The Bands that Rock The Night Part 1
Ben Selkow, 31, of Ewing, had been writing and performing as a singer/songwriter for many years before the sound he envisioned became "bigger than one person can present," he said. The quartet he has gathered under his name, Selkow, produces a "raw, organic sound," devoted to creating independent music.
Performing live is integral to that creative freedom, he said, and the band performs regularly in the area — including a recent three-hour gig at the New York City marathon in November.
"It was very family friendly," he said of the experience. "That's our goal, to provide powerful, non-preachy music to everyone."
Selkow is Ben Selkow (guitar and vocals), Mike Golisano (drums), Matt Foster (bass) and Jerome Whitson (lead guitar).
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The Bands that Rock the Night, Part II
Self-described as "acoustic rock infused with hip hop," Selkow formed about three years ago and have three releases so far: "The Acoustic Experience," "It's Called Hope," and "Live Experience" available at selkow.com and myspace.com/selkow.
"Nothing will replace live music, ever," Selkow said. "We always find that the best, positive [experience] is usually from people watching our live show."
The band creates a handful of songs each year, refining their sound in live performances. The sound came together naturally — "like focused networking," he said, describing his bandmates as devoted, professional musicians that share his vision of highly personal yet very accessible music.
Personal experiences, good or bad, form the basis for many of his songs. "I have to write," Selkow said. "I have to make sense, of positive things and tragic things, with writing and with music."
The band leader also runs a business by day, Selkow Creative Woodwork, where he is a cabinetmaker and carpenter.
"The ultimate goal is to not get rich off of music, but to just progress every day … and ultimately to motivate a larger group of people than we have the day before," said Selkow.
Upcoming shows for Selkow include Dec. 6 at 10 p.m. at the Lawrence Grill in the Quakerbridge Mall, (an acoustic show), Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. at Marita's Cantina in New Brunswick and Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at Borders Books and Music in Langhorne, Pa.
