My Hostel Inc. brother and drummer, Jeff Hardee recently joined a new band out of NYC called Swear On Your Life. Now, when Jeff told me that he was jamming with a new band, all that I could think was that whoever landed Jeff as their timekeeper was going to be one lucky band. He’s a hard-hitter, a showman, and one solid rock ‘n roll drummer. Without blowing too much smoke up Jeff’s ass, I have to say that I am proud to call him a brother and am proud to have done battle with Jeff on many stages in the area. Now, it’s time for Jeff to take his next step towards rock greatness, and he’s landed a great gig with a great band called Swear On Your Life. I went to give them a listen and the band’s singer, Militia, sings her ass off on songs like “Covet” and “Hate Out Loud,” the title track from Swear On Your Life’s CD, Burn My Crosses, and my favorite track, “Self Taught.”
New York City’s Swear On Your Life is a hard rock act that was formed in the spring of 2005 by the band’s matriarch and singer, Militia. Many of you might recognize Militia as a veejay from MTV2, VH-1, or most notably FUSE-TV’s Heavy Metal Makeover show, which also featured Slunt’s Abby Gennet and Honor Among Thieves singer Cherokee Fortune. Militia made it a personal goal to put an end to every cliché associated with female-fronted bands. The 2007 CD release of Burn My Crosses was recorded in two days down at Sony Studios. After many line-up changes, Militia feels that she finally found the right chemistry and line-up with the addition of guitarist Jerry Kops from Broadway plays Rock Of Ages and Blue Man Group bassist Shane “Train” Boulos, and recently added drummer Jeff Hardee from Hostel Inc.
Swear On Your Life has been making themselves as visible as possible. They’ve shared the stage with bands like Twisted Sister’s Bent Brother, Made Out Of Babies, Bella Morte, and Voltaire. Militia and her boys will also be featured in the cinematic sequel to the music documentary Not Bad For A Girl, which has featured other women in rock like Joan Jett and Courtney Love. Also, Militia and Shane, the bassist, are actually writing music for a new music TV show that Militia will be hosting. You can give Swear On Your Life a listen and support my boy, Jeff Hardee, at swearonyourlife.com or myspace.com/swearonyourlife. Or you can catch them live this Friday night, Oct. 30, at The Delancey in NYC.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
I recently got an email from young Johnny Knollwood of the band Knollwood, and he wrote me that the band is going through some line-up changes. There is still no set bass player yet, so if you’re interested, contact Johnny via email at rocknroller21127@yahoo.com. He’s currently working on the new Knollwood site, myspace.com/knollwood, so that you can hear some new music. You can catch Knollwood live this Saturday night, Oct. 31, at Chiller Theater in Parsippany, NJ.
I just read an email from Jaime Vendera, singing coach of the stars, and he wrote me that his brand new site slive. Did I mention that Jaime could break glass with his voice? I swear, I’ve seen it! Anyway, Jamie has created RockSource360.com, a site where musicians from national acts teach up-and-coming musicians like you about the ins and outs of being a professional musician. These artists will show you the secrets that made them famous. Check it out for yourself! That’s RockSource360.com.
And finally, I have to mention that I can’t freakin’ get the new With Daggers Drawn song, “One Night Dance,” out of my head! I know that I only mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, but that’s how long I’ve been singing it in my head! Great track, guys! The musicianship on this song really shows With Daggers Drawn’s maturity as songwriters. I’m really impressed with their new stuff! Catch them live this Halloween Night at School of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ, with Haste The Day, or check them out online at myspace.com/withdaggersdrawn.
That’s all for now! And remember, 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!
NJN Concert Calendar:
10/28—Split Your Lip—The Whiskey Bar, Hoboken, NJ
10/28—KrashKarma—The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
10/28—Black Water Rising (listening party)—Rye Bar, Bayonne, NJ
10/29—Steve Brown and the Fallout—Shannon Rose, Clifton, NJ
10/29—Our Black Friday—Mexicali Blues Cafe, Teaneck, NJ
10/30—Swear On Your Life—The Delancey, NYC
10/30—Kosmic Daydream/Will Killmore—Cornerstone Inn, Carlstadt, NJ
10/31—Knollwood—Chiller Theater, Parsippany, NJ
10/31—Beautiful Disease—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/31—With Daggers Drawn/Haste The Day—School of Rock, South Hackensack, NJ
10/31—Lamps Burning—Desmond’s Tavern, NYC
10/31—Diablo Royale—Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
11/1—Avenida/Powerman 5000—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
11/6—Mean Venus CD Release Party—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
11/6—Swear On Your Life—Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
11/7—Non-Fiction—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/12—Swear On Your Life—Europa, Brooklyn, NY
11/13—Bled For Glory/Will Killmore—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/13—Black Water Rising—The Vibe Lounge, Rockville Centre, NY
11/13—Eden Star—The Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
11/14—Diablo Royale—Crash Mansion, NYC
11/14—Beatrix Kiddo—High Velocity, Beachwood, NJ
11/14—Borgo Pass/Dormitory Effect/Thunderbrew—Mr. Beery’s, Bethpage, NY
