Val Emmich @ Maxwells

Val Emmich's show at Maxwells last night was so jam packed that fans new and old tried to bribe the door man to get in. It was obvious who the new-thanks-to-Ugly-Betty fans were because they were up front going ga-ga for Val, but didn't know the words to any of the songs except for "Get On with It."

But who cares? Now they've discovered the man who was NJ's best kept secret for years and can continue to spread the love!

Go pick up LITTLE DAGGERS, Val's intoxicatingly addictive new album now: www.myspace.com/valemmich, www.valemmich.com

I shall say no more, because you'll be able to WATCH our interview with Val on the brand new Planet Verge Internet show, ON THE VERGE very soon. He's going to be stopping by our studio and will even play some acoustic tunes for you! Requests? :)

Those interested in joining the Val Emmich street team, please visit www.myspace.com/vestreetteam

* By Joelle, who first interviewed Val about six years ago outside The Saint in Asbury Park. They sat on the curb and chatted about coffee and his first concerts. She has been a faithful fan ever since.

Ask Val Emmich ANTHING- LIVE

POST QUESTIONS HERE:

http://www.thestream.tv/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1948

Life and other stuff at 3:36pm

I'm at work, reading Ian from Lostprophets blogspot and thought I'd post something of my own.

Tomm. is free iced coffee day at Dunkin' Donuts (YES! I've had a countdown). I'll be stopping in on my way to the office, at lunch and possibly grab a decaf on my way home.

In other news, I adopted a dog from the shelter over the weekend. Something I've been wanting to do forever. I actually found this little boy (ok, he's 42 pounds-not so little) in the pouring rain a few weeks ago. But after nobody claimed him at the shelter, I decided I should be his new mom. I love Huskies and it was fate that I found him.

He's so well-trained and loving, I can't imagine who wouldn't be searching for him. I have posts on Craigslist, PetFinder, etc. But he was skinny, scared on his face and collar-less so who knows...

I have a trainer coming today to help Skye (my blue-eyed 5 year-old Siberian Husky/German Shephard mix) accept her new brother, Lucky (the 1 1/2 year-old Siberian Husky/ Shiba Inu mix). We are such a cute little family as we walk down the street!

My silly fur kiddies:






So missed the Nicole Atkins show I was so eagerly waiting to cover. But hey, I saved a life!

And I got the new Raine Maida solo CD. Details on what you can expect from that soon. Very different from Our Lady Peace, I'll say that.

What else???? Jordana and I caught the Val Emmich show at Pianos last week (he rocked as usu.) and both decided that we're getting kind of sick of writing about music stuff. So you can be expecting lots of other fun content on this blogspot from us! I actually just realized I have been a music journalist for a full DECADE now. How insane is that??? I love music, but I think I'm pretty bored with all the bands out there today. I have no interest in writing about many people. After a while, it's the same questions over and over again. Unless you really love the band and care more about them. In that case, I'll never be sick of doing interviews!

I am considering digging into my past and posting my adventures in dating (ah, the single days!) Very entertaining stuff there. We'll see!

The boys at my job are playing Flight of the Concords non-stop. But yesterday it was this really awful metal. I had to yell at them for it. I'm the only girl here, as the others are on vacation or home sick. Who know what would become of the place if I was out, too!

* By Joelle, who will post more often and also JUST got a Facebook page. Wow.

Get On with It

New Val Emmich Single

Val Emmich has debuted the first single, "Get On With It," off his upcoming album, LITTLE DAGGERS (bluhammock/Sony) on his street team page.



If you're not a member (and you totally should be) then hear it on OUR myspace page now-- www.myspace.com/planetverge


Anyone interested in helping spread the love of all things Val Emmich, write us at
www. myspace. com/vestreetteam.

We hope to see all you NJ-ers at The Saint on April 19th when Val takes the stage! You'll be singing along to the new songs in no time.



love,
joelle and jess (aka your street team leaders!)
Audio Crush PR

www. audiocrushpr. com

This Girl Rocks- Nicole Atkins

There's a voice in my head and it keeps singing sweet songs. I hear it when I wake up and sometimes it comes to me throughout the course of the day. When this happens I must put on "Neptune City" by Nicole Atkins. Afterall, it's her beautiful, powercharged vocals that welcomely haunt me, and probably everyone else who has become addicted to her music.



Like most of the Planet Verge staff, Atkins is a Jersey girl. The one regret I have about this is that I never really gave her a second thought while she was up-an-coming in the Asbury Park scene. It's weird because I always knew her name, and being a publicist for so many of the NJ locals (Val Emmich, Hero Pattern, The Parlor Mob, Perfuma, Readymade Breakup, etc.) and running a NJ-based fanzine for six years, you'd think I'd be at a show with Nicole Atkins on the bill. But I swear, it never happened. So even though I may be a little late on the bandwagon, I still take pride in our shared roots. When my fiance happened to catch her at Maxwells and came home raving, I knew it was time to take the initiative and get my hands on a CD.

Lately, I've taken a keen interest in female vocalists. In particular, songs like "Bad News" by Aimee Allen and "I'm Not Cool" by Sohodolls became instant favorites. The jazzy, retro appeal of those songs really got me hooked. And what do you know, Nicole Atkins is a glorius package of jazzy alt. folk rock. Exactly the "more" for which I've been searching. The exact opposite of the songs which I usually listen.

Check her out on www.myspace.com/nicoleatkins, but be warned, the tracks alone don't do her justice. "Neptune City" is an ALBUM. The total package. Something that should be listened to from begining to end. It's only then, that you'll get the full reward.

Tracks to try: "The Way It Is," "Brooklyn's On Fire," & "Love Surreal"

*By Joelle, who is listening to track 6, "Love Surreal," right now.

Val Emmich Wins Independent Music Award

Music Resource Group, publisher of The Musician's Atlas, has announced the winners of the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards (IMA). This year, the program introduced the Music Video category and Val Emmich nabbed the award with “The Only One Lonely.”


Watch it now:



www.myspace.com/valemmich

Wondering who the hot guy on 30 Rock this week was?

If you're hip, then you know it was uber-talented musician Val Emmich dabbling in acting and getting to smooch Tina Fey's cheek (lucky guy). You'll see he's just as natural on camera as he is in front of the mic.

If you're not hip, go over to www.myspace.com/valemmich, educate yourself and then join the fan club.



There's a lot of exciting things going on for Val, but you may think I'm just self-promoting since I'm his publicist. So just go read about everythin in The Aquarian Weekly this week and The New York Times in December.

Thank me later. Deal?

*joelle, who is typing way too much today

Independent Music Awards Finalists Announced!

Val Emmich nominated for an Independent Music Award!


"The Only One Lonely," MUSIC VIDEO by Val Emmich has been nominated for an Independent Music Award!


Your vote counts! Go to
http://www.musiciansatlas.com/pages/IMAFinalist/

and vote in the 7th Annual IMA Jukebox Vox Populi



and while you're there vote for Scott & Aimee in the PUNK category!

What I've been pondering this week:

1. Why in God's (or Allah's, or Brahman's, or whichever tickles your fancy) name is Route 18 still under construction?
Seriously. What is the objective and when will it be reached? Getting to South Jersey is absolutely horrifying, and while Joelle will probably say that it's like that with my driving regardless (I really am not that bad), when lanes are barely wider than my hips (okay, bad example), let alone my fucking car, it's really, really, nervewracking. My knuckles looked like fat little snowflakes on my steering wheel last night when I went to see two bands you should check out--Dear Ulysses and The Peasantry (they even share members, isn't that precious?). They have the hardest working manager in the biz, too. I was glad to say that they were well worth the trek to Long Branch. The show was definitely more killer than the drive there, and well, that's a lot of killing. That's like Jack the Ripper (hi Spitalfield reference!) meets the Zodiac meets Catherine of friggin' Bathory, dude.

2. How cool would it be if it actually rained men?
This actually crossed my mind as I was driving and singing along to the sequel to this song (because everything on radio around here sucks more than a hundred Hoovers and Kirby's--except this guy, who owns your face), which features a cameo by RuPaul--amazing. But really--I would turn my umbrella upside down for sure. And I already jump in puddles, so this would be even more enjoyable. But how would they fall? Would they start out as little droplets and then grow upon hitting ground or what? Because if one is clumsy, this could be really dangerous and messy, too. A chance I'm willing to take, mind you. I'll pray for rises in humidity and drops in barometric pressure for as long as it takes... And invest in a really big bucket to keep outside, one which wouldn't attract West Nile and mosquitoes when left out overnight.

3. Why does the Court Tavern staff insist on keeping that hundred year old dirtbag at the door?
What a douche, seriously. I've encountered plenty of rude, bitter people in my life, but none that get paid to be as such (Elizabeth Hasselbeck not withstanding). Luckily, being a youngin', I didn't have to deal with him much when I went to see the Love Trilogy for drummer Ahmed's birthday. They had cool lighting effects and do one mean "Voodoo Chile" cover--and they're in Brunswick all the time, so check them out when you can. Also fun was getting a Big Bird cupcake shoved in my face that subsequently fell a bit further South. I was still picking yellow sprinkles out of my cleavage the next morning. All in a day's work.

4. How long is it going to take you to realize that this is my way of band product placement?
Wink wink, nudge nudge.


*By Jess, who reads propaganda like it's pulp fiction.