review
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Jarod Clemons brings friends, family, and fun to Sea.Hear.Now Festival 2026
Asbury Park’s Sea.Hear.Now Festival is no stranger to promoting underground acts, especially those from its own backyard. Asbury Park native Jarod Clemons opened the Park Stage on Saturday, September 19, welcoming festivalgoers with an energetic performance and a fitting greeting to his hometown. Arriving onstage in golden cheetah-print pants and his signature sunglasses, Clemons immediately…
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In conversation with No Soap Radio: from adolescence to adulthood
No Soap Radio’s namesake is rooted in absurdity: a punchline that refuses to arrive, a story that deliberately goes nowhere. The band themselves, though, seem intent on making a habit of going somewhere entirely their own. “[That band name] was the second or third thing that came to mind when we were kids, and it…
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REVIEW — ‘Midheaven’ by Cory Blair
As an avid music listener, I’ve had no shortage of music to soak up in August. New releases at the tail end of summer capture a particularly warm feeling that, with luck, will stick with listeners as the weather slowly, or not so slowly, cools. Regardless, this month a variety of artists are gracing music…
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In conversation with Cole Hallman: riding the sound wave
In the words of folk musician Jack Johnson, “time is just a melody.” And for singer-songwriter Cole Hallman, the time is now. Growing up in Manasquan, New Jersey, Hallman was surrounded by an endless coastline and a rich, local music scene. “There is a lot of music in my area, a lot of music in…
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REVIEW — ‘Lake Effect’ by Hillary Behrman
“All the enchantments of the place were gone.” Hillary Behrman scours the human condition with no time to slip on rose-colored glasses in Lake Effect. This debut short story collection received the 2024 Mary McCarthy Prize for Short Fiction, a distinguished award firmly rooted in the indie literary world. Its recipient is chosen by a…
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REVIEW — BACKHOUSE’s debut album ‘Songs in the Key of Orange’
A debut album has one job: convince listeners that a band is worth paying attention to. Great ones become more than just introductions, instead establishing themselves as almost mythological benchmarks that every future release is measured against (such as Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not or even The Killers’ Hot…
