After living in Astoria for a bunch of years, I fell in love with that section of Queens, which also happens to be where I found love myself. That being said, I found a very cool band out of Astoria that you need to know about. The name of the band is Audio Revival. I have to be honest, when my wife and I lived in Astoria, we used to joke that the guys walking around with guitar cases were carrying empty guitar cases because they just wanted to look like they were somebody. Well, it looks like these musicians in Astoria really were carrying instruments, because there have been some pretty cool bands coming out of the area, and Audio Revival is one of them.
With the band’s latest EP, Animals, Audio Revival exhibit a distinct musical voice that combines angular, musical technicality with the rollicking, raw intensity of singer Jake Flaherty’s primordial vocals on songs like “Moving to the City,” “Smoking Gun,” “I’ll Be Here,” and the title track. The band’s sound was created using the many influences instilled in them by the music of their formative years and parents’ record collections. Through various styles, they leave no stone unturned in their quest to deliver something identifiable yet unparalleled. Audio Revival formed in New York City in late 2012. They are an unlikely collection of band geeks and one former second-team All-Big East linebacker for the Syracuse Orange. With the help of three-time Grammy award-winning producer Dave Clauss, known for his work with Shakira, Marin Morris, Justin Bieber, U2, and Paul Simon, Audio Revival released a series of singles in 2015, receiving some amazing reviews from their peers, which led to spending much of the year playing shows across the Northeast region. Animals was another collaboration with Clauss and finds the band more at home with their sound. “I’ll Be Here,” the album’s first single, is friendly and fun while never straying from Audio’s Revival high-energy rock roots. The title track pays homage to the wild, howling spirit that lives deep inside us all. Rounding out the band behind singer Jake Flaherty are guitarist Ben DeFusco, bassist Chad Flaherty, and drummer Steve Purcell.
Back in February, Audio Revival released a single called “Running In Circles,” which is the song that originally put the band on my radar. These guys remind me a lot of Maroon 5, or at least singer Jake Flaherty has a similar tone to his voice as Adam Levine. The music is extremely poppy and if you like that Maroon 5 sound, you will love Audio Revival. Check them out for yourself at AudioRevival.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The boys from Scarlet Carson have finally set a date for their return to the stage. I mentioned it a few weeks back and now the save-the-dates have been sent out. Scarlet Carson will be returning the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park on June 8 with a slew of bands in support to be named at a later date. The Scarlet Carson guys are super excited to be reuniting on a Jersey stage and playing the new tunes the band plans on releasing this summer. Singer Santino Campanelli has been living it up on the Left Coast as a solo artist and movie producer (Bully). It’s going to be great to see him leading this band again! So, mark those calendars! June 8, Scarlet Carson returns to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. For more info, visit Facebook.com/ScarletCarsonMusic…. After months of trying track me down to give his album a listen, Tony Gabriele finally caught me. He snail mailed me the new record from Tony Gabriele’s Orbynot called Metal-Morph-Us. Let me start by saying the guitar work on this album is fantastic. Metal Rose’s vocals are powerful, and the band is extremely tight. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons Metal (yes, I made that genre up!) will love songs like “Rusted Chains,” “Shadow Walker,” “Watch It Burn” and the title track. These songs are so metal, in the vein of Iron Maiden, Helloween and of course, Judas Priest. I was a D&D guy, so I loved this album! For more info on Tony Gabriele’s Orbynot, visit ORBYNOT.com…. And finally, don’t miss my brothers from The Brian Rigny Band, Resurge, Ryder, and Blud Red Roses when they open for the mighty Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel on 3/29 at Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, NJ. It’s going to be great to see drummer Phil Varone (Skid Row, Saigon Kick) and bassist Anthon Esposito (Lynch Mob) rock Teaneck with the former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist. Make sure you get to Debonair early, though! You don’t want to miss The Brian Rigny Band, Resurge, Ryder, or Blud Red Roses. For more info on this show, visit DebonaireMusicHall.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:
3/29—Jake E Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel/The Brian Rigby Band/Resurge/Ryder/Blud Red Roses—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
3/29—Another Day Dawns—Game Changer World, Allentown, PA
3/30—Reaper/Mindrazer—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/30—Another Day Dawns/Red Sun Rising/Goodbye June—Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA
3/30—Christine Martucci and the Band of Love—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
3/31—Oh, Weatherly with Never Loved—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
4/5—Dog Eat Dog/Robots and Monsters/Ogre/Rest Assured?/Chaotic Realm—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
4/6—SCAM/Honor Among Thieves/Thornes—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/9—L.A. Guns starring Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
4/13—Angel/Starz—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ (SOLD OUT)
4/13—Flaw/The Mendenhall Experiment/Black Water Rising/One Day Waiting— Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/14—Flaw/The Mendenhall Experiment/Black Water Rising—Championship Bar, Trenton, NJ
4/20—Tokyo Motor Fist/Starz(Performing a special extended set)/Tempt—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
4/23—Combichrist/Silver Snakes—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
4/24—Steve Bello/Uli Jon Roth—The Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ
4/26—Jersey Campfires Production Presents Newborn KINGS/Barren One/Lunatic Fringe—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
4/27—Blaze Bayley—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
