I came across an amazing young band out of Kearny, NJ, who’s been out there already making a big name for themselves. I guess I really missed out on them because I tend to veer toward the hard rock and heavy metal stuff than the pop-rock stuff. But these guys really caught my attention with their songwriting. The name of the band is Wyland, and they reminded me a lot of Coldplay with great songwriting, catchy melodies and vocals that leave you wanting to hear more.
According to their bio, Wyland only formed a couple of years ago out of lead singer/songwriter Ryan Sloan’s solo material. After he posted an ad on Craigslist’s musician section, Sloan found guitarist Mauricio Salazar and drummer Richard Joyce. The trio’s diverse backgrounds and passion for songwriting made for a dangerous recipe for Sloan’s new project, Wyland. Rounding out the band is bassist Zach Calidonna. The quartet didn’t waste any time with the club scene, they went right after the festivals and ended up performing at CMJ in New York City, Toronto’s Canadian Music Week and New Jersey’s Skate And Surf Festival in Asbury Park and Atlantic City’s Beer And Music Festival. Talk about making an impact in just under two years of being a band.
Back in February, Wyland released their debut EP, You’re In The World, Get Off Your Feet, which features the single “Wait,” my favorite track “Everything We Have,” “Shine” and “Lifeboats.” These are all great songs and pretty soothing to listen to. Singer Ryan Sloan’s voice is pretty incredible. These kids could be the next Coldplay, if there can be another Coldplay. I can’t say enough about the songwriting. When you hear songwriting like this, you really appreciate it. For more on Wyland, visit WeAreWyland.com or catch them live this Friday (12/11) at the Banana Stand in New Brunswick, NJ
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Vextion has released a new music video for their song “Between The Lies.” The song marks the first music video for singer Lady Kate and drummer Rob “Bobman” Crowther as husband and wife. The song is pretty good and very well-written. If you’d like to see the video for “Between The Lies,” log onto vimeo.com/145480468. For more on Vextion or to congratulate Kate and Bobman on their marriage, visit facebook.com/vextionrocks.
My bass bro, Mike Ferreira, or as I like to call him Mikey Trudge, from the band Civic, recently emailed me some new songs the band recently recorded and I have to admit, I really like the direction they’ve taken in their songwriting. The music is a little bit heavier than the last bunch of songs I heard from them, which had more of an alternative feel to them. With singer Ryan Lauretano adding some grit to his vocals, I can consider them more of a hard rock band than an alt-rock band. Mikey sent me the songs “Pair Of Fools,” “The Fault With Reason” and my favorite of the three, “The Welcome Letdown.” All three songs were killer. If you get the chance to give them a listen, I would recommend it. For more on Civic, visit Reverbnation.com/Civic.
And finally, I headed to my old stomping grounds, Dingbatz in Clifton, a couple a weeks ago for the Saint Caine CD release party. It was great to see some old faces, but best of all, seeing Saint Caine performing new songs from their latest EP, Burn With The Gods Of The Sun, as well as their classic stuff. John Kosco and band sounded on point as usual. The new EP had some high points as well. The title track featuring Mastodon singer and bassist Troy Sanders really kicks you in the teeth and is riff-tastic, but the song “Solitary Road” was my favorite track on the EP. It was a piano ballad that really showcased how amazing Kosco’s voice really is. There was also an amazing rendition of Queens Of The Stone Age’s “Go With The Flow” that I really liked as well. For more on Saint Caine, visit Facebook.com/SaintCaine.
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:
12/9—One Hundred Thousand—Arlene’s Grocery, NYC
12/11—Paralysis/That Of A Lion/Robots And Monsters/Unkempt Herald/Xenophile—The Meat Locker, Montclair, NJ
12/11—Wyland/The Vaughns/Semiotics/Atlas Bloom—The Banana Stand, New Brunswick, NJ
12/12—Those Mockingbirds—The Anchor, Kingston, NY
12/13—Brand of Julez—Amityville Music Hall, Amityville, NY
12/16—Patent Pending—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/16—Sekond Skyn/Brand of Julez/Pop Evil/Red Sun Rising—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
12/17—Wyland/Small Planet Radio—Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ
12/18—Whiskey Time Machine/Regalia/Lucifer Jones/Cover Her Face/Xenophile/Purple Pam and the Flesh Eaters—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/18—Dinosaur Eyelids (ALS Benefit Show)—John and Peter’s, New Hope, PA
12/19—Shift/Reese Van Ripper/Pralaya/The Randy Haze Trio/Ed Barsano/Andrew Lange—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/19—Patent Pending—Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg, PA
12/19—Brand of Julez/Scars of Envy—QXT, Newark, NJ
12/19—Deaf Rhino/Bounders/Annabel Lee/Wyland—Maxwell’s Tavern, Hoboken, NJ
12/19—Voodoo Terror Tribe/TANTRIC/Head Therapy/Paulus Hook—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
12/20—Lorna Shore—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/26—Patent Pending—Revolution Music Hall, Amityville, NY
12/26—THAT METAL SHOW HOLIDAY BASH feat. Caustic Audio/Madysin Hatter/Flathead Sky/Sickness: Black Sabbath Tribute/Lethal Affection/PSSR Frank Ferrer (GnR/PSSR)/Voodoo Terror Tribe—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/7/2016—Those Mockingbirds—The Crossroads, Garwood, NJ
1/8/2016—End of an Era/ORGY/Bobaflex—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
1/8/2016—Those Mockingbirds—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
1/8/216—Without Reason—Rocky’s Bar and Grill, Rahway, NJ
1/15/2016—Those Mockingbirds—Piano’s, NYC
1/16/2016—Cycle of Pain—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
1/29/2016—Trixter/Eric Martin/Long Gone Day/Reality Suite—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
