NEWS ARCHIVE
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NOVEMBER 29, 2023 MAKING NOISE, MAKING PLANS
If you follow us on the various socials, you know the summer was a pretty full schedule with lots of shows, some side projects, and a benefit among other things. But we've come back around from the dark side of the planet and breaking radio silence.
Quick summary of the last few months: Loads of gigs, cover and otherwise, that filled most of the summer. I also got to record additional songs with my friend Peter Amadeo, who we've mentioned here before, who's putting together a new album for the near future. We got to do some more contributing and recording with our friends from Blisstique, participated in the Cranford Porchfest concerts, and performed a special set for BlowUpRadio.com. Lazlo from BUR hosts a Banding Together benefit for spondylitis research, which you can still donate to in the link and get a complete set of the BandCamp MP3s from all the participating bands.
Now it's time for some news on the Crosstalk Club font. During all that activity, the guys have been working on new songs written from this past year, and we're getting really close to releasing some! And with new music, comes new videos. I'm pretty proud of those low-budget videos for the "Liftoff" tunes, and I'm hoping to step it up with the new ones too. There's a sneak peek coming VERY soon, and we're really excited to see what you all think.
MAY 9, 2023 WE LOVE FEEDBACK
We always love all the positive feedback we get from listeners, but there's a recent message we received from superfan J. Meloni that we really had to share:
I discovered your album through a friend and it really was great. I like to mix up my music but I end up listening to almost the album all the way through most of the time. It's touching funny and geeky all at the same time and I love it. Psychic Girlfriend made me laugh, The Green and the Gray made me cry. Plastic Island led me to 4Ocean and I got involved. Love it all and hope to hear more soon!!
J made our day with this one. I'm not sure where you're from, but if you're local, we owe you a beer or two. We truly love you enjoy LIFTOFF, and we're hoping you'll like the new stuff that we're working on now.
JANUARY 8, 2023 MISSION REPORT 2022
MUSIC
Happy 2023! We're a little late posting this, but we wanted to thank all of you for another great year of music and listening. We've heard from a bunch of you on "the socials" and in messages and we're honored you spend some of your time with us.
We're not really fans of posting numbers like so many other bands do, but they are great. For 2022 Spotify had 33.1K listens (!) from 58 countries. Soundcloud had 1000 plays, BandCamp had 500+ plays. We had CD listeners in the USA and Europe. And loads of radio airplay from Lonely Oak Radio, KDUB Radio, Good Music Radio, WPRB-FM, and WRAT-FM, all of whom have supported the album since release.
So thanks to all of you, worldwide, for spending a little time with our scrappy little indie band from the New Jersey shore. We'll hope you'll stick around for some new music in 2023!
DECEMBER 19, 2022 'TIS THE SEASON
Happy holidays to our extended listening family! Like everyone, we're thankful for another great year, there's even more of us here to celebrate, and we're looking forward to a great 2023.
Here's a few little somethings to help you celebrate this year. Our Unconventional Christmas playlist is updated on Spotify, which some fun holiday tunes you won't hear played 10,000 times before the year's over. The list includes the Christmas song we mentioned earlier, "This Holiday," written and sung by Peter Amadeo, featuring Robin Tricker. I got the honor of playing several keyboards on this one, and I really do like it's retro feel.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 STAYING ON COURSE
Quick update on some stuff I’ve been busy with lately, all of which is coming up on the horizon.
Firstly, some new Crosstalk Club music is on the way. Got an unmixed song or two, and some brand-new songs I can’t wait to share with you all. We’re just getting started, so updates to follow.
Next, I’ve had the privilege to work with two friends on their own projects.
I got a chance to work on a holiday song with my friend Peter, who’s also planning his own album, at Anthony Krizan’s Sonic Boom Studios, which is an awesome place for anyone looking for a creative space to record.
I also got to work with my friend pK on new songs for his Blisstique project, in his hand-built studio. New EP on the horizon there too.
Some other things in the works but we’re way too early on that. So that’s for another time, I guess!
AUGUST 25, 2022 NEW VIDEO!
Happy birthday, LIFTOFF! Our album is one year old, and since we can't send birthday cake to all of you (though we'd like to), there's a new video for "The Green and the Gray," featuring Steve Ferraro's awesome mix that wasn't on the original lyric video. Hope you enjoy!
New music on the horizon. Stay tuned.
JULY 2, 2022 EUROPE CALLING
We love that we get digital airplay on stations in the US and around the world, as well as requests for CDs locally. Today was something new and special: We happily just shipped our first CD request to Madrid, Spain. Thanks to our growing group of fans worldwide, however you listen. We're so happy you joined the "Club!"
JUNE 25, 2022 FIRST ORBIT!
We made it! This week marks the one-year anniversary of the release of LIFTOFF. It's been a crazy year, after several crazy years to get off the ground, but it's been a great ride. We're releasing something special this week to commemorate it, more to come.
Also, we're bringing back our "Christmas in June" event (it's a 25th thing). The first 10 people who send us their email address will be shipped a signed CD copy of LIFTOFF in the mail, gratis, shipping's on us. Thanks for a wild year, and I can't wait to see what happens on our next orbit.
MAY 5, 2022 FREEDOM!
Well, it took awhile and a few attempts to finally free it from YouTube copyright jail, but the LIFTOFF Listening Party we did a few months ago is finally viewable again on YouTube! So if you missed it live back then, you can finally catch it here.
APRIL 1, 2022 NOT AN APRIL FOOL'S JOKE
I'd mentioned this on the socials a few months back, but it looks like it's still a thing. I was recommended this on eBay... a bootleg of our album. This is one of several items marked as a rare "UK Import" for over $25. Over on Amazon, a vendor is selling a dubbed copy for $34!
This is obvious, but let's be clear, there's no rare UK import versions of LIFTOFF. And we don't sell home-burned CD-ROMs ripped from low-res MP3s. We have honest-to-goodness, full-quality, all-natural, free-range, no-preservatives, gluten-free CDs, lovingly crafted by an honest American company (thanks, Disc Makers!) in full-color sleeves styled like an old-school vinyl album cover. And we sell it for 1/3 the price!
So accept no substitutes, and buy directly from us through our authorized Amazon link or our Bandcamp page. If I can steal a classic line from a The Dead Milkmen, don't pay some overseas bootlegger, you should "give your cash, where it belongs, to a decent American artist, like myself."
FEBRUARY 5, 2022 LIFTOFF IS LOCAL
Jersey Shore fans! We're happy to announce LIFTOFF is now available locally on CD at Jack's Music in Red Bank. I've been a regular customer at Jack's for a long time, and I recommend stopping by and checking out the amazing selection of vinyl and CDs (both new and used) you'll find there. And yeah, maybe dropping a couple of bucks on a Crosstalk Club CD would be nice too.
JANUARY 25, 2022 MORE RADIO, MORE PLAYLISTS!
January was a busy month! We had our live LIFTOFF Listening party on social media. Unfortunately, we haven't posted a full video of it yet, because several platforms have copyright strikes on our own songs! Once we get that straightened out, we'll post it.
We mentioned if on the Socials, but we're a little late here. DJ Lazlo from the awesome "Blow Up Radio" music show has featured us several times on his iconic NJ radio show. In addition, over on the UK's Attic Radio, Chris Grosvenor featured multiple tracks from LIFTOFF, and brought us back for his year-end IndieHO!HO!HO! show spotlighting numerous bands from 2021.
And speaking of year-end reviews, the good folks at the I Don't Hear a Single blog included LIFTOFF on their favorite 100 albums of 2021! Our thanks once again, we're honored to be in pretty awesome company. Check out the other bands on the list -- you're bound to find a bunch you like. We've been added to a bunch of international "best of 2021" Spotify playlists, including MTD Best of 2021.
DECEMBER 5, 2021 MISSION REPORT
It happens every December. The first snows, the radio stations start playing holiday music, and every indie band jumps on social media to show their Spotify numbers.
Spotify Wrapped gives listeners a summary of their streaming for the year, but it also gives artists a report of how their music did. I hate obsessing over numbers, since it's just one platform, and it doesn't include sales, or airplay by our awesome radio partners. But I do think we fared pretty well.
LIFTOFF has been out just over four months. On Spotify alone, we reached 6000 plays, 242 listeners from 38 countries who listened for over 314 hours.
Not bad for our little operation from the Jersey Shore! And it's all thanks to YOU reading this, for following, listening, and supporting the music. You keep this "mission" in orbit, and I'm so grateful to share this music with you.
We've got more in store in the near future. Update soon!
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021 COMING TO YOU LIVE...
Radio interviews can be intimidating. It's not like recording in the studio, where you can go back and do a second take so you can do better. Or interviews conducted through either chat or email, where you have a moment to compose your thoughts and come up with something thoughtful and eloquent.
You'd think it would be easy... the subject is you, and you're the foremost expert on you, right? But if the interviewer makes you feel uncomfortable or intimidated, you can second-guess yourself and have a bad experience.
Danny Coleman isn't one of those interviewers. I've been a follower and listener of his for awhile, and a few of my friends have been on his show before, so I shouldn't have worried. Danny has interviewed all levels of musicians, known and unknown, and he's so comfortable and casual about it, it went really well.
Steve and I chatted with Danny about a truckload of topics, and two hours passed by in an instant. And yeah, on the way home, my inner critic was mad I didn't talk about some of the health struggles to finish the album, but my serotonin high was telling that guy to shut up and enjoy a fun interview by a genuinely-friendly guy who made the whole thing a pleasure. Check out the links for Danny Coleman's "Rock on Radio" show and his other show, "Danny Coleman's Got the Blues." You can hear our interview here, and catch his past shows here!
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 WE READ YOU, LOUD AND CLEAR
The album is orbiting worldwide! And we couldn't be happier. You can hear tunes from LIFTOFF on a growing number of radio stations, both online and on broadcast. Here's a partial list so far of stations playing Crosstalk Club! We're grateful to all of these good people who love to spread new music, so please throw 'em some love if you can.
WRAT-FM NJ “Jersey Rock” local band show, "Psychic Girlfriend"
WMSC-FM NJ (Montclair State College), "Psychic Girlfriend"
WRPI-FM NY (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), "Psychic Girlfriend"
KDUB radio OH, "Psychic Girlfriend"
Radio Wigwam UK, "Psychic Girlfriend," "The Green and the Gray"
Good Music Radio, UK "Psychic Girlfriend," "Damaged Goods"
Jango Radio, "Psychic Girlfriend"
Lonely Oak Radio CA, Full album spotlight, plus all tracks in rotation!
Eagle's Nest Radio AZ, "Psychic Girlfriend"
QC Indie Saskatchewan, Canada, "Psychic Girlfriend"
The Sound Lab UK, "Psychic Girlfriend"
In Your Ears Music Lancashire, UK, "Psychic Girlfriend"
Smile Radio West Yorkshire, UK, "Psychic Girlfriend"
MPG Radio Canada, "Psychic Girlfriend"
Attic Radio UK, Chris Grosvenor's very cool Indie Disco radio show made us the Featured Artist 9/1 and played "Psychic Girlfriend," "The Green and the Gray," "Another Love Song," "Damaged Goods," and "When Forever's Over."
JULY 25, 2021 ONE MONTH FROM LAUNCH
We continue to gain altitude since LIFTOFF, and we've been pretty happy with the results! So many of you have reached out and commented about the music, bought the CDs, and listened to the tunes, I think we're off to a great start.
We got two awesome bits of news this week. Tom Hanley from WRAT-FM was cool enough to play "Psychic Girlfriend" on the station's "Jersey Rock" local music show. If you missed our announcement on "the socials" you can still listen here!
I continue to find it really cool how the music is making its way around the world. UK music blog "I Don't Hear a Single" gave us a great review of LIFTOFF that still has us grinning days later: "Jersey Shore keyboardist Dan O'Leary gathered some of his Cover band friends to form Crosstalk Club to perform his original songs and the results are splendid." You can read the entire review here.
Some new announcements, a glimpse into the future, and some other stuff...all very soon.
JULY 11, 2021 'LIFTOFF' LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL, REPORTS
So it's been about two weeks since the launch of LIFTOFF, and the "mission" has been going pretty well so far! Orbit is stable and we're gaining altitude.
I wanted to take a minute to shoutout people who have been giving great reviews of the tunes and adding them to playlists. If you can, visit these folks and see what other cool stuff they offer!
AI LOVE MUSIC blog has a great writeup and kudos for "Psychic Girlfriend," along with our bio and Spotify links to our album.
I got to do a really nice interview with THE SOUNDS WON'T STOP blog about the origins of the band, a little backstory, and some plans for the future.
On the radio! We're now in rotation on QCIndie (great indie/alt), Eagle's Nest Radio (big mix), and Lonely Oak Radio (who have played a LOT of Liftoff tracks).
We got a few Spotify playlist adds, notably Emotional Feedback, a cool collection of new artists and some classics, and The REALLY Hot Tracks eclectic mix by Amy Braun.
We also got some great shoutouts from Tinnitist, Stoakes Media, We All Want Someone to Shout For, United SongBirds, The X-ALE Athens Legacy Entertainment, Music on the Moon, and Rock Fueguino. You can see them on our Press page.
More to come from Mission Control! Stay tuned for updates, and subscribe if you want it straight to your Inbox.
JUNE 25, 2021 WE HAVE ACHIEVED 'LIFTOFF'!
WE MADE IT!!
It's hard to believe that we've finally gotten to this point, but LIFTOFF is finally out in the world. The CDs are ready (ahh, that "new CD" smell). The BandCamp and Soundcloud pages are updated. ALL streaming platforms are now carrying the album. We've gotten on Spotify playlists. We have some very very nice press coverage...more on that soon.
There aren't words to describe how exciting it is to see people reacting to the album. The path here was a pretty long and bumpy one, but we got through it. Now we take what we learned and make it bigger and better! More music that WON'T take forever to complete. More shows. More merch.
But before any of that, we need to show some gratitude. Band members Darryl "Jake" Jacobsen, drummer/mixer Steve Ferarro, guitarist Joey Mayerski did an amazing job on putting these tracks together. Additional guitars from Mike Zaffarese on "Psychic Girlfiend" and and sax from Wilbert Condez on "Plastic Island" were a huge help. To family and friends who kept us going.
And to all of YOU who have followed this journey for years, came to shows (who remembers the set at the Two River Theater?), and gave support all this time. This is why we've forgone the teaser-singles strategy and released it all at once...you waited long enough. Hell, I think we all have.
More updates soon.
JUNE 22, 2021 "PRE" DAY FOR LIFTOFF
It's PRE-Day! What's PRE-Day, you ask?
Reason 1
Spotify listeners can now pre-save the new album, and get an MP3 copy of all the tracks. Ten pre-savers get a free signed CD copy too.
The Spotify pre-save is here, https://show.co/ZGrrjZh
Reason 2
MP3 listeners can now pre-order LIFTOFF on Bandcamp and get one MP3 right away.
JUNE 16, 2021 LIFTOFF DATE IS SET
We’re really excited to announce our debut album LIFTOFF will officially be out June 25! We’ve got a special video out next week with some giveaways to celebrate. More to come!
JUNE 1, 2021 MUCH TO DO
Things have been a little busy in Crosstalk Club-land these last few weeks. We've been talking with bloggers, playlisters, and anyone else we can think of to get ready for the launch of LIFTOFF. Between making sure the CDs are coming (they are!), the streaming services have the music (they do!), and making sure all that legal copyright/ownership/publishing stuff is in place. Another update soon, with more details. Stay tuned.
APRIL 1, 2021 A LONG TIME AGO...
Crosstalk Club has been on social media for a few years now, but since this is the first entry on our new website, let's take a second and give you the Cliff's Notes version of our backstory, and our final steps towards our debut album.
This band started several years ago, with keyboardist Dan O'Leary, a longtime veteran of the New Jersey Shore bar-band scene, wanted to start a new original band. Calling on a few of his band veteran friends, they started making plans for an album, and eventually to start playing live.
But life, as it does, sometimes gets in the way. The original recording studio went dark, so Dan learned to record parts at home. The next studio took the recording budget, held the mixes for two years (and counting), so drummer Steve stepped up and did the mixes. Dan ended up in the hospital twice for his heart, once for cancer. Then, in 2020, we all know how the pandemic shut everyone down, including music. Fortunately for the band, their fans came to their early shows, watched the videos that the band released last year, and sent their support.
Now, we're just about to reach the destination. Thanks to all our fans as we start the final countdown to LIFTOFF!