Gashouse Radio: My aMUSEment !

I’m almost tempted to buy a new car because my current one does not have an AUX port. Why is that so important? Mainly it’s because of my disdain for terrestrial radio (conventional radio broadcast over the airwaves). In the past I generally listened to sports or talk radio in the car or listened to CDs, but when I tire of those outlets for entertainment on my two hour daily commute, I’m left without any sort of “noise” except the tires on pavement or the grinding of my shot wheel bearings. Wouldn’t it be great if I could listen to a radio station that not only played some cool songs by established artists, but also add in the music of our great Philly Area Independent Music Scene? Well I found my outlet with Gashouse Radio, and a set of ear buds until a new (used) car presents itself.

It is no secret that I am also a performer, I am a singer songwriter, guitarist and vocalist playing under the moniker Just Jay aka Jay Regan. In preparation of launching my first solo CD “Dreams & Nightmares” I did a Google search for internet radio stations taking song submissions. One that came up on the top of the list was Gashouse Radio, so I sent in a few tracks. Some time went by but I received an email from Gashouse saying they were going to feature my song on their Radar segment, where new music is played and people are encouraged to vote on the songs via their website or the Gashouse Radio Smartphone apps, with thumbs up and thumbs down icons.  So as any artist/band would do I tuned in (or browsed in, not sure of the nomenclature of Internet radio) to hear my song.

Going further, without a bit of back story on Gashouse, would be an oversight so here goes.  According to their website Gashouse was inspired and conceived by Dustin Dellinger late in 2009. Like me, he was tired of radio and his stale playlists form his Ipod. He brought on board his friend and fellow band mate from the band Case of the Monday’s Jim Haas, as their bio states “because he can talk till he’s blue in the face” a good thing for live shows where silence, even for a millisecond, seems like the cessation of all broadcasts from the effect of electromagnetic pulse after the first missile strikes during Judgment Day or perhaps I’m overstating . . .

Anyway, their concept was to play local artists alongside music from established acts, but they would incorporate a no repeat guarantee that listeners would not hear the same song more than once a day. As Gashouse has grown there have been a number of changes but currently they feature regular song rotation and a mix of special programmed shows featuring guest host. But their flagship show is Gashouse Live.

So back to me and my music and me for a bit; so I tune in Gashouse Live (weekdays at 6:00) to hear my song, and as I am casually listening, and my first impression, generally because I was expecting a somewhat juvenile or less than professional experience, was a pleasant one.  To my ears a very profession, well produced live show. Dustin has a very pleasing and natural vocal style; he keeps the show on track (not an easy task sometimes), making sure to announce all the pertinent information on the bands, upcoming events and the songs. Jim’s deadpan and honest interjections add an edge to the show that keeps things funny and informative.  They also incorporate a Chat room app, where you will find logged on, members of the local bands, promoters, music supporters, other hosts, and listeners of the station. Dustin and Jim share chat room posts into the show and this makes for an interesting and fun interactive experience.  I am often in the chat and not only has it been a fun experience but it has also helped me make some great connections in my musical career.

Along with the Gashouse Live program and the streaming of music, Gashouse also has acoustic performances from local bands, they also bring in local music promoters and band representative for interviews or to guest chair Gashouse Live, and they host and present band performances and open mics at venues like Connie’s Ric Rac, Dave & Buster’s Dockside, Finnigan’s Wake and others. They have a lot on their plate; you can tell there is a deep passion for our local music scene that is driving their success.

When I started this Blog I immediately realized that much of the information I got about our Philly Area Local Music Scene was gleaned from listening to Gashouse or from the contacts I had made from Gashouse so they not only have inspired me to write this blog and to contribute to help our locals music scene but they have help my music career and provided me with worthwhile entertainment.  Not bad! I’ve also have had the opportunity to meet both Dustin and Jim at the studio when I performed live and at a number of events at the various music venues when I have supported other bands. You can tell they are both the “real deal” their desire to grow our music scene and the commitment to growing Gashouse alongside is genuine. They are approachable, funny, and cool dudes and I look forward to getting to know them better in the future.

So if you have never heard of Gashouse I recommend, most highly, for you to tune in and visit their website and get more detailed information about Gashouse Radio.  Since I’ve only revealed the tip of the iceberg in this already way longer than I thought I could write blog entry.

GO LISTEN TO GASHOUSE NOW

EP Review: Light Years and Heavy Lifting by Only On Weekends

I became aware of the band Only On Weekends during a radio interview on Gashouse Radio prior to their gig at Connie’s Ric Rac last Friday, July 18, 2014.  I’m not certain what band member was speaking during the interview but what drew my attention were a couple of things he stated.

Their release “Light Years and Heavy Lifting” is available on Bandcamp for NAME YOUR PRICE.  Those not familiar, Name Your Price allow the artist/band to allow the purchaser to enter whatever price they want for the download. You can enter 0$ and get the music for free or hopefully pay an amount above that. When asked how many people paid for the release, the band said that some had, but what was important was getting the music out there so people can hear it. I am very familiar with the concept because it’s how I feel about it as well, as my current release is up on Bandcamp for Name Your Price too.

The other thing? Apparently the band has an elaborate light show which attaches to the drummers kit, which is triggered by either the drummer or by whatever drum he hits (I’m not sure of the exact operation). When asked if they were going to utilize the light show, they stated that they couldn’t run it without the drummer’s kit. When Dustin of Gashouse Radio suggested they speak with the other bands so they could use their kit, the band said that they wanted to do what was best for the show and the other bands and didn’t want to press the issue. Right there is another thing that makes a successful music scene, everyone pulling together for the sake of the show not for themselves. No one likes prima-donna douche bag bands.

With the inspiration of hearing from a band that “gets it”, I downloaded (and paid for) their EP and I have the following review.

The band classifies their sound as alternative pop punk, alternative rock and I think that’s a pretty fair description. To my ears I hear the inspiration of bands like Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Fountains of Wayne, etc. The songs are up tempo with catchy hooks, nice vocals and backups, and an anthem -like gang vocal here and there. A couple songs included some vintage organ sounds in the background which was something cool to add to the primarily guitar based songs.  The songs are fun but with lyrics that exudes the angst of youth and a bit of irony thrown in . . .

For me the song that stood out was Good For You as a slight departure from the other faster paced tracks. The band has a number of live events coming up I’m sure they are one of those bands that kicks it live. All in all a very solid release with good production, instrumentation, writing and cool cover art to boot.  One you’ll want to add to your collections but please pay more than 0$!

http://www.onlyonweekends.com/

 

The Defused & Magnificent Birds of Prey Split Show – Hard Rock Café Philly – 7/17/14

I actually didn’t even know Philly had a Hard Rock Café, I’ve been to the ones in LA, Cancun, and Vegas, but then again I’ve never seen the Liberty Bell either, so I am no authority on Philly’s hot spots! For some reason I don’t usually get on Market Street on the East side of City Hall very often.

However I was so happy to be there on Thursday, July 17^th for the Defused and Magnificent Birds of Prey split show, something I had been looking forward to for a few weeks. I originally heard of the pairing of two popular local Philly bands a couple of months back while listening to Gashouse Radio (www.gashouseradio.com)  and immediately thought it was a great idea. For those of you who do not know the concept, the two bands teamed up to record and release an EP and now are following up that release by playing shows together, one of which is the before mentioned show at the Hard Rock.

I have to say that the concept of two bands teaming up is great, not only for the idea of cross promotion and the sharing of expenses but for the fact that the bands could put aside egos and have enough respect for each other to even have an EP and show come to fruition. I haven’t had a chance to listen to the EP, as of yet, but have heard a few tracks on Gas House Radio, I look forward to exploring the other tracks when I have the EP in hand.

The first band to take the stage was the Defused, with members Chris LaFrancis, Kelly LaFrancis, Jason Zito and Travis Peters. I have known of the Defused for a while now but my schedule was never clear when they were playing so I was very interested in seeing them play, as I’m a big fan of their music. My wife and I planned on seeing the Hard Rock Café show together but unfortunately a baby sitter issue prevented my wife from attending.  My wife in particular was dying to see Kelly play drums, as a female drummer is something you don’t see every day on the local music scene. I’m sure my wife would have been as impressed as I with Kelly’s playing and timing as it was top notch.

The band went through a set of around ten songs including a number of ones I recognized from their 10 track CD, Autumn Tree http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thedefused including the title track 1984 and the catchy 8-Bit Luv, and also the new song The Killer (with its anthem-like scream LET’S GO!) from the Split EP release. The band was tight, fortified by Kelly and Travis’ playing, rhythm and fills provided by Jason, and Chris’ awesome guitar work and excellent vocals. The venues sound was right on, being loud enough so you could hear and feel the performance, but not overbearing, even though I was about 20 feet from the stage.

The band played energized, fueled by a good sized crowd, fortified by a who’s who of local musicians.  Isn’t it great to see the other bands support each other?  That is what is key in having an excellent local music scene, everyone needs to support each other. The Defused Website

Next up on this two band bill was the Magnificent Birds of Prey. I am less familiar with the Magnificent Birds of Prey (MBOP).  I did watch a video I was given by Dustin at Gashouse Radio of their performance at the World Café Live back in 2013 so I had some familiarity of their style and material. MBOP is made up of Carl Kunz, Lyle Kelch, Joel Adams and surprisingly Chris LaFrancis pulling double duty as front person for The Defused and playing bass with MBOP.

Their set started off with drummer Joel Adams serenading the crowd on bagpipes, a novel approach to starting a show. I understand Chris is a newer addition to the MBOP lineup but he and Joel seemed to be as tight as the video I saw from the World Café Live.  I am really impressed by Joel’s drumming, which lends itself to the overall power and groove of the band.

Their music is melodic and catchy, filled with interesting textures and lyrical elements. Just looking at the size of Carl and Lyle’s pedal board I knew that there would be some interesting sonic filled guitar work and I was not disappointed. The set ended as it began with Joel concluding the night with a farewell blast of the pipes and as the patrons filtered out with huge smiles and leaving everyone anticipating the next time these two great Philly local bands hit the stage again. The MBOP Website

Piano man: Tim Kaye

What a way to start off my blog featuring  a singer songwriter from Baltimore, this is supposed to be a Philly music blog, but I direct your attention to the title Philly AREA Independent Music Scene, and I consider anywhere I can drive to in a hour or so to be local, save New York because it cost way too much in tolls to get there.

I had the pleasure of meeting and performing with Tim Kaye at the M Room in Philadelphia on June 27, 2014. Tim began the night playing solo on piano and vocals. Not your usual fare for live music venues but that’s a good thing. The M Room promoters Forward Productions/Gravity Given seems to mix things up, which is good.

Tim blew me away with his musical talent on piano but he is also a real good singer as well. His playing reminded me of Elton John and Billy Joel, but with a more contemporary feel. His stage presence was fun and inviting, if not campy, that really engaged the audience, which was made up primarily of band members, not normally an easy sell.  He has a theatrical style and his songs were catchy. I also had the pleasure of trading CD’s with Tim and found myself recently listening to his EP “The Single Engine Piano EP” on one of my daily commutes to work. Having a 2 hour daily commute does have its merits sometimes.

Tim’s CD includes 5 tracks, and is minimalist with just Tim on piano and vocals.  the songs are catchy and fun and to my ear a bit tongue in cheek, I found myself singing along and adding harmonies, which is an annoying habit I have when listening to music. Tim definitely knows his way around the piano, I’d love to hear him backed by a rhythm section, not to say that the songs don’t hold their own, they do.

Needless to say listen to Tim’s CD or seeing him live is definitely something you want to do when you get the chance. He will be playing dates in the Philly area in the near future. Info about Tim can be found at his website.

Tim’s Website       

Why another Philly music blog?

I guess the answer to that is that there is still a lot of music, bands, and performers in the Philadelphia local area that don’t get much attention or focus. I wanted an outlet for these bands who have a lot of talent but for some reason maybe don’t get the following. Maybe some is there own fault it takes a lot of hard work and promotion to get a following. Maybe they are just older and find it hard to get their circle of friends out to shows. Maybe they don’t know how to best promote themselves. maybe people are closed-minded. Who knows?

There can be many reasons, I know first hand, I was in a band in the early 90’s that had a lot of local and regional success, not because we were the most talented band on the scene but because we worked a little harder on the promotion end. We found that good things kind of fell into our laps because people recognized how hard we worked and at the end of the day we brought people out to our shows. We were also in our twenties it was easy to get 5-10 of my friends and family out to our shows, multiply that number by 4 other band mates, and friends of friends and we started off with a good following. But when your in your twenties, with out kids and a lot of commitments its easy to go out, and party, and still be able to function the next day. As you get older its more difficult to start off with that base of fans. I see it myself, as a new performer I really don’t have much, if any, local following, and begging my friends and family to come to shows is hard, my older friends have kids, multiple jobs, and not much time for heading out on a weeknight to watch me and others perform.

This area is lucky to have a great background of committed people

I recently started performing my original music, this time doing solo shows (occasionally with a backing band). Its funny to be playing some of the same places I played in the early 90’s the scene has changed so much. There are literally a ton of great local Philly bands. As it was in the 90’s the local terrestrial airwaves ignore our great homegrown music, but that’s another story. This area is lucky to have a great background of committed people that are keeping the scene vital and moving in the right direction. The bands work hard and from what I can see a good number of them help support and promote the other bands, and performers. I’ve seen it already in my short time back in the scene and I absolutely love it.  I try to reciprocate, and my wife and I have been to a number of shows and have seen some great performers and bands. I enjoy playing and meeting the people playing with me when I play out. I wanted to be able to add more to our music community so I thought a blog highlighting my thoughts and experiences seeing  and playing with bands would help these bands, and myself build up our local Philly music scene.

Its my way to give back and an outlet for the music that is my real passion in life. I also want to make sure that music isn’t being ignore because it doesn’t fit into a particular genre or maybe it’s not “cool enough” for those little black bispeckled, bearded hipsters, that look down on any music that doesn’t fit into their neatly molded musical loving brain. Sure there are some genres of music I don’t “get”, but i try and keep an open mind and I can generally find something in a genre of music that either I like or respect. That my friends is why another Philly music blog.  

Jay