New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu


?>

 

SHOW REVIEW: Arlan Feiles' CD Release


By Gary Wien

originally published: 03/17/2007


(MARCH 15, ASBURY PARK) -- Arlan Feiles taught me a lesson once that I will never forget.

His CD "Razing A Nation" originally came out on an indie label a few years ago with a cover that looked slightly worse than your average cheap bootleg. The cover turned me off so much that the cd stayed in our pile of new cds for about 4-5 months. When I finally got around to giving it a listen it was like hearing Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" for the first time.

It blew me away.

That disc instantly became one of my all-time favorite CDs by a Jersey artist and it remains one of the top two CDs we have ever received at Upstage Magazine by an artist we had never heard of before (the debut album by Jason Shain being the other).

Thankfully Not Pop Records has rescued this wonderful disc and given it new life and new, MUCH IMPROVED packaging. Arlan had a release party for the new CD at the Saint in Asbury Park on March 15th and proceeded to play the entire disc. It was interesting seeing Arlan perform solo again as lately nearly all of his shows feature his large orchestra with a setlist comprised of newer songs. Arlan may be a bit tired of playing the songs from "Razing A Nation" but they not only deserve a wider audience they are as fresh today as the day the CD first came out years ago. Fortunately for Arlan the CD was ready around the same time as Shannon McNally was returning to the area so he was able to have her join him on stage for the two songs she did backing vocals for on the record.

There's not a weak track on the disc with highlights including the anti-war song "Sign Up", "Change" and "Drifted Town" (both which include Shannon McNally on backing vocals), "Impossibly Lonely" and "The Ballad Of A New Lone Ranger".




Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky



The record should be available in local stores, but you can turn to http://www.notpoprecords.com or http://www.arlanfeiles.com for more information.

If you're a fan of singer-songwriters, this CD needs to be in your collection.


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.



Follow New Jersey Stage on social media
Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky


FEATURED EVENTS

ART | COMEDY | DANCE | FILM | MUSIC | THEATRE | COMMUNITY

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


Tuesday

Tuesday Night Record Club - Crowded House

Tuesday, July 01, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Monmouth University - The Great Hall
400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
category: music


 

Curtis

Curtis Salgado

Wednesday, July 02, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

John

John Lee & Friends

Thursday, July 03, 2025 @ 7:30pm
The Morris Museum Back Deck
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
category: music


 

Blues

Blues People with Special Guest: Jeff Levine

Saturday, July 05, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music


 

Straight

Straight No Chaser - Summer: The 90’s Part 2

Tuesday, July 08, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music


 



Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info





 

EVENT PREVIEWS

Blue

Blue Curtain presents 2025 Summer Concert Series in Princeton

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Blue Curtain returns to Pettoranello Gardens Amphitheater this July with a free three-concert series. The 2025 season opens on Saturday, July 12 at 8:00pm with a performance by internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Bosch, also known as El Trombon Criollo.



NJPAC

NJPAC presents KEM with special guest Melania Fiona

(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents a special evening with KEM, known as Soul's Greatness, on Friday, July 18, 2025 at 8:00pm. Special guest Melanie Fiona will open the night.



Drew

Drew University Rocks the House with Legendary Tributes and Live Comedy In September

(MADISON, NJ) -- This September, Drew University's Concert Hall in Madison will transform into a powerhouse of live entertainment, delivering six unforgettable nights of tributes and laughter. From heartland rock and Southern soul to mystical classics and offbeat comedy, each event brings a unique and electrifying experience to audiences of all ages.



Levoy

Levoy Theatre presents The Artimus Pyle Band – Honoring Ronnie Van Zant's Lynyrd Skynyrd

(MILLVILLE, NJ) -- The Levoy Theatre presents The Artimus Pyle Band on Friday, August 22, 2025 at 8:00pm. The band features Artimus Pyle, the last surviving member and drummer of the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd lineup & 2006 Rock & Roll HOF inductee with Lynyrd Skynyrd.



An

An Interview with Tim Palmieri of Lotus

Lotus was founded between 1998-1999 at Goshen College in Goshen, IN. Now based out of Dever, Colorado and Philadelphia, PA primarily, Lotus continues to bloom as a premiere jamtronica band for over the past 25 years. In 2021, founding member and longtime guitarist, Micheal Rempel left Lotus ushering in new guitarist, Tim Palmieri.