Mix early rock and roll, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and the East Coast urban sounds of cities like Baltimore and Philadelphia, and you get what is known as the New Jersey Sound. As often happens when diverse elements are combined, the result is much more than the sum of its parts.
Anyone who has hummed along with Frankie Valli or blasted Bruce Springstein knows how those traditional rock riffs can combine with lyrics that talk about the lives Read the rest of this entry »
The New Jersey Sound—also called the Jersey Shore Sound—describes music and musical styles using elements found in rock and roll music that developed in this area beginning in the 1960s and running through the 1980s. The most widely known artist associated with the New Jersey Sound is Bruce Springsteen along with his E Street Band. Other popular artists known for having the New Jersey Sound include Jon Bon Jovi, John Mellencamp and Billy Joel, although Billy Joel is actually from New York.
Themes of the New Jersey Sound
A major theme of the lyrics of New Jersey Read the rest of this entry »
Located on the East Coast of the United States, New Jersey, just like every state in the country, contains creative musicians who have given the world beautiful music. Just like Chicago is know for the blues and Seattle is known for grunge, New Jersey has its own special type of musical sounds. Although New Jersey may be home to a variety of different musicians, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi are arguably the two most famous musicians to come out of this state.
Both Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi are two musicians who Read the rest of this entry »
Everyone thinks about the way they live their life. Well living your life to the New Jersey sound is a great way to live your life. Its more pristine, captures the heart of the moment and really allows you to expose your soul to the sound of music. By following some simple steps its possible to make your life more applied to the New Jersey sound with each and every passing day.
The first thing you need to do is listen to New Jersey style sound with each and every passing moment. Carry a cd player, Read the rest of this entry »
Growing up in an Italian family gave me the opportunity to be turned on to some amazing music, in particular that New Jersey Sound. New Jersey gave birth to a fusion of rock, rhythm and blues and doo wop but what makes it timeless is the fact you can dance to these grooves.
The Four Seasons are a perfect example of the New Jersey sound. Their song “Rag Doll” revolutionized an entire movement and took it beyond New Jersey spreading throughout the country. My dad used to blast “Walk Like a Man” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” in our Read the rest of this entry »
The New Jersey Sound developed on the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey. The three characteristics of the New Jersey Sound include danceable, instrumentation and romanticism. It involves mixing elements of rhythm and blues, doo-wopp and the urban culture into music. There are several artists that have been credited as being the originators of the New Jersey Sound including: Stax Records, The Four Seasons, Van Morrison and Gary U.S. Bonds. Some of the major artists that incorporated the New Jersey Sound into their music include: Bruce Springsteen, Read the rest of this entry »
Did you know that some of the most famous music artists of today once called New Jersey home? Here are a few of the Garden State’s famous residents who can say they once set their home alarm system, walked their dogs and shopped for groceries in Jersey:
John Bon Jovi: One of Jersey’s more famous musicians, Bon Jovi brought the rock and roll to Jersey back in the 1970s and 80s. John likes it in Jersey Read the rest of this entry »
They may not be from Jersey, but the Dropkick Murphys have rallied Bruce Springsteen to help with lead vocals on the band’s song “Peg O’ My Heart” when it’s recorded for their new album Going Out in Style slated to be released on March 1st of this year. Personally, we’re psyched about the blending of talent and a potential new emergence of sound.Charlie Nathanson of Bloginity reported on January 24th that he is “fully expecting this to be a radio hit;” so for those of you who have not yet heard of the Dropkick Murphys..it seems you soon will.Nathanson went on to write that “Springsteen has stated before that he is a fan of the Murphys, explaining that his turned him on to several punk rock bands that he has since endorsed” and that “Springsteen shared the stage with the Irish rockers at a hometown show in Boston a few years back, so this will not be the first time the two forces will be collaborating.”If you’re interested in checking out the sound of this Irish punk rock group that hails from Massachusetts before they climb to “radio fame” with the release if their Springsteen-assisted song, here are this year’s tour dates:
- February 23 Buffalo The Rapids TheatreFebruary 24 Detroit The FillmoreFebruary 26 Chicago Congress TheaterFebruary 27 Chicago Congress TheaterMarch 1 Denver The Fillmore AuditoriumMarch 2 Kansas City The Beaumont ClubMarch 3 Minneapolis First AvenueMarch 4 West Des Moines, IA Val Air BallroomMarch 5 St. Louis The PageantMarch 6 Cleveland House of Blues ClevelandMarch 8 Philadelphia The Electric FactoryMarch 9 Philadelphia The Electric FactoryMarch 10 New York City Roseland BallroomMarch 11 New York City Roseland BallroomMarch 12 Washington DC RFK Stadium GroundsMarch 12 Washington DC RFK Stadium GroundsMarch 13 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun ArenaMarch 16 Boston House of Blues BostonMarch 17 Boston House of Blues BostonMarch 18 Boston House of Blues BostonMarch 19 Boston Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Out of country dates and venues include:
- April 16 Bielefeld, Germany RinglokschuppenApril 18 Oslo, Norway Oslo SpektrumApril 21 Erfurt, Germany Thringen-HalleApril 22 Zurich, Switzerland KomplexApril 25 Munchen, Germany ZenithApril 26 Milan, Italy AlcatrazApril 28 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of Sala RazzmatazzApril 30 Santander, Spain Rock Star Live Spain
There are close to 700 Jersey bars and restaurants with many offering live music that can range from Jazz and Techno to Thrash and Rockabilly (and everything in between). I’m sure over time we’ll get to them all, but for fear of overwhelming we list a random sampling of the first ten you might want to explore.The Stone Pony (913 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park) offers wide and varied live music listening with bands like Splintered Sunlight and We Came as Romans. This place is also fun for their Open Artist Night (with the first one in 2011 scheduled for January 20th).Maxwell’s (1039 Washington Street, Hoboken) offers great food and great tunes in a very hip environment that also occasionally sponsors art exhibits. How’s that for cool? The club’s menu has daily specials ranging from Shrimp Scampi to Louisiana Pecan Chicken and throws down a mean fried Brie. Drink specials and awesome music lineups make Maxwell’s a “must experience” stop when you’re next passing through Hoboken.The Brighton Bar (121 Brighton Avenue, Long Branch) has been a foundation of the Jersey music scene for over 20 years with offerings almost every night of the week. Weekday shows are an affordable 7 with weekend gigs coming it at 9. This spot is known as a “punk rock” haven of sorts and places a huge emphasis on promoting local bands. You can help, too, by making this one of your stops.Blue Moon (114 S. Broadway, South Amboy) is a great blues venue that offers up a great menu as well. The club has live jazz most Sunday afternoons and blues jams most Thursday nights. If you want blues, Blue Moon has them.