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Under the bold headline “The Best Dylan since 1968,” Rolling Stone tagged both this songwriter and Bruce Springsteen with the “New Dylan” tag when the mag reviewed Murphy’s 1973 debut “Aquashow” in the same piece with Springsteen’s “The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle.” 2010’s self-titled CD marks the singer’s 26th recording. And if you never heard of him, or the 1964 No. 1 smash hit “Navy Blue” he co-wrote, you’re not Billy Joel, Phil Collins, Shawn Colvin or The Violent Femmes – all of which have appeared on Murphy’s recordings. A long-time friend of Springsteen, Murphy will jam with The Boss when his tours run through Paris, where he lives with his rock ’n’ roll son, Gaspard of The Dukes. The 61-year-old Murphy hits up The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tonight. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All-ages.
The Trenton rockers join the hot-rod dance off that is an Eddie Spaghetti show at Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) tonight. They open for The Supersucker along with Philly’s American Speedway and Brooklyn’s The High Irons play. Show starts at 8. Call the Asbury Lanes for ticket prices. 18-plus.
The Philly glam-stars claim no homage’s in their music, only “a monochrome world … hit with Technicolor, glitter and raw power at 140 db’s.” What’s that mean? Well, their speedier songs sound like The Stooges wigging out at a cocaine party with Stone Temple Pilots, D Generation and Buckcherry. The slower balled-type songs – “Ma Lawd” for example - will remind you of Collective Soul, Shinedown and quieter Guns N’ Roses. The five piece headline the Backstage at Championship Bar (931 Chambers St., Trenton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7. The Miscreants, The Earaches and Level 1 play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.
The Queens garage rockers - who in 1987 made an appearance on the final episode of Andy Warhol’s “Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes” TV program – get their Yule-tide rock ’n’ roll fever on at the Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. The rock legends will perform two sets: their Christmas album, “Stocking Stuffer,” in its entirety and a collection of their hits. The Fleshtones have more than 20 albums in their discography and were a major influence to bands like The Strokes. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $15 in advance, $18 at the door. All-ages.
“Take It Back,” our favorite track from the Philly rockers’ MySpace, blurs the line between metallic funk and vintage Cali beach punk that sounds similar to the erratic time signatures and frantic vocal spitting of classic Red Hot Chili Peppers. Think “Fight Like a Brave”-era Chili Peppers meshed with fIREHOSE. They play Jackie Maggot and Adrock’s Super Awesome Bash Your Brains Out Party at The Backstage at Championships Bar (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday afternoon. Show starts at 4. Local Demise, Keys To The Cadillac, Massively Ill, Triggered Impulse, Karma Bat, Onderrock and Horror Biz round out the bill. Tickets cost $8. All-ages.
The complexity in the instrumentation, angular melodies and erratic rhythm patterns from this upstart New Brunswick band’s untitled EP portrays a sound that’s part avant-punk, part math-core and part post-rock with influences flowing between jazz, emo-core and heavy metal. Gets sort of Dillinger Escape Plan-y in the spastic throw-down parts, but not as severe or to the extent of that band’s ferocity. It’s like Cap’n Jazz in parts, too, with Don Caballero-type builds and the atmospheric fluff of a Sunny Day Real Estate if Jeff Buckley were singing. It’s strong in the melodic department, which is a nice departure from the groups past projects - three members were in Hightstown’s Free Yon, two in A Lesser Evil. They’ll make their Mercer County debut at The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 10. Dan Maxwell & The Turnpike Sailors and The Sirs play, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The Hamilton rockers catch fire with their own brand of nu metal prog-punk. For fans of AFI and Coheed and Cambria. They headline McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The gangster folk icon behind the modern rock hits “The Devil In Me” and “The Person You Are” headlines The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night. Show starts at 7:30. Jesse Ruben opens. Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 at the door. All-ages.
Few ever recorded with The Beatles for their Apple Records. But somehow this Trenton rocker did in 1971 when, as a guest of George Harrison, he laid down an LPs worth of songs in London’s Abbey Road Studios for international release on Apple. Ringo Starr even showed up to session in some drum work. Van Eaton, whose band headlines The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Sunday night, remained in touch with Starr over the years – appearing in four of Starr’s solo albums all of which included recordings The Beatles’ drummer did with John, George and Paul after their breakup. A ballad, “Sweet Music” he recorded with his brother Derrek in those early Abbey Road recordings, appears on the 17-disc Apple box set alongside tracks by James Taylor and Billy Preston. Sunday’s show will be Van Easton’s first live performance in nearly 40 years. He now lives in Denver. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $20. All-ages.
The Trenton singer got all her friends to pucker up when shooting a video last week at KatManDu. Carvin captured her buds smooching under the mistletoe in the video for her new Christmas single “Mistletoe.” A holiday treat that showcases the country-pop-meets-coffee-house song sensibilities that’s made her songs a popular fixture in the city singer-songwriter scene, the ballad is a shimmering and seasonable delight that’ll warm you heart. It also makes for the perfect audio Christmas card and should be played over and over again as you and your lady – I’m talking to you guys – are all curled up in you’re brand new his-and-her Snuggies, sitting by the fire, sipping hot coco. Or you can get into the spirit of the holidays early by attending Carvin’s headlining gig At The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Tuesday night. Show starts at 10. Jennings and Johnny J & Amazing Amy open. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The Bay area joksters feature this song on their MySpace called “Skin Cancer.” It’s hysterical social satire about the depletion of the ozone layer and a pretty bleak account, too, if you believe them and see us all burning to death from the Sun someday. “The apocalypse, just like revolution, is not an event but a process, and it’s hilarious,” is the band’s motto. Their music consists of lyrics they describe as “outlandish and shocking truths” blended into a package of dark folk and evil commercial jingles. For fans of They Might Be Giants, Pee Wee Herman and The Aquabats. The trio headline The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Wednesday night. Show starts at 10. Michigan rockers Day In Day Out, Cali punks All Ages and Captive (ex A Lesser Evil) round out the bill. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Scott Frost’s On The Beat concert listing appears in The Trentonian and at www.trentonian.com every Thursday. If your band is playing around town, email the On the Beat web line at djscott111@aol.com.
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