May 7, 2011: It seems that almost every article written about Hoboken-based band HelloRadio starts off in a similar way, “I’m sure you’ve seen their stickers all over town.” And so now this one joins the ranks of those others. And it may seem trivial, but those stickers are actually a vital part of this band’s story.
Nowadays with the fancy internets, facebooks, twitters and such, there is very little of the borderline vandalism that was raised to an artform back in the 80s and 90s. You see, before hiding behind ones and zeros became the norm for bands, you had to put yourself out there and hope the people took a liking to you.
HelloRadio may have only been a band for a short time now, but they’ve already become synonymous with the Hoboken scene. The stickers play a big part in that. Of course, not as much as the music. After all, a band cannot survive on name recognition alone.
Moody, atmospheric, catchy. Their sound is unique and familiar at the same time. On this night at Maxwell’s (1039 Washington St, Hoboken), they were celebrating the release of their EP called ‘300 Mile Concourse Winner’ which they recorded at The Pigeon Club.
The album’s title and artwork pay homage to the tradition of racing pigeons that was also immortalized in the Hoboken classic movie ‘On The Water Front’. It’s also where the studio got it’s name (in case you were wondering).
Buy ‘300 Mile Concourse Winner’ on Amazon.com
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Listen to ‘For You’ from ‘300 Mile Concourse Winner’ by HelloRadio
As eclectic as their influences seem to be, there is a remarkable sense of continuity on the EP. A fact that is made more remarkable when you consider that live, they tend to trade off instruments often and with ease. This kept me on my toes as I attempted my usual brand of blurry shutterbuggery, crammed against one side of the stage. Oh, did I mention that it was a packed house at Maxwell’s? It was, and a very well deserved one.
See Also:
HelloRadio
The Pigeon Club
Maxwell’s
Photo Gallery
