The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #1

And here we are, finally. The #1 album of the year.

Before we get there, I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who put themselves out there to submit material to Wildy's World for review in 2008. Whether you are a new artist trying to find a foothold in the business or an established name, it can be nerve wracking to put the finished product of months or years of your life's work in the hands of a stranger for their honest opinion. Even a place like Wildy's World where we strive to find the positive qualities of a recording and won't write a review if we don't feel we have anything nice to say can ruin someone's day/week/month with the wrong turn of phrase, choice of words, or just a good honest opinion.

Performers are incredibly brave, incredibly strong and ultimately incredibly fragile people. They live and die with the applause. A great reaction is manna for the artist. Silence is starvation. Everything in between carries mixed emotions. The people on this Top-40 list are getting great reactions, but they aren't the only ones from this year who deserve them. There is a long list of albums who maybe didn't make the Top-40 but represented quality work from artists in 2008 that are documented in this blog. The reviews and lists here ultimately reflect my opinions, and they can change, but the Top-40 albums here are the ones that have really stuck with me throughout the year. Things I continue to listen to and enjoy and suspect I will for some time. So we'll strive to do the same thing in 2009, giving all of those brave enough to put themselves out there a platform and someone who's not a publicist to shout about you into the virtual world. Our growing readership indicates that people are listening.

On to #1...

#1 Marian Call - Vanilla

It was a big year for Alaska. Alaska's national profile has been semi-permanently bolstered by the political ascendance of Governor/VP Candidate Sarah Palin. She has perhaps topped Jewel as the biggest thing to come out of Alaska. Don't be surprised if in the long run both names are eclipsed by one Marian Call. The fiery redhead from Anchorage is Indie Music's pure heart. Her acoustic guitar-driven missals weave heartfelt and personal stories with irony and perhaps just a touch of mischief. Call creates magic whenever she picks up her guitar or opens her mouth to sing. Not much known away from Alaska before last year, Marian Call has started to play dates on the West Coast and is beginning to build a buzz. We were lucky enough to be one of the first to review Vanilla and we realized right away what a hidden gem we'd found. Aside from her overt talent, Marian Call has done a great deal to encourage a bustling local music scene in Anchorage, and creates music at a rate that is almost super-human. She publishes one song a month on her web-site, has put out two albums in the last 18 months or so and is working on a third.

I highly recommend you get to know Marian Call now. She's on the way up, and there's no telling how high this rocket will go. Marian Call is the real deal, and she epitomizes the heart and soul of what all the artists who have submitted material to us in the past year are striving to do. Create. Play. Excel. Live.

Congratulations to Marian Call for having the #1 CD on The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008. It's well deserved. And congratulations to everyone who was listed here, and to all those who, thought they may not know it, didn't miss by all that much. You are all the lifeblood of the music industry. You keep the great music flowing. You keep making it, and we'll keep telling the world about it. Thanks for a great 2008!

Review: Blue Island Tribe - The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy

Blue Island Tribe - The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy
2008, Spark A Fire Records

Blue Island Tribe have been together for most of this decade, originating in their university days U of Northern Iowa. Mixing Rock and Reggae with an infectious pop aura is what Blue Island Tribe is all about. For all of the positive response their four previous releases have received, Blue Island Tribe truly comes alive in front of a crowd, be it a monster crowd or an intimate house party. Blue Island Tribe's fifth release, The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy (EP), finds The Tribe continuing down their chosen artistic path with a little more maturity and a little more finesse than in the past. The spirit still burns white hot, but the delivery has been refined just a tad.

Down opens with a classic Reggae sound turning into a sound that is a slightly more pop-oriented version of Sublime. The tune is extremely catchy and has potential commercial impact written all over it. Drop Out is a bit edgier, surfing the waters of a broken relationship. The upbeat, catchy vibe of the song stands in stark counterpoint to the subject matter here. Jump And Shout is the most familiar sounding song here, with a definite Red Hot Chili Peppers thing going on. The class of the album is the fourth song, March On. It's a tribute to US troops that was born out of a house party the band gave on a military base in Korea. Apparently the band had written the music previously but didn't have words. The lyrical inspiration came mid-performance in a blur of creative magic. The song does not celebrate the military as a war machine, but celebrates the people who dedicate their lives to maintaining peace through their presence and sacrifice. The album closes out with Ecstasy, which is probably the most pop-oriented. If you remember the commercial and appealing mix of reggae and pop that Eddy Grant achieved in the early 1980's then you have an idea of the sound here. Very smooth and slick, Blue Island Tribe may have found their first true hit here.

Blue Island Tribe continues to spread their musical moments of joy through 200 shows a year, but somewhere along the way they've grown from raw musical creationist to songwriters and artists. The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy shows The Tribe stretching their creative wings and attaining a higher level of musicianship and song craft. A very strong and enjoyable recording that's much too short, but otherwise without complaints.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Blue Island Tribe at http://www.blueislandtribe.com/ or www.myspace.com/blueislandtribe. The 5 Hits Of Ecstasy is currently only available as a download through iTunes. A hard copy was originally scheduled for November of 2008 but has been pushed back until March of 2009.

Review: Babe Gurr - Chocolate Lilly

Babe Gurr - Chocolate Lilly
2008, Elan Records Canada

Babe Gurr. What a name. The folk/rock singer-songwriter from Vancouver Island, British Columbia has been turning heads for years with her blend of roots/blues/pop. Shaped by intelligent, sometimes funny lyrics, memorable melodies and strong arrangements, Gurr lights up her songs with an engaging presence and a sandy and sultry voice you won't forget. Gurr's latest release, Chocolate Lilly, continues in the vein of her earlier works. It's a stunningly beautiful and poignant musical experience.

Gurr starts with great songs and one of the tightest backing bands south of the arctic circle. Chocolate Lilly opens with Hard To Get Over Me, a soulful warning that's part Lucinda Williams and part Bonnie Raitt. If you ever want to court Gurr or a woman like her, listen closely to Love Is Tough. It's a statement of terms for a relationship, and probably one of the most commercial songs on the album. I Give Myself To You is destined for weddings, mix-tapes and scenes involving young men with box radios below the windows of ladies they adore. This is one of those classic love songs that with the right bit of commercial exposure would become the wedding theme of a generation. It avoids cliché while making an honest and forthright statement of devotion. The melody is memorable and won't leave you anytime soon. Gurr also pulls back a little back here vocally, sounding more like Shawn Colvin than Bonnie Raitt.

Babe Gurr is absolutely inspired on her cover of Ray Charles' Unchain My Heart. The song drips with soul and desire driven by Gurr's sultry voice. Larger Than Life frames a philosophy centered on taking life by the horns and having no regrets. It's a great Americana arrangement with real pop hooks. Make sure also to check out Understanding, a poignant look at inequality and the ultimate remedy. Other highlights include the title track, Chocolate Lilly, Now You're Gone and Break Thru.

Babe Gurr is the sort of talent who doesn't come along all that often, and her star is on the rise. Her music has already been tapped for the US television show Higher Ground, as well as being a guest on Canadian shows Canada AM and The Jim Byrnes Show. It's only a matter of time before Gurr's star rises above the Canadian Content Rule and she truly becomes an International artist. Chocolate Lilly is the clearest sign that she is ready, taking everything Gurr has done so well to this point in her career and raising her game another notch. It's an inspired performance.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Babe Gurr at http://www.babegurr.com/. You can purchase a copy of Chocolate Lilly at www.cdbaby.com/cd/babegurr3.

The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #2

The two best albums of the year, as reviewed by Wildy's World, are upon us. It's been a long trip (and a lot of reviews) to get here, but well worth the wait (and the work). Our #2 release is from one of our favorite songwriters. A guy who started out on the Indie Circuit in a band named after a 1970's TV show opening for the Barenaked Ladies, jumped to a major label, and ended up back on the Indie side of the fence.
#2 - Jason Plumb & The Willing - Beauty In This World

Beauty In This World is one of the first CDs we reviewed and remains one of our favorites. Jason Plumb has always had a penchant for writing these gorgeous songs, often with upbeat or sweet melodies and melancholy to depressing lyrics. Plumb raised his game on Beauty In This World from star quality to genius. This is the most sonically pleasing album of the year. This is the first album Plumb produced entirely on his own, and his DNA is in every note. It's been a long trip from his days with The Waltons, but Plumb has gotten better and better, just like fine wine. I don't believe he tours extensivelly anymore, and you're not likely to find a show outside of his native Canada, so his albums and the live clips on Youtube are probably your best bet to get to know Jason Plumb. Don't deny yourself the opportunity.

Review: Desmond Drive - I Called I

Desmond Drive – I Called I
2008, Desmond Drive

Desmond Drive is an Atlanta band with a big sound. Practicing the fine art of melody-driven rock in the vein of The Beatles or XTC, Desmond Drive literally turns heads when they start to play. Vocalist/keyboardist Bill Shaouy was raised on great melodic pop and managed to internalize that sensibility. It comes through in droves on Desmond Drive’s debut album, I Called I. With the help of Chuck Kelly (drums, percussion); Steve Platnick (Bass), and Rob Gal (guitarist and Producer), Shaouy offers up some of the sweetest pop confections you’re likely to hear.

Desmond Drive travels the highways and byways of big melodies and strong pop themes. The fact that these are applied to a distinct Americana style makes for a highly listenable and universal album that eludes distinct classification while constantly breaking new ground. I Called I opens with Two-Headed Beast, classic Americana in the image of Canadian trailblazers Blue Rodeo. Vocalist Bill Shaouy has a heavenly voice that's as smooth as anything and twice as pleasant. Desmond Drive nearly reinvents themselves on Poker Face, with a strong Roy Orbison thing going on. This is pure 1960's pop music; a love song with a slight country twang and big harmonies. Desmond Drive changes gears again on Isn't It A Wonder, a Beatles-esque pop ditty that's bizarrely beautiful in the most esoteric sense.

If you've ever spent much time on the folk scene in Upstate New York you may have come across a band called The Foothills Trio. I mention them because Desmond Drive's next song, Goodbye, sounds like The Foothills Trio sat down to jam with the Traveling Wilburies. The song carries tremendous harmonies and outstanding guitar work. Your Name is a sweet pop song that will popular for mix-tapes but is somewhat complacent, missing some of the energy encountered thus far on I Called I.

Simple Things, however, is probably the highlight of the album. Shaouy sounds inspired on this gem, which is as varied and complex as pop music gets. Simple Things has an almost Shakespearean quality about it; it's snappy with great hooks and a tremendous sense of movement. Leader finds Desmond Drive in the midst of 180-degree turn. It's an introspective and almost brutally honest self-assessment. It's a beautiful song with something of a John Lennon feel to it. My Will is the most straight forward pop/rock song on the album. It stands out the more so for seeming slightly out of place here. The song runs like a nervous child through the verse but finds purpose in the well-crafted and melodic chorus.

Happy Tollbooth Guy sounds like something that might show up in an Off-Broadway show. It's a bit campy and upbeat and showcases a vaguely theatrical style that runs just below the surface of much of Desmond Drive's music. Stylistically it sounds like Billy Joel and William Finn sat down at the same piano together. My Tribe is a great upbeat pop tune that could cross over as a dance hit, ala Fatboy Slim. My Tribe is the track with the greatest commercial potential, and honestly could be a dance hit with a remix by the right DJ. I Called I closes on a theatrical note, with the spiritually heavy One Night. Desmond Drive really gets down to their roots on these dramatic piano-driven tunes.

Desmond Drive is all over the musical map on I Called I. While this is not a key to commercial success in this day and age, it has always been a formula for classic, memorable, sometimes even iconic albums. I don't know if I'm willing to quite call I Called I iconic, but it's in the ballpark. The melodic sense here is stunning, and the composition style is unique and varied enough to make a distinct statement. Desmond Drive is lyrically competent and unafraid to take musical chances. Fans of folks like The Beatles, The Moody Blues and Dennis DeYoung-era Styx will love this. Fans of melodic pop rock and musicians in general will also find I Called I very gratifying. I Called I is a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and definitely something you want on your to-do list.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Desmond Drive at http://www.desmonddrive.com/. You can purchase a copy of I Called I at www.cdbaby.com/cd/desmonddrive.

Review: Angela Predhomme - Angela Predhomme

Angela Predhomme - Angela Predhomme
2008, Angela Predhomme

Angela Predhomme isn’t your usual singer-songwriter on the rise. Predhomme has been in love with music all her life, but got a later start on writing and performing than many artists. The Detroit native has been a regular on Mackinac Island for the past three years, where the movie Somewhere In Time was shot. Her producer, Scott Christopher, is her old guitar teacher. Reading through her bio you get the impression not so much of a pop star but of, perhaps the girl next door. One listen to her debut CD, Angela Predhomme, and you’ll know that impression is the right one.

Angela Predhomme opens with Passing The Days, a sweet, bluesy country tune. Predhomme is in fine vocal form here, with tremendous tone and color in a voice that is at once surprising and comforting. Everything Is Alright is a memorable tune that you'll carry with you long after the CD stops spinning. Georgia is a bit of a change-up from Predhomme. A great story song, but Angela Predhomme is just a bit too sweet here to pull it off entirely. This song requires just a bit more grit than Predhomme projects, but is still a strong recording.

Too Much Time is a song of self-reliance than is both endearing and powerful. This may be the most well-written and performed song on the album. Just Like Magic has a vaguely wanton quality to it that is surprising. Predhomme shows a darker side that you might not suspect. She's back to her sweet, introspective self on If I Could Love Like My Dog, a song that's so pure it's almost kitschy. Other highlights include Transparent Eyes, Nemesis and Little Girl. Little Girl is a special song with a very positive message. It's carried by a strong melody and leaves you better at the end of Angela Predhomme than when you started out.

Angela Predhomme has real talent for writing and performing songs. She comes across as sweet and innocent and real, kind of like the classic girl next door. She surprises with mild shadows and light at times, but never truly crosses over into the darker side of human nature with the songs on her self-titled debut. She's the sort of recording artist you'd be proud to have your teenage daughter (or son) listening to as a role model. Currently residing in an almost adult-contemporary style, Predhomme shows flashes of real pop sensibility on her debut. As she develops this sense, you may find her songwriting open up and display more layers of her self and her sense of the world, but this is a great start.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Angela Predhomme at www.myspace.com/angelapredhomme or http://www.angelapredhomme.com/. You can pick up a copy of Angela Predhomme at www.cdbaby.com/apredhomme.

The Wildy's World Top-40 Of 2008: #3

We're down to the final 3. Either the anticipation is too much to handle or you're saying just finish the darn list and get back to writing your reviews. Either way, just two more days until we crown the #1 album of the year.

Today we have an anomaly. The #3 album of the year is by the only artist to place two albums in our Top-40 for 2008. I won't keep you in suspense.

#3 Jessie Kilguss - Nocturnal Drifter

Most artists would be more than happy enough to place one album in the Top-40. Not Jessie Kilguss. Late to the music game after starting out her career as an actress, Kilguss has opened a Pandora's box of great songwriting shaped and teased by the gorgeous layers of Kilguss' voice. Together with producer Super Buddha, Kilguss has created one of the most lush and musically aesthetic albums of the year. Kilguss showed such growth and personal extension in just the eighteen months or so between albums that it's a bit a scary to think where she might go next. Nocturnal Drifter was one of three songs in the final mix for the top spot. The fact that it comes in at #3 isn't a mark against Drifter or Kilguss, but an indication of how strong the talent has been here this year. This might be Kilguss' first Top-10 placement on a list of this sort, but it surely will not be her last.

In an interesting coincidence, we have three recordings in the countdown originating from the same Massachussets hometown. Jessie Kilguss and Wensday reportedly attended the same high school. Must be something in the water up there. You can check out the original review of Nocturnal Drifter by clicking on the hyperlink above.

Review: Adolfo Lazo - On Tape

Adolfo Lazo – On Tape
2008, Adolfo Lazo

San Francisco-based Adolfo Lazo has spent the last 20 years drumming for Celtic Rock band Tempest. Along the way he started to come up with his own songs that didn’t fit within the Celtic Rock mode. Lazo’s solo material lends itself more to a mix of Latin pop and Folk Music. His latest solo release, On Tape, blends the two styles so completely he almost becomes his own genre. Lazo reports that he started drumming around the house as a little tyke hoping to find the secret formula for invisibility. Lazo hasn’t totally given up on this dream, but the side effect of gorgeous pop tunes is a much more compelling story.

On Tape opens with Morgan, a tongue-in-cheek song that sounds like it may have been written about a disaffected teenager. The lyrics are entertaining and the basic rock arrangement here is a suitable frame. Lazo has a voice that is pleasant to listen to without being overly pretty or flashy. Two Minute Love has a distinctively shredded guitar style that is part psychedelic. The instrumental doesn’t live up to its name at 1:46, but is still entertaining. Cual Es Tu Carrera is a snappy song with a Latin rhythm that might be the best composition on the album.

Red And Yellow is very catchy. The song will stick with you. 365 is an enjoyable listen, and very poignant. Other highlights include Rice Rockets, the rockabilly Outta Vegas, and Borracho. The live version of Time To Go is a great listen as a closing track.

Adolfo Lazo is a talented songwriter and performer. He has a very guy-next-door style, and his music is very accessible. It’s the musical version of comfort food, and who doesn’t like that? On Tape plays like a favorite record of songs you haven’t heard before. It’s not exciting or flashy, but comfortable and familiar. A great effort.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Adolfo Lazo at www.myspace.com/adolfolazomusic. You can purchase a copy of On Tape at www.cdbaby.com/cd/adolfolazo2.

Review: Nickelback - Live At Sturgis (DVD)

Nickelback – Live At Sturgis (DVD)

2009, KOCH Vision

Canadian rock stars Nickelback played to a raucous crowd of 40,000 attendees of the Sturgis Motorcyle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota in 2006. Nickelback were at the height of their multi-platinum success going into this show and did not disappoint their fans there. Live At Sturgis features 12 songs from that show, and more than a little adult fare. This disc is great for fans, but parents might want to think twice about buying this for their teens or pre-teens.

Nickelback love putting on old-style rock shows, complete with pyrotechnics, lasers and effects. It’s all here, and the Sturgis rally-goers, high on a week of motorcycles and whatever else, eat it all up. Nickelback doesn’t disappoint with songs such as Photograph, Never Again, How You Remind Me and Too Bad. They even slip in an interesting Side Of A Bullet in tribute to Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell. Other performances come up flat, however, with Animals leading the way (both as the first song on the DVD and the worst).

The energy is here through most of the set, but Nickelback does have a reputation for being uneven. One great performance can be followed by an absolute dud, and vice versa. Parents be warned, as indicated before this show was played before the denizens of a bike rally. There are lots of naked breasts floating around, and a lot of language you may not want little fans to hear. Just use your best judgment.

Now that I’ve absolutely guaranteed that every 14 year old boy who reads this will buy it, I’ll say that it is, on balance, a decent show. It’s fairly typical fare for Nickelback. So if you’re already a fan, you’ll like it. But if you’re already a fan you’ve seen it all before (at least if you’ve been to a show). Live At Sturgis is good fare for established fans, but probably on the take it or leave it line for anyone else.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Nickelback at http://www.nickelback.com/. You can pre-order Live At Sturgis, available January 3, 2009, at Amazon.com.

The Wildy's World Top-40 Of 2008: #4

Yikes! Today we're down to the #4 ranked album of 2008. Just three more days until #1, and then it's a new year and we start all over again! 537 albums were eligible for consideration for this list in 2008, which means we're in the top 1% of all submissions now! Remember that you can learn more about the release by clicking on the link embedded in the artist name/title. This will take you to the original Wildy's World review, which includes website information for the artist as well as purchase information.

What are we waiting for...?

#4 Carlos Bertonatti - Times Are Good

At the point when we received Carlos Bertonatti's CD Times Are Good, it was months away from being commercially available. What we had was a rough mix burnt to a CD by his publicist trying to drum up some early interest. We had no idea what a gem we had come across until we actually sat down to listen to it the first time. Carlos Bertonatti writes some of the most sublime pop songs out there. The songs on Times Are Good are acoustic, and so are pop without all of the noise and effects that tend to accompany pop music. With Latin and Soul having their influence on his sound, Bertonatti is a marketer's dream. The fact that the songwriting is incredible is a bonus in the business, but for here we're all about the songwriting and performing. Carlos Bertonatti is an electric personality. Check out his fan base and you'll see the sort of near-manic devotion that super stardom is made of. His songs are first class, and his voice and looks will be sure to make the ladies swoon. All of that aside, it's probably the best pop album of 2008.

Review: Trey Green - Trey Green

Trey Green - Trey Green

2008, El Stormo Productions

I'm not qualified to make a clinical diagnosis, but Trey Green is nuts. Bonkers. Stark-raving mad. Let me be clear about this. Trey Green is indubitably, wonderfully insane. His bio references accomplishments such as being hospitalized with several fish lodged in his nasal passage and being arrested on three occasions for failing to move at a green light. Musically, Green is an enigmatic figure, playing whatever he pleases from moment to moment. Stylistic consistency goes out the window in favor of whatever pleases him. This probably explains why Green connects so well with audiences. There is no planning, no pre-packaged musical experience. Trey Green is what he is, like it or not. His debut album, Trey Green was made after the same fashion. No matter who you are, you'll find something you like here.

Trey Green opens with Smooth Breakdancin' Guy, a tongue-in-cheek exploration of a guy who thinks he can dance. We all know someone like this, or are that someone. The dancing is probably more legendary in the mind of the dancer than in the viewing public. My Girlfriend is an extreme example of excusing the shortcomings of those we love. Green puts aside the novelty material for Won't Last Forever, a poignant look at goodbyes. Green hits the height of hilarity on My Fantastic Ass. I don't think I need to say any more.

Part of the mystique of Trey Green is his voice. It's not perfect. It's not pretty. It's slightly jarring and top heavy, but it's perfect for the material he sings. Anachronistic in a way that is memorable and distinct. Once you know his voice you'll always recognize it right away. This quality is often times more desirable than "pretty". Just ask Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies). You'll want to check out Mad Crush and Go Away. Other highlights include The Forever And Ever Song and Tavarua.

Trey Green mixes observations inane and insane with poignant moment and memorable arrangements on his self-titled debut CD. The end result is a journey through madness with the occasional foothold on sanity; creating a highly entertaining if off-kilter musical experience. Trey Green isn't afraid to just be who he is on CD and let you judge him on the merits. The end result is glorious insanity, the kind you run into every single day in the real world, but with a touch of humor and panache. A joyous romp through Green's Id without safety nets. A must-hear.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Trey Green at http://www.treygreen.net/. You can purchase a copy of Trey Green at www.cdbaby.com/cd/treygreen, or on iTunes.

Review: Packway Handle Band - Packway Handle Band

Packway Handle Band - Packway Handle Band
2007, Packway Handle Band

Packway Handle Band emerged from the same Athens, Georgia music scene as REM, the B-52's and Widespread Panic. Born in 2001, they won several local awards, and by 2006 were touring the country to great acclaim. Performing in the old "gather round the mic" style, Packway Handle Band seems to make friends and fans wherever they go with their classic style of play and honest-to-goodness sense of humor. Their fourth release, the self-titled Packway Handle Band, was released in 2007 to much acclaim, resulting in the band being profiled in Bluegrass Now Magazine in April 2008 as a Bluegrass Band To Watch.

Packway Handle Band sets the tone right from the start. The easy vocals of Tom Baker, Josh Erwin, Andrew Heaton and Michael Paynter and inspired fiddle playing of Heaton is icing on the cake of these eleven classic folk grass tunes. Gets Me Every Time is a perfect start to a kitchen party or a CD, and you could settle in for either one listening to these tunes. Spanish Scissors is an interesting composition. Based in Celtic/bluegrass musical traditions it incorporates Spanish-style guitar for an amazing instrumental trip. Strangers is a highlight, from the driven vocal line to the tight as can be arrangement. This would make an amazing acoustic single for rock/country radio. I am not sure if it would fly, but its so good it just might.

You'll want to check out the guitar/banjo picking on Tossin' The Beefcake. Earl The Duck is a bizarre love song to a pet that will make fans of The Brother Creeggan smile. The harmonies here are very well done, even if the song is a bit surreal. Other highlights include The Story (which could make it as a rock tune), the jazzy Downpour, River Delta and Can't Win For Trying. The album closes out with a cute novelty-ish tune called Satan's In Space. Don't let the occasional kitsch fool you hear, this is one first-class folk/bluegrass outfit.

Packway Handle Band makes serious music with a sense of humor. Their fourth release, Packway Handle Band is very much worth a listen or six. Fans of country, bluegrass or Americana will eat this up. There are humorous elements throughout the songs that may remind folks of Barenaked Ladies early stuff or Moxy Fruvous. If you're into the sort of music we've mentioned here then Packway Handle Band is for you. If you're looking to broaden your musical horizons with some first class music, this may be a good place to start.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Packway Handle Band at www.myspace.com/packwayhandleband.com or http://www.packwayhandle.com/. You can purchase a copy of Packway Handle Band at Athensmusic.net.

The Wildy's World Top-40 Of 2008: #5

Okay folks, it's getting serious now. We're down to the Top-5 albums we reviewed in 2008. The competition is pretty fierce, and it was very difficult to make these choices. There was a lot of arguing, impetulant stomping about, threats of the silent treatment and even of fisticuffs, and that was just me! Suffice it to say that at this point the rankings don't matter a great deal, as any of the top 5 have qualities that make them deserving to be in range of the top spot. Of course there can only be one #1...

Remember that you can see the original review of the album by clicking on the artist name and title highlighted below. The review will include links to the artist page as well as purchase information.


Top we look at the fifth ranked album of the year.

#5 Rebecca Katz - Spendin' On Today

Rebecca Katz just got in under the wire for inclusion in the Top-40, and oh was her timing great. This Boston-based folk singer is one of the true gems of 2008. The Louisville, Kentucky native and Brandeis University grad makes her home base in Boston, but has wowed audiences up and down the Eastern Seaboard with her warmth, intelligence, sparkling wit and gorgeous voice. In the finest folk tradition, Katz weaves her own songs while reinterpreting some of the finest songs of the folk tradition. Katz isn't afraid to explore other musical styles, but her own creations are all acoustic and of her own hands (and voice). You may not find a more honest and charming performer on the folk circuit or anywhere out there. Spendin' On Today, at six songs, is short, but is powerful for both the quality and the veritable honesty that flows out of those songs. Spendin' On Today is far and away the best Folk Album we heard in 2008.

Review: Songs Of Water - Songs Of Water

Songs Of Water - Songs Of Water
2004, Stephen Roach

From the woods of North Carolina comes Songs Of Water, a 6-piece experimental folk band that is based half in impressionism and half in realism. Mining sounds and structures not often heard in the popular music realm, Songs Of Water carve a niche for themselves like a river burrowing into a wall of sandstone. Their debut CD, Songs Of Water, is a shimmering musical experience with all the depth and power of an ocean-bound stream.

Songs Of Water may be one of the most sonically entrancing instrumental albums of the year. Opening with hammered dulcimer and violin on Long Journey Home, Songs Of Water sets the table for a collection of twelve gorgeous instrumental vignettes. Long Journey Home is aptly named for the images it conjures, and I can easily see this song in a travel sequence of a motion picture. While Long Journey Home dances on the age of Celtic and Folk, Come To The Well is clearly in the Celtic tradition. The simple and straight forward arrangement is stark and fitting as a complement to some of the acoustic guitar work it entails.

Up From The Depths is wonderfully moody and dark, muted in shadows and neon. The song has a palpable personality that broods in its silent heart. You'll definitely want to check out Tempest, perhaps the loveliest song on the album. The sonic imagery here is too rich to be explained in a sentence or two, you'll just have to listen. Other highlights include sorrowful Travail, To Leave The Ground Behind and Reverence.

Songs Of Water's musical impressionism is as gorgeous as it is detailed. The juxtaposition of musical light and shadow informs the larger compositions here while drawing clearly from folk and Celtic traditions. Songs Of Water is an album that you will cherish for relaxation, meditation or active listening. You musicians out there will love the texture and layers built by Songs Of Water. Definitely a keeper.
Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Songs Of Water at http://www.songsofwater.com/ or www.myspace.com/songsofwater. You can purchase a copy of Songs Of Water at www.cdbaby,com/cd/sroach2.

Review: Alpha Transit - Transit Comes Alive!

Alpha Transit - Transit Comes Alive!
2008, Transit Music

Alpha Transit was born in the fall of 2003 as a trio, interested in combining rock, jazz, funk, blues and electronica in a jam format. Adam Berzowski (keys), Geoff Howard (bass) and Tim Rush (drums) labored as a trio for two full years before adding guitarist Kirk Tatnall to complete their sound. Together and individually the members of Alpha Transit are responsible for nineteen recordings, most or all of which play into Alpha Transit's catalog in one fashion or another. Relying on structured improvisation and a bit of inspiration, Alpha Transit make music that hearkens back to the days of progressive rock, where riffing was an art form and not just a way to extend a meager set list into a 90 minute show. Alpha Transit took the stage of the Milwaukee Ale House in the summer of 2008 to record a show, packaged for you as Transit Comes Alive! (Along with the companion CD Made In Milwaukee). If you're into progressive rock or jazz then this is going to appeal to your taste buds.

Transit Comes Alive! opens with Tapping Chaos, a smart, funky jazz jam. The song works, although there is one keyboard solo in the middle that sounds like the tractor beam from the old Galaga arcade game. Next up is Leap, a lively eleven-and-a-half minute jam comprised of Spyro Gyra style fusion and electronic elements that give it a spacey sound. Second Chances moves into the progressive rock realm. It starts out strong but gets bogged down in repetition toward the end.

Simply Put starts out sounding like a country rock tune, morphing into classic rock and even jazz at times throughout the song. This is probably the most well-rounded and pleasant listen on Transit Comes Alive! Cuff mixes elements of jazz and rock, sounding vaguely like an Eric Johnson composition at times. Star is fairly standard fair with lots of improvised runs. The keyboard work here is particularly impressive, sounding like an old Hammond B3. Yeah, No! closes out the set at 17 minutes of frenetic music activity.

Alpha Transit delivers a series of musically satisfying jams and improvisations on Transit Comes Alive! This album will generally appeal to aficionados of modern jazz and experimental rock. Outside of that realm it may not spark a lot of interest. It's a solid album, just not terribly commercial and therefore is likely to be a niche recording. A good listen though.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alpha Transit at www.myspace.com/alphatransit. You can pick up a copy of Transit Comes Alive at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alphatransit2.

The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #6-12

We're working our way to #1, and today we get into rarefied territory - the Top 12. The competition at this point is pretty hot and heavy, and we've rearranged this list several times in the process of putting it together. Each of the top 3 could easily have been #1, and you can be confident that anyone who's made it this far down the list put out a top notch recording. Remember that there were 537 albums eligible for consideration for the Top-40, so we're in the top 2% of all submissions for the year here.

Each album gets a little more face time here, and as always, if you click on the Artist Name/Title you'll be taken to the original Wildy's World Review. The original reviews have a full synopsis of the album as well as links to artist web pages and outlets that sell the album. So what are we waiting for?!?!?!?

#12 Margot Blanche - Pages In My Diary

Pages In My Diary offers up a blending of Jazz with Hip-Hop the likes of which you've likely never heard. Part Madonna, part Billie Holliday and part Suicide Girl, Blanche grabs your attention with a striking voice and commanding presence. Her tendency toward a burlesque style stage show may be a mere distraction to music fans, but you'll forget all about it when she starts to sing. One of the most original attempts at musical fusion we've heard in some time.

#11 The Hollyfelds - Saratoga

Eryn Hoerig and Kate Grigsby could stand on a Denver street corner in a blizzard and sing the menu from a hot dog stand and people would line up to listen. Their intertwining voices create harmonies that are otherworldly. Add to this one of the tightest and most talented classic country/Appalachian Folk bands between two oceans and some amazing songwriting and you have one amazing album. The Hollyfelds toil in the very busy genre of traditional American music, but quickly rise to the upper echelon of that crowd with this gorgeous debut album.

#10 The Simple Things - The Simple Things

In putting together this list we considered a couple of different factors. First and foremost was (subjectively) how much we liked the CD, but we also considered to some degree issues such as commercial viability. The Simple Things makes this list on pure heart. This little artsy, minimalist jazz/pop other trio has made one of the most eclectic and starkly beautiful albums of 2008. Vocalist Kaitlin McGaw could sell CDs/downloads singing a Capella, and Raymond Ruiz and Michael Gallant are top-notch musicians in their own right. If you get out San Francisco this way put The Simple Things on your itinerary if you can find a show.

#9 Julie McKee - What A Woman Shouldn't Do

Julie McKee's debut album is one of the finest collections of Jazz-imbued pop music of the year. She's part Annie Lennon, part Fiona Apple and part Jane Siberry. 2008 saw McKee gain significant attention for What A Woman Shouldn't Do, and even broke down international barriers by performing her first shows in New York City and Chicago (both well reviewed, by the way). Intelligent and witty lyrics make this one of the smartest albums of the year. An absolute must have for music fans.

#8 Crooked Still - Still Crooked

Crooked Still is as about as old-school country as one can get. Still Crooked is steeped in the Celtic and Folk traditions from which country music originally grew. Aoife O'Donovan sings this music like its her life's blood, and the rest of Crooked Still don't so much back her up as organically weave themselves around her voice. Out and out the top Country/Americana album of the year.

#7 Mike Ford - Canada Needs You Volume Two

Some of you may remember Mike Ford as 1/4 of the Toronto quartet Moxy Fruvous. Rather than fading into obscurity, Ford has become of Canada's best songwriters, concentrating his efforts on songs with educational value. Canada Needs You Volume Two focuses on persons, places and events in 20th Century Canadian history. No subject or musical style is off-limits as Ford uses intelligent and nuanced story-telling, humor and divergent musical styles to paint a series of musical profiles. This disc isn't likely getting a lot of mention on end of year lists, in large part because Ford doesn't do the whole self-promotion thing on a level with many of the other artists here, but it should be. The CD is absolutely unforgettable. And hey, just for kicks, check out this interview we did with Ford. It's a worthwhile read.

#6 Woodward - ...But Your Kids Are Gonna Love It

Woodward's debut is the quintessential Rock N Roll album, mixing elements of modern rock and classic rock into a blend that is familiar yet new. As music fans, this was probably the most exciting Rock Album to cross our desk in 2008. Because of the mix of sounds the target audience for this CD is any rock fan from 10 to 60. Woodward may or may not make the long haul stardom, but don't be surprised if this album someday stands out as one of the finest and most enduring albums of the Indie Rock era.

Review: Melinda Doolittle - Coming Back To You

Melinda Doolittle - Coming Back To You

2009, Genius Products (TVN)

We last saw Melinda Doolittle in Season six of American Idol, bounced from the show by fans who value youth and gimmicks to talent and an ability to perform. Rather than run right to market to capitalize on her exposure with a collection of pre-packaged hits that wouldn't do her justice as an artist, Doolittle has chosen to take her time and put together a recording that befits her talent. The result, coming on February 3, 2009, is Coming Back To You. Most American Idol alumni have managed to disappoint, leaving behind the sounds they developed on the show for slick, pop-oriented sounds that are more production value than talent. Doolittle has stayed true to herself, delivering 13 songs steeped in classic R&B and Soul.

Opening with Fundamental Things, Melinda Doolittle sends the message that she is invested in old school sounds. Doolittle shines in a market of vocalists who have traded singing for coloratura runs and performance for posing. It's Your Love sounds like something that might have come out back when Ike and Tina were still together. Moving out in front has done wonderful things for Doolittle, and her voice on Coming Back To You appears to have grown in stature and soul since her Idol days. Coming Back To You is a classic R&B ballad, and likely a single, but may not be the strongest song on the CD.

Declaration Of Love, on the other hand, is the highlight of the disc. Doolittle opens up like a flower on this one and belts her way to musical glory. Melinda Doolittle has that rare double of being able to sing a song to life as well as being able to sell it on personality alone. When the two aspects of her personality and talent come together Doolittle lights up a stage like a bonfire, and this song is likely to be a concert favorite for years to come. Wonderful has a great soul groove to it. Doolittle finds the pop heart of this song without selling it out; giving a nuanced and personal performance that will touch listeners.

Dust My Broom has that touch of theatrical wonder that only a seasoned performer can master. Melinda Doolittle has the ability to reach out through the speakers and connect with listeners in a way that some artists struggle to do even in a live environment. Her voice here is at its absolutely best. The music industry just hasn't heard this kind of explosive voice in a while. Aretha and Tina are still around of course, but Melinda Doolittle might be ready to take up their respective crowns. Other highlights include I'll Never Stop Loving You, If I'm Not In Love, Walkin' Blues and We Will Find A Way.

It's been clear from her very first appearance on American Idol that Melinda Doolittle was a special talent. Idol alumni have been a mixed bag in the sales department, and even more suspect in the quality department. Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Carrie Underwood have all had great success towing the pop line while giving up some of the character and personality that made them stars on the show. Kelly Clarkson has broken out somewhat from that mold only to see her sales plummet. Taylor Hicks built up the biggest persona on the show, but gave up his personality to the production team on his eponymous major label debut. The same goes for Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino, both of whom were disappointing in spite of winning their respective years. Melinda Doolittle has stayed true to what made her a star on Idol, and has created, by far, the best album to come out of an Idol alumni to date (I've yet to hear David Cook's debut, but its hard to imagine him topping Coming Back To You). Melinda Doolittle's sound isn't as commercial as many of those who have come before her, but I'll bet this album outsells all of her predecessors. Coming Back To You is pure gold, a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Its a must for Doolittle fans; fans of classic R&B and soul, and anyone looking for good, quality music sung with a lion's heart.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Melinda Doolittle at www.myspace.com/melindadoolittle. You can pre-order Coming Back To You at Amazon.com.

Review: Duane Large - Stories In The Last Year

Duane Large - Stories In The Last Year
2008, Duane Large

Duane Large is one of the more enigmatic performers in popular music: Influenced by everything from Croce to Dylan; The Decemberists to The Beatles; George Gershwin to Franz Schubert. Large has played with many groups over time, including The Philadelphia Orchestra. His debut CD, Stories In The Last Year, runs the gamut from rock to folk to Tin Pan Alley without losing direction. It's one of the most musically involved pop/rock albums of 2008.

Duane Large has a straight forward Folk/Americana delivery that is without pretension. His songs are written in a crisp, clean, economical style that is both refreshing and fun. Stories In The Last Year opens with Jillian. Jillian bears a strong stylistic resemblance to Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo). Your House is a classic singer/songwriter folk song. Large's sweet and mellow voice rings clear throughout and his guitar work in exquisite. Abide is my favorite song on Stories In The Last Year, a love song that doesn't stick to the usual formats or cliche, Abide is a powerful and appealing song that probably has major licensing potential.

Ligeia (Poe) has a European sound to it and a gorgeous melody that you won't be able to get out of your head. The Road Less Traveled uses a classic 1960's guitar emulating a doo-wop chorus to back up a classic sound. Large is very convincing here. Other highlights include Tucked In The Seams, the Celtic The Ballad Of Nelly Holland, and All You Are. All You Are is a classic folk song right out of the gate. This is the sort of song that other artists pick up on and record or perform live.

Stories In The Last Year is aptly named. If Duane Large continues on the path he's on he may well end up as one of the more prolific and talented songwriters of the new century. Every song is crisp and clean with well-defined melodies and intelligent, expressive lyrics. Large is likely to find a big audience with the right break.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Duane Large at www.myspace.com/duanelarge or http://www.duanelarge.com/. You can pick up a copy of Stories In The Last Year at www.cdbaby.com/cd/duanelarge.

The Wildy's World Top-40 Of 2008: #13-19

Ah yes, the dreaded end-of-year lists have begun. Not being able to resist the call of annoying pop-culture end of year lists, we here at Wildy's World thought we'd tear our hair our trying to present you with the top 40 albums we've reviewed in 2008. The albums had to be released in 2007 or 2008 in order to be considered, and a total of 537 albums were in the mix. This means the forty albums we'll present over the next 10 days comprise the top 7.5% of submissions in 2008!Each listing will give a very brief statement about the album, and the artist name/title will serve as a hyperlink to the original Wildy's World review, where you can also find links to the artists' website and links to purchase their CDs.

And the tensions builds as today we are covering #'s 13-19. #1 is on the horizon...


#19 Gena Perala - This Ain't Pretty

Gena Perala combines the lyrical oomph of a Bruce Coburn or Springsteen with the post-Ani DiFranco sense of pop/folk/punk songwriting style. This Ain't Pretty is gritty and tough and distinctly beautiful (without being pretty).

#18 Mindwalk BLVD - Paint The Seconds

A progressive rock power trio whose oldest member is a green 16 goes on to nearly win a spot opening for Yes on their 40th Anniversary Tour. If the tour hadn't been cancelled due to Jon Anderson's health problems you'd already be hearing these kids everywhere. As it is it's just a matter of time.

#17 The Break And Repair Method - Milk The Bee

Matchbox 20's Paul Doucette comes out from behind the drum kit on this sparkling solo-debut. With the help of folks like Nina Gordon, Moon Unit Zappa and Matt Beck, Doucette has crafted one of the stickiest sets of melodies of the year.

#16 Beware Fashionable Women - Beware Fashionable Women

Barenaked Ladies style kitsch. Beach Boys Harmonies. Dick Dale style guitar and an edginess reminiscent of The Clash. This is the gloriously improbable package offered up by Beware Fashionable Women. One of the most pleasant surprises of 2008.

#15 Alyssa Graham - Echo

An artist who could have been a star in any era, Graham shows a love and respect for the history of jazz while adding a modern sensibility and appeal. Echo is the sort of album that gets the ear of musicians, many of whom may line up to work with Graham on future projects.

#14 Dare Dukes - Prettiest Transmitter Of All

Dukes is a musical story-teller, nay, a troubadour who finds the most unusual angles. Pulling the humor from life rather than poking fun, Dukes can make you laugh about a story while feeling the underlying angst all in the same song. A songwriter's songwriter.

#13 Reid MacLean - Bright Fading Star

MacLean is a sublime story teller with a near-perfect pop sense. His ability to connect to the listener is insane, and the list of contributors for this album will show you how much respect he already has in the music world.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Blessed Solstice...

Happy Holidays from Wildy's World!

Whatever holiday you celebrate, whatever traditions you keep, or however you see the face of God, may blessing be upon you all. You, our readers, have made this a successful year for Wildy's World, with over 25,000 visits in our first year (from about 40 per week in January of 2008).

We've reviewed over 600 recordings in 2008, with many more to come in 2009. We'll also be rolling out some new features and services in 2009 to assist independent artists along their path, so keep an eye out for some big announcements in the coming weeks!

Until then, enjoy the holidays in your own fashion. Keep reading Wildy's World (of course) to follow the growing sense of anticipation to see who will be enshrined with the #1 album of 2008.

Be well. Be happy. Live.
Happy Holidays.

Wildy
Wildy's World

The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #20-26

Ah yes, the dreaded end-of-year lists have begun. Not being able to resist the call of annoying pop-culture end of year lists, we here at Wildy's World thought we'd tear our hair our trying to present you with the top 40 albums we've reviewed in 2008. The albums had to be released in 2007 or 2008 in order to be considered, and a total of 537 albums were in the mix. This means the forty albums we'll present over the next 10 days comprise the top 7.5% of submissions in 2008!Each listing will give a very brief statement about the album, and the artist name/title will serve as a hyperlink to the original Wildy's World review, where you can also find links to the artists' website and links to purchase their CDs.

Today we are covering #'s 20-26. We're creeping our way towards #1...

#26 - Autumn - Velvet Sky

The Texas singer-songwriter's second album is full of quiet grace and fortitude. A songwriter's songwriter, Autumn paints velvet sky like the master artist that she is.


#25 Stephanie - Stephanie

Contemporary Christian Pop music that's good enough to break out into popular radio. If you want to see what the future of Christian Pop looks like, take a listen to Stephanie.


#24 Blue Rabbit - Separate

Delightful Baroque Rock from San Francisco! Cello, drums and Celtic Harp supporting the angelic harmonies of Heather Anderson, Arami Reyes and Sarah Rocklin make this a sparkling listen.

#23 John Taglieri - Everything We Are EP

Great pop/rock songs that are intelligent in lyric and catchy enough to warrant serious attention. Taglieri is a rare combination in today's music world.

#22 Katie Haverly - Around The Bend

Somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Aimee Mann is where Katie Haverly lives. Around The Bend is as much a musical declaration of self as anything else, and it's brilliant. One of the best kept secrets in the Northeastern US.

#21 O.L.D. - I Live In A World

Former Huffamoose front man Craig Elkins is back with this eclectic and tasty set of pop/rock gems. It'll take a few listens to get this one, but you won't regret the effort.

#20 - SPiN - Spin EP

Theatrical Rock N Roll at it's finest. Big guitars, soaring harmonies and inerrant pop sensibility land this Philadelphia DIY band at #20.

Review: Alphabet Rockers - Alphabet Rockers

Alphabet Rockers - Alphabet Rockers
2007, School Time Music LLC

San Francisco's Alphabet Rockers offers up educational hip-hop for kids in the kindegarten to 2nd grade. Along the way they have created fun, feel-good educational music that will keep the whole family rockin' and swingin'. Drawing from influences including 1980's hip-hop, funk, soul and Rock N Roll, Kaitlin McGaw (The Simple Things) and Dawn Richardson (4-Non Blondes) get down like no one's business. The fourteen songs on their debut CD, Alphabet Rockers, were written with teachers from around the country to ensure the material was usable in an educational sitting, but the music is to the usual high standards of McGaw and Richardson. Kids and parents alike will love this.

If you're familiar with Kaitlin McGaw from The Simple Things then you're in for a particular surprise. The purveyor of lustrous songs of introspective angst does a one-eighty and dives whole-heartedly into the world of 1980's hip-hop for children. If this seems like an improbable or impossible switch then you need to listen to the album, because it works. Alphabet Rockers works because it deals with subjects that will appeal to the younger set without ever once talking down. Similar to folksters Trout Fishing In America, McGaw & Richardson have found a voice that speaks the language of wide-eyed wonder without pandering or condescending.

Highlights include The Seven Days Of The Week (Reggae), The Money Song (funk), The Rainbow Song (hip-hop/R&B) and It's Time For Something. McGaw weaves her golden voice when she's not laying down rhymes, and Richardson creates a tapestry of unusual and varied beats that propels the music. And just for a treat Alphabet Rockers throws in 100th Day Of School; more of an alt-country rocker than anything else.

Alphabet Rockers is a Parent's Choice Award Winner and a National Parenting Publications Award Winner for a reason. The music here plays equally well with kids and their parents. McGaw and Richardson speak to their audience eye-to-eye. While the joy of creation is still important here, it is great to see two distinct musical talents, one well established and the other who will be, using their talents to give back to the next generation of musicians, artists and parents. Alphabet Rockers is a dream come true as a children's album. Smart, funny, full of joy and always on the mark with the intended audience. A must recording for the kid in everyone.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Alphabet Rockers at http://www.alphabetrockers.com/. You can purchase a copy of Alphabet Rockers at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alphabetrockers. Alphabet Rockers are available for school and community performances. You can get additional information on shows and other services by emailing booking@alphabetrockers.com.

Review: Basia Lyjak - Writings On The Wall

Basia Lyjak - Writings On The Wall
2007, Basia Lyjak

Toronto’s Basia Lyjak is on the rise. Starting out as a member of the short-lived pop band Aphrodisia, Lyjak quickly broke out on her own. Not fitting into the pop princess mold, Lyjak sings from the heart and from the gut. On CD you hear just Basia Lyjak, without computer enhancement or pitch correction. Her second EP, Writings On The Wall, sets the tone for a long career with songs full of passion and chutzpah. There’s no holding back.

Lyjak opens with the wonderful frenetic Stuttering. A strong punk rock sensibility turns into a big rock chorus that's part Lita Ford and part Debbie Harry. Lyjak has that slightly pouty rocker girl sound that was popular amongst the queens of 1980's rock/metal. Her voice is quite a pleasant listen, in fact, with just enough edge to make her believable as a rocker. Bye Bye is a low key modern rock song with a big chorus that allows Lyjak to spread her wings somewhat. This is a highly commercial tune that should do very well on radio and in licensing. Plastic lets Lyjal open up her pipes and let us know what she's really made of. The results are tremendous, as Lyjak at full volume is a real treat to listen to. There's an almost Idina Menzel quality to her.

Torn is a pleasant rock song, but a little too much like most of the other modern rock you might hear on the radio to stand out. The EP closes out with Lies, a slowed down rocker that doesn't really pick up the sort of energy displayed on the first three songs until the chorus. The song is full of angst but doesn't seem to every quite get out of its own way with regard to energy level.

Basia Lyjak is quite a talent. Her big, strong voice can blow you away but is supple enough to handle soft passages without any difficulty. Writings On The Wall is a smash for the first three songs, and just okay for the last two. Not a bad ratio, in fact. I recommend Writings On The Wall to my listeners as a great starting point for an artist, and a good to great listen.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Basia Lyjak at http://www.basialyjak.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Writings On The Wall.

The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #27-33

Ah yes, the dreaded end-of-year lists have begun. Not being able to resist the call of annoying pop-culture end of year lists, we here at Wildy's World thought we'd tear our hair our trying to present you with the top 40 albums we've reviewed in 2008. The albums had to be released in 2007 or 2008 in order to be considered, and a total of 537 albums were in the mix. This means the forty albums we'll present over the next 10 days comprise the top 7.5% of submissions in 2008!

Each listing will give a very brief statement about the album, and the artist name/title will serve as a hyperlink to the original Wildy's World review, where you can also find links to the artists' website and links to purchase their CDs.

Today we are covering #'s 27 -33. And awaaaaay we go...

#33 Jessie Kilguss - Exotic Bird

Jessie Kilguss' debut album is full of stark, exotic and lush tunes. A stunning album, and the second best she's done in the past two years.

#32 Kristoffer Rangstam - Wrong Side Of The Room

Take someone who may be one of the best songwriters of his generation and send him on the road with a rock legend like Debbie Harry. The results are an esoteric and aurally striking album that will keep you up nights.

#31 Sirsy - Revolution

The little band that could from Albany, NY. Sirsy is the epitome of DIY Rock N Roll. Vocalist Melanie Krahmer is at her out-of-this-world best on Sirsy's latest.

#30 Sabrina Shaheen - Love Is...

Shaheen is a classically trained pianist, powerhouse vocalist, and dances across genres like Baryshnikov on stage. Love Is... is a dynamic pop/rock release with something for everyone.

#29 Amy Regan - And Then There's This

Amy Regan has Norah Jones' sweet soulful sound and the pouncing instincts of Fiona Apple. This young lady is out of left field and you'd better listen, because she is an unusual talent. And Then There's This makes the list despite the short EP format. If it were a full album it might be 20 spots higher.

#28 Nate & Kate - Fame By Frame

Artists, musicians, jugglers & newleyweds, Nate & Kate hit a home run with Fame By Frame. Their harmonies are other-worldly, and the songwriting will blow you away.

#27 The Killdares - Secrets Of The Day

An unusual mix of Celtic and Classic/Modern rock comprises Secrets Of The Day. It's so good that traditional Celtic fans like it in spite of the modern sound.

Review: Chrissy Coughlin - Look Ahead

Chrissy Coughlin - Look Ahead
2008, Chrissy Coughlin

Chrissy Coughlin calls wherever she happens to be her hometown. Having moved around a great deal as a child, Coughlin became adept at meeting new people and finding how situations work for her. This ease in transition comes across on her 2nd album, Look Ahead. Coughlin presents a musical traveling soul, with sounds/influences ranging from Sheryl Crow to Natalie Merchant to Lucinda Williams to Sarah McLachlan.

Look Ahead opens with Back To You, a delightful country rock tune built on a strong guitar hook and a snappy melody. From there Coughlin slides into Watch Your Step, a rootsy song born in dark tones that resolves into an airy melody and bright message. This one sounds like something Tom Petty and Sarah McLachlan might have written together if they were so inclined. Look Ahead is the mix-tape song on the disc, although it does get a little bogged down in itself. Big Log is a real treat, featuring Robert Cray style guitar playing and soulful vocals from Coughlin. Coughlin sounds very at home here, and her voice opens up with more color and nuance than we've heard to this point on the album.

Perfect Time may be the most commercial song on the album in spite of itself. It's a very straight forward rock tune with a clean melody line that sticks in your head. Wait For You is probably the most well-written song on Look Ahead. The juxtaposition of guitar, piano and voice here is quite striking, their mutual tension creates something greater than the sum of the parts. Coughlin is very courageous to take on Carlos Antonio Jobim's Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado). Not only courageous but successful. The tune is stylistically out of place here, but nonetheless a brilliant rendition, and makes you wonder if Coughlin might have a history (or future) singing jazz. The album closes out with Honestly, a pop confection that marks another divergence for Coughlin. It's a pleasant song that highlights the durability and reach of Chrissy Coughlin more than anything else.

Chrissy Coughlin brings a mixed and varied pallet of singing styles and vocal textures on Look Ahead. She appears to be able to sing most anything (well), and also displays a great sense of melody in her songwriting. A couple of songs on Look Ahead get a little bogged down in themselves, but on the whole it is a very solid album. It's a great rainy afternoon, snuggling on the couch music. It will fit well into your ears whether you like adult contemporary, country, light pop or rock. A strong effort.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chrissy Coughlin at http://www.chrissymusic.com/. You can purchase a copy of Look Ahead at www.cdbaby.com/cd/chrissycoughlin2.

Review: Cash Cash - Take It To The Floor

Cash Cash - Take It To The Floor
2009, Universal Republic

Roseland, New Jersey’s Cash Cash is on the verge of something big. Brothers Jean Paul and Alex Maklhouf, Samuel Frisch and Anthony Villacari come on with a fresh sound steeped in 1980’s power pop and accented by modern electronic instrumentation. Round it out with big harmonies and a bit of that infectious bubblegum pop spirit and you have a tasty pop confection. The band’s full length debut, Take It To The Floor, is available today, December 23, 2008, as a download, and will be released on CD on January 20, 2009.

Take It To The Floor opens with Breakout, a peppy pop/rock tune with big harmonies in the chorus, a strong melody and an unbelievably catchy beat. Cash Cash has perfectly captured the spirit of classic pop music. Take away the electronic embellishments and you have a song that would have fit perfectly in the early days of MTV. Sugar Rush is aptly named, and almost too sweet for consumption. This is bubblegum pop at its most notorious, and will get countless spins at pop radio. You'll love it up until the point you start to hate it from overexposure. Concerta is a big electro-rock offering that's catchy with a great guitar hook. The big arena-rock harmonies here make the song as the verses themselves fall a little flat.

Two Days Old has pretensions of being a big guitar-rock style song. The heavily distorted synth opening is complex and fun listening, but resolves into a too-mundane verse. The chorus recovers with a great pop melody, but the end result is a disjointed tune that sounds like three separate songs were forced together. Your Love recaptures the strong pop sensibility that Cash Cash is so very capable of. This one has a bit of a new wave feel to it, but has very strong commercial viability. Dynamite is another strong pop contender, sounding a bit like a 1980's Mike Rutherford composition (stylistically).

Cash Cash has a strong sense of crisp melodies and pop arrangements that go down like cold water on a hot day. Take It To The Floor has some great pop/rock moments as well as a few songs that don't quite make it. A strong pop debut that is sure to bring Cash Cash significant commercial success. Right now Cash Cash has a lot of inertia based in newness and infectious song writing, but it will be interesting to see how they grow over a few albums, because there is real talent here.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Cash Cash at www.myspace.com/cashcash or http://www.cashcashmusic.com/. You can download Take It To The Floor on iLike. You can pre-order a CD with a signed booklet through Newberry Comics.

The Wildy's World Top-40 of 2008: #34 - #40

Ah yes, the dreaded end-of-year lists have begun. Not being able to resist the call of annoying pop-culture end of year lists, we here at Wildy's World thought we'd tear our hair our trying to present you with the top 40 albums we've reviewed in 2008. The albums had to be released in 2007 or 2008 in order to be considered, and a total of 537 albums were in the mix. This means the forty albums we'll present over the next 10 days comprise the top 7.5% of submissions in 2008!

Each listing will give a very brief statement about the album, and the artist name/title will serve as a hyperlink to the original Wildy's World review, where you can also find links to the artists' website and links to purchase their CDs.

Today we are covering #'s 34-40. Without further ado...

#40 Katey Laurel - Upstairs, Downstairs

With a warm, unforgettable voice and an ability to connect with listeners that's a little unreal, Katey Laurel's debut album slips into the top 40 quietly at the end of the year, but once you hear this young lady you won't be able to put her CD down.

#39 Great Big Sea - Fortune's Favour

Great Big Sea's 9th album takes a more pop turn while preserving the strong New Foundland/Celtic influences that have made them fan favorites the world over. Producer Hawksley Workman takes what has always been a talented and exciting band and streamlines their sound in a way that is both sleek and exciting.

#38 Hot Buttered Rum - Live In The Northeast

Easily one of the finest live bluegrass albums I've ever heard. Hot Buttered Rum brings an energy and presence that could not only carry bluegrass back into the mainstream of country music, but of popular music in general.

#37 Anj - When Grey Blushes

One of the most darkly beautiful albums we reviewed this year, Anj brings her brand of orchestrated jazz into the twilight for your listening pleasure. It's an enthralling album, the sort you might listen to obsessively.

#36 Maria DeMaio - Maria DeMaio

With a sultry voice and a palpable vulnerability, DeMaio is everything you want in a Rock N Roll songstress. Her debut is fantastic!

#35 Wensday - Torch Rock

When your musical patron/mentor is Alice Cooper, you've got a pretty decent shot at success. When you have a voice and a presence like Wensday, it's practically guaranteed. On Torch Rock Wensday sings just about every style imaginable, and does it well. Perhaps a little too varied to be commercial, but I'll bet you won't be able to put it down.

#34 Olio - Living The Dream

Olio is like a super group made of people you've never heard of. Three top-notch musicians/composers come together to bend genres and styles around a classic rock core to create something dynamic and familiar yet refreshingly new. One of the most pleasant surprises of 2008.

Review: 13 Stories - FunkyPopSexyHouseRap

13 Stories – FunkyPopSexyHouseRap
2008, 13 Stories

Atlanta, Georgia’s 13 Stories are a band that almost didn’t make it. They’ve played together for six years in different capacities, and almost broke up before finding the sound that they put forth of FunkyPopSexyHouseRap. A mix of power pop, rock, rap and everything else you can imagine, 13 Stories craft the sort of infectious pop songs that were all over the radio in the late 1980’s, but with a sound updated for today.

Bubblegum pop is back in a big way on FunkyPopSexyHouseRap. 13 Stories have managed to craft 12 original songs and one remix that use a lot of words to say very little. The sugary-pop confections contrived by 13 Stories are generally very danceable, and one suspects 13 Stories would do very well on the nightclub circuit. The album opens with Ride, a memorable, peppy tune that like will be remixed ad nauseum. Lexi and Beep! Beep! are both mindlessly danceable. Beep! Beep! sounds like a mix of The Spice Girls and The B-52s, and has the potential to be a major pop radio hit.

Be sure to check out The LA Song, a true Whoo-girl anthem if ever there was one. The other material here is very much hit or miss. If you're looking for intellectual music, or lyrics more intelligent than drunken bar babble among the Mighty Whoo on Friday nights, then this disc isn't for you. FunkyPopSexyHouseRap is a fun listen, even if you might not respect yourself in the morning. 13 Stories will most definitely find a niche.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about 13 Stories at http://www.13stories.com/, where you can purchase a copy of FunkyPopSexyHouseRap.

Review: Rebecca Katz - Spendin On Today

Rebecca Katz – Spendin’ On Today
2007, RKatz Music

Boston’s Rebecca Katz is something of an anomaly as a songwriter. Rather than adhering strictly to a folk or pop tradition, Katz has chosen a much more difficult and rewarding path. Harkening back to the age-old troubadour tradition, Katz blends stories, anecdotes and music into a blend of entertainment that is both glorious song craft and something that is greater than the sum of its integral parts. Katz lights up the room as a performer and can draw out the music fan in even the curmudgeonliest of listeners. Her debut album, Spendin’ On Today shows off the songwriter/storyteller side of Katz in phenomenal fashion. You need to hear this.

Rebecca Katz makes you feel at home right from the opening notes of Spendin' On Today. Her warm, rich alto voice is a tonic for all that ails you. Opening with If You See The One, Katz mixes heartfelt angst and humor to convey that sometimes the right person can come along at the wrong time. (If you see the one that I could love / just give him a push in the wrong direction / 'cause I've been waiting so long / I just spent the last of my affection.) The Real Thing is perhaps the perfect wedding song. So many wedding songs get picked because of a chorus or a verse that rings true and often other parts of the song run very much counter to the occasion. The Real Thing is the sort of song you could use as a first dance song without question or pause. It's incredibly well written, heart-felt and touching.

Katz moves on to This Story (The Maid & The Sailor). This Story is an epic story song in the tradition of the great folk troubadours. The acoustic guitar here serves as more of a meter to Katz' story than anything else. Her voice shapes the words as smoothly as a Vegas dealer laying cards on the table. To Donnie is a little more dynamic, reflecting distinct affection for the protagonist. Kiss Me Goodnight is another potential signature song. Katz memorializes in less than four-and-a-half minutes all that is important about a loving relationship. It's almost the anecdote to Sheryl Crow's Strong Enough. Rather than challenging, Katz simply asks for what she needs in one of the sweetest realistic love songs you'll hear in 2008. Spendin' On Today closes with Home Again, an a cappella tune that would work wonderfully well with a gospel choir. It's a great song, but is just a little too bare when done a cappella.

Rebecca Katz comes out of nowhere with what is undeniably one of the best folk albums I've heard this year. If there is any complaint one can make its that at six songs it’s just too short. Spendin' On Today is warm and rich, with a heart-on-the-sleeve tendency that smacks of Nanci Griffith or Dar Williams. Katz' voice is glorious and her delivery is spot-on. Great songs and a primo performance make Spendin' On Today a must have. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. You don't want to let this one get by you.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Rebecca Katz at http://www.rkatztunes.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Spendin’ On Today.

Review: Bill Canty - Elysian Peace

Bill Canty – Elysian Peace
2007, Bill Canty

Australian musician/composer Bill Canty is out to get you. His musical experience runs the gamut from orchestras to Rock N Roll bands. A classical pianist by training, Canty has a profound talent for musical subtlety and grace. On Elysian Peace, Canty practices both in an ambient environment. Twelve five minute compositions inspire relaxation and peace while encouraging active listening through the use of stepped variation and subtle gradation of themes.

Bill Canty's Elysian Peace is among the most difficult types of albums to review. There is no specific song structure; there aren't even any songs, per se. Elysian Peace is 60 minutes of gentle musical breezes that blow gently across a nearly still body of water. The breeze here doesn't so much touch the water as kiss it gently from time to time as it rolls and wheels across the horizon. Canty uses electronic instrumentation and ambient settings to create movement that isn't so much inertial as spatial. Twelve five-minute tracks are not so much differentiated from one another as they are extensions of one to another.

Canty uses undulations of sound, brief glances of melody, random notes and a dawdling sense of development to craft the ultimate relaxation/meditation disc. I'm not talking the cheap and terminal recordings you find in new age boutiques or mall havens like Brookstone, but a vibrant, ambient new age recording that has life and movement within it. Elysian Peace holds the listener's interest because within the still calm of the music is another world that beckons the listener: A world full of energy and currents you can't see but which pull at you all the same.

Canty mixes up the "instruments" and sounds throughout the sixty minute recording to display a gradual change in effects over time. You might hear the electronic equivalent of glockenspiel, guitar, synth, water bells, orchestras and most anything else you can imagine. All of these sounds and effects are woven into the textures of Elysian Peace so as to become practically indistinct. Canty seems to have a real talent for creating these musical tableaus in four dimensions. Nothing is ever flat or concrete.

Bill Canty is an unusually talented composer in the realm of electronic music. Elysian Peace is perfect for relaxation or meditation, but also provides ample musical nutrition for the active listener. Like the deep and powerful currents that often lay far below the still surface of water, Elysian Peace moves with its own inner power and grace. There is too much energy here and too much raw potential for change to not listen closely. Bravo.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Bill Canty at http://www.billcanty.com/, where Canty offers several options for purchasing Elysian Peace.

Review: The Wildcat - The Wildcat

The Wildcat – The Wildcat
2008, The Wildcat

The Wildcat are a Hollywood, California alt-rock trio that’s part garage and part Americana. Joshua Gollish (guitar/vox), Robin Everhart (bass) and Ric Rocc (drums) give it all they’ve got on their third release, and full length debut, The Wildcat. The Wildcat rocks it old school, from the foot-tapping, hook filled guitar rock songs to the vinyl-lp replica looking CD.

The Wildcat opens with Nothing's Fresh, a deliciously bright rock tune with big guitar sounds and a real pop bent. This is rock and pop at its most streamlined and enjoyable. Lead vocalist Joshua Gollish reminds me distinctly of John Thomas Griffin of Cowboy Mouth, and at times channels a bit of Eddie Vedder to boot. The Wildcat is definitely more in the Cowboy Mouth territory, while Can't Sleep and Where The Wind Blows have that Seattle influence that is distinctly Vedder. The Girl is an incredible messy blues tune with lots of slide guitar and dirty licks. Shimmy Interlude is a fun little musical sidebar, and All That Remains hearkens back to a 1960's musical ethic. Other highlights include Shimmy Rock and Some Friends (which has a guitar lick that sounds like it was partially borrowed from The Eagles' Life In The Fast Lane).

The Wildcat is a rough work that runs all over the map. It's a very enjoyable listen, but there's little cohesion or consistency throughout the album. This means that while it's a great listen it's not likely to find a lot of commercial oomph. The Wildcat (the band) comes across as your quintessential bar band. These are guys whom you'd be very happy to be entertained by on any given weekend night, and they're good enough to be more than just a bar band, but until a real musical direction or cohesion comes into play it's probably what they'll be (and there's no shame in that - The Black Crowes have been a bar band all of their careers - a very good and successful one).

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Wildcat at www.myspace.com/thedeniercri. You can purchase a copy of The Wildcat at www.cdbaby.com/cd/wildcat.

Review: Michelle Lewis - This Time Around

Michelle Lewis – This Time Around
2004, Michelle Lewis Music

Michelle Lewis is a singer/songwriter you really want to listen to. Her warm, melodious voice means that any tune is a treat, and her arrangements tend to be a little on the mellow side but with lots of burgeoning energy just beneath the surface. One thing Lewis is more than anything else is dead-on honest. There are moments where she sounds a bit like Ani DiFranco, but she can just as easily go all Sarah McLachlan on you, sometimes in the same song. Lewis’ debut, This Time Around was released in 2004. The Boston-based performer surprises only in that she has yet to become a household name.

This Time Around opens the disc as the sort of wonderfully tuneful and accessible folk rocker that Shawn Colvin is so well known for. A very viral melody is at the heart of this song that mix faux toughness with a wandering sense of loss. Caroline is a musical letter to a friend who is living in freefall. The song is poignant, but the high point is the interplay of acoustic guitar, cello and Lewis' voice. Lewis sounds a bit like Ani DiFranco here. Here voice is best described as wonderfully imperfect. Vocal flaws often act like character marks on a voice, and often time the level of interest a voice attracts has more to do with the imperfects than lack thereof. Michelle Lewis's voice alternates between warm and sweet and just slightly jarring. The effect is perfect and works amidst this set of quirky and unusual story songs.

San Francisco Bay is one of the true highlights of This Time Around. The song builds a lyric metaphor between regrets for past inaction and the missing of a particular place (San Francisco Bay). Lewis shows vocal similarities to one of my favorite out of the box singers here, Martina Sorbara. This is the sort of song that can become a signature for an artist. Never Cried For You is pure DiFranco tribute from say, The Puddle Dive era. Lewis appears to have strong influences that still strongly color her songwriting, but you can hear moments where she begins to break free from those bindings and soars as a songwriter (such as on the aforementioned San Francisco Bay and on Searching For Something). Other highlights include Someday, Fifth Floor Song and Could Be You.

This Time Around is a snapshot of Michelle Lewis as a singer/songwriter four years ago. The album is a strong debut with some truly golden moments interspersed throughout. It would be interesting to hear newer material from Lewis to track her development as a songwriter. The early indications here are that the trip would be worthwhile. This Time Around builds a series of solid and viable images for the listener that breathe with their own inner life. Whatever similarities Lewis displays to other artists it's very clear that she's in the process of becoming wholly her own. This is a great start to a career.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Michelle Lewis at http://www.michellelewismusic.com/. You can pick up a copy of This Time Around at www.cdbaby.com/cd/michellelewis.

Review: Katey Laurel - Upstairs, Downstairs

Katey Laurel – Upstairs, Downstairs
2008, Roaring Twenties Records

If you ask Katey Laurel what style of music she plays, she’s most likely to respond Folk-pop. This is the “genre” that has encompassed artists such as Jewel, Ingrid Michaelson, Sufjan Stevens, and an empire of artists who write acoustic based pop songs that fit neatly into the marketing niches of prime-time television soundtracks. There is a broad continuum of quality in this burgeoning class of musicians that runs from pop-fluff gone acoustic to good, classic singer-songwriter fare. I am happy to tell you that Katey Laurel fits solidly into the latter category. Upstairs, Downstairs, her fourth album on Roaring Twenties Records, makes you think how a Carly Simon or Joni Mitchell might have sounded if they were starting out today.

Upstairs, Downstairs opens with Twentysomething, a tribute to learning to stand on your own. The song has a peppy feel in spite of the wistfully melancholy lyrics. Angels In The Attic has a dark and dreamy aspect and guitar part a-la Andy Summers on Don't Stand Close To Me. Katey Laurel really lets herself go on Angels In The Attic, the depth and timbre of her voice shining out of the chorus like a dark star full of textured beauty and heavy substance. It's a voice that that can range from pretty to gritty, from serene to sexy, all in the turn of a phrase. Earthquake follows as the epitaph to a relationship, projecting a vulnerability that's both guarded and palpable.

You tells the classic tale of the relationship you don't want to keep but can't stand to let go. It's social dysfunction at its musical highest. No One Else is destined by licensed, included in mix tapes, sung to significant others and otherwise spread about the earth in by haphazard means. The melody is a classic one and the message is one that people will latch onto as undeniable truth. Laurel has hit on a special song here. Waiting, likewise is a special song. There's a smoky wanton quality to this song that is part desperation and part desire. Laurel's voice is perfect here, dripping with need. As good as everything else here is, Katey Laurel hits a peak on Spiral-Bound Notebook, perhaps one of the most moving unrequited love songs of 2008. The narrator pours her heart into the notebook but can't bring the words out to her beloved. It's heart-breakingly beautiful and an absolute must hear. Be sure to check out See-Through and Something To Believe In, both worthwhile listens.

Katey Laurel is an extremely gifted songwriter. Laurel's voice shows flashes of Joni Mitchell and Natalie Merchant, but her sound is very much her own. The deep warmth and sensuality of her voice will surprise listeners and reach beyond their defenses to their hearts and minds. That's Katey Laurel's greatest gift, the ability to connect with listeners even through the cold medium of a CD or download. Upstairs, Downstairs is a fantastic album, and hopefully one of many albums to come.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Katey Laurel at http://www.kateylaurel.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Upstairs, Downstairs using PayPal. If you don’t have PayPal, you can pick up a copy at www.cdbaby.com/cd/klsmith4.

The Wildy's World Top 40

Beginning on Monday, December 22nd, we'll begin counting down the top-40 albums reviewed on Wildy's World in 2008 (Albums have to have been released in 2007 or 2008 to be eligible). We've published or have scheduled 624 reviews in 2008, with 537 being eligible for consideration for the Top 40 albums, meaning inclusion here places an album in the top 7.5% of all albums reviewed in 2008. The list is, of course, subjective, and is strictly the opinion of Wildy's World, but the quality of some of the releases that didn't quite make it is a clear indicator of how good these CDs are.

Here's the schedule:

12/22/08 - #34-40
12/23/08 - #27-33
12/24/08 - #20-26
12/25/08 - #13-19
12/26/08 - #6-12
12/27/08 - #5
12/28/08 - #4
12/29/08 - #3
12/30/08 - #2
12/31/08 - #1

So check back starting on Monday and see if you or your favorite artist made it! Feel free to discuss the rankings, but make sure to check out some of these great artists!

Be well.

Wildy

Review: Faces Of March - Confessions

Faces Of March - Confessions
2008, Kurfew Records

Miami, Florida seems to have sparked the creative side of Faces Of March. The modern rock quartet originated from a chance meeting of Vocalist Gia and drummer Eli while checking out a bulletin board in a local music store. Joe (guitar) and Marcelo (bass) were soon brought into the mix and a sort of musical alchemy erupted. Faces Of March brings a devastatingly pure modern rock sound blended with electronic elements, courtesy of Producer Paul Trust (Endo, Crease, Diecast). Faces of March's debut album, Confessions, is boldly confessional, sonically fresh and full of the raw magnetism of vocalist Gia. Add in the wall of sound production and clean musical lines and you have the recipe for a monster hit.

Confessions opens with Not Enough, a highly commercial heavy rocker with orchestral augmentation. This is the most radio-ready song on the album, and the least compelling. Faces Of March establish a strong sound that's part Evanescence, part Nickelback and part singer-songwriter confessional. Not Enough is a great pop/rock radio song, but lacks the sort of energy that lies underneath a lot of Faces of March's material. Drowning is a slower tune but gives a stronger sense of emotion -- a compelling desperation that is palpable. Broken allows vocalist Gia to show some more of the color of her voice. It's still very highly produced pop music disguised as heavy rock, but some more personality emerges here.

Too Late is the moment you're waiting for. The tune opens as a piano ballad with Gia on vocals. The tough but tender presentation here comes across as startlingly real in spite of the slick production values evident through the album. Gia has a pouty, sultry voice that could work as easily on jazz or pop as it does in the heavy rock arena. One could imagine her becoming a star as a solo artist as easily as with fronting a band. Who's To Blame is one of the more imaginative arrangements on the album, particularly with the layered vocals and big wall of sound guitar.

What's most interesting is that Faces Of March really shines when they strip down to an acoustic sound. This seems generally to only happen for the first verse or so of any given song (if at all), but there are indications that Faces Of March aren't just bangers. These folks can play, and you can almost hear some progressive rock roots in there at times. Nothing sounds like something that could have come out of the late 1970's, infusing electronic orchestral sounds over acoustic guitar to support Gia. This is by far my favorite song on the disc, and is good enough to be commercial (rather than being commercial enough to do well). Be sure to check out Alone and Wanna Be as well, they're both great tracks.

What to say? Faces Of March is radio-ready. They are more than competent. Their songs will get airplay and if things fall the right way they might just make it big. Producer Paul Trust has tamed this wild young band into a commercial sound that should move Faces Of March's career forward nicely, but a part of me wants to hear that inherent musical wildness come to the fore once in a while. This is a band that has an itch to break down that barrier and infuse elements of progressive rock and perhaps even some punk. You can hear it, tightly contained, in the songs that they play. I am sure it comes out on stage, but it would be awesome if it came out in the writing. I think that's where the real magic is for Faces of Match. In the meantime, Confessions is a strong debut. Perhaps it will make enough of a mark for Faces Of March to be able to branch out and allow some of that deeper personality to shine through.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Faces Of March at www.myspace.com/facesofmarch or http://www.facesofmarch.com/, where you can purchase a copy of Confessions.

Review: Rhett May - Calcutta Boy

Rhett May - Calcutta Boy
2008, Rhett May Music

Music's Prodigal Son, Rhett May, has come home. After three decades climbing Jacob's Ladder in the corporate world, this Calcutta, India born, Australian based rocker has returned to music. Formerly of the Flint Stones, one of India's most popular pop groups at the time (and catching the eyes/ears of George Harrison and Apple Records), May followed as part of a series of popular Australian Garage bands (Oz, Shakespeare Sarani, Prodigy and Lucifer). Influenced by Carnatic and Hindustani musical traditions as well as the pop music of the time (The Monkees, Cream, Hendrix, Ricky Nelson), May developed a musical style that was all his own. Now, with longtime collaborator James Payne, May returns to the music scene with the four song E.P. Calcutta Boy.

Calcutta Boy opens with There's A Little White Powder, a song that tackles cocaine addiction. The song has a strong pop feel to it and sounds like something that might have come out of England in the early 1990's. Lyrically the song is a bit awkward at times, but there's a definite quality to it that would play well in a dance club. African Queen has a unique sound, opening with some unusual harmonies and a standard yet catchy dance beat. The vocals are mixed too low here, being swallowed up by the electronic instrumentation. Have Your Arms Been Missing Me suffers from a similar problem. The vocals are essentially buried under the music. The musical arrangement is pleasant and somewhat catchy but is also fluff, to speak plainly. Mirror Mirror is the most musically interesting piece on Calcutta Boy, but the mix here again undervalues the vocals. The Calypso arrangement is fun and carries the song for the most part, but doesn't entirely save the song from itself.

Rhett May has a definite pop sensibility in the music he writes. His melodic creations are generally interesting and catchy. Lyrically he's awkward at times. The real problem with Calcutta Boy is the mixing. Vocals are buried within or underneath instrumental parts, making it very difficult at times to really get what May is singing. At the end of the day Calcutta Boy is an interesting listen, but probably not a regular one.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Rhett May at http://www.rhettmay.net/. You can purchase a copy of Calcutta Boy at www.cdbaby.com/cd/rhettmay2.

Review: Michael Anthony Milton - Follow Your Call

Michael Anthony Milton - Follow Your Call

2008, Bethesda Words And Music

Michael Anthony Milton is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has published eleven books on faith, including the autobiographical What God Starts, God Completes. He's been published in periodicals such as Crosswalk, Christianity.com and The Christian Observer. He's also been described by Michael Card ("El Shaddai") as "a shepherd leading his flock with song." Milton uses a mix of bluegrass, folk and Eagles-style country/pop to forward stories of faith and renewal on his debut CD, Follow Your Call. Regardless of your sentiments on the message, you're likely to find the music captivating.

Michael Anthony Milton might be described as the Dan Fogelberg of Contemporary Christian Music. His voice is clear and pleasant and floats over the music. His compositions are primarily acoustic with folk or country embellishments Follow Your Call opens with Carolina Free, a song that would sound perfectly at home on late 1970's or early 1980's AM radio. Still My Little Child is a touching song about acceptance and love from the perspective of God. Make no mistake, the eleven songs on Follow Your Call are distinctly Christian, and if that's not your thing then you won't appreciate this album. Yet the quality of the songwriting, irrespective of the message, is intensely wonderful. Milton is a first class songwriter regardless of whether you agree with his message. Musicians will appreciate this effort immensely.

Be sure to check out What God Starts, which sounds like it might have come off a James Taylor album. Genealogy is one of my favorite songs on the album, defining the importance of knowing one's family tree. Pastor's Wife is a loving tribute to Milton's wife Mae, and speaks to the strength that every husband draws from his wife. Other highlights include Follow Your Call, No Response At All and Chapel On The Prairie.

Follow Your Call is a distinctly Christian album, but it's also a musician's and songwriter's album. If the message of the album isn't one you cotton to, you may still find enjoyment in the song craft and musicianship. For those of you who are open to Christian based music, I have to say that is probably one of the finest CCM albums I've heard in years. Milton is a songwriter's songwriter, and an inspired one at that. The songs on Follow Your Call will tug at your heart. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Michael Anthony Milton at http://www.mikemilton.org/. You can purchase a copy of Follow Your Call at http://www.musicformissions.com/www/products/110.14.

Review: B.L.E.E. - Who's Dat Boy 2.0

B.L.E.E. - Who's Dat Boy 2.0
2008, Cross Seas Entertainment

The Black Lion Of Eternal Excellence, AKA B.L.E.E. is a Montserrat born London resident who lost his home to a 1995 volcanic eruption. This even shaped his life in many ways, driving him to music for comfort, but also teaching him something about the important things in life. Love, people and life itself hold highest currency for B.L.E.E., and it comes across in his music and rhymes. Who's Dat Boy 2.0 is the lamented first single from an album that will never be. Changes in musical direction prompted B.L.E.E. to drop the album of the same name and start working on The Black Lion L.P., due in early 2009. For now, we have this little slice of B.L.E.E.'s musicality to sample.

Who's Dat Boy 2.0 opens with Who's Dat Boy, a fresh and snappy rap tune that shows its Caribbean roots. B.L.E.E. has a lot to say and he does so literately. He displays just enough of the American aggressiveness to compete in that market while maintaining some of the quiet dignity one associates with England. B.L.E.E. is able to create a dynamic sound without sounding overly produced and without containing the infectious spirit of his music. The song Who's Dat Boy 2.0 is a remix and partial re-imagining of the same song. This version sounds more like American rap, but maintains the literate and intelligent lyric style displayed on the opening track. Remix is pure dancehall material -- highly entertaining. Boss Swag falls off a bit, not having the same energy nor sparking the same interest as the rest of the EP.

B.L.E.E. brings the sort of energy and fresh feeling that helped early rap gain such mainstream popularity. B.L.E.E. could be big with the right breaks. Who's Dat Boy 2.0 for the most part will make you wish he released his first album after all. Then again, there's always The Black Lion LP to look forward to.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about B.L.E.E. at www.myspace.com/bleeworld or http://www.bleeworld.com/. You can purchase a copy of Who's Dat Boy 2.0 at http://www.bleeworld.com/ or http://www.crossseasent.com/.

Review: Night Artery - Capsize Your Surroundings EP

Night Artery - Capsize Your Surroundings E.P.
2008, Cinematical Records

Melbourne, Australia's Night Artery is a story of personal perseverance: Personal because Night Artery is one man, Ross Arundale; Perseverance because it took Arundale time and lots of sledgehammer swings to find not only his true voice but also the means to get it out there. Spending two years working on the railway might seem like a romantic, adventurous life, but Arundale can tell you how hard the work is. His reward was enough money put away to buy all of the instruments and equipment he needed to build his own studio. Then he just needed a year to learn to play them all. Capsize Your Surroundings is not only the name of Arundale's first E.P. as Night Artery, but it also describes the way he's lived his life until now. If you don't like your circumstances, change them.

Capsize Your Surroundings opens with An Act Ill-Informed Of Returns, which starts with a gorgeous faux-orchestra moving into a mellow verse followed by an almost frenetic chorus. The song takes on a Progressive Rock bent as Arundale turns the song every which way on the way to the next verse. I really enjoyed this tune and can't seem to get it out of my head. Cinematic Shards On The Permanent Way is a jaunty rock song that again has some Prog leanings. The changes in song structure throughout make for highly interesting listening. Nerve Endings is more of a classic rock radio ballad in acoustic setting. It's extremely well written and performed. Glass Corners opens with riffs reminiscent of old Yes songs and turns into an almost U2-like grand ballad that falls into apoplectic Yes chord progressions at the end. Glass Corners is Arundale's most impassioned vocal performance on the album and is my personal favorite. The unlisted bonus track is a pretty two-and-a-half minute piano piece that deserves to be heard.

Night Artery is an unusual project. Ross Arundale is an extremely talented composer and performer. He's obviously very motivated to bring his music to the world, and its hard to see how he will not be a great success. Capsize Your Surroundings is a daring, brash and wonderfully successful debut. The mix of progressive leanings with almost classical compositional style and old-fashioned singer-songwriter balladeering makes for a wonderful combination. The only complaint along the way is the shortness of the album. We here at Wildy's World will be hoping for more from Night Artery soon.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Night Artery at www.myspace.com/nightartery or http://www.nightartery.com/, where you can purchase a copy of the Capsize Your Surroundings EP. Downloads are available through iTunes.

Review: The Killdares - Secrets Of The Day

The Killdares - Secrets Of The Day
2008, The Killdares

The Killdares aren't quite like anyone you've heard. You like Celtic music? check. You like a big rock sound? check. Grand master violin playing? check. Screaming bagpipes? check. Wailing electric guitar? check. A lead singer on drums? Got that too. The Dallas based quintet sets hearts and minds atwitter with their mind blowing mix of sounds and styles both in the studio and on stage. Traditional Celtic fans even fall in line for a Killdares show. On their fifth independent release, Secrets Of The Day, The Killdares even add a dark electronic element to their sound. It's an expansion on rather than a deviation from their sound. Prepare to be blown away.

The Killdares mix of Celtic and Rock is unusual but not unique. Several bands have done so over the years, most notably The Pogues, who mixed Celtic and Punk quite nicely. Other fine examples include Captain Tractor, Spirit Of The West, Great Big Sea and Seven Nations. If you enjoy any of these groups then there's a strong likelihood you'll love the Killdares. Rip-roaring bagpipes, searing violin and the strong vocals of Tim Smith make everything the Killdares touch turn to gold. Secrets Of The Day opens with Seasons, a strong, steady rocker with a memorable melody and great hooks. Closer Than You Know brings a big guitar sound and a delicious duet between pipes (Matt Willis) and violin (Roberta Rast). This song will get you moving in a big way and is likely to be a big time concert favorite.

Hold My Heart is a rock ballad with Celtic heritage and crunchy guitars. The Killdares just have this knack for creating very catchy arrangements that make you want to get up and dance. Long Island High is a must for jig fans. Irish jigs to a Rock N Roll beat -- need I say more? Be sure to check out Disappear, one of the more introspective and beautiful songs on the album. It's followed up by Along Came You, a delicious musical construct that leaves the listener picturing a lone horse and rider crossing a plain from the far horizon to here. The melody of Along Came You is inspired; it's a rock ballad that will be major mix tape material and has a great pipes solo to boot. Secrets Of The Day may just be my favorite song on the album. Guitar, pipes and violin intertwine to build a driving rock song that you won't be able to get out of your head. Other highlights include Glasgow, Push, Speak To Me and Rose De Lay.

The Killdares are the sort of band that do not come along often. The marriage of traditional Celtic style and Rock N Roll is a powerful one when done right, and the Killdares are definitely doing it right. They are an exciting band to listen on CD; I can't even imagine the intensity of a live show, but I bet its worth the time and money. Secrets Of The Day is a monster disc. It's a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and a must for fans of Celtic music or Rock N Roll. Don't pass this one by.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about the Killdares check out http://www.killdares.com/, where you can purchase a physical copy or a download of Secrets Of The Day.

Review: Vans Warped Tour '07 DVD

Various Artists - Vans Warped Tour '07: 2007 Tour Compilation
2008, Image Entertainment

One has to question why it took so long to get this particular compilation to market. The Vans Warped Tour for 2008 has already concluded, and it seems unlikely there would be a significant market for a DVD of selections from the 2007 tour at this late date. Nevertheless, Image Entertainment has Vans Warped Tour '07 out in time for the 2008 Holiday season.

Vans Warped Tour is the longest running punk rock tour in the US, and fans tend to be pretty hardcore. The eleven artists here aren't so much significant for who was included as who wasn't. Performances from Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Religion, Chiodos, Circa Survive, Coheed & Cambria, Killswitch Engage, Fishbone, Pennywise, Pepper, The Starting Line & Sum 41 are all well and good (although the performances of Chiodos and Fishbone were lukewarm at best), but why include interviews from artists like Paramore or Alkaline Trio without a live performance? There are other interviews here from The Almost, Coheed & Cambria and Killswitch Engage, among others. Ultimately, at just an hour running time, this set is light on substance.

Vans Warped Tour '07 appears to be a quickly put together release to make some dough in the holiday season. Fans of the tour undoubtedly have countless bootlegs available to them through tape trading, etc. where more complete sets are available. The official release amounts to a slick sampler platter that is designed to please everyone and likely to please very few in fact. More highlights, more bonus tracks, and longer sets from some of the bigger names are all options that might have made this more marketable. A longer running time (perhaps two hours instead of one) would also have made this more worthwhile.

Rating: 2 Stars (Out of 5)

To learn more about the Vans Warped Tour, check out http://www.warpedtour.com/. You can pick up a copy of Vans Warped Tour ’07 at Amazon.com.

Review: Chain Reaction - Electric Playground

Chain Reaction – Electric Playground
2004, Rathoboz Music

Chain Reaction hails from Detroit, Michigan, and pumps out original classic rock songs with a fierce intensity. Chain Reaction is headed by Eric Harabadian (lead vox, guitar) who is also a writer for publications such as Downbeat, Jazz Times, the Detroit Free Press and Goldmine Magazine. Joined by guitarist Bobby D., drummer Jeff and bass guitar man Larry, Harabadian struts his stuff through 6 original tunes and two covers on Chain Reaction’s sixth album, Electric Playground.

Electric Playground opens with Shallow Valor, a treatise on the downside of fame. The song has a great driving guitar part. The very open sound of the CD gives the impression of a live performance or even dropping by a friend’s house to check out his garage band. This adds an enjoyable twist. Up next is a very reverent cover of Cream's White Room. There’s nothing new here, but if you like the original you’ll have no complaints with the Chain Reaction cover. Burnin’ Midnight Oil has some interesting guitar work to it. It’s a good song but I couldn’t get too excited about it. The Party Principle is an update of Chain Reaction’s own original song. Once again, the guitar work is interesting (quite excellent, really). The vocals are competent, but I just had a hard time getting interested in the song itself.

If You Only Knew is a sweet song of longing. This one sounds just right. I suspect that if the right band were to pick this up and cover it we could be talking big hit. It almost has a Mark Knopfler feel to it. Honey Child is a great party tune. This is the sort of song that will keep your feet moving on a Friday or Saturday night. It’s inspired by the blending of blues and rock that Eric Clapton built his career on. Where’s The Beauty is the most modern sounding track on the album. I could hear this having some minor commercial potential. The disc closes out with a Hendrix-inspired version of the Star Spangled Banner, done as a tribute to US Troops.

Chain Reaction is a sharp Rock N Roll outfit. I suspect their live shows are quite fun and lively affairs. Electric Playground I am very mixed on. There is some good to great material here, but the production seems to stifle the band/songs. The production values here sound very 1960’s/1970’s – the sound is repressed and held at bay. Shallow Valor is the only track that sounds at all raw, but raw Rock N Roll seems to be what Chain Reaction is about. The disc is misleading because it makes Chain Reaction sound less energetic and alive than they undoubtedly are. It’s a shame. Electric Playground is a decent listen when it should be, at least, a Very Good listen.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chain Reaction at http://www.chainreactionband.com/. You can purchase a copy of Electric Playground at www.cdbaby.com/cd/chain2.

Review: Jessi Robertson - Who We Are, What We Have Done

Jessi Robertson - Who We Are, What We Have Done
2008, Jessi Robertson

New York City's Jessi Robertson is an alt-folk Renaissance Woman. In addition to her music career, Robertson is a contributor to Urban Folk Magazine; a co-founder for Local Correspondents Community of independent artists and a curator for September Concert, an organization that puts on a worldwide concert series to promote healing and a sense of community of September 11th. Compared to Tori Amos, Keith Buckley and PJ Harvey, Robertson is an enigmatic songwriter who focuses first and foremost of the art of the song, making each composition an adventure for the listener. Who We Are, What We Have Done is Robertson's latest release; finding Robertson in complete creative and production control.

Who We Are, What We Have Done opens with Geometry Of A Heavy Heart, a deliciously smart and poignant folker that is extremely memorable. The song has a classic melody, intelligent lyrics and a story-teller's flow. Vocally, Robertson sounds a bit like Bonnie Raitt, with a warm-but-rough timbre that fits perfectly with the arrangement. The Weather opens with a sound that could be a heartbeat slowed down and drawn out into a rhythmic marker. If so, it is a metaphor for the song, which has a lot of heart but never entirely gets out of its own way. Ethereal harmonies can't save this song from the lack of energy that comes through. Papers And Magazines mixes a bare rock arrangement with electronic beats to support Robertson's multi-colored voice. The arrangement here is almost a bit lo-fi at times and the energy level just isn't quite there.

Lighthouse Keeper is another story. While continuing in the melancholy, slow theme that creeps into Who We Are, What We Have Done with the second song, Lighthouse Keeper has an almost urgent intensity that sits just below the surface. The tension in this song is palpable. Other highlights include It Gives, Mayday and City/Country.

Jessi Robertson is a talented writer with an colorful voice who is fun to listen to. The energy level on Who We Are, What We Have Done is very low at times, but there are some real gems here as well. Geometry Of A Heavy Heart is worth the cost of the album alone. Robertson shows enough talent and panache to keep doing this in the long term. Who We Are, What We Have Done is definitely a worthwhile listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jessi Robertson at www.myspace.com/jessirobertson or http://www.jessirobertson.com/. You can purchase a copy of Who We Are, What We Have Done at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jessirobertson.

Review: Jackdawg - Jackdawg

Jackdawg - Jackdawg
2009, Sonic Past Music

The long awaited and much discussed CD Jackdawg is due for release on March 17, 2009. This near-legendary album was recorded in 1990 and features John McFee and Keith Knudsen of the Doobie Brothers along with Creedence Clearwater Revival's Stu Cook. The band was an outgrowth of Southern Pacific and was recorded at McFee's Lizard Rock Studio in Solvage, Ca. The Jackdawg recordings stayed hidden in a vault until after Knudsen's death in 2005. The eponymous album includes thirteen original tracks plus covers of Roky Erickson's Cold Night For Alligators and Van Morrison's Wild Night.

Jackdawg opens with Bayou Rebel, an ode of sorts to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Bayou Rebel sounds like something that might have come out of CCR in their heyday but updated for the early 1990's when it was originally recorded. When The Sun Don't Shine is a tasty bit of modern rock with southern rock ancestors. The guitar work here is excellent, and the melody is quite memorable. The Men Who Would Be King was inspired by The Beatles, hinted at the by the harmonies at the end of each refrain and the occasional musical reference.

Hunger is a big stadium rocker that sounds like top-40 gold circa 1985. Ghost Dance has no pretensions about it, sounding more like something you'd expect to hear out of Lou Gramm than a conjunction of ex-Doobie and CCR guys. It's quite good, just a bit of a sonic surprise you might not have expected. Jackdawg returns to familiar territory with the old school R&B rocker Take It Off. Kisses In The Rain is another one of those songs that would have been a huge hit in a different era. This one sounds like a cross between Don Henley, The Beach Boys and Huey Lewis' backup band, The News.

Other highlights here include I Couldn't Help Myself, the big guitar rocker Quicksand, the Hagar-era Van Halen sounding Lookin' For Trouble, Young Ones, and The Girl From Oz. The Girl From Oz was inspired by the lead singer from The Divinyls, and sounds like someone took a variance on the bass line from Styx' Too Much Time On My Hands; added some Alex Liefson (Rush) style guitar work and a big 1980's rock chorus to create the perfect pop/rock song. The covers of Cold Night For Alligators and Wild Night are quite well done. They fit with the character of the rest of the album, but don't quite blend in the way the rest of the tracks do.
Jackdawg is a brilliant album. It's too bad this has been hidden away for almost two decades. If released back in 1990 it might have been a major hit for Cook, McFee and Knudsen. Today it will be appreciated by those in the know, but probably doesn't have the commercial reach it might once have had. Expect to hear a handful of tracks from this one show up on soundtracks, commercials or wherever else the marketing folks can find a spot. The music is excellent, and worthy of the resumes Jackdawg brought into the project.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jackdawg at http://www.jackdawg.net/. You can order a copy of Jackdawg at Amazon.com.

Review: Beija Flor - The American

Beija Flor - The American
2008, Beija Flor

Beija Flor is something unusual. Crafting a sound that is decidedly not like anything else is one thing, but to do so with the mix of aurally aesthetic lyrics and complicated and organic composition, Beija Flor approaches the sort of musical experience that is palpably moving. Beija Flor’s second full-length release, The American brings a more evolved and intricate sound to the fore and establishes this Vancouver based band as one to watch.

The American opens with Life Of A Salesman, a meandering tune that could be mistaken for Willie Loman's life story. The song is an interesting and eclectic collection of musical passages and sounds that borders on the edge of a wonderfully depressed madness. Way Of Living is a classic call and response song that has a strong Lo-Fi sound. Orange Lights continues down the highly eclectic and slightly disorganized path that Beija Flor has set thus far. The song has song wonderful harmonic resolutions within the chorus, but the verses seem to go nowhere in particular.

One of my favorite songs on The American is The Birds. There's a bit more coherence here than on the first few songs, and the arrangement is highly interesting listening. Sunny Boy is a delightful song, with guitar work reminiscent of later-career Paul Simon. The melody here is the key however; it will stick with you long after the disc stops spinning. Other highlights include Dear Jon, We Grew Tough, Poor Man Rich City and The American.

Beija Flor is kind of like Americana music played in a funhouse. There are moments throughout the album where the songs are held together only by sheer determination. Beija Flor has a talent for arrangements that don't sound like they'll work until you suddenly realize they did. There are elements of Pink Floyd and Jackson Brown here (both on Fire House). The American is niche music; an acquired taste. You'll have to given this one a few listens to see whether you like it or not. I'm still deciding, but it certainly is different and unusual.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Beija Flor at http://www.beijaflormusic.com/. You can purchase a copy of The American at www.cdbaby.com/beijaflormusic.

Review: J.D. Feighner - Sundays At 1620

J.D. Feighner - Sundays At 1620
2008, J.D. Feighner

J.D. Feighner comes from a musical family. His dad, mom, maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather all were musically involved for much of their lives. It's no surpise that the Colorado Springs based Feighner found his way eventually into a studio and became captivated with the process of creating and molding musical compositions. Feighner loves to play with sound, and that's very evident on his latest recording, Sundays At 1620. Working with a mix of organic music and electronic sounds, Feighner has created an album that sounds like a soundtrack for post-modern suburbia.

Sundays At 1620 opens with Rude Awakening, a buzzy and fuzzy bit of melancholy hip hop and soul. It's sonically interesting and resolves into a piano epilogue that fades into a voice mail. Pollo Borracho opens with a keyboard intro lifted from the Beatles. Feighner sounds a bit like Ben Folds here as he slides into a highly produced bit of mellow pop. Wavy Baby is a big change in direction, an acoustic guitar based mushy love song that has mix-tape written all over it. Trials opens with an acoustic guitar hook that will sound familiar to Barenaked Ladies fans, and opens up into a big jangly rock song.

You'll want to check out Mellow Ride and I'm Gonna Be Bad. The latter mixes the soul and hio-hop themes heard earlier on Rude Awakening. Other highlights include the ambient Oscillator, the wonderfully contrapuntal Rocky Mountain Hangover, Beautiful Confusion and The Greyside.

Throughout it all, Feighner's best musical weapon is his voice. He's a decent songwriter and adept at the manipulation of sounds into a pleasing structure, but his voice carries these creations to a place that's interesting rather than just unusual or unique. Sundays at 1620 is a pleasant listen with just enough creative spark to keep you coming back. Definitely a fun listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about J.D. Feighner at http://www.jdfeighner.com/, where you can purchase Sundays At 1620 as a download.

Review: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Alexandre Desplat)

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (Score by Alexandre Desplat)
2008, Concord Records

Alexandre Desplat has scored over 100 films in France and the United States. That's a pretty remarkable total for the forty-seven year old composer. He's one of the bright stars in post-Goldsmith Hollywood. Some of his credits include Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium; The Golden Compass; Girl With A Pearl Earring; The Painted Veil (Golden Globe - Best Original Score winner) and The Queen (Oscar nomination, 2007 BMI Film Music Festival Award, 2007 World Soundtrack Award and 2007 European Film Award). Desplat was tapped to score The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. The choice appears, in retrospect, to have been very wise.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is available as a two-disc set. Disc one is the orchestral score composed by Desplat. Disc two is a mix of dialogue and period jazz used in the movie. Disc two will appeal to diehard fans of the movie, but the dialogue snippets are mostly filler. Some of the jazz recordings are wonderful: The Boswell Sisters crooning That's How Rhythm Was Born is classic. Billie & DeDe Pierce on Freight Train Blues is a must-hear, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's take on Basin Street is perfection. The whole disc has a strong period sound that jazz buffs will adore (while grumbling about the dialogue in between).

What I really want to talk about is Desplat's score, because it's worth some real discussion. Desplat has always had a deft hand at setting a scene with music that's full of as much imagery as the scenes its meant to support, but he has really outdone himself with Benjamin Button. This is one of the most gorgeous and nuanced scores I've heard in several years. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button should get Desplat another Oscar nomination and might just land him his first win. A New Life is one of the centerpieces of this great score, rising from silence to suggest its title far more deftly than the written words on the CD jacket. Don't be surprised when he wins the Oscar for Best Original Score if this is the song selected to play while he walks to the podium.

Another contender for the podium walk honor is Alone At Night, which suggests the ebb and flow of darkness and starlight in intangible terms that coalesce in your mind like a grandmaster's painting. You'll also want to check out the ethereal Children's Games, The Hummingbird, Sunrise on Lake Pontchartrain and the hauntingly beautiful Dying Away. And let's not forget Benjamin And Daisy, a waltz that struggles between dissonance and harmony just like relationship its named for.

Alexandre Desplat didn't have anything to prove before The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, but after this he very well may have a few honors to defend, most of them including words like "Best Score". Concord Records has put together a gorgeous and unusual set here, combining the score and soundtrack in one package. Fans of the film will love it, and movie score buffs are going to go crazy for Desplat's work on Benjamin Button. Jazz fans will appreciate the true-to-period recordings on the soundtrack as well. This set is definitely worth picking up.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at http://www.benjaminbutton.com/. You can learn more about Alexandre Desplat at http://www.alexandredesplat.net/. You can purchase a copy of the soundtrack to The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold as of December 16, 2008.

Review: Daniel Lenz - Stuck In A Dream

Daniel Lenz - Stuck In A Dream
2009, Daniel Lenz

Daniel Lenz is a name you should know, because you've undoubtedly heard his music before. With Wax Trax recording artists Psykosonik and Hednoize he became a platinum selling artist. As a composer his music has graced the small screen in Mad Men, CSI, Beowulf, Alias, Buffy and La Femme Nikita. On the big screen you might have heard his compositions in Charlie's Angels, Scary Movie 2, 13 Going On 30, Halloween: Resurrection and Mortal Kombat. For you gamers out there his music has prodded you along as you play MotoGP or Crackdown. His success is a product of an obsessive search for the right sound, often meaning a single composition might take until the break of dawn to perfect. On Lenz' debut album, Stuck In A Dream, he easily mixes hip-hop, soul, rock, Industrial and techno for a highly eclectic collection of fifteen sonic events.

Stuck In A Dream opens with I Do It Again, a highly energetic dance number for rockers. This is classic dance club fare that should do very well for Lenz in the club scene. Check It Out gets into an Industrial sound mixed with wrap. It's a highly unique composition that gets a bit lyrically repetitive but once again will do well in the clubs. Push The Tempo ups the angst in an industrial/hip-hop blend you have to hear to believe. This song will get you moving even if it's against your will. Other highlights include the brutal rhythms of Time To Rock, Accume, Go It Alone and Aliens.

Daniel Lenz has a distinctive style that embraces techno, industrial, rock and hip-hop in ways you might not have heard before. The strongest compositions seems to be the mixes of Industrial and hip-hop, but there's nothing here you'd call a weak track. Stuck In A Dream is a highly motivating album that will take a place among your favorite listens, even if it's as a guilty pleasure. Be sure to check it out.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Daniel Lenz at www.myspace.com/daniellenz or http://www.daniellenz.com/. You can purchase a copy of Stuck In A Dream at http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00YAS67K.

Review: Tara Kalyn Norman - Tara Kalyn Norman

Tara Kalyn Norman - Tara Kalyn Norman

2008, Tara Kalyn Norman

Tara Kalyn Norman's day job is high school freshman in San Antonio, TX. When not at her studies she writes and performs highly personal and affecting folk/pop songs. This young musical phenom has already opened at Mountain Stage, been twice recognized as a monthly finalist in VH-1's Song Of The Year competition in the Folk category and been invited to perform at The New Music Seminar in Cleveland, OH. Norman has a voice that falls somewhere between Maren Ord and Edie Brickell, and a very simple, concise song-writing style that serves as a perfect vehicle for her musical ideas. Her debut recording, Tara Kalyn Norman, is ten songs of heart-baring emotion that touches the listener while showing subtle flashes of the artist she will become.

Tara Kalyn Norman's eponymous debut is a Lo-Fi affair capturing just Norman and her guitar. The songwriting is relatively simple and straightforward, allowing Norman's vocal sound and personality to shine through. Her voice isn't perfect in the fashion of Edie Brickell, but is a strong, expressive and sweet vessel for her heartfelt lyrics. The CD opens with Would It Be Bad To Say, a waffle on whether to say those three magic words. What seems at first an adolescent ponderance proves to be a universal theme of human emotion and amazingly apt. Holding On was a monthly finalist in the VH-1 Song Of The Year Competition and is a regretful rumination on love lost.

Gummybear is a sweet love song and one of my personal favorites on the album. Norman touches on young love and devotion without an ounce of cliché. Anymore is a powerful song of self-fulfillment in the face of loss and is the lead in for One More Day Alive (the other VH-1 Song Of The Year monthly finalist). One More Day Alive is not so much a war protest song as a counting of the cost of war. The song has a lot of power and shows a real attempt to understand the mind of a soldier in combat. Up next is my other favorite song on the CD, I Tried, with a very pop sound and a sweet, memorable melody. Be sure also to check out Get Used To Seeing My Face, a step off song from a girlfriend to a young boy’s mother. The song shows an emotional toughness that speaks well for the future as a songwriter.

Tara Kalyn Norman is a very talented young artist. She writes strong, coherent songs that mostly have a distinct sweetness to them; all based on strong emotion or emotional movement. Norman is still developing as a songwriter and artist, so you will hear some of the lyrical awkwardness that was common in early Jewel songs. Her songwriting style is a bit simplistic as befits a young songwriter, but Norman shows the drive to improve as she is studying piano and will learn harmonica in the near future to allow her to expand songwriting options, sounds, etc. The disc itself sounds like a well done home recording, but with all of the sonic flaws and imperfections that come with demos. Keeping all of this in mind, Tara Kalyn Norman's debut is a breath of fresh air. Anyone who's ever strapped on a guitar or stepped before a mic has been where Tara Kalyn Norman is right now, and she shows incredible promise. This disc is worth checking out as much as for what Tara Kalyn Norman may become as for what she is right now; a very talented, budding young songwriter.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Tara Kalyn Norman at www.myspace.com/tararocksyourmom. You can purchase a copy of Tara Kalyn Norman by contacting her through her MySpace page.

Review: Ken Elkinson - Generations Of Yuletide

Ken Elkinson - Generations Of Yuletide

2008, August Son Productions

Ken Elkinson is a funny guy, and one heckuva piano player. With airplay on over 350 outlets internationally, Elkinson has obtained a modicum of notoriety that is hard to find in new age music. Based in Los Angeles, Elkinson is the owner of his own label, a composer and performer whose five previous releases have found an international audience. His sixth CD (and second of 2008) Generations Of Yuletide is a collection of sixteen Christmas classics and rarities lovingly presented by Elkinson with improvisation and embellishment. The album is a highly enjoyable listen.

Christmas piano albums are a dime-a-dozen ever since stores like Brookstone and Pottery Barn began creating their own instrumental collections. Nevertheless one comes along periodically that makes you stop and listen. Ken Elkinson has created such an album in Generations Of Yuletide. Elkinson has an ability to present standards with improvisation in a way that highlights the original composition while bringing new life out of songs you've heard many times before. The CD opens with The Star Of Christmas Morning, a lovely rendition performed in ebbs and flows that mimic the ocean tides. Elkinson places his stamp firmly on the music early on. Greensleeves is a beautiful rendition that plays with some unusual key changes. Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming is a real treat. This is not a song you hear all the time at Christmas; coming from Germany in the late 16th century, the song was adopted into the Anglican Church musical tradition and is usually heard in churches. It is a classic melody that was later co-opted by Johannes Brahms for a choral fantasy for organ. This track alone makes the disc worth having.

Elkinson's version of Silent Night is lovingly traditional while allowing the artist room to play, and We Three Kings is a delight. Other highlights include In The Bleak Midwinter (based on the Holst version), Carol Of The Bells, The Little Drummer Boy, I'll Be Home For Christmas and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

Generations Of Yuletide is a sublime listen. It's perfect for that Christmas cocktail party, or for reflection upon holidays past, or even for considering the meaning of this time of year. Ken Elkinson has a gift for embellishment and variation that ads to the original songs without stripping them of their basis character. These type of solo piano Christmas albums I always approach with a little bit of trepidation, if only because the last decade saw so much cheese reach the marketplace. Elkinson rises above the high commercial impact, low quality recordings of your basic mall culture with a well executed album that shows deference to the songs alongside a musical vision that is both loving and respectful. Generations Of Yuletide is a Christmas must.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Ken Elkinson as well as purchase copies of Generations of Yuletide at http://www.kenelkinson.com/.

Review: Kaydi Johnson - Peasant Of The Wreck

Kaydi Johnson - Peasant Of The Wreck
2008, Roving Music

Kaydi Johnson tends to create a lot of buzz. She’s not your typical female singer-songwriter, mixing spoken word with singing and tackling hot-button topics with an ease that belies their prickly nature. She’s been a finalist in multiple songwriting competitions, and won the Avalonfest Songwriting Contest in 2008. She was also selected for the Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist Showcase in 2003. Her third album, Peasant Of The Wreck, continues in the same vein of edgy folk that Johnson has become known for.

Peasant Of The Wreck opens with the title track, a straightforward folk/rock song with blues in its heritage. Johnson has an incredibly smooth, pleasant voice that works very well, particularly in her lower range. Bonsai is an incredibly deep and remorseful song about two people who desperately want the same thing but just aren't right for one another. Johnson introduces electronic rhythms to support a mostly spoken word piece with sung chorus on Bed. This one just didn't work for me, reminding me a bit of Meryn Cadell without the detached humor.

Mary is a wonderful country tune with blues flavoring that returns to Johnson's spoken word over music with sung chorus. At 9:00 minutes this story-song is a stretch for the listener. Lady Going Down is a pleasant pop tune that may be the most commercial offering here. The song has a great melody. Other highlights include Cry, Drunken Houdini and Summer Place.

Kaydi Johnson is a decent songwriter. Her voice is very enjoyable in the lower register, but her vocal range would appear to be fairly compact based on the material here. At the end of the day, Peasant Of The Wreck is a good album, but not one that really cements itself in your mind. Kaydi Johnson does show some real talent for songwriting but this effort just comes off a little flat.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Kaydi Johnson at http://www.kaydijohnsong.com/. You can purchase a copy of Peasant Of The Wreck at www.cdbaby.com/cd/kaydijohnson.

Review: Welcome To The Cinema - Blocks And Hills

Welcome To The Cinema - Blocks And Hills
2008, Welcome To The Cinema

Welcome To The Cinema are a Brooking, South Dakota band who formed on Valentine’s Day in 2006. Their press materials indicate this is due to a lack of dates. What they have created is a band that takes post-modern punk themes and mixes it with British New Wave sounds. The result is a high quality debut album entitled Blocks And Hills.

Blocks And Hills opens with Weekend At The Hamptons, sounding like a British modern rock outfit with Bobcat Goldthwaite on lead vocals. (I'll let readers debate the effect/impact of this). It's a good opening song that shows a sense of urgency, but highly repetitive in lyrical content. Tasty Taste is a very catchy pop rock tune that would have real commercial potential. This is a song that would have played very well among the heavy hitters of the British New Wave invasion of the mid-1980's. Shark Vs. Boat is a jumping post-punk pop song. You could pogo dance your troubles away to this little gem.

Ireland is an interesting composition that caught my attention. There's not a specific reason I can name, but its one of those songs that gets stuck in your head and you can't shake it no matter what you try. Other highlights include Tundra, Ocean Potion and Must Be Love.

Welcome To The Cinema is an intriguing band. The music is very unusual and dare I say, unique. There's a definite post-punk sensibility that runs through most of their material, but also elements of 1980's New Wave. I suspect there's real potential for commercial success here, although the vocalist will definitely be an acquired taste: One of those singers you either love or hate with little middle ground. Blocks And Hills is a fun listen. It's worth checking out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Welcome To The Cinema at http://www.welcometothecinema.com/ where you can purchase a copy of Blocks and Hills, or www.mysapce.com/welcometothecinema. You can also download the album on iTunes.

Review: If You Will - Flight Plan

If You Will – Flight Plan
2007, If You Will

St. Paul, Minnesota’s If You Will strives to build big alternative rock songs with catchy hooks and driving beats. Through the use of unusual chord progressions and structure, two lead vocalists and a new breed attitude, If You Will brings another level of excitement to the game of Rock N Roll. If You Will’s debut album, Flight Plan, encompasses all of these traits in eleven alternately exciting and mellow rock songs.

Flight Plan opens with a big guitar rocker, Run Away. Boiling guitar riffs and rocky bass calisthenics make this an ideal first single for modern rock formats, but the song ends up sounding very formulaic. Hate Your Hate follows much the same paradigm, sounding like something that was crafted for commercial attention rather than for the sake of craft. What Doesn't Kill Us slows things down a bit, moving to a mixed acoustic/electric sound that If You Will wears very well. Everything I Am strips things down further, in probably the best song on the album. If You Will doesn't return to the heavy rock sound until tracks 9 and 10, two parts of the Flight Of Fall trilogy, which is very well written and performed.

If You Will comes across like two bands. There's the heavy rockers with strong hooks but weak vocal presence and a generally formulaic sound, or there's the sensitive adult contemporary rockers who come across as a bit cliché but marketable. All in all Flight Plan is a decent album. It didn't light up the room but it held its own. If You Will shall find a sufficient following to keep making music.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about If You Will at www.myspace.com/iyw. You can purchase a copy of Flight Plan at www.cdbaby.com/cd/ifyouwill.

Review: Parliament - The Mothership Connection Live 1976 (DVD)

Parliament – The Mothership Connection Live 1976
2008, Shout! Factory

George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins and the rest of P-Funk were at the height of their musical prowess in 1976. In the era of Mothership Connection and The Clones Of Dr. Funkestein, P-Funk were a genre all their own. On Halloween night, 1976, Parliament rolled into the Houston Summit and proceeded to pull off a legendary performance. This particular concert video has been out of print for a long time, although bootlegs have abounded over the years. It features fourteen songs packed into one hour of the most outrageous Funk you've ever heard. Shout! Factory offers up the re-release of The Mothership Connection Live 1976 just in time for the holidays!

Let's be honest, if you have a bootleg of this show then you might not want to lay down money for the DVD, but at a list price of $14.98, how can you not? The video and audio quality here are better than anything you'll find on a bootleg, although the lack of bonus materials is disappointing. The highlight here is the raw power of Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off That Sucker), but several great tracks abound. Cosmic Slop and Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On are virtuosic performances. Mothership Connection (Star Child) is worth the price of admission on its own, and Dr. Funkenstein is like stepping into a time machine where all is right with the world and always will be. P-Funk closes out the set with Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples and Funkin' For Fun, just to make sure you didn't miss the point.

There are some bands whose shows are fun -- you save the ticket stub in a box of memories and 20 years down the road you know you were there and that's about it. Then there are bands like Parliament, where 20 years on you can still remember the set list and the dude how spilled beer down your back and the lyrics of the song at the exact moment the lead singer's sweat dripped on you as you crashed the stage. While videos rarely capture this kind of live energy, P-Funk is not your every day band. If you saw Clinton, et. al. in the mid-1970's then you want this DVD as a keepsake. It will take you back and then some. If you're a fan of P-Funk and never had a chance to see them live, or only saw them in the past five years or so, then you need to check The Mothership Connection Live 1976. It's magic on stage. For real.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Parliament at http://www.georgeclinton.com/. You can purchase The Mothership Connection Live 1976 at Amazon.com.

Review: Wensday - Torch Rock

Wensday - Torch Rock
2008, Desert Dreams Records

Wensday was quietly pursuing her music as a jazz vocalist in her native Providence, Rhode Island. Along with being the director of a children’s theater, Wensday found time and energy to front several projects in a short period of time. After her discovery by none other than Alice Cooper, Alice embarked on a whirlwind of musical self-discovery. Working with the likes of Dick Wagner (Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, KISS, Air Supply, Aerosmith); Fred Mandel (Elton John, Queen, Cooper); Nils Lofgren (Springsteen) and Bobby Flores, Wensday was able to craft an album that runs the gamut from jazz to rock with all stops in between. Torch Rock defies classification while welcoming praise.

Wensday runs the stylistic gamut on Torch Rock, with elements of Country, Jazz, Blues and Rock N Roll mashed up into a silky mix that perfectly complements her sultry, soulful voice. Torch Rock opens with Arizona Man, an utterly forthright and brazen letdown with country trappings and gorgeous, classic-rock style harmonies. After You follows up as a gorgeous piano-based ballad. Wensday's voice is charmed and full of delicious color in this regretful goodbye song. The Rise And Fall Of Love lifts from the ashes like a 1980's arena rock ballad, full of guitar and synth. The almost classical form of song construction here is intriguing, and Wensday absolutely soars on the chorus.

Heartbreak is a soulful torch song that will stick in your head for days afterward. Only Women Bleed is a classic country take on the Alice Cooper classic. This may be song with the greatest commercial potential on Torch Rock; a highly licensable tune that should be destined for placement in at least one chick-flick. Decorations leans a little bit into classic R&B styles and is perhaps the best pure pop song on Torch Rock. What sounds like a series of double entendres turns out to be a song about tattoos. The song is very well written and is bound to grab your attention.

Be sure to give a listen or six to Seventh Level, a gorgeously orchestrated opening turns into a classic soul rocker that draws lines of comparison between Love and Hell. Seventh Level is highly theatric and could easily be a key song in a musical. It's an amazing composition and by far the best overall performance on Torch Rock. Other highlights include Bulldog Blues, Predatory Gentlemen, My Fantasy Life and Pirate Love.

Wensday is unique. She has the charm of a country girl, the craven sensuality of a torch singer, and the theatric nature of a thespian. Add all of this to great material and an amazing voice and you have the complete package that is Wensday. Torch Rock may suffer a bit on the commercial side as it really does run all over the musical map, and some music consumers just don't have the musical vision to encompass it all. But from a music perspective it's absolutely sublime. Wensday comes out of left field with an instant classic.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Wensday at http://www.wensdaymusic.com/. You can purchase a copy of Torch Rock at Amazon.com.

Review: Sonic Bliss - Loved To Death

Sonic Bliss - Loved To Death
2008, Sonic Bliss

Sonic Bliss was born of five New York City music scene vets and one newcomer. The band seeks to bring old school classic rock into the twenty first century with smart lyrics, powerful songwriting and an explosive stage show. Vocalist Rene Berrios sounds like the ideal rock and roll front man, with a big powerful voice that can soar as easily as growl; Two lead guitarists, Roger Petersen and Kerry Christian Agnew give the band a Styx-like guitar sound, and Glenn Roberts and Charlie Martinez make up one of the tightest rhythm sections in Rock N Roll. Band members have individually played with or opened for Joan Jett, Mountain, Dee Snider/Twisted Sister, Ike and Tina Turner, Anthrax, Rick Derringer and Smokey Robinson, among others. Sonic Bliss itself has shared a stage with Winger, Black 47, Richie Havens, Cactus, Blue Oyster Cult and Savoy Brown. Sonic Bliss has built a reputation as one of the finest classic-rock style bands New York has seen. With Loved To Death, Sonic Bliss looks to propel themselves into a higher orbit. It just might work.

Loved To Death opens with Sahara, a big, strutting guitar rock tune that is at times reminiscent of Metallica. Aside from the big guitar work this song has a strong melody and a certain melancholy chutzpah that can not be denied. Far Cry takes off on a tear built of great guitar hooks and an outstanding vocal performance. This song sounds like post-Dennis DeYoung Styx material and is one of the better songs on the album. Better Days is a big acoustic anthem that allows the listener a bit of respite before the explosive hook that opens Home Again bends your mind. Home Again explores the human capacity for greed; the constant need for more and more. The song is full of great harmonies and a vibrant guitar part that very much moves the song along. Babe I'm Dying brings some 1970's funk into the mix, complete with horn section. Not to lay on the Styx references too much, but if you know ever heard Lonely People you'll know exactly what sound I'm talking about here.

It's not so much that Sonic Bliss sounds like anyone in particular, although the Styx and Metallica references have some real weight. It's more that Sonic Bliss engages on a musical playground that so many great bands have visited before. At the end of the day Sonic Bliss has a sound all their own, and that comes across nicely on Dead Sea Of Love, which is probably the best song on Loved To Death. Berrios is absolutely at the top of his game here, and Lea steps forward to the mic as a foil on the chorus to deliver a devastating aural counterpunch. The woman has pipes. In My Dreams opens with an organ interlude that segues into a roiling, angst filled guitar bank. The dark tone and themes roll away into sunlight for just Berrios and church-style organ. In My Dreams comes across as almost prayerfully introspective.

Nail In My Heart with a gypsy-sounding violin dancing along to a plaintive acoustic guitar part with Berrios singing over the top. This is perhaps the most emotionally powerful song on the album, and Lea again joins in to counterpoint Berrios. Save My Soul is an angry, anxious and ultimately desperate plea buried in driven guitars and seismic rhythms. Seven Days is a wonderfully dark rocker with religious overtones and some really unusual guitar work. From a pure Prog perspective this might be the most memorable song on Loved To Death, as it spirals almost out-of-control to its end. As an added bonus there's a live version of Stevie Wonder's Superstitious that will absolutely knock your socks off.

Sonic Bliss uses the concept album format album to drive home eleven powerful songs centered on themes of religion, redemption, belief and the infallibility of human imperfection. Prog/Arena rock fans you've been waiting for this one. Loved To Death brings retro-1970's hard rock into the twenty-first century with a glorious, resounding bang. Check out Loved To Death and see why Sonic Bliss have become almost legendary on the New York scene. You won't be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Sonic Bliss at http://www.sonicbliss.net/, where you can purchase a copy of Loved To Death.

Review: Corazon Latino - Desde Barranquilla

Corazon Latino – Desde Barranquilla
2008, SUISA Records

Corazon Latino is a collaboration between Columbian and Swiss musicians to bring the best of Columbian folk music to the world. Using traditional Columbian instruments and infectious beats, Corazon Latino seems to be a hit with every crowd the play in front of. On their second record, 2008’s Desde Barranquilla engages the listener with a mix of traditional Columbian sounds and an almost singer-songwriter personability. The CD is a smash.

It’s so easy to forget how wonderfully rich Latin music history is with sound and rhythm in light of the popularization of genre killing styles such as the Americanized Reggaeton. Corazon Latino shows how rhythm brings life to music without becoming the sole point. Desde Barranquilla opens with Dejate Mirar, mixing classic rhythms and an almost pop sensibility. Vocalist Gloria Velandia is amazing here, and the song has a real sense of inertia that makes you want to get up and dance. OBA follows with vocals that will melt your speakers in an unforgettable performance. Un Rayo De Luz sounds more like a pop tune with Latin Rhythms. The melody is very memorable and almost floats into the poppy chorus. Mentiras continues the quasi-popular music leaning on Desde Barranquilla, with easy soulful vocals and an almost jazz flavor dancing along beneath the surface. Other highlights include Un Beso En La Luna, No and Costena De Barranquilla.

Desde Barranquilla is a great introduction to the traditional sounds and rhythms of Colombia. It probably helps if you understand Spanish, but as a non-speaker I still found this highly enjoyable. Fans of Paul Simons' Rhythm Of The Saints will find a lot to love here, as will folks who are open to world music. The CD is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Corazon Latino at http://www.corazon-latino.ch/. You can purchase a copy of Desde Barranquilla at www.cdbaby.com/cd/corazonlatino2.

Review: High Cotton - Pictures

High Cotton - Pictures
2007, In-Focus Records

Some of the best Rock N Roll music can be found in country bars these days. While major labels have encourage a barrage of rock bands who adhere to a modern rock sound that is homogeneous and pasteurized of the rebellious joy that made Rock N Roll what it was in its heyday, country bands in honky-tonk bars all over the country continue to make hybrids of good old fashioned rock. Alpharetta, Georgia’s High Cotton is just such a band. Mixing rock, soul, celtic, country, Americana and anything else they can find, High Cotton fashions a warm organic sound that sounds as off the cuff as it is meticulously planned. High Cotton's latest CD, Pictures, is a real treat.

Pictures opens with Song For A Mountain Weekend, a low-key rock tune that is pleasing to the ear and moves with a joyous energy. Crazy To Sing is a good old rockabilly tune that will have you up and moving around before eight bars are out. It's a quasi-autobiographical song about High Cotton's lead vocalist, Laura Monk and will hit the right note with many of the musicians/vocalists who are regular readers here. The title track, Pictures, is a more traditional country ballad and really displays the gorgeous timbre of Monk's voice.

Song For The Big Easy is a jazz-flavored tribute to New Orleans. It's a love song you won't want to miss. 12-String is a 1950's style ballad whose opening sounds a bit like Stand By Me. It's a sweet, sentimental love song. Long As I Don't Lose You is a country/pop gem that might have real commercial potential. Other highlights include Tattoo, Just Can't Be and Dirt Nap Lullaby.

High Cotton incorporates many different styles and sounds into their music, creating a mix that is both hearty and enjoyable. Top notch musicians all, High Cotton is reminder of why most people start out making music; they love it. Their joy shines through Pictures, and you'll find yourself returning to this CD from time to time when you need to remember what it's all supposed to be about. Pictures is not the sort of CD that's ever going to be a huge seller just on the basis of demographics, but true music fans will get this, and musicians will love it.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about High Cotton at http://www.highcottonatl.com/. You can purchase a copy of Pictures at www.cdbaby.com/highcottonmusic.

Review: Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit - Feathers & Nails.

Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit - Feathers & Nails
2008, Davey Spicer

Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit are a Brisbane, Queensland (Australia) trio with an eclectic ear. The band’s MySpace page implies that if you want to know about the band’s personalities to read the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Personalities aside, Spicer’s trio has a very eclectic and unusual set of influences. Their EP, Feathers & Nails is available if you can find it. Let’s check it out!

Feathers & Nails opens with Good Man, a feel good bit of Americana. It's a classic mix of folk, rock and country with a great melody and a very memorable lyrics. It's a song that will definitely make mix-tape lists and is a highly pleasant listen. Shake It is a wonderfully energetic acoustic tune with a rock and roll attitude. Irresponsibility is a dark acoustic pop tune that sounds a little like something U2 might have written in their War days. The lyric content isn't U2, but the music is definitely in that style. The song is catchy in its dark aspect and will stick with you. You could hear some alt-rock band making it big with Irresponsibility. Liferaft slows things down a bit with a great guitar arrangement and a strong melody. Beautiful starts out as something of a dark homage and turns more and more bizarre as the song goes on. It's a bit disturbing but extremely well conceived and performed.

Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit are an interesting band. I would suggest they are something of an acquired taste, but one worth acquiring. Feathers & Nails is a musician's EP. Those of you out there making music will greatly appreciate the song craft here. Spicer doesn't have a perfect voice, but its perfect for the material he's writing, and Feathers & Nails is a worthwhile experience. Check it out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit at www.myspace.com/daveyspicercreatures. You’ll have to contact the band through their MySpace page for availability of Feather & Nails.

Review: Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - Act Your Age

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band - Act Your Age
2008, Immergent Records

You’d have to say that Gordon Goodwin is one of the more successful composers/arrangers working in Hollywood. His 2006 Grammy Award for his arrangement of the song “Incredits” from the Pixar film “The Incredibles” may be a crowing achievement, but it joins three Emmy Awards and eight other Grammy nominations on his resume. Goodwin established his Big Phat Band in 2000. Artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Eddie Daniels, Johnny Mathis, Michael Brecker, Dianne Reeves, David Sanborn and Take 6 have appeared on previous Big Phat Band albums. The latest release from Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, Act Your Age, continues the same sort of high quality jazz-hybrid music with a guest list that reads like a who’s who. Sitting in throughout the album are folks like Chick Corea, Dave Grusin, Patti Austin, Art Tatum, Lee Ritenour (who also produced the album) and Eric Marienthal. Add in a bonus DVD and you’ll want to check this out!

Gordon Goodwin mixes the best of jazz, funk and soul into Act Your Age, an album that decidedly does not. Hit The Ground Running is a funky bit of jazz expression that sounds like it should be the theme song to a television show. This is feel good music that makes you want to dance, with just enough rock and roll attitude to give it an edge. Watermelon Man (Herbie Hancock) is more of an 1950's Bop tune, sounding like something you might hear in Vegas on a Saturday night. September (Earth, Wind & Fire) is adisco/jazz hybrid that will get the toes tapping, and features Patti Austin on vocals.

Yesterdays (Art Tatum) is a frenetic tune that shows off some furious piano runs that would make Rachmaninov tingle. Senor Mouse (Chick Corea) is an active bit of piano jazz with a lively bass line. What stands out from Act Your Age is the pure precision with which Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band plays. This is fairly complex stuff, crossing stylistic boundaries as easily as breathing. Goodwin's band is top-notch. There really isn't a weak track here, but other highlights include Punta Del Soul, Act Your Age, Backrow Politics and El Macho Muchacho. Also a great add is the bonus DVD, which includes 5.1 versions of all tracks, live material, bios, games and even a mix your own song feature using tracks from the CD.

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band is reminiscent of the days when hot jazz was cool. The melding of jazz, funk, soul and rock may allow Act Your Age to cross barriers and turn new listeners on to all that's great about jazz music. Like Louis Prima and others revolutionized jazz to a new generation in Vegas, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band promises to proselytize the masses into the family of jazz bands. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my Zoot Suit and shades.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Gordon Goodwin at http://www.gordongoodwin.com/. You can purchase a copy of Act Your Age at Amazon.com.

Review: Davey Spicer & The Creatures of Habit - Tides & Caves

Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit - Tides & Caves
2008, Davey Spicer

Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit are a Brisbane, Queensland (Australia) trio with an eclectic ear. The band’s MySpace page implies that if you want to know about the band’s personalities to read the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Personalities aside, Spicer’s trio has a very eclectic and unusual set of influences. Their EP, Tides & Caves is available if you can find it. Let’s check it out!

Bang Bang Baby Goodbye opens Tides & Caves; a frenetically dangerous get lost song if ever I've heard one. This song really moves and would sound incredible done by a blues-rock outfit with a big guitar sound. As it is it's en extremely entertaining listen you won't be able to get out of your head. Daydream was a little lost on me. It's a sweet song with a pleasant melody but gets a little too caught up in repetition at times. Human Obscene is an extremely well-written song with real movement and a great acoustic hook. The arrangement here suggests the craven attitude that the title suggests. Soft & Out Of Focus is perhaps a little too aptly named. It's more ambient than anything, relying on Spicer's plaintive vocal and bland acoustic guitar accompaniment. Credentials completely turns the momentum around however, in what may be the best song Spicer has written between Tides & Caves and his other EP, Feathers And Nails.

Tides & Caves is a little bit uneven, with three songs really hitting the mark and two others that seem to get a little lost on their way home. What is abundantly clear is that Spicer is a very talented songwriter (even the best ones miss once in a while). Spicer plays the role of enigmatic front man in the same vein as Ian Anderson, displaying (or at least suggesting) a darker aspect of his own personality over the course of unusual and very memorable songs. This EP is definitely worth a listen.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Davey Spicer & The Creatures Of Habit at www.myspace.com/daveyspicercreatures. You’ll have to contact the band through their MySpace page for availability of Tides & Caves..

Review: Darryl Hall and John Oates - Live At The Troubador

Darryl Hall & John Oates - Live At The Troubador
2008, Shout! Factory

Darryl Hall & John Oates at one time were the hottest act in America. In the early 1980's basically anything they put out turned into pop gold. Mixing rock, soul and R&B in the self-styled genre "rock and soul", Hall & Oates amassed thirty-four charting singles (six in the top ten), seven platinum albums, six gold albums, and entry into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. Their songs have been covered or sampled ad-nauseum, most notably Every Time I Go Away, which Paul Young turned into a #1 hit with his cover in 1985. Countless greatest hit packages have been released over the years, but 2008's Live At The Troubador may be the best collection to date. It marks a return to the first venue Hall & Oates ever played in Los Angeles (then as an opening act), and covers a career full of hits and classic songs. The 3-disc set includes 2-CDs and a DVD of the performance.

Darryl Hall & John Oates aren't spring chickens anymore. Some of the high notes are gone from their repertoire, but they can still harmonize with the best, and their songs still have a magical feel to them. All the hits are here in somewhat stripped down form from the original pop radio versions. Hall & Oates went primarily with acoustic arrangements for this show that display the beauty and craft of the songs that is destined to outlast any fame or glory the band may have once been subject to. Sara Smile is a real treat, although Maneater loses a little of its sharpness in this setting. Out Of Touch is just as viable pop song today as it was twenty-five years ago, and I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) is still a fun romp even in its re-worked form.

Other highlights are Rich Girl, One On One, Say It Isn't So, Family Man and Private Eyes, but two performances in particular stand out. You Make My Dreams is vibrant, classic rock and roll. Private Eyes also carries with it the same sort of energy and edgy rebellious nature that marked the best music of the late 1970's and early 1980's. You Make My Dreams in particular is worth purchasing the set for.

Hall & Oates were synonymous with popular music success in the early 1980's. They faded quickly from view in the late-1980's but have continued over the years in on-and-off fashion to make music and tour. This set feels a bit Vegas at times, in that the songs are stripped down and don't always have the urgency that propelled them to the top of the charts the first time around, but you won't find a pair of more consummate performers anywhere. Live At The Troubadour is a great encapsulation of a brilliant career.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Darryl Hall and John Oates at http://www.hallandoates.com/. You can purchase a copy of Live At The Troubador at Amazon.com or wherever music is sold.

Review: Viper Central - The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please

Viper Central - The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please
2008, Viper Central

Vancouver's Viper Central knows what roots music is all about. The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please is the most strikingly brilliant mix of bluegrass, folk and country I have heard in 2008. Viper Central has gone so far to the roots on American music that you can't even properly call them Americana, I'd hedge by calling them pre-Americana. Shotgun Wedding is country music rolled almost all the way back to its Celtic roots with some good old Appalachian styling thrown in. Gold Road comes forward to a more traditional bluegrass sound with some amazing slide guitar work and finger picking going on. Viper Central reminds me a bit of one of my favorite bluegrass bands, The McKrells, but Viper Central perhaps exceeds even that vaunted, erstwhile band.

Mountain Of Trouble is a great listen, but Down in Western Virginia recalls the mix of country and rockabilly that fed the early Sun Records recordings. Down In Western Virginia features the most striking vocal harmonies on the disc, and you'll be humming this tune for days. Devil In The Hourglass is a work of dexterity for guitar and banjo and should be approached with extreme caution. If you're going to try to learn this one to play along you might want to start at quarter-speed. Roving Gambler is a gorgeous traditional tune that features Lorraine Cobb on lead vocals (something we could all stand to hear more of). Sadie's Ghost is a dark flavored tune that blurs the line between bluegrass and Celtic traditions and is one of the more interesting listens on The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please. The album closes with Come Along, a rousing instrumental that is the perfect aperitif here.

Viper Central gets down to the roots of American music in a way that revitalizes the sound and makes it new for today. Each generation needs at least one band to get into the metaphysics of its country's musical lineage and make sure that the music is preserved and expanded upon. Viper Central has answered that charge with gusto. The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please is a stellar offering, a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc, and a must-have for true music fans.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Viper Central at http://www.vipercentral.ca/ or www.myspace.com/vipercentral. You can purchase a copy of The Devil Sure Is Hard To Please at www.cdbaby.com/vipercentral.

Review: Curt Mychael - Sketches In Time

Curt Mychael - Sketches In Time
2008, Curt Mychael

Curt Mychael has a gift for writing crisp, clear pop songs. The Milwaukee-based Berklee College Of Music grad steps up with his debut CD, Sketches In Time, full of gooey pop goodness in the vein of McCartney or Folds.

Sketches In Time opens with Sunnyside, a McCartney-esque pop tune with a great melody and a great sense of motion. It's just flat out a great pop song. Bones is a southern rock flavored tune that would fit right in of the old AOR radio format. It's another song with great pop sensibilities. Mychael continues this trend on Could Be You. Don't be fooled by the acoustic guitars, this is pop daydream material. Mychael changes things up on Florence Knows, a more melodic, melancholy rocker than the first three songs on the disc. There remains the tremendous sense of melody that is evident from the start of Sketches in Time, but there is definitely a darker tone here. Maybe continues the more melancholy lean with a mellow rocker that seems to want to break out in the pop magic that Mychael appears to be capable of, but stays wrapped up in complex emotions.

My Moon Your Sun is a quirky love song that's a mix tape pick that retains the almost melancholy feel of much of Sketches In Time. Be sure to check out Something New, a vibrant return to the peppy pop gold that just seems to want to pour out of Mychael at every instant. And make some time to really listen to The Bay. Curt Mychael may have found his magnum opus here. This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs you're likely to hear in the near future. I can't recommend this song highly enough. It's the sort of song that could turn a singer-songwriter into a legend. Other highlights include the wonderfully bizarre Circus Nite, You Don't Love Me Anymore and Goodbye Baby.

Curt Mychael has a gift. The ability to write near-perfect pop songs without falling prey to pop gimmicks or chart envy is rare. If early indications hold true, Curt Mychael might be a songwriter on the level of a Paul McCartney. It's high praise, I know, but listen to the CD and you'll see what I mean. Curt Mychael seems to vacillate between upbeat pop and aesthetic melancholy. His concerts must be a wonderful rollercoaster, the sort of performance that mimics the same ups and downs that life brings. Curt Mychael illuminates life as we all know it on the aptly named Sketches In Time. You'll see some of yourself in each sketch; hear the voices of loved ones in each song. Don't pass this one by.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Curt Mychael at http://www.curtmychael.com/ or www.myspace.com/curtmychael. You can purchase a copy of Sketches In Time at www.cdbaby.com/cd/curtmychael.

Review: Huff (Chris Huff) - North Cathedral Way

Chris Huff - North Cathedral Way
1998, Help Us Find Food Music

We recently reviewed Chris Huff’s Death and Texas LP. Not long after we received his debut CD, North Cathedrawl Way, in the mail. It's interesting stuff. Check it out!

North Cathedral Way opens with Ball And Chain, a dynamic song that allows Huff to show off some pretty impressive pipes. A highly rhythmic tune featuring Huff on vox/guitar with only percussion behind him, it's a great blues-influenced opening to the CD. The Night Cafe explores the downfalls of hanging with the immortal, the enlightened and the almighty. It's a great tune that's sure to offend all of those it doesn't entertain. Huff displays a very raw, edgy songwriting style throughout North Cathedral Way that is very much in contrast with his later recording, Death And Texas. There are a few lyrical turns here that are a bit awkward, but on the whole it's very strong songwriting and full of raw, dynamic performances that must have been unforgettable in the live environment.

Laura is a beautifully poignant love song that will make the mix-tape list for folks of that name. It's a fine bit of songwriting and performed in a highly personable, vulnerable fashion that is becoming both to Huff and the song. Mystic Town is another song that could be a classic. Huff sounds a bit like Jim Morrison here but the song is more in the style of very early Billy Joel (particularly non-album stuff that you'll find in his box set). Other highlights here include Van Gogh Blues, Broken, By The Grace Of God and the Dylan-esque Talkin' Benadryl Blues.

Chris Huff is a very talented singer-songwriter. This early work is a bit rough in patches but shows the distinct signs of the artist who recently released Death And Texas. North Cathedral Way is coffee house folk and blues at its best. This is a great marker of the early songwriting proclivities of Huff and will be ideal for fans. This is also a great disc for folk fans and acoustic blues fans. Be sure to check it out.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Chris Huff at http://www.huffmusic.com/, where you can purchase a copy of North Cathedral Way.

Review: Al Conti - Scheherazade

Al Conti - Scheherazade
2008, Shadowside Music

Your first thought upon seeing Al Conti is that he looks familiar. You know you've seen him somewhere before. A longtime actor, Conti has appeared on "As The World Turns" (among others), numerous commercials and even done some live theater work in New York and elsewhere. He gave up acting in 2004 to compose music full time, and has recently released his third album, Scheherazade (named for the narrator in the classic Arabian Nights tales). Conti mixes traditional middle eastern instrumentation with the more western sounding piano, guitar, violin, synth and percussion to create a stunning and eloquent collection of ten real world flavored new age compositions.

Daughter Of The City is the musical representation of Scheherazade herself, the woman who would save the female population of Arabia through 1,001 tales spun meant to stave off her death. Legend holds that Arabian Sultan Shahryar, whose heart had previously been broken decided to never be hurt again. His plan was to marry a new woman each day only to have her killed the next morning. Scheherazade began telling Shahryar stories each night, leaving the ending until the next day. The Sultan was so enraptured with Scheherazade's stories he'd let her live to hear the end of the story. While Scheherazade spent each day concocting new tales, she was also working on the Sultan to soften his heart. In the end the Sultan realized he loved Scheherazade.

Desert Nights has a feel of the ancients to it, and a gorgeous melody that soothes the ears. Shahryar seeks to enfold the majesty and power of the Sultan within its staves, and achieves its purpose with a sense of mystery and despair. Seven Veils To Midnight is Conti's representation of Scheherazade's honeymoon night, and combines an almost ambient musical sensibility with driving rhythms and strong minor key melodies to give the hidden sense of pleasure, anxiety and magic. Other highlights include A Thousand Tales; Gold And Spices and Eternal Majesty.

Al Conti writes incredibly expressive music that crosses boundaries you might have imagined as impregnable. Conti makes you forget your misgivings as they float away on the rise and fall of his moving and poignant songs. Scheherazade is a prime example of how New Age music can be vibrant and new. It's a gorgeous musical representation of the classic tale and a must-hear.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Al Conti at http://www.alconti.net/ or www.myspace.com/alconti. You can purchase a copy of Scheherazade at www.cdbaby.com/cd/alconti3.

Review: Lauren Houston - Roots & Wings

Lauren Houston - Roots & Wings
2008, Hale Groove Productions

Morning View, Kentucky is the home and spiritual base of Lauren Houston. Raised by hard-working parents on classic Rock and Roll and singer-songwriters, Houston developed a taste for performance early on. By the time she was in college she was ready to start performing as part of the Cincinnati-based trio Mr. Dub and the To Be’s, but shortly thereafter began on her own solo journey. Confessional songwriting is Houston’s style. “Six strings and the truth” is the motto on her MySpace page, and Houston walks the walk in every song on her debut album, Roots & Wings.

Roots & Wings is a classic country album with great musicianship, strong songwriting and the plaintive, sweet voice of Lauren Houston, but something truly great is afoot here. It's rare that I make a point of elevating a particular song above the album it comes from, but in this case I must make an exception. Fight This War should put Lauren Houston on the map in a big, big way. It's the ballad of a soldier's wife in a time of war. Houston plays the protagonist here, laying her heart bare as the wife of a soldier ("I'll fight this battle and you fight this war"). The song is astoundingly touching; a heart-breaking look at the thoughts and emotions of the ones left behind. It's patriotic and full of love for the soldier and is a well-told story to boot. If this song ever makes it to popular country radio it might never come out of rotation. At the very least it's the sort of song that should be licensed for movies about or based in the Iraq War/War On Terror that will be made in the coming years.

Sexy Boots is another highly commercial song that should do well for Houston. This is the sort of song that someone like Shania Twain could buy her next mansion with. Lauren Houston has a real knack for pop-country as displayed here, and she can even sing without a backing vocal track! Mason's Daughter goes more a traditional country feel and shows off the sweeter side of Houston's voice in fine fashion. Be sure to check out Can't Get Enough, a poignant love song that holds that same sense of sweetness Houston projects through most of her songs. Other highlights here include Wasted Emotions, You Feel Like Home, Heart In Mind and Mr. Tree. As an afterthought, a country rock mix of Sexy Boots is included to give you an idea of what someone like a Mutt Lange might make of her amazing songs.

Lauren Houston is a talent. She sings, she writes well and she has that down-home girl next door aura that is neither false nor cliché. Roots & Wings should help Lauren Houston ascend the country ladder, and Fight This War could be the song that allows Houston to look at wherever she wants to be and declare that to be the top. If that song ever gets into major distribution there won't be anyone in the business who will argue with her. This is a must have disc for that song alone, but take away Fight This War and it's still a very strong release.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Lauren Houston at http://www.lauren-houston.com/ or www.myspace.com/laurenhouston. You can pick up a copy of Roots & Wings at www.cdbaby.com/cd/laurenhouston.

Review: Peel - Die In June

Peel - Die In June E.P.
2008, Pellgrim Records

Oslo, Norway's Peel is back with an exciting four-song E.P. entitled Die In June. Peel has become well known and respected for their highly personal and emotionally bare songwriting; incorporating styles that run the gamut from industrial to metal to pop. Pim (lead vox/guitar); Bertzkii (drums); Dan (guitar/vox); Bjorn (keys/guitar) and Frikk (bass/vocals) continue to enthrall music fans from all walks of live in Scandinavia and abroad.

Die In June opens with Falling From Grace, a song inspired by a documentary on childhood abuse and how the abused come to feel their treatment is normal. The song is very powerful and written in a style reminiscent of early Bon Jovi material. It has a strong pop sensibility while retaining a distinct edge. The title track, Die In June examines romance through the eyes of one who has burned. The hope the narrator feels is tempered by the fear of hurting again. The chorus is full of big guitars that serve as a sonic metaphor for being buffeted by insecurities and fear. The song is very memorable with a strong melody and a great, heavy sound.
Second Man On The Moon examines the superficial nature of society in devaluing accomplishments just because they've been accomplished before. This is a great pop tune with rock embellishments that sounds like something that should have a lot of licensing potential. My favorite track on the disc is Unheard. It's a heavy tune that is reminiscent of the better of early Live material. The unseen/unheard outsider is the anti-hero hero, falling through the cracks before our very ears.

Peel wields a heavy pen; capturing strongly poignant ideas in song in a fashion that is neither condescending nor preachy. The arrangements are compelling and keep the listener interested and involved. This is intellectual heavy rock at it's finest. The only complaint you might have is that it's only four songs long. The Die In June E.P. will leave you wanting more of Peel.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Peel from http://www.peeltheband.com/. You can purchase a copy of Die In June at www.cdbaby.com/cd/peelmusic.

Review: Astronauts Of Antiquity - Rocket Science For Dummies

Astronauts Of Antiquity – Rocket Science For Dummies

2008, RevCon Records

The Astronauts Of Antiquity offer up a rare mix of dub, trance, pop, soul and jazz on their latest release, Rocket Science For Dummies. The musical and spiritual marriage of India and B. Rhyan has created a blending of sounds and style that are not matched elsewhere. From their original base in Chapel Hill, NC to their current Nyack, NY home, The Astronauts Of Antiquity have spread their musical joy all over the world. On Rocket Science For Dummies they take things to the next level.

Rocket Science For Dummies opens with Everywhere, a very Euro sounding dance tune that should be very commercially viable. India has a gorgeous voice that just floats and slides across the music like a bow on well-tuned violin. This is the sort of song that could make real impact for Astronauts Of Antiquity with the right push or promotion. Strangest Places takes on more of a jazz feel. The music is fairly low key, allowing India's vocals to carry the song. Sup A Soul takes a more aggressive stance with an urgent bass line running counterpoint to a melancholy vocal line. The song resolves into a chorus that's full of electronic rhythms and effects. It's actually quite an interesting listen

Rocket Science is a more straightforward rock/electro hybrid with an urban feel to it. While this is not my personal favorite song on the disc, it does serve to highlight to the almost chameleon nature of vocalist India, who seems able to sing almost any style and do it well. Notable also is Beautiful Fate, a powerfully positive message built on a lovely melody and a unique arrangement. Other highlights include the funky Breakthrough and Love Is All Around.

Rocket Science For Dummies runs the gamut through R&B, jazz, electro, rock and all points in between. There are even some ambient drum & bass leanings here (Love Is A Mantra). This is an album that's going to appeal to a lot of people, although it will be the sort where a lot of people like a few tracks (differing on musical tastes). Open minded listeners will love this disc for its supple ability to change speeds and direction without notice and make it all sound like it fits together. Astronauts Of Antiquity might just break out with Rocket Science For Dummies. One way or another they're here to stay.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Astronauts Of Antiquity at www.myspace.com/astronautsofantiquity or http://www.astronautsofantiquity.com/, where you can purchase CD or download copies of Rocket Science For Dummies.

Review: Jessie Kilguss - Nocturnal Drifter

Jessie Kilguss - Nocturnal Drifter
2008, Exotic Bird Recordings

Jessie Kilguss is a late bloomer as a singer/songwriter, but has spent her whole life trying to find her way there. She began as an actress, classically trained at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Kilguss has done her turns on the stage, but after sharing the stage with Marianne Faithfull Kilguss became hooked on the idea that she might control her own development/writing/performance. The outgrowth of that revelation was Kilguss’ 2007 debut album, Exotic Bird. Artists grow and develop, and in less than two years Kilguss has grown immensely. Her next release, Nocturnal Drifter is due January 6, 2009, is leaps and bounds ahead of Exotic Bird, itself a Wildy’s World Certified Desert Island Disc.

After hearing Jessie Kilguss' Exotic Bird earlier this year she quickly became one of my favorite listens. Kilguss was confounding at first, being so generally unwilling to fit a particular mold that she forced me to put everything else aside and listen to her CD, and in doing so I discovered something of a genius. When I first heard Nocturnal Drifter I became a bit concerned. Big Lush arrangements and even the occasional electronic composition seemed to suggest the gentrification of Kilguss. After several listens I am delighted to say that Kilguss is as obstinately unclassifiable as ever. Rather than stick to one theme, Kilguss writes from the heart of a person living in an ever changing world. The results are a more lush, sonically gorgeous set of songs that on her previous offering, but with that same air of disaffected genius that accompanies true art.

The Brooklyn-based actress/singer, or dare I say singer/actress opens Nocturnal Drifter with Gristmill. It's a gorgeous cabaret-style piece that mourns the constant physical and emotional friction of living in a highly compressed environment like New York City. Americana is one of the more straightforward rock tunes you'll hear out of Kilguss, and is recorded in gorgeous layers to create a big, lush sound you won't forget. A Little Place Behind My Eyes was the track that initially caused me to pause, as I am always a little nervous when a songwriter first ventures into electronic sounds, but Kilguss makes the transition flawlessly. A Little Place... frames Kilguss' voice perfectly and it turns out to be one of the true highlights of the album.

Time On My Hands is an absolutely amazing piano ballad. It's the sort of musical soliloquy that could headline a rock musical; it shows the inner demons of the narrator eating away at her confidence in a relationship. It's painfully beautiful in it's candor. I Don't Need People is the dysfunctional reaction to repeated loss in a relationship. Once again Kilguss hits the honesty meter at the highest rung while extracting painful beauty from her own experience. This Time is a loving ode that is part perception and part creation. It is a frighteningly accurate description how romance makes liars of us all, most of all to ourselves.

31 is a reflection on how time creeps up on us all. 31 is one of the best examples of what is a trademark of Jessie Kilguss' songwriting. She has an ability to write about things that have been written about thousands of times before without coming within a mile of a cliché. Her thoughts (as lyrics) are original and concise and illuminating. Add to this unusual and creative compositions that tease the lyrics as the sea teases the boats that sail upon her and you have the creative genius that is Jessie Kilguss. Marie Antoinette Song is a wonderfully bizarre exploration of unrequited love and the sort of insecurities that play havoc on the mind. Something About Lonely is a lilting tune that mourns the extended presence of no one, seeming to question the insular emotional fortresses that people build about themselves in their younger years. Nocturnal Drifter closes with Strangers On A Train, which aptly sums up the experience of being alone in a mass of humanity.

Jessie Kilguss just keeps getting better. Nocturnal Drifter may not get the attention of national or international press, but it's not because it doesn't deserve it. Nocturnal Drifter is a cohesive collection of songs that is by turns gorgeous, haunting, disturbing, theatric and disturbingly candid. Jessie Kilguss bares her soul across the ten songs offered here, and the results are absolutely unforgettable. Fans of Tori Amos and Kate Bush will love this for the disjointed candor. Fans of Sarah Slean will get the perspective. Fans of Sarah McLachlan will love the lush accoutrements of Kilguss' songs, and fans of great songwriting will be enraptured. Don't be surprised if Nocturnal Drifter is looked back upon in certain circles as a seminal album of the Indie movement in the first decade of the twenty-first century. It's certainly a Wildy's World Certified Desert Island Disc. Don't miss out on this one.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Jessie Kilguss at http://www.jessiekilguss.com/ or www.myspace.com/jessiekilguss. Nocturnal Drifter will be released on January 6, 2009. Retail availability info was not available at the time of this review, but it’s safe to assume it will be available through Amazon.com and CDBaby. Keep checking Kilguss’ site for more information.

Review: Miranda Vettrus - Book Of Lies EP

Miranda Vettrus – Book Of Lies EP
2008, Wavelength

Salem, Oregon’s Miranda Vettrus has a unique pop sensibility that comes from years of hard work at song craft and natural talent. She has a voice that rivals some of the best in the music business, and she’s all of fourteen years old. Growing up in an amusement park, Vettrus has learned to live without fear; without barriers. No one’s ever told Vettrus she shouldn’t be able to do the things she does, and therefore its never occurred to her how truly unique she is. Her debut, the Book Of Lies EP was released in November 2008. It’s the first volley from an artist who has a lot to say. You don’t want to miss this one.

Miranda Vettrus sounds like what Avril Lavigne was supposed to be; someone who eschews the pop world’s wants and gimmees and writes for herself. Book Of Lies EP is three songs of edgy pop-rock that pays no heed to the bubblegum style that pervades the Disney set. Vettrus shows musical backbone and grit, plus a talent for writing songs that seems to far exceed her fourteen years on Earth. Book Of Lies is an amazingly mature shove-off song that calls out a love interest for the mix of dishonesty and neediness that is a recipe for dysfunction. I Know Better displays the sort of perspective and maturity that most of us don't acquire until somewhere around age 30 (give or take) when the opportunity of youth hedges in the face of advancing time and the promise of security. Fairytale is the best song of the set. It is a real world look from a surprisingly even-minded soul who has already put aside youthful things and is looking for the real thing, romantically.

Miranda Vettrus is mature beyond her years; she displays the pop-centric songwriting ability to convey ideas to a great many people, and the maturity and lyrical incisiveness to make sure those ideas hit home. While I fully applaud the talent and presence of this young star-to-be (and she is), a part of me also mourns the loss of innocence and youth so young. Vettrus represents both the brightest and darkest aspects of the progression of society in an incredibly talented and vibrant package. Book Of Lies should be the start of a very long and successful career for Miranda Vettrus.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Miranda Vettrus at http://www.mirandavettrus.com/ or www.myspace.com/mirandavettrus. The Book Of Lies EP is available as a download only through Amazon.com or iTunes.

Review: Al Jarreau - Christmas

Al Jarreau – Christmas
2008, Rhino Records

Seven-time Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau has a legendary reputation. He’s won Grammys in four separate decades, and is the only artist in history to win Grammys in three separate musical genres (Pop, Jazz and R&B.) Jarreau is known in jazz circles for his scat singing and his ability to emulate the sounds of various musical instruments. In the popular realm he may be most remembered for writing/recording the theme of the Bruce Willis/Cybil Sheppard TV Hit Moonlighting. For the holidays in 2008, Al Jarreau has released a CD entitled, simply, Christmas.

There aren’t many in the business with smoother sound than Jarreau. He’s an old school crooner with a voice like velvet. The arrangements on Christmas reflect the various musical hats he’s worn over the years as well. Winter Wonderland is done in a 1970’s jazz/soul style that is fitting. Hark The Herald Angels Sing I wasn’t as thrilled with. It’s done as a Calypso that just doesn’t fit with the song for me. Jarreau’s version of White Christmas is gorgeous and touching. Carol Of The Bells has a great progressive jazz vibe that you just have to hear.

The Christmas Song is handled in a jazz ensemble arrangement that works very well and really highlights Jarreau’s pipes. I’ll Be Home For Christmas is arranged in the depths of beautiful harmonies provided by Take 6. This is the highlight recording of the disc, as Jarreau and Take 6 fit together like milk and cookies. Gloria In Excelsis is given the full Gospel send-up and works very well. Other notable tracks are Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, Some Children See Him and The Little Christmas Tree.

What can you say about Al Jarreau? The man can still sing rings around many of the young bucks currently climbing the charts in the Pop, R&B and Jazz worlds. His Christmas CD is faithful enough to tradition to appeal to the mass market and new and fresh enough to keep songs you hear hundreds of times each December interesting and fun. I’m not 100% on board with a couple of the stylistic choices here, but too bad for me. It’s an excellent album and definitely a top choice for the Christmas season.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Al Jarreau at http://www.aljarreau.com/. You can purchase a copy of Christmas at Amazon.com or wherever holiday music is sold.

Review: Lee Marvin Band - Flowers To Strangers

Lee Marvin Band - Flowers To Strangers2008, Lee Marvin

Lee Marvin lives and breathes New York City. It's in his blood; in his breath, and it emanates bright and dark in his music. Flowers To Strangers is a soundtrack of and inspired by New York. Infused with styles, sounds and rhythms that both amuse and confound, the album is 100% Lee Marvin and 1000% New York.

The album opens with Flowers To Stangers, a mix of styles including Latin-flavored jazz tune. Marvin himself has an unexpected voice. It’s one I can’t make up my mind entirely whether I enjoy. That’s not saying his voice is bad by any stretch. He handles the songs on Flowers To Strangers very competently. It’s more like meeting someone for the first time and just not hitting it off. Marvin’s vocal style is both too dark and too far back in the throat for my taste, but there will be folks out there who get it. Instrumentally Marvin and band are more than competent. Straws That Bind shows a band at the top of their game, with a lot of little interplay going on back and forth between instruments. Fans of Paul Simon’s 1980s stuff will love this song.

Waltz With The Cold Wind is the highlight of Flowers To Strangers, pulling Stevie Ray Vaughan style blues licks out thin air to illustrate the monsters under the stairs and other fears of childhood. Marvin sticks with the blues feel on Same Sun, which is a prime example of my ambiguous approach to Flowers To Strangers. I love the instrumental work here and really just couldn’t listen to the vocals. Other notable songs here are My Heart, Where Else Would You Be and She Dances On The Ruins.

Lee Marvin is an extremely talented instrumentalist, and he has a top notch band. His voice is enigmatic and perhaps an acquired taste. Flowers To Strangers is a treat from the perspective of composition and performance. I personally didn’t get the vocals, but you might.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about the Lee Marvin Band at www.myspace.com/leemarvinband. You can purchase a copy of Flowers To Strangers at www.cdbaby.com/cd/leemarvin.

Review: Julie Clark - Change Your Mind

Julie Clark - Change Your Mind
2009, Great Big Records

On December, 2008, Julie Clark will release Change Your Mind on Great Big Records. Clark is an openly lesbian musician who walks the fine line between folk and pop/rock. Her songwriting has been widely claimed, winning the Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition (joining alumni such as Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle, Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin). She's also won the Great American Song Contest and Best Audience Response at the Cornucopia Music Festival. Clark's music is full of bald honesty, jaunty word play, and a vision of change based in her own personal struggles. Having grown up as an extremely overweight child, Clark has shed nearly 200 pounds to reclaim herself as she wants to be.

Change Your Mind opens with the title track, a true Americana/country tune that calls upon individual self-reliance in order to find happiness. The song is quite lovely with a memorable melody. Superman takes on the death of Superman and the superficial nature of friendship. Clark steps up with an endearing ballad to her big brother in Growing Up. Jacket ads a little blues/rock sexuality to Change Your Mind in one of the highlights of the album. If It Weren’t For That tackles Clark’s struggle with her weight in an unusually honest autobiographical song. Long Way Down sounds like something The Indigo Girls might have recorded, from the style right down to the harmonies. It’s perhaps the most commercial song on the album, and a good pick to be licensed.

Courage Of Our Convictions is the centerpiece of Change Your Mind. It’s perhaps the most musically stunning and poignant gay rights anthem you’ll ever hear. With a jazz/blues background, including some filthy guitar work and Hammond Organ, Clark has reached deep down into her well of talent and come up with a musically superb vehicle for her message. Even the message of seeking out equality is handled with a panache and intelligence that will likely win hearts and minds. I’d Do ‘Em All (If I Could) is Julie Clark at her funkiest and most brazen. This is the sort of party song that gets parties shut down. It’s a lot of fun. Change Your Mind closes out with Roller Coaster, perhaps the most straight forward country tune on the album. It’s a good song but perhaps a bit anti-climactic after I’d Do ‘Em All (which probably should have been the closer).

Julie Clark is a talented singer/songwriter/story teller. Her voice is very affable and her blunt, personal story telling style is endearing. Clark has a real sense for melody and tension in her music and should be making music for many years to come. Change Your Mind is a gem worth checking out. And while music is often used to change minds, it’s good to remember that music can also change hearts. Clark has that gift.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Julie Clark at http://www.julieclark.net/. Change Your Mind will be released on December 5, 2008, and can be pre-ordered at www.cdbaby.com/julieclark2.

Review: The Ox - Distant Shores

The Ox - Distant Shores
2007, Indaba Records

Paul Hogg is The Ox, the Leamington Spa, England down-temp0 electronica artist who is making a big name for himself. Nicknamed for his stature in college, The Ox shows a broad array of talents on his debut CD, Distant Shores. The Ox played all instruments and produced the album, ensuring that his musical vision came through as clearly as he heard it in his mind. Inspired by artists such as Moby, Craig Armstrong, Groove Armada and Chic, The Ox doesn’t limit himself just to down-tempo, but Distant Shores is any indication it may well be his best stuff.

Distant Shores isn't cerebral. It's not specifically organic. It's in your face, get down and dance techno/electro with enough attitude and energy to move the feet of folks who don't like electronic music. There's no apologies and no hedging here. It's not inspiring or uplifting, and isn't pretentious in its presentation. There are ambient moments, and there are even moments of beauty, like the bare piano at the beginning of Footprints. Footprints isn't eloquent or pretty, but there is a sustained, regal beauty in the two chord progression that opens this song. Astral Traveler is quite moving while bordering on outright pop at moments with its pure disco baseline. Other highlights include Sparks, the pure pop of Take Your Time, the acoustic guitar led Evergreen and Here Is Home.

Distant Shores isn't typical. It's at moments jarring, beautiful, soaring and unique. The Ox's moods and modes change here often enough that you almost forget your place and time for a few moments. A distinct pleasure.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Ox at www.myspace.com/oxtunes or http://www.ox-music.com/, where you can purchase a signed copy of Distant Shores.