Added on 08/08/2023
Rich Howells
music festival , Olyphant , premiere , Scranton , Wilkes-Barre

Everyone needs time to heal. For Sweetnest, it has been over three and a half years. The indie folk duo of vocalist/ukulele player Amanda Rogan and guitarist Matt Malone has continued writing music since the release of their split EP with fellow Scranton band A Fire With Friends in early 2020, but the same struggles […]
Added on 05/26/2023
Rich Howells
Carbondale , Conshohocken , Esta Coda , Karl Hall , New York , Olyphant , Philadelphia , Plains , premiere , River Street Jazz Cafe , Scranton , V-Spot , Wilkes-Barre

When talking to Esta Coda about their band, songwriting, live shows, or just life in general, the theme that keeps coming up again and again is “friendship.” It’s the force that motivates them, surrounds them, flows through them, and binds them together, to roughly paraphrase a friendly Jedi. It’s key to the longevity of the […]
Added on 08/24/2022
NEPA Scene Staff
Exeter , metal , Olyphant

From a press release: It’s a match made in hell – Heaven and Hell Records announced that Royal Hell has been signed to the label as they prepare their forthcoming album, “Second Sight of the Grand Seer,” for release this September. Hailing from Northeastern Pennsylvania, Royal Hell grew up in and around the small Luzerne […]
Added on 07/01/2022
James Callahan
Camp Rattler , Olyphant , Plains , premiere

Late last year, the Camp Rattler crew helped Wilkes-Barre singer/songwriter and Plains native Markus A. D. debut a moody little folk punk ballad called “Sharing a Breath” on this page, and today we’re back with a new emotional number called “Ms. Sery,” recorded at JL Studios in Olyphant. For the accompanying black-and-white music video, I’ll […]
Added on 04/15/2022
Rich Howells
Olyphant , premiere , Scranton , V-Spot

Ever since they debuted at the NEPA Scene Open Mic in the spring of 2018, The Holtzmann Effect has emerged as a natural force to be reckoned with in the Northeastern Pennsylvania music scene. The Scranton-based hard rock band – consisting of vocalist/guitarist Tyler “Beef” Zeiss, drummer Cody Sibio, guitarist Tyler Salak, and bassist Grant […]
Added on 03/02/2022
NEPA Scene Staff
Lackawanna Historical Society , Olyphant , Scranton

From a press release: As many are currently thinking about Ukraine, the Lackawanna Historical Society will teach a traditional Ukrainian craft that also ties into Easter. Dating back to prehistoric Ukraine, folklore claims that pysanky, elaborately decorated eggs, can help ward off evil from overtaking the world. Intricate patterns are drawn on the eggs with […]
Added on 02/18/2022
Rich Howells
Archbald , Clifford , Drums , Lake Ariel , Lehigh Valley , Motionless In White , Olyphant , Philadelphia , punk , Scranton , Thirst T's , Weatherly , West Chester

The music of Anytime Soon often captures the sound of growing up on early 2000s punk and emo tunes, Vans Warped Tour, MTV, CKY DVDs, “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater,” “Jackass,” and “Viva La Bam,” so when it came time for the Scranton band to search for shooting locations for their next music video, what better […]
Added on 01/07/2022
Rich Howells
metal , Olyphant , premiere , Wilkes-Barre

Much like the destructive weapon they are named after, Cruel Bomb packs a lot into a little package. The Wilkes-Barre band’s new EP, “Man Made,” has only five tracks, but it contains all the fierce firepower of a full album of old school trash metal with only three members – vocalist/guitarist Brandon James, bassist Kennie […]
Added on 09/01/2021
NEPA Scene Staff
Olyphant , Scranton , Stage West

Today, Scranton alternative rock band The Boastfuls released their second single, “Medicate,” on all major streaming platforms. The song speaks about the frustration of relying on medication, trying to discover the true root of a problem, and explaining the emptiness that dependency leaves on everyone around it. It is for anyone that has dealt with […]
Added on 01/21/2021
Rich Howells
Allentown , Carbondale , Dunmore , Emmaus , hip-hop , Lehigh Valley , metal , Nazareth , NEPA Music Notes , Olyphant , pop , punk , rap , Schuylkill Haven , Scranton , Stroudsburg , Sunbury , Wilkes-Barre

After a few years away, the NEPA Music Notes column received a warm welcome back last week, so I’ll take that as a sign that you want to see more roundups of new and noteworthy local songs, albums, and shows. Let’s dive right in! 🎶🎶 Schuylkill Haven guitarist John Hahn, who got his start touring […]