Yes, this week, I’m taking North Jersey Notes international. A friend of mine turned me onto the music of singer-songwriter Natalie Clark. I was told that her voice was incredible and something that I would be into. At first, I questioned my friend to make sure she knew that I was metalhead and the name Natalie Clark didn’t sound too metal. Regardless, as a music columnist, I had to keep an open-mind and decided to give Miss Natalie a quick listen. The first song that I listened to was a song called “Bit By Bit” off of Natalie’s debut EP, Eagles. Needless to say, it was love at first listen! Natalie’s voice was simply amazing! She was Jewel, Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette wrapped into one little package. I needed to hear more, so I listened on and the title-track “Eagles,” “Meatmarket” and my favorite track, “Weakness,” were so well-written and so well-crafted, I’d love to see Natalie Clark succeed here in the U.S. The reason I chose to feature her in this week’s column is because I’d like to start a campaign to bring Natalie Clark to the New York/New Jersey region, where I know she will be a huge star.
Natalie Clark is currently residing in the U.S. on the West Coast, which is where she is doing the majority of her performing at the moment. She quit her job as a teacher in Scotland to focus on music full time. I’d have to say that after listening to her debut EP, she might have made the right move. Natalie’s story has been so amazing that even Virgin Group mogul, Sir Richard Branson, and Warped Tour creator, Kevin Lyman, are huge Natalie supporters. It doesn’t end there either! A New York City producer was so enamored with Natalie’s journey from leaving her life as a teacher behind in Scotland for the life of a struggling musician here in America that he’s even decided to document her journey with a documentary. Trust me when I tell you though; it won’t be the documentary that will make Natalie a huge American success story. It will be her voice and her songwriting skills. I seriously have not heard anything like this since a young Jewel walked into the Z100 studios back in my heyday.
Natalie has performed some shows here on the East Coast, but not enough for you guys to get to know her music and not long enough for the labels to sink their teeth into her. Her song “Weakness,” which I said earlier was my favorite track, has even garnered Natalie much attention and airplay back home in the UK. The song is definitely good enough to be added onto a station like Z100 here in the U.S. I just might have to use some of my old connections to make that happen. Anyway, you need to check Natalie Clark out now and give her EP, Eagles, a listen at soundcloud.com/natalieclarkmusic or take a look at her video for “Weakness” at youtu.be/rU-CWcy4F1Y. Let’s bring Natalie Clark to New York!
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Have you seen the music video “Secrets” from my new buds in Blameshift? You might have because the video was viewed almost 100,000 times on YouTube. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out at youtu.be/QKeM07_2CVU. The song rocks! Blameshift are currently working on new material to release this year and they plan to get back on the road soon after that happens. For more on Blameshift, visit blameshiftmusic.net.
The boys from Asbury Park’s Toothgrinder are super-psyched to have been added to an amazing, hard-hitting, power-packed metal tour opening for The Contortionist, Revocation and Fallujah. Don’t expect to walk out of this show with any teeth because they’re sure to get knocked out. The tour kicks off in February and hits our shores on Feb. 19 when it stops in at Revolution Bar and Music Hall in Amityville, NY. For more on Toothgrinder, visit facebook.com/toothgrinder.usa.
And finally, my bros from BoundAlive will be back at it after taking most of 2014 off to record their debut release for Lathan Entertainment. The CD, which I’m still waiting on a release date for, will contain mostly new songs with some classics from the band’s regional CD included. BoundAlive will be hitting the stages of Jersey again this February with two shows: one at Roxy And Duke’s Roadhouse in Dunellen, NJ on Feb. 7 and one at the Bound Brook Hotel in Bound Brook, NJ on Feb. 28. For more news on BoundAlive and more live dates, log onto facebook.com/BoundAlive.
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:
1/21—SYKA—Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
1/23—Lethal Affection/Dark Matter/COMMON WEALTH/Libricide/Pralaya/Sun and Flesh—The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
1/23—Empire Fallen—Old Canal Inn, Nutley, NJ
1/24—SYKA—The Bitter End, NYC
1/24—Don Jamieson/Circuitry/Wrathstack/Meat For The Beast—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
1/24—Aurin—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/24—Divergence/Entropy/This Life We Live/A Great Day To Die/Lies Beneath/Plague of Humanity—The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
1/30—Empire Fallen (CD Release Party)—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/30—Shift/Pralaya/Harvest Falls/King Kelly/Science/Animal Pharmacy—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
1/31—That Metal Show Live featuring Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson, and Jim Florentine/SYKA/Lightning Lord—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
2/6—Steve Bello Band—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
2/7—BoundAlive—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
2/12—Thank You Scientist/Periphery/Nothing More/Wovenwar—Irving Plaza, NYC
2/13—Steve Bello Band/Krown Point/Ripped Graffiti/Scottish Windows–Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
2/15—Brand of Julez—Santo’s Party House, NYC
2/28—BoundAive—Bound Brook Hotel, Bound Brook, NJ
