In conversation with NJ hardcore punk band Kirkby Kiss
NJ Indy » Music
by Connor Reddington
8M ago
It’s a great time to be a punk/hardcore fan living on the East Coast— NYC, Philly, Baltimore, Richmond… all the hubs you know and love are humming. It’s also fairly hard to dispute that the 2020s—mired as it’s been in the horror-scape of COVID, emboldened bigotry, calamitous manifestations of climate change, class war and a shambolic government—have been a particularly prosperous decade for the scene in NJ thus far. Gel, School Drugs, AMMO, Dusters… the wave of undeniable bands emanating from the Garden State seems never-ending and, frankly, we’re tickled-fucking-pink about it.  &nbs ..read more
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Catching up with The Head and the Heart
NJ Indy » Music
by Kyle Nardine
9M ago
Recording an album has always been a process for alternative band The Head and the Heart. But along with the normal obstacles that come with making a record, The Head and the Heart have to deal with a rather quotidian concern: logistics. The band is six members strong, and getting six people in a studio has its challenges.  “I’m sure the record label would say it was hard,” says drummer Tyler Williams, laughing. “I think that’s the hardest part of it because it costs a lot of money to move people around to higher studios, higher Airbnbs and rental cars and all that stuff. I think it’s a ..read more
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Dover’s Factory Records, with its unique vibe and intimate concert venue, ‘brings people together’
NJ Indy » Music
by Matt Cortina
9M ago
I t feels like a dream. A big, gray cube of a building. Open the door and the Beach Boys are blasting. Walk around the corner and there’s an arcade game on the rafters, a vintage Coke machine in the corner. And rows upon rows of records. The odd ones catch your eye—the one with the woman alien fighter, the Christmas album from the band you didn’t think made those. The Eagles.  And then around the corner, the coolest venue you’ve never heard of. A small stage with vintage, beautifully upholstered chaise lounges and armchairs plucked straight from Oscar Wilde’s imagination.  Then, sudd ..read more
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The Maine returns to Jersey with its Sad Summer Festival and a new album
NJ Indy » Music
by Kyle Nardine
9M ago
Going to Warped Tour in the past guaranteed two things: 1) That you’ll see some great bands perform all day, and 2) That it usually falls on the hottest or most humid day of the year.  Kennedy Brock (guitar/vocals) of The Maine remembers those days vividly. Of course it’s hard to forget about the dry Arizona heat, but he also remembers how Warped Tour made him feel.  “I remember sweating out in 100-degree heat,” says Brock about Warped Tour. “You know, I love that stuff. There were so many bands and people that I was introduced to that changed my life.” Brock and his bandmates wante ..read more
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Andrew McMahon reintroduces himself… again
NJ Indy » Music
by Kyle Nardine
11M ago
Andrew McMahon is no stranger to reintroducing himself—as a child, he had to do so moving to and from Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, California and Bergen County.  “The lifestyle of starting over every couple of years was something that I have enjoyed for the most part,” explains McMahon over Zoom. “You learn a lot about being the new kid, and it set me up for this lifestyle that I have lived for the past 20 years or so.” The people who will be in attendance at his upcoming Delaware Valley shows (May 12 in Wilmington and May 27 at Adjacent Fest in AC) have all been introduced to McMahon i ..read more
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Lucius on their unique vocals, recent collabs and getting back to making music
NJ Indy » Music
by Matt Cortina
1y ago
We hold the truth of Lucius to be self-evident. Turn on “24” off their latest album, Second Nature, and within seconds you’re transfixed by how frontwomen Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe unify their voices into something singular, powerful, evocative and unique.  It’s different than what you might experience listening to other illustrious vocal duos like Simon and Garfunkel or The Righteous Brothers, where you can hear the differences in each voice—with Lucius, it’s hard to track where one voice begins and the other ends, even as Laessig and Wolfe harmonize, change timbre and volume. Their v ..read more
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Asbury Park’s latewaves calls themselves out
NJ Indy » Music
by Kyle Nardine
1y ago
In between Asbury Park-based rock band latewaves’ debut EP Partied Out, and their first LP released in 2021, Hell to Pay, singer and guitarist Mike Pellegrino had a realization—the same realization that Taylor Swift sang about in “Anti-Hero,” and a similar epiphany that Lebron had after Kyrie Irving got traded to the Mavericks. That realization? Maybe he was the problem.  “I had to swallow the big gigantic pill of that maybe, just maybe, I might be an asshole, too,” explains Pellegrino. “Not the whole thing, but maybe I can be doing some things better on my end, too. I had to come to an a ..read more
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The evolution of Guster
NJ Indy » Music
by Matt Cortina
1y ago
Guster is almost three decades into their career, and if you’re a longtime fan—as many of us are, latching onto 1997’s Goldfly or ’99’s Lost and Gone Forever for dear life and never letting go of this band that ceaselessly churns out indie/pop/rock songs with catchy melodies and whose down-to-Earth persona and happy-making live shows become annual rituals—well, shit, that makes ya feel old. But a funny thing happened with this threesome—Ryan Miller, Adam Gardner and Brian Rosenworcel—turned foursome (Joe Pisapia for a bit and now Luke Reynolds) in the last few years. Their two most recent albu ..read more
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In conversation with Robert Ryan of Electric Tattoo and SOMA
NJ Indy » Music
by Connor Reddington
1y ago
Celebrated artist and NJ native Robert Ryan is a deeply spiritual person. Since the late ’90s, the co-owner of Electric Tattoo (Asbury Park) has gained notoriety for his original style that blends spirituality—specifically, symbolic images or icons that are prevalent in Eastern cultures/religions—with traditional American tattooing. Though preceded by his reputation as a visual artist, Ryan has also long been involved with music. Over the years he’s performed in multiple bands including Out Like Lambs and Lord Sterling, and has explored a variety of genres including punk, psychedelic, indie an ..read more
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Chatting with Red Bank’s The Dream of When(?)
NJ Indy » Music
by INDY Staff
1y ago
Red Bank-based garage rock/powerpop outfit The Dream of When(?) are set to celebrate the release of their first EP March 10 at Asbury Lanes. Sure to please fans of The Lemonheads, Teenage Fanclub, and the like, TDoW(?)’s sound is reminiscent of the early-’90s-era college rock, grunge and powerpop that is beloved by so many. Also on the bill: Baron Praxis, Tide Bends and Matthew Pelli.  Last month NJ Indy was able to catch up with TDoW(?) frontman, Dylan McLarnon, to discuss the new EP, the release show and more.  What precipitated your starting The Dream of When(?)? I was in a band c ..read more
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