CONEY ISLAND ROCKS

Brooklyn's Coney Island is every bit as gritty as Asbury Park's waterfront.

Come to think of it, now that the redevelopment of Asbury Park's boardwalk region is under way, Coney Island has taken the lead in the grittiness department.

Its boardwalk planks are worn and wobbly. There's no shortage of past-their-prime buildings. Some of the weeds are so thick and high they could provide shade for small children.

And while it doesn't boast a live music venue on par with Asbury Park's Stone Pony or Wonder Bar, Coney Island rocks because it's like one big dive bar, dismissed by the highbrow crowd but embraced by the working class.

A lot of Coney Island's charm has to do with the assorted characters that roam the neighborhood -- and we're talking year-round, not just the summer months or during the Nathan's Famous hot-dog eating contest held every year on the Fourth of July. On top of that, the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel are fun rides and every bit as symbolic to New York as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall.

Coney Island does offer some live music, but not a lot. Once a year, though, Coney Island literally rocks big-time when The Village Voice's annual Siren Music Festival takes place.

This year, the free, all-ages event is set for July 21, rain or shine. Scheduled performers include The New York Dolls, Voxtrot, Cursive, We Are Scientists and others.

Enjoy the sights and sounds that day. Visit www.villagevoice.com/siren/ for more information.

DESOL REDEFINED

Sometimes all it takes to feel out a guitarist is to jam on some Led Zeppelin songs.

That's what deSol did when Kevin Ansell dropped by the band's rented house in Deal, N.J., where singer/guitarist Albie Monterrosa and company were writing songs for their second studio album.

"We had a great time, and he never really left our side," says Monterrosa (above).

Ansell, who has taken over for Renzo Staiano, isn't the only recent addition to the Jersey Shore-based Latin rock band. Ron Shields, who was deSol's original drummer, is back in the fold, replacing Jeremy Hoenig.

The latest lineup can be heard on "Sing It All Night," which was released to radio June 11 and topped Radio & Records' Triple A Most Added list in the trade publication's June 15 issue.

"On that song," says Ansell, "we were really going for a [Rolling] Stones-y thing. I was trying to be Keith Richards in that moment."

As for On My Way, the new deSol album (due Aug. 7 on the saZon label), both Monterrosa and Ansell say it's a departure from past band efforts -- meaning that not every song has a strong Latin flavor to it.

"We always give big respect to what we've done in the past," says Monterrosa, "but the new record was a big change for us."

"There are so many influences from one tune to the next," adds Ansell, "and even though it has a cohesive feel, I think there are elements of classic stuff built into the record."

The band's touring itinerary through July includes some Garden State gigs -- July 21 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park and July 25 at Union County's Echo Lake Park on the Westfield/Mountainside border.

For more on deSol, visit www.desolmusic.com.

LET SUMMER BEGIN

There are two types of summer songs: Those that become hits during the season and those that are about the season.

In honor of summer's official arrival Thursday (June 21), here's a list of top-notch tunes (in no particular order) that reference the time of year when the phrase "hazy, hot and humid" gets a workout from weather forecasters in the Northeast:

* "Summer in the City" -- The Lovin' Spoonful. Anyone who has worked in a major metropolis can relate to the line "Back of my neck gettin’ dirt and gritty."

* "Hot Fun in the Summertime" -- Sly and the Family Stone. The piano intro is a sound as synonymous with summer as the music that accompanies the neighborhood ice cream truck.

* "Dancing in the Street" -- Martha and the Vandellas. A law should be passed stating that this song must be played on every radio station nationwide at the exact moment summer begins.



* "Summer Breeze" -- Seals & Crofts. The cool harmonies alone will knock a few degrees off the thermometer.

* "School's Out" -- Alice Cooper. It always provides a feeling of sweet relief, regardless of one's age.

* "Summertime Blues" -- Eddie Cochran. Like the aforementioned Cooper tune, this one is rooted in youth but still strikes a chord in adulthood.

* "Summer Wind" -- Frank Sinatra. Goes nicely with sunglasses and an iced drink.

* "Summer" -- War. It's not always sand and surf: Stickball, open fire hydrants and old-timers feeding pigeons are staples of the season, too, as this song points out.



* "Surfin' USA" -- The Beach Boys. Who hasn't, at least once, wanted to be "gone for the summer/on safari to stay"?

* "The Boys of Summer" -- Don Henley. The revved-up cover version by The Ataris isn't bad, but there's no topping Henley’s original, which features seagull-sounding guitar sounds.

Honorable mention:

* "In the Summertime" -- Mungo Jerry.

* "Cruel Summer" -- Bananarama

* "Summer of '69" -- Bryan Adams

* "Suddenly Last Summer" -- The Motels

EXPANDING THE BRAND

When it comes to music festivals, South by Southwest and Bonnaroo are in the upper echelon.

But neither one is resting on its laurels. Both are looking to reach a bigger audience -- via the silver screen and the small screen.

On Thursday (June 14), The Bravery, The Polyphonic Spree and others will perform as part of the South by Southwest Concert Series, premiering at movie theaters in the Boston, Nashville and Dallas/Fort Worth markets.

The SXSW concert series promises "the excitement of being there" and is expected to expand to more markets in the fall. For more information, visit www.thebiggerpicture.us/sxsw.html.

Comprehensive coverage of this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, taking place Friday through Sunday in Manchester, Tenn., will air on the Current TV network under the billing Current@Bonnaroo. Throughout the weekend, Douglas Caballero, host of The Current Fix, will roam the festival grounds and be joined by four production crews.

Current TV is available via Comcast and Time Warner Cable; visit www.current.tv for more information.

ALWAYS IN TUNE

Sunday's episode of The Sopranos not only marked the finale of the HBO drama, but it also ended a great run of music usage in a TV series.

And just like the twist and turn of the story lines, you never knew what tune was coming next.

The series wasted no time setting the musical bar high. When Tony Soprano and his crew are seen outside Satriale's pork store in the first episode, the scene is paired with the Link Wray instrumental "Rumble." Wray's bristling guitar helped make it clear: These guys were not members of a social club.

The Sopranos featured familiar and obscure music, and not just rock 'n' roll. One episode closed with Corrado "Junior" Soprano (played by Dominic Chianese) singing an Italian opera.

From time to time, the Jersey-based show would work in a Garden State group, whether it be a legend (The Four Seasons) or a relative unknown (The Churchills).

Early in the finale, Tony and Paulie Walnuts are waiting to meet with someone when Paulie complains about how long they've been sitting in their vehicle.

Over the strains of "Denise," a 1963 hit by Randy and the Rainbows you'd be hard pressed to find these days on regular radio in the New York area, Tony says, "Enjoy the music."

Sopranos viewers did just that for the entire run of the show.

KING OF HIS CASTLE

The relationship between an up-and-coming artist and a major label always is a fragile one.

Oregon-based Justin King -- a solid singer and songwriter, not to mention a dazzling guitarist -- can attest to that.

When Epic dismissed the A&R people who had signed him to the label, King and his band were left "without a champion."

And that, he adds, "is death for a new artist who hasn't already sold a lot of records."

Then another familiar scenario took place: Label honchos told him they didn't hear a radio single on what was to be King's first Epic album.

"I kept trying to write what I thought they wanted to hear," recalls King, "but I don't do my best writing under conditions like that."

After three rounds of "we don't hear a single," King says, "it became pretty clear that Epic was not where I belonged, so we agreed -- quite amicably -- to part company."

The split became official in March, but there's a happy ending to the story: Epic allowed King to take the in-progress album with him.

"That was quite nice of them, actually, because they had the right contractually to hold onto it and not let me put it out somewhere else without giving them a lot of money," he says.

The album -- now complete and featuring King's three-man band, The Apologies -- is due in August on a label to be determined (possibly King's own). Meanwhile, there's plenty of King material available online. His official site (www.justinking.com) sells (via iTunes) and streams his recent five-song EP, fall/rise. His MySpace page (www.myspace.com/justinkingband) features four tunes, including "Beauty Bar," a top-notch song from his short-lived Epic era.

King and his band have a handful of concert dates scheduled for this month and July. His only East Coast date booked during that time is Sunday (June 10) at the Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. in Manhattan. Go to www.mercuryloungenyc.com for more info about Sunday's gig.

SUMMER OF LOVE REDUX

It was 40 years ago today (June 1) that The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, and like other now-classic albums from 1967, it was part of the soundtrack to what's known as the Summer of Love.

The feel-good hippie vibe started in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district and spread around the world, and the same thing happened with the music that was embraced by the counterculture movement of that time.

Baby boomers jonesing for the good old days -- or anyone else who digs what went down musically in '67 -- might want to leave some room in their schedules during the next few months.

On June 16, VH1 Classic will air Monterey 40, a documentary about the Monterey International Pop Festival, which was held June 16-18, 1967, in Monterey, Calif. David Crosby, Pete Townshend and Michelle Phillips performed during the legendary event, and they're among the notables interviewed during Monterey 40.

Speaking of Monterey, there's the Monterey Summer of Love Festival, taking place July 28 and 29 on the exact site of the '67 festival. San Francisco Bay Area-bred groups Moby Grape, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Jefferson Starship are scheduled to perform. Visit http://sfsummeroflove.com/ for more details.

Then on Sept. 2, a Summer of Love 40th anniversary show will take place, appropriately enough, at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Among the scheduled performers representing "the spirit and energy" of summer '67 will be Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, Country Joe McDonald and Canned Heat. Visit www.2b1records.com/summeroflove40th for more information.