As the weather warms up, you'll be looking for something to read in the park, at the beach, and on those warm Spring afternoons. May we suggest these?

WHATEVER, IT'S COOL

Howler isn't simply a band: It's a signpost of millennial thinking, and the group's new album World Of Joy may just be the Rosetta Stone that unlocks the culture of today's twentysomethings for future generations. Musical archaeologist Pete Kilpin explains it all here...

Don Giovanni Records gives us three new releases for Spring: The first live album from New Brunswick's Screaming Females, the debut album from folk-legend Peter Stampfel and The Brooklyn & Lower Manhattan Banjo Squadron, and the Replacements-ish pop-rock of Long Island's Crow Bait. Read our reviews here...

Our West Coast Bureau Chief Paul Silver recently helped folk/punk singer songwriter Jeff Berman (above) celebrate this birthday with a performance that included Berman's band Divided Heaven, Bad Sports, the Black Hands, and Brian Marquis Music. You can read Paul's review here...

Jimmy Urine & Co. Get Golden at Irving Plaza

Irreverent punk/electronic/techno/industrial/hip hop collective Mindless Self Indulgence invaded Irving Plaza recently for what promised to be the group's last visit for the foreseeable future. Deb Draisin was there and her report is here...

JIMMY URINE:
THE JERSEY BEAT INTERVIEW by Deb Draisin

NYC's Driven Mad, rising from the ashes of the popular King Hell, honors the classic thrash style of clean vocals and powerful riffs. Jersey Beat's Damien Ellinghaus gets the lowdown on modern metal from frontman Sam Walters here...

Damien also reviews Driven Mad's new EP "Committed" here...

R.I.P. DAVE BROCKIE, Scumdog Of The Universe

Jersey Beat fell in love with GWAR a long time ago. The alien invaders from Antarctica first appeared in our sister publication GROT in the Fall of 1989, in an interview with Brent Cold-Iron. More recently, our Metal Editor Eric Walls interviewed Oderus Urungus himself on the release of the band's 13th album, Battle Maximus. We've captured that early interview here and you can read Eric's more recent interview here...

Finnish metal gods HIM rock Irving Plaza

In our bid to foster warm international relationships, our intrepid reporter Deb Draisin caught the Finnish metal favorites HIM at their March 14 appearance at NYC's Irving Plaza. Read her review here...

By some reckoning, Punk Rock turns 40 this year and the occassion was commemorated in Manhattan with various events, but maybe nothing caught early punk's spirit better than a concert by the pride of DIY Bushwick, the So So Glo's, at Judson Memorial Church. John Ambrosio was there, read his report here...

The 27th SXSW Music Festival brought thousands of musicians and hundreds of thousands of fans and industry attendees to the city of Austin. It was messy, chaotic, and crazy, punctuated by noise, nostalgia, corporate branding, and, sadly, tragedy. And, if you were lucky (and smart,) it was also a lot of fun. Jim Testa writes about it here...

3 Reviews Of Goodman's Is It Sad 

Our intrepid San Diego Bureau Chief Paul Silver decided to climb aboard the Maxies tour van - well, make that jet - and keep a journal while the pop-punk gods from Greenland toured the Land of the Rising Sun. Check out Paul's story and photos here...

Two remarkable new female vocalists, singer/songwriter Odetta Hartman and Sun Looks Down's Diana Flanagan, are spotlighted in Jim Testa's latest reviews, along with New Brunswick stalwarts The Clydes and a tribute album to Harry Nilsson.

Read Jim's reviews here...

Mint 400 Records' new tribute to the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds both updates and honors the classic album, and the Gingerlys emerge from Mama Coco's Funky Kitchen with an effervescent pop sound that blends chill wave with power pop. Editor Jim Testa then grades some of the many releases that have come our way recently, including new albums by Dr. Skinnybones, Battleme, the Creepshow, Dismemberment Plan, Ezra Furman, Karyn Kuhl, Los Campesinos!, Lovers, Marc & Shane, Patches & Gretchen, Swellers, and Upset. With apologies and all respect to Robert Christgau, check out the Guide here...

SHIFT - Molly

NO FX - "Stoke Extinguisher" EP

THE SONGS OF TONY SLY: A TRIBUTE

THE MOIST BOYZ - V

NINE INCH NAILS - Hesitation Marks

DAVE HAUSE - Devour

BRICK + MORTAR - "Bangs" EP

MY HOMETOWN: A Tribute To New Jersey (Various Artists)

Editor Jim Testa checks out the latest album from New Brunswick's Sink Tapes and the debut EP from Two Strike Mark, as well as reviews of Boxed Wine, Quincy Mumford, and the new collaboration from Jeffrey Lewis and Peter Stampfel.
Read his reviews here...

Swdish punk, Industrial clamor, an electronica diva, and lots of punk rock from two of our favorite labels, Fat Wreck and Dirt Cult: Paul reviews new releases from Allvaret, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Banner Pilot, Haunted Hearts, Odonis Odonis, Unwelcome Guests, White Hinterland, and a split 7 inch from Walk The Plank and Daycare Swindlers. Read Paul's column here... Eric pays tribute to the late Dave Brockie of GWAR, then dissects releases from two Brooklyn bands, So Hideous and Mothers, digs into the latest from NYC hardcore/metal/industrial gods Prong, and reviews more metal from Animals As Leaders, Conquering Dystopia, Magnum, The Tower, and Polar. Read his column here... You might know Jamie Frey as the garrulous frontman of local garage-punks the Brooklyn What, but now Jamie joins us as a Jersey Beat's reviewer. He takes on three current buzz bands, the latest from NYC's The Men, the solo album from the Beets' Juan Wauters, and the sophomore release from indie/roots chanteuse Angel Olsen here... What's new at Iris Records? Stephen Gritzan reviews new releases from Honduras, Gillian, and young NJ singer/songwriter Brett Steinberg. Read Stephen's review here... by Joe Wawzyrniak Joe W. dips into the Jersey undergrounds with reviews of new releases by Ropetree, Lost In The Trees, Lifeguard Nights, and Graham Repulski, then reviews new releases from an eclectic mix including Demitasse, Butcher KNives, and Valery Trails. Jenny & The Felines serve up some sassy pop rock from New Jersey; that's Joe W. standing under the mistletoe. He also reviews new end of the year releases from Reckless In Vegas; singer/songwriters Terry McCarthy, Matt Boroff, and Daniel Canna; and the comedy stylings of Kill the Band. Read Joe's column here... "Well-honed modern pop-infused punk that still leaves enough rough edges" is how our Rich Quinlan gushes - nearly pukes - praise all over the debut album from NYC vomitpunks Panther Monderns, while the Generators earm praise blasting out grizzled punk 20 years in the making, then freaks the fuck out over the latest from punk/metal progenitors Motorhead. He also reviews new albums from Young Turks, Isolated, and Mickey Melchiondo's long-dormant Stooges-esque duo Moistboyz. Jersey Beat's Paul Silver has revived his long-dormant label Radius Records and Rich has nothing but good things to say about its first release, a split EP from Gentlemen Prefer Blood and Hands Like Bricks. Rich also reviews new releases from "one of hardcore's most authentic scene veterans, Terror, and the latest from Jersey City's Black Numbers Records, an album from Placeholder. Read Rich's column here... By Tony B. Chicago punk rock has no greater godfather than Marc Ruvolo, from bands like No Empathy through his landmark punk label Johann's Face to his sci fi/fantasy book store, Bucket O'Blood. Now Marc is back with a solo acoustic EP, and Tony B. reviews it here...