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LOOK BACK IN ARGYLE:
Jersey Beat Celebrates 20 Years of Bouncing Souls
 In
honor of the Bouncing Souls' 20th anniversary year,
we have not one, not two, but THREE special interviews.
First, Deb Draisin chats with the Bouncing Souls
and some of the group's fans and supporters to talk
about what the last 20 years have meant, and how
the band will be commemorating this special milestone.
Jason Walsh also had a chance to speak with lead
singer Greg Attonito to help preview the anniversary
shows. Then we print for the first time an interview
with Greg that took place as the keynote address
of the 2004 DIY Convention, which traces the band's
history and tells the story of how the Souls' built
their own DIY support system, complete with merchandising,
booking, and their own label.
IT'S THE END OF THE YEAR AS WE KNOW IT
    Jersey
Beat Staffers Pick The Best of 2008
See
our staff's picks here...
The Quiet Corner Best
of 2008 here...
 FISHIN'
MUSICIAN:
Mickey Melchiondo And The Lure Of The Deep
Every one knows that Mickey - aka Dean Ween - has
a way with a hook, but few know that his passions
go beyond music. When he's not shredding on guitar,
you can find him fishing - or filming episodes of
his Internet tv show Brownie Troop F.S.,
about all things anglerish. Jim Testa drops anchor
for a chat with the Weenster about his piscatory
pursuits. Read
Jim's interview here...
 CASH
CASH:
NJ Dance Popsters
Prep For Success
Roseland NJ's Cash Cash will be releasing their
debut album in January, after tearing up NJ clubs
for the last few years. We talk to lead singer
Jean Paul Makhlouf about major labels, the Jersey
music scene, and pop bands using autotune, among
other things.
Read Jim Testa's interview here...
A Christmas Chat
With The Fleshtones' Peter Zaremba
Ageless garage-rock icons The Fleshtones return
to New Jersey this Saturday, December 13 to help
celebrate the release of their new Christmas LP.
Phil Rainone chatted with lead singer Peter Zaremba
about the band's incredible longevity and the
eternal appeal of garage rock. Read
the interview here...
JERSEY BEAT INTERVIEW: FAIRMONT
Deb Draisin brings us up to date with the travails
and triumphs of Fairmont, 10 year veterans of the
Jersey music scene, now celebrating the release
of their fifth full-length album, Transcendence.
Read Deb's interview here...
Live Review:
Glen Burtnik's Xmas Xtravaganza:
Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree With An All-Star
Cast
Phil Rainone reports on Glen Burtnik's annual
Xmas Xtravanganza for NJ charities, which brought
an all star cast of friends and family together
to help rock in the holidays.
Read Phil's review here...
 Live
Review:
Gogol Bordello at Webster Hall NYC
Fernando Vazquez reports on the gypsy-punk insanity
of a typical over-the-top Gogol Bordello show that
turned a typical concert into a magical celebration
of ethnic cultures and danceable rhythms.
Read his review here...
THAT'S NOT FUNNY!
A Column By Joe Evans III
Power Violence For The Comically Inclined
An interview with the "three great dudes" of Affirmative Action Jackson, a thrash trio who'll also make you laugh
INTERVIEW:
Houston Calls...But Is Anyone Listening?
Seems like only yesterday that Houston Calls
were one of the flagship bands among the fleet of
Jersey emo acts that helped transform Drive-Thru
Records into one of the country's most important
indie labels. But with the release of their second
album, the band's wondering if that ship has sailed
without them.
Read
Jim Testa's interview here...
 INTERVIEW:
Phil Alvin of The Blasters
An American Original Brings a 'Blast'
of Real American Music to The Saint's 14th Anniversary
Phil Alvin and his legendary roots-rockin' combo
The Blasters brought an electrifying blast of true
rock 'n' roll to the Saint in honor of the Asbury
Park club's 14th anniversary. Phil Rainone was there
to dig the vibes as well as the rockin' tuneage
from Jersey new-wave pioneers The Bangs and DJ Lenny
Lounge, then sat down with Phil Alvin for a one-on-one
interview.
Updated with live photos!
Read
Phil's interview with Phil Alvin here...
Read Phil's show review
here...
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
Peachcake and Pop tarts,
View
the complete Editor's Desk article...
 No
Sleep Til Gainesville!
DILLINGER FOUR: The
Jersey Beat Interview
Our ace muckraking reporters Dave Dillon and
Jon Robinson track down Minneapolis' notorious
bubblegum-punk quartet Dillinger Four backstage
in Baltimore, and probe the group's feelings about
their latest album, future plans, Internet piracy,
Dave Matthews, and their newfound love of autotune.
Say what??
Read the interview here...
AARGH!! Brine & Bastards bring Pirate Punk
to Jersey
They're scurvy, rowdy, mutinous
sea dogs -- and they just happen to be one of
the most original punk bands in the Garden State.
Meet Brine & Bastards, and get ready to shiver
ye timbers. Deb
Draisin walks the plank with these gobs...
THING-ONE: Nuclear Fusion
NJ's Thing-One combines rock, pop, jazz, soul,
and hip-hop, making them one of the most unique
and exciting underground bands in the Garden State.
Rich Quinlan talks to lead singer Joey Palestina
about where Thing-One came from and where the
band hopes it's going.
Read
Rich's interview here...
FEATURE REVIEWS:
 Darren
Deicide - The Jersey Devil Is Here (Everreviledrecords.com)
NJ's Darren Deicide delivers mysterious, raw
blues-rock more than living up to the legend of
the creepy malevolent Jersey Devil.
Read Phil Rainone's review here...
The Love Me Nots - Detroit (Atomic A Go Go)
The Love Me Nots create a blend of harmonic and
hormonal old school rock and roll, blending raw
blitzkrieg guitars with heavy, heavy beats and
bass, all lined up perfectly under solid vocals.
Read
Phil Rainone's review here...
 No
Bunny - Love Visions (1-2-3-4-Go Records)
Justin Champlin's lo-fi garagey punk is like
Jay Reatard on acid - and in a bunny mask. Phil
Rainone thinks it's one of the most rockin'est
things he's heard in a while!
Read Phil's review here...
 All-American
Rejects - When The World Comes Down (Interscope)
Dick Nothing acknowledges the undeniable pop appeal
of the All-American Rejects' latest full-length,
but also finds them... annoying.
Read
his review here....
 The
Prozacs - Playing The Chords We Love (Cheapskate)
Pop Punk doesn't get much more perfect than the
Prozacs, says Dick Nothing, who has nothing but
raves about this new platter whose subjects range
from the lack of freedom in modern society to
sweet lullabyes to singer Jay Prozac's infant
song.
Read
the review here...
 The
Subhumans - Death Was Too Kind (Alternative Tentacles)
Alternative Tentacles brings back one of the pillars
of Canada's early hardcore-punk scene with this
compilation of the band's classic out-of-print singles,
EP's, and albums. Phil Rainone says the band's personality-laden
attack retains a freshness that today's punk rockers
could do well to emulate. Read
the review here...
 Zigman
Bird - Balls Marie (zigmanbird.com)
Scrappy "Fing" Lamberton on bass and Bill Homeyer
on drums sock out in unison with a wallop and
swoop, while Keith Beck on lead guitar and vocals
not only rocks out, but strips rock 'n' roll down
to it's primal state. Read
Phil Rainone's review here
 American
Speedway - Ship Of Fools (Prophase)
Solid musicianship and stripped-down emotionalism
will grab you by the throat when listening to
the pure hardcore punk of American Speedway, which
Phil Rainone says deliver a winning combination
of punch and intelligence.
Read
Phil's review here...
 The
Sketch - Best Kid In Town (Engineer)
John Brhel has lots of nice things to say about
the UK's The Sketch, power-pop in the style of
Weezer and The Anniversary, with echoes of Superchunk
and Velocity Girl. Sounds pretty good to us! Read
John's review here...
 Tim
Barry - Manchester (Suburban Home)
Chris Mattern swoons over the new solo album
from Avail lead singer Tim Barry, whose simple,
stripped down arrangements remain quintessentially
punk-rock.
Read
Chris' review here...
JERSEY BEAT COLUMNS:
 DAVE
RUN IT REVIEWS
Longtime Jersey Beat contributor Dave Run It hands
down his judgment on releases by Static Radio NJ,
The Safes, and The Offramps.
Read
Dave's reviews here...
 THE
QUIET CORNER
by Robert Barry Francos
Best of 2008 Edition:
Robert Francos brings a unique twist to the usual
year-end best-of list, choosing the albums he's
listened to the most over the past 12 months - and
still enjoys hearing cover to cover today. Robert's
favorites run the gamut from punk to pop divas,
singer/songwriters to sloppy bar bands, proving
not everything's quiet in The Quiet Corner.
Read Robert's column here...
 THE
QUINLAN CHRONICLES by Rich Quinlan
The classic beer-soaked American of Ghostwriter
and the warm, inviting Euro-pop of Lightning Daze
are Rich's two new finds. He also finds lot to
like on the new full-length from Brooklyn-via-New
Brunswick's The Measure (SA) and also reviews
new 7 inches from Stay Alive and Unwelcome Guests.
Read
Rich's column here...
 THE
WORLD ACCORDING TO WAWZYRNIAK - by Joe Wawzyrniak
Joe reviews new albums by I Am The Branch,
Sonic Bliss, Canadian Invasion, and Daniel Harris.
Thirty years into a landmark career, The Cure
are still making albums with purity and passion,
as evidenced by 4:13 Dream, which Joe
W. finds exhilarating and a total triumpth.
View
the complete article....
 METAL
AS ALL HELL by Dan Siano
Dan gets blown away by the two-disc set by Sweden's
masters of black metal, Dark Funeral. He also
checks out Chicago's Bible of the Devil, the latest
from old reliables Pro-Pain, and new releases
from Slank and Xystus. The highly hyped Bring
Me The Horizon doesn't impress Dan Siano, who
rates it as "heard it all before metalcore."
And he has even less to say about Escape The Fate,
other than it's merely emo/screamo/hardcore posing
as real metal. He does have some good things to
say about the enigmatic Grails and their instrumental
post-metal. In other reviews, Dan has nothing
but praise for Hate, who "come at you with
a modern brutal death metal approach with tinges
of black metal." But he has less than favorable
words for the likes of Marionette and Sonic Syndicate.
Also: Sybreed, Suspyre, Textures, Waylander, Bleeding
Through, Brother Von Doom, Gama Bomb, and the
new DVD documentary of the hardcore thrash scene,
Get Thrashed.
Read
Dan's column here...
 THE
SILVER LINING by Paul Silver
The big find in Paul Silver's latest column are
the Color Wheels from upstate New York, featuring
a husband/wife team playing intriguing pop tunes.
"Some of it sounds a little awkward and geeky,
some of it just soars, but it all rocks,"
enthuses Paul. He also uncovers real roots rock
'n' roll coming from The Neighborhood Bullys,
and also reviews new releases from Tally Hall,
The Quit, The Bloodsugars, Gentleman Auction House,
Happy Anarchy, and Iota.
Real
Paul's reviews here...
 MATTERN
OF FACT by Chris Mattern
Our newest columnist Chris Matterns kicks things
off with reviews of The Monikers ("simply
playing great poppy punk rock, full of great hooks
and lyrics about alcohol and insubordination,")
Like Trains & Taxis, Mr. Russia, Gee Davey
and Knife The Sympony.
Read
Chris' column here...
 PUNK
OR NOTHING by Dick Nothing
Dick Nothing gets an advance listen to one of
the most eagerly anticipated releases of the new
year, Let Me Run's Meet Me At The Bottom.
Scheduled to be released on January 20, 2009,
the album arrives just in time to wash away the
holiday blues with its powerful, energetic reimagining
of classic New Jersey punk and classic rock theme.
Read
Dick's column here...
 POP
PUNK!
By All Ages Dave Dillon
Dave Dillon likes the pop-punk sounds of Banner
Pilot as well as the demo tape (!) from Long Island's
Iron Chic, and also reviews new releases from Bridge
& Tunnel and The Riot Before. Dave found "Collected
Sounds" by the Dustheads the most tortured
release of the year, a mashup of classic Black Flag
hardcore and heavy stoner riffage. He also reviews
new releases by Heavy Heavy Low Low and pop/punk
from Italy's The Veterans.
Read
Dave's review here...
 ROCK
N ROLL ADDICTION:
Chapter 8 - The Boro
A Column By Daniel McDermott
What was it about his hometown
of Hillsborough that produced so many rock 'n'
rollers in the 90's, wonders Dan McDermott in
this installment of his ongoing memoir. From Flinch
to Loose to Mars Needs Women to True Love, some
of the best Jersey bands of a generation came
from this sleepy little suburb.
View
Rock N Roll Addiction -Chapter 8...
 Your
Friends & Neighbors by Tris McCall
Tris looks at the new pop-prog release by NJ's Spiraling.
"So far, I’ve probably heard about a
hundred albums released this year. I can’t
say that any of them is better than Time Travel
Made Easy. The new Spiraling album is cogent,
entertaining, well-written, and well-played; on
top of that, it sounds terrific."
Read
Tris' full review here...
INTERVIEWS & FEATURES:
More Jersey Beat Columns
- It's
Time To Party With Noah WK
Noah reviews two new pop-punk releases from
Rally Records - the Jetty Boys and All-Star
Assassins - as well as new releases from Orion
Experience, Faraquet, Hammerlock, and Labor
Party.
- Dave
Run It
The Wacky Hi-Jinks of Adrenalin OD, Co Co B's,
The Pagans, Teachers' Pet, Swallow
- Savage
Slices: Reviews by Eric Savage
Streetdogs; Jim Boggia; Nurse With Wound, Windmill
Tammany Hally NYC, Monkey Paw, The Deacons,
Model/Actress, The Ike Reilly Assassination,
Sons Of Cyrus, Irving, Landlord, and more.
- Mike
Ramek's HardCore Report:
Shai Halud; Sworn Enemy; Purpose, Madball, Agnostic
Front/Discipline, Born/Dead, Hopesfall, Monster
Squad. Another Breath, The Break In, The Burning
Paris, Capital, Count The Hours
- The
Silver Lining: Reviews By Paul Silver
City And Skyway, Ghost Buffalo, National Rifle,
PonytaleThe Morning Benders, The Chapin Sisters,
The Handcuffs, Dive Index, Sky Cries Mary; Trolleyvox,
Scary Kids Scaring Kids, The Black Swans, Cheyenne,
Hit & Mrs.
-
Acoustic & Then Some By Brook Pridemore
Folk, anti-folk, singer/songwriters, and other
stuff that won't bust your eardrums.
- Wowie
Zowie: Psychedelic & Beyond by Rick Kutner
- Updated January 23
Snowden, Black Mountain, Eddie Vedder, Goon
Moon, Blaqk Audio; Queens Of The Stone Age,
Coheed & Cambria, This Holiday Life;
Gasoline Heart; Be Bop Deluxe, Daft Punk, Deadsy,
The Flaming Lips, The Mars Volta, New York Dolls,
Placebo, The Raspberries, Samiam, Snatches of
Pink, T Rex, VHS Or Beta, Valient Thorr, VanDer
Graaf Generator
- Book
and Zine Reviews
The Red Album of Asbury Park by Al Austin
Jersey Beat CD Reviews:
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