Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at releases by LIVIA, LKFFCT, Better Weather, Cinema Star, Matt Wade, Vincent Brue, and ghost in the washing machine. Plus a look back at "My Reign" by Michelle Vecchione.
LIVIA - "By a String". LIVIA's latest single, "By a String", is hypnotically-dreamy-chamber pop. Composed by Stephen Masucci and lyrics from Mollie Israel (both of the band The Lost Patrol), this song is lovely, moody, powerful, and kind of feels like it would be right at home in a playlist with Julle Cruise.
LKFFCT - "Shake me out of the dream". LKFFCT return with two new indie-power-pop tunes to wake me up and, "Shake me out of the dream".
Better Weather - "'Please disregard all previous weather.' EP". "Some friends wrote some songs and these are those songs.", says the liner notes to Better Weather's, "'Please disregard all previous weather.' EP". I hope these friends write some more songs because their EP is 4 rock songs that deliver.
Cinema Star - "Touching Down". When "Touching Down", the new single from Cinema Star, hits the first chorus I was like, "hell yeah, this is some anthemic alt-rock!"
Matt Wade - "I Don't Love You Anymore". Matt Wade's first new single in some time, "I Don't Love You Anymore", is amazing! It has a retro-synth-pop-funky vibe, while sounding complete fresh and modern. I'm told this is the first of several new songs coming soon. I can't wait to hear more!
Vincent Brue - "Vinsomnia". You would think a song described as being about waking, "up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep and have a bunch of anxiety", would be a long and rambling song, but you'd be wrong in this case. Vincent Brue's, "Vinsomnia", is a peppy one minute and forty-one seconds of power-pop-punk-rock fun!
ghost in the washing machine - "canine demo leftovers". I don't know much about ghost in the washing machine, though based on their Bandcamp page they are an offshoot of the canine 10. What I do know for sure is that "canine demo leftovers" is some high energy, garage-power-pop, and I like it!
Not New, But Memorable Corner
Michelle Vecchione - "My Reign". In 2005 Michelle Vecchione released an incredible album of blues infused singer-songwriter tunes. 18 years later I still enjoy listening to "My Reign", and the song below, "Darling Don't", shows her vocal prowess, and it is one of many of her songs that perpetually is stuck in my head. I don't know what happened to Michelle. I know for a while she was going by Michelle V, but around 2010 she stopped performing in the area and updating her social media pages. I hope she's well.
That's all for this week.
Remember BlowUpRadio.com, plays these and many other New Jersey based artists on our internet radio station, so please check us out. #SupportGoodMusic - If you like any of the above artists, please purchase their music from their site. And if you would like to part of BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable, please send downloads or contact Lazlo at Lazlo-at-BlowUpRadio-dot-com. We're also on Mastodon at https://gardenstate.social/@BlowUpRadio