Tom Vella and the Wayside
Morristown, New Jersey, United States | SELF
Music
Press
After signing Tom Vella and the Wayside to a non-exclusive music placement contract, the President and CEO of Gotham Records had this to say of the band’s future success,
"Having run a record label for over 16 years, one of my biggest complaints is how 'rushed' artists' material often sounds.
Tom Vella and The Wayside's “Halos & Pitchforks” is the total antithesis...Not only are the songs upbeat, varied and positive,
but their compositions are elaborate and extremely well planned. Ah! ...What a relief!"
Patrick Arn
President and CEO
Gotham Records
- Patrick Arn
"Upbeat and encouraging, the Northern New Jersey band's first full-length disc, "Halos & Pitchforks," inspires listeners to cheerfully hoist their beers aloft and sing along with the band."
Maxine Shen
New York Post
May 2008 - Maxine Shen
“I challenge you to sit still while listening to Tom Vella and the Wayside. I almost believe it can’t be done. The band deftly uses a lush array of instruments to blend sparkling melodies and heartfelt lyrics. The end result: a positive vibe that radiates with each note...”
Erin Vogt – GROCK Radio Personality - 106.3FM/106.5FM
October 6, 2008 - Erin Vogt
"Tom Vella and the Wayside are a refreshing break from the ordinary!"
Scott Osika
Plattsburgh Pipeline Radio, LLC
Plattsburgh, NY - Scott Osika
"Laid back acoustic rock may not seem to have much of a place in the hustle and bustle of NYC's glitzy nightlife, but Tom Vella and the Wayside may change that...
Their sound is reminiscent of Dave Matthews, Blues Traveler and other pan-American blues revivalists who seem to have all perished from the Y2K virus. VELLA, however, has diversified, splashing flavors of jazz and funk that keep the band firmly rooted in modernity...
Never fear; the band seems to be doing pretty well without the help of experiance or major lable credibility. In their short existiance the have built a pretty enviable resume, wee stocked with music festivals, spots on radio, and gigs at strange and diverse locations, including one along side the Legendary Wailers (of Bob Marley fame)..." - Josh Frank
"...as the band began to play many on lookers began to move closer. The Wayside was mesmerizing. Their voices brought you in, the instumentation and rhythms kept you there...it was something I have never seen before." - Sara Chamberlain
"The best thing about Tom Vella and the Wayside's more-than-a-little-impressive album "Halos and Pitchforks" is that it has all the musical reach and range of a group like the Dave Matthews Band, without the inevitable showing off that dexterity usually brings."...
"With such a strong debut, hopefully Tom Vella and the Wayside will be around for some time to come, to grow naturally into a position where they naturally fit alongside their influences in the pantheon of great American songsmiths."
For full article please visit: www.threemonkeysonline.com/reviews/halos_pitchforks_tom_vella_wayside_band.html
- Matsuo Poznan
""Better than Good" by Tom Vella and the Wayside is probably favorite song off the entire soundtrack..." - John Launchi
"Halos and Pitchforks" manages to combine the earnestness of Matchbox Twenty and the freewheeling joy of the early Dave Matthews Band. Anyone who loves upbeat songs, clever lyrics, and a band that is as musically primed as a V-8 engine needs to buy this album. And then listen to it until your I-Pod screams "Enough!"
Eric Nierstedt
Westfield Leader
May 2008 - Eric Nierstedt
"As soon as I heard Tom Vella and the Wayside I was hooked. The catchy acoustic rock songs are quite sharp and reminiscent of early Dave Matthews Band or Jack Johnson and the like. Vella's vocals are outstanding and the rest of the band members are a great compliment to the sound.
Their latest release Halos & Pitchforks was released on April 17th. The song quality and production of the album is far above a typical independent release. Be sure to pick this one up."
- Type3Media.com - Editor's Choice:
Discography
Halos & Pitchforks (2008)*
Buster Cox Band EP (2005)
*This is the only recording featuring the current lineup.
Photos
Bio
Wayside News
Spring/Summer 2010
On January 16th, 2010, Tom Vella and the Wayside performed at the 10th annual “Light of Day” benefit concert supporting Parkinson’s disease in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The star-studded benefit featured performances by Bruce Springsteen, Ed Kowalczyk (of the band Live), Jessie Malin and Willie Nile, just to name a few. “It was a surreal experience” Vella said, “Some of the best musicians in world, coming together to perform for a good cause…it was an honor to be a part of it all.”
It was after that legendary concert that Tom Vella and the Wayside decided to make a serious decision. During a recent radio interview Vella was quoted as saying, “We needed to take a few steps back from the spotlight and seriously hunker down and start writing new material for a new record as well as for our live performances. We have been riding the success of our first album, “Halos & Pitchforks” for a year and a half now, and it is now time to show the public how we have grown as a band and what else we have in our creative pockets.”
So that is where the Wayside stands as of now, hiding out somewhere in New Jersey, writing what is to become their second album. “We have venues calling us from all over the north east asking us to play…but we have respectfully declined them all. Our second album is priority number one, and we all know how easily bands can become distracted. Many people have told me that my theory and/or method on this is backwards, but those people have not heard our new material yet…once they have I think they will understand.”
The Wayside will begin recording their new album entitled “More than A Little, Less than Enough” in the fall of 2010.
NOTEWORTHY CREDITS:
Since April 2008, Tom Vella and the Wayside has been noticed by the media:
• Added to the 2010 Gotham Records Music Placemant clientele list
• Selected to play THE GAP’s 50th Anniversary promotion at it’s “flagship” store Times Square, NYC 2010
• Song “Better than Good” featured in multi-award winning feature film “Laid Off” (2010)
• Sponsored by Heineken Canada (2009)
• Winners of the 2009 "G-Rock Rising All-Stars" Contest, collecting nearly 60% of all votes cast
• WDHA 105.5 (NJ) "Homegrown Spotlight" featured artist
• SONICBIDS "Band Spotlight" featured Artist 12/08
• "2008 Independent Music World Series" semi-finalists
• G-Rock 106.3 (NJ) "G Rock Rising" featured artist
• Song featured on the "M.A.P. Music Compilation CD" (Musicians Against Parkinsons)**(International)
• "2009 SHURE Microphones National Band Search" semi-finalists
• "Type3Media.com" Artist Spotlight
• Featured by The New York Post, The Aquarian, Three Monkeys Online and multiple local news publications (**Please visit our "Press" section to find out more!**)
Since its inception, the band has been fortunate to grace the stage with many national acts such as:
• Dickey Betts
• Tim Reynolds
• Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad
• The Verve Pipe
• Gavin DeGraw
• O.A.R.
• Richie Havens
• Everclear
• Kip Winger
• Bob Marley's Legendary Wailers
• Jessie Malin
• Rusted Root
• The Alternate Routes
• Jeffrey Gaines
• Cracker
• The Lost Trailers
• Amfibian
• Black Sheep (...we are not kidding)
• Jenny Owen Youngs
• The Smithereens
• Val Emmich
• Dispatch
• Kaki King
• John Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls)
• Willie Nile
On stages such as (just to name a few):
• The Bitter End (NYC)
• The Paramount Theater (NJ)
• The Trocadero Theater (Philadelphia)
• The Lion's Den/Sullivan Hall (NYC)
• Kenny's Castaways (NYC)
• Sin-E (NYC)
• CBGB's 313 Gallery (NYC)
• Mexicali Live (NJ)
• The Stone Pony (NJ)
• Maxwell's (NJ)
• The Crossroads (NJ)
• The Whiskey Bar (NJ)
• The Wonder Bar (NJ)
And festivals including:
• Union County MusicFest '08 (NJ)
• Seaside Music Festival 2008, 2009 (NJ)
• The Black River Music and Arts Festival '08 (NJ)
• M.E.A.N.Y. Fest 2008 (NYC)
The band supports and performs for several benefits and/or charity events:
• "Light Of Day" 2008, 2009, 2010 Concert Series (Parkinsons) (NJ)
• 2008, 2009, 2010 Parkinson's Unity Walk (NYC)
• Breast Cancer Awareness (NJ)
• Soldiers Across The Pond (NJ)
• Multiple Sclerosis Society of New Jersey (NJ)
• Noah's Arc Animal Welfare Society (NJ)
-----------------------------------------
BIOGRAPHY:
In an industry where being a successful original band has almost become as realistic as the Easter Bunny and being "tax free,” Tom Vella and the Wayside is bringing a fresh new sound to the collective. Originally formed by singer-songwriter Tom Vella as the Buster Cox band in 2005, the group has seen its share of personnel changes over the past few years. Regardless, the band has relentlessly remained an undeniable force in the New York/New Jersey independent music scene. Under its new moniker, the band has grown by leaps and bounds towards a
Links
