February 25, 2010

On the Beat: Feb. 25-March 3

Chicky folk-pop stars Antigone Rising play Bordentown's Record Collector Friday night.

Angelo Moore, 44, is just one of those iconic figures in punk rock history that can never stick to one style. Fishbone’s been an L.A. staple since 1979 – swaying between funk-metal, new wave and jazz avant-grade and giving that scene the party band it needed to offset the serious nature – and often heroin-induced - poetic thinking of Jane’s Addiction. Plus, who could forget Dr. Madd Vibe’s sax-on-the-beach-skanking with Annette Funicello in the film “Back To the Beach,” the wildman, futuristic funk-titude on display in the group’s classic “Party At Ground Zero” video, or how he tossed in Theremin tumbles on the California ska legend’s 1996 comeback album, “Chim Chim’s Badass Revenge?” Always a great live band – and now with “Dirty” Walter A. Kibby III back full-time on trumpet – the “Truth and Soul” commando’s 2010 Spring Skaward tour with fellow new-wavers, The English Beat (“Mirror In the Bathroom”), hits The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) tonight. Show starts at 6. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door. All-ages.

The job-hating airwave invader’s shameless self-promotion tour crash lands on Philly radio tomorrow evening, followed by a headlining gig at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) a few hours later. The Trenton rockers – whose style resembles The Replacements with sprinkles of Weezer, Pixies and The Clash – spin-out a few tunes live on Radio104.5 at 5 in front of 20 friends who’ll brave the expected snowy trek to the station’s Bala Cynwyd studio. Who said radio was dead? The guys have been making their radio rounds the last several months – having already starred on 94.5 WYSP in December, and just this past Tuesday on the nationwide Voltraradio.com music site. On the Beat has also learned that Honah Lee will debut a new cover on tomorrow’s radio program, but refused to divulge the song’s identity. Piggy-backing from their Philo days, the guys have been known to get their fans singing-along to their own rendition of Dramarama’s “Anything Anything” at local gigs. The McGuinn’s concert starts at 9. The Riverwinds, Justin Pellecchia (Dead Flowers) and Reality Stricken play, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The Virginia alt-rockers – think Motion City Soundtrack – headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 9. Sam and the Sea, Mongrel Mix, Only the Brave and Apex open. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
The four-piece female freedom fighters - whose angelic harmonies and pop-country mix of folk and coffee-house Americana earned them top billing along with The Indigo Girls, Natalie Merchant and Sheryl Crow at the 1998 Lilith Fair - debut their new lead singer and hopefully a few new tunes at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. Nini Camps – a Cuban-born Floridian formerly of Lovepie - has taken over the leads for the all-girl powerhouse, who head back into the studio this month to work of their seventh studio record. Show starts at 7:30. Deni Bonet opens. Tickets cost $15 in advance, $18 at the door. All-ages.

Be Your Own Pet’s Jonas Stein’s garage-pop project, which made its national debut on the soundtrack to Drew Barrymore’s roller jam, “Whip It,” slides into Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) tomorrow night. The band’s touring in support of its new disc, “Echo Kid.” The record’s been described as a spontaneous pop-rock collision of The Monkees and Dead Kennedys. Show starts at 8. Snake Sustaine and Nouvellas open. Tickets cost $8. 18-plus.
Rough mixes of the Baltimore rocker’s new tunes consist of robotic vocal filters, melodic choruses and twirling guitar effects that seem to slither into the pop-metal realm made popular by Linkin Park and P.O.D. No white-boy rap here, though. The sextet headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday afternoon. Show starts at noon. Lion & the Pride, The Reverend Christopher Eissing, Cheat to Win and Sara play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

The Brooklyn rockers ditched the rap-metal electronics from their past as ex-members of Candiria for well-calculated melodic-punk that’ll have Thrice, Catherine Wheel and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin fans shouting “Like A Martyr.” The group headlines a benefit concert set for the Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) on Saturday night. Show starts at 9. The Cryptkeeper Five and The Timid Roosevelts play, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The Trenton reggae legend celebrates countywide love and unity through island vibing and a few Bob Marley songs at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The Burlco-based melody-metallic hardcore squealers conquer Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Sunday afternoon. Show starts at noon. Calling All Chaos, Deceiver, The West Memphis, Decaying Crypts, Since the Collapse, Taking The Tide, Square One, My Name is Nathaniel, Edge of Madness, After the Genocide and Sanitarius round out the bill. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Cage The Elephant

The Kentucky band’s bratty Brit-pop sound was all the buzz on the festival circuit in 2009. And that’s probably because the mad-hattery vocal wine was cultivated in lively-London recording sessions after signing with EMI in 2007. It helped unleash the band’s Blur-meets-Arctic Monkeys rascal edge to the world. Also for fans of The Wombats. The guys, who have only charted in the UK, play with As Tall As Lions – an art-folk outfit recently added to the Coachella Arts and Music Festival lineup this year – at The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) Monday night. Show starts at 7. Tickets cost $15 in advance, $18 at the door. All-ages. Scott Frost, whose On The Beat concert listing appears in The Trentonian every Thursday, wishes fellow Bronc alum and former newsroom bud, Jeff Edelstein, good luck with his live comedic debut opening for funny couple Brian McKim and Traci Skene at The Record Collector Saturday night. Believe me, he’s way funnier in person. And if your band is playing around town, make sure to hit up the On the Beat web line at djscott111@aol.com.