New Single from Lowlight

Lowlight from the very last set I shot before the world changed. Not the best pic ever, but I had to get the disco ball into at least one shot for Renee.

"Julian"

Am I gonna start every post from now on by saying how I haven't been posting much lately because I just haven't felt like it? We'll see, I guess.

I was exchanging messages with good friend Renee Maskin of Lowlight yesterday. At one point, I mentioned how CoolDad Music has kind of been on life support for a while now and how I thought maybe it would become another casualty of the pandemic. The main context of our chat, though, was my telling Renee how much I'd been enjoying Lowlight's latest single, "Julian." I told her how refreshing it was to hear Lowlight continue to try new things. What I didn't explicitly say (but I think I implied) was that the song's epic sweep (It's nearly 8 minutes of epic sweep that absolutely flies by. Trust me.) and hopeful tone helped to keep things going here for at least one more day.

"Julian" provided me with a little moment of inspiration, and I asked Renee to share some thoughts about the song:

"Despite its runtime, "Julian" is a song that came together relatively quickly. It’s also a true Lowlight collaboration. Sometimes, we all write on our own and then present the rest of the band something that's structurally set in stone. But, in this case, we really molded the different elements of the "Julian" together.  Derril [Sellers] and Dana [Sellers] had the initial chord change ideas. I suggested that the song shift to a long instrumental ending. Colin [Ryan], Rey [Rivera], Derril, and Dana went to town on putting it together, while I shuffled around with a notebook, listening, and trying to figure out what the lyrics should be about.  

I had been getting comments recently that my lyrics are often pretty depressing (as if I wasn't aware). So I thought I'd take a shot at writing something a little more upbeat. And, while the song is not all sunshine and fucking rainbows, I think the takeaway is mainly hopeful. There are moments of depression, confusion, and disappointment. But there's also love, appreciation of the people and things we have, and hope for what's to come. 

We had no idea that we’d collectively as humans be in the mess we're in right now by the time "Julian" was released. With any luck, some of that feeling of hope in the song will rub off on whoever listens."

Julian is available now at your favorite streaming service via Telegraph Hill Records.

Heart Bones Played The Saint with Real Dominic, Dentist, and Lowlight, 3/7/20

Heart Bones at The Saint

Hot Dish

I wrote some things about Heart Bones' debut LP, Hot Dish, here a few days ago. It was the first album review sort of thing I've done here in quite a while. Ever since it came out, Hot Dish has been a goto album for me; so I was understandably excited by the prospect of having any involvement with Heart Bones' show at The Saint. Chris Dickman and I booked the locals and spent the last few months extolling the virtues of Heart Bones to anyone who would listen to us. And, damn, Asbury showed up. It was a packed Saturday at The Saint from the moment that Dentist took the stage to kick things off.

It's been about a month since Dentist played locally as a full band. The early crowd was large and enthusiastic. The band have recently holed up to work on some new songs. They brought three of those out on Saturday. My initial impressions are that Dentist continue to get better and better. It's hard for me to put into words, but the new songs reveal a clear evolution of the band's songwriting and sound while keeping all of those things that we love about Dentist. I'm looking forward to being able to sit down with the new tracks and give them a proper listen.

New York's Real Dominic was next. Dom Rabalais puts on a show that incorporates burlesque, metal, club music, projected visuals, multiple costume changes, dance, athleticism, and a giant sword. For, maybe, the first few seconds, the crowd didn't know what was going on. After that, they didn't care and just got swept up in the freakiness. Real Dominic had an accomplice who was taking video of all the proceedings, they passed me the camera as Dom called them onstage; and I used it to shoot a workout routine that consisted of Real Dominic doing calisthenics and pushups with another human being on their back.

Heart Bones had the 10pm slot. In keeping with the band's 80s aesthetic, Sean Tillmann and Sabrina Ellis took the stage in Members Only Jackets. The pair's chemistry was evident from the get-go. They cycled through dance moves that had the appearance of being both choreographed and utterly spontaneous. They laughed with each other throughout the set and, at one point, got the whole crowd moo-ing in unison. Tillmann took out his phone and took a video from the stage to send a hello back home to the band members' significant others.

The energy of the already infectious Hot Dish tracks ratchets up to 11 during the live performance. "Open Relations," "Claws '87," "Beg for It," "Little Dancer," "This Time It's Different," and everything else from the record had the crowd moving and sweating right along with the band. A cover of The Jets' "Crush on You" was a blast as well. I've said it before, but Tillmann and Ellis are two of the most "all-in" performers you'll ever see. That creates a connection with the crowd that few other acts can achieve. More than one person told me after the set (and this is 100% true) that Heart Bones are their new favorite band. I was still getting texts saying the same thing the next day. So there you go.

After a short break, local heroes Lowlight came on to take us into the wee hours of Sunday morning with a late set. They sounded absolutely epic. They grabbed the crowd, nearly spent from a few hours with the gas pedal stomped firmly to the floor, and shook them awake for one, final push. People left with the strains of "Horsefoot" or "Bones" still ringing in their ears and probably even forgot they'd be losing a precious hour of sleep to daylight savings time.

Nights like Saturday give me the energy to keep going, not only here at the blog but also just day-to-day. A pair of touring bands coming through and willing the Asbury crowd over to their side. Two of the absolute powerhouse local acts from town. Our friends at The Saint and Little Dickman. All at a packed house. It doesn't get any better.

All of the pictures from the evening are up in the Flickr galleries.

New Stuff from Old Friends: Lowlight, Dentist, Screaming Females

Friends & Family

Some CoolDad Music mainstays have been putting out some cool stuff lately, and I decided to get off my ass and tell you about it.

Lowlight, "Coastlines"

Lowlight had a big summer. August saw the band head out on a jaunt around the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. They released their fantastic Endless Bummer LP on September 13th, and they capped everything off with a triumphant weekend at Asbury Park's Sea.Hear.Now. Festival just as the summer was officially drawing to a close.

Well, there was one more thing. As September gave way to October, Lowlight released the video for Endless Bummer and live set standout, "Coastlines." Using footage gathered from that August tour, the band give us a glimpse into life on the road and time spent with friends. The song is a twangy, rocking rambler that I've loved from the moment I first heard it. It's the perfect soundtrack to Lowlight's mini road movie and, really, to any of life's literal or figurative journeys.

And we get some bonus RockNRoll Hi-Fives in there, too.

Lowlight will be at The Saint in Asbury Park on Halloween with America Part Two, Shred Flintstone, Idle Wave, and Blaise.

Endless Bummer is out now on Telegraph Hill / Gruesome Twosome.



Dentist, "Someone Like You"

At our show with A Giant Dog, Dentist, and The RockNRoll Hi-Fives at The Saint back in July, Dentist treated us to a new song they'd been working on. They took "Someone Like You" into Oceanport's Simple Sound Studio; and, yesterday, the band released the single accompanied by a new video.

"Someone Like You," like a lot of Dentist tracks, presents a sunny, smiling face to the world; while something slightly more melancholy sits just beneath the surface. Dentist have their sound so dialed in at this point that creating dreamy, reverby, crunchy pop seems almost effortless for them.

The Sean Bell-directed video reveals that Dentist's pop expertise doesn't translate to home improvement. The clip features power tools, an attempt to hammer a screw into a block of wood, and comedic gore. It's also probably the only 3-minute song to feature a lunch break.

Dentist are currently out on tour with Brick + Mortar. That run makes its final stop at the new Lanes on 11/2.

"Someone Like You" is available now from Cleopatra Records via your digital platform of choice.



Screaming Females, "Ancient Civilization"

Here's something I probably should have told you about by now, but I'm getting in just under the wire. This Friday, 10/18, Screaming Females will release Singles Too via Don Giovanni Records. The collection brings together around 15 years' worth of non-album tracks including early 7-inches and digital-only releases. Download and CD versions of the album will add 6 covers, including songs originally done by Neil Young, Taylor Swift, and Patti Smith.

This morning, Screaming Females released the final pre-release track, "Ancient Civilization." The song originally appeared, I think, on a 2013 split with Wisconsin's Tenement (which I own). It's a doomy storm of Marissa Paternoster guitar heroics from right around that time when I took my buddy to see Screaming Females, Tenement, and Waxahatchee at the old Asbury Lanes and he just about lost his shit.

Screaming Females have a couple of area shows this weekend. They play a set at OctFest 2019 at Knockdown Center in Queens on Saturday, 10/19. On Sunday, 10/20, the band headline the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market after party at Championship Bar and Grill with Dusk and Freya Wilcox & The Howl.

Singles Too is out Friday, 10/18, via Don Giovanni.

New Songs from Lowlight, Pocket Protector, pioneer the eel, and Hammered Hulls

Lowlight return to Danny Clinch Gallery in Asbury on 8/16.

Check These Out

It's been a couple of weeks full of new and interesting things. I used to do these round-up posts all the time, and I figured it was time to get back to it.

Lowlight, "Horsefoot"

Our very good friends in Lowlight are readying their next album, Endless Bummer, for release via Telegraph Hill Records / Gruesome Twosome Records on September 13th. Last Friday, they shared the album's first single, "Horsefoot."

The song has been part of Lowlight's live set for a while now, and the studio version definitely finds the band moving further afield from their alt-country beginnings. The song starts with Renee Maskin singing, "I need room to move" and proceeds to provide that as it weaves through an expansive soundscape of synths, percussion, and guitars.

You can catch Lowlight at a couple of pre-release parties for the album on August 16th at Danny Clinch Transparent Gallery in Asbury Park and on August 17th at Old Franklin Schoolhouse in Metuchen. Each show will offer custom, specific-to-the-day merch for those who pre-order the album. Lowlight will also be playing the second Sea.Hear.Now. Festival in Asbury Park on September 22nd.



Pocket Protector, "Blast Friend"

About a month and a half ago, we premiered the first single from Brooklyn's Pocket Protector. The band are preparing their debut album, Room on Pacific; and our friends over at Speak Into My Good Eye shared the second single from that set last week.

"Blast Friend" is power pop with a little sprinkle of Guided By Voices. It talks about that friend who's such a mess that the shrapnel of their life ends up landing on anyone within range. "Hold on tight for detonation / Tragic blast friend."

You can see Pocket Protector at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on August 26th, for free, when CoolDad Music and Happy Mondays bring them to town on a show that also features Francie Moon and the band whose name is an unpronounceable symbol (Our buddy, Alex Rosen, of Hot Blood plays guitar in that one).



pioneer the eel, "Pereo"

Since their 2016 debut, pioneer the eel (Victor Fernandes, Wayne Green, and Craig Monaco) have added Tom Barrett on bass and Adam Bird on synths. They showcased their new, expanded sound with the premiere of their new single, "Pereo," over at You Don't Know Jersey last week.

Atmospheric and modern, the six-minute "Pereo" shows why pioneer the eel are one of the most interesting and innovative bands releasing music in New Jersey right now. The single is out now via Mint 400 Records. Expect an album on the label later this year.



Hammered Hulls, "Written Words"

Hammered Hulls are a DC supergroup featuring Mary Timony (bass), Chris Wilson (drums), Marc Cisneros (guitar), and Alec MacKaye (vocals). Last week, the band announced that their three-song debut, recorded by Don Zientara and Ian MacKaye at Inner Ear Studios, would be available via Dischord on August 9th. They accompanied the announcement with the release of their first single, "Written Words."

The song is tense, high-strung post-hardcore with MacKaye spitting out rapid-fire lyrics over rat-a-tat drums and high-pitched guitar. Hammered Hulls will be in the area on August 29th when they play Brooklyn's Union Pool with Clear Channel.

You can pre-order the single over at Hammered Hulls' Bandcamp page.

8th Annual Garden State Beard & 'Stache Competition w/ Lowlight, Coach N' Commando, Old Lady at The Whitechapel Projects on 4/27

Stay Weird. Keep Growing.

For the second year, CoolDad Music will be an official presenter of the Garden State Beard & 'Stache competition. Like our last go-round, we'll be joining forces with The Garden State Beard and Mustache Society and Little Dickman Records to bring you an evening of weirdness, beardness, and great music.

This year's event takes place at the new Whitechapel Projects in Long Branch, NJ on Saturday, April 27th. Attendees will be able to partake of Whitechapel Projects' nano-brews and eclectic menu while enjoying all of the festivities. As usual, there will be competitions in several beard and 'stache-related categories, celebrity judges, and great bands. Once again, the event will be in support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

More details will follow in the coming days, but here's what we can tell you now:

Al "Verbal Tease" Verbenko will be our master of ceremonies.



The Pinups for Mental Health Awareness will be on-site to assist with the proceedings and to provide information on making your community safer from suicide and raising awareness for mental health issues.



And, the bands...

We've got three of our favorites on tap for the show!

Coach N' Commando!



Lowlight!



Old Lady! (This one is from our recent "Rock or Die VI" Day Party down in Austin.)



You can RSVP for the event and watch this space for more details as they roll in. Come on out. Bring your friends. It's gonna be a time.

And remember. If you are ever in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

New (ish) Stuff from Lots of Friends: Sharkmuffin, Lyons, Yawn Mower, Lowlight, Dentist

Yawn Mower released a new EP of 90s covers last week.

Catching Up

Lots of travel and just a lack of motivation have led to a big backup in the old CoolDad "stuff I want to tell you about" file. I'm gonna try and kick out a couple of album reviews this weekend; but, in the meantime, here are some shorter form items that deserve your attention.

Sharkmuffin, "Fate"

Sharkmuffin will release EP, Gamma Gardening, via Exploding In Sound Records on April 4th. Last week, the band gave us single "Fate." It's a loping, dreamier version of Sharkmuffin's usual noisy, left-of-center sound.

There's a release show for Gamma Gardening on April 5th at Brooklyn's ALPHAVILLE. that also features Haybaby, Catty, and Gustaf.



Lyons, "Islands"

Asbury park post-punk, dream pop five-piece, Lyons, have been on a bit of a hiatus as a couple of their members took some maternity leave. The band are gearing up for a return; and, a couple of weeks ago, they released a video for single "Islands." The clip, directed by Stu-Stu Studios and Eric Hackler, captures the moody vibe of the song through the use of black and white, slow motion, and images of the natural beauty of Lyons's home locale. The song features the chiming guitars and haunting vocals that I've missed so much over the last few months and has me pining for the band's return.



Yawn Mower, Why Work Harder Than You Have To

Last weekend at The Saint, Yawn Mower (and friends) celebrated the release of the band's latest EP for Mint 400 Records. Songwriting, according to Biff and Chick, is hard. With that in mind, the duo released another EP of covers called Why Work Harder Than You Have To. This one is 90s-themed, featuring songs by They Might Be Giants ("Dr. Worm"), Beck ("Fume"), The Promise Ring ("The Jersey Shore"), The Presidents of the United States of America ("Lump"), and Tom Petty ("You Don't Know How It Feels").

And, while the band would tell you they chose to do another covers EP out of laziness, the attention to detail on all of the songs reveals a level of effort you might not expect given the EP's title. Expanding on the band's live, two-piece format, the songs here feature trumpet, melodica, and bass.

As a longtime They Might Be Giants fan, "Dr. Worm" is a standout track for me. "Fume," at least to me, is a Beck deep cut -- a song from the Loser EP -- from that most Yawn Mower-esque Beck era. All of the songs, though, fit well with the overall quirky and not-too-serious Yawn Mower vibe.

Why Work Harder Than You Have To is available now.



Lowlight, "Give It a Minute"

Way back at the beginning of March, Lowlight released, "Give It a Minute," the second single from their upcoming Telegraph Hill Records release, Endless Bummer. The song has a rumbling, Western vibe to it; and I joked with lead-singer Renee Maskin when I first heard it, "If 'Burkhalter' was your The Big Lebowski, this is your The Ballad of Buster Scruggs." And, while I was kidding, I think that does get at the cinematic feel Lowlight bring to all of their songs. Even without an accompanying video, "Give It a Minute" spools out like a road movie before your eyes.



"Give It a Minute" is available now via all the streaming platforms.

Lowlight will be playing at FM in Jersey City on April 5th with Babraham Lincoln, Fairmont, and Gillian. They'll also be playing a couple of times at Metuchen's Franklin Music Fest along with a bunch of our friends. That runs from April 12th through 14th.

Dentist, "Alone in the Garden"

While we were all together galavanting around Austin for South By Southwest, Dentist premiered their video for Night Swimming track, "Alone in the Garden." The band, once again, worked with director Dana Yurcisin and producer Biff Swenson ("The Latter"). The team take the "performance clip" format and turn it on its head with a wild and frantic video that mirrors the tense and stressed out vibe of both the song and Night Swimming as a whole. Unsurprisingly, the clip has a similar aesthetic to the video for "The Latter," combining some trippy animation with the live action.

Dentist play Asbury Park Yacht Club on April 6th with Slow Caves. They'll also be at Franklin Music Fest on April 13th.

Odds and Ends. Catching Up.

Twin Peaks at Wonder Bar

Quiet But Busy

I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but I've really had a hard time sitting down and focusing on writing for the blog lately. The last 12 months have been stressful, to say the least; and I'm sure anyone who's been dealing with some heavy issues in their life can relate to the exhaustion and loss of focus that can come with just getting through every day. That said, I have maintained a pretty rigorous show-going schedule. I've been taking pictures and trying to keep the CoolDad Music Instagram account active. One of the things that I used to pride myself on here at CoolDad Music, though, was sharing the details of my live music experiences. With that in mind, here are some of the highlights from the past week or so.

Thursday, 9/27. Alvvays, Snail Mail, Hatchie at Warsaw

No camera for Alvvays, so phone pics will have to do.

It feels like I had tickets to this one for months. Turns out that was a good idea because Alvvays sold out three consecutive nights at Warsaw in Brooklyn. Thursday was their second night at the venue headlining an absolutely amazing bill that also featured Snail Mail and Australia's Hatchie.

A few weeks ago, it became clear that CoolMom wasn't gonna make this one, so I reached out to my fellow Alvvays fans, the Bornemanns, to see if anyone wanted to join me. Emily already had plans to see one of the shows, so Justin and I made the trip up to Brooklyn together. This was the second time that I wasn't able to obtain photo credentials to shoot Alvvays in Brooklyn; so it was just enjoy the show with my buddy, which is always cool. Oh, also, pierogies.

Opener Hatchie, whose Sugar & Spice EP came out this past spring, opened with her ethereal and accessible dream pop. I heard a lot of 80s alternative pop influence in her sound -- at one point turning to Justin and mentioning that I was getting a John Hughes movie vibe. I also kept thinking of The Sundays.

Hatchie

Snail Mail have been relentless road dogs since the release of Lush back in June. I felt like they changed up the tempo on a couple of the songs like "Heat Wave" and "Pristine" from the recorded versions, slowing things down just a bit. Even so, the set flew by and I was surprised and slightly bummed when it ended. Always leave 'em wanting more isn't a bad thing, though. There was a healthy portion of the sold-out crowd that was there specifically to see Lindsey Jordan and company, and they ate it up.

Snail Mail

A couple of random notes from Snail Mail's set: Drummer Ray Brown carried his snare on stage in a case adorned with a RockNRoll HiFives sticker. Lindsey Jordan's referring to Alvvays as a "no mistakes core" band was spot on.

Alvvays blew me away. As Jordan pointed out, they were amazingly tight and on-point. Molly Rankin's vocals were so perfect that I had to look and listen closely a couple of times just to see whether or not the band were playing to tracks. They weren't. The set was everything I, as a big fan of the band, could have wanted. It featured my favorite songs ("In Undertow," "Lollipop," "Plimsoll Punks," "Adult Diversion," "Next of Kin," and stone classic "Archie, Marry Me," among others) from both of Alvvays's stunning albums. Understandably, the set was heavier on the band's sophomore record, Antisocialites; but that was fine by me.

This ranks as one of the best bills / shows, top-to-bottom, that I've seen.

Saturday, 9/29. Twin Peaks, Lowlight at Wonder Bar for Sea. Hear. Now Late Show

Twin Peaks

I didn't make it to any of the Sea. Hear. Now festival this weekend in Asbury Park. From what I saw on Instagram and Facebook, it looked absolutely packed. When Chris Dickman and I got to Asbury Park on Saturday night for this show, the place was hopping.

The cooldaughters had their first swim meet of the season this weekend, and heading out to an all-day festival for two days just wasn't in the cards for me. When Lowlight announced they'd be opening this after-show for Twin Peaks, though. I immediately made plans to attend.

As I waited on the ID line to get into the venue, multiple groups of festival-goers in front of me opted to leave rather than pay the $23 cover at the door. I guess I understand that given that they'd already paid for a two-day festival pass and would be able to catch Twin Peaks on the Park Stage the following night. But I can just about guarantee that seeing the band on the big festival stage was nothing compared to seeing them in what ended up being a rowdy, sweaty, and packed-out Wonder Bar.

First things first, though. I did my usual thing (which is, admittedly, getting kind of old) of getting inside and walking up front to stake out a spot to shoot the photo-pitless show. [Aside: Yes, the "three songs and out" rule in the photo pit is arbitrary and annoying; but give me a photo pit and its forced limitations over fighting the crowd every day of the week.] Twin Peaks' fans seem pretty dedicated, and the crowd was already filling in an hour or more before the band was set to take the stage. I was pretty much stuck with one vantage point for the entire show, but that's life.

Lowlight

Lowlight kicked things off and really connected with the Twin Peaks crowd. Lowlight's synth-soaked, expansive sound may not seem like an obvious pairing with Twin Peaks' garage rock leanings; but everyone around me up front was pretty much going nuts for them. That's a testament right there to the fact that good songs always win out. This was another case where the opening set was just a little too short for me, but something tells me I'll catch Lowlight again.

Twin Peaks fans

By the time Twin Peaks hit the stage, Wonder Bar was either sold out or damn close to it. The Chicago band put on a great live show, and their fans love them. I stuck it out up front to get a few shots, but I started to feel like I should let some of these people get up close to their heroes and bailed after a few songs. I kept watching from different points in the venue, and the guys had the crowd going apeshit. Again, if you opted to wait until you saw this band on the big stage outside (where I'm sure they were great, but still...), you done blew it.

Sunday, 9/30. The RockNRoll HiFives at Hoboken Fall Arts & Music Festival

The RockNRoll HiFives

The Centenos have relocated their base of operations to North Carolina, but yesterday they returned to New Jersey to play an afternoon set at the Hoboken Fall Arts & Music Festival. They played the big stage; and, at one point, Joe commented on how cool it was to be playing that stage in Hoboken after all the years he and Gloree had spent walking up and down Washington Street together.

I made the trip up to my early-90s home to catch and catch-up with my friends. They had a good crowd of supporters as well as, I'm sure, people seeing them for the first time. It was a beautiful day; and, as always, The RockNRoll HiFives gave it everything they had in a high-energy, ultra-positive set. Joe flew threw the air. Eilee wildly tossed her hair. Gloree and Evren held everything together with precision.

Not all heroes wear capes, but some do.

When they were done, it was hugs and a little bit of chit-chat before I headed back home for dinner with the CoolFamily. It was a quick hit, but totally worth it.
________________________________________________________________________________

So that's that. I'm really going to make a concerted effort to get some reviews and stuff posted on the site this week, especially with the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival -- which I'm co-sponsoring again -- coming up this Saturday at White Eagle Hall. No promises, but you can always stay up to date with my comings and goings by keeping an eye on the Flickr galleries and Instagram.

NJ Stuff from The Skullers, Lowlight, and The RockNRoll Hi-Fives

Lowlight released a live album last week.

Catching Up

I've been trying to build a little bit of blog / life balance into my routine lately. The obsession with cycling that consumed me in my late teens / early twenties has returned, and I've been getting out there almost daily this summer. And I've been making an effort to spend a little more time with the coolfamily rather than out at so many shows. That's led to my posting a lot less around here and falling waaay behind on the email and release games. Oh well. There have been a few things recently that I've been meaning to call your attention to, so here are some of those.

The Skullers, "I'm Your Man"

Last month, NJ blues rockers The Skullers released a cover of Richard Hell's "I'm Your Man." All proceeds from the song go to benefit Career Gear. Career Gear provides "professional clothing, mentoring and life-skills to help men in poverty become stronger contributors to their families and communities."

The band had the opportunity to meet with the Career Gear team in their New York offices and donated some suits to help further the organization's mission.



The Skullers' take on the Richard Hell b-side combines singer / guitarist Jack Skuller's passion for the blues with bassist Luigi Sardi's punk leanings into a version that's become a fan favorite at the band's live shows. Check out the Skullers' cover of "I'm Your Man" below.

The band will play the Johnny Thunders Birthday Bash at The Bowery Electric on July 15th.



Lowlight, It's Later Than You Think

Two of my favorite live music moments from the last 18 months or so happened both times I saw Lowlight open for Pretenders. The first time, at Terminal 5, I got a little choked up watching friends of mine play the stage at a big venue in the big city as they opened for rock royalty. The second time, at Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre, it was wonderful to see the outpouring of support from all of the Jersey locals who turned out and helped sell out the show. In both cases, as always, Lowlight gave an honest and heartfelt performance. That's always been the appeal of the band to me. No matter how many times I see them live or hear their songs, the band deliver the set as if it were the first (or maybe the last) time.

Last week, Lowlight released a live album that was recorded during their last run with Pretenders. It's Later Than You Think includes live renditions of cuts from both the band's full-length (Where Do We Go From Here) and their recent EP (Born to Run).

The versions here of, say, "Motel Chronicles," "'86 Parisienne," or "Nights and Weekends" illustrate what I'm talking about. Even through a recording, Lowlight's live performance reaches into your chest and grabs you in a way that few other bands do.

The set also includes performances of some unreleased songs like "California Blue" and songwriter Renee Maskin's journalistic observations of life in Asbury Park, "Locals Only." Both of these tracks should, once and for all, get people to stop trying to pigeonhole Lowlight as a country / Americana act. And no Lowlight live recording would be complete without a bit of Maskin's trademark TV-MA ("My mom hates this.") banter.

It's Later Than You Think is out now.



The RockNRoll Hi-Fives, Re-Introducing The RockNRoll Hi-Fives

At the risk of fully transforming this site into CoolDadMusicRockNRollHiFives.com, I need to at least tell you about the band's debut full-length, which came out last week.

I've reviewed every one of The RockNRoll Hi-Fives' EPs: here, here, and here. I've booked the band for many, many shows (including the first show I ever threw in 2014). I freaking lived with the Centenos for two weeks as we toured Japan this past April. There's no possible way for me to be impartial about this record. With all that out of the way, I can tell you that this album is an absolute blast. Made up of most of the band's 2016 EP, the Beat the Sound the Dragon's Roar, four new tracks, and Hi-Fives' classic "Livin' the Lost Boy Life," Re-Introducing The RockNRoll Hi-Fives is a glam-infused, hook-filled, loud rock and roll party.

You can hear the increased confidence and skill that have come from doing this family project for the last four-or-so years. Relatively new musicians Gloree, Evren, and Eilee have grown into serious rockers; and veteran guitar hero, Joe, doesn't have to do anywhere near as much of the heavy lifting as before. Eilee has become a legitimate force as a frontperson. Moonlight Mile Recording's Mike Moebius has captured all of this perfectly.

I've seen The RockNRoll Hi-Fives perform almost more times than I can count. I can't hear "Hold On" without seeing Eilee's sneakers stomp around the stage in time with the chugging chorus. I can't hear "Same Mistakes" without seeing her throw her hair as she sings "Honey You. Make the Same! Mis! Takes! I! Do!" I can see Joe doing his "guitar jumping jacks" or running back and forth across the stage during "C'est La Vie." And, while you may not have the same images in your mind as I do, I think anyone listening to this can feel that same energy.

I think I've said some version of this in every one of the reviews I've written of a RockNRoll Hi-Fives' release, so I'll say it again: Music connects people. The RockNRoll Hi-Fives connect with each other as they make music and, in doing that, they bring us all into their orbit.

Re-Introducing The RockNRoll Hi-Fives is out now on Little Dickman Records.

PHOTOS: Foxanne & Andy Cook Celbrated EP Releases at Rose Gold with Lowlight and Evening Darling, 4/13/18

Foxanne

Photos By Rose Lamela

Brooklyn's Foxanne and Minneapolis artist Andy Cook celebrated EP releases with a show at Rose Gold on Friday, April 13th. Good Eye Records helped throw that party and stacked the bill with the additions of Lowlight and Evening Darling. Our, suddenly, extremely busy contributor, Rose Lamela, was there to document all of the action. Check out her photos below.

Foxanne's halfling and Andy Cook's Modern Man are available now.

Foxanne

Lowlight

Andy Cook

Evening Darling