HENCE THE NOISE – Brooklyn, NY
My BFF Roy Brunston, from the band Resurge, brought my attention to this amazing band out of New York. The shining star in this band is drummer Robbie Russo, who is only 13 years old and the son of guitarist Rob Russo. The name of their band is Hence The Noise, and the other great part about this band is that one of my favorite new singers in the Tri-State Area, Chandler Mogel, from Punky Meadow’s Fallen Angel and Outloud, is the frontman in this band also. I listened to their debut CD, Minute With Me, and this CD rocks! I’m a huge fan of Chandler’s voice, but young Robbie’s foot is pretty thunderous tied in with some tasty guitar work supplied by the elder Rob and Eddie Vandenko. The songs that stood out for me off of Minute With Me were the title track, “Scars,” “The Enemy,” “War,” and “Prisoner of Time.”
According to their bio, Hence The Noise is a New York-based modern rock band consisting of singer Chandler Mogel, guitarists Rob Russo and Eddie Vandenko, and featuring 13-year-old drummer Robbie Russo. The group is currently on the hunt for the right bass player. Rob and Eddie have been playing together in various bands on the NYC club scene ever since they met at a mutual friend’s garage in Brooklyn back in 1989. After a long hiatus from the music scene, they started writing music again and decided to put a band together, and finding a drummer was a no-brainer. Rob’s son Robbie, who has been playing since he was three years old, was an easy choice. Robbie was born with a radial club right hand, where the radius bone in the forearm is missing or underdeveloped. In Robbie’s case, he is missing his radius. This has shortened his arm and caused him to have no thumb on his right hand. However, listening to the kid play, you would never know it. According to Rob, Robbie’s been a creative powerhouse with a style and feel well beyond his years. There is a natural chemistry between Robbie and his dad, since they have been jamming together ever since Robbie could sit behind a drum kit. Their search for a singer ended when they saw an ad online for international recording artist Chandler Mogel. Rob says that he was a perfect fit.
Hence The Noise’s debut CD, Minute With Me, which they dropped back in May, was recorded at Room368 Productions in Haworth, NJ, by producer Ethan Bill, who also performed all of the bass tracks on the CD. The CD combines a more classic sound with a modern twist that sets them from the rest of the pack. Personally, I would love to see these guys live, but Robbie’s age might make it tough to see them in a bar. Regardless, I’d still love to check them out. For more on Hence The Noise, visit HenceTheNoise.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
So, not only do I write about local music in this column, but I also like to include information and news about the local venues since they are an integral part of the North Jersey music scene. That being said, news came my way a couple of days ago about the popular Mexicali Live in Teaneck, NJ, being under new management with a name change and rebranding happening in September. I remember when Mexicali first opened as Mexicali Blues on Cedar Lane until they moved to its current location on Queen Anne Road. In September, new owners David and Alberta Gaskill will be rebranding the venue as Debonair Music Hall, which will be receiving a number of upgrades in the coming months including repainting the interior, upgrading the lighting, and adding a 4k camera and a large TV to stream the shows on. The food and drink menu will also be revamped. Debonair plans to host a more diverse selection of bands and artists to fulfill the demand and interests of concertgoers and broaden the venue’s potential. I have to admit, this is all really exciting! The Gaskills will be opening Denonair in September with the likes of Firehouse, Passafire, The Werks, and Helmet so far, with more to be announced. For now, tickets for this upcoming opening week can be purchased on MexicaliLive.net.
Since I’m on the topic of local venues, the beloved bartender and booker at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ, Donna Mae Boyd, has left the popular Clifton rock haunt and is taking her talents over to work with my boy Tim McMurtrie and The Blue Room in Secaucus, NJ. Donna said she just needed a change of scenery. She asked that bands interested in performing at The Blue Room to call her at (862) 452-3635. All genres are welcome. For more info on The Blue Room, visit Facebook.com/TheBlueRoomNJ.
And finally, I wanted to send out a huge congrats to my brother Johnny “Fatts” Fattaruso, formerly of Black Water Rising and Stereo Mud, on his nuptials to my new pal, Juliet Huddy, from Fox 5 News and Blondes and Crossbones. The power couple married a couple of weeks ago, so join me in congratulating them!
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:
7/13—One Day Waiting/Frank Palangi/Marcy Playground/Fuel—Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY
7/13—The Bunny Bear/Kore Rozzik/Sinking Monroe—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/13—King’s X/Kings of Spade/Lower The Veil—Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
7/14—ARCH DEMON—Roxy and Dukes, Dunellen, NJ
7/15—Rahway/One Day Waiting/Puddle of Mudd/Another Day Dawns—One Centre Square, Easton, PA
7/15—Darkest Hour/Havok/Jesus Piece/Thanatotic Desire—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/16—Stick Shift/Fiction/The Phoenix Within/Chucky Hugh/Still Sad/Empty Parking Lot/Best Regards—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/17—Second Death/Depreciator/Grievance/Back to Life/Burn Book/Executed—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/18—FLAW/A Killer’s Confession—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/20—Easy Thrill/Alcove/Sumr/Atomic Minds—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/21—Lane Six Entertainment Presents Black N Blue/Station/The Split Ends—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
7/21—The Undead/Crash NY/The Schwam/The Accelerators—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/22—Adrenaline Mob/The Wild/Orbynot/Brand of Julez/Dark After Dawn—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/22—USA Pop Brigade (Eric Martin of Mr. Big Featuring Steve Brown and PJ Farley of Trixter)/Tempt/Joker’s Republic/Scotty Dunbar—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
7/23—Broken Angels—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/27—The Ned/Fracture/Flammable Animals/Joy Ride/Dumpweed—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/28—Bullet Boys/Mikell’s Plot—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
7/28—Borgo Pass/Black Dawn/Ionize/Megahertz/Exist Among—89 North Music Venue, Patchogue, NY
7/28—Ross the Boss “A Night of Manowar”/Magus Beast/Metalfier/Steve Bello—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
7/29—GFY/Robots and Monsters/Solitary Confinement (Members of Mad Diesel)/Nothing Is Over/Drawn Out—Lucky 13 Saloon, Brooklyn, NY
7/30—Alden/Dead End/Drag County Speed Queens—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
