Red Bank New Jersey’s Monster Magnet
We’ve all heard Monster Magnet’s “Space Lord” a million times, so today let’s change it up and check out the video for “Unbroken (Hotel Baby),” a track they scored a minor hit with from their 2004 album Monolithic Baby. The video’s over the top style and debauchery reminds me of how classic hard rock videos used to be. When I was a kid, I’d fall asleep on the couch at 12:30 a.m on Friday night and wake up later on captivated by the depraved revelry on the screen. I used to WANT MY MTV, where the hell did it go? We need more videos like this! Watch:
http://d.yimg.com/m/up/fop/embedflv/swf/fop.swf
See Monster Magnet w/ Bang Camaro at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ this Saturday night 5/16!
Less Than Jake: “Never Going Back to New Jersey”
As a fan of bands who at one time wore tight leather pants, teased hair, and more makeup than your Aunty Sharon, you can see why I never got into Less Than Jake. Their upbeat ska influenced sound is bouncy and fun to listen to, which explains their legion of fans, but I just never connected with it. It’s possible that if Less Than Jake were a New Jersey sensation like Bon Jovi was 25 years ago, perhaps I’d be an LTJ junkie. What’s strange is how many New Jersey references a ska band out of Florida could be responsible for. Upon finding their track “Never Going Back to New Jersey” on the You Tubes, I was compelled to investigate further.
Vinnie Fiorello, drummer and lyricist of Less Than Jake, is the reason to LOVE Less Than Jake. Fiorello moved out of Jersey and down to Florida at 16, and soon became a founding member of the band. In what’s probably several million shades more angry than third wave ska, Fiorello has said his drumming is influenced by Dave Lombardo of Slayer, hence the 2 Slayer cover tunes LTJ has released. With his extensive musical background and savvy for the business, Fiorello co-founded the Fueled By Ramen record label in the late ’90s. The label rose to fame thanks to bands like Jimmy Eat World, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, Paramore, The Academy Is, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heros etc.
Once the company was overran with faygeles like Pete Wentz, Fiorello, in a Jersey-style manner, told the label to F–k off. He left to start 2 of his own record companies, Sleep it Off Records, and Paper and Plastick. He’s also got Wunderland War, a company that makes radtacular toys and clothes. Right on Vinnie!
In an article published on Buzznet via Kerrang, Fiorello described how up and coming bands are better off trying to break into the business independently: “You don’t need Pete (Wentz) hyping you…It’s a brand new game out there kids, f–k the old model. Don’t believe the hype.” Hey Vinnie, just so you know, The Sexy Armpit wholeheartedly shares in your distaste for Pete Wentz! Just type in “Pete Wentz Sucks“ in Google. That’s just a link to my article on Pete Wentz SUCKING!!!
I have no idea where he gets the time in his busy entrepreneurial schedule, but Fiorello has also written a children’s book called Sometimes Robots Are Happy Being Robots: 13 Stories Looking Into the World of Robots, and he keeps a blog: www.pickyourpoisons.com. Here’s a pic of a few of the cool things you can buy at Fiorello’s Wunderland War Online Store:
Blondie’s “Union City Blue” Video
The video for Blondie’s “Union City Blue,” released in 1979, was filmed right on the docks in Union City, NJ. The track was featured in Oliver Stone’s 1981 horror film The Hand and it’s also been covered by Radiohead and The Black Kids w/ Cut Copy. Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry grew up in Hawthorne, NJ and was once a dancer in Union City. If you’ve never visited New Jersey, this video provides you with some magnificent scenic visuals. Note to self: that didn’t sound anywhere near as dryly sarcastic as intended. Also of note, Union City is the site of The Park Theater where a few of New Jersey’s most prominent pop culture moments have taken place, namely the recording of George Carlin’s “What Am I Doing in New Jersey?”
Steel Panther’s “Death to All But Metal” Video
You Down with O.P.P?
East Orange, NJ’s own Naughty by Nature hit it big with their track “O.P.P” in 1991, which sampled The Jackson 5 song “ABC.” Here’s the video:
http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:9452
Rapper and actor Treach a.k.a Anthony Criss appeared in the season 6 episode of The Sopranos entitled “The Fleshy Part of the Thigh.” Treach played a rapper who was looking for a career boost and Bobby Baccalieri was just the man to help him out…by shooting him in his ass.
My Chemical Romance “Desolation Row” Video from The Watchmen Soundtrack
Here’s Jersey’s own My Chemical Romance’s version of Bob Dylan’s Desolation Row, which appears on The Watchmen soundtrack available March 3rd! Dig the Rorschach backdrop!
http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=51474710,t=1,mt=video
Coheed and Cambria: Devil in Jersey City Video
Here’s the video for the song “Devil in Jersey City,” from Progressive Rock band Coheed and Cambria. The track appears on their 2002 album The Second Stage Turbine Blade. This post goes out to my lifelong friend and Armpit reader Marcelo, who kept me updated via text message on what was going on at The WWE Royal Rumble last Sunday while I was in Vegas. Thanks Marcelo!
Jizz in my Pants – SNL Digital Short
New Jersey’s Great Pop Culture Moments Vol.14: Nada Surf’s Popular Video filmed at Bayonne High School
The summer of ’96 saw N.J’s Bayonne High School make national headlines when rock band Nada Surf filmed their “Popular” video there. Popular is a track from their debut album High/Low produced by Ric Okasek featuring lyrics ripped from the pages of Penny’s Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity (Gloria Winters 1964). The video featured some actual Bayonne High Cheerleaders, and several scenes where the B.H.S football team hits the showers, leering at each other.
After the video was a hit on MTV, Bayonne High publicly announced how offended they were and claimed that the video made their football team out to be gay. God forbid anything’s ever said about a high school football team. I can’t speak for other states, but in N.J high schools, football players are the golden children. They’re basically exempt from ever getting in serious trouble, and many of them get passed through classes they have no chance of ever passing. So take that football players! I busted my ass in high school while I personally knew players who didn’t put in half the effort I did, got horrible grades, and still passed with no problems. It’s looked at as if the players are doing the school a favor so the school pays it back.
The primadonnas who ran Bayonne High School 12 years ago couldn’t take a friggin’ joke. I bet this Nada Surf video is their biggest claim to fame. B.H.S’ case is irrelevant because we’re bound to notice a bit of homoeroticism anytime we’re shown scenes depicting male athletes showering together. It’s universal, not just in New Jersey. Nada Surf rebutted by explaining that the video wasn’t meant to poke fun at the football players and that the video actually maintained a heterosexual vibe. Leave it to a school system in N.J to come out with such a ridiculous claim. Can’t we take a damn joke? Many of the employees in N.J’s various educational systems (ASIDE FROM THE HARDWORKING TEACHERS!) are paranoid, corrupt, fogeys. If they had any reserves about filming a sarcastic rock video at their school, they shouldn’t have let them film there in the first place!