THE HOLLOW—Morristown, NJ
I love hearing from new bands looking for exposure in The Aquarian. I mean that’s the sole reason why we do this, right? So, when I was contacted by the Morristown, NJ band The Hollow, I immediately clicked on their link to give them a listen. I got to hear the songs “Runaway,” “Let It Burn” and “No Way to Live,” off of their debut self-titled CD, and their sound really brings me back to the mid-90s. I felt that the boys from The Hollow really nailed that alternative rock sound that I remembered listening to when I first got into radio. They reminded me of bands like Cracker or The Toadies. Their first single and video, “Runaway” will stick in your head for days.
The Hollow is an alt-rock act out of Morristown, NJ. They boys are no strangers to the scene though. They actually used to play under the name The Meathooks, where they released their first full length CD in 2008 titled No End in Sight, which got them some recognition in many media outlets. They recently felt that the band needed a change and a fresh new start, so they changed the name to The Hollow and rebranded the whole project. The Hollow is singer James Vilade, guitarist Brian Wilson, bassist Steve Babula and drummer Kevin Barry, and together they spent the past year writing and recording all the tracks on this new CD.
The Hollow, who was nominated as one the Top 5 New Jersey Bands on my bud, Lindsay Klein’s “Homegrown Spotlight” on WDHA, self-produced, recorded and mixed the disc at bass player Steve Babula’s private studio. They plan on spending the better half of 2011 promoting the new music, so log onto thehollowband.com to find out when they’re playing in your neck of the woods.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Tim McMurtrie and his popular Tripsquad Productionz will be bringing another big show to Dingbatz on Feb. 19. Tim and his crew seem to pack the house every time they put on a show there, and this show will be no different. Tim has put on quite a line-up that will include his own Murder League All Stars, The DIYS, Pounder, Departures, Done Deal and local favorites, The Dirty Stayouts. For more info on this power-packed show, log onto myspace.com/tripsquadproductionz.
Speaking of Dingbatz, since it seems to be the only rock club in the North Jersey, Infernophonic will be returning to its stage for the first time since opening for Steven Adler’s Appetite this past summer. Elaine Tuttle, Kevin Bolembach and crew will be opening for my bud and rock legend Joe Lynn Turner, who most remember from his Rainbow and Deep Purple days, on Feb. 13 for a very special Valentine’s Day show. Infernophonic has been in hiding, up until recently, writing their as-yet-untitled second CD, and replacing their guitar player with new guitarist, PJ Zitarosa. To find out more about Infernophonic and this special Valentine’s Day show, log onto reverbnation.com/infernophonic.
And finally, my bro Rob Ferreira of the band Dead Fish Handshake shot me an email recently to let me know that the band will finally be releasing their long-awaited debut CD, Across State Lines featuring songs like “Undercurrent,” “Changes” and “I Know” on March 5. I’ve known Rob since his days with the band Downshallow, and this will be his first public release since that project, so I’m pretty curious to hear the new stuff Rob has put to tape. For more info on the upcoming CD, log onto deadfishhandshake.com.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember: we are all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
2/9—Knollwood—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/11—ZO2/Daredevil Squadron—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
2/12—Charetta—Crash Mansion, NYC
2/12—Tenpoint/Joe Lynn Turner—Crazy Donkey, Farmingdale, NY
2/12—Spread Eagle/Voodoo Terror Tribe—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/13—Infernophonic/Joe Lynn Turner—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/19—Murder League All Stars/The Dirty Stayouts/Pounder/Departures//Done Deal/The DIYS—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/19—Makara (reunion show)—The Cup Complex, Linden, NJ
2/20—Taproot/With Daggers Drawn/One Brick Down—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/27—The Dirty Stayouts/D.R.I.—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
