One band that I seriously had the misfortune of overlooking in recent years was Frankenstein 3000. How did I not take a look at this group? They are awesome! I also didn’t even realize this was my buddy Keith Roth’s band. Many of you might recognize Keith from his radio show on 95.9 The Rat or on Sirius/XM’s Hair Nation or the Boneyard. I know Keith from his days with his old band Bad Biscuit, who used to be at the top of the food chain on this music scene. They were one of my favorite local bands back then, and Keith was playing bass with them.
Anyway, when Bad Biscuit decided to call it quits, Keith switched from bass to guitar and put Frankenstein 3000 together as an outlet for the songs that Bad Biscuit never used. He recruited drummer Clint Gascoyne, bassist Eric Hoagland and his former Bad Biscuit lead guitarist Tommy Tafaro for the new project. His goal was simple: to wake the rock community up with his version of straight-up hard and heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Frankenstein 3000’s first CD in 2005 was actually a cover record called America’s Hit Remakers, which boasted guest vocalists like David Johansen from the New York Dolls, Cherie Currie from The Runaways and the legendary Leif Garrett. In 2007, Frankenstein 3000 would finally put out a CD of their own songs called Welcome To Planet Omega. They liked putting out their own CDs so much that in 2009, they would release Where Do We Go From Here, and in 2010, another CD of covers called They’ll Be Waking Up Soon.
In early 2012, Frankenstein 3000 released Allerton Avenue, which the band claims to be the best thing they’ve ever done, but hot on the heels of that album, the group released Escape From Planet Omega!, a collection of recordings from various sessions and lineups. It’s kind of what they intended their debut album to be before it turned out to be a cover CD. Frankenstein 3000 are finally happy with the Omega project, more than seven years in the making. You have to check these guys out if you just love raw rock and roll! Log onto Frankenstein3000.com to hear songs like “Revolution (Coming Of Age),” “Panic In Needle Park” and “Everybody Else.” Trust me when I tell you that it’s hard not to like this band! You can catch them live this Saturday night (2/1) at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park as part of the Lords Of Mercy CD release party.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bros from Rahway will be debuting their new frontman, Greg Schumann, formerly of the band Pocketful, at the Starland Ballroom on April 4, opening for the mighty Kix. Guitarist Dave Cardenas seems pretty excited about this new phase of the band with the addition of Schumann, and I have to admit that I’m a bit curious as to what the band will sound like with this new singer. I guess we’ll all find out on April 4 at the Starland Ballroom. Tickets for this show are available at rahwayband.com.
My homegirl Natasha Komis has released a brand new music video to kick off the new year for her song “Glam Rox.” The video is a throwback to old glam rock music videos. In the video, Natasha becomes the glam rock goddess of herself just by spraying Glam Rox hairspray in her hair. It’s a pretty entertaining music video. Check out “Glam Rox” at youtu.be/B-9EqdwUxHI.
And finally, I’m really excited to share this even though I heard it a couple of weeks ago, my brothers from Sixty Miles Down recently released a clip of a new song called “Light Up Ahead” off of their long-awaited four-song EP. The track is awesome and I can’t wait to hear more. I’ve been waiting for something new from these guys for almost eight years now. It looks like the wait might be over. Give the clip of “Light Up Ahead” a listen now at facebook.com/pages/Sixty-Miles-Down/338138367957.
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:
1/31—Pheroze (acoustic set)—Ella Lounge, NYC
1/31—Fastride—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia
1/31—Gathering After Ashes/Stillphase/Skunk Daze/Threatpoint/Napalm Party—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
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
2/1—Syrens Calling/Mother/Seas Of Wake/Atom Strange/Beyond Visible—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/6—The Jersey Syndicate/Gin Blossoms—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
2/7—Frankenstein 3000/Lower The Veil/Tara Elliott And The Red Velvets/Buzzard Wagon/The Battery Electric—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
2/8—Pralaya/Thank You Scientist/Ascending From Ashes—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
2/8—Tarpit Boogie/Clamfight/Toxicology/Another Distraction —Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/8—Black Sun Rising/Mesmeria/The Unknown/Sekond Skyn—Finnegan’s Wake, Philadelphia, PA
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, Branchburg, 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
