tingly guitar, melody and catchy pulls with sincere lyrics on "1013/one twenty-three," plus try their hands at a Police cover;while Your Favorite Tranwreck gets an equally nice tune together on "Bounce Back," with a cool Elvis Costello cover.

The 7'' will be available in glow-in-the-dark and red vinyl for just $5. It's officially out on June 29th!

Stream the record here: http://www.iheartblank.com/communicationredlight/split/

Order here: http://www.devildancerecords.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

To celebrate the band is performing 3 record release shows. The weekend includes show in New Brunswick, Brooklyn, and Hoboken. Here are the details on the Split Record Release shows:

Friday, June 25th, 2010 [21+]

9:00 PM at The Court Tavern

124 Church Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Cost: $10.00

w/ The Casting Out (ex-Boysetsfire)

Go Falcon! (ex-Delft / Amping Copper)

Saturday, June 26th, 2010 [21+]

9:00 PM at Lulu's

113 Franklin Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Cost: FREE

w/ I Hate Our Freedom (ex-Garrison / Milhouse)

Vs. Antelope (ex-Jets To Brazil)

Sunday, June 27th, 2010 [ALL AGES]

6:00PM @ Maxwells

1039 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Cost: $10.00

Bands:

Atlantic/Pacific (ex-Texas Is The Reason)

Go Falcon! (ex-Delft / Amping Copper)

Rudely Interrupted playing NYC shows in June + free download

DOWNLOAD: Rudely Interrupted - Close My Eyes

Rory (23), Sam (25), Marcus (30), Constance (46), Josh (23), and Rohan (38), make up what has become one of Australia's most celebrated bands – Rudely Interrupted. Five out of six band members share a range of both physical and intellectual disabilities (Blindness, Deafness, Aspergers, Autism and Down Syndrome) but most importantly, a common interest in self-expression through music. In addition to forming the band, guitarist and backing vocalist Rohan Brooks leads the music-therapy program in Melbourne that helps people of all ages with intellectual disabilities.

Rudely Interrupted is making a trek from their Melbourne, Australia home to the U.S. and Canada this June to perform their style of rock music. The band recently released their album Tragedy of the Commons. They'll play on June 10th at Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave) for the Benefit for Disabilities Network on New York City and in Manhattan on June 11th at Piano's (158 Ludlow Street).

The Invisible Lines releasing new EP 5/14 + Upcoming Shows

The Invisible Lines from Kearny, NJ is releasing their new EP Wise Up! on May 14. To celebrate the band is playing a show on the same day at Maxwell's with The Frozen Gentlemen and Shark? Show's at 10:30pm. $8. All Ages. Tickets are available at the door.

The band recently played a show at the Kearny American Irish Club with Screaming Females. Their sound is rockin' with some edgy beats and compelling post-punk grooves. The band cite Bad Brains, Fugazi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Talking Heads, and X among some of their influences.

The Invisible Lines Upcoming Shows:

5/14 @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ (w/Frozen Gentlemen)
6/3 @ The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ (w/Lemuria)
6/11 @ Tierney's Tavern, Montclair, NJ (Boro 6 Music Festival)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

morning... show in Garwood, NJ this Saturday

See some NJ bands this Saturday! morning..., West the Defender, Thunderlips, and more perform at The Garwood Knights of Columbus in Garwood, NJ. The show is at 9pm and costs $10. All Ages.

morning... have posted a new song called "Move Your Head, I'm Hugging God." The song is from an upcoming summer EP to be produced by Kevin Bryan from Socratic.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Concert for Kenya in NYC to feature Copesetic + Bern and the Brights on May 6

Gap Adventures traveler, Brendan Doohan is running the New York City Marathon this fall and fundraising for the Limuru Children's Center in Kenya as he trains. With the help of Gap Adventures and Planeterra, Brendan hopes to raise $3000 for the center, which would help support the development of the scholarship program, and help provide children in the community with an opportunity to receive support and an education. Concert for Kenya will feature local bands, Copesetic, and Bern & the Brights. It will be the first in a series of fundraising events.

Jersey City's Copesetic will bring their acoustic folk rock sound to the store, while Montclair's Bern and the Brights will get you dancing with their tingly guitar-ridden nerd-rock sound. Doors open at 7pm, music starts at 8pm. A $10 donation for the Limuru Center is suggested and will be collected at the door. Refreshments will be available. Gap Adventures Concept Store is located at 364 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Jonah Matranga (Far, Onelinedrawing, Gratitude) to perform 3 NJ shows this week + FAR News

Jonah Matranga of FAR, onelinedrawing, and Gratitude fame is performing three shows in the Garden State beginning on Wednesday. The first show is at Watermark in Asbury Park and presented by S*ALT. Also performing is Status Green and The Riverwinds. Mike Merrell, Race and Pete Lepore from ShoreAlternative.com will be dj'ing inbetween sets. 21+. Details available here.

On Thursday and Friday Jonah will perform with ambiet/post-hardcore 6-rockers Last Days of Empire. Thursday is a special evening of "unplugged" and acoustic music at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ. The night features sets by Jonah Matranga, Last Days of Empire, Streets of Fire, Nick Cucci (of River City Extention), Mike Cuntala, and Grand Alto.

Witches (from Georgia) are touring, NY/NJ dates

Athens, Georgia's Witches featuring Cara Beth Satalino is going on tour this month. The poppy rock trio is heading to NY and NJ.

Witches Tour Dates:
April 28 @ Mr. Beery's, Long Island, NY w/ Bastard Cut, Weed Hounds, Polygon
April 29 @ 538 Johnson, Brooklyn, NY w/ Nude Beach, Weed Hounds, Pregnant
April 30 @ some place, New Jersey, NJ w/ Big Soda, Very Okay, Backpocket, Lost Weekend

More tour dates available here.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Live Review: Dr. Dog @ Apple Store SoHo 4-6-10

Philly based Dr. Dog performed a free show at Apple Store Soho to celebrate the release of their new album, Shame, Shame. I managed to be the first person in line and thus, got a seat in the second row (the front row was reserved). The band played 8 songs, including "Stranger" and "Shadow People." The band was joined by a sixth member playing percussion. I enjoyed the bassist and guitarist switching vocals. One song was sung by the bassist, the next was by the guitarist and back and fourth. they went While the band's rockin' sound was mostly good, there were times when the music would speed it up or there'd be a jam but it would sound awkwardly placed. One line that stood out was “losing my voice barking at the wrong tree.” Isn't that too often the case? I thought so. The last song was interesting. It got loud all of a sudden, which threw me off, and being right in front of the speaker, it didn't sound good. But the crowd seemed to dig it. Dr. Dog mix indie rock, folk, and soul together for a nice sound.

Dr. Dog plays at Termiinal 5 on May 15 with Deer Tick.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

The Press release new video, touring with Gay Blades + Brooklyn show w/ Chew Lips on Monday

Brooklyn's art-rock band The Press have debuted the video for their new song "Jellyfish Wrangler." It was written and directed by Jon Miller. The song is from the band's new album, INTEOTWIJTEOAE. The album is the band's first full-length and also features the driving "Master" and nice "Fine China." It's available on iTunes and EMusic.

This month the band is touring with The Gay Blades, Chew Lips (from the UK), and Sage Francis (Anti Records). Catch them this Monday with UK's electro Chew Lips at Littlefield in Brooklyn. Tickets are $10. 18+. 7pm.Tickets here.

The Milwaukees rock back to Jersey City for a free show tonight

photo by Mikey Limanek

The Milwaukees from Jersey City are back playing live. After a brief hiatus the rockin' 4-piece return for a FREE, semi-acoustic show in their hometown at Bar Majestic. The band will play two sets that includes New tunes, old tunes, blue tunes and (maybe a few) odd cover tunes. The band describes the event as more of a party than a show.

"We play right on the floor with the audience. There is no stage. No back room to hide in. We shoot the shit with the audience during the sets, hang out between sets, and drink with everyone after we’re done."

On April 2 the band plays NYC for their first electric show in almost six months. They'll be an open vodka bar from 9-10pm. More info here.

Live Review: Black Gold / Sherwood / Reece / Morning @ School of Rock, South Hackensack, NJ

Black Gold @ School of Rock 3-16-10

Photos and story by Rozlyn Smith

I had the pleasure of seeing Black Gold perform at the School of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ. on March 10th. When Black Gold took the stage, my mouth started to water over Erick Ronick's (ex-Panic! At the Disco keyboardist) keyboard-it is gorgeous! With the amount of dancing that went on, it surely seemed that the crowd responded very well to their set list, which included “Detroit,” “Shine,” and “The Come Down.” I must say Eric Ronick is an amazing vocalist and keyboardist and Than Luu really knows how to play the drums. I could not believe how much heart and soul this band put into their performance.

Though their bassist had some technical difficulties the band managed to push through the challenge at hand and put on an amazing show. The talent this duo has left me speechless. What I listened to on their MySpace page, and what I heard live blew me out of the water (and that's a good thing). I even picked up a copy of their CD Rush and I can't stop listening to it. This duo is one to watch out for. With their energy and talent there is nothing they can't do or achieve!

Ghost Robot Ninja Bear (f/ Oscar of Nakatomi Plaza) releases single, first show on Tuesday

Ghost Robot Ninja Bear featuring Oscar Rodriquez of Nakatomi Plaza and Ludlow Lions has released a digital single. "One Pedal to Another b/w Blood, the Tango" is available for a free/ pay-what-you-want download here.

This Tuesday, March 16 the band is playing their first show at The Charleston in Brooklyn with Money/Paper, Hearts, Rest Assured, and Only Thieves. The band features Geoff Kraly, Jordan Melkin (Ludlow Lions) and Christopher Enriquez (On The Might Of Princes, Ludlow Lions).

GRNB will release a second single on June 15 and will record a full-length in July with a tentative Fall 2010 release.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Drive Texas (a melodic rock trio) to perform at The Bitter End in NYC on St. Patty's Day, new EP out now

Drive Texas, a 3-piece melodic rock band from NYC, have a special St. Patty's Day show coming up. The show is at the Bitter End at 8pm on March 17. The band is going by the name Drive Dublin for the day. They'll be performig an acoustic-type set featuring new and old songs, plus some covers. They're known for their cover of Chicago's “25 or 6 to 4.” The band perform songs with keys, harmonica, and trumpet. They're also going to try to experiment with piano at the show. See how they do it for $5 this Wednesday.

The band's latest EP, The Sound You Like, is available for a pay-what-you want download here:
www.drivetexasmusic.com

Monday, May 5, 2008

Bamboozle, May 3

While large festival aren’t my typical cup of tea, as I like to see bands in much intimate settings, I’ve managed to attend Bamboozle at the Meadowlands Sports Complex for three years. This year I would venture with Greg, Gery, and Gabby for a delightfully fun time.

Our first stop to the big bubble where we saw Anthony Raneri of Bayside acoustic. It was good to chill out. I calmed down after missing The Sleeping. Raneri played “Sorrow,” “Landing Feet First,” and “Devotion and Desire.” Streetlight were fun. RJA were okay, they played a Foo Fighter cover which was pretty neat. As Tall As Lions were really good acoustic, it was awesome to see them stripped down. They played “Love, Love, Love,” “Ghost of York,” “Maybe I’m Just Tired.” A Day to Remember were fun as always. The Bravery were amazing. I had a great time hearing “Believe” and “An Honest Mistake.” Paramore were intense, got in the crowd and held onto the three G’s as we pushed our way to the front. I had to get out of the crowd at the end. Heard Jimmy Eat World play the songs I knew, sounded great. Snoop Dogg was…an experience. It was weird seeing rock kids so into Snoop. My friends loved his set and he played 30 minutes more than expected. I recognized tracks, I didn’t even know were his, ha. “Jim and Juice” was classic. He was all about presenting himself as a ganster and the whole sex, drugs, alcohol thang. Good times.

In a brief:
2:00-2:30 Anthony Raneri- Bamboozle TV Studio- sweet
2:30-3 Streetlight Manifesto- Nowhat.com Stage- fun
3:00-3:30 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus- Asbury Park Stage- okay
3:30-4:00 Vinnie Caruna of the Movie Life- Nokia Ticket Rush Stage- good
4:00-4:30 Snake Milk (MAE)- Rebel Youth Records Stage- alright
4:15-4:45 As Tall As Lions (Acoustic)- Bamboozle TV Studio- sexy
5:40-6:10 Ludo- The Aquarian Stage- interesting
6:15- 6:45 A Day to Remember- The 5 Gum Stage- hardcore
6:20- 6:50 Saves the Day- Nowwhat.com Stage- nice
6:45 - 7:15 Kill Hannah- dancey
6:50-7:25 Jacks Mannequin- Asbury Park Stage- blah
7:25- 8:00 The Bravery- Nowhat.com Stage- catchy
8:00-8:45 Paramore- Asbury Park Stage- whoa
8:45-9:30 Jimmy Eat World - great
8:55-9:30 Del Jugo- Linc Star Records Break Stage- short
9:15-9:45 Alesana- The 5 Gum Stage- ouch
9:30-11:00 Snoop Dogg- off the hizzle

Thursday, January 3, 2013

1/8 Bern & the Brights @ Knitting Factory, Brooklyn

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

New Control album out today