North Jersey Notes: Farehaven, Killcode, Wildstreet and more!

FAREHAVEN–Cincinnati, OH

Yes, I know, I know! Cincinnati, Ohio is nowhere near North Jersey, but my lawyer recently sent me a press kit of a new band he’s working with, and I actually thought they were pretty good. In fact, I’d love to see these guys perform in the NJ/NYC area very soon! That’s the reason why I am choosing to write about some out-of-towners because eventually, they will be performing in North Jersey and you can’t say that I didn’t tell you so! The name of the band is Farehaven and for a three-piece alternative rock band, they sounded pretty damn good! I got to hear songs like “Nobody Knows You”, “Caught In Your Trap”, “The Black Heart”, and the rifftastic “Upside Down”. Their hooks are infectious, and their songs are pretty well-written.

Farehaven was only formed a couple of years ago by singer and guitarist David Sizemore, drummer Dan Durrant, and bassist Rob Jamison. Right off the bat, the band garnered much local radio airplay with their first demo, and they have since received airplay on about 40 different radio stations around the country. Towards the end of October 2010, Farehaven decided to head into the studio to record their first full-length CD, Upside Down, which is currently available on iTunes, CD Baby, target.com, and wherever else CDs are sold. Not bad for a bunch of rookies! In July of 2011, bassist and co-founder Rob Jamison left the band due to personal reasons, and was replaced by Dan’s high school friend and former band mate, Corey Glass. After getting Corey caught up with the music, last November, Farehaven was given an opportunity to perform as an emergency back-up band for 90s Alternative rock group, Blessid Union Of Souls in Stanford, Connecticut. On extremely short notice, the band learned a 15-minute set and set out on what they deemed an awesome journey to Connecticut!

Farehaven has since continued playing through the holidays, and plan on playing as many clubs and shows as they can to promote their catchy music. If there is an opportunity to bring these guys to the Tri-State Area, it should be done! This is a talented three-piece band that rocks hard! Any club owners or promoters looking for some out-of-town talent, give these guys a listen at reverbnation.com/farehaven.

North Jersey Notes Updates:

My bro, Tom Morrissey from New York City’s Killcode, recently emailed me two brand new tracks—the anthemic “Hands Up” and the infectious “Opium Dogs”, off of the band’s highly-anticipated self-titled CD. If these songs are any indication of how the CD sounds, I would have to say that you better put your orders in now for it. Killcode is set to be a sure hit and 2012 should be very interesting for these guys! Check them out now on reverbnation.com/killcode.

Speaking of NYC bands, my bass brother, Ali Hassan from the band Wildstreet, recently posted a brand new video for their latest single, “Easy Does It”. I have to say this proves that sleazy glam rock is alive and well in NYC, and once you see this video, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The video was filmed in a go-go bar ala Mötley Crüe, but the vocals reminded me so much of Faster Pussycat. The song is catchy as all hell! “Easy Does It” is available for download on iTunes and amazon.com. For more info on Wildstreet, log onto reverbnation.com/wildstreet.

And finally, just a reminder about a few local shows this weekend; if you’re in the Allentown, PA area this Friday night (2/17), you can catch my boys from Filter Effect opening for my bros, Steel Panther at the Crocodile Rock. Steel Panther will then head to The Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ the next night (2/18) with my new buds from Lords Of Mercy opening. Personally, on that Saturday night, I hope you’ll come to see my new band BlackOcean with Exit 117 at the new Lucky Seven in Keyport, NJ. It’s a great weekend for shows, so go out and support your local music scene!

That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!

NJN Concert Calendar:

2/17—Filter Effect/Steel Panther—Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA

2/17—Famous Monsters/Earthgrinders/Unhinged/InDisguise—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

2/18—God Forbid—St. Vitus, Brooklyn, NY

2/18—BlackOcean/Exit 117—The Lucky Seven, Keyport, NJ

2/18—Lords Of Mercy/Steel Panther—The Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ

2/23—The Toasters—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ

2/23—Spoonfed/Dropdown/Lucifers Limited Company—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

2/24—A Lesson In Violence/God Forbid/Generation Kill/Darkness Descends/Doomsday Prophecy—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

2/25—Shadowplay—Hebe Music, Mount Holly, NJ

2/27—We Are Defiance/This Romantic Tragedy/The Last Of Our Kind/Speaking The Kings/Beyond Their Beliefs—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

2/28—My Ticket Home/Casino Madrid/That’s Outrageous/Hold Your Grudge/The Gift Of Ghosts/To Emrald City/Consider It Personal—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

3/1—Beyond Dishonor/Deception Theory/Ashes Of Your Enemy/Once My Way—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ

3/2—BlackOcean/Ripped—The Blue Room, Secaucus, NJ

3/2—Mike June—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ

3/2—Regalia—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ