Room For Rent

Stephen Kellner, also know as Roderick, is no newbie to the New Jersey music scene.  In it since around 2006, Stephen has a very diverse and expansive musical repertoire.  Van Atta High, who released their debut full-length Run Like Hell in 2007, went for a more pop-punk vibe, while Roderick has a sound more comparable to Dashboard Confessional.

[Photo: Roderick, Instagram]

Roderick released full-length Memory in 2011, and then 12:34 in 2014 with an acoustic version of the album in 2017.  For the most part, the songs on Memory are somewhat bouncy--a mid-2000s-pop-rock-anthem type of album. "Room For Rent" is probably the best example for that analogy.   "Rhythm of Love" by the Plain White T's is a poppier version of Roderick's music, making "Room For Rent" the perfect cross between genres.

You hear some maturity in the quality of both his vocal style and songwriting with his second album 12:34.  Focusing on "Awake Before Dawn," Roderick exercises a better grasp on dynamics (volume) and arrangements.  This album is a good summary of his music career thus far.  You get a sense of his roots intertwined with his new approach.

I'm writing this post as a prologue to his upcoming single "Wanna Be," which is coming out on April 10th, so expect a review of that in the next few weeks.

You can follow him on Instagram and streams these albums on Spotify.

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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End Up Here

My blog, recently, has been nothing short of a 5 Seconds of Summer tribute.  My apologies.  And while I'll probably post about their new album tomorrow, I couldn't help but post about them today. I just received the new issue of Rolling Stone and am a little upset by the review of their debut record.

To start, the title of the short article was, "An Australian Boy Band in Punk Clothing."  They are not a boy band.  A "boy band" is a group of guys who just sing, look adorable, and occasionally write songs.  One Direction, while my love for them will never die, is a boy band.  5 Seconds of Summer is a band.  Band.  Every track, with the exception of "Amnesia" which was written FOR the band by Benji and Joel Madden, was written by at least one band member, most songs written by two members.  They also all play an instrument.  Luke Hemmings and Michael Clifford play guitar, Calum Hood plays bass, and Ashton Irwin plays the drums.  That, my friend, is what a band is.  Caryn Ganz (the writer of this review), are The Beatles a boy band, too?

In the review Ganz states, "...which starts with 'She Looks So Perfect' and proceeds through 11 more übertame pop-punk songs about love and heartbreak that wish they were as great (power ballad 'Beside You' comes closest)."  I, to be completely honest, think a lot of the songs are a lot better than "She Looks So Perfect," being as though it was already a title track on their previous US release with the same name.

As far as rating is concerned, she gave this record three stars.  No, that's not a terrible rating, but I think the boys deserve a little bit more.

I'm not personally attacking her.  She is a critic and is 100% entitled to her own opinion.  I just feel she did it without really knowing anything about the band.

Oh, and they are a completely different label than 1D.  Just so you know.

New Vid!!

5 Seconds of Summer's new music video for their single "Don't Stop!"

[Source:  YouTube]