New Jersey punk/americana rock outfit Jon Caspi & The First Gun recently shared their new 5-song EP Raise ‘Em High! & Other Delights, via Fake Chapter Records, which includes the new version of their fan favorite barroom sing-along song, “Raise ‘Em High!”, featuring Jesse Malin on vocals, and Dez Cadena (known from Black Flag and The Misfits) on guitar.
“I’m blown away by all the momentum behind the song,” says Caspi of “Raise ‘Em High.” “We originally released the first version in 2013 and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Now we have this new release with Jesse and Dez and a label and even a Raise ‘Em High! Beer with our band name on it, it’s crazy!”
“Raise ‘Em High!” was originally released almost a decade ago on the band’s 2013 album Sucker, and quickly became a staple of their live shows. A couple of years ago, legendary WFMU DJ, Jonesey (Sundays from 12-3pm), chose “Raise ‘Em High!” as his official 2pm toast song which has increased the band’s fanbase and is at the center of a large Facebook group where folks post selfies of themselves toasting each other to the song. One of Jonesey’s listeners just so happens to be legendary rock singer-songwriter, Jesse Malin.
In 2017, Dez Cadena became a fan and friend of the band, soon joining them on tour and in the studio recording new material.
“‘Raise ‘Em High!’ is a testimony to friendship and the friendship which Jon Caspi & The First Gun has brought to me,” says Cadena. “I am fortunate to be blessed with this. Also, it’s like waking with morning wood. When I first started playing with Jon Caspi & The First Gun, ‘Raise ‘Em High!’ was probably the second song they showed me after another I recorded with them. I thought it was a fantastic song. It’s an anthem for underdogs, like my beloved Mets.”
The EP also includes a track that Caspi wrote about being by his father’s bedside at the moment his father died. Although for many, being with a loved one at the moment of their death is often described as a warm and beautiful moment, Caspi did not experience it that way and instead found it traumatic. In order to reclaim the moment and beat the trauma, he penned “Last Ride Home.” It’s a powerful heartland rock track that deeply resonates. It’s not a sad song but rather one about capturing a snapshot in time. It’s Jon owning the moment rather than the moment owning him. The track also features a recording of Jon’s father playing harmonica at the end.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the baseball-centric music video for the new version of “Ride ‘Em High!,” which is about as Jersey as it gets with its depiction of neighborhood guys playing ball and drinking beer. As the title suggests, the song is a true barroom anthem that is a stomping rocker that brings to mind the working class rowdiness that is practically a part of Jersey’s musical lineage. The video also features a cameo from none local radio royalty and longtime supporter Glen “Jonesy” Jones, who slugs beer and berates the team before they all end up at their watering hole doing exactly what the title suggests.
WATCH:
