With its sound evolving, Kellys prepare CD, DVD

By Guy D’Astolfo

Next year could be a big one for The Kellys.

First, the band will release “Opus,” its long-awaited CD, in the next month or two. And on its heels will come “Channel,” a five-song DVD.

The CD will take the pop-rock quartet into new sonic territory, said bassist Moe Angelo.

“We’re branching out, and the sound is amazing,” he said. “It’s very much our sound but evolved to the next level. It’s us growing. There is some different stuff that we normally wouldn’t do. Hopefully, it’s going to be the thing that pushes us to the next level.”

Angelo said the band took a different approach to songwriting for the release. “It’s a little more laid back, not as harsh and in-your-face loud like some of our stuff.”

Like the act’s previous two records, “Opus” is being recorded at Mindrocket Studio in West Middlesex, Pa. It will be available regionally at Best Buy stores.

“Channel” — the DVD — will include three songs that were recorded during an August 2007 concert at Warren Amphitheater, plus videos of two previously unreleased tracks (an original and a cover). The band is backed by a 32-piece orchestra for the live songs.

The concert was put together and recorded by Mariano Longo, a Howland native who is also the keyboardist in Gary Puckett’s band. Longo assembled the orchestra and also did arrangements of Kellys’ songs for orchestral instruments.

The Kellys — Kelly McCracken (vocals), Joel DeGenova (guitar), Matt Holko (drums) and Angelo — also can be heard in the opening segment of the film “Frat Party,” which came out this week on DVD. “The whole intro is about two minutes of our song ‘Up to Believe’,” said Angelo.

A music-business connection of the band was instrumental in landing the song in the film — which, as the title suggests, is in the vein of “American Pie.”

The Kellys will be at the Wonka, errrr, I mean Wonder Bar in Girard on Saturday night. To get the new year off to a sweet start, one person will win a “golden ticket” that night that will grant free admission to all Kellys gigs in 2010.