That is all.

One of the joys of growing up in New Jersey is its thriving music scene. Although it has seen a dip in open venues (RIP Bloomfield Ave. Café), it is undeniable that the Garden State’s most known spots have an abundance of loyal, lifelong followers. From the Wellmont Theater to the Meatlocker and the Stone Pony, there’s a place for people of all ages, musical tastes and economic standings. However, it seems my current fave is Teaneck’s Mexicali Live, where you can munch on burritos and get buzzed on margaritas while enjoying some of today’s most promising talent.

This past Friday, I decided it was time that I trek the sports and movie-loving boyfriend out to a show that didn’t include friends of ours on the bill. I figured what night would be better than to see Waking Lights, one of the tri-state area’s top up-and-coming bands. I’ve seen the indie/folk five-piece on a number of occasions in the past, and gave the group some coverage in William Paterson University’s Pioneer Times. After I heard their debut LP, The Rabbit Hole, I knew that they were an act to look out for. And as entertainment editor at the time, I strived to find talent in their prime – and in the least likely of places. But I digress – they were playing a show with girl-power trio Banditas and pop/rock troupe I Am Fighting, and I was more than excited to see what the night was going to hold.

Matt and Kyle of Waking Lights. Photo Courtesy: Henry Baum

As waitresses scurried around the room to serve drinks to the thirsty and down-to-party crowd, Hayley Thompson-King, Molly Maltezos, and Alec Tisdale aka Banditas took the stage. With an intriguing fusion of country harmonies and the grimy and chunky instrumentation of garage, the Bostonites stood their ground as concertgoers loudly made their way through the entrance. Thompson-King and Maltese hypnotized listeners with their harmonies as they belted out tracks from their debut opus Get Behind Us. Their cute outfits and petite frames were more than misleading as they belted tracks about shooting their men dead. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!

Next, the great wall of guitars that is I Am Fighting played a set filled with catchy guitar hooks and rhythms that could induce the need to head-bop in even the stiffest of characters. The Kearny, NJ band gave a grand performance in celebration of their new album Mesmerized, which was released today. Each member seemed absolutely enthralled in the performance as the crowd pogoed and sang along to every word through the set’s entirety. Although lead singer Joe Gehrmann admitted that their shows are few and far between, they’re definitely a band to check out live when they make their random stops around Jersey. Alongside Gehrmann is Dominick Gaglio who shredded on lead guitar, Dan Tretola on rhythm guitar, bassist Walter Dicristina, and drummer Joe Hughes.

Waking Lights’ Nicole jamming out. Photo Courtesy: Henry Baum

It was around 10 p.m. and I was still stabbing at my chicken burrito and slurping down my second magarita. As I began to sink my she-claws into my significant other’s half-full beer, it was time for us to experience Waking Lights in a packed house. This time the band was geared up with a smoke machine to give the crowd a performance filled with gritty passion and a distinct camaraderie that is only seen in the most rare of performances. The band, who humbly only go by their first names on their band bio – Matt (vocals), Dana (drums), Tommy (keyboards), Kyle (bass) and Nicole (violin) – played majority of their debut album, including the twangy “Where It All Began,” the sultry, R&B-infused “Never Meant to Hurt You,” and the harmonic indie gems “We All Die Alone” and “Lady in Rincon.” The band also previewed two new songs that will be on a new, currently unnamed, album. Each member of Waking Lights looked as if they were playing and singing with every bit of their strength. No one stole the show. Instead, they were one complete element, fueling each other until the very last note. Check out this great interview with the band and some bits of their set with the Aquarian Weekly’s Brian Schantz for the publication’s Project Greenroom and download The Rabbit Hole on iTunes.

It’s a rare occasion that I write about an article. Mainly because I find it to be redundant and overall pointless. People read articles to absorb information and form their own opinions about the given subject. But when it comes to pieces that try to give people a true glimpse of the music industry, I try to spread it around — because there’s a lot of things people don’t know. And when I saw this one posted on my friend and Drift Division drummer Corrado Rizzi’s wall, I had to take a stab at it.

AN ENDING FOR ENDERS

Alternative Press’s article “No Money, Mo’ Problems: Why Even Successful Bands Struggle Financially” follows the journey of Ace Enders as he begins to bow out of the independent music world. After the demise of his indie-pop troupe The Early November, Enders began his own project, I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business. His name didn’t do him justice. As he chugged on to “live the dream,” his touring and record sale profits never outnumbered the expenses, creating a financial mess of typical “starving artist” proportions. With a wife and young child, there’s only so long a man can put his dream above all else. On Dec. 21, Enders announced at his show in Teaneck’s Mexicali Live that it would be his last show until further notice.

This story is nothing new. Although the current economic status of our country isn’t the biggest help, the music industry has been hobbling around on its last leg for about a decade now. Torrents and download sites are replacing the record stores, and it seems like more people are looking to Youtube for their “live show experience” than the dive bars that many of us know and love.

However, this article hit me so hard because I was at the Mexicali that night. I saw the lighthearted boy get taken over by sheer gloom while he admitted that it was time to throw in the towel. It was evident and obvious that Enders was meant to be on stage. He had a sheer joy while performing that night, and had the stellar audience interaction to boot. So…why are talented, determined and somewhat successful people like Enders destined to suffer and quit their dreams for a life of monotony?

As AP’s article states, it depends on the artist. It depends on money spent on recording, touring, and designing and ordering merch. It also depends on the amount that other people spend. People meaning the fans. Sure, some people will pay 15 to 20 dollars to see a live performance. But will they buy a CD and/or merch too? This variable may seem small, but mixed with the number of expenses and “important people” to pay, it’s difficult for even the most successful artists, especially in the pop/punk/indie game, to make a substantial living. Say Anything’s Max Bemis, Eisley’s Sherry DuPree Bemis, and Thursday’s Geoff Rickley are examples of artists that were forced to work retail and other side projects to make a living.

THE GREAT SELL-OUT DEBATE

 Some of this year’s most beloved artists including the Black Keys and Vampire Weekend have developed publishing deals and plans to put their tracks in television commercials. Cue the “boo’s” from the peanut gallery. But in today’s industry, that is where the most money comes from and in essence, where the artist can get most control. They decide where their music goes, and they decide how much their music is worth (given the publishing deal they signed…but that’s another story). The Black Keys were nominated for six Grammy’s this year. Was it because their track was in a Zales jewelry commercial? Doubtful. In all actuality, it’s because they’re a talented group that pushed to the revive gritty swamp-rock sound that a lot of people were scared to touch. It’s really that simple!

At the end of the day, I can’t make anyone go to a concert, buy a T-shirt or an album. I may be the only one that salivates beyond control when I see a limited-edition tour poster for sale. But I know how there is nothing more perfect and indescribable than a good live show — and I know I’m not alone in this. Long story short, next show you go to, try and take the leap and buy a shirt or EP. You’d be surprised how much you’d be making their day.

I give endless amounts of credit to Rizzi and a number of my other friends that are fighting to keep their dream alive while striving to entertain anyone that will listen. There’s not only talent, but an unlimited amount of love and passion in every note sung and each snare hit. On that note (pun intended) the Drift Division EP is only 5 dollars! And you can download the Escape Directors’ debut album Ladders for free on their site.

It may seem odd — with me being a full-on feminine female (a bit redundant, yes?) — that I gave this post such a headline. However, it’s detrimental that I say in the beginning that I still watch these shows in a religious and sometimes repetitive manner.The Rachel Zoe Project, Millionaire Matchmaker, Tabatha’s Salon Takeover — anything on Bravo, actually — is part of my weekly TV regimen. However, it’s becoming clear to me that reality TV is beginning to focus less on the “real” and  “fantastic,” and more on the catty and unnecessary conflict. As a result, I get jittery and agitated as I watch. Sometimes, I even have to leave the room out of frustration or secondhand-embarrassment.

Primary example of this is the Real Housewives saga. It began with Orange County. Silly, orange women, whose biggest worries are that the Versace blouse they want isn’t in their size. Or -blast- they’re all out of the tuna tar tar. But as we normal folk in TV land moved into the homes of “career women” in New York and Atlanta, it was evident that the petty cat fights began to pop up even more.

But is this factually correct? Are career women more apt to petty fights and catty behavior simply because they have more to defend? Do ladies with big dreams feel the need to show their teeth on a daily basis to prove their worth? Let’s look at the example of the New York version of the show. Most of the women had their business ventures — Jill Zarin with her furniture and fabrics business, Ramona Singer with her retail and jewelry ventures, and Alex McCord who did graphic design and merchandising for Victoria’s Secret and Limited Brand (she was laid off during the show). There were some floaters, let’s face it. Former models, trophy wives (and ex-wives) of big-name men. However, there was one “housewife” that began to blossom as the seasons progressed. Bethenny Frankel began as a gourmet and organic chef and moved into the diet and fitness realm with her Skinny Girl brand. Did any one else notice that the more she ventured into her own success, the more frequently the cat fights occurred? As her brand developed, her friendship with Jill deteriorated and the other women were swift to start conflict. Is there a connection? Are these women defending their “success” and territory? Well guess what folks, she’s developed her own show and now the other housewives are left on their own. And you know what? It looks even more unnecessary and self-indulgent than ever. Now what? Who cares.

To live the life of a perfect and desirable female (in TV land, that is) your career doesn’t mean a thing unless you have the man waiting for you at the end of the day. That’s right, you men are always the cause of cat fights. We need to protect our men from the pesky females that run amok in their stripper gear and tempt you with them goodies. And I think I just lost brain cells saying that.

Anyways, yes, men break friendships for a number of reasons — especially in the “teen” reality realm. Guys either take girls away from their friends after they get in a relationship, or friends are fighting over the same guy. Hook-ups cause friend break-ups. Whatever happened to chicks before dicks? Jersey Shore is what happened. And with Sammi alienating herself from the rest of the crew to be with meat-head Ronnie, she has become Fist-Pumping Enemy Number One.

The MTV phenomenon brought TV-goers into the mythical and legendary world of Jersey. We all tan, have fake nails and wear clothes that give us muffin-tops, right? Granted, I do have elements of stereotypical Jersey. I work at a gym, I love diner food and I do enjoy a random shore trip (mainly to take pictures of the funny folk I come across). But I’ve never been a club-hopper and I’ve never been one to “hook up.” I hate when strangers touch me — but that’s another story. But to outsiders, Jersey girls are loud, obnoxious, jealous and drunkards. The perfect combo for reality television.

As most readers may know, the season premiere of Jersey Shore was this past Thursday. Nothing’s really changed since they departed from Miami. Sammi Sweetheart is still battling it out with Snooki and J-Woww, The Situation is still dumb and borderline pedo-status, Ronnie is a smooshy enabler and eggs Sammi on, and Vinny and Pauly are still awesome and my ideal examples of my potential man-BFFs. But viewers are also introduced to Deena, Snooki’s friend and partner in crime. She’s tan and stumpy just like her counterpart, but her face strongly resembles Jack Nicholson’s as the Joker. Get the image and never forget it, cause it’ll push the image of her naked body out of your retinas. This is a case of lesser of two evils my friend. But I digress. Deena’s trying to smoosh with Vinny after she “accidentally” takes her clothes off in front of The Situation. She makes her advances with poor, soggy Snooki in the hot tub with them, while she knows Snooki has feelings for Vinny. Snooki goes on to scream at Vinny and stand by Deena in her smear campaign and eventual finger-waggin’ brawl against Sammi. But…but…but…?

Am I alone in this confusion? Does no one see the hypocrisy in this? The female characterizations in Jersey Shore are the prime examples of illogical and unintelligent females that act inconsiderately merely for attention. Consequences? We don’t got ‘em here! We just listen to Katy Perry and do shots in hooker boots. We only look out for our fellow females when they share our hatred for someone that wants to go under the radar. Regardless, I still watch. Wanna know why? Because like the Animal Planet, the lives of people like this fascinate me. I would never have the gall to “live without regrets” in this manner, nor speak to other human beings the way they do. Wanna know why? Because I simply don’t have it in me. Don’t get me wrong, I can defend myself — and if antagonized enough, I could throw a decent punch. But when it comes to grazing the surface of this Earth, I will never seek out a fight when a simple discussion is in order. But hey, at least Angelina isn’t there anymore.

Although I’m a female that contains catty and passive-aggressive tendencies, I’m also incredibly non-confrontational. It will take the largest and most inescapable issues to make me face the noise of my own drama and come out with it. So to see women slug it out verbally and take the most petty of jabs to make themselves feel better about their own insecurities is just…sad. More so, it makes my heart race, my stomach drop and my face get flushed as if I’m thrown right in the middle with the poor saps involved.

Do I stop watching? Of course not. I’ve just learned to accept the fact that I need to stock up on heartburn medication before starting the DVR. More importantly, reality TV has given me the ultimate guideline of what NOT to do as a modern woman. So thanks for that. Plus, it beats the shit out of Glee.

To my fellow indulgers, I wish you luck. And don’t forget the Maalox.

Happy watching!

After sparking the revival of Mickey Rourke in 2008’s The Wrestler,  Darren Aronofsky has returned to his beloved and distinct style, which burst into the mainstream with his drug-induced opus, Requiem for a Dream. Although he has veered away from the concept of broken dreams, he instead investigates the psyche of a young ballerina, desperate for perfection to make sure her dream takes flight.

Natalie Portman stars in this critically-acclaimed thriller/drama/fantasy flick as frail and doe-eyed Nina Sayers, who relentlessly practices to increase her chance of dance-stardom. With a strict diet and a damaged diaphragm, she wins the lead as The Swan Queen in a city ballet company’s adaptation of Swan Lake. But show director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) is unsure of his decision since she is “too uptight” to follow his ground-breaking concept to have the White Swan and the Black Swan played by the same dancer. In turn, she becomes obsessed with proving him wrong and staying ahead of her top competition — California dancer Lily (Mila Kunis). While Nina’s exact movements and gleaming innocence is ideal for the White Swan, Lily’s carefree attitude and effortless sensuality makes her a top choice as the Black Swan.

Aronofsky shows viewers a twisted hybrid of grim ballerina life and competitive female frenemies. Nina pushes her body to the limit to show she is worthy of her role. At the same time, Lily is observing her every move and inches into her life to form a twisted relationship filled with venomous rivalry and dangerous attraction.

“I got a little homework assignment for you. Go home and touch yourself. Live a little,” Leroy tells Nina after a grueling and unsuccessful rehearsal. The more she inches towards discovering her true sexual being, she moves closer to the line of becoming out of touch with her innocent self, and more towards her inner Black Swan.

Aronofsky meshes the boundaries between Nina’s fantastical deep thoughts and desires, and real life, making her life gradually crumble the more obsessed she becomes with perfection. Will she be the perfect Swan Queen? Will she be remembered? Will she be loved? She will, if she has anything to do with it. But with this relentless determination comes danger, with Aronofsky asking at what price will we pay for timeless perfection?

To some, the direction and overall concept of Black Swan  is too far-fetched and unrealistic. However, the power of Aronofsky’s work  lies in the representation of each moment of fantasy and outrageousness  — Nina’s inner self being taken over by an unstoppable force, much like the White Swan. In essence, fantasy is becoming reality and literally taking over her identity. While this happens, her outside world is shaken and effected, showing that with every action, there is an opposite reaction.

It’s vital that viewers don’t just watch this film. Instead, they should observe, note subtle (yet important) details, and most importantly, talk with friends, family, spouses, etc., after a first viewing. You will see that you will pick up new things each time and undoubtedly learn something new after each viewing. If that doesn’t make a classic film, what does?

Usually I try to confine this blog to the realm of popular culture — music, film, books. If anything, for focus purposes and to practice my “main craft.” But after reading on Glamour’s Vitamin G blog of Isabelle Caro’s passing, something shook me. She was 28 years old.

I was never fully aware of Caro’s story, and merely read of the French actress/model’s controversial photos for an anti-anorexia ad campaign in Italy. The image is blunt, harsh and real. Some responded negatively, disgusted that a company would openly and freely display the image. However some women were surprised and more importantly found solace…they weren’t alone.

This past Thursday I went to Karaoke Night at a small and somewhat dumpy bar/restaurant in Fairlawn, N.J. Despite groans from my boyfriend when he became aware that we were going to listen to drunkards sing along to Ke$ha at 11 p.m., we made plans to meet the standard group of friends we usually go out with. Little did we know that we would be the most vivacious people in attendance, besides a 60-something-year-old man that liked to bump and grind to Lady Gaga and Rockabilly revival.

To some, the principles and overall methodology of karaoke is sacred. There are several titles covering important concepts and rules, including an in-depth analysis of the entertainment within Chinese culture, written by William Paterson University professor of Communication Theory, Dr. Casey Lum (whom was also my professor). However to others karaoke nights are just excuses for them to go to empty dive bars, consume the cheapest vodka possible, and make fools of themselves by rocking out to the greatest hits while their friends laugh at (not with) them. The latter characterization was me — minus the whole rocking out thing.

As I explained to my friend Nick of the Escape Directors, I get extreme performance anxiety. No matter how small the audience, my throat dries and closes up, my voice quivers and I forget the lyrics. Simply not an ideal situation for all parties involved. But at the same time I found myself peering over my friends’ shoulders, looking at the blessed “song binder” to see which songs I would perform as my karaoke debut. But alas, the bible never fell in my lap and I couldn’t muster up the courage to step up to the mic. So now’s the time for me to lay out what I would perform if I had (figurative) balls of steel and became a hard-core karaoke champ. Keep in mind, these were in no way analyzed — songs chosen are merely tracks I have found myself singing and dancing to in the privacy of my own home and car. Readers of this blog now I’m mainly a rock girl, but this entry will cover not only rock, but the top five pop and rap/R&B tracks. Is this thing on?

Rock
1. “The Stroke” Billy Squier: First thing that comes to mind is the epic “first day of high school” scene in Billy Madison. But the guitar lick is contagious and it’s just one of those tracks that can make even the most belligerently drunk folks head bang to the beat and sing “Stroke me, stroke me.” 

2. “Pour Some Sugar On Me” Def Leppard: Another unnecessarily yet amazingly dirty song. Although this song has kind of been done to death, from being synched in Coyote Ugly to On The Line starring the once-straight Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, it’s so freakin’ easy to see why. Come on, people! Listen to it! Can’t you just see some trashy chick chuggin’ $2 PBR’s grinding the mic stand to this while garbling the lyrics? Karaoke gold!

3. “Livin’ On A Prayer” Bon Jovi: Do I really need to get into this? Jersey chick aside, this song has such an epic build up. Not only can singers shout the chorus and finger point to the audience, they can (attempt to) seductively croon the verse. Beautiful.

4. “Fat Bottomed Girls” Queen: Everyone who even slightly knows of my existence knows my devotion to Queen. I’ve been wearing out their CDs and collecting vinyls and T-shirts since my pre-teen, disgustingly angsty years. The heartbeat-thumping drums interlace perfectly with the guitars. Throw in your best Freddie Mercury voice and a little bit of booty bouncing and you’ve got the perfect performance.

Honorable mentions:

“My Sharona” The Knack
“American Woman” by The Guess Who
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” by Meatloaf
“Dude Looks Like A Lady” by Aerosmith
“You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC

Pop

1. “Whip It” Devo: Okay, okay, I know this isn’t necessarily a “pop” song, but its bass lick is too contagious and the lyrics too outrageous to be a flat-out rock song. Within the first five seconds, I can guarantee that 75 percent of any audience will start grooving in their seats (or out of them, if they’re feeling feisty). Crack that whip!

2. “Love Shack” B-52s: Another band that can easily fall within the dance/alternative sector, but hey, this is my blog. And to be honest, the B-52s in my eyes are the epitome of pop perfection. Dance beats, experimental and whacky lyrics, and outrageously colorful characters. Come on, how fun is it to impersonate Fred Schneider?

3. “Hit Me Baby (One More Time)” Britney Spears: More current, but still a classic.

4. “La La” Ashlee Simpson: Read the commentary on “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and it will apply to this contagious dance track. However, the likelihood of said drunk girl going on the prowl and sinking her claws into some poor, unaware male is far more likely.

 5. “Toxic” Britney Spears: It may seem like I’m cheating by putting two Brit-Brit songs in one five-song countdown, but this chick is the ideal in terms of seductive yet innocent and fun pop music. Isn’t that what karaoke is all about?

6. “Bad Romance” Lady Gaga: This is the song to sing if you’re feeling saucy and are determined to show off. The bridge leads up to the most perfect “star moment” that I have heard in at least the last five years. This is by no means honorable mention. This is top notch stuff. Use with caution.

For the classic-lovers…
If you don’t wanna touch that modern stuff, here are the obvious top choices I would proudly get on stage and shriek along to.

“Like a Virgin” by Madonna
“Beat It” by Michael Jackson
“Little Red Corvette” by Prince
“Straight Up” by Paula Abdul

Hip-hop/Rap/R&B

1. “Push It” Salt-N-Pepa: We all know the notoriety of this song. Not only is it a fantastic dance track, it will show your sex appeal and your rap skills. If you don’t believe me, check out this scene from Grandma’s Boy. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that?

2. “Baby Got Back” Sir Mix-A-Lot: Seriously, who doesn’t like this song? Seriously.

3. “Notorious” Notorious B-I-G: Only skilled emcees need apply. I don’t care how drunk you are, this isn’t for the faint at heart.

4. “99 Problems” Jay-Z: See above explanation.

5. “Woo-Ha” Busta Rhymes: Okay, this song is merely wishful thinking. Honestly, my goal for 2011 is to be able to perfectly perform this track. At least now I have something to work towards!

These “lists” may be vague. However, these were the songs that stuck out most for me in terms of most contagious, danceable, fun and just overall awesome. I don’t want to hear any schmucks singing Journey’s “Open Arms” while crying into their glass of house merlot. If you’re gonna cry, don’t cry on the stage. I’ll be busy rockin’ out to Def Lep. Bartender, another vodka soda please!

Happy singing, folks!