One of the bands that I haven’t been able to stop listening to since I first heard them back in January at a benefit I played in Atlantic City is Massapequa, NY’s Midnight Mob. This group encompasses that old New York sleaze rock sound that we all grew up loving, but with the combination of the sexy, sultry rock vocals of Blackey Deathproof (I’m sure not her real name) are an absolute diamond in the ruff. Her vocal styling isn’t anything new, but it’s good and totally hot! I really can’t believe that I’ve never heard them before and since I was new to the band, I wanted to introduce them to you because they are simply amazing!
According to their bio, Midnight Mob formed in 2009 but didn’t finalize their lineup until 2010, which includes Deathproof, guitarists Mickey Squeeze and a dude named Spydyr, bassist Carly Quinn, and drummer Mikey Catastrophe. It took the finalized lineup about a year to hone in on their skills and write some original material together. In early 2011, Midnight Mob would release their debut self-titled EP, which led to their first music video for the song “Overdrive.” Before you knew it, the band was becoming recognized as a hardworking, energetic live act that was a force to be reckoned with in the Tri-State Area. The gang didn’t want to rest their head on just the local area and wanted more, so they took their show as far south as Georgia, as far north as Maine, and as far west as Texas. By September 2011, Midnight Mob hit success on college radio with two hit singles in “All For Nothing,” which they have a music video for, and a song called “Walking Dead.” The video for “All For Nothing” actually gave the group more exposure outside of the U.S. than they bargained for. Midnight Mob found the momentum rollercoaster and simply jumped on for the ride.
At the end of 2012, the band released the highly anticipated follow-up to their self-titled EP, Black Moon Rising. They accompanied the CD release with a music video for their acoustic track, “These Days.” Midnight Mob recently returned from a whirlwind trip to SXSW, where they showcased what New York was all about, and in true Midnight Mob fashion, won’t be slowing down, as they jump right into their first gig back at the new Revolution Bar & Music Hall in Amityville, NY, this Friday night (3/29), opening for the legendary Lita Ford. Now that is a good mix because Blackey’s voice actually reminds me of Lita! Check out Midnight Mob now at midnightmob.com. You won’t regret it!
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My Long Island brothers from Borgo Pass recently landed a huge gig opening for Seether at Long Island’s new rock venue The Emporium, in Patchogue, on May 2. This is a big show for the boys, so if you haven’t seen them live yet, this would be a great time to do so. For tickets, email Borgo Pass at bsv4@aol.com or for more info on the band, log onto reverbnation.com/borgopass.
My bro George Pond and his band Negative Sky recently released a brand new music video for their song “Desolation,” and it rocks hard! If you haven’t heard these guys yet, you need to watch this video on YouTube. For those looking to see Negative Sky live, you can catch them at The Brighton Bar in Long Branch next Friday night (4/5) when they open for Cycle Of Pain. For more info on Negative Sky, log onto reverbnation.com/negativeskynj.
And finally, do you remember the NYC band Diablo Royale? Well, unfortunately, my brothers are no longer playing together, but vocalist Adrian Barrios, who was one of my favorite singers on the scene, has landed himself a new project in Los Angeles called Blackmore. Now, I know that they’re a West Coast band and this column isn’t called West Coast Notes, but Adrian is still a brother and a city boy at heart, and it’s always good to see our boys succeed, right? The band is awesome and I hope Adrian’s voice can take Blackmore where they need to be. Check them out at facebook.com/blackmorela.
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:
3/27—She Said Fire—Tammany Hall, NYC
3/28—Nuse/Tides Of Deception/Within darkness/Dead By Wednesday —Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/28—Rip Kings Acoustic Trio—Prospect Tavern, Madison, NJ
3/29—Murphy’s Law /Stigma/Brick By Brick/The Last Stand/Stagnant Life/Darrow Chemical Company/Skunk Daze—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
3/29—Steve Brown and the Rip Kings—Blue Moon, Wyckoff, NJ
3/29—Midnight Mob/Lita Ford—Revolution Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
3/29—Killcode/Mother/Circus Life/Arden and the Wolves/Owl—Mercury Lounge, NYC
3/30—Dead Fish Handshake/New Theory/Beyond Visible/Gathering After Ashes/Reach—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
3/30—Steve Brown and the Fallout—The Grasshopper Off The Green, Morristown, NJ
3/30—Aurin/She Said Fire—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/4—Division 1.1/Death Throb—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/5—Negative Sky/Cashmier/Audio Machine/Cycle Of Pain—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/5—Midnight Mob—Corky’s Tavern, Wilmington, DE
4/6—Sexy Heroes/Mindfire/Brand Of Juliez/trnzprnt/Earthbound—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/6—Borgo Pass—Vibe Lounge, Rockville, Center, NY
4/6—Kore Rozzik/Bobaflex—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/7—Faction Down/Downlow NYHC/New Faith/Caught In A Trap/Bones/96/Silence = Death/InDisguise/Blackout Stereo —Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/11—Steve Brown and Terry Farley—Thatcher McGhee’s, Denville, NJ
4/12—Cycle Of Pain/Black Water Rising/Sekond Skyn/BlackOcean—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/13—Meatplow—Le Grand Fromage, Atlantic City, NJ
4/13—Sexy heroes/Brand Of Julez/Earthbound/Trnzprnt/Mindfire—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/13—Don Dokken/Trimm—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
4/18—Suffer Your Fate/Rebel Ink—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/19—BoundAlive/Bad Dog Bad—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/20—Steve Brown and the Fallout—The Grasshopper Too, Wayne, NJ
4/20—Johnny Sidedshow and The Feejee Mermaids/The Unknown/Halfwitted Dogs/Looney Tunes—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
