LUZER is a four-piece power pop

Power pop

Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...

 band from Hamilton Township

Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

Hamilton Township is a Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 88,464...

, a suburb of Trenton

Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

.

Background

LUZER was formed by four students--Singer/guitarist/songwriter "Timmy Sean" Mahoney, drummer Dan Seeth, lead guitarist R. Dan Salyerds (known as Sally), and Bassist Chris Volk--at Steinert High School

Steinert High School

Steinert High School is a four- year comprehensive public high school, one of three secondary high schools that are part of the Hamilton Township School District, located in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...

 in 1999. At its formation in late 1999, Tim, Dan, and Sally were high school juniors, and Chris a sophomore. Tim Mahoney and Seeth (both formally of Life In General) brought in lead guitarist Salyerds to record their first independent LP, jokingly entitled Greatest Hits, in the summer of 2000. LUZER performed throughout New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 and Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 at music festivals, colleges, and clubs, building up a local following and selling copies of their debut album “Greatest Hits.” In August 2006, Salyerds (Sally) left the band and was replaced by Krishna "The Mania" Vasudevan. Salyerds is now a music teacher at Eisenhower Middle School as well as Roxbury High School. LUZER was also joined on certain performances by Philadelphia keyboardist John Icaro.

Supporting acts such as The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

, Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes

The Strokes

The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....

, and Tim's uncles The Mahoney Brothers, LUZER toured extensively, playing weekend mini-tours and music conferences. LUZER's influences ranged from The Beatles

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 to KISS

KISS (band)

Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...

 to The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...

, The Cars

The Cars

The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...

, and Queen

Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

. LUZER's first national tour was in support of a Beatles tribute act, Long Live The Beatles. All of the band’s songs were written by Mahoney, who had known Seeth since junior high school and Volk since he was a small child. Very conscious of their appearance and persona, the band’s members worked together to find an individual look for each member. The band was also recognized for catchy hooks and stage theatrics reminiscent of Kiss and Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick

Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...

. The band released two E.P.’s, two full-length albums, and a live CD.

New projects

Volk, Seeth, and Vasudevan, together with Timmy Sean on vocals/guitar/keys, publicly launched a new band, The Celebrities, on January 1, 2007. The band spent much of 2007 performing around the east coast, but put the project on indefinite hiatus at the end of the year.

Since that time Timmy Sean has been working with multi-platinum producer Kenny Gioia

Kenny Gioia

Kenny Gioia is a Multi-Platinum music producer, engineer, mixer and songwriter from New York City, who is best known for working on the #1 hits "Sex and Candy" and "Crush"...

 on a full-length solo album and a new band project, The Mania. The first EP from The Mania, This Time Around EP, also features two new versions of Celebrities songs ("She's Mine" and "You're Still On My Mind") as B-Sides.

Discography

• 2000 - Greatest Hits
• 2001 - Fake Ass Rock Star (EP)
• 2002 - Fake Ass Rock Star: EPisode II (EP)
• 2003 - LIVE! Down On The Farm
• 2004 - Reset
• 2004 - The Yule Rock EP
• 2005 - Live At The Recher Theatre (DVD)
• 2006 - Come On Mandy (EP)