New Single from A Bird

"Polluto"

Our old friend, Adam Bird, used to front Montclair alt-rock band, Those Mockingbirds. After dissolving that project in February of 2016, Bird set out to pursue some sounds and influences that took him down a different path than the neo-Gothic (not "Goth") rock leanings of his former band. Now making music under the moniker of A Bird, Adam has allowed a few electronic flourishes to creep into his sound; and, late last week, we heard the first product of those efforts in the form of single "Polluto."

Bird headed up to New Hampshire and recorded "Polluto" with producer Dean Baltulonis (The Hold Steady). The song swerves between straight-up rock and something a little more proggy with Bird declaring -- appropriately -- "I don't care. I'm never giving up. Starting over is still starting somewhere."

Of the song, Bird says, "The lyrics to ‘Polluto’ are about the feeling that everyone around you is judging you, the insecurity that it turns out many people have... ...I wanted to write this song as my own personal anthem of reminding myself to stop worrying about everyone else's opinions to the detriment of my own."

"Polluto" is available now at your favorite spot for acquiring musical bits and bytes.

You can catch A Bird live on 6/21 at Jersey City's Groove on Grove and on 7/18 at Hansil's in Oakland, NJ.

New Single from Those Mockingbirds

Photo: Rob Fitzgerald

"How the Story Goes"

Today, Those Mockingbirds are making their latest single available as a free download. The band recorded "How the Story Goes" with John Agnello (who's worked with Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, The Hold Steady, and more) at Asbury Park's Lakehouse Recording Studios. It's Those Mockingbirds' first recorded output in their new four-piece incarnation.

Absent are the violins and some of the Victorian or gothic trappings of last year's excellent Penny the Dreadful. In their place is a somewhat more wide-open sound that employs synths and beats along with the standard guitar / drums / bass setup. When I had a chance to talk with the band at their practice space last month, it was obvious that things were moving in that direction.

That's not to say that Those Mockingbirds have lost any of the big, alt rock sound that earned them the win in last year's WRAT Jersey Rock Showcase. On the contrary, "How the Story Goes" contains an explosive chorus and bridge that shows the band hewing closely to their rock and roll origins while expanding into some new territory.

Check out "How the Story Goes" below. Then, click on this link to automatically download your free copy of the song and artwork.

Those Mockingbirds Are Back (They Never Left) and Playing Wonder Bar (Acoustically) on 10/24, Maxwell's Tavern (Electrically) on 10/30

Change Is Good

Those Mockingbirds at The Stone Pony in February 2015

If I go by the pictures I have in my galleries, then the last time I saw Those Mockingbirds play live was during the final of the WRAT Jersey Rock Showcase back in February at The Stone Pony. The Montclair then 5-piece took the title and walked away with a beautiful Gibson acoustic guitar courtesy of Russo Music, 10 hours of recording time at Lakehouse Recording Studios, and a promise of several weeks worth of rotation on 95.9 The Rat. Their single "How to Rob a Bank" from last year's Penny the Dreadful did make it into heavy rotation on the station; and texts from friends on the Jersey Shore saying, "I just heard your song!" flowed in. Since then, I think there have been a few acoustic sets from frontman Adam Bird and maybe other members of the band; but, on the whole, Those Mockingbirds have been kind of quiet.

Adam messaged me several weeks ago to tell me that the band were preparing to release a new single and get back out for some shows. Would I like to come and hear a few of the new songs and have a chat about what the band's been up to, he asked. Our schedules finally aligned earlier this week, and I headed up to meet Those Mockingbirds at their practice space in Montclair. I can say, for sure, that not only have Those Mockingbirds been very busy during this period of relative quiet; but they're also ready to hit the ground running with a somewhat altered lineup and a leaner sound.

Following the departures of bassist Rob Fitzpatrick and keyboardist / violinist Tory Anne Daines, Those Mockingbirds wrote songs as the trio of Bird, Kyle Walters (guitar), and Kevin Walters (drums).

"We were writing songs right away," said Adam Bird. "We kind of kept our mouths shut and just figured that some people are gonna think that we're not a band anymore. Some people will ask us what the hell's going on, and some people won't give a fuck."

The band plugged away at new songs and started to find themselves moving in new directions.

Drummer Kevin Walters told me, "It was just the three of us in the room, and it was like, 'This is different.' But it was interesting different... ...A few less cooks in the kitchen. Not that it changed the writing dynamic for better or worse, but it was just different."

"We had a policy right away where we were like, 'We're not gonna change our practice schedule. It's just gonna be the three of us,'" said Bird. "I played bass for a little bit. It made rhythm come a lot more to the forefront."

Kevin Walters again, "That was a conscious thing. 'Let's find a beat that we like and just kind of roll with it.'"

The band have since added bassist Leanne Bowes and settled in to life as a quartet. The four-piece played five of their new songs for me. Selections ranged from the almost poppy, hook-driven "Cool Island Song" to the heavy "I Was Glass." Even in the heavier, harder rocking moments, there's been a move away from some of the gothic darkness of the band's earlier work. It was just a rehearsal, but the songs sounded tight. I could feel that Those Mockingbirds have settled into a comfortable place with the new material, and their excitement was obvious.

"I am so happy with the new songs that I am not really worried what people think about them because I am THAT happy with them," said Bird. "Of course, I hope that everybody loves it; but I'm just so psyched on it."

Those Mockingbirds are preparing to release a new single. They put their Lakehouse recording time to good use and worked there with John Agnello (who's worked with Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, and The Hold Steady to name just a few). "How the Story Goes" will be the first recorded taste of where the band are headed. As for the other songs they played for me on Wednesday night and the many others they've accumulated over the last several months, the band are still in the planning stages.

"You're about 18 months out from the release of Penny the Dreadful, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. A year and three or four months," confirmed Bird. "About time for new music."

You've got two chances in the next week or so to catch the revitalized Those Mockingbirds and to hear some of their new songs. This Saturday, October 24th, they'll be joining Dark City Entertainment's monthly Asbury Unplugged lineup. Those Mockingbirds will play as a full band, all acoustic. Then, next Friday, October 30th, the band play their first-ever show at the new Maxwell's Tavern in Hoboken. Joining them for that show are Franchise, Arrows In Her, and Archie Alone.

If you can, try to make it to one of those shows and say hi to new bassist Leanne. Then stay tuned here for more information as Those Mockingbirds hit us with new music. They're still here and you'll be hearing lots from them soon.

WRAT's Jersey Rock Bands on the Boardwalk Starts Tomorrow, 5/21

Those Mockingbirds won the Jersey Rock Band Search and kick off Jersey Rock Bands on the Beach this week with Francis Lombardi.

Francis Lombardi and Those Mockingbirds

95.9 WRAT have announced a short series of outdoor acoustic shows they're calling Jersey Rock Bands on the Beach. The series takes place just a stone's throw away from CoolDad Music HQ at Long Branch's Pier Village. Jersey Rock's own tireless supporter of local music, Nikki Black, hosts. The station promises "goodies and prizes" along with the FREE live music.

The first installment happens this Thursday, May 21st, at 6pm as Asbury troubadour, Francis Lombardi, and Jersey Rock Band Search winners, Those Mockingbirds, deliver acoustic sets on what's shaping up to be a cool and rain-free night on the Long Branch boards.

Doug Zambon and Emily Grove perform on May 28th, and June 4th sees performances from Bobby Mahoney and Back and Forth's Matty Carlock.

If you're looking to check out some free local music, these are a few dates definitely worth adding to your calendar.

Pics from the Jersey Rock Showcase and Band Search Finals at The Stone Pony, 2/12/15

Those Mockingbirds' Adam Bird accepts last night's prize for his band.

Congratulations to Montclair's Those Mockingbirds

Nikki Black, host of WRAT's Jersey Rock and tireless supporter of local music, emceed the finals of the Jersey Rock Showcase and Band Search last night at The Stone Pony. The winners of each of the preliminary rounds -- Those Mockingbirds, Paris Under Fire, and Prehistoric Forest -- gave it everything they had throughout three pretty great sets. At the end of the night, Montclair's Those Mockingbirds took home the prize over the pair of Toms River bands.

As winners, Those Mockingbirds will appear in eight weeks of rotation on 95.9 WRAT. Nikki assured us, though, that we'd be hearing all three bands on the station. In addition to the airplay, Those Mockinbirds received 10 hours of recording time at Lakehouse Recording Studio as well as a super sweet Gibson J45 standard acoustic guitar, donated by Asbury's Russo Music.

Yuengling sponsored all four rounds of the competition, and admission for each show was $5. All of the proceeds went to fund the music program in the Asbury Park school district. Asbury Park music teacher and showcase judge, Tanya Peterson, took the stage at the end of the evening to express her gratitude and to let us all know that she has witnessed, first-hand, the life saving effect that music can have on children. Definitely a moment to warm us all up on a cold night.

Congratulations to Those Mockingbirds, Paris Under Fire, and Prehistoric Forest for riding their sounds into the finals. Congratulations to WRAT and to Nikki Black for a successful event and for supporting such a great cause.

When's the next one?

Here are some photo highlights. Lots more in the Flickr galleries.

Pics of Prehistoric Forest / Those Mockingbirds at Wonder Bar

Live and Local

I cooked a big dinner on Saturday night for some of our extended family. A couple of Manhattans into the evening; and I thought that, this time, I may be in for the night. Then SIMGE Mike came through with a ride, and I was able to catch most of the Dark City "Live and Local" showcase at The Wonder Bar.

Prehistoric Forest did a great set of their early aughts sounding indie rock, vocalist Vince Matthews jumping, writhing, and rolling around on stage. Montclair alt rockers Those Mockingbirds, who appear to be just on the cusp of a breakout, shook things up inside just as the thunderstorms returned to rattle things on the street. They rolled off songs from their current LP Penny The Dreadful and offered it as a special pay-what-you-want deal to commemorate the evening.

Here are some photo highlights of both bands. Look for more up at Flickr. I'll get photos of a couple of the other bands that played -- Climbing The Walls and KENYA -- up there a little later.

The Everymen Started Their 7-Week US Tour at The Saint w/ GayGuy / StraightGuy, The Sound Is Fine, and Those Mockingbirds, 6/4/14

Save Travels

The Everymen will be bringing their pure New Jersey rock and roll -- a body-moving blend of Jersey greats like The Shirelles, Bruce Springsteen, and The Misfits -- to the rest of these United States over the next two months. Appropriately, they started things off with an all-New Jersey send off in Asbury Park.

Asbury locals GayGuy / StraightGuy once again shook The Saint, testing the limits of just how big a two-piece band can sound. Wayne's The Sound Is Fine kept things going with their pop-infused alt-rock; and Montclair's Those Mockingbirds turned in a tight, eight-song set comprised exclusively of songs from their upcoming debut full-length, Penny The Dreadful, due July 1st.

Scotch LaRock and SIMGE's Tara Tomaino made it to The Saint, following the sold-out Modern Baseball show at Asbury Lanes, just in time to get moving to The Everymen. Despite having an early on-air at WPRB the next morning on their way to Philly, The Everymen held back nothing as they rolled off songs from both of their LPs. Almost as soon as things were finished, The Everymen were loading up their van, Rosalita, for the next stop.

Below are some photo highlights of the show and the rest of The Everymen's dates. Head over to Flickr for full photo sets. And if you happen to find yourself in Boise, Idaho or Lawrence, Kansas or Florence, Alabama some night in the coming weeks, check your local listings. You may be able to find a little taste of home.



The Everymen on Tour
6/6/14 Washington, DC Velvet Lounge
6/7/14 Wilmington, NC Walker World Organic Artist Retreat
6/8/14 Raleigh, NC The Pour House (w/ The Battery Electric)
6/9/14 Charlotte, NC The Roux
6/10/14 Atlanta, GA 529
6/11/14 Jacksonville, FL Burro Bar
6/13/14 Miami, FL Gramp's
6/14/14 Orlando, FL Will's Pub
6/15/14 Pensacola, FL Handlebar
6/16/14 New Orleans, LA Checkpoint Charlie's
6/18/14 Dallas, TX Three Links Deep Ellum
6/19/14 Austin, TX Hotel Vegas
6/20/14 Lubbock, TX Bash Riprock's
6/21/14 Albuquerque, NM Burt's Tiki Lounge
6/22/14 Phoenix, AZ Trunk Space
6/23/14 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
6/25/14 Los Angeles, CA Cafe Nela
6/26/14 Oakland, CA Eli's Mile High Club
6/28/14 Seattle, WA TBD
6/29/14 Spokane, WA Baby Bar
6/30/14 Boise, ID Liquid
7/2/14 Salt Lake City, UT Burt's Tiki Lounge
7/3/14 Denver, CO 3 King's Tavern
7/5/14 Lawrence, KS Replay Lounge
7/6/14 Omaha, NE O'Leaver's
7/7/14 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
7/8/14 Minneapolis, MN TBD
7/9/14 Chicago, IL The Burlington
7/11/14 Madison, WI The Frequency
7/12/14 Milwaukee, WI TBD
7/13/14 St. Louis, MO Blank Space
7/14/14 Florence, AL 116
7/15/14 Nashville, TN TBD
7/17/14 Louisville, KY Zanzabar
7/18/14 Indianapolis, IN TBD
7/19/14 Youngstown, OH The Royal Oak
7/21/14 Boston, MA TBD
7/25/14 New York, NY Piano's

Show Preview: The Everymen, Tour Kickoff w/ Those Mockingbirds, The Sound Is Fine, Gay Guy / Straight Guy. Tonight, 6/4/14.

The Everymen's last appearance at The Saint was an absolute blast.

Givin' Up On Home Life

In his review of The Everymen's second full-length, Givin' Up On Free Jazz, our own Scotch LaRock said:

"I can see a night where my boardwalk stroll leads me into a night spot where the horn section is hot and Mike V and Catherine trade lead vocals. There's a crowd and everyone has their dancing shoes on. I sip a cold beer and make my way onto the dance floor. Yeah, I can see it."

That night is tonight.

The Everymen kick off their mega summer tour in support of the new record tonight with a return to The Saint. It's an all-New Jersey night of rock 'n roll on the Jersey Shore as Those Mockingbirds (whose first full-length, Penny The Dreadful, is due next month), The Sound Is Fine, and Asbury's Gay Guy / Straight Guy will be helping to send our good friends out on their trip from sea to shining sea.

So get your Wednesday night dancing shoes on and come out to sip a cold one with me and wish The Everymen Godspeed.

#CXCW Submission from NJ's Those Mockingbirds

"A Ballad From Hell"

Couch By Couchwest 2014 is going strong, and bands can still submit videos until noon on March 15th. New Jersey's Those Mockingbirds visited Boston and, for their 2014 submission, did a haunting acoustic version of single "A Ballad From Hell" in The Venetia Fair's living room.

I mentioned the other day that Couch By Couchwest is a great way to discover new music, and Those Mockingbirds are just the kind of band on the rise that you can hope to encounter if you "attend" the festival. Be sure to check out Couch By Couchwest, and stay tuned here for more news about Those Mockingbirds.

River City Extension: Simple Gifts 4 at The Stone Pony, 11/27/13

Hey, Thanks

We don't have a lot of traditions here at CoolDad Music HQ, but the ones we do have seem to bunch up at Thanksgiving. I cook the turkey. CoolMom always makes mashed sweet potatoes with a bit of chipotle pepper thrown in. My new tradition is heading out to The Stone Pony on Thanksgiving Eve to see River City Extension.

This was the second year of my new tradition. In trying to figure out how to write this up, I thought I'd just kind of list all the things for which last night made me realize I'm truly thankful.

I'm thankful for CoolMom and the cooldaughters. Before I headed out last night, I got to watch CoolDaughter #2 swim at her swim lesson and open her first night's Hanukkah presents. I got to drive CoolDaughter #1 to her own swim practice and spend time talking to her in the car. As I left for the show, I thought about how lucky and thankful I am to have a family that accepts me and lets me be the person I am.

I'm thankful for the friends I've made through CoolDad Music. My companion for the show was a fellow cooldad that I met through the site. I used to go to shows alone all the time. I enjoyed it. But now, I'm always running into people I've met or worked with through the blog. It's nice to share things like last night with other people.

I'm thankful for Speak Into My Good Eye and the support they've shown me throughout 2013. They gave me a platform and pretty much let me do my own thing. It was nice to see both Chris and Mike last night, and I look forward to continuing to work together.

I'm thankful that I started paying closer attention to the local scene and came across bands like Harper's Fellow. They started things off last night, playing songs from their excellent debut LP, some covers, and some new songs. Cortney Metzler writes some really great songs that she delivers in her beautiful voice, and the rest of the band -- Eric Castellazzo, Brendan Smith, and Alex Ford -- provide just enough New Jersey atmosphere to keep things from veering into full-on country territory.

I'm thankful that I finally got to see a full set from Montclair's Those Mockingbirds. At the Tiny Giant Summer Bummer back in June, I had to leave during their set. Last night, they shook The Stone Pony with their singular brand of alt rock and made me think that they could be poised to move well beyond New Jersey at any moment.

I'm thankful that Kevin Devine was on the bill. He joined Those Mockingbirds on a cover of "Fortunate Son" and whipped the crowd into a frenzy during his own set. Early on, he threw in a quick reminder of last year's Simple Gifts show by giving us a few moments of "The Beers" by last year's openers, The Front Bottoms.

I'm thankful that River City Extension make this show special for their hometown fans every year. They played a two-hour set that covered their entire discography along with several tracks destined for the band's third full-length. Frontman Joe Michelini and guitarist John Muccino were non-stop motion and energy. Bassist Colin DiMeo and multi-instrumentalist Patrick O'Brien had expressions of pure joy on their faces for the entire set, and drummer Mike Costaney was the smiling, laid-back presence I've grown used to seeing as part of side-project Thanks.

I'm thankful that River City Extension brought along a string section to enhance their sound. There's just something about watching a violinist or cellist on stage who can play so beautifully while keeping up with the lead guitarist in kinetic energy.

I'm thankful that River City Extension don't feel that they're boxed into a singular sound or style. New song "Man of Conviction" is the band's interpretation of disco and has me looking forward to Deliverance.

I'm thankful that I positioned myself outside the intense and annoying bro-zone, mosh pit that formed about halfway through the main set. I didn't have a particularly good vantage point for pictures, but safety first.

Finally, I'm thankful for anyone who spends even a minute to stop by and check out my little vanity project here at CoolDad Music. It means a lot.

Sweet potatoes mashed. Turkey in the oven. Time to crack open a Unibroue and wait for the family to arrive.

Happy Thanksgiving.



And here's what I got for the setlist. Let me know if I messed up / missed anything.

Friends and Family
South for the Winter
*New*
If You Need Me Back In Brooklyn
Point of Surrender
*New*
Something Salty, Something Sweet
Letter To Lainie
It's No Ha-Ha-Ha
Welcome to Pittsburgh
(I Had Thought About This In) March
Girls (*New*)
Our New Intelligence
If I Still Own A Bible
Slander
Down, Down, Down
There and Back Again
Man of Conviction (*New*)
Ballad of Oregon
Everything West of Home / Brooklyn (Reprise)
Today I Feel Like I'm Evolving

Nautical Sabbatical
Elephant