I recently got an email from the guys of Dinosaur Eyelids asking me to check out their stuff. Now, any band that is bold enough to email me to ask me to give their music a listen deserves just a listen! So, I logged onto their Sonicbids page and I felt that you can’t get any more alternative rock than these guys. Being honest, like I always am in this column, I’m not sure what I felt of Dinosaur Eyelids. Their title track “Winter Solstice” was very dark and Clutch-like, but my favorite track was “White Lies” which was a little bit more mellow, yet marketable.
Dinosaur Eyelids hails from what they called the Sourland Mountain Region of western Jersey. Now, I’m not really sure where that is, but according to the band, they’ve crafted their cosmic, sonic sounds at a place called the Electric TurkeyLampLand Studios over in Skillman, NJ. Dinosaur Eyelids consider themselves an alternative garage band that blends hard rock with jam band music. I think that I definitely hear that in their music. The line-up consists of singer Evan Staats, Patrick McKnight on guitar, bassist Scott Staats, and Dan Fishtein on the drums.
Dinosaur Eyelids is currently promoting their new CD, Winter Solstice, which they released back in mid-December. They’ve also posted a video for the title track on their MySpace page, myspace.com/dinosaureyelids. You can catch Dinosaur Eyelids live on Feb. 6 at The Court Tavern in their hometown of New Brunswick, NJ. Get down there and check them out if you’re in the area.
North Jersey Notes Updates
The boys from Killcode have recently posted a new song on their MySpace page. It looks like the guys are looking to kick 2010 off by promoting their highly anticipated EP, Taking It All, and by doing so, they’ve posted their new song, “Hammer,” off of the EP for fans to get an idea of what is to come. So, when you get a second, log onto myspace.com/killcode and give “Hammer” a listen. Let the boys from Killcode know what you think!
Speaking of starting the year off right, my favorite twin sister duo, HelenaMaria, kicked the year off with the release of a brand new single that they wrote called “Burn For Me.” Wait a minute! Shouldn’t the song be called “Burn For Us”? Anyway, “Burn For Me” is currently available via iTunes and Amazon.com. I have to say that after hearing the track, HelenaMaria has really matured as songwriters, and that is always cool to hear from a writer’s standpoint. Give their new song a listen at youtube.com/helenamariamusic or download it now at iTunes or Amazon.com.
And finally, while my brothers from Echofission take a well deserved break, guitarist John Rango will be performing some shows with members of his own band, Echofission, Reflections, and Tycoon Dog, just to make the most of his time off. The first show will take place at The Mason Jar in Mahwah, NJ, on March 6. This should be a fun night, so mark your calendars and get your drink on! For more info, log onto echofission.com.
That’s all for now! And remember, if your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your demos and press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140 Little Falls, NJ 07424. No cover bands, please! Also, if you haven’t checked out my podcast yet, do it now at northjerseynotes.mypodcast.com.
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
NJN Concert Calendar
1/27—Steve Brown—The Copper Bottom, Florida, NY
1/29—Lamps Burning—Bowery Poetry Club, NYC
1/29—Atom Strange—The Delancey, NYC
1/30—Steve Brown—The Grasshopper Also, Carlstadt, NJ
1/30—Our Black Friday—Big John’s Pub, Newfoundland, NJ
1/30—Rahway—Market Street, Bangor, PA
1/30—Swear On Your Life—Crash Mansion, NYC
2/4—Killcode—John Varvatos (Old CBGB’s), NYC
2/5—Kosmic Daydream—Clash Bar, Clifton, NJ
2/6—Mean Venus/Sebastian Bach/Z02—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
2/6—Charetta—Mr. Beery’s, Bethpage, NY
2/6—Lamps Burning—Bar East, NYC
2/6—Dinosaur Eyelids—Court Tavern, New Brunswick, NJ
2/11—Dinosaur Eyelids—Arlene’s Grocery, NYC
2/12—Lieder—Bar East, NYC
2/13—Piston Driven/Anaka—Don Hill’s, NYC
