All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“As we segue out of summer and into fall, we re-meet a few folks who have already visited the program. Jay Lustig is a NJ journalist who needs no introduction. In wrapping up his “350 Jersey Songs” project on his NJ Arts and Entertainment site, njarts.net, Mr. Lustig stopped by to give us a second helping of the many songs which fueled his site’s thesis.
We’ll meet with the usuals: Sinatra, Springsteen, and Yo La Tengo, but we’ll also hang with some surprises: Chuck Berry, The Bongos, and – yes – PM Dawn. Great music coupled with the vast NJ music intellect of Jay Lustig had me scouring the internet for PM Dawn records. Maybe, after listening to this episode, you will too. Welcome to September.” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“I don’t attend church much anymore, but listening to records at Michael Fremer’s home is—for me—about as close as it gets. That’s really not hyperbole: if you believe that music is one of the highest representations of holiness on Earth, then listening to pure analog on a major hi-fi system is nothing short of a moving, religious experience. Again, Michael has graciously allowed me to cull through his library, pull out some Jersey-based albums, hear them on his system, and make digital copies of those recordings for you to hear.
For Mr. Fremer—Senior Contributing Editor of Stereophile magazine and Editor of Analog Planet—vinyl is not just a recent fad. He’s loved and championed records for decades and has a true passion in discovering the ones which sound the best and make the little hairs on your arms stand up. Hear him tell you all about it this week. We’ll also talk Sinatra, Bill Evans, Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Les Paul, The Isley Brothers, George Clinton, and more.” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“So, I watched Jersey Boys (2014) this week and it got me on a kind of Four Seasons/Frankie Valli kick. While Eastwood’s film wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be, it underscored another major characteristic of a Jerseyan: determination. Though the Four Seasons—in their original incarnation—are no longer touring, Frankie Valli is still out there pounding the pavement, and has been since the Four Seasons’ hey-day was well behind him.
Summer is almost over, but stay determined, folks. Considering the speed at which things go, next summer will be here before you know it.
In addition to all of this determination, we hear The Looking Glass, Brick + Mortar, Morningside Lane, Real Estate, Chris Barron, Melody Gardot, The Pine Barons, The Milwaukees, and—of course—the Boss. We also hear the brand newly released take of the Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” as reimagined by Yo La Tengo.” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“New Jerseyans are stereotyped for their brash personalities, but deep within us is a thoughtful soul capable of expressing penetrating thoughts with a whisper. The rest of the world categorizes us as ostentatious rather than really listening to what we’re saying when the lights go down and the only sound is that of the tide dragging in and out.
Enter Mike Clifford, an Allendale native now in Brooklyn. When not doing his singer-songwriter thing, he teaches music to New York City schoolchildren. Musically, Mike is an interesting guy: he presents himself via vocal and guitar, but his albums highlight a man comfortable tinkering with arrangements and instrumentation.
He’s a soft-spoken man and does the gently singing guitarist thing very well; the beach is there, as are ghosts of a slightly more contented Elliot Smith or James Taylor. You might hear this tuning in to hear Mike, but here’s something else, too; there’s this restrained NJ muscle: he’s speaking softly, but he means it.” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“You know how it is. It’s great to have guests over to the hacienda, but it’s terrific to be alone in your own domain as well. This week, after a flurry of guests, we get back town to basics: two turntables and a microphone. But, that doesn’t mean we’re alone; no way. We switch on the new Periscope app and open the line of communication from New Jersey to the rest of the planet Earth. It becomes a show within a show.
So, tune in to hear the latest from Titus Andronicus, Deal Casino, Roy Orbitron, and The Deafening Colors, stick around for great music from Joe Grushecky, The Bouncing Souls, John Pizzarelli, and Frank Sinatra and witness what happens when a simple man from the Garden State is viewed via video around the globe. See you there!” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“No, you weren’t thinking about listening to a barber shop quartet today, but here you are getting ready to push “play!” You’ll be glad you did, too. Group harmony—and barber shop quartets—aren’t always music that people search out, but once they get hooked and entranced in their tight, mystical, alluring and meditative sound, it’s an almost religious experience. It’s performing music the way that music was first performed, by utilizing the one musical instrument that we are all born with: the human voice. Talk about analog!
A cappella music isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when folks think about music from New Jersey, but that’s the point. You never know what you’ll be listening to when you listen to music from the Garden State. So, join us and listen to the vocal group that shares the namesake of this very show: Garden State Sound on ‘Garden State Sound.'” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“Newark, NJ native Whitney Houston famously sang the line, ‘I believe the children are our future’ and her belief remains a fundamental one. Enter Professor David Philp who—along with the William Paterson University Music Department—offer a college curriculum for students who not only hope for a career in music, but are interested in supporting themselves via their own compositions, performances, and business acumen.
Join Prof. Philp and myself in a discussion about teaching music in the 21st century and—most importantly—to hear samples of some of the up-and-coming talent that has passed through the doors of his program. You’ll meet Big Beat, Jeanette Elizabeth, Lauren Marsh, You and I, Tim Gysin, Bobby Mahoney and the Seventh Son, and Ally Mac. It’s Jersey fresh music right here on Garden State Sound.” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“Producing ‘Garden State Sound’ has forced me to recognize some common threads and traits which are shared between many musicians in our state. Determination is definitely one of them. It’s a personality trait that Brian Fitzpatrick has in spades. Brian has been slugging away as a part of the regional music scene since the 1990s and shows no signs of slowing down.
Having shared the bill at many New Jersey venues over the last many years, Brian and I share some war stories, talk about NJ stages and venues, hear tracks from his upcoming release, and discuss the always looming shadow of Bruce Springsteen.” —EZT
The first time I heard Seaside Caves was on a compilation of Asbury Park bands called The Vinyl Heart. They stood out from the other guitar-oriented bands with their hypnotic groove—if the other bands were like waves crashing, Seaside Caves were more like the tide methodically rolling back.
The influences of the 1980s are apparent but there is something Velvet Underground in “Heroin”-mode about them too. The guitars don’t screech and the vocals never get as frantic as Lou Reed pining for a life on the darkened seas, no—what they share is the ability to create a trance-like state with just a few chords. The songs fade in and pick you up, cast their spell, and then gently put you back down.
Regretfully I missed them at the Vinyl Heart release party but finally caught them a few months later at the kick off show of their spring tour at the Watermark in Asbury Park. The Watermark isn’t necessarily known for hosting shows, but the venue fit them perfectly. If you’ve never been there, it’s kind of like someone knew their millionaire uncle was going out of town for the weekend and decided to break into his ocean-front townhouse and throw a party. Under red and white lights with the Atlantic Ocean framed behind them, they drifted through their set, each song sliding seamlessly into the next.
The band is back in Asbury Park on July 16th to celebrate the release of their self-titled EP available on 10” vinyl from Chunksaah Records. The next night they will be at the Starland Ballroom with the Bouncing Souls, Andrew Jackson Jihad, and the Screaming Females. I recently spoke with lead singer and songwriter for the band Todd Gustav Wacha about how they got together, their sound, releasing the EP on vinyl, and what to look for next from them.
You guys have such a specific sound, it seems hard to think you got together through want ads. Did you all know each other before starting a band?
We definitely didn’t get together through want ads. Those days are long gone. I’d rather play with a drum machine and tape loops then go down that road again. Seaside Caves began like that and then became a two piece shortly after with me and a drummer, a friend of many years. We had a falling out and he left the band. I was honestly relieved. I mean we totally had a sincere connection, yet he just didn’t have the same vision as I did musically.
I’ve always craved someone more innovative and focused and that’s when I met James. Sparks flew from the first few notes we played and it immediately took off from there and we’ve become friends as well. You can learn a lot about someone quickly when playing together. I couldn’t be happier. I’ve tried to get Matt in the Caves for a while but he was always busy with other projects. We went through several different guitarists and synth guys, all whom I am fortunate to have had in the band. There were no bad breakups or anything like that, we just wanted more of a constant line-up to move forward and the older bandmates understood my decisions. We wouldn’t be where we are if it weren’t for them, so I give credit where credit is due.
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“It’s not easy being a Renaissance Man, but it’s a skill that the 21st century demands of its entertainers. Val Emmich has no problem branching out and fulfilling his many interests in an effort to connect with a wider audience.
Whether he’s releasing the next piece of his growing musical oeuvre, acting in a critically acclaimed television program (like 30 Rock or Ugly Betty), or working the kinks out of his next novel, he’s doing it with integrity, honesty, and a rawness that might not always be easily digestible, but—doggonit—it’s his and it’s real.
Pull up a chair and sit down with Val and me for an hour as we talk about the highs and lows of music, performing in New Jersey, the impact of art on one’s family structure, and having success as an entertainer, but making sure that whatever you’re achieving supports your desire to be fulfilled and tells it like it is.” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“Even though Shaun McGann—my good compadre and TVD colleague—thinks that the legendary White House Sub Shop in Atlantic City goes a little heavy on the hot peppers, the Beatles seemed to disagree. In honor of the upcoming 51st anniversary of their performance at the Convention Hall in August of 1964, we enjoy a block of Beatles tunes by some of New Jersey’s finest performers.
But, wait; there’s more! We’ll also check out Spiraling, Deal Casino, the Porchistas, and Andrew Cedarmark. Tune in and order some hot peppers on that six-foot sub; you only live once!” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“This week, we continue to prepare for the Cape May Singer Songwriter Conference, but also stretch out a little. There is a nice set between two Jersey boys: Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, and a wacky American standard. Much more, of course.
It’s another week of music in the Garden State! Tune in!” —EZT
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
Tune in to Garden State Sound with Evan Toth to explore the diverse music with connections to New Jersey. You’ll hear in-depth interviews with some of Jersey’s best music makers and have the opportunity win tickets to some of the best concerts in the state.
“Some people just know a lot of stuff that you don’t know. When you find that person, it’s a great idea to reach out to them and ask them to share a bit of their wisdom, intellect, and experience.
That’s what happened this week when I asked 30-year Jersey music journalist, Jay Lustig, to join me on this week’s program. Mr. Lustig is well-known for his work for New Jersey’s largest circulated newspaper, the Star-Ledger. However, about a year ago, Mr. Lustig went solo with his own NJArts.net, a website focusing on news related to all of the arts in New Jersey.
A part of his new site is dedicated to a project of his titled, 350 Jersey Songs: a daily dose of a song with connections to the Garden State. Tune in to hear us play some of Jay’s favorites and talk about the stories behind them. I learned a great deal about music in New Jersey and I’m sure you will too.” —EZT
Really, before you go to sleep each night, after you say your whatevers to whomever—or, whatever—you might take a moment and send up a word of gratitude to Les Paul. Lester William Polsfuss, born in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9th, 1915 would have been 100 years old this week. Though not born in NJ, he made Mahwah his long time home for the majority of his years. Aside from being a wonderfully original and entertaining guitarist, he also found a few spare moments to innovate groundbreaking techniques in multi-track recording, tape delay, guitar building, and home-studio recording.
He was an affable and nice guy, too! Mr. Paul was a patient of an orthopedic doctor that an old friend of mine used to work for; my friend knew I was a big fan. On one of my birthdays, many moons ago, I answered my ringing cell phone (a primordial Nokia) and heard a gruff voice saying, “Hey, hi. Is this Evan?”
Puzzled, but intrigued, I confirmed that it was indeed me. “This is Les Paul. I just want to say ‘Happy Birthday’ and I hope you have a great day!” This was the kind of guy he was. Here was one of the biggest icons of popular music going about his daily routine, taking a moment of his time to say “Happy Birthday” to me. He also left a little autograph for me at the office: “Keep pickin’!”
All jokes aside, New Jersey is a pretty great place. While it has a lot to offer as a state, it also has a rich musical history of which many people remain unaware. Everyone knows Sinatra and The Boss, but there’s much more.
