MY CRUEL SUMMER—Ocean, NJ
I’m not really sure how this band got on my radar, but I really dig what they’re doing here. I heard a couple of songs off of their EP, Lower Voices, including the title-track and a song called “The Runaway,” and I really enjoyed the rawness of their rock ‘n’ roll. The name of the band is My Cruel Summer, and they’re a power trio. The keyword in that statement being “power.” Singer and guitarist Marc Del Giudice sings with so much soul, when I listened to his voice, I couldn’t stop thinking Eddie and the Cruisers. Yes, I know it’s an old movie, but his voice just reminded me of those songs. It could have been the reverb on his vocals, but it was the way he song that reminded me of that movie.
My Cruel Summer call themselves an Americana rock band from the Ocean area of New Jersey. The band was formed in August 2017 by founding members, singer and guitarist Marc Del Giudice, drummer Brian Morelli, and bassist Dave Ricco. The trio couldn’t wait to get their music out, so they released their self-titled debut CD that same month. The CD was produced by Pete Steinkopf, who captured the band in its rawest form. In May 2018, My Cruel Summer dropped a brand new EP, Lower Voices, also produced by Steinkopf). 2017 proved to be a busy year for My Cruel Summer, putting out original content and playing enough shows to support it. The band quickly made their way down to Asbury Park to play venues like The Asbury Hotel and The Asbury Park Yacht Club.
What’s next for My Cruel Summer? Well, they plan to start in the New Brunswick and Asbury area of Jersey to support their latest release, Lower Voices, and eventually, hope to push it all over Jersey and beyond. They hope that their music reaches as many people as possible, which the band feels should be the only goal for any starving artist. I have to admit that there is some promise here with My Cruel Summer. Catch My Cruel Summer live at Sticks and Stones in Hawthorne, NJ on July 7 with Orbynot, Paulus Hook, and Uncrated presented by Jersey Campfires Productions. For more info, visit My Cruel Summer at Facebook.com/My-Cruel-Summer.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
One of my favorite bands out of the Wilkes-Barre, Penn. area is the band Another Day Dawns. I got to share the stage with them up at One Centre Square in Easton last year when we opened for Puddle of Mudd together. Well, the kids from Another Day Dawns just released their latest single “Talking to Myself,” which is now available by way of iTunes and Spotify. The song is killer! I love singer, Dakota Sean’s voice. The band recently traveled to NYC to write with legendary producer Desmond Child. Stay tuned to see what came out of that writing session. For more about Another Day Dawns, visit AnotherDayDawns.com.
Don’t miss my brothers from Among Us this Thursday night (6/21) at the House of Independents in Asbury Park. They will be opening for Alabama’s own, Shallow Side. Among Us is currently supporting their latest CD, The Fall, which is now available for download and streaming on all major digital media retailers. For more on Among Us and to find out where they’re playing next, visit Facebook.com/AmongUsNJ.
And finally, just a reminder, the guys from The Pain Method will be celebrating the release of their debut CD, What Doesn’t Kill You…with a CD Release Party at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ this weekend (6/23). In case you don’t read my column every week like you should, The Pain Method features former members of M.O.D., Pro-Pain, Full Scale Riot, Generation Kill, Fragile Mortals, Thanatotic Desire, Black Water Rising and StereoMud. Also performing at the CD Release Party are my buds in Blud Red Roses, Defcon -1, Lobster Chicken, and Vision Serpent. For more info on The Pain Method, visit Facebook.com/ThePainMethod.
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:
6/21—Among Us/Shallow Side—House of Independents, Asbury Park, NJ
6/22—Adolescents/Electric Frankenstein/Jon Caspi and the First Gun/Executors—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
6/22—The Foxfires—The Delancey, NYC
6/22—Tilted—EJ’s Tap House, Seaside Heights, NJ
6/22—Knuckle Up—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/23—The Pain Method “What Doesn’t Kill You…” Release Show/Blud Red Roses/Defcon -1/Lobster Chicken/Vision Serpent—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
6/23—Metal Life Crisis/High Octane/The Walk Arounds—Jackson Moose, Lodge 1459, Jackson, NJ
6/23—The NJ MetalFest 4 featuring Whiplash (Final area appearance ever)/Psychoprism/Deadtide/Robots and Monsters/Scars of Envy/The Broken Co/Xenophile/Lyken21/The Donner Party/Dead Girls Don’t Say No/Non-Residents/Fever Vein—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
6/23—Barren One—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
6/29—Tragedy: All Metal Tribute to the Bee Gees—Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
6/30—Ropetree (CD Release Party)/Vextion/Lower The Veil/December Morning—The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ
6/30—The Infection/Ryder/Don Jamieson—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
7/1—Lane Six Presents: Ross The Boss/Held Hostage—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
7/7—Revel 9—89 North, Patchogue, NY
7/7—Jersey Campfire Productions Presents Orbynot/Paulus Hook/Uncrated/My Cruel Summer—Sticks and Stones, Hawthorne, NJ
7/13—Lane Six Presents: Richie Ranno All Starz “Performing the music of Starz”—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
7/20—Sponge/Johnny Zostant Music/Incognito Theory/Mikell’s Plot/The Jumping Juvies/Mike Daly and The Planets—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
7/27—The Dirty Stayouts—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
