Christine Martucci’s 2011 album “Sin and Redemption” included the song “Ocean Avenue.”
Ocean Avenue runs north and south in Asbury Park, directly west of the Boardwalk. It is also where much of the city’s musical activity takes place, which has made it a kind of spiritual home to rock musicians of several different generations.
On her 2011 album, Sin and Redemption, the big-voiced blues-rocker Christine Martucci — whose sound is reminiscent of Melissa Etheridge and Janis Joplin — sings about being drawn to Asbury Park, but it’s more than just pleasure or a sense of community she’s looking for: she’s trying to fulfill her destiny. It is a powerful song, made even more powerful by the video she made for it, which uses footage of her in various Asbury Park locations.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday from Sept. 2014 to Sept. 2015. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, for almost a year — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. The complete list is here.
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3 comments
Are you familiar with the Porchistas The PBR Song? https://theporchistas.bandcamp.com/track/the-pbr-song
It’s a story about The Porchistas Alan’s uncle who was a career criminal and it’s about the old PBR Brewery in Newark, NJ. Its my favorite Porchistas song! it should be in your top 350 jersey songs!
Thanks, Gail, good idea!