By Gary Wien
originally published: 11/01/2003
StereoSoul's name may not sound familiar, but the guys have all been part of the local scene for quite some time. The band members started playing together around eight years ago in a series of band names that wound up being Cosmic Avenger. According to Gene Pompilio, the band's drummer, the band basically evolved into StereoSoul after running its course.
"We went into a real studio to record in for the first time," explained Pompilio. "It was the Pigeon Club in Hoboken. We came out with three songs and it really didn't sound like what we were doing as Cosmic Avenger. So we kind of felt we needed to change the name of the band to reflect the music a little better."
The new name came from a line in the song, "Mary Stuyvesant", which was originally written for Cosmic Avenger but never played by that band. The song can now be found on StereoSoul's debut CD.
StereoSoul currently consists of Gene Pompilio on drums and vocals (he is one of the few drummers in the area to play drums and sing lead at the same time), Joon Quinn on guitar/keyboards, John Moller on synth bass and keyboards, and Tom Spelda on guitar. Both Quinn and Moller also share lead vocal duties.
StereoSoul is one of the few Jersey Shore bands to blend a little surf music sound to their songs. Many of the band members were influenced by the music of the 50s, 60s as well as popular surf bands like the Beach Boys. StereoSoul's own sound has often been compared to bands like Fountains of Wayne.
"It's not even like we do that on purpose either," added Pompilio. "I think that's why I really like what we have and the mix that we have in it because everybody brings something totally different to the band. My songs, if I just played them strictly the way I wrote them, would all pretty much sound the same way. But then you add in a little bit of everyone else. Tom (Spelda) joined around the time we turned the band into StereoSoul and what he brings to the band is just a totally different aspect - something that I wouldn't even be able to envision putting into the songs. It's just a different set of influences and when you put all that stuff together, it's not like you consciously try to make something sound a certain way, it just comes out that way."
"I think that, in some ways, everybody's had a common thread with the late sixties," said Spelda. "Like Gene said, if he originates the song then everybody gets to throw in what they will and mix it up a bit and see what happens. Usually we have very good results."
The new record, which was officially released at the end of October, is being distributed nationwide by Select-O-Hits. The first single, "(I'm In Love With A Porno Star", has already been added to over 200 stations around the country. It's a great radio-friendly, pop tune that seems infectious from the first listen and stands a good chance of being the band's break-out song.
Success may or may not loom ahead for the band, and they know that it comes down to hard work and a little luck. But music will continue to drive them forward.
"If I could make like $25,000 a year, I'd be the happiest guy in the world," said Quinn. "Other than that, I'd love to be on MTV or in Rolling Stone and be seen by all the people who have laughed at us, which has happened a lot - but the big thing is $25,000."
About the author:
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. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
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Singer/songwriter Evening In The Round
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Beat: Belew/vai/levin/bozzio Performing The Music Of King Crimson
Monday, November 09, 2026 @ 8:00pm
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1 Center Street, Newark, NJFollowing more than 100 acclaimed performances across North and South America, Europe, and Japan, BEAT returns this fall for the last North American tour. Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Tony Levin are joined by guitar virtuoso Steve Vai and legendary drummer Terry Bozzio to perform the music of the three landmark 1980s King Crimson albums—Discipline, Beat, and Three of a Perfect Pair.
Joe Russo's Almost Dead
Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 7:30pm
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The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper
(NEWTON, NJ) -- The Newton Theatre presents Puss N Boots featuring Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Grunin Center's "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" Celebrates 100 Years of Louis Armstrong's Hot Five Recordings
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts' "Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon" series brings a century of jazz history to the stage this fall with a celebration of Louis Armstrong's groundbreaking Hot Five recordings, featuring trumpeter Andrew Stephens on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 3:00pm.
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Forte Piano Music Company presents Exquisite Contrasts: Haydn & Schubert Piano Trios
(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The Forte Piano Music Company presents a Piano Trio Concert - "Exquisite Contrasts" - Haydn & Schubert on Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:30pm. This program brings together two landmarks of the piano trio repertoire, revealing the evolution of the genre from the Classical era to early Romanticism.
Mahwah Museum Hosts "Les Paul from Start to Finish" with Jim Wysocki
(MAHWAH, NJ) -- Come to the Mahwah Museum on Sunday, November 15, 2026 for a discussion of a 29-year friendship, rare memorabilia, and the story behind Les Paul's home with Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki from his nearly three-decade friendship with legendary musician and inventor Les Paul. The event begins at 2:00pm.
Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor
(PRINCETON, NJ) — The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Kate Taylor on Friday, November 20, 2026 in an evening of upbeat and bubbling song filled with enthusiasm and love. The concert takes place at Christ Congregation Church in Princeton. Showtime is 8:00pm. A livestream option is available as well.
