Jimmy Vigilante

By Jim Bessman - Billboard Magazine

It turns out that there actually is a real person named Jimmy Vigilante in Parsippany, New Jersey, home of the real band named Jimmy Vigilante. And the fact that he’s a town council member may seem fitting in that there is a definite political awareness to some of the songs of the band Jimmy Vigilante.
But the reason that the Parsippany-based power rock trio is swiftly gaining both a significant fan following and major music industry interest has more to do with its unique sound and personality rather than lyric and message—though the group’s appeal can be rather neatly summed up by the explanation of its name.
“It’s a half-serious, half-comical name for a superhero type that we’re kind of trying to portray,” says Rich DeCicco, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist. “We figured that ‘Jimmy’ could be the guy’s name, and ‘vigilante’ had both a serious and comical connotation that also represented our sense of dualism, both personally and as a group. Because we’re all very politically aware—but at the same time we love a good fart joke!”
Such irreverence comes naturally for Jimmy Vigilante, which also includes bassist-vocalist Gustavo Mato and drummer Jim Hwang. The three have been playing together for 10 years, with Gus and Jim having known each other since first grade and later meeting Rich at Parsippany Hills High School—where they were students and Rich’s father was their music teacher. The long and close friendship is manifested in the trio’s super-tight playing—they first played together in the high school marching band--and democratic songwriting policy.
“We all contribute equally,” says Mato. “Somebody brings an idea to rehearsal, and from that we all build on it together.” Jokes Hwang: “We all have too big egos to allow one person to hog a whole song!”
Like so many young groups in the 1990s, the friends who would become Jimmy Vigilante looked to Nirvana as well as the Beatles for initial source material.
“All the other kids mostly played funk, though there was one hot high school rock band, Scooby Groove—which now comprises most of the Mooney Suzuki,” notes DeCicco. “We were very grungy and garage rock-ish, with original songs that were completely bummed-out—though we were never really that depressed.”
Post-high school, the guys went away to college (DeCicco went off to study in China) and played in different bands, yet stayed in constant e-mail contact, always supporting each other with the dream of keeping their band alive.
“It’s an extension of our friendships, and not the other way around,” DeCicco says now of Jimmy Vigilante, which became a more serious commitment three years ago—and has since gelled into a group that is much harder to pin down musically. DeCicco, actually, is a classically-trained percussionist as well as a garage and smoky bedroom-schooled guitarist who is variously influenced by Stravinsky, A Tribe Called
Quest, John Coltrane, and Weezer.
Hwang cites the sway of the opposing musical and cultural forces of San Francisco’s 1967 “Summer of Love” and the “Summer of Sam” of New York a decade later. Mato, meanwhile, doesn’t want you to know that he loves Justin Timberlake and other contemporary radio-friendly pop stars, but doesn’t at all shy away from relating his and his bandmates’ affinity for hip-hop.
Indeed, there is hip-hop attitude in “Pale,” one of five original tunes on Jimmy Vigilante’s current EP “Committee of Vigilance.” The disc, says Hwang, is a deliberate departure from the downer lyrics of the group’s earlier material, and is instead mainly about having a good time: “The first song, ‘La Dee Dah,’ is about how we always go and hang out in my garage and drink until we fall down!”
But the band has also written songs like “Runaway,” in which broadcast news is scorned as a failed institution, and the ambiguous “Army.” “We never go out of our way to convey anything blatantly political in our music,” notes DeCicco, “but when something is so important to you, you can’t help but to address it.”
In concert, Jimmy Vigilante also performs such surprising covers as Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me.” But the raucous and infectious energy of the trio’s live sets are starting to attract attention well beyond their EP—and Parsippany.
“When I heard them live, I became even more excited,” says Alisa Coleman-Ritz, an executive with ABKCO Music and Records, the label of the Rolling Stones and other legendary artists, who now manages Jimmy Vigilante. “They had a totally different feeling from other bands—more edgy but with a lot of commercial potential. And their music made everyone feel good.”
“Like Rich says, we’ve made a conscious effort to play music that represents us in a positive light,” concludes Mato. “We’re not depressed, but love our world and ourselves. But we also know that the world is broken—and we want to try and fix it!” - Billboard

07/10/04 - Posted from the Daily Record newsroom

By Chris Gosier, Daily Record

Parsippany band hitting it big with familiar name



PASSAIC -- Three young musicians from Parsippany went through a string of names for their band before finding the one that rang true: Jimmy Vigilante.

It's meant to show contrast, they said -- a mix of the silly and the serious, the playful and the ponderous, a combination of a puerile wisecrack and a word associated with street justice and superhero crime fighting.

And it's also the name of a Parsippany councilman.

The band members say they didn't know this, and now council Vice President James "Jimmy" Vigilante is getting a taste of what it must be like to be a rock star.

"Some people have contacted me and said, 'I didn't know you had a band,'" he said. "It's kind of funny, because I've now got people all over the state that know me."

The band members acknowledge the irony of not knowing the name of a local councilman, given their political bent and their partnership with Rock the Vote, the youth-driven political awareness campaign.

They picked the name six months ago, after growing dissatisfied with their prior moniker of Camp Samsara, a reference to the opposite of Nirvana in Buddhist teachings.

They've been playing together since their sophomore and junior years at Parsippany Hills High School, and one of them acknowledged that a passing glimpse of the councilman's name may have lodged in their minds.

"On some subconscious level, we probably saw a sign somewhere," said Rich DeCicco, 25, the guitarist and lead singer, as the band prepared to play at the Loop Lounge in Passaic on Thursday night.

The other members are drummer Jim Hwang, 26, and bass player Gustavo Mato, 27, who provides backup vocals "and general harassment," he said.

A fourth, unofficial member, 22-year-old Anthony Miller, produces sound effects for the band and provides "immoral support."

The band has played gigs all over New Jersey and Manhattan. Jimmy Vigilante has released a five-track extended play -- or "EP" -- album, and it plans to release a full-length album next year, said Alisa Coleman-Ritz, the band's manager and owner of its record label, Victoria N. Music.

The band was scheduled to play today and tomorrow at the White Meadow Lake Festival in Rockaway Township, and it has nine other performances lined up over the next few months. It will play at the Parsippany Hills High School Battle of the Bands on Sept. 10. It will bring voter registration materials to all its performances, Coleman-Ritz said.

The members' political views are tough to categorize. But they find plenty to argue about.

Mato is a self-described "Republicrat," saying "I really don't like either side." DeCicco said his friend "has limp centrist views." Mato fired back, calling DeCicco a "tree-hugging hippie."

To ask them their views is to spark a contentious debate about societal structures, natural law and the virtues and drawbacks of the welfare state. They point fingers and raise their voices to a near-shout. DeCicco finally said, in a kind of truce, that "most of our disagreements are about semantics."

The highbrow debate is mixed with lowbrow jokes. But the band is serious about wanting more people to vote.

"People should just be involved in the democratic process," Hwang said. "Democracies only stay alive if you have this constant vitality, this constant fighting back and forth."

Said DeCicco: "There's way more to the political process than just voting. A lot of people want to escape the government and they feel by ignoring it, they're not affected by it."

Meanwhile, Vigilante, the councilman, said he's trying to make it to one of the band's performances. He added that, in one important respect, he and the band are similar in name only.

"Listen, you do not want to hear me sing," he said. "When you sing in your house and your dog looks at you funny, you know you're not a good singer."


http://www.dailyrecord.com/news/articles/news1-Vigilante.htm
- Daily Record, NJ

QUICK CUTS



JIMMY VIGILANTE, Committee of Vigilance,

Rollicking blasts of Living Colour-, System of a Down-, Grand Funk-, Sick of it All-, Korn-, and Lenny Kravitz-inspired power rock with a funked-up low end, blistering guitar heroics, gutsy vocals, radio-aware hooks, and a tasty hardcore edge; this Parsippany-based trio of Rock The Vote political activists took their name from Parsippany councilman James Vigilante. (jimmyvigilante.com)

~ Al Muzer

- Aquarian Weekly - August 11, 2004

By Rebecca Deusser

Members of New York-based rock band Jimmy Vigilante are as serious about their politics as they are about their music.

"I feel like we have this vehicle, this public voice," said lead singer Rich DeCicco. "We need to make ourselves more aware than most people because we live in a soundbyte world."

Musicians Gustavo Mato (bass, vocals) and Jim Hwang (drums) agree.

"(When performing) live, we try to make points about what's going on in the news, politically or socially," said Mato. "I try to hit social issues like race, and make fun of the fact that race is such a big deal. A lot of people think racism is gone."

Jimmy Vigilante is one of more than 50 bands scheduled to perform at LocoBazooka on Sept. 26. The band will start performing at 10:30 a.m.

"It's earlier than normal, but I'm just so excited to play," said Mato. "We've wanted to play for a crowd like this for so long."

The LocoBazooka audience, which reached 13,000 people last year, will be the largest for Jimmy Vigilante ever.

"It's definitely our first time playing in front of so many people," said Hwang. "I'll just try to focus on the front row to make it feel small."

Jimmy Vigilante used to be of the "angsty," dark variety, but the band has made a deliberate departure to a more upbeat sound.

"The break away was a tough decision, we used to be harder and more depressing," said Hwang. "It always felt odd because hanging out, we were always joking around, it didn't feel like it was a reflection of us. We get together to have a good time, not to write out our demons."

The group released a short 5-track album, called "Committee of Vigilance," in July.

From these few songs, I'd define Jimmy Vigilante as a high-energy, fun group.

The first track, "La Dee Dah," will surely get you bouncing, whether it's at a live performance or just listening in your car.

The group vaguely reminds me of hometown band, Trebek, and the formerly-national act Sublime, minus the ska.

Performing with so many national acts at LocoBazooka will also be a thrill for the group.

"I'm excited about it, and the reason is because there will be a lot of bands we listen to playing on stage," said Hwang.

Jimmy Vigilante plans to start recording its first full-length album in early 2005.

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/Stories/0,1413,106~5000~2406081,00.html
- Sentinel and Enterprise Article Published: Thursday, September 16, 2004 - 10:59:42 AM EST

02/08/05 - Posted 12:40:38 AM from the Daily Record newsroom


A whole new frequency
By Ellen Wilkowe, Daily Record

It might be said that satellite is doing to radio what cable did to television.

Broadcasting has become a niche buffet, and the public can feed from a number of sources outside standard FM and AM. This includes the Internet, where broadcasts become Webcasts, a mouse is your tuner, and stations provide sight and sound.

Enter satellite, radio's version of cable, where subscribers pay between $9.99 and $12.99 for more than 100 channels.

Sirius Satellite Radio, one of two competing satellite services, next year will become home to shock-jock DJ Howard Stern, who is seeking refuge from Federal Communication Commission rules.

Its rival, XM Satellite Radio, already is home to Opie and Anthony, who were fired from WNEW-FM for broadcasting a couple having sex at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral in 2002.

So what exactly is the frequency anyway?

Ask Paul Maassen, program director at college-based radio station WNTI, 91.9 FM, in Hackettstown. He sees a digital horizon for the future of broadcasting.

"Technology is driving the broadcast field," Maassen said. "It's daunting and exciting and will open up a lot of possibilities. Satellite radio is going to push this technology quicker into marketplace."

The Internet has played a role for noncommercial stations such as WNTI, he said. The listener- and grant-supported station broadcasts from Centenary College but is streamed on the Web. Maassen calls it a technological partnership.

"Each delivery method has its pros and cons," he said. "Internet can reach audiences outside the area or who work in buildings who can't get radio signals."

As the method of broadcast delivery evolves, so does the content. One new method is satellite radio, where freedom of choice and delivery comes at a price.

But, Maassen asks, where's the personal touch? That's where terrestrial stations such as WNTI come in, filling the community service niche and a haven for regional independent musicians and artists. "Sessions at Centenary," for example, is a concert series taped before a live audience for radio broadcast, Maassen said.

"Satellite has its drawback," he said. "It's a nationally delivered product from one location."

WNTI caters to Northwest Jersey and Northeastern Pennsylvania.

With all the digital buzz, Maasen sees a possible revival for AM radio, outside of its talk-focused format.

"AM was the main delivery method of radio in the '50s and '60s," he said. "Music doesn't sound as good in AM, but talk radio blossomed on AM. With digital on the horizon, it might even the playing field and revamp the AM band."

While this may hold true for AM, the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcasting, is what needs revamping, many alternative radio personalities would argue.

Meet Todd Mills, founder of HomegrownradioNJ.com, a radio station that's available only online but functions like any other frequency, complete with live in-house DJs with their own programs.

A former WNTI disc jockey from Lake Hopatcong, Mills said he left the station because of "creative differences," trading tuning in for logging on.

HomegrownradioNJ, called HGRNJ for short, officially launched on Oct. 30, "Mischief Night," Mills said.

Its Blairstown storefront location resembles a coffee house lounge, affectionately called "the parlor." With its Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Beatles décor, the atmosphere serves well for its in-house concerts, such as Todd Sheaffer's performance this past Friday night.

Though its roots are in the Garden State, many of HGRNJ's listeners log on from across the country. "Anywhere from California to Colorado. We get a lot of West Coast people," Mills said.

A carpenter by day, Mills hosts his show "Jams, Gems and Gibberish" every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. He's one of about 26 volunteer DJs who run the station.

Angelo Agosto, host of "Roundin' Thursday and Headin' for Home," likes to accompany his show by reading excerpts from books.

On a recent Thursday he honored the birthday of the late singer Sam Cooke ("What a Wonderful World") by reading from the biography "You Send Me: The Life and Times of Sam Cooke" by Daniel Wolff.

Agosto said he primarily goes with the flow playing "whatever suits the mood" but is consistent with his 8 p.m. children's hour. "I like to do different things that you don't hear anywhere else," he said. "Like nobody would remember Sam Cooke's birthday. I enjoy sharing it with people."

HGRNJ is primarily listener-supported but occasionally runs ads for a month's time. Listeners also can run their own show for $25 and, of course, donate at their own free will.

"We're here for the love of doing radio and because a lot of us don't care for what broadcast radio has to offer," Mills said. "We want to spread our ideas of what should be on the air."

While Mills nurtures his homegrown Web platform, Larry "Lazlo" Seltzer has all but blown up his radio.

Instead he founded blowupradio.com, an Internet-only radio station that caters strictly to unsigned artists from New Jersey.

He's not really serious about actually blowing up your radio, and his site has a disclaimer just in case: "Blowupradio.com does not seriously suggest that you 'blow up' your radio. Just turn it off and turn on your computer."

Also a former DJ on a mainstream station, Seltzer threw in the towel on what he described as a restricted format, namely a lack of support for independent, unsigned artists.

Blowupradio.com launched in December 2000 from Seltzer's home in Old Bridge. "It took off on its own and went wildly out of control," he said.

Freeing himself of commercial radio, he took a day job "doing typical office work," he said. He updates his Web site daily and Webcasts once a week. The site currently contains links to more than 1,000 New Jersey-only unsigned artists.

Unlike the format at HGRNJ, there are no DJs on blowupradio.com, just continuous music feeds.

In general Seltzer feels people are tired of commercial radio. On his site, "there's freedom to play what you want without anybody telling you what to play or do," he said.

Seltzer also issues sampler CDs of independent music. One volume contains music from Boxcar Nancy, Particle Zoo, HY80 and Jimmy Vigilante.

The Web site is worth the browse. In addition to music, the site includes local concert listings, venue listings, Seltzer's concert pick of the week, even a link of the day, which on a recent Wednesday was Randolph's own Fallen From Grace.

With more Web stations coming of age, Seltzer feels digital camaraderie rather than competition with other stations like his, such as garageband.com.

Most weekends, Seltzer's on the road with his fiancé, scouting for unsigned talent to add to his collection.

While independent artists thrive from Internet exposure, Jimmy Vigilante, a Parsippany band, took its marketing to new heights - as in eight miles high.

Manager Alisa Coleman-Ritz wheeled and dealed to land the band's song "la.dee.dah" on American Airlines' in-flight station. The song was broadcast to passengers in the late fall.

Coleman-Ritz also praised alternative outlets such as blowupradio.com in helping the band grow.

"It (the song) was also included in the "Best of New Jersey" compilation on blowupradio.com," she said. "It just catapulted from there."

Be it the rise in Internet stations, terrestrial Web-streaming or satellite, there has been an explosion in radio dynamics compared to what was available in the past," said Carl Kraus, director of telecommunications at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck and general manager of its radio station, WFDU, 89.1.

The 57-year-old, who reminisces over falling asleep to WBZ out of Boston, recently became a subscriber to XM Satellite Radio.

"I have trouble operating a toaster, and yet there's a satellite coming into my home," he said.

Having grown up on AM radio and worked at WNEW, WPAT and WFDU for the past 25 years, Kraus is rejuvenated by radio's evolution.

"The excitement I had as a kid has returned because of what I hear (on XM) - the music that was popular when I was younger brings back happier times," he said.

Web-streaming also has rekindled his affection for radio - the kind listeners felt in the '20s and '30s, when they would huddle around a radio trying to reach stations outside their vicinity.

"WFDU streams on the Internet, and people can listen all over," he said. "We got a caller from Haifa, Israel, who liked our bluegrass program.

One reason some customers and entertainers like satellite radio is the absence of the regulations on content that the FCC imposes on conventional radio. Rapper Eminem, who has his own channel, Shade 45, on Sirius Satellite Radio, puts it this way in his song "Without Me":

"So the FCC won't let me be, or let me be me, so let me see. They tried to shut me down on MTV, but it feels so empty without me."

Blame it on the Regulatory Commission Act of 1934 that set up the FCC, Kraus said.

"The FCC regulates all legal broadcasting in the U.S., and the people who run satellite services have to have a license from the FCC to transmit," he said. "The question is (with satellite) is how tasteless will things go."

XM Satellite Radio takes its content very seriously, spokesperson David Butler said.

"When you choose a channel, the display says the name of the channel, artist, song and occasional explicit content is clearly marked by an XL symbol in the screen," Butler said. "That way the listener knows that songs on occasion may include explicit language."

In addition, subscribers can block any channels with content they find offensive and music they simply don't care for. Parental notifications are included as well.

XM and Sirius are the only satellite companies to receive FCC licenses. In 1992, the FCC announced it would auction off portions of the spectrum for premium satellite-delivered radio service.

"Companies formed to pursue licenses, and only two received the licenses - XM and Sirius," Butler said.

Satellite radio is growing. XM currently has 3.2 million subscribers and Sirius has 1.1 million, Butler said.

Tom Collet of Denville bought himself a Sirius birthday present last year and made a five-year-commitment.

"I'm always on the road going from state to state, tuning into different stations," he said. "There's too many commercials and talk."

A child of the hair band generation, circa 1980, the 36-year-old finds more choices on Sirius than mainstream.

"If you're not mainstream, why not have 130 choices," he said.

His favorites: Hair Nation and Raw Dog Comedy, a.k.a. channel 147.

While Sirius touts no commercials, its "on-air hosts" talk in between sets. "But it's not just some Tom, Dick or Harry," Collet said. "They know their stuff."

http://www.dailyrecord.com/morrislife/morrislife1-radio.htm - Daily Record - Gannet Newspaper