By Lazlo
originally published: 07/04/2022
Lazlo, founder of BlowUpRadio.com (an online 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 Chris Tiedemann, Deviant Youth, Sammy Kay, Well Wisher, Classic Traffic, and Driving Underwater.
Chris Tiedemann - "Small Secrets" - Psst... let me tell you a small secret... Chris Tiedemann has crafted an epic rock album that you should check out right now. Why? Because all 12 songs on this album are amazing, and diverse sounding. I love this album!
tara, just tara - "graduation day" - Folk-Punk/Poet tara, just tara, gives us seven songs & a spoken word piece on her new album, that have an intimate, like reading her diary, feel to it.
Donnie Aarons - "Early World Maps" - Donnie Aarons's latest album is chock full of mellow to mid-tempo, synthy-pop, with a light airy feel and a sound that would be just as at home in the 80's as it is today.
Deviant Youth - "A Promise I Can't Keep" [single] and "The Art Of Letting Go" [single] - Two new singles from Deviant Youth showcases different styles of emo-pop-punk rock. "A Promise I Can't Keep" is an excellent emo-rock song that starts of acoustic and builds to its full band crescendo, while "The Art Of Letting Go" sounds like it would fit well side by side with one of Blink-182's more melancholy songs (ex. "Adam's Song").
Sammy Kay - "Aid & Abet - a single to benefit WHO OHIO" - Folk-Punk Sammy kay returns with two new songs, one a contemplative original "letter to my former self", the other a cover of Bad Religion's "don't pray on me", that really let's the lyrics shine with his acoustic, but no less intense, rendition. Those two songs alone are a great reason to buy "Aid & Abet", but knowing that 100% of the proceeds go to Women Have Options Ohio, "to help aid and abet abortions in the state of Ohio", makes this great music for a great cause.
Well Wisher - "Need You Around" [single] - "Need You Around" is a perfectly crafted pop-alt-rock song. It is endlessly catchy and upbeat, while lyrically, by the band's own statement on the single, is about "fragility and the need for others’ love." This is the first single from their forthcoming album, "That Weight", out on September 16th.
Classic Traffic - "Classic traffic" - No not a Traffic tribute band, Classic Traffic is some beautiful power-pop! Every one of the 8 songs on this album could be a hit sigle. I hope to hear more from these guys soon, if they can continue to utilize a certain music store's return policy to their advantage (see liner notes on their Bandcamp page). This is also a reminder that if you like an artist's music, purchase it to support them so they can continue to make their music without having to have to "game the system."
Driving Underwater - "One Sided Conversations" - One sided conversations can be frustrating, expecially to the listener, but Driving Underwater's "One Sided Conversations" is a emo/indie-rock album well worth listening to.
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
Essex County Summer Orchestra Players present "Made in America" on August 2nd
(LIVINGSTON, NJ) -- As local residents and friends stroll, bike or jog around the Livingston Oval on Tuesday evenings this July, musicians from several community orchestras are gathering in the township's high school band room to celebrate works "Made in America."
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.
Grammy-Winning Superstars Erica Campbell and Jonathan McReynolds to Headline 2026 Gospel Music Festival
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Middlesex County, as part of its FolkLIVE free community event series, will host its third annual Gospel Music Festival in New Brunswick (2 Livingston Ave) on Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 3:30pm to 7:30pm. This year's star-studded lineup features multi-Grammy-winning performer Erica Campbell—known both for her solo work and as part of the dynamic "Mary Mary" duo—and Billboard chart-topper Jonathan McReynolds as the headliners.
Mahwah Museum Hosts "Unlock the Fretboard" Guitar Workshop with Mark Sganga on July 25th
(MAHWAH, NJ) -- Guitar players of all levels are invited to "Unlock the Fretboard," a hands-on guitar workshop taking place on Saturday, July 25, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, with a short break included, at The Mahwah Museum. The workshop will be taught by Mark Sganga, an International Fingerstyle Guitar Champion, bringing expert instruction and high-level musicianship to this special event. Designed to help players better understand the fretboard through a system of caged chords and scales, the workshop offers practical strategies that participants can apply immediately in their playing.
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