Moz Coming to the RB Edition

Morrissey Ticket Friday

Morrissey will be bringing his 2012-2013 tour to little, old Red Bank, NJ on January 15th when he plays the Count Basie Theatre.  Tickets go on sale today at noon.

It's also the last day of November, and 2012 has entered the home stretch.

So rock on...

Jenn Wasner Is a Busy, Busy Woman

"Drive You Crazy"

Jenn Wasner is one half of Baltimore indie rock duo, Wye Oak.  She also operates solo as Flock of Dimes.  Now, she's focusing her obviously boundless energy for creativity and lending her voice to a pop / dance collaboration with John Ehrens, Dungeonesse.

According to the record company write-up, the collaboration was "[b]orn of a mutual admiration for Top 40 and R&B and the mechanics of what makes a hit song."  From the sound of this first single, it's evident that the duo have not only an admiration for all of those things, but also an expert-level understanding.

Here's the frenetic video for the first single from Dungeonesse, "Drive You Crazy."  "Drive You Crazy" b/w "Private Party" comes out on 12/4 via Secretly Canadian.

No Wine for Kittens, Not Ready Yet, 2012

Studying for a Show Album Review

There is something great about going to a show and being stunned by a band that you've never heard before.  Maybe you weren't expecting an opener on the bill, but then they come out and blow you away.  That happens to me sometimes; and when it does, I love it.  More often, though, I go the slightly less spontaneous route and "study" before a show.  I'll pick up the latest album by whichever band I'm going to see, and listen to it at least a couple of times as preparation.

I just bought a ticket to the Asbury Music Awards happening on December 13th at The Stone Pony.  While I understand that not all of the bands on the list of nominees will perform, I've used the list to study for the evening.  I, maybe a little too obviously, started working my way through the "Top Indie Rock Band" category; and that's how I came across No Wine for Kittens.

No Wine for Kittens are an Asbury Park-based five-piece co-fronted by Emily Whitt and Rick Barry.  Drummer Andy Bova produced the six-song Not Ready Yet E.P.  No Wine for Kittens have a lush, indie-pop sound with some of the hallmarks of the nineties revival sound that's been so popular over the last few years.

The record opens with "Even," which starts out with a strummed acoustic guitar and builds with layers of keyboard, guitars, and crashing percussion.  The voices of Whitt and Barry play nicely off of one another as the song reaches its climax.  "Emily (in which we say hello)" is one of those nineties-revival sounding tracks à la The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, minus that band's heavily produced vocals.  On epic closer "All Your Things, They Wait for You (in which we say farewell)," Barry takes the lead, but again Whitt's voice is there to add to the texture.

No Wine For Kittens have a familiar, melodic, indie-pop sound on Not Ready Yet.  The play between the voices of Whitt and Barry, coupled with Bova's production, work to differentiate that sound from many of the bands (like, say, Band of Horses) working in a similar vein.  The lower-fi production adds a punch and an edge that keeps the songs interesting.

I'm pleasantly surprised almost every day lately by the amount and variety of great music being produced in my own backyard.  Studying for the Asbury Music Awards turned up a local gem in the form of Not Ready Yet.  I can only hope that the rest of my studies produce similar results.

Seapony, Falling, 2012

Sunday Run Album Review

And the long holiday weekend comes to an end.  It started with a cathartic evening at The Stone Pony, and it proceeded through some lazy days during which I had the opportunity to give thanks, kick back, and take stock.  Today, I was ready for something comfortable.

"Comfortable" probably isn't the word I'd use to describe how I've felt on my last few runs, but today's running partners, Seattle's Seapony, have a sound that I always find comforting.  Falling is Seapony's second LP with Hardly Art Records, and it's a collection of reverb-heavy, dreamy, coastal pop.

The album opens with "Outside," which features Jen Weidl's airy vocals surrounded by Danny Rowland's rubber-bandy guitar.  The song follows a pattern common to most of the songs on the record:  a repeated riff or two supporting Weidl singing about longing, being alone, falling.  Because of this, Falling could have ended up as an unvaried collection of repetitive pop songs.  Subtle embellishments, though, work to keep things fresh.  There are the discordant sound effects following the first verse on "Tell Me So." "No One Will" is the album's standout track, and its increased tempo comes at just the right moment.  Seapony also throw in some nods to early influencers of dream pop with things like the post-punk, opening riff of "Prove to Me" and the Johnny Marr-style guitar of "See Me Cry."

There's no shortage of bands mining the same sounds as Seapony right now.  Listening to Falling, it's easy to be struck by similarities to bands like Cults, Real Estate, Tennis, and Eternal Summers.  A closer listen, though, reveals that Seapony are doing their own thing.  It's almost as if Seapony are such students of jangly, dreamy pop that they know just where to tweak it to make it their own.

And there's something in my personal make-up that makes me just love this stuff.  I could listen to it all day.  It's just so comfortable.

Playlist for the Dog

We Got a Dog

I finally relented.  Now, I guess, our family is complete.  We've added CoolDog to the fold.  He's a lab / beagle mix.  The kids love him.

I think he's pretty okay, too.

Here's a short playlist to welcome the little guy.

Retail Therapy Edition

Black Friday

Once I can pawn the cooldaughters off onto their grandmother, I'm going to head out to make some purchases.  These won't be the standard, heavily-discounted versions of the latest electronics (well, latest from last year).  Instead, I need a new gate to continue house-training CoolDog, who's figured out how to scale the one he's got.  And I'd love to check out what pretty-colored vinyl is available on this Black Friday version of Record Store Day.

I'll probably get a haircut, too.  Big doin's.

Here's hoping you didn't take (or throw) too many elbows on your quest for that perfect gift.

Rock on...

At Home With River City Extension

River City Extension/The Front Bottoms/Brick+Mortar/Merrily and the Poison Orchard at the Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, November 21st, 2012

Home is a concept, a state of mind.  It's the place or the situation in which you can be your true self.  It's the place where people love you unconditionally and accept you for who you are.  It's that situation or setting that allows you to forget about all of the stuff that's pulling on you -- even if only for a few moments -- and relax, be yourself, and recharge.

River City Extension came home to the Stone Pony last night.  They came home to a place that's been drastically changed.  But after a tour that took them all across the US, to major festivals, and even to Australia, the band came home to a room and to a crowd that welcomed them back with open arms.

Last night was River City Extension's third annual, Thanksgiving Eve "Simple Gifts" show.  In addition to the Toms River band, the bill included Merrily and the Poison Orchard, Asbury Park-based Brick + Mortar, and Bergen County's The Front Bottoms.

The show was all ages; and as I pulled up to the venue, I was struck by the youth of so many in attendance.  I guess that's to be expected during the long weekend when all of the college kids are coming home, too.  The Stone Pony looked just like it always has.  I could hear music pumping from Porta.  The boardwalk remained fenced off and dark, though I've heard that the area north of Convention Hall has been reopened.

I walked in part way through the start of Merrily and the Poison Orchard's set.  Unlike the early portions of some of the other shows I've been to at The Stone Pony this year, the floor was already packed.  Merrily and the Poison Orchard played a great set of singer-songwriter style folk rock.  It would prove to be the calm before the storm.

Brick + Mortar took the stage next.  Vocalist and frontman Brandon Asraf plays bass.  John Tacon plays drums.  The band also rely heavily on some electronic sampling to achieve their slightly ska-infused sound.  Before proceeding to whip the crowd into a frenzy, Asraf asked, "How many of you guys live around here?  How many of you want to do something good for your community?"  Then he pointed out the team (kids, really) from RebuildRecover in the back, taking donations and selling T-shirts.

Brick + Mortar are a popular fixture on the Asbury Park music scene, and many people in the crowd knew every song.  "Hey! I recognize you guys from Boston!" Asraf shouted, pointing at a group in the audience.  Throughout the short, raucous set, Asraf echoed the theme that would define the night:  It's good to be home.

The Front Bottoms took the stage at about 9 o'clock.  One of the great things about seeing New Jersey bands at The Stone Pony is that you often get to see their proud parents dancing and singing along with the rest of the crowd.  The mother of Front Bottoms' drummer Matt Uychich sang every word from the photo pit at the side of the stage.  Lead singer Brian Sella gave a shout out to his father sitting in the back.

The band powered through many of the songs from their excellent 2011 self-titled, debut LP including "Flashlight," "Mountain," "Maps," and never-before-played-live "The Boredom Is the Reason I Started Swimming. It's Also the Reason I Started Sinking."  The crowd went absolutely crazy, and Sella appeared honestly amazed, commenting on how fantastic it was to hear everyone singing his lyrics back at him.  "It's great to be back in Jersey.  All those other places are good... ...but Jersey."  It's good to be home.

Finally, at about 10:15, River City Extension came out to chants of "River City!" from the crowd.  The band opened with "Glastonbury" and "If You Need Me Back in Brooklyn" from 2012's stunning Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Your Anger, the latter song building to its second-half crescendo and carrying the crowd along with it.  Like the bands that preceded them, River City Extension were clearly overjoyed by the reception they got from the crowd.  Vocalist Sam Tacon, whose brother John plays drums for Brick+Mortar, couldn't contain her happiness at being among friends and family.  And, again, there were repeated statements of how good it feels to be home.

The set was heavy on songs from Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Your Anger, including a heartfelt performance of "Standing Outside a Southern Riot" and its call for tolerance and community:  "What's the point of being right, denying that you've seen the light, to wreck their faith because you don't believe it?"  The suite of "Ballad of Oregon" / "Everything West of Home/Brooklyn (reprise)," which saw the crowd fist-pumping, clapping and chanting along with "Hey! Hey! Hey!" closed the main set.

The Unmistakable Man favorites "Friends and Family," "Something Salty, Something Sweet," "South for the Winter," and "Today, I Feel Like I'm Evolving" made up the encore; and members from each of the night's bands got up on stage for a sing-a-long cover of "Don't Be Afraid. You're Already Dead."  When it was all done, Sam Tacon threw herself atop the crowd and surfed to the floor where she exchanged hugs with friends.

A few weeks ago, The Stone Pony survived a storm.  Last night, it was filled with people who had survived a storm, too.  Together with the bands on the bill, those people brought another storm to The Stone Pony.  This time, though, it was a storm that succeeded in bringing down the house.  It's good to be home.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Simple Gifts 3

River City Extension's Annual Homecoming Show

Tonight will be the third annual end-of-tour, homecoming show, "Simple Gifts," for Toms River's River City Extension at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park.  Also on the bill are fellow New Jerseyans, The Front Bottoms, whose 2011 self-titled, debut full-length should be considered essential for fans of wordy, humorous punk-pop (as opposed to pop-punk).

River City Extension have added a partnership with Red Bank's RebuildRecover.org to this year's show.  RebuildRecover is a non-profit that came together in the days immediately following Sandy to collect donations at Sounds to Go DJs' Front Street office, one of the only places in Red Bank that had electricity following the storm.  According to the event page on Facebook, "RebuildRecover will be accepting all forms of donations:  monetary, non-perishables and anything else you could fit through the door."

River City Extension's Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger is one of my favorite records of 2012, and I'm sure this will be an excellent and emotional evening.

If you're planning, like me, on ducking out on your visiting relatives and dinner prep this evening to attend the show, come find me.  We can enjoy a beverage together and talk about all we have to be thankful for this year while, maybe, giving some other folks something small to be thankful for as well.

Gaslight Anthem Post Sandy Video

"National Anthem"

My street was full of huge trucks bringing telephone poles and the workers who would be installing them to my block.  Two trucks flanked my driveway and the man in the hard hat indicated that it was safe for me to back into the street.

I stopped and rolled down the window.

"Are you guys from the phone company or the power company?"

"We're working for the power company.  Contractors from Chicago."  Then he raised his fist and said, "Jersey Strong!  Am I right?"

"Yeah," I said.  "Right."

METZ, METZ, 2012

Return of the Sunday Run Album Review

We took the kids to Disney World last weekend.  I'm not really a Disney guy.  The place, with its multitude of resort properties, hugely complex private transportation system, and weird corporate culture where employees are "cast members" and jobs are "roles," conjures images of Gibsonesque corporatist dystopia for me. Except for the nighttime spectacle / acid trip / fever dream that is the Magic Kingdom's Electrical Parade, nothing at Disney World really has any "edge."  Millions of people, my kids included, love it, though.  And I will say that the degree to which Disney caters to people with special needs is truly impressive and commendable.

Sandy's aftermath and the eighteen miles per day that CoolMom had us walking around each of Disney World's theme parks made for some nice excuses to get out of my normal running routine.  I needed something to get me back onto the right track fitness-wise, and my curmudgeonly nature needed something to counteract the sweet happiness of The Most Magical Place on Earth.  Toronto's METZ proved to be just the thing.

METZ are the trio of Hayden Menzies, Alex Edkins, and Chris Slorach.  The band's self-titled debut on Sub Pop is a thirty-minute, relentless onslaught of machine gun guitar, bass, and drums.  Brain rattling opening track "Headache," with its "chorus" of "Gotta get away," hits with a power that's surprising for a two-minute song.  The same can be said of "Get Off."  Edkins gives his best Johnny Lydon vocal delivery on "Rats," and "Negative Space" comes on like a harder-edged, early eighties, brit-punk aerial assault.

METZ is aggressive, but all of the songs are well-crafted.  A first pass leaves the listener dazed from the aural assault, but repeated listens to songs like "Knife in the Water" and "The Mule" reveal an attention to both detail and songcraft.  "Gotta get away," "Get off," and "Gotta get out of this place" are all lyrics that could indicate that someone or something is trying to escape from somewhere.  In the case of METZ, it could be the traditionally well-crafted pop song trying to break free from all of the noise.

I'd been wallowing a bit lately, relying on excuses like work, travel, and Sandy to keep myself, literally, from moving.  Sometimes we all need a swift kick in the ass to set us back on the right course.  METZ did that for me this afternoon.  It also showed me that pent up energy and aggression, properly harnessed and doled out in just the right dose, can be something great.

Hey Sandy, We're Still Here

52-track Compilation Album For Sandy Relief

Hey Sandy, We're Still Here. (A Hurricane Benefit) is available now for a minimum of $5 over at The Everymen's Bandcamp page.  All money will be donated directly to the American Red Cross.

In addition to The Everymen, the album features contributions, including some new or never before heard tracks and b-sides, from the likes of Real Estate, La Sera, Waking Lights, Cold Fur, Those Mocking Birds, and Nicole Atkins.

It cost me some valuable C-batteries; but Jersey Shore natives The Everymen, Nicole Atkins and others got me through some dark, cold nights right after the storm.  So help out their hometowns as well as the other areas affected by Sandy and get yourself some great music as part of the bargain.

...Aaaaaaand We're Back Edition

Verizon Friday

After 19 days without phone, Internet, or TV, the Verizon man came today and got us back online.  While we waited to get plugged back in, we went to Disney World and acquired a dog -- two things that I swore I would never do.  I'll have more to say about them in the coming days.

Looking forward to getting back into whiling away the hours obsessing over music made for twenty-somethings.

Rock on...

Happiest Place on Earth Edition

Friday Disney Blogging

This was supposed to be the long weekend of the NJEA convention, so we've had this trip to Disney World planned for several months.  The convention, which I think takes place in Atlantic City, was canceled; but school remains closed.  The trip came at a good time, I guess, as we got out of New Jersey just as the nor'easter was arriving.  It's felt a little strange being here, though, knowing that some areas in our town, including my parents', are still without power and that many people are still worse off than that.

Sandy, the associated lack of power and Internet connectivity, and this trip have made for some light blogging.  When I get home, I hope to get back into a more normal groove in a lot of ways.

Until then, I'll continue asking all the cast members here whose name tags indicate that they hail from Sandy-affected areas how their families made out in the storm and enjoying the fact that the cooldaughters are having a good time.

The Stone Pony in Asbury Park reopens tonight.  If you're going, bring along some non-perishable food items to donate.

Rock on...

Go Vote

"Long Walk Home"

One of my favorite songs from Bruce's most recent efforts.  It had a certain meaning back in the days of Magic, and that meaning still rings true on this Election Day.

Following Sandy, though, you can hear the song another way, too.

Get out and vote.  Whatever the outcome, be kind to your neighbors.

Superstorm Sandy

Kind of Organizing My Thoughts

I’m not sure what to say.  Right now, I’ve just got tons of stuff rolling around in my head; so this may end up a bit of a ramble.  Above all, I’m thankful.  CoolMom, CoolDaughters 1& 2, and I are all fine.  CoolDad Music HQ came through relatively unscathed.  We are still waiting for the power to come back, but power is really all we’ve lost.  My parents and our always caring and always reliable friends Dina, Doyle, and Maisie have been putting up with us throughout the power outage.  And MomVee and her family made a generous offer of warmth and food.  We’re incredibly lucky.

Others, obviously, were not so lucky.  Just a block from our house, neighbors have piled furniture destroyed by the Shrewsbury River onto the side of the street.  In the town across the bridge from us, it’s the same only worse.  Seaside towns like Sea Bright are facing months, if not years, of work to recover; and they will never be the same.

I guess saying that I haven’t lost anything but power isn’t entirely true.  After my family moved to New Jersey from Brooklyn in 1975, the beach – and especially the town of Sea Bright – became a huge part of my life.  In the summers, my mother carted my brother and me, along with a cooler full of bologna sandwiches and Shasta, to Edgewater Beach Club in Sea Bright every day.  From about 9 in the morning until about 3 in the afternoon we baked in the sun and swam in the ocean.  Our day was made if we could coax my mother to give us a dollar so that we could buy french fries or a chocolate chip mint ice cream cone at the snack bar.  When I got too old to hang out with the younger kids, I fished off the jetty.

During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of high school, my friend Danny – whom I’ve been thinking about a lot lately – and I would ride to Sea Bright.  I would freeload off of his family’s membership at Ship Ahoy.  A certain female classmate worked at the snack bar there, so my fifteen year-old self stuttered and stammered through more than a few burger orders.  Like lots of friends, Danny and I grew apart, then back together, then apart again; but I will always remember that summer, with its afternoon bike races back home, as a particularly good one.

It wasn’t only Sea Bright, though.  Throughout high school, I earned money cooking food at the snack bar of Sea Girt’s public beach.  Cheese fries and pork roll, egg, and cheese.  My friends and I would spend summer evenings with a cooler on West End beach in Long Branch.  I could never get the sand from that beach out of my silver Tercel.  Today, I still do my runs along the promenade in Long Branch whenever I can.  The first words I ever wrote on this blog were, "I love Asbury Park."

I’m not yet sure how all of those towns did in the storm, but I know that the Jersey Shore that I remember isn’t coming back.

Beach clubs.  Sea Girt, summer home of Bill Parcells.  Parts of the Jersey Shore are more than pretty well off, it’s true.  I’ve seen and heard comments from people indicating that this somehow means that the people affected by Sandy are less deserving of help.  Sandy covered a thousand miles and affected thirteen states.  Along with affluent communities like Sea Girt and Mantoloking, Sandy hit working-class areas like Long Branch, Asbury Park, and the Bayshore.  In New York, Rockaway and Staten Island have been devastated.  Some of the people who lost everything may have the resources to get back on their feet eventually.  Others, most certainly, do not.  Either way, they are your neighbors; and until they get things together, they will need help.

Again, we’re all fine here and I’m more than thankful.  I haven’t lost nearly as much as the people of Seaside Heights or Breezy Point or Hoboken or even Oceanport, so I’ll give what I can to relief efforts.  But anyone who grew up here or spent their summers here definitely lost a little piece of themselves.