Staten Island alternative rock band Four Nights Gone are trying to take themselves to the next level. Successfully completing a tour and stacking up on their social networks, these guys entered the studio for their second EP, Resilience, which is being released on June 11th.

The EP opens up with "J. Buck," which is definitely the radio single of this record. It just might be the best and most catchy FNG song to date. Damian's vocals shine through on this track and the instrumentals are very solid too. Lots of great layering and little intricacies if you listen closely. The screaming is a good touch as well, and a change of pace.

"Broken Wings," starts off with heavy guitars, yet has a mello feel until the chorus, where it picks up. The chorus has a big feel to it, and fits perfectly within the song. There's a nice little build in the bridge that leads into a solo part before rounding out into a final chorus. That's probably the heaviest FNG gets instrument-wise, well done.

The next track is "The Scars Remain." It starts off slowly with heavily effected guitars before going crunchy at the chorus. The dueling guitar work adds a nice feel to the track, and the softer background vocals add depth to the verses. They released this track as their first single, I feel this more of a secondary single than a lead, but nonetheless, a great track.

"Monster" starts off slow with light instrumentals and very subtle electronic sounds mixed in, giving it a Linkin Park type feel musically before it changes up at the chorus. The standout in this song is the drum work by Lobes. The patterns are tight and consistent and he does a good job keeping rhythm on the toms. The choir hums at the end of the song is a great touch as well.

The last track is "The One Who Knocks." Do I see a "Breaking Bad" reference in this song...which as I type this sentence I hear Damian sing, "Breaking Bad, going mad with all this power he has." Touche FNG, touche. Listen to the words and basically hear the plot of the show. You should send it to AMC before the show ends!

TV references aside, the song is quite good and introduces some more screaming it. There's a major key change at the end that flows seamlessly, and the lyrics are among the best penned for the band.

All in all, Resilience is a major upgrade on their last EP in my opinion. Gone are all the little mistakes, the rookie recording experiments and such, this EP is for real. The sound is better, the quality and music is better, and the lyrics are more mature. Although not much time has passed since the last recording, the results are much better. Vocally, there is a major improvement as well. Everything is on point, and done well. I'm impressed guys. This EP has a much stronger commercial feel to it and is good for anyone who enjoys 3 Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, and good alternative.

Go fourth and make music!

Freestyle Fam Music Video, Omnia Makes a Statement, and Four Nights Gone

FREESTYLE FAM
First up we have Freestyle Fam, two dudes who just so happen to be good friend's of mine. These two guys, Quest the Wordsmith and Redeemed are just straight up beasts on the microphone. They got together with a few of their buddies and dropped a hot music video for their song "Bar Fights." Watch the video below.



Download the single FREE here: https://soundcloud.com/freestylefam/b...

Freestyle Fam on the web: http://FreestyleFam.com

OMNIA
Had the privilege of playing with this artist a few years ago. She's very impressive live and even better is the message she portrays in her music. As a Muslim woman, she is standing against some of the more  pressing issues portrayed and some times pushed on the women of that culture. In fact she was interviewed by Fox News about it - http://t.co/fNJFLA0gLq  . Read about it at the link to the left. Fair warning, Omnia said on Facebook some of her wording is wrong, and may have portrayed her view negatively. She said the following in a comment on Facebook -

"It's a slight wording issue, but it says that I'm speaking about inequities in my religion - but the problem is much more with the people than with the religion. The people have perverted the religion - and the last thing I'm trying to do is fuel Islamophobia, which we already have enough of."

Anyway, check out the video for "Grace" below!



http://omniamusic.bandcamp.com/

FOUR NIGHTS GONE
The boys in FNG just released their lyric video for their new single "J. Buck." You can pre-order the Resilience EP at http://fournightsgone.bandcamp.com/

Check out the video!

Link Drop - Four Nights Gone, Eric D'Alessandro, Katie Fasulo and More!

Four Nights Gone
Four Nights Gone is diligently working on their album, and for their fans waiting, here's a sneak peak...


Here's their new single, "The Scars Remain."

Heroes

Local hardcore, Heroes, just released their first full length album, Compassion. Check it out!

Katie Fasulo

Katie is very talented good friend of mine. Please subscribe to her Youtube channel and help her out! Here's her latest untitled song.

Eric D'Alessandro

Everyone's favorite funny man/rapper is back with his now weekly "Eric Show." Check out his last two episodes!

WATCH EPISODE 5 HERE

Four Nights Gone Review of 'Crash and Burn EP'

Local Staten Island band Four Nights Gone recently released their first EP, The Crash and Burn EP, and to no-one's surprise, they delivered just like they always do.

The band's signature sound is a combination of 2000s nu metal with hints of grunge and alternative throughout, sort of a mix between Three Days Grace and Papa Roach.

The first track, "Scared to Breath," opens the EP up strong. The changes in flow between the music and vocals, plus the mid-tempo speed give the song a "big" sound. 

The title song, "Crash and Burn," is very suiting of the ep. It has a solid and catchy chorus and the mix of the gritty guitar matching the droning hook of, "I can't fake this, I won't crash and burn," which especially stands out at the end with the background screaming.

Next on the CD is, "The Message." This track has a heavy flow with dynamic instrumentation throughout. Again, the song has a strong hook and the verses prove to be very good to sing-along to as well.

"Despair," musically has a big sound with a powerful chorus. There is also a great guitar solo over the bridge. The song is the most rough around the edges, but at the same time keeps up the consistency of the rest of the ep.

Continuing the theme of great choruses, and perhaps fittingly enough, "My Last Call," closes out the album in a perfect way. This song is musically the best on the album and very reminiscent of Breaking Benjamin. 

It has and up and down feel to it, and is definitely a single anywhere. The chants before the build a musical bridge are enjoyable and so is the layering of the double vocals at the end.

Overall The Crash and Burn EP, is a fantastic first effort for this band. They did an awesome job of crafting songs that were both easy to and fun to sing along to, and yet conveyed some meaning throughout the writing.

Four Nights Gone has a mainstream sound and is knocking on the doors of Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace as they try to prove they are the new guys in town.

Read their interview by Paul Marino here

www.facebook.com/FourNightsGone

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFourNightsGone
http://www.reverbnation.com/fournightsgone
fournightsgone.bandcamp.com  

Four Nights Gone Interview by Paul Marino

Sometimes it takes a little persistence to get what you want. After running through a few changes as a band, Four Nights Gone, the hard rock/alternative metal players from Staten Island, New York have secured their niche in sound and are looking to run full steam ahead with their music blasting.


The foundation for the group started with band mates Damian LaRocco and Steven “Lobes” Romano playing under other band titles with a different guitarist and bassist. This singer/drummer combo felt as if their future in the industry was going nowhere until finding Imran Xhelili in September of 2010 for guitar, and Alex Basovskiy the following year, also in September, for bass. Almost directly after their replacement in the strings department the newly formed Four Nights Gone recorded two singles, “Crash and Burn” and “My Last Call” in studio. The success of these songs was immediate and their new EP containing both tracks has given the band a lot of forward momentum on the music scene.





While on my way to interview the band I listened to the aforementioned EP, titled Crash and Burn, released January 20th, 2012, and noticed similarities in play style with rock groups like Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace. This did not come as a surprise to me given that much of the band draws their inspiration from them as well as other artists that you would commonly associate with the genre of hard rock such as Chevelle, Staind, and Thrice. The instruments of the EP have a heavy edge surrounding them that coincide with the lyrics proclaiming uncertainty and loss throughout life. When asked about the recurring themes in the songs, singer Damian said that he vents about his own life and the stresses of it through the music. He and Steve also explained that the EP embodies the strength to “overcome hardships” and “become a better person.”

Moving away from the EP, I asked FNG what their plans were for the future and without hesitation they responded with talks of tour planning and dreams of turning music into a career. The plan going forth is to tour this upcoming summer on a grand road trip that starts in New York, runs all the way down to Florida, and then continues with more shows on the way back home. Unsigned, the band is hoping to open at multiple different venues along the way and get noticed. Every member of Four Nights Gone says that they want to get bigger and get signed; the dedication to their music is unwavering.

All seems to be on coarse for stardom; reinforcing this is their fan base, which Mr. LaRocco says “reaches out as far as Australia.” While an Australian tour seems a bit out of reach right now, Four Nights Gone’s clear determination to “make it” will give them the opportunity to tour further than just the east coast in the coming years. The band is heading out of the local scene for a bit though, with their recent booking for February 22nd , 2012 at New York City’s Hard Rock Café. The band is ecstatic to play this venue and say that they’d like to invite anyone and everyone to come and enjoy this free show.

After meeting with the members of Four Nights Gone I can once again say that it is a relief to watch talent rise above the sea of mediocrity. With the band playing their first show together at Dock Street’s The Battle of The Bands and making it to play at the well-known Starland Ballroom, the talent I speak of is pretty obvious.

If you’re interested in the band, check them out on their Facebook, where FNG will keep you updated on their progress as a group. They also have Bandcamp and Reverbnation pages up for you to tune into, and don’t forget about their Youtube page for videos of shows, songs, and other such shenanigans. These young men are aiming high for their success and keep pushing the envelope with their rock. They’ve come a long way in the less than two years they’ve been playing together and there’s no sign of a slow down. They won’t fade, and they will not crash and burn.

The Hard Rock Café is located at 1501 broadway New York, NY 10036
Dock Street is on 691 Bay Street of Staten Island New York, Staten Island 10304  and The Starland Ballroom is situated at 570 Jernee Mill Road  Sayreville, NJ 08872


www.facebook.com/FourNightsGone
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFourNightsGone
http://www.reverbnation.com/fournightsgone
fournightsgone.bandcamp.com  

Update - Music, links, and Broken Records Collective!

Lets start off with the links


Just launched my Record Label, Broken Records Collective. Please follow all the links, and help me get the word out.

Created by Kristen Solis

http://www.facebook.com/BrokenRecordsCollective
https://twitter.com/#!/BR_Collective
http://brokenrecordscollective.bandcamp.com/ - MUSIC PAGE


Check out three of our rappers videos!


Eric D'Alessandro "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3"



CiG "No Church in the Wild & Stay Scheming Freestyle"






SiK B of Process of Fusion "Bonfire Remix"



Also, be sure to like Broken Records Photography


K SCOTT
K Scott has some nasty beats he wants to show you all, check them out here.


PROCESS OF FUSION
Process of Fusion had their album, Connections, reviewed by the Christian Music Review Blog. Read that here.

Also, check out the photos from their show at The Stone Pony, taken by photographer Laura DeSantis Olsson.
http://www.ldophoto.net/data/web/processoffusionstonepony/index.html


SPREAD THE RUMOR...kinda



BACKSLASHES & BAD IDEAS/WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS



VERBATIM
Check them out on Facebook and listen to their first recorded song, "Desire & I."


FOUR NIGHTS GONE
Come to their album release show, more info here!


MUSIC AGAINST BULLYING
This show is very important! It is in memory of recent suicide victim Amanda Cummings. Please come out and support her friends and family.


More info here


RUNNING ON SWEETS BLOG
Read my girlfriend's blog on fitness and running here.
http://runningonsweets.blogspot.com/


XO
 OX - Life I Live by RatherUniqueMusicGroup 


JON SANTOS RECORDING
My band's producer is having a sick deal on recording. See below.

Music Videos and New Releases, Check Them Out!

PROCESS OF FUSION
Watch Process of Fusion's cd release show on their documentary



Read their album review on Ticket Shack here


FREESTYLE FAM
Freestyle Fam Destroy a Lil Wayne & Drake beat, check it out!



SIK BOI
Also, if you could be so kind and give a listen to my own remix of a Drake & J. Cole song "In the Morning." It's available for free download!

ALI

Check out this single by my boy Ali. He kills it on the production and verses.

FOUR NIGHTS GONE

Here's Four Nights Gone's, new single "Crash and Burn" available for free download on Bandcamp.

JON COMIS
Covers Paramore's "Monster"



GORILLAZ COVER

Lastly, this is just awesome