Read Jim's reviews here...

by Joe Wawzyrniak

The focus is on New Jersey in Joe's latest column as he reviews new releases from some Garden State favorites including Hoboken's Mike Korman, Montclair's Terry McCarthy, Asbury's Billy Hector, along with Brooklyn singer/songwriter Hugh Trimble, Fred Gillen Jr., Where Is My SPaceship, and Curious Quail.

Read Joe's column here...

Eric leaves no stone unturned in his latest edition of "More Metal," with bands from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Germany, the U.K., and of course all across the U.S.A. Check out Eric's informative and engaging coverage of new releases from Venom, Baring Teeth, Deconstructing Sequence, Foreseen HKI, Horisont, Putrid Christ, Riwen, Sahhr, Sedna, Spectral Haze, Varsang, Witchese of Doom, and Wizard Rifle.

Read Eric's column here...

It's been a big year for indie-rock documentaries. Records Collecting Dust continues that trend with a insider's look at "vinyholics," as filmmaker Jason Blackmore talks to musicians, record labels owners, and other music lovers about the music and records that changed their lives. The film opens nationally in January; Paul Silver reviews it here...

Editor Jim Testa counts down his favorite local releases from NJ and NYC bands, while Paul Silver lists not only his 10 favorite records of the year but his 10 favorite shows as well. Finally Mark Hughson chimes in with his Top 10 releases. Updated with Eric Walls' Metal picks!

See our Best of 2014 lists here...

It's Gonna Blow!
San Diego's Music Underground 1986-1996

This has been a great year for regional music documentaries: Add to that list filmmaker Bill Perrine's examination of ten years in the history of the San Diego music scene, a tumultuous period that produced bands like Drive Like Jehu and Trumans Water, a network of great clubs, and a slew of excellent record labels. Paul Silver writes, "It tells the story of a scene that had to reinvent itself a couple of times, a scene that was deeply rooted in the DIY ethic, and a scene that struggled with the sudden, unexpected attention from an outside world, while bands still labored in relative obscurity at home. And it succeeds in telling that story." Read his review here...

THE JERSEY BEAT INTERVIEW

Jamie Frey talks to one of his heroes, power pop innovator and rock 'n' roll warrior Paul Collins of the Nerves, the Beat, and currently, the Paul Collins Beat. Collins talks about touring, how society undervalues music, and how he's fighting to make local band shows into events again. Photos by Jersey Beat's Paul Silver. Read the interview here...

Paul's last column of the year includes reviews of the Swan's Oxygen, Ty Segall's $ingle$ 2, and new releases from Acid Baby Jesus, The Blind Shake, the Ex-Gentlemen, Gazer, the Off White, and La Escalera Records' label showcase compilation Without Each Other We Have Nothing.

Read Paul's column here...

Rich Quinlan reviews the new album from Jersey punk supergroup Smalltalk, a fun collection of George Jones covers from Early & Justin, NJ singer/songwriter d.smith, as well as new releases from Kim Ware's Good Graces, lo-fi basement artist Whole Wheat, punk rockers The Moderns, the cleverly named Harlem Downtrotters, folk/rock legend Daniel Lanois, and two releases from legendary Aussie punks The Saints.

Read Rich's review here...

FOXYGEN ...AND STAR POWER

The self-proclaimed 21st Century ambassadors of peace and magic return with a sprawling, shambolic double-LP. Jersey Beat's Mady Thuylein gives it a listen and decides it's worth slogging through the whole thing to find the nuggets hiddin within. Read her review here...

Chris Butler is best known for his work in Tin Huey and the Waitresses but he remains a working singer/songwriter who unlreashes new albums from time to time. On Easy Life, Chris reminisces about his years as a college student at Kent State, the early days of the Akron punk rock scene, and the horrific moment when National Guardsmen opened fire on a crowd of unarmed students at a camps anti-war protest. We recruited our old friend Jim Benson,, who's been a fixture in Cleveland's indie underground for decades, behind the scenes and on the radio, to write about the album. Read his review here...

In an age in which punk rock can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, it is wonderful to have Vortis back. This Chicago-based trio of Jim DeRogatis, Louie Calvano, and Tony Tavano play short, sharp, and biting songs that truly deserve the moniker of punk.
Rich's review continued here...

Jane's Addiction, Weezer, the Descendents, Wu Tang Clan... the lineup at Riot Fest Chicago 2014 read like a twentysomething's wet dream. Our man Jamie Frey was there to soak up the ambience, sun, mud, and alcohol. Here's his report....

TEAM SPIRIT - Killing Time (Vice)
Here are two takes on the new album from NYC garage rockers Team Spirit: One by Pete Kilpin and another by our newest contributor Mady Thuylein. You can read Pete Kilpin's review here... Mady also reviews the debut from the Dark Ages, a new NYC band playing danceable "doom improv." Read Mady's reviews here...

Our San Diego correspondent Paul Silver recently caught up with filmmaker Bill Perrine, who's started screening his new docmentary “It’s Gonna Blow!!! The San Diego Music Underground 1986-1996.” Paul talks to Bill about his career and what he found so fascinating about San Diego's indie-rock scene. Read his interview here...

EASTERN ANCHORS/ZERO FOR CONDUCT
(VivaLaHaraRecords.bandcamp.com

This split 7" from two veteran NJ bands finds Eastern Anchors roaring through a big fat ROCK song with a monster beat called "Above Your Station" that sounds like Superchunk and Cheap Trick jamming at the Court Tavern. Zero For Conduct offers a more angular post-punk track, "Average Marks Make Shitty Sparks," produced by Chris Pierce with a guitar sound as sharp as shark's teeth and a roiling live vibe.

Another Labor Day Weekend has passed, and with it another summer, and out in San Diego, another Awesomefest. This pop-punk festival brings together fans and bands from all over the country (and the world) for four days of punk rock, beer, hanging out, and if you're our busy scribe Paul Silver, snapping photos and taking notes. Read Paul's account of this year's shindig here...

Modern Suits - Every Light EP

Sean Rowe - Madman (reviewed by Leslie Snyder)

The Britanys - It's Alright EP (reviewed by Eli Zeger)

Useless Eaters - Bleeding Moon (reviewed by Rich Quinlan)

Mr. Payday - Music Explopsion (reviewed by Joe Wawrzyniak)

Two of NJ's most important bands released new records this month. Rich Quinlan provides his analysis of the Gaslight Anthem's Get Hurt, while Paul Silver looks at Cymbals Eat Guitars' third full-length, Lose. Read Rich's review here and Paul's here.

Jamie Frey and his band The Brooklyn What first came to Jersey Beat's attention one night when they opened for Joe Jack Talcum at a club in Manhattan. Since then, Jamie's become a reviewer here and to bring this all around in a perfect circle, here he is reviewing the latest solo offering from Joe, a collection of lo-fi home recordings made from 1993-1999.

Read Jamie's review here...

Neil Sabatino is the owner/operator of Mint 400 Records, lead singer of the NJ indie band Fairmont, and a longtime friend of Jersey Beat. In this article, Neil explains the nuts-and-bolts of home recording for the interested DIY beginner. Read it here...

Temple senior Alex G makes music in his bedroom and releases it on the Internet, but his latest album DSU has already been favorablyreviewed by Rolling Stone, Conequence Of Sound, and Pitchfork. Is this the end of the indie underground, or the beginning of something else? Jackson Phinney ponders these questions while discussing Alex G's unique genius here...

Jim Testa sits down with the godfather of punk rock to talk about his folkie beginnings, New York City in the Fifties, the joys of collaboration, and much, much more. Read our interview here...

Leslie Snyder reviews the new EP from Pennsylvania's Modern Suits and Philly's Del Sur, and two records from Double Plus Good Records, Holly & Plastic and Haunted Hearts. Read Leslie's reviews here... Rich reviews the latest album from South Jersey power pop veterans The Successful Failures. Forrmer members of Weston turn up in two reviews in Rich's new column, the new EP from Beach Slang and an excellent album from The Transmission Now. Rich also reviews new releases from the self-proclaimed New Jersey "supergroup" The Satisfactors, Tetherball, Aaron & The Burrs, Meridian, Courtesy Drop and Entropy. Read Rich's column here... Leslie checks out two reissues from the seminal Bristol, UK post-punk group The Pop Group, as well as recent albums by San Francisco indie Americana group New American Farmers, African-American chanteuse Lady Esther, singer songwriters Daniel Lovegren and Karen Haglof, Austin folk-rock artists the Belle Sounds, and NJ alternative pop quarter Framing Dakota. Read Leslie's reviews here... Eli checks out two young bands from Brooklyn with new EP's, the Britanys and the Gradients, as well as Austin metal outfit Funeralbloom. He also reviews NJ hard-rock quartet Killed The Fixtion, then checks out the new release from Calla frontman Aurelio Valle, which he calls "a raspily-produced, demented half hour of really out-there, yet elegant music." Eli also reviews No No: A Dockumentary, a documentary film about the life of pitcher Dock Ellis, as well as the latest album from NJ emo rockers Sleep In.. He also dives headfirst into the new release from The Hold Steady, the Brooklyn band's first since 2010's disappointing Heaven Is Whenever, and the new release from NJ's Trophy Scars, a concept album of sorts with a mythical theme.. Read his review 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 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...