MAGNA LIBRA—New York City
My bass brother, Richard Mollo, who some might recognize from the Hulu Series, The Path, but I recognize him as the former bass player of NYC’s Charetta, recently sent me a song from his latest project Magna Libra with a singer he’s been working with for quite some time named Otan Vargas, whom I’ve written about in the past. The song Rich sent me was called “Ground” and it rocks! It starts with this heavy groove then mellows out for the melody to kick in, and Otan’s voice is killer on this song!
According to their bio, Magna Libra is a rock music project based out of New York City. Roughly translated as “The Great Balance,” Magna Libra features a tasteful blend of melodic, soulful vocals with a gritty, hard rock instrumentation. The band released their debut single “Ground’ by way of Gravel Entertainment this month as a taste of future offerings to follow. Magna Libra is a musical collaboration which features singer Otan Vargas, my bro and bassist Rich Mollo, guitarist Steve Seigerman from the band Tenpoint and special guest Sal G from Staind on drums. The band is currently working on new music for a potential EP to be released later this year.
Rich didn’t say if the band will be taking this project to the stage, which is something I’d love to see. Maybe it’s a case of timing or the lack of a full-time drummer? Who knows? I will say that I became of fan of Otan Vargas’s voice from the beginning when Rich sent me recordings when he first started jamming with Otan. This kid has a strong voice similar to Layne Staley from Alice In Chains or Sully Erna from Godsmack. For more on the fledgling project known as Magna Libra, visit MagnaLibra.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My brothers from Voodoo Terror Tribe will be celebrating the release of their new CD, The Sun Shining Cold, with a CD release party at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ, this Saturday, April 8. Also performing will be Thanatotic Desire, Pool Of Thorns, and Orbynot, with my bud Danielle Darkko hosting the evening, which will be filled with food and other surprises, as well as the new Voodoo Terror Tribe CD, which I can tell you first-hand, might be the best I’ve heard from them. These guys are like a fine wine—they get better with age. The songs “City Of Sixes,” “Cell,” “No Hell Like Home” and “Lady In The Wall” are real highlights on The Sun Shining Cold. For more on Voodoo Terror Tribe, visit VoodooTerrorTribe.com.
My bros from Killcode just landed a great gig this August at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ opening for the mighty Queensrÿche, and no, not with Geoff Tate singing. This version of Queensrÿche is with singer Todd LaTorre and he’s just as amazing! The date for this show is August 17. If you can’t wait until August to see The Code, they will also be performing at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh, NY on April 22 with L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat. For more on Killcode, visit Killcode.net.
And finally, for my cheap plug this week, my band Rahway will be opening for the hilarious Steel Panther this Saturday night (4/8) at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. Also performing will be Citizen Zero. Contact me at the email address below for discounted tickets. The next show for Rahway will be on May 5 at Saddle Brook High School in Saddle Brook, NJ as part of a great charity called “Save the Music at SBHS” to raise money for the high school band to buy new instruments or repair old ones. This will be an amazing event considering it’s my old high school. Also performing this show will be Inside Riptide featuring John Rango, and Hollywood Kills featuring Russell Kelly from Handsome Devil Tattoo. We’re all SBHS graduates. For more info 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:
4/7—TheMusiciansRockNetwork.com Website Release Party featuring Pocketful Rialto!/Pyramada/Miss Demeanor—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/7—JOHN 5 and The Creatures/Panzie*/Ryder/Another Days Armor/Common Wealth/Juney/Signals of Bedlam—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
4/8—Voodoo Terror Tribe/Thanatotic Desire/Pool Of Thorns/Orbynot, —Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/8—Steel Panther/Citizens Zero/Rahway—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
4/8—PB Street Gang/York Town/Uncrated/Mikell’s Plot/Doug Diettman—Al Cibelli’s Restaurant and Bar, Perth Amboy, NJ
4/8—Accelerators/Six to Eight/Ghetto Dog—The Lakeshore Inn Bar, Hewitt, NJ
4/8—Anaka/Hellshot/Baelfire/Crimshaw—The Hideout, Brooklyn, NY
4/12—The Breakout/The Break Lights/ProPain/The Jersey Panic—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/13—One Hundred Thousand/EchoLab/Red Hymns/Pralaya/Behind The Grey—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/13—This Curse/That of a Lion/Ana Sapphira/Barbarian/Prevailer/Enochian—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/15—Babes at the Brighton: Arc’d Angel/Baelfire/Palaceburn/Pravda/Vextion—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/19—Doyle from The Misfits—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/19—Traitors/I Am/Ender/The Machinist/Refinement/Stronger Than Death—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/22—Killcode/L.A. Guns/Faster Pussycat—Mulcahy’s, Wantagh, NY
4/23—Faster Pussycat/Ryder/Dirty Black 7/Lunatic Fringe/Strange Eclipse—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/24—Gothic Knights/Delain/Hammerfall—Stage 48, NYC
4/29—Militia Nation Presents: Sekond Skyn/Psychoprism/Broken Past/Incognito Theory/Dead City Crown/High Octane—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/5—SAVE THE MUSIC AT SBHS: Rahway/Inside Riptide/Hollywood Kills—Saddle Brook High School, Saddle Brook, NJ
5/5—Yngwie Malmsteen/Midnite Hellion/Ripped—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
5/5—Skrizzly Adams/Mikell’s Plot/Stars Apart—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
5/6—Michale Graves/Incognito Theory—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
5/6—Cycle of Pain/Lower The Veil/Legion/Out Of Bounds/Ideosphere/Shattered Skin—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/6—Borgo Pass/BLACK DAWN/Logan’s Room/John Wilkes Booth—Revolution Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
