The NATCH

How many time have you seen a lady with a bun in the oven
playing the drums? That’s what I thought. In 18 years of drumming,
during which time I paid particular attention to my fellow female
musicians, I’d only ever seen one pregnant percussionist-marimba
artist Janis Potter, who performed solo at the Percussive Arts Society
International Convention while very heavily with child.

Although I don’t have any kids, advice from family and friends on the topic generally has been along the lines of “Oh, you’ll have to give up drumming if you have a baby. ” The idea of giving up drumming is, to me, a bit like the idea of giving up food or oxygen, so I was curious to find out whether there were any women who didn’t give up drumming while pregnant. That’s how I found these active professionals who are overwhelmingly positive about the compatibility of drumming and motherhood.

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
Obviously, pregnancy necessitates some changes regarding all kinds
of things, especially drumming. All four women I spoke to agree that a
hiatus from roadie duties is a nice perk. “It was awesome, ” says Peta.
“I would carry a snare or a tom into the gig then go and relax over a
lemonade.” Morning sickness while drumming was an issue for a couple
of drummers. Sasha Lawless of Maryland hip-hop-rock crew Mzery
Loves Company accommodated this by cutting out the background vocals
she used to sing while drumming, while Trish Naudon of Brooklyn
band The Natch toured with a bucket strategically placed kit-side. Trish
also got an endorsement deal with RockStarMoms, who make what
she calls “awesome” maternity wear designed for musicians. Each
drummer says she made sure to listen to her body and make changes
as needed. But for Sasha, “The only change I made was take out certain
songs and shorten the set time.” - Tom Tom Magazine

..."Sick Guitar, catchy lyrics and poppy drum, it’s just fun rock and roll. Like a good old fashioned (the drink), simple and straight-forward, but with a little flair to make things interesting!"

-Zac Clarke
Rocker Tycoon

Link:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=466639644&blogId=508144328

Crazy writers hat. Check. Pens. Check. Laptop. Check. Shirt, Tie, Check Check Hangover DOUBLE CHECK. So I took a trip out today to write up Friday night’s show at IMAC. It was far too beautiful tosit in my apartment and write on a Sunday morning. The Wifi is free over at Marco and Pepe on Grand Street. Why not induldge myself in a classic writer’s atmosphere for once?

As I was saying, Friday Night I took a trip out to IM Automata Chino in Jersey City. To see a few bands I hadn’t heard of: The Natch and Victor Bravo. I arrived at 9pm sharp expecting music to be in full swing at the venue. Turns out there was some type of legal issue and the music was being held in the Iron Monkey proper on the second floor. I took the stairs to the second level and saw they were setting up. So I decided to hit the roof deck for a few Aventinus pints. I spoke with the owner over a few glasses and he assured me that venue would be up and running in two weeks and while they were getting things in order it would give them time to rearrange the set-up of the bar (I’ve always contested with him over the placement of the bar and the stage). So I guess you have to take the good with the bad, lemonade from lemons so to speak.

As I walked down to the makeshift venue I ran into Trish Naudon(formerly of America’s Sweetheart) Overjoyed I asked if I had misread the bill and they were playing. She confirmed the latter over the former and told me that they were now The Natch. The band’s old singer/guitarist left and they became the Natch. So I geared up for a reunion with some old friends! The moral here? Support your local band... when that band becomes another band... support that band as well! Slightly more congealed now the Natch is everything I dug about AS. Chris Thomas (guitar) and Paris Mancini (bass) trade off vocals and Trish (drums) fills in with a little backing! Sick Guitar, catchy lyrics and poppy drum, it’s just fun rock and roll. Like a good old fashioned (the drink), simple and straight-forward, but with a little flair to make things interesting!

- Zac Clarke

WWW.OffBeatMama.com
http://offbeatmama.com/2010/04/the-natch#more-1235

What's it like being a pregnant drummer on tour??Posted by Ariel · Features
15 Apr 2010

So sure, there are rockstar moms … but then there are mamas who are quite literally rockstars! Like Trish Naudon here, drummer for a band out of New York City called The NATCH — and also due to become a mama in August. I tracked Trish down to ask her a few questions about how she manages to mix the perfect cocktail of rockstar and mama — and how her fetus likes it when she's playing the drums!??

Trish, is this you first child??
Yes, and we just found out yesterday it’s a little girl with long fingers and we’re psyched, maybe she’ll be a bass player;-) – she’s due Aug 19, 2010 and we’re naming her, Myla Sol.

Tell me a tiny bit about your band.
?We’re The NATCH, from NYC a trio with a smoking guitar player, Chris Thomas a sassy bass player Paris Mancini and me, Trish Naudon on the drums. We’re a year old next month and have been on four tours this past year to the Midwest, Northeast and South. We’ve been very lucky and have been sponsored for most of our tours and now we’re finishing up our recording of our debut CD due out this Summer 2010. Some say we sound like a mix of The Clash meets The Breeders, Pixies & The Police — we love hearing that!

Where's the tour going?
?May 1st we play a benefit show for The RED CROSS in Danbury, CT then off to the Boston Walk for Hunger to 44,000 people which will be our second appearance as The NATCH and our first anniversary show. Then we head over to the Midwest with a sprinkling of gigs on our way to Cleveland, OH to play with our good pals at a JIB Machine Records Showcase and Chicago to play a big benefit show for the Veterans of America sold out show. We’re super excited to be able to squeeze in these shows as I’ll almost seven months pregnant – yikes.

Were you daunted by the idea of going on tour while pregnant?

LOL! Well, at first when I was about 2 months we had a Midwest tour in the middle of January and I had fierce morning sickness coupled with bronchitis, which was tough. I know this is hardcore and gross but I just made sure to have my little bucket near my drum set at all times. Even watching the mosh pit and beer smell made me instantly sick feeling but the minute we started playing I felt really good — so the key was to not stop playing. My band mates were awesome and my right foot never stopped thumping my kick drum. Otherwise I really enjoyed being on tour and seeing all our friends making new ones.

Does the baby respond when you're playing??
Fully! I didn’t know what it was at first. After a couple hours of practice when we’d take a break I would feel this tempo-like beat in my belly and then slowly figured out she was moving to the music for a good 20 minutes after we had stopped. I even saw an ultra sound with her moving around as if she was dancing! Apparently music is really good for babies and thank goodness because she gets a lot of it. My husband likes to rest his acoustic guitar on my belly and play a sweet tune for her in the mornings.

What's the biggest challenge of being a pregnant rockstar??
Stage clothes! Honestly all has been really normal except for the growth of my belly and trying to figure out what to wear on stage. As a drummer, I usually like to wear as little as possible because I get so hot … but now my body has taken on a mind of its own. RockStarMoms recently endorsed me and hooked me up with some SWEET rock clothes that I now live in, seriously! I’m so happy I can still look like I’m part of my band. Cool maternity clothes are really hard to find for rocker gals. The other challenge is dealing with my growing boobs! I’m normally small up there and now I really gotta strap them down.

How do you think your career will change once you have the baby??
I’m sure we’ll have some down time playing live and touring for a few months but we’ll continue to write songs and record. We’re lucky to be a very prolific band and we’re already planning on recording our second CD for a Fall 2010 release. We’ve even talked about getting a bigger touring vehicle with room for a baby helper to go on tour with us, we’ll see. It’d be great to have her on tour with us and only be separated for the time I’m on stage — that would be awesome!

How will it stay the same??
I’m hoping we’ll continue to write and rock it out as much as we can – it would be weird not to. Since this is our first baby we know things will change a bit but I suppose we’ll just have to see how much we can actually juggle. I’ll have to keep you posted on that one.

What advice do you have for other rockstar mamas?
?Eat well, exercise and be healthy and you’ll be able to keep rocking! Oh yeah make sure to let other people carry your gear and enjoy the ride!
- Off Beat Mama

The NATCH is a new local female fronted trio that plays some kind of deranged garage rock in the best NYC tradition: lots of attitude, big distorted guitars, crooked vibe and a coordinating wardrobe. The band is currently working on their debut CD, scheduled to be released in the summer, but they haven't put their live appearances on hold because of this. you can catch them live at The Delancey on Friday 02.19.10 and in several other cites in May during their East Coast Tour.

Published on Feb 17, 2010
http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com - The Deli NYC

Year in Review: 2009, in Lists
By JCI Staff • Dec 31st, 2009 • Category: Arts, Featured, News, Politics

Photos: Steve Gold, Irene Borngraeber, Zac Clark, Melanie McLean

Everybody loves lists, right? Well, here are a few Top Five lists from JCI’s staff and several contributors, covering everything from city government to good eats to rock ‘n’ roll. Enjoy. (For more Year in Review goodness, check out our Top Stories of 2009.)

Five Wishes for the City Council (and the administration) for 2010

1. Pass a bill to fix the food truck ordinance.

2. While you’re at it, how about that bill that’s languished all year — you know, the one to straighten out how the Parking Authority gives tickets and boots automobiles?

3. Do your homework on the legislation at hand. The majority of our City Council does this — some clearly more than others — and we commend them for it. However, there are a few members — who shall remain nameless — who often seem to have no clue as to what is going on, and who we often find to know less about the bills being discussed than us reporters or even some members of the public. We know this is just a part-time job, but it’s a damn important one — read up, people.

4. Figure out a way to pass a budget on time. We’re never going to get out of this fiscal mess if we spend all of our money before a real budget plan is put together. Last year, the budget was passed with only 55 days remaining in the period it covered. This year, despite the promises of the administration, doesn’t seem to be going any better so far.

5. Several times in 2009, council members took the opportunity to get into little tiffs with members of the public, even voting against allowing one person to speak because of his “attitude” and changing a vote because of an angry crowd at the first post-corruption sweep council meeting. So, City Council members: We know that the public can sometimes seem like a nuisance to you, as they sometimes get facts wrong or yell or accuse you of being disingenuous. But no matter how tempting it might be at times, please don’t browbeat the public. It makes you look, well, kind of vindictive and bad. And, after all, isn’t it the public you work for?

Five of Our Favorite Photos of 2009

Staff photographer Steve Gold snapped hundreds of pics for us this year; here are five of our faves.

1. Council president Peter Brennan is all smiles as he leads the council caucus after Vega*’s resignation from the post

2. Art House Productions’ performance of “Heavy Craft/Soft Landing”

3. Lou Manzo Speaks at April 4’s AARP mayoral forum in the Heights

4. Pet Ownership Day at City Hall

5. Dan Levin lets the City Council know someone is paying attention

And an honorable mention to the wild turkey sitting on telephone wires on 8th Street.

Five Wackiest City Council Moments of 2009

Sure, City Council meetings can at times be tedious affairs, as council members plow through hundreds of resolutions and ordinances as they make the sausage known as local government. But sometimes downright bizarre things happen. Here are a few highlights.

1. Then-council president Mariano Vega* voted “no” on a resolution of no confidence … in himself.

2. Hugh Hales-Tooke mourned the loss of a building at 1 Jersey Avenue, in song.

3. A $4.38 million bond issue was approved for the purchase of a building in which the Parking Authority has been a tenant. The council goes ahead with the purchase based on an April 2008 appraisal and accuses Ward E councilman Steven Fulop of “grandstanding” when he vocally opposes the move. When residents in attendance make it clear they want to speak on the issue, some council members vote no to re-open a public hearing “because of [their] attitude.” (See our point about browbeating above.)

4. Dennis Burgess — better known as “Master Sup Tacular” to Jersey City public school students and those of you who were followed former Assemblyman and 2009 mayoral candidate Lou Manzo’s public access television show this spring — stopped by a meeting to promote a fundraiser for his organization, Saving Our Young Tomorrow. While he was there, he figured he’d go ahead and demonstrate his skill at ripping phone books and breaking cement blocks, despite a bit of good-natured heckling from City Clerk Robert Byrne.

5. Fulop read the words “Melicious Bottomvomit” into the public record as he presented Melissa Surach with an award for her “many contributions to the arts in Jersey City and her dedication to her hometown.”

Top Five Lines from Federal Corruption Complaints

There were many moments in the unsealed federal criminal complaints against Jersey City politicians and officials that were stunning, many that were — quite frankly — hilarious and many that illustrated the personalities of the officials involved. Here are our five favorites. Blanket disclaimer time: All of the actions described below were allegations.

1. A Lot of Pretzels: In early May, a breakfast meeting took place at a hotel restaurant in Jersey City between council president Mariano Vega*, Jersey City health officer Joseph Castagna and FBI informant Solomon Dwek. At the meeting, Dwek told Vega that, in addition to the $10,000 he planned on giving him on that day, he planned on giving the councilman another $10,000 after the municipal election for a “victory party.”

Vega*’s response: “Thanks … [this would buy] a lot of pretzels.”

2. Can You Do It as Soon as Possible? In late March at a Bayonne diner, then-candidate for the Ward F City Council seat LaVern Webb-Washington met with cooperating witness Solomon Dwek and a political consultant to discuss Webb-Washington’s help with “zone change[s], resolution[s], approvals, [and] stuff like that” Dwek wanted support for in relation to a purported project on Garfield Avenue. After Webb-Washington indicated that she could “definitely” support such things for Dwek, he told her that he’d give her $5,000 in cash — through the consultant — “to start” as a thanks for such support.

In response, Webb-Washington asked: “Can you do it as soon as possible?”

The next month, she donated $4,100 of her “own money” to her council campaign

3. According to Your Standards You’re Generous: At a meeting that went down at a Jersey City diner in July, cooperating witness Solomon Dwek was telling Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith about the help he wanted with state agencies for his purported development on Garfield Avenue and another one in Bayonne.

Dwek had already given Smith $5,000 in cash during Smith’s run for mayor for help with the Garfield Avenue project on the municipal level.

“Just like before the election, I was there for you, I’m a generous guy,” Dwek told Smith.

Responding to Dwek’s characterization of a $5,000 cash bribe, Smith pointed at him and said: “According to your standards you’re generous.”

Dwek’s response: “When I offer, I offer low, I’m a businessman.”

Later in that meeting, Dwek told Jersey City Housing Authority commissioner Edward Cheatam, who was there to facilitate the meeting and the cash flow, that he’d give Smith $10,000 since the Assemblyman had made it clear “he wasn’t happy with the five.”

4. Too Many Snakes Around: In early March, the FBI intercepted a phone call from political consultant Jack Shaw to Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini. During the call, Beldini confirmed that she and Mayor Jerramiah Healy would meet with Shaw and purported developer Solomon Dwek later that day.

Beldini also informed Shaw that Edward Cheatam would not be in attendance, although he had been involved in the multi-party talks before Healy was brought in. She noted that Healy would not be “comfortable talking finances” in front of Cheatam. Why, you wonder?

Because there were “too many snakes around.”

5. People Might Ask Questions: In late March, deputy director of the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services deputy director Maher Khalil met with fellow city employee John Guarini and purported developer Solomon Dwek at a Bayonne diner. The trio was discussing a project Dwek wanted to build on Garfield Avenue. Dwek asked Khalil if he was a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Khalil said he was. Dwek further said he wanted Khalil to use his position on the board to “slide” him through the development process “with no problems.” Khalil said he would, but warned Dwek to not “show up at Zoning Board meetings” as “people might ask questions.”

The only person Khalil was apparently worried about asking questions, however, appears to be Dwek, since Khalil had just lied to the federal informant. Khalil resigned his position on the Zoning Board of Adjustment on July 13, 2004, nearly five years before this conversation even took place. Nothing like hoodwinking a hoodwinker.

Our Five Most-Read Stories

1. Simple, really: The list of names of those arrested in the July 23 federal corruption probe.

2. Our Council Report that detailed the council’s controversial decision to purchase the Parking Authority building on Central Avenue.

3. Sometimes it pays to be first: Our story on Mayor Healy’s role in the federal corruption criminal complaints.

4. Again with the simplicity: The schedule for 2009’s Groove on Grove music series.

5. Our report on the opening of beer garden Zeppelin Hall.

Five Businesses That Closed and Will Be Missed (In Alphabetical Order)

1. Bagua Juice

2. Imagine Atrium

3. Iris Records

4. LIFE

5. OX Restaurant

Top Five Satisfying Meals (Michelle Weber)

There are hundreds of places in Jersey City I’ve never been, so I’d love to hear all your top fives! Expand my horizons. But here are my favorite satisfying meals, in no particular order (and an RIP for Ox Restaurant).

1. Onion soup and a Croque Madame at Madame Claude’s Cafe. There is no better soup, at least downtown: richly satisfying, deeply flavored broth with plenty of onions and flecks of rosemary topped with perfectly melty and bubbly cheese buoyed by its bread raft. The Croque Madame is just in case you needed some more cheese, in this case melted over a ham sandwich that’s finished off with a fried egg. A side salad of mixed greens with a perfectly simple vinaigrette provides the illusion of virtue. Runners up: The duck confit and white bean salad, the Friday night bouillabaisse at same.

2. A burger at the Miss America Diner. I love a diner, and I love a good burger. The burger at the Miss America’s got the three C’s: charbroiled, cooked properly and cheap. It’s got a fourth C as well: chrome. The setting, an original trolley car diner from the 1940s, can’t be beat, and neither can the properly sassy diner service. Make sure you sit in the old school side and not the newer addition, which lacks character. Runners up: The burger at the Flamingo Diner. On the not-cheap side, the blue cheese and bacon burger at Amelia’s.

3. Calamari and shrimp in red sauce at Suez Canal. Completely unassuming Egyptian hole in the wall specializing in fresh fish excellently prepared. The calamari and shrimp were miles from the rubbery counterparts found in Suez Canal’s more fancy-pants cousins, and you’ll want to make sure you have piles of rice to soak up every drop of the delightfully herbal red sauce. Runners up: The whole grilled or deep-fried fish at same.

4. Croissant French toast with a side of thick-cut bacon at Marco and Pepe. Whoever thought of taking butter-laden croissants, soaking them in custard and then frying them up, thank you. If it sounds like it’s too much, it’s not; it’s barely on the right side of “just enough.” With real maple syrup and tart fresh berries to offset the sweet richness, it’s my favorite splurgy brunch (more calorie-wise than wallet wise; brunch is a good way to experience Marco and Pepe without dropping too much cash). And I don’t think there’s anything more that needs to be said about a slab of thick cut, applewood smoked bacon. Add a Bellini or a cappuccino to finish things off. Runner up: Chilaquiles at Taqueria Downtown.

5. A loaf of bread from Pecoraro’s and some prosciutto, soppressata and mozzarella from Andrea’s Salumeria. I love a sandwich, and I especially love a simple sandwich made with quality ingredients. Not big, not overstuffed, not loaded up with extras; just the simple panino I grew up with in my Italian upbringing. When I need good bread and some good meat, these are my go-to joints. Runners up: The eggplant, roasted pepper and mozzarella sandwich form Buon Appetito; any of the rolls (sausage, eggplant, pepperoni) at the Second Street Bakery.

Top 5 Releases by Jersey City Artists (In Alphabetical Order)

1. Any Day Parade, Where We Fall EP

2. The Black Hollies, Softly Towards the Light

3. Chico Mann, Analog Drift: Muy … Esniqui

4. The Poconos, Love & Whiskey

5. Tris McCall, Let The Night Fall

Top Five Chocoholic Fixes (Jessanne Collins)

1. Made With Love’s salted chocolate cookie

2. Marco and Pepe’s molten chocolate cake

3. The Stockinette Knitting Cafe’s coconut dream bar

4. Madame Claude’s la Belle Hélène chocolate and pear crepe

5. Torico’s homemade ice cream hot fudge sundae

Rocker Tycoon’s Top Five Bands in Jersey City (Zac Clark)

With the year swiftly coming to a close, two things of import come to mind. The first is that I’ve been doing the Rocker Tycoon thing for about a year now — I started on the blog in late January, but I had spent the holiday season last year trying to figure out a way that I could contribute to the local community as well as start using my camera a bit more often. The second thing is that the Independent now has a year under its belt as well. I think we’ve both evolved quite dynamically in that time, and I’d venture to say that neither party thought that we’d come into the new decade as equipped and prestigious as we seem to be slated to do.

Jersey City has seen a lot going on this year too. Massive scandals aside, we have a TV show that films here on the regular, the music scene is growing, venues continue to make this a place to get a taste of the underground scene, even if the local government scowls in disapproval from time to time. All in all I’d call this a solid foundation year for Jersey City. In honor of all that, I give you my top five bands in Jersey City (in no particular order).

1. The Milwaukees: Jeff Nordstedt, Donovan Cain, Dylan St. Clark and Patrick Fusco make up this power rock act with a raw energy that’s contagious. They create a positive atmosphere where ever they play, and they are quite active on Twitter: @milwaukees.

2. The One & Nines: Vera Sousa, Jeff Marino, Barami Waspe, Alex Tyshkov, Will Hensan and Mr. Craig are a soul-style rock band. They have this 1930s big band sound, and I have to say they pull it off with a style that’s fully their own. It’s hard to see them play with out a crowd of fans screaming for one more song at the end of their set.

3. WJ and the Sweet Sacrifice: Billy Alpha, Mike Mobius, Erin Connors and Tom Barrret are a country-punk group. Their members call Jersey City home, they are the founding members of Moonlight Mile Records, and they’re a hell of a bunch of people to boot — just keep them away from your whiskey.

4. Any Day Parade: Tree, Chuck Daly, Larry Brinkman, Pat Byrne and Joe Daly combine to form a classic country quintet with a punk edge. They’ve got songs about drinking and women and … well, drinking. With two EPs currently available on iTunes and a show coming up at Maxwell’s, you can expect big things from these guys in the near future.

5. The Traveling Host of Rockers: While it’s certainly true that not all these bands are from Jersey City in the sense that they live here, they have made Jersey City their traveling destination of choice. I’ll consider this an Honorable Mention of several great acts that continue to come out on a regular basis to see live music, as well as play it. They bring their friends and they sing-a-long. If you’re in a Jersey City band in 2009, it’s likely that you’ve played a show with one of these acts. And if you haven’t seen these acts live, well you certainly haven’t been getting out for local music. This Alliance of Rock includes, but is not limited to: The Frozen Gentlemen, The Porchistas, The McMickle Brothers, Tip Canary, Una Pong, Ben Franklin, The Press, Kilsy, The Crosstown Country Allstars, Kagero, Prison Pretty, The Natch, Plowing Mud Forever, No Pasaran, Division of Planes, Victor Bravo, Bern & the Brights, Copasetic, Thomas Francis Takes His Chances, Aminal and the Swigs. Anyone else I didn’t mention, I must apologize in advance. Wow, I saw a lot of bands this year.

by Zac Clark
http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2009/12/31/year-in-review-2009-in-lists/ - The Huffington Post