I was recently on the Dingbatz website, dingbatznj.com, to see what shows were coming up in October, and on Oct. 25, they have a band called Shat playing there. I was like, “What the hell?” I love the name, but what kind of band are they? Now, I used to think that the boys from Ape Fight were f’ed up! Looks like they better up their game because there’s a new king in town! Shat just blew me away with songs like “Vagitarian,” “Crabs,” and “Tit Fuck!” I was on the floor laughing when I was listening to these songs! I mean, can you dislike a band whose lyrics state, “My cock, your breasts, a tit fuck! Tit fuck!” Come on really now! And their name—Shat! Does that mean they shit already? Absolutely hilarious!
Shat is the brain-child of idiot savant singer Jeff Wood. You see, many moons ago, when Jeff was a budding musical prodigy, he was forever transformed into this modern day superhero when he was struck by a stray bullet during a gang war shootout in a less-than-friendly Los Angeles neighborhood. This bullet would become his “Magic Bullet,” because instead of killing Jeff, it made him realize that his musical gifts not only remained unaffected, but it took his musical works and put a tasty twist on them. Abolished from his once normal brain were trivial thoughts and worries of the average mind, and replaced with a child-like primal mind driven by sex, food, and rock music! Shat songs are anthems for the average working man! Joining Jeff in Shat are guitarist Terry Torino, some guy named Rich on bass, and drummer Rob Pallota, who is an old band member of Jeff’s. In 2006, Shat released their 69-song CD, Cuntree, which they continue to tour and support today! If you get the chance, you have to see Shat’s live show! It’s ridiculous! You can actually catch Shat next Saturday night, Oct. 25, down at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ. To find out even more about Shat or find out where you can see them live, log onto myspace.com/shatpunkrock.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The boys from End Of An Era wrote me an email recently. You remember them, right? They’re that cool industrial alt-rock band from Toms River, NJ! Well, JustJeff, their guitar player dropped a little tease about the band that he wanted me to share with whoever is reading this column this week. Turns out, End Of An Era is doing the same thing Black Water Rising is doing and releasing a limited release EP before dropping their upcoming full-length CD, Strikes Back. I guess this marketing tactic is to just get new music out to their fans as soon as humanly possible. The official release date for Strikes Back is Nov. 18. You can look into purchasing the limited EP by logging onto myspace.com/endofanera01.
With some good news that I shared this week, I have some bad news to share. It looks like Sixty Miles Down guitarist and one of my bros, Roger Manzo, has left the band to pursue other projects. Roger was singer John Mosco’s right hand man for the past five years, and even stuck by Mosco after three members of 60MD decided to leave four years ago. After rebuilding the band back to prominence, Roger felt that it was his time to move on. The split was amicable, and Roger even promised that this wouldn’t be the last that we saw of him. As for Sixty Miles Down, the plan is to continue full steam ahead with recording their third full length CD, which is targeted for a 2009 release. Guitarist Mig will be recording all of the guitar tracks, while Sixty Miles Down searches for a new guitar player. If you’re interested, log onto myspace.com/sixtymilesdown and good luck to my bro, Roger Manzo!
And finally, the bad news doesn’t stop there! My brothers from Split Vision have decided to call it quits! Yes, I said Split Vision, who seemed to be on a roll this year, has decided to call it quits! I’m starting to feel like these great bands from North Jersey are starting to drop like flies! What the hell is going on? No reason was given for the split, but they do promise to do one last show for their fans so they can go out in style! So, keep your ears peeled for that! You can continue to send Split Vision messages and comments on myspace.com/splitvisionband.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey and you want some exposure, send your demos and press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424. No cover bands, please!
Just remember… We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
