Joshua Van Ness

Over the past few years, I’ve rapidly learned, unfortunately with casualties, of the do’s, don’ts, monstrosities, and enigmas of the Jersey indie music scene. At times, I’ve found myself to be intimidated and discouraged by a massive population of insecure, competitive, and less-than adequate singers and songwriters that have been the product of an undying contingent of regulars at a beer and shot joint somewhere off the Garden State Parkway. However, as discouraging as it can be for a young artist, the essential world of relativity has rendered the discovery of the true gems of the scene entirely worth the while. Although not always an easy pill to swallow, it quickly permeated and traveled through my core with such intensity, that all recognition delineated to the former, was and is truly wasted energy. As for the gems, my encounters with Joshua Van Ness and Souls' Release should be reasonably classified as such. Aside from simply being a humble group of guys, they truly wrote solid, well-structured, songs that seemingly gave me amnesia as per my prior experiences and interactions with some fellow artists on the scene.

Although I’m quite familiar with Souls' Release, “Discovering The Universe” is my first exposure to Joshua Van Ness’ solo project. I rightfully begin with this… Joshua can sing his ass off. From start to finish, I was absolutely pummeled by his soulful, bluesy delivery. Let’s be honest, this scene is seriously lacking in this department. I’ve heard some solid acts, but have been hard-pressed to find genuinely dynamic vocalists.

Some of you may know by now, that I’m an absolute sucker for strong lyrical content and, in all fairness, our music scene does not lack in this department. Further, I love this record for its sincerity. I applaud Joshua for leaving it all on the table.

The songs were very well-structured. If I had to isolate one song on this record as the identity, I would have to select, “Never Give Up.” The immediate association is Edwin McCain and, personally, I think that’s quite the heavy compliment. This album is a performance, rather than a recording. I think it's safe to assume that Joshua probably would not disappoint if you were to dedicate an evening and catch a live set.

- Matt Colligan - Www.Blowupradio.com

Over the past few years, I’ve rapidly learned, unfortunately with casualties, of the do’s, don’ts, monstrosities, and enigmas of the Jersey indie music scene. At times, I’ve found myself to be intimidated and discouraged by a massive population of insecure, competitive, and less-than adequate singers and songwriters that have been the product of an undying contingent of regulars at a beer and shot joint somewhere off the Garden State Parkway. However, as discouraging as it can be for a young artist, the essential world of relativity has rendered the discovery of the true gems of the scene entirely worth the while. Although not always an easy pill to swallow, it quickly permeated and traveled through my core with such intensity, that all recognition delineated to the former, was and is truly wasted energy. As for the gems, my encounters with Joshua Van Ness and Souls' Release should be reasonably classified as such. Aside from simply being a humble group of guys, they truly wrote solid, well-structured, songs that seemingly gave me amnesia as per my prior experiences and interactions with some fellow artists on the scene.

Although I’m quite familiar with Souls' Release, “Discovering The Universe” is my first exposure to Joshua Van Ness’ solo project. I rightfully begin with this… Joshua can sing his ass off. From start to finish, I was absolutely pummeled by his soulful, bluesy delivery. Let’s be honest, this scene is seriously lacking in this department. I’ve heard some solid acts, but have been hard-pressed to find genuinely dynamic vocalists.

Some of you may know by now, that I’m an absolute sucker for strong lyrical content and, in all fairness, our music scene does not lack in this department. Further, I love this record for its sincerity. I applaud Joshua for leaving it all on the table.

The songs were very well-structured. If I had to isolate one song on this record as the identity, I would have to select, “Never Give Up.” The immediate association is Edwin McCain and, personally, I think that’s quite the heavy compliment. This album is a performance, rather than a recording. I think it's safe to assume that Joshua probably would not disappoint if you were to dedicate an evening and catch a live set.

- Matt Colligan - Www.Blowupradio.com

This site is for music lovers. We’ve worked hard to touch upon various genres, reasons to listen to certain songs, how to craft the quintessential summer playlist, and I have no doubt that the other writers and myself will keep working to bring content that anyone can relate to.

That being said, this post is a little different in the sense that it seeks to expose you to someone you may never hear if you don’t live in or frequently travel to the northeast section of the country. I was lucky to spend the bulk of my youth amidst incredible musicians in the New Jersey/NYC music scene. Instead of frequenting pep rallies and football games, I hit up venues all over the tristate area and watched people rock stages harder than any big name star I’d seen. That kind of heart, that kind of dedication was impossible to ignore. It’s the kind of thing you need to be a part of once you’ve witnessed it. You can’t just move on. Or at least, I couldn’t.

Joshua Van Ness, frontman of Men of Rock, was/is a part of that experience and he is one of the most talented, soulful musicians I’ve ever met. He’s fronted bands that have peppered the aforementioned music scene for the last fifteen years.

As a solo artist, he released a four song EP, Still Here, in 2000 and two full length albums, DNA and Discovering the Universe, between 2008-2011. With each release, Joshua pushed the boundaries of his music and lyrics to keep it fresh, while keeping true to himself and the sound he’d spent so much time creating. He kept busy playing shows at notorious New Jersey venues like Asbury Park’s The Stone Pony and The Saint, as well as Hoboken’s finest: Northern Soul and (the sadly departing) Maxwell’s. Joshua has received several nominations for the Asbury Park Music Awards and been featured on BlowUpRadio.com and App.com’s “66 Sessions”.

Giving back to the community that has shown him so much support has always been an important part of his career. Discovering the Universe featured a song (“This Town”) about his experiences within the Asbury Park music scene. Joshua later used the track to promote a Hurricane Sandy relief fund. He’s recently entered Jersey’s Stronger Than The Storm music competition with the song “We Don’t Stop”.

Men of Rock is the brainchild of Joshua and three other talented musicians, Eric Blankenship, Jonathan Andrew, and Joe Beninati. The bandmates are longtime friends and play shows frequently. Speaking of which, if you’re in the mood to catch this bunch of awesome dudes, head to The Bitter End this Saturday night at 9 p.m. to check them out. Be on the lookout for me as there is a very good chance I’ll be there too!

I’m not the first to write about Joshua and I am sure I won’t be the last. One thing everyone seems to say is that he’s got a soul that comes right through the bars of each song.

“Tangled”, the song featured here, is a live recording of Joshua with just his guitar, giving anyone who watches a glimpse of that very soul. Give it a listen. Then find him and the rest of his catalog and listen to that too.

The radio waves are cluttered with songs and musicians that sound the same. It’s hard to break through all that and be heard. Take few minutes out of your day to listen to someone whose love for music is blatantly evident and runs deep. Like ours. Like yours.

Be reminded why we all need it, why we love it so much.
- The Daily Soundtrck

As a promoter of music festivals I come across may performers, some more talented than others. When I heard Joshua Van Ness for the first time, I was blown away. His style of soul music is smooth, fun and his original songs are awesome. His incredible voice engages the audience until the end of his songs. The entire band is outstanding and together they are exciting to watch. I look forward to the next time this band plays with us. In addition to being very talented Joshua is a nice guy and true professional.


Cissy Gialanella, President
JC Promotions,Inc.
www.jcpromotions.info - www.jcpromotions.com

DNA - Essential Music
author: Mitchel J. Gross
I was hanging around Asbury Park and stopped into the Saint on the night that happened to be Joshua Van Ness' release party for this CD. I was really knocked out! Nice mix of rock, emo and even some dance mixed in. The first thing that stood out for me was the maturity behind his writing style. This music has really been meticulously crafted. The eclectic influences are easy to hear, but it's how they've been blended into a consistent and polished style that is so impressive. Yet the music doesn't come off as "too slick". Maybe that's because of his strong compelling vocals and the humanity and poetry of his lyrics. Of course this wouldn't mean anything if it did't also get your feet moving. He's got a lot of very good musicians around him and they really capture this kind of energy live. This is a nice find. - CdBaby.com

There's one thing I can definitely say about up-and-coming New Jersey artist Josh Van Ness: Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the man has got GUTS. There's plenty more to say, of course. This is, after all, a review, and reviews are meant to garner attention, whether it be positive or negative. There are reasons why I feel Mr. Van Ness has got it, and I'd be happy to illustrate them for you. First off, The Pontiac Grille on South Street (and Philadelphia in general, for that matter) is a hard venue for even a loud rock no roll band to get respect. People stand in dark corners and attempt to look as disinterested as humanly possible as the bands sweat their balls off trying to put on a good show. Friday night, February 1st, was no different. The bands played their guts out. The audience kept hitting snooze. This was definitely not due to the lack of energy of the bands. They moved, they sweat; they played their little hearts out...Crickets. In the midst of a night of loud, energetic hardcore/metal/punk/what-have-you, Josh Van Ness was brave enough to step on that stage without a band. No wall of noise to hide behind. No "I'll make your ear drums bleed until you listen to me" tactics. Just a man, a guitar, and some damn good rock n roll songs. I believe he even said: "Don't let the acoustic guitar fool you. This IS a rock n roll show." What nerve. Shit yeah! Wait, there's more: Not only did he get up there and face that obviously narcoleptic crowd head on, He woke them the hell up. With a tight, half-hour set of catchy, pop-soul fusion in the style of Jeffery Gaines, Edwin Mc Cain, and The Black Crowes, Josh Van Ness not only had new fans, he had believers. He kicked off his set with "(You Should Be) Careful What You Wish For", a song that should, for all intents and purposes, be on steady rotation on every modern rock station in the country. Hear to it once, you'll remember it. Equally as memorable songs like "10ft Tall" and "Spinning around" were driven by his soul-soaked voice and rock star attitude. He even played a cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and made it believable. Now that's talent. Check out www.myspace.com/joshuavanness to find out when the next service will be held.




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