Purple

Joe Parella, Chris Donofrio, Jon Rodney, and Jozii Cowell may not be familiar names now, but if you wait around a little bit longer, you will know them as the successful and up-and-coming group, Deal Casino.  This alternative rock band has formulated a sound that is unique to them, rather than conforming to the norms of the genre.

[L-R:  Joe P., Jozii, Chris, Jon / Photo: Cody Cutter]

Between 2014 and now, Deal Casino has held residencies at the most popular venues at the Jersey Shore--specifically Asbury Park--quickly earning them recognition as one of the hardest working bands in the scene.  All of their hard work has paid off, giving them a whopping 612,000 streams of their song "Anything That's Bad" on Spotify.  And if that wasn't good enough, their songs have been streamed on Spotify over 1.5 million times.  With a following as large as theirs, what is it about Deal Casino that has drawn so many people in?

Over the past five years, the band has recorded five EPs:  Cocaine Love, The Runaways, Heck, Nika, and their most recent, Human Cannonball.  All recorded at Asbury's Lakehouse Recording Studios, their team includes audio engineer Erik Kase Romero and producer Jon Leidersdorff (aka the owner of Lakehouse).  It is not uncommon for bands to venture into different studios with different producers and engineers to help release their work.  With Deal Casino, however, keeping things consistent has definitely helped their sound naturally progress and mature.  Since the beginning, their recordings have achieved a polished sound, despite their desire to have them sound as if they are live recordings.  For a four-man band, they put out a sound that is well-developed, rich, and are as high in quality as any monumental rock band.

One of my favorite songs by them is "Purple" off of Human Cannonball (the new video was just released so I'll post it below for your convenience).  The song is lined with country-like guitar licks between the stanzas, and pulled together with "Ol' '55" Eagles harmonies in the chorus.  While their musical style is no where close to that of a southwestern / country rock band (like the Eagles), they have strategically placed elements of those genres in their songs.  "Panama Papers" (my personal favorite) has obvious '70s and '80s rock influences, with blaring guitar bends throughout the chorus as well as in individual parts of the song.  The guitar existence in all of their songs is very prominent, which was a common characteristic in 1970s music, regardless of genre.  "Bare Hands," from 2015 EP Nika, the guitar in the chorus and second verse has a groovy vibe, which when followed by "Purple" on a playlist, it is apparent that their signature style has merely just matured, rather than changed

You can purchase their EPs Heck, Nika, and Human Cannonball on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp, as well as stream them on streaming services.

["Purple" Official Video / Courtesy of Deal Casino on YouTube]

What Lies Beneath the Parkway North

So many great artists have gotten their start in the legendary Asbury Park, NJ such as Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Bon Jovi.  The talent, however, doesn't end with them.  Asbury Park-based alternative rock band Flammable Animals is one to look for.

[Photo: AM Productions]

This quartet consists of Guy Battaglia (vocals, guitar), Kevin Houston (vocals, guitar), Pat Napurano (bass), and Joe Enright (drums).  I had the amazing opportunity of hearing them audition for Monmouth University's Blue Hawk Records' Spring compilation album back in February and they sound just as incredible live as they do in the studio.  In a nutshell, they are not what some would think a college band would sound like, I'll tell you that.

Their individual talents mesh together perfectly, making their presence sound similar to that of a band like Brand New and The Wonder Years.  It's pretty rare that I actually feel music, but I feel it with this group.  From every lyric, to the instrumentals of each track, their passion for music is very evident in the recordings, as they convey feelings in ways that no pop or R&B group ever would, and that's what makes them a true pop-punk band.

[Artwork: Michael Burke, Summerlyn Astrom, Alexis Morrison, & Erin Holmes]

Their debut EP, What Lies Beneath the Parkway North, isn't what you would expect from an alternative/pop-punk band . . . It's so much more.  There is an intro track called "Initium" that sets the extended-play of on a great start, and each song is perfectly placed on the album, making it flow very nicely through the ears of the listener.  As put by Guy himself, "This record is a culmination of New Jersey sounds, spirits, and smells that were recorded in Steve Kellner's (Van Atta High) basement as a result of a horrible Christmas."

Here's a video of them performing the second track of their album, "Frozen Grapes."

[Source:  YouTube]

Their album is available pretty much everywhere.  You can buy it from Bandcamp here.  Or if you're more into iTunes, you can buy it here.  And for those of you who like CD Baby, click here.

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Subscribe to them on YouTube

Good To You

A friend of mine introduced me to the band Marianas Trench and now I love them!

My favorite album, from what I have listened to, is Masterpiece Theatre.  The record sold 80,000 copies in Canada, the band's native country.  The regular release has twelve tracks and the "Director's Cut Edition" has an extra four.  You can purchase the album on iTunes.

My favorite song is "Good To You (feat. Jessica Lee)."  Jessica has an amazing voice!  Listen below.

[Source:  YouTube]

Another good song is "Celebrity Status."  This band kind of has the same sound as, maybe, Simple Plan or Fall Out Boy.  Kind of.  I don't know, please tell me if you disagree.

I Believe

Timeflies, the American music duo, is my current obsession. The two just released a new EP Warning Signs last Monday and I am just getting a chance to listen to it now and it is fantastic!

Their single "I Choose U" from the EP has been all over radio stations for months.  If you know the song, their whole release has the same sound as the successful single.

The Extended Play contains four songs:

1. SMFWU  Explicit
2. I Believe (my personal favorite besides "I Choose U")
3. Ride  Explicit
4. I Choose U

Of course I think you should buy it on iTunes.  And for those of you who don't like spending the money on iTunes, this EP is literally only $4.26 on iTunes.  I really don't think there is any way you can pass that up.

[Source:  YouTube]

Walking

Alexz Johnson is a Canadian singer-songwriter.  She has released one studio album and is set to release another on the 4th of October, although the name of the album has yet to be announced.  In April 2012, her EP Skipping Stone was released as both a digital download and a CD.

A friend of mine on Twitter introduced me to this singer yesterday and I really like her music.  Her sound is pop/folk-pop, but it's definitely more on the poppy side.  Her music is available on iTunes and I highly recommend making a few purchases.

Here is the video for her latest single "Walking."

Beautiful

The free song on iTunes this week is "Beautiful" by Ben Rector.  I usually listen to the preview iTunes provides but rarely download it.  For me to download the free tune of the week, it has to be good.

Since I downloaded it, you're probably thinking that the song must be good.  It is good.  The song fits the title very well - it's beautiful.  Songs like this are a little difficult to stumble upon these days since  a good portion of music contains sex, drugs, and/or alcohol.  "Beautiful" is just a classic love song.  Anyone want to write me a song like this? 

I really suggest downloading this song.  Even buy it - that's what I'll end up doing at the end of the week.  I want to show how important lyrics like this are.  Stop focusing on the obscene lyrics and focus on the beautiful ones instead.  

Chart toppers

I haven't informed you all of the top ten on iTunes lately, so I thought I could do that now!

1. When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars
2. Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
3. Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko) - Rihanna
4. Harlem Shake - Baauer
5. Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera) - Pitbull
6. Suit & Tie (feat. JAY Z) - Justin Timberlake
7. Started from the Bottom - Drake
8. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
9. Heart Attack - Demi Lovato
10. Scream and Shout (feat. Britney Spears) - will.i.am

New Ten

The iTunes "Top 10" charts have changed quite a lot in the past week:

1. Gangnam Style - PSY
2. Die Young - Ke$ha
3. Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars
4. One More Night - Maroon 5
5. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Taylor Swift
6. Some Nights - Fun.
7. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
8. Diamonds - Rihanna
9. I Cry - Flo Rida
10. State of Grace - Taylor Swift

I'm just going to take a minute to talk about the new songs that have made it onto the charts.

Now, I don't want to sound picky or anything, but that new Bruno Mars song...not a huge fan.  I loved when Bruno Mars released "Just The Way You Are" and "Marry You".  That was a great song.  But I disliked every song after that more and more.  I don't want my opinion to shape yours, so if you like Bruno Mars you may very well like his new song "Locked Out of Heaven" and if you don't like him, just listen to the song and see what you think.  I'd love to hear your opinion on the song.

"I Cry" by Flo Rida sounds just like "Club Can't Handle Me".  The beat sounds like a party beat and the lyrics sound like party lyrics...if that makes sense.

And last but not least, another song from Taylor Swift's new album Red called "State of Grace" and yes, it still has that pop star sound instead of country star sound.