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 with this column. This week Lazlo takes a look at new releases by Des & the Swagmatics, Bamberdost, Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves, Jonny Couch, Sean Henry Tonight!, and Ava LaMonte. Plus a look back at "Duluth" by Particle Zoo.
Des & the Swagmatics - "Des & the Swagmatics". "Des and the Swagmatics is an Asbury Park based five-piece band on a mission to get your booty shakin’ by any means necessary! Reborn from the glorious ashes of a storied one-off Prince tribute on Halloween 2014, Des and the Swagmatics pack a sexy blend of R&B, rock, soul, funk and pop sounds in a way guaranteed to make you dance so hard you’ll pull something if you don’t stretch first!" - from their bio.
Des & the Swagmatics self-titled album somehow manages to take the energy of their live show and pack it into one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
To Paraphrase Prince, if you didn't come to party, don't bother putting this album on.
Bamberdost - "Unprompted". Do you hate AI? So does Bamberdost on their latest opus, "Unprompted", an acoustic folk-punk song with the catchy chorus of "Fuck AI".
Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves - "Bury Deep My Heart". What happens when you mix classic country with some synth/electro sounds, and pop sensibilities? You get, "Bury Deep My Heart", the wonderful new album from Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves.
Jonny Couch - "Where The Sidewalk Ends". I don't want to say Jonny Couch's new album, "Where The Sidewalk Ends" has a retro-80's sound... but the blend of new wave and power-pop on this album would fit right at home in that era. But here we are in 2026, and I love this album!
Sean Henry Tonight! - "Live at Pikul Thai - North Jersey Arts Collective". Saying the title, "Live at Pikul Thai - North Jersey Arts Collective", takes almost as long as it does to listen to this 8 song live collection from Sean Henry Tonight! That is because the average song length is under 2 minutes, and two tracks are short banter between songs. But make not mistake, this may be a short album, but it is also some fun jangly, acoustic music.
Ava LaMonte - "A Tear in The Fabric of The Universe". it is the summer and most people want to have fun and party. But if your idea of funny is sitting around listening to sad acoustic songs, then I highly recommend Ava LaMonte's "A Tear in The Fabric of The Universe". All 5 tracks are demos, but I find that really brings out something real that hits you in your core while listening.
Not New, But Memorable Corner
Particle Zoo - "Duluth". Back in the early days of BlowUpRadio.com I remember going to a show in the basement of Hip Video/Artist Amplification's home. A group of guys in jumpsuits came out and played an incredible mix of power-pop and art-rock. The band was Particle Zoo, and they were awesome then, and continue to be awesome today, with Jeff DeVito continuing to be the main singer-songwriter in the band.
But back in the 00's keyboard player Jay Holler also sang a few songs he wrote during their sets, and a fan favorite was "Duluth". I think someone once described it as Twin Peaks in a song. I wish I could remember who said that to give them credit, but that is apparently lost to time. But this song is not, and I am thankful for that.
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 (and bridged on BlueSky.
