Too funky to be called heavy metal, but edgier than hard rock, Clifton-based Infernophonic brings a fiery brand of classic hard rock to the Whiskey Bar on Oct. 1 (tonight) and the County Line Pub in Pine Brook Oct. 3.
With recent reviews in Music Connection and Guitar Player magazines, the band is on the rise in the underground music scene, even getting a gracious nod from Wired.com for their timely release of “Eye of the Jedi,” a Star-wars inspired medley, originally written in 2002.
“It’s a fan favorite,” said Elaine Tuttle, lead singer and lyricist for Infernophonic.
“Everybody loves the song, so we decided to put it on the new CD,” Tuttle said. Spark It Up, Infernophonic’s debut CD, was released in December 2007 just in time for this year’s release of the new Star War’s movie, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.”
“We’re thinking of submitting it on a Star War’s website,” Tuttle said. The song “tries to associate Jedi ideals with personal experience in [one’s] own life,” she adds, although admitting the song was written by Infernophonic’s previous vocalist.
“Truth, goodness, light side vs. dark side, we’re constantly bombarded by hatred and have to rise above it by deciding to follow what’s right.” Creating a voice “All my life, all I ever wanted to do, all I did was sing,” Tuttle said.
Originally from West Hartford, Conn., Tuttle came to New Jersey to study music, but her parents were less than enthused. They helped her attend the Westminster Choir College, now a department of Rider University, only because they knew she would have “moved to NYC and done it on [her] own,” Tuttle said.
After playing with numerous cover bands, Tuttle met current boyfriend, bassist, and founder of Infernophonic, Kevin Bolembach. Bolembach eventually asked her to join the band, after she filled in on vocals for an Infernophonic show. The band fired the previous singer and never looked back.
With the inclusion of Pat Piegari on guitar and Ross Kantor on the drums, the band toured extensively in the northeast, before releasing, Spark It Up.
“[The band members] all have unique influences and tastes and we put them all together,” Tuttle said. From, “70s classics, to hard funk like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or bands like Deep Purple,” Tuttle continues, “it’s riff rock, for sure.” Local shows This is not Infernophonic’s first time at the Whiskey Bar. In fact, Elaine and her band mates have played the venue several times, while playing in Infernophonic and in various other bands. They even threw the release party for Spark It Up, at the Whiskey in early December.
In addition to the Whiskey Bar, the band has played at other well-known venues, including: Maxwell’s, Rodeo Bar, and the Blue Room in Seacaucus. Calling all Storm Troopers “Eye of the Jedi” is now the most downloaded song on the band’s Myspace page that’s getting almost 500 unique hits a day. The song “attracted a lot of people who would have never even heard of us,” said Tuttle.
“I mean, who doesn’t want to be a swashbuckling Jedi, swinging a light saber around?” said Infernophonic bass player, Kevin Bolemback.
“It’s amazing how these names and mythologies from the Star Wars movies have become permanently embedded in our culture. It attests to the strength of the concepts behind them.”
With the success of “Eye of the Jedi,” the band is hoping to get picked up by an indie label – someone “to get behind us a little,” Tuttle said.
“We’ve done all the work, and paid the expenses,” she adds, but “when you have specific [musical] goals in mind, sometimes its better that way.” q Comments on this piece can be sent to: seana@hudsonreporter.com