Photog unknown, lovingly stolen from the Interwebs.

There I am, some 2 hours late for the show that starts at 6:30, hurtling down Turnpike South at around 80/90 mph, blasting Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. I’m feeling…transcendental. Something about that moment was right. The speed, the rattle of a Nissan Exterra that can’t handle anything above 70 mph, the kismet of that song coming up on shuffle… I decide to memorialize the moment with a picture: a shot of the Turnpike as it unfolded in front of me, red lights dotting the darkness in front of me.

I open the camera bag with one hand, take the lenscap off like-wise, finagle the camera above the steering wheel and flick the switch on: “PLEASE CHARGE BATTERY,” says camera. All of a sudden, my car’s dash emits a bright flash. I see the needle marking my speed whack down to zero.

Why was this happening to me?

I don’t think anyone’s a stranger to depression, sadness…shit happens. Give the few Green Arrows tracks floating around the Internet a listen. You’ll immediately be struck by the familiar melodies that emanate from singer and founder, Benjamin High. High’s music was at times exuberant, sometimes melancholic and searching, but always expressive, mirroring his brief and tragic life’s trajectory. While the Freehold-based Green Arrows seemed poised for success in the late aughts, High’s mind was gripped by something else, out of his control, that lead to his untimely and tragic death.

“Just as this wonderful, exciting, creative time was progressing Ben began to experience a decline in his health. Month long episodes of flu-like symptoms, apathy and sadness lead to a loss of interest in most everything, including his music,” states the organization created in his honor, The Project Matters.

To memorialize his life, The Project Matters will be hosting a benefit show at Maxwell’s on January 23rd, featuring Cymbals Eat Guitars, Wren’s musico Charles Bissell, and Escape Directors.

According to the show listing:

TPM’s primary focus is fostering the creation of music with emphasis on providing funding and support to musicians aged 21 and younger. In addition, these artists will be offered a network of advisors and mentors who will lend their expertise and guidance in the areas of, business, technical, performance, touring, legal and emotional support. The Project Matters is a recognized charitable non-profit corporation in the State of New Jersey with 501(c)3 status.

Regardless of whether you like the show’s line-up or not, I think that’s something we can all get behind. Buy yr tickets here.

I sensed movement within the Internet, and when I lifted my head from this cold that currently has me unshowered, coughing, and with very smelly socks, I was quite pleased with what I found. Brick Mower, the talented jacks that brought you the lovely Floors EP are heading back into the studio to record some new tunes.

According to zie band:

We’re going into The Hunt Studio to record with Eric Bennet, who did records for such awesome rib-stickin’ bads… oppps, I mean bands, such as Black Wine, Screaming Females, Full of Fancy and more. So, that’s where we’ll be if you need to reach us. And of course there are three good shows Fri., Sat., and Sun. that I wanna go see in Philly and NY, but duty calls. Bummer.

We shall go to these shows, and avenge the bummers! Nah, probably not. But you can check out their show on Jan 6th at Meat Town with Black Wine, and lots others.

Photo by Ross Heutmaker

You spend enough time combing through NJ bands’ MySpaces and Bandcamps and you come to a realization: 95% pop/punk or emo in composition, with other base metal. And sometimes you hit upon this rough and beautiful gem that makes you consider, “Maybe Gen Y-ers aren’t a bunch of self-hating dorks.” Such is Alien Father, brought to this planet’s country’s state’s Mercer County by Curtis Regian (synth, piano, guitar, vocals), David Hallinger (guitar, vocals), Michael Topley (drums), and Conor Meara (bass).

Self described “avant-garage,” (probably still dorks though) I’ll admit one of the first things that came to mind on first listen are Dow Jones and the Industrials…this is good, at least for me. Despite the aughties Trentonian’s (and thereabouts) obvious contrast with the post-punk Midwestern kiddos — mostly being that they don’t quite sound like anyone else — all the traits that turn me on are there. Mostly this perversely nerdish desire to defenestrate music. Fuck, I can’t type this. I’m gonna go poop. Listen to this:

I’d like to imagine CL Sosa as this swaggering character; a street tough with a permanent smirk. His lyrics are boasting and aggressive, possessing more confidence than you’ve got in yr stooped shoulders. When you hear him, you’ll probably share the feeling.

The reality’s seemingly more mundane: He’s full of anxiety, really earnest, and wears horn-rimmed glasses. In other words, the dream is over! Except it’s this divide is what makes him shine. All his big talk’s generously tempered by self-deprecating lines (“It ain’t hard to tell I’m still broke”) and verses that document his local ennui – downing drugs, stumbling around, throwing beers at cars.

Via Beware of the Blog:

On Tuesday, Trouble welcomes Dutch musician Lilian Hak to This Is The Modern World to perform live. Hak has a new album, Old Powder New Guns, out now which she composed when she was staying in Bangkok — it includes samples from a variety of classic film soundtracks (Hitchcock, Chaplin, and the like). Hear her set on Trouble’s show 12/14, from 9 AM to noon.

Filmmaker and author Steven Blush will join Bronwyn and Jay in the Thunk Tank Tuesday evening. He and the hosts will discuss his book American Hardcore: A Tribal History (2001) and the film version, American Hardcore (2006) — which document the history of that enormous and seminal movement, hardcore punk, in the U.S. Hear his interview on 12/14 from 7 to 8 PM.

Have at it, kids.

Via www.DonGiovanniRecords.com:

First of all, just to clarify things, The Steinways are now headlining the Friday show, and Lemuria will be playing in their place on the Saturday show. Tickets for Saturday go on sale today at noon: http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com/event/5690

More info including ticket info for the Friday show coming soon.

Photo by Jeff Moore. More photos of the event here.

When New Jersey’s freeform radio station found out it was $180,000 short of its $1.4 million yearly operation budget they came up with the perfect plan. And so began the plot to send the WFMU station manager into space using a lawn chair and a series of very large white balloons (and some tiny colorful ones).

The 180 pound Ken Freedman, would be launched up into the air using 180 balloons, each representing donations totalling $1000, of course.

A plan crazy enough it just might work.

Except it didn’t.

This editorial was shouted aloud by Leon Peanut, the loveable fu-manchu-sporting guy who can be spotted at concerts all over New Jersey, and outside of a laundromat in Princeton. This week’s rant was transcribed by Brett Davis.

HEY ASSHOLES, IT’S LEON PEANUT! I am the newest contributor to Glimdropper. First off, I lost my glasses at the Go-Go Banshees show at Maxwell’s. Typically, I wouldn’t assume people are thieves but I noticed Gary, the lead singer lookin at me funny–CALL IT A HUNCH! I don’t need the glasses as they were purely cosmetic, but if anybody sees Gary, JUMP HIM FOR LEON!

ANOTHER COMPLAINT! I wandered into a free Doomskuller show at the Meatlocker in Montclair the other night and all of these kids complained about my smoking. LOOK ASSHOLES! IT’S ROCK N’ ROLL! People smoke at rock shows! Yes, I was smoking crack. No, I wasn’t blowing it in teenagers’ faces like they said when they tried to kick me out.

ALSO MAKING ME ANGRY! I went to go see The Grumpy Fucks at Camp Cornflake in New Brunswick last weekend. HOMEOWNERS (of which I am not), if you put on a rock show in your house, you’re inviting strangers into it. YOU SHOULD KNOW A FEW THINGS:

I’ve never gone to Asbury Lanes for a Christmas show, so I didn’t know what to expect. In fact, last time I went to the Lanes, I saw an authentic traveling freak show, which was pretty cool. But the first thing I saw when I got there was this absolutely beautiful piece of artwork:

Yup, that is indeed a cake. Well, technically cupcakes, but still pretty sweet and delicious. The show started off with a Misfits cover, “Ghouls Night Out,” played by who I thought were the Somerville Town Drunks. “Alright, sweet!” I think while watching, “but I wonder what their own songs are like.” And then, well, they followed it up with another Misfits cover. Yup. Misfits cover band. Time to grab a beer and sing-a-long to “Teenagers from Mars” with the Psycho78s (thanks Steve Vincent for the heads up!).

Better late than nevar:

C’est tout!

If ya ain’t psyched for the Don Giovanni Records night on December 18th, here’s some news you can hang yr hat on:

Via www.RiotActMedia.com:

Don Giovanni Records, the label that such incredible folks as Screaming Females, Shellshag, The Ergs!, Byrds of Paradise and Laura Stevenson & The Cans call home, is hosting its third annual DGR showcase on February 11th & 12th. We’re honored to announce the lineup in its entirety to you! The past years’ showcases have all sold out, and we expect that this year’s will as well, so we’ll be sharing the links to purchase tickets when they become available. Tickets for February 12th’s Music Hall of Williamsburg show go onsale this Friday, December 10th. Without further adieu, the lineup:

When the Ergs! and Hunchback broke up, I did not expect to see either band play together again for years. They were bands I was used to seeing in basements frequently and the breakups really hit me hard. I attended both shows, enjoying the final bittersweet moments I’d get to see my two favorite, yet completely different, bands play. Little did I know that two years later they’d be reuniting for one phenomenal night.

The show was a benefit to raise money for Jackie Nixon (J. Hunchback’s mom) who was recently diagnosed with cancer. 100% of the ticket proceeds went to help her out, along with money from special merch, a bake sale, and auctioned-off signed and framed photographs of the bands with gift baskets.

The Lanes was packed, people from all over the country had gathered together to celebrate the bands one final time.

Greetings lost Internet traveller! You’re probably here because we’ve been shooting our electronic seed throughout New Jersey. Now allow that seed to germinate into finger tips that tickle your brain particles, and make you wanna have fun.

No?

Yessss. We are JOYdropper, coming to you and filling your screen with all the fun your resolution allows! JOYdropper is a group of friends from New Jersey who want to give you bored somethings somewhere to go. While you’re sleeping we look for cool things to do — obsessively collecting all the happenings, the people who happen them, and the places they happen — so that you can do them when you’re awake.

That’s because we want to wake you up.