Meet…
New Jersey is Bursting With Talent!
Meet… Sohma
They call themselves “sparkle-pop.” Sohma, from Bloomfield, have just released their debut single, “Overexposure” (7hz Recordings). It’s an airy puff of sweetness from singer Jess Kenny, whose whispery vocals deliver the goods in a sensual way that clings to the ear like a moist q-tip. Mike Baron is her musical partner. Kyle McCammon is the producer and his light touch manifests itself into a dreamy soundscape.
Meet… jimrosch
He comes out of Westfield secure in the knowledge that his songs are valid, profound, melodic, entertaining and of substance. His musical fluidity comes from his trio but also from somewhere down deep…with literate narratives delivered in a guitar-centric universe where Tom Verlaine and Al Green vie for supremacy within his soul. This is adult fare.
Meet… Joseph Luca
Joseph Luca—from Ho-Ho-Kus in Bergen County—is a rather unique artist. His music is vulnerable, sensual and seeks to find the freedom inherent in loving whoever the hell you want despite pressures from a repressive society. Genre? Call it alternative soul-pop. Is he the new George Michael?
Meet… LUI
Rapper LUI, from Orange in Essex County, just may be the future of hip-hop. The bilingual rapper, born in the slums of Peru, whose 2018 `Thoughts In My Head’ and 2019 `Time To Eat’ were both well-received, has grown as an artist with each project. Now comes `Graduation: The American Dream.’ But we’ll let LUI introduce himself.
Meet… Afloat
This indie-rock band out of Cherry Hill in Camden County has already toured the Midwest. Lately, they’ve been busy writing. Influenced by punk and emo, they have more on their minds than mono-chromatic ballsiness. Between their vocals and instrumental prowess, there’s room to move and experiment. Born in 2018, Afloat’s latest tune, “Mouth Shut,” is irresistible.
Meet… Adrian Danon
Adrian Danon, 28, calls himself “a Jersey boy through and through,” having been raised near Montclair and now living in Jersey City. He told Jim Testa at NJ.com, “I started taking guitar lessons at 12 or 13 but wound up quitting at least a dozen times. I was so frustrated. My hands wouldn’t do what they were supposed to do. I just wasn’t getting it. And then one day it was just, `Eureka!’ It all fell into place. I started writing my own songs at around 17 or 18.”
Meet… Window Weather
Jersey City is busting out all over with all kinds of bands, one of which is Window Weather. WW is helmed by the sultry vocals of Georgia Sebesky and the harmony of her songwriter partner, guitarist Evan Dibbs. With new drummer Samir Tawalare, the 10-track Out From Under debut is smart, catchy, memorable and promising.
Meet… Reg Mason
Our state is known for music, tomatoes, beaches and diners, among other things. In rapper/singer/producer Reg Mason’s new video for “STE” featuring JTT, he’s in a diner, The White Rose System Diner, to be exact, in Roselle, sharing fries with a hottie. It’s a first date.
Meet… Mihali
He lives in Vermont now but Mihali will never let the Jersey out of his soul. When’s the last time you met an artist who wrote such a solid song about the town he’s from. “Maplewood” is the song. Maplewood is also the town in Essex County where he’s from. He’s a singer, songwriter, guitarist and reggae lover whose band Twiddle put him on the musical map. Now he’s solo and the sky’s the limit.
Meet… Reese Van Riper
Reese Van Riper have 11 albums and over 100 songs. Their gritty “Jersey Swamp Rock” sound is dark, oftentimes eerie, definitely hard-charging and filled with rock’n’roll smarts. Vocalist Papa Reese is a mountain of a man, six foot seven inches of pure aggression tempered by elements of Alice Cooper, the New Orleans Radiators and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Meet… Bobby Syvarth
Deep in the wilds of Morris County there’s a small place called Jefferson Township. In 2007, singer-songwriter Bobby Syvarth was a long way away from this hometown of his as he was in the process of recording in the sacred Southern California foothills of Laurel Canyon with producer Bruce Witkin on his debut for Unison Records, a label that the producer had started with Johnny Depp. Fifteen years later, his sophomore effort, Silver Lake Boulevard, came out last year and his new single, “I Like,” with Elliott Peck on vocals, will come out April 28.
Meet… Dreams Of Venus
Heavy psychedelic stoner rock. Lots of wah-wah pedal. Two-part vocal harmony. All accentuated by what band guitarist Addie Flaxx calls the “Wooly Mammoth” of Schulman’s bass. Voila! Power Trio Extraordinaire!
Meet… Erika Sherger
A high-school physics teacher by day, and an independent troubadour at night with two albums out, Erika Lee Sherger resides in that confessional singer-songwriter zone where she lays naked her emotions to write about her own shortcomings, riding her blind horse, withstanding a friend’s suicide and losing her mom. Genre-wise, this Morris County (Boonton Township) resident is solid Americana. Call it alt-country or indie-folk if you want. ‘Bad Wolf’ is the follow-up to her 2021 ‘Like Birds’ debut.
Meet… Juniper
She’s still in Montclair High School but Juniper is already on her second album, She Steals Candy. And she has a lot of friends helping her out: Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Page Burkum (Cactus Blossoms), Greg Townson (Los Straitjackets), Chris Geddes (Belle and Sebastian), Steve Goulding (Mekons), John Perrin (NRBQ), Alex Hall (JD McPherson’s band) and Dennis Diken (Smithereens).
Meet… Eli Bramnick
Eli Bramnick is from Princeton Junction in Mercer County. A graduate of School Of Rock Princeton, an after-school music program, he’s a perfect example of what hard work and dedication to music can lead to.
Meet… Charlie & Margot
Charlie & Margot is, in actuality, one person: Matteo DeBenedetti. He left Mount Arlington, a small town in Morris County, for the wilds of Asbury Park years ago. He records as Charlie & Margot (those are the names of his dogs). Although the album, Joyride, isn’t due until April 7, one track, “Lonely,” shows a wealth of talent.
Meet… Phoneboy
The sleepy hamlet of Toms River hasn’t given the world that many pop stars but if Phoneboy has their way, stardom is only days down the road. They’re ready.
Meet… Brynn Stanley
This Jersey Girl singer/songwriter/actress graduated Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison before honing her vocal chops on both coasts to crowds who quickly fell under her sway.
Meet… Groovy
The electric genre mash of hip-hop and Jersey Club music has resulted in a love letter to The Garden State by young star-of-the-future Groovy from Union. The new single is called “jersey luv” and it is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a deliciously schizophrenic pastiche of R’n’B, Neo-Pop and house.
Meet… Tammy Faye Starlite
She comes out of Hoboken a singer, a comic, an actor, a performance artist and a provocateur, with songs like “God Has Lodged a Tenant in My Uterus” and “Did I Shave My Vagina For This?” Her many characters—including 1960s icons Marianne Faithful and Nico of The Velvet Underground—run the gamut from a far-right QAnon supporter to a deranged Israeli cabaret singer. She is all of them and she is none of them. She is a mystery.