Take a breather and check out Paul's reviews this week. He's got the latest from the Division Men, Donella Drive, Maple Mars, Claire Morales, Odd Robot, and the Planet Smashers. Check out his reviews of Dead Format, Eastern Bleeds, Davey Lane, San Gabriel, the Spongetones, and Ttturbo.
Other August reviews include Band Argument, Broken Yolks, Dirty Nil, Drowns, Leatherface, and Sam Russo, Big Life (which revisits the sounds of D.C.'s Revolution Summer,) the instrumental quartet The Depth Beneath Us, a full-length from Chicago duo OK Cool, and some old-school punk rock from Australia's The Unknowns. Paul also reviews DoubleVee, FVRMN, Lolas, Lot Lizards, and Upset Boy & The Queens.
Read Paul's column here...
Deadguy, the combustible post-hardcore legends who came out of New Brunswick, NJ in the Nineties to reinvent the fusion of hardcore and metal, are back with a new album, Near-Death Travel Services. As we sometimes do, we asked three of our Jersey Beat staff to give us their own take on the new album - Rich Quinlan, James Damion, and Oliver.
Lovers of heavy metal (and all of its noisy, profane, disgusting, multi-hyphenated, and ear-shredding sub-genres) assemble! Oliver is here to guide you through the Gates of Hell and into that Cathedral of Satan. This is the genre with the sickest band names and coolest album covers, and true to form, and Oliver provides a deadpan play-by-play of a mammoth concert with five of these gruesome ear destroyers! He also reviews new sonic atrocities from Hateful Abandon and Sadistic Force. Oliver also reviews the latest from Stomach, Revenge, the new Deadguy album, and Lipoma. Chill to his reviews of Witherer, Gruesome, Cryptopsy, Drudkh, and Impureza. Let your ears bleed to new releases from Caustic Wound, Ancient Death, Morbific, Phantom, P.I.L.A.U., and Century reign supreme. There's even a live review in this first column! Ear plugs are for sissies, let's turn it up to 11 and get ready to RUMBLE!
Longtime NJ scene photographer and music blogger
James Damion may have relocated to Washington, DC, but he still but he still keeps a keen eye on indie, punk, and whatever else comes his way in this column. James highly recomments the reissue of DC straightedge icons Battery's Until The End. James thinks he's found one of the best albums of the year, and it's not punk, metal, or hardcore but a neo-soul classic from Yellow Couch Music! James also reviews the latest from Enrage, the comeback album from NJ's Deadguy, Erik Core, and Local H, a reissue by Yaphet Kotto, and lots more.
For something a little different, Rich reviews the delightful album from ukulele guy Foggy Otis, then chimes in on the new Deadguy album, their first new music in decades. Rich also reviews Season of Mist's ...And Oceans, post-hardcore heavyweights Last Bias, and - for a change of pace - Jersey City singer/songwriter Val Emmich. Rich offers an international panoply of the dark and heavy, with his reviews of Belgium's Coffin Feeder, Greece's Nightfall, and France's Pledge of Silence. Also check out his reviews of Saor and Retromorphosis, both on Season-of-Mist Records, Boston's Falsely Accused, Costa Rican eco-warriors Savage Lands, and Thundermother, who bring back the sleazy excess of Eighties hairmetal. Rich also reviews an operatic goth-metal extravaganza from The Great Old Onez and a grungy collection of tunes about meeting aliens and God from the OddEvens. Anthrophobia, one of Jersey Beat's favorite bands over the years, returns with their seventh full-length and Prof. Quinlan approves.
Read Rich's column here....
Leslie Snyder reviews a couple of new singles and then dives into albums from Six Finger Satellite, Bret McKenzie, Kanadia, Risen Atlantis, Forth Wanderers, Vernon Reid, Roulette, and Brandon Lake.
Mark Hughson's eclectic sensibilities bring us reviews of the decade-in-the-making Ellay Chapman, an Americana project by Dan Paquin and Lorianne Chapman; the latest from retro-garage rockers Muck & The Mires; and the ageless Hawkwind. Mark also reviews the second visit to Chadd Derkins' imaginary theme park "Whimseyland," this time offering a musical tour of the park's Bounty Bay. Mark also checks out the official release of a Sonic Youth live bootleg, and tsks tsks at a disappointing joing from My Morning Jacket.
Read Mark's column here...
Leo Lovechild is one of Brooklyn's most exciting young singer-songwriters, with a look as striking as his songs are catchy and comfortable.
His new EP, "All My Friends," focuses on a country sound with excellent results, and we feel he's someone you ought to meet.
Read Jim Testa's interview here...
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Jersey Beat's editors look back at their favorites of 2024.
Editor Jim Testa reviews catches up with Jersey legend Doug Vizthum under his new moniker as The Slugger, and checks out releases from pop diva Johanna Stahley (ex-Spredhaus,) veteran rocker David Gates, and D.W. Dunphy's Internet collective, Orbis Max. Jim also reviews a reflection on growing older but never giving up from Amy Rigby, an impressive debut from Brooklyn's Evan Dibbs, and a feisty acoustic album from Good Saint Nathanael.
.Read Jim's reviews here...
"Gruesome Playground Injuries" at Jersey City's Art House Productions tells the story of two damaged people who reconnect from childhood to adulthood in vignettes delivered out of chronological order. A first-rate production with riveting acting and innovative staging, it's a challenging night of theater that will entertain and leave you thinking.
Jersey Beat's Deborah Draisin checks in with Chameleons UK frontman Mark Burgess on the band's storied career, their exciting new
release, and some thoughts on a lifetime in the music business.
Read Deb's interview here...
Rich Quinlan interviews Chelsea Spear, who's helping to bring the ukulele back to pop under the stage name Travels With Brindle. Chelsea talks about her career, her goals, her recordings, and what the future might bring.
Read Rich's interview here...
Sean Coulter reviews the first new album from Brooklyn's Lame Drivers in nine years, and finds it a jangle-pop throwback
to indie rock classics of yore.
James Damion interviews R.C. Sullivan, a Netherlands punk band with the true spirit of the rock 'n' roll lifer.
Read James' interview here...
Editor Jim Testa reviews "1967," Robyn Hitchcock's memoir about living through the birth of psychedelia
as a pubescent teenage boy in a British boarding school. It's totally Hitchcock - witty, urbane, and insightful, a pure joy to read. Jim also reviews "No Big Deal,"" Dean Brownrout's no-holds-barred account of his career with Big Deal Records, a little indie label that started as a labor of love but wound up swimming with the sharks in the world of corporate boardrooms and IPO's. If you're pining for the days when emo became a marketable commodity, you might enjoy "It Wasn't A Phase: The Ultimate Emo Activity Book,"" and finally, Jim reviews
"Jersey Metal," an impressive, heavily-illustrated coffee table book that covers the Jersey metal scene from the Seventies
through 1986.
Rich Quinlan interviews Dan Presland, the drummer of Vipassi, a multi-national, instrumental progressive band that's making
waves around the world. Read Rich's interview here...
Rich Quinlan interviews Brodequin, the Knoxville death metal band whose lead singer moonlights as a nuclear scientist and who,
as a musical entity, have just made an unlikely comeback from a 20-year hiatus with a powerful new album. For fans of the dark and heavy, Brodquin is a name you should know. Read Rich interview's here...
Rich Quinlan interviews Kathrine Shepard, known worldwide as the Norweign artist Sylvaine, whose fairy tale-like songs offer
gossamer melodies and passionate contemplations of nature.
Read Rich's interview here...
Jersey Beat's James Damion interviews Chris Weinblad of the hardcore/punk label and retailer Trip Machine Laboraties. Chris
discusses his long career, the nuts and bolts of DIY labels, and what to look for next.
Read James' interview here...
Jersey City's Tris McCall returned to the Sugar Factory when he and his band performed his 2003 album 'Shootout At The Sugar Factory' to commemorate its 20th anniversary at Jersey City's Art House Productions. Jim Testa talked to Tris about the album, his love of Jersey City, his longtime involvement with visual art, and how those interests will come together.
Read Jim's interview here...
Everything's biggest in Texas, including the heavy metal. Rich Quinlan interviews the Lonestar State's
groundbreaking rockers Necrofier.
Read Rich's interview here....
MCRACKINS - Wake the Fun Up (mcrackins.bandcamp.com)With every passing year and with every new Mcrackins release, I feel a lot less weird screaming to anyone who will listen that a bunch of Canadians who dress like eggs (and a dog) are making some of the best pop punk since the genre began. I think their discography and longevity have long since proven that point. Wake the Fun Up, their newest full-length since 2010's It Ain't Over Easy, is 11 tracks of pop-punk sugar with an emphasis on the pop. Hooks, harmonies and melodies continue to be the Mcrackins' stock in trade and I can't name one other band who does it better! With the addition of new member AC Mcrackin on back up guitar and vocals, the Mcrackins have only doubled down on the vocal and guitar pyrotechnics they've long been known for. Still, you can listen to Wake The Fun Up and then throw on 1995's What Came First? or 2006's Bat Out of Shell and if it wasn't for a brief mention of the pandemic lockdown on the new album, you'd think they'd all been recorded on the same day!? Normally I'd chastise a band for lack of growth, but when you nail the vision your first time out, well, why mess with perfection? With the Ramones and Cheap Trick as their lodestars, Mcrackins have easily put themselves in the same canon as their idols; bands whose every song would be a number one hit in an alternate just and perfect world. That's not the world we live in but we are lucky enough to live in a world with the music of the Mcrackins. And for that, I remain eternally grateful. - Oliver Lyons
By Deb DraisinJersey Beat's Deb Draisin catches up with Chris Cain, half of the NYC duo We Are Scientists, to talk about songwriting, touring, and the band's path through covid.
Read Deb's interview here....
Jersey Beat's James Damion interviews Darin Galgano, drummer of the NYHC band At All Costs, about the recent
release of the band's influential demos.
Read James' interview here...
By Deb DraisinDeb Draisin interviews up 'n' coming singer/songwriter Julia Wolf, whose stagename Wolf has earned her worldwide exposure as one of Spotify's first Fresh Faces.
Read Deb's interview here.
"Chew A Little Ice," one of the standout tracks from Damfino's 2022 album "Skywriting By Word Of Mouth," comes
alive thanks to this animation by Wyatt O'Connell. The song is by Damfino's Joe Merklee and Joel Bachrach. Enjoy the video, then check out the album at damfino.bandcamp.com.
My Chemical Romance emerged from the fabled Jersey all-ages scene at the beginning of the 21st Century, becoming MTV fixtures and international superstars before flaming out and breaking up in 2013. Now they're back, and when their tour hit New Jersey, Jersey Beat's Deb Draisin wasn't going to miss it. Read her review and check out her photos here...
Haley & The Crushers play a vivacious brand of upbeat punk and pop with a bit of metal for crunch, and the big, bright, ebullient
personality of Haley Cain at its center. Jersey Beat's Deb Draisin sat down with Haley to dish about life, rock, and (sigh)drummers.
Read Deb's interview here...
Richard X. Heyman has been a force in the Greater New York music scene since helping to form the Doughboys back in the mid-60's. He's been a sideman to
superstars, a solo artist, and rocked with the reunited Doughboys since 2000. Now he's about to release a new album. Jersey Beat's Deb Draisin caught up with this indefatigable rock 'n' roll lifer. Read Deb's interview here...
15-year old Kjersti Long may not have a lot of experience in the dating world yet, but her catchy new single "Boys In Jersey" shows wisdom beyond her years, as well as a healthy sense of humor and a great ear for melody. Thanks to our friends at Hip Video for passing this along.
Deb Draisin interviews musician/songwriter/producer/sound engineer Paul Roessler, who was there at the beginning of the Los Angeles punk scene and continues to make important contributions to the world of indie rock.
Read Deb's interview here...
Jersey Beat's James Damion talks to Ralph Malanga about his new band Cathedral Ceilings, his other band Stuyvesant, his long association with Dromedary Records, and the ins and outs of being a staple of the Jersey rock scene for three decades.
Read James' interview here....
When Tim Sommer was a student at NYU, he hosted Noise: The Show, which turned a generation of listeners (including your editor)onto obscure early hardcore bands like Flux of Pink Indians and Even Worse. A few years later, Tim had an A&R job at Alantic Records and talked his boss into signing four South Carolina frat boys with the unlikely name Hootie & The Blowfish. Now, nearly 30 years later, Tim has written the definitive story of that band and its generation-defining album cracked rear view, along with an unsparing look at the record industry of that era.
Jersey Beat's Rich Quinlan chats with Tracy Hightop, the veteran lead guitarist of Long Island blues powerhouse Jane Lee Hooker.
Read Rich's interview here.... James Damion speaks with Michele Cruz Gonzales, the outspoken author, activist, teacher, public speaker and onetime drummer of the groundbreaking East Band band Spitboy. They talk about her music career, feminism, and much more.
Jon D'Amore is a Jersey guy who headed to Hollywood to work in music as well as television and film, but he's also the author of six books. The latest, George & Me, combines scifi with American history in a unique way. Jon talks to editor Jim Testa about his books, his process, and offers some advice for aspiring writers.Read Jim's interview here...
James Damion interviews teacher and author Nancy Barile about her new memoir I’m Not Holding Your Coat: My Bruised-And-All Memoir of Punk Rock Rebellion. Nancy reminisces about coming of age in the punk and hardcore scene and how that influenced her as a person and a teacher.Read James' interview here...
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Legendary folk-rock guru Peter Stampfel illustrates the
history of pop music in the 20th Century the only way
he knows how - by picking and playing a favorite tune
from each of the century's 100 years. The project is called
Peter Stampfel's 20th Century In 100 Songs, available
now in a CD box set, digital download, or stream. Editor
Jiim Testa caught up with Peter in COVID lockdown to talk
about this magnum opus and the other many projects this
busy octagenarian has in the works.
James Damion talks with Pete Tabbot of Vision about his
life in the NJ hardcore scene, his career as an educator
and health officer, and his work on the City Gardens documentary,
Riot On The Dance Floor.
The first thing Jersey Beat's James Damion did when he
moved to Seattle several years ago was find all the good
record stores. One of his favorites is Singles Going Steady,
manned by Byron Wilson. In this interview, Byron talks
about the store, his experiences growing up near Gilman
Street, his love of cooking, and his band The Expendables.
James Damion talks to Pete Martinez, owner and proprietor
of New Jersey's only drum shop, The Drum Den in Hoboken.
Pete talks about following his passion, playing in bands,
and what you'll find at his unique store.
The Happy Fits - Calvin, Ross, and Luke - started playing
together for fun in the summer before they started college,
back in their hometown of Pittstown, New Jersey. Five
years later, these up-and-coming, tour-seasoned, full-time
musicians will be releasing their much-anticipated sophore
album, What Could Be Better, at the end of August.
Jim Testa talked to the exciting young trio about their
music, their passionate singalong fan base, their early
DIY touring, and how to be a band in 2020.
Joe Darone first grabbed Jersey Beat's attention as the
teenaged drummer of The Fiendz, but these days he's best
known for the experimentalist Suit of Lights. With a new
album on the horizon, Joe chatted with Jersey Beat's James
Damion about his long career in both music and graphic
arts, his approach to music, and what might come next.
New Jersey lost one of its finest bands when The Everymen
disbanded in 2017 and frontman Michael VM relocated to
North Carolina with his family. Jersey Beat's James Damion
catches up with Mike to talk about living in the South,
remembering the Everymen, and looking at what comes next
in his career.
Jersey Beat's Rich Quinlan was so moved by the latest
EP from Gdansk, Poland's Trupa Trupa that he contacted
the band and interviewed lead singer/guitarist Grzegorz
Kwiatkowski. Here, Kwiatkowski talks about his band's
process, his denunciation of Holocaust deniers, and the
realities of being a rock band in Poland.
Bloomfield, NJ's Joy Cleaner has been one of the happiest
surprises of 2019, emerging (with their second album, You're
So Jaded) as one of the state's most promising punk
bands. Andrew Merclean caught up with the trio to talk about
the band, the new album, and the future. Read his interview
here...
Amy Rigby has long been one of our favorite singer-songwriters.
Now she's one of our favorite authors too, with the publication
of Girl To City: A Memoir, the story of her life
from a young girl worshipping Elton John on the radio
through the tumultuous NYC club scene of the 70's, to
the release of her debut solo album in the Nineties.
Jersey Beat's James Damion interviews Steven DiLodovico,
one of the partners in DiWulf Publishing, the startup
that brought us the oral history of City Gardens. Steve
talks about other projects in the hopper, how he became
a publisher and why he loves doing it, and shares some
personal information about his battle with Crohn's Disease.
Jamie Frey interviews the legendary Mike Watt, currently
promoting the release of Ring Spiel '95, a live
album recorded on the Ball Hog?Or Tugboat tour
in 1995. Watt talks about how the album came out, the
remarkable Ring Spiel touring band (which included Eddie
Vedder, Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear,) and his role in punk
rock history. This is Jersey Beat's fifth interview with
the irascible, effusive, and totally original Mike Watt,
and we can't wait till the next one. Read Jamie's interview
here... And
read Rich Quinlan's review of Mike Watt's Ring Spiel '95
here...
It's been eight years since the Ergs! disbanded and almost
ten since their last full-length album, so Mikey Erg's
first solo album Tentative Decisions arrives with with
a lot of expectations. Happily, Mikey delivers on all
fronts, with a more mature but still passionate rendering
of his trademark pop-punk, complete with crunchy sonic
guitars and punchy drums, melodic basslines and emphatic
vocals delivered in Mikey's trademark nasal yowl. Read
Jersey Beat's reviews here...
JerseyBeat.com
is an independently published music fanzine
covering punk, alternative, ska, techno and garage music,
focusing on New Jersey and the Tri-State area. For the past
30 years, the Jersey Beat music fanzine has been the authority
on the latest upcoming bands and a resource for all those
interested in rock and roll.
Take a breather and check out Paul's reviews this week. He's got the latest from the Division Men, Donella Drive, Maple Mars, Claire Morales, Odd Robot, and the Planet Smashers. Check out his reviews of Dead Format, Eastern Bleeds, Davey Lane, San Gabriel, the Spongetones, and Ttturbo.
Other August reviews include Band Argument, Broken Yolks, Dirty Nil, Drowns, Leatherface, and Sam Russo, Big Life (which revisits the sounds of D.C.'s Revolution Summer,) the instrumental quartet The Depth Beneath Us, a full-length from Chicago duo OK Cool, and some old-school punk rock from Australia's The Unknowns. Paul also reviews DoubleVee, FVRMN, Lolas, Lot Lizards, and Upset Boy & The Queens.
Read Paul's column 
Deadguy, the combustible post-hardcore legends who came out of New Brunswick, NJ in the Nineties to reinvent the fusion of hardcore and metal, are back with a new album, Near-Death Travel Services. As we sometimes do, we asked three of our Jersey Beat staff to give us their own take on the new album - Rich Quinlan, James Damion, and Oliver. 
Leslie Snyder reviews a couple of new singles and then dives into albums from Six Finger Satellite, Bret McKenzie, Kanadia, Risen Atlantis, Forth Wanderers, Vernon Reid, Roulette, and Brandon Lake.
Leo Lovechild is one of Brooklyn's most exciting young singer-songwriters, with a look as striking as his songs are catchy and comfortable.
His new EP, "All My Friends," focuses on a country sound with excellent results, and we feel he's someone you ought to meet.
Jersey Beat's editors look back at their favorites of 2024.
Rich Quinlan interviews Chelsea Spear, who's helping to bring the ukulele back to pop under the stage name Travels With Brindle. Chelsea talks about her career, her goals, her recordings, and what the future might bring.
Read Rich's interview 
Rich Quinlan interviews Dan Presland, the drummer of Vipassi, a multi-national, instrumental progressive band that's making
waves around the world. Read Rich's interview 
Jersey Beat's James Damion interviews Chris Weinblad of the hardcore/punk label and retailer Trip Machine Laboraties. Chris
discusses his long career, the nuts and bolts of DIY labels, and what to look for next.
Read James' interview 
Jersey Beat's James Damion interviews Darin Galgano, drummer of the NYHC band At All Costs, about the recent
release of the band's influential demos.
Read James' interview 
By Deb DraisinDeb Draisin interviews up 'n' coming singer/songwriter Julia Wolf, whose stagename Wolf has earned her worldwide exposure as one of Spotify's first Fresh Faces.
Read Deb's interview 
My Chemical Romance emerged from the fabled Jersey all-ages scene at the beginning of the 21st Century, becoming MTV fixtures and international superstars before flaming out and breaking up in 2013. Now they're back, and when their tour hit New Jersey, Jersey Beat's Deb Draisin wasn't going to miss it. Read her review and check out her photos 
When Tim Sommer was a student at NYU, he hosted Noise: The Show, which turned a generation of listeners (including your editor)onto obscure early hardcore bands like Flux of Pink Indians and Even Worse. A few years later, Tim had an A&R job at Alantic Records and talked his boss into signing four South Carolina frat boys with the unlikely name Hootie & The Blowfish. Now, nearly 30 years later, Tim has written the definitive story of that band and its generation-defining album cracked rear view, along with an unsparing look at the record industry of that era.
Jersey Beat's Rich Quinlan chats with Tracy Hightop, the veteran lead guitarist of Long Island blues powerhouse Jane Lee Hooker.
Read Rich's interview 
James Damion speaks with Michele Cruz Gonzales, the outspoken author, activist, teacher, public speaker and onetime drummer of the groundbreaking East Band band Spitboy. They talk about her music career, feminism, and much more.
