Interview with Via Ripa. New EP "While It Lasts"

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Via Ripa are a four piece rock outfit based out of Long Branch, New Jersey. Forming in summer of 2019, Via Ripa already has two EPs out; their latest “While It Lasts” was released 2/14/2021. Their blend of influences lead to a unique, energetic sound, with a familiar New Jersey attitude. Unfortunately due to the pandemic, after Via Ripa’s first three shows, venues were shut down and the group was forced back to their practice space. Luckily for us, the group has been hard at work and are showing no signs of stopping. I reached out to the band to see how they have been keeping busy in the wake of their latest release, as well as what is next for Via Ripa.

When did Via Ripa first form? 

Via Ripa: Mike and two of our friends (Sam Macpherson and Kyle Kieper<333) had started writing songs together and posting them on YouTube in like 2015/2016, and they called that Via Ripa, but only did that for about a year. Fast forward to the summer of 2019, and Matt, Mike and I (Sean) started jamming together and eventually got our drummer Nick in the mix. We got the okay from Sam and Kyle to use Via Ripa as our name in the beginning of 2020, but I guess you could say Via Ripa has been around for a little while. 

Who were your influences when starting the band, have those influences changed?

As far as influences go, all four of us come from varying backgrounds with varying interests in genres and artists.  Personally, mine (Nick) range from jazz artists like Louis Prima, Art Blakey and Benny Greb to bands and artists like Streetlight Manifesto, Jack Johnson, PUP, Vulfpeck and Led Zeppelin.  Sean was listening to a lot of Slaughter Beach Dog, Skeggs FIDLAR, bands like that, and Mike was on a big Jimmi Hendrix and The Smiths kick. Matt is more into blues and progressive, like Ariel Posen. That said, we feel that our sound is a result of all of these bands and evolves due to the wide variety of our own personal influences

When did you start writing for your latest release, "While It Lasts"?

Over the summer we sat down and kind of just wrote whatever popped in our head. I think in total we wrote 11 songs and ended up recording 10 of them in a two day span, with some over dubbing sessions in the following weeks. “Summer is Dead” was a reworked version of the song Mike wrote in 2015, but all of the writing for the “While It Lasts” was done in the summer.

How has the pandemic influenced how the band functions (i.e. practices, songwriting, recording)?

We had our first three shows in a two week span before COVID shut down live music, so it really sucked going from full steam ahead to doing nothing. We didn’t have practice for the first few months, but we slowly got back into playing and writing. I think the time away from practice for a little allowed us to write material in our own space and bring it to the band and then have it take a whole new shape and sound. The live music shutdown also changed the way we feel about releasing music. We could have put out a ten song album, or two five track EPs, but staggering our releases and creating anticipation for our next songs, that has really been the best way for us to present our music to people. 

Any bands you are looking forward to playing with once shows come back around? Venues in particular?

Sean — Loveseat Pete!!!!!!!!! And I would love to get back to The Saint and The Brighton [Bar], but House of Independents and any 4333 Collective show would be really cool, too. 

We would also love at some point to start branching out to NY, Philly, and Boston. Nick’s got a bunch of friends and bands out there from touring and school, which is pretty great.

How have you all been maintaining your sanity throughout the past year?

We haven’t. This band is full of neurotic basket cases who cannot be saved from themselves. 

Future plans/releases?

We have a direct-to-vinyl session with Leesta Vall on April 3, and we will be putting out another EP, 5 songs, in the near future.  We are also always writing and pumping out new songs, so at some point or another we will record those, too! But definitely give our new EP, “While It Lasts”, a listen.

Via Ripa is
Nick Marinelli — Drums
Michael Pinckney — Voc/ Guitar
Matt Smentkowski — Vox/ Guitar
Sean Cuddy — Bass 

Interview with Magic Ghrelin

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!

When did Magic Ghrelin form? How did you come up with the band name?

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.

Who are your biggest influences as a band?

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.

Overall message as a band?

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.

What is Magic Ghrelin’s song writing process like?

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.

Favorite song on “Die a Rockstar”?

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.

Interview with The Bummers

By Sonia Schnee | Posted Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Emo punk indie band The Bummers may be based out of New Orleans, but they also have a New Jersey connection. Guitarist/Vocalist Ben Shooter grew up in Little Falls NJ and, back in July, the band performed at The Meatlocker in Montclair as part of their summer 2019 "Mass Consumption Party" tour to promote their new EP Dairy Beach. The guys recently released a new single ("Animal Familiar") as well as a music video ("NHL 2002"). If you’d like to support The Bummers, they currently have a GoFundMe campaign up to help them record their sophomore album and organize a 2020 West Coast tour. Check out our interview with band, below, to learn more about their musical roots and plans for the future.

What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?

Guitarist/vocalists Ben Shooter and Sean Doyle, bassist Clay Hakes, and drummer Fox Capone comprise The Bummers.  The band is currently based in New Orleans, but Ben, Sean and Clay are originally from Little Falls NJ, Philly, and Buffalo NY, while Fox is originally from Nashville.  

How would you describe your sound?  Who are your musical influences?

Our sound is most easily described as emo punk with some other diverse influences (metal/grunge/post-punk/goth/hip-hop/etc.) mixed in.  But we don’t really care about fitting too easily into any specific genre.  

Bands we like include Violent Soho, Car Seat Headrest, MCR, Coheed and Cambria, The Toadies, Donovan Wolfington, and Deal Casino (who we played with earlier this year for their New Orleans show).  

If we’re doing classic rock covers, though, our go-to is always David Bowie.  

Congratulations on the release of your newest single, "Animal Familiar."  What can you tell us about the inspiration behind this song?  

We wrote “Animal Familiar” while on our summer 2019 east coast tour.  On the way to Buffalo, we stopped in at Nada Recording Studios in Montgomery, NY to record some songs with John Naclerio (known for his work with MCR, Brand New, etc.).  We more or less put together the lyrics and music in the studio. John’s space is deep in the woods and he had mentioned that he’s also near the “UFO capital” of NY, which made for a spooky atmosphere.  We had the intro riff already worked out but in the studio Sean came up with the lead guitar melody which is very minor key and eerie. So we ended up feeling like the lyrics should be about magic and witchcraft.  We ended up releasing “Animal Familiar” right before Halloween and made it the opener for our Halloween night show in New Orleans.

"NHL 2002" by The Bummers - from their summer 2019 EP "Dairy Beach.”

You released a music video not too long ago (which is a blast to watch!) for the song "NHL 2002." What was the music-video-making process like? 

For the “NHL 2002” video, we worked with a group called Pixel Collective.  They had us drive out to their location in Baton Rouge and we filmed the entire thing in one all-day session.  The song is all about nostalgia and longing for the simpler joys of early 2000s childhood, so naturally we based the music video on one of the classic video games we played as kids.  The actual process involved a lot of jumping around in front of a green screen - they recorded us one at a time and then edited it all together. You can see some of that in the behind the scenes shots at the very end of the video.  The studio was also great and reached out to a bunch of their friends to find someone willing to let us borrow a Nintendo 64 to use in the video.   Dairy Beach

Your EP Dairy Beach also premiered back in June of this year. Tell us a bit about your creative process.  Which comes first for you, the melody or the lyrics?

We started working on Dairy Beach in early 2019 as a follow up to our 2018 debut album A Very Exciting Life.  We recorded the EP at the Music Shed in New Orleans with engineer Ben Lorio.  On this EP we had a couple of songs we’d been sitting on for a while and songs we more or less put together in the studio.  We also had a little bit more time and freedom to do new things we’ve wanted to try. With our first album it was mostly very bare bones - 2 guitars, bass, drums, vocals with maybe one additional harmony.  With Dairy Beach we did a bunch more vocal layering than we’ve done in the past and we also got to use some additional instruments - for example we used a B3 organ on “Kill Yourself”, and a cool sequencer that Ben Lorio had for parts of “Pile of Little Arms”.

As we went along we started to notice common themes in the lyrics of our songs and we put together a sort of concept for the Dairy Beach EP.   A lot of the tracks on Dairy Beach have a very bleak and nihilistic attitude about them, so we kind of packaged the EP as a bunch of anti-summer bops.  

The Bummers outside First Wok in Little Falls, NJ.

There’s also a track on the EP about growing up in New Jersey which is called “First Wok.”  It’s kind of a tribute to Ben’s favorite Chinese restaurant in Little Falls. When we came through NJ this summer on tour we stopped at the real First Wok for lunch.

We almost always come up with music first.  Lyrics usually take us a bit longer although we usually have a concept for what the song should be about.  Sometimes for lyrics we end up needing the pressure of the studio situation to get anything done and we’re still working on them until right before its time to record vocals.

Is there anyone who you actively collaborate with, or would like to collaborate with in the future?

We’ve been sending John Naclerio our songs to mix and master since A Very Exciting Life, but this summer recording “Animal Familiar” and “Fists” was the first time we’ve gotten to meet him in person and work in his studio.  So we’d really like to do a full album at Nada Recordings with him.  

Recently we’ve had our friend Davey Ginger joining us on trombone for select shows in New Orleans and we’d love to have him do some horns on the next record. We’d also love to incorporate some rap influence and we were thinking of collaborating with the NJ group Melting Mindset, who played at our Meatlocker show this summer.  

Do you have any tour dates coming up, or any shows planned for New Jersey specifically? 

We are currently planning a January 2020 tour in California.  However we’ll likely be back in New Jersey sooner than you think.  Our show at the Meatlocker this summer went really well - we had a lot of friends and family come out but we also got a lot of new people who were interested in the music.  We’d love to come back to the Meatlocker and also try some Asbury Park/Jersey shore venues, maybe in summer 2020.  

What has you personal journey been like so far?  How’d you get to this point?

All 4 of us have been in various bands for most of our lives and are really avid music lovers, so we each bring a slightly different musical perspective to The Bummers. It sort of becomes a bit of a musical stew at times, with a lot of different influences converging. We started in 2014, and I think in our stuff from back then you can hear those differences isolated in different songs. In our more recent stuff, those different sounds have really started to blend together and make a sound that feels a little more unique to ourselves. 

We’ve been a band for 5 years now which feels like a big accomplishment.  We all work full time jobs and put a lot of time and a lot of our own money into this.  We work hard to make time for this, to make the best music and recordings we can, and to put on the best live shows we can with the resources we have.  In this past year we’ve started to see our work pay off and we’ve gotten to do some great things. Dairy Beach was our first release to get some real press.  We got to do our first TV performance in New Orleans.  We’re getting bigger and better shows and also doing a lot more shows outside New Orleans.  And this summer we had our tour and it was great to see that people were into our music in places like NJ and Philly.  

Being a band certainly isn’t easy in 2019, it can be pretty expensive and everybody has to really be on the same page to maintain a constant schedule. I think because of that, you really have to genuinely love it. 

Do you have any words of advice for people who share a similar passion or have maybe faced similar obstacles/challenges?

Play music that makes you excited. Don’t worry about how the crowd will react or what music other people are making and don’t compare your progress to other peoples’ progress.  

Find other bands you like and help each other out - share your resources so you can build a community around all of your music.  

Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with you online?  (Website? Facebook? Spotify? Etc.?)

Our music is on all major streaming platforms including Spotify/Apple Music/Bandcamp/Soundcloud/etc.  Here are a couple of relevant links:

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/441IiUTM9Sy6tb6wqaF2PK?si=7d8lGw0vROWMzIOwcANWHg

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thebummersband/

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAffos5hV9OP09QQXBMxtJw

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/thebummersband

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thebummers

We’re not on TikTok though because we’re not really sure what that is.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Be on the lookout for new music. We like the momentum that we have so we’re going to keep putting out new music constantly until long after everyone asks us to stop.

VIDEO PREMIERE: Idle Wave - "Heaven Knows" ft. David Ross Lawn (Live in Studio)

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.

Congratulations on the release of your new music video, which is a live recorded session of “Heaven Knows.” (For those who don't know, “Heaven Knows” was originally featured on your self-titled EP that was released back in Dec. 2018.) . This new rendition of the song has quite a different feel to it. What inspired you to release an alternate, stripped down version?  

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. 

What can you tell us about the inspiration behind “Heaven Knows”? Which came first for you, the melody or the lyrics? 

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. 

Your voice on this version has a very raw and honest and yet calming quality to it. Are you classically trained, vocally? Are there any singers or songwriters who you look up to and wish to emulate? Is there anyone who you'd love to collaborate with one day? 

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.  

The music video itself is beautiful filmed. Who’s the filmmaker that you worked with? Where can we see other works of his? Where did you film the video, and what was the filming process like?

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.  

What can you tell us about the talented pianist who’s featured in the video?  

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. 

Have you been playing, or do you plan on playing, this alternate version of “Heaven Knows” during your live shows?  

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.

How do you hope listeners will react to the song? What do you hope they walk away with? 

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.  

Do you have any words of advice for individuals who may have had similar experiences to you or faced similar obstacles/challenges? Also, what words of advice would you give to up and coming musicians/performers who are trying to find their way? 

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.

Finally, what are some ways that fans can connect with Idle Wave online? (Website? Facebook? Spotify? Etc.?) 

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  

Interview with Wax On

By Sonia Schnee | Posted August 27, 2019

For the last five years, Jersey Indie has been dedicated to showcasing and promoting New Jersey’s many talented residents. As of late, we are expanding our coverage to also occasionally shine a spotlight on artists from surrounding states. One such group is Wax On, an alternative punk band hailing from Lowell, MA. On August 24th, they released their newest single, “congratulations! (So How Is That Band At the Glitterbox?).” Check out their song here, and then enjoy our interview with Wax On, below!

Who is Wax On comprised of?

Dan Cady - Vocals/Guitar
Nick Capezzuto - Bass
Jordan Collard - Trumpet
Mike Colucci - Drums
Luke Pelletier - Vocals/Guitar

But we’d be very lame without our art team, with Anna Stevens behind concept art and Wiley Bumtail behind the camera.

Tell us about your style. Who are some of your musical influences? Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with one day?

We’ve been dubbed a variety of things, but the ones we feel best capture what we’re chasing sonically is experimental and theatrical punk. We’d like to think this comes from a blend of all of our individual influences.

Jordan, our trumpet player, reveres veterans like Clifford Brown and Dizzy Gillespie along Dan’s upstrokes and ripping guitar licks (think of Dimebag as a rudeboy).

Meanwhile, Colucci ushers in a mix of percussive inspiration from dudes like big-band baddie Irv Cottler and like Travis Barker.

As far as collaborating goes, it might be cool to cut a record and get feedback with Salaam Remi or Sunny Levine. Or Sylvia Massy. They all produce really amazing records, each with their own particular flavor.

How did Wax On come to be? How did you all find each other? What’s your journey been like so far?

Wax On was Dan’s ska brainchild from high school. Nick joined shortly after. Dan and Nick are both from North Reading so they found each other with a map. The two linked up with Colucci and Luke around the University of Rhode Island. Luke and Colucci had been playing for years before college, so when they both ended up attending URI they just picked up where they left off — now with a dedicated bass player and additional guitarist. Jordan was picked up on the road actually. The band had been playing around Narragansett and Providence. We played a few gigs with this one band, The Broken Few, now defunct. Jordan played drums but filled in on a few of our sets with a trumpet, seemingly from left field. In an attempt to justify our self-branded ska identity, we asked the heavenly horn player to join as an official member.

The journey has been educational, eye-opening, hilarious, difficult at times, but most importantly fulfilling. We’re noticing bits and pieces of what we’d like to call success. Our performances have tightened up dramatically, pun intended. Our newer compositions indicate how much we’ve evolved toward serving the music. We’re making friends that open us up regularly to new perspectives, new ideas. Especially regarding our first 10-day tour, which just recently ended, we’re growing as musicians and as friends.

Your newest single. What’s the inspiration behind the title? What’s the song about? How do you hope people will react to it?

OH...the title….. One thing I (Luke) will always love about music is the novelty elements in music production and distribution. The title is a combination of what we were told upon leaving a super costly social institution versus what we felt like (decipher the acronym in parentheses). On the whole, it's mostly about feeling angry and lost as a millennial. Whether there's a narrative in the lyrics or not, that's up to you. I’d like to think people would agree with the sentiments, but I hope people find the humor in it, too. The song itself is supposed to be as critical as it is funny. Between the obnoxious voice of a sorority girl caricature and the straightforward pop/rock song structure and feeling that accompanies feelings of desolation derived ironically from successfully completing a very challenging chapter in my life, there’s a powerful mix of comedy and frustration. I also really hope folks pay attention to the lyrics close enough to want to listen to other lyrics we’ve written. We’ve toiled in all our music to make sure every word conveys exactly what we mean and delivers in making a moving impact or inspiration on a listener. Lyrics are the most intimate communication between a songwriter and an audience because they marry the worlds of art and language, so it’s super important to us that we’re understood, y’know?

What’s next on the horizon for you? Do you have any shows coming up? Have you played in NJ before/have any plans to tour in NJ in the future?

We have a handful of gigs happening between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, although we'd love to come back to NJ sooner rather than later, maybe before the snow starts falling. We played in Hamilton Township at The Foster House with this sweet band, Parish. I would be willing to make the drive even without playing music to check out our friend Joe's family bakery again. But for now, we’re gonna keep doing what we’re doing, which to mature our image and sound everyday, market it harder, stronger, and encourage the minds and hearts of as many people as possible.

What words of advice would you give to someone who’s got a similar dream or has maybe faced obstacles similar to yours?

Practice.

Meditate before breakfast.

Don’t let discouragement paralyze you, let it push you to do better.

Listen and expand your knowledge of subjects that interest you. Don’t say you don’t like anything unless you’ve invested substantial time in trying it and you’re SURE you don’t like it.

Go to your friends’ shows. They need your support.

Be open to conflict, and seek to resolve it peacefully and intelligently.

Address problems head on but don’t be mean!

Have patience and things will start turning around for you.

Try to tell at least one person that you love them more often.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Magic is real. The subconscious is a physical universe with its own laws and morals that we must learn to access. Jeffrey Epstein was murdered because he had way too much dirt on other powerful humans.

Finally, how can people find you on online (website, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, etc.)?

Our Instagram account is the most active on the social media spectrum @wax_onnnnnn, however we do keep up to date with our Facebook page. We’ll post updates on gigs, new music and goofy pictures of ourselves. You can find our first full length album, Homework, on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, and all other major streaming platforms.

'Morning Coffee' is a track off our second album "Homework." HUGE thanks to our dear friend, Vernon West, for making this possible. This was some of the most fun we've had as a band, so we hope all of you enjoy it too :)

this is pretttyyyy accurate as far as what to expect with gigs!

Interview with Derek Garabedian (True State Management)

By Sonia Schnee | Posted Thursday, December 20, 2018

What are you doing tonight? At 8pm, you could be enjoying the first-ever kick-off show of the “True State Presents:” concert series, at The Wooden Spoon in Bloomfield, NJ. Performing acts include pop-punk band Boy Blue, alternative rockers Wave Break, alternative/emo/shoegaze band Rémis, and Dover/Rockaway rock band Champ. Admission is free. Check out our interview below with concert series organizer Derek Garabedian of the artist development company True State Management.

What's your name, where are you from, where are you based now?

My name is Derek Garabedian. I am originally from Massachusetts, and I am now based in Mountainside, New Jersey.

You run a management company, True State Management. When did that first start? What bands are on the roster, and where are they from?  

True State management started only about 6 or 7 months ago (early summer 2018). The bands we have on roster right now are Hang Tight (@hangtightband), Black Caddy (@blackcaddynyc), The Summoned (@thesummoned), and Cat in the wall (@catinthewallband). All the bands are different genres — pop punk, hip hop, prog metal, and indie rock, in that order. The reason we are working with all genres is to expand our reach as much as possible. We are learning a lot within in each genre and it allows us to be in tune with everything going on. We believe in working with talented people, and talent exists in all genres of music.

Tell us about this new Bloomfield concert series. What is it about Bloomfield that attracts you?

I think North/Central Jersey in general is lacking in live music venues especially for local bands. Bloomfield is a city that has so much going on and is a very diverse place. The opportunity to have different genres and  bring a lot of different people together is very appealing to me.

What inspired you to want to do this? What are your goals?

The reason I am starting the “True State Presents:” concert series is to help create a thriving music scene and community, while at the same time expanding my network to make everything True State is doing reach a larger scale. The goal of the concert series is to create scene that is willing to help each other and bring excitement about local music!

How often are the shows?

 We are scheduled to one show a month right now but will be expanding in the near future. 

What kinds of bands do you hope to participate?

Right now we are starting out with Pop-Punk and Indie style bands. With that being said, we are looking to book for all genres in the future. If anyone out there is interested in booking with us please reach out, we would love to talk!

What kind of audience do you hope to reach?

I would love to bring in all types of passionate and contributing music fans.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get started with music? What's been your personal journey?   

The way I got started in music is a pretty typical story, I think. Me and a bunch of friends used to skateboard and listen to music. We all decided to get different instruments and start a band. The rest was history; I never stopped playing.

My journey is that after years of playing in different bands, I was lucky enough to end up with a record deal and got to tour the country. After that fizzled out and I got a little older, I started a family and took some time off of music. Eventually, I missed music too much and since I can’t tour myself I wanted to use what I learned to help other musicians on their own journey, by using the things I experienced in the past. Now we are here doing what I hoped to accomplish: helping bands! 

What words of advice or encouragement would you give to someone who wants to follow a passion similar to yours, or is maybe facing obstacles similar to what you've faced?  

Our biggest hurdle was to just pull the trigger and get started. I have been working on ideas for a long time, years even, on how to execute and what kinds of paths to take. The key is to just do it and roll with what comes your way. Utilize your passion to help others and make yourself happy.

Finally, how can people find out more about you/the Bloomfield concert series/True State Management online? (Website? Bandcamp? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, etc.?)

You can find everything about our bands, us, and our shows on our website www.truestatemanagement.com and our socials (@truestatemgmt) on all platforms.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

The thing I always stress to our bands and music fans is to always support in any way you can and to work as hard as possible to make it happen. I always tell bands, you should be trying to work harder than us (it won’t happen), but that should be the mindset. Help other bands get shows, go out to shows, even if you aren't playing (I know it's a crazy concept). The more friends you make and the bigger the network you have, the better you will do! 

Wild Dust – “Wild Dust” (EP Review)

By Sean McCall | Posted Friday, November 30, 2018

Wild Dust is an authentic Rock n’ Roll / Punk Band from South Jersey / Philadelphia area. The band consists of Derrick Robbins on vocals, Connor Rothstein on the rock stick, Eric Labar on the other rock stick, and Dave Girolami on drums. Their self-titled EP was released on August 1, 2017. Wild Dust recorded at Gradwell House in South Jersey.

Wild Dust opens the EP with “Open Graves” which is immediately energetic and punk as hell. I really enjoy the rhythm guitar work in this song, because it truly is pure rock n’ roll. This song is definitely a spooky one. It opens up with “a ghoul appeared to me in these waterless canyons- went by the name of God,” and ends with “I can’t be sorry that my hands were the last hands your cold, dead eyes have seen.”

The band seamlessly transitions with a hot baseline to set the mood for the second track, “Devil’s Water.” Lyrically, this song goes way harder than raining blood. “If it’s raining and it’s pouring, don’t slip in mud, because if you do, you’ll slip in blood tonight.” That’s hard. I noticed a lot of the EP has a variety of bass/drum grooves and breaks which I personally really appreciate. “Devil’s Water” has a sweet instrumental break around the 2:45 mark and ends perfectly. Definitely a track you should peep if you have yet to listen.

The third track, “Red Magic,” has my favorite guitar part on the entire record. It opens with this chorusy guitar riff that strangely reminds me of Nirvana in a good way. I really love the emotional in this song when they chant, “There’s not a soul here to save me” followed by some authentic rock n’ roll solo riffage. I also really loved the feeling of musical exhaustion towards the end of this track. If that doesn’t make sense (most things I say don’t), then check it out for yourself.

The second to last track, “Mojave Flower,” continues the energetic feeling and theme of blood, death, the devil, and most importantly, rock. “I’m a brushfire howling in the night, estranged gunslinger, I’ll murder you tonight” is a bold hook, and I f**k with the vision. This song also has another classic rock solo that’s definitely recorded with a Les Paul, in case you were itching for riffs.

The record closes with “Church in the Wildwood,” which is hands down my favorite title track of a song. This song is a slow jammer at the start. I love the lyrical theme of this song. You can hear the emotion and exhaustion in the vocals, which is a beautiful thing to be able to portray. The idea that you view heaven as “homes built by the Lord,” just to find yourself giving into vices and “finding God” in a bottle is a powerful thing.

Overall, this record is a dynamic journey of aggression, rock n’ roll, and mid-western feeling punk. Lyrically it is very raw, and poetic. I really like how they play with the idea of the Devil and God. This is definitely a record you’d want to throw on if you’re looking to get some aggression out. Also be sure to check out their first single, “Karaoke with the Devil,” from January of 2017.

Side-note: Wild Dust’s Live show is also a trip, and I definitely recommend seeing them. Their Next Show is at The Pharmacy in South Philadelphia, on December 15th, 2018 if you’re looking for something to do.

chill/hilarious - "21&colder" (EP Review)

By Sean McCall | Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Chill/hilarious is a 2-piece indie band from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  The band consists of Zayna Youssef and Jack Meidel.  They are a DIY band who recorded their own music.  Zayna plays drums and sings, while Jack is on guitar and making the band's recordings possible.  chill/hilarious’s bio is: “she plays, he plays, she sings,” which pretty much wraps up their two-piece vibe perfectly.

Their most recent release, “21&colder” was recorded by their guitarist, Jack Meidel, and Chris Kearney, who is in Jack's other emo-band from NJ, Aw Shucks.  21&colder was recorded at PKD studio in Springfield, PA.

The first song on the EP is titled “Make Leaf,” which opens with a solid jam for the first minute or so of the song.  It introduces their heavier, more dynamic aspect of the instrumentation.  When the vocals came in, it immediately brought the dynamic level down to an intimacy with their vocalist, Zayna.  My favorite line in this song was “Yeah, I know you’re showing off, that's kinda- lame.”  I love the musical breaks of stops in this song, and this part left only the “lame” to be heard in the vocals which really caught my attention before ending with another instrumental jam at the end.  Definitely a great short and sweet start to the EP. 

The second song, “Greengrass,” immediately opens up with a lot of energy and a great hook.  A minute or so into the song, they bring the dynamics down again and make the vocals super prominent and intimate again.  I feel as though this song is talking about striving for change and just an all-around self-perspective.  I really like how they continue to reintroduce the instrumental breaks and jam endings. 

The third song is titled, “Ice Water,” and the vocal melodies in this song really reminded me of Anthony Green almost mixed with Title Fight which is super interesting and catches your ear for sure.  This is another short track that holds a lot of emotions. 

The record closes with “The Outcome” which is definitely one of my personal favorites.  The lyrics are very genuine and the music is simply catchy.  I believe the lyrics in this song deal with holding in something that is true to you without question -- that other people or society around you makes you feel wrong for.  The line “caught in a lie that I can’t help this time, why should I?” is super powerful.  I love how this song makes you feel hopeful and almost joyful.  It’s an awesome feeling to step out of your shell, and this song portrays that perfectly. 

Overall, this record is powerful and pure.  It’s short, and leaves you wanting more, which is an awesome thing to be able to do for the listener.  There’s a lot of talent that goes into this 2-piece, and I strongly advise you check them out. 

If you’re looking for a place to start, the intro song, “Make Leaf,” is great, and “The Outcome” is my personal favorite. 

"Punk Rock Gatorade" by Shithead's Rainbow (Single Review)

MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE. Click play to watch!

By Sonia Schnee | Posted Tuesday, July 10, 2018

On June 27th, avant-garde punk band Shithead’s Rainbow (SHRB) released a new music video for their single, "Punk Rock Gatorade," off of their most recent album, Ludlows.  Shithead’s Rainbow recently joined the Mint 400 Records family and has shows coming up on July 14th at the Clash Bar in Clifton with Huge Pupils (from Old Tappan, NJ) and CR & The Degenerates (Montclair), and July 28th at FM Restaurant Bar and Lounge in Jersey City.  The show on July 28th is presented by (The) Rock-It Docket in conjunction with Mint 400 Records.  SHRB will be joined by fellow NJ indie/punk rockers aBIRD (from Bloomfield, NJ), The Components (Jersey City), and Sink Tapes (New Brunswick).  

Ludlows was recorded & mixed by Ed Auletta at North End Recording in Passaic, NJ and mastered by Jesse Cannon at Cannon Found Soundation Recording Studios in Union City, NJ. 

So, who or what is Shithead's Rainbow? 

Their Facebook page may describe them the best:

"A musical 5 course:
Bayonne NJ trash
With Jersey City style
And Ridgewood cheese
And Newark bay broth
Served by our toxic sunset"

Band members include the multi-talented Claire Page (who produced and edited the "Punk Rock Gatorade" music video), Nicholas Maratta, Ryan Treppedi, Dan Nagano-Gerace, and Nick Jorgensen. 

Our take

"Punk Rock Gatorade" is both aurally and visually a force to be reckoned with.  Fresh out of the gate with infectious pulsating percussion and guitars layered over thought-provoking experimental tableaus, the energy builds continuously, with the tribe of SHRB beckoning you to come forth and join them in a wild and unearthly party.  You'll want to rock, mosh, and scream out the chorus all at once.  "Punk Rock Gatorade" is sure to become your fist-raised, calorie-burning "f*ck-it-all" anthem of the year.

Upcoming shows

7/14 at Clash Bar in Clifton NJ with Huge Pupils and CR & The Degenerates
7/28 at FM in Jersey City with A Bird, Sink Tapes, and The Components

Interview with The Mighty John Caseys

By Deaglan Howlett | Posted Friday, June 1, 2018

The Mighty John Caseys are a supergroup duo comprised of Joey Affatato of The Carousers and Johnny Ott of The Cryptkeeper Five.  Both Joey and Johnny are the frontmen of raucous punk bands, but with The Mighty John Caseys they decided to pick up their acoustic guitars and try their hand at folk music.  The sheer power of both of their voices together in a stripped down setting is everything fans of their respective bands could have hoped for.  The group was gracious enough to answer some questions of mine about their new project.  

How did you two decide on the name?

JOHNNY: My grandfather, Joey's great-grandfather’s, name was John Joseph Casey.  We were both named after him... John Joseph Ott & Joseph Casey Affatato

What were your influences for this acoustic project?

JOEY: For me, definitely singer/songwriters like Elliott Smith, The Everly Brothers, and Langhorne Slim.  Although, I love hearing punk bands like The Menzingers do stripped-down acoustic versions of their songs.  That On The Impossible Past acoustic record they have is pretty great.

JOHNNY: I agree with all of Joey;s choices... hmm... geez.

I think most of times I play with an acoustic act, it influences me somehow or another... AND there’s a lot of great local acoustic acts like Doug Zambon and Sammy Kay and Keith Monacchio and Brian Rothenbeck... I could go on forever...

Lately, I’ve been on an Avett Brothers-Brandi Carlile-Johnny Cash/American Recordings kick

What made you want to do an acoustic project?

JOHHNY: I like hearing songs in their rawest, purest form.  You can’t get more stripped down than a dude/or dudes and acoustic guitars.

JOEY: I’ve been on a “folk music” binge now for a while.  Listening to a lot of singer/songwriters and thinking how cool it would be to do something similar.  Specifically, though, I remember Johnny told me to watch that movie Inside Llewyn Davis.  He showed me a scene where it was just Oscar Isaac playing a folk song on stage at a bar.  I was pretty inspired, and it's when I knew him and I should start jamming.

JOHNNY: Such a great movie.

Do you prefer playing live in a loud punk band (i.e. The Carousers), acoustic, or are they two different worlds you can’t compare?

JOEY: It’s hard to compare.  I really enjoy having both projects since they’re so different.  It’s cool to be able to take influences of mine and apply them to both bands!

JOHNNY: I agree, I truly love doing both... I love all the bands I play in... but my heart lies with The Cryptkeeper Five.

What is it like to play acoustic music on a punk bill?

JOHNNY: It’s fun.  I guess as long as the crowd is good, any show is fun.

When can we expect recorded music?

JOHNNY: Soon?  I think?  We’re in the demoing stage right now.

Where can everyone see you live next?

JOEY: No upcoming shows yet, but stay tuned for more content online soon!

JOHNNY: We’re always down to play.  Hit us up at...

JOEY: themightyjohncaseys@gmail.com!

~

Make sure you like The Mighty John Caseys on their Facebook here to stay updated!