SAYREVILLE, NJ—Mid-heat wave, the last idea I would have had for cooling off is to go to a concert at Starland Ballroom. Much to my surprise, it was the perfect offbeat solution.

I arrived near the end of Everest’s set, and they were entertaining to say the least. Their showmanship…

English duo La Roux has done nothing short of “blow up” in the last few months. Just in case you live under a rock, their latest single, “Bulletproof,” can be heard on every radio station earning hundreds of plays a week. La Roux’s electropop sound makes even the…

Out to tell a tale, Le Serpent Rouge is a variety show of dance and music, but most likely, it is not what one would expect. This is a vintage cabaret of the ages. Travel across the globe, and also through the times with a mix of belly dancing, ragtime,…

New Zealander’s Kerretta are coming stateside to make their debut. The trio is here to show the world what an instrumental band can do. Taking college radio stations by storm, this experimental/rock group plays with all sorts of guitar riffs and drum beats to create a groovy ambiance. They are…

There is a slightly creepy appeal to The xx, a trio from London who recorded their album in basements and would only record in a studio at night. Both the female and male vocals share a lethargic way of expression backed by slow rhythmic bass lines and a drum machine.…

In 2009 Immortal released their first new album in seven years and are coming to Brooklyn’s Masonic Temple to showcase all of their Norwegian black metal majesty! Immortal has been the black metal band of black metal bands for 20 years with their evil vocals, incredible guitar sweeps, and intense…

Local NJ/NY artist Mark D. Conklin spent the majority of his career performing covers and writing songs for various artists, but has finally recorded his first all original album. Performing all over the tri-state and Nashville, Conklin encompasses blues, country and rock. He has plenty of seriously depressing songs, but…

A traditional musical style of West Africa has made its way over by means of Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba. The tradition of griot, which is an African storytelling technique, is poetically accompanied with the music of Mali on all types of African instruments such as a variety of ngonis…

Howard Jones from Killswitch Engage disappeared in the beginning of their 2010 tour. Despite being void of a vocalist, and facing a possible tour cancellation, All That Remains’ front man Phil Labonte (who had once tried out for Killswitch Engage after original vocalist, Jesse Leach, left) stood in for a…

NEW YORK, NY—New Found Glory is a band that 20-somethings such as myself have no problem admitting influenced a large part of our youth and continues to flow through the speakers of our cars as we sing loudly on the drive into work. Even though I knew this was a…