By Jennifer Levesque For the Valley Advocate   Peter Lo Iacono “Waiting for Tuesday” “Waiting for Tuesday” by Peter Lo Iacono.   Peter Lo Iacono (pronounced Loy-uh-CO-no) has been a guitarist for more than 50 years. He originally started out playing in cover bands i n the 1970s in his home state of New Jersey, which was how he made a living for many years. During the late ‘70s, he was even in a punk rock band called Sighs Five, which played at the infamous and iconic punk club CBGB in New York City. While the musicians hoped for a record deal, things unfortunately didn’t work out in their favor. Due to internal disagreements over the band’s direction, Lo Iacono ultimately decided to leave. Peter Lo Iacono. SHARON HARTUNIAN / Contributed “It was in the midst of the disappointment and disillusion that I decided I needed to get the proverbial ‘real job,’ and after a few painful years of bad jobs, I took a position as an apprentice addiction counselor,” he said. He has now made a career out of that decision for more than 40 years and is licensed here in Massachusetts as well as in New Hampshire. Currently based in Greenfield, the 73-year-old musician has been able to pursue music on his own terms. He’s helmed numerous projects throughout the years, both solo and incorporating other musicians. “In the late ’90s, I started acquiring recording equipment that would allow me to produce my own tracks, and where I wouldn’t have to pay for studio time,” Lo Iacono explained. “My first recordings were grouped in an album — some semblance of a band — I called Edge of States.” He played guitar and bass on the album, which also featured a handful of vocalists and drummers whom Lo Iacono sought out for the project. He released the album, but because it was before the era of streaming and he had little knowledge of distribution, the record went largely unnoticed. “From 2021 to 2024, firmly ensconced in a hard rock/metal bag reminiscent of the bands I enjoyed in my youth, I got serious about producing this current album, which extended into late 2025,” he said. “I put the tracks up when I felt they’d reached the goals of my neurotic perfectionism!” He learned how to assemble his own drum tracks using software featuring live percussion recorded by professional session musicians. The tracks are assembled, clipped and compiled into libraries that can be selected and pieced together to create his unique sound. He notes that it is a complicated and undoubtedly time-consuming process, but it creates a polished quality that sounds as if an actual drummer is in the room. He had me fooled. The guitar and bass, however, are 100% played by Lo Iacono. “I can summarize all this by saying that for a person in my situation, who fits music in the overall context of his life, this sort of management of all the parameters makes it possible,” he said. “Waiting for Tuesday” was released this past September, so I’m a little late to the party — but better late than never. When you listen to the record, there are so many layers of instrumentation happening within a single song — let alone across all 10 tracks — that upon first listen, you would never imagine it’s only one person producing this wall of sound. The title track kicks the album off pretty heavily. When I heard it was an instrumental rock album, I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be this heavy. It features heavy rock vibes and wailing guitar solos, all while bluesy notes swirl through the mix. I like how the end of the song slows down slightly, layering an acoustic guitar over the heavy rhythm tracks. “Known Unknowns” starts off with a dance between the bass and cymbals that introduces synth textures before a thick, girthy guitar line locks in. Without vocals, I feel that the heavy guitar tone steps up to act as the primary vocalist. I like the jam band-ish feel to this one. Meanwhile, I think that “Palmer’s Return”  sounds like a song you would hear over a very cinematic scene in a fantasy movie. Lots of different paths and imagination sparks in this track. “Reaction Formation” has a different feel to it with the electronic-sounding beats. Although, that wailing heavy guitar is still making its dominant presence known. The closing track, “Agrigento,” begins with an elegant-sounding guitar phrase that seems to fit with the ending for the album. You can check out “Waiting for Tuesday” on Lo Iacono’s Bandcamp page and stay tuned for more releases in the future: peterloiacono.bandcamp.com. Trash Panda Kill Kill. Trash Panda Kill Kill  “Trash Panda Kill Kill” The five piece punk rock band Trash Panda Kill Kill consists of Jenna Lloyd on vocals as the band’s lyricist; Alec “Slabs” Theilman on bass; Zac Brennan on guitar; Christopher Croteau also on guitar, keyboard and backing vocals; and Michael Wyzik on drums and backing vocals.  The band started when Slabs had a vision and brought each member into the mix individually. Although the members had crossed paths in some way before, they had never connected personally until forming the band. “He put us in a room together. On paper, it probably shouldn’t have worked — different styles, different influences spanning four decades — but maybe that’s why it does,” Lloyd explained. “We leaned into that and built something that’s very much our own. There’s a lot of trust in the room, a lot of listening and what comes out is something that doesn’t quite fit neatly in a box.” They originally called themselves Trash Panda, but after noticing there were quite a few bands already using that name, they added the “Kill Kill.” The songwriting process is a collaborative group effort, with each member bringing something to the mix that morphs into a creation they are all proud of. “Some songs start one way and end up somewhere completely different, and we have learned to enjoy that unpredictability,” Lloyd said. “Everyone adds their perspective, and it turns into something bigger, louder and a little stranger than where it started. Sometimes, the best parts of a song are the ones we didn’t plan.” Their debut, self titled album came out last fall — I just recently listened to it and couldn’t stop. The whole album had me bobbing my head and dancing in my seat. If you’re familiar with my columns, you know I gush too much about the guitars; I just can’t help it. Needless to say, I love the guitar solos on this album. Croteau and Brennan have this dual, playful dynamic going on, blending two totally different sounds and styles smoothly together.  “One minute it’s delicate and beautiful, the next it’s fierce and driving. The mastermind is the chemistry between the two of them that creates something unique,” Lloyd added about their talents. TPKK First Night. ANGELA LUCIER PHOTOGRAPHY / Contributed  “Psycho Serenade” opens the album with intense energy, delivering punk rock perfection. I am immediately drawn to Lloyd’s vocal style — I really dig it. The style reminds me a little of Juliette and the Licks. “Knock Down Drag Out” is fun and I like Wyzik’s drumbeat the most. It’s such a catchy beat that stays on track through the duration of the song. Meanwhile, the beginning of “Gorified” features a notable nod to a riff from The Stooges, keeping good company with the overall punk rock feel. “A lot of lyrics come from everyday moments too — conversations, rants, things that probably shouldn’t be written down but are anyway — catching those in real time and turning them into songs like ‘All My Favorite Singers Can’t Sing,’” Lloyd explained. “At the end of the day, what usually happens is we keep the ones that grow more every time we play them, until they feel like they had to exist.” The album was mixed at Croteau’s studio with the idea of capturing their live sound essence as a necessity for the production. They wanted to have the listeners experience their rawness to an extent, and have that urge to see them perform the songs live. “Ironically, post production played a significant part in delivering our live raw sound to tape,” Croteau explained. “Through this process, new guitar parts were discovered and actual solos written, where they had previously been loose ideas.”  The album was dedicated to Taylor Brennan who was a close friend. “We wouldn’t have been a band without him,” Slabs mentioned. You can check out the record at Trash Panda Kill Kill’s Bandcamp page: trashpandakillkill.bandcamp.com/album/trash-panda-kill-kill. They will be performing at the second annual Tom’s Hot Dog Music Fest, which they organized alongside with Gary Kloc of Tom’s Hot Dogs. The lineup also features the Lonesome Brothers, Treefort, Storm the Ohio, Crowrider, The Original Cowards, Rival Galaxies, The Colony Motel, Reverend Dan and The Dirty Catechism, The Claudia Malibu, and many more! Mark your calendars for Saturday, Sept. 19, from noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s a free, family-friendly community event. Jennifer Levesque writes Mixtape, covering local — and sometimes beyond — musical releases. To request a review, please reach her at [email protected]. ...read more read less