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BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 8/14/23


By Lazlo

originally published: 08/14/2023


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 LIVIA, LKFFCT, Better Weather, Cinema Star, Matt Wade, Vincent Brue, and ghost in the washing machine. Plus a look back at "My Reign" by Michelle Vecchione.

LIVIA - "By a String". LIVIA's latest single, "By a String", is hypnotically-dreamy-chamber pop. Composed by Stephen Masucci and lyrics from Mollie Israel (both of the band The Lost Patrol), this song is lovely, moody, powerful, and kind of feels like it would be right at home in a playlist with Julle Cruise.

LKFFCT - "Shake me out of the dream". LKFFCT return with two new indie-power-pop tunes to wake me up and, "Shake me out of the dream".

Better Weather - "'Please disregard all previous weather.' EP". "Some friends wrote some songs and these are those songs.", says the liner notes to Better Weather's, "'Please disregard all previous weather.' EP". I hope these friends write some more songs because their EP is 4 rock songs that deliver.

Cinema Star - "Touching Down". When "Touching Down", the new single from Cinema Star, hits the first chorus I was like, "hell yeah, this is some anthemic alt-rock!"




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Matt Wade - "I Don't Love You Anymore". Matt Wade's first new single in some time, "I Don't Love You Anymore", is amazing! It has a retro-synth-pop-funky vibe, while sounding complete fresh and modern. I'm told this is the first of several new songs coming soon. I can't wait to hear more!

Vincent Brue - "Vinsomnia". You would think a song described as being about waking, "up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep and have a bunch of anxiety", would be a long and rambling song, but you'd be wrong in this case. Vincent Brue's, "Vinsomnia", is a peppy one minute and forty-one seconds of power-pop-punk-rock fun!

ghost in the washing machine - "canine demo leftovers". I don't know much about ghost in the washing machine, though based on their Bandcamp page they are an offshoot of the canine 10. What I do know for sure is that "canine demo leftovers" is some high energy, garage-power-pop, and I like it!



Not New, But Memorable Corner

Michelle Vecchione - "My Reign". In 2005 Michelle Vecchione released an incredible album of blues infused singer-songwriter tunes. 18 years later I still enjoy listening to "My Reign", and the song below, "Darling Don't", shows her vocal prowess, and it is one of many of her songs that perpetually is stuck in my head. I don't know what happened to Michelle. I know for a while she was going by Michelle V, but around 2010 she stopped performing in the area and updating her social media pages. I hope she's well.

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. We're also on Mastodon at https://gardenstate.social/@BlowUpRadio




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EVENT PREVIEWS

Prudential

Prudential Center presents Keyshia Cole

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Two decades after her breakthrough debut album changed the R&B game, Keyshia Cole is taking it back to where it all started. The Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and "Princess of Hip-Hop and R&B" has officially announced The Way It Is 20th Anniversary Tour, presented by AEG Presents and Free Lunch. The tour comes to the Prudential Center in Newark on Sunday, July 13, 2025 with Tink and Wale.



2025

2025 Maplewoodstock Music and Art Festival to Take Place July 12-13

(MAPLEWOOD, NJ) -- The annual, free, two-day Maplewoodstock Music and Art Festival will take place the weekend of July 12-13, 2025. The Festival kicks off with music at noon and ends around 9:30pm each night. Ozomatli from Los Angeles headlines the festival on Sunday night. Boston-based Couch will close out Saturday night, preceded by New York’s The Big Takeover.



WXPN

WXPN Takes Us Back to Live Aid this Sunday to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Legendary Concert

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- This Sunday, July 13, 2025, listen live as Philadelphia-based AAA public radio station, WXPN commemorates the 40th anniversary of the transcontinental Live Aid concerts by playing performances from the day when the power of music unified the world from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. WXPN will play back highlights and sets of music in chronological order matching the event that changed pop forever.



City

City Winery NYC presents Sly and the Vine: A Funkadelic Tasting Experience with Vernon Reid of Living Colour

(NEW YORK, NY) -- City Winery NYC presents Sly and the Vine: A Funkadelic Tasting Experience with Vernon Reid of Living Colour on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 7:00pm. Join them for an immersive 8-glass wine tasting perfectly paired with the revolutionary sounds of Sly & The Family Stone—featuring special guest Vernon Reid, legendary guitarist and founder of Living Colour. Get ready for a one-of-a-kind night where rhythm meets the vine.



Shemekia

Shemekia Copeland to Perform Free Concert in Atlantic City

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- Award-winning vocalist Shemekia Copeland will give a free performance as part of Tony Mart's Mardi Gras on the Boardwalk concert series at the Kennedy Plaza in Atlantic City on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Copeland possesses one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time. Showtime is 7:00pm.



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