Blue Panel

It is shocking how much great music is out there that is underrated and goes unheard. Blue Panel falls into the category of one of those bands that may have gone unnoticed, but is a refreshing surprise when you do find them.
This six song EP grabs your attention right away with clear-cut lyrics painting pictures of strong personalities. You can tell these guys know what they are doing. The lead singer, Nick Malishchak, belts out some smooth rockers. His voice grinds out some enticing melodies making you riddle in anticipation for the next tune.
Blue Panel is reminiscent of bands like Weezer, Foo Fighters and White Stripes with a style of their own I find to be ground breaking. The first track “Embers” could not have been written better. The tale of a cheating woman and remembering the day he let the embers fade is a story I’m sure a lot of us can relate to. The guitar solo alone is enough to give you your empowerment back. The sturdy tempos continues on the next track, “Back Alley Brawl,” as he sings about bringing on a hurricane, “keeping it long and strong don’t mess around, gonna hear me coming, gonna feel my sound”. Well I’m feeling it alright and I want the hurricane to keep on coming.
My favorite track on this EP is “Second Chance.” Lyrically, the sincerity spills out like an open book. If he was singing it to me I would buy it; I hope he gets the second chance he was looking for and stays true to what the song promises. The CD ends with the head turner, “On The Run”. After slowing things down with “Second Chance,” they get your attention one last time only making me wish there were more tracks. But I guess that is their way of making us eager fans awaiting their next project.
These guys are rockers, but do not get me wrong; they are not head bangers, but they certainly have a unique way of getting your adrenaline pumping. The suave vocals and unwavering melodic perfection is a sure fire way to sell their sound with confidence. The clean cut guys from New Jersey came to play and play it well.


Key Tracks-Embers, Back Alley Brawl, Second Chance
Rebecca Hosking- Muzikreviews.com Contributor
July, 12, 2011 - MuzikReviews

I must confess something to my loyal readers today. I took time out of my night on Sunday after Hurricane Irene to watch the MTV VMA’s. Now I have always respected MTV for how they break artists and set trends. But what I saw on Sunday was not really music, but more shock & awe. Do artists need to dress in drag and try to make out with Britney Spears to get attention?! On that note I will be thankful that I work for Skope & introduce some wholesome, and good spirited music from Blue Panel. Blue Panel are a band of four college students from Jersey that love to play music together. The boys just released their first EP ‘Feedback’ on I-Tunes and if you are looking for some good music without the ridiculous antics, give them a listen!

CLICK LINK FOR INTERVIEW - Skope

They may have just started in summer of 2009, but the 4-piece band known as Blue Panel that calls Madison, New Jersey home has been making some huge strides. Nick Malishchak, Andrew McCloskey, Matt Amling and Eli Raymond are balancing the rigors of college courses as they hone in on a style described as “old-school roots and blues-rock with new grunge and alternative elements” developing “The Feedback EP” in the process.
The band says the record “encapsulates our wide ranging sound. We just wanted to make our first EP as a band really show what we are all about. The six songs on the album are all so different, that we always get different answers when we ask people which song is their favorite.” It’s a good ride to be sure; you gotta check it out. While their live shows are hindered a bit by their class schedule (more power to these guys for pursuing two dreams at once though), you can be sure you can witness a Blue Panel show during those semester breaks (those amazing, amazing semester breaks). There’s much more to learn, so check out “The Feedback EP” and keep reading for all the answers to the XXQ’s.

CLICK LINK FOR INTERVIEW - PensEyeView

Childhood friends Matt Amling, Nick Malishchak and Eli Raymond spent much of their high school years playing together. But, as is often the case, after graduation they all headed their separate ways. Nick hooked up with Andrew McCloskey in 2009 and together they recorded an album. After the CD was finished, they realized they had something too good to let sit. After it received such a strong positive response, they knew they had to take action to go further with it, so Nick called his former compadres and got them involved, and soon Blue Panel was formed.

With Nick on lead vocals and lead guitar, Matt on rhythm guitar and vocals, Andrew on bass and vocals and Eli on drums and vocals, they started to hit area venues around their New Jersey hometown of Madison, and eventually throughout the Tri-State area.

Musically they were able to meld a combination of old school blues-rock with modern alternative. “Most of the writing is done by Nick,” says Andrew. “Usually Nick will come up with a riff on guitar, and try to develop a general feeling or emotion that the song will be based around. He then starts the lyrics, trying to convey the emotion while also using standard song conventions, rhyme scheme, etc. Sometimes Nick shows me what he’s working on and then the two of us collaborate to write the lyrics. Once we have the song parts basically mapped out we show the other band members, and the band discusses and lays down the other parts, the rhythm guitar and drums and background vocals.”

You can tell from the sound they generate that both classic and new rock influences permeate. Artists such as the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix mix with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Foo Fighters and The White Stripes form the basis for their musical backgrounds, as well as musicians like Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughn, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Jaco Pastorius, Paul McCartney and Sting.

Standout tracks include “Embers,” “Everything to Lose,” “On the Run” and “Back Alley Brawl.” One song in particular expresses their feeling toward the state of the modern music scene. “‘On the Run’ is a song that deals with the aspect of oversaturation in the music industry,” Andrew explains. “The lyrics convey our emotions toward the general quality of music today, and express our desire to bring back the heart and spirit of the old school blues back to the mainstream.”

The name of the band would suggest some type of a deep meaning, or at least elicit some hidden gem of an explanation or interesting story, but in reality it came from a piece of art exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. During their high school days, a field trip led to them discovering the piece, which was essentially just a blue panel. Andrew suggested it as a joke and, as is often the case, it ended up sticking.

The immediate future includes more area shows, as well as possibly expanding their reach. “It’s tough when school is in session, since we’re all at different colleges, but we still try to book as many shows as we can for when we’re all on break,” states Andrew. “Right now we have a show planned for May 31 at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC, and we are currently participating in the Vans Warped Tour Battle of the Bands with the hopes of getting a set at Warped Tour this year. We plan to play all around the Tri-State area, as well as other states in the Northeast this summer, so be sure to keep your eye out!”

The group hopes to spread the gospel of musical quality over fabricated pop. “Our goals are to spread the love for good music in a time when it can be hard to find,” Andrew relates. “We want to reach as many ears as possible, and have the experience of a touring band. We hope to one day be able to sustain ourselves and make a living playing music.”

Blue Panel has already experienced some of the traditions of touring bands, with performances to packed house as well as crowds you can count on one hand. Judging from their rapid rise thus far, it appears it won’t be long before they are experience much more of the road.

You can find Blue Panel on the Internet at facebook.com/bluepanel or reverbnation.com/bluepanel. You can also find their latest release, The Feedback EP, on iTunes. - The Aquarian