My old buddy Johnny Knollwood, who used to have his own band Knollwood, recently reached out to me to let me know about his new project, Skunk Daze. I have to admit that the name of the band alone did make me a bit curious. So, I logged onto the band’s ReverbNation page, reverbnation.com/skunkdaze, where I got to hear a song called “By The River,” and I wasn’t overly impressed, but I also really liked it. It kind of reminded me of Sublime meets the funk of the Chili Peppers. Not bad, Johnny! Though, you look like you belong in a metal band!
Skunk Daze formed only three years ago (that’s 2011 for those of you who are mathematically challenged) with the sole purpose of creating dirty, slimy and grimy rock ‘n’ roll. Isn’t that what rock ‘n’ roll is anyway without the blood and sweat? The foundation of Skunk Daze begins with the sweet beats of drummer Nikki Conte and mixed and matched with the hammering bass style of bassist Mike Archer, while colored in by the stoner metal grind of Johnny Knollwood’s guitar grooves and rounded out by singer Ryan Price’s whacky and zany lyrics that the band says are “dirty” enough to fill a “used rubber.” Okay, that’s freaking gross! Either way, these kids are headed in the right direction.
Johnny told me that the band has a bunch of dates coming up as the warmer weather heads toward us. I also got to see a video clip of the band performing their song “…And We Flail.” Another pretty good song, but the video gives you some insight as to how the group looks when they perform live. Check out Johnny Knollwood and his new project Skunk Daze now at facebook.com/skunkdaze or catch them live tonight (4/23) at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Congrats to my new bros from Negative Sky, who not only are now endorsed by Cold Cock Whiskey (I love that name!), but now they’ve been invited to perform in Puerto Rico with the band Ominous on June 14. I couldn’t be happier for my bass brother George Pond and the Negative Sky crew! 2014 seems to be their year! If you haven’t done so already, check Negative Sky out now at facebook.com/negativeskynj.
Speaking of my bass brothers, my bro Roy Brunston from Audio Empire just told me he is now endorsed by DR Strings. That’s a huge endorsement for a local boy like Roy, so join me in congratulating him. Also, his band Audio Empire has just been added to an amazing show at The Stone Pony on June 3 called “Randy Rhoads Remembered.” This is set to be an all-star tribute to the late legendary pre-Zakk Wylde and Jake E. Lee, Ozzy Osbourne guitarist. The all-stars include Rudy Sarzo from Quiet Riot and Whitesnake, local boy Brian Tichy from Whitesnake, Tracii Guns from L.A. Guns, Alex Skolnick from Testament, Mike Orlando from Adrenaline Mob, Joel Hoekstra from Night Ranger, and Brent Woods from the Vince Neil Band, just to name a few. This will be an amazing event to celebrate a young life that was taken from us too soon. For tickets and more info, log onto audioempireband.com.
And finally, one of my favorite metal bands from North Jersey, Julius Seizure, recently emailed me their new music video for the song “Sixth And Falling,” and the video is awesome! You can check it out at youtu.be/cUXoUmzLfRg. It is brutal and technically sound, and I really enjoyed it. You can catch Julius Seizure live on April 30 at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ with Battlecross and Beyond Dishonor or catch them at the Championship Bar and Grill in Trenton, NJ on May 10 as they battle it out for the Summer Slaughter Tour. For more on Julius Seizure, log onto JuliusSeizureBand.com.
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:
4/23—Skunk Daze—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/24—Steve Brown and Terry Farley—Thatcher McGhee’s, Pompton Lakes, NJ
4/24—Blameshift—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/24—J. Rad/L.A. Guns—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
4/25—Kucklebone/Flowers To Flames/Sebastian Bach—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
4/25—Don Jamieson—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/25—Borgo Pass/Killcode/Brand Of Julez/Electric Black Horse—The Hub Billiard Club and Music Hall, Island Park, NY
4/25—New Theory/Reach/Revenir/Answer Infinity/Sundown Conspiracy/Burning Red Sun—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
4/26—Gathering After Ashes—Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
4/26—Civic/Gazelle/Caustic Audio—Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
4/26—The Detonators—The Russian Hall, Little Falls, NJ
4/27—Skunk Daze—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
4/27—Gathering After Ashes/Audio Empire/Red Dragon Cartel—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ (makeup show from 4/2)
4/30—Battlecross/Beyond Dishonor/Julius Seizure/Burial Mound—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/30—J.Rad/Halo To Havoc/Cracked Alice/Ghosts Of Eden/Saliva—Santos Party House, NYC
5/1—Prophets Of Addiction/The Erotics/Stillborn Babies—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/2—Lower The Veil/End Of An Era/Fuel—The Headliner, Neptune, NJ
5/3—King’s X/T.T. Quick/The Atomic Bitchwax/Black Reign—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
5/3—Skunk Daze—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
5/4—Dead Fish Handshake/Beyond Visible/Xombie/Saliva—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
5/10—Julius Seizure—Championship Bar and Grill, Trenton, NJ
5/10—Rivera Bomma—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
