“It’s been a long time since I heard rock and roll that I liked. This is a hit!” Those were the words of Grammy-nominated artist/producer/songwriter Wyclef Jean when he heard the music of Next Big Thing. This New York/New Jersey band with the tongue-in-cheek moniker has forged a sound that is modern, yet fully aware of its roots. From the raw, punky energy of “In the Stars,” to the Britpop-inspired title track, “Radiate,” to the sweet harmonies and vocal interplay of “Ferris Wheel,” the eleven tracks of Next Big Thing’s first full-length release, “Radiate,” do just that. Founded by vocalist-guitarists Shawn Moynihan and Alan Miller, and joined by drummer Lou Iacobelli and bassist-vocalist Gautam Peri, Next Big Thing combines elements of modern rock, Brit-pop, and classic rock with high-caliber songwriting skills that have been recognized four times by the Billboard National Songwriting Competition. In addition to headlining its own shows, the band has opened for rock legends Leslie West (Mountain), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), and Simon Kirke (Bad Company, Free). NBT was also commissioned to write the theme song for the minor-league baseball Staten Island Yankees, which is played before every home game, and was invited to perform for an audience of thousands at the opening of the team’s Richmond County Bank Stadium. The band has brought their energetic and enthusiastic live show to venues such as Arlene Grocery, Le Bar Bat and the Hard Rock Café in New York City, and to Philadelphia hot spot, Abilene’s. The band was also invited to perform at the 2002 International Pop Overthrow Festival with a showcase set at Luna Lounge and performed a headlining set at the “Meadowlands Boardwalk Experience” at Giants Stadium as part of the pre-show entertainment for Bruce Springsteen. Next Big Thing has received airplay on several stations including WPLJ-FM, Z-100, Q104.3 and the YES NETWORK in New York City as well as WDHA-FM and WHTG-FM in New Jersey. The band was also featured performing live on WABC-TV.