Jersey Spotlight: Folly

(via: An Objective Perspective)

I stumbled upon Folly around the time my interest in hardcore music was dwindling and Purevolume was still a popular and reliable source for finding new music. What I heard blew me away. Never has a band been able to combine hardcore with ska as seamlessly as these New Jersey natives, though many have tried. John Tummillo changes his vocal style at the drop of a hat, going from hardcore screams to the almost-singing typical of ska vocalists. Their stage presence is insane and fans take hardcore dancing to a whole new level at their shows, doing everything from backflips to cartwheels in the pit.

With two full-length albums, two EPs, and a series of tours that took them across the US with bands like The Human Abstract and The Dillinger Escape Plan, the band seemed to be gaining popularity. Unfortunately, a break-up was announced in February of 2008 and they played three farewell shows, all of which sold out.

Naturally, it came as a huge surprise when Folly announced three upcoming reunion shows:

March 26 @ Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ
April 2 @ School of Rock East in South Hackensack, NJ
April 9 @ Stanhope House in Stanhope, NJ

What does this mean for one of the best hardcore bands to ever come out of Jersey? We'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully more of this:



...and this:

Jersey Spotlight: The Static Jacks

We've been absent on this blog for a little over a month. I apologize for that, but think of it as an internet vacation. Anyway, in order to make up for getting rid of the news posts (I really just don't have the time to keep up with them every week) I'm going to introduce a new feature called "Jersey Spotlight" that I hope you guys will enjoy. Every so often we will try to showcase great local bands from New Jersey in an attempt to get the word out on them. These bands need all the support they can get.

Without further ado, I present to you The Static Jacks, a five-piece indie band from Westfield. I use the term "indie" loosely, as that is what they are considered by the majority. Don't let that stop you from giving this band a listen. If their gritty, soulful music doesn't grab you, their catchy hooks certainly will. The vocals even remind me a bit of a young Glenn Danzig at times. They may not have complex guitar riffs or masterfully written lyrics, but what these guys do have is raw talent and a love for what they do.

Despite having been featured in various MTV shows, namely The Hills and Jersey Shore, it doesn't seem like this band is getting wide recognition. I recently had the pleasure of seeing them open for Biffy Clyro in New York and their set was fantastic. Before the show, a few fans waiting in line relayed a story about the previous night: The Static Jacks weren't able to play at the 21+ venue because some of the members are underage. They tried to find a place to crash for the night, but no one was generous enough to offer up their floor, so they slept in their van. The next day they tore up that stage in NYC and made me fall in love with their music.


The Static Jacks "My Parents Lied" from Michael James Murray on Vimeo.