By Gary Wien
originally published: 01/26/2012
If you try searching for information about Casual Gypsies on the Internet, you won’t find much. The band literally disappeared from the face of the Earth after releasing this amazing collection of songs; a shame because when you hear this debut, you’re bound to wonder just what this band was capable of in the future.The core of Casual Gypsies was Buddy Ayars and Mark Wilkins. The two first got together in the ‘90s while attending the University of Delaware. Both were originally from South Jersey; Ayers from Alloway and Wilkins from Cherry Hill.
The album contains songs that move fluidly from rock and roll to country and even a little jazz. Instruments include pedal steel guitars, dobros, banjos, organs, horns, and an accordion; used alongside a guitar picking style, they give the songs an alt-country rock and roll blend. The end result is an album that John Eddie could have made.
Besides the variety of instruments, the one constant throughout the album is Buddy Ayars whose voice contains that certain twang that can turn even the strongest rock and roll song into an Americana classic. His voice is not what people would normally expect from someone from Jersey, but Ayars was closer to the Mason Dixon Line than he was to New York City, and it shows.
Crazy Places We Take Ourselves also benefits from the work of special guests like Tommy Conwell, P.K. Lavengood, members of Marah, Johnny Neel, Patty Reese, and Nancy Falkow who all lent their talents to the album. The all-star cast helps make the songs on this debut release something special. If you search amazon.com you might still be able to find a copy. It’s worth the effort...
Highlights include “Another Chance,” “No Masks, Perfect Disguises,” “Inbetween Stations,” “28 Cigarettes,” “When I Hit Gold,” and “Brand New Day.”
From the book
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists by Gary Wien
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. He can be contacted at
gary@newjerseystage.com.
Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info
FEATURED EVENTS
Rebirth Brass Band
Friday, March 29, 2024 @ 8:00pm
The Vogel
99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701
category: music
Click here for full description
Magical Mystery Doors: Tribute of The Doors, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles
Saturday, March 30, 2024 @ 8:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music
Click here for full description
Southern Rockfest featuring A Brother's Revival and Classic Skynyrd Live
Saturday, March 30, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music
Click here for full description
Click here for more events
Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages.
Click here for more info.
LATEST NEWS
Ocean Casino Resort presents Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Ocean Casino Resort presents Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo on Saturday, July 6, 2024 in Ovation Hall. In a pop culture world defined by its perpetual changes, the partnership of singer songwriter Pat Benatar and producer-musician Neil Giraldo has been a potent, steadfast union that has soared to the top of the charts and into fans' hearts on their own terms. Showtime is 8:00pm.
The Princeton Folk Music Society to Celebrate Pete Seeger's legacy with Professor Allan Winkler
State Theatre New Jersey presents One Night of Queen
The Adelphi Orchestra Presents "Complexity & Simplicity" with SoHyun Ko
Click here for more event previews
New Jersey Stage
© 2024 by Wine Time Media, LLC
PO Box 811, Belmar, NJ 07719
info@newjerseystage.com
Nobody covers the Arts
throughout the Garden State
like New Jersey Stage!