January 21, 2010

On the Beat: Jan. 21-Jan. 27

ERIN HILL
The Amboys
The Asbury Park-bred indie cow-folks – think Fleet Foxes or acoustic Mike Ness – offer up a sweet slice of Americana tonight at the Langosta Lounge (Third Avenue Pavilion, Asbury Park), where they’ll be covering Neil Young’s classic “Harvest” record. The free show starts at 9. All-ages.
Synthetic Elements
The Denver pub punk’s slushy song socials are a mixed bag of Pogues, NoFX and The Dropkick Murphys. You know the kind of fun, party punk you can’t help but get soused to. They’ll be at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) tomorrow night opening for Ordain. Show starts at 9. Phantasm, Soul Pole and The Last Barbarians play, too. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
School of Rock
The rock trainees showcase their power stances and smoking guitars as they pay homage to the space-age music Gods, KISS, at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) tomorrow night. Show starts at 6. Tickets cost $5. All-ages.
Mountain Man
The South Philly gypsy-folk gloom dealers sound like Gogol Bordello crashing The Squirrel Nut Zippers’ funeral. The roots-rock awakening hits Ewing’s All Call Inn (214 Weber Ave., Ewing) tomorrow night. Sharon Kenny plays, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Erin Hill
New York’s psychedelic harp girl – who’s worked with Enya and Moby and acted in the film “Cradle Will Rock” – features a Celtic-conceived, Norah Jones-type feeling in her mystic, indie-pop pipes. Also, there’s something about Hill’s transcendental finger plucking and breathy, lullaby voice that’ll makes you want to run barefoot through a daisy-filled meadow. The singer will have her band The Space Rats in tow for one of two sets scheduled for The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All-ages.
Tunnels To Holland
The Old Bridge psyche rocker’s despondent lyrical adventures and too-cool-for-school edge gives off a less-robotic-Interpol-meets-The Smiths attitude. The guys – headlining The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) tomorrow night – admit their appreciation for late ’60s mood pop a la Lou Reed, as evident in the band’s darkly sly, beatnik vocal tones and Luna-esque rhythms. Show starts at 8 p.m. Los Miguelinos, Heart & Lungs and Marvin Sunk round out the bill. Tickets cost $10. 21-plus.
Snowball 37
The Jersey City power-pop hip-shakers – think Smithereens - storm The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) tomorrow night with Mad Cats & Beehives, The Eeries, Give Me Light and Locustwood. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.
Dear Dallas
Had Brett Favre not already crushed your dreams and jugular, this Morris County hardcore crew’s tech-tyrannical, mosh-inducing melodica, electronic bash-core lives on to stop Tony Roma’s breathing forever. For fans of Avenged Sevenfold, As I Lie Dying and Atreyu’s “Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses.” The guys open for Within Dying Days and Shadows Between Us at Championship Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday afternoon. Show starts at noon. Within Darkness, Hatred Embrace, Rajabrah, Lifeless, Internal Fear and Within Cold Blood play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.
Save Your Strength
Why do bands break up? Who knows. Probably to make an event out of their final show - and that’s where this promising Hamilton pop-core bands stands these days. Their final show is Saturday’s Russell Colon Benefit concert at Trenton Catholic Academy (175 Leonard Ave., Hamilton), and it’s a shame the teens are hanging up their neon bracelets. It’s a buffet of punk effects – the emo screams, happy-hardcore circle-pitting, lust-loving harmonies, morphed power-popping nu-metal slams and electric live shows – that made them the voice of the Hamilton Lanes all-ages scene a few summer’s ago. At least there’s one more tank of teen angst left – and for a good cause. The show starts at 2 p.m. and features a stellar lineup of local performances from On the Beat faves The Timid Roosevelt’s, Honah Lee, Keys to the Cadillac, The Cretins, Kelly Carvin and Reckless. The Glory Days and Bubbluv and the Realest Reeken round out the bill. Tickets cost $5 for students, $10 for adults and non-students. All-ages.
Tyrone “Chrome” Miller
The Trenton emcee’s low-budget comedy slams leap from the boob tube to the big stage at The All Call Inn (214 Weber Ave., Ewing) Saturday night. Miller, who one-time followed Sugar Ray around on Spike! TV’s “Road Rules”-style reality show, “On The Road,” is also featured on “Real Talk: Low Budget TV” – a cable access show that’s been described as a cross between “Dave Chapelle’s Show” and “Saturday Night Live.” Show starts at 9. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Zigman Bird
The Beatles-inspired Kingston power-pop foursome headline McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) Saturday night. Think The Police and Tom Petty, too. Show starts at 9. Rebel Pawn and Van Cleef open. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Trunks & Tales
The Philly duo’s uplifting buddy punk and raspy, true-to-life lyrical approach would make for the perfect opener for Chuck Ragan’s Revival Tour. The tandem hit up The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) with Anniversary Club Saturday night. Show starts at 10. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
Savior In Ruin
Tough-guy hardcore with sprinkles of old school thrash, spoken-word spitting, vocal squeals and twisting, atmospheric progressions has these West Chester rockers reminding metal faith healers of Biohazard, Slayer and Full Blown Chaos. The five-piece play with Siberia and Burial Mound at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday night. Wrath of Typhoon and Open Denile play, too. Show starts at 10. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
Silver Dollar
New Brunswick’s King Django’s multi-layers ska-sound escapes stay true to its most classic form when teaming with this crew of rudie revivalists and jazz junkies. For fans of The Skatalites, The Blue Beats and island umbrella drinks. The crew opens for sk-oi! scandals, The Hub City Stompers, at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.
Crash Romeo
The Somerset County new-found-glory-hound’s pop-punk opulence is pogo perfection. The quick hooks and sing-along choruses shares a close relationship with Sum 41 and older Midtown. The foursome play The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. Cleveland’s Driver Side Impact (Victory Records) and American Living round out the bill. Tickets cost $10. 21-plus.
Death Do Us Part
The mortal wounds left behind by these Runnemede dark stalkers metal head’s barbaric smash-core evolves into nothing more than a love bite once the harmonic choruses – and sweetie-pie lyrics like “dreams will bring us together” – take command of the carnage. For fans of non-sparkly vampire movies, mask-less hardcore and It Dies Today. The metal men headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) on Sunday afternoon. Show starts at noon. Preaching the Converted, Reptar, Back and Forth, Cold Blooded Promise, Down The Block, The Advent The Adversary, Dreams of Dohmer, Double Or Nothing, G Shok and Eye Sense Catastrophe round out the bill. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.
BRMR
The Toms River tandem’s finger snapping, synth-folk rearranging and faux Brit-pop vocal buzzing dives into your soul like a Danger Mouse-produced mix tape of The Rapture and The Black Keys. The duo open for Bedroom Girls at the Wonderbar (1213 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) on Tuesday night. Show starts at 8. Super Genesis and Hrny Wrms play, too. Tickets cost $2. 21-plus. Scott Frost’s On The Beat concert listing appears in The Trentonian every Thursday. If your band is playing around town, email the On the Beat web line at djscott111@aol.com.