The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 76

on the road chris jordan Atlantic awm IM is lumper You! Check our low mid-week prices a Zz'tffe Owe Track Mike prepare for life beyond the Budapest Ctoxtxufs 3" if I 111- Courtesy Stephanie Perierl Members of Little and One Track Mike celebrate their Atlantic deal by not chewing their food. LITTLE AND ONE TRACK MIKE With Moths, Enemies of the Oyster, Awake Asleep and Red Radio Flyer 8 p.m. Sunday Mercury Lounge 217 E. Houston St, New York City It was a showdown of epic proportions. In one corner was Atlantic Records hotshot executive Jason Flom.

In another, New Brunswick's Little and One Track Mike with only an acoustic guitar and a couple of tapes to do battle with. Little and Mike were granted the audition with Flom after a successful showcase at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. "We played him 'Shaniqua' and he fell out laughing," Mike said. "Everybody dug the stuff we played acoustically. We played 'Little and One Track Mike are Famous' and we played 'Sammy' for him, and that was it." Flom was no match for and Mike and now they're signed to Atlantic Records.

The band is hard at work putting together a debut album, which is tentatively scheduled for a summer release. "We're on the launching pad," Little said. "We're strapped into the seats we got the seat belts on completely -we're trying to be as safe as possible! We just going to take off to the moon! We're going for a ride!" Things have happened quickly for the Rutgers University hip-hop collective known as Little and One Track Mike, which includes Tim "Little Sullivan, "One Track" Mike Flannery, Jesse "The Savior" Saul, Justin "J-Ride" Riddle and the "Shankbone Mystic," otherwise known as Dan Saks. Spinning suburban B-boy tales full of crooked optimism set to organic beats and funk grooves, the group has been jamming in area clubs for less than two years. "Me and Mike got together and we started writing songs," Little said "We never thought we'd show it to the world.

We were just in it for the kicks." As things developed, the group was booked into the Budapest Cocktail Lounge in New Brunswick. "It was packed," Tim said. "It was the first time I had ever been to the Budapest and there was somebody there," The- success of theshow foyj; MARCH 10 -APRIL $7 (212)260-4700 COMMERCE BANK BALLPARK (Home of the Somerset Patriots) tinctive with a cow lick sticking up from his forehead, is the most charismatic frontman to come out of Jerzey in a long, long time. "For a while, we were a bunch college guys and now we're a conglomerate," Tim said. That's what they call it these days.

Little and One Track will perform a short set Sunday at the Mercury Lounge to help New Brunswick music impresario Andy Gesner celebrate his birthday. ANGELZ FLYIN' Speaking about New Brunswick hip-hop, the city's Fallen Angelz, maybe the best unsigned hip-hop group in New Jerusalem, has a couple of shows in the next two weeks. First, the gang will be opening for Half A Mill and Ali Vegas, 9 p.m., tomorrow at the Berkeley Carteret Hotel, Ocean Avenue, As-bury Park. Admission is and the number for more information is (732) 898-5262. Next Saturday night, Fallen Angelz will perform at the Livingston College student center, 84 Joyce Kilmer Piscata-way.

Admission is and the student center's number is (732) 445-3561. The performances will celebrate the Angelz' new CD, "The First pesceiattVp a jilv Conveniently located off Route 287 in Bridgewater BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! (212)307-4100 Scotti'i Record Shops Compact Disc World The Wiz www.ficketmaster.com Groups of 15 or more and Information: (800) 922-3772 bigapplecircus.org cused the group. "From there, we started practicing on a regular basis, just as bands do to become musical show-business conglomerates," Tim said. "Practice made perfect. A year later we got the tightest show in New Brunswick." And now, the world? If the group's recent show at Maxwell's in Hoboken is any indication, that may well be.

The band deliver on-the-dime rhythms and grooves while Little T's nasally rap is clear, quick and concise. But what really sets Little apart is his sense of showmanship, whether it's giving a giant faux 'N Sync greeting card to an audience member or just rifling SpoAtorad by k.na to about an upcoming song. Tf dis-.