When I hear the name Nasty Habit, I think of Mötley Crüe’s backup singers circa 1987. Yes, I am that old! Anyway, I received a message from producer Stacy O’Dell, who some might remember for his work with Killcode and Panzie*. Stacy wanted me to know about this young, new band he was working with out of Syracuse, NY called Nasty Habit. I was a little curious since Stacy had a pretty good history of turning out some pretty good bands, so I gave these kids a listen and I fell in love with them. They are such a throwback to the ’80s hair band era with their guitar sound, their stage moves and the flop of their hair, but the funny thing is that none of them were even born in the ’80s, which makes them even more interesting to me. I gave their songs “Heartless,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and “Heaven’s Gate” a quick listen, and if these guys get the break they’re looking for, we might have a hair metal movement making its comeback!
Singer Tommy Ende and his brother, guitarist Kenny Ende, weren’t even born yet back in 1986 when the style of music that they’re currently playing was at its height. According to their bio, the brothers who hail from Seneca Falls, NY never even heard of bands like Van Halen and Tesla until Kenny started playing guitar in his early teens, and by the time he hit 16, he’d learned most of Van Halen’s catalog. Kenny, along with his younger brother Tommy, fell in love with the heavy guitars and the attitude of the ’80s hard rock bands, which drew them to the style of music they are playing today. They formed Nasty Habit back in 2011 after finding the missing pieces to their “nasty” puzzle in drummer David Jordan and bassist Frank Wheeler, who has a strange resemblance to Stryper’s Robert Sweet. Since finalizing the lineup, Nasty Habit have played hundreds of shows across the U.S. and have even released a full-length CD. Their fanbase has even hit an international level thanks to YouTube with over 200,000 video views.
Here in 2014, Nasty Habit pushed forward, leaving their teenage years behind with the exception of 18-year-old Frank Wheeler. With the guidance of Stacy O’Dell, the band released their latest EP, Desperate Times, Desperate Measures, putting their own modern stamp on the sound they have embraced. Stacy helped Nasty Habit achieve a loud, over-the-top and in-your-face hooky hard rock EP that doesn’t sound like it was recorded 20 years ago. The band spent most of the summer touring and promoting Desperate Times, Desperate Measures, but now plan on heading back into the studio with Stacy to record some more new material. For more on Nasty Habit, check them out at nastyhabitkills.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Speaking of my bros from Panzie*, it sounds like they’ve apparently gotten off their asses to start recording some new Panzie* material. Okay, maybe getting off their asses was the wrong phrase since guitarist DC Gonzalez has been killing it with Killcode, while bassist Dave Sussman and drummer John Servo DeSalvo have been busy with their project Maniac Rise. So, I guess they really haven’t been sitting on their asses, but I’m sure that guitarist Jonnie Rockit is more than happy to get back to work. No word yet on who the new singer for Panzie* is since the departure of singer Johnny Hawaiian last year. The band recently posted a short video on Facebook showing the band in the studio recording some new material. Keep those eyes and ears peeled for some new Panzie* coming soon. Log onto panzie.com for more info.
My old bud Queen V will be returning to her old stomping grounds of Montclair, NJ on Nov. 1 at the Trend Coffee and Tea House. If you can’t make that show, you can catch her in Bayonne, NJ two weeks later on Nov. 15 with The Battery Electric, Hot Blood and Sunshine, and The Rain at the Lot 13 Longbar. You won’t want to miss these shows since Queen V has been performing a lot of West Coast shows as of late. For more on Queen V, log onto queenv.com.
And finally, how about my bro Marc Rizzo and his band Soulfly hitting The Blue Room in Secaucus, NJ for a local intimate affair a couple of weeks ago? Soulfly is an international act fronted by Max Cavalera from Cavelera Conspiracy and co-founder of Sepultura, which he started with his brother Igor. These are guys who normally perform at huge festivals and bigger venues, so for Soulfly to make a pit stop at The Blue Room, you know this had to be something special. Their new CD, Savages, is out now. Visit soulfly.com for more on Max, Marc and the rest of the Soulfly crew.
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:
10/24—Lower The Veil/Sekond Skyn—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/24—New Day Dawn/Knucklebone/Blues Field Drive/Half Normal—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
10/24—Audio Empire/Reality Suite—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
10/24—The Erotics/Kosmic Daydream/Murdersmile—The Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
10/25—FORBIDDEN TERRITORY/From The Depths/Ocean Of Illusions/Glass[Houses]/Monument Of A Memory/The Harvest—Radiant, Nutley, NJ
10/25—Scarlet Silence/Sinsanity/Cracked Alice/The Dark Matters/REVEL 9/Aurin—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
10/25—Seas Of Wake—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
10/31—Kore Rozzik/Streetlight Circus/ELECTRIC BLACK HORSE/Von Voigt/The Boom Section/Striven—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
11/1—Queen V—Trend Coffee and Tea House, Montclair, NJ
11/1—Ashes Of Your Enemy/Ixion Lux/Proletariat/Thanatotic Desire/Nuse—Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ
11/1—Dick And The Deer Gutters/Sekond Skyn/Ratfarm/Ancora/Headstone Oneeighteen—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
11/1—Sardonica/Slaughtered Grace/Robots And Monsters—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/1—Mother/Cracked Alice/The Liza Colby Sound—The Mercury Lounge, NYC
11/1—Sekond Skyn—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
11/2—Aurin/Nonpoint/GEMINI SYNDROME/Three Years Hollow—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
11/2—Voodoo Terror Tribe/GENITORTURERS—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
11/6—Queen V/Molly Adele Brown—The Bitter End, NYC
11/8—End Of An Era/PLANESIDE/The Skinney/Through The Grey/Paris Under Fire—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
11/8—Beyond Fallen/Psychoprism/Crime X Scene—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/15—Queen V/The Battery Electric/Hot Blood and Sunshine/The Rain—Lot 13 Longbar, Bayonne, NJ
11/28—Queen V—Rockwood Music Hall, NYC
