The Jersey City musical trio Lifetime Guarantee releases their long awaited full-length CD on Tuesday, June 6 at the Whiskey Bar in Hoboken. Joining them are special guests Breaking Laces, who also appear on their album, and hard rocker Queen V.
The Lifetime Guarantee
Jersey City residents Jim English, Darrin Hall, and Justin Janosko have been working on the self-titled album for the past year. The comedy band gained a following after playing at an open mic night at Oddfellows. Then in 2004, they beat out 150 other bands to win the “Battle of the Bands” competition at the Whiskey Bar, where they are now one of the monthly featured bands in rotation.
The guys are managed by Scott Rush and John Seymour from Media 51 productions, which also produced the album. John Seymour was awarded a Grammy for work on Santana’s Supernatural and brings his vast experience with sound engineering to the record.
“I have been in awe of these guys since seeing them for the first time at the Whiskey Bar ‘Battle of the Bands’ finals,” said Seymour. “Not only are they hysterical, but they are some of the best musicians I’ve worked with. They have a great knack for writing catchy, infectious melodies that stick in your head for days. The content is hilarious.”
“It’s just a matter of time before they become a household name,” Seymour added.
The CD
The album features 13 tracks, two of which are comedy skits. Some of the songs are ones that fans of their live show will be familiar with including, “The Guarantee,” “Nice Guys,” and “New York City.”
Part of the band’s appeal is the laugh-out-loud funny comedic lyrics. No topic is off-limits to these three who sing about bodily functions, sexual fetishes, and even naked Twister.
The song “Spanish 1,” starts in Spanish and then is translated for the audience into English. But they aren’t just a comedy group singing songs. The songs are musically intricate and feature the group’s trademark three-part harmony. They have worked hard to create interesting tracks that stick in your head much like Beatles’ music did for previous generations of listeners.
Fans familiar with the live banter in-between songs will appreciate the skits. One is set at a ball game and has the guys giving play-by-play commentary. The superior sound of this cut and the deadpan delivery of the adult material make this sketch absolutely hysterical.
“We are really excited about it because it has been a really long process,” said Hall. “[The album] is awesome.”
“It’s ten years ahead of our time,” said Janosko.
They initially started with 20 different songs before cutting down to the 11 that are on the album. Copies of the album will be available for purchase at the show, which starts at 8 p.m., and at Tunes, CD Baby and ITunes.
“It will be the best $10 you spend in 2006,” said Janosko.
Breaking Laces
Breaking Laces will also be at the show. This is their last area performance before their East Coast Tour promoting their latest album, Lemonade. The band consists of another talented trio that includes: Willem Hartong (acoustic/electric guitar, vocals), Rob Chojnacki (bass, keyboards, piano, vocals), and Seth Masarsky (drums, percussion). The music is hard to categorize because their sound is so unique. The songs are catchy like pop, yet have a defined musical edge like classic rock. On some songs the sound resembles a song from Squeeze or REM, but with smoother vocals due to Hartong’s clear voice and large range.
The band started two years ago and played over 130 shows a year at various venues. Some of the New York venues include: The Cutting Room (where they also had a residency), Mercury Lounge, The Fez, The Baggot Inn and others.
Their music has received heavy rotation on XM Satellite Radio and gained an audience in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, where they toured last year. According to Masarsky, the band has worked together to create tight rhythms.
“We cut our teeth touring around the country,” said Masarsky. “We’ve morphed into a band that puts on a truly breathtaking show.”
Their live show is what sets them apart from other mixed-genre bands.
“People always say that we sound much, much bigger than a three-piece [band],” said Masarsky. “Live, I play a sampler that loops, beats, keys and cellos. Rob plays a mean keyboard in addition to bass. Willem rocks acoustic guitar that is rivaled by few and pushes it to high, high levels.”
At a live performance you can experience just how polished their music is and how well they mesh together. “We all basically read each other’s mind live and stretch out playing our songs,” said Masarsky, “but [we] constantly keep it fresh.”
The tour
Lifetime Guarantee and Breaking Laces are scheduled to perform together at various shows throughout the year. Breaking Laces East Coast Tour has about 25 shows and runs until June 22. Fans can check the website for updates.
Don’t miss your chance to hear both talented bands at the Whiskey Bar’s biggest CD release party this year.
The Lifetime Guarantee CD release party is on Tuesday, June 6 at 8 p.m. For more information, visit: www.thelifetimeguarantee.com.