FRANCHISE—Jersey City, NJ
One band out of Jersey that I’m really digging lately is a band out of the Jersey City area who call themselves Franchise. I’m not sure how they got on my radar, but I started listening to their latest EP, Ghost Light, on Spotify and I haven’t hit the pause button yet. They have that Of Mice and Men meets Circa Survive feel to them. The songs “Take It Or Leave It”, “Contact” and “Blood In The Water” really catch my ear every time they comes on. I’m not even sure how singer Kenny Collette sings and screams the way he does without blowing his vocal chords out.
According to their bio, Franchise was born in 2013 when they recorded their selftitled debut LP in September of that year at Treehouse Sound Studios in Jersey City. After an amicable split with original singer Tony Cincotta in May 2014, Franchise recruited Kenny Collette, formerly of Lady Radiator and The Murder and The Harlot, to take over lead vocal duties. Collette, who went to high school with bassist Mark Costa and drummer Corrado Rizzi, immediately brought a more diverse, melodic element to the band’s sound space, which sparked Franchise’s towards a more progressive and sonically experimental creative path. Rounding the line-up for Franchise out is guitarist Edgar “Mush” Martinez. In March 2015, the band recorded their sophomore release, Santa Muerte, at Cannon Found Soundation in Union City with producer Jesse Cannon, who is known for his work with Senses Fail, Saves The Day, and Man Overboard, and Mike Oettinger. Franchise would release 6-song EP, Santa Muerte, in June 2015 and received positive reviews and much audience approval. Following the release of Santa Muerte, Franchise hibernated in their practice space and started writing and demoing new material leading to the creation of the band’s latest EP, Ghost Light.
Franchise returned to Cannon Found Soundation to track Ghost Light once again with producer Jesse Cannon in the Summer of 2016. While writing Ghost Light, Collette re-located to Florida, but the band did not let that stop them. The creation of Ghost Light took an experimental twist as Collette tracked his vocals in his Tallahassee home, sending files back and forth to Cannon in Jersey. Ghost Light was released last July 2017 and has been available via all digital outlets worldwide. After listening to Ghost Light, I’d love to see this band live! For more info on Franchise or to find out where they are playing next, visit FranchisebandNJ.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My brothers from Robots and Monsters are in the studio recording their latest opus up at Portratin Recording Studios in Pompton Plains, NJ. The band has been pumping out some heavy stuff, so I really can’t wait to hear this new CD. They also just announced a new show with Doyle, who will be fresh off his tour with The Misfits, at the Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck on December 22. Also performing will be my bros from Resurge. For more info on Robots and Monsters, visit Facebook.com/RobotsandMonstersband.
The boys from Common Wealth recently released their latest music video for their new single, “Skin and Bones”, filmed by Austin Hein Productions. The new song has some balls to it and even sees singer Christian Carson strapping on a guitar. You can catch Common Wealth debut “Skin and Bones” live on August 5 at Stone Pony in Asbury Park when they open for Rise Against, A.F.I. and Anti-Flag. To check out the video for “Skin and Bones” or to learn more about Common Wealth, visit CWNation.com.
And finally, my band Rahway is heading back up to Providence, R.I. for the first time since my singer, Nick Hade and I cut our hair for children’s cancer. This time, we will be performing a benefit for a friend, promoter and killer photographer, Eric Tier, who has some hospital bills he needs help paying, on August 11 at a place called Fete Music Hall. Also performing are my buds and NYC rockers, Eve to Adam. If you’re anywhere near Providence around August 11, come by for this amazing event. For more info, 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:
7/25—Sean Tobin—Dublin Pub, Morristown, NJ
7/25—Bad Intent/Frenular Delta/Black Light Circle—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
7/25—Royal Skull/Mule Kick Band—Arlene’s Grocery, NYC
7/27—Halfway to Halloween Full Moon Party! – Fang Fang/The Walk Arounds/Canamara/Call of Sirens/Broken Angels—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/2—The Last Martyr—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/3—Jersey Campfires Presents: Another Distraction/A Midnight Tragedy—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/3—Ryder 2 Year Anniversary Show/Hyngd/Cold Blooded Capitol/Royal Revolution/Out Of Bounds/Makes My Blood Dance/Sleeping Village—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/3—Jaded Past—Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
8/4—Psychostick/Urizen/Funghoul/Deth Kaktus/Broth—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/5—Common Wealth/Rise Against/A.F.I./Anti-Flag—The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
8/7—Within The Ruins/Phinehas/Great American Ghost/Subverse/Circadian Lapse/Lost in Tides—Dingbatz,
Clifton, NJ
8/10—Dead City Crown/Exinfernum/Dark Reverence—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/11—Rahway/Eve to Adam—Fete Music Hall, Providence, RI
8/11—Legion/Metal Life Crisis/Sunless Sky—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/12—See Plus/Dead End/Shutter/Triangle of Safety/Kathodial—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/15—Eyes Set To Kill/Dayshell/Awake At Last/Vexes—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/17—Sean Tobin—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
8/17—Mazzaroth—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/18—Sean Tobin—Red Fox Beach Bar and Grill, Seaside Park, NJ
8/18—Zach Matari/Soapbox Sound/The Happy Fits—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/18—Fuel/Ropetree/The Revel/New Theory/Views Into Vastness—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
8/19—Monument of a Memory/Among The Thorns (EP Release Show)/TheWarWithin/It Gets Worse/Call of Sirens/For Those Who Can See/Acrolein—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/22—Sean Tobin—Dublin Pub, Morristown, NJ
8/23—Arsenic—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/23—Mutant Daisies/C.R. & The Degenerates/The Big Swim/Smock—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/24—Out of Bounds/Corey Glover—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
8/24—Black Water Rising/Black Dawn/Alyxx—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/26—September Mourning/Kaleido/Charcoal Tongue/Libricide/Horriblyright—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/31—Morningside Lane/Our Fears (CD Release)—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/31—Sideslam/Spice Weasel/The Neverends/The Sugar Skull Gypsys—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
