New Stuff from Hodera, The Skullers, Mr. Payday, and Glazer

Hodera released a new single this week.

Beach Friday

CoolMom and CoolDaughter #1 are continuing their Southeast Asian adventure in Thailand and Cambodia. CoolDaugter #2 is getting ready to head to Maine with CoolGrandma. She had a big week of activities, but this was our one, free day. We headed down to the beach for a pretty glorious and cool early afternoon. I'll be on my own for a few days come Sunday, but I did want to send you into what is a huge weekend around here with a few new things from some of our New Jersey paisanos.

Hodera, "North Dakota"

There really isn't any artifice when it comes to Hodera. All you have to do is go to one of their live shows to see that they lay everything out there. Their sound features the lyricism and instrumentation of Americana with the energy of pop punk.

Hodera will be releasing First Things First on October 20th via Take This To Heart records; and, earlier this week, they shared the album's first single, "North Dakota." The song contrasts the freedom of lying, dreaming in a cornfield with those things in real life that drag us down.



The Skullers, "Meet Me in Memphis"

Jack Skuller released his first single at the age of 14. He followed that with a Radio Disney-sponsored, 15-city tour. In 2014, The Songwriters Hall of Fame gave him the [Buddy] Holly Prize, which recognizes "an exceptionally talented and inspired young musician /singer / songwriter whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly's music: true, great and original."

Skuller now fronts rock and roll three-piece, The Skullers. The band will be releasing Meet The Skullers with Mint 400 Records on September 22nd. This week, they gave us single "Meet Me in Memphis."

The Skullers worked with producer Joel Hamilton (The Black Keys, Highly Suspect, The Pretty Lights, Tom Waits) on the EP, and the collaboration results in a bluesy, high-energy introduction to the next chapter in Skuller's musical journey.



Mr. Payday, Welcome to the Modern World

Mr. Payday singer / guitarist, Doug Vizthum, turns 56 today. What better way to celebrate than by releasing his band's third album? Welcome to the Modern World is loud, tight power pop that draws influences from as far back as The Rolling Stones all the way to Bob Mould.

The album opens with "Club Test" which asks, appropriately, "Are you ready for some rock and roll?" "Now and Forever" is simultaneously crushingly loud -- Nick D'Amore's drumming is relentless -- and catchy, the vocal harmonies contrasting with some huge guitar sounds. "Set to Automatic" has a new-wave feel; while "Written in Stone" is more melodic and wide-open as it features keyboardist, Caroline Feinman, on lead vocals. "Sun Shine Down" is a countrified garage-rocker, and "Double Barrel" is careening hard rock / punk.

The title track closes things out in winding, driving-down-the-highway style. The song feels like it could have been written and recorded in the last week or so as it goes through some of the features of our modern world: climate change, hatred, Donald Trump.

Welcome to the Modern World weaves its way in and out of many of the sub-genres of rock music over the course of its 10 tracks. It's all rock and roll, though, so things hang together well.

Mr. Payday celebrate the release of Welcome to the Modern World tomorrow, 8/26, at Pino's in Highland Park. Joining them for that are Dentist, Atom Driver, and Sux. You can pick up a copy of the album there or via Mr. Payday's Bandcamp page.



Glazer, On a Prairie, Live in the Dirt

New Brunswick's Glazer are a band who have been on my radar since the first time I saw them a couple of years ago at one of only two New Brunswick Basement shows I've ever been to as a middle-aged dad. Guitarist / singer Phil Connor engineered the band's latest release, On a Prairie, Live in the Dirt, at his In The West Studio in New Brunswick; and he managed to capture one of the most interesting guitar-based rock records I've heard in a while.

On a Prairie, Live in the Dirt is that kind of off-kilter guitar rock I always love. Songs like "Disaster Footage" and "People's Monument" feature elements of both the slackery indie rock of the mid-90s and the metal-inspired grunge that came before that. "Amplified Mind" does as well; but, rather than blending those sounds throughout the song, it breaks them up into a few distinct parts.

"Trim Yr Limbs" transitions from an epic, noisy intro into angular noise pop. "Pollution" goes from plodding to racing over the course if its 5 minutes. Similarly, album-closer "Will You Be Here Tomorrow?" moves through stages of quiet twang and buzzsaw noise.

All of this is to say that there is tons of weird and interesting stuff happening here -- more than I can really cover in a capsule-type review -- but there's always something, some structure for a listener to grab onto. I love it when things work out that way.

On a Prairie, Live in the Dirt is out now on State Champion Records.

This Saturday, 2/11, Fundraiser for WFDU at APYC with The Brixton Riot, The Anderson Council, Big Quiet, Glazer

Presented by Signal To Noise NJ & CoolDad Music

This Saturday, February 11th, I'm co-hosting a fundraiser at Asbury Park Yacht Club with our good friend, Sugarblast Al C of the Signal To Noise radio program on WFDU. Al has assembled a great line-up of bands for the southern installment of his set of February pledge-drive fundraisers. The show itself is free, but there is a suggested donation of $10 to help keep the station going.

WFDU is an oasis in a desert of commercial radio. The station offers specialized programs focusing on music that gets overlooked by the big guys, and they provide airtime for Al's excellent Signal To Noise program. Al regularly features some of our favorite tri-state area bands both by playing their records on the air and inviting them to play live, in-studio. None of that would be possible without the generous support of listeners and fans.

Saturday night's show features

The Brixton Riot, celebrating their 10th anniversary as a band



The Anderson Council



Big Quiet



Glazer



So, come on out this Saturday night to check out some stellar bands and to support independent radio.

If you can't make it -- which you totally can, so I don't even know why I'm saying this -- there are two more fundraisers later this month, both at Mercury Lounge in NYC. On February 24th, the bill features  Monsterland, SAVAK, and Fruit & Flowers. The next night, February 25th, you get Antietam, Honey Radar, and Big Bliss.

And, and, and... ...if you're some kind of shut-in who can't make it to any of these, you can always head over to Bandcamp to support WFDU by picking up the Signal To Noise, Vol. 1 compilation that features several of our friends like Dentist, Fruit & Flowers, The Brixton Riot, The Anderson Council, Sink Tapes, and more during their in-studio performances on the show. You can, of course, do that anyway or just go direct to WFDU.FM and make a donation.

You can listen to Signal To Noise every Wednesday night (Like TONIGHT!) on WFDU.FM HD1.

So many chances for you to help keep independent music on the air. See you Saturday!

Don Giovanni Records Free Show w/ Screaming Females, Downtown Boys, Glazer, and more, 9/12/15 (PHOTOS)

Screaming Females in New Brunswick's Boyd Park

Saturday in the Park

I got home from Philly on Saturday morning at about 2:30AM. CoolDaugther #2 had a 9AM away soccer game. We all made it over there, though. The skies looked a little threatening, but it never rained. CD2's team won big, and she even got an assist. Afterwards, we stopped for smoothies and headed home. I drank some coffee and headed to Boyd Park in New Brunswick for my second annual trip to Don Giovanni's free, end of summer / back to school showcase.

By the time I arrived, Delucy had just finished. I couldn't blame Don Giovanni for sticking to a tight schedule as the weather looked like it could turn ugly any second. Ed The Punk and Young Luke Henderiks gave Delucy positive reviews, so I'll check them out.

The rest of the day, emceed by comedian Brett Davis, followed the same tight schedule with one small exception. It was just my second time seeing Glazer, and they were as good as I remembered. All fuzzy and Dinosaur Jr.-y. After their set, there was an impromptu shred-off between one of Glazer's guitarists and 8yo bass prodigy, Lil Asmar. Asmar was the emotional favorite and amazed with a pretty flawless cover of "Higher Ground." Remember. He's 8.

Things got back on schedule with Izzy True. Her shy and self-deprecating wit permeates each of her songs. Wild Rice gave us some heavier, bluesy, psych rock. New Brunswick high schoolers, Electric Trip, turned in a crazy set of metal. That ended with a guitar being smashed to bits on the concrete slab that served as a stage.

I was interested to see how Downtown Boys' performance would translate to the park setting. Having only seen them at the packed out Don Giovanni Showcase at Knitting Factory Brooklyn, I wondered what their show would feel like in the great outdoors. They were just as stirring as I remembered, lead singer Victoria Ruiz introducing each song with a call to action. Adrienne Berry's sax honking, Joey DeFrancesco bouncing as he ripped at his tele, I swear I could feel a lump rising in my throat as I got carried along by the band's passion. "This is punk," I thought.

Once it was time for Screaming Females, most of the people sitting in the concrete bleachers of the amphitheater came down to the performance area. Screaming Females, simultaneously one of the hardest rocking and sweetest bands in the business, had been audience members for most of the day and now dove into a relentless set. I don't think it was until almost the end of the set that Marissa Paternoster even said her usual, "We're Screaming Females, and we're from New Brunswick, New Jersey." It wasn't like the crowd needed the intro. I felt a few raindrops starting just as the band wound things up.

I was struck again by the sense of community and friendship that characterizes these Don Giovanni shows. From seeing Marissa Paternoster front and center for the early sets, to the shred-off with Lil Asmar, to the reception given to Electric Trip, to Victoria Ruiz calling Marissa Paternoster her band's "little big sister" and thanking King Mike for screen printing the t-shirts that helped fund their tour, to seeing Joe Steinhardt and his wife with their 9-month old baby, the day felt almost like a family affair.

I got shots of everyone except Delucy. You can see highlights below or head to Flickr for full sets.

You can also catch Screaming Females when they headline Dark City's Halloween show at Convention Hall on October 31st. Screaming Females will be performing as X, and that bill includes lots of our good friends.

Full of Fancy Played Cooler Ranch with Allo Darlin' and Glazer, 10/9/14

It was too dark for real pics, but that's Allo Darlin' up top and Full of Fancy on the bottom. Trust me.

Night 1

The last time Full of Fancy did a last-ever show -- back in May of this year -- I loved it. The show was just like this really fun party where everyone there danced and had a blast. When I saw that they were playing their really for real and we mean it final three shows over three nights this weekend, I hoped to see them all.

Last night was kind of the wildcard, though. It was an early show in New Brunswick, meaning I'd have to finagle some things to ensure that I had someone to cover the cooldaughters until CoolMom got home. My inherent laziness about these things could have made me just say, "Ah, I'll see them twice down here. Why hassle?" With Allo Darlin' on the bill, making the only New Jersey appearance of their tour, though, I had to make it work. I did and I'm glad.

Allo Darlin' came all the way from the UK to kick off their U.S. tour in a New Brunswick basement. They're on the road in support of their latest LP We Come From The Same Place, and the songs from that record sound great live with all the jangle of their recorded versions. I really enjoyed Europe, their last LP; and this latest release took me kind of by surprise. I grabbed a copy of the new one on vinyl as I left. Everyone needs a little jangly pop in their lives.

Full of Fancy may have started off just a little bit rusty. Drummer Evan Kyle admitted that practicing had taken a back seat to his honeymoon. Totally understandable. Things were never anything but amazingly fun, though; and, once the trio got rolling, the whole underground space was singing along with "Basement," "Stone's Throw," "Hot Tub," and "30 Days" for the last-ever time in New Brunswick.

Glazer were the real surprise for me. I'd never seen them before, but their combination of fuzz, noise, and shredding had a pleasing Dinosaur Jr-y vibe for me. I'll check them out the next chance I get.

Everything was done by 9:30, and I was home by 10:30. Nice. So worth it.

You've got two more chances to catch Full of Fancy this weekend. They play Red Bank Rehearsal Studios tonight with like 17 other bands, and they're opening for The Muffs at Asbury Lanes on Saturday along with brick mower.

Allo Darlin' officially start their U.S. tour tonight in Brooklyn at Glasslands. They play Boot & Saddle in Philly tomorrow. Check them out if you can.