Interview: Matt Chrystal Chats with Joe Michelini of American Trappist Who Have a New EP Coming This Summer and Play APYC on 5/5

Joe Michelini of American Trappist

Amuse-œil

by Matt Chrystal

Joe Michelini announces American Trappist's new EP Amuse-Orielle and opens up about his fear of death, living in the afterglow of River City Extension, and falling in love with his new project, American Trappist.

CoolMattyC: When you pour your heart and soul into a project like you clearly have with American Trappist, is there a fine line between flattery and annoyance with people, such as myself, continually asking you about your previous band, River City Extension?

Joe Michelini: Not really. I am just flattered that anyone who was interested in RCE is now interested in American Trappist. I am flattered that anyone is interested in any of the music that I am making in general. You don't have go very far from Ocean County, NJ to realize that most people have no idea what River City Extension was. River City Extension was big for our local scene; but, on a national scale, we were just a very small grain of sand on a very big beach.

And there is something very exciting and refreshing about that because, now that I am starting over, I have found that I really do not even have to talk about RCE that much. People don't know or care. I would love for River City Extension fans to connect with American Trappist, and I am not sure if I have done that well enough yet. I have tried to build that bridge and will continue to try and build that bridge. Since I moved to Philly, I have realized that River City Extension is virtually unknown and that is actually kind of nice.

I will be doing a run of solo acoustic shows coming up where I open up for Matt Pryor, who is an old friend of mine. Those dates are set up to get those people who listened to River City Extension to cross over. I will be playing some River City Extension songs and some American Trappist songs to introduce more people to it.

Joe Michelini with River City Extension at Asbury Lanes in 2015.

CMC: Am I reading too much into the American Trappist record, that the majority of the songs can be connected to your feelings about shedding the skin of River City Extension and evolving into American Trappist?

JM: I think some songs were. There's a song or two; but, in general, no. The last RCE album, Deliverance was more about me shedding skin. The whole Deliverance album was very self-referential about being in a band, the people in the band, the band politics and the relationships we had with each other.

When I sit back and look at it, American Trappist does feel a bit like a departure; but, sometimes, it doesn't. The song, "Nothing Short of Faithful" was written later, but that's something that could have been written with RCE in mind. "Sour in the Rye" was written for the next RCE album if there had been one. "Afterglow" is the only direct and spiteful thing that is on the record where I felt like I needed to say something to a specific person or persons in the band. Some people I had a falling out with, but lots of those guys I still keep in touch with and several RCE members played on the American Trappist album.

CMC: So while the songs on the album may not all be about the transition between bands, there is undeniably an extremely personal feel to the songs and album as a whole, where it does not seem as though you are singing about characters…

JM:  The record is more about me being raised in a pretty religious household. My parents were super religious; but, at the same time, they were actually pretty open-minded, and they were good about raising us and telling us this is what they believe but then allowing us to wander off. I think the record is about me losing my faith in God; and, because of that, everything changed including my perspective on love and people. So those sentiments are paired up with some of my inner dialogue.

I felt pretty free to make whatever I wanted with American Trappist. Some of these songs that I put out with American Trappist would have been RCE songs if we had continued to be a band. They would not have sounded like they do on the American Trappist album. When RCE fell apart, I found that I had some new tools to work with; or maybe I realized I had less tools to work with, so naturally these songs just came out different then they would have if they were made with RCE.

CMC: Speaking of songs from the American Trappist album coming out different, you wanted to announce something to the loyal readers here at CoolDadMusic.com…

JM: We are putting out an EP this summer called Amuse-Orielle Volume 1. It will be two new songs ("Fear of Nothing" and "Soot") and two songs from the American Trappist album that are alternative versions ("Fireworks" and "Heaven").

If you have ever been to a really fancy restaurant, they sometimes serve what is called an "amuse-bouche," which means something like "mouth surprise." The chef has created something that is not on the menu, in very small quantities and you can't order it and you don't have to pay for it. I is just served to you in a bite size portion.

By the way, this is not something that has ever happened to me. I cannot afford to eat in restaurants like that. But I have worked in restaurants that have done this.

Anyway, we wanted to put out an "amuse-oreille" or "ear treat" in between albums. It's us just saying, here are two songs that we like but did not fit with the album and here are two more songs that are reimagined. The plan is to put these EPs out between records.

CMC: In regard to a proper album follow up album to American Trappist, you recently posted an online poll gauging interest around a pledge fund for the new album. How did that go? And is that poll an indicator that the new album has moved beyond the concept stages?

JM: We were testing the waters about a pledge fund but I do not think we would get it made with a pledge fund. I do not think there are enough people who know what we are working on, and that is ok; I just have always been curious about the sort of thing.

The album is being written right now. The next record will explore anxiety and fear of death, as those are like my biggest feelings that I have right now. That is what I have to write about because it feels close and real for me.

I'm pretty sure I am going to die every single day. I am going to die on my way to work, or on my home from work or plugging in the vacuum, or slipping in the shower or falling down the stairs or that I am going to eat something that will give me salmonella. I feel like that every day. Every day I am thinking about death. I feel very temporary here and very temporary in my body.

The next record is currently being written and we'll be returning to the Asbury Park Yacht Club this summer to do another residency. We did a residency there last summer and it was really helpful for us to develop as a band and develop the songs as a band. We hope to do that again this summer and then start recording the new record in the fall.

CMC: With your next record focusing on your anxiety on death and addressing your own mortality, is your musical legacy something that concerns you? 

JM: I just think that one of the great things about being an artist and that excites me to continue to be an artist is that I can create work to express myself that will hopefully be around for so much longer than I will ever be here. With the internet and iTunes and resources like that, it's not like I have to worry about all my tapes burning in a warehouse fire and that would be the end of that.

Art will be around forever. You can walk into a museum and see stuff that was created hundreds of years ago. So yeah, I think about my legacy a lot.

CMC: So it sounds like making a connection with people in both the present and the future is something that is important to you…

JM: Artists can leave stuff behind that can be found by other people and make them feel less alone. People can hear a piece of music or see a work of art and feel a sense of comfort and relate to what the artist was feeling. I think at one point or another, everyone finds themselves feeling totally alone in this universe, and while there may be some truth to that, I think art can help remind people that there are others out there that felt like they do or maybe even felt worse than they do. And maybe art or music can remind a person something about life that they find worth remembering and worth living for.

River City Extension's final bow at The Stone Pony in 2015.

CMC: The majority of the songs you have released are very personal, reflective and self-referential, is it a fair statement that authenticity and the "search for true self" are major themes in your life and work?

JM: Yeah, definitely. Absolutely. I want to be who I am both onstage and off. Otherwise, I would just be fumbling around in the dark. If someone tries to undercut me and talk shit about what I am putting out now, my reflex is to say, "Oh yeah? Well, this is who I am!"

CMC: We have talked about the music on the album, American Trappist, and a some about your upcoming works… but how about the band, American Trappist… will American Trappist continue to be evolving project with rotating band members with you at the helm or have you settled in on a fixed lineup at this point? 

JM: We have settled in for sure. On the surface, this appears like it's just my thing, and in a way it is my thing, but once you hear us and see us play it will be apparent that we are much more than just my songwriter project, we are a band.

I have to start with Shane, he played drums for RCE and now plays with Cranston Dean and also has a new project called SLPMNSTR. Shane and I did the American Trappist album together. There were people that came in to play on the album but it was mainly a project of both Shane and I. He helped direct the flow of the record and produced it with me, all in addition to him to playing drums. And sure this is a singer-songwriter project but this is really a project that belongs to both of us for as long as he is available or interested in doing it.

Justin, from the band Modern Television, is playing keys and he is an incredible pianist and vocalist and has such a great mind for arrangements. And then there is Louie 2, who plays bass on the album. Louie 2 also plays in a band called Algebra 2 and I recently recorded them in my studio. Shane and Louie play together so naturally.

When we a started American Trappist, it was like was kind of just my songwriter project but as we have played together and put songs together, it has become apparent that we have the opportunity to do something really great. It's weird. It's like I tell myself not to fall in love again but here I am. I just really love these guys and love playing with them. Everyone brings something irreplaceable to the album. I think we all get excited by each other, there's just a feeling that everyone is making it worth everyone else's time. Everyone is really talented.

All the guys in the band do have other bands, so I do not know how long everyone will be able to stay on the line but I sure hope it's for as long as possible.

American Trappist at APYC last summer.

CMC: I heard somewhere, that you do the recordings of American Trappist songs in your old bedroom of your parents' house, is that true?

JM: That's partially true. Before my wife and I purchased a home in New Jersey, we were living in an apartment in Philly and I could not record there without making the whole building very angry. So I took ten days off of work and went to my parents' house in Toms River to record the meat of the American Trappist album. The tracking and other parts were done in Philly. At the beginning of the song "No Bible," there's this sort of drone tone and that was us tuning wine glasses with spit on our fingers. Shane and I also went to UArts to do some of the piano parts and then other parts were done at 816 Studios.

It was all such fun, and felt personal and emotional and felt peaceful in a way that recording records has not felt like in the past.

CMC: Despite the personal and sometimes heavy subject matter of the songs, in terms of recording and playing in American Trappist, is it safe to say that fun has returned for Joe Michelini?

JM: Yeah, fun has been a huge theme with American Trappist. We try to keep things with this band as fun as possible at rehearsals and at our shows. And I think the fact that these guys are so good and so professional about what we do that it allows us to have fun. Our live show is a little theatrical and just feels natural and that makes it fun for us.

I like to be entertained and when I go to shows and I see someone on stage that looks like they do not want to be there then it makes me feel like ugh, I do not want to be here either.  Yeah, there were definitely some nights when I was playing with River City Extension that I felt like that. There were times when we were still trying to find ourselves and what the right thing to do was to work through how we were feeling about things that were happening before we got on the stage.

With American Trappist, we have been able to check our feelings at the door or channel that energy into the performance. If we are not feeling it at first, we work through it and it the emotions of wanting to perform and entertain just take over.

I got really good advice when starting American Trappist. Someone in Philly said to me, "Take nothing seriously and try really hard." So I think I have just gone by that and let everything else fall by the wayside.

CMC: Continuing with the theme of fun… the name American Trappist is partially an ode to your love of craft beers and you recently played a set at Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival. So, I am wondering what are your some of your favorite beers?

JM: The name American Trappist definitely has to do with beer. That is for sure. I am very interested in Asbury Park Brewery right now. Every beer that that I have had from AP Brewery has been so good. I feel like they found a way to take simple beer styles and approach them in such a way that gives them a little something that is new and fresh. I have been really impressed by them.

I have also been into Bolero Snort.  I have had some really amazing beers by them and I have also had a couple that I felt really burned by. I felt like someone just held me up for $14. But the ones that I have had that I liked, have been so good, that I am willing to keeping going with Bolero Snort. Bolero Snort has  done the IPA thing well a few times but other times I think they could have been a bit more open about some of their beers being on the experimental side.

There's also Carton Brewing and they have some good down the middle stuff but then they will make like a crazy beer like pad-thai flavor or something weird like that. Carton is open with the fact that they are experimenting and that they will try another crazy flavor after that one. I'm sure some people will not like a wasabi-apple beer but it's like whatever, someone has to be on the front line and push the boundaries.

CMC: So, it sounds like you definitely have some strong opinions about the local brewery scene here in New Jersey….

JM: Yeah I do; but, hey, I'm not on the brewing side of things. So if one of these brewery guys came up to me after reading this and was like, "If you don’t like my beer, why don't you brew your own?”
I would have say, "You are right! Fuck me!"

It’s the same with music. If someone came to me and was like, "Hey, I don't like your record," I would say "Ok, then listen to something else or better yet, go make a better one and listen to that."

That's one thing I never got about art, all the criticism. If you think you can do better, then go fucking do it!

CMC: Well, you mentioned criticism so that's a good segue for a question that I have wrapped up all of my interviews so far this year with…. What are your thoughts on the political climate in today's America and your hopes for the future?

JM: I just think that Trump should not be president.

I am kinda scared. It feels like this is a bad time and what is coming next? Another war? Another depression? I wake up and watch the news and ask myself if today is the day that that something like that happens? The fact that there are still human rights issues in today's America is crazy and sad.
But on the other side of things, I am so excited to see the LGBT community becoming stronger and becoming more visible. I wish that Trump's presidency was not the reason that we are seeing more people stand up for LGBT rights but it's great that that to see the rise in the voice of LGBT community and see a rise in the feminist movement.

I would like to see more people bridge the gap and see more unity but it is very difficult to have a conversation with someone who thinks that a group of people should not have basic human rights. When it comes to human rights there can be no compromise.

The album, American Trappist, is available now.

American Trappist will be performing as part of a CoolDadMusic-presented showcase at the Asbury Park Yacht Club on May 5th along with Dentist and Toy Cars.

For more dates and info head over to www.AmTrappe.com.

SXSW Pre-Game

Yawn Mower released What's All This New Piss? at The Saint

I Feel Like I've Already Started

I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for Austin and my second year at South By Southwest. I've heard grumbling over the years from people -- including me -- about how corporate the festival has become; but my experience last year was one of the best times I've ever had doing anything. For someone who enjoys live music, South By Southwest is like a trip to a musical theme park. Just about every minute of every day, there is a band playing somewhere; and you do not have to step foot into a single official showcase to experience it.

I feel like I got myself into festival mode a little early this weekend after heading out to three different shows over the course of about 24 hours and spending most of the time in between editing shots. Personally, I was at The Stone Pony, the Danny Clinch Transparent exhibit at The Asbury Hotel, and The Saint; but this was a busy weekend in Asbury with all of the usual spots hopping.

On Friday for me, it was Sammy Kay, Vanessa Silberman, Hot Blood, and Ruby The Hatchet at The Stone Pony. It had been a while since I'd seen Hot Blood, and it was nice to see that they're still the same rowdy and ramshackle crew. Ruby The Hatchet had lots of friends, family, and fans in the audience. They're destined for even bigger things, I think, as they prepare for their first European tour.

Sammy Kay and The 4th St. Singers

Vanessa Silberman from Los Angeles

Hot Blood

Ruby The Hatchet

Saturday, I edited pictures for a while, drove CoolDaughter 2 home from her cooking class, and headed back to Asbury Park for an afternoon of music at rock photographer Danny Clinch's Transparent exhibit. The spot has become, as Clinch called it, "A regular weekend hang" curated by Rachel Ana Dobken on Sunday afternoons. This past week's edition was on Saturday and featured Joe P of Deal Casino, a short performance from Dobken with some help from Clinch, Joe Michelini of American Trappist, and Michael Maffei of Hunter & Wolfe. It was relaxing and -- for me -- inspiring to sit and listen surrounded by Danny Clinch's work.

Rachel Ana Dobken with Danny Clinch

Joe Michelini

Michael Maffei

Then, it was back home for a bit to edit a few more pictures, have dinner with the coolfamily, and pick up CoolMom for the Burger Revolution / Little Dickman Records / Yawn Mower release show / Planned Parenthood Benefit at The Saint. Throughout the course of the evening, The Saint packed out (sold out?) as Pamela Flores, Stained Glass, Lyons, Yawn Mower, and gods took the stage. Yawn Mower celebrated the release of What's All This New Piss? by, along with all the other bands, raising over $1200 for Planned Parenthood.

Pamela Flores

Stained Glass

Lyons

Yawn Mower

Things got late; and CoolMom and I had to miss the set from gods in order to relieve our babysitter, CoolDaughter 1. I was a little down about this because gods have absolutely blown the lid off of the room the last few times I've seen them, but parenthood...

I've said this before, but we're pretty lucky here when you think about it. It may not be 24/7; but there are lots of weeks when Asbury Park can feel like its own little music festival.

More editing this morning, and then I turned my attention toward packing for South By Southwest. I'm not sure how frequently I'll be posting here, but I'll try to keep you posted on things that should be on your radar throughout my time there. You can follow the CooldDad Music Instagram for regular updates from Austin.

All of the pictures from this weekend will be up in the CoolDad Flickr galleries as soon as they finish uploading.

Another Single from Joe Michelini's American Trappist

Joe Michelini brings his American Trappist project to APYC every Wednesday this summer.

"All Night Diner"

On August 13th, 1993, CoolMom and I spent an entire hot summer day together. I don't remember much about that day, but I do remember that we went to see Harrison Ford in The Fugitive at the multiplex in Union Square. I remember seeing her smile at me as we bought the tickets at the ticket booth.

That's the day that we mark as our first date; and, since then, we've lived through all the ups and downs of being a couple and raising a family. We give each other the space to be our own people; but, at the end of the day, we're always there for each other. Even if CoolMom is on a business trip in Europe or if I'm going to show after show in Austin, neither of us is ever really alone.

The early days, those first steps to building a life together can be scary, uncertain, and exhilarating. On "All-Night Diner," the latest single from his post-River City Extension project, American Trappist, Joe Michelini captures all of those feelings as he sings about his fiancé.

The song is a collection of thoughts that run through Michelini's head as he drives alone at night through the Pinelands. "The next few years, at times, will seem impossible." And later, "I wanna be inseparable." Finally, "last night, at the all-night diner, I did not feel alone;" and that's really it, isn't it? That simple feeling of connection across the miles is what's real. More real than any fears or uncertainty.

"All-Night Diner" comes with another Brian L. Tice, Jr.-directed video that features footage of astronauts preparing for space. I'm thinking there's a metaphor there somewhere. Seriously, though, the footage as chosen and sequenced by Tice is an excellent accompaniment to the song.

The track appears on Hannah Future Tense, the third installment of American Trappist's summer EP series, which came out earlier this month on Michelini's Death Salon Records. Watch the video below, and check out American Trappist live this Wednesday, August 17th, in their continuing weekly residency at Asbury Park Yacht Club. The Paper Jets open that one.

You can keep up with everything American Trappist and order music and tickets for upcoming shows at AmTrappe.com.


American Trappist - All Night Diner from Brian L. Tice Jr. on Vimeo.

New Video / Single from Joe Michelini's American Trappist

"No Bibles"

Last month, I shared with you the announcement from former River City Extension mastermind / frontman, Joe Michelini, that he would be releasing music under the new moniker of American Trappist. American Trappist's first EP, In Satan's Kingdom National Park, is due on June 1st; and, last night, we got the first taste of that record via the video for "No Bibles."

The Brian L. Tice, Jr.-directed clip features liberal use of super slo-mo with Michelini in various guises from pious to violent. The song deals with spirituality, self-exploration, and contempt for organized religion and represents a new and interesting sonic direction for Michelini. "No Bibles" retains very little of the Americana beginnings of early River City Extension, but the voice of Joe Michelini as a songwriter continues to come through.

American Trappist will celebrate the release of In Satan's Kingdom National Park (and kick off a summer residency) on Wednesday, June 1st, with a free show at Asbury Park Yacht Club. The release show in Michelini's adoptive home of Philadelphia takes place on June 4th at Ortlieb's Lounge.

Check out the "No Bibles" video below.


American Trappist - No Bibles from Brian L. Tice Jr. on Vimeo.

Joe Michelini Is American Trappist. Releasing New Music. APYC Residency This Summer.

River City Extension bowed out in November of 2015.

A "Post-Mortem Exhale" in Three Parts

This past Thanksgiving Eve, River City Extension played their farewell show at the Stone Pony and closed an important chapter in the story of New Jersey music. In the band's farewell announcement, there were promises of new musical endeavors for everyone including frontman Joe Michelini. Michelini has now announced his latest project, American Trappist.

American Trappist, which Michelini says draws on influences like Timber Timbre and Angel Olsen, will release a three-part cycle of EPs beginning with In Satan's Kingdom National Park on June 1st via Michelini's Death Salon Records. A free release show on June 1st at Asbury Park Yacht club will accompany the record. That show will also serve as a kickoff to American Trappist's summer residency at APYC, running every Wednesday in the summer through August 31st. Admission to all of those shows is FREE.

On June 4th, Michelini's new hometown of Philadelphia gets its own release show at Ortlieb's Lounge.

Photo: Shane Luck

Later in the summer, American Trappist will follow In Satan's Kingdom... with On The River Toms on July 6th and Hannah Future Tense on August 3rd. Michelini promises varying line-ups and arrangements on each release, saying that American Trappist's live performances will serve as "an accessory" to the project's recorded output.

River City Extension were always important to this site, and much of that had to do with Michelini as a songwriter. It will be interesting to see where things go from here.

Check out the track list for In Satan's Kingdom National Park below and stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

In Satan's Kingdom National Park (Death Salon)

Satan's Kingdom
No Bibles
Heaven
The Devil Is Real

River City Extension Announce Final Show As a Band, November 25th at The Stone Pony w/ Brick + Mortar

River City Extension at Asbury Lanes in March.

Farewell

Today, Toms River's River City Extension announced that November 25th will mark their final show as a band. They'll play The Stone Pony with Brick + Mortar on Thanksgiving Eve. The show would have marked the band's sixth annual Simple Gifts celebration, but it will now serve as a farewell show for a beloved local band that achieved national and international acclaim. Current and former members of River City Extension will join the celebration, which I'm sure will be an emotional and
cathartic experience.

The announcement, written by founder and frontman Joe Michelini, begins:

"It’s with a heavy heart that we are announcing the final River City Extension show as a band. It’s been a long, weird journey with so many talented musicians and irreplaceable memories. Being able to connect with all of you through our music all over the world these past eight years means more to us than we can express through words. We love River City Extension and we love the catalogue and the shows and all of you. Our last release, Deliverance, is by far my favorite thing I’ve ever worked on and perhaps the goal of River City to begin with. In short, looking forward, we realized our work here is done."

I've, personally, been a fan of River City Extension since I started CoolDad Music. Each of their albums has been different, and each of them has been brilliant in its own way. Live, River City Extension were always an amazing communal experience. The post-Sandy edition of Simple Gifts stands as one of the greatest live shows I've ever experienced, and the band's latest appearance on a snowy night at Asbury Lanes showed that -- even in their new configuration -- River City Extension were still a force of nature live.

In the announcement, Michelini promises more solo performances. I remember another snowy night at the Berkeley when Michelini previewed some of the songs that would eventually make up Deliverance. The weather kept the crowd small, and the show was a beautiful moment.

One of the great things that has come from running CoolDad Music these last three and a half years is that I feel that I can call Joe Michelini and other current and former members of River City Extension friends. They all continue to make excellent music, and I wish them all the success in the world at whatever it is they choose to do.

Keep up with all of their current projects and head to The Stone Pony on November 25th for one, final party.

River City Extension will be missed.

A Conversation with River City Extension, Part 4

Patrick O'Brien and Joe Michelini at Simple Gifts 4 last year.

"I'm Not There," First Aid Kit, "Jackie," Politics

Note: This is the final installment in a series of posts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) in which I've shared with you portions of my conversation with River City Extension's Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien. We sat in my backyard, drank a few beers, and had a long chat. You'll hear crickets, dogs, planes, trains, bottles and glasses knocking around. You'll also hear some very interesting insights on music and beer.

It's time for the final installment of my conversation with Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien of River City Extension. Just in time, too. The band play The Stone Pony tomorrow night for the fifth go-round of their Simple Gifts Thanksgiving Eve show. It's become a Thanksgiving tradition here, and this year's show features some excellent local acts in gods, EdTang and The Chops, and Prehistoric Forest. The band will also be accepting food donations for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties at the door.

We got back to talking about Deliverance, and Joe, Pat, and I spent some time on Joe's philosophy about how to record a slower song as we discussed Deliverance track "I'm Not There."

The new record doesn't display the overt Americana of its predecessors. Part of that, I think, is due to the lack of a banjo on any of the songs. We find out the reason for that, and Joe and I each make a confession about our own experiences seeing Swedish country duo First Aid Kit play live.



Finally, we've spent a good deal of time discussing an album that just about nobody has heard yet. I wanted to touch a bit on some of the newer music from Joe that's been out there for a while, so we talked a little bit about a couple of songs, like "Jackie," that didn't make it onto the record.



We also touched on the idea of making a political statement in music and why River City Extension doesn't do that.



I'd like to thank the guys for spending so much time with me, talking, and drinking beer. It was fun, and just thinking back on it puts me in a festive holiday mood. Simple Gifts is always a great time, and there are still tickets available.

You should go.

A Conversation with River City Extension, Part 3

Photo: Chase Heaverlo of Shady Buffalo

Muccino, Anger, Mexico, and a New Song

Note: This is the third in a series of posts (Part 1, Part 2) in which I'll share with you portions of my conversation with River City Extension's Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien. We sat in my backyard, drank a few beers, and had a long chat. You'll hear crickets, dogs, planes, trains, bottles and glasses knocking around. You'll also hear some very interesting insights on music and beer.

Last week, River City Extension premiered the first song from their upcoming LP Deliverance, slated for March 2015, over at Paste.

"Something's Gotta Give" is a good introduction to the record. It shows the band moving on from the more folky sound of Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger, while setting up the album's themes of overcoming self-doubt and making difficult moral choices.

According to Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien, it's also the first songwriting collaboration for Michelini with significant contributions coming from guitarist John Muccino. In the next clips, we discuss that as well as the generally more collaborative approach that River City Extension took on Deliverance. We also get back to our discussion of the band's past catalog, with special focus on Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger; and Joe and Pat reveal what Unmistakable Man favorite "Mexico" will sound like at Simple Gifts 5.





Finally today, we've gotta touch on a beer. At this point, we'd already had a couple of wild ales and the Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale from Michigan's Founders Brewing. Our fourth beer came from Quebec's Unibroue. It's one of my favorites, the Belgian style strong dark ale called Trois Pistoles. Here's our quick take.



Check back here next week, on the eve of Simple Gifts 5, for the final installment of my chat with Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien of River City Extension. I think it will be kind of an odds and ends piece, maybe a beer or two and some other thoughts.

Also, head over to rivercityextension.com to see all the details on Simple Gifts and to grab a free download of "Something's Gotta Give."

A Conversation With River City Extension, Part 2

Photo: Chase Heaverlo of Shady Buffalo

Lolita, New Band, New Approach

Note: This is the second in a series of posts (Part 1) in which I'll share with you portions of my conversation with River City Extension's Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien. We sat in my backyard, drank a few beers, and had a long chat. You'll hear crickets, dogs, planes, trains, bottles and glasses knocking around. You'll also hear some very interesting insights on music and beer.

The organizing principle, the reason, that Joe Michelini, Patrick O'Brien, and I got together in my backyard a few weeks back was beer. I had this idea a while ago to sit down with River City Extension to taste a few beers and to shoot the breeze. That's what we did.

We started things off with the Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale. It's a strong ale from Belgium that, like most wild ales, uses a yeast called brettanomyces rather than the typical saccharomyces cerevisiae in the fermentation process. The "brett" gives the beer a funky, often sour, taste and can make for some interesting flavors. We enjoyed that as we took a listen to Deliverance, the album that River City Extension will release in March.

Next up was an American wild ale called Lolita from Chicago's Goose Island Beer Company. It's another strong one, coming in at 9% abv, flavored with raspberry. This was the second time I'd had this particular beer, and it's pretty damn good.

In this clip, you can hear Joe, Patrick, and me discuss Lolita and Necco Wafers. You can also hear me knock over the recorder at the beginning, but it gets better from there.



Two beers in, and it was time to get back to discussing music. With a new five-member lineup and a new album on the horizon, I was interested in finding out how River City Extension view their past output. We got into the band's philosophy when it comes to replacing / not replacing members who have left the band. We talked about how the "new" River City Extension may interpret the old songs, and we touched a bit on the departure of vocalist Sam Tacon.





In a bit of good timing, we got a preview of the band's new approach last week with a "Gardentakes" session during which they played a re-worked "Welcome to Pittsburgh."



Check back next week to hear the next installment of my conversation with Joe and Patrick. We should be pretty far into a few more beers by then. Should be fun.

Head over to River City Extension's website for details on this year's Simple Gifts 5, taking place at The Stone Pony on November 26th.

A Conversation with River City Extension, Part I

Photo: Chase Heaverlo of Shady Buffalo

Let's Talk Deliverance

Note: This is the first in a series of posts in which I'll share with you portions of my conversation with River City Extension's Joe Michelini and Patrick O'Brien. We sat in my backyard, drank a few beers, and had a long chat. You'll hear crickets, dogs, planes, trains, bottles and glasses knocking around. You'll also hear some very interesting insights on music and beer.

Toms River's River City Extension have been through some significant changes since the release of 2012’s excellent Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger. The then 8-piece band toured as far away as Australia for the album, eventually making their way back home for a triumphant Simple Gifts show at The Stone Pony. They played a jubilant and cathartic set to a crowd still recovering from the devastation of Superstorm Sandy. Since then, River City Extension have dealt with the departures of several significant members of that incarnation of the band. They played another installment of Simple Gifts -- a two-hour-plus show that drew from their entire catalog. They’ve also welcomed new members. Guitarist John Muccino joined the band for the Anger tour and stayed on to form the core trio – with singer / songwriter / guitarist Joe Michelini and keyboardist Patrick O’Brien – that recorded the band’s forthcoming LP, Deliverance, over the course of an 18-day Pocono retreat. With the additions of full-time bassist Josh Gilman and full-time drummer Steve Tambone, River City Extension are now a stream-lined five-piece.

That long process of change and growth is starting to bear fruit. River City Extension just yesterday released a video trailer for Deliverance and announced a release date of March 10th, 2015 for the new record.



They'll also be kicking off a tour with Augustana next week in Chicago that will make its way through 10 cities -- hitting New York's Webster Hall on November 20th -- before the band come back home for the fifth installment of their annual Thanksgiving Eve show at The Stone Pony on November 26th. That show also features a solid slate of local favorites in gods, EdTang and The Chops, and Prehistoric Forest. Head over to www.rivercityextension.com for all the details on that.

The members of River City Extension also love craft beer. Joe Michelini has become a student of brewing in the years that the band have spent on tour. He can name drop species of yeast with the best of them and loves trying new and interesting brews. I thought it would be fun, then, to spend an evening with him discussing the "new" band, their new record, this year’s Simple Gifts show at The Stone Pony, and beer.

A few weeks ago, Joe Michelini, Patrick O'Brien, and I took to my backyard where we enjoyed some great beer and great conversation. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting bits of our chat as we get closer to this year’s Thanksgiving Eve show.

We started the evening off by listening to Deliverance -- one time, straight through, very few comments -- as we enjoyed the Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale (A Belgian strong ale. 9% abv. All the beers we tried were pretty strong. You'll see.).

Afterwards, I turned on the recorder; and we sat down and discussed what we'd just heard. I gave a very quick, lightning first impression. Joe and Patrick talked a bit about the process of sequestering themselves in the Poconos for the recording as well as the band's approach, goals, and inspirations for the new album.

Just in case this isn't obvious, I start things off. The next voice you hear belongs to Joe Michelini, and Patrick O'Brien comes in at various points.



We'll be touching on more of these topics, discussing how the new composition of River City Extension will affect the band's approach to playing their old songs live, and nerding out over a few beers in the coming weeks. It was a wide-ranging conversation that got more and more fun as we tried more and more brews.

So stay tuned.

River City Extension's Joe Michelini Played Langosta Lounge, 3/8/14

Songs and (a few dark) Images

Joe Michelini played a solo, acoustic set on Saturday night at Langosta Lounge. I'm pretty sure that circumstances have been such that I've been able to catch just about every River City Extension / Joe Michelini local set over the last couple of years. I decided to keep my streak alive and see how far I could push the new camera in the darkness of Langosta Lounge.

Michelini played an hourlong set that included several selections from River City Extension's first two albums, previews of songs written since the band's last album, and a cover of a song that Michelini has called the best song he's ever heard. Familiar songs like "Ballad of Oregon" and "If You Need Me Back in Brooklyn" sound almost brand new when delivered simply on acoustic guitar, Michelini providing all of the vocals. As River City Extension evolves as a band -- both sonically and personnel-wise -- in the run-up to third LP, Deliverance, the new songs show a continued attention and dedication to the craft of writing a song. And Michelini once again paid homage to an excellent song, covering Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos' "A Journalist Falls in Love with Deathrow Inmate #16."

Here are a few pics from the set. Turns out Langosta Lounge without a flash is a tough go -- at least for someone with my level of experience.

STREAM: Joe Michelini, Live from The Wonder Bar, October 12th, 2013

Stream New Songs, Entire Set

We can accumulate lots of snapshots over the course of two or three years: Travels, holidays, family, friends, even strangers we meet along the way. Each photo can be wonderful in its own way, calling up a specific memory or feeling; but that doesn't mean that all of the photos hang together as a thematic whole. Life just isn't so neat. So it is with songwriting, apparently.

Like a photo album called Songs, 2011-2013. That's how River City Extension frontman Joe Michelini described the collection of songs he's written over the last several years. For River City Extension's upcoming LP, Deliverance, Michelini has culled ten tracks from that collection, all of which hang together on the theme of deliverance from self doubt.

Michelini played The Wonder Bar on October 12th, opening for Glenn Tilbrook in front of a hometown crowd. He gave us some lovely snapshots, like "Jackie," which won't appear on Deliverance. 

He performed "Deliverance, Part 2," written during his current tour. "Part 2" because, as the year went on and the snapshots piled up, the first "Deliverance" no longer fit with the other songs on the record.

I first heard "Indian Summer," I think, back in January during Michelini's solo set at Asbury's Berkeley Bar. He played the song again at The Wonder Bar, and it brought to mind my own picture of an intimate show on a snowy night by the beach. He closed last Saturday's set with yet another new song, "I'm Not There."

We also got some pictures from an earlier time. Michelini performed acoustic versions of "Today, I Feel Like I'm Evolving" from 2010's The Unmistakable Man and "Golden Tongue (Thanatopsis)" and "Ballad of Oregon" (during which he strummed his guitar right out of tune but soldiered on) from last year's excellent Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Anger. And, at one point, he let someone else's photo speak for him, covering We Are Augustines' "East Los Angeles."

River City Extension will be back in Asbury Park on November 27th for their fourth annual "Simple Gifts" Thanksgiving Eve show with Kevin Devine, Those Mockingbirds, and Harper's Fellow. It will be an opportunity to, once again, flip through the photo album with the band.

While you wait for that, you can stream Michelini's entire October 12th set below.

Glenn Tilbrook Played The Wonder Bar with River City Extension's Joe Michelini, 10/12/13

"Best of Times"

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Squeeze's Singles -- 45's and Under is one of the best compilation albums ever put together by any band. It came out when I was 12 or 13 years old, and all of the songs on that record are a big part of the soundtrack of my teens. Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook crafted some of the most enduring new wave pop masterpieces of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Fans of that record and all of Squeeze's proper albums, like me, were out in force last night to see Glenn Tilbrook play The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. MomVee and her husband joined CoolMom and me for the second weekend in a row; and, for once, I think we may have been part of the evening's younger contingent.

Now, I obviously go to a lot of shows. A lot of those shows are concerts by bands that I enjoyed in my youth or young adult years. What happens often at those types of shows is that you end up with a performer or a band running through their hits from twenty years ago, pleasing the crowd but appearing less than enthused about the whole thing. Glenn Tilbrook and his band, on the other hand, employed an array of interesting instruments and displayed obvious excitement and enthusiasm about their new material.

Percussionist Simon Hanson played "$10 bongos," an upside down storage bin, and a child's toy xylophone. Multi-instrumentalist Chris McNally played a baritone ukelele, keys, and a harmonium. Each took turns singing lead on songs they'd co-written with Tilbrook, who -- in addition to taking turns behind the drums, on the uke, and on keyboards -- sampled and played back the crowd from his iPad and astonished everyone with some serious acoustic guitar heroics.

Tilbrook peppered the set with versions of Squeeze songs like "Up the Junction," "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Black Coffee in Bed," and the crowd ate it all up. But he also played selections off of his upcoming solo record and 2008's Pandemonium Ensues with The Fluffers. Tilbrook's trademark vocals and virtuoso guitar anchored much of the more recent material.

Joe Michelini of Toms River's River City Extension opened the evening and had his share of fans in the hometown audience. He previewed four songs from River City Extension's upcoming LP, Deliverance, and did acoustic versions of "Golden Tongue," "Today I Feel Like I'm Evolving," and "Ballad of Oregon." He joined Tilbrook's band to close out the night with raucous performances of Squeeze classics "Take Me I'm Yours" and "Goodbye Girl." Tilbrook played guitar and iPad, while Michelini -- also on guitar -- took on his wild, River City Extension frontman persona.

Those in attendance last night got to see a talented young songwriter who just continues to get better in Joe Michelini and a pop master still near the top of his game -- and apparently enjoying every minute of it -- in Glenn Tilbrook.