December 12, 2010

Children of Bodem - Party Like Eddie Murphy

CHILDREN OF BODOM (also COB), the hard partying Finnish Heavy Metal band that features frontman and modern day guitar hero Alexi Laiho will release its new albumRelentless Reckless Forever on March 8, 2011 via Universal Music. Today, COB reveals the album's cover art, which can be viewed now at this location.
You can check out the track listing below. Notice the Eddie Murphy cover? Crazy, right? Well, we haven't gone to a COB show in a while, so we're not sure if this strange '80s cover song has fallen into their live set. I guess we'll see. They just came through with Clutch and Black Label Society. And always are on tour.
Recorded in Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Monster Magnet),Relentless Reckless Forever is the seventh studio album of CHILDREN OF BODOM's illustrious career and the first new record from the band since 2008's Blooddrunk, which debuted at #22 on Billboard's Top 200 Chart and scored the quintet its third consecutive #1 debut in Finland. On Relentless Reckless Forever, COB's high-energy hooks and electric energy forge stadium-sized heavy metal anthems that seethe with both marvelous musicianship and a phenomenal pop prowess. The quintet's unique union of haunting melodies, rhythmic sensibility, guitar-and-keyboard interplay and king-size solos is supercharged to the maximum, and the resulting record is poised to push the band - already on the brink of breakout success in the U.S. - to an altogether new pinnacle. "We worked super hard on this album, at least for me it was pretty much no sleep or rest for six weeks," stated Laiho. "But we were determined to make the best COB album ever, so we were willing to do whatever it took. Of course, having our producer Matt Hyde kicking our asses 24/7 definitely made the results even better, so obviously we're more than anxious to get this album out there" The first single and video from Relentless Reckless Forever is "Was it Worth It?". COBshot a high energy music video for the track, joining forces with two-time X Games gold medalist and two-time Thrasher Magazine "Skater of the Year" Chris Cole as well as noted pro skaters Jamie Thomas, Garrett Hill and Tom Asta (the current #1 Amateur skateboarder in the world). Filmed on location at central Pennsylvania's residential Action Sports compound Camp Woodward and directed by Dale Resteghini for Raging Nation Films (Pink Floyd, Santana, Mötley Crüe), the video was shot guerrilla style, sans treatment; honing in directly onCHILDREN OF BODOM's high-spirited fire and the skaters' eye-opening execution. A high resolution trailer for the clip can be viewed now at www.relentlessrecklessforever.com. The track listing for CHILDREN OF BODOM's Relentless Reckless Forever is as follows: 1.) Not My Funeral 2.) Shovel Knockout 3.) Roundtrip to Hell and Back 4.) Pussyfoot Miss Suicide 5.) Relentless Reckless Forever 6.) Ugly 7.) Cry of the Nihilist 8.) Was It Worth It? 9.) Northpole Throwdown 10.) Party All the Time (* Eddie Murphy) "The single 'Was It Worth It?' is a total party song, said Laiho. "It's not your typical Bodom sound, but it's one of my favorites and heavy as hell." In addition to Laiho, CHILDREN OF BODOM features Roope Latvala (guitar), Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppälä (bass) and Janne Warman (keyboards). About CHILDREN OF BODOM: CHILDREN OF BODOM's enthralling mix of modern heavy metal, melodic hooks and the guitar acrobatics of front man Alexi Laiho have solidified the critically acclaimed Finnish band as one of the most revered hard rock acts in the world and one of the leading voices of metal's new generation. The group's 2008 studio album Blooddrunk skyrocketed to #22 on Billboard's Top 200, scored the quintet its third consecutive #1 debut in its native Finland and saw Laiho named "Best Metal Guitarist" by the readers of Guitar World, besting well known players such as Kirk Hammett of Metallica to win the coveted award. CHILDREN OF BODOMhas been called "technically dazzling" by the New York Times and "One of the most talented metal bands of our time" by contemporary media conglomerate VICE. COB's popular song "If You Want Peace...Prepare for War" is currently featured in the smash hit music video gameGuitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. The band's name is derived from the infamous Lake Bodom murders, which took place in Finland in 1960.

Eisley - Equal Visionary

EISLEY EMERGES FROM "THE VALLEY" MARCH 1  FIRST ALBUM IN FOUR YEARS EXPLORES TURBULENT TIMES FOR THE DUPREES  FREE MP3 OF "AMBULANCE" AVAILABLE NOW  Eisley will release their first album in four years, "The Valley," on March 1  via Equal Vision Records. The 11-track set was recorded at Rosewood Studios in  their hometown of Tyler, Texas, with producer/engineers Gary Leach and Austin  Deptula (LeAnn Rimes), and mixed by Andy Freeman at Bay Area Tone in San  Francisco. See below for a track listing.  A free stream and MP3 of "Ambulance" from "The Valley" is available now through  the widget at http://bit.ly/igt2dF">http://bit.ly/igt2dF>. (See the  site for code to embed the widget elsewhere.)  The album's title refers to the emotional turmoil that the DuPree sisters, who  front Eisley, experienced as they crafted their third album: Sherri enduring a  failed marriage; Chauntelle, a broken engagement; and Stacy, a painful breakup.  The only relationship that ended on their terms was the split with Warner Bros.  Records, the label that released their first two albums and several EPs.  Promising to bring listeners through the band's darkest and most trying times,  "The Valley" reveals their strength, patience and perseverance. On tracks like  "Smarter" and "Sad," there's a musical aggression and emotional urgency that  transports you to the moment they were written, laying bare the open wound of  the broken heart. And the chilling album closer, "Ambulance," is an icy snapshot  of the very moment of betrayal and abandonment. Elsewhere, there's a stately  solace in the hopeful "Kind" and whimsical "Mr. Moon," and buoyant string  arrangements decorate opener "The Valley" and "Watch It Die."  As previously announced, Eisley will precede the release of "The Valley" with a  U.S. tour in February, supporting Rooney on all dates. The 21-date run begins  February 2 in Albuquerque and includes stops in Kansas City, the Twin Cities,  Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Washington DC, Nashville, Denver and other markets.  See below for a complete list of dates.  ---  EISLEY - "THE VALLEY" TRACK LISTING  1. The Valley 2. Smarter 3. Watch It Die 4. Sad 5. Oxygen Mask 6. Better Love 7. I Wish 8. Kind 9. Mr. Moon 10. Please 11. Ambulance  ---  EISLEY TOUR DATES  February 2011 2 -- Albuquerque, NM -- Launchpad 4 -- Tulsa, OK -- Cain's Ballroom 2nd Stage 5 -- Kansas City, MO -- The Beaumont Club 6 -- St. Paul, MN -- Station 4 7 -- Milwaukee, WI -- Mad Planet 8 -- Grand Rapids, MI -- The Intersection 9 -- Pontiac, MI -- Crofoot Ballroom 10 -- Chicago, IL -- Lincoln Hall 11 -- Columbus, OH -- The Basement 12 -- Cleveland Heights, OH -- Grog Shop 13 -- Pittsburgh, PA -- Alter Bar 14 -- Newport, KY -- Southgate House 16 -- Cambridge, MA -- Middle East 17 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Theater of Living Arts 18 -- Washington, DC -- Rock and Roll Hotel 19 -- Carrboro, NC -- Cat's Cradle 20 -- Asheville, NC -- Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall 21 -- Nashville, TN -- Exit/In 22 -- Memphis, TN -- Hi-Tone Cafe 23 -- St. Louis, MO -- The Firebird 25 -- Denver, CO -- Marquis Theatre 26 -- Salt Lake City, UT -- Kilby Court

FLATFOOT 56 - Play Asbury On Tuesday (14th)

Got this from FLATFOOT 56's people ... too late to get it into The Trentonian this week. You can see the gutter punk-Irish rockers play Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park this Tuesday with the Street Dogs (ex Dropkick Murphys).

Here's what they're people are saying:

Home Sweet Home - FLATFOOT 56 hit the road once again.

Southside Chicago’s finest Join “Wreck The Halls” w/ Street Dogs and support Authority Zero into 2011

Orange County, CA., - Dec. 9, 2010 – Rounding out what has been an unprecedented year in the band’s decade of existence, FLATFOOT 56 are gearing up to once again hit the road, adding some weight to a few of the season’s best tickets. First, Flatfoot will join with STREET DOGS for the fifth annual “Wreck The Halls” tour. The eight-night run begins Dec 8th, 2010 in Houston, TX, and includes an already sold out show in Boston, MA. Building on the momentum that accumulated throughout 2010, Flatfoot immediately charges into 2011 beginning a run of dates on January 4, 2011 with Phoenix, Arizona street punks Authority Zero. Running throughout the month of January and well into February, the quartet continues to solidify their reputation for being one of the hardest working bands in the genre.

Releasing BLACK THORN in the spring of 2010, the band would debut at #2 on Billboard’s HeatseekersChart, in addition to achieving healthy positions on the Billboard Top 200, the Billboard Top Independent Current Albums Chart, Top Alternative Rock Chart, Top Rock Chart, Top Current Albums Chart and Top Internet Sales Charts.

Married to the road, the band spent the majority of the calendar year touring in support of their Old Shoe Records debut. Performing abroad on the international festival circuit, supporting runs with the likes of Devil’s Brigade (Matt Friedman of Rancid) and Street Dogs, in addition to a critically applauded stint on the Vans Warped Tour, FLATFOOT 56 proved triumphant in every stop along the way.

FLATFOOT 56’s broad appeal and universally inspiring themes have managed to resonate with people outside of the punk rock scope just the same. Producers of the FX Network hit Sons of Anarchy recently connected with FLATFOOT 56 to use not one, but six tracks fromBLACK THORN in episodes of the latest season of the series. FLATFOOT 56 was also tapped to record the new entrance theme for the WWE’s (Word Wrestling Entertainment) Raw Champion, Sheamus and will also provide a track to the upcoming WWE movie, The Chaperone, featuring wrestler Triple H.

As 2010 marks the 10-year anniversary for FLATFOOT 56, the latest album compacts the band’s celebrated history of eclectic and driving musical charge into thirteen tracks that highlight the pride of the working class and their Chicago roots. The release of BLACK THORN has sent a tidal wave of energy from FLATFOOT 56’s international mob following while being matched with critical praise:

ALTERNATIVE PRESS:“There are bagpipes and mandolin gilded to the hard-charging chassis, but these 10-year Chicago scene vets know how to play, and even better, pen suitably triumphant songs awash in resilient spirit.” (April 2010)

HM MAGAZINE:Black Thornjigs, pulses, sways, mesmerizes and kicks up the heels – sometimes all within the same song structure.” (March/April 2010)

PUNK ROCK REVIEW:Black Thorn is filled to the rim with Celtic-influenced, high intensity gang vocal laden, heavy hitting song after song…Each intricate musical piece of this band is perfectly combined.” (March 2010)

DYING SCENE:“It is no wonder that FLATFOOT 56 has risen above the rest and gained the notoriety they so rightfully deserve.” 5 out of 5 stars! (April 2010)

ABSOLUTE PUNK.NET: “The Celtic punk rockers from Chicago are back, and while the recorded disc cannot possibly capture the euphoric atmosphere of a Flatfoot 56 live show, they're getting closer than ever.” (April 2010)

With no slowing in sight, the band will likely be in a city near you and continues to write new material with plans to enter a studio for the next go around soon.

Black Thornis available in stores and online now from Old Shoe Records in the US, Stomp Records in Canada, People Like You Records in Europe (March 2011) and distributed by Big Mouth Japan in Japan.

For an up-to-date listing of tour stops, exclusive content,

and all things FLATFOOT 56, visit:

www.flatfoot56.com

www.myspace.com/flatfoot56

FLATFOOT 56 Live

WRECK THE HALLS w/ Street Dogs

12/6/2010 Memphis, Tennessee Murphy's Pub (solo – no Street Dogs)

12/7/2010 Hot Springs, Arkansas Maxine's Pub (solo – no Street Dogs)

12/8/2010 Houston, Texas The Studio @ Warehouse Live (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/10/2010 Nashville, Tennessee The Muse (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/11/2010 Charlotte, North Carolina Tremont Music Hall (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/12/2010 Baltimore, Maryland The Ottobar (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/13/2010 Jermyn, Pennsylvania Eleanor Rigby's (solo – no Street Dogs)

12/14/2010 Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Lanes (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/15/2010 Hartford, Connecticut Webster Underground (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/17/2010 Boston, Massachusetts The Paradise (Wreck The Halls Tour)

12/18/2010 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania The Spy Club (solo – no Street Dogs)

12/31/2010 Chicago, Illinois Beat Kitchen (w/ The Tossers)

W/ AUTHORITY ZERO

1/1/2011 Chicago, Illinois Beat Kitchen (solo – no Authority Zero)

1/4/2011 Colorado Springs, Colorado Black Sheep w/ Authority Zero

1/5/2011 Denver, Colorado Marquis Theater w/ Authority Zero

1/8/2011 Cleveland, Ohio Peabody's w/ Authority Zero

1/12/2011 Atlanta, Georgia Masquerade w/ Authority Zero

1/13/2011 Jacksonville, Georgia The Pit w/ Authority Zero

1/14/2011 Satellite Beach, Florida Sports Page w/ Authority Zero

1/15/2011 Phoenix, Arizona Rage Fest (no Authority Zero)

1/16/2011 Phoenix, Arizona Rage Fest (no Authority Zero)

1/19/2011 Beaumont, Texas The Gig w/ Authority Zero

1/20/2011 Dallas, Texas Trees w/ Authority Zero

1/21/2011 Corpus Christi, Texas House of Rock w/ Authority Zero

1/22/2011 Houston, Texas Scout Bar w/ Authority Zero

1/23/2011 Austin, Texas Emo's (small room) w/ Authority Zero

1/25/2011 Albuquerque, New Mexico Launch Pad w/ Authority Zero

1/27/2011 Tucson, Arizona The Rock w/ Authority Zero

2/04/2011 Dekalb, Illinois House Café (solo – no Authority Zero)

2/05/2011 St. Louis, Missouri Firebird (solo – no Authority Zero)

December 9, 2010

Kelly Carvin - Santa's Baby

Kelly Carvin is a superb singer-songwriter from Trenton. She's huge in the community and is known for her string, soulful voice. Well, the cutie's in a giving mood this holiday season. Carvin's offered up a free download of her new Yule Tide treat, "Mistletoe," for all you On The Beat fans. You can stream and download it here: "Mistletoe." And if you're not busy next Tuesday, Dec. 14, Ms. Carvin will be headlining The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) and probably playing a few Christmas number for y'all.

On The Beat Dec. 9-15

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.

October 14, 2010

On the Beat: Oct. 14-20

"Brand New Key" singer Melanie (above circa 1971, below circa 2006) performs at The Record Collector in Bordentown on Wednesday, Oct. 20, and Thursday, Oct. 21. Over the years, she's established herself as one of the most memorable folk singers of the early 1970s.

Wretched

“The Exodus of Autonomy” is this North Carolina metal-scene screamer’s Victory Record debut. The record, and its thrash mechanicals “hints at what other bands do,” guitarist Steven Funderbunk says without mentioning any names but winking at his ground’s morbid sound relations with roster-mates Darkest Hour and Between The Buried and Me. “It’s our own interpretation of this certain type of metal,” he said. It’s brutish and unforgiving with whirl-winning guitars - and makes for a sickly-satisfying companion to your Halloween circle-pitting. The furious five headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) this afternoon. Show starts at 4. Antagonist, Hadean Reign, Unhallowed, In Wake Of the Plague and A Call To Arms round out the bill. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Henry Butler

The blind jazz pianist, Hurricane Katrina survivor and – get this – superstar photographer - headlines The Trenton War Memorial (1 Memorial Dr., Trenton) tonight. An eight-time W.C. Handy Best Instrumentalist for Piano award nominee, “the pride of New Orleans” according to Dr. John, “and a visionistical down home cat,” Butler told The Trentonian in 2008 that the flood was so catastrophic the black keys off his 1925 Mason & Hamlin piano became unglued from the white ones. He still stayed positive that his town would recover and has returned to star in local pubs since the massive storm. “Man, for days and weeks there were episodes where I’d just cry,” he told On The Beat, the flood still fresh in his mind. “(But) with devastation there’s always something on the horizon or something greater.” He might have been talking about a Super Bowl win for the Saints. Maybe? Show starts at 7. Tickets cost $25. All-ages.

The Red Elvises

The “Siberian Surf Rock” foursome get Chris Isaak slinky with “Night Butterfly” – the California band’s most spun track off their MySpace page. The band just completed their second Russia tour last month and is now on a two-month Fall tour, which hits up The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tonight. Show starts at 7:30. Kingabilly opens. Tickets cost $22 in advance, $25 at the door. All-ages.

PHOTO BY/SCOTT FROST

We Are Scientists

Modern rock radio - which has been more than just listenable this days – just aren’t giving the “After Hours” guys a break. “Barbara” – the New York band’s fourth album – features the shimmering pop goodness and catchy tunage 104.5 has more than enough space to squeeze in-between regular spins of MGMT, Muse and Phoenix if they just cut the overdose of Foo Fighters rotations in half and drop U2 altogether. Or take We Are Scientists’ own advise from “Rules Don’t Stop”: “Although it may seem unconventional sometimes/indiscretion is worth a try/if you just play along I promise we’ll be fine.” A great live band, too, the trio, whose youthful musical jump lines up with bands like Franz Ferdinand, slide into The Wonder Bar (1213 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) tonight. Show starts at 7. The Static Jacks and Rewards open. Tickets cost $13 in advance, $15 at the door. 18-plus.

The Growlers

The Long Beach surf-rockers describe their music as “beach goth.” It sounds like Ricky Nelson pop-ti-fying Luna for a slow ride over the cliffs of the North Coast Highway. The band headline Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) tonight. Show starts at 8. The Amboys and TV Tramp open. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Amazing Grace and GLB

The Trenton band – featuring singers See Wise and Ja-Tun Thomas – consists of a full rhythm section and sax player, and when they get down, they blend up top 40, swing, soul, Latin, pop, funk, R&B and reggae so that everyone gets up and dances. The eight-piece plays The Trenton Marriott (1 W. Lafayette St., Trenton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Candye Kane

The brazen, busty, bi-sexual blues singer - who for a time trademarked her natural H-cups on the covers of “Hustler,” “Juggs,” “Floppers” and on X-Rated greeting cards – models her seductive country gospel on the works of Etta James and Bessie Smith. A larger-than-life figure and Cancer survivor, Kane is retired from porn, and instead has become a prime-time player in the Gay pride community and at blues festivals around the world. She played for the President of Italy at the French Embassy in Rome and at the Cannes Film Festival. And in her native San Diego, the memoirs of her turbulent life were transformed into a popular stage play, “The Toughest Girl Alive.” Kane headlines The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7:30. Show starts at 8. Tickets cost $17.50 in advance, $20 at the door. All-ages.

Samiam

Jason Beebout was one of those rare singers from the late ’90s underground punk scene who just couldn’t write a tune that didn’t fire a pulse right into your soul. Hardly the most popular band to leap from the Berkley scene, Samiam were everything you needed from a band of that era: tight musicianship, edge, addictive melodies and passionate lyrics conjured so tightly they can be recited right back into Beebout’s face at live shows. Their later records were more hardcore based, but the songs remained harmonious and gut-wrench-ly powerful compared to the lame-ass pop punk that swarmed the Warped Tour scene after Samiam and into the millennium. They’ve just started touring again after a sad break-up in the late ’90s – landing in The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) tomorrow night. Show starts at 8. The Casting Out (ex-Boy Sets Fire), Communication Redlight and Let Me Run round out the bill. Tickets cost $10. 21-plus.

Hub City Stompers

The New Brunswick ska-core killjoys say goodbye to guitarist Matty Glock with a party at Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) tomorrow night. Show starts at 8. Miland and the Sour Goat open. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

TASK’s SHARE Project Poets and FunkTASKtics

The Soup Kitchen singers crown Mercer County’s Cultural and Heritage Commission’s Eyes on Mercer Weekend with a free show at Artworks (19 Everett Alley, Trenton) Saturday afternoon. Show starts at 1. All-ages.

Favor The Brave

Electro dream pop a la Zero 7 and jammy melodic rock with piano-jazz coloring has these North Carolina natives reaching out to Muse and Snow Patrol for potential tour slots. It’s not the typical rage-rock you get from Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday afternoon shows. It’ll be soothing, actually, and a little tranquil, too. Show starts at noon. Devolver, After Chidori, Meet/Pause, In Musth, The Gurchick Tree, Amongst The Brave, No Such Noise! and Ruins of Akora play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

The Trenton alt-rocker released a 12-song debut LP “Sudden Instant Dance Syndrome” in March. Need to hear it in its entirety. Snippets we’ve heard reveal a post-grunge, Seattle-now sound, with the instrumentations reminding us of darker Minus The Bear with dashes of early At The Drive-In, Jawbox and A Perfect Circle. The four piece headline The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 10. (Damn) This Desert Air and Communication Redlight open. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.

Joe Zook/James Cheadle

The Trenton blues-rock legends roll-out two sets at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Fox Elipsus

The British-born singer has been stalking us on Facebook. Wants On The Beat to mention how he’s “trying to bring back the peaceful messages and meaning to music, like John Lennon did.” Mentioned his “improvised, unusual and memorable performances” are always “humorous,” free and in family environments like the Beanwood Coffee (222 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) where he encourages children to attend on Saturday night because they’ll “love it,” Elipsus said. He sings like Ryan Adams with “American Idol” aspirations and makes his own videos – where he uses images of “Twilight” vamp teens and Rachel McAdams make-out scenes to suck in the listener. Show starts at 7. All-ages.

Circa Survive

Buck County’s top tour draw have done a great job recycling a lot of their influences – “White Pony”-era Deftones, Sunny Day Real Estate, Glassjaw and Mars Volta - into an aggressive-rock hybrid that appeals to alt-rock, punk, emo and hardcore fans alike. And with wordsmith Anthony Green overlapping that edgy landscape with the type of poetic calmness and ease that keeps our web-investigating teens forever searching for spiritual meaning within his lyrics, and recent success on mainstream radio, don’t be surprised if Circa Survive spits out those same influences to future garage bands looking for a bit of class to their rough beginnings for decades to come. Another super live band, the guys – which feature Neshaminy High and Hamilton High alums – headline The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) Saturday night. Show starts at 7:30. Codeseven and Animals As Leaders open. Tickets cost $17.50 in advance, $20 at the door. All-ages.

Boom Boom Satellites

The Japanese electro duo’s like an Anime rendition of 3OH3!, but with the bad rap replaced by battery-charged dance rock with a Stereo MCs flavor. The Wonder Bar (1213 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) Saturday night. Show starts at 6. Tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 16-plus.

This Or The Apocalypse

Produced by Josh Wilbur and Lamb Of God’s Chris Adler, “Haunt What’s Life” - this Lancaster nu metaler’s debut – has the same crushing instrumentation at Lamb Of God, but with melodic sways in the choruses that have this Linkin Park feeling. A pretty brutal banger nonetheless, it’ll be the featured attraction of the “Over The Limit” tour slamming into Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Sunday afternoon. Show starts at 2. Texas In July, Where the Ocean Meets The Sky, The World Ends With You, A Tragedy Foreseen, Morgan’s Accident, Through The Flood, Years After Life, Deception Theory, Embracing Disaster and We Were Once Heroes round out the bill. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $14 at the door. All-ages.

MISERY INDEX - Traitors Uploaded by RelapseRecords. - See the latest featured music videos.

Misery Index

Even with a tour with Despised Icon now in the distance, the B-More death grinders are back on their death roll – spinning their own brand of chaos-conjured slam-core onto Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Monday afternoon. Show starts at 4. Sus Domesticus, Legionary, Korotory and Pound For Pound play, too. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Angels 8 Riot

The grunge-punks – think Shellac mixed with The Melvins and Pats!e - open for Local Demise at The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) Tuesday night. Show starts at 10. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.

Melanie

Time-machine me back to 1971 and I’d be all about getting my brand new key into this singer’s “new pair of roller skates.” She was a cute little thang back when “Brand New Key” was tearing up pop radio and reaching the top of the Billboard charts. Hmmm … Maybe it’s that the song got Roller Girl in the mood to test out Marky Mark’s bloated member, in that tantalizing scene from “Boogie Nights,” that brings on the erotic sweats? Man, that song’s sexy! Melanie, now 63, has become a folk icon since going gold with “Brand New Key,” with a recent press quotes out of England stating it’s “hard to disagree that Melanie has earned her place alongside Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Marianne Faithful in the pantheon of iconic female singers.” In a rare, up-close and personal showcase for Trenton-area folk fans, Melanie is slated to headline two shows at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) this Wednesday and next Thursday night. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $30. All-ages. Wednesday’s show was added after tickets to next Thursday’s show nearly sold out. Only general admission spots left for the Oct. 21 show.

The Riot Before

Fitting smack dap in the center of that indie rock spectrum popular among underground bands these days that runs from country folk to Whisky-bred punk comes “Rebellion” (Paper + Plastick) – the road-tested new offering from these Richmond rockers. The record shows off the band’s Social Distortion influences – especially in the real-to-life lyrics of singer Brett Adams – and sounds like Gaslight Anthem and Let Me Run mixed with Good Riddance and Avail. Good stuff. Their “Dive Bars & Burritos Fall Tour” crashes into Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) Wednesday night. Show starts at 8. Red City Radio and Trenton’s The Great Explainer play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

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.

October 7, 2010

On The Beat: Oct. 7-13

Oakland's The Hot Toddies play Asbury Lanes on Saturday.
The Trenton foursome’s funk-fusion futuristics is an interstellar webbing of Lotus and The New Deal that seems to stray more toward live electronica then typically jazzy and guitar-centered jam-band stuff. It’s a musical head-spin, and it’s being offered up for free at the B.T. Bistro (3499 U.S. Highway 1, Princeton) tonight. Show starts at 9:30. 21-plus.

The San Diego pulp-rock surf head’s Old-West-crusted voodoo-billy freak-downs mosey into Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) tonight. Their sloth-y-surf sound slithers through your veins like the venom from a snake-bite. It’s cold and methodical atmospheric “Wall of Thunder” (double bass) sound-scape creeps through your body in a hallucinogenic state until your pulse goes numb by singer Harley Davidson’s dusty trail talk. Cool stuff for fans of The Reverend Horton Heat, Johnny Cash’s dying breath and Murder By Death. Show starts at 8. The Young Werewolves and Motopipe play, too. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. 18-plus.

The L.A. thrash slayers’ fiendish speed-metal shows no mercy - yet remains brutal enough to tame Kenny Powers and sell cheap-ass batteries. Early Man’s “Death Is The Answer To My Prayers” was played in the debut episode of HBO’s “Eastbound & Down” and in a TV ad for RadioShack. Their newest, “Death Potion,” was heavily influenced by early Metallica and Megadeth and hit the streets over the summer. They’ll shack-shake-up Championships Sport Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) tomorrow afternoon. Show starts at 4. Evile, Bonded By Blood, Orion, Assayer, Vulcan and On Top play, too. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $14 at the door. All-ages.
“It’s Poop Again,” a song off the Trenton band’s demo, is an aggro buffet that serves a haymaker of Pennywise’s thrash-punk spirit, the metallic mental crack up of GWAR and stone-rock vigor and death walk mind-set of Clutch. Their live show is loud, rowdy and humorous, too, so they fit well among the city underground. They’ll play the Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 10. The Wait and The Excitement Gang round out the bill. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
DJ Diem
The Hamilton deejay “Lets It Rage” again – with head-rushing Euro-trance of the Deamau5 variety sexed-up with classic hip-hop sedatives – at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) tomorrow night. Sets start at 10. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The ex-Dear Liza singer/guitarist headlines a free show at the B.T. Bistro (3499 U.S. Highway 1, Princeton) tomorrow night. Show starts at 9:30. 21-plus.
The rockin’ R&B and jump-jiving blues band bust out T-Bone Walker and Marvin Gaye covers to a spirited audience they hope wouldn’t mind being captured behind the eye of a video crew. Gypsies’ head master and harp maestro Guy DeRosa announced the other day that tomorrow’s free performance at Amalfi’s (146 Lawrenceville-Pennington Road, Lawrence) would be videotaped. There’s also great pizza on the menu. Show starts at 8.

Marshall Tucker’s favorite opening act headlines The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. A road warrior opening for the likes of Johnny Winter and B.B. King, the Lambertville singer says he focuses on his “roots” in “blues and R&B-based music” when rolling solo. “Music Mountain,” Kline’s soulful and mostly acoustically maintained new disc features a photo of the famous Lambertville Music Circus, where as a kid he dreamed of one day sharing that stage with Paul Butterfield and a young Stevie Wonder. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. All-ages.

From its swamp boggie to its psycho blues and down-by-the-bayou groove-to-funk-metal musical momentums, “Strange Cousins From the West” – the Maryland hard rocker’s ninth album – is about as complete a Clutch album that you can find. It’s fun to dance to, also, if you model your moves on ’80s WWE icons, The Bushwackers. Last month Neil Fallon and his crew released a reissue of its classic “Robot Hive/Exodus” CD with a bonus live DVD. Very cool stuff. They’re also on the road, slamming through Convention Hall (1300 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) tomorrow night. Show starts at 6:30. Black Label Society headlines. Children of Bodem and 2Cents open. Tickets cost $37.50 in advance, $45 at the door. All-ages.
Eighties Tom Petty and Elvis Costello will easily pop in your mind when hearing snippets of this Asbury singer’s rock ’n’ rolling “Model Citizen” LP. He’ll celebrate the release with a party hosted by Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) tomorrow night. Show starts at 8. The Sunday Blues, The Amboys and WUPA round out the bill. Tickets cost $5. All-ages.

The Trenton horror-punk chief roccas play a creature double feature – that’s two sets, in punk-a-billy talk – at McGuinn’s Place (1781 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. Keys To The Cadillac and Amazing Amy play, too. Tickets cost $5. 21-plus.
The stoney Chi-town rock ’n’ rollers’ fuzzy trash-rock has a Queens of the Stone Age charge to it with a prickly, Sex Pistol mix down. Also for fans of The Murder City Devils and Wolfmother. The foursome’s tour of its “Of Gossip” EP lands at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. The Tragics open. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.
The 14 Points lead singer dubs up the B.T. Bistro (3499 U.S. Highway 1, Princeton) with a free show Saturday night. Show starts at 9:30. 21-plus.

Earning the namesake of The First Lady of Rockabilly, the 72-year-old 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee made waves in the mid-’50s when she toured and dated Elvis Presley – scoring a Top 20 hit with “I Gotta Know” in 1956. Quite the raven-haired hottie with sass, spunk and tons of attitude for her time, Jackson was quite the looker in the early stages of television - flaunting fringe dresses, long earrings and high heels on live country music programs like “Ozank Jubilee.” She claims to be the first female to put “glamour into country music” and keeps that vintage rockabilly sound alive touring the nation these days with the likes of Bill Haley and His Comets and Jerry Lee Lewis - strolling into The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night. Show starts at 7:30. The Lustre Kings open. Tickets cost $35 in advance, $40 at the door. All-ages.

It’s easy to get smitten by this all-girl Oakland cuddle-corers’ jangling harmonies and adorably cute songstyle. Sounds like Lookout! twee-poppers Cub and Go Sailor with melodies that shimmer under the rainbow of vintage, ’60s beach pop and classic doo-wop. Would perfectly fit on the soundtrack to “Juno 2.” Also for fans of The Timid Roosevelts, Kostars and The Pipettes. The gals are touring in support of “Get Your Heart On” (Asian Man Records) - breaking hearts and drinking up all the whiskey Saturday night at Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park). Show starts at 8. Laura Stevenson and the Cans headline. Imaginary War and Communipaw play, too. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.
The Fright Fest regulars tend to get into the haunting mood by rolling out a shivering rendition of “Dead Souls” – leaning toward the spine-chilling industrialized Trent Reznor, “Crow” soundtrack version as opposed to the original done by Joy Division. The Tom’s River hard rockers play Six Flag’s Great Adventure’s (1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson) Dead & Local stage Saturday night. Show starts at 7:15. Scarlet Carson headline. SPIN opens. Free with paid admission to the park. All-ages.

The Newport, NY, alt-rock one-hit-wonders still get a lot of play out of their 2000 hit, “Teenage Dirtbag.” Heard it the other morning on 104.5 FM. Catchy? Yes. The song still, however, screams cheesy, frat-boy mosh-pit wannabes who circle-it-up at Maroon 5 shows to impress their jailbait girlfriends. Was featured in the Hollywood flopper “Loser,” and should make for a nice little sing along for the chaps heading to Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Monday afternoon. Also for fans of Harvey Danger. Show starts at 4. Sex With Rollercoasters, Ruckus At The Zoo and Man Up Houston open up. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

The Motor City singer’s club hit “Cooler Than Me” is one of these T.U.S.H. (Totally Ubiquitous Summer Hit) that might actually stick – in your head at least through the Autumn. A bit of a hybrid between pop R&B, nu-disco and electro, “Cooler Than Me” appeals to a mixed audience that can bounce to 3OH!3 and The Black Eyed Peas, slide between the sheets next to their own Beyonce, get jiggy at a wedding reception and space-rap battle with Kid Cudi. Posner, whose debut, “30 Minutes To Take Off,” debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard charts in August, headlines The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) Wednesday night. Show starts at 6:30. Far East Movement, 2AM Club, Bad Rabbits, XV and Stephen Jerzak round out the bill. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $27 at the door. All-ages. Scott Frost’s On The Beat concert listing appears in The Trentonian every Thursday and at www.trentonian.com. If your band is playing around town, make sure to hit up the On the Beat web line at djscott111@aol.com.

August 26, 2010

On The Beat: Aug. 26-Aug. 31

Garden State ska blazers, the Hub City Stompers, headline The Record Collector in Bordentown, NJ, Friday night, Aug. 27.

Patent Pending

The Long Island newfound glory boys have been busy spreading their bouncy, cool-kids-table-type pop-punk across the nation with stints on the Warped Tour and opening gigs with Gym Class Heroes and Bowling For Soup. They’ll drop a new record on Sept 14. The vacation-begging lead single, “I’m Not Alone,” - which is a few spins away from 1,500 on their MySpace - is an anthem-worthy slice of teen melodrama the scene used to get from Sum 41 and Good Charlotte. There will be no emo-screaming allowed when the gang headlines The Mill Hill Basement (300 S. Broad St., Trenton) tomorrow night, and that’s promising. Show starts at 7. Stay opens. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Hub City Stompers

With Travis “Rev. T Sinister” Nelson’s City Gardens upbringing and survival tactics after the flash-in-pan ska-boom of the 1990s, there isn’t much that can keep the singer away from a stage these days. The riot-rousing rank-n-filers have long been considered one of the top rudies in the state since rising from the ashes of Inspector 7’s 2001 break-up - using longevity, a style that springs from island traditions, 2Tone side-kicks, metal guitar and an Oi!-landish punk temper and middle-finger-popping position to keep the band’s drive alive and ska fans on their toes. A supportive fan base that’s swung their arms and circle-pitted with the gang when flying solo or playing alongside The Toasters and The Voodoo Glow Skulls for nearly a decade now is also in tow. But the thinking here is that that notion by too many that ska should have been dead and buried when the scene moved into the millennium, is probably the major motivation to The Stompers’ durability and everlasting shelf life. For fans of Madness, Bad Manners and Fishbone. The slap-happy skins play two sets at The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) tomorrow night. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Walking With Cavemen

The lethargic, low-fi indie-rock strolling found on the New Brunswick band’s “It Shouldn’t Be That Hard” – its most-spun MySpace track – feels like Spoon or Luna playing cowboy and Indians with Lou Reed. The foursome hit up their hometown watering hole - The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) - tomorrow night. Show starts at 7. Jac, When I was 12 and The Proud Flesh open. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.

Emotional Wreck

The cavernous “Die With You” – which was recorded at Philly’s Trocadero Threatre - is the type of sludgy, Black Sabbath-inspired rock ’n’ roll that has these Riverside kiddie crash-corers thinking rock opera. According to their MySpace page, a rock opera remains on the back burner as the teens continue to record their first full length. The idea of a rock opera seems to represents the band’s pendulum-style musical thinking - as they swing from arcane metal to emotional indie. The fresh-faced foursome headline Championships Sports Bar and Grill’s (931 Chambers St., Trenton) 2nd Annual End of Summer Bash Saturday afternoon. Show starts at 2. Massively Ill, The August Infinity, Jack The King, Far Off Topic, The Second Coming Of Angry Beard and Man Up Houston round out the bill. Tickets cost $10. All-ages.

Saint Avarice

Malcontent with the state of the New Jersey loud rock scene, these head bangers sought out to be “one of the hardest, most aggressive metal bands” around. And they deliver with a brute-tallic pounce that meshes Pantera-styled thrash and the twisting guitar master stroke of Iron Maiden with the harmonious choruses of Shadows Fall. It’s “American metal,” said God Forbid’s Doc Coyle, who’s quoted as being “impressed” by the screamers EP, “Malice To Alice.” “Modern American Metal has heaviness, groove, and intensity,” he said. “(Saint Avarice) have a certain technical ability that they strive for and it's present in the music. American Metal has a little more grit to it, it’s a little more closer to the ground, a little more working class and I think that’s where (Saint Avarice) are coming from.” They break-it-down with tracks off their yet-to-be-released full-length “The Disease You Breed” at Championships Sports Bar and Grill (931 Chambers St., Trenton) Saturday night. Show starts at 9. The KMX Band, Power Theory, Sinister Realm and Betrayus play, too. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.

Brick Mower

The exhausted lead-singing wail, down-tuned guitar buzz-sawing and feathered female vocal harmonies this Keansburg post-punk trio churn out has this messy, Pixies feel to it perfect for left-of-the-dial programming. College rock circa 1995 – nice! Sounds like Dinosaur Jr., Husker Du and Throwing Muses, too. They’ll headline The Court Tavern (124 Church St., New Brunswick) Saturday night. Show starts at 7. The Gazelle, Little Mike, Joe Wilson & His Band and Small Town Scoundrels round out the bill. Tickets cost $8. 21-plus.

The John Bushnell Band

The former McCarter Theatre tech-head honed his superior seven-string shreds sound-checking for Bruce Springsteen and the Beach Boys in the ’70s and ’80s – eventually landing a sponsorship deal with Ibanez and ads in Guitar World where the mop-top virtuoso was photographed in 1982 defining gravity. His work back then in Bricks Mortar was more R&B-ish new wave Doobie Brothers and psychedelic than blues, but that’s where his musical standing sits now. A music teacher at the Pennington School, Bushnell now ranks among the top blues-guitar talents in the tri-states and a legend around Trenton. He’ll headline The Record Collector (358 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown) Saturday night. Show starts at 7:30. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door. All-ages.

Skid Row

Without Sebastian Bach at the helm, what’s the point, right? Guessing any band – especially the pride of Toms River - that toured in its heyday with Gun ’N Roses is worth seeing 30 years later. Maybe you’ll also fit in those cheetah-printed leather pants again? No new music since 2006. Still coked-up and heavy-as-hell glam-rock-type stuff you can beat your old lady to. And the ’80s were a blur anyway. So it wouldn’t be too sad to spend your beer money at The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park) Saturday night where Skid Row is headlining. Show starts at 7:30. Frankenstein 3000 and Scarlet Carson open. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door. All-ages.

The Cryptkeeper Five

The greased-up monster-mashing rock ’n’ rollers from Trenton open for Canada’s The Brains at Asbury Lanes (209 4th Ave., Asbury Park) Sunday night. Show starts at 8. Tickets cost $8. 18-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.

August 22, 2010

Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Breaking Barriers Again!

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones return to the Trocadero Theatre in Philly on Monday night, Aug. 22, 2010. The ska-lords have a new disc out, "Pin Points and Gin Joints."
Was thinking how funny it's going to be to have all us grey-haired rude boys skanking it up again to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones at The Trocadero in Philly Monday night.
It's been a while since the Boston Rascal Kings set their sights on on a Troc show. I can't remember the exact date, but there was this one time in I think 1995 when the guys were set to headline the the former Burlesque mecca, but had to move the show to the Theatre of Living Arts when there was a ceiling collapse at the aging Chinatown venue.
I had seen the Bosstones a couple times before that at the Troc and every time - even when that dude from The Goats poured a bus-boy tray of rain water on me when I finally squeezed my way to the stage - they rocked the house.
By 1997 - with the commercial success of "The Impression That I Get" and national ska-boom - it be became harder and harder to see the band play a mid-sized venue like the Trocadero. And that seemed to anger frontman Dickie Barrett a bit.
He hated that that show moved to the TLA. At least that was the impression that I got (no pun intended) - saying something in the effect of, "nice barriers," referring to the iron wall that separated the crowd.
"I miss The Trocadero. The Stone Pony. Trenton City Gardens," I remember Dickie saying.
The Troc at the time had no wall separating the band from the crowd and it made for landmark punk rock and ska experiences of the day when fans could and would jump on stage to dance along with the band during the ska shows and take a leap of faith back into the crowd during punk shows. Saw bands like The Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Suicide Machines, CIV, Queers, Skakin Pickle, Goldfinger and Spring Heeled Jack during those times.
The shows were wild, uninhibited and fun. And the interaction with the band had never been matched since venues started putting up these iron steel curtains. I blame the grunge era, the influx of jock moshers and kiddie crowd surfers. One fell on his head, sued a venue and Bosstones shows from then on never had that same sort of closeness to them.
I had the Bosstones' people ask Dickie about how he felt about his now return to the Troc on Monday. This is what is said.
"From a Bostonian to The Trentonian, we honestly could not be happier to back in the area, we have fond memories of the Troc," Dickie tells On The Beat. "Please come out and see us create some new memories and hear classic Bosstones tracks."
See you then, Dickie - with my silver maine and achy 34-year-old body ready to head-bang and flail my arms in celebration of one more Bosstones shows at The Troc. Not like I'd have the energy to get my plump frame on the stage anyway. So you can keep your barriers in place.
"Kinder Words" is my favorite Mighty Mighty Bosstones video. I first heard it on a CMJ sampler and remember its MTV debut on "120 Minutes." It was my first introduction to the band. Several concerts followed - maybe saw them in total six times. Probably one of the best live bands I've ever seen.
Found this on YouTube, too. It's a trailer of sorts to the '90s flick, "Clueless," which featured The Mighty Mighty Bosstones in the movie playing "Where Did You Go?" and "Someday I Suppose" at a frat party or something in the film.
Here's the official release about The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' tour. The Irving Plaza show is sold out.
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
GET SET FOR A TREK OF AUGUST TOUR DATES
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have stuck more pins in the map and pulled more Gin from taps than they care to remember. Over the years they’ve earned the reputation as one of the hardest touring bands in rock. Now they about to hit the road for a trek of summer dates to support with their first full length studio release in seven years, featuring 14 new songs “Pin Points and Gin Joints” produced by BossTones Dicky Barrett, Joe Gittleman and producer Ted Hutt (Flogging Molly, Street Dogs, Gaslight Anthem) out now on the BossTones Big Rig Records.
With Pin Points and Gin Joints the BossTones have taken their trademark power chord, driving horns, wicked backbeat sound back to the barroom for another round of shots.
Don’t miss the fun:
August 23 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Theatre with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 24 - New York, NY- Irving Plaza with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 26 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 27 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners August 28 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave/Eagles Club with Teenage Bottlerocket & The Flatliners www.BosstonesMusic.com