Calamity Menagerie: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?!

By Lauren-Olivia “Liv” Simister

To say Calamity Menagerie is a diverse group with members from all over New
Jersey may be an understatement. With a revolving line-up, this band never gets
dull! Calamity Menagerie all began when Jamie (vocals/guitar) and Mike
(bass/accordion) began performing acoustic sets at open-mic nights. From there,
the band’s line-up grew, and they were soon joined by Stefanie
(bass recorder/bass/keyboards/congas/xylophone/synth/harp/bass drum), Ryan
(drums), Scruff (percussion/bass/vocals), and Allison (vocals/keyboards/
xylophone/bass drum/tambourine/synth), forming a diversely talented group.
“I’m also part of The O>MATICS, and I wrote a ton of stuff that just didn’t fit
in with the band, so Calamity Menagerie was my outlet for that, I guess,” Jamie
says. Working with more than one band is not uncommon for the members of
Calamity Menagerie, as many of the past/current members have been/are part of
other bands. Jamie is currently part of Calamity Menagerie, the O>Matics, and
working on a solo-project. Scruff is also currently a member of The Tea and
Whiskey. “Sometimes it’s easier to be part of two bands, like when there’s a
show we can play, and if one band can’t do it, then hopefully, the other can.
And if I can’t play with either one, I could do a solo thing. So if I find a
show I want to play, I’m going to play no matter what,” Jamie laughs.
“Being part of two bands, a dog-owner, and a newlywed is a little hectic, so I don’t get to play as often as I’d like, but when I do, I always have a lot of
fun,” claims Scruff. Calamity Menagerie are known for having upbeat, fun shows,
drawing people of all ages in. “We’re not really profane. We have like, one song
where we curse…and one that gets mistaken for cursing a lot,” the band jokes.
“When we do an all-ages show, it’s the funniest thing, because you’ll have these
families, like with the kids and the parents or grandparents, and in our song,
‘Happy Lucky Fun Duck,’ there’s a line that goes, ‘All I wanna do is fun, fun,
fun, FUN.’ You just see these adults’ jaws…drop,” Jamie chuckles. “When we
finish the song, I have to say, ‘I was saying ‘fun’, just, you know, by the way.’”
“You just hear this collective sigh of relief, and then this huge applause,”
Calamity laughs. Calamity Menagerie have struck a chord with adults and kids
alike, much like their own influence, Oingo Boingo, struck with them.
“Oingo Boingo is a band from the ‘80’s, and it’s fronted by Danny Elfman, who is a famous composer,” Jamie states. (Side-note: Most might recognize Danny Elfman as the composer for The Simpson’s theme song, as well as the singing voice of
Jack Skellington in ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’) Calamity Menagerie is playing a Halloween show in which they will be covering Oingo Boingo (check out location and time on the band’s Myspace). On October 8th, they will be working once again with Jason Webley (accordion player). “He can transform a room by getting everyone into his music, and by the end of the night, everyone is singing with their arms around each other. “We got to back for him once, and I think that was a pivotal moment in Calamity Menagerie’s career,” Jamie laughs.
Along with being musically-inclined, the band is also good on film
(check out Tom Devil’s New Year). “I think we got all our profanity out of our
system with that movie. It had like no budget,” exclaims Jamie. The band laughs, recalling the amount of cursing the movie involved. Calamity Menagerie is a band for the ages, and a sure delight! Check them out on Myspace
(www.myspace.com/calamitymenagerie)
and Facebook www.facebook.com/calamitymenagerie), and buy their EP ‘What Could Possibly Go Wrong?’ on Itunes now.

Eleven Questions with Jason Webley!

Jason Webley is like a character from a movie or a book. He travels the world
with an accordion, acoustic guitar, and his hat. When he's at home in Seattle,
he lives on a houseboat. He has shared the stage with the likes of The Dresden
Dolls, The Avett Brothers, and more. Most recently he did a collaboration with
Amanda Palmer in which they had a slew of special guests including Weird Al,
Francis Bean Cobain, Tegan and Sara, and Gerard Way submit vocals to the album's
closing track. Danny Says! sat down with Jason to ask him 11 questions (a number
he seems to obsess over)

1. Which album of yours is your personal favorite?

JW: That is hard... they are all different sorts of albums, and each is my
favorite in different ways. Even my least favorite, "Counterpoint" in some ways
I am most proud of, as it was probably the most ambitious of them all. But
generally I prefer the last two, "Only Just Beginning" and "The Cost of Living."
I think they are both strongest in terms of songwriting and production. They
lack whimsy a bit, but I think that actually makes them hold together better
than the older records did.

2. On average, between touring, how long do you stay at your house boat?

JW: It depends. Sometimes a few days, sometimes a month or more. I was
home for all of August which was nice.

3. How many countries have you performed in?

JW: More than eleven... let's count. Canada, US, Mexico, Ireland, UK, Spain,
France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Austria,
Italy, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Russia, Austalia,
New Zealand, Morocco. So twenty four, unless I am forgetting something.

4. Where’s been your favorite place to play?

JW: I guess I don't like to think in terms of favorites. I love places, all
sorts of different places. I love visiting new places for the first time, and I
love revisiting familiar spots.

5. How many times have you played in New Jersey?

JW: I'm not sure. The first time was opening for the Dolls in Asbury Park...
I've probably been back 4 or 5 times since then?

6. Have you been able to visit the Jersey Shore
between your shows?

JW: I have a couple times! Before that first show
in Asbury Park, I spent a bit of time walking along
the beach. It was there actually that the first
seeds of the Evelyn Evelyn project were born.


7. Do you have any new collaborative records coming out?

JW: I just finished two earlier this year, but I have a few more coming down the pipe. I had hoped to have one finished this autumn, but just had my laptop stolen and am probably not going to make that deadline.


8. Who is your biggest accordion influence?

JW: I don't really have one. I started playing in a bit of an accordion bubble - not really having heard much of the music, and while I have grown to like a lot of different accordion music, not much of it has affected the way I play.

9. Who is your biggest punk influence?

JW: I liked the pop punk stuff that was happening in the late 80's... Operation Ivy, Crimpshrine, Jawbreaker. I was also into the DC Dischord scene... Fugazi, Jawbox. I'm not sure who the biggest "influence" was. The main thing that inspired me was the whole attitude that you can play shows and make records without really being
plugged into any sort of industry.

10. What is your favorite non-curse word?

JW: You like favorites a lot.... there are so many nice words out there. Tergiversation. Dirigible. Transmography. I also like made up words... Sinceriously. Nongratulations.

11. And finally the question everybody needs to know: What’s your favorite
vegetable other than tomato?

JW: Another favorite question! But this one is easier, because the artichoke is by far the tastiest, sexiest, thistliest vegetable that I am currently aware of. Do not pickle them and pizza them. Steam them and eat them with butter and salt.

Jason Webley is performing at The Saint in Asbury Park on Friday October 8th with Calamity Menagerie.

review: The O>MATICS ON PARADE

The O>MATICS are releasing their fifth full length album "O>MATICS on Parade!" today on iTunes and various other online retailers. Their new album which has songs produced by Paul Carabello formally of The Ataris as well as by themselves in their home studio features a cavalcade of fourteensongs in a variety of styles. It opens with a new wave dance song called "Horns", which is reminicent of MGMT, DEVO, and The Killers at certain points. The second track "Blanket of Snow" recalls They Might Be Giants and Elvis Costello. "Make It Last 2.5", apparently a partial sequel to another song has Flaming Lips influence all over. The rest of the album recalls everything from Spongebob Squarepants (Peachy Keen), to Fountains of Wayne (Milltown), to Nada Surf (Distance Inbetween), to James Brown (Seymour), to punk
(Not Up to You), to steel drum conga line music (Conga Inferno), to Eastern Indian sounds (Mysterious One). I'm told the online version of the album will also have three bonus tracks which are only available through iTunes and other online retailers. Tomorrow, September 15th at 8PM (EST) they'll be doing a live webcast from their site omatics.net where they'll be performing live. They are supporting the release all month with live shows all over including a 21+ record release show at The Loop Lounge in Passaic, NJ on September 17th and an all ages record release at HHVFW in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ on September 24th where everybody with a ticket gets the CD free. They'll also be playing September 18th in Yardley, PA, September 19th in Westville, NJ, September 25th in Freehold, NJ, and September 26th as a guest on the Jersey Showdown Regional Finals at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ along with Running Late, March Fourth, Rise of Razel, Overboard, Alter The Ending, and more.

Statelman adds Solfege Radio members

There are rumors of the demise of Solfege Radio (twice featured band on Danny Says!) and this may just be fueling the fire but Statelman seems to have slid their drummer Dan over to guitar and added Solfege Radio drummer Donny and SR guitarist Jon. Whether this is a permanent thing or not we'll have to wait and see, Donny did play drums for them at Get Heard Fest back in June... Check out this video of the new lineup from the Union County Music Fest:

PUNK ROCK 101: Posers

By Skippy Rodman

Standing outside a club in Asbury Park recently, an
individual with a mohawk and a punk rock sense of style
asked me what type of music I preferred. I said I
listened mostly to punk and used some examples of my
favorite bands that included the Bouncing Souls and the
Descendents. Naturally, he knew of the Bouncing Souls.
After all, we were in Asbury and unless you live under
a rock in that area I’m sure you’ve heard of them once
or twice (there is sarcasm in that statement). To my
surprise, though, there was a blank stare as I spoke of
the Descendents being one of my favorite bands. After
having a very unsatisfying conversation with this
individual, I turned to my friend and said, “This guy
had no idea who the Descendents were.” My friend agreed
and I went on one of my rants.
My most current rant… Everyone dresses all punk rock,
but really doesn’t know the music or has any passion for
the scene. Try walking through the mall on a Friday
night. You’ll see a bunch of “I’m so punk rock and
cool” kids walking around. Why aren’t they at a show?
At that age, I was at a show on a Friday night. Then
there’s individuals who go to shows, but don’t actually
watch any bands. They just hang outside. These are the
people that get dressed up in their best “Hot Topic”
clothes, pay to get into a show, and don’t watch any
bands.
It bothers me that so many kids don’t know the roots
to our scene. If you like a band, read about their
influences. It will open a whole new punk rock door to
your life. For instance, if you love Green Day you
should know that they used to be on a little label
called Lookout Records and then you will discover
Operation Ivy. If you are a hardcore fan, do some
research on it’s history and you may just stumble upon
a band called Minor Threat. And finally just for me…
look up the Descendents! They have influenced some of
the biggest pop punk bands of today.

Class 6: The New Movement

Six musicians make up Class 6. They are a hard rock/ hip hop
hybrid that has far more class than any of the rap/rock bands
that surged in the late 90's, infact it's something refreshingly
new. Danny Says sat down with the recently victorious winners of
the Philly Showdown to find out a little more.
DS: Congratulations on winning the Philly Showdown!
Can you tell me what you guys plan on doing with the
$5,000 that you won?
C6: First off, we would like to thank Jersey Shows for the
opportunity to participate in this competition, along with the
countless other events they have involved us in. We plan on using
the $5000 to get back in the studio and record new material. We
also plan on getting some new t-shirts, stickers, and various
other merchandise made up. So be on the lookout!
DS: How long have you guys been playing together for?
C6: Kyle (synth) and Chris (vocals) were previously in a Black Eyed
Peas-esque hip hop group before meeting up with James (guitar)
and Harry (bass/vocals) to take a different musical direction.
This collaboration happened in late 2007, and Dan (drums) was on
board by early 2008. That was the birth of Class 6, but we
weren't complete until Tony (piano) joined us in early 2009.
DS: You guys seem to have a wide reach playing all over NJ, PA,
and DE, what are some of the venues you have played?
C6: We've played at the Trocadero several times, including
Concerts First's Next Big Thing competition in September of 2008,
in which we came in 1st place. We've also played at JC Dobbs,
Starland Ballroom, Alexander's, and countless coffee houses,
churches and fire halls throughout the tri-state area.
DS: I can remember seeing you over a year ago at Starland
Ballroom and you played a song about Michael Jackson less than
about 2 weeks after he died which incorporated an original song
into some Jackson 5/MJ riffs, if I'm right I believe that song
became "Nostalgia" can you tell me about how your wrote that
song so quickly and how developed it into the song it is now?
C6: 'Nostalgia' was actually one of our earlier songs from our
first collection of original music that we decided to revamp.
After the death of Michael Jackson, we wanted to pay tribute in
some way. 'Nostalgia' was the perfect song for the job because
it's all about reminiscing on pop culture and what was "big" in
past years. A few days before Starland, we decided to integrate
some elements of Jackson 5 into our song and it just seemed to
fit.
DS: What is your writing process like in general, do you often
freestyle at practices and develop them into songs?
C6: Each song has a different story behind it. Our earlier songs
were loose interpretations of instrumentals Kyle (synth) had made
himself, with him and Chris writing lyrics. Now, we often start
with original ideas that any one of us will bring to the table,
whether it be entire songs or just lyrics or a rough instrumental.
We'll all listen to it and add our own touch in different areas.
Our new song 'Inertia', for example, was an entire song that James
(guitar) had wrote, with Chris adding a 2nd verse and Harry (bass)
and Dan (drums) tweaking their parts. An inspired idea can come from
any one of us individually or collectively, so we try to be keep as
much diversity in our music as possible by exploring different sounds
and vibes.
DS: What does Class 6 have in store for the future?
C6: We plan on continually writing and recording new material and
broadening our fan base by reaching as many listeners as possible.
Just continuing to grow as overall musicians and performers, while
putting out eclectic music that everyone can enjoy.

Check them out at myspace.com/class6live

Solfege Radio: Tell Your Mom

By Lauren-Olivia “Liv” Simister
Many people dream of being traveling the country, especially when they’re fresh out of high school. For the guys of Solfege Radio, a band from Florham, New Jersey, that dream came true.
Starting out in January 2008, the band was comprised of long-time friends Marco Torriani (vocals) and brothers Jon (guitar) and Matt (drums) Stolpe. In July of 2008, Joey Nester (guitar/vocals), another childhood-friend, joined the trio. A year later, in August 2009, Donny Saraceno (bass) became the bass player for the band.
Though they hadn’t been together long, Solfege Radio won the preliminary rounds of the 9th Annual Jersey Shows Battle of the Bands, and began touring the east-coast non-stop for two years.
Still early on in their career, Solfege Radio has played shows like the Get Heard Fest in 2009, and the Monmouth Park Racetrack date of Warped Tour 2010. “Headlining the past year’s Get Heard Fest was pretty incredible. Not being from Central Jersey but more towards the North, we had an incredibly welcoming and responsive crowd. It made us remember why we love what we do. Playing this year’s Warped Tour was also an amazing experience. It's one of those things you dream about from the first time you walk on to one of those parking lots.”
When asked how they’re music has evolved since their formation, Jon Stolpe says, “Our music has definitely matured a lot since then, including our song writing and stage performance. With the help of John Collura and Paul Carabello (producers of our "Tell My Mom I'll Be Okay EP"), we've learned a lot about the art of "song writing" as well as the business.”
It’s hard to imagine there was a lot to teach the guys of Solfege Radio, especially considering they can’t remember not playing an instrument! “It’s hard to remember exactly when we all started playing. We all got into music at a very young age and have been with it ever since,” Jon claims.
High school, however, was a different story. “High school was lame,” Jon says. “The only thing I thought about was when our next show was. I gained absolutely nothing from high school except disgust for public education.”
Solfege Radio has stolen the hearts of fans all over, though it was no easy task. They’re known for working non-stop on promotion, making sure their shows are nothing short of spectacular (either go see them live, or look up a live performance via Youtube), and making sure they get to know their fans.
The songs on their recently released first EP, “Tell My Mom I’ll Be Okay,” are filled with the punk-pop energy the quintet are known for, as well as the catchy beats that will have concert-goers jumping like they’re at Warped all over again.
The EP’s title took on significant meaning to Solfege Radio, used almost as a declaration of self-confidence. “Sometimes it's really hard for parents to see through the insanity of what we're trying to do here. The amount of money, time, and effort that it takes doesn't seem quite worth it to a lot of people. ‘Tell My Mom I'll Be Okay,’ is homage to that pretty much. Not that our parents are unsupportive but maybe this will help keep them off our backs,” they laugh. “The name goes along with the idea that this is what we want to do no matter how crazy it might seem, and we won’t stop, ever.”
When listening to Tell My Mom I’ll Be Okay EP, Solfege Radio want you to come away with one thing: a smile.
Tell My Mom I’ll Be Okay EP is available now. Head to myspace.com/SolfegeRadio to order your copy now!