CoolDad Music

Update

2021-10-06T14:11:00.001-04:00

Hi!

Hey, a lot of you know that I'm currently recovering from a stroke, but if you don't know, this is what happened. On February 2, 2021 I had a pseudo-aneurysm that became a hemorrhagic stroke and spent 4 weeks at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Then I went to Kessler Rehabilitation for 7 weeks and began to learn to walk and speak again. Now, I work hard at physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Little by little, I am getting better.

I look forward to hearing from all of you, but please know it might take me longer to respond. It helps me to hear from all of you and to have to respond, because it makes me practice my communication skills. I look forward to seeing you and getting back into life, and even back out to shows. Thanks for caring!

(Thank you to Barbara Miller, my speech pathologist, for all your help. Thank you to all the other people that helped me at Riverview Medical Center.)

Interview: Ragged Lines on Life During Quarantine and Their New Single

2020-05-22T09:45:00.000-04:00

Ragged Lines by Kelsey Ayers

"Keep Talking"

Asbury Park's Ragged Lines began as a songwriting project for Carter Henry following the dissolution of his previous band, Monterey (who we interviewed here way back in 2015). Henry soon recruited lifelong friend, Lucas Dalakian. Following the release of the band's 2017 EP red lights, your ghost, Ragged Lines evolved to its current 3-piece configuration with Henry on guitar and vocals, Dalakian on bass, and Matt Viani on drums. With an assist from part-time member Ally Rose, Ragged Lines are moving closer to the release of their debut full-length, recorded by the prolific and talented Erik Romero.

Today, Ragged Lines released the second single from that upcoming record in the form of "Keep Talking." In its short, energetic minute and a half, "Keep Talking" contains an important message that feels especially appropriate for our current situation. That, simply, is talk to people and don't be afraid to tell them how you feel.

I talked to Ragged Lines over email about "Keep Talking" and to see how they've all been doing during quarantine.

Check that out below. "Keep Talking" is available now via your favorite streaming outlet.

First of all, how are you doing? How are you holding up during these strange times?

Carter Henry: I've been fortunate to be able to keep working through all of this, and that's definitely kept me sane. And luckily my family and friends have all stayed healthy. Just have my fingers crossed that we'll be able to return to some sort of normal this summer.

Matt Viani: At first, it was very hard to get used to. I'm a pretty social person and saw my friends every night, so not being able to do something as simple as that really sucked. Working every day plus writing / demoing new music has helped the most.

Lucas Dalakian: Holding up! So far my family and friends have been healthy and safe. Lucky to be busy and well and appreciating the people close to me.

What have been your favorite at-home activities over the last couple of months? Have you become expert bakers? Video gamers? Something else?

Matt: I've been using the extra free time to practice demoing new songs, and it's definitely come a long way.

Lucas: I'm a big gamer. I've been stopping by Icarus to get beer every other week and making my way through a lot of video games. I also watched Breaking Bad front to back. I had never seen it. Also I cooked salmon for the first time, I’m not a cook at all.

What do you miss most from the pre-social distancing days?

Carter: Definitely miss going to shows and going out to restaurants / bars with friends.

Matt: I miss making fun of Lucas to his face, but especially playing shows and seeing my favorite people.

Lucas: My friends, hugs, and bars.

You're releasing your second single, "Keep Talking," today. When was this song recorded?

Matt: "Keep Talking" was the first song we wrote for this record which was about two years ago. It's evolved a bunch since we first started writing it, but when we finally recorded it last August with Erik [Romero], it felt perfect.

"Keep Talking" is a short, power poppy track that encapsulates the "freak out" energy in the lyrics. Can you talk a little bit about what the song's about?

Carter: This song is literally about talking things out. Whether you're upset, in an argument, or in a really beautiful moment, I think we often hold back or pull away when things get intense and I think it's important to continue those thoughts and those conversations. At least for me it feels good to say the things that are sometimes difficult or awkward to say. The words that we find hard to say are usually the truth, and the truth always matters.

How does it feel to be releasing new music right now? There have to be some challenges in promoting it.

Lucas: It feels very very good to be releasing new music right now! We feel very fortunate to have an entire album in our back pocket at this time, so the timing worked out right. I feel awful for bands that can't get together, or had recording plans cancelled. Promoting has actually been nice. We all have a little bit more downtime to get our plans just right, and we feel like it's not the worst time to be releasing music in the world, we want our songs to be a little light in the hard times everyone is experiencing. Luckily we have great friends with blogs like you who are willing to support!

It doesn't seem like you'll be able to play the new songs out any time soon. Do you have any plans for livestreams or music videos?

Carter: Actually we do have a livestream coming up this Sunday [5/24], hosted by our friends in Cold Weather Company. We'll be posting about it on our social media, but it should be starting around 3pm if anyone would like to tune in! We’ve got a few ideas for music videos in the works right now as well. One of our ideas is to have people submit random video clips of their day to day routines during quarantine and piece them together. If anyone is interested in collaborating or being a part of it definitely hit us up!

How, if at all, do you think live music will be different on the other side of all of this?

Lucas: I'm hopeful that live music will see a return to normalcy. With any large world event, I think there will be a “new normal”, less touching, more cleaning supplies at gigs and things like that.

What keeps you motivated right now? Do you have any advice for people who may be struggling to find their own motivation?

Carter: The thing keeping me motivated lately is just focusing on the future beyond this pandemic and ways we can come out stronger from this, not get left behind. There's always something we can be doing to improve our circumstances and the lives of the people around us, and I'm trying to just focus on my vision for those things. My advice to anyone struggling out there right now would be to reach out to other people. It's ok to be vulnerable and talk about what you're going through. Everyone has been affected by this in one way or another and we need to all lean on and support one another.

For more info, you can follow Ragged Lines on Instagram or Facebook.

Interview: Tom Barrett on His New Album, 051480

2020-04-24T15:59:00.001-04:00

051480

Our good friend Tom Barrett (Overlake, Tom Barrett and The Cuts, WAVE) released 051480 this week. It's a quiet and intimate portrait of life during lockdown that Tom originally intended as a private birthday present to his wife, Stacy. I was honored and humbled, therefore, when Tom reached out to me with his intention to make this very private, very personal project public.

The album is the result of a creative outburst that came following Tom's own experience of being laid low during the early days (in our part of the world, anyway) of the pandemic. "Like, making it was painful," Tom says of the album, "but it helps heal me to listen. I want it to have that effect on EVERYONE." With the ideas of sharing and healing in mind, Tom decided to release 051480 to the world and to donate all proceeds from the sale of the album to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

I had a socially distant "conversation" with Tom over email yesterday. Check that out below to get some more detail on the making of 051480 and the events leading up to its creation. 051480 is available over at Tom Barrett's Bandcamp page with all proceeds from sales, remember, going to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

I'd like to start off with a little background / history. Can you talk about where you were musically -- or otherwise -- early this year, say January / February / early March?

I had a pretty busy and fun beginning of the year. I had my new band going (WAVE) with Jamie Zillitto and Matt Siegle, both formerly of The Everymen. Both solid dudes who were willing enough to follow a poseur like myself out onto the shoegaze battlefield. I took part in this really fun David Berman tribute up at LoFi in the heights in Jersey City with a bunch off cool new friends I haven't seen since. I was working on some songs, playing some shows, generally in a good head space during this time. Stacy and I went down to Riviera Maya in Mexico for the Wilco festival, where we got real up close with most of those dudes, and they played three nights along with a bunch of other bands: Yo La Tengo, Sharon Van Etten, Courtney Barnett, Kamasi Washington, etc. We swam and drank tons of tequila, haha. Things were looking up. We had joy, we had fun, we had our season in the sun. (sigh)

Then came mid-March and we all started on this current situation. What was that like for you?

What does a dog say? "Ruff." I can't remember much, except that if I was in bed for weeks then I was asleep for at least two of em. I didn't feel great. I hardly ate. Had some freak-outs because I couldn't really breathe, I was weak and shaking all over, and sorta forgot how to play guitar a little bit. I can't really fingerpick anymore. Or use a pen. Violins.

Stacy tried to cheer me up by making me watch ALL the Avengers movies and their spinoffs / standalones, some of which I enjoyed but mostly are just sort of insanely difficult to follow for me, especially when you're dealing with all this nonsense. And an idiot. I was having these insane fever dreams with all the Avengers in them and they would NEVER END. But, anyway, that's what it was like. Everlasting, haha. I sadly can't speak for Stacy. She was too busy saving me while my useless tuchus was binging on old episodes of Top Chef and Parks and Rec and shit.

You had a burst of inspiration / creativity that produced this album. When did that start? Are all of these songs brand new, written in just the last several weeks?

With the exception of "(other) birds," which I'd come up with back in 2014 while walking dogs by Exchange Place, I'd say it started either Wednesday or Thursday of last week and finished on Tuesday. My friend Neil and I were going back and forth on FB. He was sending me some words he wrote for a song making fun of all these dudes playing songs on acoustic guitars. It's called "Dudes Playing Songs on Acoustic Guitars." And I just sent some back. Then more. Then a couple more. I don't know if it's finished, but it started the flow, the avalanche. Changed everything. I was writing down one, two maybe three songs a day. I say "writing down" because I really feel like I just plucked them off the song tree on a nice day and placed em in my little wicker basket right next to the lotion (which was really a pail if you go back n watch). I really don't feel so much like they're mine, I just went out and got the mail on the right day, man.

Lots of people -- myself included -- have found it difficult to be creative or productive during this time. On "PINK MOON II," for example, you seem to be offering some reassurance that that's OK. What other advice do you have for people who find themselves with all of this free time but very little motivation to do anything with it?

I think my turning point came when I saw my friend Renee from Elk City post something on Facebook about how you're under no obligation to art or to be creative just because we're living thru this pivotal moment in our history. There's enough pressure in just getting thru it all. And healthy. Since then, I've seen tons of other articles reflecting that same opinion exactly, which is an important opinion to have floating out there in the ether for others to pick up on. During any time. The only true obligation you have is to be the best version of yourself for yourself, so you can also be that for your other. But first, you gotta BE yourself before you can be the BEST version of that. Gotta complete that word. "That's my philosophy, Marty." NAME THE MOVIE! (This Is Spinal Tap)

The album is intimate in the true sense of the word. I imagined myself sitting at home with you as you played these songs. I think touches like the short interludes and the ribbing on "...kitties..." add to that. It all hits in a way that I think is different now that so many of us are sitting in our homes all day rather than being out and about with all our friends. How did you go about recording these songs? What did that look like?

That's what it is. It's me playing for you with my mask on. Best mask in the world. The mask of not being there. Um, where do I start? Yeah, I just recorded everything as memos. The actual "songs" I tried to make good and did a few takes of. Some several. "(other) birds" was hard. "me out" was hard. I straight up fudge a chord at the end, but I just loved the feel of it, so it stayed in. That short whistling track was completely spontaneous. A moment of pause with the sound off that I just sorta had enough prescience to capture in that moment right then and there. Glad I did. My favorite track on the record. "song for Sean" was half-written, half-improv, all fear. Never been more terrified recording something before in my life. You can hear me wringing the neck of the guitar because I'm so scared. You can hear it on just about every track, some sort of fear, some sort of discomfort. I wanted it all in there, Jim. That Schitt's Creek moment which was a total gift, some Real Housewives noise at the end of "PINK MOON II," boilers, plumbing, cats... everything.

There are songs here about gratitude, sadness, love, guilt, and ultimately hope for the future. This may sound too mechanical, but can you talk a little bit about the structure and sequencing of the album? Did the songs flow from you in the order that they appear here?

It's all just feel. And a river. I really just tried to let everything flow as completely freely as I could, and the pieces just came together. Petty was right. I DID get lucky. And I'm about to contradict myself a little here, because I'm gonna go ahead and say I did not write the album in order, as opposed to "write down." I really just lucked out and somehow amassed this batch of songs and moments that just sorta all fell into their right places on their own. They Tetrissed themselves... tetrised.. tet..... EVERYTHING WORKED OUT.

What was your original intention for this album? Has that changed? If so, what was the cause for that?

Serious time. It was supposed to be just for Stacy and no one else. Like the Wu-Tang record they only made one copy of and sold to that Trump-in-Training, piece of human garbage Martin Shkreli for 2 million bucks or something. I wanted it to be that, but GOOD. In spirit, in quality (from what I've heard), in EVERY WAY. I was gonna give it to her on her birthday. 051480. I didn't always have the songs, but I had the concept and the title. I wouldn't even play them live. Maybe one here or there. This was my pre-pandemic plan, except I wasn't inspired enough by the idea to really get cracking on it. It normally takes me years to actually FINISH songs. Then this little interruption happened. I got sick, I got better, the songs just came. I had this crazy surge coursing throughout my entire body throughout the entire process that only had one meaning to me. This was worth it to me. Like, making it was painful but it helps heal me to listen. I want it to have that effect on EVERYONE. So I instead decided to make it for EVERYONE and donate all the dollars and cents to charities, like the NJ Pandemic Relief Fund. Stacy was really touched by the original idea and was a little sad that it was no longer hers, and I get that. I'd be sad and maybe hurt if she did that to me, too. But she's warm and compassionate just like me. She gets it. Something else will happen. She'll have her day. Like I said, she really carries me. I'll do something.

How do you think the world will be different after all of this? How do you think you may be different? What do you hope will happen?

Can't speak for the world, really. I only know I'm different after all this, and when I imagine the highly improbable scenario of going right from this to WORLD'S OPEN, GO PLAY LOUD SHOWS WITH DISTORTED GUITARS AND CRASHING DRUMS with no sort of gradual reintroduction procedures or anything whatsoever, just a complete, no-holds-barred return to normalcy... It fucking terrifies me. I feel like it could kill me, like taking an infant to front row seats to see the Flaming Lips with NO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER. I don't know if I'll be able to really do that again, honestly. I don't know if it's such a bad thing for me, tho. I'm sad for everyone else. I hope they can go to shows again. I really do, man. I feel the pain of everyone, then I feel nothin. God. Fuck off.

Thank you, Jim, for everything.

Premiere: New Video from Yawn Mower

2020-04-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Yawn Mower at the Could Eat, Would Sleep release show in 2018

"Operators"

Almost 2 years ago to the day, on 4/20/2018, Yawn Mower released their EP Could Eat, Would Sleep on Mint 400 Records. Around that time, they began working on a video for the song "Operators" off of that record. For reasons known only to Yawn Mower and their collaborators -- the great talents at Hologram Visuals and Burke Multimedia -- the video is just seeing the light of day today. And that's fine. More than fine, really, because this is a perfect time to revisit the song's message about supporting one another.

Guitarist Mike Chick had this to say about "Operators" in a CoolDad Music interview with Matt Chrystal back in 2018:

YM's lyrics are historically pretty dystopian and critical of various social structures we live with every day... ...Every day we are flooded with negativity from the news and people, so I don't want to write about that all the time. "Kickstand" and "Operators" are songs about your friends and family being there for you no matter how bad things are. It's YM's version of PMA.

In that same interview, drummer Biff Swenson added:

Those are also the 2 songs ["Operators" and "Kickstand"] that hit me emotionally more than any other tunes Chick and I have written together.

Lyrics like "It's the little things / We all could do / To keep things running / Relatively smooth" contain some real wisdom during this time when everyone's lives have been turned upside down.

Check out the video for "Operators" below; and, if you're ever feeling down, you can feel free to reach out to me here anytime. Operators are standing by.

Could Eat, Would Sleep, along with the rest of Yawn Mower's discography, is available over at Yawn Mower's Bandcamp page.

New Single from Lowlight

2020-04-19T11:44:00.000-04:00

Lowlight from the very last set I shot before the world changed. Not the best pic ever, but I had to get the disco ball into at least one shot for Renee.

"Julian"

Am I gonna start every post from now on by saying how I haven't been posting much lately because I just haven't felt like it? We'll see, I guess.

I was exchanging messages with good friend Renee Maskin of Lowlight yesterday. At one point, I mentioned how CoolDad Music has kind of been on life support for a while now and how I thought maybe it would become another casualty of the pandemic. The main context of our chat, though, was my telling Renee how much I'd been enjoying Lowlight's latest single, "Julian." I told her how refreshing it was to hear Lowlight continue to try new things. What I didn't explicitly say (but I think I implied) was that the song's epic sweep (It's nearly 8 minutes of epic sweep that absolutely flies by. Trust me.) and hopeful tone helped to keep things going here for at least one more day.

"Julian" provided me with a little moment of inspiration, and I asked Renee to share some thoughts about the song:

"Despite its runtime, "Julian" is a song that came together relatively quickly. It’s also a true Lowlight collaboration. Sometimes, we all write on our own and then present the rest of the band something that's structurally set in stone. But, in this case, we really molded the different elements of the "Julian" together. Derril [Sellers] and Dana [Sellers] had the initial chord change ideas. I suggested that the song shift to a long instrumental ending. Colin [Ryan], Rey [Rivera], Derril, and Dana went to town on putting it together, while I shuffled around with a notebook, listening, and trying to figure out what the lyrics should be about.

I had been getting comments recently that my lyrics are often pretty depressing (as if I wasn't aware). So I thought I'd take a shot at writing something a little more upbeat. And, while the song is not all sunshine and fucking rainbows, I think the takeaway is mainly hopeful. There are moments of depression, confusion, and disappointment. But there's also love, appreciation of the people and things we have, and hope for what's to come.

We had no idea that we’d collectively as humans be in the mess we're in right now by the time "Julian" was released. With any luck, some of that feeling of hope in the song will rub off on whoever listens."

Julian is available now at your favorite streaming service via Telegraph Hill Records.

Premiere: New Single from LA's Heartour. R U IN Out 5/22.

2020-04-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Heartour's Jason Young by Dillon G. Artzer

"Brain"

It's been 9 years since Jason Young released his last album as Heartour. During that time, Young's other project, Los Angeles indie-pop band The Ruse, toured the world with Muse. When The Ruse decided to go on hiatus, Young felt the time was right to take a break from the more rock and roll stylings of his day job and get back to his solo project. The result is Heartour's forthcoming fifth studio album R U IN, which is due out on May 22nd. Today, Heartour gives us a glimpse into that record with the premiere of "Brain," which will be available this coming Monday, April 13th.

"Brain" was mixed by Tony Hoffer (M83, Metric, Beck); and, when I first heard the song, I was drawn to its glistening 80s synth-pop aesthetic. Given how much time I've been spending with those sounds lately (Heart Bones, Tame Impala), "Brain" hit me at just the right moment, I guess.

That's not the only way in which "Brain" is timely. Young says,"I have had many times in my life where the thoughts in my brain have paralyzed me from getting through normal day to day life." It's a feeling, I think, that many share during these times of anxiety and uncertainty. "Brain" offers up some empathy wrapped in glowing neon.

Give an early listen to "Brain" right here, and look for the song on April 13th via your platform of choice or over at Heartour's Bandcamp page. Heartour's R U IN is due on May 22nd.

New Single, Video from Sweet Spirit. Trinidad Out 5/29.

2020-04-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

Sweet Spirit by Roger Ho

"No Dancing"

You'd think that I'd have been using the last several weeks of statewide lockdown to discover new music and write about it here. Welp, it hasn't really been going that way. I'm usually here by myself at CDMHQ; and the added (but certainly not unwelcome) distraction of having the coolfamily here 24/7, coupled with the constant stream (less welcome) of pandemic news, has made it difficult to focus on my usually solitary activity of working on this site.

Instead, during this time, I've been focusing on those old stand-by things that have brought me joy over the years: bicycling, running / walking outdoors, The New York Times's daily "Spelling Bee" puzzle, science fiction, family, and my favorite bands.

Austin's Sweet Spirit are a relatively new entry in my pantheon of favorite bands. A few SXSWs ago, I was walking back to my hotel after a very long day. I checked the official app and noticed that Spiral Stairs was playing a midnight set at Maggie Mae's. Being a huge Pavement fan, I headed upstairs and caught the show. At around 1AM, I noticed the crowd starting to pack in for the next act.

"Who's up next?" I asked someone.

"Sweet Spirit!" they offered enthusiastically.

I hadn't heard of the band before, and I was completely spent. I decided to trudge my way back up the giant hill to the La Quinta and collapse into bed. Regrets as I later learned that Sweet Spirit are another project of Sabrina Ellis and Andrew Cashen of A Giant Dog. Since then, in the last 3 or 4 years, few bands -- few THINGS -- have brought me more joy than Sweet Spirit and A Giant Dog.

Today, Sweet Spirit released the second single from their upcoming Trinidad (5/29, Merge). The accompanying, Ed Dougherty-directed video for "No Dancing" finds the band (which, in addition to Ellis and Cashen, includes Danny Blanchard, Jon Fichter, Jake Knight, and Joshua Merry) leading the students and staff of the arts program at Austin's Eastside Memorial High School through a glittery and joyful celebration of the power of music and dancing. Sweet Spirit recently raised money for the program with help from the Tingari-Silverton Foundation.

"No Dancing" comes right when we need it, I think. We can all identify with Ellis as they sing, "Wanna hear some records play / Wanna see some bodies sway" and "Keep dreaming of a future bright." We'll be done with all of this eventually. We'll have a new Sweet Spirit album and an accompanying tour during which we can all dance and sweat together.

That's a very long-winded way of saying check out this new video from Sweet Spirt and pre-order their album over at Merge or from your favorite independent record store.

New Track from HollowBoy

2020-04-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

"I'm Not Me (If I'm Not With You)"

HollowBoy is Matthew Kessig, former drummer for Corrina, Corrina. His HollowBoy project is a solo endeavor. The latest effort from HollowBoy is a noisy, 3-minute, power-pop gem produced by Deaglan Howlett (Beauty, The Vansaders, ex-Corrina). The wall of guitars serves the song's sweet melody perfectly, and I can hear influences from bands like Teenage Fanclub and Guided By Voices.

It's cool when long-time friends of the site do cool stuff, especially during this time when inspiration hasn't been coming so easily. "I'm Not Me (If I'm Not With You)" is available now over at HollowBoy's Bandcamp page as a Name Your Price download.

I'm Not Me (If I'm Not With You) by HollowBoy

Livestream Sites

2020-04-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

We'll all be together in large crowds again at some point. Until then...

Together, Together Alone

So, I feel like this quarantining thing is gonna be going on for a while -- like months. With that in mind, I'm just going to list for you here several places where you can go to keep up with what livestreams are happening on a day-to-day basis.

In my own posts, I've ignored genres that we don't really cover here. Also, judging from my Facebook feed this past Saturday night, there are a shit ton of livestreams that I'm missing; and I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm intentionally ignoring their show. Aside from the individual artist and record label accounts I follow on Facebook and Instagram, here are some places where I've been able to find information on upcoming streams. I'm gonna dispense with my one-man operation of listing shows every day, but I'll add to this list as more info becomes available.

NPR Music

BrooklynVegan

Ellen Berman's Corona Classic Concert Series

Share Your Streaming Show Here

Rock The Sofa

Billboard Magazine

Digital Trends

Again, in addition to checking out the sites above, you can also follow your favorite artists. Artists like Low Cut Connie and Deal Casino have been giving regular performances, and they're definitely not the only ones.

Stay safe. Stay sane. Try to get some exercise, and don't put too much pressure on yourself to be productive. Just sit down with family or some good music, and we'll all give each other a big hug on the other side of all of this.

The Vansaders Release a New Lyric Video

2020-04-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Vansaders at Wonder Bar back in February

"Red and Blue"

Back on Leap Day 2020, before the era of social distancing and shelter-in-place, The Vansaders celebrated the release of Quixote x Broken Bird, their 7" split with latewaves, with a show at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. Today, The Vansaders are sharing the lyric video for one of the songs from that split, "Red and Blue."

Our relationship here with Doug Zambon and The Vansaders goes way back. I first caught the band back in, probably, 2013 when I stumbled into The Saint just as they were hitting the stage. The lineup was different from the current one, but the songs were there. At the end of 2014, Doug performed at the first-ever CoolDad Music-presented show when we joined forces with Little Dickman Records for our first holiday benefit. Since then, The Vansaders have shown themselves to be one of the crown jewels of the Asbury Park music scene, fusing fist-pumping, punk energy with a knack for crafting crowd-pleasing, shout-along anthems. I'm grateful for our connection with The Vansaders, and I'm always honored when we get to showcase one of those anthems here. "Red and Blue" delivers on everything we've come to love about The Vansaders.

Maybe you missed that show at Wonder Bar or maybe you were looking forward to another Vansaders gig that got canceled. I won't speculate as to when you'll be able to see the band live again. I'll only say that, when you get the chance, make sure you take advantage of it if you're able. In the meantime, shout along with "Red and Blue." Pump your fist in the air and look forward to the time when we'll all be able to do that together again.

Stay safe and sane.

Quixote x Broken Bird is out now. You can stream "Red and Blue" wherever you like to stream stuff or grab it from The Vansaders' Bandcamp page.

Demitasse, Perfect Life, 2020

2020-03-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

Album Review

By Henry Lipput

What would you call a musical side project that's more active than the main unit?

You might call it Demitasse.

Demitasse are Joe Reyes and Erik Sanden who are also the driving force behind the San Antonio, TX, rock and roll band Buttercup. Demitasse have released three albums since 2014 and Buttercup's terrific 2017 album Battle of Flowers was the band's first in eight years.

These differences aside, there are some things -- especially how Reyes and Sanden make their albums -- that are similar. All of the parts on Battle of Flowers were performed and recorded live. The new Demitasse album Perfect Life uses early live takes, few overdubs, and tight vocal harmonies.

Perfect Life has a lovely, loose vibe with acoustic guitars being the primary instrument and hushed vocals from Reyes and Sanden. Many of the songs, despite the album's title, are about breakups or relationships that never happen which, for some people, could make for a less than perfect life.

For example, the opening track "Flamenco" is less about a Spanish dancer than thoughts of a departing lover (who may in fact be nicknamed Flamenco): "You and I / were good in our time" and it's suggested that she "Dance your way through the hurt." There are moments in the song that are reminiscent of McCartney's "Junk," and there's a paraphrase of a Leonard Cohen lyric from "Ring The Bells:" "The crack in the cup / Lets the dim light through."

"Always Good" is one of the songs on Perfect Life that has wonderful melodies and less-than-hopeful lyrics. This song shuts out the world to deal with a problem and could be a prelude to Lennon's "I'm Only Sleeping." "I just crawled back to bed today / My girl has my heart / But she's gone for good." It's a small thing, but I really like that they didn't use the rhyme "back to bed today" and "she's gone away." It would have been too easy, and it reinforces the idea that even a perfect life is never easy.

"Coming Out Wrong Again" is another stellar tune with lyrics that ask why someone showed up in a life but wasn't going to be part of it: "Why'd you have to cross my path / How'd you know I would react?" "You don't know I exist" hits like a punch to the gut.

"I Found You" is one of the few songs on the album that has more of a band feel and shows that there is hope on the other side of heartbreak. When you're in love, you see that person in everyone you come across: "I met a boy / He looks like you / I couldn't avoid his eyes" and "I met a girl / Her voice sounds just like yours / I love that she turns it down / All the way down." Later in the song: "I met a boy / I met a girl / I found you."

Perfect Life is out now on Bedlamb Records.

NPR Tiny Desk Submission from Wetbrain

2020-03-20T10:12:00.000-04:00

"Two-Way Mirror"

It's that time of year again: time for NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. Yesterday, Rudy Meier of Wetbrain shared a solo contribution. Filmed at Lampshade Studios by Kris Khunachak with audio handled by Connor Hanson, the video showcases Meier's virtuosity and the level of complexity it's possible to achieve with just one person and an acoustic guitar.

Check out "Two-Way Mirror." As a reminder, Bandcamp are waiving their fees for all artists today, March 20th; so it's a great day to purchase some of Wetbrain's (or any other band's) music over there.

Running LiveStream Post

2020-03-18T11:42:00.002-04:00

Snail Mail kicks off Uncancelled Fest today at 4pm EDT.

Socialize Distantly

UPDATE: This is getting really difficult. Sessions seem to get announced every few hours or just happen spontaneously. While I am shut in like the rest of you, I can't sit here and update this list minute by minute. I really don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring their post, so a good way to keep up on things is to check out groups like Share Your Streaming Shows on Facebook. I'll still stop in here once or twice a day to update the list with stuff that seems interesting, but know that there is always a ton more going on than I'm able to cover. Stay safe.

There aren't going to be any shows for a while, but several artists are hosting livestreams on various platforms. Please send me whatever you've got, and I'll try to keep this updated as best I can with the caveat that it's just me here.

If there's an opportunity to tip any of these artists or buy their merch, that would be a great way to say thanks to them for spending time with you.

Saturday, 4/4

Uncancelled Music Festival w Snail Mail / Waxahatchee / Brian Fallon / more, 4pm EDT

Alone Together 2 w Hazel English / Reptaliens / Stef Chura / Milly / more, 5pm EDT

Corona Classic Concert Series: Gayle Skidmore, 5pm EDT

Downtown Boys, 5:30pm EDT

Low Cut Connie, 6pm EDT

Ben Folds, 7pm EDT

The Frights, 7pm EDT

Weakened Friends, 7pm EDT

Deal Casino / Well Wisher, 7:30pm EDT

Rachel Ana Dobken / Jackson Pines, 8pm EDT

Corona Classic Concert Series: Petty Chavez, 9pm EDT

SXSW 2020 Playlist

2020-03-16T10:30:00.001-04:00

The first band I saw at SXSW 2019 was Black Midi

Missing Austin

So, I had a reservation to leave from Newark for Austin at 12:25pm today for South By Southwest. On March 6th, the city of Austin declared a local disaster and effectively canceled the festival. A little while later, I canceled my reservation.

It was the right call, clearly, to cancel the festival. There just would have been too many people, from too many different places to which they'd all eventually return, converging on the city. In light of yesterday's CDC recommendation to limit gatherings to fewer than 50 people, the decision appears even more prudent.

All of that said, I'll miss SXSW Music this year. For someone like me, the opportunity to walk from my hotel to hundreds of performances over the course of the week is like heaven. There's a large and overbearing corporate presence throughout South By Southwest; but, despite my usual aversion to such things, that doesn't in any way take away from my ability to enjoy the sight of a band or solo performer laying it all on the line for an audience.

None of that is too big of a problem for me. The cancellation of SXSW saved me a bunch of money in airfare and hotel fees. For a large chunk of the Austin economy, though, this has been a disaster. The Austin Community Foundation has set up the Stand with Austin Fund "to receive charitable donations to support nonprofits assisting individuals and small businesses most negatively impacted by the cancellation of SXSW and least able to recover on their own."

Additionally, you can help out artists and provide yourself with some entertainment while social distancing at home by purchasing some of your favorite bands' music from their labels, their websites, or their Bandcamp pages.

Finally, and more generally, you can check out some of the organizations listed at Charity Navigator if you'd like to help with relief efforts.

Ok ok ok, now to the point.

Here's a playlist that I made very quickly by going through the list of official showcasing artists at SXSW 2020. There's probably a very slim chance that I would have gotten to experience all of these bands, and there were also tons of unofficial shows or new bands on official bills that I would have discovered during the week that, obviously, don't appear here. Check this out as you work from home or whatever and, maybe, buy some of the music you enjoy.

Stay well. Wash your hands.

Paul Kelly, Paul Kelly's Greatest Hits: Songs From The South 1985 - 2019, 2020

2020-03-13T13:09:00.001-04:00

Album Review

By Henry Lipput

Paul Kelly's Greatest Hits: Songs From The South 1985 - 2019 is a collection of songs that chart Kelly's remarkable journey through pop, rock, folk, bluegrass, and story songs and ends up with a sound that fans of his music have come to love. The album is available as a two-CD set with 43 tracks and a double LP with 26 songs.

The first CD begins with the joyous jangle of "From St. Kilda To Kings Cross" from 1985 and 1986's "Before Too Long." When listening to these songs it's hard not to think of fellow Australians The Go-Betweens and the songs of Grant McLennan who were making similar music at the same time. Also from 1986's Gossip and 1987's Under the Sun are the rockers "Darling It Hurts" and "Dumb Things" that show Kelly may have been listening to other Australian bands like Hoodoo Gurus.

The live acoustic versions of "Everything's Turning to White" originally from 1989's So Much Water So Close To Home and 2010's "When I First Met Your Ma" on Songs From The South make it clear that Kelly, with simply an acoustic guitar and his voice, has no problem holding an audience.

"From Little Things Big Things Grow" from Comedy has Kelly making use of Bob Dylan's basic tools of acoustic guitar and harmonica (with some banjo thrown in for good measure) to tell stories about his native Australia. Comedy's "Winter Coat" is a grand yet sad tale of an item of clothing that brings back memories of a lost love.

The bluegrass gem "Our Sunshine" from Smoke kicks off the second CD. The live version of "Every Fucking City" is a delight and details missed opportunities.

The simple and lovely "If I Could Start Today Again" from 2001's …Nothing But A Dream is a request for another chance to save a relationship. And "The Oldest Story In The Book" is a finger-picking charmer of a story song.

"You're 39, You're Beautiful and You're Mine" (an updated, in more ways than one, of Johnny Burnette's "You're Sixteen") is a wonderful ode to a woman who continues to dazzle and sounds like a perfect fit for a 60s Nashville crooner with its tinkling piano in the mix. And on "Sonnet 18" from Kelly's Seven Sonnets & A Song, he uses Shakespeare's words and a bluegrass template to compare his love to a summer's day.

Long-time fans of Kelly's will be happy to know the compilation includes his Christmas song "How To Make Gravy." This song is so popular in Australia that the country has made December 21st (a date mentioned in the song) a national Gravy Day. Songs from the South also includes "Every Day My Mother's Voice" from 2019 and the previously unreleased "When We're Both Old & Mad," a marvelous duet with fellow Australian treasure Kasey Chambers.

Paul Kelly's Greatest Hits: Songs From The South 1985 - 2019 is out now on Gawd Aggie / Cooking Vinyl.

What's Going On: 3/12, 3/13, 3/14 & 3/15, 2020

2020-03-12T14:12:00.001-04:00

gods play Wonder Bar on Thursday.

What's Going on Indeed

Greetings from CDMHQ where CD2's school is closed with no word of when it may re-open, where the college where CD1's swim team practices is closed, where CD1's swim meets have all been canceled, and where CoolMom has been instructed by her company to work from home until further notice. There are plenty of shows listed this weekend, but I'd advise checking to make sure which ones are still happening.

All weekend up on NYC's Lower East Side, it's the New Colossus Festival which features some of our favorite bands and some really interesting emerging artists at various venues throughout the neighborhood. See the website for details.

On Thursday night, Future Teens, Pronoun, Proper, and Skylar Pocket are at Asbury Park Brewery. Well Wisher at The Kingsland in Brooklyn with Ruby Bones, Treads, and Means/Ways. gods, Native Sun, The Muckers, and Sunshine Spazz are at Wonder Bar. American Trappist, Accidental Seabirds, Sentient Moss, and Grin & Bear are at The Clubhouse in Toms River on Friday. Also on Friday, Rachel Ana Dobken and Friends are at Wonder Bar. On Saturday, Colossal Street Jam are at Asbury Lanes. Post Animal play Music Hall of Williamsburg with TWEN. On Sunday, 10PRL in Long Branch hosts a benefit for Puerto Rico featuring The Wag, Starr Celeste, Nick Ryan, and Brian Erick. Dave & Tom, Renee Maskin, and Bobby Mahoney play the Clinch Gallery in Asbury.

The good news is that it doesn't look like Pale Horse are playing anywhere nearby this weekend.

Have fun. Wash your hands. Don't drink and drive.

THURSDAY (3/12)

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Future Teens / Pronoun / Proper / Skylar Pocket, 7pm

The Clubhouse (Toms River): Skinny Dickies / Kyle Jacobus / Lady Godiva / A/O, 7pm, $10

Crossroads (Garwood): A Beautiful Somewhere / Old Currents / Know Your Enemy / Top Bloke, 7pm

Flemington DIY (Flemington): Feed Me To The Forest / Maybe Later / Pollen Eyes / Pocket Gum, 6pm, $5

Joe's Surf Shack (Lake Como): Cold Weather Company / Pepperwine / Lost Romance / Rockstar Racecar, 7pm

The Kingsland (Brooklyn): Treads / Well Wisher / Ruby Bones / Means/Ways, 7pm, $13

Meatlocker (Montclair): Iris Pill / Lucidity / Avari / The Royal Jackals, 8:30pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Pissed! / 430 Steps / Houston, The Punk Poet, 8pm

Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn): Wire, 7pm

Pino's (Highland Park): Mr. Horvath & Mr. Brando, 7:30pm

The Saint (Asbury): Kluster Plunk / The Phryg / Chillbillies, 7pm, $10

Wonder Bar (Asbury): gods / Native Sun / The Muckers / Sunshine Spazz, 7pm, $10

FRIDAY (3/13)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Kasey Jean / Martin Howth / Quietmill / Shadow Box, 9pm

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): So Watt, 8pm, FREE

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Courier Club / Parrotfish, 7pm, $10-$12

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Mod Fun / Tom Kanach, 9:30pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Wild Chariot / Incognito Theory / Nefariant / Dirty Black 7 / Lokane / The Nobodies, 6:30pm, $12-$15

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): The Black Ties, 8:30pm

The Clubhouse (Toms River): American Trappist / Accidental Seabirds / Sentient Moss / Grin & Bear, 7pm, $10

Count Basie Center (Red Bank): Bobby Bandiera: Running Down A Dream, 8pm

House of Independents (Asbury): Shoobies (Album Release) / Sonic Blume / Skyeline / Ocean Heights, 7pm, $12

John & Peter's (New Hope, PA): Honah Lee / Bridge Beat Duo / Alright Junior, 9pm

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Predator Dub Assassins, 9:30pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Pretty Goats / Cracked Acid Hero / Drunk Buseys / Brandish, 9pm

Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn): Wire, 7pm

The Saint (Asbury): Halo Dance Party, 9pm, $10

Saint Vitus Bar (Brooklyn): Stuyedeyed / Whiner / LB, 7pm, $10

Starland Ballroom (Sayreville): Dashboard Confessional / The Get Up Kids, 7pm

Stone Pony (Asbury): Moroccan Sheepherders / Shady Street Show Band, 7pm, $17-$20

Wonder Bar (Asbury): Rachel Ana Dobken & Friends, 7pm, $16-$20

SATURDAY (3/14)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Matt Cook, 9pm

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Colossal Street Jam, 7pm

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): SSPN 39 / The Fight / Spell Runner / GEL / Stag Party / The Escape, 7pm

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Sweet Joey's Thing Of Beauty, 9:30pm

BoonTunes (Boonton): Dead Language / Nautical Pop / Nightmare In Wonderland / Human Host, 7:30pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Neil Zaza / The Aritrary / Dave Simmons / Kalias / Inversion Circus, 6:30pm, $15-$18

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Under 21 Open Mic, 5:30pm

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): 15th Annual Coffee House, Part 2, 8:30pm

House of Independents (Asbury): 90s Dance Party, 10pm

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Purple Hazy Rain, 9:30pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Luxury / Nilserver / Idol Brain / K.P.G., 9pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Embludgeonment / Bayht Lahm / GROSS / Chained To The Dead, 8:30pm, $8

Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn): Post Animal / TWEN, 9pm, $18

Pino's (Highland Park): Psykidelic Oven Mit / RGD / Brenyama, 8pm

Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse (Dunellen): Shifty & The Gears / The Junk Rumblers, 9pm, $8

The Saint (Asbury): Joey Harkum Band, 7:30pm, $12-$15

Stone Pony (Asbury): Start Making Sense / Ruby Dear, 7:30pm, $20-$25

Transparent Clinch (Asbury): Jack West, 4pm

Wonder Bar (Asbury): John Eddie, 7pm, $17-$20

SUNDAY (3/15)

10PRL (Long Branch): Puerto Rico Se Levanta ft. The Wag / Starr Celeste / Nick Ryan / Brian Erick, 1pm, $15-$25

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Mack Sunday Jam, 4pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Pinkshift / The Deep End / Jack & The Me Offs / Spineapples / Moonwater, 2pm, $12

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Comedy & Music Show, 6pm

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Freeform / Experimental Jazz Jubilee, 4pm

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Caisy Falzone / Tara Dente, 1pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Frame and Mantle / The Phantom Allure / Centennials / The Angry Pirates, 8:30pm

The Saint (Asbury): MammaBear / Dave Mooney & Viewers Like You / The Clydes / Dan Apy, 6:30pm, $5

Stone Pony (Asbury): Summer Showcase, 2pm, $12-$14

Transparent Clinch (Asbury): Dave & Tom / Renee Maskin / Bobby Mahoney, 4pm

Wonder Bar (Asbury): Mark Diomede & Friends, 3pm, $5

Caroline Rose, Superstar, 2020

2020-03-11T11:37:00.001-04:00

Album Review

By Rose Lamela

I remember hearing Caroline Rose's album Loner back in 2018. It got me to stop what I was doing, and I replayed it a few times on the same day. This happens every once in a while but never after listening to anything that resembles pop music. Despite its heavy pop influence, Loner made my top ten for two years. I even got a chance to see Caroline Rose play live at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. Her performance completed my fandom. It's the comedic aspects of her songs that translate best with her in the room. Her dancing and theatrics are worth the ticket.

Early this year, the news came in of a new album followed by a music video for the single "Feel the Way I Want." Superstar was on its way. Then we got single "Freak Like Me" and the announcement of a show at SXSW. I panicked when the whole SXSW thing went to hell last Friday, but Caroline Rose is coming to Brooklyn on March 25th, so it's not the end of the world... ...Or is it?

Superstar slaps you with some serious synth riffs right from the get-go and draws you in with the song "Nothing's Impossible." Its crescendo tricks you into thinking you missed a track. I literally got off the couch to check for the new song title. The jazzy meltdown was a nice touch.

The album has a mild start but really gets you up with the song "Do You Think We'll Last Forever?" It has a good dance beat and a few pleasing dramatic transitions. The lyrics sound like someone who is in a codependent relationship making sure that the one they love stays put. The upbeat, lighthearted music convinced me it was a dramatic version of a heartfelt crush. I might have danced alone in my apartment this weekend. I will never tell. If I did dance, it would have been to this song.

"Feel the Way I Want" sits right in the middle of the album, and I think that is a fine choice. It has a dance-y pop element to it with a positive message that brings some light, perhaps, to the artist's challenge of staying true to who they really are despite the noise. Maybe hinting at the price of fame? Not sure, but it was super cool to see Caroline Rose on Late Night with Seth Myers.

The next track I really like is "Pipe Dreams." The circusy notes on the keyboard gave it a bit of a darker yet comical tone. The song describes the evolution of a relationship despite "that seed of doubt they planted deep inside your head," they being family and friends. There is something cynical about the song that draws me.

"Someone New" is also a really upbeat, solid pop song. It comes in slow and then goes into overdrive. The vocals are almost slightly hidden in the haze of the song. It's catchy as hell, and you are guaranteed to be humming it for days.

The album ends with "I Took a Ride." This song is the most passionate of the tunes. It's kind of trippy but then gets soulful. After this song, you get the sense of a struggle in this relationship; and there is some kind of pain that translates into the last track. I keep trying to figure out if this is a romantic relationship or perhaps something to do with fame.

Superstar is a bit of a change up from Loner. I found it to be more interesting as the songs have multiple moods at times. There are more dramatic bridges and short fillers within the album. There were times I had to look up the lyrics to find the hidden humor as the music itself comes off more serious. I also feel like you can hear Caroline Rose more as a singer on this album. I enjoyed it, and it's been on repeat in my car since Friday. Go check it out!!!

Superstar is out now on New West Records.

Heart Bones Played The Saint with Real Dominic, Dentist, and Lowlight, 3/7/20

2020-03-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

Heart Bones at The Saint

Hot Dish

I wrote some things about Heart Bones' debut LP, Hot Dish, here a few days ago. It was the first album review sort of thing I've done here in quite a while. Ever since it came out, Hot Dish has been a goto album for me; so I was understandably excited by the prospect of having any involvement with Heart Bones' show at The Saint. Chris Dickman and I booked the locals and spent the last few months extolling the virtues of Heart Bones to anyone who would listen to us. And, damn, Asbury showed up. It was a packed Saturday at The Saint from the moment that Dentist took the stage to kick things off.

It's been about a month since Dentist played locally as a full band. The early crowd was large and enthusiastic. The band have recently holed up to work on some new songs. They brought three of those out on Saturday. My initial impressions are that Dentist continue to get better and better. It's hard for me to put into words, but the new songs reveal a clear evolution of the band's songwriting and sound while keeping all of those things that we love about Dentist. I'm looking forward to being able to sit down with the new tracks and give them a proper listen.

New York's Real Dominic was next. Dom Rabalais puts on a show that incorporates burlesque, metal, club music, projected visuals, multiple costume changes, dance, athleticism, and a giant sword. For, maybe, the first few seconds, the crowd didn't know what was going on. After that, they didn't care and just got swept up in the freakiness. Real Dominic had an accomplice who was taking video of all the proceedings, they passed me the camera as Dom called them onstage; and I used it to shoot a workout routine that consisted of Real Dominic doing calisthenics and pushups with another human being on their back.

Heart Bones had the 10pm slot. In keeping with the band's 80s aesthetic, Sean Tillmann and Sabrina Ellis took the stage in Members Only Jackets. The pair's chemistry was evident from the get-go. They cycled through dance moves that had the appearance of being both choreographed and utterly spontaneous. They laughed with each other throughout the set and, at one point, got the whole crowd moo-ing in unison. Tillmann took out his phone and took a video from the stage to send a hello back home to the band members' significant others.

The energy of the already infectious Hot Dish tracks ratchets up to 11 during the live performance. "Open Relations," "Claws '87," "Beg for It," "Little Dancer," "This Time It's Different," and everything else from the record had the crowd moving and sweating right along with the band. A cover of The Jets' "Crush on You" was a blast as well. I've said it before, but Tillmann and Ellis are two of the most "all-in" performers you'll ever see. That creates a connection with the crowd that few other acts can achieve. More than one person told me after the set (and this is 100% true) that Heart Bones are their new favorite band. I was still getting texts saying the same thing the next day. So there you go.

After a short break, local heroes Lowlight came on to take us into the wee hours of Sunday morning with a late set. They sounded absolutely epic. They grabbed the crowd, nearly spent from a few hours with the gas pedal stomped firmly to the floor, and shook them awake for one, final push. People left with the strains of "Horsefoot" or "Bones" still ringing in their ears and probably even forgot they'd be losing a precious hour of sleep to daylight savings time.

Nights like Saturday give me the energy to keep going, not only here at the blog but also just day-to-day. A pair of touring bands coming through and willing the Asbury crowd over to their side. Two of the absolute powerhouse local acts from town. Our friends at The Saint and Little Dickman. All at a packed house. It doesn't get any better.

All of the pictures from the evening are up in the Flickr galleries.

What's Going On: 3/5, 3/6, 3/7 & 3/8, 2020

2020-03-05T11:21:00.000-05:00

Double the fun on our Anniversary Weekend

8 Years of CoolDad Music!!!

Today is the 8th Anniversary of the first-ever post at CoolDad Music. Running this site (especially putting together this calendar every week!) has felt like a burden at times; but, mostly, it's helped me to find my place in the world. It's gotten me through some very tough times, and it's introduced me to some of the most important people in my life outside of my family. Thanks for sticking with me all these years.

CoolDad Music is helping to bring you two shows this weekend. On Friday, we've got Fascinations Grand Chorus, Deaglan Howlett, and Natalie Newbold at The Asbury. On Saturday, we joined up with The Saint and Little Dickman Records to bring you Heart Bones, Real Dominic, Dentist, and Lowlight. Taken together, both of these shows bring together lots of those "most important people" I referenced above; and it would be great to see you all at one or both of them.

Other cool stuff this weekend includes Heart Bones down in Philly at Johnny Brenda's, Control Top at Brooklyn's Union Pool, and another Jersey Rock Showcase at Wonder Bar on Thursday. On Friday, Control Top are at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn with Dry Cleaning. Vanessa Silberman, Catty, Kino Kimino, and Janet LaBelle play Our Wicked Lady. Joshua Mark plays an album release show at the Clinch Gallery. Saturday brings Destroyer to Brooklyn Steel. Exmaid play their record release show at In The West in New Brunswick with SHUT UP, Joy Cleaner, and Toads. The Foes Of Fern, The Extensions, Dead Flowers, Honey Wild, and Cat London are at Wonder Bar. On Sunday, it's The Asbury Park Saint Paddy's Day Parade with an after party at Wonder Bar.

It would be a really cool anniversary present if you came to The Asbury on Friday or to The Saint on Saturday. Another really super cool anniversary present would be if you promised not to drink and drive this weekend.

Love ya.

THURSDAY (3/5)

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Sleep On It / Bearings / Between You & Me / Neverkept / Wave Break, 6pm, SOLD OUT

Barca City (New Brunswick): Darrell Arden / Charles Loren / Cousin Oven, 8:30pm

The Broadway (Brooklyn): Cindy Cane / Grim Streaker / Dead Ringer, 8pm, $12

Elsewhere Hall (Brooklyn): of Montreal / Lily's Band, 8pm, SOLD OUT

House of Independents (Asbury): Lund / Guccihighwaters / Guardin / Cory Wells, 6:30pm, $8.50-$20

Johnny Brenda's (Philly): Heart Bones / Real Dominic, 9pm, $15

Knitting Factory Brooklyn (Brooklyn): The Orphan The Poet / Deal Casino / SLMBR / Quiet Domino, 8pm, $15

littlefield (Brooklyn): The Yawpers, 8pm, $12

Our Wicked Lady (Brooklyn): Bethlehem Steel / Thin Lips / Tetchy / Maneka, 7:30pm, $10

Rough Trade NYC (Brooklyn): Caroline Rose Release Party, 7pm-8pm, (buy an album)

Union Pool (Brooklyn): Control Top / Weeping Icon / Privacy Issues, 8pm, $14

Wonder Bar (Asbury Park): Jersey Rock Showcase w/ Roulette / Morningside Lane / The Skullers / Kodiak / The Cryptkeeper Five, 7pm

FRIDAY (3/6)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Fascinations Grand Chorus / Deaglan Howlett / Natalie Newbold, 8:30pm

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Zoso (Led Zep covers) / Mikell's Plot / Skinny Dickies, 8pm

BoonTunes (Boonton): Original Music School March Madness, 6:30pm, $10

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Black Water Rising / Vessel Of Light / Rahway / Black The Sky, 7:30pm, $10-$12

Championship Bar & Grill (Trenton): Worldsucks / Jaws / Wade Wilson / Dab Nebula, 8pm, $8

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Desert Jellies / Kill The Engine / Families Recipe / The Barrbarians, 9pm

The Clubhouse (Toms River): Only On Weekends / The Imaginary / Blood Moons / Manda Morris, 7pm, $10

House of Independents (Asbury): Spite / Varials / [illegible, IAM maybe] / Orthodox / Dealer / Born A New, 6pm, $15-$18

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Anthony Krizan Band, 9:30pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Aedan / Paul From The Internet / Tula Vera / The Porchistas, 7:30pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Public Serpents / Seeing Snakes / Honah Lee / Sophistipunx, 9pm

Our Wicked Lady (Brooklyn): Vanessa Silberman / Kino Kimino / Catty / Janet LaBelle, 7:30pm, $10

Red Tank Brewing (Red Bank): Joseph Alton Miller / Tara Dente, 8pm

Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse (Dunellen): Ghost Rodents / Tom Kanach / Dogpile On The Rabbit / Our Marvelous Lives, 8pm, $10

St. Vitus (Brookyn): Dry Cleaning / Control Top, 8pm

The Saint (Asbury): Moonwater / Acqui, Joey Preziosi / Viiq, 7:30pm, $10

Stone Pony (Asbury): Melvin Seals & JGB, 7pm, $30

Transparent Clinch (Asbury): Joshua Mark (Album Release) / Billy Hector / Suzan Elle, 7pm

Wonder Bar (Asbury Park): Sensational Soul Cruisers, 8pm, $20-$25

Zookini Pizza & Restaurant (New Brunswick): Joe Galuppo / Batting A Thousand / Lance Greene / more, 7pm

SATURDAY (3/7)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Alex English, 9pm

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Vendetta Rose / Reality Suite / The Flukes / Nick Ryan & The Mess, 8pm, $15

Ask (Ask): Mala Vista / Duke Of Vandals / Spite Fux / NO ICE / Talulah Paisley / Frida Kill, 6pm, $10

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Metalland / Broken Past / Black Velvet / Mark Mayer / Knuckle Heads, 2pm, $10-$15

Brooklyn Steel (Brooklyn): Destroyer / Nap Eyes, 7pm, $30

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Flourish / Hidden Figures / Ruby / Gianna Marie, 6pm

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Soulfood / Ross Owen & The Tribe / Powerlines / Kevin Daly, 9pm

The Clubhouse (Toms River): latewaves / Caveart / Fortunato / This Year's Comeback / Three Cheers Too Late, 7pm, $10

The Clubhouse (Toms River): King Darves / Healers / Justin Mank, 6:30pm, $10

In The West (New Brunswick): Exmaid (Album Release) / Joy Cleaner / SHUT UP / Toads, 8pm, $5

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Solar Circuit / The Business / FUNGKSHUI, 8pm

Pino's (Highland Park): The Anderson Council / Melancholy Kings / Lieder, 8pm

The Saint (Asbury): Heart Bones / Real Dominic / Dentist / Lowlight, 7:30pm, $15

Starland Ballroom (Sayreville): Silverstein / Four Year Strong / I, The Mighty, 6pm

Staten Island Arts (Staten Island): Sleepy Droner Club, 7:30pm, $8

Stone Pony (Asbury): Tramps Like Us, 7pm, $20-$25

Transparent Clinch (Asbury): Cranston Dean / PBR Street Gang, 4pm

Union Pool (Brooklyn): Dry Cleaning / Patio / Basic Bitches, 7pm, SOLD OUT

Wonder Bar (Asbury): The Foes Of Fern / The Extensions / The Dead Flowers / Honey Wild / Cat London, 7pm, $10

SUNDAY (3/8)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Mack Sunday Jam, 4pm

BoonTunes (Boonton): Loyalty To Me / Plight / Paul Rose / Sonoa, 7:30pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Breath Before Death / The Last Martyr / Pathetic Fallacy / VX, 6pm, $10

House of Independents (Asbury): Silent Planet / Invent Animate / Currents, 5:30pm, $16-$18

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Fusion, 1pm

Little Hollywood (Farmingdale): Little Hag / The Vaughns (Acoustic) / Greg Mendez / Erik Kase Romero, 7pm, $5

Stone Pony (Asbury): Summer Showcase, 2pm, $12-$14

Wonder Bar (Asbury): St. Paddy's Day Parade After Party w Bobby Bandiera, 1:30pm, $15

Heart Bones, Hot Dish, 2020

2020-03-04T18:10:00.002-05:00

Album Review

I've already listened to a ton of albums in 2020. New records from King Krule, Soccer Mommy, Greg Dulli, Kiwi Jr., Exmaid, Spinning Coin, Destroyer, Beach Bunny, Best Coast, Grimes, Tame Impala, Torres, Habibi off the top of my head. In past years here, I would've rattled off something about most of those -- whether through the long-defunct "Sunday Run Album Review" or just through my desire to have something posted up here nearly every day.

That, obviously, doesn't happen as much anymore. My old bones have dictated that I run a lot less frequently and cycle a lot more. I don't plug up my ears with earphones while riding outside; and, when on the trainer indoors, it's Netflix / Hulu / HBOGO / Baseball on the iPad. So "Sunday Ride" reviews aren't really a thing. And, honestly, writing for the site just hasn't come as easily for me as it once did. Of all the albums I've heard so far this year, though, the one I keep throwing on -- while making dinner for the cooldaughters, waiting at pickup for school play rehearsal, lying in bed, trying to write or edit photos at my desk, or even lumbering around the neighborhood on my last run -- is Heart Bones' Hot Dish. Little Dickman Records and I have been helping out with Heart Bones' upcoming show at The Saint this Saturday, March 7th; so I decided I'd just stream-of-consciousness put down some thoughts on what I love so much about the record. Let's see how this goes...

Heart Bones is the collaboration of Sean Tillmann, a.k.a. Har Mar Superstar, and Sabrina Ellis of Austin's A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit. It's like their match was pre-ordained. As artists, Tillmann and Ellis both employ over-the-top theatricality and sly humor as they bring listeners and audiences along on a soul-baring journey. On Hot Dish, the pair combine their formidable songwriting and performance talents to produce a collection of infectious, danceable tracks inspired by the electro-pop of my 1980s tween / teen years.

Early single and opener "This Time It's Different" gives me some definite "Karma Chameleon" vibes, its story of a pair that just can't quit each other embellished by bouncing beats and wavering synths. On "I Like Your Way," there's, once again, that quirkiness to the synths that distances Heart Bones from the pristine perfection of some of their influences and lends some of the grit and realness that both Tillmann and Ellis are known for. It's an ode to uninhibited dancing, and it's a total bop.

"Open Relations" is a tight, funky, spaced out, and soulful song about "love without attachment;" while "Don't Read the Comments" adds a 60s girl group influence to the 80s pop on a song dealing with 21st century Internet trolling. The core of "Little Dancer" is a constant heartbeat with the rest of the song growing and blossoming around it. "Dashboard" sounds like it could be an entry on the soundtrack to a John Hughes film until it gives way to a satisfyingly dark, krautrock-y outro.

I first saw Heart Bones live when they were on tour performing songs from Dirty Dancing. Here, they include their take on Eric Carmen's "Hungry Eyes" (which was a top ten or so song right around this time in 1988). The cover replaces Carmen's breathy vocal with the heavily altered voices of Tillmann and Ellis and swaps out the cheesy 80s sax for a guitar solo; but, weirdly, it also feels pretty faithful.

"Beg for It" closes things out with some Arcade Fire-level epic-ness that dramatically captures the exhaustion that comes with living through our current times.

The production on Hot Dish (by Aaron Baum, Ryan Mach, and Heart Bones) is a strong supporting player to Tillmann and Ellis. The album -- like some cyber-punk movie from the 80s -- manages to feel simultaneously retro and futuristic; and, while there are a multitude of sonic excursions and little details, none of them ever obscure the distinctive artistic personalities of Sean Tillmann and Sabrina Ellis.

Hot Dish is out now.

Heart Bones have a few area shows this week:

3/4 -- w/ Real Dominic / Alexander Orange Drink at Knitting Factory Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY
3/5 -- w/ Real Dominic at Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA
3/6 -- w/ Real Dominic / Nielsen Family Band at Phantom Power, Millersville, PA
3/7 -- w/ Real Dominic / Dentist / Lowlight at The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ

[A note on Saturday's show: When I got asked to help out with the Heart Bones show on Saturday, I jumped at it. Sabrina Ellis has been one of my absolute favorite performers since the first time I saw them down in Austin; and, through them, I finally experienced the selfless force that is Har Mar Superstar. Like every show I've ever been involved with in the 8 years that I've been doing this, it's one that I really want to see; and I want you there because I know you'll love it. Everybody needs to have a good time once in a while, especially these days. Advance tix are still available.]

PHOTOS: Screaming Females Played White Eagle Hall with Mal Blum, Radioactivity, No Men, 2/22/20. On Tour Now with PUP.

2020-02-27T16:01:00.000-05:00

Marissa Paternoster of Screaming Females by Rose Lamela

Garden Party

Most words and all pics by Rose Lamela

This is my fourth February seeing Screaming Females start the year off with a live show, and they always bring a good lineup along. The fact that they played one of my favorite venues, White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, made it even more special. They shared the stage with No Men, Radioactivity, and Mal Blum.

No Men

Radioactivity

Mal Blum

It was Screaming Females' Annual Garden Party and the show was sold out. I could hardly move from the spot I got in the front of the stage, but I managed to get some photos. The highlight of the night for me was my first time hearing Screaming Females play "Boyfriend" live. I've got to say that they are still my favorite band to see live. They always deliver to a full house of loyal fans, and it feels good to be a part of that.

Screaming Females

CoolDad Notes

I'll concur with Rosi on a few things:

White Eagle Hall is great. I've said it before. They have been wonderful and accommodating to this site ever since they opened.
Same goes for Screaming Females. We're coming up on 8 years since they first blew me away with their set at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park; and, ever since, they have been true friends to CoolDad Music.
"Boyfriend" was a highlight for me as well. Marissa Paternoster handed her guitar to the crowd and threw the full force of her being into delivering the song. At one point, a helpful fan unplugged the guitar and set it gingerly on the stage only to have Paternoster walk back over, plug it back in, and send it back on its way into the hands of the audience.

Other stuff:

I don't know. In my old age, I'm less about fighting for a spot up front and staying there all night to shoot shows. It's a good thing, I think, that I'm getting back to the point where I can enjoy shows without a camera in my hands.
On that point, Rosi has been an invaluable contributor here. She's a fantastic photographer, and she always brings her unique voice to her posts.
This was a typically solid line-up curated by Screaming Females. It was my first time seeing both No Men and Radioactivity, and both bands were great. Mal Blum is someone we've followed here for a long time, and they've just gotten more and more rocking with each passing year.
State Champion Records put together an after-party at the tiny Wine Bar in the basement of Pet Shop JC just a few blocks away. That was packed to the gills for Vacation and Unclaimed Diamonds. People hanging from the pipes and lighting things on fire (I didn't find the fire thing particularly cool or intelligent if I'm being honest). Really dark in there, so no pics
Check out all of Rosi's pics at Flickr.
Screaming Females are currently on tour with PUP:

What's Going On: 2/27, 2/28, 2/29 & 3/1, 2020

2020-02-27T12:01:00.001-05:00

The Vansaders celebrate their split 7" release with latewaves at Wonder Bar on Saturday.

Leap Weekend

It's a presidential election year and an Olympic year, so that means we get an extra day in February. Woo hoo! Yay! I guess.

Anyway...

Bethlehem Steel, Desert Sharks, The Warhawks, and Feral Scouts are at Brooklyn's ALPHAVILLE. on Thursday. Also on Thursday, the free Jersey Rock Showcase at AP Festhalle & Biergarten features Lowlight, Natalie Farrell, Lou Panico, and B. Wood. On Friday, Joey Cape and Chris Chesswell are at AP Brewery. Vacation are at Gold Sounds in BK with Snakeskin, Substitute, Anna Altman, and rpllnt. Iron Chic, Shellshag, Proper, and Night Surf are at St. Vitus. The Vansaders and latewaves celebrate their split single release at Wonder Bar on Saturday along with kqhyt kqhyt. Lowlight play a hometown show at Old Franklin Schoolhouse in Metuchen with Radiator King, Sonofdov, and Karnevil. Joseph Arthur plays The Saint. On Sunday, 10PRL in Long Branch hosts a Bernie Sanders fundraiser featuring Fake Pockets, The Foes Of Fern, The Dirty Shine, and Cranston Dean.

Lots of other stuff too. Have fun. Keep washing your hands. Don't drink and drive.

THURSDAY (2/27)

ALPHAVILLE. (Brooklyn): Bethlehem Steel / Desert Sharks / The Warhawks / Feral Scouts, 8pm, $10-$12

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Allen Stone / Samm Henshaw / Andy Suzuki & The Method, 7pm

Asbury Park Festhalle & Biergarten (Asbury): Natalie Farrell / Lowlight / Lou Panico / B. Wood, 7pm

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Dan Apy / Max Carmichael / Jessie McCormick / Boots, 9pm

JC Studios (Jersey City): Worldsucks / 50 Ft. Furies / Psilocybe, 7pm

Mr. Beerys (Bethpage, LI): Vacation / Family Dinner / World's Fair / Nightway, 8pm, $10

The Saint (Asbury): Eric Lindell, 7pm, $25-$30

The Shepherd & The Knucklehead (Haledon): Quality Living (Album Release) / Learning / CR and The Nones / Tom Barrett / John Cozz, 6pm

FRIDAY (2/28)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): The Angry Pirates / RGD / Driftwood Soldier / Dave & Tom, 8:30pm

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Joey Cape / Chris Chesswell, 7:30pm

Asbury Park Music Foundation (Asbury): "Music Saved My Life" Open Mic, 7pm, $10 (free for 18 and under)

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): DJ Foggy Notion, 9:30pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Tombs / Hot Blood / Coffin Void / Green Inferno / Putrasension, 7pm, $13-$16

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Mamadrama / Daughter Vision / Magnolia / Cranston Dean, 9pm

City Vineyard at Pier 26 (NYC): Wesley Stace: A Tribute to John Wesley Harding ft. Robert Lloyd, 6pm

Fox & Crow (Jersey City): Debra Devi, 10pm

Gold Sounds (Brooklyn): Vacation / Substitute / Snakeskin / Anna Altman / rpllnt, 7pm, $10

The Hideout Bar & Grill (Clifton): Motherboard / Melissa Cherie / Feed Me To The Forest / The Schwam, 7pm, $10

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Brother Andrew / Ali McGuirk, 8:30pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Manifestation / Manu / Final Rite / Unhinged, 9pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): The Eradicator / Cold Wrecks / Ditz / Groomers, 9pm

The Saint (Asbury): Artist Showcase Hosted by Ruga Rell, 7:30pm, $10

St. Vitus Bar (Brooklyn): Iron Chic / Shellshag / Proper / Night Surf, 7pm

Stone Pony (Asbury): The Prince Project, 7pm, $20-$25

Stosh's (Fair Lawn): Old Currents / Dave Mooney & Viewers Like You / The Extensions / Grin & Bear / Thrill Ride, 7:30pm

Water Witch Coffee (Highlands): Cranston Dean / Dan Apy / Kevin Daly / Patty C / Ross Owen, 7pm

Wonder Bar (Asbury Park): Rainbow Full Of Sound: Dead '72, 7pm, $16-$20

SATURDAY (2/29)

Ask (Ask): Ogbert The Nerd / Mechanical Canine / Fence ≇ / Travelers Of An Empty Mind, 7:30pm, $5

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Virago, 9pm

Asbury Park Brewery (Asbury): Texas King / The Barrbarians / Ella Ross, 7pm

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Arcs & Edges / Party Wave, 9:30pm

Berlin Under A (NYC): The Figgs, 7:30pm, $15

BoonTunes (Boonton): Juno / See Plus / Paul From The Internet / Tula Vera, 6pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): The X-Men / Jon Caspi & The First Gun / Fetal Rage / Tiki Torture, 8pm, $7

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): The Red Room / VX / The Vigilante Cowboys / Kevin Spyker, 6pm

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Map Of Rome / With Sails Ahead / American Stereo, 9pm

The Clubhouse (Toms River): Rosetint / Laveda / Lumber Jack City / Ticker Tape / Lemon Of Choice, 7pm, $5

House of Independents (Asbury): 90s Dance Party, 10pm

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): Jet Weston & His Atomic Ranch Hands, 9:30pm

Low Fidelity Lounge (Jersey City): Paint It Purple: David Berman Tribute, 9pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Today Is The Day / The Obsessed / Ides / Chained To The Dead / Oxalate, 9pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Wilmette / Meet Me At The Altar / Loyalty To Me / Three Cheers Too Late, 9pm, $10

Old Franklin Schoolhouse (Metuchen): Lowlight / Radiator King / Sonofdov / Karnevil, 7pm

The Saint (Asbury): Joseph Arthur, 6pm, $15-$20

Stone Pony (Asbury): The Soft Parade (Doors covers), 7pm, $18-$22

White Eagle Hall (Jersey City): We Were Promised Jet Packs / Slaughter Beach, Dog, 9pm, $20

Wonder Bar (Asbury): The Vansaders / latewaves / kqhyt kqhyt, 7pm

SUNDAY (3/1)

10PRL (Long Branch): Sanders Fundraiser ft. The Dirty Shine / Cranston Dean / Fake Pockets / The Foes Of Fern, 1pm, $10-$20

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Mack Sunday Jam, 4pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): The Dan Weeks Quartet, 7pm

Flemington DIY (Flemington): Groomers / Driving Underwater / Pleb Mahogany / No Language, 7pm, $5

The Saint (Asbury): Nude Shoes / Real Talk / Pheller / What Makes Sense, 7:30pm, $10-$12

Marshall Crenshaw, Miracle of Science (reissue), 2020

2020-02-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Album Review

By Henry Lipput

I know exactly what Marshall Crenshaw meant when he recently said, "I love it that phonograph records are popular again."

I was able to buy his first four albums, the brilliant self-titled debut as well as Field Day, Downtown, and Mary Jean & 9 Others, on vinyl when they came out. But even before 1989's Good Evening, records seemed to disappear in the United States.

Crenshaw has regained ownership of the five albums he released on the Razor & Tie label between 1994 and 2003 and is going to reissue all of them on vinyl, CD, and all digital platforms.

1996's Miracle of Science, 1999's #447, 2003's What's in the Bag?, 1994's live My Truck Is My Home, and 1998's early demos collection, The 9 Volt Years, will be released as expanded editions. Each album will include two newly recorded, previously unreleased tracks which will appear on a bonus 7" single on the vinyl editions and as bonus tracks on the CD and digital versions. The Miracle of Science reissue includes "Misty Dreamer" by Scottish indie-pop artist Daniel Wylie and "What the Hell I Got," a 1974 number by Canadian Michel Pagliaro.

It's clear on listening to the reissue of Miracle of Science (after listening to the original CD release for a number of years) that, during his Razor & Tie years, Crenshaw lost none of his talent for hooks, licks, and lyrics. Songs like "What Do You Dream Of?," "Only An Hour Ago," and "Starless Summer Sky" would have been stellar additions to his first two breakthrough albums. The co-write with Glen Burtnik, "There And Back Again," is a delight; and the reissue of Miracle of Science also includes a backwards version of the song.

Crenshaw has always included cover versions of songs on his albums starting with "Soldier Of Love" on Marshall Crenshaw. Miracle of Science includes two: Hy Heath's "Who Stole That Train" with some amazing guitar playing and a horn-filled "The 'In' Crowd."

Marshall Crenshaw's Miracle of Science reissue is out now on Shiny-Tone (via Megaforce).

New Video from The Battery Electric

2020-02-21T15:50:00.001-05:00

"Big Tears"

The Battery Electric have been part of the CoolDad Music family since some of our earliest days. Things haven't been the same here in Asbury Park since Brent (Bergholm) and Ron (Santee) took the band out to sunny Southern California. A few days ago, Brent surprised me with news of a new Battery Electric single, the first recorded by Brent and Ron as a duo.

On "Big Tears," Brent handles bass, keys, and -- of course -- guitar; while Ron brings it on drums and vocals. The duo recorded and mixed all of the instruments themselves, tracking drums at Jesse Hughes's Dangerous House of Thoughts Studios and doing the rest in Brent's LA loft space. They shot the video in Joshua Tree with creative duo Ian & Bonnie just before the pair left Hollywood for their native Chile.

And, just like that, we have a new song from our prodigal sons in The Battery Electric. Created and released into the world in the same shoot from the hip style that the band have always been known for, "Big Tears" draws on a long rock and roll tradition. It blends the disparate influences of punk, hard rock, and soul that have long characterized The Battery Electric's sound.

The video, directed by Ian Sepulveda and co-starring Bonnie Carvaccio, features images of seedy motels, pawn shop robberies, and dusty getaways. Every scene is touched by a retro sheen and the heat of the California desert.

Check out the latest from The Battery Electric right here. "Big Tears" is streaming everywhere, including over at The Battery Electric's Bandcamp page.

What's Going On: 2/20, 2/21, 2/22 & 2/23, 2020

2020-02-20T11:57:00.001-05:00

Screaming Females play White Eagle Hall on Saturday.

Garden Party

I've personally been taking it pretty easy show-wise. But there's some stuff that should be able to get anyone out this weekend.

On Thursday night, latewaves, Earth Telephone, Bobby Mahoney & The Seventh Son, and Lake Lillies are at The Saint. Lucero hit White Eagle Hall in Jersey City on Friday. Friday also brings Black Lips back to Asbury Lanes. On Saturday night, Screaming Females play their annual February Jersey show at White Eagle Hall with Mal Blum, Radioactivity, and No Men.

Lots of other stuff, too.

Have fun. Don't drink and drive.

THURSDAY (2/20)

Ask (Ask): Parish / For Lack Of A Term / Drive, Kid / EGG, 7pm

Bowery Ballroom (NYC): Sloan, 8pm, $25

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Suspect / Kill The Engine / The Tommy Allen Band, $7

The Clubhouse (Toms River): Well Wisher / Swamp City Rockers / Rest Ashore / Boyfriends, 7pm, $10

Crossroads (Garwood): Nine Eighteen / Died Out / Graveyard Ghost Story / Brian Rothenbeck, 7pm, $10

In The West (New Brunswick): Toads / The Human Fly / Holden Wrecks / Format War, 7pm

Jamian's (Red Bank): Vendetta Rose / Nick Ryan and The Mess / The Extensions / Sunsets.From.Jupiter, 7pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Dutch Guts / The Damn Long Hairs / Public Serpents / Thirsty Guys, 9pm, $10

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Johnny Ott / Tim Hoh Jr / Space Jam / Houston The Punk Poet, 9pm

Planet X (Ridgewood, Queens): Grim Streaker / TVOD / Ashjesus, 8pm, $10

The Saint (Asbury): latewaves / Earth Telephone / Bobby Mahoney & The Seventh Son / Lake Lillies, 7:30pm, $8

Wonder Bar (Asbury): The New Deal / Wax Future, 7pm, $18

FRIDAY (2/21)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Kasey Jean / Rang Cherries / Stephen H. Christ / Ludvista, 9pm

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): Black Lips / Warish / Sweet Joey's Thing Of Beauty, 9pm

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Accidental Seabirds / The Mercury Brothers, 9:30pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Thelonius Funk / Ross Owen / Flourish / Ham By The Pound, 6pm, $12-$15

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): The Foes Of Fern / We're Ghosts Now / Alix Gagliastro, 9pm

The Clubhouse (Toms River): Indigo Remedy / Dustin James / Luis Mojica / Kelli Faith / A-Supp, 7pm, $5

Count Basie Center (Red Bank): Tracy Morgan, 8pm, $30-$75

Flemington DIY (Flemington): Jack and The Me Offs / Moment To Capitalize / A Beautiful Somewhere / Back Pocket Alimony / Cousin Oven, 6pm, $5

Gentle Giant Brewing (Pearl River, NY): Impossible Colors / Ruby Bones / The Milwaukees / The Foxfires, 7:30pm

House of Independents (Asbury): Emo Night Brooklyn, 9pm

Jamian's (Red Bank): Jarod Clemons and The Late Nights, 10pm

John & Peter's (New Hope, PA): Alpha Rabbit / Cyclone Static / Party Muscles / Jon Kindred / The Great Dying, 7:30pm

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): The Billy Walton Band, 8:30pm

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Lettermans / The Sheckies / Ruin By Design / True Will / Fangers, 9pm, $5

Red Tank Brewing (Red Bank): Superjudge / VX, 8pm

Roxy & Dukes (Dunellen): Lou Tambone / Sad About Girls / Rick Barth, 8pm

The Saint (Asbury): Fungkshui / Honey Wild / Red House Blue House / Chillbillies, 7:30pm, $12

Stone Pony (Asbury): Super Diamond (Neil Diamond covers), 9pm, $20

TV Eye NYC (Ridgewood, Queens): Mean Jeans / Dirty Fences / Brower, 8pm, $13

Water Witch Coffee (Highlands): Jessie McCormick / Little Hag, 7pm

White Eagle Hall (Jersey City): Lucero / Jade Jackson, 8:30pm, $25

Wonder Bar (Asbury Park): Longwave / Heaven / The Veldt, 7pm, $15

SATURDAY (2/22)

10PRL (Long Branch): Blaise & David Ross Lawn, 9pm, $10

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Alex English, 9pm

Asbury Lanes (Asbury): DJ Values, 9pm

Asbury Park Yacht Club (Asbury): Soul Preachers, 9:30pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): Purgatory / Phantom Lords / No Fizz / Second Chance, 7pm, $15

Chamber 43 (Highland Park): The Foxfires / Tiyaga / Quinton Smith, 7:30pm, $5

Chubby Pickle (Highlands): Marc Tappan & The Dirty Shine / Doug Mika / Jennifer Karma / Patty C & Friends, 9pm

House of Independents (Asbury): Strike Anywhere, 7pm, $20-$22

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): The Shady Street Show Band, 9:30pm

Mercury Lounge (NYC): The Shivas / The Advertisers / High Waisted, 7pm, $12

Millhill Basement (Trenton): Yorkshire 10th / Scoville Unit / White Cactus / ~~kqhyt kqhyt~~, 8pm

The Saint (Asbury): The Voodudes / The Outcrops, 5:30pm, $15-$20

Starland Ballroom (Sayreville): Freestyle Explosion, 8pm

Stone Pony (Asbury): Jesse Malin / Hollis Brown / Ecks Men / Matty Carlock & The Jailbirds, 7pm, $22

White Eagle Hall (Jersey City): Screaming Females / Mal Blum / Radioactivity / No Men, 7:30pm, $20

Wonder Bar (Asbury): The Dude Ranch (Blink 182 covers), 7pm

SUNDAY (2/23)

The Asbury Hotel, Soundbooth (Asbury): Mack Sunday Jam, 4pm

Brighton Bar (Long Branch): A Will Away / America Part Two / Have A Good Season / Pollyanna / My Rising Fall, 6pm, $13-$15

The Clubhouse (Toms River): latewaves / The Big Easy / Wetbrain / Ella Ross, 7pm, $10

House of Independents (Asbury): flor, 7pm

Langosta Lounge (Asbury): PJ Rasmussen Trio, 1pm

Meatlocker (Montclair): Meltdown at the Meatlocker Pt. 2, 9pm

Wonder Bar (Asbury): Pat Roddy Band / Bob Polding Band / Eddie Testa Band / Ryan Gregg & Friends / Pat Guadagno / Bob Burger, 2pm, $20