New Reality Stricken show - and band name!

They're not "Reality Stricken" anymore, folks.....they're now known as The Escape! And they've got a big show coming up, presented by bassist Josh Solomon's own booking operation. Here's the flyer:



More huge news about The Escape coming shortly!

Reality Stricken: Reviewed in Wonka Vision!

WOW. This is huge....I reached out to Wonka Vision a while ago on behalf of Reality Stricken, but I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, I just learned that they recently gave Reality Stricken a totally bitchin' online review: http://www.wonkavisionmagazine.com/reviews09/?p=2978

Speaking of RS, they've got a big show coming up which we will be seriously promoting. Details coming shortly.

New Bad Apples Article

I said it was coming this week. Here it is: http://philly2philly.com/entertainment/hottest_bands/2010/2/4/23075/local_music_profile_the_bad_apples

There might be some really exciting Reality Stricken news to report soon, but mum's the word until everything's official!

Upcoming Radio Interviews; other updates

I am a press agent first and foremost, but if I can set up something else that will get my clients some exposure, why not go for it?

Volta Radio is an online radio station in Philadelphia whose current owner, Cindy Wuollet, is madly devoted to supporting the Philly music scene. Volta airs a variety of programming, but on Tuesday nights at 7:30 (Eastern Time), you'll normally hear Cindy interviewing local and visiting musicians from a wide range of genres. I'm happy to announce that all of my current clients will be featured on Cindy's show this May. Here's the schedule:

May 4th: The Josh and Pete Band

May 11th: Bad Apples

May 18th: Reality Stricken

If there are any changes, I'll let you know.

There are some other interesting projects I've been working on for these bands, but they can't be explained quite so easily here. If you want details, send me an e-mail (you'll find a link on my profile).

In other news, there should be a new Bad Apples article out this week; I'll post a link when it's published. Also, I realized that I haven't updated you on The Absolute Zeros' status recently. Well, I'm really not their publicist anymore. Our business relationship was never officially declared dead, but after so many logistical hurdles and so much time spent in limbo, it just ended. No matter. As you can see, I'm plenty busy with these other bands. I still do follow The AZ's and having seen them toward the end of January, I can tell you that they're back on their feet after some personnel shakeups and they're sounding great. Keep your eyes and ears on their MySpace for updates.

New Reality Stricken Article

Well, a week old, actually.....I set this up, but I didn't learn that it had been published until tonight. I don't know why; usually someone tells me about such things ASAP. But here it is:

http://www.philly2philly.com/entertainment/hottest_bands/2010/1/13/22899/philly2phillycom_music_profile_reality_stricken

New Clients: Reality Stricken

"Every track on this EP leaps out of the speakers with enough force to blow down an entire block of rowhomes. This is the real rock sound of today, with big, loud riffs and chords, massive drums, and huge walls of shouted vocals. [...] There is simply not a dull moment on this record, and by the time it's over you'll be cheering for more. All you can do is hit 'Play' again. With releases this good, it's about damn time that the Philly-area rock scene got its due."

So I wrote when I reviewed Norristown, PA's Reality Stricken on One Note Ahead in September. The sad news is that now, I must stop featuring them on One Note Ahead. The good news is that now, I am their publicist!

Check out the fantastic EP I reviewed, Signal Fire, and I'll keep you posted about big shows.

Music and more: http://www.myspace.com/realitystricken

One Note Ahead text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

New Clients - Bad Apples

I'm happy to welcome to my client roster an up-and-coming trio known as Bad Apples. Their jazz-funk style also incorporates elements of rock, blues, and soul. All three regular members sing, sometimes offering gritty leads and sunny harmonies in the same song. From New Haven, Connecticut, Bad Apples have toured the United States and are currently gigging frequently in the Northeast. As you might have guessed, I will be promoting them in the Philly area specifically. In fact, they have a big show approaching on January 27th at The Blockley Pourhouse. For this one, they'll most likely be joined on stage by a full horn section, making this show a must-see.

Check out the band at: http://www.myspace.com/thebadapplesarebitter

And if you cannot see them in person, you might like to know that they have two albums out, both easily available online. The second, Today Begins At Night, was just released in July.

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

New Josh and Pete Band Video; Updates

I posted this video on the 11th along with some news about my PR work and clients, but things have changed so much since then that I had to delete that blog entry and post a new one.

There haven't been many updates recently because, after being quite busy for several months, I've hit a slow patch as a publicist. Things are really just up in the air with The Absolute Zeros, as they continue to iron out various business details and work on new music. After a frenzied 2009, The Josh and Pete Band will be (deliberately and intentionally) slowing their pace for a while. Over the past two to three months, I've been in talks with a few interested parties about some intriguing prospects, but as of yet no solid deals have materialized. As you might have guessed, there's a lot of economics and politics behind all of this, whether it's lack of funds, contractual issues, venues shutting down because of expired leases or code violations, or just the demands of other jobs. But part of it is also the nature of this line of work: sometimes you're up, sometimes....

I'll keep you posted on new developments. Meanwhile, enjoy this new video for The Josh and Pete Band's song "Miscommunication" and keep your eyes on the band's new website (currently under construction).

The Josh and Pete Band: Show Review!

I told you the August 13th show might get reviewed......well, here it is. Review and photos by Kate Bracaglia for Phrequency:

http://www.phrequency.com/blog/World_Cafe_Jazz_NightPlus_a_Little_Story_Rock.html

So, to recap: Philly Fun Guide page (probably no longer online because the event is over) with the exact event info I submitted and the photo the band and I chose. The Philly2Philly interview I discussed in the previous blog entry. A review with photos on Phrequency. Plus, inclusion in the concert calendars on high-profile blog sites The Broken Bell and Philly EDGE, the latter also running a brief story on the show in advance. All for the World Cafe Live Downstairs debut of a band that hasn't even been playing out for a whole year.

This is the most successful PR campaign I've run yet. Not by a wide margin, but still.....

The Josh and Pete Band: New Interview

The aforementioned Philly2Philly interview is up! http://philly2philly.com/entertainment/hottest_bands/2009/8/7/21233/the_josh_and_pete_band

We might also get a review of the August 13th show, but I'm not going to reveal anymore details until I know for sure.