On September 16th, Nebraska band 311 performed at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. 311 was started by Nick Hexum, Jim Watson, Aaron "P-Nut" Wills, and Chad Sexton in 1988 and is known for its mix of alternative rock, rap rock, reggae rock, funk rock, and alternative metal. Lead singer Nick Hexum was featured on the newest studio album of reggae/hip hop/funk band Tropidelic, which 311 shared the stage with on September 16th. Photographer Greg Ludwig was on the scene to capture the show…
Read more20-Year-Old Atlantic City Entrepreneur Presents Atlantic City Talent Showcase (February 20, 2021)
PRESS RELEASE | Posted Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Axel Castillo, a 20-year-old entrepreneur from Atlantic City, NJ, has launched a talent showcase, in conjunction with Dirty Politics Studio & Apparel. The event includes music artists of various genres from the tri-state area. Judges include Billboard recording artist Lovari, among others. The event takes place on February 20, 2021.
Under the umbrella of his Cherry Bomb Entertainment promotional team, the February 20th event, a mere few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean seashore, will include some of Atlantic City's established artists on the scene, along with artists from the tri-state area. The event will be held at Dirty Politics Studio & Apparel (4403 Atlantic Avenue), an independently owned recording studio and clothing boutique, helmed by Jersey Shore natives Benjamin "Benji" Howard and Deron "Strandz" Leggete. This event will be the first of several by Mr. Castillo that will be produced throughout the year.
DJs Neff, Stev, and Mav provide the sounds. Guest judges include Lovari, who recently hit Billboard's Top 25 Dance Charts and iTunes Top 10 Pop Electronica Album charts, along with Adam Letnom, Nat Cruz, and Dirty Politic's Strandz. Hosted by Rook.
Scheduled to perform: omgxreem, NDETE (Skreechy/E2High/Yoshi), Kingoak, Young Cholo, Johnny Seed, FBN Kappo, Julio Fuaego, 28 Young G, Adonis YBC, Sway Valentine, Lil Ess, Zay TheSmoker, Rome Rose, Tony Newbury, Mophead TBC, E Class, Hoodiequel, Zuback.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
For more information, please contact cherrybombconcerts@yahoo.com
Molly Ringworm - "Good Ol Boys" (Interview)
By Deaglan Howlett | Posted September 17, 2019
Good Ol Boys is the latest release from indie rockers Molly Ringworm. Based out of Atlantic County, NJ, this is their second EP since the release of Tape 1, back in September, 2017. Good Ol Boys is the culmination of a year's worth of work in the studio and writing for the group. Singer and guitarist, Sarah Holt, was kind enough to talk about the band’s history and what went into this phenomenal release. Thanks again, Sarah!
When did Molly Ringworm form? When did you start releasing music?
Molly Ringworm started as a solo project in high school in 2015. I put out my first two singles, "561" and "All The Time," in 2016. I would grab anyone that would play with me for a live show as a duo, a trio or solo. Niko has been there from the beginning, originally playing bass. This past year, the lineup finally solidified into a four piece.
How did you meet?
Guitarist Johnny Zappas and I are cousins. We have been playing in bands together for ten years now. We both went to a performing arts high school where we met and became friends with bassist Andrew Simpson and drummer Niko Berardo. We've been playing together in all different projects ever since!
Who are your biggest influences?
Liz Phair and Joni Mitchell are who made me pick up a guitar and start writing. Phair, Mitchell, Stephen Malkmus, Elliott Smith and Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz, Sad13) are who I look up to for lyric writing and guitar playing. The Beatles have also been important to me from a young age. They are masters in melody, harmony, songwriting structure and attitude.
How has your music evolved since you first formed Molly Ringworm?
I think the main way Ringworm’s music has evolved is its shift from a solo project to a group effort. I’m still writing all of the songs, but I also have the input and contributions of parts from my talented friends. All of our creative brains together make songs better than I ever thought they could be written alone in my room.
What was the process like writing and recording Good Ol Boys compared to previous releases?
With the singles and the previous EP, Tape 1, everything was recorded in a matter of days. Recording and mixing Good Ol Boys was spaced out over the course of this year. We recorded and re-recorded and had to find time here and there with our busy schedules. We also really took our time mixing, which with the passing of time we have learned more about since previous releases (thank you Andrew for leading that brigade).
Favorite song on Good Ol Boys and why?
The guys' favorite is "Timmy." There's this sort of dynamic explosion in the chorus that Niko described best as a release of tension. There's a lot of energy to it, especially when we are playing it live. My favorite is "No Matter What" because the subject matter is so important to me. The song is addressing misogyny in the music scene in forms of condescension, exclusion, harassment and complacency of peers and friends. It's a call for men who claim to be feminists to recognize misogyny when they see it, and to speak out when their female friends are silenced.
Upcoming shows:
Saturday, October 5 - 7:00pm
Molly Ringworm @ The Whitechapel Projects
15 2nd Ave.
Long Branch, NJ 07740
w/ Ornamental & Format War
Friday, October 18 - 7:00pm
Molly Ringworm @ The Clubhouse
Inside The Downtown Shops @ 53 Main
53 N Main St.
Toms River, NJ 08753
w/ Dolly Spartans & Heartsigh
Suntitle - "The Loss Of" (EP Review)
By Sean McCall | Posted Saturday, November 24, 2018
Suntitle is an alternative emo band from Port Republic, New Jersey. The band consists of Joe McGarvey on guitar/vocals, Kyle Fisher on guitar/vocals, Peter Bariexca on bass, and Dan Mattera on drums. Forming in June of 2014, they’ve gone through a change in name and brand and released their most recent EP The Loss Of, which has amazing artwork.
With influences such as Turnover, Citizen, Superheaven, and Basement, they deliver a very raw, organic, and intimate sound. They have a music video out for their song, “Art,” which premiered on New Noise Magazine. You can check that out here.
The Loss Of was released in February of 2018 through GTR Records which is an independent label located in Landsdale, Pennsylvania.
Suntitle’s EP opens up with a song called “Trust” that immediately ropes you in with intimate and moody bass and guitars. I love how they play with low vocals with layers of raspy and aggressive vocals overtop. It gives their music a lot of character, and keeps it interesting and energetic. The song is 5 minutes of intimacy and discusses holding on to hope even when you feel as though your faith in life is draining. I really enjoy the way this song ends with the cord structure differentiation, and the tempo changes. Definitely a solid start to the record.
The second song, “Comradery,” gives me an immediate balance and composure “I Can’t Do This Alone” feel mixed with some Title Fight. It’s one of those songs you just find yourself immediately moving your head to. I really like the guitar work in this one, and the chorus is super catchy. Again, they play with vocal octaves that are super tasteful.
The third song, “Amity,” keeps the momentum moving very well. This song is super poetic and has beautiful broken and vulnerable melodies. I don’t really need to say much more than that for this one, other than to just give it a listen yourself.
The fourth song on the EP, “Faith,” brings back the theme of faith, and I immediately caught my head boppin’ again. This song is super energetic right away, and about half way through the song Joe sings, “wake me up from this nightmare” which is the juiciest hook and change in rhythmic feel. This song reminds me of Title Fight’s “The Last Thing You Forget,” Turnover’s “Magnolia,” and a Code Orange influence with the guitar work about 12 seconds into the song. You’ll know what I mean, but you have to go listen. I don’t make the rules. Anyway, this is one of my top tracks from The Loss Of. From 2:40 on, it just slaps.
The second to last song, “Life,” is a heart-wrencher. It’s dynamo, aggressive, and spacey. I really like the purity of these lyrics, and the portrayal of words through their melodies. They discuss the use of drugs and watching loved ones deteriorate to addiction, which is a very tough subject to talk about, and they do so perfectly. This one will definitely make you feel and think.
Suntitle finishes the record off with “Art” which gives me Turnover’s “Magnolia” vibe again, which I personally think is a super underrated record. This song is a certified bop and up my alley. It concludes The Loss Of with aggression and passion. I love the stops and silence towards the end, and Peter low key rips a quick hot riff before they close it off.
All in all, this record is something to check out when you’re upset, angry, or sad. There’s a lot of emotion in The Loss Of and, most importantly, authenticity. I’ve seen these guys play many times, and they are very tight. The production quality is great and portrays Suntitle perfectly. Definitely check this record out the next time you have a car ride or 20 minutes free if you haven’t already.
Parkwood - "Selfish" (EP Review)
By Sean McCall | Posted Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Parkwood is an alternative-emo band from Hammonton, New Jersey. The band’s first release was Solus in January of 2015, followed by a single, “Deathbed,” off of their most recent EP, Selfish. “Deathbed” is the fourth track on their most recent release, which I’ll be going over in this review. Parkwood consists of Jorge Estrada (vocals/guitar), Nick Moretti (vocals/bass), Nick Gelone (Drums), and Brandon Beckley (guitar). Selfish was recorded by Eric McNelis of Sleep Audio/The Gradwell House and was mastered by Dave at The Gradwell House as well.
The first song on the EP is titled, “It Gets Old,” which seems to discuss the struggle of meeting expectations of loved ones and how draining it can be when you are consistently letting down the ones you love. The music is very heavy-hitting and emotional. It starts off at an almost dragging tempo, and later picks up the pace halfway through the song. I relate heavily to this song, and had the blessing to sing on a couple of tracks. The end lyrics, “I’m a lost boy and you’re better off alone, than to be with someone who’s a constant disappointment to everyone he knows,” really hit me hard because they are so relatable.
The second song, “Home,” is my personal favorite, and the chorus is super catchy. This song discusses a very personal topic about the hardships of living in a “home” that you essentially feel uncomfortable in — like you aren’t yourself. You’ve become accustomed to something outside of yourself. When you try so hard to meet expectations of those around you — particularly, our elders — it becomes exhausting to consistently fail in their eyes. Jorge asked me to sing on this song and write something for the ending, so I wrote about a very low point in my life related to something he was similarly going through, where you just feel defeated and want to give up.
“Heavy Daze” is the third track on the EP and musically one of my favorites. It opens up with just drums playing a very energetic beat. This song seems to continue the theme of being stuck inside your own head. Battling anxiety, depression, and just the general hardships of life is definitely overwhelming, and this song explores these struggles perfectly.
The fourth song on the EP is their single, “Deathbed," and is beyond heavy-hitting. I love Nick’s vocals on this song. They combine very well with Jorge, and it portrays well with loads of energy and aggression. (Side note — I also love the choppy breakdown towards the 2 minute mark — peep it.) My favorite thing about this EP is the dynamic changes in tempo — in this song specifically. It combines genres and toys with emo and hardcore, which they pull off really well.
The last song on the EP, is the self-titled track, “Selfish.” This song opens up with self-reflection on past mistakes and just generally being self-absorbed. A lot of the lyrics seem to be discussing a relationship between two people, and the indecisiveness of the relationship based on past and re-occurring mistakes. The last lyric states, “I’m sorry I’m leaving again,” followed by a change in pace instrumentally. The music is heavy-hitting and moving. It summarized the EP as a whole very well. I think there’s a lot happening musically to portray the feelings followed by that last line.
All in all, this is one of my favorite EP’s from around here, and I was very fortunate to be a part of this. Selfish is an emotional journey of self-reflection and awareness, and it’s definitely a feeler. If you’re looking to get a lil emo, and possibly aggressive, this EP is one you should listen to for sure.