Demon's Eye branding some old standards

 So as I surf the web for another show to catch I came across the name of a band called Demon's Eye. Now this conjures up all sorts of imagery in my head. I'm thinking another heavy metal band singing of knights and sorcery and things of that nature. So with that thought in my mind I research this band even further. I come to find that Charlie Grosso is playing guitar for this band. I recently learned of Charlie a couple of weeks ago when I caught him in another band called Sinner's Prayer. Behind the kit is Nick D'Alessandro from Awaken and Earth Eatz Dog and I'm sure many others. From my perspective Nick is the go to drummer on Long Island. And if you have ever seen him live you'll know why. Rounding out this trio is Leo Binelli on Vocals / Bass a force too be reckoned with in his own right.
 So that was all I needed to make my way to LuLu's Pub and catch this trio live. For starters I didn't get the heavy metal knights and sorcery I had envisioned. What I got was some ripping heavy blues with extended jams. These guys are well versed musicians and play well off each other. Opening their set with a killer rendition of Rufus Tomas / Walking the Dog some may be more familiar with the Aerosmith version.  Charlie explained to me that the idea behind their set was covering songs originating from black American blues artists that were subsequently redone by white classic rock artists.  And now Demon's Eye giving these songs life with their brand of hard rock/blues interpretation. The band likes to think of it as a presentation of standards for the next generation. Demon's Eye plays these songs with such heart and conviction you would have thought they wrote these songs themselves. Other highlight's of the night were Baby Please Don't Go, Just Got Paid and Bring It On Home.
 The audience cheered, danced and sang along to every song in the set. And a few audience members started shouting out requests. Hopefully the band took some notes so they can surprise the audience next time around with some of those tunes.
  So with other good night of live music under my belt. I'm happy too report the LI music scene is thriving with great talent. If your not part of the scene then get your ass off the couch and catch a show.
 I must thank Charlie for graciously giving me a CD before the show. It has many of the songs that they played tonight and I've been happily jamming it in my vehicle as I cruised around town today.

Raise your metal horns to Martyrd

It seems I have been crossing paths with bands from the NYC music scene lately. And Saturday night was another one of those encounters.
 I made my way to one of my favorite Long Island music venues LuLu's of Port Jefferson on this cold March evening. Hosting tonight's event was the debut of Metal Infinity Television bringing metal showcases throughout the 5 major tri-state areas.
 Tonight there were four heavy metal hitters. And one of those hitters were NYC's Martyrd. If you like old school metal with a touch of some modern progressive metal then you need to checkout this band. Soaring vocals, duel guitar attack and driving rhythm section is just the beginning of this melt your face off powerhouse of a band. The energy coming from the stage tonight was intense. Frontman Aaron and guitarist Mike's performance was very theatrical. Aaron even join the crowd during one of Mikes guitar solos and mimicked Mike during it all. The rest of the band was tight and a perfect compliment to the antics of Aaron and Mike.
 Martyrd would be right at home playing along the side of bands such as Iron Maiden and Megadeath to name a few. You can find Martyrd on facebook and various other sites including their own.
 So if you like your metal be sure to see them live in a club near you before your forking over the big bucks when they hit the big time.

New addition to the 2012 dictionary: PANZIE

 I must give a shout out too Radio J for turning me onto the band Panzie. It was through his radio show and facebook page that I found out about this kick ass band.
 So on this cold bitter Friday night. I ventured out to Ollie's Point in Amityville to catch Panzie live. Let me just say after seeing this band they are now in my top 5 favorite original bands from the area. Even tho they are from NYC. Long Island is still part of NY. Here is a band that has the it factor. Great songs. Great stage presence. And oh yea they look like a band. They actually have given some thought to their image. (So many bands miss the mark about the image factor of their band).
 Obvious influences to me were bands like Danzig, White Zombie to name a few. As you can tell this band rocks and rocks hard. The energy from the stage rippled through Ollie's Point and you couldn't help but to move from the effect. Highlights of the night were ABC (Alphabet Soup) and Angry Man.
 At the end of the night I picked up their CD Love & Blood. And have been looping it my vehicle's cd player ever since. Its a great alternative to use other than therapy for getting out some road rage.
 You can find out more about Panzie at the usual places facebook, reverbnation. For some reason I couldn't get on there web site.
 In closing this is a must see band. And Love & Blood should be in your cd collection if you consider yourself a true rocker. Panzie with my metal horns I salute you.

Hello Jupiter do you hear my transmission?

Who would of thought? I found a last minute show to attend Friday night. And what I heard was a collision of sounds from a band calling themselves Hello Jupiter.

The three members making up this band are Eveni Lattcheni on guitars/vocals, Maxwell Rudkin bass/vocals and Jon O'Rourke. Are what I would call musical sponges. Creating a sound full of textures and styles that has a little bit for everyone.

Watching the crowd from the young to the older folks. Everyone was enjoying every note coming from these three men. I enjoyed the bass riffs of Maxwell and the rhythm stylings of Evgeni's guitar playing all held nicely by Jon's drumming. Bands like As Tall As Lions and Tera Melos come to mind while listening to Hello Jupiter. Their choice of time changes and playing style were refreshing to the ears.

As I type this review I'm listening to their Comprension EP. Click here to download it for free. And as I listen I find my thoughts drifting away on this cosmic soundtrack. Dare I say I'm having an out of body experience.

You can find Hello Jupiter on their FaceBook page. There you can find various links to learn more about them. And to keep up on when and were there playing next.

400+ Gather to support Original Music

400 + were in attendance to support local music on a Wednesday night. Let me back track a bit. Four bands were chosen to play WBAB's second Homegrown Superstar Contest. Starting in October fans could vote of there favorite band in weekly rounds. And in December the four bands that survived those weekly rounds got to play the Homegrown Superstar show. And at the end of the night. The band bringing the most fans through the door. Would be crowned WBWB's Homegrown Superstar. The winning band would receive a prize package that would help them along there musical journey.

The first to perform was a four piece hard rock unit called Permanent Scar. I've been wanting to catch this band for some time now. This band possesses well crafted thought provoking songs. A bonus of the night was a free full length CD that they were handing out at the show. They played a solid set. And from the crowds reaction it was apparent they left with more fans than they began with.

The second to perform was the alternative/hip hop band Echo Sonic. Fronted by the charismatic Aaron Turner on vocals. Aaron worked the crowd and stage like a seasoned professional. Spiting lyrics and rhymes while backed by his amazing band.

The third to perform was the rock band Revel 9. Opening with the energetic San Jose. They got the crowd going right out of the gate. Rhythm guitarist Matt Dower is very entertaining too watch. He seems to be in his own little word as he plays. A very animated player bringing his playing to another level. Highlight of the set was watching a row of fans playing the leads along with guitarist/singer DJ Pearlman. From a distance all you could see in front of DJ were fingers twiddling about.

The final act and the winner of the night was Oogee Wawa. They brought a party to the stage. I would describe them is a fun loving jam band. Watching them perform and seeing how they interact with the audience. It's no surprise why they have such a loving fan base. Their motto must be Just Have Some Fun.

Most of us are aware of the poor shape the local scene is in. Its not due to the lack of talent out there. Because there is plenty of talent here on Long Island. Many people have many opinions on this subject. And just like politics there is no simple answer to this complex problem. But as long as we continue to ask questions and try different solutions. The music scene may once again thrive.

WBAB is a great supporter of the original music scene. It would be nice to see more effort from other areas of media. There is great potential out there to revive the scene. We just need more like minds to join the mission.

There was no mercy this Saturday night.

This week I briefly attended a show put on by No Mercy Metal at LuLu's in Port Jefferson. I had to retire my metal horns early this night. I had a prior commitment that required me to rise in the early am. That being said I was able too see the first two bands of the night.

Awaken started the night. I have covered this band in an earlier blog. Check it out for more details on this band. Let me say they get better every time I see them. I got to speak with Glenn during the night and got to know more history of the band. He tells me there will be more music from them in the future. And I look forward to hearing it. But let them ride out their current CD for now. And from the positive response of the crowd tonight. They should milk every last drop from the current release. Then replenish supplies when all is done. Leave the fans wanting more I say. Then open the flood gates for them to bathe in.

The second band of the night was Fear The Dawn. This band marked there territory with their brand of metalcore. Aside from their music. I was entertained by the antics of frontman Sean Patrick. I can only imagine that he would be a fun person too hang out with. I won't go into detail of his mannerisms I observed. All I will say is that I was chuckling too myself. And a word to drummer Christopher Scott. Thank you for make photographing a band so much fun. You definitely played it up for the camera. Your personality came across big time. Its so cool when you can project to a room full of people that your having a great time. And it wouldn't be complete not to mention Guitar player Tom Mong and Bass player Greg Zahra. Fear The Dawn kicked some major ass tonight.

A big heads up to No Mercy Metal for putting together these showcases for the metal scene. This show was well attended. And that can only mean on thing. Metal is alive and well!

Im sure the rest of the night was spectacular. Like I mentioned before I had to retire my metal horns early. But I'm sure there were many horns saluting the rest of the band's into the wee hours of the morning.

Wednesday Spotlight / Things that irk me.

Why is it in this day and age I can't find a band on the web? And if their name does come up it isn't them. I had this problem for a show I attended on Saturday night.

The first band I couldn't find was The Dynamics. First off bands please do a name search before naming your band after a band that already has that name. Turns out The Dynamics are not the old R&B's group from Detroit, Michigan. The one I saw was lead by David Koltai president of Pixtronix effects pedals. And the only reason I know that is because he mentioned it while onstage. As for his band I still haven't found a web site for them. Hint name is already taken.

I would think if your out there playing you would want to promote yourself the best way possible? Yes or am I mistaken?

I can only believe Pigtronix is doing well. Thats why his band has no web site. It must be through word of mouth and his circle of friends that he's expecting a good turnout on the local scene. Yes or am I mistaken?

As for the band David was coaching the other band members between songs. Giving them cue's as to the tempo of the songs and what to do during the changes of the song. That aside they were very good and entertaining.

Do you think if a band is playing the scene that they should be relevant on the web? I think they should. It could be the deciding factor if I come out to see you play or not.

I had the same problem with one of the other bands on the bill called Rodeo Clown. I had left before they even took the stage.

Bands do yourself a favor and make it easy for people to find you. Post a link back to your band from the club you playing if possible. Hint facebook is a great place to do that. Oh yea there are some hint's above to help you promote yourself.

Wednesdays Spotlight.

Welcome to a new addition to my blog. I'm calling it Wednesdays spotlight. Weather your a fan of music or a band looking for some direction. I will give you some information to help you on your musical journey.

This Wednesdays spotlight is on a bar called the Bartini Bar. This bar is located at 124 North Carll Ave Babylon, NY 11702. This bar has plenty of parking in the back and is also across the street from the Babylon train station.

Bands looking for a small place to play would find this a suitable venue. They have a nice area for you to perform with stage lighting for some atmosphere during your performance.

My advice would be to go down and see the room. Then just speak to the bartender and ask about booking a show. They are currently looking for new bands to book.

Well there you have it. The new addition to the blog. Be one the lookout for the Wednesdays Spotlight. When every Wednesday of course.

Please leave a comment and lets me know if your have an idea for the Wednesday Spotlight.

VagXcore, thinking inside the box.

So I got an invitation to the VagXcore one year anniversary party this week. I had to check that this wasn't a mistake? Was there a gynecology convention in town? And I was mistakenly added to the list? Just checked no funny business changed down there.

Turns out VagXcore is a record label that promotes All female or female fronted bands. And this year the label turned a year old. And what better way to celebrate than have a party with four bands gracing the stage at Bartini Bar in West Babylon.

Tho the spotlight is shining on the females fronting these bands (except Jackknife Stiletto/all female band). Lets not forget the male members backing these ladies up. If not for you there light would not shine as brightly as it does.

The first band of the night was Better Off. Fronted by Desiree Parrillo on vocals/guitar. Their music was reminiscent of the british invasion, garage rock era days. They are currently working on a cd. So be on the lookout for it. Give them a listen on facebook.

The second band of the night was Extreme Makeover. Center stage for this band is Michele Meech. Extreme Makeover is a unique band on the scene. They take songs were all familiar with and blend them into something new and refreshing. I would hate to categorise them as a cover band. They are so much more than that. Friend them at facebook. And ask them to post some music.

I was really looking forward to the next band of the night. American Pinup is a high energy rockabilly pop band. Vocalist/guitarist Lauren West fronts the band. Lauren's vocals remind me of Imelda May on steroids. This band blew the roof off the place. I know they gain a-lot of new fans tonight. There wasn't a person sitting still during their fabulous set. Go to their website to learn more about this up an coming band.

The last band of the night was Jackknife Stiletto. Our host and ringleader of the nights festivities. How would you describe this band? Imagine if the Sex Pistols were an all female band. Their sound has an energy and edge that you have too experience live. The band consists of EsotErica on Vocals/bass, Annie Stoic on Guitar and Mel Funk on drums. These ladies engaged the crowd with lighthearted humor with a touch of sarcasm. All three of them know how to work an audience. And did I mention the stalker from their Dear Jane video was spotted in the crowd.

A great time was had by all tonight. Thank you to VagXcore for a night of great music. And I wish you the best in all your future endeavors.

Awaken the metal thunder.

This weeks band is a progressive metal band called Awaken. I wish this show was better attended. Why is it people will spend 100+ for tickets through ticket master? When they can see great bands close to home for a few dollars? But for those who spent a couple of bucks tonight were treated to a great show. These are five very talented musicians.

I was approached by bass player Freddy Villano before the show. This was nice to see and more bands should be networking a room like this. We spoke about the scene and his band briefly. Turns out the members are spread throughout the New York area. Which make rehearsing not such an easy task. Also singer Glenn DaGrossa (from Lazarus fame) resides in CT.

During the show Glenn joked with the crowd. Stating he had to swim to get to the show. The guitar duo of Joe Todaro and Scott Bennet were amazing to watch. I was shocked that Scott had never practiced with the band before and it was his first time on stage with them. And rounding out the band was drummer Nick D'alessando. I've seen Nick play in various bands in the past and he is one hell of a drummer.

I would like to have seen Awaken with a merchandise table setup during the show. I think a band should have an area in the club to promote themselves. And clubs should give the space for a band to set up a merchandise table. It should be as important as the performance itself.

Awaken has no official .com at the moment. But they are taking advantage of sites like Myspace, Facebook and my favorite site ReverbNation.

To all you bands out there. Take my advice and sign up for a ReverbNation account. There are many tools for you to further your career.

On a final note. With the experience, Talent and accolades this band has combined. They should have no problem climbing the metal mountain. I wish them great success.