BlowUpRadio.com’s New & Notable NJ Music 7/24/23



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 The Make Three, Kate Ortiz, Lupe Dragon, Cyclone Static, Jon Caspi & The First Gun, The Cucumbers, and Ruby Bones. Plus a look back at Outcry’s “On and On”.

The Make Three – “You, Me & The Make Three”. What do you get when you combine members of local bands The Brixton Riot and The Anderson Council? You get the debut from The Make Three, “You, Me & The Make Three”. It is  indie-punk meets power-pop and garage rock, and to my ears that is auditory bliss!

Kate Ortiz – “A Really Fun Song About Wanting To Die”. There is a lot of false advertising out there, but Kate Ortiz’s new single is not. “A Really Fun Song About Wanting To Die”, is exactly that!

Lupe Dragon – “Attached”. Lupe Dragon’s latest single, “Attached”, lyrically sounds like a very personal song, but it also has a beat and music that makes it a party anthem too!

Cyclone Static – “Cave Pop”. “Cave Pop” is the energetic new EP from Cyclone Static. The four songs on it are punk infused power-pop to the Nth degree! What does that mean? Listen and find out.

Jon Caspi & The First Gun – “My Best Shot”. If we were playing “Never Have I Ever” and you said, “Never have I ever heard Jon Caspi & The First Gun use a stylophone in a song”, I would have to take a drink because their peppy new tune, “My Best Shot”, utilizes the instrument to great effect!

The Cucumbers – “Old Shoes”. “So dependable and true, Just like a pair of old shoes”, is a line from the title track of The Cucumbers latest release, “Old Shoes”, but also describes their music to a T. The Cucumbers have been a legendary part of the New Jersey music scene since the 1980’s, and “Old Shoes” is just another high quality acoustic-indie-rock release from them that wraps around me like a warm blanket on a cold day.

Ruby Bones – “Really Good Time”. Is it too cheesy to say I had a really good time listening to Ruby Bones new single, “Really Good Time”?

Well I’m saying it anyway, because I did. It is a fun tune with some playful sax.

Not New, But Memorable Corner

Outcry – “On and On”. Ah, the 90’s… so much grunge rock… and yet, Asbury Park’s Outcry thrived locally, and even gained some traction nationally, with a decidedly non-grunge rock sound. Influenced by artists like U2, The Police, and Prince (whose songs they often covered during live shows), they had both songwriting chops and electrifying live energy. They released an EP, “Wentworth”, and a full length, “This Side Of Anywhere” (which was self released and then re-released by Eureka Records). The song “On & On” was on both releases, and was a fan favorite.

Side note: Outcry indirectly led to BlowUpRadio.com, but that is a longer story I have told elsewhere, possibly in an interview on the “About Us” page on BlowUpRadio.com)

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