I came across a pretty cool band out of Edison, NJ that really tickled my fancy. As I listened to each of the tracks from their EP, Grounded, I felt like I heard a hit with every song that I listened to. The name of the band was A Clean Getaway, and they play a poppy brand of hard rock. Their sound was so poppy that I can actually picture MTV using some of their songs as background music for their reality shows. From the EP’s title track to songs called “Home at Night,” “Souls for Sale” and “Distance,” you can sense right away how much potential this band has.
Forming in the land of the cover bands, North Jersey, this original quartet, is beginning to stake a claim as ‘one of the most exciting new original bands on the North Jersey music scene,’ according to their bio. The sound that they’ve created for themselves combines a raw hard rock sound with a groove, ala the Foo Fighters and Stone Temple Pilots, while their melodies give them the catchy modern feel of a Jimmy Eat World or a Switchfoot. Grounded really delivers quite a punch with a 5-song set showcasing this melodic, raw and groovy hard rock sound. A Clean Getaway is made up of singer Nick Pierro, guitarist Matt Litkey, bassist Rich Wronski and drummer Chris Szelag.
A Clean Getaway is currently working on their second EP, which they hope to finish and have a title for in the coming months. They’ve recently made it to the second round of the Break Contest, which they will be hoping to advance in at The School of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ on March 13. This is definitely a band to watch out for here in 2011. To find out more about them, log onto acleangetawaymusic.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
I just received an email from my bro, Rob Carlyle of The Compulsions, letting me know that he’s released a fan-filmed music video for his song “Big, Fat, Sexy Mama,” where fans can follow the bouncing boob to read the song’s profane lyrics. The video features The Compulsion’s all-star lineup of singer/band founder Rob Carlyle, Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus, Michael Monroe and New York Dolls bassist Sammi Yaffa and Guns ‘N’ Roses drummer Frank Ferrer. Rob says that the new Compulsions disc, Beat the Devil is also on its way, so keep your eyes peeled for that too. For now, check out the video for “Big, Fat, Sexy Mama” on YouTube.
Looks like Kenny Colgate, of the local Romulus X Records, has been busy building his roster with some North Jersey talent. He’s been working with Voodoo Terror Tribe, whom I featured a couple of weeks ago, and he recently signed on to work with Dave Incognito’s Incognito Theory. Kenny and Dave are no strangers, though. Kenny worked with Dave’s former project Dying Eyes of Sloth. Find out more about Romulus X Records by logging onto romulusxrecords.com.
And finally, Will Killmore will finally be releasing their long-awaited self-titled debut CD in April. The boys will be celebrating the release with a party at Olive’s in Nyack, NY on April 16 with Torch the Throne, Hollywood Kills, and Verse the End also performing. For more details on the CD Release Party, log onto willkillmore.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’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
3/11—Dinosaur Eyelids—Fontana’s, NYC
3/12—Voodoo Terror Tribe—Kickstart Saloon, Huntington Station, NY
3/13—Moth Eater—Bellmore Billards, Bellmore, NY
3/13—A Clean Getaway—School of Rock, South Hackensack, NJ
3/19—Christine Martucci—Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
3/19—Zombie Mafia—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/19—Rahway—Port 41, NYC
3/25—King Kelly/Thank You Scientist—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/26—Charetta—Mulcahy’s, Centereach, NY
3/26—Piston Driven/Magus Beast—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/31—Charetta—Mulcahy’s, Wantagh, NY
