THE DEAD AGAINS—Belle Mead, NJ
I was recently contacted on The Aquarian’s website about this new band out of Central Jersey called The Dead Agains. When they contacted us, they labeled themselves as a punk and metal band, but when I logged onto their ReverbNation page, reverbnation.com/thedeadagains, they had more of a dirty rock ‘n’ roll sound on the songs that I had a chance to hear, like “Tragedy,” “Final Days” and “Burn,” which might’ve been the punkiest song out of the three tracks. I have to say, though, singer Sean Ordner’s voice was pretty good, and it stood out in every track.
The Dead Agains formed earlier this year and they’re actually only two performances into their young career, according to Ordner. Their first gig was at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ—they’ve already been asked to perform again—and their second gig was a couple of weeks ago at The Loop Lounge in Passaic Park, NJ. The reviews for these two shows have been outstanding, which makes me a little bit curious to see them live. Joining singer Ordner in The Dead Agains is guitarist Carmelo Mickey Torres, bassist Chris Barton and drummer Anthony Labrada.
The Dead Agains are in the process of finishing up their debut full-length CD with a music video to follow. No word yet on a CD title or which song will be used for the music video, but the band hopes to have the CD released by early January. Keep an eye out for these guys, as they seem to be trying to make some big noise in 2012! If you’d like to learn more about The Dead Agains, log onto reverbnation.com/thedeadagains.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bro Ivo and his band Mercury Morning are on the hunt for a new guitarist again. I guess all bands have that one instrument they’re constantly replacing, for Mercury Morning it’s guitar. Besides that, the band has also released a four-song EP titled The Aftermath. The CD is pretty dark, and as always, Ivo sounds amazing! If you want to hear some Mercury Morning or you play guitar and think you might want to play for them, log onto reverbnation.com/mercurymorning.
Tim McMurtrie and his Murder League All-Stars will be making their New York City debut next Tuesday night (Dec. 20) at S.O.B.’s. According to singer Eddie Night, Murder League All-Stars will be joining the ‘Ghetto Metal’ movement and will be performing with Bazaar Royale and A Broken Code. Get down to S.O.B.’s next Tuesday and support your North Jersey boys! For more info on Murder League All-Stars, log onto reverbnation.com/murderleagueallstars.
And finally, I need to pay a tribute to the man that everybody on the North Jersey music scene loved and knew as Ricky Rockit, not to be confused with the drummer from Poison. For those of you who don’t know him, without going into too much detail, Ricky was killed in a Clifton, NJ, house fire a few weeks ago. If you never got to meet or know him, you truly missed out because he was one of the friendliest guys on the music scene; he would end every conversation with a hug.
He was truly the music scene’s biggest fan! If Ricky liked your band, you knew it because he was the one at the front of the stage with a beer (or two) in one hand and the other holding his head, presumably to keep it from flying off while he rocked.
I met Ricky many years ago through my cousin who was in a pool league with him, but I got to know him better through the years as I would see him at all of my shows right up front, banging his head with me. Ricky Rockit, you will be missed, my brother! The music scene will miss you and so will I!
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:
12/15—Spoonfed—Fontana’s, NYC
12/15—The Dirty Pearls—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
12/15—Ghosts of Eden/Angel Vivaldi—Sullivan Hall, NYC
12/16—John Rango and Friends—The ReBar, Lodi, NJ
12/16—The Dirty Pearls—Mood Swing, Wilmington, DE
12/16—Ascending From Ashes/Dichotomy/The Plot Thickens/B.D.F.M.—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
12/17—Black Water Rising/Famous Monsters/Big Hair Daze/Vick Lecar—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/17—BlackOcean—Sweeney’s Saloon, Philadelphia, PA
12/17—Kosmic Daydream—Bar East, NYC
12/17—Rosewood Ghosts—The Bitter End, NYC
12/19—Lieder—The Whiskey Bar, Hoboken, NJ
12/20—Murder League All-Stars/Bazaar Royale/A Broken Code—S.O.B.’s, NYC
12/23—Darkness Descends—Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
12/23—InDisguise/Voodoo Terror Tribe/Daniel Thomas—The Meat Locker, Montclair, NJ
12/30—Mother—The Grape Room, Philadelphia, PA
1/13/12—Darkness Descends—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/14/12—Darkness Descends—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/14/12—Monster Magnet/Black Ocean/Life Without Warning/Lords of Mercy/Ladykiller—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
1/20/12—Whiplash—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/27/12—Mother—The Bitter End, NYC
1/27/12—Killcode—Mercury Lounge, NYC
1/29/12—Mother—World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA
