The Normal Living

The seven members of The Normal Living belong to what has been called the “Oregon Trail Generation”—watching MTV rise from its infancy (and then lamenting its ultimate transformation); witnessing first-hand the rise of personal computers, the World Wide Web, and the global community; beholding the global cultural shifts after 9/11; facing a recession and economic hardships as we were building careers and our livelihoods; lamenting and participating in the drastic changes to the music industry; straddling the line between analogue and digital in our bodies, minds, and hearts. The Normal Living write songs about becoming an adult in this age, navigating (sometimes blindly) a modern era whose waters stretch into an ever-expanding universe. They serve up a unique blend of guitar-driven songs, layered with intricate piano, pop-rock vocals, and powerful yet sophisticated drums. It’s American heartland rock for the modern era, for Gen Xers who miss guitars in Top 40 music, who sense the familiar echoes of 1960s girl groups and who seek out today’s rootsy indie-rock. The band was founded by songwriters Liza Zitelli (vocals/guitar) and Jon Grabowski (guitar), who began playing together in New York City in 2009. When childhood friend Paul Papapetrou (drums) began to join them for shows around NYC in 2010, along with Zitelli siblings Diana and Andrew, The Normal Living was born. In 2013, they independently produced and released their first EP, Less Radio (recorded at Sweet Sounds Studios in NYC). Less Radio is a rock record that expresses the inspirations and frustrations of the city and its satellites. Navigating urban and suburban landscapes, the characters of Less Radio are always in motion—on stages and subways in “Skyline Blues” and “Time Out, New York,” ghostly trains in “Penn Station” and highways in “Dead End Rock.” They even move in and out of the nostalgic past in “Charlotte Arms” and the dystopian, radio-less future of the haunting title track.

The blog RockNYC Live and Recorded named Less Radio #22 best album of 2013 and the song “Timeout, New York” as the #16 best song released in 2013. With the additions of Nick Sainato (piano), Petros Venios (bass), Colin Brennan (acoustic guitar/keys), and Amy Elise (vocals) over the next few years, the band expanded its sound and released its first LP, Signals, on Feb 24, 2017. Recorded at Water Music Studios in Hoboken, NJ, Signals is a collection American stories set in the new millennium, as told by characters who consider the redeeming powers of community, love, music, and spirituality. The 8-song LP features an American heartland-rock sound—lush and spirited piano, powerful yet sophisticated drums, and driving guitar and bass, with crisp vocals and harmonies. A record-release show for Signals was held on Feb 25, 2017, at the legendary Maxwell’s in Hoboken, to a sold out crowd. The band’s next release is planned for 2020, with singles from the new record being released in late 2019. With Grammy-nominated Chris Badami producing the new material, with mastering by the renowned Scott Hull of Masterdisk, The Normal Living looks to help carry on the story of American songwriting in the millennial age. Today sees the premiere of the band’s latest track “How It All Went Down”. “”How It All Went Down” is an important work for us because the arrangement was such a collaborative effort by everyone in the band. In that regard, our producer Chris [Badami] played a key part in bringing all of the elements together into a big, rock track that captures the rawness of this character’s story. It’s also special to me in that the lyrics are from the perspective of a mother, and it’s mostly a portrait of a family after a crisis, and how you move on from that, if you move on at all”, says the band. - Stitched Sound

Jersey City, New Jersey is the home to The Normal Living. Their recent release, Signals, plays as home turf for characters who claim America as home and heritage. The citizens of Signals define their country on tales of rebirth and reclamation of spirit as The Normal Living back their stories with Roots that stretches from girl group sounds of the 1960’s, through the rock’n’roll of Asbury Park Jersey neighbors, The E Street Band, and into the Americana hybrids of modern music days. The Normal Living kick the album off on a jangle of guitars and percussive rattles as the wear a “Violet Crown” on the opening cut, slash chords and stomp out a beat to walk “Country Mile”, drive “Into the Night” on a rumbling groove, and spend an “American Summer” touring trouble spots and political unrest across the U.S.A. Signals is the first full-length from The Normal Living, its title track moving into the album on the power of its pounding beats as the band head out for a midway stroll through a carnival.

The Normal Living sing to “Ophelia” on Vintage rock’n’roll beats and carve out a slice of darkness with chords strums and determined grooves on “Night’s So Good” as they unravel “Tomorrow” on rolling rhythms and hopes for a better day. - The Alternate Root

1. Generic Treasure – Modern Hut – A dystopian masterpiece about 2013 disassociation filled with doubt and dismay, made acidic by acoustic renditions of great pop songs.

2. Power Of Trinity… A Slight Return (EP) – Tomas Doncker – Protest music with a funky guitar and a back beat

3. When I was An Eagle – Laura Marling – Jungian archetypes meet boy-gods and all are punished to a melody you can sing in the shower. Generic Treasure – Modern Hut – A dystopian masterpiece about 2013 disassociation filled with doubt and dismay, made acidic by acoustic renditions of great pop songs.

4. Yeezus – Kanye West – Industrial strength beats and a litany of recriminations… so where are his damn croissants?

5. Yes, You – Jahn Xavier And The Bowerytones – A piece of agitprop pop rock soul blueprint for recrimination against discrimination, full on roar.

6. The Long Lost – David Bronson – The prequel to Story is, at its best, just about the most deliriously deep and beautiful music you will here this year but so lost in its sorrow it can be difficult to penetrate

6 (Tie) – Beyonce – Beyonce – State of the art R&b with a soul and a sense of direction

7. Something About Knowing – Maria Taylor – One of the top indie Queens finds a truth within the truth, a truer truth in true love, marriage and childbirth, then she tells us how it feels to be a mother and how it feels to know what she didn’t know. A miraculous album.

8. It Won’t be Long Now – Linda Thompson – Impossible to overestimate English folk album by impossible to overestimate English folk singer.

9. Matangi – M.I.A. – Beat fanatic political rapper as Hindu Goddess

10. Darkside – Tom Stoppard And Pink Floyd – A radio play that works as a record album that works as a radio with Stoppards rat-a-tat dialogue and concise storytelling. No, it isn’t “The Invention Of Love” but then neither is “The Coast Of Utopia”.

11. Mother – Natalie Maines – Country girl embraces her inner alt rocker, becomes modern country girl and the better for it.

12. Home – Rudimental – Honestly, you may have to see them live to dig them on record as much as I do, but once you do you will be mouth agape and in wonder that a dance band can be so much fun in the modern age. A terrific and fun set of songs.

13. Modern Vampires Of The City – Vampire Weekend – God and man reconciled

14. Southeasterner – Jason Isbell – Country rocker sobers up, falls in love, likes it.

15. Shellshag Forever – A band that have survived and thrived by building a romance and a musical environment that suits them and here they manage to share it in perfect melody and harmony

16. Elvis Club – The Del Lords – Americana garage rockers as great as ever.

17. 3.0 – Marc Anthony – Welcome return to form

18. This Is The Tomas Doncker Band’s Howling Wolf Ep -We Hope He Likes It – Tomas Doncker Band – As powerful and original a version of Mr. Wolf classics as you could hope for. And more.

19. In Time – The Mavericks – 1990s country band add anything they damn well feel to the main ingredients and come out with near perfect country rock.

20. Love Is Everything – George Strait – Superior country album by the numbers.

21. Without A Net – Wayne Shorter – It is, of course, all about the horn. But he plays it often and the music is unlike what we rockers are even slightly used to

22. Less Radio – The Normal Living – Spector meets Springsteen at Penn Station

23. Fourth Corner – Trixie Whitley – Highly ambitious, somewhat polished, blues pop from a new master on her debut album.

24. Time – Rod Stewart – has his mojo back for the first time in decades.

25. Claire’s Diary – Claire’s Diary – A sonic surf and pop debut album so fresh and bitingly alive.

26. Wakin On A Sunny Daze- Kurt Vile – Like Neil Young in mellow mode with a better guitarist but weaker songs.

27. Re-Mit – The Fall – More of the same, ain’t that enough? Plus rockabilly elements!

28. Reasons To Live – Hilly Eye – Another debut album, another soundscape folkie feminist masterpiece.

29. The 20/20 Experience – Justin Timberlake’s worst solo effort is overstuffed in every imaginable way include length of songs, song suites and hooks.

30. Fade – Yo La Tengo – High melodic quotient stories of monogamy.

31. I Got A Boy – Girls Generation – Nice piece all girl band throws everything they’ve got at K-Pop and watch a lot of it stick.

32. Fidlar – Fidlar – Punky rock and roll from L.A.

33. Adam Ant is marrying The Gunner’s daughter – Adam Ant – A sprawling mess of a rock and roll album.

34. My True Story – Aaron Neville – His back pages, produced by Keith Richards.

35. Cheaters Game – Kelly Willis And Bruce Robison – Songs for swinging married couples.

36. Honeys – Pissed Jeans – Way out there punks come noise merchants come hardcore guys.

37.Beautiful – Teena Marie – Ivory snow r&b old school. A magnificent album filled with strong songs, great vocals and, well, naff lyric kinda comes with the territory but a fine farewell from the great dance diva

38. Random Access Memories – Daft Punk – French disco, sometimes more than French disco.

39. IV Play – The-Dream – The 21st century’s Babyface.

40. The Next Day – David Bowie – the hangover part IV

41. One Big Particular Loop – Polysenso – Jazzy, experimental, obtuse, catchy. From the Mid-West.

42. Jamie Lidell – Jamie Lidill – Blue eyed soul goes hi-tech.

43. Face The Music – Avant – Classic r&b

44. Tinvulva – Tinvulva – Rioting grrrls

45. The Bronx IV – The Bronx – Hard rocking album.

46. Memphis – Boz Scaggs – Includes Mink de Ville’ covers.

47. She – Alice Smith – Excellent old fashioned r&b except not rally old fashioned.

48. Afraid Of Height – Wavves – Eccentric surf punk experimental stuff.

49. Mosquito – Yeah Yeah Yeah – Their worst album is still pretty awesome

50. Wolf – Tyler, The Creator – Rich but still bumming

51. True Believers – Darius Rucker – Solid country album

52. Same Trailer, Different Park – Kacey Musgrove -You can take the girl outta the trailer park…

53. A State Of Trance – BT – More melodic than the live DJs tend to play it.

54. Bankrupt – Phoenix – Not bad but a bit bland in the middle.

55. True Romance – Charlie XCX – Betetr pop than you imagine it will be

56. Right Place, Right Time – Bruno Mars – Right on

57. Strike Gently – The Virgins – It took awhile to kick in but moves forward from their Some Girls meets First Impressions vibe.

58. Vanishing Point – Mudhoney – They’re back!

59. Trouble will Find Me – The National – Depressed songs about happy things.

60. A – Agnethea Faltskog – 70s superstar return

61. Wheels – Laura Stevenson – Pounds even when it ponders

62. Everybody Loves Sausages – The Melvins – Dream covers go to hell.

63. The Messiah – Sizzla – Rastaman

64. My Shame Is True – Alkaline Trio – Not just the funniest album title, the smartest pop punk

65. Sound The Alarm – Booker T – Better than the last one

66. J.AC.K. – Forever The Sickest Kids – Emo doesn’t just live, it improves.

67. Queensryche – Queensryche – Hard hitting second cousin to glam

68. More Light – Primal Scream – Not prime Primal but not bad at all.

69. Born Sinner – J. Cole – Maybe a third of this is really good modern hip hop

70. Pythons – Surfer Blood – Excellent indie pop surf and turf
Best reissue:

71. Don’t Look Down – Skylar Gray – Shockingly good album from Eminen protegee brings singer songwriter into 21st century.

72. Magna Carta Holy Grail – Jay Z – Its on here where BP3 didn’t make it because it is his best album in a decade and he rocked it live.

73 electric – Pet Shop Boys – Upbeat disco (i mean RELATIVELY)

74. Home Life – Andrew Cedermark – The poppier stuff is really good

75. Bakersfield – Vince Gill, Paul Franklin – Owens, Haggard, plus steel guitar solos

76. Body Music – Alunageorge – EDM duo from the UK are pretty damn hot.

77. Fairy Tale And Myth – Suzzy Roche And Lucy Wainwright Roche – Writing a song about Edith Wharton is one thing, writing a song about Lily Barth something else again. But then, has there ever been a more quirkily mythic folkie than our own Suzzy? Here joined by her daughter.

78. The Civil Wars – The Civil Wars – AFter years and years of dismissing this folk duo, this album knocked me out. Very powerful and wonderful stuff about love on the rocks and otherwise.

79. Penny Park, Omaha, NE, Summer 1989 – Matt Whipkey – I know you’ve heard that they don’t make albums like this stirring, sprawling rock opera of nostalgia and tunefulness but guess what, they do.

80. Vampire Life – Jim Jones – I haven’t had the time to be certain yet, but it appears that the former Diplomat and Cam’ron friend has released one of the best hip hop albums of the year.

81. How Things Look From Here – Glenn Campbell – Remakes of classics, good remakes of classics.

82. 6 Feet Beneath The Moon – King Krule – Superb debut album of modern, like very very modern, punk folk.

83 Afro-Jersey – Afro Jersey – Lovely liliting African rhythms meets Roches folks.

84. Bakersfield – Vince Gil and Paul Franklin – The sound of Merle and Buck plus solos unlimited!

85. Body Music – Alunageorge – A really good electronic duo from the UK bring actual songs with them.

86. Doris – Earl Sweatshirt – The best Off Future offshoot since Goblin.

87. Side Effects Of You – Fantasia – She has gone through a lot to get here, a nigh on perfect soul record, mixing dance and ballads to equal effect and sounding very much like the woman who has survived the life she has, indeed survived.

88. Dynamics – Holy Ghost – Excellent dance album

89. In Utero 20th Anniversary – I know, I know but it’s the best album of the 1990s.

90. 8:18 – The Devil Wears Prada – Christianity has never been darker

91. Long Way Down – Tom Odell – Modern piano man could be major

92. Rarities – Rod Stewart – The version of “Farewell” is exquisite

93. Hesitation Marks – Nine Inch Nails – Both poppier and more experimental than you can imagine

94. Mechanical Bull – Kings Of Leon – Good, mainstream rock and roller

95. The Diving Board – Elton John – Has its moments.

96. THIS IS – Icona Pop – Five new songs, all excellent

97. Nothing Was The Same – Drake – Actually, pretty much the same

98. Step Inside – Kevin Jenkins – Bassist emerges as soul brother # 1

99. Presenting – JJ McCabe, Fallin’ Angels – Old time power poppers

100. 14th And Nowhere – Patt Todd And The Rankoutsiders – New wave rockers from the left coast.

101. Save Rock And Roll – Fall Out Boy – Emo boys remember how it’s done.

102. Knockdown Dragout – Sammy Hagar And friends -Sure, it’s dumb fun. I like dumb fun.

103. Get wet – Krewella – When they’re not stabbing their managers in the back, they are releasing pretty good tech pop.

104. My Name Is My Name – Pusha T – The hip hop album he’s been promising since ‘Runaway”

105. Bitter Rivals – Sleigh Bells – Poppier than they have any right to be

106. Weird Crush – Joanne Gruesome – Indie pop rock from Glasgow

107. Old – Danny Brown – A superb hip hop trip and a half fucked up on Kush no doubt.

108. Lightning Bolt – Pearl Jam – A handful of near classics and very few duds.

109. New – Paul McCartney – His best in around a decade

110. Aftershock – Motorhead – Nothing has changed but it is all just as good.

111. Nothing Was The same – Drake – Not as good as it should have been but better than it had to be.

112. Fade Away – Best Coast – Excellent EP, not close to a bad song on it.

113. Paramore – Paramore – The great reunion album of 2013. The great return of 2013. A shockingly good album.

114. Labor – JD Samson And Men – Modern disco

115. reflektor – Arcade Fire – The sprawl of techno

116. No Blues – Los Campesinos – Return to form by great punk band

117. 2 Of 2 – Justin Timberlake – Too much of a good thing but still a good thing

118. No Poison No Paradise – Black Milk – Alt rap by a guy with terrific flow

119. 12 Stories – Brandy Clark – Tales of country women

120. m b v – My Bloody Valentine – Decades later and this is nearly exactly the album you had hoped, guitar modulations and bruised melodies aplenty.

121. The Next Day Extra – David Bowie – The extra songs are better than the first album

122. Canvas – Margot Macdonald – Looptastic masterwork

123. Knock Madness – Hopsin – Another rapper throws it down and some times he has a point, you know

124. Revolution Number Zero EP – The Brian Jonestown Experience – Not a wasted moment

125. Based On A true Story – Blake Shelton – Astoundingly, consistently tuneful country album.

126 – Artpop – Lady Gaga – A disappointment? Not for me, I love around half the songs and will take those odds any day.

127. The Marshall Mathers Album Vol 2 – Eminem – Man, this guy has flow to die for, even if he is lyrically moronic.

128. Elevation (The Upper Air) – Bernie Worrell – Piano arrangements of classic compositions.

129. The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963 – The Beatles – Worth $35 if just for the “Bad To Me” demo

130. Caleb Burhan: Evensong – Trinity Wall Street – Electronic compositions

131. Call Me Crazy But… Sevyn Streeter – Excellent r&b EP should have given Beyonce a run for her money

132. Give Me Strength: The 74/75 Recordingd – Eric Clapton – His greatest moment as a singer and soul man if not as a guitarist.

133. The Greatest Generation – The Wonder Years – The voice of a generation believes in you.

134. A Christmas Album – Bright Eyes – Perfect downcast Christmas

135. Life, Love & Hope – Boston – Even the death of their lead singer can’t stop Tom Scholtz

136 – Driving And Drinking EP – Marshall Crenshaw – Excellent and again excellent EP

137. Revolution Number Zero – Brian Jonestown Massacre – Flawless grage rock psychedelic blah blah blah EP - Rock NYC Live and Recorded

1. New Slaves – Kanye West – As daring and scary a look at modern day racism as you can imagine and in a mainstream pop oriented career.

2. XO – Beyonce – The catchiest hippest, sexist and just plain fun song of beyonces career – A

3. Chicks, Man – The Del Lords – Riff of the year and if it wasn’t enough it takes sexism and stands it on its head.

4. Where Can I Go – Laura Marling – This magnificent song puts Laura on the trajectory for a Joni Mitchell type career, a career that defines the apex of singer-songwriter artistry.

5. Get Lucky – Daft Punk – There isn’t enough words for the greatness of Niles Rodgers guitar on this song. It is a great slice of disco any way, but that guitar man, Daft Punk ride the lick all the way to the finish line

6. Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke – Sexy, funny, but is it anatomically accurate

7. We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus – A call to arms and legs and other parts of your body built for fun

8. History – Modern Hut – Dystopia now.

9 . Still Into you – Paramore – finger snapping romance, like the 15 month into a relationship or something

10. The Book Of Love – Margot Macdonald – Her impeccable a capella Valentine’s day song via Magnetic Fields

11. As Fast As My Feet – Linda Thompson – A pop song but an old fashioned one that walks on its title melodic hook all the way there, with a sound not folk but folk-rock and of course, Linda’s gorgeous voice.

12. You’ve Got A Way With The Late – Maria Taylor – Best pun of the year and a gorgeous to boot

13. Finger Back – Vampire Weekend – My favorite song off the current album is also the most VW off the new album and the bit in UWS falafel shop with a poster of Jerusalem is worthy of Paul Simon.

14. Still Into you – Paramore – finger snapping romance, like the 15 month into a relationship or something

15. Stranger And Stranger – Marshall Crenshaw – From a dark place

16. Timeout New York – The Normal Living – Classic pop song, like the Ronettes were still around

17. Reflektor – Arcade Fire – It sounds like Holy Ghost plus LCD Soundsystem hit with gamma rays and turned into the incredible Hulk till it is a monster of pop awesomeness

18. Love Is Lost – Hello Steve Reich James Murphy for DFA Remix – David Bowie – Sure, he’s using an idea from Reich, but the way the clapping becomes the beat blows me away every time

19. Candlelit Dinner – Elton John – His best song in time meorial also doesn’t overstate its case. Subtle and beautiful piano ballad.

20. Love Me Again – John Newman – Excellent modern disco, a true beauty. - Rock NYC Live and Recorded

The Normal Living, Less Radio
You Can Take the Kids Outta New Jersey...

Every once in a while, I like to get away from writing about the big mindie releases and highlight something that may be a little more under the radar or local. I recently came across Less Radio, the debut EP by Manhattan's The Normal Living. When I found out that two of the band's founding members, Jon Grabowski and Liza Zitelli, are New Jersey natives, I decided that The Normal Living would be a perfect fit for one of these mini-review posts.

Less Radio is a six song EP, and what jumps out at you immediately is Liza Zitelli's voice. It's a voice that reminds you of Ronnie Spector and the girl group sounds of the 1960s -- a sound that you could argue started in New Jersey with The Shirelles. The band explicitly reference that sound on "Timeout New York," the EP's second track. The Normal Living also incorporate elements of indie pop and country on songs like "Penn Station," which pines for the original, grand structure replaced by the bland New York entry point that all of us Jersey kids know so well.

I do think Less Radio could have benefitted from some production flourishes like turning up the girl group effect with a more, and I'll use some highly technical jargon here, reverb-y wall of sound treatment. I'm a firm believer in the idea that more reverb makes everything better, but that may be just me. You can tell from the current recording, though, that The Normal Living know how to write a pop song.

You can check out the EP on Spotify or stream a couple of tracks via the band's Soundcloud.
- Cool Dad Music

NYC The Deli Magazine ranks The Normal Living in the Top 300 -- May 3, 2013. - The Deli Magazine

Liza Zitelli of The Normal Living has been named one of the Top Five Vocalists in the latest SingerUniverse "Best Vocalist Of The Month" Competition. She will be honored for her performance of TNL's single "Penn Station" as one of the best vocalists we heard last month.
- Dale Kawashima, SingerUniverse, Los Angeles, CA, USA

A couple of weeks ago I saw New Jersey bred, brooklyn bound the Normal Living at Fontana's and was suitably awed and a month later they are back and you really have to make it down to Avenue C's "Alphabet Lounge' and catch this aweinspiring pop rock band.

They simply don't make em like the Normal Living, they are one of those bands you just wish people would not ask you why but just listen to and find out why for themselves. Still… imagine Ronnie Spector fronting the E Street Band singing Springsteen-Goffin-King songs and you will have an idea of what they are going for.

Do they get there, now and again but really who the hell else is trying and I honor the attempt alone. It is like they are the last band in town writing new, young, classsic rock worth a damn, as though Normal Living are wrestling away from daughtry and Linkin Park and giving it to another generation.

Really, this is a big concert and you should go and check em out if you can possible make.
- Rock NYC

Rock NYC Top 10 Songs Week Of February 11th, 2013

1. Timeout New York – The Normal Living

2. Youth Wasted – The Bronx

3. Started From The Bottom – Drake

4. Born To Run – Kelly Willis And Bruce Robison

5. Retrogade – James Blake

6. Top Of The World – Joe Budden

7. Exploding – Jim James

8. Future Hunters – Kingsbury Manx

9. History – Modern Hut

10. Rise Above – Tomas Doncker

Comment: The Normal Living did themselves nothing but favors with a terrific show at Fontana last week, meanwhile the Bronx are verging on this years Japandroids and Kelly and Bruce don't try to break pop and more is the pity. Finally, Modern Hut don't have a release date for their long awaited album so "History", as important as Regina's "Ink Stains" will have to wait to be heard, Tomas' "Rise Above" is completed and the album shuld be out soon.
- Rock NYC

The Normal Living claim girl groups of the 1960s as a major influence and given lead singer Liza Zitelli's tender and tough singing Saturday night at Fontana's, you might feel free to guess that the Ronnie Spector sound alike is the reason why. But when the band has songs like "Timeout New York" and "Deadend Rock" in their repertoire, I don't see what else they can sound like.

In a thoroughly enjoyable 30 minute romp New Jersey transplants The Normal Life previewed their EP Less Radio, and threw in three covers for good measure to a thoroughly pleased audience filled with supporters and supporters for a good reason. The Normal Life are a great band, it is like some weird form of alchemy: you watch em with a smile fixed on your face and Liza belts out song after song, back up singer and sister Anna Zitelli joins in, and on a remarkable take on the overplayed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" harmonize beautifully together.

At first all you can do is watch the bundle of energy Liza but after awhile you notice guitarist Jon Grabowski. An iffy "The Last Time" is transported by Jon's decision to play the famous Keith Richards lick ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT. Such a great idea it makes the cover a true interpretation. Better still is the original (and single) "Deadend Rock", despite it opening the EP it didn't grab me at first but on stage it is a tall tale and the one time their affection for Bruce Springsteen really comes through.

The EP is very good but the production is a little light, these songs deserve a wall of sound. But on stage, the Normal Living's enthusiasm gets them through. The songs sound as though they've just stepped out of Martin Scorceses "Mean Streets"; it is perfect snapshot of a New York City (one song is called "Penn Street") but I don't know if it is a real New York City. It is a monochromatic snapshot brought to vivid color. "The beat goes on and on…" Liza sings and the words seem to have a built in sadness to them, they are all shading.

There were a few missteps, "Charlotte Arms" slows down the set directly after "The Last Time", Liza needs to work on her patter, and she needs to work on her stage movement a little, though to be fair there wasn't much room. The keyboard player should be brought in full time.

Still the band is tight without being slick, the rhythm section a good one and the sound as memorable as the songs they sing. Imagine if Ronnie Spector covered "She's The One" -there's the vibe. That good? I have to admit it, the Normal Living is that good.
- Rock NYC

The Normal Living claim girl groups of the 1960s as a major influence and given lead singer Liza Zitelli's tender and tough singing Saturday night at Fontana's, you might feel free to guess that the Ronnie Spector sound alike is the reason why. But when the band has songs like "Timeout New York" and "Deadend Rock" in their repertoire, I don't see what else they can sound like.

In a thoroughly enjoyable 30 minute romp New Jersey transplants The Normal Life previewed their EP Less Radio, and threw in three covers for good measure to a thoroughly pleased audience filled with supporters and supporters for a good reason. The Normal Life are a great band, it is like some weird form of alchemy: you watch em with a smile fixed on your face and Liza belts out song after song, back up singer and sister Anna Zitelli joins in, and on a remarkable take on the overplayed "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" harmonize beautifully together.

At first all you can do is watch the bundle of energy Liza but after awhile you notice guitarist Jon Grabowski. An iffy "The Last Time" is transported by Jon's decision to play the famous Keith Richards lick ALL THE WAY THROUGH IT. Such a great idea it makes the cover a true interpretation. Better still is the original (and single) "Deadend Rock", despite it opening the EP it didn't grab me at first but on stage it is a tall tale and the one time their affection for Bruce Springsteen really comes through.

The EP is very good but the production is a little light, these songs deserve a wall of sound. But on stage, the Normal Living's enthusiasm gets them through. The songs sound as though they've just stepped out of Martin Scorceses "Mean Streets"; it is perfect snapshot of a New York City (one song is called "Penn Street") but I don't know if it is a real New York City. It is a monochromatic snapshot brought to vivid color. "The beat goes on and on…" Liza sings and the words seem to have a built in sadness to them, they are all shading.

There were a few missteps, "Charlotte Arms" slows down the set directly after "The Last Time", Liza needs to work on her patter, and she needs to work on her stage movement a little, though to be fair there wasn't much room. The keyboard player should be brought in full time.

Still the band is tight without being slick, the rhythm section a good one and the sound as memorable as the songs they sing. Imagine if Ronnie Spector covered "She's The One" -there's the vibe. That good? I have to admit it, the Normal Living is that good.
- Rock NYC