Professor Caveman | |
|---|---|
 Professor Caveman at the 2018 North Jersey Indie Rock Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels | Sniffling Indie Kids |
| Members | John Colaiacovo Dan Connolly Omar Elshafi Shannon Moore Rob Romano |
Professor Caveman is an American rock band from New Jersey.
History
Professor Caveman was founded in 2014 by Rob Romano, a printmaking major, during his freshman year at Rutgers University.[1] Their music is classified as garage and punk, and they draw comparison to the bands Foxygen, Best Coast and the musician Mac DeMarco.[2][2] Their first EP, the six-track grape., was released on February 23, 2014. It is described as psychedelic surf-rock, and draws comparison to the music of the Beach Boys.
Professor Caveman's second EP, Vol. 2, was released on December 5, 2014, and features "latin bossa nova undertones and a more prominent punk-rock influence, creating a mélange of genres that work together harmoniously."[2] By 2014, Professor Caveman became popular in New Brunswick's basement scene, and they played at the college radio station, 90.3 The Core's 2014 musical festival Corefest.[1]The Deli calls their third album, Vol. 3, "a super intriguing and borderline bizarre EP," adding that "the luscious, crisp guitar chords[,] melt, blend, and evolve into something else entirely; cryptic and fuzzy vocals mumble barely articulate lyrics with a South American flavor, wallowing into ever-changing bass lines and drum beats, all accompanied by a horn section."[1]
Sniffling Indie Kids
In 2017, Professor Caveman signed with Sniffling Indie Kids, and released the four-track EP Vol. 3, on May 19, 2017.[3] They performed at the North Jersey Indie Rock Festival on October 6, 2018. Their fourth EP, the five-song Vol. 4, was released on April 20, 2018. It is described as psychedelic funk and draws comparison to the music of Ariel Pink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.[4] Bob Makin of The Aquarian Weekly says that "the jams 'n' grooves are as righteous as the rain[,] with its sweet Prince-like falsetto; frantic, driving beat; tribal backing vocals; nuanced keyboard and synthesizer flourishes, and smooth, yet sexy Steely Dannish guitar runs."[5] Adam Yawdosyn of The Rutgers Review lists the EP in his Best Songs and Albums of 2018, and calls Professor Caveman the "best band in New Brunswick."[6]
Members
- Rob Romano – guitar and vocals
- Shannon Moore – drums
- Dan Connolly – bass
- Gabe Marquez – guitar
- Jon Evers – keys
Past members
- Louis Ardine – bass
- Erica Butts – guitar
- Mike Madden – drums
- Omar Elshafi – guitar
- John Colaiacovo – keys
Discography
- EPs
- grape. (2014)
- Vol. 2 (2014)
- Vol. 3 (2017)
- Vol. 4 (2018)
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Appio, Jim (August 22, 2017), "Professor Caveman Joins Sniffling Indie Kids. Vol. 3 Coming to All Digital Platforms on 9/15", CoolDad Music, retrieved March 13, 2019
- Devlin, Pearce (2017), "Professor Caveman Release New EP, Vol. 3", The Deli, retrieved March 13, 2019
- Makin, Bob (September 20, 2018), "Makin Waves Record of the Week: Professor Caveman "Vol. 4"", The Aquarian Weekly, retrieved March 13, 2019
- Pirate! Staff (2018), "Professor Caveman – Vol. 4", Pirate!, retrieved March 13, 2019
- Yadin, Hallel; Patel, Vanisha (December 9, 2015), "Local Band Asks, "Won't You Take Me to Funky Town?"", New Brunswick Today, archived from the original on February 13, 2016, retrieved March 13, 2019
- Yawdosyn, Adam (January 13, 2019), "The Best Songs and Albums of 2018", The Rutgers Review, retrieved March 13, 2019