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On June 30th, New Jersey pop/rock artist Mistine will be releasing her debut EP, “Fade”, on all streaming platforms. Having toured with such pop acts as Conan Gray, WizTheMC, and Zeph, Mistine is ready to share her new nostalgia-inspired tunes with the world. She’s already released two singles from her EP (“Temporary Feeling” and “Everett Park”), both of which have over 24,000 plays on Spotify…
Read moreStanhope, NJ band The City Limit is cooking up new music for 2022, drawing on a diverse range of influences, from blues to pop, rock, funk, jazz, and folk. I interviewed bandmates Scott Lewis, Anthony Ambrosio, Sean Farrelly, and Mike Casson twice last year to ask them about their future music plans. Just a little over a month ago, they teased on Instagram part of a new single, which we may get to hear on April 22nd when they perform at Newton, NJ's Greek's Bar. Then, on Saturday, May 14th, The City Limit will be traveling down south, performing for the first time in North Carolina at Wampus Cat Music Festival.
Read moreSouth Amboy singer/songwriter, alt-pop recording artist Jackie June just dropped a brand new single, “Falling Apart”, today. Written and recorded in collaboration with artists April Rose Gabrielli and Kulick, “Falling Apart” marks a sonic departure from Jackie’s previous music, while still being true to her penchant for deep, meaningful lyrics. As Jackie explains in her interview (Part 1 was filmed in March 2021, Part 2 in March of this year), while the subject matter of her songs may be serious, she likes to couple them with an upbeat, driving pop melody while also eliciting joy through refreshing and — as we’ll see with “Falling Apart” — playful music videos. Listening to Jackie June’s music, audiences are reminded to stop, reflect, and appreciate the beauty of the things and people around them.
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By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, March 11, 2022
Today on Interviews by Gregory Burrus Productions, we encountered a truly fabulous, soulful multidimensional singer. As you may know, a live music career is a business that requires the performer to stay relevant in the audience’s mind. The performer in order to be successful must be committed to ensure long-term relevance. Dara Tucker has found many ways to stay in the minds of fans using multiple platforms and, as her bio proclaims, singer/songwriter Dara Tucker is no stranger to producing “composition as commentary.”
“Dreams of Waking (album) refers to the hope that our society will develop an awareness of the inequities that still exist,” Tucker said. “It’s the dream that we will become fully conscious and attuned to the hopes, dreams and needs of every human being.”
Happily for us, we were able to book Dara Tucker for a Jazz973 event at Clements Place Jazz. Having done some preliminary research, we wanted to catch up with Dara and understand more about her upcoming event and get to know a little more about this multidimensional person. Take a listen.
Dara Starr Tucker Interviewed by Lynette Sheard for Gregory Burrus Productions.
Dara Tucker has an extensive singing career with many successful awards and accomplishments. She began songwriting while living in Switzerland in 2003 and moved to Nashville in 2004 to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. She recorded the first of her albums, "All Right Now" in 2009. It featured mostly Great American Songbook standards. Her second album, Soul Said Yes (2011), was a blend of R&B, jazz and Gospel and it made Amazon.com's top 10 R&B chart within a few weeks of its release. Tucker's third release, The Sun Season (2014), was recorded in Astoria, Queens, New York. It reached number 62 on the JazzWeek charts on September 22, 2014.
In 2015, Dara was interviewed by Tavis Smiley for his PBS television show, where she performed an original song she wrote with her sister, Diamond Tucker, entitled, "Giants" from The Sun Season. In 2016, she opened for Gregory Porter in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. That year, Dara Tucker was a finalist in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival's vocal competition. In 2017, she won the silver medal at the "American Traditions" vocal competition in Savannah, which requires singers to perform in 9 separate genres.
Dara has produced a docu-series on Nashville musicians called, "Music City Select" through her production company, GoldenTime Films. She is a contributor to the Huffington Post where she writes essays on her personal experiences as a minority and a woman in the entertainment business. Her article, "Here's to the Ladies Who Cuss" was featured on The Huffington Post Voices homepage. In my research, I found this comment:
“In the coming year, I will be more loving, and I will be kinder. I will also stake a claim in my own life. I am compelled to make room for myself. I will not always be pleasing or appropriate, but I will blossom. If something is deemed inappropriate for my life, let it be me who does the deeming. I will scream when I need to scream. I will shout and be heard. And I will cuss when I feel like cussing.”
This definitely leads us to the other Dara, who produces “composition as commentary.”
The great part about these interviews is the advanced research we do, and on this one our interviewer Lynette Sherd was way ahead of me. While I saw music, Lynette alerted me to the massively active and successful TikTok-er, Dara Starr Tucker.
Now, for those that think TikTok is just dance and jokes, you should know that the Economic Times reported that: “The rankings show that TikTok knocked Google off the top spot in February, March and June this year, and has held the number one position since August. San Francisco: Popular short video-sharing platform TikTok has surpassed tech giant Google as the most popular website of the year, says a report. Dec 25, 2021.” Well, being in the top ten is huge; knocking off number one is phenomenal.
Dara, as a social commentary person, definitely delivers on the statement that I love, which is producing “composition as commentary.” This is evident when you jump on the other Dara Starr Tucker channels. With 17K followers on Instagram, her individual videos have received in some cases over 12K comments. Meanwhile, her social commentary on TikTok has 687 thousand followers, with individual videos garnering 1.6K comments. The engagement she has is truly amazing.
More recently, we had the pleasure of listening to Dara Tucker when she was a guest performer at the James Moody Scholars event. The event was special for us as Linda Moody wanted to honor the James Moody Scholarship Scholars with a live music concert during her time here as the first lady of the TD Moody Jazz Festival. There has been a recipient each year of the scholarship and now there were enough of them to have a band with a rhythm section. You can read more here as the James Moody Jazz Scholars Honored His Legacy In South Orange NJ.
This is where we first heard her wonderful voice and we encourage all of you to come on out and listen to her sing. It's a treat you don’t want to miss.
Dara Starr Tucker is making her mark in the world of music and activism as a singer, satirist and social commentator. Her latest album, Dreams of Waking: Music For A Better World (2021), was featured on Grammy.com and in American Songwriter Magazine. On the album, Tucker embraces the urgent, topical works of songwriters of the protest era, along with her own compositions, as vessels for justice awareness, instruction and healing. Last summer, the album reached #7 on the Jazzweek National Radio Charts and reached #6 on the ITUNES jazz chart.
Additionally, Dara Starr Tucker is the co-writer of "Oklahoma," the title song on Keb Mo's 2020 Grammy-winning "Best Americana Album." Tucker's justice and musical commentary on social media has been featured with HBO and Yahoo News. She has toured as a member of master guitarist Charlie Hunter's trio, appeared on NPR's Jazz Night in America and made her national television debut on PBS. Most recently, Dara has performed at Central Jersey Jazz Festival, Newark Museum of Art Jazz Series, Birdland (VocalMania), Smoke Jazz Club and Minton's.
Join Us: March 23, 7 - 10PM, Clements Place Jazz. 15 Washington Street, Newark, NJ.
Click to learn more: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazz973-presents-dara-tucker-and-her-band-at-clements-place-jazz-tickets-295322667047
Gregory Burrus is a local live music ambassador, producer, promoter, event planner, and community partner. He combines his extensive corporate business and technology expertise with his love of live music and being a strong community advocate.
I love writing about it all. My mission is to help community groups, live music bands, and local nonprofits, reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
https://www.jerseyindie.com/ji-blogger-gregory-burrus
https://patch.com/users/gregburrus
NJ’s Chelsea Carlson has been keeping busy during the pandemic as a multi-genre singer/songwriter, member of the Renaissance Faire-inspired trio Bardy Pardy, and as a music teacher giving virtual and in-person lessons to students K-12. On Friday, February 11, you can also see her perform live as she opens for the band The Wag at The Coffee House in Edison, NJ. Chelsea has a ton of new music coming out later this year, as both a solo artist and through Bardy Pardy. So how has she been able to juggle all these creative endeavors while remaining so upbeat?
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Left to right: Nancy Cook, Thea Kearney, and Kristy Ranieri of Megasparkle. Photo by Sophie White.
Megasparkle, the kickass all-female band from Maplewood, NJ, hasn’t let the pandemic slow them down. Delivering a mix of indie, post-punk, pop-rock deliciousness, Thea Kearney (lead guitar, vocals), Nancy Cook (guitar, vocals), Kristy Ranieri (bass), and CJ Jeiven (Drums) released their first 5-song E.P, “Swirling Glitter”, back in February 2021. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to speak with Thea and Nancy about their pandemic-related musical adventures in our interview below.
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By Gregory Burrus | Posted Saturday, June 19, 2021
With outstanding shopping, restaurants, services and entertainment & events, not to mention our beautiful parks and waterways, Cranford offers authentic experiences for everyone.
According to Wikipedia, Cranford, NJ has a nickname of "The Venice of New Jersey'' and a motto "Friendship and Progress." This small town has shaped up to be one highly desirable place to be and live in. In both 2018 and 2019, The Star-Ledger named Cranford the best downtown in New Jersey after an online vote, calling it "adorable [and] snowglobe-like.” New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Cranford as its 34th best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live.” Cranford is part of the New York City metropolitan area.
Cranford is home to more than 24,000 people who enjoy its many parks, recreational facilities, shopping areas and outstanding schools. Strategically located in the heart of Union County, the Township is served by the NJ Transit bus and Raritan Valley train line, making it desirable for outbound and inbound commuters. Established in 1871, Cranford is 4.8 square miles of wonderful neighborhoods and historic homes along the Rahway River, some dating back to the late 1800s. Township residents and visitors, young and old, can enjoy the many programs at the Community Center, Public Library, parks, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools or canoeing on the river. These are just some of the reasons Cranford is routinely rated in the Top 50 Best Places to Live in NJ and to raise a family.
https://downtowncranford.org/
The town has a strong commercial base. Downtown Cranford is well known for its many restaurants, unique specialty shops and has seen tremendous investment and growth in recent years with several Transit-Oriented Development projects. Smaller neighborhood shopping areas, like Centennial Village, are also revitalized with new restaurants and businesses. The Cranford Business Park, with easy access to the Garden State Parkway, major roads and Newark Airport, is home to several well-known national corporations.
https://downtowncranford.org/
Also, the Downtown Cranford Special Improvement District (SID) led by Executive Director Caren Demyan is dedicated to ensuring a vibrant downtown. Downtown Cranford is a Township department whose objective is to promote, brand, beautify, maintain, attract, and grow business. The Office of Downtown Business & Economic Development is part of the Township government and represents all properties, businesses and residents within the SID regardless of size, location or use and is the official advocate for property and business owners. You can learn more about Downtown Cranford and how they can support your objectives right here.
Alex Desrivieres / Harmonic Convergence 2020
The Downtown Cranford office announced that there is music at Eastman Plaza throughout the summer 2021! Starting in June, there will be music performances at Eastman Plaza on Thursdays from 6-8pm by a number of local musicians.
As you can see, we have an extensive and diverse list of music genres and performers for everyone's listening pleasure, with some returning favorites and some brand new first-timers. We have crossed the spectrum with pop, rock, R&B, jazz, country, Latin, cabaret and, of course, some blues to make you tap your feet, shake your head and dance in your seat. Just come on out and have a good time enjoying the sounds of Downtown Cranford live music.
All are invited to come on out and enjoy this wonderful live music location, to enjoy Downtown Cranford stores and restaurants and the Downtown Cranford Summer Sounds Series. Here's a few landmarks to pique your curiosity, and hopefully you will stop in and enjoy this wonderful environment.
At this very busy traffic intersection right off the NJ Transit train station there is this idyllic park in the middle of the hustle and bustle:
Inside it is this wonderful grassy location, along with some natural seating, what's known locally as the Eastman Clock location.
And what's really cool is there is a built-in amphitheater-type seating all the way around and out to the grass and the adjacent stores. This is a very cool place to be where you are able to sit, relax and enjoy the summer sounds of live music.
Gregory Burrus is a Photojournalist, Live Music Ambassador, Arts and Entertainment Writer, Blogger, Business Reviewer, and Community Events Reporter. He is a supporter of local businesses and community events, with a passion for live music. Gregory reviews and writes about local live music programs while booking, promoting and curating many regional live music events around the greater New York/New Jersey area. Greg promotes events through social media marketing, writing articles, blogging and photojournalism. Having fun, living life, while helping others. https://gregoryburrusproductions.com
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Friday, June 18, 2021
I want to thank everyone for their participation and support of the 4th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree. While I still wished we could have performed, in person outside as usual, the Coronavirus Pandemic changed all that. As the pandemic went into full effect for us during the last week of March and lockdown started in April 2020, we pivoted and started thinking about what else we could do to keep the music alive.
We couldn't go outside so we adapted and continued our commitment to the live music community and launched a new virtual approach that addressed our new social distancing world. We asked folks to submit live performances specifically for this event, a truly sweet past performance, or we scheduled them into a live performance slot on the day of the 24 Hours of Music Jamboree event. The musicians responded overwhelmingly positively and it was great to see folks volunteer their time/energy along with their dynamic and amazing musical talents in making this first time move to a Virtual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree a big success. The following is a recap of what happened throughout the Jamboree.
Out of this pivot to online, we discovered the wonderful and very energetic Lynette Sheard. In person she was also dynamic and her turn to the virtual world was no less stellar. We ended up selecting Lynette Sheard of Lynette Sheard Entertainment as our official welcome spokesperson because even through the very negative environment we were in, Lynette was a bright beam of enthusiasm and hope. Thank you, Lynette.
We opened the 24 Hours of Music Jamboree at 11:30 AM with a tribute to our recently departed long-term South Orange resident and live music advocate Lee Boz May, may she RIP. We also said goodbye to another wonderful local performer, Holi Ross who also sang with The Royal Bopsters.
As we usually have our South Orange Gazebo dressed up physically in balloons, this year we adapted and developed a virtual balloon backdrop. We then listened to the song “Candy” converted to "I need my 24 Hours of Music" by vocalist Jacqueline Harmon Johnson, a.k.a. The Balloon Lady.
We then were officially kicked off by the Rutgers University Clements Place Institute of Jazz Studies Executive Director Wayne Winborne. His now very "prophetic message" was to enjoy the wide range of music that was being presented and that “while science and medicine will get us out of this pandemic […] it’s art, especially music, that will get us through it.”
We then moved to a message from the Jazz Exchange Relief Fund Founders Candice Reyes and Abel Mireles, who are supporting local North Jersey and NYC full-time and part-time jazz artists with The Jazz Exchange Relief Fund! This was especially important because artists were immediately affected by this pandemic, as all of their performances, tours, teaching gigs, lessons and more were cancelled overnight. The Jazz Exchange came on to help us raise funds to provide emergency and preventative resources to those at financial risk
It was a stellar lineup of some truly wonderful musicians who all volunteered their time and efforts to this 4th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree.
2020 event lineup
We kicked off the Virtual 4th Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree at noon Saturay, May 30th with the Pop, R&B, Soul sessions headlined by South Orange-based Alicia Taiping and Dan Pieraccini of the popular local band Forget the Whale. We were then treated to some wonderful performances by Dunia Best Live, Howlin Poets, Positive Note, Rhonda Denet, Flip da Skrip, our official spokesperson Lynette Sheard, Acute Inflections, Tasha R. Williams with budding new star Aaliyah Arroyo, Sounds of A and R, and local favorite Ricky Persaud, Jr.
Our Latin sessions contained some sweet music produced by Carlos Frias and Circulo Social Band and a few wonderful Yardbird Entertainment-produced sessions by the Rudy Vidal Latin Jazz Quartet.
The evening and overnight Jazz Sessions were kicked off live by the wonderful and engaging Mike Lee Jazz Family, which all members were very talented while socially distancing together. Overnight performers included Kristina Koller, Abel & Candice, Reyes, Arcoiris Sandoval Live, DC Fusion Darry Clark, Peter Lin, Mamiko Watanabe, Richard Reiter, Sue Maskaleris, Winard Harper – Jeli Posse, Kemp and Reyvolation from Buffalo NY, James Austin, Jr. and Friends, Mauricio de Sousa, Joel Cotton with Matt Niedbalski, Jarrett Walser and Campblicated, Marshall McDonald from Fukuoka, Japan, Seyeon Chang from South Korea, Kumiko Tanaka from Tokyo, our normally 3 AM to 6 AM crew, the Alex De Lazzari Duo with Caelan Cardello, then Flip Peters and Friends ending overnight with Candice Reyes.
Rounding out the early morning hours, we had songs from the American Songbook by vocalist Patricia Walton and Barbara Hassenfeld, then Blues Rocker Debra Devi, Hal Keshner from the beautiful hills and desert of Arizona with some truly gorgeous sun scenes, and finally closing us out by sitting on the dock of the San Francisco Bay was Blues Man Mr. Coo Mo Gee.
2020 24 Hours of Music Volunteers with Teresa Ware and Donna Siedman
The major difference this year was we literally broadcast the entire 24 Hour of Music Jamboree event. We broadcasted on 5 virtual venues simultaneously. Listeners had a choice of watching and listening on Facebook pages, or my Gregory Burrus profile, Youtube, Twitch, or Periscope.tv channels. Thanks to our Audience Development Director, Chelsea B., who conducted selected Instagram broadcasts throughout the 24 hours. We also broadcasted to non-social media channels at 24hoursofmusicjamboree.tv.
Our regular volunteers Jon McGriff, Teresa Ware, Donna Siedman, Chelsea Burrus, Greg2B, and Roxanne Burrus, all supported us for 24 hours while we missed out steadfast volunteer Lee Boz May. We also give thanks to our official photographer Albert Clarke. Please visit his Instagram, as he captured some beautiful shots for us virtually, and our other giveaway supporter Designs by Aron.
2020 4th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree Broadcast Studio Operations
Needless to say, we had some interesting challenges broadcasting nonstop for the full 24 Hours of Music Jamboree, especially when Facebook says you can only do 8 hours at a time and it stops, and we have to start again. Other networks did not have this problem but had other internet-related situations that had to be dealt with, and lets’s not forget being up more than 24 hours.
Overall initial numbers are over 604 YouTube views, 100+ Facebook views, unknown Instagram/Twitch views and over 100 Periscope views which, interestingly, are mostly from Australia and Great Britain. Comments from many local and other worldwide attendees were that “the music was a much-needed respite from the challenges plaguing our society today.”
And another thanks to our g2bpro motion graphics video engineer — we have a new logo:
Again, I thank all that participated. We will showcase your work.
The 24 Hours of Music Jamboree is normally an outdoor festival held in the town of South Orange, NJ at multiple venues with live music bands voluntarily performing for 24-hours non stop. Due to the 2020 COVID Pandemic, we went online. You can review past events at the following links:
2020 4th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree May 30 -31, 2020
2019 3rd Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree Sep 7 - 8, 2019
2018 2nd Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree May 5 - 6, 2018
2017 1st Annual 24 Hours Of Music Jamboree May 6 -7, 2017
Now, a year has passed and hopefully COVID KEEPS DECLINING. For 2021, the idea is to get back outside with live bands and live audiences, meanwhile adding an online virtual performance component.
Anyone can participate, so open call is on.
Contact us to join us with your band, solo, duo, trio or whatever configuration you have. Let us know what you do and how you want to do it. We will find a spot for you in and around South Orange, NJ or online.
Volunteer here for the 5th Annual 24 Hours of Music Jamboree at this link https://bit.ly/3vXJJja .
Gregory Burrus books bands, produces, promotes, captures and records live music events along with various community and private activities.
My mission is to help my customers, which are community groups, live music bands and local nonprofits reach their goals and accomplish their missions while enjoying the day-to-day process of life.
Learn more https://24hoursofmusicjamboree.com
By Gregory Burrus | Posted Thursday, April 29, 2021
There is no doubt that the Coronavirus Pandemic wreaked havoc on the live music industry, not just around South Orange but all over the world. Musicians went from traveling and performing 2-3 times a day to zilch, nada, zero performances, as large music halls and small restaurants with a single stage, all had to shut down. After all, what is live music but a communal and social interaction experience, but the virus pointed us all in the exact opposite direction. We entered into the world of necessary and forced social distancing in order to live and to survive.
The Summer of 2020 saw us all cautiously returning to a new normal life while committing to all the preventive and precautionary measures required to survive. This, for some, meant not coming out and for others it meant wearing masks, social distancing, no hugs and no hand shakes. For the return of live music, we added in six feet apart circles on the ground at our events and sitting far apart from each other, and we also learned elbow greetings along with never ending hand washing.
Since 2010, we usually start our Downtown After Sundown live music season during the last week of May and usually at two locations in the evening. With the pandemic, that was not happening, but in July 2020 we came together and scrambled back outside. Part of the mission was to help businesses that were shuttered for months survive. We put together a live music season based on that and decided to progress by watching the COVID numbers on a week to week basis.
We found some truly cool bands with fans, found a new stage located with the businesses, and a very large parking lot so folks could space out as much as they wanted. Since we couldn't all be together because of the COVID Pandemic, spreading out was the name of the game. For our daytime events, we also added a component to place the music around town in what amounted to live music pods adjacent to our businesses located all around South Orange. Then we started booking bands on a week to week basis, identified as Making Live Music Around South Orange, NJ While Adjusting for the COVID-19 Pandemic. And guess what? It worked out very well, as many folks came out, stayed safe, and enjoyed the music.
Well, we are now announcing a new 2021 South Orange Summer Saturdays born out of last year's learnings. This year, we are starting our season almost a month earlier, extending it a month later, and formally using our new outdoor restaurant patio as our stage. In addition, we identified almost 14 locations for live music all around South Orange, NJ. For our performances, we charged up the lineup as 50% of the bands are new to our performance lineup. Check it out here: SOVillageCenter.org.
The 2021 South Orange Summer Saturdays Live Music season will feature blues, jazz, rock, latin, pop, country and more all around our town.
Highly requested returning favorites are MPAC Band, Los Trafficanos, Andy Lackow and Mess Around, Harmonic Conversion, Lynette Sheard Entertainment, Organist Radam Schwartz, Gene Ghee, NXSTAGE Music, Carlos Frias & Circulo Social, Mama D and Vexations, Stuff Bros, Dwight West and Spirit of Life Ensemble.
New to the Main Stage, as of this writing, for 2021: Meant To Be Jazz Quartet, Mike Lee Jazz and his Jazz Jam, the fabulous Big Train Band, Forget The Whale will finally grace the main stage, Alan Paul's Big In China, Jacqueline Harmon Johnson Jazz & Jam, pop rocker David Easton, Rafiki led by Norman Man, Sir G. Earl Grice and the truly awesome 19-piece Maplewood Community Music Big Band which is too big for the stage so they will be sharing the parking lot with us.
In addition, around town we’ll also have some of your favorites returning, like Hal Keshner’s Piano Lounge, Bossio Ukulele, Leonieke Scheuble Trio, Alex DeLazzari Jazz, The Zoos, Howlin Poets, Kyle Younger Jazz Group, Charlie Apicella, Mike Choi, New Jersey DJ Services, Laredo the Band, Joel Cotton and, yes, even Opera in the Park if we can work it out, and a number of other events that we will bring onboard throughout the summer.
As you know, due to COVID, most celebrations of life were canceled or postponed, but we remember. Hence, lest we forget, not everyone made it through the 2020 year. We had tributes during the 2020 Live Music Season and into 2021, where some of our musical friends left us while others fell victim to COVID, such as Lee Boswell May, Darryl Clark, Holli Ross and many, many more. All of our memories, our live music season, and a few musical tributes are listed below.
Thank you musician Caylen Bryant for performing at Reflecting Together: South Orange, Maplewood to Remember Lives Lost to COVID-19, March 21. My thoughts during this SOMA Ceremony - Tribute to Darryl Clark Holli Ross and Lee Boswell May and Many More and their families.
March 6, 2021, the Township of South Orange named a street in Lee Boz May’s name, called “Boz Way.” I reported on that here: A Tribute to Lee "Boz" May -- Live Music Advocate Making South Orange, NJ Black History and Women's History. Long live “Boz Way.”
We celebrated with a ceremony. Thank you to our musicians for your tributes to our fallen live music advocate, jazz lover, wife, family lover, community lover and more, Lee Boswell May.
We hope to do more to honor them as COVID restrictions loosen up.
As we try and move forward, all of us here in town feel a sense of joyful anticipation about the 2021 South Orange Summer Saturdays season. We will once again make music for our devoted audience members. It promises to be a season to be remembered and cherish. Please join us.
Gregory Burrus is writing about his first love, the creative people, towns and events all around South Orange NJ, Essex County and Beyond. Gregory continually observes, participates in, reports and writes on local community news, live music and the arts and entertainment scene of the JerseyNYC landscape, right here on Jersey Indie as JI blogger Gregory Burrus. Contact Gregory Burrus to promote your business or nonprofit across various social media and blogging platforms. http://gregoryburrus.me
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, January 22, 2021
If you’re craving that old school, boy group sound of Boyz II Men, New Edition, and *NSYNC, then look no further than South Jersey’s own #Elevated, who just released their newest single, “Paradise,” on YouTube, Spotify, and other audio outlets. Check out our interview with the talented quintet, below, as they discuss how they’re “bringing back old school vibes with a modern twist.”
For some of us it is interpreted in different ways. One interpretation is "the beach and perfection." What we could do for a significant other is living a life that feels like a dream and live a life where we are content. Another interpretation is last year, we were struck with hardships such as the pandemic. We want to eventually reach that small spec of light at the end of the tunnel we call 'Paradise.’ This song is a soothing and uplifting song to help us go through our inner struggles that we have experienced during these hard times!
The winter feeling is always soothing, so we wanted to create a song that explores that feeling of calmness and joy.
We recorded at Vince's (one of the #Elevated members) house. We self-produced everything and hired a mix engineer to mix and master!
#Elevated is a 5 member guy group from South Jersey!
Kevin (baritone), Josh (tenor), Vince (baritone/countertenor), Will (bass/tenor), and Donovan (bass).
This group consists of two of Vince's friend groups: Will and Donovan were in Vince's high school choir and often sung together, and Kevin and Josh were in Vince's university and often jam and sing together in the piano room.
The group started with Kevin, Vince and Josh who performed for an event at Rutgers University. We decided to become a group right after. We later added Will and Donovan to make a 5 member group! Our music is old school with a modern twist. We grew up listening to old school R&B and pop such as Earth, Wind and Fire, Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, New Edition, Michael Jackson, etc. We also enjoy some of the modern artists as well such as Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Ed Sheeran, Charlie Puth, Bruno Mars, etc. We miss boy bands or singing groups that can sing acapella like Boyz II Men, *NSYNC, etc., so we want to bring that sound back.
We're looking forward to more opportunities and to a better year overall.
Follow us on Instagram: @hashtagelevated
Subscribe to us on YouTube: http://youtube.com/hashtagelevated
Check out our latest single, “Paradise”:
The song is available on all audio platforms!
Here is also a link tree to see our other content: https://linktr.ee/hashtagelevated
We have been growing a small fan base on YouTube through various contents such as reaction videos (2k subscribers).
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Wednesday, January 1, 2019
Magic Ghrelin is a four piece, punk/power pop group based out of Asbury Park, New Jersey. The group consists of Matt "Tank" Bergman (drums), Guy Pollioni, (guitar /vocals), Justin Lombardo (guitar/vocals) and Luke Henderiks (bass/vocals). Their debut EP Die a Rockstar is an energetic, punk masterpiece. This record is unapologetically honest yet incredibly catchy, tackling heavy subjects with soaring guitars. The tracks allow for every member to shine through in their unique playing and songwriting style, absolutely nobody sounds like them. I reached out to Magic Ghrelin and they were sweet enough to answer some questions about the origins of the band!
Tank: Magic Ghrelin formed about a year ago and the word “Ghrelin” is the hunger hormone that communicates to your brain that you are hungry. Throw magic in front of that and boom, the hunger to make magic.
Luke: Personally I would say Big Star, Grandaddy, Nada Surf, Knapsack, The Get Up Kids and Teenage Fanclub! We aspire to be a power-pop band with heavy emo and shoegaze influence.
Luke: Our overall message as a band is to respect and love what you do and to not be ashamed of who you are. We write songs about being unique and having issues with our mental health that we work on with the help of the people we love around us.
Luke: Guy usually comes up with a guitar part with Tank drumming with him at practice, then it gets presented to Justin and I. We usually end up deciding if it works based on how we play the song together. If we feel the magic when we create, we keep it; if we aren’t with it, we don’t. It’s a pretty simple process. We all come up with lyrics together and review them.
Justin: I like “Enemy” the most because I think it's really catchy and it's a true pump up banger that touches upon some honest feelings lyrically.
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted September 17, 2019
Good Ol Boys is the latest release from indie rockers Molly Ringworm. Based out of Atlantic County, NJ, this is their second EP since the release of Tape 1, back in September, 2017. Good Ol Boys is the culmination of a year's worth of work in the studio and writing for the group. Singer and guitarist, Sarah Holt, was kind enough to talk about the band’s history and what went into this phenomenal release. Thanks again, Sarah!
Molly Ringworm started as a solo project in high school in 2015. I put out my first two singles, "561" and "All The Time," in 2016. I would grab anyone that would play with me for a live show as a duo, a trio or solo. Niko has been there from the beginning, originally playing bass. This past year, the lineup finally solidified into a four piece.
Guitarist Johnny Zappas and I are cousins. We have been playing in bands together for ten years now. We both went to a performing arts high school where we met and became friends with bassist Andrew Simpson and drummer Niko Berardo. We've been playing together in all different projects ever since!
Liz Phair and Joni Mitchell are who made me pick up a guitar and start writing. Phair, Mitchell, Stephen Malkmus, Elliott Smith and Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz, Sad13) are who I look up to for lyric writing and guitar playing. The Beatles have also been important to me from a young age. They are masters in melody, harmony, songwriting structure and attitude.
I think the main way Ringworm’s music has evolved is its shift from a solo project to a group effort. I’m still writing all of the songs, but I also have the input and contributions of parts from my talented friends. All of our creative brains together make songs better than I ever thought they could be written alone in my room.
With the singles and the previous EP, Tape 1, everything was recorded in a matter of days. Recording and mixing Good Ol Boys was spaced out over the course of this year. We recorded and re-recorded and had to find time here and there with our busy schedules. We also really took our time mixing, which with the passing of time we have learned more about since previous releases (thank you Andrew for leading that brigade).
The guys' favorite is "Timmy." There's this sort of dynamic explosion in the chorus that Niko described best as a release of tension. There's a lot of energy to it, especially when we are playing it live. My favorite is "No Matter What" because the subject matter is so important to me. The song is addressing misogyny in the music scene in forms of condescension, exclusion, harassment and complacency of peers and friends. It's a call for men who claim to be feminists to recognize misogyny when they see it, and to speak out when their female friends are silenced.
Saturday, October 5 - 7:00pm
Molly Ringworm @ The Whitechapel Projects
15 2nd Ave.
Long Branch, NJ 07740
w/ Ornamental & Format War
Friday, October 18 - 7:00pm
Molly Ringworm @ The Clubhouse
Inside The Downtown Shops @ 53 Main
53 N Main St.
Toms River, NJ 08753
w/ Dolly Spartans & Heartsigh
Live Music Video screenshots by Kris Khunachak; Headshots by Elizabeth Kaminski.
Guy Battaglia - Voice and lyrics (Idle Wave)
David Ross Lawn - Piano arrangement
Produced by Idle Wave and Connor Hanson
Engineered/Mixed/Mastered by Connor Hanson
Directed, filmed and edited by Kris Khunachak Media
By Sonia Schnee | Posted by Sunday, September 15, 2019
TODAY marks the premiere of Idle Wave’s new music video, a live recorded studio session of their song “Heaven Knows.” Watch their music video (above) as well as take a listen on Spotify.
Idle Wave is a pop-punk/alternative band hailing from Asbury Park, NJ. We were fortunate to be able to interview Idle Wave’s Guy Battaglia (Voice/Lyrics) to learn more about the inspiration behind this song and the music video. For more information about Idle Wave, visit their official website, grab some merch, and of course, there’s nothing like a live and in-person performance, so follow Idle Wave on social media to find out where they’ll be performing next.
GUY BATTAGLIA: My good friend David Ross Lawn (who is responsible for a good chunk of our press photos) has a YouTube channel where he covers Emo/Pop Punk bands such as The Wonder Years, Tigers Jaw, and Real Friends on piano. Once I saw his Wonder Years cover I immediately messaged him and it was a resounding “yes!” on his behalf. I’ve always wanted to do a music video for each song on the EP so this also helped fulfill that goal as well. Many if not all of the Idle Wave songs are written with the intention of first sounding good and full with just an acoustic guitar and vocals. Nothing captured the vibe better for Heaven Knows than when I ran through it in a voice lesson with Bryan Haring (Ernest). Bryan played piano to help provide a background to focus in on my vocals and it felt beautiful and natural. This version is also set to provide a nice glimpse into the future for the current Idle Wave fans.
I picked up my acoustic guitar in my living room one day and started playing open chords in E major. Once I honed in on a chord progression I began mumbling some odd melodies to fit over it. I want to say the melody came first but normally the melody and lyrics arrive simultaneously. The song is about the feeling of wanting to do more for someone you care about. It was one of the first complete songs I was able to write after my grandfather passed away. The juxtaposition of major and minor chords took me back to moments in the hospital waiting room and watching other families anxiously await updates regarding their loved ones. It’s difficult dealing with someone that like being out of your control, and I feel I succeeded in honing that emotion through the music and melodies of this song.
I am far from classically trained! I covered rock and screaming songs out of my range all through high school until I joined choir towards the end, and I earned a place in the bass section to hear my actual voice for the first time. I joined choir in college as well as took private voice lessons as much as I could to work on my form and longevity. After college I taught at private music academies where I was giving voice lessons to middle schoolers, and I have to say running through warmups with them and helping them perfect dynamics and form really helped me view myself as a vocalist better. Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) provided a good foundation for me growing up; he has a voice that sings fluently with character, that is just so easy on the ears. I took a lot of influence in my approach from that. Also, Soupy from the Wonder Years roars with emotion in every lyric and is one of the best lyricists in my opinion; so I learned a lot from singers in that genre on how to execute balancing lyrics and control. I’d actually love to collab with writer Danny Brown one day, despite him being an opposite of mine musically, I love every song he has ever created. He finds these drug-induced beats and is able to come up with the most perfect delivery to every line. I feel like he would help me step out of my comfort zone and look at music from a different perspective.
Kris Khunachak! He has done the majority of music video for this EP (“Calm”, “Smoke”) and we are actually working on some new content as well. We filmed this video in Lakehouse Recording Studios (Asbury Park, NJ) with the help of engineer Connor Hanson (Cloud Hands, Ella Ross) and David Ross Lawn in a 2-hour session. I described this team of people as “the avengers” because everything was so natural and productive. We did cut five or six live takes of one-shot video and audio and then we chose the best take as they matched up. Connor mixed and mastered the audio while Kris color corrected and cleaned up the shot, and the final product was done in barely a week’s time.
David Ross Lawn is a renaissance man who composes, teaches voice and piano, takes beautiful photographs and much more. He’s one of the sweetest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and he is well loved by much of Asbury Park as well. I sent David the song and he immediately provided a brilliant, natural rendition complete with dynamics and unique chord voicings. His playing perfectly accompanied the raw emotion and attitude of my vocal performance.
I have mostly with myself playing acoustic guitar. It is not the same as David’s piano playing, but it gets the job done in situations where it is needed, and I have to say it is a crowd favorite most if not all of the time.
Ideally, I hope it helps someone through their day. Belting along to other songs in this genre helped me deal with many of the stresses of being an anxious teenager transitioning into adulthood.
Find what you love and do it. Don’t be afraid to do something out of your comfort zone despite what everyone tells you. Any path you take will bring you obstacles and reward so find the reward that suits you best and is all you think about.
Fans can connect the MOST with us through our official website at idlewaveband.com.
We HIGHLY encourage you to check out our website and join our mailing list; you’ll receive exclusive access to sneak peaks, downloadable content, release dates, personal messages, casting opportunities, and giveaways.
You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. @idlewavenj
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, May 17, 2019
In 2013, Bergen County singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Joe Mifsud released his sophomore album, Stay Calm And Carry On. Drawing from a variety of influences, his music has a decidedly alternative/rock/pop bent with new folk/lo-fi elements via his side project, Here for Now. (On top of that, Joe is also a standup comedian. Check out his Facebook page for upcoming performance dates.)
Now in 2019, Joe is ready to jump back into the scene, writing new songs, playing shows, and meeting/collaborating with like-minded creatives and music lovers. Before you listen to his new work, be sure to check out some of his past gems, as well as our interview below to find out more about his personal journey and hopes for the future.
My name is Joe Mifsud. I was born in New York, New York but grew up in Harrington Park, NJ in Bergen County. I currently reside in Harrington Park.
I've generally described my music as a cross pollination of several influences, but if I HAD to describe it to people I usually say my sound would be if The Beatles met The Foo Fighters. Or just very Foo Fighters-like in nature.
Musically, I play guitar, bass, drums, sing, write my own lyrics and music. I do enjoy a lot of different types of music. Growing up, my dad really enjoyed Motown music, Doo-Wop music and the Jazz and Soul Singers. My mom listened to all different types of Spanish Music and top radio hits of the 80's. My sister listened to a lot of jam bands like Phish & Dave Matthews Band along with early 90's Alternative Rock. My brother was listening to 80's Metal and Progressive Rock like Rush when we shared the room together when we were kids.
My childhood best friend Kevin and I listened to a lot of 90's Alternative Rock as we grew up as well as a lot of Classic Rock. We would raid his parents' Classic Rock collection. My influences are many to name but a short list would include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Black Sabbath, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Foo Fighters. More importantly to me were the local influences, musical peers and my brother (who used to play guitar and bass in a band) and my dad (who used to sing in a barbershop group with his friends on the street corner).
The main inspiration behind my music is relationships.
Not always a romantic love relationship,
but it comes from a very literary sense.
Man and nature.
Man and woman.
Man and himself.
Man and society.
I appreciate the very therapeutic value of songwriting. I tend to write very autobiographically as a way of coping and understanding myself and the world around me. I have been fortunate to use music and songwriting as a way to develop my personal and artistic voice. I hope that people find a connection and comfort in what I bring to music. Music to celebrate the good times and good memories and bring people together. Music to find solace and comfort in during the hard times. I hope that people are able to connect with the music on some level that strikes them even if it is just the tone or sonic soundscape or the lyrics and message or all of it.
Ultimately, I would like to give back to music what it gave to me. Music gave me a sense of home, comfort and purpose.
My personal journey started when I was young. My earliest memories of music were listening to Spanish music in the living room and tapping out the rhythm on the conga drum with my dad. The first song that really struck a chord with me was The Beatles' “Lady Madonna” because of the ragtime-type groove and the cartoon-like vocal section that reminded me of a Looney Tunes song. I loved when there would be classical music in cartoons when the characters would have a play off of classical songs on piano. Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody” is my favorite rock song of all time. Nothing quite captured my imagination in so many ways about the possibilities of Rock than “Bohemian Rhapsody”! As I got to be about ten or eleven years old, the first band that I was able to claim as my own was Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and its accompanying music video blew me away! When I saw Dave Grohl playing the drums, I knew that I wanted to do that! Play Drums! Play Music for a living ! I felt empowered by Nirvana and their music because, similarly to The Beatles' effect, they were just normal people making great music. I felt like I could do it, too, and that it wasn't totally beyond me.
I discovered that I loved music very early on in my life and that it became a goal and a challenge that I accepted to be like my heroes. I wanted to learn to sing, write lyrics, play instruments and write my own original songs with a level of proficiency.
My goals as an artist are to have the music reach people and touch their lives in a positive way. By the end of the year, I would like to have accomplished jumpstarting a life in music and sharing music that I've written with as many people as possible and through multiple channels such as live shows, interviews, social media, streaming services, reviews and podcasts, personal connections, etc. I would like to reach people that genuinely love, support and appreciate music and the arts. I am open to meeting people that are creative, passionate and awesome! There are many artists, bands or producers that I'd love to collaborate with one day. At the top of my lists would be Rick Rubin for producer and Dave Grohl for Musician.
I do not have any shows coming up, but I am looking to plan shows for 2019 and beyond and will keep you updated!
Words of advice or encouragement that I would give to someone who wants to follow a similar passion or is maybe facing obstacles similar to what I've faced: Believe in yourself. Trust your voice. Trust the process and trust that an audience will be attracted to your vision. Always stay true to yourself and the original vision because when it's all said and done you have yourself to be accountable to.
DO! Don't let anxiety or insecurity or excuses counteract productivity. Your older self will thank your younger self.
Create, Create, Create! Hopefully you get a job where you have the time and income to fund and realize your art without interference.
It may take time but stick with it!
I will be your fan!
Official Music Website: https://www.mifmusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoeMifsudBand
Bandcamp: https://joemifsudband.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1l3m0OFBgPLMmgssBl3cBO
Instagram (Seldom Used but I should use it more): https://www.instagram.com/mif95/?hl=en
Twitter (Seldom Used but I should use it more): https://twitter.com/JoeMifsudBand
YouTube (Videos including live, promo and music videos that I've uploaded): https://www.youtube.com/user/davidbedert/videos
YouTube Official Music from the Albums:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyz5pd9_aSOU0ROmAMHGWlg
For the Streaming Music, the music is available on all streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon, Tidal, Google Play, etc.
My side acoustic/indie/folk project is called Here For Now. The album is called Letters Home.
Here For Now Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/herefornowband/
Here For Now Bandcamp : https://herefornowthereforlater.bandcamp.com/album/letters-home-there-for-later-edition
Also available on all streaming music platforms - Here For Now Letters Home
By Sean McCall | Posted Friday, August 10, 2018
Kay Roman is a singer/songwriter based out of Oakland, New Jersey. Her most recent EP is titled Teen Angst which was released in September of 2017. Kay wrote the whole EP herself, and it was mixed and mastered by Joey Papa. The record opens with a short, but catchy song titled “Mordecai” which introduces a minor-mood for the record. The song gradually layers more vocals and synth instrumentation as the “Mordecai, Mordecai” hook loops around. I love the way this song closes with an almost eerie noise after saying “I’m so insane, it’s not enough.”
The second song on the record, “Go Away," immediately switches the mood up with a happy-sounding progression and horns opening up the song. The chorus of this song is genuinely awesome. It’s simple and catchy and states “Go away, go away, I don’t need you here to mess with my heart today” with a beautiful melody. This one put me in my feels in the most uplifting way if that makes sense.
The third track on the record is called “See You in the Halls” and opens up with a line that says “went to the store and bought a GameCube controller” which immediately intrigued me! Turns out this song is another one that pulls at the heartstrings. The intro gives me a Julien Baker-vibe, and when it picks up the music reminds me of Tigers Jaw and The Hotelier, for a few comparisons. I really love the structure and dynamics of this song specifically. It’s one of the longer tracks but you don’t notice because there’s constant change in a seamless way.
The fourth song on the record is called “201” which brings back the singular acoustic guitar and vocals while sneaking in some melodramatic cello. I really like that the vocals follow the guitar melody in this song. There are also some very interesting chord choices in the transitions of this song that are super tasteful. This track seems to be talking about an old place that she used to call home but can no longer bring herself to do so. This is definitely another feeler.
“Give Me Attention” is the 5th track on this EP. The instrumental in the chorus of this song immediately reminded me of Tigers Jaw's self-titled EP. This is another track of dealing with the idea of “insanity” which is something that’s a common theme in a lot of people’s lives that is tough to speak up about. So far, Teen Angst is a record that talks about a lot of hardships that are difficult to talk about through simply speaking, but this EP takes those situations and turns them into something moving and relatable that you can always move your head to.
The record closes with a track titled “Blue Jay.” This is another emotional journey that’s done beautifully. It’s super soft for the majority of the song, but when the full band comes in around 3 quarters into the song, you just feel. There aren’t any more lyrics after that point in the song, and there doesn’t have to be. I think this song ended the record perfectly.
Overall, I was thoroughly moved by this record. I believe it talks about a lot of issues we can relate to. Even if it’s on a broad spectrum, and we of course don’t know the stories behind these songs, there’s something there that I can grasp onto personally. A lot of people say you should listen to happy music when you’re sad, but I lean more towards records like this one. It has a perfect combination of music that’s uplifting and almost joyful, and lyrics that may break your heart and hit home.
My personal favorite song was “Go Away” from Kay Roman's Teen Angst if you’re looking for somewhere to start.
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Friday, July 13, 2018
For fans of: Oasis, Teenage Fanclub, Nick Lowe
Rob Jennings is a solo artist from Bloomfield, New Jersey. His latest release, “Keep Me In Mind," is a nod to 70’s power pop legends Big Star and perfectly encapsulates that sound we all love. When I first heard “Keep Me In Mind,” I immediately loved it. I was so happy to see an artist writing simple, melodic power pop songs. “Keep Me In Mind” is short and sweet and unbelievably catchy. It was a great pleasure to ask Jennings some questions about the song, and I really appreciate him taking the time to do so.
Rob Jennings: Sometimes when I have writer's block, I’ll go on YouTube and find some free-to-use isolated drum tracks to strum along to. Most of the time, nothing happens, but I clicked on a certain one and this song came out of me. I was just starting to get really into Big Star at the time, and they have a track on their 3rd album called “Kizza Me” that has a similar intro. It was an unconscious thing though, I wasn’t trying to rip it off.
The obvious ones have always been The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Brian Wilson was a huge influence on my album, The World Was On My Side. I just released that last year. I was obsessed with Pet Sounds and Smile for the longest time. I’ve been writing a lot of new songs in the same vein as Keep Me In Mind lately and most of them have been influenced by 90’s bands like Teenage Fanclub and Oasis. I never liked Oasis when I was younger, but I’ve been listening to them a lot lately, and I like their attitude about music... that it should be uplifting, fun and positive. I’ve written my fair share of sad songs, so I’d like to make something you could put on at a party this time around.
I recorded at Portrait Recording Studios in Pompton Plains, NJ. My friend Chris Badami owns it, and he’s a great guy.
In addition to being an engineer, Chris is also a great drummer, so he helped me out by playing on the track. I played the guitars and bass.
Hopefully soon. If I ever put out another full album, this song will be on it. I’d like to release one song at a time and then put it all together at the end. This way I won’t have to wait a year and a half for people to hear it. I also release DIY tracks all the time on my Bandcamp. I try to keep putting stuff out as consistently as possible as long as it’s good.
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In the meantime, go back and listen to Rob Jennings' discography here and catch him live in a town or city near you!
Listen on Spotify.
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Thursday, June 7, 2018
For fans of: Bon Jovi, Paramore, Bleachers
Dan Amato and the Sentimental Gentlemen is a lively group that blends pop and rock in a way that is both captivating yet familiar. While the music is high energy and original, I hear traces of hometown hero Bruce Springsteen, and relatively newer acts like Paramore. This makes for an infectious sound, and their latest release, The Big Picture, is no exception.
Lead singer and guitarist, Dan Amato, was kind enough to answer some questions for me. Thanks again, Dan!
As for the rest of influences [not listed previously], we made a playlist noting specific songs that had the biggest impact.
The interesting thing about this record in terms of stories is that I worked backward in a way. I had written 3 of the tracks scattered across the year that had all stemmed from a breakup. I figured I could do something more with them and make them more a part of a broader idea, in this case placing them into stages of a breakup: Shock, Anger, Spite, Sadness, Acceptance, and Hope.
We tracked, mixed & mastered one half of the album with Gintas Norvila at Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, NY and the other half with Adam Vaccarelli at Retromedia Sound Studios in Red Bank, NJ.
I’m still slightly struggling to call myself a songwriter, so my process is pretty skewed. I’m super impatient, so I put everything into one song at a time -- whatever gets written gets recorded. It starts with a horribly sung voice memo on my phone, which then goes into a logic demo session, gets sent to the band, [we] practice it and sometimes play live first, straight to studio. For whatever reason, I’m only a perfectionist when it comes to writing because I’ve only written one song that has not been recorded.
I sing and play guitar (sometimes a little piano).
Nicole Govel does backup vocals.
JJ Fabricatore plays Saxophone.
Owen Flanagan plays Drums.
Jon Bass plays bass (funny enough).
We’ve got our release show this Friday night, June 8th, at the Orange Lantern in my hometown of Paramus, NJ. [We're] playing The Chubby Pickle in Highlands, NJ on July 6th, The Soulsational Festival in Bayville, NJ on July 28th, another show at the Orange Lantern on August 11th, and more to be announced. Show dates will be added to our Facebook, Instagram and Spotify pages!
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Make sure you listen to Dan Amato and the Sentimental Gentlemen's latest release and see them live!
By Sonia Schnee | Posted Friday, April 13, 2018
NJ's Alexis Pellegrino, aka Lex Rex (Lex Rex and the Dragons), just release a new music video for her song, "Ain't Nothin," from her EP Tides (you can listen to Tides on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, Google Play, and Amazon). Check out our interview with Lex, below, to learn about her style, musical influences, and the inspiration behind her new EP.
I am Alexis Pellegrino aka Lex Rex. I'm originally from Northern NJ. I am now based in Ocean County.
Last year, I released a Hip-Hop single. I don’t think people were expecting Tides to sound the way it does. I went from spitting bars to singing. It definitely put me out of my comfort zone for sure, but I’ve been writing pop music since I was in elementary school. I finally decided to go with it. I love writing melodies over some smooth synth or a nice beat.
I recorded Tides at Eight Sixteen/Traxx East Studio in South River, NJ. I absolutely love them there, they are like family.
My musical influences are pretty wide ranged (I’d like to think). Frank Ocean, MJ, Earth Wind and Fire, The Internet, Led Zeppelin, The Stones, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, The Weekend, Kanye West, The Stooges, Nirvana. Growing up my dad would play Disco/Motown/Jazz/R&B…. so I would like to think I started off on the right foot as a kid ;).
Directed by Christian Cordes.
Thank you! Because Tides has a throwback kind of feel, I’ve been figuring out ways to tie in retro design/film with modern day design/film. I love it, mostly because you learn a lot about how far we have come in design, technology, etc. from studying the past.
Honestly, the EP is about an Ex-lover. A friend told me that this is “The saddest happiest sounding EP they have ever heard.” The music is upbeat for the most part, but if you listen to the lyrics, they are rather deep/emotional/sad or coming from a place of hope for the future. I hope people connect with my music. I think there is a song for everyone on the EP, and I love how diverse it is. It was honestly very challenging but super rewarding to hear the finished product. I honestly wanted people to feel like there was hope for them even in a place of feeling worthless, low, and stuck in a bad place.
I started getting into doing live music through dance/theater. I fell in love at an early age. Started dancing at age 3, and then it just took off from there!
Current bands or artists I’d love to collaborate with would be Frank Ocean/SZA. Both of them together would be ideal. I am heavy on the R&B, always.
Keep doing YOU! NEVER give up and NEVER second guess yourself. Also, push yourself out of your comfort zone at least once a day, you’ll find you grow from stepping out of your own zone!
I will continue to release new music videos to go with the songs on the EP as well as some future live performance dates, TBA ;).
I am on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube!
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexrexandthedragons/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LXRXNDTHDRGNS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexrexandthedragons/?hl=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsNZq756vBPGmbwSVAHwGiw?view_as=subscriber
