Sometimes when you do your research thoroughly enough, you find a diamond in the rough, and I think I found my first diamond in 2014. The name of the band is Waking Heroes, and they’re from Hoboken, NJ. I truly cannot believe these guys are not signed to a major label yet. Singer Danny Roselle’s vocals are perfect for these alt rock songs that are so well written you would think a producer put these tracks together for them. The songs that I listened to—“Lights On America,” “Crazy Life” and my favorite, “New York City”—off of the band’s EP, One Fight To Fight, really had more of a pop rock sound with elements of alternative rock made famous by bands like Goo Goo Dolls. These guys are seriously awesome and I can’t stop listening to them on Spotify!
Waking Heroes hail from Hoboken, which at one time was labeled the music capital of North Jersey. The band originally existed only as a thought in the minds of their founding members, singer and guitarist Danny Roselle and lead guitarist Mikey Vranek, long before they actually became a reality. Danny and Mikey actually toured for five straight years with their previous band and always wanted to put something together of their own. While on the road, the idea of Waking Heroes began to muster. The duo used their time touring with their former group as a living and learning experience as they shared the stage with some of rock’s elite like the Goo Goo Dolls, Bowling For Soup, Bon Jovi, Sugarcult, Lifehouse, The Ataris, We The Kings and All Time Low, which garnered them many contacts with their new project, Waking Heroes. Joining Danny and Mikey on this new journey is bassist Justin Pritchard and drummer Tim Anderson.
Waking Heroes released their debut EP, One Fight To Fight, back in June 2013, but this driven quartet is already back in the studio writing their next opus. If it’s anything like One Fight To Fight, holy crap! Their next CD will be awesome too! I would definitely give these guys a listen on Spotify when you get a chance. They are one band to keep an eye out for in 2014. Catch them live this Saturday night (1/25) at the Crossroads in Garwood, NJ with The Black Clouds, Revel 9, Finding Westerly and my bud’s in Civic. If you can’t make this show, check Waking Heroes out at facebook.com/walkingheroes.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bros from Lords Of Mercy received such an amazing response at their first release party for their debut self-titled CD at The Stone Pony that the band has been asked back to throw a second release party for all the ticket holders who couldn’t make the first party due to horrible weather conditions back in December. This second CD release party is lining up to be bigger and badder than the first one with my brothers Black Water Rising on the bill. Of course, singer Robbie Traynor engineered the Lords Of Mercy album. Also performing will be Frankenstein 3000, Grind House’s debut performance, and High Octane. Tickets are going fast! For more info, log onto facebook.com/lordsofmercy.
For those of you who bought tickets to see my band, BlackOcean, with Black Water Rising, Cycle Of Pain, Sekond Skyn and New Theory at The Stone Pony a couple of weeks ago, you got no show because of that lovely snowstorm that hit our shores that weekend. The Pony was forced to close down. Don’t worry! A make-up date has already been announced and tickets purchased will be honored! The new date is Saturday, March 8. So, now you have more time to purchase tickets, kids! Speaking of Cycle Of Pain, my ears just got a sneak-peek of a song called “The Pusher” off of COP’s upcoming EP, Pain Us, and I love it! The song has that BLS feel, but also has a taste of Black Sabbath sprinkled in. Singer Gregg Locascio really sounds amazing on this new track! I can’t wait until they release this EP! Keep your ears peeled on Cycle Of Pain at myspace.com/cycleofpain.
And finally, speaking of great shows in March even though I know it’s only January, my bro Ethan Murphy from Scars Of Envy emailed me to let me know about Shore Metal Madness II at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch on March 15. This power-packed show will feature some of NJ’s heaviest hitters like Stagger, Darkness Descends, Negative Sky, Cyperna, Gyre, Apostasy, Eye Of Anubis, Julius Seizure, Mass Punishment, and of course, Scars Of Envy. This show might leave you with no teeth, but will be well worth it! For more info, log onto facebook.com/events/329152407193036.
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:
1/22—Reagan Youth—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/24—Shayfer James/Skeletons In The Piano/Don Ryan—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
1/25—Waking Heroes/The Black Clouds/Revel 9/Finding Westerly/Civic—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
1/25—Kosmic Daydream/Jaded Past—The Cup Complex, Linden, NJ
1/25—Dormitory Effect/Point Blank/17 Gates/Borgo Pass—Revolutions Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
1/25—Natural Born Losers/Mother Psychosis—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/25—The Dead Cowboys/The Hipp Pipps—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
1/26—In Our Glory/The New Royalty/Creating Clemtine/Living Tradition/Prince Hal/Reality Sets In-Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
1/28—Super Gravity/MMZ/Mile Marker Zero/Race to Dawn—Tammany Hall, NYC
2/1—Lords Of Mercy/Black Water Rising/Frankenstein 3000/Grind House/High Octane—The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
2/1—Black Tooth Grin/Half-Witted Dogs/Xenophile/The Battery Electric/Lower The Veil/The Dirty Stayouts/Sinsanity—The Blue Room Lounge, Secaucus, NJ
2/6—The Jersey Syndicate/Gin Blossoms—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
2/7—Frankenstein 3000/Lower The Veil/Tara Elliot And The Red Velvets/Buzzard Wagon/The Battery Electric—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
2/8—Pralaya/Thank You Scientist—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
2/8—Tarpit Boogie/Clamfight/Toxicology/Another Distraction —Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/11—Dead Fish Handshake/3 Doors Down—Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ
2/11—Junior Watson/Dean Shot Band—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
2/13—Steve Brown and Terry Farley—Thatcher McGhee’s, Pompton Lakes, NJ
2/15—Steve Brown and the Fallout—Willie McBride’s, Branchburgh, NJ
2/21—Trailer Park Mafia—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/21—Dead Fish Handshake—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
2/22—Buzzard Wagon/Natural Born Losers—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/27—Governing Murphy—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
3/8—BlackOcean/Cycle Of Pain/Black Water Rising/Sekond Skyn/New Theory—The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
3/15—Stagger/Darkness Descends/Negative Sky/Cyperna/Gyre/Apostasy/ Eye of Anubis/Julius Seizure/Mass Punishment/Scars Of Envy—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
