JOHN THE GUN – Nutley, NJ
I found this band on a list of “30 Bands to Look Out for in 2020,” and to be honest, the writer who compiled this list really has no clue about the local scene because some the bands on his list were really questionable. There were a few gems on the list, however, and John the Gun out of Nutley, NJ was one of them. I listened to a few songs off the band’s 2015 release, Tread Eternal, featuring songs like “Ghost,” “Relevant Element,” “Unilateral,” and “Sticky Ninja.” I also listened to the band’s latest album, Sleepwalker, which they just released at the end of December, featuring more mellow songs like “Drift,” “Light,” “Moon,” and “River.” These songs were alt-rock all the way, but the latter songs were a bit more laid back with a sense of rock.
John the Gun is an alt-rock band formed in Nutley back in 2012. Long-time friends, singer and guitarist John Cusumano, drummer Corrado Rizzi, and bassist Dan Jernick spent their first few years writing original music, which would eventually become their first record, Tread Eternal. John the Gun began to work on these new songs by playing shows at landmark venues like NYC’s The Bitter End, Arlene’s Grocery, Webster Hall, Piano’s, and New Jersey’s Clash Bar and Starland Ballroom. In July 2015, John the Gun released their first record Tread Eternal, which they recorded at Backroom Studios in Rockaway, NJ, and produced by Kevin Antreassian. John the Gun says that Tread Eternal is a testament to the band’s ability to blend refined musicianship, raw power, and thematic tenderness into one cohesive project. While they were in the studio, the band was already working on new material that would eventually lend itself to their sophomore release. In 2016, it became evident that the music they were making demanded more strings than a single guitarist, as well as a third vocal party to lend a new voice both on harmonies and melodies. In the fall of 2016, Tim Covey joined John the Gun as their rhythm guitarist and vocals rounding out the final lineup for the band.
This past December, John the Gun was thrilled to release their second EP, Sleepwalker, which has been receiving rave reviews. The guys are looking forward to the next chapter of performances and songwriting for this year and plan to play as many shows as possible to promote Sleepwalker. To learn more about John the Gun or to find out where they’re playing next, visit JohnTheGun.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The gang from Charettareleased their first single off of their upcoming EP, 2020 The Future Is Here a couple of weeks ago. The song is called “No Monsters” and it rocks! Is there any surprise that it would be? Charetta has been crowd-funding the new EP and they’re halfway there. They are urging fans to pay what they want for their pre-order because every little bit helps. What an interesting concept to have fans pay for your recording process. Anyway, learn more about Charetta and their next singles from 2020 The Future Is Here by logging onto Charetta.com
My boys from Dinosaur Eyelidshave a new record coming out on April 25 called Sticker Famous. This will be the band’s sixth album and they will be celebrating the release with a show in Philadelphia at a place called The Fire with Ganto Barn, Erotic Novels,andSpooky Forest sharing the stage with them. In the meantime, Dinosaur Eyelids are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their first album, Winter Solstice, by sharing the whole album for free on YouTube. For more info on Dinosaur Eyelids, visit DinosaurEyelidsNJ.com
And finally, J Miglionico, guitarist from the Philly-based band Palaceburn, has released a new solo project he’s calling Jumping Planes. The first single that J plans to drop is a song called “Helicopters.” The song is a technically sound piece of musicianship and really showcases J’s vocal and lyrical talents. To learn more about J Miglionico’s solo project Jumping Planes, visit Facebook.com/JumpingPlanes.
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.
