BEHIND THE BULLET—Astoria, NY
So, I just found out that my brothers, David Alexander and Tony Ortiz, formerly of Dead Letter Box, A Lesson In Violence, and Auraborus, have a brand new band that they’ve been playing with called Behind The Bullet. First of all, I love these two dudes! Both are incredibly talented musicians. David is the singer and Tony is this monstrous drummer, but I’ve known these cats since they were in Dead Letter Box, and every band that came after DLB was a metal band. I wasn’t sure they were capable of playing anything but metal…Until now! Behind The Bullet really showed me that David is not just a screamer, but his voice is awesome! I went and listened to their debut EP, Brothers In Arms, and I have to tell you, these guys are not fooling around.
According to singer David Alexander, the four guys now known as Behind The Bullet spent almost all of 2015 writing their EP, Brothers In Arms, but didn’t really want to call themselves a band until it was finished. Well, they released Brothers In Arms a few months ago and now they’re a band. So, I guess it’s safe to say, the band formed in 2015? Or was it 2016? Anyway, together, they’re a fierce combination of heavy guitars, thunderous drums, filthy bass grooves, and soaring vocal melodies. Behind The Bullet is being said to put their “own unique twist on rock and roll.” Doesn’t everybody? Based on the band’s bio, “each song blends the rough atmosphere of New York City with the bluesy vibes of America’s heartland.” I love that description of their music because it fits! The infectious and fun attitude of seasoned musical vets like David and Tony will leave you grinning and banging your head. This sound will come at you like a fatal addictive “bullet.” Rounding out the band and joining David and Tony are guitarist Vincent Garguilo and bassist Oscar Torres.
After listening to Behind The Bullet’s EP, Brothers In Arms, I will tell you that these guys will be a force to be reckoned with on the music scene, and I’m not just saying this because they’re my buds either. Their songs “Broken String Blues,” “Monster Truck Rally,” “Whiskey” and the title track are songs that I never thought I would ever hear from David and Tony, but am happy as hell that I did get to hear it. You can catch them live this Sunday night (11/6) at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC. For more info on Behind The Bullet, visit BehindTheBullet.nyc.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The Experiment 34 kids have some new music out. They just released their first single off of their new EP, Charismanic 2.0. The song is called “Willie Mays” named after the baseball great. The song is very reminiscent of early Red Hot Chili Peppers, which is who I always said the band sounded like anyway. The song is great and has some really cool funk grooves, but the thing I love most about these kids is that they really jam! For more info on Experiment 34 and their new EP, Charismanic 2.0, visit Facebook.com/Experiment34.
Looks like my old singer, Ray West, and former lead singer of the band Spread Eagle, is back at it. His new band Weapons Of Anew has finally released a 30-second clip of their debut single, “Killshot.” Now, I’ve heard a few songs off of their debut EP and I actually can’t wait for it to come out. These songs seriously kick some ass. Here’s the kicker, joining Ray in Weapons Of Anew is my former Smoke Star drummer and former Audio Empire drummer, Chris Manfre, along with guitarist Freddie Ordine and bassist Reno Cutrupi, who were in Audio Empire with Chris at the very end of the band. For more info on Weapons Of Anew, visit Facebook.com/Weapons-Of-Anew-44663673552834.
And finally, my band Rahway has advanced to the next round for a chance to open for Jersey’s own Skid Row and Kix at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City on November 12. Rahway hasn’t won yet! There’s a final round on November 3 at the amazing Bally’s Wild West Casino with South Jersey rockers Swamp Box and two other competitors who haven’t been established at the time of this writing. If you’re in A.C. on November 3, stop down and root Rahway on! Don’t forget to check out the music video for Rahway’s song “Yesterday” also on YouTube. For more on Rahway, visit RahwayBand.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:
11/2—Jersey Campfires Production Presents Robots and Monsters/No Kings Among Wolves—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
11/3—Swampbox/Rahway—Bally’s Mainstage Wild West Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
11/3—Jaded Past/Natural Born Losers/Circuline/Back For Nothing—Blackthorn 51 , Elmhurst, NY
11/5—Streetlight Circus/Reality Suite/Broken Angels/Our Black Friday—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
11/5—Borgo Pass/John Wilkes Booth/Half Ton Session/Share the Burden—Revolution Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
11/6—Behind The Bullet—Arlene’s Grocery, NYC
11/6—Vajra—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
11/6—Hellwitch/Paralysis/Xenophile/Deadly Nights/The Donner Party—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/9—Xandria/BlackThorne/Orbynot/Dead City Crown/Fiakra/Eye Of Eternity—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/18—Barren—R Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
11/18—Skold featuring Tim Skold of Marilyn Manson and KMFDM/Panzie*–Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
11/18—Empire Fallen/Legion,Circuitry/Mikell’sPlot—Al Cibelli’s Restaurant and Bar, Perth Amboy, NJ
11/19—Incognito Theory/Ryder/Endall—QXT’s, Newark, NJ
11/19—Wet/Demo Taped/Aerial East—Webster Hall, NYC
11/20—Old James/Anaka/Metalfier/Diamond Head—The Marlin Room at Webster Hall, NYC
11/23—Buckcherry/Rahway/Brand of Julez—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
11/25—Joe Lynn Turner/Rahway/Fragile Sky—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
11/26—Full Scale Riot/Homicidal/Me With Creeps/Ego Destroys/Robots and Monsters/Silence Equals Death—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ
