Episode 65: Pynkie

In Episode 65, Tom had the pleasure of chatting with New Jersey bedroom pop artist, PYNKIE! After picking up a guitar in her late teens, PYNKIE immediately began writing and self-producing her own songs by using Audacity and other free recording software. In recent years, she's gained notoriety for her heartfelt, personal home style recordings on platforms such as Soundcloud. Earlier this year, PYNKIE released her debut album, Neoteny, which you can download via Bandcamp, or purchase on cassette via Gnar Tapes or Plastic Response Records! Tune in to hear PYNKIE perform three songs from Neoteny, “Looney Tune,” “Warm,” and “Dew,” live in the Look At My Records! studio! Plus, hear all about her origins, her first time recording in a studio, and her great album picks!

PYNKIE’s next gig is on December 11th at Elsewhere with Toast and Silver!

Thank you so much to Lindsay for stopping by the LAMR studio! We had a blast!!

Neoteny

Episode 64: Glenn Morrow

Episode 64 of Look At My Records! is the fourth in a series of episodes previewing the upcoming North Jersey Indie Rock Festival.  The annual festival is now in its third year and is happening at White Eagle Hall on Saturday October 6th.

For the fourth and final installment, I chatted with the wonderful Glenn Morrow.  I can't think of a more fitting way to wrap up this series of preview episodes, as who knows where music in Hudson County would be without Glenn? Would we even be having this festival on Saturday?!

Glenn got his start in the late 70s, when he moved to Hoboken and formed The A Band with Rob Norris, Richard Barone, and Frank Giannini. They would be the very first group to ever play at Maxwell’s, paving the way for countless other bands and musicians to grace its stage.  From there, Glenn fronted other bands including The Individuals and a solo project, Rage To Live, in addition to his work as President of Bar None Records.  

Glenn currently fronts Glenn Morrow’s Cry For Help, who released their debut self-titled album in 2017 on Rhyme or Reason Records. They just released a brand new song, “Yellowed Pages,” and have a slew of other new songs up their sleeves! 

Lots of awesome stories in this episode, so tune in to hear all about how Glenn turned Michael Stipe on to the Replacements, his discovery of They Might Be Giants, some Alex Chilton stories, and much more!

Don’t miss Glenn Morrow’s Cry For Help tomorrow at the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival!

You can purchase the band’s debut album via Rhyme & Reason Records.

Episode 63: Glazer

Episode 63 of Look At My Records! is the third in a series of episodes previewing the upcoming North Jersey Indie Rock Festival.  The annual fest is now in its third year and is happening at White Eagle Hall on Saturday, October 6th!

For the third installment, I chatted with New Brunswick's Glazer! These shredders are about a year removed from the release of their awesome debut LP, "On A Prairie, Live In Dirt." How's it hold up? We all agreed, it holds up PRETTY DAMN WELL!!! Tune in to hear all about the band's formation, the recording of their debut album, and their label State Champion Records! Plus, some fun and exciting record selections, including songs by X, The Scientists, and Sebadoh!

In addition to the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival, you can see Glazer live at the following gigs:

October 12th, 2018 - Kal Marks, The Royal They, Glazer, Resounding No At In The West 7:30pm

November 3rd, 2018 - Glazer, Mover Shaker, Teenage Halloween, Old Joy at The Roadhouse 7pm

Do yourself a favor and pick up Glazer’s awesome LP, “On A Prairie, Live In Dirt” via State Champion Records!

Get your tickets to the North Jersey Indie Rock Fest now!

Episode 62: Dentist

Night Swimming

Episode 62 of Look At My Records! is the second in a series of episodes previewing the upcoming North Jersey Indie Rock Festival.  The annual fest is now in it’s third year and is happening at White Eagle Hall on Saturday October 6th!

For the second installment, I chatted with Asbury Park's Dentist. The trio is fresh off of their first ever national tour in support of their magnificent third album, Night Swimming, which was released in late July on Cleopatra Records. Tune in to hear all about the group's transition from a four piece to a trio, some tour stories, the Asbury Park music scene, and their record picks! You'll also hear several awesome tracks off of "Night Swimming" and a pair of certified Dentist classics from their second LP, Ceilings!

You can purchase Night Swimming and all of Dentist’s other releases via bandcamp.

Dentist is performing at The North Jersey Indie Rock Fest on October 6th at White Eagle Hall, but you can also catch them at the following dates:

September 21st - Rowan Alt’s Back to School Jam at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ

September 22nd - 4th Annual Bond St. Block Party in Asbury Park, NJ

October 26th - Dentist w/ Acid Dad, Alpha Rabbit, The Tide Bends at Millhill Basement in Trenton, NJ

November 14th - Doc Martens Presents: Thick, Dinowalrus, Fruit & Flowers, Dentist at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, NY

December 14th - Dentist at The Red Wheelbarrow in Paterson, NJ

Again, do not miss Dentist the this year’s North Jersey Indie Rock Festival. Get your tickets now!

Episode 61: The Royal Arctic Institute

Episode 61 of Look At My Records! is the first in a series of episodes previewing the upcoming North Jersey Indie Rock Festival.  The annual fest is now in its third year and is happening at White Eagle Hall on Saturday, October 6th!

For the first installment, I chatted with The Royal Arctic Institute.  Comprised of Lyle Hysen (Das Damen), Gerard Smith (Phantom Tollbooth), and John Leon (Rory Erickson), this highly pedigreed power-trio plays an eclectic blend of post-punk and cinematic jazz instrumentals.  Tune in to hear about the group’s formation, their music, and upcoming gigs. Plus, the dudes made some excellent picks from my record collection including The Specials, Richard Hell, and The Psychedelic Furs!

The band’s second LP, “Accidental Achievement,” is scheduled for release on Friday, October 19th via Rhyme & Reason Records.  Tune in to hear two brand new songs from this forthcoming LP, “Northern Progress Exploration Company” and “Raymond Roussell.” The group is also releasing a cassette single, “Russian Twists,” for Cassette Store Day on October 13th. You can also hear that song in this episode!  

In addition to playing the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival on October 6th, The Royal Arctic Institute has a busy gig schedule for September and October. You can catch them at the following shows:

October 18th at Pianos with Problem People, Yawn Mower, Ultra Major, A Bird, and This Bliss

October 19th at The Nest with Wharton Tiers Ensemble and The Wiremen

October 20th at Guitar Bar Jr.

November 9th at Quinn'sBeacon, NY, United States

November 11th at The Bowery Electric with Antietam, Sleepyhead

November 13th at Pet Shop with The Special Pillow

Get your tickets to the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival RIGHT NOW: https://www.ticketfly.com/event/1744675-north-jersey-indie-rock-jersey-city/

Episode 60: The Davenports

Episode 60 features a chat with Scott Klass of the Davenports.  In early July, The Davenports released their fourth LP, “Don’t Be Mad At Me,” a fresh collection of beautifully crafted power-pop songs, and Scott was nice enough to drop by to chat all about it.  Tune in to hear all about The Davenports’ two decades as a recording project, the evolution of the group, Scott’s collaborations with Chris Collingwood of Fountains of Wayne, and his beginnings in the New York City music scene.  This episode includes some standout tracks from the Davenports’ latest release, including “Miranda In Her Room,” which features Shirley Simms of The Magnetic Fields on lead vocals.  Scott made some excellent record picks from my collection and had some incredible stories to tell, including an exciting recent appearance with Dave Davies of the Kinks!

You can purchase the brand new Davenports album, “Don’t Be Mad At Me,” via the group's website.  There, you can also purchase the entire Davenports discography, and learn more about upcoming tour dates. 

Episode 59: Al Crisafulli

Episode 59 of Look At My Records! features a chat with the great Al Crisafulli! As veteran of the New Jersey music scene, Al has truly done it all - from owning and operating his own record label, Dromedary Records,  to his current gig as the host of his own four hour radio program on WFDU, Signal To Noise. Tune in to hear a fun Mommyheads story, some of Dromedary's finest tunes, and all about Signal To Noise! Plus, Al made some stellar picks from my record collection. Spoiler alert: this episode contains two versions of "From A Motel 6" - Yo La Tengo's original and the amazing cover version by our good pals Overlake!

You can listen to the excellent Signal To Noise radio program every Sunday night from 10am - 2am on the airwaves at 89.1FM or online at wfdu.fm

Thanks to Al for stopping by!

Episode 58: Resounding No

Gross Dominance

Episode 58 features a fun and spirited chat with New Brunswick, New Jersey's Resounding No! The band just released their impressive debut cassette, "Gross Dominance" in June on State Champion Records, and they were kind enough to stop by the Look At My Records! studio to talk all about it! Tune in to hear all about the band's formation, the recording process behind "Gross Dominance," and their plans for the remainder of 2018.  Plus, lots of interesting banter about records, the Pixies, and New Zealand. Oh, and I opened a Versing CD LIVE on the podcast. That one goes out to all y'all that love the sound of cellophane wrapping!!

You can purchase Gross Dominance on cassette via State Champion Records.

Resounding No is playing at WFMU's Monty Hall on Thursday August 16th with Vacation and Daddies! They'll also be performing at In The West in New Brunswick on October 12th with Kal Marks with The Royal They, and Glazer.

Thanks to Resounding No for hanging out!

Episode 57: Sean Kiely

It Sure Was Good

Sean Kiely dropped by the Look At My Records! studios for a very special live session and interview! Sean treated us to two beautiful songs, "Winter Is Here," and "Water (or, The Wheel)," from his new EP, It Sure Was Good.  Tom and Sean also discussed a wide range of fun topics, including Sean's musical beginnings, working with producer John Agnello on various projects, the stories behind the songs on It Sure Was Good, and his plans for the remainder of 2018.  Plus, Sean made some great picks from Tom's collections, including classics from Animal Collective, Pavement, and Kurt Vile.  The episode closes with two songs from Willow Texas, a split 7" that Sean released in 2017 with his frequent collaborator and friend, Jeff Taylor.

You can purchase It Sure Was Good via bandcamp.

You can see Sean live at the following gigs:

July 26th, 2018: Sean Kiely & The Royal Arctic Institute at Fox & Crow in Jersey City, NJ

July 28th, 2018: The Swiss Guard / Pyrenesia / Sourland / Sean Kiely at Lambertville Elks Lodge 1070 in Lambertsville, NJ

Episode 56: Joy Cleaner

In Episode 56, Tom chatted extensively with one of New Jersey's finest power-pop outfits, Joy Cleaner! The trio is in the midst of an eventful 2018, as they recently wrapped up a June tour that brought them to several cities across the East Coast and the Midwest, and will be playing alongside Guided By Voices at Athens Popfest on Friday August 9th.

Joy Cleaner also recently celebrated the one year anniversary of their excellent debut album, Total Hell. If you're a fan of infectious, jangly indie-pop, then you need to pick up this album! It's available via Jigsaw Records on pink vinyl, CD, and digital download.

Oh, and we had a blast talking about tunes. Tune in to hear Joy Cleaner's awesome picks from my record collection, their origin story, and their plans for balance of 2018 and beyond!

A huge thanks to the band for stopping by to chat with me. We had a heck of a time!

Episode 55: The Mckenzie Tapes July Preview

Episode 55 previews some of the great Mckenzie Tapes coming up for the month of July.  Tune in to hear live tracks from Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Angry Samoans, Flaming Lips, Meat Puppets, Superchunk, The Replacements, and Boss Hog.  These acts played some great gigs spanning from 1987-2000 at legendary venues including Maxwell's, The Stone Pony, Brownie's, and more! Plus, Tom has some interesting tidbits for each gig, so listen in to hear some of the stories behind these performances.

Episode 54: Angus Lord of The Stroppies!

Episode 54 features an in-depth conversation with Angus Lord of one of Melbourne's best up and coming bands, The Stroppies! Featuring members of several notable area bands, including The Stevens, Dick Diver, and Twerps, this group has already amassed an impressive collection of tunes in the last two years.  They released a 7" single entitled "Maddest Moment/Architectural Charades" last month on Tough Love Records, after releasing two critically acclaimed EPs in 2017 on the Hobbies Galore label.  Tune in to hear all about the group's origins, recording with producer Alex Macfarlane, and their plans for 2018, which include recording their debut full-length.  Plus, Angus and Tom had a lengthy discussion on the current Melbourne music scene.  Angus curated a great playlist of some awesome Melbourne acts, including Alex Macfarlane, Parsnip, Blank Realm, and Civic! Tom threw in a live version of "Raised Eyebrows" by The Feelies from June 2nd, 1986 for good measure!

You can keep up with The Stroppies via Facebook and Instagram. You can purchase their latest 7" and their self-titled EP via the group's bandcamp. Their 2017 EP "It's A Hit" is available via Hobbies Galore. 

Thanks so much to Angus of The Stroppies for a great chat!

Episode 53: Boonton Love & The Hums

Episode 53 features the first ever live in studio performance from Mel Glovin and Tam Geller of The Hums! This uber talented duo were joined by Allison Ercolani and Nicole Santana, who own and operate the non-profit organization Boonton Love. This wonderful entity organizes Food Truck Tuesdays, a weekly event from featuring live music and food trucks at Gracelord Park in Boonton, NJ.  AND GUESS WHAT? The Hums are performing at the very next Food Truck Tuesday on June 19th!

The Hums treated us to an incredible 3 song set, including some of their best original songs, "Warrior Princess," "Waltz," and "Ghost Child." Listen in to hear all about these songs, the duo's 10+ year history of making music together, and their plans for future release. If you like what you hear (of course you do!), you can grab The Hum's debut LP via digital download or compact disc through Bandcamp. Allison and Nicole also filled us in on the future plans for Boonton Love and a sneak peak at future lineups. Plus, everyone had some stellar picks from my collection, ranging from Nas to Pure Pathing Culture!

Food Truck Tuesday happens every Tuesday from 6:30pm - 10:30pm at Gracelord Park in Boonton, NJ.  A portion of the admission contributes to upkeep of this beautiful park!

Mel Glovin and Tam Geller performing LIVE!

Episode 52: Cicada Radio

In Episode 52, Tom welcomes Pat, Mike, and Brandon of Cicada Radio to the program.  These veterans of the Hudson County music scene are about to release a brand new EP entitled Catch and Release on Friday June 15th.  Listen in to hear all about the group's origins in Point Pleasant beach, the evolution of their sound over the course of five releases, the recording process for Catch and Release, and their tentative plans for their next record.  Oh, and we did some reminiscing and got kinda emo over their picks from my collection. That's right - Club Krome and other Sayerville area venues of the early aughts were definitely mentioned!!!

Cicada Radio is celebrating the release of their new EP at Pet Shop on Thursday June 14th with support from Hot Blood and John Feuerback of Desir Decir. They'll be playing on the main floor and there's no cover charge!

You can purchase  "Catch and Release" and the group's entire back catalogue via bandcamp and Killing Horse Records.

Thanks to Cicada Radio for stopping by!

Episode 51: Emma DeCorsey of I Am The Polish Army

Episode 51 of Look At My Record! features an in-depth conversation with the wonderful Emma DeCorsey of I Am The Polish Army! In late 2017, I Am The Polish Army released their excellent debut album, “My Old Man,” which was named one of Rolling Stone’s “15 Great Albums You Probably Didn’t Hear in 2017.” Listen in to hear all about the origins of the project over a decade ago, the process behind recording “My Old Man,” the inspiration for several songs, including the beautiful “David Bowie,” and of course, Emma’s great picks! Did you know Emma also fronts a Siouxsie and the Banshees cover band? Hear all about it in Episode 51!  Thank you for stopping by, Emma!

You can purchase “My Old Man” on all formats (vinyl, CD, and digital) via Bandcamp.  Act quickly, the CD version is almost sold out!

I Am The Polish Army has several upcoming gigs this summer.  Catch them live in your neighborhood!

June 8th at The Bowery Electric with Radiator King, Kingsley Flood, and Glenn Yoder & The Western States

June 21st at In The West (New Brunswick, NJ) with Dusk and Glazer

June 28th at The Well with Bloody Your Hands, Castle Black, The Bushwick Hotel, and Quick Hundo

July 1st at Saint Vitus with Friendship Commanders and Wholewrecker.

Episode 50: A Look Back!

Look At My Records! has reached the 50th episode milestone! In this special episode, Tom shares some exclusive McKenzie Tapes from the vault, including the Pixies at Maxwell's in 1988 (their 2nd ever appearance at the venue) and R.E.M. at Maxwell's in 1982.  He also reflects on some of the funniest moments over the course of the first 50, including that time on his 30th birthday when he had a little too much to drink!  The show wraps up with tracks from Morus Alba, Milkmen, Atlas Engine, and Hard Nips - all who will be gracing the stage at the Footlight for the Look At My Records! 50th Episode Bash tonight! 

Episode 49: Hard Nips

In Episode 49, Tom chats with Japanese punk rockers, Hard Nips! Settling in Brooklyn by way of Japan, this foursome delivers a unique and eclectic sound that melds elements of post-punk, new wave, and straight up rock and roll! Listen in to hear all about the group's origins in Japan, their brand new EP "Bunny", and their insane live show! Plus, a special curated playlist featuring five wonderful Japanese bands: Green Milk From Planet Orange, Acid Mother's Gong, Pika (featuring Hard Nips very own Gooch on backing vocals, and The Yours! 

Hard Nips are playing the Look At My Records! 50th Episode Bash this Friday May 18th at The Footlight in Ridgewood, Queens!

Episode 48: Trü

"Growing Pains" drops June 22nd via Sniffling Indie Kids!

Episode 48 of Look At My Records! features an in depth conversation with the Montclair, NJ based band Trü.  Blossoming out of a drunken conversation at a wedding in 2015, Keith Williams and Pat Defrancisci set out to collaborate on a poppier project with bassist Cindy Ward and drummer Steve Cerri joining in early 2016.  What resulted is a collection of magical coming of age, power-pop anthems that would eventually appear on the band's their self-titled debut "7.  Fast forward to 2018 and the group is already slated to release their second EP, "Growing Pains."   It drops on June 22nd via Sniffling Indie Kids!  Listen in to hear all about their origin story, the group's varied influences, and their plans for 2018!  This band has excellent taste in tunes, so be sure to listen all the way through for their awesome selections from Tom's collection.  

You can catch Trü live at the following upcoming shows:

Friday May 18th at Stosh's in Fair Lawn, NJ with Haunt Club and Shred Flintstone.

Friday June 15th at Asbury Park Brewery with Sunflower, Not Yer Baby, and Well Wisher.

You can also purchase their self-titled EP via bandcamp.  Tom is a proud owner of this excellent four song collection and can attest to it's awesomeness. So, get your hands on it before the first pressing is sold out!

Episode 47: Chris Slusarenko of Eyelids!

Photo by John Clark

In Episode 47, Tom chats with the wonderful Chris Slusarenko of the Portland-based band Eyelids!  Eyelids is coming off a big 2017 that saw the group embark on their first headlining tour of the east coast and release their second full length, “Or.”  Tune in to hear all about Chris’s start as a young musician in the Portland scene, his various experiences working with Bob Pollard and Peter Buck, playing with the late, great Tommy Keene, and tons more great stories! Eyelids has some great projects in store for 2018 - including a new full length and a special project including some unpublished works of the late Tim Buckley, so keep your EYES glued to all things Eyelids because you don’t want to miss this incredible stuff!

Since Chris couldn’t physically be in my apartment to make some picks from my record collection, we instead talked at length about a letter that Pete Buck sent to Chris in the mid-1980s.  In this letter, Peter provided Chris with several recommendations of bands to check out, including Mission of Burma, The Neats, The dB’s, and the Minutemen.  The show closes with some tracks from those legendary acts! 

You can check out Eyelids via their Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter! You can also visit John at his video store, Clinton Street Video!

Episode 46: Coyote Records

Episode 46 of Look At My Records! is an audio companion piece to the recent article that Tom wrote for NJRacket.com on the five essential releases on Hoboken's Coyote Records.  In this episode, Tom gets into some of the deeper cuts from the label, including tracks from The Clintons and Boston-bred four-piece, The Neats.  Plus, some Speed The Plough, Yo La Tengo, more live Yung Wu at Maxwell's, The Trypes, and more! DON'T FORGET - "Shore Leave," the lone release by Yung Wu, is getting the reissue treatment courtesy of Bar None Records for Record Store Day 2018.  The RSD exclusive release comes complete with a flexi-disc 7" of two early Dave Weckerman originals.  So, make sure you pick it up at Tunes in Hoboken or Iris in Jersey City!