Artist description Raw blend of well-written acoustic hip-hop, soul and jazz.

Music Style hip-hop, experimental acoustic soul

Musical Influences Three Times Dope, Tuff Crew, Beastie Boys, Lee Perry, Juice Crew

Similar Artists G-Love and the Special Sauce, Sublime

Artist History Spilled Milk was spawned when Angelo DeRosa and Teague Alexy met in Somers Point, New Jersey at the age of 12. Their musical relationship took many turns before the milk wagon picked up speed on the highway that eventually led them to becoming the most popular original band ever from the musically-rich South Jersey area. In 1996 after leaving the rest of their companions behind on the east coast, Alexy and Derosa discovered themselves in the comforts of the laid-back atmosphere known as Ocean Beach, San Diego. A new place would help create a new sound. Their new sound would be manufactured by some cheap microphones, an old 4-track recorder that was holding on for dear life and a iron strong will to defy the tired efforts of the mainstream to combine hip-hop and pop music. After recording their initial demo tape and pressing a mere 100 copies (entitled Can You Tell Me Where The Restroom Is which was sold for a modest two dollars a piece), a buzz was created that made a debut CD inevitable. Jive Ass Turkey followed 15 months later and sent a shockwave through the underground San Diego music scene. Their highly original, laid back, bare bones approach combined hip-hop, acoustic soul and jazz in a way that was never deemed possible. “4 Stars” raved San Diego music bible Slamm Magazine. Local recognition and radio airplay followed. DeRosa however had returned to the east coast immediately after recordings to begin recruiting a band to take Spilled Milk’s sound through the walls of the cover band dominated South Jersey music scene. When Alexy arrived four months later, the seeds for a musical revolution had been planted. DeRosa had sold over 150 copies of Jive Ass Turkey out of his backpack and recruited old friend BJ Cappelli to play drums and Rich Nehmad on bass to form probably one of the greatest and hardest-hitting rhythm sections ever to play to a bar crowd. And what a bar crowd it was. After having dozens of friends plead with the owner of The Pearl in Somers Point, NJ to let this “original” band play, Spilled Milk was begrudgingly granted a non-paying-no-free-food-or-drinks tuesday night gig. Over one hundred people showed up. Old music partner Michael Carter was invited on stage for an impromptu encore and afterwards became a permanent member as trumpet player and vocalist. Word of their electric performance spread quickly. Spilled Milk was granted a free-drinks-only return engagement the following Wednesday. This time over two hundred people showed up. “THE KIDZ CAN‘T PUH-LAY NO MO-HOR AT FARR-LEE FEE-EILD.” The entire bar sang along in unison to Spilled Milk’s song protesting the closing of the legendary local basketball courts. Brownie’s By The Bay, one of the biggest music clubs in South Jersey, was across the street that night with more employees than customers. Spilled Milk was invited to play Brownie’s a month later. It was the first time in history a local original band had performed there. Four hundred people danced, partied, shouted and spilled their appreciation to “The Milk” and after only three shows, a legend had been born. Three months later they would steal the show before 3,000 converted “milkheads” as the opening act for Smashmouth in Atlantic City. They signed autographs for over two hours amidst a sea of teeny-boppers who seemingly had forgotten that the MTV band was playing on the other side of the stadium. Three months after that it would all be over. A follow-up to Jive Ass Turkey entitled Small Town Epidemic was rush recorded as record companies were swarming after the Milk’s knockout performance at The Philadelphia Music Conference. Small Town Epidemic ended up an album full of dark, well-written and potentially brilliant songs poorly produced amidst a sea of fighting band mates, law entanglements, egos, nervous breakdowns, departing members, health and money problems, broken promises and stress. The weight of carrying the hopes and dreams of an entire community had been dropped on the shoulders of Spilled Milk all at once. The songs on Small Town Epidemic were vivid and brilliant observations of their hometown and the hardships their quick rise to the top had brought them. The poor sound quality and presentation were evidence that they simply no longer had the will or perseverance to see their quest through. When Alexy left for Minnesota in March of 2000 Spilled Milk quietly faded away amidst rumors, questions and speculation from both their fans and friends who now measured in the thousands and the bar owners (Spilled Milk was always grossly underpaid at shows largely due to not having an agent since all the booking agencies in the area dealt exclusively with cover bands), haters, hangers-on and countless big-talkers and swindlers who at the time must have seemed to be in the millions. At the end there was an endless supply of new faces constantly trying to veer the milk wagon far from its original path for their own personal gain. Everyone wanted a piece of The Milk. And everyone took a piece….until there was simply nothing left. The doors Spilled Milk opened along with the help and inspiration they provided to other local musicians has hopefully endured as much as their musical legacy. The Milk’s greatest accomplishment seems to have been their unwillingness to compromise or accept things as they were and the deep connection they created with their followers. Spilled Milk remains the loudest form of artistic expression to emerge from an area so reliant on summer tourism and casino business for economic security that it swallows any form of originality breathed forth from the locals in fear that the cash-holding visitors might not like the taste. Derosa and Alexy’s personal friendship barely survived. Their musical relationship is rumored to be rekindling although nothing has surfaced. (Teague Alexy With Medication is making big waves in the Midwest and DeRosa’s Focus and MichaelAngelo projects still have not been released.) On St. Patrick’s Day 2000, three days before Alexy left for Minnesota, Spilled Milk played their last show at Schooner’s in Somers Point although probably only Alexy and DeRosa knew this at the time. Over 600 people packed into a bar whose capacity is only 275. All of Schooner’s sales records were smashed despite people having to wait an average of forty minutes for a drink. One man said, “I have never seen so many beautiful women in this town before.” The nearest parking spot was six blocks away. Alexy was drunk on stage for the only known time in his career and broke the neck of his guitar on a cymbal among other antics. DeRosa nearly fainted from exhaustion and had to be assisted off stage. They closed the show with the opening track on Small Town Epidemic, Open Up And Say Ahhh. At one point it was reduced to the mere tapping of a guitar string…only to rise to a level that undoubtedly would have shattered the car windows in the parking lot in another second before falling seamlessly back into the song’s medium-tempo funk groove. Before the song even ended, Teague went around and hugged everyone on stage. The show $#@%ing rocked. Outside police were everywhere, but there would be no fighting on this brisk march New Jersey morning. The legendary Spilled Milk had kicked everyone’s ass and the people said thank you, may I have another? Sadly, no you may not.

Group Members Angelo DeRosa Teague Alexy

Instruments paper towel rolls, acoustic guitar, phone books, electric guitar, wood blocks, electric bass, vocal trumpet, saxaphone, drums, living room walls

Albums Jive Ass Turkey, Small Town Epidemic

Press Reviews jive ass turkey - "4 Stars....brilliant young musician/songwriters...insouciant, hypnotic grace...bewitching, grass-roots stony funk...heartfelt sound and style" SLAMM Magazine -San Diego

Additional Info other members included Michael Carter, BJ Cappelli, Rich Nehmad, Ian Alexy, Paul Bosco and Joe "Mad Dog" DeRosa

Location San Diego and Somers Point, California and New Jersey - USA

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