By Lazlo
originally published: 10/24/2022
Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online radio station based around New Jersey artists), shines a light on some of the many new releases from NJ based musicians each week with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at releases by Loyalty To Me, Diamond Waves, Elk City, The Jack Moves, Hit Like A Girl, Val Emmich, and Jon Caspi & The First Gun.
Loyalty To Me - "Nuisance" - Emo-Alt-Punk rock band Loyalty To Me return with a strong new single, "Nuisance".
Diamond Waves - "Demos" - The 3 songs that makes up "Demos" is all I know about Red Bank's Diamond Waves. But these indie rock songs make me want to know more, and hear more, from this band.
Elk City - "Above the Water" - Elk City continues to put out album after album of endearing chill dream-pop. Their latest, "Above the Water", may be their finest to date.
The Jack Moves - "Cruiserweight" - The Jack Moves are masters of soul rock, sometimes with a hint of funky goodness. If that doesn't make you immediately want to check their music out then I don't know what to tell you.
Hit Like A Girl - "Dismay" [single] - "Dismay" is about the music industry and how jaded it's made me over the years," says Hit Like A Girl frontperson, Nicolle Maroulis. It has also made them hardcore, which was a little startling at first to hear compared to their previous output, but it is a strong song and I can't wait to hear the rest of the new EP, "Becoming", from which this is the first single.
Val Emmich - "Destiny" [single] - "Christmas Eve Eve, 2020. My wife rushed our older daughter Harper to the ER while I stayed home with our younger daughter Lennon. It was the midst of the pandemic, only one parent allowed in the hospital. Feeling powerless, I sat at the piano and wrote "Destiny."
"Harper's diagnosis was type 1 diabetes. We had no idea what that meant or what it would mean going forward. We had no idea that eighteen months later Lennon would get the same diagnosis and we'd now have two children living with this condition." - Val Emmich
Val has in recent year's allowed more personal lyrics to surface in his songs (with "Autobio Parts 1 & 2", among others), but I don't think anything is quite so personal as "Destiny". You can really hear the worry of a parent fearing for his child. it is very emotional.
If you like this song, please make a donation to the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund): http://tinyurl.com/jdrfw
Jon Caspi & The First Gun - "Raise 'Em High! & Other Delights" - Jon Caspi & The First Gun have been busy. In the last month or so they have released a live in studio album, and had a beer named after their drinking song "Raise 'Em High!". Now they have a new EP that kicks off with a rousing new recording of "Raise 'Em High!" which features Jesse Malin and often First Gun member Dez Cadena. The other 4 songs mix upbeat rockers (Watching You & Somebody Else), with introspective singer-songwriter rock (Last Ride Home & Ghosted). I particularly love the way "Ghosted" starts off mellow before turning into a playfully peppy mid-tempo roots rock tune.
That's all for this week.
Remember BlowUpRadio.com, plays these and many other New Jersey based artists on our internet radio station, so please check us out. #SupportGoodMusic - If you like any of the above artists, please purchase their music from their site. And if you would like to part of BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable, please send downloads or contact Lazlo at Lazlo-at-BlowUpRadio-dot-com
EVENT PREVIEWS
DePue Brothers Band to Bring "Grassical" Music to Sewell
(SEWELL, NJ) -- Music at Bunker Hill welcomes the DePue Brothers Band on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 3:00pm. In a departure from the series' customary chamber music fare, the DePue Brothers Band has long coined their music with the term "grassical," the combination of bluegrass with jazz, blues, rock, folk, and classical.
Albert Music Hall's "Back to Our Roots" Benefit on Sunday to Support Preservation of Pinelands Music History
(WARETOWN, NJ) -- Albert Music Hall will present Back to Our Roots, a special fundraising concert on Sunday, July 19, 2026, inviting music lovers to enjoy an afternoon of live performances while helping preserve an important piece of New Jersey's musical heritage.
Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Heather Maloney & Hayley Reardon on Sunday
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Heather Maloney & Hayley Reardon on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Doors are at 7:00pm, showtime is 7:30pm.
New Jersey Symphony to Make Rowan's Marie Rader Series Debut with "Life & Liberty" on July 22nd
(GLASSBORO, NJ) -- The Marie Rader Series will launch its 2026-27 season, entitled "Life & Liberty," with the New Jersey Symphony's Rowan University debut. On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players featuring Rowan University Strings Faculty & Alumni will perform at Pfleeger Concert Hall. Showtime is 7:00pm.
The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Blues For Greeny and the music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
(TUCKERTON, NJ) -- The Lizzie Rose Music Room presents Blues For Greeny - The Music of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Dude Cervantes & The Panchos will open the night. Doors are at 7:00pm, music starts at 7:30pm.
Shinedown to Play Shows in Newark and Philly in July
(NEWARK, NJ) -- One of the biggest bands in the world, Shinedown, will be releasing their brand new studio album EI8HT on May 29, 2026 (via Atlantic Records) and released the new song "Outlaw." In addition, they announced their massive Dance Kid Dance Act II World Tour, taking the band to 11 countries across 54 dates, including local stops at Prudential Center in Newark on Tuesday, July 21st and Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Thursday, July 23rd.
Middletown Arts Center presents Reina Williams + The Remedy
(MIDDLETOWN, NJ) -- The Middletown Arts Center presents a concert featuring Reina Williams + The Remedy on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Special guest performers Renee Maskin and Patrick Bamburak will open the show. Enjoy an evening of original music spanning reggae, hip-hop, soul, folk, Americana, and indie rock from some of New Jersey's most talented musicians. Showtime is 7:00pm.
Harmonium Choral Society presents "I Dreamed Last Night" on July 23rd
(MADISON, NJ) -- On Thursday, July 23, 2026, Harmonium Choral Society presents I Dreamed Last Night. Directed by Lennie Watts with music direction by John Fischer, I Dreamed Last Night is a one woman show with Gloria Bangiola. There are songs and stories about dreams, hopes, wishes, ambitions, fantasies, nightmares, impossibilities and that big ol' American one we are all still working to make real. Showtime is 7:00pm.
HOT 97's Summer Jam 2026 to Take Place July 24th at Prudential Center
(NEWARK, NJ) -- HOT 97, New York's #1 station for Hip Hop, is once again bringing the culture's biggest night back to the tri-state area with Summer Jam 2026, on Friday, July 24, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark. Produced by The Black Promoters Collective, Summer Jam continues its legacy as the most iconic Hip Hop concert in the world.
Summer Jazz: Drummer Joe Farnsworth and Special Guests at William Paterson
For more than three decades, Joe Farnsworth has been one of the most admired drummers in modern jazz, revered for his superb technique, driving swing, and unwavering commitment to the jazz tradition. A Massachusetts native mentored by legendary drummers Alan Dawson, Arthur Taylor, and Jimmy Lovelace, Farnsworth has appeared on nearly 400 recordings and performed with an astonishing array of jazz masters, including McCoy Tyner, Benny Golson, Pharoah Sanders, Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern, and Wynton Marsalis. He is also a founding member of the acclaimed hard bop collective, One for All, alongside longtime musical associates tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, the late trumpeter Jim Rotondi, and pianist David Hazeltine.
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