AGAINST THE TIDE—Red Bank, NJ
I recently received an email via tim@theaquarian.com to check out a nice little alternative rock band out of Red Bank called Against The Tide, and it was no surprise that the band was actually pretty good. The talent pool of musicians in New Jersey is so underrated, and also extremely underappreciated. That’s the sole purpose for me writing this column for the past 10 years.
I logged onto facebook.com/againstthetidenj, where I got to listen to a brand new track called “Let It Out,” which was mellow, but very interesting. Then there was “Villains and Victims,” where I felt that singer Lauren Ashley Grygo really pushed herself because her vocal sounded amazing on this track, but for me, the fun bass line is what stood out. And then there was the commercial rock track “Day By Day,” which I can totally hear on some MTV reality show or something. These were some great songs!
Against The Tide is a female-fronted alternative rock band formed back in the summer of 2009. It combines influences from Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, Incubus, Jefferson Airplane and Muse to create the sound that we hear from them today.
The band released their debut six-song EP, Insomnia, in 2010, which lead to the band steadily building a core fan-base in the Central Jersey and Jersey Shore areas. Also in 2010, Against The Tide was nominated for Top Pop Band at the 2010 Asbury Music Awards. Now these are some pretty big accomplishments for a band that has only been around since 2009. Joining Lauren Ashley Grygo in Against The Tide is guitarist Dave Madura, bassist Mike “Mazz” Mazzeo and drummer Kevin Reviello.
Against The Tide is currently still out promoting their EP, Insomnia. If you want to hear a modern day 10,000 Maniacs, and a much younger Natalie Merchant, this is your band! If you want to give them a listen, log onto facebook.com/againstthetidenj, where you can also find out where they’re playing next.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bro, Cloak Dagger aka Luke Rizzo, brother of Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy guitarist Marc Rizzo, seems to be making some music of his own, and some pretty good music at that. Luke or Cloak Dagger, as he likes to be called, emailed me a couple of weeks ago to check out his latest single “Lumanji.” The track’s a got a great vibe and is so relaxing to listen to. It’s starting to sound like Marc didn’t get all of the talent in that Rizzo family! Check out Cloak Dagger’s new single “Lumanji” now at djcloakdagger.bandcamp.com or buy it now on iTunes.
Back in February I featured a band from Clifton called King Kelly, which featured members from My Only Hope and my buds Deny The Myth. The reason why I’m bringing them up is because I recently downloaded their songs “Mallory On Mustard Leather,” “They Call Me Francesco,” “The Absurd Hero” and “Tag Says Mulligan” into my iPod, and I can’t stop listening to these songs. They’re so good! Check them out at facebook.com/kingkellymusic or catch them live at The Clash Bar in Clifton on June 25.
And finally, did anyone know that Will Killmore released a second CD this past April? Thanks for making me do my own research, James DiGangi (Will Killmore guitarist)! Anyway, the boys from Will Killmore recently released their sophomore CD, which is a self-titled one, and it is brutal! When I say brutal, I mean that in a good way! You can hear the maturity in the band and in singer Joe Marini, whom I really didn’t care for the first time around. The only track that I got to listen to so far was a song called “Air Ducts And Nunchucks.” When I’m done picking my teeth off the ground, I’ll listen to the rest. But so far, so good! Check it out now at willkillmore.bandcamp.com, where you can download the CD for $10.
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:
6/9—Incognito and DePalma—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/9—Panzie*/Killcode/Sex Slaves—Blender Theater, NYC
6/9—The Paul Gargiulo Band—54 Main, Madison, NJ
6/9—BoundAlive/Murder League All-Stars/Seas of Wake/Locked/Regalia—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/10—John Rango and Friends—Rebar, Lodi, NJ
6/11—Thank You Scientist—The Canvas Clash, Boonton, NJ
6/11—Dead Fish Handshake—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
6/12—Audio Insight—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
6/12—With Daggers Drawn/Otep/Sister Sin/Black Guard—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/17—The Paul Gargiulo Band—The Fieldhouse Pub, Fairfield, NJ
6/18—Sky Picnic—Legion Bar, Brooklyn, NY
6/18—The Paul Gargiulo Band—Suzy Que’s, West Orange, NJ
6/24—Filter Effect—The Crocodile Rock Cafe, Allentown, PA
6/24—The Paul Gargiulo Band—Hot Rod’s Barbecue, Wharton, NJ
6/25—King Kelly—The Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
6/26—Return to Earth/Thank You Scientist—Canvas Clash Art and Music Venue, Boonton, NJ
6/30—Incognito and DePalma—Bar A, Lake Como, NJ
