WATCH: Cathedral Ceilings Share Video for “Bill Berry”

Fantastic second album, La La La…Whatever!, out September 6th on Dromedary Records

August 8, 2024August 8, 2024 Ron Hart 0 Comments 2024, Cathedral Ceilings, Cell, Dromedary Records, DromFest, King Missile, Kingston, New Jersey, New York, Scrawl, The Figgs

Cathedral Ceilings (Image: Dromedary Records)

Dromedary Records, the Kingston, NY-based micro-indie now in its 31st year of operation, will be hosting its second annual DromFest in Catskill, NY on August 31st to September 2nd.

But while fans of underground music will be scrambling up the New York State Thruway to catch sets by such legendary ‘90s acts as The Figgs, King Missile, Scrawl and Cell, there’ll also be cool, new groups to discover that weekend at the Avalon Lounge.

One such band is Dromedary’s own Cathedral Ceilings, the New Jersey power trio whose fantastic second album – La La La…Whatever! – comes out on September 6th. The band, made up of Ralph Malanga (guitars and vocals), Nick D’Amore (drums) and Tom Diello (bass and backing vocals), specialize in hot licks, driving rhythms and catchy hooks nourished by a steady diet of Ramones and Cheap Trick records. And their second album very much continues in that tradition from a group of guys who’ve been on the Jersey punk scene since the early ‘90s.

Rock & Roll Globe is beyond honored to premiere the video for the album’s infectious new single “Bill Berry” today on the site.

Cathedral Ceilings La La La…Whatever!, Dromedary Records 2024

“A recurring theme in my lyrics is to write about other songs,” Malanga explains of the tune. “I probably do it too much. But I think some songs are so good, they need another song to talk (or sing) about how good they are. This song is kind of a period piece as people don’t make mixtapes anymore. But when I was younger, mixtapes were a massive part of the culture. It was a way to connect with people and get turned on by a song you may have never heard before (no internet, yo). This song is kind of a microcosm of a typical mixtape I would make. It’s upbeat with a great walking bass from Tommy. It’s got a couple of nice melodies with a soaring chorus. Bill Berry was the drummer for REM, who were a fixture on a lot of my mixtapes. I still have a milkcrate in my basement full of tapes I made or traded in high school. As cheesy as they may seem, it’s one step better than, ‘Do you like me? Check this box.’”

Illustrating the single is the video for “Bill Berry,” which was directed by Sohrab Habibion of the Brooklyn indie band SAVAK.

“Ostensibly this tune is an ode to making mixed tapes, so I wanted to capture the feeling of searching for the perfect next song – flipping through stacks, realizing you’re missing something crucial, going to various record stores to track it down, etc.,” Habibion explains of the clip. “Inspired by the very accurate line ‘The most difficult ones are personalized, you’re leaving yourself most vulnerable,’ I was hoping to allude to the mental and emotional expedition that a really good bit can take you on. Though we couldn’t get Bill Berry for a cameo (next time, Bill?) we were lucky to snag Kenneth Close from Richmond’s Outer World as the protagonist. He and his wife Tracy Wilson have an incredible record collection which, along with their wonderfully decorated home, are featured in the video. Now go make your own mix! And don’t forget to include ‘Bill Berry.'”

Check out the video for “Bill Berry” below, and get more information about DromFest and all of the excitement of the forthcoming weekend, including Cathedral Ceilings’ spot on the schedule, here.