Reviews
Music Existence Magazine
The indie rock scene has been popping off like few others in the American underground in the last few years, and if you’re looking for some of its more delightfully sensuous sounds in 2022, you needn’t search any further than the sleek beats of one The Sound of Monday’s “Keeper of the Mood,” currently out everywhere smart alternative music can be found. Dave Jay Gerstein – the brains behind The Sound of Monday – comes into this song and its music video just aching to show off his prowess behind the microphone, and although it’s not the only performance I’d tell fans of this genre to take in before the season has expired, it’s quickly become one of my personal favorites of November.
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There’s so much pressure on the guitar in this track that it’s difficult for the drums to get around it without sounding a little messy beneath the main vocal part, but somehow the bottom-end tones never wash out the other instrumentation enough to cloud any harmonies here. If anything, they make the melody up top feel all the more freeing and well-suited for the lyrics Gerstein is singing to us, which is rather difficult to do considering their flexibility and cathartic tone to begin with.
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Gerstein’s lead vocal is the linchpin keeping everything together in “Keeper of the Mood,” but I don’t know that I would deem it the main allure in the single. To be truthful, I think the overall chemistry between the different elements in this recording is the real bread and butter of what has made it – and the music video, for that matter – so hard to get out of my head. It takes a well-selected arrangement to make an effort like this a slam dunk, and I would have never imagined it would have come from the underground were I not made aware beforehand.
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I think The Sound of Monday is still in the process of finding its permanent place in the international hierarchy of indie rock players as the year comes to a close, but releasing material like “Keeper of the Mood” is a great start to what could easily become one of underground rock’s most successful new campaigns. Gerstein has got the talent to give a culture that’s cultivated this part of his story quite the boost with listeners otherwise disinclined to take any interest in a melting pot of sounds encapsulated within one single, and now it’s just a matter of securing the mainstream exposure he’ll need to advance his career to the next level.
Vera Mitchell
Single Review: The Sound of Monday “Keeper of the Mood”
Premiere: The Sound Of Monday Taps Into Our Deepest Feelings With New Single, ‘The Keeper Of The Mood’
by Lisa Hafey
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The Sound Of Monday return with their brand new single, ‘The Keeper Of The Mood’. Following on from their recent release, ‘Hey, Inconsiderate!’, and just as upbeat and catchy, ‘The Keeper Of The Mood’ reaches back to the 1960s and pulls out some groovy bossa nova rhythms and pairs them with lyrics about very relatable, modern day problems.
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Dave Jay Gerstein has been in the music business for 45 years now, and both this long range experience and his previous life as a comedian are both reflected in the new track. Superbly put together with catchy rhythms that take you back to the discotheques and hip happening night clubs, Gerstein also makes good use of his talent for effortlessly stringing words together.
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Maintaining the characteristic tongue-in-cheek songwriting of The Sound Of Monday’s previous releases, ‘The Keeper Of The Mood’ keeps the listener on their toes – tapping style – from the very first note right through to the final chorus. It’s to be recommended that you start listening from a standing position, because you won’t remain in your seat very long. Your hips will start to swing, and your shoulders will sway as you are swept away by the groovy bass and hi-hat propelled drumline – not to mention the superb horns.
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For all its joviality, ‘The Keeper Of The Mood’ has a more personal meaning for Dave. He had been in an unhealthy relationship, but even so after she had gone, he still had feelings, stemming from their time together, both good and bad. The song was inspired by a quote from ‘The Beatles Anthology’, by Derek Taylor:
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“I was fueled by the certainty that … I had this other function: I was still representing, if you like, ‘the old days’. I think there are still people out there who linger on after the mood’s gone: the keepers of the mood.”
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‘The Keepers Of The Mood’ is wholly relatable – we’ve all had times in our lives where we’ve not been able to let go of those people that linger on – much as we try. They’re still engraved in our memories and we can’t buff them out. Eventually their image tarnishes and fades, but that might take years.
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The music video, directed by Anthony Sabino, makes use of The Sound Of Monday’s character acting, in order to artistically portray each line of lyric. Dave is tied up in front of a TV screen, showing static, symbolising how both he and his attention are held hostage. Much use is made of props, effects, and imagery to clearly show the words as both metaphors and symbolic. These scenes are interspersed with black and white clips of Dave performing ‘The Keeper Of The Mood’, singing into an old-time microphone, and dancing along to the tune.
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‘The Keeper Of The Mood’ is out now and can be streamed and downloaded here. You can also watch the lyric video here. Check out The Sound Of Monday and their music online on their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Vents Magazine
VENTS is proud to team up with The Sound Of Monday to premiere the music video for “The Keeper of the Mood”!
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It was 45 years ago when the smart, funny, and talented Dave Jay Gerstein — now making music under the pseudonym The Sound of Monday — wrote his first song. He was always immersed in the performing arts through singing in the school chorus, getting leads in high school plays, and carrying out a career as a comedian before his days as a musical artist. Influenced by the greatness of the early ’70s and late ’80s, his ongoing knack for conjuring words and, eventually, melodies turned into a passion worth pursuing seriously and investing in professionally. He has been passionately chasing after his showbiz dreams since he was seven years old. His previous release for “Hey, Inconsiderate!” was a pop-rock hit long in the works that made quite a few heads turn with its alarming relatability and snappy hook. His newest single, “The Keeper of the Mood,” follows suit with The Sound of Monday’s tongue-in-cheek songwriting and overwhelmingly catchy musicianship in a completely different style.
For starters, “The Keeper of the Mood” contains extremely poetic, imaginative, and fine-tuned lyrics showcased as soon as the first verse through the final chorus. The toe-tapping, body-swaying, jazz-soul instrumental comprises the groovy bass, hi-hat-driven drumline, and a splendid horn accompaniment. It also lets audiences see and hear a more personal and vulnerable side to The Sound of Monday than shown prior. Dave was holding on to an unhealthy relationship; now that she’s gone, the feelings from their time together remain, for better or worse. The song was initially inspired by a quote from Derek Taylor in The Beatles Anthology: “I was fueled by the certainty that … I had this other function: I was still representing, if you like, ‘the old days’. I think there are still people out there who linger on after the mood’s gone: the keepers of the mood.” That is the essence of the song, as all listeners are keepers of the mood from some unforgettable points in their lives, whether they want them to stick in their hearts and minds or not.
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The visual story is not quite as clear-cut. Rather, Anthony Sabino directed this music video abstractly to artistically characterize “The Keeper of the Mood” and each line of lyrics. He utilizes The Sound of Monday’s character acting to represent how feelings can linger on, holding him and his attention hostage tied up in front of a static TV screen and incorporating specific props, effects, and imagery to epitomize his metaphorical and symbolic words. The black-and-white clips with him performing “The Keeper of the Mood” also fit the vibes and captivate audiences as he sings and dances along to this song and track.
NEW MUSIC ALERT | The Sound Of Monday
“The Keeper of the Mood” music video premiere
The Sound of Monday 'Hey, Inconsiderate!' video premiere
Rock musicians aren't exactly known for their consideration. A little effrontery is often a good policy for those looking to shake the world with their sound. But there comes the point where obnoxious behavior is simply too much for anybody to bear, no matter how badass the offender might seem — and in New York City, we've gone well past that point. On most days, Dave Jay Gerstein of New York power pop group The Sound Of Monday is as recalcitrant as anybody else fronting a catchy, wordy, barbed, wonderfully acerbic band. He's been pushed too far by his irritating neighbors, though, and in response, he's done what good rockers do: he's written a song about it.
On "Hey, Inconsiderate!," he's kicking back at everybody who has allowed these trying times to provide a cover for their anti-social behavior. The Sound Of Monday has a message for all the space-stealers, road hogs, too-loud talkers, egotistical interrupters, and bad vibe merchants: it's time to cut it out. Since he's a nice guy as well as a winning songwriter, he isn't *too* mean about it; since he's a master of melody, he welds his sentiment to a track that's as propulsive as the Attractions, as stylish as early '80s Bowie, and as unforgettable as The Beach Boys. That's his strategy, and it's a very good one — he'll use his command over catchiness to get the hook stuck in the heads of miscreants and prompt them to reconsider. Or maybe they'll just sing along? - either way, he's got an indie hit on his hands. It's something irreducible, irascible, and unforgettable; it's a statement of purpose from a dedicated rocker whos been in the game too long to suffer fools.
The most alarming thing about Evan Seplow's cheeky, colorful, and frequently hilarious clip to "Hey, Inconsiderate!" is how normal it all seems. The everyday indignities that Dave Jay Gerstein must suffer as he roams around Manhattan will be familiar to anybody who has spent an afternoon in the city. He's confronted with selfish behavior from his fellow subway riders, careless obstruction from pedestrians on the sidewalk, and even some unpleasant behavior from a wayward pooch. It's all enough to make you feel for him and sympathize with his misanthropy — until he gets home at the end of the clip and finds out how easily those tables can turn.
Music-News.com Single World Premiere
