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Lollipop Magazine (Boston, MA)

Craig Regala, Lollipop Magazine, Hieronymus Bosch: Havin’ Fun Soundin’ Good

Surf-based band with nods to classic garage rock (un-ruined by duh punks or pop scammery) fuzz chime with kinda geeky vocals. Coulda done well opening for Dirty Looks at their LP release party in 1980. Hell, it almost sounds like Hieronymous Bosch are gonna crack into D. Looks’ “They Got Me Covered” a couple times. One of the great things about surf-based stuff is the structure is open enough for some melodically stinging guitar to stretch out for some rocked-out gear shifting. This disc is eight tracks, no filler. Look at it as a nice, concise take where Dick Dale, Boss Martians, Violent Femmes, Dirty Looks, Pylon, and Little Steven’s Underground Garage say “hi.” Perfect recording, coulda used a couple covers to push it over a half hour, but hey, they didn’t need my advice to make a good one.

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Spill Magazine (Toronto, Canada)

Metal Mike, Spill Magazine: “havin’ fun, soundin’ good”

These three guys from Brooklyn are obviously well grounded in rock & roll, and it really sounds like they’re having fun and sounding good. Hieronymus Bosch’s debut is a great mix of punk, surf and straight-ahead rock & roll, quite reminiscent of the lighter Pixies material. No pretension here, just good music.

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Skratch Magazine (Tustin, CA)

H. Barry Zimmerman, Skratch Magazine: CD Review: Havin’ Fun, Soundin’ Good, June 2004.

Hieronymus Bosch is a Brooklyn three-piece rock band. Their sound is surf and cool, fun pop. “HAVIN’ FUN, SOUNDIN’ GOOD” is an excellent album. The opening track “Borg Warner, Four-on-the-Floor”, starts with a slow, building noodling, and then Hieronymous Bosch throw in their six cents on the Dick Dale theory of surf guitar. This band doesn’t have Dick Dale’s balls (very few do), but I would say Hieronymus Bosch out-nut The Ventures. On track 2, “Metronome”, guitarist and voxman Mathew Harrison is Lou Reed with cool, upbeat energy. A real cool act. My pick for the single would be “1776”, a slow groove, very cool sounds (“I’ve had it with 1776 / And the Pistols / And the local cineplex”). Hieronymus Bosch is unsigned gold. “HAVIN’ FUN, SOUNDIN’ GOOD” is a real cool time.

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Cosmik Debris

Review: Havin’ Fun, Soundin’ Good (Self-Released), DJ Johnson, Cosmik Debris, Apr. 10, 2004.

The album begins with a thick-toned instrumental surf number full of energy, nothing earth shattering or that will send thousands of kids to the guitar store, but I’m talkin’ about the kind of tune that makes you slip your shades on and drive a little faster than the legal limit. Ah, but this isn’t a surf band, per se, and the second track “Metronome,” reintroduces Hieronymus Bosch as a gang of rockers with a fondness for the trappings of 60s garage. Almost hidden in all the power and bluster are some sloppy moments that would be more of an eyebrow raiser if not for the garage ethic. I wouldn’t say they necessarily “make the sloppy moments work,” but they’re minor, few, and more than made up for by the pure fun of rest of the album. The band takes their name from Hieronymus Bosch, the Dutch surrealist painter of the 1400s best known for a glorious work of art titled Garden of Earthly Delights. That hasn’t got too much bearing on this review, but it’s interesting to note that when you listen to something like “The Movie Director” you feel their unbridled “let it be what it becomes” creativity, and the thing is magical. A garden of musical delights. There are only 8 songs (25 minutes) on this album, but it’s high quality and highly recommended.

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Columbia Daily Spectator (New York, NY)

Brooklyn’s Beach Boys, Patricia Feghali, Columbia Daily Spectator, Apr. 13, 2004.

Arts & Entertainment : Music
Brooklyn’s Beach Boys
By Patricia Feghali
Spectator Staff Writer
April 13, 2004

Who said there was no surf rock in New York City? Whoever it was–and I assume someone somewhere did say such a thing–had certainly never heard Hieronymus Bosch, perhaps Brooklyn’s finest surf-rock band. The band consists of suit-wearing superstar leader Matt Harrison, CC ’02 and a former Spectator editor, on guitar, drummer extraordinaire Holt Richardson, Tony Pei on bass, and newcomer Andrew Raff on keyboards and sax. These boys know how to throw a party, and everybody’s invited, so long as they wear a bikini.

Their new album, the aptly named Havin’ Fun, Soundin’ Good, is not only easy to listen and dance to, but it’s catchy to boot. You might have thought that all those Brooklyn hipster bands did was stand still and drone on about their astoundingly cool poverty level, but this is one band that convulses on stage just as much as you will in the crowd. Richardson’s arms move at speeds unthinkable to most drummers, and Harrison has perfected the frantic guitar playing that he had brought to his previous band, the Space Program, resulting in what can only be termed a blast of auditory and visual brilliance.

Harrison and Richardson are the Mick and Keith of the group, as they told me later. Before both moving to New York they went to high school and played music together in Virginia Beach, Va., which Richardson admitted “might not be the Mecca of surfing, but it’s at least a surfing Medina or Islamabad.” Did I also mention that they’re clever?

It is unusual these days to find a band that can not only sound good live, but also put together a fine recording. Hieronymus Bosch seems to be one of those rarities. The band is very tight, and rips through these tracks like they’ve been playing them all their lives. Claiming Man–or Astroman–as a big influence, Harrison and company nevertheless make music that is all their own, showing more of an allegiance to old-fashioned fun in the sun than to changing the world through perfect chord progression. And this makes the band a refreshing break from all the wannabe political groups out there. Hieronymus Bosch doesn’t try to be anything it’s not, and lives up to everything it is: good clean fun that may, or may not, rot your liver.

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Eight tracks, no filler

Josiah A. Pseudonym here bringing you the latest Bosch news from here in arctic Brooklyn.

First up, check out this review at Lollipop magazine, which says the following nice things about Havin’ Fun Soundin’ Good:

“This disc is eight tracks, no filler. Look at it as a nice, concise take where Dick Dale, Boss Martians, Violent Femmes, Dirty Looks, Pylon, and Little Steven’s Underground Garage say “hi.” Perfect recording, coulda used a couple covers to push it over a half hour, but hey, they didn’t need my advice to make a good one.”

In January, the Bosch boys will be leaving Brooklyn in a quest to record their next disc. I’ll give you the details as soon as I have them, but the boys are hard at work rehearsing the new songs for the new album. They hit the studio in mid-January. Watch this space for news about the disc and info from the sessions…

Also in January, the boys will be bringing the new tunes (and your favorite Bosch classics) to some new venues, Lit Lounge in the East Village and the Asbury Lanes in exotic Asbury Park, NJ. For details, see the gigs page.

Until then, this is Josiah A. Pseudonym reporting live.

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Latest Update

Hi kids, Josiah A. Pseudonym here. I’ve been stockpiling ibuprofen and cheap vodka while the Bosch boys have been hard at work, so excuse me if I’m a little disoriented, especially since I just left the dark expanse of Brett Beyer’s custom darkroom and music studio in a neighborhood of Brooklyn so hip, he’s the only man who knows it exists.  Brett’s been cutting a few station IDs for radio stations, and I came over to listen to ’em.  Pretty fun stuff.  Which of course brings up the obvious – The Bosch is on your radio, boys and girls – 250+ radio stations and growing across the US and Canada. These are all great radio stations that actually play all kinds of interesting independent music, so listen up and don’t forget to call or email and request more of the Bosch sound on the airwaves.

What else?  The Bosch has managed to put together something special this Saturday 11/20… Back to the playboy Mr. Beyer for a moment… Brett was an organizer of a series of loft parties called “Colossus” that took place over the summer, the last of which The Bosch rocked.  Now Brett’s been able to bring the party to the Trash Bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and The Bosch has put together a whole night of entertainment.  The night starts off with the chainsaw-wielding freaks White Limo at 9, metalhead maniacs from upstate who promise to chainsaw a turkey on stage (cooked? we sure hope so) if they ain’t arrested first.  During WL’s set, there’s gonna be an OPEN BAR.  Then it’s Federale, with their fun, straight-up Southern chicken-fried-steak gibsons-and-crotches rock ‘n roll, grrrrr!  Then The Bosch.  Then the night winds up with Walk Humongous, who at their recent Luna Lounge appearance with The Bosch managed to antagonize their loyal crowd so much that the stage was covered in exploded raw egg, corn beef hash, and the blood of the crazy front man Max.  So wear your drinkin’ shoes this Saturday and for God’s sake, stand back!

Speaking of that last Luna Lounge show, these snapshots I took might give you an idea of the scope of the rocking… or something…

Matt and Brett

Andrew and Holt

I hear that the boys are hard at work on some fresh new tunes there in the Bosch’s subterranean lair and will be rolling a couple out for the Trash show.

I’m hard at work updating the web site with some new tasty digital bits. In addition to the radio page, you can download some new MP3’s, which were recorded at the last Trash show by official friend of The Bosch, Steve O’Rourke.

Already, the band is brewing up big plans for the new year. All I can tell you know is that they involve a secret, undisclosed location, bowling, and copious amounts of sake.

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The Bosch says: Boo!

Josiah Pseudonym here, trying to stuff myself into this polyester pirate costume.  Guess I hit the buffet a little too hard on my recent junket to Las Vegas.  Ah well!  My alligator suit keeps me looking sharp the rest of the time, and if I look a little large when I say “Shiver me timbers” that’s just too bad for the ladies, they will have to come to know my more… subtle charms.

Oh, I almost forgot why I’m writing this.  That rock band I do stuff for!  Right!  Well, first off, those folks over at Tinderbox Music have really pulled it together for The Bosch boys.  The Bosch tunes are being spun on over 100 radio stations!  My goodness.  The radio page is almost ready with the new stations, it’ll list all the stations they’re being played on, plus it’ll have request line numbers and web site links and all that jazz.

Be sure to check out The Bosch at their FREE HALLOWEEN SHOW at Luna Lounge in Manhattan’s Lower East Side this Saturday, October 30.  The Bosch are on at 9:30, while their maniacal friends, Walk Humongous, are on at 8:30.  WH and The Bosch have rocked out at loft parties and Trash together, and this one promises to be a special night of Halloween-tinged craziness.  So make no other plans for that night, you don’t need ‘em!

What else?  Oh, besides being available for download on iTunes and other online sources, 3WK radio has reached out to The Bosch and is now offering “Metronome” on its online radio service.  3WK is definitely worth checking out.

And they’ve also been featured in Lollipop’s most recent MP3 CD sampler, free with the Sept/Oct issue, out now.  Lollipop is a rad music and culture mag that covers genres from indie to hardcore. 

And ladies and gents, keep the entries to the tattoo contest coming.  Reminder: the winner gets prizes!!!

With that, I must go back to getting these pants and eyepatch on… It’s going to be a long night for us all!

Yrs,

Josiah A. Pseudonym   

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Exciting News

Josiah Pseudonym, Manager Extraordinaire of The Bosch, here to relate some exciting news…

Big-Ups
First off, I’d like to say thanks to the big crowd at Luna Lounge last night here in NYC – you guys were rowdy as ever, which I certainly appreciamate, and y’all gave The Bosch one of their biggest draws yet at the Lounge. Woot! I hope you agree with me that the Bosch boys delivered, with a particularly ferocious cover of the timely classic Clampdown, as well as with their sweaty rock standards. Also hope yez can catch ’em on Thursday the 23rd, when they play at the MEANY Fest show at the basement of CB’s Lounge. It’s $8, true, but you see 7 other bands… and the louder you cheer, the closer The Bosch get to the cover of Guitar World Magazine…

Sessy!
Second, check out the new entries in the SEXY TATTOO CONTEST. As in real life: Vote early ‘n vote often!Sexxxxy

The Big Time?…
I’m also very pleased to announce that The Bosch is now working with Tinderbox Music on a North American radio push for the Fall. You can look forward to hearing The Bosch’s Havin’ Fun, Soundin’ Good on college, NPR, and independent radio stations throughout Canada and the U.S.A. I’ll be showin’ The Bosch’s infiltration of rock radio on this here web site, and I’ll also be puttin’ up the phone numbers and email addresses of radio stations spinning The Bosch so that, if you’re nearby one of said stations, you get the DJ on the horn and request Bosch staples like “Metronome” or “1776.”So pretty excitin’ stuff around here, eh?… Me, I got to go sleep off a rough night of wilding after the Bosch set, I’ll be back soon…

Yrs,
Josiah A. Pseudonym

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A quick press junket

Hello again fair maidens and gents,

Ol’ Josiah here again, just visitin’ the Large Apple for a quick Bosch press junket, along with a reload of my white lightning store liquid and powder forms, of course (like Grape Drink have you seen this stuff in the bodega? Its wild!) they dont call me the key master for nothing! Ill be getting the heck outta Dodge when them stodgy red staters come a knockin, and I got to have entertainment when Im in the Boonies

The Fall is shaping up nicely for the boys. Theyre happy to already be well-booked into October, and theyre expecting even more noise from the clubs n schools all about the Northeast.

The sexy tattoo contest is well underway. So far all the entries have been from the ladies none of the gents have had the cajones so far to throw in their hats, all though, Im sure the Boschs lady-fans would love to see em, so bare yer pair, as the wise man once said!!!

The Bosch looks forward to seein you hoppin and boppin real soon, and so do I!

Yrs,
-J.A.S.