Screaming Females' Marissa Paternoster Stars In The First Episode Of Shellshag's "Shellshonic Shag-O-Vision"

Check Out Marissa from Screaming Females in this thoroughly entertaining pilot episode of ShellShag's brand new short series, "Shellshonic Shag-O-Vision", brought to you by Don Giovanni Records.

Shows This Week!

The Pixies are playing in Newark this week, but... man! tickets are expensive. 

Monday 1/27

The Brigantines / The Shipwrecks / Chris Brown  @Happy Mondays at The Wonder Bar - Asbury Park   8pm   FREE!

Tuesday 1/28

Pixies / Fidlar @NJ PAC - Newark NJ  $55-$90 (WTF???)

Thursday 1/30

Man Man / Xenia Rubinos / Weird Fantasy Band / Von Mons  @Asbury Lanes – Asbury Park   8pm

Saturday 2/1

Reese Van Riper / Science / Desir Decir / Even and The Earlybirds  @The Clash Bar – Clifton, NJ    8:30pm   $8   

Sinsanity / The Dirty Stayouts / Lower The Veil / The Battery Electric / Xenophile / Half Witted Dogs - The Blue Room at AJ's Gentleman's Club - Secaucus, NJ    8pm    $10

Band Profile: Night Birds

Night Birds

From: The Jersey Shore (and Brooklyn)

 

 

Sounds Like: Someone beating the shit out of you with an electric guitar and a surfboard. These purveyors of surf punk chaos make it look easy, but this band works its ass off. They are constantly touring and playing shows, and whether its an instrumental surf punk song, or a bludgeoning vocal attack from singer Brian Gorsegner there is a constant threat of danger. If you see these guys, you may get punched or kicked or someone in the band may land on top of you, but hey- I've got a Janis Ian record for you if you want to sit at home, wrap yourself up in a blanket and feel safe. So if you feel like being crushed by a killer wave and can picture yourself being greeted the grim reaper surfing on a coffin, then this is the kind of band for you.

 

Members: Brian Gorsegner, Joe Keller, Ryan McHale, PJ Russo

 

Releases: Demo/CDR/Cassette (2009, self released/Ride The Fury); Killer Waves 7" (2010 Art Of The Underground); Night Birds 7" (2010 Grave Mistake/Dirtnap); Midnight Movies 7" (2011 No Way Records); The Other Side Of Darkness 12" (2011 Grave Mistake, Taken By Surprise); Fresh Kills Volume 1 12" (2012 Grave Mistake); Maimed For The Masses 7" (2013 Fat Wreck); Born To Die In Suburbia (2013 Grave Mistake/Taken By Surprise)

 

Website: http://nightbirds.oknoway.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/NGHTBRDS / http://night-birds.bandcamp.com/

 

 



 

 

 

The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Black Hollies

2013 Ernest Jennings Records

By M. Mucus

 

     Long time Jersey City heavy hitters The Black Hollies are probably the most well-known and well-received of the ex Rye Coalition bands that have been playing lately (Cold Fur, Life Eaters).  Maybe that is partly because The Black Hollies have the most ex Rye Coalition members in the band (three), but what is more likely is that there is such a musical distance between Rye Coalition and The Black Hollies.
     In 2006 The Black Hollies put out their first record, Crimson Reflections, a blend of 60's garage rock and soul.  Their latest offering Somewhere Between Here and Nowhere, is not so much a departure from the 60's garage sound they have been crafting, but more of an exploration into deeper aspects of the music singer and primary songwriter Justin Angelo Morey is so fond of. Their fourth record drifts deep into the reaches of The 13th Floor Elevators (sans jug playing), and bands like Can.  Heavily treated vocals, fuzz, delay and organ really dictate the noisy psyched out sound.
     Morey wrote these songs for his recently wedded wife, Ashley Anderson Morey who is now playing bass in The Black Hollies. Herb Wiley is still on lead guitar, Jon Gonnelli is playing organ and serving as multi-instrumentalist, while Nick Ferrante’s hard hitting drums still help to keep the Black Hollies’ live shows as exciting as ever. The slightly reworked structure has translated into a bit more of a modern sound. The Black Hollies have forever seemed frozen in time, firmly rooted, if not cemented in that garage rock sound- and don’t get me wrong, it makes for a fun band to listen to as well as see.  However, this more free sounding album lets the band spread its wings and it results in both a tasteful and earnest output that gives the listener a sense of ownership, a feeling not that this is music borrowed from another time, but it is Now, and it is Ours and that is why NJ Skeletons thinks it’s one of the best records of 2013.

      The record starts out with a bit of noise and then one of the freaking catchiest guitar hooks ever on “No Illusion”, and its instantly danceable beat right off the bat separates this record from other Black Hollies records. Spacey organ puts you right into that dream-like state and it keeps you there for the whole ride. It becomes so easy to drift away into this record. The second track “Unless It’s My Imagination” keeps the dance beat going. It’s clear on this album that the boys and girl in The Black Hollies are just having fun playing and that innocence appears in many different forms throughout the LP. “Benevolent Beacon” the third track, on the record is a much more traditional sounding Black Hollies song, its beauty and heartfelt lyrics are both refreshing and sweet.  Live, when Morey sings “please let me show you that your mine.” to his wife, bassist Ashley Anderson Morey the entire room can see his heart pouring into hers. “When It’s Time To Come Down” closes side A of the LP, it’s a bit of an oddball which makes it one of the coolest songs on the record, the walking vocal melody gives it a bit of 90’s BritPop feel, but the organ and dreamlike textures help to keep it rooted thematically with the rest of the record showcasing some of the more interesting departures this record takes.
      As the theme of love being like a dream continues to permeate through the listening experience on side B, instrumental tracks like “Frontwards And Backwards” help you to slip deeper into the record. The gorgeous “Where Do We Go From Here” is a high point of the album, a gem buried in fuzz and reverb. The second side is wrapped up with “Lunatic Influenza” a three part collection of songs that flow into each other in a sort of abbey road-esque way. It’s highlighted by the trippy middle offering “Take Me As I Am” and ends with the organ and noise of a delayed train conductor speaking.  It’s a perfect way to wake from a dream

     …But that’s not it! The Ernest Jennings Recording Company has put out 2013's Somewhere Between Here and Nowhere, as they have done with all of the Black Hollies’ releases, and the LP packaging is truly awesome. The inner sleeve as well as the center sticker on the record is a psychedelic spiral which looks amazing and works great with the dreamlike themes of the record. Just like a lot of old Long Presses, you get a true Extended Press, a free 7" which serves as side C and D of the album. Side D is a cool cut, “Here Comes The Rain” but its Side C that steals the show. The title track “Somewhere Between Here And Nowhere” is one of the strongest songs on the whole record and epitomizes all of what makes the record great, tender heartfelt lyrics, dreamy textured organ, a solid rhythm section and a catchy vintage hook.

The Black Hollies are playing a bunch in support of the record. I would strongly advise catching one of their shows.  In the mean time you can get the record directly from Ernest Jennings, Here.

Shows This Week!

Tuesday 11/05
Albert Hammond Jr. / Nightbox  @ Mexicali Live   8:00pm   $20

Thursday 11/07
The Scandals (video shoot) / The Wait / Jaguar Shark /The Best Of The Worst / T. Gunn @ The Court Tavern   8:00pm   $5

Circle Takes The Square / B. Dolan @ Asbury Lanes  8:00pm   $10

Friday 11/08
The Drive Home / Michael Jackson & The Beatles / Lost Romance @ The Berkeley Hotel  8:00pm  FREE!

Restorations/Weatherbox / Banquets / Ghost House @ Asbury Lanes  8:00pm   $8

Saturday 11/09
Anti-Flag / Masked Intruder / Holy Mess / Worlds Scariest Police Chases @ Asbury Lanes   8:00pm $13

Dollys / Black Wine / Deal Casino / Long Beard @ Court Tavern   8:00pm   $5

Douglas Dynamo / Thomas Francis Takes His Chances / Explorers / Twin 55 @ The Lamp Post   10pm   FREE!

Album Review: Ex Wife - New Colors

2013 Evil Weevil Records
By: Mike Mucus

New Brunswick’s Ex Wife released New Colors back in June of 2013, but they just recently received physical stock of the vinyl. I got my hands on a copy of New Colors and gave it a listen. Ex Wife continue to take steps forward in their sound. New Colors sounds very different form their superb 2009 release Everything Was Beautiful, but their craft remains. Nick Bolton’s haunting vocals still remind me of a ghost that never quite left the room. The baritone guitar and bass work great together on the record and coupled with Matt Harvey’s dynamic drumming which fluctuates between quiet and thunderous you can understand why this band lends a sense of familiarity to you without giving you a feeling of being an overdone Emo leftover. In fact, the 90’s influences are rife throughout the record; consider the track “Agnosia”. It would fit right into the Sub Pop catalog from the Mudhoney or early Nirvana era. Dirty, scraping guitars give way to Nick Bolton’s little melodic baritone leads and go right back into the storm cloud of distortion brilliantly. Contrastingly, “Young Parents” a much more contemporary sounding song, starts off as a Real Estate-esque sounding jaunt, and then descends into washed out delay and torturous screams illustrating the growing direction of the band while riding the wave between menacing and melodic. Recorded and engineered by vocalist Nick Bolton, it’s great to see such an earnest band continue to grow and expand their sound.

Listen to the album for free here

Shows This Week!

Friday 10/25
Gates / Prawn / Vasudeva /Attikas Arras @ The Court Tavern 8:00pm $8

Saturday 10/26
The Ghost of Uncle Joes: At the Harisimus cemetery in Jersey City. Local bands dress up and cover other bands. They Live as Rancid, The Milwaukee’s as The Who, Papermaker as the B-52s. After party show is at The Lamp Post – Jaguar Shark as Weezer, The Defending Champions as Sly and The Family Stone and more. $10 Suggested Donation. (Lamp Post is Free). Saturday 10/26 at 2pm/10pm

 Spring Heeled Jack / Obi Fernandez / Sammy Kay and the Fast Four @Asbury Lanes 7:00pm $12

 The Stereo State / Heartsounds / Cleave / the Raritan @ The Court Tavern 830pm