Blog | Music/Arts: Long Island Sound & Beyond

“Madonna came into our office on a skateboard, all sweaty and dirty.
I was like, ‘Shit, what’s with this girl?’ She went to see Bob Regehr—
a big product manager at Warner Bros.—and left a note on his bulletin
board that said, ‘Sorry I missed you, because I’m gonna be a star.’”

—Susan Silverman, video production executive for Warner Bros.

Anyone who grew up during the 80’s and 90’s MTV video era and wondered what went on behind the scenes will appreciate the amusing tome “I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution.” Written by former music editors Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, “I Want my MTV” is an oral history told by about 400 musicians, VJ’s, directors, and executives, reminding us of MTV’s place in pop culture.

From Guns N’ Roses’ rise to stardom to Sting’s big ego, the anecdotes in this book will captivate readers who remember looking forward to the world premiere of a new video. One music executive recalled viewers thinking Boy George was an “ugly” woman. A “shy,” control freak, Prince would whisper demands to his staff and the messages would eventually get passed down to the targeted actor or director on the set. The ever-competitive Madonna was not very happy when Sinead O’Connor’s video for “Nothing Compares 2 U” won Video of the Year over Madonna’s “Vogue” at the VMA’s:

“[Madonna] and Sandra Bernhard had been really nasty about me in magazine interviews, based on how I looked… I was very pleased to beat the shit out of her that night,” said O’Connor.

The ever-present power struggles aside, there was no denying the influence the visual MTV era had on culture—from fashion trends and hair styles to TV, film and even politics when Bill Clinton went on MTV to rock the youth vote in his favor.

“I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution” is still available in hardcover and electronically.

Save Me
You always pick up the pieces
And save me from myself…
Everything I ever do
It’s all for you
My little Valentine

Growing up on Long Island, members of Patent Pending listened to everything form Green Day and blink-182 to the Beach Boys and the Beatles, but they also had a deep appreciation for the local music scene:

“We are blessed to be a part of the Long Island scene,” notes vocalist Joe Ragosta. “We got to grow up watching bands like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, the Movie Life and Glassjaw redefine genres. It was the perfect place to learn everything we needed to know to prepare us for the road… The scene is still thriving with younger bands like Giants At Large, This Good Robot and No Good News, to name a few. We’re proud to be from Long Island, it’s a badge of honor that we wear with pride.”

Their pop-punk sound has elements of hip-hop and R&B, and Patent Pending, who would love to tour with Andrew W.K. or Simple Plan, has opened up for bands like Gym Class Heroes, Catch 22, Bowling for Soup and the Dollyrots. The group—including lead guitarist Marc Kantor, bassist Travis McGee, vocalist/guitarist Josh Dicker, drummer Travis McGee and vocalist/lead guitarist Rob Felicetti—is really looking forward to playing with Bon Jovi at the Bamboozle Festival in Asbury Park, NJ this May. Music from the P-Unit’s latest record, “Second Family,” produced by Jordan Schmidt (Motion City Soundtrack) has been played on MTV2, and the song “One Less Heart to Break,” an “anti-suicide song,” hit number one on MTV.com.

“‘Second Family’ is a very personal record,” reveals Ragosta. “Each song has a story behind it. The title track on the album is inspired by the fans of our band that we have come to call family. This time last year we had hit rock-bottom financially and came to a point where we didn’t have enough money to continue as a band. We were ready to throw in the towel for good, but decided to put up a save our band campaign on the website Kickstarter.com. We were asking for enough money to record a new album, and hoped to get $7,500 over a 30-day promotion of the campaign. But our fans rallied behind us and we raised all the money in just 24 HOURS and then some! It’s that kind of love and support that this Patent Pending community, or ‘Second Family,’ is known for. I think that’s a really beautiful thing.”

You can expect to hear old and new music when Patent Pending plays the Loft at the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie on Friday, the 17th. Listen for the timely song, “Valentine,” and some other surprises:

“We always try to mix a cover into the set if time allows for it,” says Ragosta. “You can expect anything from Sisqo’s ‘Thong Song’ to the Back Street Boys ‘I Want It That Way.’ The show starts at 6pm and the line-up is looking awesome—very excited to get back to the Loft at The Chance. The venue has a lot of history, and it’s always fun to play there.”

For more info check out: http://www.patentpendingmusic.com and Facebook.com/patentpendingmusic

We’re here and now, but will we ever be again?
‘Cause I have found
All that shimmers in this world is sure to fade
Away again…

It’s been awhile since the alt-rock post-grunge band Fuel has been on the scene, but original lead singer Brett Scallions recruited guitarist Andy Andersson, bassist Brad Stewart, and drummer Kenneth Schalk, and the new foursome began touring together last week. You might recall late nineties hits like “Shimmer” and “Hemorrhage (In My Hands),” but Scallions is also writing some new music and the band expects to release a new record sometime this year—the rumor being summertime.

When Fuel hit the Paramount in Huntington on Friday night they’ll be playing with a number of bands: the opener will be the Soundgarden-esque Edisun, followed by Huntington’s own Verse the Empire, and L.A.‘s Venrez. “Fuelies” can expect to hear the classics, and possibly some new songs like “I Can See the Sun,” and “What We Can Never Have.” Music starts at 8pm: http://www.paramountny.com/shows/

For more info check out: http://fuelrocks.com/

Super Prime, who formed at Berklee College of Music, hit the Boston music scene in the spring of 2011, and the trio has already shared the bill with Marky Ramone, “the great-grandfather of the kind of rock [they] play.” Growing up, they were all in rock bands but their influences were as diverse as hip-hop, jazz, gospel, and electronica. So, what inspired the music on their latest EP, “Sun’s Out, Gun’s Out?”

“We we’re listening to a lot of Title Fight, Fall Out Boy, Such Gold and Blink in the van on the way to practice,” notes Bond. “We also watched a ton of YouTube videos and played way too many video games… Our lyrics are always inspired by real life experiences and feelings we think we need to get out in the open.”

The power trio—vocalist/bassist Austin Bond, guitarist/vocalist Adam Newall and drummer Marcus James—who were also influenced by Incubus and Drake, describe their music as “fast, melodic, fun and easy to dance to.”

“We like making people happy,” reveals Bond, “and we play for everyone, not just specific group of people. It’s becoming more pop rock than pop punk these days but thats okay.”

When the band returns to NYC’s Studio at Webster Hall on Sunday, January 15th, they will be sharing the bill with Long Island’s Patent Pending, and you’ll hear music from their first 2 EP’s, and “some really cool covers, like Fall Out Boy’s ‘Grand Theft Autumn,’ Lit’s ‘My Own Worst Enemy,’ and a few Blink-182 songs.” Look for Super Prime’s debut full-length, produced by Brian Charles (Bright Eyes) to drop in the springtime.

For more info check out: www.super-prime.com

You may remember the neon-red-haired singer as Adam Levine’s pick on “The Voice” when she belted out Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” Now you can experience Casey Desmond’s talent firsthand when she hits The Mercury Lounge on Thursday, December 22nd to play songs from her upcoming record, along with some other surprises. Desmond will be joined by her right hand man, Taylor Barefoot, who is her guitar player, best friend, and the co-producer of her album:

“We were lucky enough to work on some tracks with Anthony Resta (Duran Duran, Collective Soul) and Karyadi Sutedja from Bopnique Musique, who produced and mixed my previous EP’s,” notes Desmond. “Stay tuned for Robots, Rockets, Animals, and Sex…. just maybe not all at once. As for collaborations, I co-wrote almost half of my album with Robert Ellis Orrall (Taylor Swift, Martina McBride), along with some other tracks. I’ve been writing with the act Hot Pink Deloreon/ Terravita, and working on a track with DJ Travis Stillwell.”

The Boston-based synth-dance-pop chanteuse, who has a degree in Fashion Design and collects vintage synths and keyboards, was greatly influenced by David Bowie.

“David Bowie is everything I idolize in a writer/performer,” admits Desmond. “He’s not only visually pleasing and extremely talented, but he’s also tapped into so many varieties of music and he did it well… Remember when the beautiful boy with an acoustic guitar became a glittery glam queen on Mars? Then, with a touch of funk and shoulder pads he dominated disco radio! I admire other favorites, but this time it’s all about the Bowie.”

The electro-pop singer would most like to tour with Lady Gaga, M83, Annie Lennox, Cyndi Lauper, or Goldfrapp. On Thursday night, Desmond will be performing with The Dance Party and Blackbells, and you can hear: “The entire new album that will be out in the new year… We also have a strange, and dark, rendition of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ for the holiday!”

For more info check out: http://caseydesmond.com/