NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My brothers from Ixion Lux have been hard at work in the studio with producer Paul Crook, who some might remember from his days with Anthrax or his current gig as guitar wiz for Meatloaf. Paul has been a record producer on several critically acclaimed international releases, and the boys in Ixion Lux are honored to have his metallic stamp put on this upcoming release. This single will be the band’s first release in two years, and they will be announcing the release date in the coming few weeks. The guys from Ixion Lux say the song sounds amazing and can’t wait for all to hear it. Stay tuned to Facebook.com/NJThrash for more on the new Ixion Lux song.
Local dude, Gregg Sgar, who some might recognize from his work with the bands SYKA and One Hundred Thousand, is a Session II grand prize winner for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest with his song, “Block the Sun,” which was written and performed by himself and longtime childhood friend and fellow Roseland native, Matt Mitchell, as well as three other collaborators in Austin Zudeck, Justin Thunstrom, and Ben Antelis. “Block the Sun” is one step away from being voted Song of the Year, which gets judged by celebrity judges like Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fergie, Lita Ford, and Bob Weir. Gregg and his co-writers must first have fans vote to move on to the Song of the Year final round. You can vote for Gregg Sgar once a day until April 30 at jlsc.com/vote, where you can also hear “Block the Sun.” Gregg has been a permanent fixture in the North Jersey music scene as an artist, performer, producer, and engineer. He’s currently the guitarist for rockers One Hundred Thousand, the house sound engineer for the recently closed Maxwell’s Tavern in Hoboken and the rebranded Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck. For more info on Gregg Sgar, visit GreggSgar.com and check out One Hundred Thousand at OHTband.com.
My bros from Behind the Bullet just completed a short, but what looked like fun, regional run spanning from Rochester, NY down to Winchester, Va. in what they called The Engine Full of Fire Tour. If you missed them on this regional tour, check out their latest video of awesomeness called “Whiskey” off of their debut EP, Brothers In Arms. The video was filmed at Gussy’s in Queens, which is the only place the boys wanted to film it because it showed togetherness, but most of all, it showed FUN! Check out the video for “Whiskey” on YouTube. For more on Behind the Bullet, visit BehindtheBullet.nyc.
There’s a band from Newark that you might want to check out over at Dingbatz in Clifton tomorrow night (4/26). I’ve been hearing quite a lot about them lately, but haven’t been able to feature them yet. I’m talking about Concrete Dream. They were formed last year as a “trap metal” project by singer Jeremiah Mayhem, guitarist John Kennedy, bassist Alejandro Mena, and drummer Juan Bang. They’re four kids from Newark who have boldly fused their styles and visions, with their varied cultural and musical backgrounds. Still trying figure out what “trap metal” is? No worries! I got you! Trap Metal is a subgenre of trap (hip-hop) that combines elements from heavy metal, such as screaming, and implementing it into a trap beat. The music usually comprises of a man screaming some “edgy” lyrics and distorted bass. Concrete Dream’s sound first hit the studio last year with producer, Ricky Armellino known for his work with This or the Apocalypse. That demo found the hands of New York hardcore legend, Lord Ezec from Crown of Thornz, Skarhead, and Danny Diablo. When Lord Ezec first heard the fusion sound, it’s clear and raw power, he signed the four-piece to his new venture, E-Train Records. Find out what Lord Ezec heard tomorrow night at Dingbatz in Clifton! For more on Concrete Dream, visit Facebook.com/ConcreteDreamMusic.
And finally, a huge congrats to Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son and the boys from The Revel. Both bands were given the opportunity to open for Bon Jovi on his two sold out New Jersey stops of his This House Is Not For Sale Tour at the Prudential Center in Newark. What an amazing gig for both bands! The Revel opened up on Saturday night, while Bobby Mahoney and company opened up on Sunday night. Keep your eyes on these two Jersey bands! They both have some really bright futures! For more info on Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son, visit BobbyMahoneymusic.com. For more on The Revel, visit TheRevel.band.
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:
4/26—This Curse/Call It Home/A Boy Named John/Indighxst/Hollow Bones/The View From Here/Concrete Dream—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/27—ORBYNOT/Atomic Minds/Midnite Hellion/Owl Kill—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
4/27—Psychoprism/Sunless Sky/Legion/Imperial Crypt—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/28—Missi Fieretag’s Birthday Bash featuring KILLCODE/Arc’d Angel/Baelfire/Resurge/COMMON WEALTH—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
4/28—Blind Revision/Deadly Nights/Lunatic Fringe/The Nectars—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/28—The Return of No Mercy Metal/Sun and Flesh/Robots and Monsters/Throwdown Syndicate/Behind The Bullet/Jaws-NJ—Lucky 13 Saloon, Brooklyn, NY
4/29—Powerman 5000/Lullwater/Deadtide/Riverside Odds/Under Blood Red Skies—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/4—Last In Line/Reality Suite/Tempt—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/4—Symetria/Arc’d Angel/Obsidion/Voidless/Shutter/Call of Sirens/Conquer At Will—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
5/4—Ace Frehley—Sony Hall, NYC
5/5—Hodera—Montclair Center Stage, Montclair, NJ
5/5—Jersey Campfire Presents: Ascending From Ashes/Mikell’s Plot/Blue Lizard/The Last Martyr—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/10—Quality Living/Ruby Bones/LKFFCT/Delicate Flowers/Night on the Sun—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/12—Delta Falling/Red Hymns/Comb the Desert/Hunter Alive— De Cicco’s Tavern, Raritan, NJ
5/12—Out of Bounds CD Release Party/Metal Life Crisis/Don Jamieson—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
5/16—The Holy Smokes/Partly Sunny/James’s Big Band Classic—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/18—Chevonne and the Fuzz/Strive/Jack Names the Planets/The Cause and The Cure—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
5/19—Billy Monroe and the Soul Survivors/Jaded Past/Balkun Brothers—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
