newsletter
February 19th, 2007






Supporting New Jersey's Local Music Scene Since 2000

Read Lazlo's Blog

CD Reviews: Gary Paul Hermus, Mason Dixon, Kate Hart
If only there were more hours in the day...

I am getting so many good CDs lately, that I'd love to have time to review them all. Today I had time to write up three reviews. Hopefully I'll have more time soon to write up some more...
(click here to read more)


Review: Fastlane 1/27/07 (Readymade Breakup, Hero Pattern, Chris Brown, Rick Barry/Days Awake)
On Saturday night my wife and I went down to the newly re-opened Fastlane in Asbury Park. It had been a long time since I'd last been inside the Fastlane (I believe the last show I saw there had Mr. Reality and Outcry on the bill). It didn't look the same as I remembered, but it certainly didn't look bad. It was spacious, which is a good thing, except maybe to the bands playing, as a crowd that would have made a venue like the Saint look crowded, didn't make the Fastlane look busy...
(click here to read more)


CD Reviews: The Ratchets, and Citizens Band Radio
I know, I know, I've been a bad blogger.
I've been so busy working on BlowUpRadio.com and Lazlo's Den, that I haven't blogged much. But I'm hoping to start blogging more regularly again, be it concert reviews, or as is the case today, a few CD reviews...
(click here to read more)

Blog Archives

Broadcast Schedule
(all times are Eastern Standard)

12 noon & 7pm - BlowUpRadio.com Classics (everyday)

8pm - Lazlo's Den (Mon-Fri)

9pm - Jersey Beat Podcast Hosted by Jim Testa (Tues & Thurs)

9pm - Luna Musings w/ Colie Brice (Wed)

9am - The Sunday Morning Hangover 3 hours of acoustic music (Sun)

Album of the Month
Lisa M. Bello
Lisa M. Bello - "me and my heart on my sleeve"

Lisa M. Bello has always loved music. She discovered her love of rock music upon first hearing Pearl Jam, Mazzy Star, and Smashing Pumpkins in 1994.Having written poetry and prose from a very young age, she began to construct poetry in song form. She searched out other like minded souls and began to get interested in forming a musical project. During this time Lisa discovered the band Hole and a musician named Juliana Hatfield. These two women inspired Lisa to pick up a guitar and start playing. Soon she was constructing her own songs and started to persue a band of her own.

The first of her music projects was fronting a band called Table 57. This band was Lisa's brain child for five years. Through its many lineup changes Table 57 remained a growing, well-liked, and enriching experience before Lisa decided to disband it in 2001. After the disbandment of Table 57, Lisa began to think about going solo and proceeded to record an ill-fated album. Ill-fated because the computer it was recorded on was infiltrated and corrupted by a virus and most songs were completely lost. Although that record went by the wasteside, the songs did not.

Lisa kept most of these songs on the back burner while she co-founded a band called Mercury to Hell. In this band, there were several songwriters and Lisa focused more on her guitar playing. Sadly, Mercury to Hell ended because of irreconcilable differences.

A short lived band called the Black Clouds developed from the ashes of Mercury to Hell but that also ended after about a year because of internal struggles.

Wasting little time, Lisa decided the time was right to go solo. She asked some of her friends, including some ex-band members to help her record her first solo album. Happily, they obliged. The album called Me and My Heart on My Sleeve was recorded January 2006 to June 2006 taking most of May off. Lisa M. Bello played all guitars and sang on all songs, played the majority of the bass, and the aforementioned friends shared the drumming duties.

Me and My Heart on My Sleeve was independently released on September 26th 2006.
Concert Picks of the Week

Lazlo (BlowUpRadio.com)

Saturday is BlowUpRadio.com's Pop Rock Fest at Buddie's Tavern in Parlin. The show features 4 of the best pop-rock bands from NJ: Readymade Breakup, Dipsomaniacs, Somerdale, and Matt Fisher & the Telephone Junkies. As always, all shows at Buddie's are FREE, so come on down for an evening of catchy tunes with great harmony.


Jim Testa (Jersey Beat)



Gary Wien (Upstage)

We have two and a half picks for this week. Our first picks take place on Friday, February 23rd where Upstage Magazine's very own Anthony D'Amato will perform a set at the Twisted Tree Cafe (609 Cookman Avenue) in Asbury Park at 9pm. After Anthony, you should be able to zip over to the Stone Pony in time to catch one of New Jersey's most underrated bands - Maybe Pete as they, along with Joe D'Urso, open for Marah. Then on Saturday, South Jersey's own soon to be member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Patti Smith - returns to the Stone Pony for a night people are hinting will be something to remember. Tickets for this show are very scarce so snatch yours up if you still can.


Jared Migden (WRSU)

This week, I am "lucky" enough to only have a 4-day work week, but I can still suggest that everyone else in the same situation start their weekend early . On Thursday night, the Ergs and the Anderson Council are both returning to the Asbury Lanes.




LOCAL MUSIC NEWS
The Black River Music & Art Fest is returning to Chester, NJ on Saturday August 18th, 2007 (rain date: Sun. Aug. 19th), and we're looking for a few good bands.

Go to www.blackrivermusicfest.com now to download the band application.

The BRMAF is a FREE all day event in Chester, NJ which features some of the best local original musical acts as well as numerous visual artists displaying their work. Last year's inaugural event drew an estimated 6,000 people. Performers will not be compensated for their performance. However, all artists are welcome to sell their own merchandise at the event. Please keep in mind that we, the organizers of the event, are not getting paid, either - we are just doing this for the love of music. We can say that thousands of dollars will be spent on advertising, and we expect an even bigger turnout than last year, so it will be a good opportunity for all those who participate. More info is available inside the band application that you can download at www.blackrivermusicfest.com. Please download and read the application before e-mailing us questions, as many of the answers will lie within the application. Deadline for applications is March 15th.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you rock at the Black River Music & Art Fest on August 18th!
ASBURY PARK FIGHTS TO KEEP MUSIC ALIVE

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) - Few were watching as New Brunswick's thriving original music scene of the 1980s came crashing down when club after club closed leaving the Court Tavern as the only game in town. History may be repeating itself in Asbury Park, as the shore town's legendary music scene is now very much in the hands of one company - Asbury Partners - the company in charge of the oceanfront redevelopment plan. Nearly 60% of the venues providing original music in town - and all of the largest venues - are now under their control. An online petition was created to show interest in keeping one of their latest acquisitions alive as a music venue and now an all-day concert/rally will be held on Saturday, March 10th as well.

The Wonder Bar is scheduled to close for good after St. Patrick's Day. The club is a victim of eminent domain and speculation is that the property might become another condominium building. Over 1500 people from around the world have signed a petition to keep the Wonder Bar alive. The petition can be found online at http://www.asburymusic.com/petition or signed in person at the Wonder Bar.

Upstage Magazine is presenting the all-day rally in an effort to show just how important the Wonder Bar is to music fans and to the local community as well. The concert begins at noon and runs until closing time at 2am. In between, 13 bands and seven solo artists will perform. The lineup includes such local favorites as Joe D'Urso, Maybe Pete, Jon Caspi Band, Cool Days End, Michael Patrick & the Suburban Hillbillies, Anthony Fiumano, Agency, Tony Tedesco & Damnaged Goods, and the Danny White Band. It also includes rare Asbury Park appearances by Postmark Twain and Frank Thewes of South Jersey and Wiser Time, Sounds of Greg D, and Souls Release from North Jersey. Rounding out the bill is Keith Monacchio of The Commons, Freddie Fry, George Wirth, Nik Everett, Causeway, and Lone Shark.

"Nearly all of Asbury Park's musical history is in the hands of Asbury Partners now," said Gary Wien, Managing Editor of Upstage Magazine. "They own Convention Hall, Paramount Theatre, The Stone Pony, Fastlane, Baronet Theatre, Club Deep, Tiki Bar, the Casino, and soon will own the Wonder Bar. This basically means that they can either make the music scene thrive or they can kill it. We're hoping that the petition and concert shows them that thousands of people think music is vital to Asbury Park's future. This is not just a piece of the town's past; it is very much linked to its present and can play a major role in its rebirth. People around the world have heard of Asbury Park because of artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. Most towns would do anything to have something like that to use for its marketing and we're trying to show Asbury Partners just how valuable the properties they own really are in terms other than real estate value."

"Asbury Park's redevelopment plan suggests that music and entertainment will play a role, but it's difficult to take that serious when Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre are hardly used at all," added Wien. "If they cared about entertainment they would have found a way to bring events back to those venues on a regular basis. As it is, they are probably the two least used performing arts centers in the state. And if condos are placed across the street you can bet that it will only make things worse."

The Wonder Bar is located at 5th & Ocean Avenue in Asbury Park, NJ directly across from Convention Hall. The club will be open early on Saturday, March 10th for the show with music beginning at noon and running throughout the night. The club's restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and people will be able to leave and return with their ticket stub. Tickets are available for $10 from the artists performing as well as online at http://www.asburymusic.com/petition/March10.html. Tickets have already been sold to music fans from Virginia to Boston, so those interested in attending are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.
Christopher Jones Tribute Benefit DVD

I wanted to send you all an email to let you know that the DVD Pre-Sale for the Christopher Jones Tribute Benefit has now begun!

This is the DVD video of the Tribute show for the late Christopher Jones that was held on September 10th, 2006 at the Red Fusion in Asbury Park, NJ.

Please visit www.myspace.com/chrisjonesbenefit to order your copy now!!! Click on the "BuyNow Paypal" button on the top right of the page to order your copy now.

Maggie Perotta of Sage Indie Music has completed the editing and producing of the video and has sent it in for printing and cover art. The DVD's will be mailed out in mid to late February.

All profits from the DVD sale will also benefit the Jersey Jams Fund as did the Tribute show in September to raise money for underprivelidged school districts for musical education in NJ.

Again, please order your copies now as they will be in limited supply. Visit www.myspace.com/chrisjonesbenefit and click on the paypal button on the top right to reserve your copy today!

Thank you.




Message From Lazlo




Hi Everyone,

Lots to talk about this week!

Of course first, and most importantly, I hope to see you all at the very special BlowUpRadio.com NJ Pop-Rock Fest this Saturday (Feb. 24th) at Buddie's Tavern, 277 Johnsons Ln, Parlin, NJ, part of the BlowUpRadio.com's Free Concert Series.

The show features sets by:

Matt Fisher & The Telephone Junkies
Matt Fisher and the Telephone Junkies play rock and roll music.

Fisher's songwriting style is heavily influenced by artists like Elvis Costello and Ben Folds, while the instrumental arrangements add the power-chord rock and simple, driving grooves of groups like Weezer. To top it off, Fisher and the Junkies provide an extremely tight and entertaining live act.

It all adds up to create a unique and memorable sound and a live show that is certainly worth seeing, especially in the age of auto-tune and ProTools. These boys remind us of what live rock and roll is all about. If you feel like you recognize a few of them, it's probably because you've seen them before. Fisher and Jones were previously in a group called the Sly Caps, who were featured on MTV's Made and Total Request Live (see MTV video here). After touring extensively in support of the band, Fisher thought it best to disband the group after having some creative differences.

As a solo artist, Fisher was backed by a revolving door of players, but in December 2005, Voinski and Jones decided to join the group for the long haul. Though the group entertained a line-up as a quartet for a while, it became apparent after a few months the group performed best as a trio. If you want to check out a great live act and meet a group of charming gentlemen, currently you can see Matt Fisher & the Telephone Junkies throughout NYC and in their home state of New Jersey.


Readymade Breakup
What we do is really quite unique. We start with a very catchy or memorable melody (referred to as the "chorus" or "hook"). We preface this "chorus" with somewhat more subdued melodic passages we call "verses". Oftentimes a "pre chorus" will be inserted between the two, for added emphasis of the "chorus". A "bridge" frequently precedes the final "chorus" for increased impact. Accompanying word groupings we call "lyrics" tend to provide some personal revelation, and usually retain some semblance of a "theme" from start to finish. We think this formula could be the start of something great.


Somerdale
SOMERDALE is on a mission to take over the world with insanely catchy, head-bobbing, foot-stomping, fist-pumping, hook-laden, sing-a-long tunes.

SOMERDALE cleverly combines the gorgeous harmonies of The Beatles, the frenetic energy of The Who, the psychedelic aura of David Bowie, the slashing guitar rhythms of The Rolling Stones, the throbbing bass lines of KISS, and the unbridled joy of The Raspberries.

SOMERDALE has recently released its debut full-length cd Friday Nite in America on the Kool Kat Musik label www.koolkatmusik.com

SOMERDALE impressed judges and audience members alike with a second place finish at Atlantic City’s House of Blues’ Battle of the Bands this April.

SOMERDALE was a featured act on the Philadelphia leg of David Bash’s prestigious International Pop Overthrow Festival (November 2005).


Dipsomaniacs
The Dipsomaniacs are from NJ and play melodic, hook-driven, sloppy, spirited rock n roll. They've been around since the early 90s and have released 5 CDs and appeared on countless compilations while playing shows all over the country.

The newest album, Whatever Planet, which was recorded mostly between February and April 2005 at the new FDR Studio B in New Jersey, was released in September of 2005. Whatever Planet features eighteen eclectic new songs in the Dipsos distinctive The Who - Undertones - Replacements - via - Fountains of Wayne garage pop style.

In addition to the eighteen new songs, the CD packaging includes a second free disc titled Down the Drain with 9 rarities tracks, all for the price of one CD!

The Dipsomaniacs have been growing in popularity with each successive album. Since the release of Freakin Eureka in 2003 (check out "Calvin" from this album) the band was selected winners of the Little Steven Underground Garage Contest in Philadelphia. As a result, the band received national radio play and also opened for Rocket from the Crypt at a sold-out show in NYC at the Irving Plaza.

The Dipsos also opened for Pat Benatar, playing to over 15,000 concert-goers at an outdoor festival in Camden, NJ. The Dipsos backed Philadelphia guitar legend Tommy Conwell for his track, "Long Live Rock", on the FDR Who Tribute CD and played with Tommy at the subsequent release shows. The Dipsomaniacs have also contributed a version of the Plimsouls' "Million Miles Away" to the FDR and American Laundromat Records tribute to 80s movies titled High School Reunion. Other contributing artists include Matthew Sweet, Dresden Dolls, John P. Strohm, and Kristin Hersh.


~~~~~

LUNA MUSINGS WITH COLIE BRICE COMES TO BLOWUPRADIO.COM

In my quest to always add new programming to BlowUpRadio.com's webcast, Colie Brice, head of Aeria Records, has brought his show, Luna Musings, to BlowUpRadio.com. Colie describes the show as, "I play a lot of exclusive material that I've recorded or produced myself, some esoteric stuff, AERIA favorites, and the occasional iconic rock classic". You can hear it for yourself, every Wednesday night at 9pm on BlowUpRadio.com's webcast.

~~~~~

The first month of Jukebox voting is over, and here are the results:


Thanks to everyone for voting for your favorite song on the jukebox, and congratulations to Six To Eight Mathematics, Jon Caspi, and Jon Andrew, our top 3 vote getters, who will continue on the Jukebox & poll this month, along with 7 new songs.

You can go to the Jukebox right now and listen to (and vote for) these songs:

Hero Pattern - don't even miss me
Jon Andrew - me and someone else
Citizens Band Radio - 30 days & 30 nights
Kosmic Daydream - right now
Jon Caspi - maybe I
Lisa M. Bello - me and my heart on my sleeve
Mike Ferraro - forgotten how to lose
Kerry - Cubana Americana
John Raido - merry-go-round
Six To Eight Mathematics - promise to be true

~~~~~

And speaking of Six To Eight Mathematics, go to www.LazlosDen.com to download an exclusive live in-studio acoustic performance of their song, "start again".

~~~~~

That's all for this week folks. Hope to see you all on Saturday!

Peace,
Lazlo





New Songs Added This Week

ARTIST ALBUM
Gary Paul Hermus Sid's gaseteria
Janey Todd rusty water
Mike June & The Dirty Doves lovesick


Concert Calendar

Thursday February 22nd
Bands Venue
the Anderson Council
The Ergs
Asbury Lanes
209 Fourth Ave
Asbury Park
Nick Ferriero
Matt Colligan
The Acoustic Cafe
100 Hibernia Ave
Rockaway

Friday February 23rd
Bands Venue
The Dark Marbles
Lloyd United
Otto's Shrunken Head
14th St (between ave A & B)
NYC
Mike Ferraro Bar 4
444 7th Ave
Brooklyn, NY

Saturday February 24th



bring it on home


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