North Jersey Notes

THE HELL YEAH BABIES – Astoria, NY

So, I came across this really nerdy band from my old stomping grounds of Astoria. They call themselves The Hell Yeah Babies and they remind me so much of Weezer. They have this nerdy, geeky way and sound about them. I gave a listen to their latest record, All The Things That You Believe,featuring the songs “Attaboy,” “Dog of War,” “Vampire Girlfriend,” “New York & I Love You,” and “Ms. Miss Me Yet,” and these songs were brilliant. They almost made me feel like I was listening to a Broadway musical, but it was also fun to listen to. 

“If you want to get people off their phones, then you gotta put on a show worth looking at.” That’s been the motto for The Hell Yeah Babies since the very first note was played at their very first show. According to their website, The Hell Yeah Babies can be compared to a big movie theater soda that you poured a pint of whiskey into and brought into a midnight showing of Mad Max. They’re loud, they’re fun, they’re smarter than they look, or sound, or act. They’re a four-piece rock ‘n’ roll band from the best city in New York…. Astoria. They have a garage-glam, power-pop thing going on and all the glue-sniffing growl of The Exploding Hearts, wearing suits that Elvis Costello threw out or bought at a thrift store. Singer and guitarist Mike Pfeiffer and drummer Julian Ames tricked bassist and singer Dylan Roth into moving to New York and starting a band with them. Unrelenting, they wrapped their musical tentacles around Maryland Indie rock singer and guitarist Sam Paxton from the band Ghost Hotel, and coaxed him to come northbound to make that classic recipe for rock ‘n’ roll that NYC audiences are calling “Way better than I expected.”

The Hell Yeah Babies have something interesting going on. They’re definitely different than anything out there right now. As of now, I don’t see anything new coming on the horizon for The Hell Yeah Babies in regards to new music, but they will be hitting Arlene’s Grocery in NYC on October 2. For more info on The Hell Yeah Babies, visit TheHellYeahBabies.com or check them out on Spotify. 

NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:

My buds from Ten Ton Mojo recently announced that they will be holding a residency at the legendary Arlene’s Grocery in NYC throughout the month of October, or as they call it, “Rocktober Residency.” The residency will be on every Wednesday starting on October 2 until October 23 presented by that guy Tommy London. For more info on Ten Ton Mojo, visit TenTonMojo.com…. My little brothers from Brand of Julez have been on the road throughout September opening for Tesla on selected dates. The date I’m most interested in is on October 3, when they open for Motley Crue front man Vince Neil at Bergen PAC in Englewood, NJ. Then, they head out on the road with Michalel Graves from The Misfits throughout October and November. For more info on my dudes from Brand of Julez, visit Facebook.com/BrandofJulez…. And finally, the guys from Scottish Widows are finally releasing some new music this October in the form of an EP titled, The Bridge. The EP features the title track, which is killer, “Just Breathe,” “You’ll Find Me” and “Sorrow’s Kiss.” Keep your ears peeled for this EP because from what I hear, it’s not bad at all! For more info on Scottish Widows, visit ScottishWidowsBand.net. 

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! 

Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts! 

Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.