Review: Zealousy - Complications

Zealousy – Complications
2008, Zealousy

Los Angeles DIYers Zealousy ride quite the buzz into the release of their first full length CD, Complications. The Los Angeles quartet has been around since 2005, falling together like leaves off a tree. Vocalist/keyboardist Amarie Darvai has been nominated for a 2008 L.A. Music Award in the category of Best Female Vocal Performance, and has been recognized for her powerful vocal style. Christopher Cody (guitar/keys), Chris Babin (bass) and Bunny Brooks, Jr. (drums) fill out a band that plays more like an organic being than a collective of four musicians. Complications reflects the struggles of an independent band in dark overtones and irreverent epic jams, driven through by the incisive and artful lyrics of Darvai and Cody.

Let’s start with Amarie Darvai. The word is amazing. If Kate Bush and Grace Slick had a love child they’d hope she’d sound as good as Darvai. Amarie pouts and preens, scowls and screams, and very will sings her tuckus off on Complications, proving that one talented artist can carry a band. Not that Zealousy needs to be carried. They’re tight as anything and create a diverse and amazing series of musical tableaus against which Darvai’s voice is amply featured. The album opens with Girl On The Edge, which sways in the wind musically just as the lyrical protagonist does. So I Am is a straight forward pop/rock tune.

Wanting is a driven, angst-filled rock song that is a must hear, but Everything is the centerpiece of the album. This is the song you came for. From the driven chorus full of reproachful anger to the angst filled verses, Everything has hit written all over it. Drop is another delicious pop/rock tune that could be very commercially successful for Zealousy. Other highlights include She Fires The Gun, Wrong Man and Chemical Imbalance.

Zealousy is a band waiting to explode. If you like bands like Evanescence and Garbage, then you need to pick up Complications to see how it’s supposed to be done. Complications is required listening. Zealousy is one break away from being huge.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Zealousy at http://www.zealousy.net/ or www.myspace.com/zealousy. You can purchase a download of Complications at Amazon.com.

Review: Wounded Buffalo Theory - El Brome

Wounded Buffalo Theory – El Brome
2008, Wounded Buffalo Theory

Wounded Buffalo Theory is an experimental rock band from Brooklyn, NY. Using big guitar sounds, jam band tendencies and quirky pop hooks, Wounded Buffalo Theory crafts a sound that is unique and wonderfully ambiguous. Their latest EP, El Brome (to be released in the near future), captures an underlying pop sensibility that would seem to run at odds to their jam band/guitar rock sound.

El Brome opens with Neckface, a progressive rock monster with big guitar work and heavy solos. The six-and-a-half minute jam moves through Malmsteem style rock progressions with a care and ease that can only be captured live. Wounded Buffalo Theory is mostly together here, although the seams do get a little dicey at times. Bodies has a very relaxed, fuzzy opening that turns into a pop-centric Prog tune. Didn’t Go Outside has a heavy garage sound full of fuzz and buzz with a great pop theme running through it. This song is almost radio ready and a top-notch producer would have a field day turning this rough cut into a diamond. The Under Over (live at Southpaw) is 7 ½ minutes of pure progressive jam with some Pink Floyd ambience thrown in for good measure. The Pledge (live at Southpaw) shows that finicky, pop-centric streak that runs through Wounded Buffalo Theory’s progressive, jam-band tendencies. Coming in at over eleven minutes, The Pledge does become derivative after a bit, but the basic core of the song is pop gold.

Wounded Buffalo Theory are diamonds in the rough. The potential here is staggering: Buried deep inside the muddle harry crossbreed of Prog and jam band styles beats the heart of a slick pop outfit. El Brome is a great introduction to both sides of the band (often simultaneously). If Wounded Buffalo Theory ever manages to truly harness that pop sensibility and melodic talent they possess they might just rule popular music. Until then they’re a pretty affecting listen. El Brome is very much worth your time.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Wounded Buffalo Theory at www.woundedbuffalotheory.net or www.myspace.com.wbt. El Brome is not yet available, and I could not locate a release date on any of their web outlets. I would recommend interested readers contact Wounded Buffalo Theory through their MySpace page for more info.

Review: Knox Bronson - Pop Down The Years

Knox Bronson - Pop Down The years
2006, 2008 Tangerine Sky Music

The Bay Area's Knox Bronson creates pop music by running away from pop music. Delving into influences that include 60's pop, classical, jazz, blues and electronica, Bronson creates a musical stew that is different than anything you've heard before, and yet amazingly catching and close to the heart. Bronson writes according to the philosophy that all songs already exist, reaching out into a sort of musical super conscious to bring back bit by musical bit until some pure confection is completed. In this way Bronson creates music that stirs the lifeblood the way Rock N Roll did in the 1960's; the way rap did in the 1980's. Pure creation and pure music blend together to fuel Bronson's first released album, Pop Down The Years. Bronson's muse is true to the long line of tempo-setting pop/rock bands to come out the San Francisco Bay area.

Bronson has this odd air about him that’s part Jim Morrison and part David Bowie, almost as if Ben Stein decided to sing. The result is a jarring listen as your mind tries to wrap itself around his unconventional sound. Pop Down The Years opens with Hey Little Earthgirl, an electronic ode to pop music that is quite catchy. The vocals are buried in effect and heavy synthesizer work, but the music is infectious and will have you tapping your toes. Old Man Cold Man has a stilted vocal style that isn’t monotone but suggests that sort of effect. Take Me Down has the same sort of Jim Morrison on downers affect to it. The style is interesting, but does begin to wear on the listener after a bit. Other songs of note are Bordertown, Celeste and Pop Down The Years.

Knox Bronson is unusual. His depressive Jim Morrison style vocals leave little room for middle ground. You’re either going to fall in love with this record right away or you’ll dislike it on personal terms. The rub is that whatever you think of the delivery, Bronson is a fabulous lyricist. His story-based songs are poetic and masterfully told. Unfortunately the delivery does get in the way at times. Pop Down The Years is a unique creation that should help establish Bronson with sort of folks who like(d) The Cure, Depeche Mode and any of the other semi-depressed Brit bands of the 1980’s.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Knox Bronson at http://www.knoxbronson.com/. You can purchase a copy of Pop Down The Years at www.cdbaby.com/cd/knoxbronson, or you can download it from iTunes.

Review: James Morrison - Songs For You, Truths For Me

James Morrison – Songs For You, Truths For Me
2008, Polydor

James Morrison, at all of twenty-three years old, has already captured the hearts and minds of British Pop fans. With a soulful voice and a mien that belies his age, Morrison has the formula of great songwriting, a soulful delivery and substantive lyrics that make for a great listen. James Morrison’s second album, Songs For You, Truths For Me, works hard to overcome the dreaded sophomore slump. He succeeds.

Songs For You, Truths For Me opens with The Only Night, with Morrison sounding like Rod Stewart in his heyday. The Only Night has a strong Motown vibe supplemented by outstanding harmonies. Save Yourself is an upbeat pop number that would have been a major AM radio hit in the 1970’s or early 1980’s. Be sure to check out Broken Strings, my current favorite on the CD. The highly personal and confessional song strands out for a guarded delivery earthed in minimalist pop aesthetic. Morrison gives his best performance here. Oh yeah, and it’s a duet with Nelly Furtado.

Nothing Ever Hurt Like You goes back to the Motown sound that Morrison seems to do so well, sounding a bit like Stevie Wonder in the process. Morrison’s easy-going delivery is a plus here, modling himself easily to the style. Other highlights include Once When I Was Little, Fix The World Up For You and Love is Hard.

James Morrison is cutting a path in the rock world with new material that is the progeny of 1960’s R&B and its pop derivatives. The vocal similarities to a young Rod Stewart make for a familiar-yet-new sound that will ingratiate him to a lot of listeners in the adult contemporary and pop markets. Morrison is a talented songwriter whose specialty is in the lyrical flow of his songs. Songs For You, Truths For Me reflect the outgrowth of creation where artists often learn more about themselves from the process than from the finished product. To that end the album was a dual success. James Morrison should be with us for some time to come.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about James Morrison at http://www.jamesmorrisonmusic.com/ at www.myspace.com/jamesmorrisonmusic. You can order a copy of Songs For You, Truths For Me at Amazon.com. In a Wildy's World exclusive, I will take the first ten responders to wildysworld@gmail.com who email with "James Morrison contest" in the subject line and randomly select one of them to win a free copy of Songs For You, Truths For Me.

Review: Blue Rabbit - Separate

Blue Rabbit – Separate
2008, Blue Rabbit

San Francisco’s Blue Rabbit goes for Baroque. Mixing the devilishly delightful harmonies of Heather Anderson, Arami Reyes and Sarah Rocklin with cello, drums and Celtic harp, Blue Rabbit delves into Baroque style art-rock that fits perfectly in the San Francisco rock tradition. Blue Rabbit drives their songs with strong lyrical content and melodies you can’t shake. Their debut EP, Separate, is a feast for the ears.

Separate opens with Sleep, an intense somnolent muse with powerful rolling rhythms, quirky instrumentation and gorgeously arranged vocal harmonies. Sleep could be the manic rant of a soul inflicted with intense insomnia. Getting Away mixes electronic and orchestral instrumentation. The music takes a back seat to the vocals here, as the voices of Heather Anderson, Arami Reyes and Sarah “Bangin’ Booty” Rocklin soar like angels and intertwine like golden braids. Separate renews the Baroque Rock push with an intricate and beautifully arrangement musical tableau.

My favorite song on Separate is Missing Piece. The song features voice and cello and has a torch song feel to it. The minor key harmonies make this a haunting piece of music that will stick in your mind long after the CD ceases to spin. The minimalist arrangement makes the most of Blue Rabbit’s collective vocals while allowing the song room to move and breathe of its own volition.

Like I’d Like You To sounds like Sarah McLachlan with a dark aspect. The song lilts and sways through the neurotic midnight of emotions infused in a dysfunctional relationship. This might actually be the best written song on the album. It doesn’t have the same pop sense that some of the other songs on Separate have and so doesn’t stand out as much on first listen. Subsequent listens illuminate the song more and I suspect this will eventually be my favorite song on the disc. Stupid Flag is a fairly generic, pleasant listen. Love Secret returns to the dark, Baroque splendor that seems to infuse the best of Blue Rabbit’s songs on Separate, playing piano and cello against one another in support of perhaps the loveliest melody on the album.

Blue Rabbit is unique. Cello in pop/rock bands is generally relegated to the background, or becomes the raison d’être for bands like Break Of Reality. On Separate the cello is front and center as one of the prime musical movers. Intermixing cello with piano, percussion and the haunting vocals of Anderson, Reyes and Rocklin, Blue Rabbit has found a winning musical combination that will take you by surprise and quickly win you over. Separate is a brave and exciting album that takes big risks and wins. Dark, melodic folk/pop songs with credible weight and depth await you.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Blue Rabbit at www.myspace.com/bluerabbitmusic. You can purchase a copy of Separate at www.cdbaby.com/cd/bluerabbit.

Review: Ryan Farish - Selected Works

Ryan Farish – Selected Works
2002, Farish Music International

Ryan Farish is a testament to how Indie/DIY can work. Starting out on his own, Farish became one of the most popular artists in cyberspace via the old MP3.com. 1.8 million (yes, million) downloads later, Farish had established himself as one of the most popular artists in that site’s history. His songs reached the #1 download spot for his genre 38 times, and led to his music being used on The Weather Channel, and by a number of different movie and television production companies licensing units. Selected Works is a collection of early, rare recordings from his MP3.com days.

Selected Works is a collection of pop/instrumental tunes based heavily in piano/synth, with electronic beats and loads of ambient texture. Call is nouveau new age; mellow disco/dance tunes with lively rhythms and fairly simplistic melodies driven through variations and reprisals. The set opens with Night Winds, a bass-line driven ambient composition that works well as an electronic slow-jam. As A Child has a pure pop-radio sound. You could picture Kylie Minogue or someone of that ilk laying vocals over the top of this piece. If Only is one of the standouts here, sounding like something that might have occurred had John Tesh collaborated with Tangerine Dream.

Dreams In Essence D has a dark-timbered ambient flavor to it, but withers somewhat on the vine. Run To You is pure nightclub material and would do well in that environment. Ancient Dreams is a song you could envision in a motion picture as environmental music. The mix of Native American style flute sounds (electronic) and primal drumming rhythms (again, electronic) speaks well of the composer’s intent, but ultimately becomes something almost cliché. Going Home takes the lite-jazz approach to electronic pop.

Ryan Farish is talented at what he does. In a musical sense, much of Selected Works is fluffy, down-tempo dance pop. While it’s all very listenable, much of Selected Works falls into the category of pleasant but not terribly exciting. Its great music for the background, but not something I’ll feel compelled to pull out and listen to again and again. It just doesn’t express itself as essential.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ryan Farish at http://www.ryanfarish.com/. You can purchase a hard copy or download of Selected Works at Amazon.com.

Review: Ryan Calhoun - Everything That I'm Not

Ryan Calhoun - Everything That I'm Not
2008, The Ascot Club

Ryan Calhoun is a southern Californian who did his time in New York City and returned home. A young artist from what's called the Hotel Cafe scene in Los Angeles, Calhoun has shared the stage with Switchfoot, the Cary Brothers and Jack's Mannequin. His 2nd album, Everything That I'm Not hit the shelves in October of 2008. Produced by Bill Lefler (Gym Class Heroes, Ingrid Michaelson), Everything That I'm Not has that highly polished Indie sound that seems to be the taste of the moment, particularly on prime-time television.

Everything That I’m Not is a sharp collection of Brit-influenced pop/rock songs. Calhoun brings a strong melodic sense and easy harmonies to eleven songs full of big pop hooks and strong lyrical perspective. The album opens with Sometimes Sorry Is The Wrong Thing. It’s a catchy, upbeat tune with slightly depressing subject matter. Slipping Away has a similar motif. Calhoun has a cool, clear voice and a sharp vocal delivery that is reminiscent of Tom Landa of The Paperboys. His approach is very straightforward. Calhoun’s songs are confessional in nature. Right About Now finds Calhoun wearing his heart on his sleeve in a song with strong radio potential. The repetitive nature of the verse serves as a comforting reinforcement that lulls the listener in, making you feel like you’re part of Calhoun’s romantic angst.

Who We Are is something of a departure for Calhoun. The piano-based ballad is more personal and stripped down than much of the rest of the material on Everything That I’m Not. The simplicity works well, giving Calhoun’s voice a perfect chance to shine. Underneath is another great pop song with strong commercial potential. Expect to hear this song on prime-time television. My favorite song on the CD is Hope (“Do you ever feel like you’re all alone / And do you ever feel like you’re the only one who can feel the pain? But you act okay…”). The neurotic love of pain and loss will hits close to the human condition.

Ryan Calhoun has an easy-going vocal delivery that should play well to both radio and video. His heart-on-the-sleeve, depressive lyrics wrapped up in pop/rock candy is a recipe for pop music success. The theme has been done so many times in pop music and yet never seems to go out of style. Everything That I’m Not is a fine debut. Calhoun lays his psyche out in music for the world to see and hear. Check it out; you’ll like what you hear.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ryan Calhoun at www.myspace.com/ryancalhounmusic or www.purevolume.com/ryancalhoun. You can purchase a copy of Everything That I’m Not at store2.bandfarm.com/ryan.

Review: Ace NoFace And The Misdeals

Ace NoFace And The Misdeals – Ace NoFace
2008, Ace NoFace

Ace NoFace is a term from the card game Euchre that allows a player to trade in a hopeless hand for a new one. Ace NoFace is also a songwriter/recording artist who’s been dealt a difficult hand. Instead of casting it in he’s chosen to stand, face into the wind and fight for what he’s always dreamed for himself. Ace NoFace was a bassist with a touring band when he learned he had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ace chose, in the face of adversity, to realize his dream of being a songwriter. Working for hours on adaptive equipment in his home, literally picking out one key at a time, Ace NoFace composes incredibly personal and inspired rock and roll that walks the line between Ben Folds and Keane. Ace has not release an album, but does allow download of songs from his website based on a PayPal donation (you decide what the song is worth to you). Once you’ve made payment you receive download instructions. Ace has submitted a demo of recordings to Wildy’s World for review. Here we go…

Ace NoFace opens with Whiskey Bottle, a song inspired by seeing the Eye of God on a Whiskey Bottle label during a manic episode. The song is somewhat haunting and is built around some unusual piano progressions and dark harmonies. Ace NoFace has a very smooth and pleasant voice that sets you immediately at ease as a listener. The harmonies he performs with himself on the recording conjure a sound that could never be replicated by a group of singers. It makes sense, but his unique tone in triplicate is chilling. Ego has a sound to it that is reminiscent of Billy Joel’s middle career. The song is comprised of minor key changes and dark, depressive lyrics. The song very much works, but is a bit of a bummer.

Snakes has a definite Ben Folds sound to it, although the Indiana Jones reference gets a bit cornier each time it’s mentioned. Ugly Stick is a great pop tune and makes me think of some of Kevin Hearn’s (Barenaked Ladies) solo compositions. Weird Idea (Of Having Fun) is built on a great series of piano hooks, although the song ends up being a little on the rough side. Other highlights include Spend A Dollar, Crazy Brave and What Kind Of Rock.

Ace NoFace has been dealt a hand that none of us want. Rather than wallowing in self-pity or self-doubt, he’s chosen a path that fulfills his dreams. The music on Ace NoFace has its ups and downs. Most of the songs are well constructed, with the occasional rough-edge tune thrown in. Two or three songs here are truly sublime and show the sort of heights we can hit when we go after our dreams, regardless of the circumstances. Ace NoFace has a voice you could listen to all day, a hauntingly beautiful tenor voice that will haunt your dreams.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ace NoFace at http://www.acenoface.com/ or www.myspace.com/acenofaceandthemisdeals. You can learn more about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at http://www.alsa.org/. Ace NoFace does not publish his songs on CD, but maintains a Pay-What-You-Can philosophy on his website. Donations are made through PayPal (via http://www.acenoface.com/) and once the donation is made you receive e-mailed instructions on how to download your particular song. The donation is per song but no minimum or maximum donation is indicated.

Review: Underride - One Of Us

Underride - One Of Us
2008, Underride

Underride are looking to revive the Seattle sound in their own image. Building on the legacy of grunge, Underride take it to the streets in a raucous and crazy fashion. Rev, El Barto, Double A, Rex Nomad and Pondscum put you in the mood to crank it up to 11, hit the streets and see what's cooking' The band's 4th release, One Of Us, aims to put them squarely on the American hard rock map with 14 songs of kicking-in-the-windows and doors rock.

Sounding a bit like Poison and a bit like Whitesnake, Underride brings back rock the way it was meant to be played. One Of Us plays like a bit of 1980’s hard rock/hair band memorabilia. Candy Girl is the sort of song that would have made for a great video in the early days of MTV. Full of big guitar hooks and big, harmony-filled chorus, Candy Girl is a hit that should have been. On The Radio follows in the same vein, bringing that 1980’s brand of hard pop back into focus. She Gets Paid takes a harder turn, toward a more driving rock experience (although still with a certain pop sensibility). Throw It Away sounds more modern, coming across as a modern rock anthem (ala Pearl Jam/Soundgarden).

Be sure to check out Kink In My Heart, with a great guitar hook you won’t be able to shake. Road To Nowhere would be a great concert tune, and is probably my favorite track on One Of Us. My Little Hell returns to the dark, driving guitar, and is currently my 2nd favorite here. Other songs of note are Lights Off Baby, Shotgun Breakdown (sounds like Ratt), Riot Stick and No Means No.

Underride deserve some serious credit here. The courage to play a style of rock that has gone out of vogue is rewarded in the fact that they do it so well. This is the sort of album that could rekindle an interest in the best hair-metal from the 1980’s. One Of Us is an absolute keeper. No low moments, no catering to pop radio with syrupy ballads or acoustic-based alt-rock divergences. Just pure heavy rock with a sense for hooks and great phrasing. You need to hear this.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Underride at http://www.underride.net/. You can purchase a copy of One Of Us at www.cdbaby.com/cd/underride, or you can download it from iTunes.

Review: David Cosma - Hanging From Aldo

David Cosma – Hanging From Aldo
2008, Regal Records

David Cosma grew up idolizing music from the 1950’s and 1960’s. He so much liked Paul McCartney that he started playing his guitar left handed (on a right handed guitar). Cosma learned to play the guitar backwards without restringing it. This has led to something of a signature sound and technique. The Melbourne, Australia based musician previously fronted a popular local band called Mistamash. 2008 sees the release of Cosma’s first solo album, Hanging From Aldo. It is the culmination of Cosma’s decision to leave his full time job in 2007 and devote himself entirely to music.

Hanging From Aldo opens with Sentimental Shoe, a mellow tune with a great chorus. Cosma displays a keen atmospheric sense in his writing. He’s fairly low energy at times as a vocalist, but juxtaposes that against musical creations of distinct tension and angst. The end result is very interesting listening that is nuanced and discreet. What You Just Said is a great acoustic guitar-based tune wrapped around the dysfunctions in a relationship. Cosma’s mix of melody and lyrical genius here is amazing. This is the sort of song that will definitely be a concert favorite, but will find currency in all sorts of fans at different times in their lives: this song seems to speak to emotions that we’ve all been through at one time or another.

Bryant Reserve is a great little blues/country hybrid that shows some of the soul shadings in Cosma’s voice. Up In The Clouds is a slightly repressed pop tune with a great melody and very simple composition. It sounds like the sort of tune The Traveling Wilburies might have run off in a recording session. This is my personal favorite on the album. A close second is Now It’s Time. Great harmonies and a melody to die for make this song unforgettable. There is a slight alt-country-rock feel to this that reminds me of The Waltons/Jason Plumb. Other highlights include Out Of Me, Ninety Days, the colorful Letter Home and Take It As It Comes.

Hanging From Aldo took a few listens for me. This is not a casual listen disc. There’s too much going on, and much of it is beneath the surface of the still musical waters Cosma projects. What sounds mellow and relaxed is really full of angst or tension or a deep current that won’t express itself on first glance. This is a very rewarding CD for folks who give it the proper time and attention. David Cosma creates on a level with someone like Daniel Lanois. Finely crafted pop songs with country or Americana trappings are the rule here. Gorgeous melodies supported by uncomplicated structure and lots of musical nuance and intelligent lyrics are the shadings and nuance that will keep you listening time and time again.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about David Cosma at http://www.davidcosma.com/. You can purchase a copy of Hanging From Aldo at www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidcosma.

Review: Social Clash - Demo

Social Clash – Demo

2008, Social Clash

Social Clash is a young, energetic rock band ripping it up on the Toronto scene. Young and inexperience, they make up in energy and chutzpah what they’ve yet to acquire. Frank (Vocals), Carlos (guitars), Jon (drums), Davin (bass) and Mike (guitars) don’t waste your time onstage. They launch into their big, heavy rock tunes with abandon and panache. Social Clash submitted a demo for review. Here’s what we heard.

Social Clash has that hungry energy that allows bands to rocket to stardom. Even on CD they come across full of a rambunctious kick that would play wonderfully well live. Big guitar rock songs built on strong, pesky hooks and melodies that are very hummable makes for a great start. They’re not lyrically intense or original, but sufficiently succinct and understandable enough to add to great post-punk pop/rock songs. Opening with Give Me A Chance, Social Clash goes right for the throat with a fast paced, stripped down rocker. The Lo-Fi effect works particularly well in creative a live sound what makes for great listening. Count You Out is probably the most commercial song here, and with a little mastering is probably radio ready right out of the box.

One On One is built on a great guitar riff. The song is very melodic and Frank is in fine vocal form. The guitar/bass builds tension in the verse until resolving either into a sun-shiny bridge or a driving chorus. Manners Matter is the heaviest song here and is definitely not for lightweights, even as it retains the pop sensibility that Social Clash displays. For More is a mellow turn at a ballad that sounds somewhat out of character for Social Clash. The song is quite good, although the vocals here are mix way too low. Restless is another highly commercial song (as in The Edge or other modern rock format). It’s the sort of song you might hear on a horror film soundtrack, and still maintains that inspired pop underbelly that seems to run through Social Clash’s songs.

Social Clash brings it, there’s no other way to put it. A heavy rock band that walks the line between pop/metal and progressive rock can be either a disaster or a joy to listen to. Social Clash is the latter. They retain the slightly disheveled sound that marked the best of the punk bands and the driving energy that makes for a real shot at success. Social Clash’s demo is a snapshot of a band on the way up. It’s just a question of how high.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Social Clash at www.myspace.com/socialclash. If you sweet talk them maybe they’ll sell you a copy of their independent demo.

Review: Joshua Jesty - Finally, Joshua Jesty Is Famous, All The Hits, Volume 15

Joshua Jesty – Finally, Joshua Jesty Is Famous, All The Hits, Volume 15
2008, Joshua Jesty

Your first impression of Joshua Jesty might be that he’s a funny guy. To look at the title of his CD or listen to the first track, a rap tune called The Master’s Back, you’d expect he’s a novelty act. Far from it. Jesty is a brooding songwriter who plays in dark and sometimes muddy tones until he finds a seam of beauty and then he rides it for all its worth. Jesty has an album of 21 songs called Finally, Joshua Jesty Is Famous, All The Hits: Volume 15. You can’t buy the album in stores, but you can download all of the songs off his webpage. Jesty has a unique set of payment options. You can donate to him what you think the album is worth, if you’re broke you can forward the page to however many people you think it’s worth ($10=10 people), or you can donate to a charity and tell him about it.

So Joshua Jesty is unique, but what about the music? Take a look at the epic that is The River Curves, comparing the curves of a river to those of a beloved. The tune sounds like something Radiohead might have written, and has a very repressed sadness that underlies it. The quasi-Lo-Fi sound helps in setting this mood, as does the layer guitar/piano/bass wall of sound Jesty captures on the disc. Jesty’s website says he wrote it while going to the bathroom. Just thought you’d like to know. Stephanie is another song full of regret, balancing its sweetness with controlled fear.

My favorite song here is Ms. Closed Off. It’s a great Matchbox 20 style song. Very musically interesting and introspective; A quiet opening turns into a heavy guitar motif that is very tuneful and full of great, mellow hooks. This song has commercial potential; I could see it placed in a movie or television soundtrack with great ease. Junk Your Head is a great rocking tune with angular guitar work and frenetic energy. The song is part punk and part pop and would do well on radio. Other highlights include Turf The Law, The One Inside Your head, Get To You and That’s When She Smiles.

Joshua Jesty is refreshing. There are no pop filters here. No distinct attempts to be commercial. Joshua Jesty captures the innate sense of musical creation. He’s writing for himself, not pop radio. The results are mixed. A handful of the 21 tracks offered here are sketchbook material. Most of them are good to really good listening material, but there are three or four tracks on the CD with significant potential. The willingness to create for himself and not take himself too seriously bodes well for Joshua Jesty. The results of his writing and performance make for good (and sometimes great) listening. I suspect these abilities will grow over time and he will become a complete songwriter (with a slightly warped world view). Finally, Joshua Jesty Is Famous, All The Hits: Volume 15 might just be prophetic.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Joshua Jesty, download Finally, Joshua Jesty Is Famous, All The Hits: Volume 15, get a free monthly song fix, or learn the neurotic impact of having your birthday be two days before Christmas at http://www.thejoshuaweb.net/. Be sure to check it out. This guy really is quite entertaining.

Review: Mary Ann Rossoni - Timber & Nails

Mary Ann Rossoni - Timber & Nails
2008, MWM Records

Mary Ann Rossoni is Providence, Rhode Island's resident Renaissance woman. The designer, painter and musician has her hand in many pots and seems to make things bloom wherever she touches. After a five year break in recording, Rossoni returns with Timber & Nails, a highly introspective and personal collection of songs that are thoughtful and sleep, even sometimes witty. Rossoni has grown as a songwriter in the last five years, providing great depth and breadth to the material, along with the a good instinct on how deep to dive with each subject.

Mary Ann Rossoni mixes wit, consummate story-telling skills and a fine sense of melody on Timber & Nails. Pop the disc in. Fourteen songs later you'll feel like you've just had a Musical Experience. Rossoni brings a heartfelt honesty and warmth that many singer/songwriters wish they could convey on stage, much less on the relatively cool medium of the CD. Mary Ann Rossoni delivers her songs with the same sort of insular warmth as Dar Williams. Starting with the title track, Timber & Nails, Rossoni calls into question her own existence and beliefs with a cutting yet elegant honesty. How does a home become just a house, she seems to ask. The song is sweet and touching and way more than the sum of its parts.

Red Shores Of France smacks of reminiscence by an old relative and the desire and inspiration that is sparked in a younger member of the family from the relating of old stories. EmmaLee displays the "grass is always greener" effect of our life experiences, and highlights the tendency at times to overstate the abilities and gifts of others while failing to see our own. Be sure to check out Wondrous Impression as well. This is an amazing tune. I feel like I can't say enough about it and yet I can't find the words to properly convey its beauty. You just need to listen.
That said, my favorite song on the CD is Follow The River. It's a country tune with a Celtic heartbeat. The melody here will follow you for days after you've heard the song, and the positive message is both hopeful and full of a passive regret for not finding the truth sooner. Other highlights include To The Sky, Other Woman, the ironic and witty Everything Needs Fixin' and Soft As Sorrow.

Mary Ann Rossoni is a singular talent. She has a warm, rich voice that's an absolute pleasure to listen to. She writes intelligent, honest and sometimes funny lyrics and wraps them in gorgeous arrangements. Most of all she projects a warmth and personal reality that comforts the listener and urges you to let your guard down and really listen. Again, this is on CD. If this effect is at all more tangible in concert then her shows could literally be life changing experiences. Timber & Nails is a watershed musical experience, the coming together of musical and lyrical talent, a distinctive and honest performing style, and the maturity and grace to tie them all together into one dynamic, quietly earth shattering package. Timber & Nails is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Put it on your holiday list. Someone you know deserves this CD.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mary Ann Rossoni and order a copy of Timber & Nails through http://www.rossoni.com/. You can purchase a copy of Timber & Nails at www.cdbaby.com/cd/rossoni2.

Review: Various Artists - Irish Hip Hop Volume 1

Various Artists - Irish Hip Hop, Volume 1
2008, 80 Million Records

Are you ready for the next big thing? Yes, that says Irish Hip Hop. Don't be embarrassed if you've never even considered the concept, but within the next few years you might not be able to escape it. The Irish Hip-Hop movement grew out of attempts to blend traditional Irish music with hip-hop beats. The genre has become a tour-de-force in Ireland and England; has begun to spread to the rest of Europe and even across the pond to the United States. Steeped in a respect and love of Irish culture, Irish hip-hop eschews the fake glamour and gangsterization of American hip-hop for honest representations of real life through the eyes of the artists. MC Ammunition, one of the biggest stars of Ireland's hip hop movement compiled 20 tracks for Irish Hip Hop, Volume 1, to spread Irish hip hop to the world.

The collection opens with Rira's 25 O'Clock In The Morning, a rousing party anthem (I just wanna split riffs with the gifted / hit spliffs, get blitzed and keep liftin' / No pausin', no stallin' / keep it goin' til 25 o'clock in the mornin'). This song should make a killing for Rira in dance clubs - it has mega-hit potential. Up next is CMC with Home. CMC has a rhythmic and lyrical style similar to Eminem without the extreme level of dysfunction that Mr. Mathers lives in. Rob Kelly chips in with Take A Look, an ode to the Irish everywhere.

MC Ammunition (Or Ammo) adds Irish Dreams to the mix. This is a downbeat rap tune with some 1970's style samples and a mellow rapping style. Irish Dreams conveys a love of Ammo's country that is missing from most American music (rap included). Be sure to check out Shaymin and Lassie, which samples a jig and pays homage to Shaymin's "Irish chick". The rap style here is closer to Sublime than NAS and carries a positive message about being true to the one you love. Other highlights include Redzer's Gritty City (Featuring Jambo); Project 77's Takin' On The Planet; The Informatics' Wake Up and the jazz influenced Revolutionary by Ophelia.

Irish Hip Hop Volume I is an amazing collection from left field that will shock and amaze those on the pond's West End. Irish Hip Hop seems to restore the energy and authenticity of Hip Hop/Rap music. The Irish are keeping it real, where most of the American hip hop establishment forgot what real was right around the time they bought their first bling. Songs about family, work, love and everyday life; There’s nothing more street than that. Definitely recommended.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Irish hip hop at www.myspace.com/irishhiphopvolume1. You can currently download Irish Hip Hop Volume 1 through Amazon.com or iTunes. No word yet on hard copy (CD) availability.

Review: Sue Brescia - Hope Rising

Sue Brescia - Hope Rising
2007, Gentle Spirit Records

Sue Brescia's story reads like a Lifetime Movie Network feature. The Middletown, Rhoda Island singer/songwriter was bitten by the music and acting bugs early on, singing in a top-40 band. Summer stock theater engagements brought her an Actor's Equity card and she began pursuing a Broadway role. A rare form of cancer sidelined her career for a time, but the creative juices did not stop flowing. Brescia turned to songwriting both as an outlet for her creative gift but also as a therapeutic outlet in her recovery. Today she is a successful recording artist with a talent for writing uplifting songs, as well as a composer for the silver screen. Brescia's second CD, Hope Rising is full of uplifting and beautiful songs that will touch your heart and your spirit.

Sue Brescia has been through a great deal and has used her experiences as inspiration to write. She has a distinctive talent and sweetness that comes across in her recordings, sometimes almost to a fault. I tend to think that Hope Rising is a niche recording. Some fans will actually be turned off by such a passively forceful sunny perspective; either by confusion or by an inability to understand the novelty that loss or near-loss can paint upon the mundane. As a songwriter Brescia is talented. Her subject matter varies from amazing lyrical perspective to nearly adolescent perseveration.

A Lifetime Of Weekends is a joyous song full of the sort of giddy energy that comes with new love or love re-discovered. Angels In Our Midst is a thing of beauty. It rises above the obvious clichés associated with angels and touches the heart and soul of the listener. Passage Of Time is a tuneful exploration of the progression of life. It reflects the acquired understanding that comes to us all in time, and mixes a hopeful yearning for each coming stage with a quiet, near-forgotten regret over not learning sooner. These are the true highlights of Hope Rising. Most of the rest of the disc is decent but not earth shattering. A couple of songs here cross the line of too much, but on the whole, Hope Rising is a worthy effort.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sue Brescia at http://www.suebrescia.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Hope Rising.

Announcement!

First off, Wildy took today off, and we'll be back with more reviews bright and early tomorrow morning.

On Sundays between now and the end of the Holiday Season, we'll be featuring CD releases that would make great holiday gifts. Some are ones we've previously reviewed here, and some will be brand new things we haven't talked about before. So if you're looking for great music ideas for that special someone (or for yourself), then check back here on Sundays! The rest of the week will continue to be reviews, and we've got a bunch of great ones coming up, including: Joshua Jesty, James Morrison, Blue Rabbit, Brooke Miller, Leah Randazzo and Ping Trace, just to name a few!

And keep those submissions coming! If you've got a special set, box set, etc. that you'd like to have considered for our gift recommendations, get them in ASAP!

Be well.

Wildy

Review: Joe Parillo Trio w/ Jay Hoggard - Segments

Joe Parillo Trio with Jay Hoggard - Segments
2008, Neoga Records

Joe Parillo is a master on the piano. His grasp of jazz and classical styles and the ability to meld the two into new and exciting directions sets him apart from the crowd. Parillo brings a sense of joy into his writing and playing that is infectious. The Grammy-nominated songwriter/musician (for the song One Day In January from the movie Sandbox) is a Steinway Artist and is currently the director of Jazz Studies at the University of Rhode Island. He's released several albums with his trio (bass player Bryan Rizzuto and drummer Eric Platz) and has continued to grow musically at each step along the way. Parillo's most recent recording, Segments, with Vibraphonist Jay Hoggard is nothing short of visionary. Parillo blends gorgeous melodies and lively rhythmic confections into a jazz/classical patois that will hold listeners in awe.

My favorite tune here is the final track, Aura. Forget the fact that it sounds like it came right off a major movie soundtrack. Forget that the musical imagery melds the concept of a person and the light/energy of a living being into a conceptualization is both and neither. The images conveyed are both larger than the life they portend and smaller than the mind can conceive. The maturity and compositional construction displayed here mix with an articulate sense of melody and tension that will blow the studied listener away. Clouds is an upbeat, sunny meeting of Parillo and Hoggard. The interplay of piano and vibraphone is as old friends who meet on the street and enjoy pleasant reminiscence while the minutes of the day turn to evening as clouds passing by overhead.

The sultry bossa nova of Crying Moon turns to the Vince Guaraldi style Turn Around Back. You can just picture Woodstock and Snoopy on one of their adventures to the gentle trills of the laughing piano line. Other highlights include the bluesy Where Are You Now and the almost pop/Broadway melodic sense of One Day In January.

Joe Parillo and Jay Hoggard each are talented and accomplished in their own right. As a pair they achieve a sort of pentatonic alchemy that spills forth from their respective instruments. Segments is a glorious listen, soft enough for dinner or relaxation and full of enough life to distract you from both. The Joe Parillo Trio with Jay Hoggard have hit a homerun with Segments.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Joe Parillo Trio at http://www.joeparillo.com/. You can learn more about Jay Hoggard at http://www.jayhoggard.com/. You can purchase a copy of Segments at www.cdbaby.com/cd/joeparillo5.

Review: Midnight To Twelve - Midnight To Twelve

Midnight To Twelve - Midnight To Twelve
2008, JKH Entertainment

Midnight To Twelve has been working for eight years for a moment like this. After playing hundreds of live shows in the LA market and opening for acts such as Buckcherry, Jimmy Eat World, Evanescence and Joan Jett, Midnight To Twelve appear to be on the precipice of stardom. The band's first single, Slam was featured on hit show One Tree Hill. Another song, How Bad was featured in this year's Stanley Cup television coverage. In June of 2008, Midnight Twelve released their self-titled 2nd album. It's only a matter of time before this thing catches on.

Midnight To Twelve opens with How Bad, a middle-of-the-road rocker full of effects that sounds designed to curry favor at modern rock radio. It's a fairly generic opening that will play well to radio but not terribly memorable. Ditto Future and Story, moderate tempo hard rock ballads that seem to lean heavily on a commercialized sound. Burnin' turns the corner in a barn-burning rock-and-roll performance. Burnin' shows all of the hunger and tenacity that were produced out of the first three songs on Midnight To Twelve.

Midnight To Twelve slows things down a little with the rock ballad anthem Slam. This is perhaps the most commercial song on the disc, but commercial based on its quality rather than an attempt to mold the song to a demographic. (GMA) Good Morning Again continues the musical reality in a piano-based ballad that is destined for mix tapes and probably some serious licensing agreements. Rhyme Or Reason has a deliciously dark tenor that stretches across the rhythmic framework of drum, bass and bruising guitar. Other highlights include Contain It, Remembering, Too Much and Moment.

Midnight To Twelve is an extremely capable rock outfit. I would guess from listening to Midnight To Twelve that the first three songs were heavily produced and managed to target musical/radio demographics, while the rest of the album was written in the spirit of the band. The delineation is very clear between attempts to be commercial and attempts to write music. Songs 4-12 are a first class album while the first three tracks are fairly typical modern rock formula songs that are listenable but not overly memorable. The fact of the matter is that Midnight To Twelve likely has more mass commercial appeal when they are writing for themselves than for a certain audience. A very strong debut either way.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Midnight To Twelve at http://www.m212.com/ or www.myspace.com/m212live. You can purchase a copy of Midnight To Twelve at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold.

Review: Matt Singer - The Drought

Matt Singer - The Drought
2008, Family Records

Matt Singer is a funny guy. The NYC based singer/songwriter’s first musical composition as a four year old was an ode to eating toothpaste. Singer is someone who wears his heart and soul on his sleeve. There are no filters. The Mid-Atlantic Songwriters Contest Director’s Prize winner is back in 2008 with The Drought, a collection of eclectic and oddly touching songs.

The Drought opens with The Poet, a dysfunctional, lyrically obtuse perseveration on the failings of a relationship. Matt Singer's voice is exceedingly pleasant and his low key delivery works perfectly with this material. Bird Song is a musical still life centering around a dead bird and the power of belief. The chorus to Bird Song is hauntingly beautiful, and implores the listener to open up their mind to possibilities that extend beyond that which one can see ("If you pick me up / If you would just believe / I would show you a thing up my sleeve / Believe / I Would show you a thing up my sleeve / I'd fly away".) The genius in this song is the counter-intuitive turn of events on the basis of the belief of those who witnessed the bird's "demise".

Stacy J. is a humorous story-song about the dangers of dating beautiful musicians (or ugly ones, for that matter). The song also includes an American Idol inspired subplot about getting up off the floor and trying again. Also notable are We Are Not Small and Dynamic Public Speaker. Everything We Do is a pleasant listen but it becomes difficult for the listener to discern what it's about.

Matt Singer writes to amuse himself, and that's a good thing. His perspective is delightfully warped with a strong wit and wrapped in gorgeously melodic songwriting. He's not a novelty act, but more an act who finds novelty in the mundane, similar to writers like Randy Newman or Lyle Lovett. He's a bit brash and the language at times is not for sensitive ears, but Singer is very good at what he does. The Drought is a misnomer. This is definitely worth taking the time to check out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Matt Singer at http://www.matt-singer.com/. The Drought has been released but is currently only available at shows. Contact Matt Singer through his website for purchasing details.

Review: Krysta Youngs - Stories

Krysta Youngs - Stories
2008, Vibrant/Krysta Youngs

Krysta Youngs is a product of Detroit who has spent the last six years in Boston. She has developed a reputation as a candid, articulate pop-songwriter with and edge. A strong talent for storytelling and the ability to craft rock-oriented pop confections that are as welcome on the stage as in the nightclub has created a significant buzz around Youngs. Her debut album, Stories consists of fifteen songs full of stirring, in your-face lyrics and a pop savvy that would turn Madonna green with envy.

Stories opens with Once Upon A Situation, a spoken word piece to music that leads into It's Going Down. It's Going Down has top-40 dance single written all over it. Dance beats and driving guitar in the chorus urge you to get your feet moving. Leave Me Alone is the most confrontational song on Stories; a lyrical scream for space in an enclosing life. Silly Lives is one of the finer displays of Youngs' songwriting talents. This is a pure pop song that would have sounded entirely at home on a Dawson's Creek soundtrack. Youngs' sultry voice helps to spark the atmosphere here as well, creating a sensual comfort in the overall sense of disconnected grace.

Sophia opens as a gorgeous piano/cello duet and becomes a confessional song about the loss of a relationship. Youngs projects Sarah McLachlan here in style, but the voice and tenor is entirely her own. The title track, Stories is another pure pop confection that could almost cross over to R&B as well as pop/rock. Be sure to check out Untold and Impossible as well. Youngs ends with a remix of Untold by George Vala.

Krysta Youngs is a talent. She has a strong pop sensibility, an ability to write interesting and lyrically intense songs, a look that works for television and a toughness that stands in stark contrast to her moments of vulnerability. Stories is a revelation. With the right breaks, you're looking at/listening to one of our next major pop divas. And she's good enough to survive the inevitable fall from that position to singer/songwriter as time and wisdom overcome novelty and beauty. Don't be surprised if Krysta Youngs makes an inpact on more than one generation.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Krysta Youngs at www.myspace.com/krystayoungs. You can purchase a copy of Stories from www.cdbaby.com/cd/krystayoungs.

Review: Mark Williams - Shallow Eyes

Mark Williams - Shallow Eyes
2008, Mark Williams

Mark Williams is all of sixteen years old, and yet has already shared a stage with such diverse talents as Les Paul, Will Lee, Phil Woods and B.B. King. This Warped Tour veteran has been playing guitar since the age of 5, and began study at the Manhattan School Of Music at ten. He is equally versed in jazz, modern rock and even Hendrix-style blues/rock. This conglomeration of styles all mixes up in his mind and results in songwriting that is modestly like all of these styles and thoroughly unlike any of them. Mark Williams is an original. His latest EP, Shallow Eyes, marks the next step in Williams' musical development. Get ready to be rocked.

Giving Up opens Shallow Eyes with a bang. Full of big hooks and a memorable melody, Giving Up carries a catchy chorus with guitar work that will remind listeners of Rush at times. Secrets chronicles a friend's drug addiction in a dark and somewhat muddled musical painting. Airwaves carries a strong pop sensibility while maintaining a hook-heavy rock and roll sound. The guitar work here is interesting, as Williams solos in every key under the sun. The solo is more dissonant than consonant and almost becomes a distraction, although if you listen to the solo on its own it's quite interesting fretwork. Squeezebox is a fairly straight forward rock ballad, full of cliché. Whisper is a strong commercial attempt with perhaps the best guitar work on the album.

Mark Williams is young. He's very talented. Like many young talents he overreaches at times in his songwriting, but the talent and enthusiasm steam off of him like steam off a volcano. Williams makes up for his inexperience with enthusiasm, but you can picture a future where the fire of youth is tempered by the wisdom and perspective of experience. When that time comes, I suspect Mark Williams will already be recognized as an outstanding songwriter and a virtuoso on guitar. For now, he is a rising young star with exceptional talent. Shallow Eyes has its uneven moments and its flashes of brilliance, often thrown up against one another. It's a fine introduction to Williams, and a benchmark that he can move forward from as he continues to grow and mature as a songwriter. Shallow Eyes is a definite must-have.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mark Williams at http://www.markwilliamsmusic.com/. Shallow Eyes appears to be only available as an mp3 download. You can get it on Williams’ site, on CDFreedom or on iTunes.

Review: Portal - Blood Red Tape

Portal – Blood Red Tape
2008, Resonance Industries

Edmonton’s Portal take a different tack in making music. Their studio is as likely to be dominated by computer towers and monitors as it is by amplifier stacks. Rosco Brooks, Kevin Hoskin, Kenton Thomas and Bill George strive for the art of creation above all other virtues on Blood Red Tape, which manages to make one of the finer melds of organic and electronic music we’ve heard this year.

Blood Red Tape rises slowly from the primordial silence into a heavy guitar/bass driven rock song called Jebel Moon. Kenton Thomas is not your typical hard rock vocalist, with a smooth sound that stands in stark contrast to the dark, crunching guitar rock. Jebel Moon relies on minor key verses to set a dark mood that resolves into major key choruses that soar without escaping the song's dark temperament. Splitzkrein will appeal to Metal and pop/rock fans alike. The guitar work here has been muted somewhat by effects or production, but the sound and energy would be at home on an early Metallica album.

Your Kettle is a highly commercial tune that builds interesting harmonics and keys around a heavy, driving guitar/bass riff. It takes over a minute for the vocals to kick in here and that's a plus. There's very interesting stuff going on underneath if you listen for it. Six Degrees is the requisite hard rock ballad. Other highlights include The Simple Things, Back In The Day and The Light.

Portal brings techno rock into the light of day with the exciting and musically challenging Blood Red Tape. The disc is highly commercial in sound and broad enough in scope to appeal to fans from outside the commercial marketing cone. Northern Canada continues to be a consistent breeding ground for original and distinctly alternative takes on popular music. Blood Red Tape is a must-hear.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Portal from http://www.portalband.com/. You can purchase a copy of Blood Red Tape at www.cdbaby.com/cd/portal5.

Review: The Catillacs - Meow Mix

The Catillacs - Meow Mix

2008, Richard Bean

Meet The Catillacs, an Americana trio from La Center, Washington. Consisting of Richie Bean (Vocals, guitar), Susan Costa (drums) and George Burton (bass), The Catillacs are like a Super group born of the Portland music scene. Originally conceived as a rockabilly outfit, the Catillacs quickly realized that this genre limited them too much and branched out to include a full array of American roots music. In August of 2008 The Catillacs released their debut CD, Meow Mix, described as a "mixed bag" of sounds and styles including blues, country, folk, rock and rockabilly.

Meow Mix opens with Boogaloo, a Commitments style R&B jam. Boogaloo sounds like a perennial concert favorite, the sort of song that really gets a set moving. Bean is in fine voice here, and the interplay of Costa and Burton set a tight framework for Bean's classic guitar work. Soul Survivors has a Moody Blues feel to it, with lush acoustic guitar based music. Queen Of Denial is a southern-fried country rock tune that calls out someone living a lie (or a series of them). It's a great tune, very well written. The song does stretch Bean's vocals beyond what sounds comfortable for him at times however.

Ain't No Middle Ground opens with an interesting and unique acoustic guitar monologue that resolves into a remorseful country ballad. Deep Blue Sea starts from a delicious blues guitar hook and becomes an upbeat and lively blues rocker. The blues/rock material seems to be where The Catillacs excel the most, perhaps because this material seems the best fit for vocalist Bean. Whatever the reason, I found myself anxiously anticipating the blues tunes on Meow Mix.

Deep Blue Sea and Love Bank are pretty ballads but really exposes the idiosyncrasies in Bean's voice. As much as I like his voice on the blues and rock songs, the ballads can be a tough listen on the higher notes. The easiest way to describe these moments is to liken him to Neil Young. Bean is a good singer, and a great singer on the write material, but his tone on slower, higher passages can be a difficult listen. True Love Figurine moves clearly back to the blues sound that Bean and The Catillacs do so well. This tune has a bass line and boogie spirit that will mow you down if you don't get away. Bean's guitar-work here is filthy good and worth the price of the disc in its own right.

Me & The Devil Blues (Robert Johnson) is probably the best pure rock tune here, sounding like a cross between Chuck Berry and Creedence Clearwater Revival. This is blues influenced Rock N Roll at its best. On In The Fall Bean ends up truly sounding a bit like Neil Young. This song works in the context of Bean's sound and the distinct musical arrangement of the song. My personal favorite on Meow Mix is the Surf guitar antics of Hoodoo Laveaux. Dick Dale takes his hat off to The Catillacs on this one. The album closes out with Headlights, a Doors-sounding story song about a lost soul.

The Catillacs serve up a classic plate of Americana with Meow Mix. They are a tight, well-wound trio jumping the fences between rock, blues and country. Vocally, Bean it outstanding on the blues tunes. His sound does seem to become less even as he moves to the higher parts of his vocal register. This works on some songs and not so much on others. On the whole a very strong debut. Meow Mix is a fun and diverse listen, the aural picture of a band finding its feet and embarking on their great adventure. When they click they're unstoppable.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Catillacs at http://www.thecatillacs.com/ or www.myspace.com/thecatillacs. You can purchase a copy of Meow Mix at www.cdbaby.com/catillacs, or you can download tracks at iTunes. The Catillacs will be touring in 2009. Get your requests in now!

Review: Owen Duggan - An Elephant Never Forgets

Owen Duggan - An Elephant Never Forgets

2008, OLDmusic Productions

Canadian expatriate Owen Duggan makes his home in San Antonio, TX, where he is a father, an elementary school music teacher and a director of a church music program. With all of his spare time he managed in 2005 to record and independently release An Elephant Never Forgets. Mining the finest of folk and jazz traditions as well as the catalog of classic children's songs, Duggan's album won awards from Parents' Choice Foundation and National Parenting Publication Awards (NAPPA). In 2008, Duggan revisited An Elephant Never Forgets with producers R.B. Blackstone and Fred Remmert to remix and remaster the album. The end result stands on a par with releases by such children's music luminaries as Laurie Berkner, Raffi and Trout Fishing In America.

An Elephant Never Forgets is the sort of album that not only the kids will like, but the parents will get a kick out of it as well. Duggan keeps things upbeat in a folk style with sound effects and supporting vocals fitting the character(s) in the songs. Big rhymes, clear and easy melodies and fun subject matter make this a CD your kids will sing/dance along with, and you'll find some of the melodies getting stuck in your head as well. The title song is the most well known, but songs such as Farmer Joe, Tugboat Ted, The Marvelous Toy, The Biplane Evermore and At The Codfish Ball are memorable and make this a disc you and your children will listen to again and again. (And as a parent who's listened to copies of certain children's CDs to be unnamed hundreds of time I can tell you that An Elephant Never Forgets wears better than many in the genre).

Owen Duggan is a highly talented writer/arranger and instrumentalist. His voice is pleasant and clear and his manner is perfect for a children's album. You can't go wrong with this disc. Your kids will love it. You will to.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Owen Duggan at http://www.owenduggan.com/. You can purchase a copy of An Elephant Never Forgets at Amazon.com, or at brick and mortar outfits such as Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and Borders.

Review: Benn Clatworthy - The Decider

Benn Clatworthy - The Decider
2008, Benn Clatworthy

Benn Clatworthy is a Los Angeles-based saxophone impresario originally from England. He has a reputation for frantic and passionate saxophone and flute playing, and has shared a stage with the likes of Cedar Walton, Larry Gates and Lionel Hampton (among many others.) Clatworthy teams up with Chris Colangelo on bass and Ryan Doyle on drums for the delightfully melodic The Decider, a mix of alternate takes on jazz classics and some original material as well.

Clatworthy opens with John Lewis' Afternoon In Paris, giving it a Latin jazz flavor that may just improve on the original. Clatworthy starts out with a sense of economy that unravels into a coloratura waterfall of runs. Thelonius Monk's Off Minor gets similar treatment, where Clatworthy chats up the original melody before disenfranchising it in a shock and awe style sax explosion. The Decider receives similar treatment, starting out at parity with a melodic sentiment and quickly devolving into chaotic variations.

The Latin melancholy of Bossa Mia starts out as a lovely musical idea but quickly dissolves into the running off at the mouthpiece that Clatworthy favors. This trend holds up over most of the album, and in the end if comes down to what sort of jazz you're into. If you're a Miles Davis fan, or if you're a fan of newer jazz that is more concerned with technical proficiency and guitar-solo style instrumental solos, then Clatworthy is right up your alley. If your style of jazz concentrates more on melody and traditional forms, then The Decider probably isn't for you.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Benn Clatworthy at http://www.bennclatworthy.com/. E-mail Benn through his website to get ordering info!

Review: Trout Fishing In America - Big Round World

Trout Fishing In America - Big Round World
2008, Trout Records

Sometimes it's easy to lose track of the fact some children's musicians are incredibly talented. As a parent with young ones, you can be subjected the same CD or same song hundreds of times over. The daydreams one can have where a CD flies majestically through the air, shimmering in delicious sunlight just seconds before shattering to bits against a rock or wall become the reverie of parents at times. It is incredibly refreshing when an act comes along who make music that speaks to children rather than speaking down to them. Trout Fishing In America are just such an act. This three-time Grammy nominated duo of Ezra Idlet and Keith Grimwood have traveled back and forth across North America many times over playing shows for kids, families and even the occasional adult show (their non-children's albums are amazing to hear). 2008 is a banner year, seeing Trout Fishing In America's 20th release, Big Round World. Several of the songs here were developed from songwriting workshops held with children, which allows the band to capture the perspective of some of their biggest (and littlest) fans.

Trout Fishing In America have always been based in a folk-rock sound and occasionally add other flavors. On Big Round World there's a slight Afro-Pop lean, and the end result is a sound that is immediately comfortable and full of energy. Both Keith and Ezra are very capable singers and instrumentalists. They have a talent for tuneful songs that easy to sing along with. Their collective sense of humor pervades their writing and you won't find a more authentic, honest stage presence anywhere. I had the opportunity to catch one of their shows a number of years back and their rapport with the kids in the crowd was amazing. The most amazing part of that show was realizing that the only way to differentiate the kids from adults was size. The adults were as into the show as their children.

Big Round World (the album) keeps up the tradition of great songwriting. Big Round World (the song) has a vaguely Celtic feel to it and seeks to expand the horizons and imaginings of the listener. My Favorite Jeans is a song that children of all ages can appreciate and had its genesis in one of the children's songwriting workshops mentioned above. A Tiger And A Monkey And Me is a fine example of the fantastic use of imagination that Trout Fishing In America can call into reality in their songs. In four minutes they manage to capture the wonderful gestalt of layering the pretend world of young folks over the reality of everyday.

Martin Luther King & Rosa Parks is a tribute song that was also a product of a children's songwriting workshop. Fourth graders at Sonora Elementary School in Orange County, CA came up with the ideas that drove this musical history lesson and homage. The song craft is undeniable, and for a subject song with educational tenants it's amazingly un-cheesy. Other highlights include the humorous Too Good To Be True, Always Chew Your Food, The Alarm Clock Rings, There's A Rumor Going Round and It Must Be Halloween.

Big Round World is a first class offering from Trout Fishing In America. The kids will love it, and adults won't feel embarrassed if you're caught listening to it without the kiddies around. Trout Fishing In America are successful because they somehow remember (or perhaps have never forgotten) how to see the world through the eyes of a child. Their music appeals to so many because we all want to remember. Big Round World is (in a first for a children's album) a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss it!

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Trout Fishing In America at http://www.troutmusic.com/, where you can purchase Big Round World and many of their other fine recordings. They’ll even autograph it for you free of charge! You can also find their CDs at stores such as Barnes and Noble, Borders and FYE. And yes, they’re on iTunes too!

Review: Winter Dance Party...Holiday Greetings To You

Winter Dance Party - Holiday Greetings To You
2008, Day Old Records

February 3, 1959 is "The Day The Music Died", as memorialized in Don McLean's American Pie. On that day the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson crashed, ending The Winter Dance Party tour abruptly and breaking the hearts of millions of fans. For many baby boomers this tragedy was their first brush with mortality, and the loss of these three young Rock N Roll icons would haunt the music industry for years. We may never know what musical legacy Holly, Valens and Richardson might have left behind if this accident never happened, but we've been given the opportunity to relive the golden moments of that tour. Winter Dance Party... Holiday Greetings To You captures the essence and spirit of the Winter Dance Party tour on CD for you to enjoy.

John Mueller plays the role of Buddy Holly, having starred in the US touring version of Buddy... The Buddy Holly Story. John Mueller has been personally endorsed by Holly's widow Maria Elena Holly. Jay Richardson plays his father in a role both emotive and personal. Ray Anthony (of Las Vegas' "Legends Of Rock and Roll" show at the Imperial Palace) rounds out the trio as Richie Valens. They are backed by the Winter Dance Party Band (George Mueller - lead guitar; Ed Maxwell - bass; Sammy K - drums, and Mike Acosta - saxophone). Produced by Grammy winner Michael Acosta (Brian Setzer - The Dirty Boogie), Winter Dance Party... Holiday Greetings To You sticks with original spirit of Rock N Roll - fun!

Be sure to check out the early rock take on Let It Snow (Holly) and the Big Bopper-ized Frosty The Snowman. Feliz Navidad borrows the opening hook from La Bamba and is very faithful to the classic version you hear on the radio each holiday season. The Christmas Song is a mellow, lilting tune as arranged here, and Run Rudolph Run returns to the R&B roots of Rock N Roll. Other highlights include Santa Looks A Lot Like Daddy, Silent Night, Twelve Days Of Christmas and O Come Little Children.

Winter Dance Party... Holiday Greetings To You is good-time piece of musical memorabilia that should be a big hit this holiday season. Folks who mourned at the loss of Holly, Valens and The Big Bopper will recall fond memories listening to this disc. For folks too young to remember, this is a great introduction to a period of innocence in Rock N Roll that has long since moved on. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Winter Dance Party at http://www.winterdanceparty.com/. You can purchase a copy of Holiday Greetings To You at www.cdbaby.com/cd/winterdanceparty.

Review: Lordi - The Arockalypse

Lordi - The Arockalypse
2006, The End Records

Helsinki, Finland's Lordi has ascended to the upper echelon of heavy rocks in two short years. The 2006 Eurovision Contest winners have owned European rock charts and have even begun to make significant inroads in the Americas. Rock and Roll domination can't be far behind. Leader Mr. Lordi and his compatriots have been featured on a credit card, in books and graphic novels and will even be on display in a motion picture called Deliverance which will release in October, 2008. Today we're going to take a listen to Lordi's debut release, 2006's The Arockalypse, available as both a single CD and a special edition that includes a DVD.

Lordi harkens back to the sort of theatrical rock productions popularized by the likes of KISS, Alice Cooper and Styx. Their sound is pure classic 1980's rock. Lead vocalist Mr. Lordi growls like the meanest modern heavy metal singer, but the songs are amazingly melodic and well constructed. The camp runs high as the band performs in full costume, appearing as the sort of characters that have made Wes Craven a multi-gazillionaire. Lordi can certainly rock hard when they want, but even in their roughest moments there is this supreme musicality that runs through everything they do.

The Arockalypse opens with Bringing Back The Balls, the roughest and toughest tune on the album. The song starts out as a thrash anthem with pounding rhythmic guitars and gravelly vocals, but in the chorus Lordi's musical sense sets in with big triad harmonies. The Deadite Girls Gone Wild is a heavy rock classic. The Kids Who Wanna Play has a big-80's sound to it that would fit in on a bill with a band like Motley Crue.

Probably the best time on the album is Who's Your Daddy?, a tongue in cheek bit of lyrical camp surrounded by big guitars and pounding rhythms with one of biggest top-40 hook laden choruses you're likely to hear. Hard Rock Hallelujah is also a winner, opening with pipe organ devolving into a dark, guitar-heavy crusher. Other highlights include The Chainsaw Buffet, Good To Be Bad, The Night Of The Loving, Would You Love A Monsterman and Evilove.

Lordi stands at the musical crux between Motley Crue's unintentional camp, Styx's art-house rock symphonies and Green Jelly's tongue-in-cheek musical dementia. The Arockalypse is the musical equivalent to a horror movie. There are themes here that you'd never entertain in the light of day, but in a darkened theater the elements of shadow become entertainment. So it is with Lordi. The Arockalypse mixes all that's good about classic rock, heavy metal and musical theater into a stew you'll love to taste.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lordi at http://www.lordi.fi/. You can purchase a copy of The Arockalypse at Amazon.com or most major music retailers.

CD Review: Teddy Presberg - Blueprint Of Soul

Teddy Presberg – Blueprint Of Soul
2007, Ropeadope Records

Teddy Presberg is a St. Louis native (and recent repatriate) who spent a number of years living in Portland, Oregon. Long known as a gifted guitarist with a talent for improvisation, Presberg set out to recreate Portland in song. The result is 2007’s Blueprint Of Soul. Blueprint Of Soul is all about improvisation and being in the (musical) moment. This reactionary album was generally recorded in one take with one additional take to overdub. Presberg has succeeded in capturing a live, breathing instrumental sound with lots of spirit and double the funk.

Blueprint Of Soul seems to dance around between rock and roll, blues and even jazz. The jaunty Foster Fatty is one of the liveliest songs on the record and was inspired by Portland’s Foster Road. The funk grooves and jazz chords spun around the laughing bass line make for a party in a song. Sunrise On St. John’s has a thoroughly live feel to it that will have you grooving where you stand. 82nd Ave Strut was inspired by meth-induced stumble witnessed on the named street, and has a quasi-psychedelic feel to it. The song itself sounds like the sort of jam you might hear on an early Police record. Other highlights include Beneath The Burnside, Free Love and Colonel Summers.

Teddy Presberg brings in the funk of Blueprint Of Soul. This disc is an enjoyable listen from start to finish. It’s not an earth-shattering recording and doesn’t cut any new ground musically, but it will keep you solidly entertained and wanting to get up and dance throughout its 33 minutes. Blueprint Of Soul is definitely worth a listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Teddy Presberg as well as purchase a copy of Blueprint Of Soul at http://www.outrightmusic.com/.

CD Review: Andrea Ramolo - Thank You For The Ride

Andrea Ramolo – Thank You For The Ride
2008, Andrea Ramolo

Andrea Ramolo is a name you should know. I rather suspect you’ll be hearing a lot more of her over the next few years. Ramolo is a Toronto singer-songwriter with a penchant for gritty country/rock story songs in the vein of Emmylou Harris. If you saw Disney’s Once Upon A Mattress then you’ve seen/heard her before. Ramolo played one of the Dancing Ladies in the made-for-TV movie alongside the likes of Carol Burnett and Tom Smothers while recording two songs for the soundtrack. The former lead vocalist of Toronto’s Stifler’s Mom and co-lead of Oliver Piggot and the Dropshire Daddies greets October of 2008 with her debut album, Thank You For The Ride.

Ramolo has an earthy voice that’s sensual and fiery and full of life. She can project the vocal gravity of Stevie Nicks, the homey comfort of Emmylou Harris or the pure raw energy of Janis Joplin, often within the same song. As a songwriter Ramolo is a first-class talent, using the broad brush of lyrical narrative to infuse characters, places and events with vibrant panache. Thank You For The Ride is an earthy and unadulterated trip through Ramolo’s baser instincts; Longing for connections from the spiritual to the emotional to the physical.

Miss Uncensored has a sway and lilt that stands in stark counterpoint to the purely animalistic desire and confidence that pervades the song. The logical dissonance is overwhelmed by the pure melodic delight of the song and the sharply emotional delivery by Ramolo. Lovesick Blues has an old-time country feel to it that is as period as it is universal. This has the potential to be a classic. Late Night Lovin’ turns up the heat with a gritty, raw song about pure unadulterated human sexuality. Andrea Ramolo matches the subject matter with perhaps one of the most sensual vocal performances you’ve heard in a while. It’s not over-the-top or campy, but stands as a pure and dark monologue of the heart and libido. Even the guitar solo drips with pheromones and sweat. Other highlights include Aching Body, Oh Brother, Not My Story and Thank You For The Ride.

Andrea Ramolo sings from the heart. As the lead track suggests, there are no filters here. What you get is pure Andrea Ramolo, where in hunger, excitement, despair, longing or remorse. After hearing Thank You For The Ride it’s no surprise that SOCAN will be hosting her for two weeks of writing and a music showcase in Nashville, TN. Andrea Ramolo has star written all over her. Thank You For The Ride should be a critical darling in the music world and help establish Ramolo as one of music’s rising stars.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Andrea Ramolo at www.myspace.com/andrearamolo. Thank You For The Ride will be released on October 30, 2008 at a show at Toronto’s The Dakota Tavern. Rumor has it that Ramolo is devastating live, so catch the show if you’re in the area. Keep checking Andrea Ramolo’s MySpace page for retail availability. In the mean time you can listen to tracks there!

CD Review: Sundad - The Journey Continues

Sundad – The Journey Continues

2008, Sundad Records

The heart of Sundad is father/son team John Eurell and John Eurell, Jr. Accompanied by percussionist Chet Soares and bass player Eddie Denise, the two acoustic guitarists write and perform some of the most soaring and relevant instrumental guitar music since the early days of Windham Hill. Their 2008 release, The Journey Continues, displays a parent-child connection that extends to their musical expression. It becomes difficult to tell where one ends and the other begins as father & son’s guitars cascade over one another and intertwine in the conjunction of musical spirits and mores.

The Journey Continues opens with The Veil, a Michael Hedges style progressive/new age composition full of musical and rhythmic complexities that can’t be unravaled with just a few listens. Out of Body builds to a release that is dark and transformational before morphing back into the sunlight. The Conquistador brings a very mellow Latin sound that plays like watching a leaf dive and dart in the wind. The rhythm of the moments is always clear but the eddies and currents are unpredictable. Moonlight In Manhattan has a serene yet complicated melody that suggestsa certain tension in the face of what should be an aesthetic delight. Other highlights include Somewhat Celic and Dancing In The Park.

The Journey Continues is a sparkling album full of light moments, complicated rhythms and gorgeous, tight musical interplay. The song The Veil may be one of the best instrumental pieces I’ve heard in quite some time, but it is clear that Sundad shares a special connection that transcends their music and creates the perfect storm for the stretching of musical boundaries. The Journey Continues is a master class for all guitar players, and a must hear album.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sundad at http://www.sundad.com/, where you can purchase a copy of The Journey Continues.

CD Review: Booze Monkey - 4th St.

Booze Monkey – 4th St.
2008, Sanity Check Musec, Inc.

This isn’t your Uncle Fuzzy’s Booze Monkey. Booze Monkey has been rocking the Northern Virginia music scene since 2002 with their blend of acoustic and electric blues rock. Originally a duo of Blue Ajay and Joel Ludwig, Booze Monkey has undergone a number of changes. The band has grown in size and seen the (amicable) parting of founding member Ludwig. After releasing three albums and one “bootleg” in 3 years, Booze Monkey took a hiatus in 2005 keyed by Ludwig’s departure. Blue Ajay took some time to compose a movie score and stretch his musical wings.

The return to Booze Monkey was a mulligan of sorts, allowing Ajay to reimagine and expand Booze Monkey’s sound by adding electronic elements and darker shading to the music without abandoning the original spirit of the band. The end result is 4th St., Booze Monkey’s most diverse and complex recording to date. Longtime fans may take a few listens to digest the added layers and nuance that’s grown around Booze Monkey, but in the end will be quite happy with the band’s growth. Potential new fans will just need a listen to be hooked.

4th St. has a live sound that is hard to capture on a studio recording. The energy and off-the-cuff ambience is very refreshing, all the more so because Booze Monkey is good enough to pull it off without making it sound like an amateur recording. Let’s Go Monkey is the sort of happy blues jam you might hear at a party of musicans or at an open mike session that encourages jamming. Solitaire (The Old Way) is a fun bit of musical naval contemplation. The rockabilly beat and guitar work make for a devilish combination that will get your toes tapping instantly. Hope introduces listeners to Booze Monkey’s new interest in samples and Electronica. Hope has a mellow industrial sound, a walking bass line, guitar and harmonica. It sounds like Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails and Neil Young had a jam session.

Dick Frankenstein’s Night Out starts out with a nasty guitar riff you could hear coming from the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and evolves into a heavy guitar-driven rock tune. Changin’ Lanes is an enigmatic member of the 4th St. family. It opens like a ballad and becomes a fairly straightforward pop tune. Blue Ajay is in fine voice here, as throughout, but there’s distinctly familiar quality to his voice is particularly notable on Changin’ Lanes. I can almost come up with who he sounds like but not quite. My guess is it’s a composite of more than one voice with familiar qualities. This is part of Booze Monkey’s charm, to lull you in with a voice that’s pleasant and almost recognizable and then knock your socks off with music you never could have imagined.

Be sure to check out Chip & A Chair, probably my favorite song on 4th St. It builds from a slow blues guitar riff into a frantic rock tune about someone who’s luck is running out but is still holding on to hope based on what little is left. Chip & A Chair moves with an energy that is vibrant and fully representative of the fatal optimism of the narrator. Other highlights include Tellin’ You, Firewater Fetish and Voice Mail (From The Blues).

Booze Monkey is the sort of band you take your friends to go see (the ones you really like). Booze Monkey is the sort of band you start conversations with strangers over. The innovative mix of blues, folk, rock and even occasionally Industrial is incredibly refreshing and unique. 4th St. is revelatory in its joy and energy. Here is rock and roll for the fun of it. Enjoy.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Booze Monkey at http://www.sanitycheck.net/, where you can purchase a copy of 4th St. You can also pick up a copy at http://cdbaby.com/cd/boozemonkey4.

CD Review: Cailyn - New World In Blue

Cailyn - New World In Blue
2008, Cailyn Lloyd

Cailyn Lloyd spent much of her teenage years playing in the blues/rock scene in London, England. The guitarist/bass player had a reputation for intensity and rocking the axe better than most of her male counterparts. Lloyd stepped away from performance for a number of years, but found herself thrust back into the scene years later in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. Currently the lead guitarist for Fond Du Lac powerhouse IX Lives, Lloyd is striking out on her own with the side project entitled New World In Blue.

Cailyn Lloyd can play with the best of them. Her take on Jimi Hendrix' Little Wing is both reverential and expansive, with Lloyd adding her own little touches without really changing the original. Vocalist Ric Prida is in fine form here. Lloyd's original composition Clouds includes some decent guitar soloing, but is fairly light in content and composition. New World In Blue is an arrangement of Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, Movement #2. The piece has a Malmsteen-like quality to it without all of the grandiosity. For Elise is Lloyd's arrangement of Beethoven's Fur Elise. It is reverent of the original but done primarily on electric instruments.

Cailyn Lloyd is a talented guitarist, but doesn't offer up much that's original on New World In Blue. Her arrangements of classic tunes shows a certain talent on the part of Cailyn Lloyd, but we'll have to hear a little more from her before making a full judgment in that regard. For now, New World In Blue is a capable introduction.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cailyn at www.myspace.com/cailynrox. You can purchase a copy of New World In Blue at www.cdbaby.com/cd/cailyn.

CD Review: WAR - Greatest Hits Live

WAR – Greatest Hits Live
2008, Rhino Records

WAR began as The Creators in Southern California in 1962. In 1969 The Creators joined forces with Eric Burdon (Eric & The Animals) to form WAR. The ever-volatile Burdon would only stay with the band through 1972, but WAR would go on to become of the most influential Rock/R&B hybrid bands of the 1970s. While only one original member (Lonnie Jordan) is still in the lineup, there is no doubt that WAR remains incredibly influential and commercially viable in the twenty-first century. 2008 sees the release of Greatest Hits Live, a 2-CD collection of 14 of WAR’s most memorable and influential songs in the environment where they’re best – on stage.

WAR combined rock, funk, jazz, Latin, R&B and even reggae in ways that one before them dreamed of. Rising out of the ghettos of Los Angeles, WAR always had an appreciation of and love for diverse musical styles and cultures. It was WAR’s ability to meld all these sounds and influences into dynamic rock and roll that helped WAR appeal to so many people from different backgrounds in the 1970’s. Greatest Hits Live captures the cream of WAR’s crop under the lights of a live stage. The love flows freely from WAR to the crowd and back throughout the recording, and it’s easy to see why. WAR will always be known for the ironic and cheesy Lowrider, but songs like The World Is A Ghetto, Galaxy and Me And Baby Brother have visceral connections to time and place for folks who lived through the 1970’s. For those of us who either missed the 1970’s or were too young to notice, WAR’s set list reads like a musical collage of 1970’s atmosphere, culture and essence.

Galaxy is a funk rock tune with some great jamming in the middle. Ballero brings in a Latin influence that’s infused into some of WAR’s writing, and has a very mellow feel to it. Everyone knows Lowrider, but also on the list of national consciousness is the campy hit Why Can’t We Be Friends? This song is delivered in all of its sunny glory not only as an homage to the past but also as an incredibly relevant message for 2008. Other highlights including Me And Baby Brother, The Cisco Kid, Gypsy Man and Spill The Wine make this set very much worth plunking down your hard earned cash for.

WAR inspired an entire generation of rock and R&B bands, and has even influenced a generation of hip-hop/rap artists. WAR continues to perform 150 or so dates each year and has sold over 50 million albums to date. They’ve also been nominated for induction on the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame ballot. Not bad for a group of guys from Long Beach. WAR’s Greatest Hits Live not only offers a fine collection of some of WAR’s most influential and innovative songs, but also offers the opportunity to sample their on-stage wizardry. It’s a must listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about WAR at http://www.wartheband.com/. You can purchase a copy of Greatest Hits Live at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold.

CD Review: Bette Midler - Jackpot: The Best Of Bette

Bette Midler – Jackpot: The Best Bette
2008, Atlantic/Rhino Records

Bette Midler is a singer, actress and comedienne who has a distinguished 43 year career is show business. Stating out as a movie extra in 1965 (Hawaii, released in 1966), Bette quickly found her way to New York City. After playing in a pair of off-Broadway shows simultaneously in 1965, Bette found herself on The Great White Way as Tzeitel in Fiddler on The Roof in 1966 (a role she would play until 1969). She began performing in bathhouses in New York City in the early 1970’s. Her accompanist for those early gigs was none other than Barry Manilow. From these early beginnings sprouted a career that has seen Bette on Broadway, television and the silver screen. She has toured the world several times over, won four Grammy Awards, four Golden Globes, three Emmys and a Tony Award. Ms. Midler has also been nominated for two Oscars and currently headlines in Las Vegas. The Divine Miss M has earned her pedigree and status in the industry. 2008’s Jackpot: The Best Bette is the latest compilation to touch on highlights from Bette Midler’s career. While full of its highs and lows, Midler has never been anything but the consummate entertainer. Her voice migrates easily from jazz to pop to rock and roll, and Midler can sell a song like nobody since Sinatra.

Bette Midler has always been very at home with the whole Las Vegas small orchestral jazz/early rock and roll style profligated by the likes of Louis Prima, Bobby Darin and Sinatra; this is aptly reflected on Jackpot: The Best Bette. In The Mood shows Midler in her comfort zone with a first class jazz arrangement. As with every song Midler places her own personal stamp on this rendition with a campy, sassy flair. This Ole House is a little different than what you might normally expect from Midler. It’s one of those seminal songs from country music that seems to work well in any era and in a multitude of styles. Midler’s rendition is faithful and melancholy and full of life.

Midler has fun camping it up on The Rolling Stones’ Beast Of Burden. Here we see the wanton side of Midler’s schtick, channeling her inner Janis Joplin. The Rose is Bette Midler’s signature song and accounts for one of her four Grammy Awards. The song is as beautiful and poignant as it was 20 years ago. The same goes for The Wind Beneath My Wings. There are certain songs that once they’ve been done covering them is a pointless exercise. Midler owns these two songs in ways no one else ever can. Other highlights include The Glory Of Love (the jazz standard, not the Chicago song),Hello In There, From A Distance and her Andrews Sisters inspired take on Boogie Woogie Bugle-Boy.

The music business doesn’t encourage performers like Bette Midler anymore. Midler cut her performance teeth the old fashioned way. She worked her tail off from the ground up, along the way developing performance skills that stand up alongside her incredibly talented voice. There has never been many in music, movies or television who could match Midler’s talent and versatility, but she may be the last of the great show people. Folks like Audra McDonald, Taye Diggs, John Lithgow and Tim Curry can play to the same crowds. Each has shown the ability to own a crowd in a performance as Midler does, but there’s no one in showbiz who can do it night in and night out like Bette Midler. If you’re a new acquaintance, Jackpot: The Best Bette is a great chance to get to know The Divine Miss M. If you’re an old friend this is a great collection of memories. Either Way, Jackpot: The Best Bette is required listening for anyone who wants to learn the art of selling a song.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Bette Midler at http://www.bettemidler.com/. You can purchase a copy of Jackpot: The Best Bette at Amazon.com or wherever CDs are sold. Bette Midler is currently performing 100 shows a year at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The show debuted on February 20, 2008 and will run through 2010. If you’re head to Vegas your trip won’t be complete without tickets to this show, entitled The Show Girl Must Go On.

CD Review: Sandi Kimmel - Reach Up

Sandi Kimmel – Reach Up
2008, Sterling Heart

Sandi Kimmel is a positive thinker. A follower of the new age, self-help, positive thinking meta-philosophy called Law Of Attraction, she uses music and public speaking to lift others up. The principles of Law Of Attraction bleed heavily into her music. On her latest CD, Reach Up, Sandi continues her propagation of optimism and faith as principles for wellness and growth. For my readers information, Law Of Attraction is one of the basic principles behind The Secret, a new age philosophy based on visualization.

Reach Up opens with New Song, a post-hippie 60's folk/pop song that sounds as if it would be as at home at Falcon Ridge as it would have been at Woodstock. It's a bit hokey in its abjectly positive message but kind of charming for all of that. For Goodness Sake discusses the benefits of making movies in your mind as a positive step towards actualizing your potential. The theme appears to be the sort of positive thinking draws positive events philosophy known generally as The Secret. My Nature continues this sort of pop psychology self-help positivism.

Breathe continues with the visualization theme ("breathe in the future, breathe out the past") in a thematic concept that could almost be funny but for the fact that Kimmel appears to be trying to proselytize based on these bits of musical fake-it-til-you-make-it ideals. What is most interesting is that the music on Reach Up is good. Kimmel is an adept composer. While nothing truly outstanding rears its head here, the songs are very listenable from an instrumental perspective. Vocally, Kimmel is an acquired taste. She has a pleasant tone in her voice, but the heavy vibrato combined with a virile alto make for a slightly uncomfortable listen at times.
Women Are Weaving is an inoffensive tune that left me wondering what the underlying message was about. The premise is very clear on its face and appears to be a very inline with the 1980's concept of women getting in touch with their inner goddess. The implication is a humanistic implication that the world is shaped and structured by women, making nature, deities and the other half of the species spectators in the human process. It makes me wonder if I missed something.

Grace (Let It Flow) is another pretty composition that is drawn back by the lyrical content. It's full of cliché and overly simplistic lyrics that turn a pleasant listen into a bloated spectacle. This seems to be the tendency throughout Reach Up. Sandi Kimmel has a message she wants to get out and has chosen music as the vehicle to disseminate her ideas, but the music and the message don't seem to mix so well. It's as if the music that Kimmel writes (well) has its own ideas about what it wants to be. Sandi Kimmel is the over-involved parent who takes every step (lyrically and thematically) to make sure her children (songs) become what she intended. Because the songs aren't allowed to follow their own paths they become diminished under the burden of Kimmel's message.

I would love to hear one of two things from Sandi Kimmel: The first would be an instrumental recording. I really believe Kimmel has a talent both for composition and as a musician. The melodies and song structure on Reach Up are memorable and interesting and insinuate themselves into your brain. Vocally I am not a fan of her voice but we'll chalk that one up to personal taste. Lyrically I struggled with the album because it has the feel of a hymn book from the church of The Secret or Pop Psychology or whatever you want to call it. So the verdict is that musically this album is great, probably a 4 out of 5 Stars. Lyrically and vocally Reach Up is an uncomfortable fit. Overall, Reach Up is probably most recommended for those who adhere to pop psychology self-help mantras, Tony Robbins acolytes and Woodstock holdouts.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sandi Kimmel at http://www.sandikimmel.com/. You can purchase a copy of Reach Up at www.cdbaby.com/cd/kimmel08.

CD Review: Peter Sterling - The Sands Of Time

Peter Sterling - The Sands Of Time
2008, Harp Magic Music

Santa Monica's Peter Sterling's story about how he came to play the harp is fantastical. Meditating in Sedona, Arizona (Red Rocks), Sterling had a vision of angels with himself among them strumming a harp. A few weeks later he acquired a Celtic harp, took one lesson and began playing. To hear Sterling's account, it's as if he were born to play the harp, with music of a divine nature flowing through him. Many years (and 7 prior albums later), Sterling released The Sands Of Time. The Sands Of Time is a collection of mellow pop/easy-listening tunes.

Forever And A Day opens The Sands Of Time, a moderately interesting piece built on a repetitive theme. 10,000 Nights is a relaxing series of harp runs that tries to appeal to a sense of melody and structure but falls short. The Mystic And The Master displays more structure and a defined sense of growth in what is arguably the class of the album. Be sure also to check out The Distant Shore, a pretty but meandering musical concoction that is a pleasant listen but lacks substance.

Peter Sterling is decent on the harp. The compositions here are loosely split between actual composition and improvisation. The Sands Of Time is pretty, pleasant listening but lacks any real substance or consistent form to differentiate it from noodling. Sterling has been known to do a lot of good for listeners, donating thousands of CDs to folks undergoing chemotherapy or recovering from other illnesses. For the general listening public, however, The Sands Of Time may leave a lot to be desired.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Peter Sterling at www.myspace.com/harpmagic or http://www.harpmagic.com/, where you can purchase a copy of The Sands Of Time.

CD Review: Pee-Pee - Castile Jackine Is Vooded At Broonus Mousin: Volume 1

Pee-Pee - Castile Jackine Is Vooded At Broonus Mousin: Volume 1
2008, Helmet Room Recordings

I bet you never thought you'd put Pee-Pee in your CD player. This Denver folk band/orchestra has made a name for themselves by combining well-written folk/pop songs with delirious orchestral improvisations offering everything from guitar and horns to Theremins and saws. Pee-Pee's full length debut CD, Castile Jacknine Is Vooded At Broonius Mousin: Volume 1 sounds like something of Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, but the music is very much down home folk/pop stuff.

Jaroline opens the set with a folksy guitar-based ballad. The ballad grows into an urgent percussive crescendo as the narrator's ideas diminish into declining scales of time. The song resets and grows once again into a promise to be true to a love who is going away. Madness Song (remix) is a lo-fi descent into logical and lyrical dissonance. Musically interesting but verging on the edge of chaos, Madness Song descends into a muddied spectacle that never quite loses control but never really asserts it either.

Love Needs A Quivering, Restless, Aching Fire To Lay It's Head On is perhaps the most intriguing song on the album. There is a real pop sensibility here in this mostly acoustic and staccato rhythm creation. The chorus alone is so memorable you'll carry the song with you for days (if you can remember all the words). Freakout Jam is ten minutes (on the dot) of schizophonic joy where chaos and order eclipse one another at a moment's notice, and at times find eddies of vaguely coherent co-existence. The Pee-Pee Song is a glorious conglomeration of alt-country structure, CSNY harmonies, frenetic playing and absurdism. The song is resplendent with an energy and joy that is sadly lacking from a lot of popular music.

I Love U 2 Much is a driving folk-funk number in an arrangement that is to die for. This song has real commercial potential. With a slightly different arrangement I Love U 2 Much could chart. O, Little Boy closes out the set on a seven minute journey that calls to mind Spoon playing with Kevin Hearn. The verdict is that Pee-Pee is nuts; Wonderfully, lyrically, melodically bonkers. On top of that they're first rate musicians. You can't listen to Pee-Pee without being moved. Castile Jackine Is Vooded At Broonus Mousin: Volume 1 is lo-fi but swims with its own distinct life. Pee-Pee is an experience. You have no idea what you're in for.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Pee-Pee at www.myspace.com/peepeeband. Castile Jackine Is Vooded At Broonus Mousin: Volume 1 will be released on November 11, 2008, with Volume 2 to follow. Check http://www.helmetroom.com/ or the band's site for availability.

CD Review: The People's Party - We Am One

The People's Party - We Am One
2008, People's Party Productions

Massachusetts native Curtis James is the prime mover behind The People's Party. The Venice Beach, California band mixes rock, jazz, hip-hop and whatever else amuses them into a musical patois dubbed hippie-hop. The People's Party travel around the country in a truck that becomes a concert stage at the push of a button, allowing for the sort of impromptu concert/parties that really endear a band to a crowd. Add to all of this the band's progressive ideals and positive humanistic and you have the sort of musical experience people wait in line for. With 2008's We Am One, The People's Party hope to reach out to the world and inspire social change based in mutual respect and tolerance, all while having a great party.

We Am One opens with Sunrise, a neo-jazz/funk concoction that is lyrically repetitive to the point of being bothersome, but musically is very well done. The song musically reminds me of the sort of material Sting was making late in his "jazz phase". Chloe is an example of what Sublime might sound like if they rooted themselves in Jazz rather than Reggae. It's a very entertaining piece that is part Jazz/Ska hybrid and part cabaret. Bass guitar fans will be thrilled with Black Widow, a talk-sing piece of hip-hop that relies on bass guitar, drums and saxophone for its musical bed. Get your dancing shoes on for this one.

The eclectic (and mostly acoustic) We Am One is not only the title track but also the standout track on the album. It’s catchy and irresistible. Also be sure to check out Divinity, which has some of the best harmonies you'll hear on a pop record in 2008 before breaking into a mellow talk/sing rap tune. Other highlights include My Friend, Tell Me, Now, What We Do and Fade Away.

The Party's People succeed in getting their positive message out to an audience. Mixing varying musical styles into a brand that is all their own, The People's Party have something for everyone. We Am One is a purely entertaining musical experience. Several melodies here will vie for your head space once you're done with the album. We Am One gets a strong recommendation from Wildy's World. The People's Party are a band to keep your eye (and ears) on.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The People's Party at http://www.thepeoplespartymusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/thepeoplesparty. You can purchase a copy of We Am One at www.cdbaby.com/cd/peoplespartymusic.com.

CD Review: Rusty Truck - Luck's Changing Lanes

Rusty Truck - Luck's Changing Lanes
2008, Rykodisc

Talk about living a charmed life. Rusty Truck singer/songwriter Mark Seliger is a world-renowned photographer. He has his own studio in Manhattan's West Village and shoots for Vanity Fair and GQ. Starting in 1992 he spent ten years as Rolling Stone's chief photographer. While there he started writing his own songs. While working with Jakob Dylan, Dylan heard some of Seilger's material. Dylan was so impressed he took Seliger under his wing and showed him the studio ropes. The eventual result was an album entitled Broken Promises that was available as a limited release. That album has been reimagined and expanded into Luck's Changing Lanes. With writing and/or playing contributions from the likes of Jakob Dylan, Lenny Kravitz, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Gillian Welch, Rob Thomas and T-Bone Burnett, Luck's Changing Lanes is a superstar effort that will draw you in note-by-note.

Luck's Changing Lanes opens with Every Time, a commercial country/pop tune that has a Hootie & The Blowfish sound to it. Cold Ground is a straightforward mellow rock tune in the tradition of CSNY, complete with the requisite harmonies. So Long Farewell is a little more in the country camp, opening with a brief string crescendo before falling away into pure country melancholy. I have a couple of favorites here, one of which is A Thousand Kisses. This is the sort of song that could own the country charts with the right push and/or placement. Expect it to be significant mix tape material and probably licensed for a soundtrack or six.

New York Fallen Angel has a reggae sound with country vocals that casts a right curve into the Americana motif. Mark Seliger certainly keeps you on your toes as a listener. My other favorite track here, and probably the best song on the album, is Malibu Canyon. The song is infectious and has potential to be a strong concert anthem. The arrangement and harmonies make this song extremely commercial, although probably not for country/pop radio. Malibu Canyon is the sort of song you'd expect to hear in TV shows, movies and perhaps even commercials. You just can't get it out of your head once you've heard it. Other highlights include Tangled In The Fence and Never Going Back.

Rusty Truck is a rare late-blooming music success story. Mark Seliger found his way into music by the back door, but that doesn't reflect a lack of talent or musicianship. Rusty Truck has real long term potential. Luck's Changing Lanes is an outstanding introduction to a band that should be with us for some time.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Rusty Truck at http://www.markseliger.com/. Luck's Changing Lanes is available at Amazon.com and most major music retailers.

CD Review: The Brilliant Mistakes - Distant Drumming

The Brilliant Mistakes - Distant Drumming
2008, Aunt Mimi's Records

New York City's The Brilliant Mistakes make music first and foremost for themselves. Their musical self-actualization has been a hit with fans for the past ten years because The Brilliant Mistakes have always chosen to be true to themselves first. The band has recorded at their own pace, toured at their own pace, taken breaks when their lives demanded, and yet has survived with a rabid if modest following. Their brand of frothy Americana is ripe with fat hooks, lush harmonies and enticing lyrics. The Brilliant Mistakes 3rd album, Distant Drumming is a fine example of music can speak to the human heart. Are you listening?

Applying Wildy's Theory, we can make some guesses about the quality of a project or band by the sort of folks who associate themselves with it. Distant Drumming was produced by Lincoln Schleifer (Levon Helm, Donald Fagen, Boz Scaggs, etc.) at his home studio - Lincoln's Log Cabin. Guests include Mike Viola (The Candy Butchers); Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon) and March Shulman (Suzanne Vega).

The Brilliant Mistakes have something special. There's an Eagles-like quality here that encompasses their smooth, gorgeous harmonies, strong melodic sense and ability to tell a story within a song. The Day I Found My Hands is an optimistic look at the world through the eyes of a child. The narrator retains that child-like outlook into adulthood. The Brilliant Mistakes found a way in three minutes and four seconds to memorialize probably the healthiest outlook a person could have in song. The song contrasts the worries of the world with distinct focus of a child who sees all of the wonder amongst the monstrous and mundane. This song is genius.

Monday Morning (Sky Above You) is a memorable melody against a pure Americana country-rock song. Monday Morning has significant commercial potential and sounds like it would play incredibly well. The Bossa Nova of Becoming displays how strong The Brilliant Mistakes are lyrically, as well. The Circle's Not Broken is a driving rock tune built on a walking bass line that will have your feet moving and your synapses firing.

Good Year For A Change may be the standout track here; A classic singer-songwriter rock tune that is reminiscent of some of Blue Rodeo's best material. The song reflects upon a relationship in decline in a most pragmatic fashion. Other highlights here include the lovely Water Falling Down, The Words, Time In The Night and Let's Pretend.

The Brilliant Mistakes are half right. Distant Drumming can't be called by any subjective or objective measure a mistake. Brilliant I'll agree with wholeheartedly. Distant Drumming is required listening. Bands like this don't come along every day.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Brilliant Mistakes at http://www.thebrilliantmistakes.com/ or www.myspace.com/brilliantmistakes. Distant Drumming will be available October 7, 2008 on Aunt Mimi’s Records. You can pre-order the CD through Amazon.com, who have the release date listed as 7/29/08 in error.

CD Review: Les Paul And Friends - A Tribute To A Legend

Les Paul And Friends - A Tribute To A Legend
2008, Immergent Records

Les Paul is a legend. There's no way around it. He still draws a full house at his standing Monday-night gig in Manhattan's theater district, and millions of kids grew up learning how to strum on his namesake electric guitar. At 93, Les Paul is America's Professor Emeritus of Rock and Roll, so it's no surprise that a tribute album would draw some of the biggest names in rock. Les Paul And Friends - A Tribute To A Legend features axemen Slash, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton, Slash, Jeff Golub, Richie Sambora and, of course, Les Paul. Also along for the show are vocalists Joan Osborne, Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Edgar Winter, Johnny Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls) and Lisa Fischer.

A Tribute To A Legend opens with Joe Bonamassa on The Good Luck You're Having, a rockabilly blues tune that will have you moving from the opening bar. Hiram Bullock’s The Walls Came Tumbling Down is a mix of blues and early rock and roll that will stick in your head for days. Johnny Rzeznik covers U2's All I Want Is You in an amazingly reverential version. I am not 100% sure why this is on a Les Paul tribute album, but it's a worthy cover. Les Paul chips in on 69 Freedom Special, built on a cantankerous blues riff with Tower Of Power style horns and some heavy funk. Other highlights include Jeff Golub’s How Long and Richie Sambora’s Great Hall Of Fame.

Les Paul is as responsible as anyone else for the start of the rock and roll era. His new brand of guitar revolutionized music in a way not seen since the birth of jazz. He was never the best guitarist of his generation (hello Chet Atkins), but he was in the upper eschelon. The fact that he's still doing it will enough at 93 to hold a regular gig in Manhattan's Theater District (on Broadway, no less) speaks volumes about his talent and longevity. The roster of artists on this tribute tells you even more about his stature in the music business. As a tribute album this is somewhat weak. It doesn't really connect to the zest or style of Les Paul in the way that I'd hoped, but it surely makes a point about Paul's greatness. Musically, A Tribute To A Legend is a strong offering with a uniquely diverse array of artists coming together on one disc. If you really want to get to know Les Paul, go find some of his old LPs and listen to what the man could do, but for a decent even collection done in his honor, A Tribute To A Legend is good enough.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Les Paul at http://www.lespaultribute.com/ or www.myspace.com/lespaultribute. You can purchase copies of Les Paul And Friends - A Tribute To A Legend at Amazon.com and at most major music retailers.

CD Review: Jo De La Rosa - Unscripted

Jo De La Rosa - Unscripted
2008, Immergent Records

Jo De La Rosa is a quintiple threat. The Lima, Peru born and Southern California raised De La Rosa is a singer, actor, dancer, photographer and model. Featured in a starring role for two seasons on Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County, Jo De La Rosa is no stranger to the pop world. She has been featured in ads or articles in Playboy, PEOPLE, US Weekly, Star, TV Guide and OK. While she finishes up filming for her latest Bravo series, "Date My Ex", Jo De La Rosa found time to release her debut CD, Unscripted, a semi-autobiographical recording about starting life over in L.A.

Jo De La Rosa can sing. This isn't an example of a TV personality doing a vanity album, but of a real singer who happens to be a TV personality. De La Rosa aims firmly for the dance market with Unscripted, a collection of bubblegum dance pop that should do very well with the MTV set. Unscripted mixes elements of hip-hop with dance pop and the occasional ballad to blend a highly commercial debut CD. The overarching theme here is the loss of a relationship and a change of scenery to start over. U Can't Control Me has a defiant tone and shows of De La Rosa's voice in no uncertain terms. The rock edge to this song makes it an ideal crossover hit and easily the song with the greatest commercial potential on Unscripted.

Look But Don't Touch is a slick Janet Jackson-like tune that will very familiar to listeners on the first listen. De La Rosa pays tribute to Michael Jackson with her cover of Rumors, which is ultimately one of the weaker tracks on Unscripted. Lah Dee Dah is pure bubblegum pop with a gibberish refrain. It's perfect mindless fodder for the dance club but doesn't speak much for the artist. Rhythm Of Your Soul is a gorgeous Latin/pop ballad that could be a real winner for De La Rosa.

Honestly is the class of the album, even if the vocals sound like they've been messed with electronically. The sad part of this is, as I've said, De La Rosa has a voice. The use of vocal effects here actually detracts from what is (or should be) an otherwise intensely beautiful pop ballad. Also notable is A Little Inspiration, which is just De La Rosa and the piano. This is De La Rosa at her finest, although once again producers chose to make the vocals about effects rather than the voice.

Jo De La Rosa has delivered a good album in Unscripted. If it weren't for her producer she may have delivered a great album. This is one of those instances where too much production and messing with the sound actually detract from the finished product. De La Rosa will be with us in one form another for some time due to her multitude of talents, but I have to think she's been undercut by the guy behind the board on this one. Still worth a listen, but not what it could have been.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jo De La Rosa at http://www.jodelarosamusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/jodelarosa. You can purchase a copy of Unscripted at Amazon.com. De La Rosa is also a spokesperson for the Make A Wish Foundation, where she has recorded a series of PSAs in both English and Spanish.

CD Review: Damage - Truth And Consequence

Damage - Truth And Consequence
2007, Atomic Theory Publishing

Orange County, California has been the launching ground of a number of significant rock and roll acts. Arists such as No Doubt, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold and Saosin have all started out from The OC. The region continues to be an incredibly competitive and productive market for rock acts, and the next big thing is on the horizon: Damage stands at the crossroads where rock, alternative and heavy metal converge. The electric alchemy the band creates is evident on their 2nd release, Truth And Consequence. I hope you have your seatbelts on.

Truth And Consequence opens with God, a highly commercial but typical rock radio tune. Built on a guitar hook vaguely reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne and heavy layering, God is something of a rock and roll cliché. Don't Wait On Me blows all of the clichés out of the water, however, rocking like nobody's business. My Point Of View continues in this vein. My Point Of View is very dark in mood and musical timbre with a memorable chorus. Damage is very reminiscent of Soundgarden here.

Another Girl is very much a pop song and could be a potential hit. Every Single Day returns to the Soundgarden style sounds with crushing guitar and an innovative bass line. Every Single Day is my pick for top track here as it has a pop sensibility woven into its seams. Other highlights include Raise The Dead, You Seeing Me and The Other Side.

Damage is the sort of heavy rock band that doesn't come along everyday. Presenting with a heavy guitar sound, Damage presents with a strong melodic sense, great harmonies, big hooks and a feel for the dramatic. Truth And Consequence is a stellar debut that should have impact at Modern Rock formats such as The Edge. Good listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Damage at http://www.damagetheband.com/ or www.myspace.com/damage. You can purchase Truth Or Consequence through the band’s MySpace page.

CD Review: Arden Kaywin - The Elephant In The Room

Arden Kaywin - The Elephant In The Room (Oct 21)
2008, PEGA Entertainment

Arden Kaywin created quite a lot of buzz with her debut album, 2006's Quarter Life Crisis, earning a nomination for the song Me With Me from The Independent Music Awards for Pop Song Of The Year. She was also featured by Napster.com and has had her albums rated on critics pick lists with artists like The Dave Matthews Band and Coldplay. Kaywin is a classically trained musician (Oberlin Conservatory, Manhattan School Of Music) who blends together varying musical styles as easily as falling off a log. Her work has been featured on several television shows and she has even composed the theme for The Discovery Channel's Deliver Me. On October 21, 2008, Arden Kaywin releases her 2nd album, The Elephant In The Room. Don't say I didn't warn you, this one is going to be everywhere.

The Elephant In The Room opens with Let It Go, a wonderfully staccato pop tune that feature's Kaywin's fine vocals to full effect. Lights Out is an evocative turning of the tables on a voyeur that becomes as much of a turn on for the watched as for the watcher. The strident strumming and urgent vocals give this song an edge that belies Kaywin's good girl voice. Lights Out is a masterful pop song with significant commercial potential. So Beautiful is a pretty ballad with a layered chorus and a melancholy disposition.

Galileo is another great pop song, much more gentle than Lights Out. Galileo is cosmic thank you to all of the great minds whose ideas have helped make modern life so much easier. It's a classy pop song with a great melody that you won't be able to shake. Other highlights include Girl In A Man's World, Sleepwalking, The Way That I Am and the exquisite title track. The Elephant In The Room is wrapped in so much internal tension and angst that the song literally jumps out the speakers into your consciousness. While not the sort of song you'd expect to hear on the charts, this is the finest piece of writing on the album.

Arden Kaywin is charming and endearing throughout The Elephant In The Room. She has a pretty voice with just enough edge to make it interesting. Kaywin's songwriting is very strong and her sound is consistent. The Elephant In The Room is a strong release in the Lisa Loeb/Michelle Branch vein that should bring commercial success but also set the table for long term success. The title track is revelatory and may well be a sign of what's to come. Definitely worth a listen.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Arden Kaywin at http://www.ardenkaywin.com/ or www.myspace.com/ardenkaywin. The Elephant In The Room will be available October 21, 2008. You can pre-order a copy through Kaywin’s site as well as through Amazon.com.

Music Review: The Westminsters - The Westminsters EP

The Westminsters - The Westminsters EP
2008, Lumpy Records

The Westminsters is comprised of Martin MacDonald and anyone he happens to pull into a recording session. This Brisbane, Australia musician recorded The Westminsters EP in six days in his bedroom using ProTools and pure chutzpah. The result is a gorgeously melancholy EP that is both inspiring and smooth. The fact that it is available for free download through the band’s website is an added bonus.

Lush, lush, lush. That is the primary word that comes to mind when thinking about The Westminsters and their self-titled EP. The Westminsters offer up a brand of melancholy acoustic rock that reminds me of Jason Plumb and The Waltons. A Vest & Hat is a gorgeous musical painting in the fine brush strokes of guitar and filled out to orchestral proportions. The harmonies here will wrap you up like sunshine breaking through the clouds or the voices of angels upon a revelation. For Your Seasons has a pleasant melody that is intrinsically familiar at once. The song opens with guitar voice and the occasional accoutrement of a rinky-tink piano. For Your Seasons breaks unexpectedly 55 seconds in and returns morphed into a full band sound that is both faithful to and expansive of the opening.

How Quickly Does Your Smile Fade Away is perhaps my favorite song here (although my choice for favorite keeps changing). It's here that I most associate The Westminsters with The Waltons. The lyrics are intelligent and musical with that certain touch of melancholy that lifts them up into rarified territory. The musical arrangement as across the rest of The Westminsters EP is sublime. The EP closes with Too Many Souls, a strident calling out of a relationship in classic Americana colors. The circular melody line on this one does get a little repetitive, but the chorus soars and the playing is wonderfully vibrant.

The Westminsters come out of nowhere with four songs that firmly place their feet on the Americana map. The Westminsters EP is one of the more pleasant surprises of 2008. Hopefully we'll be hearing more from them soon.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Westminsters at http://www.thewestminsters.com/, where you can download The Westminsters EP for free (including liner notes). Be sure to check out their other 2008 EP, Some Reasonable Fiction on iTunes.

CD Review: G. Tom Mac - Thou Shalt Not Fall

G Tom Mac - Thou Shalt Not Fall
2008, Edge Artists

Best known for his song Cry Little Sister, the theme from the 1980's cult classic The Lost Boys, G Tom Mac has never stopped making music. Cry Little Sister was revived and recut for the remake of Lost Boys, and G Tom Mac shows that he's never stopped writing/recording his brand of wonderfully quirky guitar rock. Born with the relatively mundane name of Gerald McMann, G Tom Mac is the synonymous name for singer/songwriter McMann and his band. Coinciding with the release of Lost Boys: The Tribe, 2008 sees the release Thou Shalt Not Fall, perhaps the best work from G. Tom Mac to date.

Box Of Fantasy is an angular delight that has an other-worldly quality to it. You could probably have great philosophical debates about just which musical category it belongs in. G Tom Mac has more than just guitar up his sleeve though. Check Out the 2008 Cave Club Video Mix of Cry Little Sister, which sounds like it might have been reworked by Trent Reznor. The Conversation has a bouncy piano base that is an apt contrast to G Tom Mac's melancholy love song.

Most of the time G Tom Mac is fulfilling his eighties rock legacy. Songs like Wish You Well, You Are and All The Rage would have been thoroughly at home in the early days of MTV. Perhaps the most intriguing track on Thou Shalt Not Fall is Under Your Skin, which opens with a grand pipe organ in major chords and evolves into a raucous jangly guitar rock gem. Thou Shalt Not Fall closes out with the original recording of Cry Little Sister: a bit of musical memorabilia to remind the listener for all that has come in between, G Tom Mac is still true to himself.

Thou Shalt Not Fall is a recording of opportunity for both G Tom Mac and the listening public. For G Tom Mac its a platform to re-establish himself in the music marketplace after a period of relative obscurity. For the consumers of that same marketplace it's an opportunity to get (re-)acquainted with a talented songwriter with a quirky nature and an irrepressible ability to find that perfect hook. Thou Shalt Not Fall may not be a classic album, but it's certainly a memorable one. G Tom Mac is back.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about G Tom Mac at http://www.gtommac.com/. You can purchase Thou Shalt Not Fall at Amazon.com or at most major music retailers.

CD Review: The Monochrome Cherubs - Blisterene

The Monochrome Cherubs - Blisterene
2008, El Diablo Records

New York City's The Monochrome Cherubs could probably play six degrees of separation with almost anyone in the music business. Vocalist/guitarist Tim Lacy has a professional resume that includes performance as well as audio engineering and production. He's worked with acts such as Radiohead, INXS, Carly Simon, Lou Reed, Yoko Ono and Savatage. Drummer Mike Sciottos has played with Jefferson Starship, Marty Balin and Commander Cody, among others. Lead guitarist Nick Moroch has played with the likes of David Sanborn, Vanessa Williams, David Bowie and Jessica Simpson. Colin Almquist has seen action with Jake, Lynch, Spin Cycle Lava and Voodelic. Recording in New Paltz, NY, The Monochrome Cherubs have spun off a top-notch DIY recording in Blisterene.

The opening and title track, Blisterene sounds like Kim Mitchell's Rock and Roll Duty. In many ways the Monochrome Cherubs are you classic hair band. If you took Kim Mitchell, Poison and Extreme and mixed them all up you'd have a band that sounds like The Monochrome Cherubs. Rip-Off is pure 1970's rock with big guitar solos, big choruses and big harmonies. Vocalist Tim Lacy comes across as very soulful here. Shakedown is a big classic rock anthem that would sound right at home on 1980's AOR stations alongside bands like Triumph, Styx and Journey.

The Monochrome Cherubs show off their more polished side on Don't Blame Me. This is arguably the most commercial sounding track on the album. Ordinary People is also a standout track. The Cherubs strip everything down to the base for this one and show off some real chops that sometimes get lost in all of the big guitar sound.

The Monochrome Cherubs might just be twenty years too late to be fully appreciated. They are a solid rock band that would have been right at home playing with the Ratts, Warrants, Van Halens and Cinderellas on the 1980s. As it is, they stand out for being old school. In a time when modern rock is filled with 1970's and 1980's musical apologists who use retro influences to fuel their modern sounds, The Monochrome Cherubs are the real thing. The Monochrome Cherubs are a throwback. Blisterene most definitely is not.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Monochrome Cherubs at www.myspace.com/monochromecherubs. You can purchase a copy of Blisterene at www.cdbaby.com/cd/monochrome3.

CD Review: Big Quan - Make U Smile EP

Big Quan – Make U Smile EP
2008, Big Quan

From Brooklyn to Utica, NY, and from Montego Bay to LA, Laquan Johnson (AKA Big Quan) has had his eyes on the prize. Big Quan has been rhyming now for eight years, and has more to his style and substance than your typical gangsta rapper. As I write Big Quan is in the process of wrapping up his debut album, but Make U Smile is already generating significant spins on college radio. Having already been a runner-up in the February 2008 round for VH-1’s Song Of The Year, and a quarter finalist in the 2008 Fight Klub – FK Anthem Contest, Big Quan is generating a lot of buzz in the music industry. He may just be the next big thing.

Big Quan is poised to turn the worlds of hip-hop and rap on their collective heads. With intelligent rhymes that are crisp and sincere, Big Quan stands to lead rap into a new generation of fans. Big Quan is infectious; it's very clear he's in this for all the right reasons. Big Quan is having fun making music, and hailing from Utica, NY he might be one of the first artisans of rural rap. Make U Smile is a collective shout out to his family and friends. It's peppy and positive but is not shy in language or tenor. Big In Da Club is very danceable and is probably destined to be self-fulfilling. Chain Shinin' has a nasty bass groove and probably will win an award for best use of the word cauliflower in a rap song. Again, Big Quan is literate and thoughtful covering material that many have rhymed with much less elegance. Always On My Mind uses rhythms and samples to create a sugary hip-pop confection to support Big Quan's rhymes, which constitute a love song in metered words.

Make U Smile is a plus effort and a great introduction to Big Quan. There are easily two (and possibly three) songs here that have significant commercial potential. Always On My Mind is the bubble song here, only because the supporting vocals sound like something Ross Bagdasarian might have recorded. A different vocalist on those supporting vocals and this song joins Make U Smile and Big In Da Club as potential hits. I suspect that Big Quan is going to be a monster. A year from now everyone will know his name. For now, readers, you are some of the few, the initiated. If rap is your thing, catch on to Big Quan now.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Big Quan at www.myspace.com/bigquanceolafent. Contact Big Quan through his MySpace page for purchase information for Make U Smile or other singles.

CD Review: Alu - Lobotomy Sessions

Alu - Lobotomy Sessions
2008, Alumusic

Alu may well be the most enigmatic performer in popular music. Stylistically similar to Canada's Sarah Slean, Alu is like Tori Amos without filters. Alu constructs gorgeous gothic cabaret/rock creations that are woven together by the beautiful silver and golden threads of her voice. Alu has developed a small but highly devoted following with her debut album, Infomercial Gasmask and has had songs featured in the movies Juncture and Clive Barkers The Midnight Meat Train. 2008 sees the release of Alu's 2nd album, Lobotomy Sessions. It has been a long time since an album so beautifully twisted and unique has hit the popular music scene.

Lobotomy Sessions opens with Buzzin' In My Brain, an ethereal bit of musical psychosis that is as intriguing as it is disturbing. Alu fills every note with a dark gothic charm that barely hides the wonderful madness that drives her. Casket Salesman portrays a morbidly colored relationship that is an apt parallel for willing suffocation. Circus Cosmos is Alu's ethereally expansive madness at its best and brightest; A haunting funhouse waltz in grayscale that stands in stark contrast to the lurid colors in Alu's tremulous alto.

Recluse opens with a sitar and Bedouin rhythms that meld into a gorgeous orchestral arrangement. The lost narrator in this tune is trapped within her own inner walls with no way out. The plaintive wails of her soul are the lyrics and melody set within a neo-baroque cocoon. Alu turns 180 degrees for The Metrosexuals, a jaunty cabaret piece that Nellie McKay would be proud of. Other highlights here include Black Cloud, Aahhh, and the devastatingly personal and beautiful Amy. The stilted orchestra in Martian Rendezvous is worth hearing, and Luna is a startlingly beautiful orchestral movement with lyrics.

Alu is one of a kind, combining Sarah Slean's penchant for dark, European influenced gothic themes and genius with the out of this world musical leanings of a Tori Amos. Lobotomy Sessions will be a little out in left field for some readers, but if you can suspend disbelief for just a few minutes you'll forget what a strange new world Alu offers in awe of its utter and haunting beauty. I guarantee you haven't experienced anything quite like this. A Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc it is. That's an understatement.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alu at http://www.alumusic.com/ or www.myspace.com/alu. You can purchase a copy of Lobotomy Sessions at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alu2.

CD Review: Tami Briggs - The Healing Journey

Tami Briggs – The Healing Journey
2007, Musical Reflections

Tami Briggs is a national speaker, composer and recording artist. She is a pioneer in the field of harp therapy and works with such prodigious organizations as The Mayo Clinic and the American Institute Of Medical Education. Briggs focuses on compositions that aid in relaxation and healing, and holds a certification from the International Harp Therapy Program. She has authored one book and produced fourteen CDs of relaxation based music in the course of her career. Her most recent release, The Healing Journey, continues in the spirit of relaxation and healing that Ms. Briggs has brought in her prior 13 releases.

The Healing Journey opens with Inspired By Love, a mystical exploration of time and space in musical terms. It's a nearly six minute improvisational-style composition that both benefits and suffers from a lack of structure or melody. It's very serene and relaxing (which is the point, I guess) but musically unsatisfying. Ditto track two: Angelic Whispers. This song climbs and falls along the scale seemingly without a care for where it might be going or where it's been.

Soul's Longing starts out on a more promising note, seeming to loosely pursue a musical idea at the outset but falling victim to the same sort of melodic and structural disconnect noted on the first two tracks. Tami Briggs finally connects somewhat on Opening To Hope. There is a quiet, urgent longing for freedom that trickles through this song. Opening To Hope actually makes a serious attempt and remaining on the instrumental story it starts out with, and succeeds for the most part without becoming too diversionary or distracted.

Stepping Stones continues the migration to some fort of form and is actually quite a lovely composition. Incredibly reserved, it's beautiful the way sunlight off a brook is beautiful: In fleeting flashes that are both more and less than the original after the fact. Anam Cara: Soul Friend starts out as a halting progression that slowly becomes more cohesive, perhaps paralleling the early stages of a new friendship in its tenor and tone. Bright and moderately tuneful at the beginning, Anam Cara goes through fits of disorganized noodling at times but mostly keeps the form and line of the song intact.

I Know Where I'm Going is one of those new-age/easy listening songs that is written to sound purposeful and resilient and ends up sounding neither. It's a return to the nearly-unstructured beginning of The Healing Journey. Once again it's relaxing, but fails to leave an impression on the listener.

Likewise Surrounded By Angels, a throwback to the sort of disorganized melodic manipulations popular in late 1980's and early 1990's new age instrumental music. Transitions haltingly attempts melody and structure and almost finds some purchase on the latter, whereas Reflections, the closing tune, doesn't even try.

Tami Briggs came into this CD trying to create a relaxing experience based on her education and therapeutic focus. I will leave it to folks smarter than I to debate the efficacy of music therapy beyond palliation, but it is clear that she has succeeded in creating a series of relaxing aural tableaus. From a music perspective this recording is suspect. There are moments here where musical creations spring forth from her fingers, but much of the material here in artistic terms are doodles; incomplete ideas. So for relaxation purposes or meditation or perhaps even healing, The Healing Journey may be worthwhile for you. As a musical creation there's not much here to dig into

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tami Briggs at http://www.musicalreflections.com/. You can purchase a copy of The Healing Journey at www.cdbaby.com/cd/briggs14.

CD Review: Sylvia Bennett - Songs From The Heart

Sylvia Bennett - Songs From The Heart
2008, Out Of Sight Music

Sylvia Bennett doesn't need a great deal of introduction to jazz fans. She toured and recorded with Lionel Hampton for ten years beginning in the 1980's. Bennett has a loyal base of fans, and it's easy to see why. Her voice is a classic jazz voice that would fit in alongside folks like Kay Starr, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Songs From The Heart is a musical journey through some of the classic songs of the jazz era. Sitting on this record as soloists are none other than Boots Randolph, Kirk Whalum and Ed Calle.

Bennett is in fabulous voice throughout, although her energy level is sporadic on Songs From The Heart. The arrangements are gorgeous (check Since I Fell For You). I also enjoyed Embraceable You and I Still Love You. Other highlights include Someone To Watch Over Me, Ain't Misbehavin' and My Funny Valentine. The presence of legends Randolph, Whalum and Calle certainly spice up this record, but Bennett's voice dominates all other considerations. The more I listen to her the more she reminds me Keely Smith -- she has the same tone and vocal quality that I hear in the old Louis/Keely recordings.

Songs From The Heart is a fairly typical collection of standards. The interpretations are reverent and do not try to break new ground. Boots Randolph, Kirk Whalum and Ed Calle add some credibility for jazz purists, but most of them already know Bennett and her resume. This is vocal jazz at its best. Sylvia Bennett is a consummate performer and is certainly worth your attention.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sylvia Bennett at http://www.sylviabennett.com/. You can purchase a copy of Songs From The Heart at www.cdbaby.com/cd/sylviabennett.

CD Review: Strange Day - Face The Change

Strange Day – Face The Change
2008, Strange Day

Strange Day are a New York City band who are moving to L.A. but have Midwestern roots. The seeds of Strange Day lay in a band formed at Northwestern University called Evawen that included Lead vocalist/guitarist Fulgencio and drummer Scott Jones. The band split, with Fulgencio moving on to New York. Jones eventually ended up there too and the old band mates reconnected. Bassist Chris Clark came aboard thereafter and Strange Day was well on their way to developing a sound that is heavily influenced by old school metal (Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath) and newer hard rock/metal (Tool, Alice In Chains). Strange Day have added their own groove to the mix to try and create a unique sound. Their debut CD, Face The Change is a mix of dark and light. The music is heavy and full of shadows, and the lyrical outlook is optimistic.

The title track, Face The Change, is a poppy hard rock tune with a funk soul that is unmistakable. This is my personal favorite track on the disc, and it has potential to appeal to metal, modern rock and pop markets. Driven on the strong guitar hook at it's heart and Fulgencio's enigmatic vocals, Face The Change is an instantly memorable song. Coming Of The Sun is an Americana tune and is quite catchy. A Beaten Man has a dirty, curmudgeonly quality to it that is darkly intriguing.

Be sure to check out Flawed and The Sufferin' on your way to the last track, WAR. WAR has an Eric Johnson style guitar solo over a frenetic bass line. You'll be hooked into this tune. Despite the repetitive nature of this song at times the rhythmic qualities are somewhat entrancing, and the imagery is stark and intelligently drawn.

Strange Day is an interesting band. I fully did not enjoy the first three tracks here, and then something happened. It's almost as if Strange Day led with their three weakest tunes (perhaps the ones most designated as "commercial"). With those out of the way Strange Day could return to what they are, a pop/prog/metal band with artistic and perhaps even theatric intentions. This is a great band, although perhaps an acquired taste for some. Even if you don't like what Strange Day does on Face The Change you have to admit it's interesting. A very strong record that deserves to be heard.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Strange Day at www.myspace.com/strangedaynyc. I was not able to find an online site selling Face The Change either via hard copy or download. I would recommend you contact Strange Day through their MySpace page to acquire about availability.

CD Review: John Paul - Belmont Boulevard

John Paul – Belmont Boulevard
2008, John Robert Paul

John Paul is well known to fans in New England. As the leader of Black Tie Affair he’s toured the East Coast, been a regular at clubs such as Paradise, The Roxy and Middle East Downstairs, and even played CMJ. Now based in L.A., John Paul lets his confessional songwriting style speak for itself, both on CD and on stage. His second solo album, Belmont Boulevard, features some heady talent: Brad Pemberton (Ryan Adams and the Cardinals); Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Tim McGraw); Billy Mercer (Ryan Adams, Mindy Smith) and Jason Lehning (GRAMMY nomination for Best Engineer). Produced by Tom Acousti, Belmont Boulevard should open the eyes of a sleeping nation to the talent that’s been brewing in Boston.

Belmont Boulevard opens with 21, an energetic and jangly rocker with a memorable melody and great hooks. Chameleon takes on an Americana sound with quirky lyrics and an urgent energy that is infectious. Drink and Drive is a raucously bizarre song about love connections made under the influence. 45 may the most commercial rock tune on the album, with a slick sound and a catchy verse than ends in the line "don't make me kill you". Other highlights include Our Time, Come Down Girl and Sinkin' In.

John Paul brings great energy to Belmont Boulevard. He has great songwriting skills and has an enigmatic sound. Vocally the flaws that are present seem to provide a unique sound on the more upbeat tunes, but slow songs leave these flaws very exposed. Consequently I really didn't enjoy the slower songs here as much as the more rock oriented material. John Paul does have an affinity for great hooks and musical composition and will build a solid fan base. Belmont Boulevard is a good record with a couple of weak moments. Definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about John Paul at http://www.johnpaulsmusic.com/ or at www.myspace.com/thejohnpaul. You can purchase a copy of Belmont Boulevard at www.cdbaby.com/cd/pauljohn2.

CD Review: Yarn - Empty Pockets

Yarn - Empty Pockets
2008, Blake Christiana

Brooklyn may be the true musical melting pot of American culture. You can find literally any style of music you could possibly want there. A majority of the musicians you see playing in Manhattan throughout the week are slogging down the D or F lines back home to Brooklyn after their shows as it is. Yarn is a product of Brooklyn's melting pot. Purveyors of some of the most reverent country/folk story songs you're likely to hear, Yarn has attained a level of musical alchemy where their songs become metaphysical experiences you live through. On their 2nd album, Empty Pockets, Yarn offers up 15 examples of golden Americana songs.

One way to identify a band that has something special is to take a look at the sort of people that are willing to be associated with their records. If you see a single name artist sitting in an up-and-coming band it may mean they are really good or it may just mean they share an agent/publicist/friend/family member who called in a favor. When you start to see multiple guests with names you recognize it's a sure sign that something is cooking on that 1.5 mm thick piece of plastic. Empty Pockets features Caitlin Cary (Tres Chicas, Whiskeytown); Edie Brickell (The New Bohemians, Mrs. Paul Simon); Tony Trischka (banjo god) and Casey Driessen (The Sparrow Quartet).

Empty Pockets opens with Can't Slow Down, a song about how the drive for excess can become all consuming. Yarn plays with exquisite energy and heart throughout, and Can't Slow Down is a perfect introduction. Blake Christiana has a folksy voice that is tough yet tuneful and a very comfortable listen, and Andrew Hendryx is one of the meanest mandolin players this side of Nashville. Trevor MacArthur, Rick Bugel and Jay Frederick round out one of the tightest and more vibrant bands I've heard in some time.

The title track, Empty Pockets is a classic country story song, like something you might have heard from the late Rick Nelson. The song examines love gone bad, and shows some of the lyrical touch that Yarn displays throughout: "I'm two sheets to the wind and I'm callin' on the bar again". Other highlights include More; I'm Down (featuring Edie Brickell in a duet); Christopher Street (which perfectly captures the mood of the street of the same name in lower Manhattan); I've Already Won; You Don't Love Me Anymore and Roadhouse.

I want to bring special attention to the song Lies I've Told. This may be one of the most well-written songs I've come across. It's a lyrical masterpiece and the musical setting is amazing. Christiana is in perfect voice here. This is a song for the Great American Songbook and I would predict it's the sort of song that other artists (big name artists) are going to want to cover. Lies I've Told is a musical crescendo that rises above what was already an outstanding album.

Yarn is something special. They're not flashy, but they make honest music with a singular beauty. Yarn has a talent for lyrics that are nearly conversational, like a great story teller who tells you a story by involving you in it. The band is incredibly talented and professional, and a little bit inspired. Empty Pockets is going to chart somewhere, and don't be entirely surprised if one or two of these songs break through into the mainstream country market. For Yarn it's not a matter of if, but when. Empty Pockets is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc and a must have for any music fan.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Yarn at http://www.yarnmusic.net/ or www.myspace.com/brooklynyarn. You can purchase a copy of Empty Pockets at www.cdbaby.com/cd/yarn2.

CD Review: Sabrina Shaheen - Love Is...

Sabrina Shaheen – Love Is…
2007, SAM Records

Sabrina Shaheen hails from Lake Orion, Michigan, and has already conquered the state of Michigan. Her debut album, Love Is… is making waves, with a single climbing the FMQB charts and a release now in Australia. Shaheen is a classically trained pianist who can easily migrate from jazz to pop and back. She has a gorgeous voice with a dark vocal quality that is reminiscent of Madonna. Love Is… is cornucopia of styles, and Shaheen’s voice adds more gravity and sensuality to it than your typical ear candy.

Love Is... starts out with Show Me, an urgent last plea to save a relationship where the narrator realizes she's been taken for granted. Show Me is a pop song by virtue of the arrangement, including electronic drums and synth, but if you listen closely you can hear the ghosts of a pedal steel and violin in there somewhere. This is a heart-breaking country ballad dressed up for the city. It's a great tune, but could cross genres as easy as changing clothes. By Myself is a Celine Dion style ballad that has been turned into a dance tune. I like the song but really didn't enjoy the arrangement. The Spanish guitar trills add a nice flavor, but this song would have been much more suited to an orchestral arrangement than the pop/disco style applied.

Look Into My Eyes has a stark, ethereal quality and is written in a Middle-Eastern Hejaz scale. The end result is a dark and haunting melody that will stick in the back of your mind long after the CD has stopped playing. Other tracks that were notable or enjoyable include Save A Smile For Me; Moving On (a heavy guitar rock sound mixed with synth); Foolish Pride; Running Away (think Evanescence) and My Love (Potential hit love song).

Shaheen saves the best for last, however. Veiled is a haunting recollection of the ghost of a relationship past and the wrongs done to the narrator. On this song you get the full aural picture of Sabrina Shaheen's potential. Here is a singer who could mix it up in hard rock, pop, country, jazz or even Broadway. I don't think there is anything she's not able to sing. Her dark and evanescent alto can sound very much like Madonna, but exceeds Madge in range and vocal quality several times over.

Love Is... establishes Sabrina Shaheen as a presence and as an artist to follow. To say that her career arc has the potential to be in the Madonna/Celine Dion/Sarah McLachlan range is not inconsistent with reality. It all depends on breaks and hard work, but Shaheen displays a musical flexibility, a singing talent and a songwriting talent that would allow her to ascend such heights. Love Is... is a fabulous debut. The musical variety here means most everyone can find something to like. And once you get a listen to her voice, you'll gladly listen to anything she wants to sing.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sabrina Shaheen at http://www.sabrinashaheen.com/ or www.myspace.com/sabrinashaheen. You can purchase a copy of Love Is… at www.cdbaby.com/cd/sabrinashaheen.

CD Review: Patti Rothberg - Double Standards

Patti Rothberg - Double Standards
2008, Double On Tundra Records

If you believe the mythology of Patti Rothberg, she was discovered busking on a subway platform on New York City's Red Line. This is the reason that her debut album was entitled Between The 1 And The 9. The 9 train in Manhattan is history, as is Rothberg's association with a major label; both for the better. Patti Rothberg liberated herself from the major label yolk with 2002's Candelabra Cadabra. In the six years from then until now, Rothberg has been very active on the New York City music scene, sharing the stage with artists such as Aimee Mann, Sasha Dobson and Mike Watt. Rothberg spent that time honing the sound found on her latest release, Double Standards. Patti Rothberg has found her musical voice.

With comparisons to Patti Smyth and Bob Dylan to live up to, Rothberg shirks it all off and writes in her own voice. The song is the thing here, but the story is what drives the song. Rothberg is literate, witty and smart. Lyrics flow like water from her mouth and build aural images that are unshakable. Patti Rothberg combines this talent with music that walks the line between pop and hard rock, for an amazingly eclectic yet consumable musical diet.

I loved Alternate Universe, a peppy rock tune that thrives on irony. I am still not quite sure what it means but it's highly entertaining. Double Standards is a highly commercial sounding rock tune that should do well in alt-rock formats. After The Parade displays the mature songwriter within Rothberg; She is a lyrical artist who sketches vignettes for your musical perusal.

Pay special attention to Hard Times, perhaps the best song on the album. It's just Rothberg and her guitar for most of this song, a stark and downplayed confessional you'll find addictive. Other highlights include the punk rocker Get Away With It; The churning cover of the Pixie's Gigantic; the gorgeous Wavelength; PT Cruiser and the Rolling Stones' Sway.

Patti Rothberg has an ability to craft songs that are both meaningful and eminently enjoyable. She is one of those unusual artists who survives the major label experience to go on and become a serious and respected artist. Double Standards combines the best of Patti Rothberg's pop tendencies and her love of hard edge rock and roll. Double Standards is a great album and definitely worth picking up.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Patti Rothberg at http://www.pattirothberg.com/. You can purchase a copy of Double Standards at Amazon.com as well as at most major music retailers.

CD Review: Abiyou Solomon - In Search Of My Roots Vol. I

Abiyou Solomon – In Search Of My Roots, Vol. I
2008, AIT Records

Abiyou Solomon is something of a musical ambassador for his native Ethiopa. Born in Addis Ababa, Solomon fell in love with the guitar through the influence of his brother, and quickly gained skill enough to begin playing in a string of bands in his home country. During the early 1980’s, Solomon made the switch to bass and soon joined the Ethio Stars, later transitioning to the role of arranger and session player. In 1991 Solomon joined Abyssinia Band which had some minor commercial success in Sweden and the requisite European tour. Since moving to the United States in 1995, Solomon has become a highly sought after touring musician. In 2008, Abiyou Solomon released In Search Of My Roots, Volume I. The CD is an exploration and celebration of music from eight different tribes native to his homeland of Ethiopa.

In Search Of My Roots starts out with Munane, a jazz hybrid tune that is pleasant although repetitive. As with all the other songs here the musicianship is absolutely superb. Shegu Lelawo is a Stax horn laden funk piece with a bass line you can really groove on. A strong composition based on a memorable melody drives this song. Erikum, the third track, is the first song to have anything like a traditional sound to it (at least in the opening), but evolves into a jazzy, bossa nova hybrid quite quickly. Bogge sounds like something you might have heard on Paul Simon's Graceland, and is very poppy.

Bola Dadda is the most stark and moving song on In Search Of My Roots. The vocals here sound like a cross between Middle Eastern and Celtic in style and are quite hauntingly beautiful. The song quickly takes a modern American turn however, and that really sums up the CD. I came into this expecting to hear traditional music as the title would seem to imply, but Solomon is exploring his musical roots in his current musical language which is largely Americanized. While the results are entertaining they were disappointing based on listener expectation. Abiyou Solomon is a very talented musician and it is apparent in this recording, but In Search Of My Roots, Vol. I ultimately didn't leave a real strong impression on me either way. It's a pleasant listen, but I left without a strong feeling about it either way.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Abiyou Solomon at www.aitrecords.com/108012.html. You can purchase a copy of In Search Of My Roots, Vol. I at www.cdbaby.com/cd/abiyou.

CD Review: Shawn Maxwell - Originals II

Shawn Maxwell – Originals II
2008, Dangerous Curve Productions

Shawn Maxwell is a teacher, composer, arranger and talented multi-instrumentalist (Saxophone, Clarinet & Flute). He has performed all over the world, and is a regular on the Chicago jazz scene. His band, Matt Nelson (piano); Graham Czach (bass) and Brandon Dickert (drums) is an incredibly tight and talented outfit that has assisted Maxwell masterfully in realizing the fullness of his musical vision. On Originals II, Maxwell continues to break new ground somewhere in the space between traditional and progressive jazz.

Originals II opens with Rice, a post-modern European sounding Jazz tune featuring Maxwell on saxophone. The real star of this tune though is the piano work, which is sublime. Year Three is one of the more interesting pieces here, revolving around a meandering flute lead. This is not a high energy tune, and at over eight minutes gets bogged down at times. The bowed bass lead in the middle is something of a treat, and the pace certainly picks up in the second half. Year Three is one of those musical experiments that has highs and lows without ever full extricating itself from its limits.

My personal favorite is Working Dog, which picks up some of the flavors of 1970's era New York City jazz. Working on a pizzicato mellotron base, clarinet and trumpet compete for supremacy here. It's not as tuneful as progressive as you might hope for, and again does get a bit bogged down in its own self-contemplation, but you can see Maxwell beginning to unfurl his creative branches a bit here. My Strongbox is a very commercial offering of the sort you might hear as background on movies or TV. Leather may be the most ingenuous tune on Originals II, and shows great hope for Maxwell's composition abilities.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Shawn Maxwell at http://www.shawnmaxwell.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Originals II. You can also purchase a CD at www.cdbaby.com/cd/smaxwell2. A downloadable versions is available through iTunes as well.

CD Review: The Silentreatment - Sinful Acts Of Audio

The Silentreatment – Sinful Acts Of Audio
2008, Eschelon Records

The Silentreatment want to bring back the big sexy visuals and over-the-top energy that rock concerts emanated back in the days of glam rock. The Wilkes-Barre, PA quintet has been together since 2005, but in three short years has developed a reputation as a high energy performer with both fans and colleagues. The Silentreatment’s debut CD, Sinful Acts Of Audio, is full of songs that will make denizens of Glam Rock proud while retaining a modern edge that should appeal to today’s modern rock connoisseurs.

Sinful Acts Of Audio starts off with Pretty Little Girl. The song comes off sounding like a Glen Burtnik/Plinky creation. The song has big hooks and great guitar sound and should have great commercial potential. The Secret sounds like latter-day Aerosmith where the hard edge has been glossed over so many times it becomes smooth. Boogie re-asserts the Glen Burtnik/New Jersey sound. The Silentreatment slow things down for One Night Stand, transforming from a piano ballad opening into a gothic slow-core pop tune. Other highlights include My Darling, The Shore and the ultra-mellow Sweet Ending.

The Silentreatment are a post-modern rock band with sincere commercial intentions. The songwriting is solid and the play is above average, but there is something missing here. The Silentreatment are obviously a very talented band, but Sinful Acts Of Audio sounds like their first priority in writing this album was to be ultra-commercial. The music has a lot of energy and a lot of hooks but the heart that sounds like it wants to break loose here is severely muted. It's a good album, just not the great album they might've made.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Silentreatment at http://www.silentreatment.net/ or www.myspace.com/thesilentreatment. You can purchase a copy of Sinful Acts Of Audio at www.cdbaby.com/cd/silentreatment.

CD Review: Autumn - Velvet Sky

Autumn – Velvet Sky
2008, Bull Creek Productions

Oklahoma native and current Austin, TX resident Autumn Boukadakis has a rare combination of personality, drive and talent. She is a consummate songwriter and performer, displaying the same sort of quiet grace displayed by folks such as Shawn Colvin and Sarah McLachlan. Autumn writes mostly in the Americana/country vein, but she is the sort of talent who could cross genres with great ease. The former sidekick from the JB And Sandy Morning Show on 94.7 KAMX in Austin, TX has built quite a following within the Lonestar State and is ready to spread her wings on the national scene. Autumn’s second album, Velvet Sky, was released on October 7, 2008 and it is a thing of wonder.

Opening with Rain Down, Autumn sounds like a cross between Bonnie Raitt and Natalie Merchant. Her clear, homey alto is comforting to hear, like listening to an old friend. Autumn portrays a sense of urgent movement throughout Velvet Sky without coming across as forced or volatile. The closest comparison I can offer is watching a horse racing in all of its discipline and grace but sensing the wild beating heart that drives the animal. Autumn has that not-quite-wild but not-yet-tame quality that shines through. She is at the forefront of a new generation of Americana artists who grew up with Americana and are pushing the boundaries of that genre.

Trees is a soulful ballad, reminiscent of Raitt. This is a commercial tune, but really only an appetizer for We Made The Spirits Move, which may be destined to be a classic song. I would expect that We Made The Spirits Move could be licensed for multiple projects in the coming years. It's a retrospective of love and how it came to be, and has significant growth potential both in the country and pop realms. (Let's just say if Shania Twain or Faith Hill or someone of that ilk ever covered this song we'd be talking about the number of months it spent in the top ten, not weeks).

Trains I Never Missed is about the chances we miss and the doors those missed chances open. It's soulful and intelligently written and full of a shaded vibrancy you have to hear to believe. Other highlights include Higher, Velvet Sky, Sunny and Lessons Never Learned.

Autumn is a name to remember. It's her season in more ways than one. Velvet Sky is the second album of her career, and I predict that's of many more to come. Autumn is the sort of artist who may never attain the status of superstar, but I suspect she'll build the sort of core following with time that will keep her exploring her muse for the rest of her life. Velvet Sky is a masterful album that explores the still waters of Autumn's musical vision. And oh those waters run deep.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Autumn at http://www.autumnonline.com/ or www.myspace.com/autumnonline. You can purchase a copy of Velvet Sky at www.cdbaby.com/cd/autumnsongs2.

CD Review: Pnuma Trio - Character

Pnuma Trio - Character
2008, 1320 Records

Memphis, Tennessee’s Ben Hazelgrove, Alex Botwin and Lane Shaw have had quite the ride. Exploding onto the scene with keyboard heavy new-groove electronica in 2004, Pnuma Trio have undergone a musical transformation. Gone are the protracted keyboard/synth monologues, replaced by a more introspective and straining at the boundaries sound. The tide has turned from meandering thoughts to perseveration. Pnuma's debut album, Character, is an exercise in this intense and moody dark electronica, and there are gems to be found in the dark.

Dab is the standout track here, with a wonderfully moody and pensive aspect. The spiraling keyboard effects seem to imply the moments and ideas that spiral into and out of consciousness under cover of night. I also enjoyed the post-electro geek-cum-disco feel of Avid. Prefresh is another highlight, with an esoteric and hyperactive keyboard melody that toys with the high hat and electric drums throughout. Other highlights include Misery Loves Company and Everynight.

Pnuma Trio traipses across the electronic landscape with hip-hop in their ears. The hybrid of influences here makes for a unique and interesting listen. Character is aptly named. The challenge going forth will be to live up to the standard Pnuma Trio has set here.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Pnuma Trio at http://www.pnumatrio.com/. You can purchase a digital copy of Character through 1320 Records. No word yet on domestic hard-copy CD sales. The only CD version I was able to find of Character is a Japanese pressing through Amazon.com.

CD Review: Tina Turner - Tina!

Tina Turner – Tina!
2008, Capitol Records

On September 30, 2008, Capitol Records released Tina!, a retrospective covering the highs of Tina Turner’s career. Bundled into the collection are two new tracks that have not appeared elsewhere. What do you say about a Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer and eight-time Grammy winner? Tina Turner has shown through quality and longevity what it means to be a superstar. The Queen Of Rock & Roll is touring between now and April of 2009. Tina! is either a great reminder of her hall-of-fame career, or an apt introduction to one of the ultimate Divas.

Tina Turner really requires no introduction. Anyone who has heard their ears attuned to the world of popular music in the last thirty years has seen or heard a great deal of her. Tina! is a retrospective of a career that grew out of a dysfunctional pairing (with husband Ike). Ike & Tina Turner were a popular duo, but once Tina Turner loosed the shackles of that doomed union her star really began to soar. Tina! has all of the watermarks of her storied career. Her biggest hit, What’s Love Got To Do With It is here, along with eighties classics Private Dancer, Better Be Good To Me and We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome). Tina! also pays homage to Turner’s early days with tracks such as River Deep Mountain High, Proud Mary and Nutbush City Limits. Two new tracks, It Would Be A Crime and I’m Ready, are also included on the collection.

It Would Be A Crime finds Turner in outstanding voice, although she sounds a bit out of place here. The song has very modern production standards that seem to belie the gritty, soulful personae that Turner has cultivated over the years. I’m Ready is more of a straightforward rock tune. We’ve heard Turner in songs such as this over the years and it is a comfortable fit although not anything earth shattering. And compared to the catalog that Tina Turner has developed over the years its not surprising that new tunes may not compare to the old stuff for long time fans.

Tina! is an apt collection from one of the true legends of Rock & Roll. Sixteen tracks of classic fare and two new tunes for the hardcore fans should serve as ample fodder to fuel ticket sales for her tour. This collection is the consummate introduction to Tina Turner for new fans.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tina Turner at http://www.tinaturnerlive.com/. You can purchase a copy of Tina! at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold.

CD Review: The Real Stormin' Norman - Every One Tells A Story

The Real Stormin' Norman - Every One Tells A Story
2006, Abaraki Records

Norman Zamcheck, The Real Stormin’ Norman, has a background that might surprise you. As part of Stormin’ Norman and Suzy, he dominated clubs in both Boston and New York City, and built enough of a following through touring to land a major record deal. After the band’s dissolution, Stormin’ Norman became a teacher and administrator at some of the toughest inner city schools New York has to offer. He takes his inspiration from the likes of Otis Spann and Mose Allison, and has hundreds of songs in his musical library. The Real Stormin’ Norman’s most recent release, Every One Tells A Story is a return to his musical way of life and the road. It’s a journey you might want to tap into.

Stormin' Norman would appear to have grown up on a steady diet of 1970's and 1980's songwriters. He seems to prefer rock with a bit of blues thrown in, and manages to write songs that don't sound entirely unlike material you might hear from Billy Joel or Randy Newman at times. At The Wastrel Bar is pure Billy Joel, ala The Stranger. Love Everlasting is a well-written love song with sociological references. Norman shows his penchant for bizarre lyrical content on Ghosts, which harkens back to the mildly diffuse days of acid rock.

There are two absolute highlights on the CD. The first is Flora And Fred. This song also has a Billy Joel feel to it and could be described as Norman's Scenes From An Italian Restaurant with a bit of Paul Simon's Darling Lorraine thrown in for good measure. The other highly notable track here is Purple Shadows; a beautiful piano ballad that explores aging and loss, and how all you have can be whittled away without a thought.

The Real Stormin' Norman is an eccentric figure. He's vocally awkward in the Randy Newman sense but without that Louisiana charm. Nevertheless he comes across as inherently real and has a talent for telling a story set to music. Every One Tells A Story is a strong CD with a couple of great moments. Norman's awkwardness on vocals does distract from time to time, but in some ways only serves to verify the reality of the artist.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Real Stormin’ Norman at http://www.zamcheck.com/. You can purchase a copy of Every One Tells A Story at www.cdbaby.com/cd/storminnorman.

CD Review: Nathan Singleton And His Sideshow Tragedy - Itinerant Youth

Nathan Singleton & His Sideshow Tragedy - Itinerant Youth
2008, Nondescript Records

Do you remember the MTV ad back in 1983 or 1984 of the kid sitting in a big chair with sunglasses on? He's looking at the TV, his hair is blowing back in a wind that is coming from the TV and he looks like he's going to be blown away. You want to feel that? You want that sudden sensation of being overwhelmed in a musical experience? Nathan Singleton & His Sideshow Tragedy have just the medicine you need. Itinerant Youth, the band's second album came out in the summer of 2008. Are you ready?

Itinerant Youth has the urgency and lyrical smarts of a Bob Dylan or Ron Hawkins record, and vacillates from folky blues rock to urgent, breakneck story songs. Singleton has a talent for sharp, witty lyrics that are literate and poetic. Musically speaking Itinerant Youth is full of vibrant songs that take on lives of their own. Singleton & band have managed to capture a live-feeling sound on CD to top off well-crafted songs and outstanding musicianship.

My favorite track here is Pascal's Wager, a condemnation of the sort of false salvation and narrow-minded understanding that humanity sometimes imposes on religion. The song is intelligently written, incredibly musical and performed with an edge that is compelling. Singleton uses his raspy rocker voice to perfect lengths in a song that should be a concert favorite for years to come. A Pint Of Whiskey And A Pound Of Grace is a frantic acoustic-rock tune that is reminiscent of the sort of energy Bon Jovi captured on songs like Runaway before they went all corporate.

Leaving Texas is a quiet and introspective tune about crossing new horizons. The Ballad Of Stagolee And The Preacher Man is a retelling of one of the earliest stories about American gang violence. The song has an urgent quality that lends to credibility and vitality of this violent tale. The writing here is exquisite in both the storytelling and the musical expression. Other highlights include The Fog In The City, Please Forget Me and Thief In The Night.

Nathan Singleton & His Sideshow Tragedy have managed to capture the zest of a live show on CD, along with top notch songwriting and first class musicianship. Itinerant Youth is a musical force majeure that will overtake you if given the chance. In the old days of LP Records and needles you'd wear this record out. In the modern era the parallel would be getting Carpel Tunnel Syndrome from continuously hitting the back button on your mp3 player. Itinerant Youth is not an album you can afford to miss. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and an absolute must for your shopping list.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Nathan Singleton & His Sideshow Tragedy at http://www.sideshowtragedy.com/ or www.myspace.com/sideshowtragedy. You can purchase a copy of Itinerant Youth at www.cdbaby.com/cd/nsingletonahst.

CD Review: Dan Peluso Band - EP

Dan Peluso Band - EP
2008, Dan Peluso Band

New York City expatriates the Dan Peluso Band currently make their home base in Pittsburgh, a market less cutthroat and less focused on how much edge you have. This is a boon for the Dan Peluso Band. Peluso has a knack for writing gorgeous pop songs that are part Matthew Sweet and part Brit Pop. The Dan Peluso Band's debut CD, entitled EP, was released in September, 2008. It' s the sort of pop introduction that will open eyes and ears.

EP opens with Rabbit Hole, a hopeful tune about it being darkest before dawn. A strong melody and quirky pop sensibility sell this song. Peluso's voice here isn't so much pretty as it is unique and interesting. It's instantly recognizable and is the sort of iconic sound that could make him a brand. Take Heart is an eminently spiritual if not religious anthem. The mostly acoustic arrangement and soaring chorus build the inspirational vibe here. Letter Back To You has an Alan Parsons vibe to it, and has the reluctant but strident edge of someone who's made the right decision even it's difficult.

Believe has an angry tone that is absent from the first few songs of EP. It sounds like the writer's conception of what Jesus might think about humanity post-crucifixion. It's an interesting monologue and is probably more apt than it may appear on first listen. It's a risky song, and the sort that separates a good writer from a great writer. Settle Down runs to the other end of the spectrum. It's not so much angry as it is a frustrated stream of consciousness song. It's here that the Matthew Sweet comparison really springs to life.

The Dan Peluso Band is a young band with strong songwriting chops and a slightly schizophrenic personality (as a band). That's judging from the five songs here which seem to go in very divergent directions. On Believe, Peluso shows he has the potential to be a great songwriter. If he has more tunes live Believe and Rabbit Hole up his sleeve he will be with us for a long time. For now, EP is a great introduction. Definitely worth a listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Dan Peluso Band at http://www.danpelusoband.com/ or www.myspace.com/danpeluso. You can purchase a download of EP at iTunes or through Amazon.com. No word on whether a hard copy release will be available.

CD Review: Reid MacLean - Bright Fading Star

Reid MacLean - Bright Fading Star
2007, Reid MacLean

New York City’s Reid MacLean has a resume that’s hard to match. He’s performed Off-Broadway, most notably sharing the stage with Mandy Patinkin in the Public Theater’s production of The Knife. He’s also released three albums and forgotten a great deal of what happened with New York City legends Spinoza. In 2007, MacLean released his solo debut, Bright Fading Star, a consummate singer-songwriter’s album. Produced by Will Berlind, Bright Fading Star includes quite the cast of characters. Contributors include Colin McGrath (Speedrack); Rob Moose (Sufjan Stevens, Antony & The Johnsons); Marco Pasnascia (Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove); Dana Lyn (Susan McKeown); Michael Leonhart (Steely Dan, Lenny Kravitz) and members of Spinoza (Lee Kizer, Paul Phillips, Stein Malvey and Kieran Kelly).

Bright Fading Star opens with Full Time Job, a smart and gentle rocker about the aftermath of a relationship. A strong melody and great lyrics set this up, but MacLean's vocals and perfect demeanor here push this over the top into being a great pop song. MacLean seems to have a talent for writing amazing material, but also for delivering it in a way that raises mere performance into Performance. Keep It To Yourself is tough message wrapped into a beautiful pop arrangement that is more about self-preservation than desire for loss.

Reid MacLean's writing is clearly in the folk genre, but his penchant for perfect little pop songs wrapped in the folk cloak make him a particularly enigmatic and engaging performer. Let's Go Out Dancing is one of those magic moments in music where genres and intentions fall away and you get lost in four minutes of near perfection. Let's Go Out Dancing could easily be done as a pop, country or folk song, but could also grace the stage of a Broadway musical without blinking. MacLean continues with Ne'er-do-well, a musical monologue that is incredibly personal and literate while having a "smooth" feel to it, like the narrator could talk you into anything.

Love Is An Ocean is touching and magical and full of fear and longing. Expect this song to be covered, licensed and used however marketing type folks can imagine. Love Is An Ocean is a classic song. Mi Corazon has a mellow Latin-pop sound and may be the most musically interesting song on Bright Fading Star. What I've Been Looking For has groove to it that will get your feet tapping and will stick in your head. It is perhaps the most upbeat and optimistic song on Bright Fading Star, and one of my favorites.

My second choice here though is Living In A Cage. The dual acoustic guitars condescend to search for a means to escape while circling around one another. MacLean doubles up the vocals (not my favorite device) here, giving a second sense of duality. There seems to be a struggle between the narrator who is confident and the narrator who lives with misgivings. Other highlights include House On A Ridge, Millie and 10th Grade Girlfriend.

Reid MacLean has a knack for writing near-perfect little pop songs, regardless of the genre. His story-telling ability in song is sublime. Musically, MacLean is incredibly talented, and his easy-going vocal style fits perfectly into the songs he writes. Bright Fading Star is two-thirds correct. I sincerely doubt there is any fade here. Bright Fading Star should make a lot of personal favorite lists. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss out.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Reid MacLean at http://www.reidmaclean.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Bright Fading Star as well as several other releases under the discography tab. You can also pick up Bright Fading Star at www.cdbaby.com/cd/reidmaclean.

CD Review: Chris Marz - Follow Me

Chris Marz - Follow Me
2008, Chris Marz

Chris Marz is a multi-instrumentalist/vocalist from Long Beach, CA who has a strong local following and a talent for writing literate, tuneful rock songs. Along with his band, Will Raff (bass) and Matt Lesser (drums), Marz creates pop/rock magic on six strings. His debut CD, Follow Me, was recently released independently. This one is worth hearing.

Follow Me opens with the title track, a dark and halting tune full of paranoid angst. Disappearing Act follows sounding like Paul Simon singing with The Lowest Of The Low. To say that Chris Marz sounds like a dark aspect of Paul Simon's personality seems more and more apropos to me with each listen. Anything displays an adept understanding of song craft and melody, and is very reminiscent of Paul Simon's writing style. Replica shakes things up with a guitar/drum duet at its heart that serves as the heliocentric point for this song's orbit. Replica may be the best song on the album. It's thoroughly unexpected and unique.

Also check out Idly By, a musical monologue full of powerful imagery and self-awareness. Now That You're Gone is also an absolute gem, and might be just hair's breadth behind Replica for best song here. Other highlights include Ghost In My Head and Final Hour.

Chris Marz is a true singer-songwriter. His voice and writing style are reminiscent of Paul Simon, but at the same time he is quite unique and original in his presentation. Marz is an extremely talented lyricist and has an amazing sense of melody. Follow Me is not just an album title but an invitation that you'll be glad you accepted.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chris Marz at http://www.chrismarz.com/ or www.myspace.com/chrismarz. You can purchase a copy of Follow Me at www.earbuzz.com/chrismarz.

CD Review: Ana Bhraka - The Flowerbed Of Oblivion

Ana Bhraka - The Flowerbed Of Oblivion
2008, Fiver

Ana Bhraka is a Canadian quintet with a decidedly dark yet accessible sound. The Ottawa band born as Year Of The Gone has taken their own path into the music world, digitally releasing their debut album, The Flowerbed Of Oblivion independently. The album is full of highs and lows, but is very much worth a listen.

The Flowerbed Of Oblivion opens with Firefly (A Quiet Moment). It is a simmering organic/electronic ambient mix featuring vocals with heavy effects and less of a melodic direction than an unfurling. At six and-a-half minutes long, Firefly takes forever to build through repetitive versus that do not seem to live so much as exist. 4:45 in we hear a bridge that offers a change in melodic direction, but even this is more a diversion than an escape. Flames picks up the pace somewhat, and is more of a alt-pop confection with heavy guitar layering. You Know has a great soul/funk vibe to it and surrounds itself with electronic instrumentation that borders on excessive at times. The guitar work is nasty and vocalist Jane Eliot is vocally at the top of her game here.

When you hear Eliot’s voice at its most raw, it's easy to get excited about this young artist. She's got a pop/rock sound that is pure gold: a silky dark alto that has a reckless beauty. Unfortunately on much of this material she comes across as uninspired of forced, like someone is making her sing these songs. It is really unfortunate as this voice is capable of great things. Check out The Night, for example, where Eliot strips everything down to an almost hopeful vulnerability. It's in moments like this where you can see where Ana Bhraka might go. Other highlights include The Flowers Of Oblivion, Underwater and All The Ghosts.

Jane Eliot is a talented singer, and Ana Bhraka is a talented band. From listening to The Flowerbeds Of Oblivion there is an almost a sense that they try too hard sometimes. When Eliot just lets go and sings and allows her natural sense of vulnerability come through she's an amazing performer. The more she tries to be or sound like something the less the material works. The Flowerbeds of Oblivion is a solid debut with some great moments and some that just don't quite work, but you have here a musical snapshot of an artist and band who are finding their collective voice. The pluses are worth listening to the material that doesn't work.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ana Bhraka at http://www.anabhraka.com/ or www.myspace.com/anabhraka. You can purchase a digital copy of The Flowerbed Of Oblivion at Amazon.com. The band’s website would seem to suggest that a CD version is forthcoming, but I could not find one for sale currently on the web. Keep checking back to the band’s website for a hard copy release date.

CD Review: Daydream On Autopilot - Better Off Alone

Daydream On Autopilot - Better Off Alone

2008, Daydream On Autopilot

New York City's Daydream On Autopilot is a female-fronted power trio that includes everything from classically trained musicians to hardcore rockers. They are also a band with heart. Eschewing alcohol and drugs, they present positive messages in surprisingly hip alt-rock songs and frequently perform for organizations such as Character Counts and SADD. The band will release their debut EP, Better Off Alone on October 21, 2008. It is full of energetic and tuneful rock songs that are as vibrant as they are unforgettable.

Better Off Alone starts off with the title track, an energetic rocker that displays the tight interplay of the band and the vocals of Emii. Emii has amazing tone and strength in her voice, falling somewhere between Gwen Stefani in her No Doubt years and Amy Lee. What is most surprising is the versatility of Emii's voice. In a band that plays heavy/layered guitar rock it unusual to hear a vocalist with such ability and so little obvious vocal wear and tear. One has the impression Emii could sing most any style of music and do it well.

Step Aside is an incredibly commercial tune that might have strong licensing potential. There's A Fire Inside slows things down a bit. Lowering the volume and intensity of the music unveils Emii's voice more distinctly. The reward is a breathtaking set of verses that erupt into soaring choruses. This is a song that could chart on radio with the right push, particularly in light of the positive message of self-reliance. Dreams is something of a mellow blues ballad with a hungry, needful energy that devours the listener. The set closes with Probably Never Again, which blows the speakers out with a guitar/keyboard hook that hits like a tornado. This is the only song on Better Off Alone that features Jason Macheska on vocals and is a nice change of stylistic pace.

Better Off Alone is a massively commercial album that is movable on the basis of quality rather than through an attempt to commercial. Daydream On Autopilot is a bright young band on the rise. It is a name you'll be hearing more and more in the coming years, unless someone convinces Emii to go it alone in the meantime. Emii has superstar written all over her, and Daydream On Autopilot is more than good enough to rise with her.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)




You can learn more about Daydream On Autopilot at www.myspace.com/daydreamonautopilot. Better Off Alone will be released October 21, 2008 and is available for pre-sale at Amazon.com and will also be carried by national retailer FYE. Daydream On Autopilot are performing at a Character Counts Block Party at Edgewater Park in Anderson, IN on 10/11/08. They will be doing a series of in-store performances (and signings?) at FYE stores in SW Connecticut, the northern suburbs of New York City and one in North Wales, PA between October 18, 2008 and November 2, 2008.

CD Review: Dave Conway - Highs & Hellos

Dave Conway - Highs & Hellos
2008, One Way Recordings

Ireland's Dave Conway is already known as the front man of Dublin's Trip Hazard. His sense of eclectic and quirky songwriting will come as a surprise to no one who has heard him over the years. Drawing on musical styles that are as musically disparate as they are separated by years, Dave Conway writes like a DJ creates, sowing together the seeds of pop greatness from different generations to create his own hybrid: New and interesting yet starkly familiar. Dave Conway released his debut solo disc, Highs & Hellos in August of 2008 to much positive press in Ireland.

Highs & Hellos refuses to take either the high road or the low road, instead choosing the un-hewn path that runs between them. If David Bowie were covering the Housemartins it might sound something like Highs & Hellos. Maybe. What Dave Conway is able to do is to present his ideas, both mundane and musical; in perspectives and deliveries you didn't consider but realize you should have. All The Time is crazy, fun and driven. It's the perfect introduction to Conway, hearkening back to the sort of new wave pop brilliance that came out of England in the mid-1980's. Leaving has an arena-rock feel to it and would have been very much at home in the late 1980's or early 1990's.

Deceived By Ecstasy is far and away the class of the album. It is an introspective and warm song paints a tangible picture for the listener. Spin A Bottle is a very close second for top track. It's perhaps not as deep as Deceived By Ecstasy, but has a melody that just won't quit, even under duress. Other highlights include Always, Helpless and Doing My Best.

Dave Conway has a strong pop sensibility that is hidden in the dark shadows of his music. He's the type of singer/songwriter that you have to listen to. Casual listeners probably won't get him, although they might get drawn in by some of his better material. Those who really listen to Conway get rewarded big time. He's a first class talent, and Highs & Hellos is a very strong debut CD. Definitely something to put on your to-do list.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can lean more about Dave Conway at www.myspace.com/daveconwaysolo. You can purchase a copy of Highs & Hellos at www.cdbaby.com/cd/daveconway.

CD Review: Chris Batten And The Woods - If We Never Stop Moving

Chris Batten And The Woods - If We Never Stop Moving
2008, CWB

New Jersey’s Chris Batten And The Woods were raised on classic music from artists like Otis Redding, Thin Lizzy, Van Morrison and Tom Petty. Wrap is all up with Batten’s pure pop gold songwriting and you get a sort of blue-eyed soul Toad The West Sprocket. Chris Batten And The Woods released their latest EP, If We Never Stop Moving in 2008. It is something you need to hear.

If We Never Stop Moving is an energetic rock album with great melodies a big, happy guitar sound. The set opens with Gone For Good, a mid-tempo rock tune with amazing lyrics and a great guitar-rock sound. Chris Batten is in top vocal form and the melody is absolutely infectious. (Dontcha Wanna Be Doin') Something New is an upbeat tune with a positive message and tremendous harmonies. Something New has a Bob Seger spirit to it that is remarkable. Sad Songs is perhaps the most upbeat and peppy song on the CD and is a pop gem. The End Of The Line is ballad about the possible end of a relationship and is incredibly poignant and sweet. Lions closes out If We Never Stop Moving with a Motown bass line and a melody you won't be able to lose.

If We Never Stop Moving is a classic pop debut. Full of songs with big hooks and strong melodies it's a sure winner. If this is indicative of the sort of material Chris Batten And The Woods are capable of then they should have a long and fruitful career in music. There's not a weak song on the EP, and the recording suggests that the live show might look the recording look tame. This is a high energy band with a little bit of pop magic at their fingertips. Make sure you check out If We Never Stop Moving and favorite place Chris Batten and The Woods' website.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chris Batten And The Woods at http://www.andthewoods.com/. If We Never Stop Moving is currently only available as a download, either through Amazon.com or iTunes.

October 2008 Artist Of The Month: Julie McKee

Wildy's World congratulates England's Julie McKee for being selected as Wildy's World's Artist Of the Month for October, 2008. McKee released her debut CD, What A Woman Shouldn't Do, in June, 2008. You can read the Wildy's World review here. What A Woman Shouldn't Do placed in the Wildy's World Top 40 CDs for the first half of 2008, coming in at #6. Keep an eye out for a feature on McKee later this month.

Also worth nothing, Julie McKee will be conducting her first invasion of American shores in October of 2008. On October 14, 2008 she'll be playing live at New York City's The Cutting Room. The Cutting Room is located at 19 W 24th St and is one of THE places to play in NYC. Tickets are $10 and showtime is 10:00 PM. Original Beatles drummer Pete Best brings his band in at 8:00 PM the same night. (Note: McKee's website lists showtime as 9:30 PM, whereas The Cutting Room's site lists it at 10:00 PM. You might want to get there by 9:30 just to make sure!

On October 16, 2008, Julie McKee and her band will be playing at Davenport's in Chicago (1383 N. Milwaukee Ave). Showtime is 8:00 PM and tickets are $10.00. If you've never been to Davenport's the decor itself is worth the trip.

These two shows will be a great opportunity to catch this British phenom for the first time on American shores. The next time she comes it may be tour buses and arenas, so don't miss out if you can swing it.

CD Review: Marshall Price - Hear At Last

Marshall Price - Hear At Last
2008, Grade School Records

Marshall Price hails from Las Vegas. He started playing drums at the age of ten and switched to guitar a few years later. He has developed a big guitar rock sound that is refreshing and different from the norm. He’s also a strong DIY-er, wanting to maintain control of his music and his career. His debut CD, Hear At Last, was released in 2008. Check this out.

Hear At Last opens with heavy rocker Light It Up, a rock and roll gem. This song makes me think of Kim Mitchell in his glory days and provides all of that feel good spark that is missing from corporate rock and roll these days. Beyond The Pleasure Principle is a wonderfully convoluted song, as if Green Day and Ben Folds played together with the Beach Boys singing background vocals. It's Almost Over is a straightforward rock tune that jumps out of the speakers and beats you to the ground with an infectious melody.

Marshall Price knows what so many artists have forgotten, how to write great rock tunes, perform them and still sound like he's having fun. Heavy 1970's and 1980's influences abound and every song here is like a mini-party. Other highlights include Burning The Bridge At Both Ends, Baby You Don't Know, Death On The Dance Floor and Gotta Get It Back. That said, you can't go wrong with any of the tracks here.

Marshall Price brings the rock back home on Hear At Last. This is probably one of the most legitimate and realistic rock records of the year. Great influences from the 1970's and 1980's and just a bit of Brit Rock make for a pleasurable rock and roll experience. Don't skip this one folks, Hear At Last is a must-have CD.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Marshall Price at www.myspace.com/marshallpriceband, where you can buy a copy of Hear At Last. The album is also available in mp3 format through iTunes.

CD Review: Marc Martino - A Story

Marc Martino - A Story
2008, Marc Martino

Buffalo, NY native and currentl Eastchester, NY resident Marc Martino has gone to L.A. and back in his pursuit of musical education and muse. He has spent time playing every sort of music, jamming with bands from coast to coast. This Grove School of Music graduate is also an accomplished musical engineer. 2008 sees the release of Martino's solo debut, A Story. A Story is a macro-micro effort, where the songs work together to tease out a story or theme, but each song is also a story unto itself.

Marc Martino creates using base tracks that feature either his 100-year old French piano or his modern day synth-rack. Martino builds the songs in layers from there much like a painter working in oils; Building and layering until the sonic expression is as clear as it is in his mind. This compositional style is fraught with pitfalls, and even the best composers fall into them from time to time. Martino manages to miss most of the potholes on this road however, providing a sonic journey that is both full of beauty and knocking on the door to adversity.

RainShrine is primal and eclectic. There's a Peter Gabriel feel to this song that both makes sense and diverges from rationality. Once Upon A Time has an epic feel to it; not so much like a fairy tale but like a story told about gods and mortals and the interactions between them. Calling The Storm returns to the primal feel of RainShrine; dancing on the ethereal edge of improbable age and decay while fighting for survival. Eldritch Fire is by far the emotionally darkest tune on A Story, and probably also the best composition Martino has to offer here. The slow build of a theme into a Grand Illusion/Phantom Of The Opera hybrid sound is both striking and mind-bending. While the song itself isn't melodious, it nevertheless sticks in the head like a fly in ointment. It won't go away. Other highlights include Holly, The Vale and Dim.

Marc Martino has a unique and authentic musical vision that is born of both concept and feel. It can be difficult in music to see both the forest and the trees, often one gets lost int he shadow of the other. Marc Martino has skipped them both and painted in notes the shadow, the accents of which imply both and belie neither. A Story is a ravishing success.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Marc Martino at www.myspace.com/marcmartino. You can purchase a copy of A Story at www.cdbaby.com/cd/marcmartino.

CD Review: Creedence Clearwater Revival - The 40th Anniversary Editions

Creedence Clearwater Revival - The 40th Anniversary Editions
2008, Fantasy Records/Concord Music

Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) has one of the quintessential stories of rock and roll. From 1968 to 1970 they were perhaps the single hottest band in rock and roll. By 1971 the band continued, but creative tensions and the loss of Tom Fogerty had changed them irrevocably. Misunderstandings between John Fogerty and the rest of the band perhaps got in the way of what could have been an incredibly bright future. The band put together a set of six albums (three of which went to #1) and eight top-ten hits in just three years. To celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s first release, Fantasy Records has re-released the first six CCR studio albums in expanded forms known as the Fortieth Anniversary Editions (September 30, 2008). Each album includes live or alternative tracks not on the original plus apparent remastering of the original albums.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1968, 2008 Fantasy Records

CCR released their self-titled debut in July of 1968, dropping right into the middle of a perfect summer for their down-home sound. Leading with a remake of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put A Spell On You, the band landed two top-100 singles (the other, Suzie Q, peaked at #11), and Creedence Clearwater Revival peaked at #52 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. All of this just a year after changing their name from The Golliwogs.

The 40th Anniversary Edition includes the original 8 tracks plus 4 live cuts (Call It Pretending, Before You Accuse Me, Ninety-Nine And A Half and Susie Q). The album appears to have been remastered and has a crisp, clean sound to it. The live tracks are the real treat here, particularly the cover of Before You Accuse Me. The live version of Susie Q turns into a fun nearly-twelve minute jam that pushes the clock just a bit.

Bayou Country - 1969, 2008 Fantasy Records

Bayou Country was a breakout record for CCR, charting as high as #7 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The album also included CCR's signature song, Proud Mary, which was a top ten hit in both the US (#2) and England (#8). Bayou Country also included that standouts Born On The Bayou (long an FM Radio staple) and a cover of Good Golly Miss Molly. It is also the first CCR album produced by John Fogerty. The Fortieth Anniversary Edition features the original 7 tracks plus an alternative take of Bootleg and live versions of Born On The Bayou, Proud Mary and non-album track Crazy Otto. The production values on the re-release are clean and the bonus tracks are great, particularly Crazy Otto.

Green River - 1969, 2008 Fantasy Records

Green River is the first CCR album to make it to #1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart and contained two top ten singles: Bad Moon Rising (#2 in the US, #1 in UK) and Green River (#2 in the US, #19 in the UK). Green River also included Commotion and Lodi, each or which charted in the US and a cover of The Night Time Is The Right Time. The Fortieth Anniversary Edition includes live versions of Glory Be, Bad Moon Rising, Green River/Suzie Q and Lodi as well as the instrumental Broken Spoke Shuffle. As with the other 40th Anniversary Editions the production is great and the bonus tracks are a treat.


Willy And The Poor Boys - 1969, 2008 Fantasy Records

Willy And The Poor Boys was the third release by CCR in 1969 (although all three albums combined barely totaled 90 minutes of music). Charting in the top-10 in both the US (#3) and UK (#10), Willy And The Poor Boys may be the album most associated with CCR by name. Singles include Down On The Corner (#3 US, #31 UK), Fortunate Son (#14 US) and Cotton Fields, which reached #50 on the US country charts in 1982. Willy And The Poor Boys also included concert favorite The Midnight Special, Poorboy Shuffle and It Came Out Of The Sky. The Fortieth Anniversary Edition also includes live versions of Fortunate Son, It Came Out Of The Sky and Down On The Corner. This is my personal favorite CCR album, even though my two favorite songs are on other records.

Cosmo's Factory - 1970, 2008 Fantasy Records

While Willy And The Poor Boys may be the most remembered CCR album, Cosmo's Factory was far and away the most commercially successful. Cosmo's Factory was a #1 album in the US, England and Australia. It stayed atop the US album charts for 9 weeks and atop the Australian charts for an unprecedented 20 weeks. Cosmo's Factory sparked 3 top-five singles in the US: Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop The Rain (#2 US, #8 UK); Up Around The Bend/Run Through The Jungle (#4 US, #3 UK) and Long As I Can See The Light/Lookin' Out My Back Door (#2 US, #20 UK). Most significantly, Cosmo's Factory also reached #11 on the US soul charts, an unheard of feat at that time. Other significant tracks here include covers of Before You Accuse Me and I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Bonus tracks on The Fortieth Anniversary Edition include a remake of Travelin' Band, a live version of Up Around The Bend, and a recording of Born On The Bayou capturing the band playing with Booker T & The MG's.

Pendulum - 1970, 2008 Fantasy Records

Pendulum marked a couple of departures for CCR. Musically, CCR embraced the horn-heavy sound made popular by bands such as Chicago. The other departure was in personnel: Tom Fogerty chose to leave the band after the release of Pendulum. CCR would continue as a trio but would never recover the commercial success that they enjoyed between 1968 and 1970. Pendulum reached #5 on the US album charts, #23 in the UK and #1 in Australia. Pendulum included two top-ten singles, Hey Tonight and Have You Ever Seen The Rain, each of which peaked at #8 in the US. Also notable is Sailor's Lament, one of John Fogerty's best non-hits. Fortieth Anniversary Edition bonus tracks include Parts I & II of 45 Revolutions Per Minute and a live version of Hey Tonight. 45 Revolutions Per Minute is a truly bizarre recording involving back masking and sound experimentation.

Ratings:

Creedence Clearwater Revival: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
Bayou Country: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Green River: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
Willy And The Poor Boys: 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Cosmo's Factory: 5 Stars (Out of 5)
Pendulum 3 Stars (Out of 5)

CD Review: Kathryn Toyama - Hope For Harmony

Kathryn Toyama - Hope For Harmony
2008, Kathryn Toyama

Kathryn Toyama had classical training as a child and burnt out on the intensity and hyper-competitiveness of the classical world. Following 9/11 she had a musical epiphany that she could write songs, and spent the next 4+ years composing off-the-cuff new age/classical piano compositions. Eschewing commitment to paper, Toyama often creates in an improvisational fashion. The results are ambient musical water colors that depict Toyama's mood and metaphysical place during the creation process for each individual song. Hope For Harmony is a collection of songs written between 2002 and 2006. While no commercial purpose was originally planned for the songs, a visit to a psychic who had never heard her play resulted in a conviction to release a CD.

Toyama aspires to a humanistic collectivist philosophy that revolves around inner peace and inter-connectedness, and attempts to spread this message through her music. She currently donates time and music to organizations focused on healing in various capacities. The music itself is pleasant. There is a strong ambient sense that's traditional to new age/meditation music. Melody and song development are second thoughts here at best. There are exceptions, of course. The Light is actually a pleasant and uplifting tune that swells and ebbs like waves on the water; As Times Change sounds like a piano sonata that Debussey might have written. On the whole, however, Hope For Harmony spends a great deal of time doing what jam bands call noodling.

Kathryn Toyama is a talented pianist, but her writing style is one that most any pianist with a decent ear can ascribe to. As such much of the material she generates here is strictly generic. With a couple of exceptions the music is wonderful pleasant but sadly forgettable. Hope For Harmony is a great disc for meditation; for dinner music, or for lost and lonely reflections on a rainy day.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kathryn Toyama at http://www.kathryntoyama.com/. You can purchase a copy of Hope For Harmony at CDBaby.com.

CD Review: James Taylor - Covers

James Taylor - Covers
2008, Hear Music

James Taylor is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Songwriters Hall Of Fame. He has five Grammy Awards on his mantle and is one of only a handful of artists to have an album receive RIAA Diamond Certification for ten million units sold (for his Greatest Hits album). Taylor has written his own songbook of American classics and continues to please crowds all over the country with regular releases and near-constant touring. James Taylor had long planned an album full of cover songs, and in 2008 this plan came to fruition. Taylor called his "Band Of Legends" to his Western Massachusetts farm for a ten-day recording session in January, 2008. The resulting album, entitled Covers, is a joy.

Taylor brings his trademark, easy-going approach to songs from all corners of the American Songbook. He also brings his "Band Of Legends" (Steve Gadd, Luis Conte, Michael Landau, Jeff Babko, Lou Marini, Jimmy Johnson, David Lasley, Walt Fowler, Andrea Zonn, Kate Markowitz and Larry Goldings). Covers is a celebration of great music and great musicianship, from Jimmy Webb's Wichita Lineman to a cover of Big Mama Thornton's version of Hound Dog, Taylor and band are at the very top of their game.

Why Baby Why has a delightful country swing that will get your feet moving and Some Days You Gotta Dance goes rockabilly. On Broadway is a classic rendition that is true to the original, and Summertime Blues is a funky tune that requires serious dancing. The absolute highlights are It's Growing, Wichita Lineman and John Anderson's Seminole Wind.

James Taylor doesn't break new ground on the songs on Covers. His renditions are true to the originals but in the easy-peasy James Taylor style that is so familiar and comfortable. Covers is a fine recording that should be a cherished part of Taylor's prodigious catalog.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about James Taylor at http://www.jamestaylor.com/. You can purchase a copy of Covers at Starbucks stores, at Amazon.com and at most major music retailers.

CD Review: Marc Beziat - Victory Of The Spirit

Marc Beziat - Victory Of The Spirit
2008, Marc Beziat

Victory Of The Spirit is a series of electronic virtual reality orchestra and chorale performances. It is unusual to hear electronic music used to create new classical compositions, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is something of the wave of the future. The compositional style ranges from overly simplistic to complex Stavinsky-esque orchestral movements. Beziat seems to have a strong feel for the chorale pieces in particular. While there are no words in these "sung" parts, they are among the most beautiful and enriching songs on Victory Of The Spirit.

After a short introduction entitled The Forces, Victory Of The Spirit moves into Crossroads. Lilting orchestration and strong themes lift this piece on air; it comes off sounding like something that belongs in a historical epic movie (think Braveheart). The Yearning Of The Soul is the first choral piece on the CD. It has a distinctly baroque sound and is hauntingly beautiful. Inner Work is a sonata for violin and piano and amounts to a musical light snack. Entertaining but not deep, it makes for a nice transition piece.

I would recommend The First Steps as a key piece on Victory Of The Spirit. The song combines aggressive orchestration and chorale parts in conjunction with huge themes and unusual song construction. This is the sort of composition a music theory class would have a ball with. From the high of First Steps we move on to Dance Of Eternity, where the theme becomes confused or muddled at times. This piece sounds like it started out as a great musical idea but never quite came to fruition.

Desert And Hope is another composition of note: Dark and resilient, it's a coming home of sorrows mixed with the stirring of hope. This piece is particularly moving and could be the sort of composition that would translate well to a real live orchestra. The Decision returns to the European choral tradition and serves as an appetizer to Perseverance. Perseverance is perhaps the keynote recording on Victory Of The Spirit. Igor Stravinsky's spirit dances through Perseverance as a musical mentor and catalyst.

Moving on to The Coronation, Beziat sends an interesting message. This Coronation is a celebration of necessity rather than of joy. The structure and energy of this piece could be interpreted as an intensely political comment by a cynical mind. We are given respite from this mechanical optimism by Spirit Of Freedom, which instills a distinct image of daylight breaking over the mountaintop and slanting into the long dark valley the inhabitants of our musical story have resided in.

Unfortunately, Beziat leaves us on a less than definitive note. Deliverance seems to be a confused closing. The thematic makeup doesn't exactly belie the title, but fails to fully support it. Deliverance is an enigmatic answer to an un-posed question that fails to shake the shade of ambivalence.

Marc Beziat has created an epic album full of some amazing and beautiful moments and a couple of songs that never quite actualized. The pulp that makes up the middle ground is solid compositionally and enjoyable to listen to. Hearing Victory Of The Spirit has left this writer wanting to hear Beziat's compositions performed by a full orchestra. My guess is that some things would need to be filled out or re-imagined to work in a concert hall, but on the whole Beziat's creation stands as solid work. Bravo.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Marc Beziat at http://www.marcbeziat.net/. You can purchase a copy of Victory Of The Spirit at www.cdbaby.com/cd/marcbeziat.

CD Review: Random Touch - A Box And A Word

Random Touch - A Box And A Word
2008, Token Boy Records

True Avante Garde music is anachronistic and unpalatable to those who do not get it. 20th Century modern classical music is full of examples of these musical splatter paintings. The style has carved out a small niche among music fans that enjoy melodic and cognitive dissonance in their music but has for the most part not made much of a dent in the popular music scene. Bands who have attempted to draw the spirit of "neo-classical" music into the popular realm have generally met with unkindly fates ranging from minimal record sales to forced breakups. It's a brave band that trolls these waters, and Illinois' Random Touch is such a band.

Random Touch has its roots in the 1970's collaborations between high school mates Christopher Brown and James Day. Scott Hamill (guitar) entered the picture in 1978, and camera/video artist Matthew Ebbin came along in 1998. Random Touch has always integrated video into their creation process, and has never shied away from any sort of sound or sensation to aid in the birth of their music. Get ready, as Random Touch's ninth release, A Box And A Word, takes you across the Rubicon into a land of smashed landscapes and sonic malfeasance. Batten down the hatches, your ears will never be the same.

I will stick by the high-minded description of Random Touch's music as musical splatter paintings as the collaborations are recorded chaos. Random Touch in general performs and records spontaneously without revisiting or dubbing recordings. Song structure is for the birds here; instead band members offer up musical thoughts on a stream of consciousness basis. The end effect varies from mildly amusing musical contradictions to downright painful junctions of sounds that should never occur. The highlights here are more in terms of level of interest than beauty.

Tripping So Fancy is the ultimate musical splatter painting. It's a musograph of cognitive and emotional dissonance that is highly disturbing. On The Way is space age music played by a grunge band directed by John Tesh inside of a House of Mirrors. It's incoherent and disturbed and draws the listener like a bad auto accident draws drive-by gawkers. Opera Of Vaudeville is perhaps the most unique vision on A Box And A Word. It takes two alternative musical realities of sound and superimposes them on one another. Opera Of Vaudeville is almost coherent at times and disturbingly schizophonic throughout.

Be sure to check out Steady Flux (Dear X), which is likely the closest thing to coherent musical composition on the album. My personal favorite was Climbing The Tower, which can be best described as Salvador Dali's Nightmare Closet come to life. Also notable was Changeable Weather: a conglomeration of classically themed piano, coffee house/beat poetry drumming and cheesy 1980's new age meditation music. Changeable Weather becomes a meltdown of musical structure and coherent thought into a morass of disconnected thoughts or impressions.

A Box And A Word is like Schrödinger’s Cat for the listener. You can't know whether it will be alive or dead for you unless you give it a listen. It has tremendous potential in either direction depending on your own musical tastes. It is not an angry collection of aural tools like you might hear from a Nine Inch Nails; rather Random Touch is a nearly dispassionate provocateur using all media at hand to disturb and contrast your inner peace. Like looking into the mirror in the dark, you don't know what part of you will be reflected until you open your eyes (or ears). It's either a work of genius or pure madness. I'll leave it you do decide which.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Random Touch at www.myspace.com/randomtouch. You can purchase a copy of A Box And A Word at www.cdbaby.com/cd/randomtouch3.

CD Review: Lawrence Blatt - Fibonacci's Dream

Lawrence Blatt - Fibonacci's Dream
2008, LMB Music

Lawrence Blatt has a guitar style that is reminiscent at times of William Ackerman without the mind-numbing alternate tunings. He is able to cross musical boundaries without (apparently) giving it a second thought. Fibonacci's Dream goes from overtly classical to muted rock and roll with even the occasional Latin flavor. Blatt is undeniably a top notch guitar player but also shows a penchant for melody and structured harmony that is fresh air to the serious music fan.

Una Vida (One Life) is a wonderful Latin/pop classical piece. It is based in acoustic guitar with rhythm and minimal ethereal synth seasoning. Una Vida is based on a strong thematic component that is revisited in diminishing variations until it springs back whole like a phoenix. In A Heartbeat is a gorgeous country ballad in the making and sounds like the long lost lifeblood of Nashville. Five Nights is an appealing rock and roll song trying to break out of a classical arrangement. It has a wonderful sense of melody and tension that resolves into a reluctant fade.

Other highlights include Just Before Dawn, Catalina and Song For Chava. Just Before Dawn in particular is a thing of beauty. You can sense the active undercurrents in this deep and pensive piece.

Lawrence Blatt has a talent for lush classical arrangements that sometimes disguise a more contemporary aspect or attitude in his music. Blatt is an incredibly talented guitarist and sounds like he could probably play most any style well. Fibonacci's Dream has a couple of soft points, but on the whole is a very strong album. It's a definite must hear, particularly if you play or just appreciate the guitar.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lawrence Blatt at http://www.lawrenceblatt.com/. You can purchase a copy of Fibonacci’s Dream at www.cdbaby.com/cd/lawrenceblatt2.

CD Review: Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners (CD/DVD-A)

Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners
1971, 2008 Atlantic Records

Coming off the monstrous success of Deja Vu, all four members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released solo albums. Fans will debate forever which was better, but no one will deny that Graham Nash's Songs For Beginners was a near masterpiece. Drawing on his musical connections, Nash enlisted friends such as Jerry Garcia, Neil Young, Phil Lesh, Dave Mason, Rita Coolidge and David Lindley to contribute to his first solo album. Peaking at #15 on Billboard's Pop Albums Chart, Songs For Beginners includes two Hot-100 Pop Singles: Chicago (#35) which references the 1968 Democratic Convention as well as the trial of the Chicago 8; and Military Madness (#73).

Atlantic Records' 2008 re-release contains the original 11 track album with a new stereo mix and a DVD-Audio version as well. Also included are a new interview with Nash, song lyrics and a photo section. The production values here are great and Songs For Beginners is given new audio life by the new stereo mix. The 5.1 channel audio mix is essentially a remix of the original stereo tracks and while it is interesting doesn't really add anything new to this classic album. Nash's activism, masterful lyricism and penchant for peppy folk/pop (1970's style) make this a must have. Highlights include Chicago, Military Madness, Wounded Bird and Simple Man. Readers might be familiar with Simple Man from the opening shots of the Adam Sandler film Reign On Me.

Also notable is a song that has long been on of my personal favorites: Better Days. It's a sad look back at love lost, and is incredibly well-written. It's gems like this that make it fun and worthwhile to re-visit classic albums like Songs For Beginners. If you aren't familiar with Graham Nash outside of CSNY this is a great opportunity to get to know his musical style. If you already own Songs For Beginners on CD I am not sure there's a lot of incentive to buy the re-release (unless you're a DVD-Audio hound). Of course this album has been out of print for a while and so there are at least a few fans out there who missed the first CD release. Songs For Beginners is a great album and a necessary re-release.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Graham Nash at http://www.grahamnash.com/. You can purchase a copy of Songs For Beginners at Amazon.com or at most major music retailers.

CD Review: Hot Buttered Rum - Live In The Northeast

Hot Buttered Rum - Live In The Northeast
2007, Hot Buttered Rum

Hot Buttered Rum is the virtual progeny of a long line of great San Francisco bands. A rock band playing bluegrass instruments, Hot Buttered Rum bring an energy and an egalitarian creative process to their music that is unmatched in music today. An extremely activist bunch, Hot Buttered Rum don't separate their social causes and concerns from their music, often volunteering their off time on the road to progressive and social causes. In 2007, Hot Buttered Rum released a live album, Live In The Northeast. It is an aural document of the sound, energy and vibrant musicality they purvey.

Live In The Northeast opens with Busted In Utah, an humorous tune about a constabulary run-in that has an air of autobiography to it. Desert Rat has a strong Celtic feel to it and actually sounds like vintage Spirit Of The West. Return Someday has a southwest feel to it and carries a strong environmental message. Make sure you check out Metrosexual, which is probably the most overtly hilarious song on the album. If you have the impression that Hot Buttered Rum is a comedy or novelty act then you are incredibly mistaken. This is a serious band of serious musicians and songwriters who find leeway to not take themselves too seriously all the time.

My personal favorite is Summertime Gal, a song destined to be on thousands of mix tapes. Other highlights include the frenetic Spider, the meticulously sweet Honey Be and You Make Me Feel Like Dancing (Leo Sayer cover). Hot Buttered Rum is something special. All five members contribute through songwriting and vocals. They spend a significant amount of time trying to make the world a better place on top of progressing their music careers. This is the sort of band to aspire to be, both musically and socially.

Live In The Northeast is a live snapshot of a band with something special. The energy and vitality throughout the recording are difficult to match. The songs are sublimely written and performed, and you finish up wanting to find out when Hot Buttered Rum will be in the area again. The band itself shows significant promise of a long career, doing for Bluegrass what bands like Great Big Sea have done for Celtic music. Hot Buttered Rum may bring bluegrass back into the mainstream for country and has the potential to cross over into the pop/rock realm as well. What is certain is that their live shows are destined to become things of legend. For now, Live In The Northeast is an ideal introduction to this exciting young band.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Hot Buttered Rum at http://www.hotbutteredrum.net/, where you can purchase a copy of Live In The Northeast as well as their other recordings, Live at the Freight and Salvage and Campfire Singalong. Hot Buttered Rum also has two free downloads available on their website that have political or social connotations. Reckless Tex is a musical diatribe against President George Bush that was written in the run-up to the 2004 Presidential Elections. Guns Or Butter is the age old consideration of whether to go to war for little knowable purpose or to take care of our own people. Regardless of whether you agree with the collective opinions of Hot Buttered Rum, you will certainly find them provocative.

CD Review: B.B. King - One Kind Favor

B.B. King - One Kind Favor
2008, Geffen Records

I would like to introduce you to the next Grammy winning Blues album. B.B. King's One Kind Favor is a master class in guitar-based blues/rock. The fact that the 83-year old King is still making music and touring is amazing. The fact that he may have just pulled off one of the best offerings of his career is absolutely mind-boggling. One Kind Favor clearly shows that B.B. King is still the King of Blues. Don't be surprised if aside from winning Best Blues Album at the next Grammy Awards if One Kind Favor is a competitive nominee for Best Album as well.

It's easy to gush about B.B. King. His catalogue and performance history are legendary, and One Kind Favor is vintage King. See That My Grave Is Clean is perhaps a bit morbid, but is the sort of song that keeps The Blues alive in the popular consciousness. I Get So Weary and Get These Blues Off Me are classics, and How Many More Years displays the sort of self-deprecating personal style that King has always displayed. One Kind Favor hearkens back to the early roots of Rhythm and Blues music and all that was right with the genre before it was transformed into coloratura divas trying to outrun each other.

The easy flowing Waiting For Your Call has a Ray Charles "Georgia On My Mind" feel to it and may be best written song on the album, but nothing beats B.B. King when he and Lucille get going. Other highlights include The World Gone Wrong, Blues Before Sunrise, Backwater Blues and the honky-tonk Sitting On Top Of The World. The set closes out with Tomorrow Night; even with a voice diminished by 83 years of heavy use B.B. King makes a virtuoso performance out of this that many performers would covet for themselves.

B.B. King is perhaps the last of the great Blues Masters. Each successive generation has offered up their own legends or legends to be, but no one in the genre has managed to put together the sort of resume, style and grace as a performer as B.B. King. You couldn't blame King for phoning one in at this stage in his career. Instead, B.B. King offers up a unexpected peak in a career that has crossed the map several times. One Kind Favor might just be the best album King has gifted us with. It's certainly a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and it might just be the best album of the year.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about B.B. King at http://www.bbking.com/. You can purchase One Kind Favor at Amazon.com or at musical retailers everywhere.

CD Review: Mel Flannery Trucking Company - White Flag

Mel Flannery Trucking Company - White Flag
2007, Mel Flannery Trucking Company

The age of the Torch singer has come and gone, but every once in a while a singer comes along whom threatens to revive the sordid tales sung in gin joints across America. There is a quality of voice that is required that not too many singer possess, and there is a wanton attitude required that not many feel or can create. Don't look now, but Brooklyn's Mel Flannery is just that sort of singer. Mel Flannery Trucking Company dropped the EP White Flag in 2007. It's seven songs of misty-whiskey magic.

Mel Flannery has a voice to die for. Full of color and texture, you could easily hear Flannery's voice coming from a smoky nightclub circa 1935. The other thing really remarkable about White Flag is the material. Several of the songs sound like they could have come from an Off-Broadway production about the dark side of 1930's New York City life. Anyone And Everyone is the ultimate song of a lost soul, and Flannery sells it with every ounce of her voice. Anniversary is a wonderful love song, although the arrangement does sound a bit muddy in a few places.

So Much Better Half may be the most passive-aggressive bitter post-breakup song ever written. The words and music in this one are utterly amazing, although Flannery's delivery is a little subdued on this one. Whether that is to feed the passive anger that infuses the song may be an artistic decision, but the song's anger is greater and deeper than it comes across on CD. Fairy Tales is full of regret and unrequited love; it literally seethes with sorrow. The disc closes with Too Good To Be True, a wonderfully dark and busy musical arrangement. Flannery sounds like she struggles with the high end of one or two on the final song, but on the whole gives an amazing vocal performance.

White Flag is an album full of surprises, most of them pleasant. One or two blips aside, this album is full and ripe and unique, and Mel Flannery's voice explodes out of every song. Mel Flannery has an amazing voice and is a pleasure to listen to. The ghosts of torch singers past hang just on the edge of her reverie, and White Flag is a composite of these communal moments.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mel Flannery at http://www.melflannery.com/. You can purchase a copy of White Flag at www.cdbaby.com/melflannery2.

CD Review: The Wag - Long Story Short / Ordinary Day

The WAG – Long Story Short / Ordinary Day
2002, DABB Music

The WAG are a four-piece from Middletown, New Jersey with three lead vocalists and penchant for pop purity. We’ve previously reviewed their most recent album, Soundtrack To A Silent Movie, and were so impressed we thought we’d go back and take a listen to some of their older material.

Long Story Short

Busting right of the gate of Long Story Short is I Got The Girl, an energetic romp through the world of a player. The Wag then jumps right into Snap, a delicious 1970's flavored rocker replete with poly-chromatic harmonies, a walking bass line and bar chords galore. Even Paper Cup, a country flavored acoustic rocker displays a distinctive energy and winking sense of humor. The WAG doesn’t take themselves too seriously on Long Story Short, and the fact that they had fun making this record permeates every song. Other highlights include She Hides, the southern rock influenced Ain't Nobody and the bluesy Record Man.


Ordinary Day

Ordinary Day opens with Hold On (The Leaf Blower Song), which sounds like early Rolling Stones material. The song is catchy with a great melody and a killer bridge. Tonight relies on one of the filthiest guitar hooks you've ever heard and a strong 1970's feel. Often may be the most intriguing song on the disc. It starts out at sort of a drunken musical stumble and becomes a song that rues the breakdown of a relationship. There is a low-fi, recorded live feel to this song that might give a clue to what The WAG sounds like on stage. Far and away my favorite song on the disc is I Still Love You, a good old fashioned rock and roll tune with a 1960's flavor. Ordinary Day closes with Ballad #2, an optimistic song that might be fitting for a class reunion. There is an Americana flavor to this "What If" song that feels very comfortable.

Ordinary Day is a lo-fi exploration into the joy of making music. The Wag at this point were making music for survival and for fun, and both sets of emotional inertia are readily apparent. The live in-studio recordings are refreshing as a look back at the genesis of a band that in a perfect world would have their music played everywhere. If you want to get back to rock and roll made for the h-e-double-hockey sticks of it, then The WAG is what you need.

Ratings:

Long Story Short - 4 Stars (Out of 5)
Ordinary Day - 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Wag at www.thewagband.com, where you can purchase copies of Long Story Short and Ordinary Day.

CD Review: Wunderbugg - Written In Flesh

Wunderbugg - Written In Flesh
2008, Whidden Lee Flores

From the Emerald City came a band full of power and light, driven by all that was good in electronic music. They would raise up with improvisational tenor the bounds of music and lift the consciousness of all who heard them. And they would be called Wunderbugg. Wunderbugg is the dream child of keyboardist Whidden Flores, who conceptualized the band several years ago at the tender age of fourteen. Joined by pianist/engineer Nick Evans and MIDI/effects processing wunderkind Lorin Atzen, Whidden leads us though ethereal and sometimes concentric musical patterns on the Wunderbugg's debut album, Written In Flesh.

Mixing in the usual rhythmic devices, Wunderbugg goes for something of a live band sound between two players of the keys. The band has been building a significant buzz in Seattle as an Indie, and has garnered significant recognition. More importantly, Wunderbugg has quite a heady list of fans, including Deep Forest, Scum Of The Earth, Mike Garson (David Bowie, NIN) and Mike Koglin (Gatecrashers/Creamfields). They've managed to fill venues in Seattle that are generally beyond the reach of any Indie band.

I am not going to discuss highlight tracks in depth here, as each listener will find their own groove that they identify with, but I will say that Last Lullaby Of A Fallen Conquistador is sheer genius. The song manages to convey heart and emotion, things that are all too often lost in electronic music. This is the must sublime talent that Wunberbugg brings to the table - an ability to feel and live through their music. It is this talent more than any other that allows them to touch the listener.

Written In Flesh rises above the crowded pack of Electronic music releases in 2008 to declare that it’s something special. We recommend you listen. Wunderbugg is in fine form.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Wunderbugg at www.myspace.com/wunderbuggispimp. You can purchase a copy of Written In Flesh at www.cdbaby.cd/cd/wunderbugg.

CD Review: Greg Roth - Caught Looking

Greg Roth - Caught Looking
2007, Rio Rancho Records

Greg Roth has quite the musical history. He's played with a number of local and regional bands in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. He resumes includes performances in 18 states and opening for acts such as Patti Rothberg, Honky (Butthole Surfers) and Mic Harrison (Superdrag). He's even played rhythm guitar with Glenn Tillbrook. After years of supporting other acts and his band (The Jillians), Roth decided to release a solo album of material he'd accumulated over the years. Caught Looking was released in 2007 on Rio Ranch Records, and has potential to be a delightful rock record with Americana roots.

Roth's first single was Las Vegas Wedding, a jangly brit-pop inspired story song. Musically the song is quite strong but does suffer from an enunciation gap that makes it difficult to discern the lyrics. While this can be a stylistic choice (or non-choice as the case may be), in this particular instance is detracts from the song. Las Vegas Wedding becomes a good song where it might have been a great one. The music and melody are absolutely memorable with significant radio/commercial potential, but the inability to connect with the song's message nullifies much of the musical effect. Your Providence, on the other hand, is pure pop/rock gold. The metronomic bass line and country flavored guitar work make for just the right magic. While the enunciation is still less than perfect here, the music is open enough to allow for the lyrics to come through.

These highlights essentially describe Caught Looking. There are a number of musical highlights here that are lessened to one degree or another by the listener's inability to understand and therefore connect with the message. If you don't listen to lyrics then this album is a 5 of 5 must have. As it is the inability to understand Roth turns a great album, perhaps even a Desert Island one into a good but frustrating listen. It's worth it for the nuggets of pop gold it contains.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Greg Roth at www.myspace.com/gregroth. You can purchase a copy of Caught Looking at www.cdbaby.com/cd/gregroth.

CD Review: Mutlu - In The Hear And Now

Mutlu - Livin' It
2008, Manhattan Records

Philadelphia may not hold the trademark on soul music, but if not it's merely an error in accounting. Philly's history with soul music is as rich and hearty as a sandwich from Pat's King Of Steaks. In the here and now that history is represented by the likes of Darryl Hall, G. Love and Amos Lee. But the waters run deep in Philly, and there is a new generation of soul-influenced musicians on the horizon. Perhaps the first and brightest of the next wave is Mutlu. His brand of acoustic soul, dubbed "Rhythm and Folk" creates excitement wherever it's played. Mutlu's voice is as smooth as sweet tea and he has a talent for both melody and lyrics. His 2nd CD, Livin' It, was released by Manhattan Records in July, 2008. You need to check this out.

Mutlu brings a collaborative style to his recordings, similar to that adopted in the hip-hop and rap worlds. Consequently you'll see a number of guests on Livin' It. This allows Mutlu to expand on his muse through the variety of musical interplay. The result is a gorgeous and vibrant album that has the heartbeat of the street and sufficient sonic candy to keep you listening. Livin' It (the title track) is the most commercial and probably weakest song on the album. I suspect that in a stripped down form it would be more enjoyable, but the song has been produced to meet a contrived market sound to entice radio play rather than letting it become what it wants to be.

See What It Brings, on the other hand, is the beginning of the rest of the album. Here we hear Mutlu in his own voice along with the legendary Darryl Hall. The message is uplifting and particularly poignant for these troubled times. See What It Brings is "less commercial" and likely much more commercially viable than the title track.

My favorite track on Livin' It is Hello Morning. This is a classic song that I suspect will be licensed from here to Hollywood and back before it's done. The melody is the sort of magical ditty that you'll still be humming years from now even if you can't quite place where it came from. Upside is a close second, bringing an upbeat Rhythm and Rock sound that is strongly marketable and highly enjoyable. Other highlights include Shaky Ground (featuring G. Love); Make It There (featuring Amos Lee); Mama's Not Comin Home and In Your Heart (featuring Raheem De Vaughan).

Livin' It is the sort of album you launch a career on. Mutlu's musical alchemy is likely to be with us for some time to come. His ability to pack big thoughts into concise and poetic lyrics, match them with memorable melodies and lush arrangements indicate the sort of potential you buy stock in. Livin' It is amazing. I highly recommend you give it a listen. And while I haven't heard it (yet), I recommend you check out his self-titled EP before it's selling for ridiculous sums on eBay.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Mutlu at http://www.mutlusounds.com/. You can purchase a copy of Livin' It at Amazon.com or most major music retailers.

CD Review: Spencer Brewer - Cinematic

Spencer Brewer - Cinematic
2008, BMI Spencer Brewer

Spencer Brewer is a student, fan, connoisseur and creator of film music. His influences include Bernard Herrmann, John Barry and Ennio Morricone, to name a few. Brewer has had his material used in a couple of movies in addition to television opportunities such as the Barbara Walters show or Oprah. On 2008’s Cinematic, Brewer offers up compositions written for television or movies, as well as compositions written in the same vein.

Cinematic is a collection of compositions for piano and orchestra by Spencer Brewer. Cinematic is split into two discs: The first (Black and White) is a series of compositions played by Brewer on solo piano. Disc two (Technicolor) features many of the same songs (plus a few new ones) arranged for orchestra or small ensemble. Spencer Brewer shows a distinctive style that runs the gamut from James Horner to Randy Newman in compositional tendencies and ingenuity. The optimistic Morning Glory is a sensational piece of writing and benefits distinctly from the small ensemble arrangement on disc two. Blueberry Street is a cabaret jazz/piano bar song with an unforgettable melody. Lupin Swing is an old school piano jazz piece that harkens back to the 1930's and early 1940's.

What becomes abundantly clear is that Spencer Brewer has an ear for the sort of music that helps to drive theater and movies. The epic Cinematic is as close as Brewer comes to a grand theme, but his brand of nuts and bolts composition is much more difficult to master. Grand themes require the ability to find a signature hook or riff and play upon it through repetition, variation and changing of background scenery. Spencer Brewer has an ability to fill in the hue and cry that emboldens a landscape from black and white to Technicolor. Cinematic is a work of art.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Spencer Brewer at http://www.spencerbrewer.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Cinematic. You can also pick up a copy at www.cdbaby.com/cd/spencerbrewer.

CD Review: Chris Daniels & The Kings - Stealin The Covers

Chris Daniels & The Kings - Stealin The Covers
2008, Moon Voyage Records

Chris Daniels & The Kings have released 10 critically acclaimed albums over a career that spans twenty-five years. Having performed for the Queen of Holland former President Clinton, they've also appeared on VH-1, MuchMusic and Germany's Onhe Filter. They've had two top-5 hits and had their music featured on the television show Men In Trees. Strangely enough you probably don't know who they are. In the words of William Wallace's uncle, we shall have to rectify that.

Chris Daniels & The Kings culled twenty-five years of recording sessions to put together their newest album, Stealin The Covers. This is a collection of cover tunes they've recorded over the years with various guests and the occasional superstar producer. Notable guests include Sonny Landreth (Hiatt, Clapton); Sam Bush (Lyle Lovett); Bill Payne (Little Feat); Steve Conn (Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins); Sam Broussard (Mamou Playboys, Jimmy Buffet); Benmont Treach (Tom Petty) and Steve Riley (Mamou Playboys). Production credits include Al Kooper and Bill Payne, among others. Let's just say you're in for a treat.

Chris Daniels &The Kings play old school rock and roll, American style. Roll Over Beethoven takes the Chuck Berry classic and gives it a Tower Of Power treatment that's unforgettable. Chris Daniels has a soulful rock voice that is perfect for most of the material explored here. The neo-swing of Choo-Choo-Ch' Boogie is worthy of Brian Setzer. Just Kissed My Baby is full of funk and Stax style horn work. Be sure to check out the cajun flavored In The Night, which may just be the best song on the album.

The cover of The Beatles In My Life is sweet and reverent without getting syrupy. Riding With The King is another signature moment on Stealin The Covers; Chris Daniels and The Kings rip this one up with unbridled glee. Other highlights include Crosstown Traffic; the Louis Prima class Sing, Sing, Sing and a classy Cool Yule.

Chris Daniels & The Kings show us master showmen sounds like on Stealin' The Covers. It is one thing to find your sound on your own material, but as an artist the ability to interpret and own material written by others is in some ways a more difficult talent to master. It is the mark of great musicians and a great showman to make the transition from songwriter to interpreter of the American Songbook. Chris Daniels & The Kings make the transition capably and leave us with an unforgettable collection of pop musical memorabilia. Stealin' The Covers is a gem.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chris Daniels & The Kings at http://www.chrisdaniels.com/. You can purchase a digital copy of Stealin’ The Covers at Digstation.com. Hard copies are currently only available at shows. Keep checking the band’s website for more information as the CD will be available through more vendors shortly.