How can you live in North Jersey and never hear of the legendary Misfits? They’re a band we all grew up with especially if you were a music lover. These guys were goth before it was cool to be goth. Well, one of the original members of the Misfits, Bobby Steele, recently reached out to me because he was looking for some publicity for his band The Undead’s latest CD, The Morgue…The Merrier. I mean, this guy was one of the original members of the Misfits. How can I say no? I gave the CD a listen, and the songs “Be My Ghoul,” “Righteous Light” and “I Got Your Number” have that classic Misfits feel. It doesn’t sound like the Misfits, but it has that classic Jersey horror punk sound, if that makes any sense whatsoever? It makes sense to me, and anyone who grew up listening to the Misfits will totally understand.
According to their bio, The Undead formed in October 1980 in New Milford, NJ after by singer and guitarist Bobby Steele was let go from the Misfits and replaced by Jerry Only’s younger brother, Doyle. Steele would put The Undead together with bassist Chris “Jack” Natz and drummer Patrick Blanck. The band released their first EP, 9 Toes Later, in 1982, but a few months later, Natz and Blanck left the band, replaced by Brian “Payne” Aliano on bass and Bobby Savage on drums. The Undead saw many lineup changes since then, but they also released numerous singles and EPs. They only have three full-length studio albums to their credit, however—Act Your Rage, Til Death and Dawn Of The Undead. The band took a hiatus from performing live between 2002 and 2006, which saw The Undead return to the music scene with a show at the legendary CBGB on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ten years have passed since The Undead returned to the music scene, but Bobby Steele reformed the band yet again in late 2012 with bassist Paul Mauled, drummer Serial Bill Gotta and keyboardist Diana Steele, whom I’m guessing is the lovely Mrs. Steele. You can catch The Undead live at the Clash Bar in Clifton, NJ on April 8. For more info on The Undead and their latest CD, The Morgue…The Merrier, visit them at TheUndead.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
Hot off the heels of a sold-out show opening for Joe Lynn Turner at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ, my old pal Steve Bello will be returning to Mexicali Live on April 23 opening for two tribute bands, the Rush tribute, Second Contact, and the Yes tribute, Yesterdays. Steve has been ecstatic about his new live band, so get out there and check him out live! Don’t forget to pick up Steve’s new CD, Layers Of Time. For more info on Steve Bello, visit SteveBelloRocks.com.
My brothers from Seas Of Wake recently released their brand new music video for their single “Loners,” which will be on the band’s highly-anticipated sophomore CD, Depth Of The Marrow, which is dropping May 13. The CD is the follow-up to the band’s 2011 debut, Virology, which landed the band dates on the now-defunct Mayhem Festival. “Loners” is a technically sound song musically, and gives the listener a nice punch in the teeth when singer Shaun Mason comes in with his aggressive vocals. It’s a great video too! Check it out at youtu.be/6fmyAAoFsFs. You can also catch Seas Of Wake live on May 20 with their CD release party at Mexicali Live in Teaneck. Also performing will be The Blessing Of This Curse, That Of A Lion, Comb The Desert and EchoLab. For more info, visit Facebook.com/SeasofWake.
And finally, without making myself sound so self-serving in my own column, I’m really excited to announce that my old band Smoke Star will finally be releasing the EP we always wanted to release before the band broke up back in 2007. After talking it over with my old bandmates, we all decided that we should finally officially release the CD, which features the songs “Adrenaline,” “Semi” and “Cold December,” all songs that still can stand with today’s music even though they are nine years old! Smoke Star saw some popularity on the North Jersey scene for a few years in early 2000. I was sad to see it go, but I found a new home with Rahway and Scotty O with Caustic Audio, so be sure to check out those bands. As for the Smoke Star EP, it drops on April Fool’s Day (how appropriate!) and will be available on iTunes, Amazon.com, Spotify and iHeartRadio.com. For more on Smoke Star, visit Reverbnation.com/SmokeStar.
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:
4/2—Jersey Campfire Productions Presents: Rahway/Sekond Skyn/One Hundred Thousand/Meatplow/Shattered Skin—Boneyard Bar and Grill, Atlantic City, NJ
4/2—Crash NYC/Trapped In The Shadows/Saturn’s Return/Lorie De Winter—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/2—Major Crush—The Shop, Brooklyn, NY
4/2—Bottle of Bread—Tierney’s Tavern, Montclair, NJ
4/2—The Falcon—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/3—Gothic Knights—Stage 48, NYC
4/4—Crowbar—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/8—The Undead—The Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
4/10—Goolsby/Crypt Keeper 5—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/11—Killcode/Ace Frehley—B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill, NYC
4/12—Corrosion of Conformity/Tarpit Boogie—The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ
4/13—Killcode/Ace Frehley—The Paramount, Huntington, NY
4/15—Killcode/Ace Frehley—F.M. Kirby Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA
4/16—The Vaughns—Drew University, Madison, NJ
4/16—Me With Creeps—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
4/16—Killcode/Ace Frehley—The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY
4/16—Voodoo Terror Tribe/Midnite Hellion/ORBYNOT—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/16—MDC—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/16—The Vaughns—The Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ
4/17—Rahway—Game Changer World, Howell, NJ
4/19—Gus G/The Clocktown Giants/Unholy Dispute/Endall/Hot Blonde Dead—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/21—Nekrogoblikon/Psychostick/Urizen/Monument Of A Memory/Ocean Of Illusions/Edge Of Annihilation—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/22—Rahway/Saint Caine/Pat Llewellyn Band—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
4/23—Steve Bello—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/23—Lyken 21/Flathead Sky/Gathering After Ashes/Dying Eyes of Sloth/Iron Front/Lunatic Fringe/Incognito Theory—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/24—Faster Pussycat/Zsah Domme/Blue Movie/Firefight—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/20—Seas of Wake CD Release Party/The Blessing of this Curse/That of a Lion/Comb the Desert/EchoLab—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
