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BlowUpRadio.com's New & Notable NJ Music 2/12/24


By Lazlo

originally published: 02/12/2024

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 new releases by Ali Zanders, RGD, and Sally Draper. Plus a look back at "Poet Of The Great Plains" by Christian Beach.

Ali Zanders - "i wish i was younger". Among the tags on Ali Zanders' EP, "i wish i was younger", are "bedroom-pop" and "nostalgia". Both are true, but "nostalgia" really speaks to the beauty of this collection of songs. The songs (consisting of just piano/keyboard and vocal) have sound like the innocence of childhood, with lyrics looking back on being younger, but with the reality that comes from being older. The result is something special.

RGD - "Survive". The latest single from RGD, "Survive", is a tasty treat of alt-garage-pop.

Sally Draper - "American Dream". It has been awhile since we last heard new music from Sally Draper. Their last album was in 2018. But they have returned with a magnum opus of an album, "American Dream". Introspective lyrics combine with punk rock, giving us a brilliant album.

Not New, But Memorable CornerChristian Beach - "Poet Of The Great Plains". In 2008 Christian Beach's self-titled solo debut album. Sure Christian had been around the local music scene in a myriad of bands, including Slave of Id, Artists That Kill, and Ton of Bricks, but this was a more introspective singer-songwriter project. "Poet Of The Great Plains", which opens the second half of the album, is an upbeat jangly tune, with lyrics that tell a story. Here we are nearly 16 years later, and this song still brings a smile to my face.




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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 be 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

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New Jersey Symphony presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem

(NEWARK, NJ) -- With just three programs remaining on the 2025–26 season, Music Director Xian Zhang conducts Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem, the composer's final composition last performed by New Jersey Symphony in 2018, from April 16-19, 2026. Mysteriously commissioned and incomplete at the time of Mozart's death, the Requiem is widely regarded as one of the composer's most accomplished works. Written for a funeral Mass, the music is intensely emotional, ranging from powerful drama to languid sorrow to serene tenderness.



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The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Simple Gifts on April 17th

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Princeton Folk Music Society presents Simple Gifts on Friday, April 17, 2026 at Christ Congregation Church. Two women plus ten instruments equal one good time when the award-winning duo of Linda Littleton and Karen Hirshon take the stage. Showtime is 8:00pm.



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Bergen Institute for the Creative Arts at Bergen Community College presents Back to Bergen on April 16th

(PARAMUS, NJ) -- The Bergen Institute for the Creative Arts at Bergen Community College presents Back to Bergen, a new live music concert series featuring none other than the college's own music program graduates performing original music and classics. Held Thursday, April 16, 2026 at the college's Ciccone Theater, the inaugural installment will showcase the program's success at producing top notch musicians across a variety of genres from classical and jazz to R&B, pop and rock.



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MPAC presents The String Queens on April 24th

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Praised for its authentic, soulful, and orchestral sound, The String Queens (TSQ) is a dynamic trio that creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel, and imagine! The String Queens come to Mayo Performing Arts Center, Friday, April 24, 2026 at 8:00pm.



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Prudential Center presents Sergio George: Festival "Ataca Sergo"

(NEWARK, NJ) -- Following the resounding success and unforgettable energy experienced at the Kaseya Center, renowned producer, musician, and visionary Sergio George raises the bar once again, taking his Festival ¡Ataca Sergio! to the next level. This time, the concept returns as a birthday celebration set for Saturday, May 30, 2026 at the iconic Prudential Center in Newark. Showtime is 8:00pm.