Dogs On Acid Played The Saint w/ Pig Rypper, Wreaths, Dentist, and Grand Mariner, 8/30/15 (PHOTOS)

Happy Birthday Biff Swenson

It was a Sunday night party for Yawn Mower / Pig Rypper drummer Biff Swenson at The Saint. An extremely well-curated bill helped ease the transition from weekend to work week even if I am kind of exhausted today.

Howell lo-fi surf rockers, Grand Mariner, kicked things off and were impressive as usual. Dentist played to a large and enthusiastic crowd and didn't disappoint. New drummer Rudy Meier is fitting in quite nicely. Philly's Dogs On Acid (ft. members of Hop Along, Algernon Cadwallader, Snowing) are riding on the recent release of their excellent self-titled debut and blew away the crowd with their DIY, 90s-influenced rock. Wreaths filled the room with their psychedelic noise and included a take on The Cult's classic "She Sells Sanctuary." Swenson and Pig Rypper led The Saint in a huge sing along as they ripped through faithful interpretations of the best of Weezer.

Things went pretty late; and, as CoolMom and I made another unsuccessful attempt to get CoolDaughter #2 riding her two-wheeler early this morning, I was definitely dragging a little bit. It was worth it, though. Anytime you see any of these bands on a bill, make sure you check it out.

Here are highlights from all of last night's sets. You know where to find the rest.



And here are some additional shots of Dogs On Acid, taken by Dentist's Emily Bornemann.

Sundown at the Carousel 2 with Wreaths, Sharkmuffin, and Lost Boy ?, 7/19/15

Sundown with Wreaths

Sunday Sundown

When we first decided to do these shows at the carousel building, I wasn't sure what to expect. The building is old and infrequently used. What would the power situation be? How would it sound?

The old building has a few issues, sure. But, on the whole, the shows have been amazing. Our first show with Dentist, Overlake, and The Everymen sounded great and convinced me that these shows are a viable thing. Last night's show with Wreaths, Sharkmuffin, and Lost Boy ? continued that. The later start had the added effect of allowing us to experience the actual sundown, and the place took on an eerie and magical look as the sounds of Wreaths bounced around the space.

Davey Jones of Lost Boy ? did a solo electric set consisting of pared down versions of his full band's psychedelic bedroom pop. Like Dentist two weeks ago, the simple vocal and guitar setup worked beautifully inside the reverb chamber of the carousel building. New Little Dickman-signees, Sharkmuffin (whose Chartreuse is out 8/7), played to their moms, dads, and grandmas as well as all of the strangers that had come out for the show. They impressed with their surf-grunge-noise pop, and I look forward to seeing them when they're back in town. Wreaths were made for the space and shook the spiral windows while bathed in magenta and purple lights as helium balloons sailed around the venue. People danced or even just sat outside the building as the sound spiraled out into the night.

I know I'm biased, but the carousel house is really an amazing space. It's wonderful to see curious folks heading home from a day at the beach being suddenly drawn in by the building and the sounds. Stay tuned to see what else we have coming.

Here are some pictures from the evening. You can view full sets at Flickr.

Wreaths, gods, Silverbird, and Roy Orbitron Played the Wonder Bar, 3/28/15

Wreaths headlined a solid bill at Wonder Bar on Saturday.

Saturday

It was another practice for the band with no name on Saturday. After I was done rocking, CoolMom, the cooldaughters, and I headed to Asbury Park for some dinner. As we ate, the temperature dropped precipitously as the wind kicked into high gear. It made for a raw evening.

After dinner, we went our separate ways. The coolwomen headed out for some cupcakes, and I made my way over to Wonder Bar. Saturday featured a diverse but really well put together bill with Wreaths, gods, Brooklyn's Silverbird, and Trenton's Roy Orbitron.

I was particularly excited to see Roy Orbitron and to meet frontman Conor Meara, with whom I've corresponded electronically for a while, face to face. Their set was short but impressive. Roy Orbitron combine familiar elements of rock and Americana into a unique sound that's actually kind of hard to explain. It works, though -- especially in a live setting. Don't even listen to what this guy says.

I'd heard good things about Silverbird, and they were the only band from whom I'd never heard a note. They alternated between heavier bluesy jams and more poppy indie rock. They did it all really well. If you've read this blog for any length of time, then you'll know the poppier stuff appealed to me right away; but the whole package was something I want to get into a little more deeply.

gods brought free copies of their new EP along, and I saw a lot of people sticking them into their backpacks, purses, and coat pockets. The band's psychedelic garage rock sounds like it's gotten a little heavier since I first saw them back in January of 2014. The crowd had gotten pretty large by this point, and the music had gotten pretty loud as gods rocked the house.

Wreaths closed things out. This would be the first time I'd seen Wreaths in a while, and the fog machine was pumping. Two people used overhead projectors to send swirls of color across the band and a sheet at the rear of the stage. The light show complemented Wreaths' extended Krautrocky jams. The crowd had swelled, and it wasn't that easy maneuvering for a spot to get pictures. As I wove through the crowd, I saw lots of people dancing or swaying, sometimes with their eyes closed, as the music droned over them.

I headed back to the car in the sub-freezing temperatures, cold but impressed at how four such different bands could blend together so well. I've definitely seen my share of shows that seemed thrown together, but this one obviously had some thought behind it. It's nice when everything works like that.

Here are some highlights. Check out the rest in the galleries.

Here's a New Video from Aviso' Hara

"Try this bitch again"

New Brunswick post-hardcore alt rockers Aviso' Hara are a band whose name I've been hearing a lot lately. Whether in idle conversation with The Everymen's Mike V. -- "I fucking love Aviso' Hara" -- or as one of the many Powerbunny 4x4 alumni receiving the re-release treatment from that label, Aviso' Hara appear to be making a mini comeback. Featuring David Urbano and Walter Greene of Eastern Anchors and Ralph Nicastro of Wreaths, the band have deep connections to our little neck of the woods.

So, both in terms of timing and proximity, today's release of the brand new video for "Try this bitch again" from 1999's goodnight sweetheart (Vital Cog Records) is newsworthy here at CoolDad Music. It's also a great song brimming with late 90s Jersey goodness and supported by a video pieced together from some wild and weird found footage. Lots of chimpanzee imagery going on here.

You can catch a rare Aviso' Hara live performance this Saturday, March 21st at The Court Tavern in New Brunswick. Joining Aviso' Hara on that bill will be Eastern Anchors, Wreaths, Stuyvesant, and Zero For Conduct.

Show Preview: Ancient River, Overlake, Wreaths at The Saint, TONIGHT, 6/10/14

Wreaths join Gainesville's Ancient River and Jersey City's Overlake tonight at The Saint.

Tuesdays are for Shoegaze

The Saint has a night of psychedelia and shoegaze on tap for this evening as Gainesville, Florida duo Ancient River join New Jersey's Overlake and Wreaths. I'm thinking that effects pedals will litter The Saint's stage tonight as each of these bands offer the opportunity to lose yourself in some atmospheric drones.

Ancient River have alternated releases over the last three or four years between Americana and psychedelia. Their latest psych record, 2012's Let It Live, melds those two sensibilities in some places -- on track "All My Friends," for example -- to deliver 21st century sounds filtered through a 1960s haze.

Asbury Park's Wreaths released their debut full-length earlier this year. It borrows sounds from almost every version of noisy, guitar-based rock, layering them over some hypnotic Krautrock beats. Wreaths contains everything from psychedelia to space rock to shoegaze to extended blues jams. The band are already putting the finishing touches on their second LP and will, likely, share some of that tonight.

Wreaths' Killing Horse Records labelmates, Overlake, also released their debut this year. Sighs, which I reviewed for United By Rocket Science, is like an encyclopedia of late-80s and early-90s shoegaze and post-punk and sits squarely in my wheelhouse. The Jersey City-based band doesn't make it down this way too, too often; so tonight is an excellent chance to catch them do their thing.

Doors tonight are at 7:30 and 8 bucks gets you inside.

PICS from Wreaths' Record Release Show at Asbury Lanes, 4/26/14

Also Life Eaters, Birthwater

I've been feeling a little exhausted lately. It just seems like it's been taking me longer to recover from travel and a quick spring cold than it used to. To quote something everyone's probably heard from someone in their family before, "Don't ever get old."

Anyway, I sucked it up on Saturday night to head over to Asbury Lanes for Wreaths' record release show. I'm glad I did. Life Eaters opened things and showed that they've really tightened themselves into a hard rock / hardcore force since I saw them a couple of times last year. Asbury's Birthwater and their genre-spanning sound were a nice lead-in to Wreaths. And Wreaths played their swirling, noisy, Krautrock-infused debut full-length live, in its entirety.

My apologies to Crystallines; but as the clock struck 1 AM, I started to fade.

Here are some photo highlights of the evening's first three acts.

Wreaths, Wreaths, 2014

Album Review

I was at The Saint one night a couple of months back. Asbury Park's Wreaths were playing. At the end of their planned set, they got the nod from the sound man that there was time for one more song. The band complied and lit into what had to be an approximately seven-minute version of psych-blues jam, "I Love Me, Dark Wizard." The song swirled around The Saint, and I'm sure a few people allowed themselves to get lost in it. One more from Wreaths and you really get your money's worth.

"I Love Me, Dark Wizard" closes out Wreaths' self-titled, debut full-length. Over the course of the LP, Wreaths employ just about every drone-y guitar style  there is -- from late 1960s psychedelic space rock to Jesus and Mary Chain-style walls of sound to My Bloody Valentine-esque dronescapes -- usually pairing them up with a Motorik beat to produce a record in which it is quite easy to lose yourself.

"Coke Straw" starts things off. It's a psychedelic ramble that feels like it's leading you down a path into the depths of the rest of the album. "Goin' Back to Haiti" rides that Krautrock beat into a squall of noise over the course of its thirteen minutes. "Ruby," "Piedmont Aire," and "Adult Life" are the closest things to poppy tracks here and really harken back to some 80s proto-shoegaze and early dream pop.

Coming at the end of all of this, "I Love Me, Dark Wizard" initially sounded a little out of place to me; but upon further listening, I can see how it fits. Whether it's the forward momentum of a driving beat, a steady drone, or the blues-y riff of "I Love Me, Dark Wizard," the songs here use repetition to great effect. Wreaths layer sounds, noise, and lyrics over repeated themes; and your brain kind of goes on autopilot as you listen. It's like when a word, repeated over and over, becomes just a sound.

Wreaths are a band producing some of the truly interesting sounds coming out of Asbury Park right now. The album does about as good a job as a record can do of capturing the feeling of seeing the band live amid flashing colored lights and the mist from the fog machine. Keep Wreaths handy for whenever you think you may want a non-chemically induced, fifty or so minute escape from reality.

Wreaths is out now on NJ's Killing Horse Records. Wreaths will be celebrating the album's release with a show at Asbury Lanes on April 26th.

Some Pics from Maria Mar's Punch Out Cancer Benefit at The Saint, 1/4/14

Wreaths, Gods, Empire Escorts

95.9 WRAT's Maria Mar hosted a benefit on Saturday night for Bristol-Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson. It was a great night of local rock featuring Wreaths, Gods, Empire Escorts, Those Modern Cavemen, and Only Living Boy. All proceeds went to fund children's cancer research, so it was nice to see The Saint pretty packed out on a night when travel and parking were both still a little hairy.

I got pictures of the first three sets by Wreaths, Gods (who feature members of The Parlor Mob and Sikamor Rooney), and Empire Escorts before I had to call it a night.

Wreaths Opened for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Deap Vally at The Stone Pony (PHOTOS)

Last Minute Show

At about 6pm last night, Mike over at Speak Into My Good Eye asked if I'd like to accompany him to the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show at The Stone Pony. Also on the bill were California's soon to be blowing up, heavy blues rock duo Deap Vally and Asbury Park's Wreaths. I cleared it with CoolMom and headed out to the show.

Little Dickman Records recording artists, Wreaths, opened what would prove to be an evening of blues-y psych rock jams. Here are some photos of Wreaths' set. I'm still working through the rest of my pics from last night, but I wanted to take a few minutes this morning to give some space to the local band.

Wreaths Played The Saint Last Night

A Night Out in Asbury Park

Well, I missed the opening Yappy Hour yesterday. Turned out OK. The whole family, including CoolDog, took a trip to Dorbrook Park so that CoolDaughter #2 could participate in her soccer goalie clinic (hilarious). CoolDog got a nice walk and made plenty of new friends.

Later, we all (minus CoolDog this time) headed to the Brickwall Tavern for a pre-roller derby meal. I had a couple of pints of North Coast Brewing's excellent Pranqster Belgian-style golden ale, and then we all headed over to Convention Hall for the bout.

The evening's announcer assured everyone in the stands that, whatever happens to Convention Hall, roller derby will continue throughout the season. We'll see. We made it through the first half and Chuck-a-Duck before we decided that it was getting a little late. The girls did have a great time. We'd brought two cars, so I peeled off from the family and headed over to the Saint.

I made it just in time to catch the great set by Little Dickman Records recording artists, and Asbury's own, Wreaths. Equal parts 1960s psychedelia and 1990s shoegaze, Wreaths shook the small space. They've got an EP coming out on Little Dickman soon. I'm not sure if there are any plans to do a vinyl release, but something about Wreaths had me imagining myself lying back after setting a record to spin on the turntable and just losing myself in the noise. They'll be playing the Brighton Bar on April 24th, and I strongly recommend catching them.

I've been messing around with my new point and shoot lately and took some pictures of the set.

Big Day for Asbury Park

Dogs, Derby, Droning

The weather may not be cooperating temperature-wise, but spring is here. It's a big day (by my standards, anyway) for everyone's favorite urban outpost by the sea.

Ever since adding CoolDog to the fold, I've been waiting to take him drinking with me in Asbury Park for the Wonder Bar's "Yappy Hour." That goes from 1-7 today. At 6, the doors open at Convention Hall for the Jersey Shore Roller Girls' season opener (and season finale?); and tonight, the Saint is hosting Black Sabbath tribute band, Black Reign. I hope to head over there in time to catch openers and Little Dickman Records artists, Wreaths, and their droning, psychedelic, "dream punk."

All of this depends, of course, on what CoolMom has planned for us this evening; but I'm gonna do my best to work in some of it.

For one day, at least, we can all try to forget about the Madison Marquette / City of Asbury silliness and just look forward to a great comeback summer for the Shore.